THE MODERN FAMILY

FIONA NEWTON

MY PARTNER RENEE AND I LEAD A FULL LIFE. WE RUN TWO BUSINESS TOGETHER – THE FITZROY MARKET IN MELBOURNE AND PRODUCTIVE EVENTS & TRAINING (DELIVERING TRAINING IN PRODUCTIVITY TO ORGANISATIONS RIGHT ACROSS AUSTRALIA).

To add some spice to life, we have a couple of not-so-small side projects – Renee created a music festival, A Hitch to the Sticks, and I co-host a radio show Chicks Talking Footy on Joy949. All this while raising our gorgeous son Jaxson. We are busy people but not stressed (at least not most of the time). With the benefit of years of experience working with our clients to develop their own productivity systems and techniques and the benefit of being in a same sex relationship, we realised we could create our own rules.

When we decided to have a child together, there were some other practical decisions to be made like who will carry the baby, will we use a friend or an unknown donor? How many attempts at IVF we were willing to make? The sex method is much more enjoyable and cheaper, so I have heard! However, we also felt free to make some more in-depth decisions about how we created our life as there are no gender roles to navigate. I have trained many people that work 10-hour days and commute an hour each way to the office and are lucky to spend 30 minutes with their kids before bedtime. We didn’t want a life where one partner was working 50 hours a week to support us financially, while the other stayed home with our child full time. We are both highly ambitious and driven. So, we wanted to find a more balanced approach where we could both be

doing what we love, spend time with our son in these precious years, and travel every year. Our son Jaxson goes to childcare on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I hang out with him on Mondays, and Renee hangs out with him on Fridays and we work in between. We both work part-time and parent part-time. It’s not always as smooth as what it sounds. I may need to travel to deliver training or speak at a conference, or Renee might be away to set up things for a music festival (or one of us, usually me, accidentally books too many social engagements in). However, we have the flexibility to change schedules and responsibilities as we need. Setting up a lives this way has empowered both of us to do what we love and build a strong connection with our son. I believe a positive that will come out of the global pandemic is that we can all reimagine our work lives and possibly create more work-life balance for everyone. When the average commute time in Australia is 3 hours and 37 minutes a week, and the 9-5 workday no longer works for everybody, perhaps we can all create a new reality.

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Jaxson

Renee and Fiona

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I believe a positive that will come out of the global pandemic is that we can all reimagine our work lives and possibly create more work-life balance for everyone. Fiona Newton

Fiona is the co-founder of Productive Events and Training, the creator of The Fitzroy Market and broadcaster on the award-winning Chicks Talking Footy show. Fiona has used her experience as a small business owner and radio broadcaster to train tens of thousands of people across most industries in Australia in how to be more productive and communicate effectively. Renowned for being an inspiring speaker and trainer, Fiona shares her personal insights and experience to help others grow. With every presentation and training session, Fiona aims to ensure her audience takes away useful insights, inspiration and tips that will help them succeed in their career or business.