Create family harmony amidst the challenges of fly-in-fly-out work

“Some of the shifts that I had to go through when I became a mom with a fly-in-fly-out career was to see what other moms were doing to make their careers and family lives become harmonious. Using other mother’s answers and seeing which ones would work for my family and our values helped in creating our routine.”

In this episode, Women in STEM Mentor, Brenda Denbesten joins founder and CEO Kinia Romanowska to discuss Brenda’s experience of matrescence, her strategies for creating family harmony amidst the challenges of fly-in-fly-out work, and the shifts in mindset that have set her up for success in her profession.

Tune in to this episode to see how Brenda built a career in a male-dominated industry all while navigating the challenging dynamics of the fly-in-fly-out lifestyle.

Brenda Denbesten was a chemical engineer for 15 years before becoming a mentor and coach for women in STEM. She helps women gain clarity on their unique strengths and skills and the confidence to leverage these for a maximum impact in the workplace. Connect with Brenda at her Youtube channel or Facebook Group.

0:00 Intro

1:53 Meet Brenda

3:25 Brenda’s experience with matrescence

7:05 How Brenda dealt with Australia’s maternity leave policy

8:36 Brenda’s transition back to work after her maternity leave

12:22 Overcoming common pitfalls that mothers experience in moving up in their careers

14:47 How to leverage being a mother in your career

24:45 Brenda’s experience with support systems and outsourcing

27:11 Preparing for your career life for having more than one child

29:43 Key takeaways and tips for having one or both parents be fly-in-fly-out partners

33:24 Connect with Brenda

36:08 Endnotes

If you’re enjoying the show, I’d be so grateful if you left us a review on Spotify/Apple so we can reach more moms, just like you. No one should be alone with the crushing overwhelm of trying to balance family and career life.


Want more support from moms just like you? Join us for live sessions for support and networking: https://www.prosandbabes.com/stem-mom-webinars


Kinia Romanowska, BA, MA, is a well-traveled award-winning journalist turned entrepreneur, maternity leave strategist, and working parent whisperer. A wife and mom of three passionate about making sure the next generation doesn’t experience the “Motherhood Penalty,” she is the founder and CEO of Pros&Babes and creator of the MoMBA (Mom MBA), the pioneering 360-leadership and personal development program for the busy, ambitious mom in Canada. She is the host of the “Engineer Your Success, Leadership, and Life Harmony #likeamother” podcast.