Podcast
Motherkind
Motherkind is the podcast for women who know that motherhood changes everything — and want to grow forward, not “bounce back”. Hosted by Zoe Blaskey, Motherkind explores the profound personal, emotional and professional transformation that happens when you become a mother. This is a space for women navigating the wild, identity-shifting years of motherhood who want to reclaim confidence, redefine ambition, and build a life that works for who they are now.
Each week, Zoe sits down with world-leading experts, thought leaders, psychologists, authors and well-known figures to unpack the real experiences of modern motherhood — from matrescence and identity loss to confidence, boundaries, work, relationships and self-worth. Expect honest conversations, evidence-based insight and practical tools that help you move through this season with clarity and strength.
Motherkind is not about doing more, fixing yourself, or returning to who you were before children. It’s about becoming who you are now — with intention, compassion and growth. If you’re a mother who wants to feel more like herself again — confident, grounded and excited about what’s next — this is your place. Motherkind: for the woman behind the mother.
- Parenting chart
- #154
- Episodes
- 715
- Releases
- Weekly
- Typical length
- 39 min
- On air since
- 2017
- Latest episode
- 1 day ago
Episodes
715 episodes, newest first
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5 min
Dr Mindy Pelz: The Unexpected Thing That Changed When I Put Myself First Bonus
Show notes
Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge, starting 17th November 2026. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off.
What if putting yourself first could change how you feel about everyone around you?
In this Motherkind Moment, Zoe is joined by Dr Mindy Pelz, a women’s health educator, chiropractor and New York Times bestselling author of Fast Like a Girl. Known for her work on women’s health, hormones and menopause, Mindy shares a deeply personal lesson about caring for herself.
After years of putting family and then work first, she finally began prioritising herself at 55. The biggest change? Letting go of resentment.
Together, they explore what our children learn from watching us constantly doing, rushing and putting our own needs last. Mindy offers a different way to think about self-care: as something we can model for our children, helping them see that their needs deserve space too.
💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:
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How Mindy connects putting herself first with feeling less resentful.
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Why our everyday habits can teach our children more than our words.
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A simple question to ask when prioritising yourself feels difficult.
A reminder that caring for yourself is something your children can learn from, too.
Watch every full episode on YouTube and subscribe.
Loved this episode?
Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode of Motherkind. It helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can listen to the full episode: 2026 health reset: Dr Mindy Pelz on burning fat, clearing brain fog, balancing moods and getting your energy back
Feeling different since becoming a mother? Get clarity on who you’re becoming now and download your FREE Matrescence Cheat Sheet
Connect with Zoe:
•
Follow Zoe on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok
•
Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’
This Motherkind episode is sponsored by:
•
Headline sponsor Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at http://wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply.
•
Grape Tree Feel Good Foods. Buy online at http://Grapetree.co.uk or find your local store
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22 min
Ask me anything: Quitting Sugar, Finding Self-worth, and Pivoting in Your 40s
Show notes
Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge, starting 10th November 2026. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off.
Trigger Warning: This episode includes a personal discussion of bereavement and the sudden death of a sibling.
How do you start believing in yourself? What if you have no idea what you want to do next? And what does returning to work look like when you’re grieving?
This week, I’m doing something a little different and answering your questions. It’s an honest, personal episode covering everything from why I stopped eating refined sugar to the small promises that have helped me build trust in myself.
I share five exercises to help you find clarity around your next career move, especially if you’re staring at a blank page wondering where to begin. We explore what gives you energy, what jealousy might be telling you and why your ideal working day matters just as much as a job title.
Finally, I answer the hardest question: how I’m navigating life and work following the sudden death of my younger brother. I share why returning to something I love has felt like a sanctuary, how I’m allowing the grief to come in waves, and what caring for myself looks like right now.
💡 In this episode, I share:
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Why I gave up refined sugar and my personal experience of the change.
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How keeping small promises to yourself can build confidence.
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Why courage comes before feeling ready.
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Five practical exercises to help you figure out your next career move.
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How someone else’s success can become evidence of what’s possible for you.
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My experience of grief, finding support and returning to work.
Watch every full episode on YouTube and subscribe.
Loved this episode?
Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode of Motherkind. It helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing.
If you enjoyed this episode, you might also enjoy this episode: How to build true confidence (and then teach it to your children)
Feeling different since becoming a mother? Get clarity on who you’re becoming now and download your FREE Matrescence Cheat Sheet
Connect with Zoe:
•
Follow Zoe on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok
•
Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’
This Motherkind episode is sponsored by:
•
Headline sponsor: Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at http://wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply.
•
Grape Tree Feel Good Foods. Buy online at http://Grapetree.co.uk or find your local store
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10 min
Dr Federica Amati: What New Mothers Aren’t Told About Recovery After Birth Bonus
Show notes
Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off.
When you’re caring for a newborn, who’s making sure you’re being cared for too?
In this Motherkind Moment, nutrition researcher and author Dr Federica Amati joins Zoe to explore why looking after ourselves can feel so difficult after birth, just when our bodies need support the most.
Drawing on her own experience of becoming a mother, Federica shares why knowing what to do isn’t always enough, and how practical help can make all the difference. From a freezer full of meals to setting boundaries with visitors, this is a reassuring reminder that your recovery matters too.
💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:
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Why your nutritional needs increase when you’re breastfeeding
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Preparing easy, nourishing food for those early weeks
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Why caring for mothers takes more than information alone
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Asking for the help you actually need and setting boundaries with visitors
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Reframing postpartum as a time for healing and recovery
Whether you’re preparing for a baby, in the thick of those early weeks or supporting someone who is, this conversation offers a kinder way to think about life after birth.
Watch every full episode on YouTube and subscribe.
Loved this episode?
Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode of Motherkind. It helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing.
If you enjoyed this episode, you might also enjoy Zoe’s conversation with Federica Amati: Birth Is The Equivalent of 10 Marathons, And It's Why You're Still Tired (Even Years Later)
Feeling different since becoming a mother? Get clarity on who you’re becoming now and download your FREE Matrescence Cheat Sheet
Connect with Zoe:
•
Follow Zoe on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok
•
Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’
This Motherkind episode is sponsored by:
•
Headline sponsor Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at http://wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply.
•
Grape Tree Feel Good Foods. Buy online at http://Grapetree.co.uk or find your local store
Key topics: Postpartum nutrition • Breastfeeding • Recovery after birth • Maternal wellbeing • Nourishing meals • Support for new mothers • Asking for help • Postpartum boundaries
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25 min
Stop Apologising for Being a Mother at Work—with Emma Grede, Vanessa Kingori and Michelle Kennedy
Show notes
Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge, starting 10th November 2026. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off.
Do you find yourself apologising for leaving work on time? For missing the team drinks? For not always being available?
You don’t need to make up for being a mother. And yet, so many of us feel we have to hide our family commitments or work twice as hard to prove we’re still capable.
In this special compilation episode, Zoe brings together three powerful conversations with Vanessa Kingori, the first woman to lead British Vogue's publishing business; Emma Grede, co-founder of Good American; and Michelle Kennedy, founder of Peanut.
Each shares a different perspective on motherhood and ambition, from challenging workplace double standards to protecting family time and finding the confidence to say what you need.
If you’ve ever felt guilty for wanting a fulfilling career, or worried that setting a boundary might make you seem less committed, this episode is for you.
💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:
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Why Vanessa chose to make her pregnancy more visible after being advised to keep motherhood quiet
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The double standards mothers and fathers face at work
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How Emma protects her time and models boundaries for her team
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Letting go of the pressure to balance everything perfectly
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Why Michelle struggled to protect bedtime, even as a founder
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Recognising what your working environment is doing to your confidence
You’ll leave with one question to reflect on: what is one thing you’re going to do differently?
If this episode helps you feel more confident and less apologetic, please share it with a mother who needs to hear it.
Watch every full episode on YouTube and subscribe.
Loved this episode?
Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode of Motherkind. It helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can listen or watch the full episodes on the guests here:
•
Vanessa Kingori: The NEW Career & Motherhood Playbook From The Woman Who Ran British Vogue Whilst Pregnant or watch on YouTube
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Emma Grede: "Your kids don't need you to be their everything" or watch on YouTube
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Michelle Kennedy: How to Turn Your Hardest Motherhood Struggles Into a Career With Purpose
Feeling different since becoming a mother? Get clarity on who you’re becoming now and download your FREE Matrescence Cheat Sheet
Connect with Zoe:
•
Follow Zoe on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok
•
Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’
This Motherkind episode is sponsored by:
•
Headline sponsor: Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at http://wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply.
•
Grape Tree Feel Good Foods. Buy online at http://Grapetree.co.uk or find your local store
Key topics: Working mothers • Motherhood and ambition • Workplace boundaries • Working mum guilt • Women in leadership • Motherhood penalty • Career confidence • Self-worth • Work and family life
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10 min
Rochelle Humes’ Life Coach Dior Bediako: When You Feel Like You’re Failing, Ask Yourself This Bonus
Show notes
Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off.
Do you ever get to the end of the day and focus on everything you got wrong, rather than everything you’ve held together?
In this week’s Motherkind Moment, Zoe is joined by life coach Dior Bediako, founder of Pepper Your Talk, whose clients include Rochelle Humes and author Elizabeth Uviebinené. Dior shares a simple way to rethink how you speak to yourself: would you say those same words to your best friend?
Together, Zoe and Dior explore how to take responsibility without blaming yourself, and why the moments when you find it hardest to be kind to yourself are often when you need it most.
Whether you’ve shouted when you wanted to stay calm or feel torn between work and your children, this is a reminder that you can acknowledge what you’d like to do differently without tearing yourself down.
💡 In this moment, we explore:
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How to speak to yourself with the kindness you’d offer your best friend
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The difference between taking responsibility and blaming yourself
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Why being hard on yourself doesn’t help you move forward
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How to meet mum guilt and difficult parenting moments with self-compassion
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Being honest about what you want to improve without shaming yourself
You can do hard things and still be kind to yourself.
Watch every full episode on YouTube and subscribe.
Loved this episode?
Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode of Motherkind. It helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can listen to the full episode here: Why Confidence Drops in Motherhood and How to Rebuild It
Feeling like you’re carrying it all? Download your FREE Mental Load Cheat Sheet and learn how to start feeling lighter, even if nothing in your life changes.
Connect with Zoe:
•
Follow Zoe on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok
•
Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’
This Motherkind episode is sponsored by:
•
Headline sponsor Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at http://wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply.
•
Grape Tree Feel Good Foods. Buy online at http://Grapetree.co.uk or find your local store
Key topics: Self-compassion • Mum guilt • Negative self-talk • Inner critic • Self-forgiveness • Emotional wellbeing • Taking responsibility without shame • Working mothers • Building a kinder relationship with yourself
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13 min
I Thought I’d Feel Like Myself Again After Having a Baby — Then I Learned This
Show notes
Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off.
Everyone expects your baby to change. But who prepares you for how much you’ll change too?
If you’ve ever wondered “Where have I gone?” or felt that you should have figured motherhood out by now, this solo episode is for you.
Zoe shares ten things everyone needs to know about matrescence: the physical, emotional and psychological transformation of becoming a mother. She explores why your identity, relationships, priorities and ambitions can feel different, and why adjusting to motherhood can take far longer than we’re led to believe.
Through her jigsaw puzzle analogy, Zoe explains what it means to rebuild your life with children in the picture. She also reflects on the loneliness of feeling different inside while everyone around you still expects the old version of you.
Whether you’re a new mum or years into motherhood, this episode offers language for what you’re experiencing and a little more compassion for the woman you’re becoming.
💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:
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What matrescence means and why understanding it can change how you see yourself
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How Zoe describes the brain and hormonal changes that accompany motherhood
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Why rebuilding your identity takes time
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How you can adore your children and still miss parts of your old life
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Why motherhood can feel lonely, even when you’re rarely alone
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How self-compassion, community and space to change can support you
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Why asking “Who am I becoming?” can help you move forward
Watch every full episode on YouTube and subscribe.
Loved this episode?
Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode of Motherkind. It helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing.
If you enjoyed this episode, you might also enjoy Zoe’s conversation with
Feeling different since becoming a mother? Get clarity on who you’re becoming now and download your FREE Matrescence Cheat Sheet
Connect with Zoe:
•
Follow Zoe on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok
•
Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’
This Motherkind episode is sponsored by:
•
Headline sponsor: Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at http://wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply.
•
Grape Tree Feel Good Foods. Buy online at http://Grapetree.co.uk or find your local store
Key topics: Matrescence • Identity after motherhood • Emotional changes in motherhood • Maternal wellbeing • Motherhood expectations • Loneliness in motherhood • Self-compassion • Changing priorities • Personal growth
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11 min
Why You’re Still Carrying the Mental Load—Even When Your Partner Helps Bonus
Show notes
Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off.
Does it ever feel like you’re the one who has to remember everything?
The school dates, the appointments, the birthday presents, the never-ending list running through your head—even when you’re supposed to be resting.
In this Motherkind Moment, Zoe and Jada explore the invisible mental load of motherhood, why we so often become the default parent, and how to start sharing responsibility without having to oversee everything ourselves.
They also discuss the skills motherhood gives us—from clearer communication to prioritisation—and why becoming a mother can make us better leaders.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by everything you’re holding, this conversation offers a starting point for change.
💡 In this Moment, you’ll learn:
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Why the mental load can feel relentless, even when nobody else can see it.
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How to begin handing over responsibility and letting go of overseeing every task.
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Why small changes to family routines can help you work more as a team.
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How the skills you develop as a mother translate into the workplace.
Watch every full episode on YouTube and subscribe.
Loved this episode?
Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode of Motherkind. It helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can listen to the full episode here: The "Old You" is Gone, Here's How to Embrace Who You're Becoming
Feeling different since becoming a mother? Get clarity on who you’re becoming now and download your FREE Matrescence Cheat Sheet
Connect with Zoe:
•
Follow Zoe on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok
•
Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’
This Motherkind episode is sponsored by:
•
Headline sponsor: Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at http://wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply.
•
Grape Tree Feel Good Foods. Buy online at http://Grapetree.co.uk or find your local store
Key topics: Mental load of motherhood • Sharing the mental load • Default parent • Invisible work of motherhood • Sharing parenting responsibilities • Communication with your partner • Decision fatigue • Motherhood and leadership skills • Balancing motherhood and work
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47 min
Vex King: What Your Children Really Learn When You Always Put Yourself Last
Show notes
Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off.
Do you say yes when you mean no, then feel guilty for wishing you’d put yourself first?
In this heartfelt conversation, author Vex King joins Zoe to explore people-pleasing, self-worth and why caring for everyone else can leave us disconnected from ourselves.
Vex shares the extraordinary story of his mum, who raised three children alone after losing his dad, navigating poverty, homelessness and racism. He reflects on what her love and resilience taught him, and why, as a child, his greatest wish was simply for her to be happy.
Drawing on his new book, You Can’t Please Everyone, Vex explains the difference between making sacrifices for the people we love and losing ourselves in the process. He and Zoe explore how to recognise people-pleasing, reconnect with what matters to you and start setting boundaries, even when your voice shakes.
If you’re exhausted from trying to keep everyone happy, this conversation is a reminder that your needs, dreams and happiness deserve space too.
💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:
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How to recognise when caring for others becomes self-abandonment
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Why resentment can be a sign you’ve said yes when you wanted to say no
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A simple exercise to help you identify your values and trust your decisions
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How to start setting boundaries without feeling overwhelmed
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What we model to our children when we make room for our own needs
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Why you can be a kind person and still say no
Watch every full episode on YouTube and subscribe.
Loved this episode?
Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode of Motherkind. It helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing.
If you enjoyed this episode, you might also enjoy Zoe’s conversation with Nedra Glover Tawwab: Why Mothers Feel So Resentful (And The Boundaries That Change Everything)
Feeling different since becoming a mother? Get clarity on who you’re becoming now and download your FREE Matrescence Cheat Sheet
Connect with Zoe:
•
Follow Zoe on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok
•
Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’
This Motherkind episode is sponsored by:
•
Headline sponsor: Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at http://wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply.
•
Grape Tree Feel Good Foods. Buy online at http://Grapetree.co.uk or find your local store
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11 min
Dr Helen O’Neill: Why Are Women Carrying So Much of the Fertility Burden? Bonus
Show notes
TRIGGER WARNING: This episode includes discussion of miscarriage and fertility difficulties.
Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off.
Why does so much of the pressure around fertility fall on women?
In this Moment, Dr Helen O’Neill joins Zoe to explore the often-overlooked role of sperm health and why trying for a baby needs to be a shared responsibility.
Zoe opens up about her own experience of miscarriage and the anxiety she felt during her next pregnancy. Together, they discuss how keeping early pregnancy private can leave women without support when they need it most, and why being told to “just relax” can feel so painful.
It’s an honest conversation about the emotional weight of trying to conceive, feeling supported and why women shouldn’t have to carry it all alone.
💡 In this Moment, you’ll learn:
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Why sperm health deserves more attention in fertility conversations
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The loneliness of pregnancy loss and the pressure to keep it private
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The emotional toll of trying for a baby after miscarriage
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Why reassurance and support matter more than being told to “just relax”
Watch every full episode on YouTube and subscribe.
Loved this episode?
Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode of Motherkind. It helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can listen to the full episode here: Dr Helen O’Neill: We Know Less About Miscarriage Than We Do About Mars
Feeling different since becoming a mother? Get clarity on who you’re becoming now and download your FREE Matrescence Cheat Sheet
Connect with Zoe:
•
Follow Zoe on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok
•
Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’
This Motherkind episode is sponsored by:
•
Headline sponsor: Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at http://wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply.
•
Grape Tree Feel Good Foods. Buy online at http://Grapetree.co.uk or find your local store
-
43 min
Mimi Ikonn: I Thought Having a Baby Would Bring Us Closer — But Our Marriage Fell Apart
Show notes
Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off.
What happens when your life looks perfect from the outside, but deep down you know something isn’t right?
Mimi Ikonn had built a successful business, a marriage and a family, but after becoming a mother, something began to shift. She felt increasingly alone in motherhood and slowly started to disconnect from her relationship without fully understanding what was happening.
In this deeply honest conversation, Mimi shares what ultimately led her to leave her 13-year marriage, why becoming a mother changed the dynamic of her relationship and the difficult decision to choose herself while raising a young daughter.
Mimi and Zoe also explore ambition after motherhood, mum guilt, asking for help, perfectionism, and why motherhood can force us to rethink who we are, what we value, and what success actually means.
At the heart of this conversation is a powerful reminder: choosing yourself doesn’t mean choosing your children any less.
💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:
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Why relationships can change so dramatically after becoming parents
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How loneliness and resentment can quietly build in motherhood
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Why asking for and accepting help is so important
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How to balance ambition with being the mother you want to be
•
Why perfectionism becomes impossible once you have children
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How to recognise when your life no longer feels aligned
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Why choosing yourself can also model something powerful for your children
•
How self-acceptance can change the way you experience motherhood
Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode of Motherkind. It helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing.
Watch every full episode on YouTube and subscribe.
Loved this episode?
Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode of Motherkind. It helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing.
If you enjoyed this episode, you might also enjoy: The "Old You" is Gone, Here's How to Embrace Who You're Becoming — Jada Sezer
Feeling different since becoming a mother? Get clarity on who you’re becoming now and download your FREE Matrescence Cheat Sheet
Connect with Zoe:
•
Follow Zoe on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok
•
Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’
This Motherkind episode is sponsored by:
•
Headline sponsor Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at http://wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply.
•
Grape Tree Feel Good Foods. Buy online at http://Grapetree.co.uk or find your local store
Key topics
Motherhood identity • Matrescence • Relationships after children • Marriage after motherhood • Divorce • Separation • Single motherhood • Mum guilt • Mental load • Resentment • Asking for help • Ambition after motherhood • Self-acceptance • Choosing yourself • Motherhood and relationships • Working motherhood • Perfectionism • Life transitions • Finding yourself again • Mimi Ikonn
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18 min
Dr Martha Deiros Collado: Why Playing With Your Child Feels So Hard (And How to Make It Easier)
Show notes
Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off.
Do you ever sit down to play with your child and, five minutes later, find yourself thinking about the washing, dinner or everything else you could be doing? Zoe does too.
In this special episode, created in partnership with Melissa & Doug, Zoe talks to Dr Martha Deiros Collado, a clinical psychologist specialising in parenting and child development, about why play can feel difficult for adults, especially when we’re used to being busy and productive. Dr Martha explains how play helps children process their day and connect with us, and shares simple ways to make it more enjoyable for parents too.
You don’t need to invent elaborate games or become your child’s entertainer. Sometimes five or ten minutes together, following their lead, is enough. And if you’re hoping to encourage independent play, Dr Martha has a wonderfully simple idea you can try before they even come home from school.
💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:
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Why finding play boring sometimes is completely normal
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How to choose activities you enjoy as well as your child
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What children may be telling us when they ask us to play
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A simple way to invite more independent play
•
Why toys that leave room for imagination can be so engaging
Watch this episode on YouTube and subscribe.
This episode is made in partnership with Melissa & Doug. Discover toys designed to inspire imaginative play athttps://www.melissaanddoug.com/http://Amazon.co.uk: Melissa & Doug and help your little one find the extraordinary in the ordinary. ✨
Connect with Zoe:
•
Follow Zoe on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok
•
Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’
Key Topics
Playing with your children • Why parents find play difficult • Parent guilt • The pressure to be productive • Imaginative play • Pretend play • Independent play • Child development • Connection through play • Play after school • Helping children process emotions • Encouraging creativity • Open-ended toys • Following your child’s lead • Making play enjoyable for parents • Quality time with children
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11 min
Strength Training Expert Elizabeth Davies: The Postpartum Check Most Mothers Don’t Know They Need Bonus
Show notes
Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off.
Have you ever gone back to a fitness class after having a baby and wondered why nobody asked how your body was doing?
In this Motherkind Moment, women’s fitness coach Elizabeth Davies talks to Zoe about pelvic floor symptoms that can be hard to bring up at the gym, and the support many mothers don’t know is available. Elizabeth explains what a pelvic health physiotherapist can help with, including an individual assessment and a plan for returning to the movement you enjoy.
They also discuss why being “18 months postpartum” doesn’t automatically mean your body is ready to pick up where it left off. Whether you want to run, skip or lift weights again, Elizabeth’s advice is to find a starting point that suits you and build gradually. There’s no deadline to get back to it.
💡 In this Moment, you’ll learn:
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What a pelvic health physiotherapist does and how you may be able to access one
•
Why it’s okay to speak up if you experience leaking or something feels wrong during exercise
•
How to approach running and other high-impact activities gradually
•
Why returning to exercise doesn’t have to be a race
Watch every full episode on YouTube and subscribe.
Loved this episode?
Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode of Motherkind. It helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can listen to the full episode: The ultimate (realistic) guide to fitness in motherhood, with Elizabeth Davies
Feeling different since becoming a mother? Get clarity on who you’re becoming now and download your FREE Matrescence Cheat Sheet
Connect with Zoe:
•
Follow Zoe on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok
•
Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’
This Motherkind episode is sponsored by:
•
Headline sponsor Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at http://wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply.
•
Grape Tree Feel Good Foods. Buy online at http://Grapetree.co.uk or find your local store
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30 min
How to Change Career When You Have No Idea Where to Start
Show notes
Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off.
What if the career you worked so hard to build no longer fits the woman you’ve become?
If motherhood has changed what you want from work, you may know something needs to shift without knowing what to do next. Perhaps you’re worried about money, childcare, or whether the skills you’ve spent years building will transfer to something new. I’ve been there. I left corporate marketing and built Motherkind gradually, alongside the responsibilities of family life.
In this solo episode, I’m sharing MOVE, the career change framework I’ve used with mothers in my coaching practice. We’ll start by defining what success means to you now, including your income, energy and family life. Then we’ll look at your skills and the interests that could point towards your next move.
I’ll also show you how to test an idea before committing to it, and how to make a practical 30-, 60-, and 90-day plan. You don’t need to have your whole future worked out today. You need a way to explore what’s possible and take the next step.
💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:
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Map: Define success for this season of your life and picture your ideal working day.
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Options: Recognise your technical and transferable skills, then find your “red thread”.
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Validate: Test a career or business idea through conversations and small experiments.
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Execute: Work out your financial needs and build a 30-, 60-, and 90-day plan.
•
Why you can build a new path alongside your current work.
Watch every full episode on YouTube and subscribe.
Loved this episode?
Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode of Motherkind. It helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing.
If you enjoyed this episode, you might also enjoy the episode Zoe recommended you listen to next: How To Find A Career You Genuinely Love That Works for Your Life
Feeling different since becoming a mother? Get clarity on who you’re becoming now and download your FREE Matrescence Cheat Sheet
Connect with Zoe:
•
Follow Zoe on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok
•
Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’
This Motherkind episode is sponsored by:
•
Headline sponsor: Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at http://wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply.
•
Grape Tree Feel Good Foods. Buy online at http://Grapetree.co.uk or find your local store
Key topics: Career change after motherhood • Working mothers • Matrescence • Career confidence • Transferable skills • Finding fulfilling work • Starting a business • Work and family life
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10 min
Millie Mackintosh: The Coping Strategy That’s Making Mothers More Anxious Bonus
Show notes
Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge, starting 21 October. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off.
Does the thought of getting through bedtime without that evening glass of wine feel almost impossible?
Motherhood can leave your nervous system completely overwhelmed. You’re overstimulated, exhausted, carrying the mental load and desperately looking for something that will help you switch off. It makes sense that alcohol can begin to feel like the quickest way to find relief.
But what if the thing helping you cope in the moment is actually making you feel more anxious, affecting your sleep and leaving motherhood feeling even harder the next day?
In this powerful Moment, Zoe is joined by author, entrepreneur and Made in Chelsea alumna Millie Mackintosh to unpack the reality behind “mummy needs wine” culture.
Millie shares how easily alcohol became intertwined with motherhood, from champagne after giving birth to drinking at children’s parties and counting down to that first evening glass. She explains why she eventually realised it was stealing her joy, and the practical first steps that helped her change her relationship with drinking.
This isn’t about judgement or labels. It’s an honest conversation for anyone who has wondered whether alcohol is still working for them.
💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:
•
Why motherhood can make alcohol feel like such a powerful coping mechanism
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How even moderate drinking can affect anxiety and sleep
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Why “mummy needs wine” culture has become so normalised
•
The signs that alcohol may be taking more from your life than it gives
•
How to explore your relationship with drinking without labelling yourself
•
The practical first steps Millie recommends if you know something needs to change
•
Why support, information and self-compassion can make changing your habits feel possible
Watch every full episode on YouTube and subscribe.
Loved this episode?
Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode of Motherkind. It helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing.
If you enjoyed this episode, you might also enjoy Zoe’s conversation with Frankie Bridge: How to Stay Ambitious After Kids Without the Mum Guilt
An honest conversation about anxiety, maternal mental health and giving mothers permission to admit when they are struggling.
Feeling like you’re carrying it all? Download your FREE Mental Load Cheat Sheet and learn how to start feeling lighter, even if nothing in your life changes.
Connect with Zoe:
•
Follow Zoe on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok
•
Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’
This Motherkind episode is sponsored by:
•
Headline sponsor: Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at http://wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply.
Key topics
Motherhood and alcohol • Mummy wine culture • Grey-area drinking • Sober curiosity • Alcohol-free motherhood • Maternal anxiety • Anxiety after drinking • Alcohol and sleep • Nervous-system regulation • Overstimulation in motherhood • Maternal mental health • Mental load • Drinking habits • Emotional coping mechanisms • Sobriety • Self-care for mothers • Millie Mackintosh • Bad Drunk • Motherkind
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54 min
Fitness Expert Stef Williams: I Thought I’d “Bounce Back” After Birth — Then Everything Changed.
Show notes
Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge, starting 21 October. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off.
What happens when your career is built around fitness and, after having a baby, you realise you don't actually want to rush to get your old body or routine back?
This week, Zoe is joined by fitness expert, entrepreneur and WeGLOW founder Steph Williams, just four-and-a-half months after becoming a mother, for an incredibly honest conversation about postpartum recovery, breastfeeding, exercise, body image and the enormous identity shift that happens when you have a baby.
Steph shares the reality of breastfeeding and why stopping to return to work left her feeling unexpectedly emotional and guilty. She also opens up about the pressure she felt to “bounce back” after birth — particularly as someone whose career has been built around fitness, strength and her body.
But motherhood changed her perspective. Instead of rushing back to the person she was before, Steph realised that exercise would always be there — these first months with her baby wouldn't be.
We talk about how to return to exercise after having a baby without falling into an all-or-nothing mindset, why a 10-minute workout still counts, and what “listening to your body” actually means. Steph shares how she's learned to adapt movement depending on what her body needs rather than forcing herself through a rigid training plan.
Steph also shares her experience of endometriosis, being dismissed before eventually receiving a diagnosis, and how that experience led her to learn more about women's hormones, menstrual cycles, nutrition and exercise. We explore how understanding your cycle can help you adjust the way you move and eat — and why women deserve far better education about their own bodies.
This is a conversation about fitness, but it's really about something much bigger: letting go of who you thought you'd be after having a baby and learning to work with the woman and body you are now.
💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:
•
How to approach exercise after having a baby without “bounce back” pressure
•
Why 10 minutes of movement still counts when you're exhausted or short on time
•
How Steph navigated breastfeeding guilt and returning to work
•
How to move away from all-or-nothing thinking around fitness
•
How your menstrual cycle can influence your energy, appetite and approach to exercise
Watch every full episode on YouTube and subscribe.
Loved this episode?
Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode of Motherkind. It helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing.
If you enjoyed this episode, you might also enjoy Zoe’s conversation with Elizabeth Davies - The ultimate (realistic) guide to fitness in motherhood
Feeling different since becoming a mother? Get clarity on who you’re becoming now and download your FREE Matrescence Cheat Sheet
Connect with Zoe:
•
Follow Zoe on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok
•
Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’
This Motherkind episode is sponsored by:
•
Headline sponsor Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at http://wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply.
Key topics
Postpartum exercise • Postpartum fitness • Exercise after having a baby • Postpartum recovery • Post-baby body • Bounce back culture • New motherhood • New mum • Matrescence • Breastfeeding • Breastfeeding guilt • C-section recovery • Returning to work after maternity leave • Working motherhood • Mum guilt • Motherhood identity • Women’s fitness • Women’s health • Hormones • Menstrual cycle • Cycle syncing • Exercise and your menstrual cycle • Endometriosis • Endometriosis symptoms • Pilates • Strength training for women • Postpartum workouts • Body image after pregnancy • Steph Williams • WeGLOW • Period Proof • Motherkind
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12 min
Steven Bartlett’s CEO: How to Navigate Career and Motherhood Without Losing Yourself Bonus
Show notes
Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge, starting 21 October. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off.
What happens when you genuinely love your career and desperately want to be there for your children?
In this week’s Moment, we explore one of the hardest tensions of working motherhood: the feeling that however much support you have, there are some parts of being a mother you simply don’t want to outsource.
After taking on a huge new role with Steven Bartlett while six months pregnant with her third child, Amy Golding shares how motherhood completely changed the way she makes career decisions. Before having children, she thought combining work and family was largely a logistical challenge, something you could solve with enough childcare, money and careful planning. Then she became a mother and realised she'd forgotten something much harder to quantify: love.
We talk about the invisible mental load, wanting to be the primary attachment figure, the complicated emotions that can come with childcare, and why loving your work doesn’t make it any easier to miss the school plays, appointments and everyday moments with your children.
Because perhaps the tension between motherhood and ambition isn't an equation we're supposed to perfectly solve.
💡 In this Moment, you’ll learn:
•
Why working motherhood can feel impossible to get right
•
How motherhood can change the way you make career decisions
•
Why childcare doesn't necessarily remove working mum guilt
•
The emotional side of the mental load we rarely talk about
•
How to navigate loving your career and wanting to be with your children
Watch every full episode on YouTube and subscribe.
Loved this episode?
Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode of Motherkind. It helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing.
If you enjoyed this episode, listen to the full episode: Steven Bartlett’s CEO: How I Make Career Decisions Around My Family
Feeling different since becoming a mother? Get clarity on who you’re becoming now and download your FREE Matrescence Cheat Sheet
Connect with Zoe:
•
Follow Zoe on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok
•
Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’
This Motherkind episode is sponsored by:
•
Headline sponsor: Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at http://wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply.
Key topics:
Working motherhood • Working mum guilt • Career after children • Motherhood and career • Mental load • Invisible labour • Childcare • Career decisions • Motherhood and ambition • Maternal guilt • Work-life balance • Working parents • Motherhood identity • Primary attachment • Career change • Women at work • Returning to work after maternity leave • Maternity leave • Ambitious mothers • Modern motherhood • Motherkind
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52 min
Frankie Bridge: How to Stay Ambitious After Kids Without the Mum Guilt
Show notes
Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge, starting 21 October. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off.
Motherhood changes so much — including what success, ambition and a fulfilling career actually look like.
This week, Zoe is joined by Frankie Bridge for a brilliantly honest conversation about working motherhood, career reinvention, confidence, mental health and letting go of the impossible standards we set ourselves as mothers.
Frankie has been working since she was 12, from S Club Juniors and The Saturdays to television and now building her own business, Faves. But becoming a mother forced her to rethink what success actually meant. She shares why having her two boys made her braver and more ambitious, but also far more protective of her time. Now, before saying yes to work, she asks whether it brings her joy, makes financial sense or genuinely moves the needle — because leaving her children has to be for a good reason.
We talk about reinventing your career after children and the fear that comes with starting something completely new. Frankie opens up about imposter syndrome as a founder and the important realisation that even the most successful people don't have everything figured out, they're learning as they go too.
Frankie also speaks incredibly openly about depression, anxiety and maternal mental health. She was talking publicly about her mental health at a time when those conversations were far less common, and shares why mothers need permission to admit they're struggling without first having to reassure everyone that they love their children.
We also explore something I think so many mothers will recognise: how easily the things that bring us joy disappear once we have children. Frankie shares why, after losing confidence in her singing following The Saturdays, she's started vocal training again — not for an audition or career goal, but simply because she loves it.
This is such a warm and reassuring conversation about ambition after motherhood, mum guilt, mental health, career pivots and permitting yourself to want something for yourself too.
💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:
•
How to redefine success after becoming a mother
•
Why having children can make you braver and more ambitious
•
How to navigate a career change when you don't have all the answers
•
Why mothers need things that bring them joy outside parenting
•
How to let go of guilt and impossible motherhood standards
Watch every full episode on YouTube and subscribe.
Loved this episode?
Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode of Motherkind. It helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing.
If you enjoyed this episode, you might also enjoy Zoe’s conversation with Maria Hatzistefanis - The Rodial Founder on Burnout, Discipline and Why Hustle Culture Fails Mothers
Feeling different since becoming a mother? Get clarity on who you’re becoming now and download your FREE Matrescence Cheat Sheet
Connect with Zoe:
•
Follow Zoe on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok
•
Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’
This Motherkind episode is sponsored by:
•
Headline sponsor Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at http://wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply.
Key topics
Working motherhood • Career after children • Mum guilt • Motherhood and ambition • Career change • Career reinvention • Working mum • Mental health • Maternal mental health • Depression • Anxiety • Motherhood identity • Confidence • Imposter syndrome • Starting a business • Female founders • Working parents • Work-life balance • Motherhood expectations • Parenting guilt • Self-care for mothers • Finding yourself after motherhood • Frankie Bridge • The Saturdays • Faves • Motherkind
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12 min
Why You’re Being Overlooked in Your Career—and How to Stand Out Instead Bonus
Show notes
Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge, starting 21 October. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off.
What if the opportunities you’re waiting for aren’t passing you by because you lack experience, but because the right people don’t know what you’re capable of?
In this powerful Moment, Zoe is joined by personal branding expert and entrepreneur Amelia Sordell to explore why women need to stop waiting to be picked and start making themselves visible.
Amelia explains that your personal brand isn’t simply what you post on social media. It’s the impression you create through your values, behaviour, knowledge, experience and the way you show up in the world. You don’t need to become an influencer or add another overwhelming task to your life—but you do need to take control of your own story.
They explore why so many talented women and mothers downplay their achievements, while people with far less experience confidently put themselves forward. Amelia also shares the “big red button” moments that changed her life, from leaving a secure job with two young children to closing the multimillion-pound agency she no longer wanted to run.
Her message is simple but powerful: confidence doesn’t arrive before you act. Confidence is built by finding the courage to take a risk, discovering that you can handle it and then doing it again.
💡 In this Moment, you’ll learn:
•
Why personal branding is about far more than posting on social media
•
How greater visibility can create career and business opportunities
•
Why women need to stop waiting for permission and choose themselves
•
How taking action before you feel ready builds genuine confidence
This Moment is for any mother who is questioning her value, considering a career change, building a business or waiting to feel confident enough to take her next step.
Watch every full episode on YouTube and subscribe.
Loved this episode?
Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode of Motherkind. It helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can listen to the full episode with Amelia Sordell - It’s Never Too Late to Change Career — The Blueprint from the #1 Personal Brand Expert
Feeling different since becoming a mother? Get clarity on who you’re becoming now and download your FREE Matrescence Cheat Sheet
Connect with Zoe:
•
Follow Zoe on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok
•
Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’
This Motherkind episode is sponsored by:
•
Headline sponsor Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at http://wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply.
Keywords:
Personal branding • Confidence • Motherhood • Female founders • Women in business • Career change • Starting a business • Career confidence • Women’s confidence • Visibility • Self-belief • Courage • Taking risks • Choosing yourself • Returning to work • Maternal identity • Entrepreneurship • Ambition • Working mothers • Personal development • Amelia Sordell
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14 min
Feeling Stuck? 5 Things to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do Next
Show notes
Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge, starting 21 October. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off.
Feeling stuck in your career, relationship or life and have no idea what to do next? This episode is for you.
Eight months ago, I felt completely stuck. Motherkind had slowed down, opportunities weren’t coming in, and I couldn’t work out what direction to take next. I was scared, confused and overthinking absolutely everything.
Looking back, I can see that feeling stuck wasn’t the end. It was the beginning of a breakthrough.
In this solo episode, I’m sharing the five things that helped me move from feeling lost and full of self-doubt to clearer, more confident and more fired up than I have in years.
We’ll explore how to stop overthinking, change the thoughts keeping you stuck, take small actions when you can’t see the bigger picture, and use a simple future-self exercise to get clearer on what you actually want.
💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:
•
Why feeling stuck can come before a breakthrough
•
How to stop overthinking and quieten self-doubt
•
Why focusing on problems can keep you stuck
•
The tiny actions that can help you find clarity
•
A future-self exercise to help you work out what you really want
If you know something needs to change but can’t see what comes next, this episode will help you take that first step forward.
Watch every full episode on YouTube and subscribe.
Loved this episode?
Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode of Motherkind. It helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing.
Feeling different since becoming a mother? Get clarity on who you’re becoming now and download your FREE Matrescence Cheat Sheet
Connect with Zoe:
•
Follow Zoe on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok
•
Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’
This Motherkind episode is sponsored by:
•
Headline sponsor Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at http://wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply.
Keywords:
Feeling stuck • How to get unstuck • Feeling lost in life • Career change • Career after motherhood • Overthinking • Self-doubt • Confidence • Mindset • Finding your purpose • Finding yourself again • Motherhood identity • Matrescence • Starting over • Life transitions • Self-belief • Future self • Goal setting • Personal growth • Nervous system • Comfort zone • Fear of change • Career confidence • Working mothers • Ambition after motherhood
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14 min
The mistakes I made postpartum (and what I'd never do again)
Show notes
Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge, starting 21 October. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off.
After 10 years of motherhood, I’m really glad I did some things in those first few weeks, and plenty I’d do completely differently.
Nothing can quite prepare you for becoming a mother. Those early weeks can be full of love and joy while also feeling exhausting, overwhelming and completely identity-shifting. I certainly wasn’t prepared for the emotional whiplash of holding all of those feelings at once.
In this special episode, created in partnership with Tesco Fred & Flo, I’m looking back at my first experience of new motherhood and sharing what I got right, what I learnt the hard way and what I wish I’d known before having a baby.
We talk about setting boundaries with visitors (including my one rule that I still think was genius!), why new mothers need care rather than being expected to host, and the huge identity shift of matrescence that I knew absolutely nothing about when I had my first daughter.
I also share how the mental load began creeping into my relationship almost without us noticing, and the practical change my husband, Guy, and I made to create a more equal division of parenting and household responsibilities. Plus, I share the newborn essentials I genuinely found useful, what I spent time and money on that I probably wouldn't again, and some very practical tips for making those sleep-deprived early weeks a little easier.
Because when you're adjusting to life with a new baby, recovering from birth and trying to work out who you are now, the last thing you need is more pressure.
💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:
•
What I wish I’d known about new motherhood and matrescence
•
How to set boundaries with visitors after having a baby
•
How to stop the mental load becoming yours by default
•
The newborn essentials I actually used, and what I wouldn't bother with
•
Why asking for and accepting help matters so much postpartum
Watch every full episode on YouTube and subscribe.
This episode is created in partnership with Tesco Fred & Flo, whose newly refreshed range of everyday baby essentials is designed to make those early days a little easier. You can discover the range in Tesco stores and online, and Tesco Clubcard members can currently get 4 for 3 across the range.
Exclusions apply. Clubcard event ends 7th September 2026. Clubcard or app required. Delivery charges may apply.
Connect with Zoe:
•
Follow Zoe on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok
•
Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’
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