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. More BCSC episodes you might love: 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. Together, they explore ✔️ 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. What you’ll learn in this episode 🔹 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. Show Notes: 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. More BCSC episodes you might love: 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. More BCSC episodes you might love: 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. More BCSC episodes you might love: 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 Show Notes: 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. More BCSC episodes you might love: Episode 195: Control Isn’t Everything: Embracing Kindness in Life, Parenting, and Leadership Episode 194: How to Create Counterbalance in Your Life & Career