Intentional Conversations & Whiteboards: Managing Work and Family with Jessie & Brendan

Navigating a fast-paced career, higher education, board governance, and ultra-marathon training is a massive feat on its own. Add two young kids into the mix, and keeping a dual-career family on the tracks requires more than just goodwill. It takes real systems, radical transparency, and constantly checking in on intentions. In this episode, Emma sits down with dual-career Auckland couple Jessie (Product Compliance Manager, MBA candidate, and ECE Board Director) and Brendan (Banking Marketing Technologist and Ultra-Marathoner). Jessie and Brendan open up about how they move past default parenting roles, handle the invisible mental load without getting defensive, and use physical tools like visual whiteboards to keep their household running smoothly. They also unpack what it really takes to build a village when family support isn't always around, and why society needs to build better support structures for dads if we ever want true gender equity at home and at work.In This Episode, You'll Learn:Intentions vs. Actions: How moving from internal assumptions to vocalising intentions prevents daily resentment over household tasks. Unpacking the Mental Load: Brendan’s journey from feeling defensive about default-parenting critiques to actively taking ownership of cognitive and emotional tasks. Systems That Actually Work: Why physical whiteboards, Sunday night schedule check-ins, and calling out when you’re "low sync" keep busy households running. Early Childhood Education as Infrastructure: Jessie breaks down why accessible, flexible ECE funding is a critical economic lever for protecting women’s long-term earning potential and Kiwisaver. Building a Community "Village": Creative strategies for trading off parenting duties with neighbours and friends when family isn't nearby. The Magic Wand Solutions: Why mandating 50% female representation in senior leadership and building dedicated dad support networks are vital system levers.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: emma@worksforeveryone.co.nzwww.worksforeveryone.co.nzhttps://www.instagram.com/worksforeveryone/https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-mclean-9176217/