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In this episode of TimeFree, Michelle speaks with Sam about motherhood, fertility, redundancy, identity and the courage it takes to step away from a dream job in order to create more space for family, creativity and self-discovery.

Sam spent 16 years working in the heritage sector as a curator of historic buildings, a rare and specialised role she had worked hard to build. After becoming a mother, she returned from maternity leave into an organisational restructure and redundancy process.

Faced with the option of staying in a downgraded role or accepting redundancy, Sam made the deeply considered decision to step away.

Together, Michelle and Sam explore the emotional complexity of that choice: the grief of leaving a meaningful career, the relief of gaining headspace, the practical importance of budgeting, and the gift of being more present during the early years of motherhood. Sam also shares her fertility journey, life in a same-sex relationship, the realities of childcare, and her hopes for freelance writing, history projects, and creative work.

This is a thoughtful and honest conversation for any mother navigating career change, redundancy, burnout, identity shifts, or the desire to build a life with more time, clarity and freedom.