The Mummies: Priya Addams Williams and her little AdFest Lotus, Leela, 1
This precious little petal is Leela, our Adfest lotus! Daughter to Priya Addams Williams, Shift 20 Initiative Lead at the Dylan Alcott Foundation. Returning to work recently, Priya is a new mum at a new workplace. Priya says, “I came back from maternity leave to a new role, which was daunting but made so much easier thanks to how amazing they have been on the flexibility front. I work four days a week and can do this mostly from home, and can flex my start and finish times for the day based on what's required at home.”
She’s found the small things have made a big difference to this transition back, “being able to eat lunch with her or sneak out of my study for a cuddle between meetings has made the transition back to work a lot easier and less emotionally taxing than I expected. I'll happily do some work at night in exchange for a little time in the sun with her in the afternoon, and am extremely thankful to have a workplace that accommodates this.”
And working in ways that suit her and her family’s needs has only resulted in positive outcomes on the work-front for Priya, “I'm only a few weeks back into working after maternity leave, but am more focused and can smash work out at a rate that I simply didn't pre-baby. Having a baby who couldn't link sleep cycles for the first six months of her life means that there is a LOT I can achieve in 37 minutes, which has translated into my working life...and I'm sure many working mums would say the same! So if someone needs to leave at 4:30pm for daycare pickup, trust in their abilities and their commitment to work. I have never been more dedicated to work - not only because I'm lucky enough to love what I do, but because it is providing for my family, and most importantly, is setting an example for my daughter of what it is to be a working female, and teaching her from a young age that the opportunities for her are endless, and should not be limited by her gender.“
Flexibility is everything, it’s something Priya wishes there was more of across the industry, “we all need to realise flexibility helps keep our talent pools diverse, which in turn makes us collectively better at what we do.”
Role models at her past agencies, Special and Cummins & Partners, have played a crucial part in giving her the confidence to remain career-focused while starting a family, she says, “I've been really lucky to have some brilliant working advertising mums to look up to and learn from over the course of my career. While there is always fear entering a new stage of life (especially one this big!), having these women in my corner to remind me that it's possible to not only work but thrive in our industry as a working mum has been really important and comforting. I hope to someday be a similar point of reference for young women in the industry.”
📸 by Heather Dinas
📝 by Phoebe Sloane
