This week on Mum Means Business, I’m joined by Amy Grilli - former teacher and co-founder of The Five Hour Club, a growing movement challenging the traditional 9–5 workday and advocating for more realistic, family-friendly ways of working.

After taking five years out of paid employment to care for her children, Amy found herself staring at a large gap in her CV and questioning how it would be received. Her instinct was that being a “full-time parent” would be judged, dismissed or even criticised. So she left the gap unexplained and quietly withdrew, feeling insignificant, undervalued and unsure whether she was still welcome in the professional world.

In frustration, Amy shared her experience on LinkedIn in 2024. The post went viral, resonating with tens of thousands of mothers who felt deeply seen. That response became the catalyst for The Five Hour Club - a professional job board promoting five-hour workdays, alongside a podcast of the same name, all designed to help parents maintain and return to meaningful careers after having children.

What began as a personal moment of vulnerability has grown into a powerful movement. As Amy puts it so simply - 9 to 5 doesn’t work for parents.

In this thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation, we explore:
✨ The emotional impact of stepping away from paid work to raise children
✨ Why returning to work after time out can feel so daunting
✨ The hidden struggles of part-time work and so-called “flexibility”
✨ Balancing careers with school hours and school holidays
✨ How rigid working cultures quietly push mothers out of the workforce
✨ Why flexibility must be a two-way conversation between employers and employees
✨ How the five-hour workday could benefit businesses as well as families
✨ The vision behind The Five Hour Club and its growing global impact

About Amy Grilli:
Amy Grilli is a former teacher and co-founder of The Five Hour Club, a global job board and podcast promoting five-hour workdays and flexible roles for parents. Her work is driven by a desire to normalise parenthood in the workplace and challenge outdated assumptions about productivity, commitment and success.

After experiencing first-hand the barriers parents face when trying to return to work, Amy now advocates for systemic change that allows families to thrive - without forcing parents to choose between career and caregiving.

You can learn more about The Five Hour Club by visiting their website, following them on LinkedIn and Instagram, or listening to The Five Hour Club podcast.

About The Host:
I'm Victoria Phipps – a Mum of two, family photographer, charity co-founder, marketing person and now podcaster! 🎙️

I was raised by a nurturing Mother and an entrepreneurial Father and have inherited traits from both, so the tension between ambition and motherhood is one I grapple with on a daily basis!

I’m fascinated to hear the stories of other women on a similar path, who are striving to build thriving businesses whilst being present for their children. It's a tough juggle, but I hope the conversations shared on this podcast help Mums in business feel less alone and inspired to keep going in pursuit of their dreams.

Head to the Mum Means Business Podcast website for full show notes.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed in this conversation, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @victoriaphippsmbe or @mummeansbusinesspodcast.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5* rating and review!

29: Challenging the 9–5 and Reimagining Work for Parents with Amy Grilli