Working Mumma

Have you ever felt like everything in your life looks fine on paper… but something still feels off?

In this solo episode of the Working Mumma podcast, Carina explores the hidden tension so many working mums experience, the gap between the mother you are today and the mother you want to be.

This episode isn’t about productivity hacks or doing more. It’s about alignment.

Carina shares a practical and deeply reflective framework to help you:

Define your version of motherhood (not society’s)

Identify your core values and where you’re out of alignment

Understand why guilt, burnout, and frustration show up

Set boundaries that actually protect what matters most

Take small, realistic steps toward a version of motherhood that feels right for you

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Why does motherhood feel so overwhelming, even when you’re doing everything “right”?

In this episode of the Working Mumma podcast, I speak with Lisa Taylor, author of The Perfect Parent Trap, about the invisible pressure modern mothers are carrying and why so many working mums feel like they’re constantly falling short.

From unrealistic expectations to the mental load, Lisa unpacks how the idea of “perfect parenting” has quietly shaped how we work, parent, and judge ourselves. We explore why this pressure is hitting working mothers especially hard, and what needs to change.

This is an honest, validating conversation for any mum who has ever felt:

Like she’s failing at work or at home
Overwhelmed by the mental load
Guilty for not being “present enough”
Exhausted from trying to do it all

In this episode, we chat about:

What the “perfect parent trap” actually is

Why working mums are set up to feel like they’re failing

The role of societal expectations and systemic pressures

How perfectionism shows up in motherhood

Practical ways to let go of unrealistic standards

A new way to think about being a “good enough” parent

If you’ve ever wondered “why does motherhood feel so hard?” - this episode will help you feel seen, understood, and less alone.

Connect with Lisa: 

Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn

Buy The Perfect Parent book

Check out Lisa's website 

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If you’ve ever felt like you’re constantly behind…
like you’re failing at work, at home, or both…here is an episode for you.

Because here’s the truth: You are not the problem. The expectations of you are.

In this episode, I unpack why so many working mums feel overwhelmed, stretched, and stuck in a cycle of “trying harder”, and why it’s not about better time management or being more organised.

I chat about: 

The viral ABC post "Working mums. The maths ain't mathing" and why it resonated so deeply

The pressure of the “juggle” and why it’s actually a trap

The mental load and invisible labour working mums carry every day

The motherhood penalty and how it impacts careers, pay, and confidence

Why workplaces, systems, and society haven’t caught up with modern families

Breaking down what needs to change into 4 key areas and micro actions you can take today to create change

This episode reframes “mum guilt” as something much bigger: a system that was never designed to support working parents.

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When we talk about working parents, we often focus on mums. But what if one of the biggest missing pieces in the conversation is dads?

In this episode of the Working Mumma podcast, Carina speaks with fatherhood advocate Michael Ray about why working mums cannot carry the load alone, and why fathers need to be seen, supported and expected to be equal parents from the beginning.

Michael shares his own story of becoming a father at 49 and then unexpectedly becoming a solo dad to his daughter Charlie. From being banned from backstage at his daughter’s ballet concert because “no males were allowed”, to speaking out about the lack of change tables in men’s bathrooms and the stigma dads face when asking for flexible work, Michael opens up about the systems that still assume mums are the default parent.

In this episode, you will learn:

- Why working mums burn out when fathers are treated as “optional” parents
- The hidden “fatherhood forfeit” and what dads miss when work comes first
- Why men are more likely to have flexible work requests denied
- How unequal parenting starts in the newborn stage
- Why fathers need more parental leave and support
- How workplaces can better support dads and working families
- Why sharing the mental load at home is critical for gender equality

If you are a new mum, returning to work after maternity leave, or feeling like you are carrying too much at home, this episode will make you feel seen, and remind you that you were never meant to do it all alone.

 

Connect with Michael:

Connect with Michael on LinkedIn 

Check out Michael's website 

Connect with Carina and Working Mumma 

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Connect with Carina on LinkedIn

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If you're about to go back to work after maternity leave, or you're already back and wondering why it feels so much harder than expected, this episode is for you.

The truth is, no one really prepares you for the emotional reality of the return. The guilt. The overwhelm. The strange feeling of being expected to show up as the same person you were before, when you are fundamentally, beautifully different.

In this episode, I'm walking you through what the first 90 days of returning to work after parental leave actually looks like - the messy, the hard, and what genuinely helps.

 

Episode resources and links 

Follow Working Mumma on Instagram @workingmummacommunity or LinkedIn

Podcast ep https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/lighten-your-mental-load-ditch-the-mum-guilt-and/id1495282250?i=1000719634108