The early years of motherhood aren’t just hard; they completely shake and in many ways change your identity.

In this real and raw conversation, Hatien shares her journey through pregnancy during a pandemic, losing her job, experiencing postnatal depression, rebuilding her life and career.

If you've ever wondered why the early years feel so overwhelming, or questioned if you’re doing enough, this episode will feel like a warm, honest conversation with a friend who truly gets it.

In this episode:

• Navigating job loss while pregnant
• Returning to work after maternity leave with no village
• Mental health struggles and the power of asking for help
• Creating boundaries between work and motherhood
• Finding confidence and joy again after the early years

Please know, you are not alone in this journey. Every working mum has a story — and we’re here to share them.

Enjoyed this conversation and interested to share your story on the podcast, apply today to be a guest. Click here

Connect with Hatien on LinkedIn

Connect with Carina O'Brien and Working Mumma on Instagram @workingmummacommunity or @workingmummapodcast and follow Working Mumma on LinkedIn. Sign up for the Working Mumma newsletter

What does it really look like to juggle ADHD, two kids, and multiple businesses? Laetitia shares the messy, unfiltered reality of neurodivergent motherhood, and how she stays grounded.

Laetitia Andrac is a mother of two, former corporate strategist, business owner, and a passionate advocate for neurodiversity. When her daughter Zoe began showing signs of being neurodivergent, Laetitia found herself navigating a complex, exhausting system while trying to hold down a senior management role in one of Australia's largest organisations. What followed was a personal journey of burnout, late ADHD diagnosis, and ultimately, a complete career shift.

Laetitia opens up about the emotional toll of parenting a child with high support needs, what it’s like discovering her own neurodivergence later in life, and how she’s now using her experience to help other families through her new business and platform, Understanding Zoe. This is a raw and powerful conversation about identity, motherhood, advocacy, and what happens when the systems we’re part of no longer work for us.

Show links

• Connect with Laetitia on LinkedIn, discover more about Understanding Zoe understandingzoe.com or her business, the Essential Shift essentialshift.co
• Connect with Carina and Working Mumma Instagram @workingmummacommunity or on LinkedIn

Free resources

• Sign up for the Working Mumma newsletter
• Get your free 'How to share the mental load' checklist workingmumma.com.au/mental-load/

Have you ever paused and reflected on the woman you were before becoming a mum? In this special solo episode, I open up about the questions my pre-mum self might ask me today. From navigating identity shifts to managing relationships, careers, and the mental load – this is the episode I would give to my younger self, full of truth, insight, and a dose a reality.

From career ambitions and the mental load to the myth of balance and the messy beauty of mum life, I reflect on what I have learned and unlearned in my evolution from a driven professional to a working mum with perspective.

Whether you're a mum-to-be, new mum, or seasoned in the juggle, this episode offers a comforting reminder that it’s okay to evolve — and that version 2.0 might just be stronger than you imagined.

Key Takeaways

• How motherhood shifts your priorities, identity, and definition of success
• Why “balance” is a myth and what really matters instead
• The unexpected strength and resilience you discover in the messy moments
• Why you can still be ambitious and be a great mum
• The importance of finding your own rhythm, not the one society expects

Show links

• Follow Working Mumma on Instagram @workingmummacommunity
• Sign up for the Working Mumma newsletter
• Get your free 'How to share the mental load' checklist workingmumma.com.au/mental-load/
• Connect with Carina on LinkedIn

As working mums we juggle a lot - career, parenting, relationships, and everything in between. But often, our biggest challenge is the voice inside our own head. In this episode I sit down with Fleur Chambers, a multi-award-winning meditation teacher, best-selling author, philanthropist, and creator of the free meditation app, The Happy Habit.

During the chat we shared a lot including:

• Fleur sharing her experience in trying to be the 'perfect mother' and what she discovered
• Why we need to normalise the imperfections in motherhood
• How to navigate the 'second shift' after a day in the office when kids are also tired
• How we can take micro-moments to stop and reset to help us be more present for our children
• Allow you to ask yourself - what do you really want
• And so much more

In this episode discover why Fleur is encouraging you to get out of our busy thinking minds and drop into the wisdom and intelligence of our bodies and our hearts

Show links

• Connect with Fleur via her website thehappyhabit.com.au

• Follow Working Mumma on Instagram @workingmummacommunity
• Sign up for the Working Mumma newsletter
• Get your free 'How to share the mental load' checklist workingmumma.com.au/mental-load/
• Connect with Carina on LinkedIn

Ever feel like you’re being pulled in a million directions trying to navigate motherhood and a career - between work, kids, home, family, relationships, and everything in between? You’re not alone. The pressure to "do it all" is real, but here’s the truth: you don’t have to.

In this episode, I dive into the myth of having it all, why it’s okay to let things go, and how redefining success on your own terms can help you navigating the juggle.

Join me as I share:

• Why trying to do it all leaves us exhausted and overwhelmed
• How to let go of the guilt and focus on what truly matters
• Why asking for help is a strength, not a weakness
• Why it's ok to be like Elsa and 'let it go'

If you’ve ever asked yourself, 'Can I be a mum and still have a career?' this episode is for you.

Let me know your thoughts—DM me on Instagram or share your biggest takeaway!

Links and resources

• Follow on Instagram @workingmummacommunity
• Sign up for the Working Mumma newsletter
• Get your free 'How to share the mental load' checklist workingmumma.com.au/mental-load/
• Connect with Carina on LinkedIn

When Porscia Lam received the news that her son Harry was autistic, her world shifted. She put her legal career on pause to become his full-time therapist, diving headfirst into the world of autism therapy and the challenges of raising a neurodivergent child, all during Melbourne’s long covid lockdowns.

Returning to work after a career break is challenging for any parent, but what happens when that break is dedicated to being a full-time carer for a child with autism? In this deeply personal and insightful episode, Carina speaks with Porscia Lam, former corporate lawyer, mother of two, and author of The Unlocking: An Autism Story, to discuss her journey of parenting an autistic child, navigating therapy for autism, and re-entering the workforce after a three-year career break.

In this episode, we chat about:

• Early signs of autism and the diagnosis journey (during Melbourne's record lockdown)
• The impact of early intervention therapy
• The emotional and financial realities of taking a career break as a full-time carer
• Returning to work after a long career gap—what worked, what didn’t
• The stigma around career breaks and how to position yourself when re-entering the workforce
• How to support parents of neurodivergent children

Whether you’re a working mum, a parent of a neurodivergent child, or someone navigating a career break, Porscia’s journey is one of resilience, determination, and advocacy. Her insights provide not only hope, but practical strategies for navigating work and family life.

Links & Resources

Connect with Porscia

Buy Porscia’s book, The Unlocking: An Autism Story Connect with Porscia: porscialam.com or @porscialam

Connect with Carina and Working Mumma

Follow on @workingmummacommunity or LinkedIn

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

Connect with Carina on LinkedIn

Returning to work after maternity leave is one of the biggest transitions in your working mum journey. Whether you're excited or feeling overwhelmed, those first 90 days back at work can be an emotional rollercoaster. But with the right mindset, preparation, and strategies, you can navigate this phase with confidence.

In this episode, I share:

• How to prepare before your first day back
• The key conversations to have with your employer
• Managing work expectations and setting boundaries
• Dealing with mum guilt & adjusting to the emotional ups and downs
• Building a sustainable work-life routine without burnout

Whether you're heading back to work soon or in the early days of your return, this episode will give you the tools and mindset shifts you need to navigate this transition with confidence.

Enjoyed this episode? Leave a review or share it with another working mum who needs support in her return-to-work journey!

Links and resources

• Follow on Instagram @workingmummacommunity
• Sign up for the Working Mumma newsletter
• Get your free 'How to share the mental load' checklist workingmumma.com.au/mental-load/
• Connect with Carina on LinkedIn

Return-to-office mandates are making headlines across Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and beyond—igniting debate about productivity, flexibility, and the future of work. But what do these policies mean for working mums juggling careers and family life? Do they even have a benefit?

In this episode, I chat with Dr. Ellen Ford, leadership expert, author, and passionate advocate for workplace flexibility. We explore:

• Why companies are enforcing return-to-office mandates and what’s driving this push
• The myth of increased productivity in the office vs. hybrid work models
• How forced office work impacts working parents—especially women
• The unintended consequences for businesses—from talent loss to employee disengagement
• How to have a conversation with your employer if you’re being forced back into the office full-time
• Tactics for negotiating a hybrid work arrangement that benefits both you and your employer

If you're navigating a return-to-office mandate, this episode is packed with practical tips and strategies to help you advocate for flexibility and protect your work-life balance.

Listen to Dr. Ellen Ford's previous episode on the Working Mumma podcast ep 116 - Removing Barriers to Help Working Mums Thrive

Episode Resources & Links

• Dr. Ellen Ford’s book: #WorkSchoolHours: A Revolution for Parents, Workplaces & the World
• #WorkSchoolHours eBook - 100% discount with code "workingmumma100"
• #WorkSchoolHours Online Courses 50% off with code "workingmumma50" check out Parents course or People manager course click here
• Dr. Ellen Ford’s Website ellenjoanford.com

Connect with Carina on LinkedIn

Let's connect on Instagram @workingmummacommunity

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