Have It All

Emily Parks
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  • Parenting
  • Updated Biweekly

Welcome to Have It All, the podcast that says the quiet part out loud about motherhood, career, ambition and the chaos in between. I’m Emily Parks. Mum of two, marketer, and someone who’s learned that doing it all often means doing too much. Every second week, I chat with women navigating the juggle of working motherhood, identity and ambition. These are honest, thoughtful and uplifting conversations about what it really looks like to balance career, family and self. Because having it all doesn’t mean doing it all. And you’re not meant to figure it out alone.

  1. 23h ago

    "I want it all, and I've tried so hard to have it all, but you can't" with Elle, business partner & mum of two

    There's a version of "having it all" that gets sold to ambitious women, and then there's the version Elle actually lives. In this conversation, we get into the three months' leave she took with each baby, the chronic fatigue that eventually stopped forced her to slow down, and the mum guilt that's actually hitting harder now (years later) as her kids get old enough to ask why she's not the one at pickup. We talk identity, ambition, the sacrifices no one tells you about going in, and why she's still figuring out how to keep work out of home time (spoiler: it's hard). Elle's honest about what she'd do differently. She's just as honest about what she wouldn't change for anything. This one's about seasons, about what it costs to be the person everyone can rely on, and about choosing a career you love while your kids are only this little once. Listen if you've ever been sitting with your kids and felt half your brain still checking your inbox — and you're over pretending that pull isn't there. Follow Elle on IG @fitr.at40Follow @haveitall.podcast on IG

  2. Jul 8

    Squiggly careers & raising three boisterous boys with Hannah McHugh | Community Partnerships Manager, ASB

    From finding the glimmers in every day to naming her inner voice, Hannah proves that a life lived intentionally is a life lived well. And she carries this intention into the way she and her husband parent their three boys. Hannah now works full-time for ASB while her tradie husband prioritises time at home with their youngest, but this hasn't always been the set-up. Across three maternity leaves she's worked part-time, three days, four days, and got through the 2020 lockdowns with a toddler and a newborn, before landing on the arrangement that works for her family now. Her advice for anyone navigating a squiggly career: "You don't need to start at the beginning, you just need to find the right in." Hannah's own path proves it, dietitian, then marketing and PR, then charity partnerships, now community partnerships at ASB, where she recently helped bring the first Kids Can Glow Run to life. In this episode we also talk about the small daily glimmers that keep her going, the Fair Play cards she and her husband use to split the mental load, and what it's taken to rebuild her confidence since returning to a workplace that changed while she was on leave. Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode! You can support the podcast by following, liking and sharing with a friend. Or find me on IG @haveitall.podcast

  3. Jun 16

    Society isn't set up for two working parents with Maxene London

    In her early 20s, Maxene was asked if she was planning on having kids soon, and actually passed over for roles because of the assumption that she would be. (Let's remember this is a completely illegal and highly inappropriate question to ask anyone!) When she became a mum, she was let go during her trial period because her child kept getting sick. Then, pregnant with her second, she asked for flexibility and was initially denied. Maxene and I reflect on the disappointment and injustice of it all and how that series of events led her to restart her business and go all in as a self-employed working parent. Follow Have It All on IG: @haveitall.podcast Follow Maxene on IG: @maxenelondoncreative Visit Maxene's website to learn more about her work: www.maxenelondoncreative.co.nz

  4. May 26

    A cancer diagnosis at 37 weeks pregnant with Tamara, radiographer & founder of Check Your Bits

    After a beautiful year off with her first baby, Tamara was expecting more of the same second time around. But at 37 weeks pregnant with Zach, she found a lump in her breast and within days had a breast cancer diagnosis. Chemo started when Zach was two weeks old. Tamara Milne is a radiographer, a mum of three boys and the co-founder of Check Your Bits, a brand born from one of the most confronting years of her life. In this episode we talk about the reality of parenting a newborn and a toddler while going through cancer treatment, the grief of a maternity leave that looked nothing like the first, and the "mum guilt" that still lingers. We also get into what it's really like returning to work with chemo brain on top of the standard mum fog and going from the senior your team leaned on to the one who suddenly can't find the words. Tamara's perspective on self-advocacy, knowing your normal, and finding purpose on the other side of something really hard is the kind of conversation that stays with you long after you've finished listening. I really hope this one reaches NZ women far and wide, as a reminder to check your breasts and get to know what's normal for you. And if you want to grab Tamara's Check Your Bits body wash, head to checkyourbits.co.nz and use code PODLOVE for 15% off your order. Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Follow @haveitall.podcast on Instagram

  5. May 12

    Unapologetically All In: Sasha McLeod on motherhood, the journey to Dose Buddy and the art of saying no

    Can you be a present mum, a career woman and a founder all at once? Not perfectly. But Sasha McLeod is figuring it out in real time, and she's honest about every (messy) part of it. In this episode, I chat with Sasha, Dose Buddy founder and mum of two, about: Balancing motherhood and entrepreneurshipThe journey of launching DoseBuddyWork flexibility and support for mumsHow Sasha's own upbringing shaped the kind of mum she wants to beSasha also runs digital marketing at Sea Digital in Wellington, so she's not romanticising the juggle. She's living it. She brings the kind of clear-eyed perspective that comes from doing all of it at once and choosing what to say no to. Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, or watch the full episode on YouTube.Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and follow @haveitall.podcast on Instagram.If you love the show, a rating or review genuinely means everything!

  6. Apr 28

    The 4am wake up with Charlotte from Rose Studio

    Most conversations about “having it all” skip over the reality of what it actually takes. In this episode, I’m joined by Charlotte, founder of Rose Studio – a boutique design studio based in Auckland, New Zealand helping bold, passionate business owners to bring their vision to life with strategic and intentional design. Charlotte built her business while raising three young kids, including a high-needs autistic child, navigating life across countries, and spending long stretches solo parenting when her husband was overseas for his professional football career. We talk about what it really looked like behind the scenes – from waking at 4am to carve out quiet time for work, to rebuilding her confidence as a mum returning to the workforce. We cover: The reality of solo parenting and navigating motherhood without your usual support systemsHow Charlotte built her business around her life (not the other way around)The confidence shift that came from studying again as a mumWhat motherhood has taught her about leadership, resilience and capacityThe challenges of raising a high-needs child alongside career ambitionWhy “having it all” looks different for every woman — and why that matters Follow @haveitall.podcast on Instagram NEW episodes every second week.

  7. 12/09/2025

    Making time for play with Zazi | mum of two, speech & language therapist and founder of Zazi Plays

    What happens when motherhood, identity, and a creative spark collide? In this episode, I sit down with Zazi Henderson — speech and language therapist, mum of two, and the creator behind Zazi Plays, the parenting community loved by thousands across Aotearoa. Zazi shares the beautiful chaos of raising young children while running a business, but also the deeply human moments behind it all — like the realisation that so many parents struggle with something as simple as play. As she says in the episode: “It is just really hard. We no longer know how to play and it feels really clunky and strange. We’re adults now — it doesn’t come naturally to us. So you’re not alone in finding it hard. I don’t just find it easy.” We talk about the emotional weight of returning to work as a first-time mum — the inadequacy she felt at the time, and the compassion she now has for her younger self. She reflects on how much more confident she wishes she’d been, and how common those feelings truly are. Zazi also opens up about her business turning five years old, and what it’s taken behind the scenes: the partnership, the family dynamics, and the moments of guilt when choosing her own wellbeing. She shares how she started to carve out time for herself — even if that meant missing dinner for a gym class — and how she reframed exercise as something that teaches her kids what self-care looks like. If you love Zazi Plays, or you're navigating parenting, identity, business, or mental health right now, this conversation will feel like a deep breath out.

  8. 11/12/2025

    When you plan to return to work, but don't with Charlotte | mum of two, business owner & Starship PICU nurse

    What happens when the return-to-work plan changes? In this episode, I sit down with Charlotte — paediatric ICU nurse and founder of And Breathe First Aid. When we first recorded together, she was preparing to return to Starship after maternity leave. Six months later, everything looks different. Charlotte made the decision to extend her leave and pour her energy into growing her first aid education business. We talk about how becoming a parent reshapes your perspective on work, why mums who work from home or run their own businesses often face judgement for using childcare, and the messy, honest juggle of raising young children while keeping a business afloat. Charlotte shares how her nursing lens has shifted since becoming a mum, the emotional weight of caring for families in crisis, and why parental advocacy in healthcare matters more than ever.

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About

Welcome to Have It All, the podcast that says the quiet part out loud about motherhood, career, ambition and the chaos in between. I’m Emily Parks. Mum of two, marketer, and someone who’s learned that doing it all often means doing too much. Every second week, I chat with women navigating the juggle of working motherhood, identity and ambition. These are honest, thoughtful and uplifting conversations about what it really looks like to balance career, family and self. Because having it all doesn’t mean doing it all. And you’re not meant to figure it out alone.

Information

  • Creator
    Emily Parks
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    47
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Emily Parks
  • Show Website
    Have It All

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