Big Careers, Small Children

• [Future Of Work] Dominic Holmes - How Flexible Working Will Redefine Success and Efficiency at Work

  In this forward-thinking episode of the Big Careers, Small Children podcast, Verena Hefti MBE speaks with Dominic Holmes, Employment Law Partner at Kilgannon Law and Leaders Plus mentor.Dominic shares his expert insights on the evolving landscape of employment law, the future of flexible working, and how the UK workplace needs to adapt if we’re serious about equality and productivity.A working parent himself, Dominic reflects on going part-time early in his legal career and how that shift transformed his effectiveness both at work and at home.Together, they explore:✔️ Why flexible working should be the default, and what proposed legal reforms might mean for employees and employers alike.✔️ How organisations can move beyond presenteeism and value output over hours worked.✔️ The personal and organisational benefits of part-time leadership.✔️ Why the current legal system still fails many working parents—especially women—and how to build a better one.✔️ The real reason we need a cultural and mindset shift around productivity and long-hours culture.✔️ How Dominic manages senior client relationships while working a four-day week.✔️ What a fair, inclusive future of work might look like for the next generation.What You’ll Learn in This Episode🔹 Why reduced hours can make you a more focused and effective leader🔹 How legal reforms could reshape employer obligations around flexibility🔹 Why traditional “commitment” metrics fail working parents🔹 The risks of defaulting to full-time roles without justification🔹 Practical ways to challenge assumptions about career progression and presenceShow Notes:Connect with Dominic Holmes on LinkedInLearn more about Kilgannon Law at kilgannonlaw.co.ukLearn more about the Leaders Plus: Big Careers, Small Children podcast and explore additional resources at leadersplus.org.Follow Leaders Plus on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Bluesky.Connect with our CEO, Verena Hefti MBE on LinkedIn.Find out more about the work of Leaders Plus by signing up to our Newsletter.Our multi-award-winning Leaders Plus Fellowships support parents committed to career growth while enjoying family life. Expertly designed to keep parents on the leadership path, our programme tackles gender pay gap issues and empowers parents to thrive. Learn more here: Leaders Plus Fellowship.More BCSC episodes you might love:Episode 208: Nadia Bunyan MCIPD & Tatiana Pignon - How to Successfully Implement a 4-Day Week Without Sacrificing Impact

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• {CEO Series} Rebecca Brosnan - How Strategic Planning Can Help You Build a High-Impact Career and Family Life

  In this inspiring episode of the Big Careers, Small Children podcast, Verena Hefti MBE speaks with Rebecca Brosnan, CEO and Founder of The Halo Planner, and Non-Executive Director across several listed and non-profit organisations.Rebecca shares her remarkable journey from high-pressure executive roles in finance to building a flexible, international portfolio career, all while raising two young children without sacrificing ambition or family life.She talks openly about the messy reality of balancing senior leadership and motherhood, the importance of intentional planning, and why it’s possible (and necessary) to redefine success on your own terms.Together, they explore:✔️ Why building a successful board career with young children is possible — but messy.✔️ The practical systems and mindsets that helped Rebecca balance senior leadership and parenthood.✔️ How to plan your way to a thriving career without sacrificing presence at home.✔️ Why NGO boards can be just as rewarding and impactful as corporate boards.✔️ How to set boundaries without guilt and stay intentional with your time.✔️ The role of support networks, planning tools, and saying no (without fear).✔️ Practical steps for anyone wanting to start a portfolio career.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:How to create a portfolio career that aligns with your family priorities.The power of meticulous long-term and short-term planning for working parents.Why messy does not mean unsuccessful — and how to embrace it.How to balance ambition, purpose, and parenting without guilt.Why saying no is a leadership skill (and how to do it without burning bridges).Show Notes:Connect with Rebecca Brosnan on LinkedInLearn more about the Halo Planner at thehaloplanner.comFollow Halo Planner on Instagram: @thehaloplannerLearn more about the Leaders Plus: Big Careers, Small Children podcast and explore additional resources at leadersplus.org.Follow Leaders Plus on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Bluesky.Connect with our CEO, Verena Hefti MBE on LinkedIn.Find out more about the work of Leaders Plus by signing up to our Newsletter.Our multi-award-winning Leaders Plus Fellowships support parents committed to career growth while enjoying family life. Expertly designed to keep parents on the leadership path, our programme tackles gender pay gap issues and empowers parents to thrive. Learn more here: Leaders Plus Fellowship.More BCSC episodes you might love:Episode 209: {CEO Series} Dr Nara Daubeney - How To Let Go of Guilt and Redefine Success as a Working...

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• Louise Donaghey FRAeS - How to Lead with Strength and Vulnerability as a Breadwinner Parent

  In this inspiring episode of the Big Careers, Small Children podcast, Verena Hefti MBE speaks with Louise Donaghey FRAeS, Group Head of Engines at International Airlines Group GBS, who will soon be one of Leaders Plus’ Senior Leader Mentors, about her remarkable career in aviation, leadership in male-dominated environments, and her experience of being the sole breadwinner in her family for nearly two decades.Louise shares candidly about managing the pressure of high-stakes roles while raising two children, how she learned to embrace vulnerability as a strength, and what it really takes to stay present as a parent when the stakes at work are high. Her story is full of honesty, practical wisdom, and powerful reframing of success, motherhood, and leadership.Together, they explore:✔️ What it means to lead as the sole breadwinner in a family✔️ Why vulnerability is a leadership strength, not a weakness✔️ How to deal with judgement from others (especially fellow parents)✔️ Practical strategies to be present with your children while succeeding at work✔️ How to shut out guilt and define success on your own terms✔️ Why ambition can grow because of parenting, not in spite of it✔️ The value of scaring yourself with roles that stretch youWhat You’ll Learn in This Episode:How to balance career ambition and caring responsibilitiesWhy perfection is a myth and authenticity matters moreHow to handle judgment and stay confident in your choicesStrategies for setting boundaries and managing your energyThe mindset shift needed to thrive as a working parent and leaderShow Notes:Connect with Louise Donaghey on LinkedInLearn more about the Leaders Plus: Big Careers, Small Children podcast and explore additional resources at leadersplus.org.Follow Leaders Plus on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Bluesky.Connect with our CEO, Verena Hefti MBE on LinkedIn.Find out more about the work of Leaders Plus by signing up to our Newsletter.Our multi-award-winning Leaders Plus Fellowships support parents committed to career growth while enjoying family life. Expertly designed to keep parents on the leadership path, our programme tackles gender pay gap issues and empowers parents to thrive. Learn more here: Leaders Plus Fellowship.More BCSC episodes you might love:Episode 199: (C-Suite Series) Elizabeth Willetts - How to Break the Glass Ceiling While Juggling Career Ambitions and ParenthoodEpisode 203: (C-Suite Series) Jane...

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• {CEO Series} Dr Nara Daubeney - How To Let Go of Guilt and Redefine Success as a Working Parent

  In this episode of the Big Careers, Small Children podcast, Verena Hefti MBE speaks with Dr Nara Daubeney, CEO & Co-Founder of Phaim Pharma and NHS Surgeon.Nara is also a mum of four. She shares her deeply honest and inspiring reflections on what it takes to build a big career and raise a thriving family without sacrificing either.From designing Easter hats at 5am to leading a clinical-stage biotech company, Nara brings warmth, clarity, and wit to a conversation about redefining ambition, letting go of guilt, and building systems that work for your life, not against it.Together, they explore:✔️ Why guilt is baked into motherhood and how to release it✔️ How to balance ambition with presence during different parenting phases✔️ Why support systems are essential (and how to build your own, even without nearby family)✔️ What makes someone ready to be a CEO✔️ How leadership and parenting challenges mirror each other✔️ What teens really need from you, and how that shapes career decisions✔️ Why perfection isn’t the goal, and how embracing imperfection is freeingWhat You’ll Learn in This Episode:How to redefine success on your own termsWhy motherhood and leadership are not in conflictThe mindset shift that helps you build a sustainable careerHow to set boundaries and run your life like a systemThe role of authenticity, values, and reflection in leadershipShow Notes:Connect with Nara Daubeney on LinkedInLearn more about Phain Pharma: www.phaim.co.ukLearn more about the Leaders Plus: Big Careers, Small Children podcast and explore additional resources at leadersplus.org.Follow Leaders Plus on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Bluesky.Connect with our CEO, Verena Hefti MBE on LinkedIn.Find out more about the work of Leaders Plus by signing up to our Newsletter.Our multi-award-winning Leaders Plus Fellowships support parents committed to career growth while enjoying family life. Expertly designed to keep parents on the leadership path, our programme tackles gender pay gap issues and empowers parents to thrive. Learn more here: Leaders Plus Fellowship.More BCSC episodes you might love:Episode 186: Nathalie Holdstock - How to Thrive as a Shift Worker When You're a Parent of Young ChildrenEpisode 179: Dr Sonia Damle – How to Navigate Shift Work as a Parent & the Benefits of Self-Rostering in the NHS & Beyond

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• Nadia Bunyan MCIPD & Tatiana Pignon - How to Successfully Implement a 4-Day Week Without Sacrificing Impact

  In this episode of the Big Careers, Small Children podcast, Verena Hefti MBE speaks with Nadia Bunyan MCIPD, Director of People and Impact at Global Witness, and Tatiana Pignon, Associate Director at Autonomy.They discuss how to implement a 4-day working week in a way that supports both staff wellbeing and organisational performance. Nadia shares lessons from leading a successful 4-day week pilot at Global Witness, while Tatiana brings insights from supporting over 100 organisations through similar transitions.Together, they explore:✔️ What organisations get wrong when moving to a shorter week✔️ How to build trust and ensure leadership models healthy behaviours✔️ Why co-creating the model with staff matters✔️ How a shorter week supports working parents✔️ What to consider when navigating global teams, peak periods, and emergencies✔️ The mindset shift needed to move away from presenteeism✔️ Practical steps for organisations starting their 4-day week journeyWhether you're a senior leader or a working parent curious about flexible working, this episode offers practical advice and real-world experience to inspire change.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:✔️ How to move to a 4-day week without compromising impact✔️ Why wellbeing and performance can go hand-in-hand✔️ The role of culture, leadership, and trust in making it work✔️ How flexible working can support inclusion and equityShow Notes:Learn more about Global Witness: globalwitness.orgLearn more about Autonomy: autonomy.workConnect with Nadia Bunyan on LinkedInConnect with Tatiana Pignon on LinkedInLearn more about the Leaders Plus: Big Careers, Small Children podcast and explore additional resources at leadersplus.org.Follow Leaders Plus on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Bluesky.Connect with our CEO, Verena Hefti MBE on LinkedIn.Find out more about the work of Leaders Plus by signing up to our Newsletter.Our multi-award-winning Leaders Plus Fellowships support parents committed to career growth while enjoying family life. Expertly designed to keep parents on the leadership path, our programme tackles gender pay gap issues and empowers parents to thrive. Learn more here: Leaders Plus Fellowship.More BCSC episodes you might love:Episode 190: Does the Four Day Week Really Work?Episode 178: [Future of Work]...

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