When Gillian Boateng found out she was expecting a son the same week of George Floyd’s murder, she experienced a whole range of emotions.
Whilst delighted she was having a healthy child, as the mother, Gillian was scared. Scared, she couldn’t protect her son, a black boy, where adult versions of her child were being murdered on the street by the people meant to protect them.
In this week’s thought-provoking episode of the Work It Like A Mum podcast, we are delighted to chat with Gillian Boateng, a truly inspiring lawyer and DEI advocate.
As well as talking about race, Gillian offers advice on rejoining the workforce after parental leave, becoming a LinkedIn Creator, being one of the only Black children at her private school, qualifying as a lawyer, and balancing her work and family life.
Gillian shares fantastic insights about why you don’t always need a role model to achieve your dreams. She gives her perspective on how careers in law are gradually evolving and what that means for her family life and work-life balance. Listen out for her thoughts on what parents can give their kids beyond material gifts and money, which is all the more relevant in these times of a turbulent economy and stretched household budgets.
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Timestamps
[2:23] Liz welcomes Gillian onto this week’s episode
[3:25] Gillian’s journey to becoming a LinkedIn content creator and how she balances it around her job commitments
[8:52] What you can get out of being more active on LinkedIn
[11:05] The origins of Gillian’s law career
[13:20] Gillian, on being the odd one out at school
[18:05] “I was very lucky in a different way”: Parents give their children so much more than material gifts
[20:20] What was it like to be pregnant as a trainee lawyer?
[23:51] “I didn’t think about flexible working at that time”: Gillian’s return to work after maternity leave
[25:42] How to balance studying and parenting
[28:43] “We are seeing change”: Are careers in law becoming more open to people from non-traditional backgrounds?
[31:23] Making the switch to part-time work
[34:20] Navigating race and raising Black children: Gillian’s struggles as a mother and a DEI advocate
[39:34] What can you do to support DEI initiatives in society and your workplace?
[41:40] Gillian’s advice to parents about returning to work after parental leave
[43:20] Where to go to connect with Gillian
Show Links
Your host, Elizabeth Willetts, on LinkedIn
For more information about the podcast’s sponsor, please visit:
Investing in Women Flexible Working Recruitment Site
Investing in Women on LinkedIn
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