Ask any working mum how they ‘get it all done’ and you won’t get a straightforward answer. That’s because the realities of being a working mum can feel less like a juggle and more like a full-blown circus act – something podcaster and presenter Vogue Williams can attest to.

Speaking on stage at Stylist Live 2024, Williams chatted about everything from friendship and the importance of loyalty to how she learned to break free from shame and embarrassment. The one sentiment that really resonated, however, was her candid confession about how she always feels like she’s “failing a little bit” at balancing work and parenthood. 

“I spent a lot of time trying to get the balance between work and being the best parent in the world, but you learn pretty quickly that you’re either doing too much of one thing or not enough of the other,” she told Stylist’s Helen Bownass. “No matter what, you always feel like a bit of a failure. While I want to rush home and be there for every pick-up or drop-off, it’s just not possible. And for a long time I felt so guilty about that, even though I know I spend a lot of time with my kids. But it’s about remembering that it’s always going to be a tipping scale: sometimes you’ll feel like you’re getting it right, and other times you won’t. And that’s OK.”

Later on, Williams also reflected on how she became comfortable with “not being liked”.

“I don’t think that we all need to like each other, but I think you do need to respect everyone and be kind all the time. Growing up in the industry, even though the bad comments would always hurt me, I learned pretty quickly that I had to have a thick skin. It took years, but I was like, ‘I can’t keep getting upset about what everyone thinks of me.’”

Images: @shotby_farheenxo