I grew up with a single mother raising four children while working three jobs, and a father who encouraged his daughters to be anything we wanted to be. As the youngest of six kids, I had to fight hard to be seen and heard, which helped me develop a competitive personality. This upbringing served my career progression well, particularly when juggling and prioritising family life.

I never wanted my career ladder made easier to climb just because I’m a woman with children to fit into the picture. I wanted to work for a firm that enabled me to juggle motherhood while I climbed. I wanted to work just as hard as anyone else, but with flexibility to manage the challenges that come with having a family.

Coming to work fulltime genuinely makes me happy as I feel challenged by the client work and fulfilled with the relationships I have built with clients and colleagues. I am a better mother to my kids as a result, and to balance this my weekends are generally off-limits when it comes to work. I work hard during the week, including in the evenings after the kids go to bed, but make up for any lost time on weekends.

To women wondering how they can juggle both parenting and a career, I suggest you work out what parts bring you the most happiness, structure your routine around those and stick to it. It will be tiring at times and the “mum-guilt” might never stop, but you get out of life what you put into it. If you really want both then you have to find your way of making it work.