Nicole Retter: The default parent dilemma (and how to fix it)

In this insightful conversation, I am joined by the brilliant Nicole Retter, founder of PAM, Personal Admin Manager, an app built to ease the mental load for overwhelmed parents.We unpack the invisible labour of parenthood and why the default parent trap isn’t just unfair, but completely unsustainableWe talk about the emotional toll, the cognitive overload, and the system-wide shift we could make if we stopped pretending that flexibility is a “perk” only mothers need.This is an episode that goes beyond complaining. It’s about redesigning.We speak about:·     Why default parenting often survives even “equal” partnerships·     The difference between doing the task and owning the load·     The power of proactive conversations (and default templates) at home·     Why flexibility should be for everyone, not just working mums·     How six months of paternity leave could transform parenting dynamics·     The deep emotional toll dads experience when they’re side-lined·     Why true work-life balance is actually work-life integration Resources DiscussedPam - https://www.mypam.co/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.nzhttps://www.instagram.com/worksforeveryone/https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-mclean-9176217/