Description

This conversation is so good on so many levels. I knew that I had to invite Rachel Paris onto the podcast for several reasons. Firstly because she has recently published her debut novel “See How They Fall” and at its heart, it is a story on what it is to be a mother. On what you would do for your children. It is also a story of the strength of women and how so much of our experience can be unspoken. A little bit like the motherhood penalty - a shared experience of many but we don’t always talk openly about it.  

And secondly, she has pivoted her career away from being a Lawyer to being an author. And I know that changing up our careers is something that many of my clients wrestle with. There is sometimes a voice inside us, wanting something different for ourselves. So I wanted to chat to Rachel about her experience with this pivot. 

And thirdly, Rachel and her husband are a “dual career couple” - they are both working in demanding careers while building a family  together. I was interested to talk to her about how they have both approached this and what we can learn. 

We speak about:

• The motherhood penalty on your confidence as you return to work. 
• The complicated nature of returning to work to forge ahead in your career - and the value of setting time horizons to give yourself the best opportunity. 
• Sharing the load from the beginning and keeping up the conversations if you are partnered. 
• Asking for help and if you can outsource some tasks - then see it as an  investment in your future. 
• Investing in your friends - carving out your own life.
• We are all creative. Just start, take the pressure off yourself when you start something new. 
• Structure is useful when pursuing a new direction. And you need to be ruthless in creating the time. 
• There is no time limit and every experience is fuel for your creative self.
• Making the cost of childcare tax deductible and seeing childcare as infrastructure. 

Resources Discussed

• “The Next Day” by Melinda French Gates
• “Let Them” by Mel Robbins
• “Big Magic” by Elizabeth Gilbert
• “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus

Connect with Emma

This podcast was funded and created by Emma Mclean, the founder of Works for Everyone.

Emma Mclean is a mum of three and founder of Works for Everyone, a professional development business that partners with NZ's leading corporates to help them retain and grow their working parent talent. She does this through innovative leadership programmes, executive coaching and keynote speaking. She founded her business in 2019 following a 20-year career in corporate strategy where she experienced first-hand how hard it was to have a career and a family. 

As an impatient optimist when it comes to system change, she launched her successful podcast “How to Smash the Motherhood Penalty” in 2023 where she talks to humans who are actively working to change the system that creates financial penalties that only mothers pay. And in 2024 she launched the first NZ Part Time Power List – to shine a light on those senior roles in NZ that are career building, not side stepping."

To work with Emma or enquire about speaking – emma@worksforeveryone.co.nz 

www.worksforeveryone.co.nz