S3 Ep1 Women at Work: Progress, Reality & What Still Needs to Change | Season 3 Opening with Mary Gregory

Welcome to Season 3 of the She Leads Collective Podcast.

In this opening episode, I explore a question that sits at the heart of this season:

If progress for women at work is real… why do so many day-to-day experiences still feel unchanged?

The picture isn’t simple.

There is progress—and that matters.
And there are still realities happening every day that tell a very different story.

This season sits in that tension.

You’ll continue to hear conversations across our three core themes:

• Real models of leadership
• Allies creating change
• The undiscussables shaping how we show up at work 

And coming up this season:

•  The mental load and the reality behind success 
•  How organisations support care and life beyond work
•  A mini-series on women and finance
• Bias in STEM and leadership
•  And the issues we don’t talk about enough—but should 

What emerges isn’t one story, but many.
 Progress and pressure. Challenge and possibility.

If you care about leadership, gender equity, and creating workplaces where people can truly thrive, this season will give you insight—and perspective.

Follow, share, and be part of the conversation.

Because change happens through conversation

🔗 Connect with Mary: marygregory.com

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 ✨ Produced by Mary Gregory Leadership Coaching

Transcript

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Hello and welcome to She Leads Collective Podcast. I'm Mary Gregory and I'm so glad you're here. This podcast is a space for honest conversations about what it really means to lead as a woman today and how we can all show up with more courage, care, and clarity. You'll hear from inspiring women, powerful allies, and bold truth tellers who are changing the game not by playing tougher but by leading smarter, softer and stronger. Welcome to season three of the She Lee's Collective Podcast. The podcast where we hear from real women models of leadership, allyship, and talking about the things that don't get discussed enough, all in service of creating gender parity and a world of work that works for everyone. And what I'm curious about as we enter this third season is that the story of women at work right now is actually a lot more complex than we're willing to admit. As I've been recording this season, I found myself holding two things at the same time. The good news is we are making progress, and that's worth acknowledging and celebrating. Because I don't know about you, but when we don't recognise progress, it can all start to feel a bit soul-destroying. And yet we cannot deny that there are still experiences happening today that tell a very different story. Some which you will hear in the coming episodes, and to be quite honest, for me they were quite shocking. Which means we still have a long way to go. And I think it's in that space between progress and reality that the conversations in this podcast really sit. It's about noticing what's working, recognising what's improving, not just for women, but for everyone. And also having the courage to keep talking about what isn't. So let me take a moment to welcome you. If you've been here before, welcome back. And if you're new to this podcast, it's genuinely great to have you here. I'm Mary Gregory, I'm an executive leadership coach, facilitator, and author. And I'm someone who is deeply committed to creating a fairer, more equal world where everyone has the chance to thrive. That's what sits behind this podcast. And here's what you'll find real models of leadership, women who are navigating complexity, challenge, and success in their own way, the role of allies from all genders whose actions are helping shift the dial. And the undiscussables, the things that don't often get talked about, but are having a very real impact on how we show up at work. And this season, those conversations have continued to be rich, honest, and insightful, and at times more revealing than I'd even expected. And what I'm observing is that something interesting is happening. Despite the rhetoric in some parts of the world, there are more conversations than ever about gender equity. I'm seeing more people step forward, more advocates, more organisations engaging seriously with this topic. People like Lee Chambers from MailAllies UK and Mariella Frostrup and Laura Biggs from the Women in Work Summit. I've had the privilege of hearing them speak recently about what they're uncovering and what they're actively trying to influence, from the impact of social media on young people to the need for spaces where connection and confidence can develop properly, to tackling pay gaps, health gaps, and pension gaps. And when you hear that level of thinking and commitment, it does give you hope. This increased visibility, this intent, hearing examples of organisations saying and in many cases doing the right things, it really matters. But alongside that, there's a quieter question that keeps coming back to me. What is actually changing in people's day-to-day experience? Coming up this season, we have conversations with some incredible leaders. Many are leading the field, making a difference to address some of the root causes of gender inequity, and also some asking those difficult questions that need to be asked to ensure we achieve real change as opposed to a superficial notion of it. Speaking of which, I'll be speaking with Amy Keene from the Good Shout community and unlikable women, where we'll explore something that has really stayed with me. The idea that gender equity can sometimes become a little bit presentable, something we can point to, measure, even celebrate, and yet that doesn't always mean the lived experience has shifted for people. Not everywhere, not yet. And that's not about criticism, it's about being honest enough to look a little more closely and consider what we can do about it. Which brings me to some of the threads that are emerging this season. Firstly, around the mental load and real life. Coming up in Launch Week are two powerful conversations with Steph Douglas, CEO and founder of Don't Buy Her Flowers. Steph shares two sides of her story. One is about building and scaling a successful business, taking investment, growing, and now being part of a larger group while still protecting the values that matter to her. But the second conversation goes somewhere deeper. Steph talks very openly about her own experiences of carrying the mental load, that invisible, often unspoken layer of responsibility that many women carry alongside their work, their leadership, their ambition. And it's her openness and honesty that makes Steph's conversation so powerful. She talks about how she and her husband navigate it, not perfectly, not neatly, but consciously. And I think that's why it will resonate with you so strongly. Because for so many women, this isn't theoretical, it's daily. And often it's invisible. And then there's the theme of care and how organisations can effectively support their people. Later in the season, you'll hear from Tracy Gunn of Platform 55, who works with organisations to create genuinely parent-friendly workplaces. And also from Joe Farmer from Lewis Silkin, who introduced full paternity leave into her law firm and saw transformational results, not just culturally but commercially, in retention, in engagement and in performance. And I think that's an important story to tell because there's still a belief around that in some places creating fairness comes at a cost. When actually, when it's done well, it creates value and contributes to business success on many different levels, including the bottom line. You'll also hear from Amy Kiernan from McCann, a leader who is still navigating her career while caring for both parents, one with dementia, one with a degenerative condition. Again, something that often sits quietly in the background, and again, something very often carried by women. What becomes possible when an organisation such as McCann puts the right conditions in place? Another thread running through this season is women and finance, through conversations with Yadsman El Mahari, David Horne and Jane Brewer. What becomes clear is that access, confidence, and opportunity around money are certainly not equal, and that shapes far more than we might realise. It shapes decisions, it shapes our relationship to risk, it shapes independence. And ultimately it shapes what feels possible. I have to be honest, I was shocked by some of the data in these conversations, and you may well be too. The bias in the financial system feels heavy. However, it is heartening to know that all my guests in this finance miniseries are proactively doing things to educate and support not just women but also our children. The younger we learn to be financially savvy, the more empowered our future generations will be. You'll also hear a strong thread around STEM with Lauren Neal, Akua O'Pong, and Tommy Edwards, where bias is still present, sometimes overt, sometimes very subtle. But alongside that, there's also a sense of possibility, particularly in relation to AI, which gets a lot of criticism for being particularly biased, but also in my conversation with Tommy will be opening up what the possibilities are for women. A sense that this moment could open doors in a different way. And again, both of those things are true at the same time. And then there are the undiscussables, women's health, investment in women-only businesses, divorce, topics that not only make it into leadership conversations, but also shape people's lives and their experiences at work. You'll hear from voices like Tina Backhouse and Tamara Glanville, and alongside that, stories of ambition, growth, and energy. Like Helen Gibson, who has built businesses across 27 countries and brings a completely different perspective and vitality to the conversation. And the people I've mentioned and what I've shared today is just a snapshot of what is to come. It's impossible to name all my guests as some episodes are still in their formation. So please do follow this podcast and keep an eye out on my LinkedIn for updates and episodes in the pipeline. So stepping back and looking at this season so far, what I see isn't one story, it's many. Progress and pressure, challenge and opportunity, stories that are difficult, and stories that are genuinely encouraging. And I think we need all of them, because change doesn't come from one perspective, it comes from understanding the full picture. Change is also not neat and tidy. It's messy, one step forward, one step back, and that's why at times it can feel disheartening. There may be times you feel like what is the point and want to stop. And you know that is fair enough. I can recognise those times. Well, that's the time we need to take a breath, rest, restore, and then re-engage. Because the alternative of doing nothing will guarantee the status quo continues. And that's definitely not going to achieve the fair and equal world so many of us stand for. So as you listen, I invite you to stay curious. Notice what resonates with you. What feels familiar? Where might there be something you've experienced but never quite named? And where is there something you can buy into that really brings you hope and spurs you on into action? Because often that's where the most important insight sits. If this is a conversation you care about, please follow the podcast, share it, and be part of it. I look forward to sharing the journey with you. Thank you so much for listening to the She Leads Collective podcast. If this episode resonated with you, follow the show or share it with a friend and leave a quick review below. Or leave us a comment. Change happens through conversation, so let's keep this one going. Listen out for the next episode and join me as we keep lifting the lid on the stories that matter. Take care and keep leading with heart.