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Working Mumma

Carina O’Brien

Motherhood changes everything. But it doesn't mean putting your career ambitions aside.
Whether you're returning to work after maternity leave, finding your feet as a working mum, or wondering how to grow your career while raising a family, the Working Mumma podcast is for you. Having a career and being the mum you want to be shouldn't feel like an impossible choice.
Hosted by Carina O'Brien, mum of two, senior leader and founder of Working Mumma, this podcast brings you honest conversations, expert insights and practical strategies to navigate the realities of career and motherhood.

From rebuilding confidence and managing working mum guilt to negotiating flexible work, career progression, the mental load, and finding your identity beyond motherhood, we talk about the challenges working mums face, and what can actually help.

Through relatable stories, expert interviews and real-life experiences, Working Mumma helps you make informed choices, feel less alone and create a career and family life that works for you.

Because motherhood doesn't end ambition. It reshapes it.

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  • 25 episodes
  • fortnightly
  • Avg 34 min
  • English

Episodes 25

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  • #187
    April 14 · 32 min

    Why Working Mums Are Expected to Fix a System They Didn't Create

    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. Connect with Carina and Working Mumma Follow on Instagram Follow Working Mumma podcast on Instagram Connect with Carina on LinkedIn Subscribe to the newsletter

  • #186
    April 7 · 59 min

    Carrying Most of the Mental Load? How to Get More Support at Home with Michael Ray

    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 Follow on Instagram Follow Working Mumma podcast on Instagram Connect with Carina on LinkedIn Subscribe to the newsletter

  • #185
    March 31 · 16 min

    The 90 Days Nobody Prepares You For: Returning to Work After Maternity Leave

    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

  • #184
    March 24 · 50 min

    How to Reclaim Your Career Identity & Confidence After Maternity Leave with Rebecca Houghton

    You came back from parental leave a different person - more resilient, more decisive, less tolerant of nonsense, and more capable. The question isn't whether you can do your role. It's whether you will give yourself permission to show up as the upgraded version of yourself. This week on the Working Mumma Podcast, I chat with Rebecca Houghton, founder of Bold HR and author of More Impact, More Easily — a book that started as a guide for middle managers and turned out to be essential reading for every working mum navigating her way back after maternity leave. Rebecca has over 20 years of experience in leadership, talent, and organisational transformation. In this episode, we go deep on what the return to work really involves, and why most women are doing it harder than they need to. In this episode we cover: Why returning to work after having a baby is actually one of the most powerful career resets you'll ever have, and how to use it consciously The two-part reset every working mum needs: one for your home system, one for your professional identity Why nobody does two jobs well and what has to change before you go back (hint: it's not just you) The worthiness vs capability confidence model and why your inner critic goes into overdrive when you return The difference between input and impact and why your boss is measuring you by a completely different currency than you think Why the "let it go" mindset shift is the single most important tool for working mums in their first year back How to have a conversation with your inner voice (yes, really) and why Rebecca named hers Desdemona Episode resources and links Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn and check out her book "More Impact, More Easily" on boldhr.com Follow Working Mumma on Instagram @workingmummacommunity or LinkedIn

  • #183
    March 17 · 45 min

    Made Redundant on Maternity Leave: Rebuilding Career, Confidence & Direction with Karis Dorrigan

    What happens when the job you thought you were returning to after parental leave no longer exists? In this episode, I speak with executive leader and solo mum Karis Dorrigan, who shares her experience of being made redundant while on maternity leave during COVID, and how that moment became a turning point in redefining her career, ambition, and life. This is an honest and powerful conversation about the realities many women face but rarely talk about - redundancies whilst on parental leave, job insecurity, lack of support from employer, navigating the return to work, and the pressure to “be grateful” just to have a job. It’s also a story of rebuilding, advocating for what you need, and designing a career that actually works for you as a mum and senior leader in an organisation. If you’re returning to work after parental leave, or questioning what you want your career to look like after having children, this episode will leave you feeling seen, validated and empowered. We chat about: Karis's career journey from Qantas to executive leadership, and how becoming a mum changed everything Being made redundant on parental leave during COVID, and what employers should do differently How getting clear on your values becomes your compass for every big career and life decision The systems and structures still holding working mums back (and the small changes that would make a real difference) Why Karis works four days a week, rarely goes into the office, and has a no-meeting Tuesday and how she made that happen The truth about solo parenting in Australia: 1 in 5 households, high rates of poverty, and why policy needs to catch up Why you should stop being grateful for flexibility and start advocating boldly for what you need Her call to action for every leader: would a single mum apply for this role? If not, rewrite it. Episode links Connect with Karis on LinkedIn Follow Working Mumma on Instagram @workingmummacommunity or LinkedIn

Showing 21–25 of 25 episodes