I don’t think anybody’s life is quite as smooth sailing as social media would have us believe.” This week in support of World Mental Health Day (Monday 10 October) we welcome Clinical Psychologist Professor Roz Shafran, co-author of the brilliant book “ How to Cope When Your Child Can’t” . Parenthood can often be far from smooth sailing, especially if your child is unwell, experiencing challenges or has additional needs. So how can parents juggling work and raising their family ensure they look ...
Oct 10, 2022•40 min•Season 7Ep. 103
" In practice there’s always a bit of wriggle room for individual discussions and individual negotiations about pay." This week we are joined by pay expert, lecturer, HR leader and Leaders Plus Fellowship Alumni Dr Lisa Grover. Lisa is a Senior Lecturer in Degree Apprenticeships at the University of Exeter Business School and is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to practical advice on preparing for negotiations on pay. Our conversation includes: Tips on preparing well for pay negotiations Her ...
Oct 05, 2022•41 min•Ep. 102
How can you juggle your senior career when your children are born prematurely? Our guest this week is Lucy McAuliffe, Stations and Security Director at Network Rail and parent to 5-year-old twins and a 16-month toddler. Lucy and her wife's twins arrived 8 weeks earlier than planned, not long after Lucy had started a new senior position. She shares: The reality of having premature children Why the discretionary support you're given at work can make all the difference Advice on moving from 2 to 3 ...
Sep 28, 2022•34 min•Season 7Ep. 101
"We’ve been working with NHS England who last year made a huge policy shift in the NHS to make flexible working a day one employment right and to make roles flexible by default." Joining us for the 100th episode of Big Careers, Small Children is change-maker Kate Jarman, co-founder of Flex NHS and Director of Corporate Affairs at Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Kate founded Flex NHS alongside Asha Cowey in 2018 with the mission to make flexible working more accessible to ...
Sep 21, 2022•39 min•Season 7Ep. 100
A special update for any listeners working in the NHS. Too often, parents feel they must choose between an ambitious career and enjoying their young children. As part of the 6-month Leaders Plus NHS Foundation Fellowship, you get expert career development support, group coaching, a supportive network of peers and practical support to overcome work/life hurdles. It has been described by some NHS Fellows as, “life-transforming!” The Fellowship is accessible to clinical and non-clinical colleagues ...
Sep 16, 2022•3 min
What if being lucky wasn’t just by chance but a skill that you could master? Our guest this week is Dr. Christian Busch, the best-selling author of Connect the Dots: The Art and Science of Creating Good Luck and a Professor at New York University. Christian has spent years exploring the connection between chance encounters and new professional opportunities and has fantastic insights on how we can all leverage luck to our advantage. There were so many lightbulb moments during the discussion and ...
Sep 15, 2022•38 min•Season 7Ep. 99
How can you secure an internal promotion without working all hours and putting your hand up for every task? Our guest today is Nadia Bunyan, HR Director at Global Witness , an international NGO that works to break the links between natural resource exploitation, conflict, poverty, corruption, and human rights abuses worldwide. Nadia shares fantastic advice on progressing your career internally, including the three things any parent who is trying to be promoted within their organisation can do to...
Sep 07, 2022•37 min•Season 7Ep. 98
Many listeners have told us that guilt is a challenge you're struggling with, particularly working parent guilt. This week on Big Careers, Small Children we are revisiting some of the best tips shared by our previous guests around guilt and learning to let it go. Featured: Wendy Merricks, CEO Jumar ( Series 6, Episode 91 ) Michelle Mitchell OBE, CEO Cancer Research UK ( Series 4, Episode 52 ) Laura Harrison, Co-founder Human Change Agency ( Series 2, Episode 15 ) Lucy Duszczak, Senior Online Sal...
Aug 31, 2022•23 min•Season 6Ep. 97
What does it mean to be a compassionate leader and how can it benefit organisations? Kami Norland is a national and international speaker, facilitator and CEO of Integrative Re-Sources . In this episode, we chat about compassionate leadership and how it’s not only possible but essential to create compassionate organisations. Kami reminds us that we aren't just an employee but an individual bringing our whole selves to work. She shares her expert advice on: What it means to be a compassionate lea...
Aug 24, 2022•34 min•Season 6Ep. 96
Ever felt like you're not living up to your full potential and wished you could change your career? Karen Squires is an A&E Consultant at the Aintree University Hospital in Liverpool, but her career actually started in hairdressing. After re-evaluating her life in her mid-20s and feeling that she wasn't reaching her true potential, Karen made the brave decision to take a leap and pursue a career in medicine. In this chat with Verena Hefti MBE, Karen shares how she trusted her gut instinct to...
Aug 17, 2022•39 min•Season 6Ep. 95
Not everyone is in a relationship but those that are can spend a considerable amount of time trying to negotiate two big careers alongside raising young children and the commitments this entails. This week on Big Careers, Small Children we are revisiting some of the best advice previous guests have shared around making dual career couples work. Featured: Nick Wilkie, Former CEO of the NCT (Series 1, Episode 5) Dr. Jennifer Petriglieri, Associate Professor of Organisational Behaviour INSEAD (Seri...
Aug 10, 2022•27 min•Season 6Ep. 94
Today's guest knows a thing or two about working under huge pressure after being headhunted by Wockhardt UK to direct the development of the manufacturing process and facility to produce the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine. Alice Kan is the Pharmaceutical Director at Kan Do Ventures and one of the UK's Top 50 Women in Engineering. In this episode, Alice shares what she has learned from managing the vaccine roll out whilst balancing her family commitments, including raising two teenage children. A "...
Aug 03, 2022•40 min•Season 6Ep. 93
"Children are not going to come to any harm because you work full time," says our guest today Wendy Merricks. Wendy is the CEO and Founder of Jumar , a group of companies in the IT sector and a Senior Leader Mentor on the Leaders Plus Fellowship Programme. Growing up in inner-city Birmingham in a working-class family, Wendy has worked hard to get to the most senior positions, always believing that she was capable of anything she put her mind to. A mother of two boys (now in their 20s) born in qu...
Jul 20, 2022•47 min•Season 6Ep. 91
Can you work as a senior leader in a fast-paced industry like banking and set boundaries around your working hours? Our guest today is proof you can. Guy Duncan Neale is Head of Global Internal Audit Transformation at HSBC and leads a team of international senior internal auditors within the bank. Following a cancer diagnosis, Guy reflected on the priorities in his life and decided he would limit his working hours to ensure he could be present with his family. He is a real change-maker and is vo...
Jul 13, 2022•34 min•Season 6Ep. 90
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by your conflicting priorities? Our guest today is Suzy Reading , a Chartered Psychologist, author and specialist in self care and well being. Suzy knows the science behind well being and shares how, as busy working parents, we can look after ourselves when under pressure without feeling like it's something else we need to tick on our to-do list. We discuss: Why self care is actually health care How to practically put yourself first (or at least make sure it's you as...
Jul 06, 2022•38 min•Season 6Ep. 89
Do you ever worry about changing priorities during your career? Our guest today is Dr. Christina Venzin, a Senior Doctor, Coach and Gender Equality Change Maker. Christina makes no secret of the fact that when she first had children she thought her career would have to totally change. What she in fact discovered was that it's absolutely okay to evolve your priorities over time and come back to what you love. The discussion includes: Why it's absolutely okay to change priorities during your caree...
Jun 29, 2022•38 min•Season 6Ep. 88
Big Careers Small Children helps ambitious parents progress careers they love whilst being present with their children. Through honest and informal conversation, senior leaders divulge what they have learnt on their own journey of combining big careers with young children to our host Verena Hefti MBE. Expect lots of aha moments, inspiration, fresh ideas, and practical support, so you can move forward in your career in a way that works for you and your family. Are you progressing a big career whi...
Jun 27, 2022•2 min
Do you ever struggle with saying no at work? Our guest today is Laurie Weingart, Professor of Organisational Behaviour at Carnegie Mellon University and Co-Author of the brilliant book No Club: Putting a Stop to Women’s Dead-End Work , she is an expert at saying no. The No Club has a fascinating back story. It began when Laurie and a group of friends came together disheartened by the fact they were working harder than ever but still trailed far behind their male colleagues. Vowing to get their w...
Jun 22, 2022•42 min•Season 6Ep. 87
' Dadvocate ' Ian Dinwiddy is the founder of Inspiring Dads , a platform designed to help dads balance the complexities of modern life and fatherhood. Management Consultant Ian and his partner Lisa (a lawyer) have made what some might view as bold decisions regarding their parenting setup. When their daughter Freya was born they took the decision that Ian would step back from his career to look after her and he has gone on to become the main carer for their two children. We discuss: How dads can...
Jun 16, 2022•41 min•Season 6Ep. 86
Steph Douglas is the inspirational Founder and CEO of the gifting company Don't Buy Her Flowers . Steph launched her business in 2014 after having her first baby and being inundated with bouquets. She joins Verena to talk candidly about growing a successful business, raising her family and challenging expectations, including at home. The conversation includes: Why and how to ensure you safeguard time to think when growing your business How parenthood can benefit you in business 'Feminine' busine...
Jun 08, 2022•50 min•Season 6Ep. 85
Our guest today is Lauren Seager-Smith FRSA, CEO of the bullying prevention charity Kidscape and a Mentor on the Leaders Plus Fellowship Programme. Lauren is one of a small but growing number of CEOs with younger children and she shares her experience of working in a senior position whilst juggling the reality of small kids. She has many years of experience providing expertise and guidance relating to all forms of bullying and in this episode she shares practical advice for dealing with bullying...
May 25, 2022•37 min•Season 6Ep. 84
Joining us today is Leaders Plus Fellow Amy Gibbs. Amy is CEO of Birthrights , a powerful charity championing human rights in childbirth. Working part-time in a senior role is (sadly) still an exception and not the norm and Amy describes her journey to becoming a CEO and taking the top position, including how she makes her role work 4 days a week. Amy also shares her wonderfully honest reflections on setting boundaries, work-life balance and why it's essential we all prioritise a little more sel...
May 18, 2022•52 min•Season 6Ep. 83
Our guest today is Carlotta Negri di Sanfront, Chief Product and Design Officer for giffgaff , the mobile network run by its members. Carlotta is wonderfully honest about her experience of starting a family at the peak of her career and talks openly about deciding to go for the role of Chief Product and Design Officer whilst 8 months pregnant. Our discussion includes: When is the right time to have a baby if you're progressing your career Returning to work to a new senior position Juggling the m...
May 11, 2022•47 min•Season 6Ep. 82
Welcome to series 6 of the Big Careers, Small Children (formerly Leaders With Babies) podcast. Our guest today is Mary Ann Sieghart. Mary is a former The Times Senior Editor and more recently the author of a really intriguing book, The Authority Gap, which analyses why women are taken less seriously than men and what we can do about it. The discussion includes: Why is that men and women can say the exact same thing yet it's perceived differently? A look at the latest evidence and research around...
May 04, 2022•46 min•Season 6Ep. 81
Our guest this week is an expert in utilising the power of persuasion to get what you want. Vanessa Bohns is a social psychologist and associate professor of organisational behaviour at Cornell University, New York. She is also the author of a thought-provoking new book You Have More Influence Than You Think . In the book, Vanessa draws from her original research to illustrate exactly why we might fail to recognise the influence we have, and how that lack of awareness can lead us to miss opportu...
Mar 10, 2022•48 min•Season 5Ep. 80
Today's podcast guest is Claire Ferreira, an NLP Coach and the Founder of Mums in Marketing, a free community connecting "women who do marketing and raise humans". Verena and Claire compare notes about how to create a peer support community with impact (like Mums in Marketing and the Leaders Plus Fellowship) and why this is so incredibly important for working parents. There is also a powerful two-way conversation about losing confidence at work after having children, imposter syndrome and mental...
Mar 02, 2022•50 min•Season 5Ep. 79
Our guest this week is Dr. Heejung Chung, Professor of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Kent and the author of the excellent and thought-provoking book The Flexibility Paradox. Heejung Chung offers a completely fresh perspective on flexible working and whilst she acknowledges it as a great solution to our work-life balance challenges, she also believes it can lead to us exploiting ourselves much more than if we worked a normal working pattern. Heejung shares with us what she has ...
Feb 23, 2022•44 min•Season 5Ep. 78
Our guest today is Jane Galloway, Head of Flexible Working for NHS England and the Founder of the brilliant Quiet the Hive , a community that helps women identify the life they want and arms them with the tools and confidence to go get it. Jane is incredibly passionate that flexible working should be for all and she shares fantastic advice that will be very helpful if you're looking to make a change to your working pattern, whether you're working in the NHS or for any other organisation. But wha...
Feb 16, 2022•43 min•Season 5Ep. 77
Our guest today is Chief Executive of The Supreme Court, Vicky Fox . A mum of 3 boys (now young adults), Vicky has made some tough decisions for her career and family life. Including putting her career progression on hold and making the brave decision to leave a specialist career whilst her children were younger before reigniting her work ambitions with a new role later on in her career. Vicky is an incredible role model and her approach to life is honest and refreshing. Particularly when discus...
Feb 09, 2022•48 min•Season 5Ep. 76
My guest today is Jane Beeston, Chief People Officer for Colart (the global market leader for art materials) and mother to two grown up boys. Becoming a Chief People Officer is the pinnacle of a career in Human Resources and Jane shares with us how being a parent has positively impacted her senior leadership career trajectory, including how having children has allowed her to bring her whole self to work and contributed to her personal development and growth. This conversation is especially inter...
Feb 02, 2022•44 min•Season 5Ep. 75
