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Natalie Street has the job most women in Australia would die for: PA and PR manager to French celebrity chef, Manu Feildel. She lives in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs with her partner Adam and their daughter Isla, 2yrs 9months.
C4K: How did you come to be doing such a fantastic job?
NS: I first met Manu when I worked with him on the first series of MKR. I needed a new job and he was told to find someone who could help him out. When we first talked he told me he didn't know how much he needed an assistant and wasn't that busy, within a month we were writing his first cookbook and the rest, as they say, is history…
C4K: What does your job entail on a daily basis?
NS: That is the most difficult question to answer. There really aren't 2 days the same - the job has definitely changed and evolved since I started and it can be anything from booking flights, to writing recipes to setting up events to designing a restaurant. It's not a 9-5, standard job in any respect.
C4K: It's the kind of job you can't really step away from. Did you take maternity leave or work through?
NS: Put it this way, my partner asked me to turn off the computer when we were in the labour suite! I was actually induced before term due to medical complications, so had to finish things up quicker than planned and I took 3 months off. I had someone answering emails for me, but I didn't turn off my phone or computer as such and Manu still called me - not as much as usual, but still frequently! It's hard when you are so closely involved with someone and their everyday business to just not be there. Although I did return after 3 months, I worked from home and took Isla with me to the office until she was a year old when I put her in to childcare.
C4K: How do you juggle such a demanding role with a young child?
NS: It's definitely a juggle and I couldn't do it without such a flexible boss and partner. There's a lot of afterhours work, early morning emails and some weekends too. I'm have to be available 24/7.
C4K: Who looks after Isla while you're working?
NS: Isla is at daycare 3 days per week and Adam has her for the other 2 week days. This means he works on a weekend day too, meaning we really only get one full day as a family together each week. We didn't want Isla to be in daycare for 5 days a week, so have made this decision to forfeit one of our days together. Adam's position asks for him to do 5 days per week, so it has to be this way or he loses out on the position he wants. He doesn't have a problem being the main child carer in the family, but also doesn't want to miss out on future opportunities by giving less commitment now. We have considered a nanny recently, as Adam had moved company and I have to travel more, meaning he has to take and collect Isla from childcare, but this is quite a large expense to commit to without the rebate. In Adam's old position our plan worked well, but he has had add an additional week day, meaning we now have to consider an additional day of care so we are working this out at the moment. It's difficult for me to work part time as my position is so varied each day I can't commit to one particular day off as, each week that could be the day I'm needed, which doesn't work for daycare or Adam's work as it's not consistent. We feel incredibly lucky that Isla loves her daycare and has maybe cried once or twice when we have left her in the 18 months she has been there. Both of our families are still in the UK, so we do have to rely on other forms of childcare, but are very lucky with great friends that will always step in when daycare isn't available.
C4K: Do you ever get to work from home or take Isla to the office?
NS: I am more than lucky to have Manu as a boss. He completely trusts me in my position and allows me the flexibility to do my work in the best way that works for me, so never dictates that I must work in a certain place, day or method. This means that yes, I am able to work from home or have Isla with me if needed at the office.
C4K: What are your strengths and weaknesses as a mum?
NS: My biggest weakness is motherguilt, whatever I do I don't think it's the right thing, so beat myself up about every decision that I make: Should I work less, should I send her to day care less, or maybe more! It's a constant internal struggle!
A strength, if you can call it that, is constant engagement when I am with Isla, even if this is for the 15 min journey to daycare. I try (I say try as it's not always possible) to put my phone and computer away and talk to her, find out about her day etc.
C4K: What three things could you not do without as a working mum?
NS: My iPhone, my laptop and a flexible, understanding employer!
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