How was your first Christmas with a baby? Mine was…not as I had hoped. And I think that's the same for everyone. Your life has changed fundamentally, but Christmas just keeps being Christmas, with the same old family dynamics. And I found that rough, I definitely had a Christmas Crash - if that is/was you too, you're not alone

Christmas is a triggering time for everyone, and we all need to do what we gotta do to get through it. I'm sharing what I've learnt for how to manage (mitigate?) Christmas, Bailey's in hand, from the practical - I order my tree in September, yes I am that guy - to the emotional. Set the bar extremely low, your kids don't know any different. They don't know Elf on the Shelf is supposed to come with presents.

Resources:

TJ Power the DOSE Effect

Kim Hartwell meditation

Jo Woodhurst, Head of Nutrition at Ancient + Brave meditation

Takeaways:

• Christmas is triggering for everyone, in different ways

• Don't put so much pressure on yourself

• Plan ahead as much as possible

• Ask for help

• Remember to rest when you can

• Set the bar low for your family

• Merry Christmas!
  

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

00:30 Introduction and Reflections on Motherhood at Christmas

03:21 Navigating the Challenges of Early Motherhood

06:06 Planning and Preparing for Christmas

08:43 Balancing Family and Business During the Holidays

11:46 Self-Care and Managing Expectations

14:24 Final Thoughts and Encouragement for Listeners

Links:

Website: https://www.bumptobusinessowner.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/bumptobusinessowner

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/carolinepooley

Music by AudioCoffee: https://www.audiocoffee.net/

There's a lot of expectation when you become a mum: how it will be, the friends you will make, the support you'll have, what work will look like; what Christmas will look like.

The gulf between our expectations and reality is very real, and Dr Tuesday Watts-Overall is here to tell you: you're in the messy middle, and that's OK.

Dr Tuesday shares her tools for navigating the huge pressure we put on ourselves as mums, particularly at this time of year, and how we can be more human to ourselves. We're in the messy middle, we're in the identity shift, we're amidst changing dynamics, so let's be a bit kinder to ourselves.

If you're ready to let go of the pressure, and rediscover your joy, listen in.

Takeaways:

• The unique challenges millennial mums face

• The motherhood identity shift

• Changing relationships, and expectations in friendship

• What Dr Tuesday focuses on to manage Xmas pressure

• What support might look like for you

• Creative rest through work

• How to rediscover your joy when it feels lost

Chapters:

00:00 The Pressure of Perfectionism in Motherhood

02:45 Navigating Identity Shifts as Millennial Mothers

05:32 The Clash of Career and Motherhood

08:11 The Challenge of Finding Community

10:54 The Impact of Social Media on Expectations

13:29 The Journey of Self-Discovery

13:57 The Struggles of Being the First Among Friends

16:52 The Reality of Motherhood and Friendship

19:44 Finding Your Tribe in Unconventional Ways

22:47 Navigating Children's Interests and Activities

23:54 The Pressure of a Perfect Christmas

27:36 Creating Meaningful Holiday Traditions

31:41 Slowing Down to Appreciate the Moment

34:38 The Journey of Motherhood and Identity

39:31 Finding Support and Self-Care as a Mother

43:17 Rediscovering Joy in Everyday Life

Links:

Website: https://www.bumptobusinessowner.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bumptobusinessowner/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinepooley/

About Dr Tuesday Watts-Overall

Dr. Tuesday is a psychologist, speaker and mum of three. With a doctorate in psychology and a career dedicated to maternal mental health, identity and self-trust, Dr. Tuesday helps mothers unpick the perfectionism and pressure that can so easily take hold, especially at Christmas. Together we explore how the festive season can amplify the invisible load for business-owning mums, the expectation to create a magical Christmas, keep everything spinning at work, and somehow stay calm, grateful, and joyful while doing it. This episode is for anyone feeling the pressure of performance and the exhaustion of the Christmas hustle. It's a conversation about letting go, coming back to what matters, and finding peace in the messy middle, both in business and at home.

Dr Tuesday Watts-Overall's Links:

Website: https://www.iamdrtuesday.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-tuesday-watts-overall-303877325/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamdrtuesday/

Music by AudioCoffee: https://www.audiocoffee.net/

What do you do when your boss tells you your pregnancy is "inconvenient"?

Start your own business.

Alice Holland-Lu used her 15 years of experience in luxury fashion to launch her own brand, based on her own experiences and struggles as her body changed throughout pregnancy and beyond.

Alice has built a hyper-local business model, a community and an emotionally-led brand, whilst carting her kids to the factory after school. What else can you do when you only have 2 days a week of childcare?

Our conversation is full of advice for women in the trenches whilst building a business during the early years of motherhood: we should all be bringing our kids on the business journey too.

Takeaways:

• Childcare costs whilst your business isn't paying you a salary

• The perks of a hyper-local business model

• Community building

• Whether fundraising is right or even possible for mums

• Alice's advice for women in the trenches

• 3 lessons she's learnt from building a business in the early years of motherhood

• And why we should be bringing our kids on our business journey too

Resources:

Muddy Stilettos

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Alice Holland-Lu and Her Journey

01:45 Transitioning from Fashion Professional to Founder

04:01 The Challenges of Motherhood and Career

06:37 The Impact of COVID-19 on Maternal Mental Health

09:16 The Birth of a Fashion Brand: Female Archetypes

12:21 Innovating for Real Bodies: The Design Philosophy

14:32 Navigating the Fashion Industry and Building a Brand

17:23 The Reality of Entrepreneurship and Customer Connection

22:47 Embracing Authenticity in Fashion

25:48 The Ethical Fashion Movement

30:08 Designing for Real Women

33:28 Navigating Life Changes Together

36:28 Building Community Through Connection

39:33 Challenges of Female Entrepreneurship

Links:

Website: https://www.bumptobusinessowner.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bumptobusinessowner/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinepooley/

About Alice Holland-Lu

Alice Holland-Lu is the founder of the Female Archetypes, a fashion brand built to support women's changing bodies through every life phase, from pregnancy to menopause and beyond. After 15 years in the fashion industry, Alice launched her business following two difficult pregnancies of traumatic birth and postnatal depression, which left her feeling a stranger in her own body. Nothing fit, literally or emotionally, and the seed of a business idea was planted. Her garments adapt from size UK 8 to 18 with thoughtful design features like breathable mesh, deep pockets, and underarm ventilation, supporting both form and function for real life with kids.

Alice Holland-Lu's Links:

Website: https://thefemalearchetypes.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicehollandlu/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefemalearchetypes/

Music by AudioCoffee: https://www.audiocoffee.net/

Trigger Warning: there is a brief discussion of maternal mental health and suicide.

2025 has gone really fast, and it has been A Lot. There have been a lot of lessons, and I'm sharing 3 of mine in the hope that it will encourage you to reflect, celebrate how far you've come and recognise the challenges you've faced.

Bonus lesson? Don't ask ChatGPT to tell you what you've learnt, before you ask yourself! I'll share the 3 tiered lessons AI told me I've learnt this year - and as with everything AI does, the answers were pretty bland, even when challenged.

It's a bit of an emotional one from me this week, and Trigger Warning: there is a brief discussion of maternal mental health and suicide.

Resources:

Why I don't do New Year's Resolutions

Anna Mathur episode

Maternal Mental Health Alliance

Takeaways:

• Why I don't do resolutions, I do reflections

• Results from AI are always bland, and need to be challenged

• An emotional visit to the Also Motherhood Maternal Mental Health Alliance exhibition

• My actual learnings from 2025, not AI

• Where I still have work to do

• The new wellbeing habit I'm sharing with my kids
  

Chapters:

00:30 Introduction and Reflections on Recording at Night

02:37 Annual Check-In and Personal Insights

05:03 Exploring Learnings from AI and Personal Growth

07:32 Navigating Challenges and Support in Business

10:08 Emotional Reflections and Community Support

12:26 Personal Growth and Future Aspirations

15:19 Final Thoughts and Looking Ahead to 2026

Links:

Website: https://www.bumptobusinessowner.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/bumptobusinessowner

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/carolinepooley

Music by AudioCoffee: https://www.audiocoffee.net/

Kira Mahal has never taken the conventional route - from holding a marketing event in lieu of interviewing for jobs, to leaving a lucrative finance career with no plan, no savings and no clear vision.

Self-described as "barking mad", Kira and her husband went all into their business. On the cusp of a life and business changing corporate contract, the world went into lockdown and they lost £1.8million in VC funding. Pivoting back to their B2C business, Kira turned to the journals she'd been keeping along the way and put into practice what she learnt from her experience.

If you're thinking about taking the leap without a clear plan, VC funding, or the endless tension that is being a founder and a mum, listen in.

Takeaways:

• Kira's career journey from Young Enterprise, always taking the unconventional route to the idea for MotivatePT

• Going all in without a clear vision or plan - both Kira and her husband!

• VC funding - the barriers and why it isn't for everyone

• Crystalising your business vision by making mistakes and testing the market

• Starting a second corporate arm, VC funding and the pandemic

• Refocusing on the original business and growing more sustainably

• Journalling and the insights it gave Kira, reality v rose tinted glasses of the moment

• Kira's personal, and the wider culture's, changing attitude to wellness

• We're not just building a business, we're building a life

Resources:

Young Enterprise: www.young-enterprise.org.uk/

Chapters:

00:30 Introduction to Kira Mahal and MotivatePT

02:36 Kira's Journey from Banking to Entrepreneurship

05:32 The Birth of MotivatePT: A Personal Mission

08:14 Navigating the Challenges of Bootstrapping a Business

11:02 The Shift to Women-Centric Wellness

13:51 The Impact of the Pandemic on Business Growth

16:34 Funding Challenges and the VC Landscape

19:24 Balancing Motherhood and Entrepreneurship

24:15 Navigating Postpartum Challenges

26:28 The Rollercoaster of VC Funding

28:20 The Impact of the Pandemic on Business

30:31 Journaling Through Uncertainty

31:58 Pivoting During Crisis

36:33 Building a New Business Model

37:06 Balancing Motherhood and Ambition

42:14 Finding Joy in Wellness

45:44 Future Plans for Motivate PT

Links:

Website: https://www.bumptobusinessowner.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bumptobusinessowner/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinepooley/

About Kira Mahal

Kira Mahal is the founder and CEO of MotivatePT, a tech-enabled fitness platform helping women build strength, confidence, and long-lasting wellness through every stage of life. From launching her business in a ski chalet to rebuilding it during the pandemic while pregnant, Kira's journey is full of resilience, reinvention and raw honesty. Her story speaks to every mother who's tried to hold a baby with one hand and a business with the other. Motivate PT is now a leading UK wellness company with over 40 female-focused coaches delivering 1,300-plus sessions monthly. But behind the scenes is a deeply personal mission to make fitness accessible, empowering and sustainable for women, particularly those navigating pregnancy, postpartum and perimenopause.

Kira Mahal's Links:

Website: https://motivatept.co.uk/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiramahal/

Instagram(Kira): https://www.instagram.com/kiramahal/

Instagram(Motivate PT): https://www.instagram.com/motivatept_uk/

Podcast: https://podfollow.com/1705419713

Music by AudioCoffee: https://www.audiocoffee.net/

I don't do New Year's Resolutions. December isn't a straightforward month for me, personally, and my energy levels in January after juggling school holidays and all the Christmas fun just aren't up to "starting the new year strong". So I've restructured my business year, and my mindset to fit my realities.

In this episode I'm sharing:

• Why I'm so anti end of year hustle culture
• Why we should all be putting less pressure on ourselves
• How I've shaped my year to fit better with my energy levels, and financials

Rebel with me.

More on Why I don't do New Year's Resolutions

Takeaways:

• Christmas shift in mum admin begins in November
• Adjusting from mum heavy to business heavy workloads can be tough
• Why I don't do New Year's Resolutions
• How I've reshaped my business year to match my energy levels
• Pairing my financial new year to my conceptual new year
• December is a month with a lot of pressure - don't make it harder for yourself

Chapters:

00:30 Embracing the Shift to Q4 Planning
02:19 Redefining Goal Setting Beyond January
06:23 Navigating Business Pressures During the Holidays
09:07 Celebrating a Non-Traditional Q4 Hustle

Links:

Website: www.bumptobusinessowner.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bumptobusinessowner
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/carolinepooley

Music by AudioCoffee: https://www.audiocoffee.net/

Something a little different this week. I was at the UK Virtual Assistant awards last week celebrating the industry and gratefully receiving a couple of awards, on behalf of the business and the podcast team!

While I was there, I did some live interviews with some incredible VAs and business women, who also happen to be mums, my industry peers and friends. They are sharing their wisdom and experiences of building businesses, working flexibly and prioritising their family.

It was a very fun (by which I mean loud) atmosphere, so apologies for the background noise levels.

Thanks to Amanda Johnson, host of the UK VA Awards (and last week's guest!) for kindly giving me permission to record, and to the wonderful women I spoke to:

Sarah Szekir-Papasavva: www.aptva.com
Beverley Edwards: www.be-virtual.co.uk
Stefanie Clarke: www.jotterbox.co.uk
Holly Copsey: www.virtuallypriceless.co.uk

Takeaways:

• The flexibility that comes with owing your schedule as a founder or freelancer

• Why you might want to consider the agency model

• How to deal with mum guilt

• Kids are sometimes the push you need to take the leap

• Why networking is so important to small business owners
  

Chapters:

00:30 Introduction
02:32 Sarah Szekir-Papasavva
04:58 Beverley Edwards
07:43 Stefanie Clarke
10:02 Holly Copsey

Links:

Website: www.bumptobusinessowner.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/bumptobusinessowner

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/carolinepooley

Music by AudioCoffee: https://www.audiocoffee.net/