She Leads Collective: Women, Leadership and What It Takes to Thrive at Work

Send us Fan Mail

Why are women still receiving only around 2% of venture capital funding in 2026 — despite the evidence showing that businesses led by women consistently outperform?

In this eye-opening episode of the She Leads Collective Podcast, Mary Gregory speaks with entrepreneur, investor and author David B Horne about the systemic barriers women continue to face when seeking funding for their businesses.

David has raised over £100 million, supported more than 30 acquisitions and exits, and works directly with founder-led businesses on growth and funding strategies. But after being challenged on why so little funding goes to women, he decided to investigate — leading him to write his book Funded Female Founders.

Together, Mary and David explore:

•  why funding bias still exists 
•  the subtle and explicit ways it shows up 
•  the difference in how male and female founders are questioned by investors 
•  why relationships and warm introductions matter 
•  the realities of venture capital culture 
•  practical advice for women seeking funding 
•  what meaningful allyship looks like in action 

The statistics in this conversation are startling. But so too is the opportunity being missed.

This is an honest and important conversation about power, bias, business and the changes still needed to create a fairer funding landscape for women founders.

Connect with David on Linked in- https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-b-horne/

Visit David's website: https://addthenmultiply.com/

Purchase Funded Female Founders - https://amzn.eu/d/09iBv8B0

🔗 Connect with Mary: marygregory.com

📣 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marygregory

 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mary_gregory/

 📰 Newsletter: Subscribe on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7029410958645059584

 🎙 Want to be a guest? Get in touch!
 ⭐ Subscribe, share & leave a review
 ✨ Produced by Mary Gregory Leadership Coaching

Send us Fan Mail

So much of the conversation around women and money focuses on gaps — pay gaps, pension gaps, investment gaps and funding gaps.

But what if the deeper issue is also about confidence, exposure, access and invitation?

In this episode, Mary is joined by Yasmine El Mehairy, entrepreneur, educator and fintech leader, for the first in a three-part mini-series exploring women and finance.

Yasmin shares her journey from computer science in Egypt to entrepreneurship, fintech and financial education in the UK. She speaks honestly about building and closing businesses, losing money through poor financial advice, navigating identity and difference, and why women need to see themselves as investors far earlier than many currently do.

This is a conversation about money, but it is also about agency, self-belief, role models, risk, privilege, and creating more choices for women.

Connect with Yasmine on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/yasmineelmehairy/

🔗 Connect with Mary: marygregory.com

📣 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marygregory

 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mary_gregory/

 📰 Newsletter: Subscribe on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7029410958645059584

 🎙 Want to be a guest? Get in touch!
 ⭐ Subscribe, share & leave a review
 ✨ Produced by Mary Gregory Leadership Coaching

Send us Fan Mail

What does leadership look like when you do not fit the traditional mould?

In this episode of the She Leads Collective Podcast, Mary is joined by Akua Opong, Senior Engineer at the London Stock Exchange Group, advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion, mentor, volunteer and powerful role model for women in STEM.

Akua shares her journey from wanting to become a paediatrician, to studying computer science, working with Rolls-Royce and BMW, and building a career in technology. She talks honestly about being a Black woman in STEM, being neurodivergent, managing her energy as an introvert, and choosing to lead and influence without becoming someone she is not.

This is a conversation about quiet leadership, representation, allyship, social mobility, mentoring, and the importance of creating environments where different people can thrive.

In this episode, we explore:

How Akua found her way into STEM
 - Why representation matters in technology and leadership
 - What it means to be a quiet but powerful leader
 - Neurodivergence, ADHD, dyslexia and managing energy
 - The importance of mentors, sponsors and allies
 - Why organisations need to look harder at the data on women in STEM
 - How small acts of contribution can make a real difference

Akua’s message is clear: you do not have to change who you are to make an impact. Your difference may be part of your strength.

Connect with Akua on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/akua-opong/

🔗 Connect with Mary: marygregory.com

📣 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marygregory

 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mary_gregory/

 📰 Newsletter: Subscribe on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7029410958645059584

 🎙 Want to be a guest? Get in touch!
 ⭐ Subscribe, share & leave a review
 ✨ Produced by Mary Gregory Leadership Coaching

Send us Fan Mail

What if the problem isn’t your confidence, but the system you’re trying to succeed in?

In this episode of the She Leads Collective Podcast, Mary Gregory is joined by Lauren Neal, chartered engineer, chartered project professional, founder of Valued at Work and author of the book of the same name.

Lauren has spent nearly two decades delivering complex projects in the energy sector, and in this honest and powerful conversation, she shares her experiences of both blatant and subtle workplace bias — from being set up to fail early in her career, to being told she didn’t fit the “tribe” of project management because she didn’t drink, swear or behave like the men around her.

Together, Mary and Lauren explore why this is not simply about individual confidence, but about culture, systems, leadership and belonging.

They discuss:

•  How bias shows up in male-dominated environments 
•  Why women are often told to change themselves rather than the system changing 
•  The hidden “club” that shapes opportunity and progression 
•  What real allyship looks like in meetings and decision-making 
•  Why inclusive leadership is central to performance 
•  What women can do to hold onto their value when the culture around them undermines it 

This episode is for women navigating bias at work, leaders who want to understand what inclusion really requires, and anyone committed to building workplaces where people are truly valued.

Connect with Lauren on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenneal/

Buy Laurens book Valued At Work - https://amzn.eu/d/01pUbhvf

🔗 Connect with Mary: marygregory.com

📣 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marygregory

 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mary_gregory/

 📰 Newsletter: Subscribe on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7029410958645059584

 🎙 Want to be a guest? Get in touch!
 ⭐ Subscribe, share & leave a review
 ✨ Produced by Mary Gregory Leadership Coaching

Send us Fan Mail

Why do so many high-performing women still carry the invisible weight of running everything at home?

In this second conversation with Steph Douglas, we shift the focus from business to what’s happening behind the scenes — and why it matters more than we often acknowledge.

In this follow-up episode, Mary continues the conversation with Steph Douglas, founder of Don’t Buy Her Flowers, to explore the reality of the mental load — the invisible planning, organising and emotional labour that many women continue to carry.

Together, they unpack how traditional roles still shape modern relationships, why equality at home is often harder than it looks, and how this hidden load directly impacts women’s careers, energy and progression.

Steph shares her own honest experience of navigating resentment, difficult conversations and redefining partnership with her husband — and what has helped them move towards a more balanced way of living and working.

They also explore what organisations can do differently, why role modelling matters, and how small shifts at home can create bigger shifts at work.

This is a practical, honest and deeply relevant conversation for anyone who cares about leadership, gender equity and what it really takes to create sustainable success.

Connect with Steph on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephdouglas/

Visit Don't Buy Her Flowers - https://www.dontbuyherflowers.com/

Listen to Stephs podcast or read her blog -

https://www.dontbuyherflowers.com/blog

🔗 Connect with Mary: marygregory.com

📣 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marygregory

 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mary_gregory/

 📰 Newsletter: Subscribe on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7029410958645059584

 🎙 Want to be a guest? Get in touch!
 ⭐ Subscribe, share & leave a review
 ✨ Produced by Mary Gregory Leadership Coaching

Send us Fan Mail

What if the best business ideas don’t come from grand strategy, but from noticing something small that others simply accept?

In this episode, Mary speaks with Steph Douglas, founder of Don’t Buy Her Flowers, about how a deeply personal experience as a new mum became the starting point for a thoughtful, values-led gifting business.

After receiving multiple bouquets of flowers after the birth of her first child, Steph Douglas found herself wondering why we so often send gifts that are well-meant, but not always what someone truly needs.

That insight became the seed for Don’t Buy Her Flowers, a business built around care, empathy and practical support.

In this conversation, Steph shares how her background in brand and marketing helped her understand customers, how a blog and community became the foundation for the business, and what it took to grow, adapt and eventually navigate acquisition.

Mary and Steph also explore the realities of leadership behind the scenes: rapid growth during Covid, the pressure of financial uncertainty, the emotional toll of running a business, and the importance of staying connected to what matters most.

This is a conversation about thoughtful leadership, customer insight, resilience, motherhood, business growth and what it really means to lead with care.

Connect with Steph on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephdouglas/

Visit Don't Buy Her Flowers - https://www.dontbuyherflowers.com/

Listen to Stephs podcast or read her blog -

https://www.dontbuyherflowers.com/blog

🔗 Connect with Mary: marygregory.com

📣 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marygregory

 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mary_gregory/

 📰 Newsletter: Subscribe on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7029410958645059584

 🎙 Want to be a guest? Get in touch!
 ⭐ Subscribe, share & leave a review
 ✨ Produced by Mary Gregory Leadership Coaching

Send us Fan Mail

Welcome to Season 3 of the She Leads Collective Podcast.

In this opening episode, I explore a question that sits at the heart of this season:

If progress for women at work is real… why do so many day-to-day experiences still feel unchanged?

The picture isn’t simple.

There is progress—and that matters.
And there are still realities happening every day that tell a very different story.

This season sits in that tension.

You’ll continue to hear conversations across our three core themes:

• Real models of leadership
• Allies creating change
• The undiscussables shaping how we show up at work 

And coming up this season:

•  The mental load and the reality behind success 
•  How organisations support care and life beyond work
•  A mini-series on women and finance
• Bias in STEM and leadership
•  And the issues we don’t talk about enough—but should 

What emerges isn’t one story, but many.
 Progress and pressure. Challenge and possibility.

If you care about leadership, gender equity, and creating workplaces where people can truly thrive, this season will give you insight—and perspective.

Follow, share, and be part of the conversation.

Because change happens through conversation

🔗 Connect with Mary: marygregory.com

📣 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marygregory

 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mary_gregory/

 📰 Newsletter: Subscribe on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7029410958645059584

 🎙 Want to be a guest? Get in touch!
 ⭐ Subscribe, share & leave a review
 ✨ Produced by Mary Gregory Leadership Coaching

Send us Fan Mail

What sits beneath success… when it no longer feels like enough?

In this reflective solo episode, Mary Gregory closes Season 2 of the She Leads Collective Podcast by exploring the deeper patterns that have emerged across this series of conversations.

From identity shifts and invisible pressure, to systemic bias and the “undiscussables” that quietly shape how we lead—this episode brings together the threads that many leaders are navigating, but rarely name.

This is not a summary of episodes.
It’s a pause for perspective.

Mary reflects on:

•  Why success and fulfilment don’t always align 
•  The hidden weight of expectations in leadership 
•  The tension between individual responsibility and systemic design 
•  The impact of the conversations we’re still not having at work 
•  And the emergence of a more human, reflective model of leadership 

The episode closes with a series of powerful questions to support your own reflection—whether you’re leading a team, a business, or simply navigating your next chapter.

The podcast will return on 29th April after a two week break.

🔗 Connect with Mary: marygregory.com

📣 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marygregory

 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mary_gregory/

 📰 Newsletter: Subscribe on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7029410958645059584

 🎙 Want to be a guest? Get in touch!
 ⭐ Subscribe, share & leave a review
 ✨ Produced by Mary Gregory Leadership Coaching

Send us Fan Mail

What happens when the story of being a “good mother” becomes impossible to live up to?

In this honest and powerful conversation, Mary Gregory is joined by entrepreneur, speaker and F*** Mum Guilt founder Leila Green to explore motherhood, identity, work, masking, unrealistic expectations and the hidden pressures women carry when they return to work after having children.

Together they unpack the emotional cost of mum guilt, the toll of trying to be perfect at home and infallible at work, and what organisations still fail to understand about supporting mothers well.

After two miscarriages, Leila became pregnant with triplets in 2021 and found herself navigating a high-risk pregnancy, neonatal trauma, exhaustion, and the relentless internal voice of mum guilt. What began as a deeply personal struggle has since become a bold movement helping mothers challenge guilt, reject perfectionism and make more self-honouring choices.

In this conversation, Mary and Leila explore:

• the shock of the identity shift into motherhood
• birth trauma and the silence around maternal mental health
• why so many women feel they have to “mask” at work after becoming mothers
• the tension of being expected to be the perfect parent and the perfect employee
• what organisations misunderstand about motherhood and why it is costing them talent
• Leila’s powerful four-part framework for breaking up with mum guilt

This is a conversation about compassion, unrealistic expectations, self-trust, and the urgent need for more human and mother-friendly workplaces.

A must-listen for mothers, leaders, HR professionals and anyone who cares about retaining talented women at work.

This is the penultimate episode of Season 2, as we begin to reflect on the powerful themes emerging across this series.

Leila Green is a triplet mama and founder of the F*** Mum Guilt Movement, dedicated to helping working mothers break up with guilt for good. A TEDx speaker, co-author of a motherhood book with Stacey Dooley, and one of the UK’s Top 100 Female Entrepreneurs, her unapologetic stance on mum guilt has been featured on Sky News, BBC Radio, Stylist, Metro, OK! and more.

Connect with Leila on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leilagreen/

Or sign up for her newsletter: https://www.fmumguilt.com/

🔗 Connect with Mary: marygregory.com

📣 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marygregory

 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mary_gregory/

 📰 Newsletter: Subscribe on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7029410958645059584

 🎙 Want to be a guest? Get in touch!
 ⭐ Subscribe, share & leave a review
 ✨ Produced by Mary Gregory Leadership Coaching

Send us Fan Mail

What happens when you’ve done everything right in your career, delivered results, built credibility, and yet still find yourself wondering, is this really it?

In this episode of the She Leads Collective Podcast, Mary Gregory is joined by Deboleena Dasgupta, a senior people, culture and change leader with a 25-year career in global banking, including leadership roles at HSBC, Standard Chartered and ABN AMRO.

Together they explore what it means to build a successful career inside large organisations while quietly sensing you are capable of more. Debolina shares reflections on nonlinear careers, international moves, cultural expectations, visibility, sponsorship, networking as an ecosystem rather than a transaction, and the subtle ways organisations can leave women feeling unseen.

This is also a powerful conversation about identity and transition — including the lightbulb moment that helped Deboleena realise she was punching below her weight, and why leaving well mattered so much to her.

They also discuss Deboleena’s forthcoming book, Choose Depth, and the importance of defining success on your own terms.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why high-achieving women can still feel stuck at work
• The hidden cost of being praised but not progressed
• How culture and upbringing shape self-belief and ambition
• Why women are often over-mentored and under-sponsored
• A more authentic way to think about networking
• What it means to end well when leaving a long career chapter
• Why choosing depth may be the path back to your truest self

A thoughtful and deeply resonant conversation for anyone rethinking success, leadership and what comes next.

Connect with Deboleena on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/deboleenadasgupta/

🔗 Connect with Mary: marygregory.com

📣 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marygregory

 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mary_gregory/

 📰 Newsletter: Subscribe on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7029410958645059584

 🎙 Want to be a guest? Get in touch!
 ⭐ Subscribe, share & leave a review
 ✨ Produced by Mary Gregory Leadership Coaching