Maya Ellis MP - How Managing Energy, Not Time, Can Help You Show Up Better At Work And At Home

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