How being a statistic is spurring me on more than ever before
Leaving the creative industries during ‘the Great Resignation’ to become a Female Founder on a mission
When I handed in my notice as a Strategy Director at a thriving brand and creative content agency, my optimism was momentarily tainted by the realisation that I’d just become another statistic. A few statistics, in fact.
In September 2021, I became part of ‘the Great Resignation’. I left my job and became one of the women that were exiting the workforce at twice the rate of men.
Add to that, I worked in media and marketing which was one of the industries most likely to be affected by mass migration. Was I that predictable, or just following the crowd?
What really irked me the most was that I was a female leaving a leadership role. According to the Network for Executive Women, by the time you actually reach the C-suite, women leave their jobs at over three times the rate of their male colleagues: 24% vs 7%. As the only female in a leadership role within the business at the time, I felt guilt and shame that I’d let my team, my female colleagues and the wider female workforce down.
The impact of being a woman and a mother today
Moira Donegan writes that women aren’t leaving the workforce ‘because they have been on personal journeys of soul-searching and self-discovery’, but more so because they are ‘forced to choose between jobs where they are paid too little, and childcare solutions that cost too much’.
That wasn't the case for me. I didn’t leave in search of better bonuses, a higher salary or because of the pressures of childcare. I actually did go on a journey of soul searching and self-discovery.
In April 2021 I had the opportunity to start working with Carol-Anne Ward, a personal and career coach. I soon realised I wanted the freedom to pursue my own passions and potential. I was in the early days of bringing a new business idea to life and was curious to see if I was really capable of making it a success.
I always felt I had so much more to give. Nearing 40 and a mother to two girls, I wanted to carve a path that brought more happiness and fulfilment, whilst being a role model to my daughters and showing them how - and what - they can be in this world.
From Strategy Director to Female Founder
I took the leap to become self-employed in February. Yes, it meant I could reduce my childcare and take on school drop-offs in the morning. But not because I was forced to, because I wanted to. I craved freedom from 9 to 5.30 and more time to relish those moments while they were little - so I created it.
Freelance work pays the bills, where my ‘free’ time is spent developing a new technology-led business, Parent List. Driven by my own experiences as a busy working Mum with a history of mental health struggles, I saw an opportunity to develop a digital platform to help myself and other parents manage stress, overwhelm and parental burnout which affects so many of us and can make us feel less confident and happy.
A minority, after the minority stats
Today, I am more determined than ever to become part of the minority:
I want to be invited to sit on the Board of a company as a female member.
I want to be a female founder who is successful in her application for venture capital funding.
I want to be part of the movement to address inequality and the gender pay gap in today’s workforce.
Quitting my job was wholeheartedly an expression of my optimism for what is ahead of me both professionally and personally. And I can’t wait to see what’s in store.
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