Mother of All Solutions

Laura Broderick•motherofallsolutions.podbean.com

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

Conversations about careers and caring for today's parents.

Last refreshed: July 1st, 2025 at 12:36 AM ⓘ

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Episodes

Episode 13 - Notes from Home

In this episode Laura shares some audio notes about her work/family situation recorded at home at the end of March and mid April 2020. We also hear from a neighbour, Meghan, about how she is managing various aspects of life (job, homeschooling) during lockdown. We'd love to hear from more mums and dads, and are inviting listeners to record their own audio notes - to share what is happening in their lives at home in the COVID-19 crisis. Parents are invited to explain their situation. You are also...

Apr 26, 2020•24 min

Episode 12 - The Grandmother & The Granddaughter

Laura speaks with her own mother, Wendy, and her daughter, Rowan, about work and family life. Now retired, Wendy reflects on her role as a hospital pharmacist. She covers going back to study after becoming a mother, managing rotas for parents, and using her clinical expertise in a voluntary capacity today. She also talks about changing stresses and strains during stages of her career with kids. Rowan, aged 6, describes our family set-up, jobs she knows and what she would like to do when she's ol...

Apr 03, 2020•18 min

Episode 10 - The Women of the World Festival

In this special episode we speak with parents and panellists at the Women of the World Festival (WOW) at the Southbank Centre in London on Friday 6 March 2020. We capture personal stories about navigating a return to work as well as talking with the speakers from the Damned if You Do, Damned if You Don't panel. With comments and ideas on shared parental leave, cost and quality of childcare and reflections on the sessions of the day, we record a moment of motherhood at the WOW Festival.

Mar 30, 2020•41 min

Episode 11 - The A&E Doctor and The Academic

In this episode Laura interviews her sister-in-law, Dr Hannah Bienias, and her brother, Dr John Broderick, about their particular set up post Hannah's recent maternity leave. Hannah is an A&E consultant in a NE hospital and John a Lecturer at the University of Manchester. They talk about organising childcare for their almost 1 year old daughter - with workplaces in different parts of the country and shift patterns to accommodate. They touch upon shared parent leave requests, flexibility from...

Mar 23, 2020•41 min

Episode 9 - The Stay at Home Mum

Lily Anderson-Nicholls and Laura Broderick talk to Maria Cesa about managing work around three maternity leaves, and finding fulfilment as a stay at home mum. We discuss differing perceptions of work/family balance, how you identify and when's a good time to get back into work after taking a career break.

Feb 26, 2020•44 min

Episode 8 - The Polymath

Lily Anderson-Nicholls and Laura Broderick talk to Nell Boase about changing careers, returning to a new or old job after having a baby, being an effective leader and planning for future work. We also discuss negotiating your work boundaries and considering senior roles alongside family life.

Feb 13, 2020•1 hr 2 min

Episode 7 - The Review

In this episode, Laura reflects on the episodes so far, why she started MOAS and what she's got planned for the future of the podcast. Subscribe by searching for Mother of All Solutions wherever you get your podcasts.

Feb 01, 2020•20 min

Episode 6 - The Business Owner

In this episode we talk about the benefits and challenges of running your own business. Laura talks to Make Do and Mend owner Sarah Robins about the path to starting her vintage clothing business, juggling maternity leave and preparing for shared parental leave.

Dec 09, 2019•1 hr 3 min

Episode 5 - The Freelancers

In this episode we talk about the benefits and some of the challenges of being freelance, juggling childcare with older children, waiting for social lives and career reboots! Subscribe by searching for Mother of All Solutions wherever you get your podcasts.

Nov 17, 2019•45 min

Episode 4 - The Childminder

In the fourth episode Laura talks to Colette Thomas. We talk about being a childminder, changing careers to suit your family situation, plus being a single mother, then grandmother. We also explore professional pursuits and the professional wall!

Nov 11, 2019•59 min

Episode 3 - The Shared Parental Leave

In Episode 3 Laura talks to architect John Ross and Editorial Manager Teleri Lloyd-Jones about shared parental leave. The three discuss what's a fair division of time, who was most adventurous on parental leave and they wonder who really understands the shared parental leave system?

Jul 19, 2019•1 hr 5 min

Episode 2 - The HR Professional

In the second episode of the Mother of All Solutions, Laura talks to HR - or rather to HR Professional Lily Anderson-Nicholls. They discuss coming back to a different job than the one you left, what you can and can't ask for, and how a job-share can work.

Jul 18, 2019•54 min

Episode 1 - The Side Hustle

In this first episode Laura speaks to Clara Widdison about entrepreneurialism, hiding maternity leave on a CV and starting a project on the side.

Jul 17, 2019•35 min

Pilot - Mother of All Solutions

The Mother of all Solutions is a new podcast bringing you stories from mums navigating their return to work. It might be about mothers but it's for all parents, carers, employees and employers. For the pilot episode Laura and Owen remember how one had to ask the other about their organisation's maternity leave policy and they discuss what they hope to achieve from the podcast. https://twitter.com/SolutionsMother motherofallsolutions@gmail.com

Jul 15, 2019•20 min

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