Careering into Motherhood

In this episode, Kitty Dimbleby, journalist and fellow working mother, talks about how poetry has helped her through some really challenging times, as a child and again now as an adult. Kitty’s resolution to read a poem a day throughout the year has led to her starting to write her own poetry, and then led to subsequent commissions and the likes of Bill Bailey reciting her work! We talk about the...

Dr Annice is a highly qualified endocrinologist, specialising in hormonal changes resulting from the menopause. Her new book The Complete Guide to the Menopause is the only evidence-based book on the market, and tackles the complexities of menopause in the modern world.   In this episode, Jane and Dr Annice talk about the challenges of coping with menopause symptoms at work - given women over 50 a...

Jodie Robertson left her job at the start of last year to launch her own business. She’d been thinking of doing something different for a while and, after some career coaching advice, she took the bull by the horns and set up her own independent travel company. But then the pandemic hit, and no one was travelling anywhere.... In this episode Jodie and Jane talk about the realities of starting a bu...

This week, Jane talks to Natalie Shell, speaker, coach, writer, brand expert and start-up – the list goes on. In this episode we talk about everything, including lockdown and homeschooling (obviously!) in the UK and Tel Aviv, but we also chat about careers, knowing when it’s time to move on, asking for help and Natalie's tips on how to do it. In fact, we cover so much in half an hour, you really j...

In two very different interviews, Jane talks to Gemma Francis, founder of The BIG Sing,  about how music and singing has helped change lives, and to Carrie Scott, an art curator from the US who runs her own gallery in London, about careering into the world of art and how it’s helped her to get through some very dark times. Find out more about The BIG Sing choirs here , and click here to find out m...

When Eleanor Tweddell was made redundant a few weeks before Christmas, she felt like her world had suddenly fallen apart. Feeling as though she’d let down the people who depended upon her most, and as though her career was in tatters, she hit rock bottom. But Eleanor’s new book is all about how she came back from that period and was able to rebuild her life, find joy in other things and re-evaluat...

Returning to work after maternity leave can be exciting, fraught with anxiety or just a bit unknown. After any time out, it takes effort to get back to where you were. But when you overlay some of the things women experience after having a baby, like loss of confidence, postnatal depression, having to look for a new job, or entering a new world of childcare logistics - it’s not easy. But how do yo...

In this episode, Gill Whitty-Collins, author of the book Why Men Win At Work , and career coach, Amy Shepherd, give their shared perspectives on why men historically and currently “win” when it comes to work. Gill talks about the research and findings in her book, while Amy gives some thoughts of her own and practical advice not necessarily for “beating them at it”, but for carving your own new pa...

Soraya’s book Rage Becomes Her was published in 2018, and in this episode she talks about the premise of her work; that society conditions children’s emotions to respond in particular ways, and as a result, girls are not just discouraged but often punished for being angry, which goes on to have serious repercussions in adult life, at work and in politics.   In a year that has left many women feeli...

In this episode, Hatty Ashdown, comedian, actress and host of the Funny Mummies podcast, talks about her career in live performance, as well as breast-feeding at auditions and how stand-up comedy is going online. For more details see  https://screamingwithlaughter.com/  

In this episode, Jane talks to Katharine Birbalsingh, British education reformer and headmistress of the Michaela Community; a state school in North London where GCSE results are among the best in the country. But Katharine is a rarely out of the media, and not always in glowing reports of her school. Since her blog caught the attention of senior ministers and she was invited to speak at the Conse...

It’s a packed episode! Lou Featherstone, aka Lu In Lu Land , is a woman in her late 40s who gave up her job six years ago to move to Oregon, with her son and husband for his job. She’s built a new life for herself and is still discovering a career path that fits her life. A self-diagnosed shopaholic, she is learning to channel her energy towards inspiring women with her unique style, confidence an...

In this interview, recorded while both Jane and Lucy were still working from home, Lucy talks openly about her experience of being a competitive woman in one of the world’s largest banking corporations. She talks about preparing your career for maternity leave, going for promotion, finding sponsors and using your instinct. Lots of topics come up in this conversation that are often too candid to be...

In this episode, Jane talks to Lydia Fenet, Auctioneer & Global Managing Director at Christie’s and Author of The Most Powerful Woman in The Room Is You . Lydia is an expert in selling and negotiation, she talks about how important these skills are and how she’s learnt to do both in her own way. She speaks about how we can also exit a negotiation well, even when it hasn’t gone our way. 

Leone Hunt was a senior healthcare lawyer in the US when she and her husband moved to London for his career. She now has two children and has successfully reinvented her career and taken it in a completely different direction, away from law. Today she leads the team at one of London’s top cycle gyms and she was instrumental in redesigning what they offer when gyms were suddenly closed as a result...

Jane talks to Zoe Pocock, TV personality and creative genius behind MucknBrass. Zoe talks frankly about how she got into interiors, launching her hugely successful business and the qualities that are needed to be successful. Zoe’s new TV show Weekend Workshop is on HGTV from 20th July, available on Sky158, Virgin 286, BT42, Freeview 42 – and the kids can catch Zoe on Cbeebies, on Junk Rescue. Foll...

Four years ago, Jane founded a recruitment business to help people find meaningful, flexible jobs. In this episode, she draws on her experience as a recruiter, and talks to a woman who has just been made redundant about her CV and how to make the most of LinkedIn. They discuss ways we can all give ourselves the best chance of finding a new job, as quickly as possible. For more information about th...

Roma was born in India, and Njemile in the West Indies. They are about as far from a stereotypical engineer as you could ever hope to meet, and they are inspiring a new generation to tread their own path. In this episode, they talk about their own careers in engineering and construction, and how they've navigated these with motherhood. To learn more about Roma visit https://www.romatheengineer.com...

Roni Savage is an engineer, geologist, entrepreneur, and mother to three boys. In this episode, Roni talks about her career to date, and the work she’s doing to inspire others. href="http://www.ronisavage.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.ronisavage.com&source=gmail&ust=1592319720861000&usg=AFQjCNGioRRqVC8x3otjSoNV4YM1knf...

Please be aware that this episode covers some very raw topics around mental health.   In this episode, Jane talks to three women about their experience of perinatal depression and anxiety. If you’re affected by these issues or want to support, Cocoon is the charity we mention: https://cocoonfamilysupport.org/  

Jane talks to journalist turned tech entrepreneur, Tracey Blake, about her mission to solve the after-school care dilemma for working parents, and how her business has executed a successful pivot during the Covid-19 pandemic. www.studentnannies.com is offering our listeners a 1 month free membership, which includes unlimited bookings and no platform cost. Use code SN-CAREERING (valid until 30th Ju...

In this second episode of interviews, Jane talks to working mothers about their experience of lockdown during the Coronavirus pandemic. Jane talks to a single mother, a teacher and a front line NHS consultant. For more information about coaching and to give your podcast feedback, email: jane@careeringintomotherhood.com

This week Jane talks to employers and employees about being in lockdown as a working mum. Are some employers looking to keep some aspects of this remote working experience to make it easier for employees with caring commitments in future? And will flexible working be more accepted as a result of Covid-19?  

Jane talks to Nicola Kemp; an editor, journalist, mother of two and Diversity & Inclusion campaigner. Nicola shares her current experience of juggling a full-time career with the school closures. Jane and Nicola also discuss aspects of our working culture that this current situation is highlighting, in the hope that we can harness the positive and get rid of the negative once we return to norm...

Jane talks to Amy McLellan, mother of three, writer, journalist and author, about the creative process of writing, and how it can be helpful to adults and children at this stressful time. If you’ve ever thought about writing, Amy talks about how to get started, build a plot, and what to consider if you’re looking to get published. Find out more about Careering into Motherhood by joining our commun...