Two Founders, Six Boys, and One Shared Mission: Scaling Flexibly with Lisa Gallagher and Nikki Slowey

What happens when you launch a workplace consultancy focused on human connection at the exact moment the entire world goes into strict isolation? In this episode, Dr Brenda Hector sits down with Lisa Gallagher and Nikki Slowey, co-founders of Flexibility Works, to explore their six-year journey running an impactful social enterprise.

Both Lisa and Nikki share their matching professional histories: reaching senior levels, navigating motherhood, and hitting absolute organizational brick walls when attempting to negotiate basic part-time or job-share terms. Dr Brenda Hector also shares her personal experience navigating the rigid workplace frameworks of the past as a mother of twins. Together, they highlight why flexible working structures are no longer a modern luxury—they are a critical commercial lever that decreases employee absenteeism, supercharges retention rates, and broadens talent pools.

Key Takeaways:

• The Power of Co-Founding: How sharing executive leadership allows business owners to manage family operations, avoid professional burnout, and survive sudden personal health challenges.
• Guardrails vs. Free-For-Alls: Why hybrid frameworks require clear, evolving structures instead of static policies to remain sustainable.
• Frontline Flexibility: How manufacturing and operational environments can successfully implement staggered start times and predictable shifts.
• Charitable Seed Funding: Navigating the third-sector landscape to fund an initial launch with a distinct poverty alleviation lens.