Business
Asking and listening are the first steps in being a better ally. Another amazing conversation about the importance of male allyship and what first steps men can take to start being a bigger support to female colleagues and every woman in their lives. Today we have special guest Paul Porter as someone raised with 5 Glaswegian Aunties, Paul has always been surrounded by kick ass women. Listen in to hear how thats not changed in fact he is surrounded by even more strong women not only with his family but in the career groups he helps build and manage. Paul believes that male allyship is crucial and hopes that more men will step up and support women. It is about them standing by women, being more than performative allies and supporting them everyday. We chat about what those first steps can look like and let’s be honest it's much easier than you think when you start to listen. In 2008 he quit his job in Hospitality and set up Porter HR - People called him crazy - especially as the financial crash had just started. What a journey it’s been, working with SME founders and owners. Following a LinkedIn Local in Manchester, over 4 years ago, Paul joined The Career Mum group. He didn’t realise at the time what was ahead of him, but it opened up so many opportunities to support women along the way. The group has nearly 6000 global members and have done everything from mentoring to live take over week. Paul is a big believer in” if you can see it you can be it” – No more hiding!! Last year, Paul was part of the team that co-created and delivered She Has No Limits Virtual event, He knew that something had to be done to support women whose life & careers had been impacted by the pandemic overnight. With support from Jodie Hill, Paul launched tHRive Club to support HR, People Leaders and Business in 2020 – we are now 700 strong and approaching their first birthday. Paul believes that male allyship is crucial and hopes that more men will step up and support women. It is about them standing by women, being more than performative allies and supporting them everyday. After 12 years growing the business, I also took the step to join a long-term client as their Head of People. It was a big change to make, however, Paul has left Porter HR in good hands of his wife Kathryn, who transitioned out of a global role to take over the business. Connect with Paul below. Don’t forget you can get my monthly NEWSLETTER that shares the latest around the gender pay gap, book recommendations and good practices that are happening all over the place that support more women to step up and be recognised for the value they bring. Get yours by clicking >> https://www.gemmastow.com/newsletter or book a chat https://calendly.com/gemmastow-1/call-with-gemma #Resources Get the White Paper ‘Visibility at Work: The Importance of Self Promotion for Women’s Career Progression: https://bit.ly/WP2020podcast Book a call with Gemma: https://calendly.com/gemmastow-1/call-with-gemma Get the newsletter: https://www.gemmastow.com/newsletter Connect with your host Gemma Stow: Website: https://www.gemmastow.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gemmastow/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/gemmastow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nomorehidingpodcast Connect with guest Paul Porter: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hrconsultantuk/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/porter_hr Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheCareerMum/