WE ROAR Issue 02 - Flipbook - Page 16
masculinity,
physicality
and
independence. It gave me time to
reflect and step away from the
constant push for traditional success.
I became a stay-at-home dad and
found myself in female-dominant
environments, hearing for the first
time the stories of maternity
discrimination, harassment and what
it was like to be a woman at work.
This planted the seed, and I started to
ask myself why I didn’t know this and
why weren’t people talking about it.
It stayed with me when I started
Essentialise, and I heard more stories
about menopause, fertility and
menstruation and the complete lack
of support, compassion and flexibility.
It just didn’t make sense, so I started
sharing what I felt needed to happen
and how men had a role to play in
normalising conversations, changing
systems and listening with intention.
There’s nothing quite as powerful as
stories to water those seeds within
us.
How do you juggle family and
business life?
It’s certainly less of a balancing act
and more likely seasons. I boundary
16
"I BECAME A STAY-AT-HOME
DAD AND FOUND MYSELF
IN FEMALE-DOMINANT
ENVIRONMENTS, HEARING
FOR THE FIRST TIME THE
STORIES OF MATERNITY
DISCRIMINATION,
HARASSMENT AND WHAT IT
WAS LIKE TO BE A WOMAN
AT WORK."
my weekends for time with my
children, as I have been travelling
this past year, whereas, for many
years, I worked from home. There
are non-negotiable school runs built
into my diary and rules I’ve set
around using technologies when I’m
with them. I’ve such a strong bond
with them; they understand my work
and what I’m up to, and they are a
bit like my board of directors,
keeping me in check and curious
about the world. The truth is that
business,
especially
as
a
neurodivergent founder, can be
overwhelming
and
allencompassing. Still, I’ve learnt how
to manage this, manage my energy
and manage my attention so I am
present with my children.
