
The NEW Career & Motherhood Playbook From The Woman Who Ran British Vogue Whilst Pregnant
From Motherkind by Zoe Blaskey
May 14, 2026 · 57 min
About this episode
Zoe Blaskey interviews Vanessa Kingori OBE about the challenges of balancing motherhood and a high-powered career in media.
What if the reason you feel like you’re failing… isn’t you? In this powerful conversation, Zoe sits down with Vanessa Kingori OBE - former Publishing Director of British Vogue, Chief Business Officer at Condé Nast Britain, and one of the most influential women in global media. Vanessa made history as the first woman to lead the commercial side of British Vogue in its 100+ year history , after already breaking boundaries as the first female publisher of GQ . She’s worked at the very top of global brands, including Condé Nast and Google, and is known for driving significant commercial growth while reshaping workplace culture. But alongside all of that, she’s also a mother. Vanessa shares the truth so many women feel but rarely say out loud: that motherhood is harder than we expected, not because we’re doing it wrong, but because the system around us isn’t built to support us. From taking on one of the biggest jobs in media whilst trying for a baby to challenging outdated workplace norms around motherhood, this is a conversation about rewriting the rules for ourselves and the next generation. This episode will leave you feeling seen, validated, and more confident in the way…
People in this episode
Host: Zoe Blaskey
Guest: Vanessa Kingori OBE
Topics covered
- motherhood
- career
- workplace culture
- women in media
- parenting challenges
- work-life balance
Keywords
- motherhood
- career
- British Vogue
- workplace norms
- women empowerment
- parenting
- work-life balance
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: British Vogue, Condé Nast Britain, GQ, Condé Nast, Google
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