The Key Learning Points:

1. The impact of balancing motherhood whilst working, and the effect it can have on career progression.

2. A view on the extent to which gender equality has been implemented in the workplace and how women can still experience a delay in career progression when they reach their mid-30s.

3. The importance of the ‘Lift as you Climb’ community in providing women with the opportunity to share tips and experiences with other women across all ages and industries.

Today on the remote Risky Mix Podcast we’re joined by two guests – Elizabeth Jenkin and Jane Gibbon, ladies who co-founded and now run the Lift As You Climb network – an organisation that aims to harness the vast skills and collaborative power of women across ages and industries to support growth.

Jane is a HR director, originally from the US but has lived here for 18 years. Elizabeth has worked in insurance for 25 years – initially in underwriting, then 18 years at Aon and she now works for an insurtech disruptor. Jane explains that her passion is authenticity, and she loves creating workplaces that allow employees to be themselves. Elizabeth is passionate about creating a legacy where women have fewer speed bumps in their careers. Both ladies are balancing motherhood with successful careers. In regards to support for women in the workplace, Jane adds: “There’s been some progress, but we still hit the same stumbling points around women having to balance work and home."

Elizabeth feels that awareness has increased, and businesses are today placing more focus on equality from a gender and race perspective but asks “has it really moved the dial, particularly in terms of senior management, senior female leaders? I don’t think it has.” Jane adds that younger generations may have seen a change because companies are better at recruiting for diversity and providing equal opportunities for all graduates, but people in the middle of their careers are still being impacted – it’s women in their 30s. One of the big reasons for this is that many women at this point choose to start a family, and that time out of work can really impact progression.

For Elizabeth, it’s important to have role models in the workplace who say it’s okay to take that time out: “Had those people not been in my career I have no idea what my career trajectory would have been.” Elizabeth explains that she “took her foot off the gas” when she was trying for a baby, but admits that she regrets this decision, adding: “I lost time” and advises other women going through a similar situation to keep going, to not only avoid that loss of time but also the earning power.

The conversation moves onto the Lift As You Climb (LAYC) community, which is there to support women throughout their careers. The idea was to build a network for women, across multiple generations and industries, who could learn from one another. The ladies share their experience of more traditional networking events: “We would go to these events, we would generally see the same people, they were generally about the same age as us, they were generally the same colour as us, they probably earnt about the same money as us.” With LAYC they've chosen a refreshing format of themed events, guest speakers and interactive group work. They want their members to be able to take back learnings from the events and really act on them.

You can find details of the network at www.liftasyouclimb.co.uk where you can also join the network, and follow them on Linkedin for thought leadership content and event information.

InsTech London podcast episode: https://www.instech.london/podcast/katie-crook-davies-raj-variyar-risky-mix-podcast-hosts-diversity-inclusion-innovation