In this episode, I chat with Michelle Allbon and Julia Bower, the powerhouse duo behind The Fractional Directory, a progressive platform redefining what leadership and productivity look like in today’s world of work.Michelle and Julia share the story of how they met as new mums in an antenatal class and went on to build a global business helping leaders and companies embrace fractional work, a model that challenges the outdated 40-hour work week and creates new opportunities for parents, women, and top-tier talent to work differently.Together, they unpack the cultural and structural barriers holding companies back from embracing flexible leadership, how the Fractional Directory is driving change across New Zealand, Singapore and Australia, and why “part-time” should no longer mean “less than.”This conversation is packed with insights on career reinvention, female leadership, systems change, and motherhood without compromise. It’s honest, smart, and deeply inspiring.We speak about:· How Michelle and Julia turned their shared frustration into a global startup· What “fractional work” really means, and how it differs from part-time or consulting· Why flexible leadership models are key to smashing the motherhood penalty· The cultural and policy barriers stopping companies from adopting new ways of working· How Singapore’s government is leading the charge with a national fractional hiring pilot· Why “hours ≠ value”, and why we need to measure productivity by outcomes, not time· How mothers can reclaim ambition, identity and financial power through new work modelsConnect with Michelle and Julia Fractional directory: https://www.fractional.directory/ Follow Michelle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleallbon/ Follow Julia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julialbower/Connect with EmmaThis podcast was funded and created by Emma Mclean, the founder of Works for Everyone.Emma Mclean is a mum of three and founder of Works for Everyone, a professional development business that partners with NZ's leading corporates to help them retain and grow their working parent talent. She does this through innovative leadership programmes, executive coaching and keynote speaking. She founded her business in 2019 following a 20-year career in corporate strategy where she experienced first-hand how hard it was to have a career and a family.As an impatient optimist when it comes to system change, she launched her successful podcast “How to Smash the Motherhood Penalty” in 2023 where she talks to humans who are actively working to change the system that creates financial penalties that only mothers pay. And in 2024 she launched the first NZ Part Time Power List – to shine a light on those senior roles in NZ that are career building, not side stepping." To work with Emma or enquire about speaking – [email protected] www.worksforeveryone.co.nz https://www.instagram.com/worksforeveryone/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-mclean-9176217

Ver todos los episodios