Motherkind

Do you say yes when you want to say 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:
How to recognise when caring for others becomes self-abandonment

Why resentment can be a sign you’ve said yes when you wanted to say no

A simple exercise to help you identify your values and trust your decisions

How to start setting boundaries without feeling overwhelmed

What we model to our children when we make room for our own needs

Why you can be a kind person and still say no

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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:
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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 wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply.

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, 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.
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:
Why sperm health deserves more attention in fertility conversations

The loneliness of pregnancy loss and the pressure to keep it private

The emotional toll of trying for a baby after miscarriage

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 wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply.

Grape Tree Feel Good Foods. Buy online at Grapetree.co.uk or find your local store

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 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:
Why relationships can change so dramatically after becoming parents

How loneliness and resentment can quietly build in motherhood

Why asking for and accepting help is so important

How to balance ambition with being the mother you want to be

Why perfectionism becomes impossible once you have children

How to recognise when your life no longer feels aligned

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 wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply.

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

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.
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:
Why finding play boring sometimes is completely normal

How to choose activities you enjoy as well as your child

What children may be telling us when they ask us to play

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 at 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

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.
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:
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 wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply.

Grape Tree Feel Good Foods. Buy online at Grapetree.co.uk or find your local store