How to Smash the Motherhood Penalty

• Victoria Crockford: Why women’s homelessness is on the rise in New Zealand

  In this episode, I talk to Victoria Crockford, Project Director of the Coalition to End Women’s Homelessness, to shine a light on an issue too often hidden from view: the growing housing insecurity faced by women in Aotearoa New Zealand.Victoria brings her wealth of experience across community housing, advocacy, the arts, and climate action to unpack the complex realities behind women’s homelessness.She explains why older women, sole parents, and Māori women are disproportionately affected, and challenges the myths that homelessness is a “choice.”This is not one of the conversations we have had on the podcast yet, and we do talk about the relationship between women's homelessness and domestic & sexual violence. Please listen with care.We speak about:· The 57,000 women in New Zealand currently experiencing homelessness (Census 2023).· Why women’s homelessness often looks different, more hidden, through couch surfing, unsafe housing, or staying in violent relationships.· The link between the motherhood penalty and long-term housing insecurity.· How systemic issues like the gender pay gap and benefit structures keep women in poverty.· Practical actions landlords, policymakers, and communities can take to reduce women’s homelessness.Resources Discussed·https://www.coalitiontoendwomenshomelessness.org/Connect with EmmaThis 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 – [email protected] www.worksforeveryone.co.nz https://www.instagram.com/worksforeveryone/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-mclean-9176217/

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• Dr Amanda Sterling: What’s really holding women back?

  In this episode, I talk to Dr. Amanda Sterling, Principal Director, award-winning consultant, and proud mum, to unpack her groundbreaking PhD research to help organisations remove systemic barriers and close gender pay gaps.Amanda combines decades in corporate leadership development and culture change with work that is backed by data, driven by curiosity, and fuelled by a deep commitment to creating workplaces where women can thrive.We speak about:· Amanda’s personal story of returning to work post-parental leave, and how it led to her PhD· The subtle ways bias and outdated assumptions sideline mothers in the workplace· Surprising findings from Amanda’s latest survey of 212 women in leadership roles· Why manager support and partner support top the list of career success factors for women· Practical steps organisations can take to hold leaders accountable and build inclusive leadership capability· The role of parental leave policies in shifting gender norms and why paying both parents matters· How to have the “awkward but essential” career conversations at home· Why the solution isn’t telling women to “lean in”, it’s changing the systemResources Discussed · Connect with Dr Amanda Sterling: https://dramandasterling.com/Connect with EmmaThis 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 – [email protected] www.worksforeveryone.co.nz https://www.instagram.com/worksforeveryone/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-mclean-9176217/

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• The Part Time Power Listers

  In this episode, Emma sits down with two of New Zealand’s 2024 Part-Time Power Listers: Emma Thompson and Liz Blythe.Emma is a partner in PWC’s private business team and a chartered accountant with a passion for simplifying finance through technology. She supports privately owned businesses with virtual CFO services, finance function, transformation and general accounting and tax. Emma co-leads PWC’s women in business founder series championing woman-led businesses to connect, grow, and reach their goals.Liz is a partner at Russell Mcveagh, heading up technology, digital, and strategic sourcing law practice in Auckland. Liz also sits on Russell Mcveagh’s Board of Management and is the board lead for the firm's AI transformation program. Liz has worked on a reduced hours arrangement at Russell Mcveagh since 2022.These two incredible women are senior leaders in law and finance, and they’re doing it all while working reduced hours and raising young families. Together, they unpack the reality of senior part-time roles, the mental load of motherhood, setting boundaries at work, and how they’ve shaped careers on their own terms.From how to structure a four-day workweek, to the importance of organisational support, to creating equity at home and in the workplace, this conversation is packed with wisdom, real talk, and practical takeaways for anyone balancing ambition with caregiving.Whether you’re eyeing a more flexible career path, already working part-time, or leading a team that includes parents, this episode will shift how you think about leadership, success, and what’s really possible.We speak about:· The real power behind reduced-hours roles and why they work at senior levels· How Emma and Liz set (and protect) their non-working days· Managing guilt, boundaries, and expectations in high-pressure industries· The truth about mental load and why “help” at home isn’t the answer· How supportive leadership and open conversations make all the difference· The importance of role modelling flexible success and why visibility matters· Why part-time does not mean part-talented, part-driven, or part-committedNominations are open for the 2025 NZ Part Time Power List - a list that celebrates innovative employers who are creating senior career building part time roles. Nominations close on August 18th 2025: https://forms.gle/mAw8e35zbaK1yEj49Resources Discussed · Anna Whitehouse Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mother_pukka/?hl=en· Dirty Mother Pukka Podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/5f2dP1jR7pYrhGRzz5NMKy?si=f235bb67ad76474e · "Fair Play" by Eve Rodsky https://www.fairplaylife.com/· "Fair Play" card deck (A Couple's Conversation Deck for Prioritising What's Important) https://shorturl.at/bXaLlConnect with EmmaThis 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 – [email protected] www.worksforeveryone.co.nz...

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• Dr Ellen Joan Ford: The overt and covert penalties of motherhood

  In this powerful conversation, I talk to Dr Ellen Joan Ford, who is terrifyingly ambitious about improving the working world for people and for organisations.As a leader, researcher, military veteran, international speaker, TEDx speaker, facilitator, consultant and parent, Ellen draws on her research and practical experiences to drive organisational outcomes by enhancing inclusive leadership capabilities and workplace culture.Ellen shares what she learned about leadership, identity and inclusion over more than a decade in the New Zealand Army, including the double standards mothers face, how bias shows up in both obvious and subtle ways, and why we need to rethink “professionalism” in the workplace.This conversation is practical, honest and deeply empowering, especially if you’re navigating leadership, parenthood, or workplaces that weren’t designed with mothers in mind.Ellen was awarded the Kiwi Bank New Zealander of the Year - Local Hero for her efforts supporting the evacuation of 563 from Afghanistan, is Person of the Year - Manawatu Standard and the prestigious Sir Peter Blake Leadership Award. She is the author of #WorkSchoolHours and her leadership model is Belonging, Autonomy and Purpose.We speak about:· Why “business as usual” doesn’t work for working parents· What true leadership and inclusion really look like· How unconscious bias shows up in work and parenting· Ellen’s experience with reintegration after parental leave· Why the personal is professional… and always has been· How leaders and organisations can better support parentsResources Discussed· Enter the code EMMA at checkout to get a free copy of Dr Ellen Joan Ford’s e-book: #WorkSchoolHours – buy it here: www.ellenjoanford.com · Connect with Dr Ellen Joan Ford on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-ellen-joan-ford-791a2655/Connect with EmmaThis 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 – [email protected] www.worksforeveryone.co.nz https://www.instagram.com/worksforeveryone/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-mclean-9176217/

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• Kimberlee Sweeney: Divorce, co-parenting, and Degrees of Separation

  In this powerful conversation, I am joined by Kimberlee Sweeney, certified divorce and co-parenting coach and founder of Degrees of Separation, to unpack how separation and divorce can amplify the motherhood penalty — and what you can do to protect yourself emotionally, legally and financially.Kimberlee shares her expert insight from a decade in the field, explaining how divorce coaching works, what co-parenting support really looks like, and the critical decisions mothers need to make before, during, and after a relationship ends. She also breaks down how the Aotearoa Divorce and Separation Institute (ADSI) is setting ethical standards for divorce coaching in Aotearoa.This is a must-listen episode if you're navigating (or even contemplating) separation and want to protect your career, your confidence, and your financial future.We speak about:· What a divorce coach actually does, and why it matters· Why divorce can intensify the motherhood penalty· How unpaid caregiving impacts post-divorce financial stability· The importance of being informed about your legal rights· Why co-parenting dynamics affect long-term outcomes· How career coaching and emotional regulation go hand in hand· The questions every couple should ask before having kids· Kimberlee’s magic wand solution to valuing unpaid labour in the homeResources Discussed· Degrees of Separation – https://www.degreesofseparation.co.nz/· Aotearoa Divorce and Separation Institute (ADSI) – https://adsi.org.nz/ Connect with EmmaThis 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 – [email protected] www.worksforeveryone.co.nzhttps://www.instagram.com/worksforeveryone/

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