The Parent Equation - with Ayesha Murray

Join Ayesha Murray and Jane van Zyl, CEO of Working Families, in this insightful podcast episode as they delve into the multifaceted challenges faced by working parents. They explore the often-overlooked stigma against fathers seeking flexible work arrangements and the systemic barriers preventing true workplace flexibility for all. Discover the crucial role of family-friendly workplace certificat...

What would you do if you were hit by multiple redundancies? My guest today, Lee Witherell, chose to turn this into an opportunity and carve out a portfolio career for himself. From data services to launching a fitness side hustle during the pandemic, Lee's journey is a shining example of resilience and adaptability. We get into the importance of being in control of your career, the need for c...

Do you ever wish you had more control over your career path? Wonder how to make the most of opportunities within your current organisation? Together with Sonam Taneja, a seasoned career and change coach, we delve into portfolio careers, unpacking how you can take the reins of your own career development. We also share practical ways organisations can nurture their internal talent marketplaces, off...

Ever wondered if it's possible to combine your diverse interests into a fulfilling career? That's exactly what I discuss with my guest, Rachel Schofield, a seasoned career coach and author of the Career Change Guide. We dive into the concept of portfolio careers, which offer the freedom to blend various facets of your personality and explore a spectrum of passions. Rachel imparts her wis...

Curious about making a meaningful career change?  Join me in this episode as I host Claire Carroll, an executive and career coach who sheds light on portfolio careers. Claire illuminates the crucial role of personal values in career transitions, how societal expectations can shape our decisions, and the courage required in taking risks. Our discussion delves deeper into the concept of 'leanin...

What if becoming a parent could change how we view the climate crisis and motivate us to take meaningful action? Join me and my co-host Parisa Wright, along with our special guest, actor and parent Paul Ready, as we tackle eco-anxiety head-on, discussing the overwhelming emotions that can arise when confronting this important issue. From the 2018 school climate strikes to the everyday challenges w...

As a working parent, do you struggle to find the time and energy to stay active and maintain your physical health? Wendy Welpton, founder of Reclaim Movement and mum of three, joins me in sharing her enlightening journey of overcoming physical challenges and discovering the power of natural movement in daily life. Wendy's inspiring story of determination, resilience, and transformation will m...

In this final episode of the series, Elliott and I talk to Gita Banerji from Suffolk County Council about how organisations can still actively support parents without a formal staff network. Gita shares their great work on fertility leave,  benchmarking and enhancing many of their policies. Find out more about Gita: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gita-banerji-22512832/ Find out more about Elliott: ht...

Welcome to the Parent Equation podcast series, full of inspiring stories from working parents who are passionate about designing a life that works for them and their families rewarding career alongside a balanced family life.  "We're all there with a similar mission to help women juggle careers and family, and I want to try and offer things as accessible as possible." "Whatever...

Lead from the front.  A key message from Emma at Co-op when it comes to running a successful parents network. Elliott and I also chatted to Emma about how network leads manage their own emotional wellbeing when faced with emotive topics as well as lots more. Find out more about Emma and Co-op: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-southworth-157743a3/ Find out more about Elliott: https://musicfootballf...

What if you could create an award-winning support network for working parents and carers while building meaningful connections in the wider community? Join me as I talk with Tim Soper from Aon about the incredible success of their Parents and Carers Network and its subgroup, the Dads at Aon Network. Discover how these innovative networks have grown and evolved, providing invaluable support and ins...

Welcome to the Parent Equation podcast series, full of inspiring stories from working parents who are passionate about designing a life that works for them and their families - having a rewarding career alongside a balanced family life.  "You don't have to be a woman to hold a child to your chest and comfort them… " "And again, the perception is actually becoming a parent does...

Liz da Cruz, co-lead of the parents network at Centrica chats to Elliott and me about their lean in, lean out approach, leveraging volunteering, being vulnerable and lots lots more. Find out more about Liz and Centrica: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethdacruz1/ Find out more about Music, Football, Fatherhood: https://musicfootballfatherhood.com/ ABOUT ME - AYESHA MURRAY I'm an EMCC accred...

Recognition.  A key word when it comes to running staff networks.  The leads of these networks, like Deonne and Jocy at PepsiCo, run them alongside their day jobs because they're passionate about supporting their working parents. Yes, budget and executive sponsorship are needed, but the appreciation for the much needed value and support they bring is key. Love the energy of this co-lead partn...

Welcome to the Parent Equation podcast series, full of inspiring stories from working parents who are passionate about designing a life that works for them and their families - having a rewarding career alongside a balanced family life.  "...someone said to me yesterday, in fact that in running your own business, 80% of it is probably the job you don't want to do (and) the 20% is your pa...

Join Becky Candy and Leanne Chalmers who are sharing the growth journey for the John Lewis Partnership's parents network.  From coffee and community to several autonomous peer groups providing enormous value to their partners. Hear about their journey, their key insights and tips for running a successful network, including building a community, passion and planning. www.johnlewispartnership.c...

Originally from France, Camille decided to change the course of her life and over the last 18 years has studied and lived in Spain, moved to Mexico City for a few years, and has now settled in London. From being a beauty and lifestyle writer in a fashion magazine she is now an Adult and Child advisor, dedicated to being at the service of others by helping families and empowering the community. Fin...

In this episode, Hannah shares her experiences and strategies for managing the ubiquitous mental load as well as how she and her husband share it. Hannah made a choice to change career before motherhood which has given her greater flexibility and taps into her passions.  And as a HR professional, she shares her insights into how organisations can better support their parents. Find out more about H...

Anita Cleare is a parenting expert, writer and coach and co-founder of the Positive Parenting Project. Her book, The Work/Parent Switch (known as The Working Parent’s Survival Guide in USA) is a positive parenting guide for working parents. Anita started her career in international development, spending four and a half years in Mongolia where she went through both of her pregnancies. (Her eldest s...

Chloe, founder of Hopscotch coaching, works with families to bring fun, play and creativity back into our lives. She also chose to take one of her children out of mainstream education, so as a home educator has quite a unique perspective on raising children. And alongside she also finds time to run her business! Find out more about Chloe: https://www.hopscotchcoaching.co.uk/ www.linkedin.com/in/ch...

Soumya Karkera was brought up in India and is now bringing up her own daughter in the UK.  In this episode, she shares this experience, alongside her insights from her work as a coach for young people. How do we bring our children into the conversation?  How can we be more present with our children, especially as busy working parents?  How do we embrace cultural diversity? Also a great section on...

Jane is the founder of Careering into Motherhood. In 2015, she was the first person at HSBC to negotiate a Global Director role as a job-share, igniting her passion to support other working mums to also create roles and careers that works for them. With the aim of helping more women to have access to similar career opportunities, in 2016 Jane launched a successful recruitment business, but was inu...

 In this episode, Karen Farrell, founder of Mindful Station shared: 🧘‍♀️ How mindfulness can help busy mums to win at motherhood without losing their minds. ❤ The importance of selfcare and why you need to be intentional about making time for YOU! 💃 Why you shouldn't compare yourself to others and how you can turn it into inspiration. 📇 How you can still build a business whilst on maternit...

Charlotte founded Power of the Parent to positively challenge the experience of parents in the workplace.  Imagine workplaces where parents can love what they do without their identity and worth being measured by how many hours they’ve worked or how many kids they have. In this episode, she chats to me about what that power means to her and how she's made her passion and mission into a succes...

In this episode, Adam and I chatted about life as a self-employed working dad, how he pandemic changed the way he and his wife work and how he's able to be more present for his kids. He was also very open about the loss of his sister and the importance of talking about mental health. I was asked recently where working dads can find support and it's people like Adam, sharing their stories...