Gillian Orr spent over a decade building a career in women's media, rising to Editor-in-Chief of Refinery29 UK — and then had her role eliminated while she was on maternity leave. On this episode of Do Not Disturb, she joins Simona Deifta to talk about becoming a mother at 39, the loneliness that maternity leave doesn't warn you about, and what it took to find her ambition again on her own terms.
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In This Episode
Gillian talks candidly about building a career in women's media, becoming a mother at 39, and having her role eliminated while she was on maternity leave. She and Simona get into the isolation of maternity leave, why high-powered motherhood so often gets measured against an impossible timeline, moving into freelance work, and slowly finding her ambition again — on terms she actually chose.
Themes In This Conversation
Why comparison is the quiet tax on new motherhood
Losing a role while on maternity leave — and what it does to your sense of security
The loneliness of maternity leave that nobody prepares you for
Rebuilding ambition on your own timeline, not everyone else's
About Gillian Orr
Gillian Orr is an award-winning journalist and the former Editor-in-Chief of Refinery29 UK. She is the author of Slouching Towards Bethnal Green. Her writing and career have focused on women's media and the realities of building a career and a life on your own terms.
About Do Not Disturb
Do Not Disturb: The Inside Story is a filmed long-form podcast hosted by Simona Deifta about modern female life beneath public success — motherhood, identity, power, relationships and reinvention, told through the conversations that usually stay off the record.
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