Just Good Enough

This week we speak with Kate Drummond, an English working super mum in Canterbury, UK. CEO of The Purposeful Life. We talk about the journey of blending two families, feeling lost and stuck and how to navigate yourself out of this state. How this clarity brought Kate to give back and start her own business.

 

Sparkling wisdom gems from my conversation with Kate include: 

1. Start with your Why. Have a clear outcome.  As parents our role is to create happy, healthy, strong, independent adults.        

2. Keep this outcome clear when faced with challenging moments. “Kids are like a mirror, what they see and hear, they do.  Be a good reflection for them."

3. When we are really challenged, that's when we develop and progress.

4. Keep your cup full - You can’t pour from an empty cup.

5. When feeling lost or stuck, establish simple daily habits: wake up early, make the bed, move your body, meditate and journal. Collectively these habits will help establish clarity and calm.      

6. Pay it forward. 

 

Connect with Kate: https://www.thepurposefullife.com/

Connect with Louise: www.aristochic.co.uk

This week we speak with Lorraine McFall, a Scottish working SuperMum who set up her own business as a life coach in financial well-being.

  

Sparkling wisdom gems from my conversation with Lorraine include: 

1. Create time and space for financial planning. Take stock and plan ahead. Put it in your diary - your future you will thank you.

2. Set out clear financial goals

3. Avoid over helicopter parenting - Check in with your children to find out what they actually need from you. 

4. Invest in personal development

5. Counteract imposter syndrome by collecting evidence to remind yourself that YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH 

6. Start saying YES to professional things that may seem a bit scary but are actually only nudging you out of your comfort zone. The benefits are bountiful

Connect with Lorraine:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorrainemcfall/overlay/about-this-profile/?trk=eml-email_member_message_v2-one_to_one_single_thread-0-null&lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base%3B7e4dqvgASXG%2Bu1G1%2BfVS%2FQ%3D%3D

 

Connect with Louise:

www.aristochic.co.uk 

This week we speak with Jennifer Dowdeswell, an Australian working Super Mum on secondment in Canada.

Sparkling wisdom gems from my conversation with Jennifer include: 

1. Making choices for who you work for, type of role and level of role - there is no exact formula. You have to tailor make it for yourself., and your family. And there is ALWAYS a way. 

2. Teaching your team boundaries - what you are willing to accept and how you are willing to work

3. Office time became more focused because I am on there for a finite amount of time. 

4. Killer Question: What do you want your child to see? A mum home all the time and focused on only the child OR a working mum with multiple areas of focus

5. Look out for the Fair Play book about balancing roles in a relationship when juggling family and work. 

 

Connect with Louise:

www.aristochic.co.uk 

This week we speak with Lorraine Macedo, an English working supermum who recently moved from London to Brazil with her husband and two children. We talk about retraining after giving birth, navigating a career through Covid and how she is managing raising two children in a different language and culture and in parallel is building her profile as an international online English language teacher.

  Sparkling wisdom gems from my conversation with Lorraine include:

• Check out if your country offers free childcare whilst you retrain
• If moving countries, then give your children a lot more time to adapt. They are sponges, but they still need you and it's a big change.
• When juggling so many balls (aiming for perfect tidy house, perfect job, be a perfect wife etc), remember there are glass ones (your marriage or your connection with your chldren, your career fulfilment, your mortgage etc), plastic ones (important, but won't be disastrous if they drop), and some are bouncy (you can drop them and they WILL come back up again - e.g. house is a mess).
• My children join me at work too - this reduces stress on the mother and the children, reduces childcare costs
• Have non-negotiable hours with your employers, and share this information with your children
• Communicate your needs with your partner

Connect with Lorraine http://linkedin.com/in/mrsmacedo

Connect with Louise: www.aristochic.co.uk

In this enlightening episode of "Just Good Enough Podcast," we delve into the unique experiences of being a working mother to a single child.  

Our guest, Leigh Maddox is an Interior Architect and Designer, living and working in London. She is the mother one daughter.   She is originally from the US and has been living in the UK for the last 6 years navigating and balancing the demands of a career with the joys (and struggles!) of family, friends and travel.  

We explore the benefits and challenges, from nurturing a deep, meaningful relationship to managing the intensity of concentrated parental focus. Leigh offers valuable survival hacks and tips, shedding light on the nuanced journey of solo child parenting in a working mother's life. Join us for a candid conversation that navigates the complexities of career, motherhood, and personal growth.

Here are the Highlights:

(03:34)On Balancing Attention with a Single Child

(08:23)Self-Care and Mental Health

(11:47)Reflecting on Spontaneity in Parenting

(13:06)Work-Life Balance and Flexibility

(14:45)Volunteering and the Challenge of 'Having It All'

 

Connect with Louise : https://aristochic.co.uk/

Welcome to Just Good Enough with me, Louise Boyle!

This is a space for working mothers to connect, grow, and thrive in both their personal and professional lives. I’m here to remind you that you don't need to be perfect because what you are doing is already good enough! Join me every week to hear from other like-minded mothers for inspiration, tips, and ideas to keep you going.

 

 

 

Connect with Louise : https://aristochic.co.uk/

This week, we speak to Laura Joigneau Prieto, a mother who has had to live and work in a foreign country. Laura has been a doctor for 15 years and is also the mother of two boys. She is the founder of a digital health company called MejorOnline. Laura is from Spain but previously lived in London and had to navigate working, parenting and adjusting to a new culture.

Today, we discuss the challenges that come with finding the right balance for working mothers plus touch on the best aspects of parenting in today's world.

Here are the highlights:

(04:00) I like the idea of being kind of a role model to my kids 

(07:21) You definitely need some external help

(14:14) Work is part of our life as well

(18:20) People are still working from home and being as productive 

(23:25) It can be done!

 

Connect with Laura : www.mejoronline.net

 

Connect with Louise: https://aristochic.co.uk/

In this first episode, we’ll be talking about imposter syndrome. Many women experience this, but it can be especially challenging for mothers when they have to go back to work.

Today, I’m joined by Angela Johnson, an experienced Psychotherapist and an EMDR Practitioner, with a career of over twelve years in counselling and therapy. Angela is passionate about helping people address their present difficulties head on and build the skills and resilience they need to be better. 

We’ll be looking at what imposter syndrome is for working mothers, the groups that exist in this field, and how we can manage it on a day-to-day basis.

Here are the highlights: (03:19) Everybody gets self-doubt, nobody is immune to it.

(04:58) You start comparing and that comparison is a really unfair fight.

(07:08) We have to be able to learn to say no to things sometimes.

(08:28) You have to accept imperfections.

(12:36) Having a win’s book or an achievement book.

 

Connect with Angela here: www.OldShoreMoreRetreats.co.Uk

 

Connect with Louise here : www.aristochic.co.uk