Ready or Not

[Just a heads up, there's a few swear words in this ep] Welcome to the first episode of Witching Hour, coming to your ears every Friday.Think of Witching Hour as Ready or Not's loose little sister: a place to share what's exciting, delighting, intriguing, and frustrating us in the world of parenting and career.She might be Lucinda on Ready or Not, but she's probably more likely to be Lu or Luce here, because on this podcast, we have a new co-host: Lucy's cousin who feels more like her sister, Loz.We're both obsessed with how mothers and all parents make work, work, and each week, we'll be dissecting all things career, motherhood, feminism, identity, and more.In today's episode, we cover:Loz's experience being made redundant while on maternity leave,Charlotte York Goldenblatt finally becomes somewhat relatable, and creates some boundaries with her children in And Just Like That, and Lisa Todd Wexley deals with her career-pregnancy crisis while her husband Herbert seemingly sleeps soundly through the night,The role that grandparents play in caregiving, and Loz's unique position in the granddad being the regular caregiver in her family, (Read Lucy's Substack piece here),Our Instagram followers answer this week's Instagram community questions: how do you approach pay rises and promotions when you're secretly pregnant or thinking about trying to conceive?And lastly, we have a few tips for sharing the mental load, and it's not just about sharing it with your partners. If you're the sister or daughter who wears the mental load for their family, this one's for you.---Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review.You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which I''m lucky enough to raise my son always was and always will be Aboriginal land.I Pay The Rent and you can too here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you're an avid consumer of lifestyle and travel media in Australia, there's a fair chance you've pored over the intelligent words of Caroline Clements.As one of the first editorial leaders in the very early days of Broadsheet, Caroline helped shape the publication into the authority on Australian city culture that it is today.Since then, she's worked in editorial and production roles with some of the country's biggest magazines and brands, before taking her passion for storytelling to a new subject: swimming and its place in Australian culture.Together with her partner Dillon, the author has published the wildly popular Places We Swim and Places We Swim Sydney, and has just handed in the manuscript for Places We Swim California.Here, we talk working and parenting from a motorhome on the wide open roads of California, how she makes freelance life with studying work, and the couple's approach to 50/50 parenting.---This episode is sponsored by Our Pilates, an online platform with over 150 physio-led Pilates classes. Keep listening to learn how you can receive a free month of access to Our Pilates.To redeem your complimentary month of Our Pilates, simply head to their website and enter the code READYORNOT when you create an account and select their monthly membership option.Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review.You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which I''m lucky enough to raise my son always was and always will be Aboriginal land.I Pay The Rent and you can too here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jemmason Power is an Aboriginal & South Sea Islander mother who lives in Meanjin Brisbane with her husband and her son. She works full time as a consultant & facilitator in indigenous cultural responsiveness, she was a lead actor in Stan's recent original series Black Snow, she's a model, and in a former life, she was also a professional netball player. She was born into a Pentecostal church, she played elite netball until she was 18 weeks pregnant while hiding her bump under baggy jumpers, and if you haven't picked it up by now, she'd led a colourful, busy life.Here, we talk about landing a lead role in Stan's Black Snow and the whirlwind that was balancing filming with motherhood and returning to her regular 9-5 job after this otherworldly experience.Jemma also reflects on how she got into modelling, the pressures that come with the cultural load of parenting an Indigenous child, why we feel like we owe someone that offers us help, and how looking back, she was always trying to fit herself into a palatable version of an Indigenous girl.---This episode is sponsored by Our Pilates, an online platform with over 150 physio-led Pilates classes. Keep listening to learn how you can receive a free month of access to Our Pilates.To redeem your complimentary month of Our Pilates, simply head to their website and enter the code READYORNOT when you create an account and select their monthly membership option.Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review.You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which I''m lucky enough to raise my son always was and always will be Aboriginal land.I Pay The Rent and you can too here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You might not find a more honest conversation on motherhood and career than the one you're about to hear.Ava Chandler Matthews is a mother and the co-founder of Ultra Violette, a skincare brand stocked at some of the biggest retailers in the world.She went back to Ultra Violette at three months postpartum, she travels a lot, and while she loves her son to no end, she's open about missing her old life and not considering herself a particularly maternal person.Here, we talk about some of the struggles she had with breastfeeding, postpartum anxiety, feeling like the business she founded didn't need her, and getting used to this new weight of responsibility.While it never got to the stage where she genuinely thought she might harm herself, one night, her thoughts did lead her to wishing she had sustained a small injury just so she could spend one night alone in hospital.She's so generous with her honesty and she walks us through it all.----Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review.You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which I''m lucky enough to raise my son always was and always will be Aboriginal land.I Pay The Rent and you can too here.PANDA’s National Perinatal Mental Health Helpline is Australia’s only free national helpline for people affected by changes to their mental health and emotional wellbeing during the perinatal period. They support people throughout pregnancy up until their baby is 12 months old.If you need some support, call the PANDA National Helpline (Monday to Saturday) 1300 726 306 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Naomi Chrisoulakis is a freelance writer, postpartum doula, and a mother of two.In the early days of her career, she cut her teeth in the magazine industry, working for the likes of Marie Claire and Cosmopolitan before a move to Los Angeles would lead her down the freelance route.Moving home a year earlier than her husband to take an editor role at Women’s Health, it was during a four-day trip back to LA that Naomi fell pregnant, and her two births and postpartum periods couldn’t have been more different.Here, she takes us through it all: her traumatic first birth, training to become a postpartum doula, the relationship challenges that so often come with parenthood, and how she makes work, work today.From interviewing celebrities to caring for new families, from Los Angeles to the Illawarra, from birth trauma to an empowering home birth... Here is Naomi’s story.----Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review.You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which I''m lucky enough to raise my son always was and always will be Aboriginal land.I Pay The Rent and you can too here.PANDA’s National Perinatal Mental Health Helpline is Australia’s only free national helpline for people affected by changes to their mental health and emotional wellbeing during the perinatal period. They support people throughout pregnancy up until their baby is 12 months old.Find Naomi on Instagram here.If you need some support, call the PANDA National Helpline (Monday to Saturday) 1300 726 306 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

That daycare Q&A episode I've been rudely promising for three weeks now is finally here, and I am finally back from my holiday.Given this episode is a bit different in nature, I also share a reflection on the first trimester of pregnancy number two and a recap on travelling to Bali with a toddler.I mention sex, the perhaps naive surprise of this pregnancy, my disenchantment with pregnancy this time around (that essay that I mention can be found here), and more - so keep that in mind if you have children around or if you're navigating the challenge that can be trying to conceive.Here are your daycare questions answered by Kabba in this episode:What to look for in a “good” daycare & what to ask when taking a tour?How would you ease them into it, in a perfect world?How do I know how much child care subsidy I’ll getFamily day care or childcare – what’s the difference?All the pros and cons of starting daycare before the age of one. Help change my mindset and guilt!What babies learn at daycare and the benefits – to ease the awful guilt of sending them?How long should I stay and play for at drop off?How many days are recommended?Illnesses – is it better to start them older or younger?I don’t think my child is going to sleep on those mats and cots – what do I do?Tips for a previously easy drop off that has become hard and tearful for 2.5-year-old boy?Thoughts on story park or photo sharing apps for daycare parents?Why is it so hard to get your baby in care mid-year? Mum going back to work in September! Help!What parental behaviour frustrates you as an educator?For all the mums/parents that feel sad watching their baby cry as they leave – what are the things you say to parents to comfort them?Can childcare centres cater for children with diverse needs and what determines if a mainstream daycare would work for a child with disability or not?----Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review. You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which I''m lucky enough to raise my son always was and always will be Aboriginal land. I Pay The Rent and you can too here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Manon Pietra is a diversity, equity and inclusion partner at Canva.She's also the "other mum" as she puts it. That is, the non-birthing person in a two-mum family.What I love most about this conversation is the reflections around what we assume to be a gendered experience, because while Manon and her wife may be similar when it comes to biology, that doesn't mean that Manon would go on to understand what her wife would go through in pregnancy, birth, and beyond.Here, we talk about what she's learned about being the non-birthing mum, what to start and stop asking same sex parents, the importance of robust paid parental leave, and why we still return to work as though nothing has changed.----Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review.You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which I''m lucky enough to raise my son always was and always will be Aboriginal land.I Pay The Rent and you can too here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Picture this: you're a mother of one, you're newly pregnant and you're at your dating scan. The sonographer goes a little quiet. There's not one baby in your tummy, there's not even just the two. You're pregnant with triplets.This is what happened to now mother of four and litigation lawyer Silje Andersen-Cooke.I can physically feel the shock and worry of it all: wondering what this means for your babies, what this means for your body, what recovery might look like, and how on earth you return to work after triplets.Here, Silje walks us through it all: the delightful and the demanding, the exhausting and exhilarating life that is raising triplets while making work, work.Please note that this is Silje's story and that this episode is not to be taken as medical advice.Follow Silje on Instagram here.----Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review.You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which I''m lucky enough to raise my son always was and always will be Aboriginal land.I Pay The Rent and you can too here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alison Rice is a mother and a journalist turned career and business mentor. She cut her teeth at The Walkley Foundation for Excellence in Journalism before going on to lead and launch some of the world's largest digital women's media titles into the Australian market.To some, she had it all.But, a realisation that her work was perpetuating a kind of desire culture and leading women to question themselves would ultimately change the course of her career.It was then during those early days of motherhood that another monumental shift would occur, and this time, a heartbreaking one: just as Alison was learning how to navigate motherhood, she lost her own mum.Here, she generously shares some of her most intimate moments, from navigating multiple pregnancy losses alongside work and how the fear of never meeting her daughter has influenced the way she shows up as a mother today. to what it means to redefine success and what it's like to lose your mum during such a tender life phase.Follow her business and podcast here.----Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review.You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which I''m lucky enough to raise my son always was and always will be Aboriginal land.I Pay The Rent and you can too here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tina Randello is the Chief Commercial Officer of global skincare brand Alpha-H. She’s also a mother of two and the founder of The Encoreship — a return-to-work program providing opportunities for women and mothers who have been out of the workforce for an extended period.She’s held down massive roles, she’s worked both full time and part time alongside her parenting journey, and she’s learned a lot from navigating it all for thirteen years.What seems to make her a great leader is that she believes in women. She wants to see each and every woman find their own version of success and until that happens, she considers her work unfinished.Here, we talk about redefining ourselves post motherhood, why ‘selfish’ needn’t be a dirty word, and why, sometimes, we just need to give it a go and see what makes sense when it comes to making work, work.This episode of Ready or Not is brought to you by Portier, made by busy parents for busy parents.Thanks to Portier, listeners of Ready or Not can receive a $20 voucher by using the code RON20 upon checkout at portier.com.au.This voucher is valid until June 12.----Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review.You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which I''m lucky enough to raise my son always was and always will be Aboriginal land.I Pay The Rent and you can too here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elise Addlem is a feminism and philosophy educator for mothers and parents.She's also a mother herself, and through her work, she breaks down complex topics into digestible bites. She makes the daunting interesting and she is deeply passionate about educating others on the intersection of motherhood, feminism, patriarchal parenting, and neoliberal capitalism.Here, we talk about the perfect motherhood myth, how our sense of self can change for the better in motherhood, the power of knowledge, and being tired all the time.This episode of Ready or Not is brought to you by Portier, made by busy parents for busy parents.Thanks to Portier, listeners of Ready or Not can receive a $20 voucher by using the code RON20 upon checkout at portier.com.au.This voucher is valid until June 12.----Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review.You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which I''m lucky enough to raise my son always was and always will be Aboriginal land.I Pay The Rent and you can too here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Publicly, a burgeoning business that led her to New York for a meeting with Anna Wintour and to sharing the stage with Richard Branson on multiple occasions.And privately: eight years, 18 rounds of IVF, and a friend willing to carry her baby, all in pursuit of becoming a mother.This is an incredible story of how Collective Hub founder Lisa Messenger has made work alongside her challenging journey to parenthood work.Here, we talk staying open, how she got through sixteen phone calls telling her the news she didn't want to hear, and what the surrogacy journey has looked like.In this episode, Lisa also generously shares a discount code for Ready or Not listeners: use code READYORNOT20 for 20% off all Collective Hub products.[CW: This episodes discusses needles, pregnancy loss, IVF and surrogacy.]----Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review.You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which I''m lucky enough to raise my son always was and always will be Aboriginal land.I Pay The Rent and you can too here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sophie Walker is the host of hit podcast, Australian Birth Stories. She's also a published author, the creator of the birth class, and a mother of three boys.It was Sophie's traumatic first birth that inspired the podcast, which at the time of the interview had over 11 million downloads, but at the time of publishing, she's up to 12 million. That's nearly half of Australia.The expansion of her business has led to some really exciting projects such as her new book, and it's also led to her becoming the key breadwinner at home, bringing with it an extra layer of pressure.Here, she takes us back to the start: through her varied and colourful career, how she built Australian Birth Stories to be the brand it is today, the birth that inspired it all, and what her husband is learning from being at home with the kids.----Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review.You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which I''m lucky enough to raise my son always was and always will be Aboriginal land.I Pay The Rent and you can too here.Listen to Australian Birth Stories or buy the amazing new book here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vomiting 30 times a day while trying to run a shop. No parental leave after the birth of her son Remy. Owning a retail business in Melbourne during a pandemic. Navigating her husband’s cancer diagnosis and treatment.And then, after falling pregnant with the baby that the doctors said would be nearly impossible to conceive without assistance, a pregnancy loss.Navigating motherhood and career for Think Thornbury owner Maggie May Moshe has not been linear.Here, she walks us through it all: from navigating managing the shop alongside hyperemesis in pregnancy and later a four-month-old while her husband was on tour to how they adapted during lockdowns, a cancer diagnosis and a pregnancy loss.We laugh and we cry, and we could’ve talked for hours.Maggie May has generously offered a 15% Think Thornbury discount code for all Ready or Not listeners. Simply use Readyornot15 at checkout.---Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review. You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which I''m lucky enough to raise my son always was and always will be Aboriginal land.I Pay The Rent and you can too here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When I tell you that journalist and mother of two Melanie Dimmitt’s son has cerebral palsy, what kind of life do you imagine? Do you imagine someone that’s a bit angry at the world, do you picture their life at home to be a little sad?If your answer is a shameful yes that you don't really want to admit to, you're not alone. Melanie would've said the same once upon a time. But, her life is actually pretty sweet.You're about to hear her incredible story: how she found out about her son Arlo's diagnosis, the traumatic birth that came six months prior to that, how she's navigated her career as a mother of two, and all the peaks and troughs that came in between.And trust me, there are plenty of peaks.This is the uplifting and hopeful story of editor, broadcaster, and author of Special, Melanie Dimmitt.I highly recommend you buy her book here. You won't be disappointed.Content warning: this topic discusses illness, hospitals, birth trauma, and disability.---Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review.You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which I''m lucky enough to raise my son always was and always will be Aboriginal land.I Pay The Rent and you can too here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Erin Phibbs is a midwife, childbirth educator, and mother of four. She has a twin sister who seemed to fall pregnant at the drop of a hat while it took her years, and she's had some very different births and maternity leave experiences.From a traumatic first birth and an intense and lonely first postpartum, to a healing second birth and her husband taking six months of parental leave, she's experienced it all.Here, she shares what her husband learned from becoming the primary caregiver for a period, how she navigated birth trauma as a midwife, and what transition she's found the most challenging.---Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review.You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which I''m lucky enough to raise my son always was and always will be Aboriginal land. I Pay The Rent and you can too here.This episode of Ready or Not is sponsored by Her Werk, an Australian website where you can rate and review your current or previous employer on metrics such as pay opportunities for development, flexibility, parental leave, support, culture, and diversity. Find out at herwerk.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alexandra Collier is a writer, mother, and the author of Inconceivable: a newly released memoir about her journey into solo parenthood.In a former life, she lived in a light-filled Brooklyn brownstone in New York with the man she loved. But when she woke up to a ravenous hunger to have a baby that her partner didn't share, her life took a sharp turn.She found herself back home in Melbourne at 37, single, heartbroken and living with her parents. Her reproductive timeline was rapidly outpacing her romantic life, and after a period of dating like it was a sport, she began to explore a controversial option: conceiving a baby with donor sperm.Here, she shares this journey. From Brooklyn to Melbourne. From shacked up to single. From maiden to mother.---Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review.You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which I''m lucky enough to raise my son always was and always will be Aboriginal land. I Pay The Rent and you can too here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Justine Cullen is the editor in chief of InStyle. If, like me, you’ve been a devoted consumer of Australian magazines some time over the past three decades, there’s a good chance you’ve pored over some of her stories, for the likes of Girlfriend, Marie Claire, Dolly, Shop Til You Drop, and Elle.Her formative magazine years were during those heady days of long lunches, fabulous parties, and luxurious travel, and she’s seen it all; the move to digital, the closure of countless iconic titles, and the ever shrinking budgets.If you think Justine’s professional life sounds colourful, her personal life makes her story kaleidoscopic.Four sons, three dads and bouts of single parenting all while navigating big jobs, international fashion shows, and becoming a published author.Her youngest is four, her oldest is 18, and her life is full.Here, she takes us back to the start – from falling pregnant at 27 and thinking her career was over, to putting Chilli Healer on the cover of a magazine - and all of the ebbs and flows that came in between.---Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review. You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which I''m lucky enough to raise my son always was and always will be Aboriginal land. I Pay The Rent and you can too here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We planned to release a special episode with InStyle editor Justine Cullen today, but daycare sickness had other plans. From gastro under two weeks ago, to fresh colds for my son and I this week, we are a bit behind and this low production episode is the best we can do for this Tuesday's release.My favourite part of this episode is a tip from a very good friend of mine. It's made my day much more enjoyable after the guilt of cancelling two meetings and developing a cold overnight myself, and I highly recommend listening for that hot tip to re-frame your mind and re-shift your gears if you're at home with a sick baby, instead of working.Plus, I share a preview of the fascinating story of Justine Cullen, which is coming to your ears next Tuesday.I feel really lucky to be able to send my son to daycare, and I want to acknowledge that not everyone - as Anna Commons discusses in Episode 16 of Ready or Not - has this privilege.While we absolutely deserve to talk about how challenging it is, this mindset gives me some perspective. So as with the first edition of daycare diaries, in this episode, I've tried to deliver the facts without the complaints.---Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review.You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which I''m lucky enough to raise my son always was and always will be Aboriginal land.I Pay The Rent and you can too here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Max Jahufer is the founder of creative agency, Future Studio. He’s also a proud trans father who will make his film debut in an upcoming comedy drama about a trans woman returning home for Christmas, and all the tension, secrets and lies that come with it.Having always felt like the different kid, Max is open about the extra layer of what it means to bring up a child in a family that is perceived as different, and as the first dad on this show, I learn what it’s like returning to work just two weeks after your baby is born.Here, we talk navigating work and parenting as the secondary caregiver, moving the family up to Queensland to be part of the film, and the importance of being surrounded by people with open minds.---Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review. You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.Follow Max and Paris's journey here.This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which I''m lucky enough to raise my son always was and always will be Aboriginal land. I Pay The Rent and you can too here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

[Warning: I swore in this episode] A bonus episode looking at the first month of daycare. I slapped this together very quickly, so expect absolutely no production brilliance or good advice, because I am figuring out the whole daycare thing as I go. This is simply how the first month or so of daycare played out for us so you can feel a little less alone or a little more prepared.Spoiler alert: daycare sickness really is a thing.I feel really lucky to be able to send my son to daycare, and I want to acknowledge that not everyone - as Anna Commons discusses in Episode 16 of Ready or Not - has this privilege. While we absolutely deserve to talk about how challenging it is, this mindset gives me some perspective. So, in this episode, I've tried to deliver the facts without the complaints.---Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review. You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which I''m lucky enough to raise my son always was and always will be Aboriginal land. I Pay The Rent and you can too here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anna Commons is the founder of The Autism Collective and mother of two delightful boys, Jackson, who has nonverbal autism, and Hunter. Her life has been one of incredible experiences and serious growth.Her career began in marketing, then somewhere in the middle she waited tables, and now, she's a motherhood mentor and coach who also works with families navigating the NDIS.In this episode, Anna shares her journey, from Jackson's diagnosis to what autism means in his day-to-day life. And we also talk about the importance of charging what you’re worth, why over giving leads to resentment and how she created work that feeds her passions as well as her family.If you're a parent who has received a fresh diagnosis and is looking for comfort, I think you'll find it in this episode. Anna accounts the facts of Jackson's diagnosis and what this means day to day in a really pragmatic way here, so if you're needing to protect yourself from emotional content at the moment, know that this really isn't it (in my opinion). There were no tears shed and I left this chat feeling empowered and hopeful.I know firsthand that it can be hard when someone you love receives a seemingly "scary" diagnosis, and both Anna and I are open to a chat in our DMs on Instagram. And the very last thing Anna says in this chat is true: you won't always feel this way and you're not alone.---Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review. You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.You can find Anna on Instagram here.This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which I''m lucky enough to raise my son always was and always will be Aboriginal land. I Pay The Rent and you can too here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lael Stone is a Parenting Educator, TEDx speaker, author, and the co-creator of Woodline Primary and The Aware Parenting Podcast.She has a son and two daughters ranging from their late teens to early adulthood, and in many ways, her career trajectory has mirrored her parenting journey.Now I don’t know if it’s that soothing voice or the way she holds space for those around her, but either way, an hour of conversation with Lael is much like a therapy session. I felt lighter after this chat, and I think you will, too.Here, we talk knowing when to walk away even when the party’s humming, how we can help our children without solving their problems for them, and the moment she did a Ted talk in front of her adoring kids.---Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or leave a review. You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.You can check out Lael's work online here.This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which I''m lucky enough to raise my son always was and always will be Aboriginal land. I Pay The Rent and you can too here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

[CW: Episode discusses pregnancy loss, cancer and postpartum depression]Ambika Gautam Pai is the Chief Strategy Officer at Mekanism. She lives in Chicago with her two children and husband, and when she’s not splitting herself between her equally busy paid and unpaid roles, she’s writing about the intersection of motherhood, mental health, equity and business (read her newsletter here).As much as I love each and every guest that has come on the show, I’ve never had such a hard time picking those audio grabs that play at the top of the episode, because so much of what Ambika says is so relatable.Here, we talk navigating miscarriages while holding down big roles, her different experiences with postpartum depression after the birth of both of her children, and the extra load that comes with leading people at work and taking on their mental load.---Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or leave a review. You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.In acknowledging the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia, each episode, I’ll be doing a shout out to an indigenous business or charity doing great things.This week, it’s Young Aunties Haus, a creative space for First Nations women & LGBTQI+ mob to access mentoring and development opportunities across the creative industries. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

[Content warning: we swear in this episode!}Jessica Prescott and Vaughne Geary are the founders of Mama Goodness, a business dedicated to nourishing and nurturing mothers. They’re also the authors of Life After Birth, a new postpartum bible published by Hardie Grant.Having launched Mama Goodness just before the pandemic, they learned about the intensity of small business fast. Working so closely together, the pair are like sisters, and I cannot believe they haven’t known each other since kinder. They’re that tight.Here, we talk running a business through a pandemic, writing a book together, and what they’ve learned from each other along the way, both as business owners and friends.Jess also shares her different experiences as both the primary and secondary caregiver, and Vaughne, who does not yet have any children herself, talks about the importance of a village and of breaking down the barriers between mothers and maidens.(Full disclosure: this is a day late due to losing my voice after my son's first daycare sickness that got us both - working parenting, hey?!)---Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or leave a review. You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.In acknowledging the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia, each episode, I’ll be doing a shout out to an indigenous business or charity doing great things.This week, it’s Laundry Gallery, a multidisciplinary creative hub located in Darwin, Australia.Housed in a reimagined iconic 70’s era laundromat, it represents modern iterations of Indigenous art and culture, providing an accessible pathway for age-old stories to co-exist with the modern world.You can check out their beautiful art here or in person in Darwin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When former first lady Michelle Obama was on a book tour for Becoming, she famously swore in a candid, off the cuff moment. She caught herself off guard, but the crowd went wild as she shared a sentiment so many of us feel so deeply.Now I won’t deliver this as coolly as Obama, but this is what she said (and be warned, I do swear in the episode):“I tell women, that whole ‘you can have it all’ — nope, not at the same time; that’s a lie, and it’s not always enough to lean in because that s--- doesn’t work.”It’s a sentiment that Chief Commercial Officer Danika Johnston agrees with.With over 25 years’ experience in the media industry, working for the likes of Channel 10, Nova Entertainment, Mamamia, SBS, Tik Tok and now WeAre8, the mother of three has had her fair share of experiences when it comes to navigating having it all. She’s also in her mid-forties, and her parenting journey began 12 years ago when mothers mostly felt like they couldn’t even talk about the challenges of making work, work.Here, we talk the regret of going back to work earlier than she would’ve liked in the days of zero flexibility, why nobody has it all and why you have to make all parts of your life work together, not with friction.---Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or leave a review. You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.In acknowledging the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia, each episode, I’ll be doing a shout out to an indigenous business or charity doing great things.This week, it's Aboriginal Art Co. Check them out on Instagram here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Phoebe Simmonds is the co-founder of The Memo and the founder of The Blow. She’s worked for some of the biggest beauty brands in the world, has lived in London, Singapore and Sydney, and now works and lives in Melbourne with her partner Shaun, Shaun’s son Tyler, and their son Remy.Shaun lost his former partner, Tyler’s mother, many years before he and Phoebe came to be, so her introduction to parenting is quite unique. Phoebe’s pregnancy was also not without its stressors, with the diagnosis of cervical insufficiency, a condition in which the cervix opens too early, and therefore running a risk of a pre-term birth.I love Phoebe’s positive attitude to life and the way she uses the term paid work, because as we all know, you might not get paid to parent, but it is hard work.Here, we talk launching her businesses, navigating becoming a parent figure early in a relationship, the challenge of remaining present, and why she wants to see less of an emphasis placed on breastfeeding.CW: this episode discusses loss and high risk pregnancies.---Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or leave a review. You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.In acknowledging the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia, each episode, I’ll be doing a shout out to an indigenous business or charity doing great things.This week, it's Aboriginal Art Co. Check them out on Instagram here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

[CW: episode discusses postnatal depression and pregnancy and postpartum struggles]Gemma Smith is a perinatal counsellor and a mother of two. She’s also a recovering perfectionist who was rocked by the intensity of new parenthood.She did all the prep you can imagine a perfectionist doing - she hired a birth doula, did pregnancy pilates, birth classes, yoga for labour and birth, hours of reading and the list goes on… but, none of it really helped, because what she really needed was just to be able to talk to someone about the whole experience.It comes as no surprise then, that her work today is deeply routed in helping women find their flow in motherhood. What I loved about this conversation with Gemma is that she somehow finds a way to talk about the heavy stuff while making me laugh.Here, she shares the challenges she faced, why you don’t have to love every bit of mothering to love being a mum, and how her experiences have informed the way she helps mothers today.She also talks about the identity shifts and struggles that come with falling pregnant on your first time trying, which is a really interesting and important perspective that most feel too guilty to talk about.If you're in Australia and need mental health support in your conception, pregnancy or parenting journey, you can call the PANDA National Helpline (Monday to Saturday) 1300 726 306---Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or leave a review. You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.In acknowledging the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia, each episode, I’ll be doing a shout out to an indigenous business or charity doing great things.This week, it’s Maara Collective. an Australian luxury resort wear brand that works closely with Indigenous artists and creatives, drawing inspiration from Country to present within the context of contemporary fashion.With every product purchased they give back proceeds to support digital training and education in remote Aboriginal communities. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shterna Glick is a midwife, lactation consultant and mother of five. Through her Instagram page, @melbourne_lactation, Shterna has gained a following for her knowledge and experience as both a mother and a professional, and for her practical, informative posts on all things breastfeeding.Her approach to supporting breastfeeding parents is sustainable and supportive, and what I love most about this conversation is that Shterna’s advice is mother-centred, because as we know – or at least have been told but maybe forget – is that when the mother is happy, the baby is happy too.Breastfeeding, bottle feeding, pumping, weaning, returning to work and all that comes with it is pretty stressful for parents.So here, Shterna answers all your burning questions in the hope to make you feel a little bit more relaxed in your feeding and return to work journey.---Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or leave a review. You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.In acknowledging the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia, each episode, I’ll be doing a shout out to an indigenous business or charity doing great things.This week, it’s Maara Collective. an Australian luxury resortwear brand that works closely with Indigenous artists and creatives, drawing inspiration from Country to present within the context of contemporary fashion.With every product purchased they give back proceeds to support digital training and education in remote Aboriginal communities. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amy Bradshaw is the head of Australia at global media agency, Vayner Media. She’s worked in New York, London, and now back at home in Sydney, where she lives with her partner and two children. What I loved about my conversation with Amy is how pragmatic, honest, and genuine she is. She doesn’t dramatise the struggles of being a working parent, but she doesn’t over simplify it, either.In this episode, we talk sailing around Croatia with a newborn, setting up Vayner Media’s Australian arm, the need for workplace flexibility for not only mothers but for all people and the importance of letting go in order to share the parenting load.Amy returned to work four months after her daughter Romy was born, so this is a good one for those parents returning to work on the earlier side of things or while still breastfeeding.---Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or leave a review. You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.In acknowledging the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia, each episode, I’ll be doing a shout out to an indigenous business or charity doing great things.This week, it’s Young Aunties Haus, a creative space for First Nations women & LGBTQI+ mob to access mentoring and development opportunities across the creative industries Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CW: this episode deals with loss, illness and hospitals. You'll also hear the odd swear word.From the outset, the focus of this podcast has been the working mother or primary caregiver. But, what happens to your career and identity when you lose your own mother? Last week, a LinkedIn post by Jaala Alex had me questioning this.Many mothers naturally link part of their identity to their children and their role as a mother.But, just as profound can be the way in which our mothers shape our own identities, aspirations, and the way move in the world. So, how do we go on with work and life after losing our own mother? What does return to work after grief look like? How do our priorities and world views shift? We’re very lucky that Jaala has decided to open up about this painful experience, in the hope is that it will help others feel a little less alone.Books we discuss: Untamed by Glennon Doyle, It's Okay That You're Not OK by Megan Devine & Any Ordinary Day by Leigh Sales---Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or leave a review. You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.In acknowledging the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia, each episode, I’ll be doing a shout out to an indigenous business or charity doing great things.This week, it's Aboriginal Art Co. Check them out on Instagram here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rana Hussain is a social inclusion specialist, broadcaster, presenter, writer and one of the Outer Sanctum podcast crew. She’s also a program director at Champions of Change and makes regular appearances on ABC radio and television.She’s also a mother and a very good person. She does the sort of work that I can’t help but think it’d be hard to switch off from, because the scope is so big and the outcomes so important.So, as a mother, how does she find balance? How did she break into the highly competitive sports media industry? And, as a Muslim woman, what has not being represented in media and society taught her about how she wants to foster her daughter’s identity, goals, and aspirations?Whether you’re a parent or not, we can all learn something from Rana and we really could’ve chatted for hours. But she’s got work to do.___Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or leave a review. You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.In acknowledging the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia, each episode, I’ll be doing a shout out to an indigenous business or charity doing great things. This week, it’s Pay the Rent, a Collective based on the lands of the Kulin Nation in Victoria, Australia.The Pay the Rent collective acts as a centralised distribution body which can make decisions about how best to support Aboriginal people, supporting grassroots First Nations people working to strengthen any one of the five interconnected pillars of Aboriginal sovereignty and belonging: Land, Law, Kinship, Ceremony, Language.You can check them out online here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Georgie Dent is a busy woman. She’s a journalist, author, speaker, advocate, former lawyer, and a mother of three. She’s also the executive director of The Parenthood, a not-for-profit advocacy group on a mission to make Australia the best place in the world to be a parent. And, she’s a longtime contributor at Women’s Agenda.Now the person I have just described might sound perfect, but Georgie has not coasted through life without her challenges and in her best-selling memoir, Breaking Badly, Georgie documents her decline towards a total breakdown that saw her admitted to a psychiatric hospital at age 24.Here, we talk the balancing act that is being a working mother, writing and living Breaking Badly and her work as a passionate advocate for working parents.---Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review. You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.In acknowledging the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia, each episode, I’ll be doing a shout out to an indigenous business or charity doing great things.This week, it’s Mabu Mabu, a restaurant in the heart of Melbourne. Mabu Mabu is a saying in the Torres Strait that means help yourself, and at Mabu Mabu, the food culture is all about sharing.Nornie Bero is the head chef and business owner of Mabu Mabu. Originally from Mer Island in the Torres Strait, Nornie has been a professional chef for over 20 years. Nornie is on a mission to put Indigenous ingredients in kitchens across Australia. They want people to be using, eating and celebrating Indigenous ingredients every day.I’ve eaten at their wonderful Federation Square restaurant in Naarm or Melbourne, and I highly recommend you do next time you find yourself there. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chatting to Yara Heary invokes the familiar comfort that one might feel talking to an older, wiser sibling. She’s a psychologist and a mother of two, but more importantly, she’s just a human doing her best. She doesn’t pretend to have all the answers, because she’s more interested in learning and growing than being right.Here, she candidly shares both her professional and personal reflections when it comes to relationships, motherhood and career, as we talk dropping the plastic balls, enlisting support in whichever way makes sense for you, and why parents need to take time to care for themselves in order to care for their children.----Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or leave a review. You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod.In acknowledging the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia, each episode, I’ll be doing a shout out to an indigenous business or charity doing great things.This week, it’s Clothing The Gaps, a fashion label that have become particularly well known for their values-driven slogan tees that celebrate Aboriginal people and culture. You can check them out by searching Clothing the Gaps online. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It only takes a minute of conversation with Clare Kelly to realise the glass is always half full. You won’t hear her complaining about night shift or burnout or going through a separation and a period of single parenting, because she’s just not wired that way.She is, however, wired to be a midwife. Her love for what she does is visceral. She’s fiercely passionate about caring for both mothers and healthcare workers, because both roles, as she knows all too well, can be a tough slog.This was such a fun and frank conversation, and in it, we cover single parenting, midwifery, raising three boys, shift work, burnout and what’s to come for Clare in 2023.In acknowledging the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia, each episode, I’ll be doing a shout out to an indigenous business or charity doing great things.This week, it’s Laundry Gallery, a multidisciplinary creative hub located in Darwin, Australia.Housed in a reimagined iconic 70’s era laundromat, it represents modern iterations of Indigenous art and culture, providing an accessible pathway for age-old stories to co-exist with the modern world.You can check out their beautiful art here or in person in Darwin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trigger warning: this episode discusses pregnancy loss and cancer.From being a small business owner to becoming a doula and surviving cancer to experiencing a pregnancy loss, Charlotte Squires (aka @thelivingdoula) has lived many lives in her 30 years.In this episode, we discuss finding your “why” in work and in parenting, the importance of communication in sharing the load and why the principles of care and support relevant to the work of a doula should apply for life, not just the early postpartum period.We also cover how her family sets up the week so there’s more time for work and fun, when she finds time for her doula work and how to set up support networks and make new friends as an adult.In acknowledging the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia, each week, I’ll be doing a shout out to an indigenous business or charity doing great things.This week it’s the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, a national charity working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander remote communities across Australia. I just ordered my son Ray a beautiful book about crocodiles from their online shop, which will support First Nations writing and stories in remote communities. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gabrielle Nancarrow went back to work the day after a D&C procedure following her pregnancy loss. It’s a far cry from the way in which she cares for birthing people as a doula today, but back then, she was flying high in the corporate world as the editorial director at Victoria’s Secret in New York.Her life was fast paced, her work was exciting and her career was thriving.Soon after that loss, another pregnancy would eventually lead to the birth of her first daughter, and with it, like so many mothers before her, a rebirth of Gabrielle.The career goal posts started shifting in that postpartum period, and here, we talk returning to work full time at just four months postpartum, leaving her job and life in New York, and the new career she’s created for herself at home in Melbourne, as a doula, a small business owner, and a published author.In acknowledging the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia, each week, I’ll be doing a shout out to an indigenous business or charity doing great things.This week it’s Common Ground, a First Nations not-for-profit working to shape a society that centres First Nations people by amplifying knowledge, cultures and stories.I particularly love their yearly First Nations Bedtime Stories project, which brings dreaming stories as old as time into homes and classrooms around Australia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.