For the first time, our CEO, Verena Hefti MBE, takes the mic solo in this special, bite-sized episode of the Leaders Plus: Big Careers, Small Children podcast.

As the season draws to a close, Verena shares heartfelt reflections on balancing the magical yet demanding holiday period, offering powerful strategies for:

• Prioritising yourself amidst the chaos
• Creating a meaningful holiday without burning out
• Sharing family responsibilities equitably

Drawing on gold nuggets from past episodes and her own experiences, Verena encourages us to reassess, set boundaries, and say "no" to the non-essential as we wrap up the year.

Tune in for an empowering and time-efficient conversation that will leave you ready to take on the holiday season with clarity and courage.

We hope you enjoy the conversation, and we’ll be back in January with a brand-new series of episodes!

Show Notes:

• Learn 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.

In this episode you will learn:

• During the busy holiday season, it's important to prioritise self-care and make brave decisions.
• Discussing family responsibilities openly can help distribute the mental load more equitably.
• Using frameworks, like the STAR framework, can guide us in making better decisions about opportunities.
• Setting boundaries and saying no can lead to more meaningful opportunities aligned with our values.
• Recognising that the mental load often disproportionately affects women can prompt important discussions at home.
• Leaders should model work-life balance to create a supportive environment for their teams.

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.

BCSC Episodes Mentioned in This Podcast:

• #168 Big Careers, Small Children: Dr. Ana Catalano Weeks – Managing Mental Load While Balancing Careers and Parenthood
• #193 Big Careers, Small Children: Sally Hamm & Matt Hamm – How to Communicate With Each Other as a Dual Career Couple
• #80 Big Careers, Small Children: Professor Vanessa Bohns
• #87 Big Careers, Small Children: Laurie Weingart
• #194 Big Careers, Small Children: Tom Shaw- How to Create Counterbalance in Your Life & Career
• #196 Big Careers, Small Children: Brigid Schulte- Overcoming Overwork with Strategies for a Balanced Life

Leader's Plus Blog Mentioned in This Podcast:

• Resources for Managing Your Mental Load