Our Story

In 2017, we were both working in part-time executive roles and feeling the strain. Our workdays were packed with back-to-back meetings, and we often worked after hours and on weekends to get everything done. We could never really ‘switch off’ on our non-workdays, as something urgent would inevitably come up which needed our input or sign-off. Even if we weren’t physically at work, mentally part of us was always there.

While we loved our jobs, we were exhausted and really questioning whether executive roles could ever be genuinely part-time – no matter how efficient we were, it seemed physically impossible to squeeze the work into three days a week. It felt like we were practically working full-time and only being paid for half of it, which didn’t seem like a great deal.

We had worked alongside each other in the same organisation for years and didn’t know each other well, but we’d both worked for the same person who knew both of us very well. She thought our values and skillsets would be a good match and suggested that we consider job-sharing – three days a week each, with a shared handover day.

We met up to discuss how it might work (and to suss each other out!) and decided to give it a go. That was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made, and we haven’t looked back since!

Job-sharing immediately changed our lives for the better, at work and at home.

Executive roles come with a lot of power and privilege, but they can also be pretty lonely. All of a sudden we had someone else to bounce ideas off, get a different perspective on a complex problem, and provide constant feedback and encouragement. It was like having an all-in-one mentor, coach and best friend who understood exactly what you were going through without having to explain anything – because we were literally doing the same job, just on different days of the week.

On our days off, we could keep our laptops closed. We could be present for our family and friends, and go for a long walk or a doctor’s appointment without dreading that we’d missed an urgent call. Monday mornings weren’t filled with anxiety thinking about all the things we’d need to catch up on that we’d missed, because the other person was keeping everything in motion.

And when life went sideways job-sharing gave us even more. We all have times when things get hard, but instead of having to push through grief or try to manage family crises with work demands, we could step out completely for a while and know that we had each other’s back.

For us, job-sharing has meant we can take on challenging and meaningful executive roles, while genuinely working part-time. We can’t imagine working any other way, and we’re passionate about helping as many people as possible experience the benefits.