As a sports presenter and reporter, Kelly Somers is used to working in a male dominated environment. She regularly contributes to football coverage on radio and television in the UK, including Match of the Day and BBC 5Live, and has her own interview show The Football Interview which will soon start on Saturday afternoons on BBC One. Most recently, she’s just returned from a summer covering the men’s FIFA World Cup with her two-year-old daughter in tow.

Here she tells The Female Lead about dealing with sexist comments, why male allyship is so important and the female role models she is in awe of…

What inspired you to pursue a career in football and sports broadcasting?

I grew up with football around me - and female football fans - too. My mum always went to football and prior to that my grandparents went, so it’s never not been a thing the women did in my family and to be honest, I feel so fortunate to have been brought up with it being the norm. I won a competition at primary school by writing a match report on a Watford match and won a day in the press box. From then on I was hooked and knew I wanted to pursue a career in it.

Have you had to deal with sexism or stereotypes over the years?

“So, do you like football?” is the common question that grates on me - and sadly I’ve heard many other females say they’ve been asked the same. As if girls can’t like football, or as if I surely couldn’t have chosen this career, someone must have chosen it for me! You can’t do this job without liking football, without being obsessed with football. You get found out very quickly if you don’t. I’ve never heard a male colleague be asked this and I’d love to see their response if they were!

“So where’s the baby?” is another common one - and again I’m pretty sure my partner doesn’t get asked it. I’m fortunate that although my job can be intense, it does also allow flexibility at times so I have been able to be a very present mum. My daughter only recently started going to pre-school, shes always been with my mum when I’ve worked and has often travelled with me. My daughter - and family - came to Euro 2024 and this summer’s FIFA World Cup because I want her to know, like I always have, that sport is for girls. Last summer she came to New York with me for 10 days for the FIFA Club World Cup and also to Switzerland for the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 final. It’s not always easy, but sorting out childcare at home when I’m away isn’t either!

The most important thing I’ve learned is that it works for us. I’ve been judged for not sending my daughter to nursery until she was two and a half, yet other mums are judged for sending their children when they’re months old! But we all have different jobs, different financial situations and also different lifestyles and support systems. Every family is different but we are all just doing our best to make it work for everyone - parents and children! I have found that for some reason parenting is an aspect of life people weirdly love to have an opinion on, but it really doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, as long as it works for you.

Do you think it’s important for women to be open at work about their family life?

I am very fortunate to have worked with really supportive colleagues and had a positive experience, though sadly I know this isn’t the case for lots of women. I try not to shy away from letting them know why perhaps I can’t do a particular job, as I think it’s important they understand.

A lot of the men I work with are parents too, and I try to remember to ask about their family situations. The dilemmas that I am having, I’m sure their wives or partners will have had similar ones too. And the men subsequently have been a part of the decision making process too. I’m very conscious of discussing all the decisions I make regarding work and childcare with my partner - I’m incredibly lucky that he’s very supportive. I hope that also makes him a supportive male ally and colleague for women at his work too. Even the smallest acts of flexibility and help you can give parents honestly goes a long way. I’ll never forget the people that have helped me.

What changes have you seen in sport in the past five years?
In terms of women’s sport, the impact of the Lionesses can’t be underestimated. They showed young girls, and even older women, that women can do anything they put their mind to. And that if they lead, others will follow. It isn’t just their performances on the pitch either - it’s the impact they had on grassroots football, writing to the Prime Minister about getting girls playing football in schools, and then brands and sponsors using the players to spearhead their campaigns. The latter is so important as it puts money back into the sport for it to grow and ensures we continually see them in different spaces.

I recently interviewed Venus Williams at the men’s World Cup, and as we stood chatting pre-interview, I did something especially out of character for me - I thanked her for being such a role model, particularly for my generation. She was one of very few sports women, I feel, given the respect they deserved at the top level at the time I was growing up. She was and is a powerhouse, and it’s important we celebrate women like her as they’ve done so much for young girls and women everywhere.

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Who are your female role models?

Gabby Logan and Kelly Cates are two presenters I’m so fortunate to see at close quarters now at the BBC. They are two women at their peak of their powers who have incredible longevity in the industry and still, in my opinion, keep getting better. They’ve also had children and shown how it is possible to do both and not compromise either. I will never forget Gabby sending me a message with advice when I was pregnant - both are incredibly professional but personable, too, which i also think is so important as we consume football in a more casual way now, i think.

What advice do you have for young girls who want to get into sports broadcasting?
If you want to be a broadcaster you totally can. Don’t think of yourself as a ‘young girl’ - think of yourself as a broadcaster. I’m sure men don’t think of themselves as male broadcasters, they’re just broadcasters! In this day and age there are so many avenues to get into the industry. Social media can - at times justifiably - get a bad reputation but it enables you to create content and showcase your talent. Tell stories, give your opinions and show why you are unique because sport for me is all about celebrating the different characters within it.

Ella Robertson McKay oversees the One Young World’s global programmes, and international events including the annual summit, which this year takes place in Cape Town between 3-6 November. The charity connects and supports 20,000 young leaders from over 190 countries. She is a TedX speaker and also co-author of How To Make A Difference: The Definitive Guide To Activism (Hachette 2019). She has also written for Fortune and The Times. Here, she speaks to Andrea Thompson, former editor-in-chief of Marie Claire UK, about championing women and never underestimating your influence…

How did you become a leader in the charity sector?

I fell into working at One Young World by accident after interning at the charity in 2009, the year it was founded, while I was at university studying law. It was a small team with huge ambitions, and I loved the energy of building something from the ground up.

When I graduated in 2011, I gave up my training contract at a magic circle law firm, rolled up my sleeves and started working there full time. Every year the organisation grew, the community grew, and so did my role. I’ve never really felt the need to leave because I’ve never stopped learning.

What excites you about work?

After 17 years we’re still growing. Alongside my role as Global Managing Director, I’m now also Executive Director of One Young World US, where I’m focussing on our philanthropy network, and connecting with new people and commercial partners who want to invest in the next generation of leaders. This is a particularly exciting year because the One Young World summit will take place in South Africa. It will be the most international event ever hosted on the African continent and marks the 50th anniversary of the Soweto Uprising, commemorating the role young people have played in shaping South Africa’s history. Youth unemployment is a global crisis right now. My hope is that we can work with our community this year to find solutions.

What have been the highs and lows?

The highlight is easy: standing in an arena each year with over 2,000 young leaders from more than 190 countries and seeing what this community has become and the life-changing work the young people are doing each day. It’s also great to be able to host an annual conference where these young people get to be inspired by global trailblazers from Emma Watson and Cher to Dame Jane Goodall and Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. The low point was undoubtedly COVID. As an organisation whose model relies on gathering people from around the world face to face to inspire one another, lockdown was really rough. Overnight we had to rethink everything. Looking back, though, it made us a far more resilient and creative organisation, and we launched a fund for young leaders on the front lines of the pandemic which I’m still very proud of. Since then we have granted more than $3,000,000 to young people.

You’ve worked with heads of state, celebrities, Nobel laureates, and influential figures from business and civil society - how do you ensure you are genuinely influencing change?

One Young World has taught me that the world is built on relationships, not transactions. Of course you need to be focused on the mission, but it’s important to remember that people are people. Presidents care about what their spouse thinks; CEOs are proud parents; Nobel Peace Prize laureates have hobbies they would rather talk about than their accomplishments. All people want to be seen as more than their job title.

Finally, I try to treat everyone exactly the same. Whether someone is a volunteer, a cleaner, or a Head of State, courtesy is so important. It’s the right thing to do, but it’s also one of the wonderful things about One Young World… you never know if the young delegate you met over coffee will go on to become the next leader of a huge corporation or country.

How do you deal with negativity?

Thoughtful criticism makes organisations better, and we’ve changed plenty of things over the years because people have challenged us constructively. Cynicism, on the other hand, is easy and rarely useful. It’s very easy to sit on social media and be snarky about people trying to make a difference. It’s much harder to actually get out there and do the work.

I’ve always loved Theodore Roosevelt’s idea that “the credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.” I’d much rather spend my time supporting people who are out there trying to solve problems than responding to people throwing peanuts from the sidelines. When you can point to real, measurable impact statistics, the snark tends to get pretty quiet.

Who are your female business mentors?

I’m very lucky to have worked with Leena Nair, the current CEO of Chanel for more than a decade, first through her role at Unilever and today through our ongoing partnership with Chanel and the Chanel Foundation. What I admire most about Leena is her optimism. She never seems to complain about the scale of the challenge in front of her; she simply gets on with the job and focuses on making as much impact as she can in whatever role she’s in.

As co-author of How to Make a Difference, a practical guide to activism, what advice would you give women about small steps they can take to make a difference?

Don’t feel you have to become someone else to make a difference, your own skills are probably your greatest contribution.

The most effective activists I’ve met are the ones who apply the skills they already have to the causes they care about. You don’t need to become a marine biologist to help protect the oceans. If you’re a chef, host a fundraising supper. Mentoring a teenager, running a fundraiser, or serving on a local committee all count too.

Finally, don’t wait until you have endless free time. Give the time you can, with the skills you have, to the causes you care about. Small contributions, made consistently over many years, often achieve far more than one grand gesture or stunt.

What’s your message to the The Female Lead community?

Don’t underestimate your influence. You don’t have to have millions of followers, hold public office or run a global organisation to change someone’s life. The way you lead your team, support your friends and raise your children all hold tremendous power.

I’d also encourage women to champion one another across generations. Too often, both younger and older women are overlooked in different ways, and we all lose out as a result. One of my favourite quotes is from Kofi Annan: “You are never too young to lead, and you are never too old to learn.” I think we’d all benefit from living that a little more.

The annual One Young World Summit takes place in Cape Town between 3-6 November. If you would like to know more about attendance, company sponsorship or speaking opportunities visit https://www.oneyoungworld.com/

By Dr Emma Clare

People often assume my work is all about death. It isn’t. It’s about living as fully as possible until the very end.

I’m the CEO of End of Life Doula UK, and I support people who are dying, alongside the people important to them. The role of an end of life doula - also referred to as a death doula - is non-medical. We sit somewhere between professional services and the community, helping people navigate practical decisions around their care while providing emotional, social and spiritual support. We advocate for what matters most to someone, helping them have the death – and more importantly, the life – that feels true to them.

I never planned to become an end of life doula. I studied psychology at university and took a job in domiciliary care while I was training. Nobody mentioned that many of the people I’d be visiting would be in the last weeks of their lives. I thought it would be heartbreaking. Instead, I found myself drawn to those moments.

Growing up helped prepare me in ways I didn’t appreciate at the time. I was raised by my mum and my grandparents, and death was never treated as something frightening or taboo. We spent the majority of our free time exploring the Peak District, fascinated by nature. If my grandad found a dead bird on his bike rides, we’d examine it with curiosity rather than fear. Death wasn’t hidden away, it was simply part of life.

When my grandmother died suddenly while I was 21, I experienced my first significant bereavement. Sitting with my family in A&E, I found myself instinctively helping everyone make space to say what they needed to say to her before she died. I stayed with my grandad while he spoke to his beloved wife one last time. Even in a hospital side room, there was room for tenderness, dignity and love. Looking back, that experience shaped everything that followed.

Later, I discovered end of life doula training almost by accident. I signed up thinking it would simply be useful professional development. Before I’d even finished the course, someone I knew contacted me because their father was dying. I felt completely out of my depth, but I quickly realised something important: people weren’t looking for an expert with all the answers. They were looking for someone willing to have conversations that everyone else was avoiding and explain what their dad was going through was the normal dying process, gently but clearly.

That remains one of the biggest misconceptions about my work. Families are often overwhelmed not because death itself is terrifying, but because nobody has explained what’s happening. Sometimes all they need is someone to calmly translate medical language into something human. I also get to know the person dying, the life they’ve lived, and what matters most to them. My job is to advocate for them and help relatives if people aren’t on the same page.

One of the most distressing experiences for families is watching someone who is actively dying when they don’t understand what they are seeing and hearing. Changes in breathing, fluctuating consciousness and the so-called “death rattle” can seem frightening if you’ve never witnessed them before. Often, the person who is dying is peaceful, while it’s the people around them who are suffering most. Much of my role is helping families understand what they’re seeing is our body’s way of preparing to die so they can stop fearing every moment and instead spend meaningful time together.

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I wish we talked about death much earlier. We all know we are going to die, yet many of us wait until we’re standing in a hospital corridor during a crisis before having conversations that could have happened years earlier.

People often ask whether schools should teach children about death. I think they should. Children are actually remarkably good at talking about death until adults teach them that it’s something uncomfortable or inappropriate. We would all benefit from becoming more comfortable with grief, loss and mortality long before we desperately need that knowledge.

Working in this field has also transformed my own mental health. That surprises people. They assume thinking about death every day must be depressing. For me, it’s been the opposite.

Every day I ask myself a simple question: if my life ended sooner than I expected, would I be happy with how I’m spending my time?

That perspective has made me less anxious, more grateful and much more intentional. I don’t sweat the small stuff in the way I once did. I notice birdsong. I appreciate ordinary days. Death has made my life bigger, not smaller.

One woman I supported put it perfectly. After receiving a terminal diagnosis, she said to me, “Since I’ve been diagnosed, my life is more colourful.”

I hear versions of that again and again. Faced with mortality, people suddenly start seeing the world differently. They notice the trees, the changing seasons and the people they love. I don’t think we should have to wait for a terminal diagnosis before we start living that way.

People often ask what dying people regret most. The popular lists online don’t always match what I’ve heard. One of the most common regrets people have shared with me is staying too long in relationships that no longer brought them joy. Many women describe sacrificing themselves to keep everyone else happy, only to realise, at the end of their lives, how much of themselves they gave away.

That says something much bigger about the expectations placed on women. Care is still seen as women’s work. The adult child who contacts our charity because they’re exhausted caring for a parent is, more often than not, a daughter. Women carry enormous emotional labour, often alongside work and family responsibilities, and society still undervalues that care.

That’s something I’m passionate about changing. Care work matters. Compassionate communities matter. The people supporting us through the biggest moments of our lives deserve to be valued.

My own leadership journey has challenged assumptions too. At 35, I’m now CEO of End of Life Doula UK, something I still occasionally find surreal. Early on, I thought leadership meant becoming harder, more detached and more authoritative. Then I found myself crying during a difficult meeting with someone who’d had a bad experience. I was mortified. I thought I’d completely failed as a leader.

Instead, that moment built trust.

It taught me that empathy isn’t a weakness. Sometimes our humanity is exactly what leadership requires.

I’m also autistic and have ADHD. There are countless misconceptions about what that means, including the myth that autistic people lack empathy. My experience couldn’t be more different. I’m deeply empathetic, and the way my brain works helps me juggle complexity, spot patterns and lead an organisation that has grown rapidly over the last few years.

We receive around 30 requests for end of life doula support per month, and this has risen sharply since Nicole Kidman announced in April that she is training to become an end of life doula, joining a number of other high-profile figures including Hamnet director Chloe Zhao, Riley Keough, and Ruby Wax.

If there’s one thing I wish everyone knew about death, it’s this: don’t wait for the perfect moment to talk to your loved one about the impact they’ve had on your life and what memories you’ll treasure in the future.

One thing that has surprised me most is how ordinary death can be. It’s always portrayed as dramatic on TV and in films, and I don’t want to ‘positive-wash’ death, but it can be very simple, peaceful and beautiful. And often families sit with their person for days, pop out for 15 minutes and that’s when they take their last breath. It is common for people to wait until they’re alone to die, and it’s nothing for relatives to feel guilty about.

Television has taught us to expect profound final speeches and neatly scripted goodbyes. Real life is rarely like that. Say the things you want to say now. Tell people you love them while they can hear it. Have the conversations you’ve been avoiding.

The reality is that working with death has made me more hopeful, not less. It has shown me that life isn’t measured by how long it lasts, but by how present we are while we’re living it.

For more information about end of life doulas and to seek support visit ⤵️

End Of Life Doula UK

More than a third of women in Britain drink beer, yet we make up just 7% of the people brewing it.

That’s one of the biggest takeaways from this year’s Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) Independent Beer Report. Rachel Auty, founder of Women On Tap, says the stat reveals a bigger problem than just representation.

Women actually make up 31% of the indie beer workforce, but they’re overwhelmingly concentrated in support roles such as marketing, administration and accounting. In fact, 72% of admin and accounting staff are women, while the industry’s core creative role - brewing itself - remains almost exclusively male.

“We’re running the spreadsheets, not the mash tuns,” Rachel says. (A mash tun is a brewhouse vessel used in brewing and distilling that mixes ground malt with temperature-controlled water.)

She believes it’s a culture problem.

“It’s a space built for men still,” she says. “How can we change this to make it more appealing to more people?”

The figures show demand is there. Around 36% of women now say they drink beer, up three percentage points on last year. But Rachel believes the industry producing that beer still doesn’t reflect the people buying it.

“We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again,” she wrote following the report’s release. “Without the representation of women and the inclusion of women’s perspectives in the workplace, it’s incredibly difficult to engage women as consumers.”

She remembers going to the pub with her dad years ago, back when, as she jokes, “beers were brown”, and constantly being questioned for ordering a pint of ale.

“Everybody used to be like, ‘A woman? Why are you drinking pints?’”

Surrounded almost entirely by older men, she couldn’t help wondering where the women were.

“Do women brew beer? Do women run breweries? What the hell is going on in this space?”

Those questions eventually led her to launch Women On Tap in 2017, beginning with a small festival in Harrogate showcasing beers brewed by women.

“I’m passionate about being a voice for women, tackling those male dominated spaces that bring with them all sorts of problematic beliefs, behaviours and perceptions”

“Lots of women said they still didn’t feel welcome in pubs.”

Women On Tap works across three key areas: representation, connection and improving workplaces, helping women build networks while pushing the industry towards meaningful change.

“We always joke that our goal is not to need to exist.”

Rachel says the low number of women brewers isn’t down to a lack of interest, but the environments many women find themselves in. Women On Tap has recently heard from women attending festivals and industry events who have been spoken to “inappropriately”.

“Some blokes clearly think that it’s still okay to behave in that space as if it’s owned by men.”

That’s why the organisation has become a visible presence at festivals and trade events, including as a purpose partner for this year’s London Craft Beer Festival on the 17 and 18 July.

Use our code ‘femalelead’ for £15 off tickets!

Buy tickets using our code!

“We’re saying, ‘No, it’s not your space, we’re very much here,’” Rachel explains. “You can’t do that anymore. You can’t get away with it.”

She hopes that visibility reassures women that “we’ve got their backs”. Even now, she admits, industry events can still feel intimidating. “It’s just a way of saying, ‘We see you, and we’ve got your back.’”

While there are signs of progress elsewhere, Rachel says the brewing numbers are still moving in the wrong direction.

“I think a lot of women have been feeling quite disillusioned and unsupported and have left,” she says. “I know women myself that have left the industry completely for these reasons.”

Instead of asking why women aren’t entering brewing, Rachel believes employers should be asking why they’re struggling to stay.

“We need to create this culture where women are actively supported in these roles.”

Women do make up 50.3% taproom staff, making them the majority in this space, which Rachel says is “brilliant.” But her concern is that “bar work is more accessible to women who want to work in beer and see limited options to do so”

“Heineken are currently working on some women’s brewing experience days that we’re working with them on. So that’ll be really interesting because obviously when it’s a name that people recognise, it ends up being quite impactful.

“On a smaller scale, I’ve seen breweries that have paid for their women staff to do some specific training as a bit of a targeted initiative”

“Progress is happening in very little pockets but not across the board.”

Another barrier she recognises is that for decades, beer has largely been marketed by men, for men.

Rachel mentions everything from sexist pump clip names to working men’s clubs and advertising that has historically suggested women weren’t the intended audience.

Many women decided beer just “wasn’t for them”.

Women are expected to control around 75% of discretionary spending by 2028, making them one of the most influential consumer groups. Rachel believes breweries that fail to engage women are missing a huge commercial opportunity.

“If you’re a beer brand or brewer you want women to buy beer and you want them to be choosing your beer.”

Plus, “if there are more women going into the industry and being that representation piece, then there are going to be more women drinking it,” she says.

“That means more customers.”

She mentions Guinness’ recent popularity among younger women, fuelled by influencer marketing, as proof that perceptions around who drinks beer are beginning to shift.

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There are definitely reasons for optimism.

For the first time, SIBA collected data on brewery ownership in partnership with Women On Tap, revealing that 21% of brewery owners are women.

Rachel explains that figure is encouraging, but says it still raises questions about how much decision-making power women really hold.

Women On Tap also continues to grow.

After taking over International Women’s Collaboration Brew Day last year, the organisation helped increase participating brew days from 61 to 88 in a year. The campaign also raised £33,000 for women’s causes this year, up from £27,000 the previous year, while a new bursary scheme is helping women overcome financial barriers to entering the industry.

Ultimately, Rachel wants women who are curious about a career in brewing to know they don’t have to navigate it alone.

“It’s such an incredible community of amazing women that have got your back. There are opportunities all over to take advantage of, and there is support to help get your foot in the door and then help you progress.

“We hope that support will increasingly come from workplaces, but for now it comes from people like us. There’s a great community of really passionate people, and it’s a very rewarding career when you can get yourself in there.”

You can discover some of the UK’s best independent breweries at the London Craft Beer Festival, taking place in Southwark on 17 and 18 July, where Women On Tap is a purpose partner. The Female Lead readers can get £15 off tickets using the code ‘femalelead’ when booking.

Buy tickets using our code!

By June Angelides MBE - Founder of The Portfolio Method

Most people nearly faint when I tell them I have five job titles but one thriving career: investor, founder, board advisor, writer and public speaker.

What they do not always realise is that none of this works by accident. I have spent years developing my personal infrastructure. Now I am sharing it with the world.

I have built a portfolio career over the last 11 years, and at first it happened almost by accident. Like many ambitious women, I found myself being tapped for opportunities because I was good at my day job. Prestigious organisations. Interesting roles. Exciting projects.

But what I learned, often the hard way, is that the real risk is not simply saying yes too often. It is saying yes without doing a life audit of what that new commitment will mean for everything else you already carry.

One of the most visceral examples of this in my own life was when I sat on the board of a business I deeply admired. The time commitment I had been told to expect did not match what ended up being required. There were additional meetings, more asks, and more of me being needed than I had planned for. I was also in my season of yes.

There was one day in particular when I nearly passed out from pure exhaustion. That was the moment I knew I could not do it all. It was the moment I finally learned what my personal limit was.

That experience changed the way I think about ambition. I do not believe women need to aim lower. I believe we need better tools, better boundaries and better self-knowledge. That is the foundation of the Portfolio Method. We help women design careers that work around their energy levels, their natural way of working and their personal limit when it comes to taking on additional roles.

Start with your energy, not your ego

One of the biggest skills I have learned over the past 11 years is the power of no. But the power of no only works when you are clear on what deserves your yes.

For me, that clarity sharpened after I had my second child. I recognised that I felt most aligned when I was doing work that increased gender equality, improved access to finance and created better outcomes for women. That is what drives me. Once I became honest about that, decision-making became easier. If something fits, I lean in. If it does not, I can let it go.

This is why I always encourage women to do a life audit before they take on anything new. Not just, does this sound exciting? But what will this mean for my time, my family, my energy, my existing commitments and the goals I am actually trying to reach?

Ambitious women are often very used to being told they can do it all. I think the more important question is whether they should, and at what cost.

Build structure that protects your future self

I used to think the dream was flexibility. I thought going with the flow was freedom. In reality, a completely open diary is often an invitation for other people to fill your life for you.

I have a phrase for this. If your diary is too flexible, it is like leaving your front door open and allowing other people to come in and place their furniture wherever they want. You lose space to think. You lose space to strategise. You lose space to recover.

Structure has saved me.

One of the most practical things I do is block time to learn. I block a whole day for learning because staying sharp is part of the job. That could mean podcasts, books, journals, lectures or simply talking to people who have deep experience. The point is that I do not leave my development to chance.

The race is on. AI is getting smarter. We have a responsibility to keep growing too.

Protect your money by pricing the real cost

The second thing I protect is money.

Too many women hesitate to ask for the amount they are deserving of. Too many assume the offer in front of them is fixed. But if you have not done the life audit, you also have not priced the real cost of saying yes.

That is one of the key ideas we teach through the Portfolio Method. Before you take on an additional role, look at the full picture. What is the real scope? How many hours will this actually take? What will need to move in your week to make room for it? And are you being compensated properly for that reality?

Time is not abstract. Energy is not abstract. They are part of the cost.

In our work, 85 per cent of women who have taken our audit have told us they are underpricing. That tells me this is not simply a personal issue. It is a cultural one. There is still far too little transparency around what women should charge and what they should be paid.

That is why I believe we need to talk more openly about money. Ask your peers the uncomfortable question. What are they charging? What are they hearing? The more we say these things out loud, the less taboo they become.

Visibility matters more than women are often told

The third thing I protect is visibility.

I think many women are still taught to believe that if they do great work, people will notice. Sometimes they do. Often they do not.

You need to know what people pick up the phone to call you for. More than that, the people around you need to know it too. You should be at the tip of people’s tongues when it comes to your subject matter expertise.

That means being willing to talk about what you do, the outcomes you have achieved and the success you have created. Visibility is not vanity. It is clarity. It is how the right opportunities start finding you.

Key takeaway

The biggest mistake I see is burnout. Overcommitting. Not believing you are worthy of protecting your time. Not believing you are worthy of investing in yourself.

I do not think women need to shrink their ambition. I think we need to build better personal infrastructure around it.

For me, that means protecting my energy, my money and my visibility. For other women, the exact mix may look different. But the principle is the same: design a career that works with your life, your natural way of working and your actual capacity.

If this resonates, I would love to invite the Female Lead community to take our free audit and get clarity.

The MyPholyo Mapper is a free audit built around six quick questions to help you map where you are now and unlock where you could go next. It can reveal if the work you love most could be earning you more, if your value and visibility are out of sync, if a big opportunity may be hiding in plain sight, and if the vision you are building has the calendar time it deserves.

We are also building the first AI platform and career companion for portfolio professionals, and you can join the waitlist through the Portfolio Method website.

Born in London and raised in Lagos, June grew up watching women carry many roles at once. The idea that a career should narrow you down to one title never made sense to her.

She started at Silicon Valley Bank. On her second maternity leave, she founded Mums in Technology, the UK’s first child-friendly coding school, teaching hundreds of women to code with their babies in the room.

Today June is a mother of three with five job titles: investor, founder, board advisor, writer and public speaker. She is Venture Partner at Samos Investments and founder of Levare Ventures, backing deep tech, life sciences and healthtech across Europe and Africa. She sits on the boards of Ruka Hair, Jude and Code First Girls, and advises the UK government on high-growth women-led businesses. With her sister, she co-founded Mama’s Breakfast Club CIC, feeding children daily in the city where she grew up.

The Portfolio Method, used in over 20 countries, helps people building more than one income stream design careers that work around their energy, their time and their life.

LinkedIn Top Voice. FT Most Influential Tech Leaders. Computer Weekly Most Influential Women in Tech. IET Honorary Fellow. MBE for services to women in technology.

Non-linear is the new normal.

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If you’ve ever taken a river boat along the Thames and passed under Waterloo Bridge, you might have heard it called the Ladies Bridge. And if you haven’t, consider this your heads-up.

The nickname has been floating around for years, passed on by river boat tour guides. For a long time, it sounded like one of those stories that’s nice if it’s true. It turns out, it is.

By the 1930s, a century after it officially opened, Waterloo Bridge was falling apart. A rebuild was already in motion when construction began in 1939 - right as the Second World War broke out. As men were sent to fight, Britain was left with a labour shortage that reached into every industry, including construction, and women stepped in.

Women’s contribution to the war effort is often told through familiar images - factory lines, uniforms, the “we can do it” poster in the US. (Although, fun fact: “We Can Do It!” wasn’t widely seen during World War II. It was actually an internal Westinghouse image, shown only in February 1943 to encourage existing female employees to work harder - not to recruit women. It was only rediscovered in the early 1980s and later became widely reproduced)

Even Queen Elizabeth II trained as a mechanic and driver with the Auxiliary Territorial Service. But what tends to get less attention is the scale of women’s work in places like building sites.

By 1944, around 25,000 women were working in construction across the UK. On Waterloo Bridge, it’s now believed that up to 65% of the workforce were women. They were doing skilled, physical, technical labour - lifting, welding, assembling - the kind of work they’d long been excluded from.

And yet, when the bridge reopened in 1945, there was no mention of them.

A mix of wartime censorship and incomplete records meant their contribution was barely documented. Without official recognition, the story started to slip. Over time, it became something closer to myth - kept alive more by word of mouth than by anything written down.

It stayed that way until the early 2000s, when historian Christine Wall began looking into it. Alongside filmmakers Karen Livesey and Jo Wiser, she went digging through archives. At the National Science and Media Museum, they found photographs that had been overlooked for decades - including images of women dismantling the original bridge, and a welder known only as Dorothy working in the final years of construction.

They also tracked down testimonies from families of workers, confirming what the nickname had hinted at all along: women made up a significant part of the workforce.

In 2015, the bridge was re-listed, this time acknowledging their role.

The wider context makes that story feel less surprising. During the war, women’s employment rose sharply - from around 5.1 million in 1939 to over 7.25 million by 1943. Nearly half of all women of working age were employed or in national service. Among single women aged 18 to 40, it was closer to 90%.

They became mechanics, engineers, munitions workers, air raid wardens, bus drivers and fire engine drivers. More than 640,000 served in the armed forces through organisations like the ATS, WRNS and WAAF. Elsewhere, over 80,000 joined the Women’s Land Army, working long hours in tough conditions to keep the country fed.

Because women were moving into skilled roles that had previously been closed to them, it forced conversations about equal pay and status. Some limited agreements on equal pay were introduced, but they were narrow and often avoided. On average, women still earned just over half of what men did.

At the same time, Britain had to respond to a new reality. With more women working, childcare became a national issue. Wartime nurseries expanded rapidly, though they were always seen as temporary. The expectation that women would return to domestic life never fully went away.

And after the war, many did - not always by choice. As men returned, women were pushed out of jobs in large numbers. Despite wanting to stay in employment, most lost the economic independence they had gained.

The Ladies Bridge is more than infrastructure - it’s a record of a moment when the workforce shifted dramatically. There’s still an ongoing campaign, supported by the Women’s Engineering Society, to install a blue plaque on the bridge to honour the women who built it.

When you zoom out, the gap between contribution and recognition is hard to ignore. Across both the UK and the US, there are still fewer than ten women-only memorials dedicated to the Second World War. In Britain, the most prominent is the Monument to the Women of World War II on Whitehall, unveiled in 2005 - the same year Waterloo Bridge’s story was formally acknowledged.

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As The Devil Wears Prada sequel, which has been 20 years in the making, finally hits cinemas, it lays bare just how much the magazine industry has changed in the decades since the glory days of magazines in 2006 when I was taking my first steps as a journalist in the media.

When the first film came out, I was starting out in magazines and ironically shared the name of the protagonist Andrea (Andy Sachs - played by Anne Hathaway) much to my friends’ amusement. Like her, I had just done a stint at Conde Nast (Features Writer at Glamour Magazine). It was the days of huge budget shoots, bottomless expense accounts, dressing in sky high heels and evening-worthy designer dresses to the office, and parties every night of the week. It was also a time before social media, when magazines were the gatekeepers of all that was glamorous and exclusive.

Like Andy though, I craved the world of investigative journalism. I left Conde Nast to work on features and investigative reporting for the Daily Mail, Sunday Times and Grazia, even dipping my feet into some undercover reporting for Channel 4 and ITV before returning to magazines when I landed my dream job as Features Director at Marie Claire.

In the new film, we catch up with Andy who has lived out her dream as a ‘serious journalist’ in newspapers and - without any spoilers! - suddenly finds herself back in the world of magazines as Features Editor on the legendary glossy Runway. The film neatly spotlights a world that has been turned upside down by the demise of print (and advertising) and rise of digital, social media and AI. We watch as Miranda Priestly and her team struggle to navigate the sweeping changes within the world they once ruled.

As someone who has spent over two decades in the industry and most recently 6 years as editor-in-chief of Marie Claire, I’ve seen all this all play out in real time and yet, it’s still a world I love. After all, where could you jet off to Paris for Couture Fashion week one day and be at a Downing Street reception with the Prime Minister talking about gender equality the next? So if you’re still keen to break into publishing, here are a few things I’ve learned along the way...

Hone your personal voice

We live in a world with relentless digital noise. Your unique perspective is your superpower. Be bold enough to speak up and express your own point of view. Have you had an unconventional background? Are you the only person who looks like you in your team? Use that lens on the world to your advantage and write or speak from a place that feels authentic and genuinely yours. This is your personal brand.

Build your network

You cannot climb the ladder alone. Build a network of like-minded women cheerleaders via social media and IRL who have your back. These women will be your sounding board when things get tough and help you navigate the big decisions that will obviously come your way. If you can, also find a mentor or role model who can help you identify what sort of leader you want to be in five or 10 years time. They don’t even need to be from the same industry - mine was an influential black woman I met in my twenties from the banking world, but she gave me so many useful lessons about how to move through the corporate world boldly yet gracefully as a leader.

Do scary things

Some of the best moments in my life have come from saying yes to things that terrify me: speaking on a live TV politics show, interviewing the Prime Minister, accepting a new job I didn’t feel 100% ready for. These wonderful moments are where the growth is, so seize them. Regularly challenge yourself to step outside your comfort zone and see what happens. You’re capable of more than you think.

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Be prepared to compromise

Don’t get hung up too early on the ‘dream’ publication or role. I always wanted to work at Marie Claire but did a total of five jobs at different publications before I got there and learned so much from each one of them. A goal is great, but side-stepping into unanticipated roles along the way is a great opportunity to experience new working environments and learn new skills, which will ultimately make you better at the job you want when you get there.

Build resilience

You need a thick skin to survive in this industry. Make your peace with being rejected for jobs or pitches and don’t take it personally if your work is criticised. I’ve interviewed countless highly successful women, from actors to entrepreneurs, throughout my career and all of them have credited best learnings to their ‘failures’. The ability to learn from and thrive after setbacks is what being successful in any career is all about.

Stay curious

It’s easy (and lazy) to rely on the same handful of news sources, platforms or accounts. To stay informed and ahead of trends you need to be consuming a wide range of content. Not just the outlets whose opinions you agree with, but those you vehemently disagree with too.

Be disciplined

Creativity is nothing without preparation and discipline. Do your research, prepare thoroughly and stick to deadlines. If you have a big interview, meeting or event, over preparation is key. I always find my nerves dissipate before something I’m scared of doing if I’m confident I’ve done the best job of preparing first.

Look after your health

We work in a demanding deadline-driven industry where an element of stress is part of life. Find something away from the day job that keeps you healthy and focussed. I’m a passionate runner and have always started my work day with a run or work out. It sets me up with a positive mindset for the day and is often the time when I get my best ideas.

Follow Andrea on Instagram here.

By Jaqui Rhule-Dagher, Lawyer and Founder of Legally Queerly

I am at a Pride lunch under the guise of being an ally. The event is being held by the law firm where I work. Feeling nervous, I try to stay calm and composed. But no sooner has the food been placed on my plate, than I leap up. Fleeing the room, I rip off my rainbow lanyard and discard it in a nearby plant pot.

Why the extreme reaction? Although nobody has explicitly said to me, “If you come out it will ruin your career”, I am already hyper aware that I am one of the few Black people at my firm. I don’t want to add my sexuality to the mix too.

Flash forward to today, more than a decade later, and I am now proudly out at work. But the journey to get here has not been easy. The reality is that there are not huge numbers of out lawyers. In 2025, 2.6% of lawyers identified as lesbian or gay, just a slight increase from 2.1% in 2015, according to the Solicitors Regulation Authority. 

The absence of out senior leaders can leave junior lawyers feeling isolated and excluded.

While 3% of partners in larger firms (50+ partners) are gay men, only 1% are lesbian women. Many people also feel pressure to conceal their sexuality to fit into a heteronormative framework. I have heard of people being too afraid to announce their engagement to colleagues, for fear of being viewed negatively. Research by the Trades Union Congress found that 34% of LGBTQ+ legal professionals still face microaggressions in the workplace, such as offensive “banter”.

Challenges are compounded when a person exists at multiple intersections. Characteristics such as class, race, religion and gender can interact to create unique experiences of privilege or oppression.

The importance of visibility cannot be overstated. If you don’t see people who look like you, you can start to think there is something wrong with the way you look. Representation impacts attitudes and culture. When people see lesbians and queer individuals working authentically, it challenges perceptions. If I had seen diverse role models from the start of my career, it would have made a massive difference.

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If all that is not enough to persuade you of the importance of inclusion, lesbian and queer visibility also makes business sense, enhancing innovation and problem-solving.

Remembering the dearth of role models when I entered the legal industry, I founded Legally Queerly in April 2023. This initiative involves lesbians and queer individuals in the legal industry, or in-house lawyers, writing about their careers and the power of visibility, in a feature published by DIVA magazine. 

To date, over 100 individuals have taken part in Legally Queerly. Consistent visibility acts as “profound advocacy”, directly disrupting harmful stereotypes and unconscious biases.

My advice to aspiring and junior lesbian and queer lawyers? Establish a “Personal Board of Directors” at the outset of your career. Seek out a group of trusted mentors, including senior lawyers, who can offer guidance on early years in practice. Reverse mentoring senior lawyers can also be a brilliant way of sharing your lived experiences and positively impacting your firm’s inclusion efforts.

When applying to firms, search for meaningful initiatives, such as inclusive parental leave and trans-inclusive health benefits. Try to unearth whether the firms have openly LGBTQIA+ lawyers and active Employee Resource Groups (ERGs).

If you’re an ally, then participating in ERGs is powerful, showing that inclusion is a firm-wide concern and not just a minority issue. You can also make a difference by calling out microaggressions or offering sponsorship – using your political capital to ensure opportunities are distributed equitably.

Although being lesbian and queer in the legal industry can present specific challenges, it can also offer unique opportunities. Two years after that disastrous Pride lunch, on starting my training contract at another firm, I made the decision to be out at work. Since then, I have had the pleasure of meeting incredible people I may not have otherwise encountered. I have been able to help shape policies and strategy. Significantly, the Legally Queerly contributors are now positive role models for others. The biggest lesson I have learned is this: being out is not always easy, but it’s always worth it.

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Millions of working women are set to benefit as new UK legislation brings long-overdue improvements to workplace rights.

The reforms will be introduced in stages across 2026 and 2027, with some measures already in effect and are expected to significantly strengthen protections and support for women at work.

Employers will be required to update contracts and internal policies in line with the new rules.

Key changes affecting women under the Employment Rights Act 2025 include:

Menopause support
Large employers (250+ staff) must publish plans showing how they support menopause at work - from appointing champions to offering tailored adjustments.

Gender pay gap
Companies must not just report pay gaps, but set clear, practical plans to close them.

Pregnancy and maternity protection
Stronger safeguards against dismissal during pregnancy, maternity leave, and up to six months after returning.

Sexual harassment
Employers must take all reasonable steps to prevent harassment - including from customers. NDAs that silence victims are no longer valid.

Family and health leave

• Bereavement leave - new right to unpaid leave after a loss

• Pregnancy loss - specific leave and protections for loss before 24 weeks

• Day one rights - paternity and unpaid parental leave available from the first day

Working conditions

• Zero-hours contracts - right to guaranteed hours for eligible workers

• Shift security - compensation for last-minute cancellations and fair notice of shifts

Stronger sick pay and parental leave

Up to 9.6 million workers are set to benefit from improved statutory sick pay under the first wave of reforms, according to new TUC analysis.

Around 1.2 million people - the majority low-paid women - will qualify for statutory sick pay for the first time, as the previous £125 per week “lower earnings limit” is removed.

A further 8.4 million workers will now receive sick pay from the first day of illness, instead of waiting four days.

The changes are expected to disproportionately benefit low-paid women, as well as disabled workers and those at the beginning and end of their careers.

Women’s employment ambassador

Women’s health campaigner and broadcaster Mariella Frostrup has been appointed as the Government’s Women’s Employment Ambassador, a newly created role to to help employers better support women’s health at every stage of their careers and support working women across the country.

A government spokesperson said: “The Employment Rights Act is a huge boost for women in the workplace – introducing enhanced protections for pregnant women and new mothers, menopause action plans for large employers and rights for parental leave from day one.

“Women thriving in the workplace is not just important for equality but for boosting economic growth.”

By author Stefanie Sword-Williams

If you’ve been feeling lost, stuck or just over it when it comes to your career, you might be experiencing a career comedown. Let me paint you a picture…

You’ve spent your twenties climbing the career ladder - a few pay rises, a promotion, and on paper, everything looks great. But you’re not fulfilled. The future feels like more of the same, and it’s not giving you that get-out-of-bed energy. The realities of your industry are hard to ignore, yet you’ve never imagined doing anything else. You don’t know what you’d change, only that you want out of the rat race, because even at the top, you’ll still wonder: Is this it?

Sound familiar? You’re not alone. This is something I anticipate we will all experience on our professional journeys, which is why I’ve designed three ways to tackle it:

Option 1: Stick - Stay in your role, but reshape it to actually work for you.

Option 2: Twist - Pivot into something new that reignites your passion.

Option 3: Tap Out - Step away from the idea that your job is your identity.

So let’s break down how to apply each option to your own reality…

STICK

Find your own joy

Your company and clients are not coming to save you, so if you’ve lost your spark at work, you need to find more ways to brighten up your days. Romanticise your daily routine, add more fun to boring meetings and do something that lights you up each day.

Change your beliefs

Your beliefs shape your experience - if you tell yourself your boss hates you, you’ll behave like it. Reframe it as them being overwhelmed, under-supported, or quietly fighting their own fires. Suddenly the tension softens and it makes the entire working week feel lighter.

Cut the self-blaming

If your lack of progression is the problem, you need to stop being publicly self-critical. If you want to be seen as capable, trustworthy, or leadership material, it’s time to drop the “I’m such an idiot” mindset. You don’t need to be perfect but you do need to back yourself and stop creating doubt around you.

TWIST

Try before you leap

Before diving into a new career, it’s important to get a feel for what you’re choosing and spot any potential issues. Internships, side hustling, volunteering or mentoring are all great ways for you to sample your next chapter.

Expand your circle

Research shows that weak ties (casual acquaintances) often open more doors than close friends, connecting you to networks and opportunities you wouldn’t reach otherwise. Be open to meeting and engaging with people beyond your inner circle. It’s better to have too many people in your corner than too few.

Become obsessed

If you don’t want your lack of experience to pop up as a problem, become a superfan of your new industry. Attend events, read books, listen to podcasts, and most importantly have a critical opinion on what’s missing and how you’ll add value.

TAP OUT

Pull back 20%

Stuck in a cycle of overdelivering leading to burn out? Trinh Mai, director of mindfulness programming at the University of Utah Health, recommends we should look at where we could give 20 per cent less in selected areas that don’t run the risk of harm or significant loss.

Change your dialogue

If you want to disconnect from work, you need to change how you speak about it. If you constantly describe situations as an emergency or disaster, you’re constantly functioning in survival mode. Try using more neutral language to avoid creating internal fear.

Be a segmentor

Instead of integrating work and life, try creating a ritual that separates your professional hours from your down time. A walk at the end of the day, changing outfits or even lighting a scented candle can signal to your nervous system that you’re no longer in work mode can help dramatically with switching off.

Named as Forbes Under 30 and celebrated as a confidence expert, Stefanie has 10 years of public speaking experience and her talks have reached people in over 50 countries globally.

Her two books - Career Comedown: What to do when work isn’t working for you and F*ck Being Humble - are available to buy now.

Follow her on Substack:

By Stacey Keen, founder of Keen2Assist Ltd

My throat hurt so much I could barely swallow, and I couldn’t lift my head off the pillow. I remember lying there, wondering if I’d survive til the next day. That moment, which was raw, painful, and terrifying, was the wake-up call I didn’t know I needed.

I was working in the city as a Senior Executive Assistant in a fast-paced Operations team, supporting three global Managing Directors while covering a maternity leave. My alarm went off at 4:30am, I was out the door by 5:45am and started my day by 7am. The hours were long, the expectations high, and I gave everything I had — and more. I didn’t just support the execs, I was responsible for assisting the entire floor: fielding questions, managing logistics, and even coordinating cost-saving floor moves. I loved my job, but I was mentally and physically exhausted.

Then in 2019, I developed pneumonia. It took time for me to get a confirmed diagnosis, having been to multiple GP appointments and still no answers. I kept pushing through the exhaustion before the diagnosis, telling myself I just had to hold on until my colleague returned from maternity leave. But I knew in my gut something was not right. Thankfully I had private health insurance and after further investigations, it was clear the delay meant the illness had ravaged my body. Not only did I have pneumonia but also fluid on my lungs and viral fatigue. There was a slow, painful recovery ahead. I was told I needed complete rest.

And for the first time, I listened.

During that downtime, I realised something profound: if I didn’t change my life, I could die young. No job — no matter how prestigious or fulfilling — was worth that.

The worst days were marked by high fevers, aching limbs, and crushing fatigue that made walking to the bathroom feel like a marathon. I cried often. I couldn’t remember words mid-sentence, which was both frightening and frustrating. I was totally burnt out and struggling to do the simplest of tasks.

Recovery took three months. I had to rebuild my energy slowly and even retrain my memory with exercises to help me speak clearly again. The lows were terrifying, but the highs — finally being given a correct diagnosis and receiving the right treatment — were a lifeline to the support I needed.

Since then, boundaries have become sacred. I don’t let anyone cross them. That experience taught me that health isn’t something to gamble with. I’ve left the corporate grind and launched my own Virtual Assistance Agency, working from home on my own terms, guided by my values and principles.

It hasn’t been easy. Starting a new career path in my mid-40s has come with its own set of challenges. But it’s worth it. I’m rarely sick now — no more crowded trains or stale office air. I’ve created a life that supports my wellbeing, not one that drains it.

Burnout doesn’t always look so dramatic. Sometimes it’s quiet, slow erosion of energy, joy, and clarity. Here are the signs I wish I’d paid attention to:

• Raging sore throat (thank goodness for the power of tea, the only thing to soothe it)

• Shortness of breath (like you have an elephant sitting on your chest)

• Constant violent coughing, resulting in sickness (which racked my whole body)

• Constant fatigue, even after rest

• Brain fog and forgetfulness

• Emotional overwhelm and frequent tears

• Feeling like you’re “just surviving” each day

If you’re seeing these signs, please don’t wait. Speak to someone. Take a break. Reassess.

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Here’s what I’ve learned to avoid burnout in the future, and the advice I give my friends:

• Set boundaries early and stick to them. Your time and energy are precious.

• Listen to your body. Fatigue is a message, not a weakness.

• Don’t wait for a crisis to make a change. Prevention is always better than the cure.

• Build a support system of family, friends, mentors, or professionals. Don’t go it alone.

• Redefine what success means to you. It’s not just about titles or hours worked. It’s about alignment, health, and happiness.

If you think you are in the middle of burnout, know this: you can come back. It may take time, and it won’t be linear, but healing is possible. Give yourself grace. Celebrate small wins. And remember: your worth isn’t just tied to your productivity.

I’m proud of the life I’ve rebuilt. It’s quieter, more intentional, and deeply fulfilling. If sharing my story helps even one woman to pause and reflect and choose herself, then it’s worth every word.

Stacey is the founder of Keen to Assist Ltd, a Virtual Assistance business for start-ups and small to medium-sized businesses across the UK.

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By Maxine Bremner, co-founder of Hive19

Starting a business as a woman comes with its own set of challenges. The business world hasn’t always been set up with women in mind, which can make it harder to find the right advice or support.

The good news is that, over the years, I’ve found that the hurdles we face do have solutions, and the sooner you know them, the better.

So, in the spirit of paying it forward, I’m sharing six lessons from my five-year journey as co-founder of Hive19, the Brighton-based digital marketing agency.

1. You (probably) already know your first customers

Rather than spending months marketing your new business to your ideal client, use the connections you have. Chances are, your first customers are already in your network.

Start by sharing your business idea with friends and family, and encourage referrals to reach a wider audience. Gather feedback, refine your offerings over time, and build your confidence before marketing to your wider target customers.

2. Setting boundaries to avoid burnout is a must

As a female founder, it’s been a challenge for me to draw a clear line between when I stop work and when to carve out time to spend with loved ones.

However, if you want your business to be a success, boundaries are a must to avoid burnout. You’ll find that you can give more to your business when you take the time to rest and reset.

A few of the boundaries I’ve found super useful over the years include:

• Be proactive and arrange days out, meet ups and social events on weekends ahead of time.
  
  

• Avoid saying “yes” to every new client or business opportunity. If it doesn’t align with your long term goals, it may not be worth taking up your resources and brain space.
  
  

• Block out specific time blocks or entire days where nobody can book meetings with you. This becomes your hyper-focus time when you’re most productive.

3. Learn how to access funding and support

There’s a whole community of female founders out there ready to support one another, so tap into it! Alongside this wonderful community at The Female Lead, resources I recommend checking out include:

• Female Founders Fund

• Invest in Women Taskforce

• Female Founder Finance

• Her Biz

• Wyseminds

• Cherie Blair Foundation for Women

Young female entrepreneurs should also explore youth business grants, like The King’s Trust Enterprise Programme.

4. Invest in financial systems early

I’m lucky that Louisa Delpy, one of Hive19’s fellow co-founders, is a machine when it comes to our agency’s finances. We built our agency with financial systems set into the foundations, and I’ll always be grateful that we did.

By investing in the right tech, we tracked our cash flow from day one, and we have systems and automation in place that flag any outstanding invoices. This helped us price our services correctly and ensure financial sustainability long-term.

As you start your business, I’d highly recommend doing the same.

Explore tech that makes tracking your money automatic, so that you don’t have to worry about spreadsheets and receipts. Open a business account that connects to your financial hardware, like your card reader, and records all of your incoming and outgoing payments in one place.

5. You can (and should) pay yourself straight away

While it’s great to reinvest in your business, you deserve to take a salary from your profits, and to do so from day one.

Be smart with your finances and factor your salary into pricing and revenue goals from day one, with a clear budget that ensures good cash flow and long-term sustainability.

This cultivates healthier financial practices and ensures you can put in enough time to grow your startup without sacrificing your personal life.

For me, paying myself a salary was one of those boundaries that ensured I had a life outside of work, too, which is super important for my positive mental wellbeing as a founder.

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6. Always test before you scale

One of the smartest moves we made at Hive19 early on was piloting services before scaling them - and we still do this today. It gives us room to learn, improve, and be agile in pivoting our approach to link building and content marketing.

Start small, working in iterations to introduce a simpler version of your product or service to a small pool of clients.

Gather feedback, make decisions on data rather than biases and use it to refine your idea, all while avoiding costly mistakes. When the time comes to scale, you’ll already know what works and why, creating a strategy rooted in experience.

Final Thoughts

If you’re a woman thinking about starting a business, go for it. The world could do with more female founders, and there’s a whole community of supportive, like-minded women waiting for you to join.

Maxine Bremner is Cofounder and Head of Content at Hive19, a marketing agency that services global SaaS and fintechs. She works with fast-growing eCommerce businesses, innovative fintech startups, and scaling SaaS brands, supporting their efforts to build trust and visibility within their niche through creative content and targeted marketing strategies.

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By Bhavana Smith, Founder & CEO of Until There Are Nine

The traditional career ladder is dead. What replaced it is the career “zigzag” and it can be the key to future-proofing your career.

We asked our network of executives to share advice with their younger selves, specifically related to career moves and job changes, and how they view people today that they’re looking to hire/promote who have changed jobs every 2-3 years. It isn’t just career advice – it’s career intelligence.

The Great Career Narrative Shift 

Remember when changing jobs every few years looked bad on your resume? Those days are over. What used to be called "job hopping" is now recognized as strategic career building but only if you can tell the right story and flip the narrative.

Dave Trifiletti, who went from the Army to agency account management to COO, explains his perspective:

"I would never assume immediately that changing a job every 2-3 years is job hopping. In order to gain a breadth of experience, sometimes it requires you to move to different companies or different roles."

What matters now isn't tenure, it's the story you tell about intentional growth. Debbie Kemp, who started on the floor at Goldman Sachs and is now a global CHRO at a FinTech company, looks for candidates who can "articulate how each move enabled them to grow, add value, and bring those insights to our team."

Why Zigzagging Beats Ladder Climbing 

Not all executives rise to senior levels by following a straight path. They got there by being curious, taking calculated risks, and building what we call a "transferable skills portfolio."

My own pivot from agency life to consulting was a lateral move that many called "foolish." Instead, it became the catalyst that leapfrogged me over my peers and even some former managers. What started as a lateral move ended up being the best decision for my career growth.

Diversity of experience is now more valuable than depth of tenure. Companies need leaders who can translate across functions, understand different perspectives, and adapt quickly to change. You can't get that by staying in one lane.

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Our co-Founder Julie Davis, recalls filling two product manager roles with marketing professionals instead of traditional engineers. "They learned how to engage with engineers and translate their language of tech speak and understood the impact of our product on customers vs marketing metrics." That experience changed their career trajectory and pay because they were able to leverage their marketing skills in a new job family.

The skills that actually transfer

Our executives consistently highlighted the same capabilities that made their zigzags successful. These aren't technical skills (although those are important to learn), they're the leadership attributes that become more valuable as you advance:

• Communication and relationship building remain foundational, but it's more nuanced now. The ability to navigate people, collaborate with empathy, and maintain transparency across generational differences is becoming essential as workforces become more diverse.

• Problem-solving and adaptability compounds with each role. When you've solved similar challenges in different contexts, you develop pattern recognition that makes you invaluable.

• Operational excellence and project management are increasingly critical. The ability to streamline processes, manage complex timelines, and coordinate across multiple stakeholders becomes essential as you advance to senior levels where you're orchestrating rather than executing.

Carly Feinstein learned more about "client service, project management, operational excellence, and setting boundaries in one year at Accenture than I did in the 17 years prior combined in Marketing roles." Her zigzag helped her build her portfolio of transferable skills that she was able to apply when she started her own consulting firm.

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Making Your Zigzag Strategic

The difference between successful career zigzagging and random job hopping comes down to intentionality. Here's how we recommend approaching it:

• Lead with future outcomes. Before making any move, ask yourself: How does this help me get to where I want to be in 1, 3 or 5 years? Is this role the stepping stone to the future role I want? Every job is temporary anyway so be strategic.

• Think portfolio, not position. Instead of optimizing for title or salary alone, consider how each role adds to your overall capability set. The most successful zigzaggers develop a portfolio of transferable skills that transcend industries and functions.

• Connect the dots for others. Don't assume people will see how your diverse background creates value. As one executive stated, "If they have changed industries and they can articulate how each move enabled them to grow, add value, and bring those insights to our team, I view that positively."

The Future-Proofing Factor 

Whether you want to become the head of the company where you work or build your own, career zig-zagging helps you build more than skills – it builds resilience. In a world where AI is reshaping every industry, the professionals who survive and thrive will be those who can adapt, learn, and apply knowledge across contexts.

Your Zigzag Action Plan 

Ready to make your career moves more strategic? Start here:

• Audit your current skills portfolio. What capabilities do you have? What gaps exist for where you want to go?

• Identify your next learning edge. What skills or experiences would make you more valuable? What industries or functions intrigue you?

• Activate your network strategically. Don't just network for your next job, network to understand where industries are heading and what skills will be valuable.

• Practice your narrative. Can you clearly articulate how your diverse experiences create unique value? Practice until it feels natural.

Kimberly King, who started her career in music promotions, followed by editorial/content, transitioned to integrated marketing and now drives Inclusion in media, shared her mantra:

"Remain curious. If the advice I give myself is to remain curious, the advice I would give to someone who is early in their career is to remain curious."

The traditional career ladder promised predictable progress. The career zigzag promises something better: the skills, perspective, and adaptability to thrive in an unpredictable world. It’s not whether you should, but whether you’re being strategic about the direction of your zigs and zags. You’ve got this. 

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Until There Are Nine is a career intelligence platform that provides strategic guidance to women so their self-advocacy is more effective within a corporate environment. You can subscribe to The Inner Circle Substack here: Your Career Wingwoman.

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This report is supported by PayPal Giving Fund

The idea that women aren’t running organisations is a myth: in the UK charity sector, women make up between 56%-63% of CEOs, and are most in evidence running small charities. Stats from NatWest and Beauhurst’s New Startup Index show that out of the 900,000 new UK ventures launched in 2023, a record 164,000 were female-founded — 18% of the total.

Yet in that same year, female-only founded startups received less than 3% of venture capital funding. The evidence shows that women-led organisations make an impact: they have larger average revenues than male-led companies, and create higher job growth. Many female founders are more motivated by factors like the desire to make a difference and contribute to society.

And the killer figure: the UK economy could grow by £250 billion if women started and scaled businesses at the same rate as men.

So why isn’t the dial shifting faster? And why aren’t investors backing women?

Through in-depth interviews with some of the country’s leaders and experts across the commercial and for-impact sectors, The Female Lead explored the economic, technological and cultural factors that can supercharge female-led small organisations: from overhauling a broken funding system to modernising boardroom culture, resetting our understanding of risk, ‘clustering’ and collaborating, and harnessing the rapid growth of AI tools.

The fundraising hurdle

“My career success is largely down to being really good at asking men for money,” says Debbie Wosskow, a multi-exit entrepreneur and Co-Chair of the government-backed £255 million Investing in Women Taskforce. “That's quite weird if you think about it”.

In our conversations with leaders and experts, one topic dominated: we need to overhaul the funding system.

Close to a third (29%) of UK charities saw a fall in voluntary income in 2024, according to Blackbaud data. The major factors they gave for this were being impacted by the macro economic environment and not being adequately resourced, meaning grants and other funding are now even more key.

“Walking into a room as a woman and asking for money might even be looked at differently from a man doing it," says Erin Hope Thompson, the founder of The Loss Foundation, who feels that assertive fundraising doesn’t come naturally to her. Thankfully, her team includes a powerhouse female fundraiser. Funding is also essential for commercial scale-ups.

Women tend to set more realistic projections than men, explains Tom Kelly, Head of SMB BB Europe at PayPal. “That’s an advantage in many ways, but the area in which we see that it’s a significant disadvantage is in fundraising. A male entrepreneur who has a tendency to overestimate potential fits the blueprint.”

Investors want unicorns, so they’re not excited when they get realism rather than optimism from female entrepreneurs.

The impact is that some women are discouraged, and may be unable to get started. Ayesha Ofori is the founder of Propelle, an investment platform for women. Despite her strong credentials — she had an Imperial College physics degree, an MBA from London Business School, and experience at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley — she struggled to secure funding and saw a clear bias in the system. “When it comes to fundraising, it doesn't matter what I do, they're just not going to give me the money. It was like a smack in the face.”

“I've even had one woman at a VC that I pitched, who messaged me on WhatsApp saying: ‘I'm really sorry. The board is all men. You tick every single box. I just wanted to apologize because I'm disgusted.”

Ayesha Ofori thinks a major culture change is needed, to encourage more investment in diverse founders, as well as more targeted events and programmes that focus specifically on introductions to relevant investors for women-led businesses. Wosskow is focused on the lack of female venture capital partners - only 11% are women. “Female investors are twice as likely to back a woman compared a male investor, that’s the issue,” she explains. Her taskforce aims to increase female investors, including attracting them from overseas, so that women are more in control of how funding is allocated.

Playing to women’s strengths

For the few businesses who get through that funding funnel, the playing field is uneven due to cultural myths which misunderstand their strengths. The Female Lead’s 2021 ‘Women at Work’ research with Dr Terri Apter uncovered five myths about women at work, which can impede their career progress. One is the perception that women are risk-averse - which is largely a stereotype. Yet it is a pervasive one.

Michael Hayman, a co-founder of communications consultancy Seven Hills BPI, and the former chair of the UK’s Small Business Charter, notes that women are often described as taking a more cautious approach to risk than men, and that this can hold them back. It’s an area that he feels needs more investigation: “My sense is that experience is the cure: the more generations of successful female role models there are to fall back on, the better.”

The investment community also needs to rethink attitudes to risk, Hayman argues, as part of a mature approach to business.

In contrast, recognising women’s strengths can bring agility, collaboration and innovation to the economy.

The Loss Foundation reaches thousands on a budget of just £100,000 per year. Its founder Erin Hope Thompson says she is "learning to love” being small, as it allows for agility, creativity, and resilience, especially during economic downturns. “We can continue to stick to our values without worrying that big size interferes with that. We don't need a lot to carry on. So in some ways, small has become our strength."

Ruth Marvel OBE, CEO of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award says that modern leadership thinking is at last recognising that the qualities traditionally attributed to women in the workplace are not weaknesses, “but in fact superpowers”. “In the charity sector I am privileged to work with phenomenal female leaders who are demonstrating how qualities like collaboration, low ego leadership, empathy and radical flexibility can help charities convert scarce resources into serious impact,” Marvel added.

And Paula Mullin, Acting CEO for Midlands Engine, says that female entrepreneurs approach growth and impact entirely differently from male ones in her experience. “Those businesses are bringing new and fresh thinking. They're going to the market in a very different way to their male competitors.”

In September 2024, she brought together around 400 mostly female-led organisations and was struck by the optimism in the room. “This is not the traditional boardroom model that they're bringing. They work in a very different way. They're leaning into hybrid working, innovation and technology.”

Women entrepreneurs naturally embrace partnerships in her experience, which could lead to major economic advancements, she says. She has noticed female-led businesses “clustering”: working together for cross-sector innovation and opportunities across industries, particularly in manufacturing supply chains in sectors like defense and aerospace.

The last 18 months have also seen a step-change in female organisational leaders integrating technology into their work, with huge potential for creative solutions and efficiency, according to Carrie Green, the founder of the Female Entrepreneurs Association. “In my community, women are even naming their ChatGPT, because essentially it's become their AI assistant. I see a lot of women who are trying to juggle kids, caring for elderly parents with building a business, or having part-time jobs, or even full-time jobs on the side. They are able to make a lot more progress by leveraging clever technology and AI.”

“If you use it well, it's like having an extra person,” says Anita Brightley-Hodges, the co-founder of Irene & Jenny, a two-person luxury jewelry business run with her daughter. She uses ChatGPT to help create social media marketing content, as well as other low-cost, easy to navigate services like shared digital workspaces and tools for project tracking and making professional visuals without specialized design skills. “It's part and parcel of what you do every day,” Brightley-Hodges adds.

The women-led organisations we spoke to highlighted storytelling and a strong focus on marketing, PR and brand identity as their leverage when competing against large businesses. “It's very important to establish a brand early on,” says Anna Richey, who with Alla Ouvarova founded Two Chicks, which sells egg-based products including separated egg whites. “So when a competitor comes in, you have a brand identity.” They observed that smaller brands tend to be more creative and innovative in their product offerings.

“I think if you're the first to market in the way that we were, that also helps because you get a following,” Ouvarova said. “We're an egg white in a carton, we don't have a magic recipe.”

‘We’re all a little bit in the trenches’

Women-led organisations are supporting each other through an uncertain economic period. Amid a backdrop of increased National Insurance costs, stalled economic growth and macro economic factors like the pandemic and Ukraine war, many are in firefighting mode and peer support is essential.

Polly McMaster, founder and CEO of The Fold, has leaned on her network far more in recent years, and noticed other women doing the same. “I think in the past, people were worried about talking to competitors, and I think to an extent that's been put aside. It’s like: ‘We're all a little bit in the trenches here, let's help each other’.”

Ayesha Ofori from Propelle called for more structured support for women leading SMEs, having found existing organisations difficult to navigate and not always helpful. Richey and Ouvarova from Two Chicks feel that there is still work to be done around women’s business groups, particularly in terms of access to experienced industry advisors. They have set up their own initiative, Future Female Entrepreneur, to try to help.

But there’s also plenty to be optimistic about. Low confidence is well-known to affect women’s organisational success, but other qualities are advantageous, says Carrie Green from the Female Entrepreneurs Association. “Imposter syndrome is a term I hear probably every single day. If I do a workshop with women, the biggest thing in their way is the way they think about themselves: their feeling that they're not enough. But I also think that it's a huge strength. Women are nurturers, and leading with love and empathy is a very, very powerful thing.”

“Women are not underrepresented in the non-profit sector, and yet struggle to reach the very top on too many occasions,” says Vanessa Babouram, the Vice President, UK and Ireland for PayPal Giving Fund, a charity that is PayPal’s online fundraising platform to facilitate charitable giving.

This means advocating every day for women colleagues, she says, “creating a space for them to be seen, when sometimes team members with qualities more generally associated with men such as ‘executive presence’ or ‘authority’ overshadow great achievements delivered through true collaboration away from the traditional command and control model of leadership."

Social media offers a chance for women to form communities and write their own narratives, she explains. While traditional media is still centered around how women look, “social media is obviously really powerful. The communities are out there for women to tap into.”

Wosskow noted that female entrepreneurs running consumer businesses can capitalise on the opportunity to leverage the spending influence of female consumers, who control over 70% of disposable income. “I think I'm always in the ‘reasons to be cheerful’ camp, and I think as a female entrepreneur, you do stand out.”

If business leaders and Government dismiss women, or fail to get them access to essential funding, they risk missing out on the social economic powerhouses of the future.

Edwina Dunn, the founder of the Female Lead, said: “We need to urgently address the chronic funding challenge, welcome the different ways of working that female entrepreneurs can bring, and ultimately think about the benefits of backing women, rather than overlooking them.”

Learn more about PayPal Giving Fund.

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By Gemma Williams, HR professional

Being a solo entrepreneur and building your business alone can be lonely at times.

While entrepreneurs or ‘solopreneurs’ often thrive on the independence that comes with working alone, you can come up against problems such as imposter syndrome, trying to wear many hats at once, and working long hours without speaking to anyone else.

So if you’re considering working for yourself, these 5 steps will help you avoid feeling lonely along the way.

1. Identify your social needs

Everyone needs social interactions. But, the frequency and length of what we need will vary from person to person.

Take the first steps to building a social routine that works for you:

• Set a dedicated time each week for intentional social time. This will look different for everyone, from regular coffee catch-ups with a former colleague or mentor to monthly book clubs with friends.

• Knowing the level of interaction you need, and planning it, will help curb feelings of loneliness before they arise.

2. Seek out a mentor

Mentors are a great resource to help you progress and grow, and they also help to prevent entrepreneur loneliness.

They, too, may have experienced feelings of loneliness in their journey. They’ll be able to share some of their strategies. Find and build relationships with mentors by:

1. Understanding the areas where you would like support or guidance.

2. Join female entrepreneur groups, attend networking events or explore mentorship programmes to connect with experienced mentors.

3. LinkedIn is a great platform to connect with mentors.

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3. Consider working in shared spaces

Many solo entrepreneurs find themselves working from home the majority of the time. This can be lonely, so it’s a good idea to consider working from a shared office space or co-working hub some of the time.

Whether once a week, or once a month, a change of scenery can bring inspiration, promote creativity and help protect against loneliness. Look into local options like WeWork, Spaces, Work.Life, The Office Group, or independent co-working hubs near to you.

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4. Look after your mental health

Loneliness can be common if you’re working at home: 20% of remote workers cite loneliness as their biggest challenge. We’ll all have ups and downs, but experiencing prolonged periods of sadness or other symptoms like low mood may be a sign of something more serious.

There are key differences between sadness and depression and it’s important to understand whether you may be suffering from more severe mental health issues.

Keep on top of your mental health as a solopreneur by:

• Blocking 15 mins in your calendar before bed, check in with yourself and reflect on your mood by journaling or using mood-tracking apps.

• Ask for support and avoid leaving negative feelings to fester or escalate. Talk to a close friend, peer and support groups, or seek help from a mental health specialist.

5. Attend industry workshops or events

Although it can feel awkward attending networking events alone, try to remember that most of the other attendees are in the same boat!

Chances are, you’ll have some common interests - after all, you’ve all chosen to attend the same event. Attending an industry workshop, event or talk will also help you to upskill or learn something new that can help drive your business forward.

Gemma Williams is dedicated to creating resources that provide meaningful connections, and support female career development, workplace culture, and the future of work.

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Women are still shut out of tech and AI in the roles that really matter, in a situation that makes no economic sense, leading entrepreneurs Edwina Dunn and Martha Lane Fox have argued.

Dunn, the founder of The Female Lead and a data science pioneer behind the Tesco Clubcard; and Lane Fox, a philanthropist and the co-founder of Lastminute.com; discussed bias in AI systems and called for every women to see herself as part of the AI industry, at the event hosted by UKAI and Chamber UK on 12 March.

“We certainly have better representation on boards now,” said Dunn of the technology industry, “but look at where the power lies.” She shared that only around 2% of venture capital funding goes to women-led businesses.

At the event chaired by Baroness Liz Barker, both speakers agreed that early education in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) was crucial to get women into AI.

Despite being capable in science, women choose not to study and work in it because they see the atmosphere as toxic, Dunn said: “It's really hard to recruit women into technology. Girls tend not to choose maths after GCSEs, even though they tend to get better results than boys in their GCSEs.” Dunn chaired the Your Life campaign, from 2014-2017, calling for more girls in the UK to take maths and science beyond GCSE.

She said that access to role models, and policies that reflect the diversity of women is key. “It's kind of obvious, but no one really talks about it. Women are not all the same. They don't want or need the same things, and sadly we're not easily classified into our age and whether we're married or not. It's more complicated, right?”

Dunn’s third book, When She’s In The Room, which has this month become available in the US in paperback, explores the findings from The Female Lead’s Fulfilment Finder survey of over 150,000 women, which uncovers what drives them and satisfies them at different stages of life.

Dunn also called for inclusive workplace cultures, noting the ‘Power of Two’ concept from When She’s in the Room, which calls for partnerships of opposites in leadership.

She stressed that data confirms that women are an economic powerhouse: 70 to 80% of all purchasing decisions are made by women. “We're decision makers, we're not shopaholics.”

This logic applies to AI leadership as well, Dunn reasoned: “We have to move beyond token representation and create real pathways for women in AI leadership.”

Lane Fox called for all women to see themselves as part of the AI industry and to try out tools in their work and personal life. “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu. We need women involved at every stage of AI development, from coding to governance,” she said. “Frankly I don't think there's any excuse right now.”

Dunn stressed that while there are concerns about women’s place in AI; she is “hugely excited” about “massive wealth and investment coming towards women” as industry starts to recognise their economic value. She highlighted the growing area of Femtech as an example of this. “We are actually going to be able to have personalised, better solutions for things like hormone balancing. I think that's fantastic and I think there's going to be a lot of money coming.”

When She’s In The Room: How Empowering Women Empowers the World is available in the UK in hardback, ebook and audiobook, and now available in the US in paperback

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Many women will have experienced some form of misogyny at work – whether it’s pay inequality, being overlooked for a promotion after children, or everyday microaggressions – it can be tough to know how to point it out in the moment, or raise it formally later.

To mark this year’s International Women’s Day (March 8), which celebrates the achievements of women, and marks a key date in the fight for gender equality, female CEOs, presidents and founders share their advice for other women dealing with sexism at work.

Challenge misogynistic language

“Throughout my career, I’ve learned that calling out sexism isn’t just about the big moments – it’s in the everyday conversations, the subtle biases, and the assumptions that go unchallenged,” says Sue Doughty, partner of Aptia Group.

“I make a conscious effort to address problematic language. When words like ‘nagging’ or ‘going on’ are used to describe women’s contributions – terms rarely applied to men – I don’t let it slide.

“Whether in the moment or in a private conversation later, I make sure colleagues understand how certain words and attitudes can undermine women in the workplace.

“Equally important is ensuring that women’s voices are heard. I actively encourage female colleagues to speak up in meetings, support their ideas, and challenge the notion that being assertive is a negative trait in women.”

Document everything

Viviane Paxinos, CEO of AllBright – supporting women in professional development – and Everywoman UK – which connects women in business, says: “Firstly, document everything.

“Not because you’re being paranoid, but because you’re being smart. Those ‘small’ comments, those ‘jokes’, those moments that made you uncomfortable – write them down. Trust me, patterns emerge, and when they do, you want evidence, not just memory.

“Second, choose your moments wisely. Sometimes, the best approach is to address it in the moment, [asking] ‘Could you explain what you mean by that?’ Other times, it’s about building your case and taking it through the proper channels. Both approaches are valid – it’s about using the right tool for the situation.

“And remember: You’re not being ‘difficult’. You’re being a leader. Leadership often means having uncomfortable conversations that ultimately make workplaces better for everyone.”

Be ready to leave a job

Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE, president of the British Science Association and co-founder of the Stemettes, and one of our amazing Female Leads, says: “My advice is two-fold. One is don’t do it alone, there’ll be employee resource groups, they’ll be networks, they’ll be allies you’ll have. It’s something you’ll have to do using existing structures internally in the workplace, to leverage that.

Want to read more about our Female Leads? Discover The Female Lead's inspiring book, featuring 67 remarkable women who redefine success. Their stories of resilience, talent, and bravery prove that there is no single path to fulfilment.

“And also, always be ready to move, already be ready to leave, always be ready to explore other places and other routes and options. Don’t feel like it’s your fight that you have to fight in that particular workplace – you don’t always necessarily owe them that.”

Don’t be afraid of open conversations

“Sexism and gender inequality persist when they go unchallenged,” says Pascale Harvie, president and general manager of JustGiving. “That’s why it’s so important to call out inappropriate behaviour as it happens. Inequality thrives in silence and change only happens when people are willing to speak up.

“As leaders, we have a responsibility to set the tone – open conversation about gender equality should be the norm, not the exception. When we make our voices heard, we build a workplace where transparency and accountability are expected, and discrimination has no place to hide.”

Pause after asking questions

President of WACL (Women in Advertising and Communications Leadership) Karen Stacey says her main piece of advice is to “challenge decisions with an open-ended question”.

She suggests: “Ask:, ‘Why did you say that?’ and ‘What did you mean?’ and then use the silence to your advantage.

“People always fill in the silence and usually, when they know they have said or done the wrong thing, come to that conclusion themselves and even work out how to rectify anything they have said that could be construed the wrong way. Use silence well, because it can often be your best weapon.”

Be quietly persistent

“Setting clear boundaries is crucial,” says Ellie Byrne, CEO of Truffle Social. “If you feel that your ideas or comments are being overlooked, keep bringing them to the table – consistently and unapologetically. Dismiss the dismisser by refusing to let their ignorance shake your confidence.

“Over time, you’ll often find that repetitive sexism starts to lose its power when met with quiet persistence. It might take a few goes (and a lot of patience!) but remind yourself that confidence is built through knowing your own worth, and when you lean into it, others will too.”

Men, stand up too

“The onus for standing up to sexism should not be solely on women,” points out chair and CEO of Kyriba, Melissa Di Donato. “We need male colleagues to be vocal in calling out sexist behaviour.

“My advice is to not just let inappropriate behaviour slide because you’re afraid of the repercussions – doing so only does yourself and others a disservice.

“Seek allies and mentors in your company and industry. Talk to senior leaders and peers you trust; ask for their guidance and lean on them for support. Having allies will give you more confidence in calling out sexist behaviour and serve as an important reminder that you’re not alone in facing bias.”

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By Terri Apter, psychologist and author of The Female Lead’s Disrupt Your Feed research

When I became a grandparent, I had to confront the ageist stereotype of a grandparent as an elderly person with limited interests, inhabiting the margins of life, passive and benign. But that was a myth: what I felt was something very different.

First was a fierce attachment to my grandson and a determination to be a significant person in his life.

Second, a new anxiety about my daughter’s wellbeing erupted with memories of my own early years as a mother, when I was caught between desire to be with my children and unyielding professional goals. As a psychologist, my response to this divided experience was to search for more data. This was the inspiration for my new book, Grandparenting.

Grandparents today, I discovered, are unlike any other generation of grandparents. The truth, as opposed to the myth, is that they live longer and are generally healthier and more active than their parents were at the same age. Many are still working, still focused on their careers, still driven by ambition or eagerness for adventure or the satisfaction of social contribution, and often by financial need.

This strong cohort, both grandmothers and grandfathers, have spearheaded shifts in female identity and in changing gender roles. As parents themselves, they were wary of being confined by the domestic, caring roles that limited their own mothers’ options. Paradoxically, as grandparents they take on the same caring roles to protect their feminist legacy. Childcare by grandparents is often crucial to their daughter’s (or daughter-in-law’s) career success.

Love of our offspring is accompanied by vulnerability to their needs, and motherhood remains a sticking point in women’s career progression.

During the lockdown periods of the COVID pandemic I worked with The Female Lead on a study of career women between the ages of 30 and 40. They were very clear about the career drag from maternity leave, noting the very different impact becoming a parent had on a mother versus a father. A father was likely to be seen as primed for promotion, given his new motivation and responsibility, whereas a new mother was seen as unready or unreliable. The effect on women was what we called the ‘Unentitled Mindset’: a feeling that they are less deserving of promotions and pay raises compared to men, leading to stalled career progression.

One new truth for women is that one third of working mothers in the UK rely on grandparents for childcare. This childcare is usually unpaid, but the UK Parliament has been told it contributes over £7 billion to the UK economy, with the saving to parents in childcare costs estimated at £96 billion. However, the cost to grandparents themselves from this arrangement has no official estimate.^,,

And another truth: costs to grandparents come in many forms – money, their own careers, their perceived obligations to others - as well as their personal energy and pleasures. But when I asked them about the costs, they focused on the relative costs, thinking about the younger woman they were helping. Giving up career opportunities has less impact on them than on the new parent in mid-career.

And some grandparents want to protect their daughters from what the television journalist Leslie Stahl called the ‘cold choices’ she made as a mother and journalist. Stahl remembered feeling torn between the joy of being with her young daughter and the joy of her career. In caring for her own young granddaughter, she can ease the vicarious fear of that daughter being sidelined in her career, while reassuring her that her child is in loving hands.

This new chapter in caring roles creates a new legacy: new bonds of engagement and gratitude, but also presents challenges as older women, as grandmothers, once again struggle with balancing their own needs with those of other family members.

They still have ‘ambition anxiety’ and want to achieve more and experience more themselves. They have a long history of resisting stereotypes about women’s caring roles, so returning to more or less regular stints of child care is not simple or straightforward. Each grandmother will make her own choices and set her own boundaries in this new phase of her life – a phase wherein she invests in young people’s future while continuing to enjoy her own very personal present.

Terri Apter’s book, Grandparenting: On Love and Relationships Across Generations, is available now

Read The Female Lead’s ‘Unentitled Mindset’ research

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By Weilong Zhang, Associate Professor of Economics, University of Cambridge

This article is from academic website The Conversation. It represents the author’s views alone, not those of The Female Lead.

When we think about what affects wages, we often focus on education, work experience or even sheer luck. But what about our perceived personality traits? Are they simply part of who we are, or do they play a larger role in determining our labour market success?

Recent research my colleagues and I conducted explores this question, uncovering how personality influences pay and job prospects – and even helps explain part of the persistent gender wage gap.

Using data from Germany’s Socio-Economic Panel (an annual survey tracking around 22,000 households), we explored how personality traits known as the big five – openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness and emotional stability – influence wages and career success.

Our findings were striking: personality differences between men and women contribute to pay disparities just as much as work experience does.

Here’s the twist: women generally score higher for traits like agreeableness, which is often associated with social harmony. Yet this trait can result in lower wages due to reduced bargaining power.

Conversely, emotional stability, a trait that predicts resilience and composure, is linked to higher earnings. But research shows that women report higher levels of neuroticism (effectively the opposite of emotional stability) than men.

Traits like agreeableness and emotional stability are not inherently good or bad, but their value in the workplace is often shaped by societal norms and organisational cultures.

To understand how personality traits shape pay, we developed a job search and bargaining model. This model simulated how people with different traits search for jobs, negotiate wages and stay employed.

We found that conscientiousness and emotional stability are power players in the job market. These traits positively influence wages and help reduce the time spent in unemployment for both men and women. Conscientious people are often perceived as reliable and hardworking, while emotional stability allows people to handle stress effectively – both of which employers value highly.

But agreeableness, despite its social benefits, turns out to be a financial liability. Highly agreeable people tend to avoid conflict, which can make them less assertive in negotiations. This trait disproportionately affects women, who score higher on agreeableness on average.

We also found that equalising personality traits between genders could reduce the wage gap by nearly 20%. This finding underscores how much personality differences – not just structural factors like experience – drive gender disparities in earnings.

What was our most striking insight? Personality traits don’t just affect wages through job performance or productivity, they also shape how people negotiate salaries. For instance, workers with higher levels of emotional stability may approach salary negotiations with more confidence, leading to better outcomes. On the other hand, agreeableness, often associated with accommodating others, could hinder assertive bargaining.

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Women, who tend to display higher levels of agreeableness face a double penalty in the labour market. Not only are they perceived as less assertive negotiators, but the economic value of their agreeableness is often lower compared with men. Our study also found that lower emotional stability – linked to heightened stress or anxiety – reduces women’s bargaining power even more, amplifying the wage gap.

This dynamic reflects broader societal expectations and biases. Traits like assertiveness and competitiveness are often rewarded in professional settings, but they may be less accessible or desirable for people socialised differently. By penalising traits more commonly displayed by women, workplaces inadvertently reinforce gender-based inequities.

Consider a hypothetical example: two employees, one male and one female, apply for a managerial role. Both are equally qualified in terms of education and experience, but their personalities differ. The male candidate scores highly in emotional stability and low in agreeableness, traits associated with strong negotiation skills and assertiveness.

The female candidate scores higher in agreeableness and slightly lower in emotional stability. Despite their qualifications, the male candidate may be perceived as a better fit for the role due to implicit biases about what makes a “good leader”. As a result, the male candidate may receive a higher salary offer, even if his on-the-job performance ends up being equivalent.

This scenario, supported by our findings, underscores the importance of addressing biases in hiring and wage-setting practices.

Bridging the gap

What can be done to mitigate these disparities? Our study suggests the following strategies.

1. Redefine workplace norms. Organisations can re-evaluate how they reward traits like agreeableness and emotional stability. For example, valuing collaborative and empathetic leadership styles alongside assertiveness could create a more inclusive framework.

2. Provide negotiation training. Helping employees – particularly women – develop stronger negotiation skills could counteract some of the disadvantages linked to traits like agreeableness. Role-playing exercises and workshops can empower workers to advocate for themselves effectively.

3. Address structural biases. Employers should be aware of how implicit biases shape decisions about hiring, promotions and pay. Conducting regular audits of pay practices and implementing standardised evaluation criteria can help ensure fairness.

Our findings point to a critical conclusion: personality matters. But it doesn’t have to perpetuate inequality. By addressing the biases around personality traits, we can move towards a more equitable labour market.

Recognising the role of personality traits in shaping wages offers a new lens for understanding the gender pay gap. It shifts the conversation from issues like education or work experience to more nuanced factors that influence how people navigate the job market.

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Broadcaster Kay Burley has reflected on her career at Sky News and said she benefitted from “women supporting other women”.

Burley announced she was retiring from the channel, after 36 years, at the end of her breakfast programme on Wednesday, which was her last day on air with the broadcaster.

Responding to social media posts praising her work, Burley told BBC journalist Victoria Derbyshire and fellow Sky News presenter Sophy Ridge to “carry the torch”.

Ridge had said in a post to X: “I’ve learned so much from you Kay – thanks for smashing the ceilings.”

In response to a separate post praising Burley’s success, the veteran journalist said: “Women supporting other women is what I have benefitted from all my working life.”

The 64-year-old was one of the original presenters who helped launch Sky News in 1989, and she has presented the morning slot since 2019.

Closing her show, she said: “After over a million minutes of live TV news, more than anyone else in the world, it’s time for me to indulge in some of my other passions, including my love for travel.

“So, after covering 12 separate general elections, including Sir Keir Starmer’s victory last year, I am retiring from Sky News, let politicians of every party just rejoice at that news.

“Thank you for waking up and tuning in every morning. I can’t tell you how much I have appreciated your support over the last three-and-a-half decades – you’re awesome.

“I will post more on my social media and hope to see you around. Please keep in touch.”

Her last day also coincided with Sky News’s 36th birthday and she used her final moments to pay tribute to how it had progressed from a “standing start to one of the most recognised and valued brands in global news”.

She added: “It’s been an honour and privilege to work with some of the best and hardest working teams in the business.

“News by its very nature is often devastating and together we’ve covered so many life-changing events: from the tragic death of Diana; the shocking terror attack of 9/11; the Asian tsunami; the Concorde air disaster.

“But we’ve also enjoyed some wonderful high notes too, haven’t we? The thrill of London winning the chance to host the 2012 Olympics, a plethora of royal weddings, jubilees, and who can forget days and days and days of waiting for royal babies to arrive at the Lindo Wing.”

Raised in Wigan, Lancashire, Burley took her first steps into journalism reporting for the Wigan Evening Post and Chronicle aged 17.

She later secured a job with the BBC on its local radio stations and then Tyne Tees Television, before joining the now defunct TV-am in 1985 as a reporter and occasional newsreader.

Burley was recruited for the fledgling Sky News in 1989 as one of its founding presenters.

In September 2018, the broadcaster was given her own show on Sky News as part of a major shake-up at the channel and a year later she moved to the breakfast time slot.

During the coronavirus pandemic, she regularly grilled politicians about lockdown rules and questioned then Cabinet minister Michael Gove on the controversy over former No 10 adviser Dominic Cummings’ trip to Barnard Castle in May 2020.

But in December 2020, Burley was suspended from her role for six months after an internal review found she broke Covid-19 rules during celebrations for her 60th birthday.

Burley later apologised for her actions, describing herself as an “idiot” and agreeing that she was “appropriately sanctioned” by the channel.

Meanwhile, in October 2023, Sky News conceded that on-air remarks by Burley about the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, Dr Husam Zomlot, “gave a potentially misleading representation” of his views after 1,537 complaints were made to the media watchdog Ofcom about the segment.

In a note shared with staff on Wednesday, Sky News executive chairman David Rhodes thanked Burley for her “huge contribution to Sky, to the art of the interview and to British journalism”, and wished her “the best of luck”.

He added: “With millions of minutes presenting live rolling news, Kay’s legacy in television journalism is unmatched, as is her commitment to Sky’s legacy.

“I’m sure some MPs in Westminster will sleep easy knowing they won’t face her indomitable questioning in the mornings.

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“Kay confirmed that today was her final broadcast with Sky News. Of course, Breakfast continues – with the other current presenters and with our Friday-Sunday team.”

Sky News political editor Beth Rigby hailed Burley as a “trailblazer and inspiration to a whole generation of women”, while former Sky News journalist Adam Boulton said “there are no other women of her background who have had such an impact on British news and current affairs”.

Former BBC Newsnight producer Sam McAlister, who secured the Newsnight interview with the Duke of York, said she was “devastated” to hear Burley was retiring, describing her as a “total inspiration” to her as a single parent and woman from a different background.

John Simpson, presenter of BBC News’ Unspun World, said he was “very sorry the excellent Kay Burley won’t be gracing Sky News from now on”.

The US embassy in London also wished Burley well for her future and called her grilling of their diplomats a “rite of passage”.

BBC journalist Derbyshire said Burley has “blazed an absolute trail” for female journalists.

Good Morning Britain presenter Susanna Reid added that Burley is “a fierce advocate for viewers, a powerful interviewer and a supporter of women in television”.

In response to this, Burley said: “Thank you my dear friend. Women who support other women are a special breed.”

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