When a relationship ends, it’s not just the romantic partnership that dissolves - it’s the version of the life you imagined. For working mums, that loss can feel even heavier. You’re juggling career responsibilities, managing the daily needs of your children, and trying to make sense of an entirely new identity.

In this honest and practical conversation I chat with family lawyer, author, and co-parent Gabriella Pomare to talk about how working mums can navigate separation, divorce, and co-parenting with grace and clarity. Gabriella shares her personal story of rebuilding life after separation, whilst raising her son, managing a demanding career as a partner in a law firm, and finding a new identity. We discuss:

• The emotional reality of separation and identity loss
• How to communicate with your ex without escalating conflict
• Setting boundaries that protect your peace (and your children)
• Strategies for reducing the mental load when co-parenting
• The power of modeling respect and stability for your kids
• When to seek professional help — and why mediation can work better than court

Resources & Links

Follow Gariella @collaborativecoparent and see her website for free resources thecollaborativeco-parent.com.au and check out her new book "The Collaborative Coparent"

Follow Carina and Working Mumma @workingmummacommunity on LinkedIn and sign up to receive the free newsletter.

Are you caught in a constant loop of “I should be doing more”? In this reflective episode, Carina unpacks why the word "should" has become the secret source of guilt for working mums and how to replace it with kinder, more empowering language.

Carina explores how should sneaks into our day through social expectations, “good girl” conditioning, and the mental load and shares a simple mindset strategies to help reframe and let go of guilt and reclaim control of your choices.

You’ll walk away feeling lighter, more compassionate toward yourself, and with a practical strategy to shift from guilt to growth.

You’ll Learn:

• Why “should” fuels guilt and burnout for working mums
• The link between “should” and the mental load
• A simple mindset reframe to reduce pressure
• How to replace guilt with agency and compassion

Follow @workingmummacommunity or @workingmummapodcast on Instagram and follow Working Mumma on LinkedIn.

What happens when you’re managing a busy job or running a business and quietly going through IVF at the same time?

In this powerful episode, Carina sits down with Marianne Marchesi, founder and Managing Director of Legalite, to talk about the emotional and practical realities of balancing fertility treatment and career.

Marianne shares what it was really like to lead a growing law firm while navigating IVF during COVID - from countless appointments, injections, and heartbreak, to showing up at work trying to keep it all together.

She opens up about being diagnosed with endometriosis, the emotional toll of fertility struggles, and how the experience reshaped her definition of resilience, leadership, and success. Marianne also shares how her journey inspired her to introduce a 12-day reproductive health leave policy at Legalite, setting a new benchmark for workplace support.

If you’ve ever wondered how anyone does it all, or felt the silent weight of trying to balance work and fertility, this conversation will make you feel seen, supported, and a little less alone.

In This Episode, We Talk About:

• The emotional toll of IVF and infertility while working
• Managing the juggle of appointments, deadlines, and hormones
• The power of vulnerability and how it changed Marianne’s leadership style
• Why workplaces must evolve to support fertility and reproductive health
• How IVF reshaped her outlook on success, motherhood, and what really matters

MORE LINKS

Connect with Marianne on LinkedIn or Instagram @mariannemarchesi or via her website legalite.com.au.

Follow Working Mumma on Instagram @workingmummacommunity or @workingmummapodcast or on LinkedIn

Have you ever caught yourself saying “I’ll just do it,” or “I don’t want to upset anyone,” or you’re simply tired of trying to do it all perfectly?

This episode is your permission slip to stop being the good girl, and start being YOU.

Dr Michelle McQuaid joins Carina to unpack Good Girl Conditioning, the pressure women feel to perform perfectly, please everyone, and protect others at their own expense. Drawing on her new research across 1,000 Australian women, Michelle reveals the hidden costs of this conditioning - exhaustion, resentment, and loss of self - and offers science-backed strategies to break free.

Together, we explore how this shows up for working mums juggling careers, home, and identity, and discuss practical ways to replace “being good” with being uniquely you.

We chat about:

• What “Good Girl Conditioning” is and why it’s it's showing up more than ever

• The 3 behaviours that keep women stuck: perfection, pleasing, and protection

• How these patterns show up for working mums at home and work

• The powerful antidote: self-compassion, secure attachment, and self-leadership

• Simple nervous system tools to calm your body and respond differently

• Why “you’re not there yet” might be the most powerful mindset shift of all

Links and resources

Take Michelle’s Good Girl Mindset Survey: thegoodgirlgamechangers.com Follow Michelle on Substack or LinkedIn

Follow Working Mumma on Instagram @workingmummacommunity or @workingmummapodcast or on LinkedIn

Are you tired of feeling tired? You get through your workday, juggle drop-offs, dinner, and the endless to-do list - yet your mind never switches off.

You’re not broken, lazy, or failing. You’re just overloaded.

In this powerful conversation, clinical psychologist Dr. Kaitlin Harkess explains what’s really happening in your body when you feel burnt out, anxious, and stretched too thin. She shares the neuroscience behind why so many mums feel “wired but tired” with practical, evidence-based tools to help calm your nervous system and find balance again.

If you’ve been running on empty, this episode will leave you feeling seen, supported, and equipped with simple strategies you can start using today.

In This Episode, We Talk About:

• Why modern motherhood has mums constantly stuck in “fight-or-flight” mode
• How social media fuels perfectionism and guilt
• What burnout does to your body (and how to reverse it)
• How to recognise the signs your nervous system is overloaded
• The role of self-compassion and why mums struggle with it
• Easy somatic tools to calm anxiety and restore energy
• Small daily rituals to reset your body and mind

Connect with Dr. Kaitlin via Instagram @@drkaitlin and website wisdomforwellbeing.au and check out her upcoming book "The Somatic Workbook for Nervous System Regulation and Anxiety Relief"

Connect with Working Mumma via Instagram @workingmummacommunity and the podcast @workingmummapodast or LinkedIn

Transitions are part of every parenting journey, but they can often feel overwhelming—for both parents and kids! In this episode, I sit down with parenting expert Gen Muir to discuss navigating these pivotal moments with confidence and connection for both your child and you.

From starting daycare or school to navigating new situations, we dive into the common challenges children face during these transitions. Gen shares her expert tips on managing big emotions, building resilience, and creating a safe space for your little ones during times of change. We also explore how you can stay emotionally grounded as a parent amidst all the chaos (we know this can be challenging!).

This episode is packed with practical advice and heartfelt insights that every working mum needs in her toolkit. If you’re navigating or preparing for a big change such as starting daycare or school this conversation will leave you feeling equipped, inspired, and ready to tackle those transitions with a smile.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• The emotional impact of transitions on kids and how to support them
• Why connection is key and how to strengthen your bond with your child during big changes
• Simple strategies to help your kids—and yourself—manage those tricky emotions
• How to create "pregame chats" and post-event moments that ease the adjustment process
• Hacks for balancing your own emotions while juggling the mental load with your children

Resources and Links

Connect with Gen Muir on Instagram: @ConnectedParentingAU

Visit Gen’s website: connectedparenting.com.au

Check out Gen’s book: Little People, Big Feelings

Connect with Carina on LinkedIn

Let's connect on Instagram @workingmummacommunity

Get your free 'How to share the mental load' checklist workingmumma.com.au/mental-load/

Subscribe & Review

Loved this episode? Make sure to hit subscribe so you never miss an empowering conversation. And if you found it helpful, please leave a review—it helps us reach more working mums just like you!

Returning to work after maternity leave can feel like stepping into a whole new world - one where your values, identity, and confidence may feel completely different from before you left. You may look the same on the outside, but on the inside, you feel like a new person.

I chat with Sarah Gibbins, a leadership coach, HR expert, and mum of four, to explore the unspoken truths of navigating career, identity shift, mum guilt, and motherhood.

We dive into:

• The identity shift women experience after becoming mothers
• Why guilt and “shoulds” weigh so heavily on working mums, and how to let them go
• The truth about confidence after kids and how to rebuild it step by step
• Why “balance” is a myth and what to focus on instead
• How to navigate the return-to-work transition with more confidence and self-belief

If you’ve ever thought, “I’m not the same person anymore… and I don’t know who I am now” — this conversation is for you.

Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn or her website neonpeople.co

Connect with Carina and Working Mumma via Instagram: @workingmummacommunity or LinkedIn Working Mumma or Carina O'Brien and you can sign sign up to the Working Mumma newsletter

Why are there no senior part-time roles?

What started as a reel with recent guest Emma McLean exploded online with hundreds of comments from working parents sharing frustrations, missed opportunities, and moments of hope about part time roles.

What really struck me was how much emotion and old-school thinking remains towards part time work. For so many working mums, the lack of senior part-time roles isn’t just about jobs. It’s about identity, family, equality, and opportunity.

The main barrier to part time and flexible work isn’t logistics or the law. It’s cultural. Too many workplaces still equate hours with commitment, and presenteeism with performance.

But the stories, the data, and the law all show it can work.

In this episode, we dive deep into:

• The barriers and cultural beliefs holding back part-time senior roles
• Real stories of mums (and dads) facing career penalties for choosing part-time work
• Where flexible and part-time work is working well, from job shares to international examples
• What Australian law (Fair Work Act) actually says about part-time work and flexible arrangements
• The broader impact: missed talent, superannuation gaps, the mental load, and systemic inequality
• How businesses can rethink leadership, flexibility, and the future of work to support all working parents

This episode is a must-listen for working mums who want both a career and family life, and for leaders who want to unlock talent, improve retention, and create more inclusive workplaces.

Resources & Related Episodes:

• Prof. Leah Ruppanner on the mental load
• Deline Jacovides on childcare affordability & superannuation
• Natasha Janssens on money & confidence
• Elise Slavin & Laura Stewart on redefining career success after kids
• Episode with Emma McLean

Connect with Carina and Working Mumma

• Instagram: @workingmummacommunity
• LinkedIn: Working Mumma or Carina O'Brien
• Sign up to the Working Mumma newsletter