Today I’m joined by Andy Nichols, someone who I know kind of by accident because our worlds have overlapped this year!

Andy became a parent through adoption, and I’ve had the absolute privilege of hearing about his family’s experiences for a little while now, so I was thrilled when he said he’d come and chat to me on the podcast. 

We delve into the misconceptions he and his family have faced, the boundaries he’s needed in place, the surprises along the way and of course we took some time to delve into what employers can do to support parents no matter what their route to expanding their family is. 

Andy is one of those people who makes managing boundaries look effortless - I don’t know if that is his reality but I’m in awe of what he stands for. We covered the importance of recognising when it’s someone else's story and not reaching for those pieces of unsolicited advice, some of the myths surrounding adoption and where we need to forge ahead in policy support. 

You’ll hear a phrase from Andy that you might have come across from other people in this arena, and that is creating workplaces where people can parent and care out loud. This is something I would happily have on a t-shirt, billboard, notebook and coaster! I hope you enjoy listening as much I did recording the conversation.