Big Careers, Small Children

In this inspiring and honest episode of the Big Careers, Small Children Podcast, and the first episode since Leaders Plus founder Verena Hefti MBE has returned from maternity leave, Verena sits down with Maya Ellis MP, a Leaders Plus alumna and Member of Parliament for Ribble Valley. Together they talk about building an ambitious political career while staying present for her two young children.

Maya shares thoughtful reflections on how hard work, thoughtful planning, and clear boundaries make a real difference when combining children with a big career. She also shares her journey from being a Leaders Plus Fellow and local councillor to standing for Parliament, and how she has learned to protect her weekends, manage her energy rather than just her time, and stay grounded in a job with no fixed job description and endless competing demands.

Drawing on her own experiences of building trust, finding support networks, and learning the often unspoken rules of senior roles, Maya speaks openly about the small, everyday compromises that come with the job, how shifting her focus from managing time to managing her energy has helped her, and why she believes more working parents need to find the confidence to put themselves forward in politics and beyond.

Together, they explore

• What Maya used to believe about combining career and family life, and what she's had to unlearn since becoming a parent and an MP.
• Why she shifted her focus from time management to energy management, and what that's meant for how she structures her weeks.
• How Maya decides where to focus her energy in a role with no fixed job description, from coffee mornings with constituents to narrowing her policy focus over time.
• The realities of trust, support networks, and what she's learned about influence beyond merit and hard work alone.
• Verena’s emerging Loam Lab initiative, exploring how organisations can be convinced that time spent at work isn't the same as output.

What you'll learn in this episode

• Practical ideas for planning so you can navigate the realities of juggling a growing career with young children, even before those challenges appear.
• How protecting your non-negotiable boundaries, such as weekends, can help you thrive both at work and at home.
• How to build trust and influence in senior roles, particularly when "the rules" aren't written down anywhere.
• Encouragement and practical first steps for parents considering a move into politics or another high-profile leadership role.

Show Notes:

• Follow Maya Ellis MP on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about the Leaders Plus: Big Careers, Small Children podcast and explore additional resources at leadersplus.org.
• Follow Leaders Plus on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Bluesky.
• Connect with our CEO, Verena Hefti MBE on LinkedIn.
• Find out more about the work of Leaders Plus by signing up to our Newsletter.

Our multi-award-winning Leaders Plus Fellowships support parents committed to career growth while enjoying family life. Expertly designed to keep parents on the leadership path, our programme tackles gender pay gap issues and empowers parents to thrive. Learn more here: Leaders Plus Fellowship.

Episode 212: [Future Of Work] Dominic Holmes – How Flexible Working Will Redefine Success and Efficiency at Work

Episode 204: (C-Suite Series) Susie Warran-Smith - How to Overcome Guilt and Build a Successful Career as a Parent

In this reflective and practical episode of the Big Careers, Small Children podcast, Leaders Plus Interim COO Helen Fraser speaks with Rupert Brown, author of Lost in Transformation and Leaders Plus Senior Leader Mentor.

Rupert has spent much of his career leading people change in multinational organisations, including international assignments in Switzerland, Singapore, Denmark and Dubai, while raising two children abroad. He shares what he has learned about making big career decisions when family needs change, leading transformation with more humanity, and staying honest with yourself in the middle of corporate upheaval.

Drawing on his experience working with people and culture, he shares the moment his teenagers asked why the family was “doing lockdown in the desert,” the family’s return to the UK, and how the sudden death of his father and his employer’s response reshaped his view of leadership and empathy.

✔️ How Rupert and his family navigated multiple international moves, and why their teenagers’ voices were central to the decision to come back to the UK for more stability.

✔️ What really happens to family life and career confidence when work and location decisions stop being “just” the parents’ choices.

✔️ Why he believes many corporate change programmes ignore basic psychology and the lived experience of the people affected, and what drew him to write Lost in Transformation.

✔️ Rupert’s PIE model: performance, image and exposure, and why hard work alone is rarely enough for progression, especially for working parents with limited time.

✔️ What the death of his father taught him about principle based policies, bereavement leave, and the quiet power of simple, human responses from leaders in moments of grief.

🔹 Ways to think through big career and location choices when your children start expressing their own clear preferences.

🔹 Practical ideas for building “spacious” relationships at work that help you stay resourceful and honest under pressure.

🔹 How leaders can respond to loss and difficulty with empathy rather than hiding behind rigid policies or avoiding uncomfortable conversations.

🔹 Questions to ask yourself if you are involved in leading change, so that you do change with people rather than doing change to them.

• Connect with Rupert Brown on LinkedIn
• Find Rupert Brown’s book Lost in Transformation on Amazon
• Learn more about the Leaders Plus: Big Careers, Small Children podcast and explore additional resources at leadersplus.org.
• Follow Leaders Plus on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Bluesky.
• Connect with Helen Fraser on LinkedIn.
• Connect with our CEO, Verena Hefti MBE on LinkedIn.
• Find out more about the work of Leaders Plus by signing up to our Newsletter.

Our multi-award-winning Leaders Plus Fellowships support parents committed to career growth while enjoying family life. Expertly designed to keep parents on the leadership path, our programme tackles gender pay gap issues and empowers parents to thrive. Learn more here: Leaders Plus Fellowship.

Episode 217 : {CEO Series} Ori Carmel - How to Make Better Decisions About Work and Family

Episode 212: [Future Of Work] Dominic Holmes – How Flexible Working Will Redefine Success and Efficiency at Work

In this reflective and deeply thoughtful episode of Big Careers, Small Children, Verena Hefti MBE speaks with Ori Carmel, Founder and CEO at Sowen. Drawing on his lived experience as a father of two, Ori shares how working parents can make better decisions about work and family, build guardrails that protect what matters most, and avoid the regret that often comes from overwhelm or overcommitment.

Ori reflects on the moment he missed his daughter’s first smile while travelling for work, the subtle choices that shape daily family life, and the simple frameworks he now uses to stay aligned with his values.

Together, they discuss:

✔️ How working parents can use simple decision-making tools to avoid stress, regret and overwhelm

✔️ Why flexibility often leads to blurred boundaries and how to put guardrails back in place

✔️ The “bandwidth check-in” system Ori and his wife use to share the load on tough days

✔️ How cultural expectations and ego subtly influence men’s decisions about work and family

What you'll learn in this episode:

🔹 How to make clearer day-to-day decisions about work and family

🔹 How to recognise early signs of overstretch before burnout takes hold

🔹 Why decision-making frameworks help parents stay aligned with their values

🔹 How to course-correct when work starts to take up more space than intended

Ori’s reflections are an invitation to slow down, examine your decision-making patterns, and build structures that support both your ambition and your family life.

Show Notes:

• Connect with Ori Carmel on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about Sowen here.
• Learn more about the Leaders Plus: Big Careers, Small Children podcast and explore additional resources at leadersplus.org.
• Follow Leaders Plus on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Bluesky.
• Connect with our CEO, Verena Hefti MBE on LinkedIn.
• Find out more about the work of Leaders Plus by signing up to our Newsletter.

Our multi-award-winning Leaders Plus Fellowships support parents committed to career growth while enjoying family life. Expertly designed to keep parents on the leadership path, our programme tackles gender pay gap issues and empowers parents to thrive. Learn more here: Leaders Plus Fellowship.

Episode 215 : Ahed Serhal – How to Turn Guilt into Growth: Finding Balance as a Working Parent Abroad

Episode 205: (C-Suite Series) Steph Hind - How to Balance Leadership, Parenting, and Wellbeing Without Sacrifice

In this research-rich and deeply practical episode, Verena Hefti MBE speaks with Prof Gudrun Sander, Director of the Institute for International Management and Diversity Management IIDM-HSG at the University of St. Gallen, about what workplaces must do if they genuinely want to support working parents and close gender progression gaps.

A global expert on gender equality, leadership, and organisational culture, Prof Sander brings decades of evidence-based insight into what really moves the needle and what doesn’t.

She unpacks why many well-intentioned initiatives fall short, the key levers that actually shift equality outcomes, and how organisations can redesign work so that parents can thrive without penalty.

Together, they explore:

✔️ Why having a family should be treated as a normal part of an employee’s career path

✔️ How organisations can remove systemic barriers that disadvantage working parents

✔️ The real reason visibility matters as much as performance for progression

✔️ Why women don’t need to be “perfect” to step into stretch opportunities

✔️ What companies get wrong when designing policies like parental leave

✔️ How hybrid work can either accelerate equality or deepen inequalities

✔️ Practical steps leaders can take today to build a more inclusive culture

✔️ How to support managers so they can properly support parents

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

🔹 How to design workplace systems that genuinely support working parents

🔹 Why visibility and sponsorship matter more than ever

🔹 How perfectionism and confidence gaps limit progression, and what to do about it

🔹 The organisational behaviours that predict better gender equality outcomes

🔹 How leaders can role-model balance without losing credibility

🔹 Why diversity policies fail and what makes them effective

Show Notes:

• Connect with Prof Gudrun Sander on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about the Competence Center for Diversity, Disability and Inclusion at the University of St. Gallen here.
• Learn more about the Leaders Plus: Big Careers, Small Children podcast and explore additional resources at leadersplus.org.
• Follow Leaders Plus on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Bluesky.
• Connect with our CEO, Verena Hefti MBE on LinkedIn.
• Find out more about the work of Leaders Plus by signing up to our Newsletter.

Our multi-award-winning Leaders Plus Fellowships support parents committed to career growth while enjoying family life. Expertly designed to keep parents on the leadership path, our programme tackles gender pay gap issues and empowers parents to thrive. Learn more here: Leaders Plus Fellowship.

Episode 177: [Future of Work] Denise Wilson OBE How the UK is Working to Achieve Gender Balance at Board Level & What Still Needs to Change

Episode 212: [Future Of Work] Dominic Holmes – How Flexible Working Will Redefine Success and Efficiency at Work

In this inspiring episode of the Big Careers, Small Children podcast, Verena Hefti MBE speaks with Ahed Serhal, HR Director, La Prairie Switzerland, about how she transformed guilt into growth while building a global career and raising 10-year-old twins abroad.

Living without nearby family support, Ahed shares her honest reflections on balancing ambition and parenthood — from morning school selfies to open conversations with her employer and children. She reveals how learning to let go of guilt, plan with purpose, and communicate openly helped her find true balance and confidence as a working parent.

Together, they explore:

✔️ The mindset shift that helped Ahed turn guilt into growth

✔️ How to progress your career while living abroad without family support

✔️ Why being vocal about what you need builds trust and balance

✔️ How parenting can strengthen your leadership through empathy and structure

✔️ The power of partnership and planning when both parents travel for work

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

🔹 How to let go of guilt and define balance on your own terms

🔹 Why openness with your manager (and your children) is key to thriving

🔹 How to create systems that support both your career and your family

🔹 Why parenting can make you a more strategic, grounded leader

🔹 The one mindset shift that helps you progress without traditional support networks

• Connect with Ahed Serhal on LinkedIn
• Learn more about beiersdorf.com
• Learn more about the Leaders Plus: Big Careers, Small Children podcast and explore additional resources at leadersplus.org.
• Follow Leaders Plus on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Bluesky.
• Connect with our CEO, Verena Hefti MBE on LinkedIn.
• Find out more about the work of Leaders Plus by signing up to our Newsletter.

Applications are closing in a few days for the Leaders Plus Cross-Sector Fellowship (Deadline: Tuesday 11 November). It is a nine-month leadership development programme supporting ambitious working parents in leadership or managerial roles to progress their careers while staying present for family life.

Our multi-award-winning Leaders Plus Fellowships support parents committed to career growth while enjoying family life. Expertly designed to keep parents on the leadership path, our programme tackles gender pay gap issues and empowers parents to thrive. Learn more here: Leaders Plus Fellowship.

Episode 195: Control Isn’t Everything: Embracing Kindness in Life, Parenting, and Leadership

Episode 194: How to Create Counterbalance in Your Life & Career

In this honest and inspiring episode of the Big Careers, Small Children podcast, Verena Hefti MBE speaks with Heather Blundell, UK CEO at Grayling, and mum of two young boys.

Heather shares her personal journey of combining ambitious leadership with parenthood — from taking work calls during bath time to confidently blocking out school pick-ups in her diary. She reflects on the pivotal karate-class moment that shifted her approach to presence, and why setting boundaries has made her a more intentional, effective leader.

A working parent at the top of her game, Heather offers a refreshingly real perspective on leadership, family life, and the cultural responsibility CEOs hold to model balance.

✔️ The powerful realisation that changed Heather’s approach to presence as a parent and leader

✔️ Why she sets more boundaries now as a CEO than in previous roles

✔️ How becoming a parent made her a more decisive, compassionate, and time-efficient leader

✔️ The cultural ripple effect when senior leaders model balance at work

✔️ How to let go of perfectionism and focus on what truly matters

✔️ Navigating playground imposter syndrome as a senior leader

✔️ Why parenting can enrich, rather than hinder, leadership ambition

🔹 How to set transparent boundaries at a senior level without losing credibility

🔹 Why presence, not perfection, creates impact at work and home

🔹 How parenting can sharpen your leadership clarity, efficiency, and empathy

🔹 Practical ways to lead by example and shape organisational culture

🔹 Why “having it all” is a myth — and how deliberate choices make the difference

• Connect with Heather Blundell on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Grayling UK here
• Learn more about the Leaders Plus: Big Careers, Small Children podcast and explore additional resources at leadersplus.org.
• Follow Leaders Plus on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Bluesky.
• Connect with our CEO, Verena Hefti MBE on LinkedIn.
• Find out more about the work of Leaders Plus by signing up to our Newsletter.

Our multi-award-winning Leaders Plus Fellowships support parents committed to career growth while enjoying family life. Expertly designed to keep parents on the leadership path, our programme tackles gender pay gap issues and empowers parents to thrive. Learn more here: Leaders Plus Fellowship.

Episode 209: {CEO Series} Dr Nara Daubeney - How To Let Go of Guilt and Redefine Success as a Working Parent

Episode 203: (C-Suite Series) Jane Hollinshead - How to Navigate a Squiggly Career and Find Success on Your Own Terms

In this episode of Big Careers, Small Children, part of our brand-new Series 16, Verena Hefti MBE speaks with Jess and Darryl Abelscroft about how they navigated shared parental leave and what they learned along the way.

Jessica Abelscroft, Director, Abelscroft Consulting, and Darryl Abelscroft, Future Safety and Innovation, Civil Aviation Authority, both former Leaders Plus Fellows, share their reflections on splitting leave, balancing careers, and parenting equally.

✔️ The practicalities of navigating HR systems and dividing time off

✔️ The emotional challenges of handing over leave and adjusting roles

✔️ The lasting benefits for their children, who see both parents as equal caregivers

✔️ Why shared parental leave strengthened their careers as well as their family life

✔️ The changes needed in policy to make shared leave more accessible

• Equity at home creates equity at work: Shared leave builds confidence and balance in both parenting and careers.
• Expect complexity: HR processes are not straightforward — early planning makes a big difference.
• The emotional side matters: Handing over leave can be tough, but it sets the stage for long-term equality.
• Children gain too: Equal involvement of both parents shapes healthier expectations of family roles.
• Policy reform is essential: Better pay and simpler systems would make shared leave viable for more families.

• Connect with Jess Abelscroft on LinkedIn
• Connect with Darryl Abelscroft on LinkedIn
• Learn more about the Leaders Plus: Big Careers, Small Children podcast and explore additional resources at leadersplus.org.
• Follow Leaders Plus on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Bluesky.
• Connect with our CEO, Verena Hefti MBE on LinkedIn.
• Find out more about the work of Leaders Plus by signing up to our Newsletter.

Our multi-award-winning Leaders Plus Fellowships support parents committed to career growth while enjoying family life. Expertly designed to keep parents on the leadership path, our programme tackles gender pay gap issues and empowers parents to thrive. Learn more here: Leaders Plus Fellowship.

Episode 208: Nadia Bunyan MCIPD & Tatiana Pignon - How to Successfully Implement a 4-Day Week Without Sacrificing Impact

[Future of Work] Episode 185: Lucy Kemp - How AI Will Impact the Future of Work & How to Prevent Women From Leaving the Workforce

In this forward-thinking episode of the Big Careers, Small Children podcast, Verena Hefti MBE speaks with Dominic Holmes, Employment Law Partner at Kilgannon Law and Leaders Plus mentor.

Dominic shares his expert insights on the evolving landscape of employment law, the future of flexible working, and how the UK workplace needs to adapt if we’re serious about equality and productivity.

A working parent himself, Dominic reflects on going part-time early in his legal career and how that shift transformed his effectiveness both at work and at home.

✔️ Why flexible working should be the default, and what proposed legal reforms might mean for employees and employers alike.

✔️ How organisations can move beyond presenteeism and value output over hours worked.

✔️ The personal and organisational benefits of part-time leadership.

✔️ Why the current legal system still fails many working parents—especially women—and how to build a better one.

✔️ The real reason we need a cultural and mindset shift around productivity and long-hours culture.

✔️ How Dominic manages senior client relationships while working a four-day week.

✔️ What a fair, inclusive future of work might look like for the next generation.

🔹 Why reduced hours can make you a more focused and effective leader

🔹 How legal reforms could reshape employer obligations around flexibility

🔹 Why traditional “commitment” metrics fail working parents

🔹 The risks of defaulting to full-time roles without justification

🔹 Practical ways to challenge assumptions about career progression and presence

• Connect with Dominic Holmes on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Kilgannon Law at kilgannonlaw.co.uk
• Learn more about the Leaders Plus: Big Careers, Small Children podcast and explore additional resources at leadersplus.org.
• Follow Leaders Plus on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Bluesky.
• Connect with our CEO, Verena Hefti MBE on LinkedIn.
• Find out more about the work of Leaders Plus by signing up to our Newsletter.

Our multi-award-winning Leaders Plus Fellowships support parents committed to career growth while enjoying family life. Expertly designed to keep parents on the leadership path, our programme tackles gender pay gap issues and empowers parents to thrive. Learn more here: Leaders Plus Fellowship.

Episode 208: Nadia Bunyan MCIPD & Tatiana Pignon - How to Successfully Implement a 4-Day Week Without Sacrificing Impact

[Future of Work] Episode 185: Lucy Kemp - How AI Will Impact the Future of Work & How to Prevent Women From Leaving the Workforce

In this inspiring episode of the Big Careers, Small Children podcast, Verena Hefti MBE speaks with Rebecca Brosnan, CEO and Founder of The Halo Planner, and Non-Executive Director across several listed and non-profit organisations.

Rebecca shares her remarkable journey from high-pressure executive roles in finance to building a flexible, international portfolio career, all while raising two young children without sacrificing ambition or family life.

She talks openly about the messy reality of balancing senior leadership and motherhood, the importance of intentional planning, and why it’s possible (and necessary) to redefine success on your own terms.

✔️ Why building a successful board career with young children is possible — but messy.

✔️ The practical systems and mindsets that helped Rebecca balance senior leadership and parenthood.

✔️ How to plan your way to a thriving career without sacrificing presence at home.

✔️ Why NGO boards can be just as rewarding and impactful as corporate boards.

✔️ How to set boundaries without guilt and stay intentional with your time.

✔️ The role of support networks, planning tools, and saying no (without fear).

✔️ Practical steps for anyone wanting to start a portfolio career.

• How to create a portfolio career that aligns with your family priorities.
• The power of meticulous long-term and short-term planning for working parents.
• Why messy does not mean unsuccessful — and how to embrace it.
• How to balance ambition, purpose, and parenting without guilt.
• Why saying no is a leadership skill (and how to do it without burning bridges).

• Connect with Rebecca Brosnan on LinkedIn
• Learn more about the Halo Planner at thehaloplanner.com
• Follow Halo Planner on Instagram: @thehaloplanner
• Learn more about the Leaders Plus: Big Careers, Small Children podcast and explore additional resources at leadersplus.org.
• Follow Leaders Plus on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Bluesky.
• Connect with our CEO, Verena Hefti MBE on LinkedIn.
• Find out more about the work of Leaders Plus by signing up to our Newsletter.

Our multi-award-winning Leaders Plus Fellowships support parents committed to career growth while enjoying family life. Expertly designed to keep parents on the leadership path, our programme tackles gender pay gap issues and empowers parents to thrive. Learn more here: Leaders Plus Fellowship.

Episode 209: {CEO Series} Dr Nara Daubeney - How To Let Go of Guilt and Redefine Success as a Working Parent

Episode 203: (C-Suite Series) Jane Hollinshead - How to Navigate a Squiggly Career and Find Success on Your Own Terms

In this inspiring episode of the Big Careers, Small Children podcast, Verena Hefti MBE speaks with Louise Donaghey FRAeS, Group Head of Engines at International Airlines Group GBS, who will soon be one of Leaders Plus’ Senior Leader Mentors, about her remarkable career in aviation, leadership in male-dominated environments, and her experience of being the sole breadwinner in her family for nearly two decades.

Louise shares candidly about managing the pressure of high-stakes roles while raising two children, how she learned to embrace vulnerability as a strength, and what it really takes to stay present as a parent when the stakes at work are high. Her story is full of honesty, practical wisdom, and powerful reframing of success, motherhood, and leadership.

✔️ What it means to lead as the sole breadwinner in a family

✔️ Why vulnerability is a leadership strength, not a weakness

✔️ How to deal with judgement from others (especially fellow parents)

✔️ Practical strategies to be present with your children while succeeding at work

✔️ How to shut out guilt and define success on your own terms

✔️ Why ambition can grow because of parenting, not in spite of it

✔️ The value of scaring yourself with roles that stretch you

• How to balance career ambition and caring responsibilities
• Why perfection is a myth and authenticity matters more
• How to handle judgment and stay confident in your choices
• Strategies for setting boundaries and managing your energy
• The mindset shift needed to thrive as a working parent and leader

• Connect with Louise Donaghey on LinkedIn
• Learn more about the Leaders Plus: Big Careers, Small Children podcast and explore additional resources at leadersplus.org.
• Follow Leaders Plus on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Bluesky.
• Connect with our CEO, Verena Hefti MBE on LinkedIn.
• Find out more about the work of Leaders Plus by signing up to our Newsletter.

Our multi-award-winning Leaders Plus Fellowships support parents committed to career growth while enjoying family life. Expertly designed to keep parents on the leadership path, our programme tackles gender pay gap issues and empowers parents to thrive. Learn more here: Leaders Plus Fellowship.

Episode 199: (C-Suite Series) Elizabeth Willetts - How to Break the Glass Ceiling While Juggling Career Ambitions and Parenthood

Episode 203: (C-Suite Series) Jane Hollinshead - How to Navigate a Squiggly Career and Find Success on Your Own Terms