Stephanie Dotto
Career motivations are changing. We want more purpose-driven work. More ownership of our time. More control over who we work with. And we don’t want to feel like our jobs are keeping us from embracing the things we’re passionate about.
But more than anything, we want the option to work flexibly.
According to global research from the World Employment Confederation, flexibility has become non-negotiable for the modern worker. It’s not just about when and where we work; it’s about how we think about our work over the course of our career.
Which is one of the reasons why so many people – women, especially – are choosing portfolio careers.
Recognising that flexibility doesn’t have to be a compromise
According to CV Genius’ recent Future of Work survey, 51% of UK workers would take lower pay for unlimited remote work and flexibility – a shocking percentage, considering the rising cost of living.
We’re made to believe that people – particularly, women – have to resort to flexible work because they simply have no other choice. 9-to-5 doesn’t work in tandem with caring responsibilities or raising a family.
And though that’s the case for many women, it’s not representative of everyone’s experience. It paints flexible work as a step backwards; a sacrifice in someone’s career progression.
But “flexible” doesn’t directly translate to “part-time” or “remote”. It means fitting your work around everything else in your life. It means doing work in a way that works for you.
And for many, that means shifting away from traditional employment and embracing the multifaceted and malleable nature of a portfolio career.
“Traditionally, we’ve been told to separate our personal and career lives. But now, there’s so much blend between them. And women are taking agency and ownership, realising they can actually make that decision.”
– Fiona Chorlton-Voong
So are women starting portfolio careers out of necessity or desire?
The problem with that question is that it buckets all women into a single experience.
Yes, some start portfolio careers because it’s the only thing that works with their life situation. But many women actively choose portfolio work because of the diversity it offers and the impact it has on their work-life balance. The point being that it’s a choice. And it’s a choice more and more women are actively making.
So we decided to delve deeper into the impact portfolio work has on women by speaking directly with our community. The following members offered some amazing insights:
Founder of Mogami, Author, Public Speaker, UKIHCA Registered Health Coach
Consultant, Researcher, Trainer and Coach
Co-founder of CoachOnline, Tech Entrepreneur, Female Founder Directory Ambassador
Founder of CEO Stories Media, Writer, Tutor, Mentor, Coach, Digital Nomad
Founder of Mane Hook-Up, Athlete, Public Speaker, Marketing Consultant and Mentor
Legal Consultant & Co-Founder of Hemisphere Consultants
Co-runs the Innovate UK Immersive Tech Network for XR innovators, Operations and Design Consultant, Mentor
COO & Co-founder of The Portfolio Collective, Certified Coach, Brand Consultant, Artist, Mother
Here are just a few of the reasons these women started portfolio careers and how it’s impacted their lives.
So are women starting portfolio careers out of necessity or desire?
Jade has always been a runner, and she knew early on that her career wasn’t going to get in the way of that. When she first started interviewing for jobs, she made her time commitments clear and negotiated hours that made training possible.
“I would train first thing in the morning and then go into an office or work from home. I just had to prove that I could do the same work in less time.”
Now, as a founder and stepmother, that sense of flexibility is even more important. Though Jade’s commitments have evolved, she still has the power to choose how her work and life fit together. And she’s able to prioritise the things that matter most.
“I still train, but I’m able to get up and go if there’s an emergency with a friend or family member. I don’t have to ask permission and I can be present for people.”
It gives you the power to do what you love
Saori is Japanese, but spent several years working in the US on a work visa, which meant the rules around her job were extremely rigid.
“I worked in a corporate environment and never really thought I could be an entrepreneur. But then I hit a point where I just couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t what life should be about.”
So she moved to the UK on a startup visa and launched her own company, Mogami, a wellness brand rooted in Japanese wisdom and her personal experiences.
“In the past, I would try to separate my personal and professional life. But I realised I could express different sides of myself through my work. A portfolio career is a way of being able to have ownership around your life. You can paint your life in a way that works for you, and that builds confidence because you’re actually living out your values.”
It empowers you to embrace diverse experiences
Our brains aren’t wired for consistency – when we do the same thing over and over, we get restless and lose our spark. One of the things that attracts people to portfolio careers is the potential for variety. When you make money doing lots of different things, you get to flex your mental muscles in new and interesting ways.
For Emily, the diversity of choice and the ability to live and work from anywhere were big motivators. As someone with ADHD, she prefers to shift her focus between lots of different projects and offerings, and this style of working allows her to lean into that.
“So few people are good at one thing, and we have this new world where some days you could be teaching, some days you could be coaching, you could be writing, you could be advising on financial situations. I love that we can use all of those things.”
For Maria, it was about combining her diverse passions and skills in interesting new ways, allowing her to tap into her background in education, her desire to help people and her passion for gender equality and neurodivergence.
“I get a bit restless and bored doing the same thing. There’s something about a portfolio career that has enabled me to keep finding the next interest and recognising that I need to do something else to keep my brain ticking over.”
It’s perfect for adapting to life’s shifting priorities
Portfolio careers are extremely malleable, meaning you can shift and change the way you work whenever life calls for it. For some, that means moving in and out of a full-time job. For others, that means shutting one business down to start something new.
But the key is that they’re flexible. So if you start a family, have to navigate complex caring responsibilities or even just want the freedom to travel, you can make it work.
Alexandra is an Australian expat living in the UK, and having a portfolio career has allowed her to spend long periods of time back home with her family, which is a luxury she didn’t have when she was working for someone else.
“I’ve got aging parents and I want to be with them as much as I possibly can. Working as an employee at a UK company, that wouldn’t really be an option. Now, I can work from home in Australia for two months a year, despite it being a different time zone. It’s really important to me to be able to do that.”
Tes has had a portfolio career for the past 25 years. When she became a parent, she found it tricky to get back into the working world, so she went back to university and got a master’s degree in web development and online business systems. Now, she has her own company, CoachOnline.
“My portfolio career has given me so much flexibility, and it’s meant that I can work remotely. It also meant that when my husband had an opportunity to take up a job in New York, there was nothing holding us back because I could work from anywhere.”
It sets the example for future generations of women
When Fiona became a mother, her whole life changed – as did her outlook on the world. Luckily, she was in a position to shift her working hours so that she was able to spend as much time with her daughter as possible. And she knew she wanted to set a positive example on what work could look like as her daughter grew older.
“My full focus right now is figuring out how I can make the world a little bit easier for my daughter. The pace of change is slow, but it’s moving, and we should celebrate it and encourage that movement further.”
Amy’s career path has always been squiggly, allowing her to work as a handbag designer, startup consultant and entrepreneur. It’s always been important for her to demonstrate that career paths don’t just move in one direction. There isn’t one steadfast example that women have to follow – we can all learn from each other’s journeys, no matter what trajectory they take.
“Portfolio work is about the opportunity to try something new; do something different. That path zigzags, and these narratives are so important because they need to encourage us not to be boxed in.”
In the end, it’s about recognising that flexibility is so much more than a women’s issue
Every woman we spoke to had a different story; a unique motivation for starting a portfolio career. But the common thread that ran through everything was flexibility. Of course, it’s not just women who want flexible work.
Men also want the option to spend more time with their families. Men also want the freedom to work remotely and travel. And they want the opportunity to try new things and embrace different passions.
“Flexibility benefits everyone. We often frame these issues as women’s issues, saying that women need more flexibility because we’re mothers. But having careers that support our lifestyles rather than take over our lives speaks to men as much as women.”
So isn’t it time we stopped thinking of flexibility as a woman’s issue and start thinking of it as a human right? That’s where portfolio careers can really make a difference.
Want to learn more about the amazing diversity of portfolio careers and people in our community? Join today and start connecting – you never know who you might meet and how their story might inspire you.
Think this sounds like the right path for you? Come along to our monthly Get started event for new members to find out what a portfolio career could look like and how The Portfolio Collective can help you take those first steps towards professional success – and don’t forget to connect with our community!
