“The patriarchy loves to pit women against women” - A tete-a-tete with Cath Jenkin

Meet Cath Jenkin, a leader, an inspiration, a woman of power, and most importantly, a pragmatic person who has been there and seen there. A name that is synonymous with some of the most prolific content omnipresent on the web. She provides editorial, strategic, and integrated communication-related leadership for projects across the globe. She has led and been a part of multiple teams globally across diverse sectors including alternative finance, information security, data protection, blockchain technologies, and more. She is currently driving  Bulldog Development Studios which she believes will be the next big WOOF from content machines. 

We had the fortune of speaking to her; here’s an excerpt of the interesting interview:

On Herself

I'm a determined person, deeply committed to my career. That said, I believe that our careers are tools that we can (and should) use to further our lives as a whole. Most people like to think that a work-life balance is a goal, but in truth, balancing life and work is a myth. For me, some days, work wins, and on other days, life wins. Being okay with that is a lesson. Never let either win too much, but always tackle your work and your life, day by day. When I'm not pounding the keyboard and leading teams, you'll find me in the kitchen indulging in cooking adventurous meals for all of us to enjoy.

On Children and keeping up with them

They are a constant adventure in learning and my proudest achievement. I battle to keep up with what's cool. Parenting, for me, is less about the work of it, and more about the learning within it. Children teach you more than you teach them. The best thing you can do as a parent is to listen. Sometimes that's hard after a long work day, but it's important to make sure you clear your mind and truly listen. 

On her Wedding

My husband and I chose 22.02.2022 to get married. Although we had been together for quite some time, we had both been through divorces before, so marriage wasn't necessarily a goal for us. Instead, it was a celebration of how far we've come together, and how much we've grown as a family. 

On Husband 

My husband is both my partner and accomplice in all things life, work, and living. We'd been friends for more than 20 years before any romantic adventures began. Our marriage is an absolute commitment to enabling each other's careers and supporting our independent lives. 

On Workplace Challenges being a woman

In my young twenties, I was working in an extremely competitive, male-dominated industry in IT. At a meeting, a much older man said to me: "Nobody will ever take you seriously in knee-high socks." It stuck with me, immediately, and always has. It made me determined to continue to be myself, and enable others to see and experience a visible example of someone who does not stray from who they are, just for the sake of "fitting in". I work to lead as an example to my daughter, first and foremost. I am no longer that uncertain young lady in knee-high socks, but I am still wearing them. 

On one woman being another woman’s enemy

Absolutely not. The patriarchal society we currently live in loves to pit women against women. The competition, however, is a lie, founded on the idea that there has to be a "best woman" or that we must strive to "have it all." All of us can win, for our own lives. Our job as leaders is to enable and unlock those opportunities for ourselves, for others, and for the future. 

On being a boss & female bosses

Having re-shaped my business over the past few years has taught me that I'm probably not so bad. I am privileged to lead, mentor, and capacitate multiple teams, and grow young talent into exceptional leaders themselves. I thank my former leaders, all of whom were women, for their mentoring of me, their belief in me, and their constant commitment to ensuring I worked to better myself, rather than compete with others. Nowadays, I have mentors, both men, and women, who guide and help me, every day. 

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