Let’s talk about the invisible job description that no recruiter will ever put on LinkedIn, but career mums know all too well: The Mental Load. It’s the 24/7 role where you’re Chief Executive of remembering everything, from booking the dentist to sourcing the birthday gift for your child’s best friend (who you secretly suspect doesn’t […]
There’s something deeply ironic about calling it “returning to work” after maternity leave, as if the past year wasn’t one long unpaid overtime shift with a boss who literally screams when they want something. And yet, for so many women, the hardest part isn’t the sleepless nights or the teething chaos. It’s walking back into […]
When Will Women Stop Being Blamed for Everything? Apparently Not Today. Oh. My. Stethoscope. Just when I thought I’d heard every tired, patriarchal excuse under the sun, along comes retired surgeon Dr Meirion Thomas with his pearls of wisdom from, I’m guessing, the year 1952. He was pontificating in the Independent newspaper. I daresay he […]
Let’s just call it: most workplaces weren’t built with wellbeing in mind. They were built for productivity, profit, and presenteeism. Oh, and if you’re a woman or a working mum? Let’s just say the system wasn’t designed with your reality in the blueprint. For decades, the workplace model has been: show up early, stay late, […]
Let’s get one thing straight: motherhood isn’t a soft skill. It’s not a sabbatical from the “real world”. And it’s definitely not a gap on your CV that needs explaining. Motherhood is the real-world MBA you never asked for but graduated from, with honours, battle scars, and the ability to negotiate with a screaming dictator […]
When ‘Merit’ Becomes a Convenient Excuse All-male shortlists. In 2025. Honestly, I thought we’d parked that nonsense somewhere back in the 90s along with dial-up internet and shoulder pads. But here we are, watching some companies quietly roll back their diversity commitments and cloak it in this righteous chant: “We hire on merit!” Let’s just […]
Let’s just say it: resistance to flexible working isn’t about productivity. It’s not about collaboration. And it’s definitely not about “maintaining culture.” It’s about control. Plain, stale, old-school control. You know the kind. The “I need to see you at your desk to believe you’re working” mindset. The kind that equates presence with performance and […]
We all have a voice in our heads. Not the wild one that wants a croissant at 9pm — the other one. The “responsible” one. The one that chimes in, right when we’re about to make a bold move, and says: “Yes, but…” Two words. Softly spoken, but utterly paralysing. Yes, I’d love to apply […]
The world has long celebrated the Seven Wonders—those awe-inspiring feats of architecture and ingenuity that have stood the test of time. But in today’s world of hybrid meetings, burnt-out teams and shiny mission statements that nobody remembers, I’d argue that there’s an 8th wonder quietly waiting to be recognised. It’s not a building. It’s not […]
I was chatting to a woman recently whose story stopped me in my tracks. She’d given up her career to become a full-time mum. Nothing unusual there, loads of women do it, often out of love, guilt, or simply because childcare in the UK costs a small fortune and no one wants to work just […]