For the first time, our CEO, Verena Hefti MBE, takes the mic solo in this special, bite-sized episode of the Leaders Plus: Big Careers, Small Children podcast.

As the season draws to a close, Verena shares heartfelt reflections on balancing the magical yet demanding holiday period, offering powerful strategies for:

• Prioritising yourself amidst the chaos
• Creating a meaningful holiday without burning out
• Sharing family responsibilities equitably

Drawing on gold nuggets from past episodes and her own experiences, Verena encourages us to reassess, set boundaries, and say "no" to the non-essential as we wrap up the year.

Tune in for an empowering and time-efficient conversation that will leave you ready to take on the holiday season with clarity and courage.

We hope you enjoy the conversation, and we’ll be back in January with a brand-new series of episodes!

Show Notes:

• 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.

In this episode you will learn:

• During the busy holiday season, it's important to prioritise self-care and make brave decisions.
• Discussing family responsibilities openly can help distribute the mental load more equitably.
• Using frameworks, like the STAR framework, can guide us in making better decisions about opportunities.
• Setting boundaries and saying no can lead to more meaningful opportunities aligned with our values.
• Recognising that the mental load often disproportionately affects women can prompt important discussions at home.
• Leaders should model work-life balance to create a supportive environment for their teams.

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.

BCSC Episodes Mentioned in This Podcast:

• #168 Big Careers, Small Children: Dr. Ana Catalano Weeks – Managing Mental Load While Balancing Careers and Parenthood
• #193 Big Careers, Small Children: Sally Hamm & Matt Hamm – How to Communicate With Each Other as a Dual Career Couple
• #80 Big Careers, Small Children: Professor Vanessa Bohns
• #87 Big Careers, Small Children: Laurie Weingart
• #194 Big Careers, Small Children: Tom Shaw- How to Create Counterbalance in Your Life & Career
• #196 Big Careers, Small Children: Brigid Schulte- Overcoming Overwork with Strategies for a Balanced Life

Leader's Plus Blog Mentioned in This Podcast:

• Resources for Managing Your Mental Load

Can prioritising yourself make you a better parent and professional?

In this episode, Verena Hefti MBE speaks with Dr. Whitney Casares, paediatrician and author of Doing It All: Stop Over-Functioning and Become the Mom and Person You're Meant to Be to explore why self-care isn’t a luxury but a lifeline for working parents.

Drawing from her expertise as a paediatrician, Dr. Whitney emphasises that putting your own well-being first is the key to raising happy, healthy children - especially those with additional needs.

She tackles the guilt parents often feel when balancing ambitious careers with family life and shares practical strategies for setting boundaries, integrating work and life, and creating space for what truly matters.

This inspiring conversation challenges parents to redefine success and embrace their unique strengths as they navigate their personal and professional journeys.

We hope you enjoy the conversation.

Show Notes:

• Dr. Whitney's book Doing It All is available in bookshops and via Amazon.
• Connect with Dr. Whitney on LinkedIn and on Instagram.

In this episode you will learn:

• Self-care for parents is crucial; taking care of your well-being helps your children.
• Setting boundaries with kids creates a healthier work-life integration for working parents.
• Embracing your authentic self can be a superpower in leadership and career advancement.
• Prioritise clarity in your life by identifying core values and saying no to distractions.
• Integrating work and family life requires intentional moments of focus and presence.
• Delegating tasks and decluttering your environment can significantly reduce stress and increase productivity.

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.

Find out more about the work of Leaders Plus by signing up to our Newsletter.

More BCSC episodes we think you'll love:

• Nicky Lowe - How to Avoid Burnout as a Working Parent
• Paul J. Sullivan – How to Become a Lead Dad & Parent Out Loudly

Can we truly have thriving careers without sacrificing family life?

In this episode, Verena Hefti MBE speaks with Brigid Schulte, author of Overworked: Transforming the Daily Grind in the Quest for a Better Life, about the pervasive issue of overwork and its impact on individuals and families.

Brigid emphasises the importance of redefining what success looks like in the workplace, advocating for a shift from measuring productivity by hours spent to valuing meaningful output.

They discuss practical steps for individuals to take, even in unsupportive environments, highlighting the need for boundaries and prioritising what truly matters. The episode offers insights into how both personal choices and organisational changes can foster a healthier work-life balance, ultimately benefiting everyone involved.

We hope you enjoy the conversation.

Show Notes:

• Brigid's book Overworked is now available in bookshops and via Amazon.
• Connect with Brigid on LinkedIn.

In this episode you will learn:

• Work culture often rewards overwork and long hours, negatively impacting family time and well-being.
• Individuals should define their values and prioritise what truly matters to them at work.
• Leadership beliefs significantly shape workplace culture, influencing policies around work-life balance.
• Organisations should measure success not just by output, but also by employee well-being.
• Small changes at work, like asking for flexible hours, can lead to significant personal benefits.
• Creating a supportive work environment requires collaboration with employees to understand their needs.

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.

Find out more about the work of Leaders Plus by signing up to our Newsletter.

More BCSC episodes we think you'll love:

• Dr. Malissa Clark - How to Set Boundaries as a Workaholic & Learn to be More Present as a Parent
• Jane Green - How to Approach Your Employer for Reduced Working Days and Tips on Transitioning to a Flexible Role

Trigger warning: miscarriage 

Today, Verena welcomes Carin-Isabel Knoop for an especially thought-provoking podcast episode on embracing kindness in life, parenting and leadership. 

Very apt, given earlier this week, we celebrated #WorldKindnessDay.

Carin is the Executive Director of the Harvard Business School Case Research and Writing Group and was previously a consultant at McKinsey and Price Waterhouse Coopers. 

The conversation includes reflections on managing as a solo parent whilst pursuing an ambitious career, learning to let go of control, filling support gaps, and considering how we can all contribute to more compassionate workplaces.

Carin and Verena also have a moving discussion about supporting someone through pregnancy loss.

We hope you enjoy the conversation.

Show Notes:

• Read Carin and Verena's 2024 Mother's Day proclamation.
• Learn more about Compassionate Management of Mental Health in the Modern Workplace.
• Follow Carin on Medium.
• Find support during miscarriage via The Miscarriage Association.

Interested in progressing your career after having children? The award-winning Leaders Plus Cross-Sector Fellowship is specifically designed for working parents with management responsibilities who want to progress their careers and reach their full potential professionally. Find out more.

Can you build a successful career without sacrificing your well-being? 

This week, Verena Hefti MBE speaks with Tom Shaw, author of Counterbalance: How to Build Your Career Without Ruining Your Life and a Senior Leader Mentor at Leaders Plus.

Tom talks about counterbalance and why it's important to be intentional about what matters most.

Together, Tom and Verena explore making difficult decisions, reducing burnout, and thriving in your career without compromising your life. Tom also shares the key attributes for combining career, family and our personal lives, so we can create a truly fulfilling life whilst also protecting our wellbeing.

We hope you enjoy the conversation.

Show Notes:

• Tom's book Counterbalance is now available in bookshops and via Amazon.
• Connect with Tom on LinkedIn.

If you are looking to progress your career after having children then the award-winning Leaders Plus Cross-Sector Fellowship is specifically designed for working parents with management responsibilities, who want to progress their careers and reach their full potential professionally. Find out more.

When you're a dual career couple, it can be tricky to coordinate schedules and balance work and family life.

This week, Verena Hefti MBE is joined by married couple Sally Hamm and Matt Hamm, Occupational Medicine Physicians (who worked together as Air Force Flight Surgeons), who share four children alongside their busy senior careers.

Sally and Matt open up about how they have evolved their thinking around combining raising their family and progressing their careers. 

The couple share practical advice on how they prioritise what they say yes to and strategies for communicating with your partner to ensure you truly share the load.

We hope you enjoy the conversation.

Show Notes:

• Connect with Sally and Matt on LinkedIn.
• Find resources for dual career couples, including our free couples checklist, on the Leaders Plus website: www.leadersplus.org/resources/couples

If you are looking to progress your career after having children, then the award-winning Leaders Plus Cross-Sector Fellowship is specifically designed for working parents with management responsibilities who want to progress their careers and reach their full potential professionally. Find out more.

In this episode, Verena discusses the importance of allyship in the workplace.

She is joined by Brad Johnson and David G. Smith, authors of the book: Good Guys: How Men Can Be Better Allies for Women in the Workplace.

As well as discussing what men can do to support their female colleagues, Brad and David discuss ways we can all support members of minorities in order to help everyone thrive professionally.

We hope you enjoy the conversation.

Show Notes:

• Good Guys is out on the 13th of October, pre-order here
• Visit Workplace Allies at www.workplaceallies.com
• Interested to join our Leaders Plus ESG peer support network? Get in touch

If you are looking to progress your career after having children then the award-winning Leaders Plus Cross-Sector Fellowship is specifically designed for working parents with management responsibilities, who want to progress their careers and reach their full potential professionally. Find out more.

In this episode, Verena is joined by Tiffany Sauder, CEO of Element Three and mother of four.

Tiffany breaks down some of the key factors which have led to her inspiring success. 

From prioritising what really matters to the power of networking, this conversation is a must-listen for anyone looking for tangible career and family advice.

We hope you enjoy the conversation.

This episode is part of our CEO Series, spotlighting parents with young children who hold a CEO role.

Show Notes:

• Connect with Tiffany on LinkedIn
• Find out more about Element Three.

A senior-level career doesn’t have to come at the expense of being a present parent. If you are interested in progressing your senior job and balancing your family life, take a look at our Senior Director's Fellowship: www.leadersplus.org/seniorleadersplusfellowship

Is the four day working week the future of work, or a luxurious dream?

In this episode of Big Careers, Small Children, Verena is joined by Tatiana Pignon, Head of Development at The Autonomy Institute, an independent research organisation that focuses on the future of the working world.

In this intriguing conversation, Tatianna discusses Autonomy's fascinating research on the shorter working week and the elements of their discoveries that you could apply in your organisation.

We hope you enjoy the conversation.

This episode is part of the future of work series, where we explore how work will change in the future to help everyone thrive and progress their careers equitably regardless of circumstances.

Show Notes:

• Connect with Tatianna on LinkedIn
• Find out more about The Autonomy Institute

We know how difficult it can be to balance an ambitious career with raising a family especially if you’ve taken time off to focus on your children or opted for a lower grade role to accommodate the demands of family life. That's why we created the Future Leader's Programme.

If you are interested in progressing your career and nurturing your family at the same time, take a look at The Future Leader's Programme:

https://www.leadersplus.org/futureleadersplus

In a bid to make a difference and bring more purpose to her work, Polly Neate left her successful career in journalism and joined the charity sector. Nearly twenty years later, she is CEO of one of the largest charities in the UK, Shelter, and a proud mother of two grown up women.

In this podcast, Polly discusses her fascinating journey, the sacrifices she has had to make, and why finding purpose in your work is so important.

We hope you enjoy the conversation.

This episode is part of our CEO Series, spotlighting parents with young children who hold a CEO role.

Show Notes:

• Connect with Polly on LinkedIn
• Find out more about Shelter

A senior-level career doesn’t have to come at the expense of being a present parent. If you are interested in progressing your senior job and balancing your family life, take a look at our Senior Director's Fellowship:

https://www.leadersplus.org/seniorleadersplusfellowship