Motherkind

Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge, starting 10th November 2026. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off.Do you find yourself apologising for leaving work on time? For missing the team drinks? For not always being available?You don’t need to make up for being a mother. And yet, so many of us feel we have to hide our family commitments or work twice as hard to prove we’re still capable.In this special compilation episode, Zoe brings together three powerful conversations with Vanessa Kingori, the first woman to lead British Vogue's publishing business; Emma Grede, co-founder of Good American; and Michelle Kennedy, founder of Peanut.Each shares a different perspective on motherhood and ambition, from challenging workplace double standards to protecting family time and finding the confidence to say what you need.If you’ve ever felt guilty for wanting a fulfilling career, or worried that setting a boundary might make you seem less committed, this episode is for you.💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:Why Vanessa chose to make her pregnancy more visible after being advised to keep motherhood quietThe double standards mothers and fathers face at workHow Emma protects her time and models boundaries for her teamLetting go of the pressure to balance everything perfectlyWhy Michelle struggled to protect bedtime, even as a founderRecognising what your working environment is doing to your confidenceYou’ll leave with one question to reflect on: what is one thing you’re going to do differently?If this episode helps you feel more confident and less apologetic, please share it with a mother who needs to hear it.Watch every full episode on YouTube and subscribe. Loved this episode?Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode of Motherkind. It helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing.If you enjoyed this episode, you can listen or watch the full episodes on the guests here:Vanessa Kingori: The NEW Career & Motherhood Playbook From The Woman Who Ran British Vogue Whilst Pregnant or watch on YouTubeEmma Grede: "Your kids don't need you to be their everything" or watch on YouTubeMichelle Kennedy: How to Turn Your Hardest Motherhood Struggles Into a Career With PurposeFeeling different since becoming a mother? Get clarity on who you’re becoming now and download your FREE Matrescence Cheat SheetConnect with Zoe:Follow Zoe on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTokGet Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’This Motherkind episode is sponsored by:Headline sponsor: Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply.Grape Tree Feel Good Foods. Buy online at Grapetree.co.uk or find your local storeKey topics: Working mothers • Motherhood and ambition • Workplace boundaries • Working mum guilt • Women in leadership • Motherhood penalty • Career confidence • Self-worth • Work and family life

Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off.Everyone expects your baby to change. But who prepares you for how much you’ll change too?If you’ve ever wondered “Where have I gone?” or felt that you should have figured motherhood out by now, this solo episode is for you.Zoe shares ten things everyone needs to know about matrescence: the physical, emotional and psychological transformation of becoming a mother. She explores why your identity, relationships, priorities and ambitions can feel different, and why adjusting to motherhood can take far longer than we’re led to believe.Through her jigsaw puzzle analogy, Zoe explains what it means to rebuild your life with children in the picture. She also reflects on the loneliness of feeling different inside while everyone around you still expects the old version of you.Whether you’re a new mum or years into motherhood, this episode offers language for what you’re experiencing and a little more compassion for the woman you’re becoming.💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:What matrescence means and why understanding it can change how you see yourselfHow Zoe describes the brain and hormonal changes that accompany motherhoodWhy rebuilding your identity takes timeHow you can adore your children and still miss parts of your old lifeWhy motherhood can feel lonely, even when you’re rarely aloneHow self-compassion, community and space to change can support youWhy asking “Who am I becoming?” can help you move forwardWatch every full episode on YouTube and subscribe. Loved this episode?Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode of Motherkind. It helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing.If you enjoyed this episode, you might also enjoy Zoe’s conversation with Feeling different since becoming a mother? Get clarity on who you’re becoming now and download your FREE Matrescence Cheat SheetConnect with Zoe:Follow Zoe on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTokGet Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’This Motherkind episode is sponsored by:Headline sponsor: Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply.Grape Tree Feel Good Foods. Buy online at Grapetree.co.uk or find your local storeKey topics: Matrescence • Identity after motherhood • Emotional changes in motherhood • Maternal wellbeing • Motherhood expectations • Loneliness in motherhood • Self-compassion • Changing priorities • Personal growth

Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off.Do you say yes when you mean no, then feel guilty for wishing you’d put yourself first?In this heartfelt conversation, author Vex King joins Zoe to explore people-pleasing, self-worth and why caring for everyone else can leave us disconnected from ourselves.Vex shares the extraordinary story of his mum, who raised three children alone after losing his dad, navigating poverty, homelessness and racism. He reflects on what her love and resilience taught him, and why, as a child, his greatest wish was simply for her to be happy.Drawing on his new book, You Can’t Please Everyone, Vex explains the difference between making sacrifices for the people we love and losing ourselves in the process. He and Zoe explore how to recognise people-pleasing, reconnect with what matters to you and start setting boundaries, even when your voice shakes.If you’re exhausted from trying to keep everyone happy, this conversation is a reminder that your needs, dreams and happiness deserve space too.💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:How to recognise when caring for others becomes self-abandonmentWhy resentment can be a sign you’ve said yes when you wanted to say noA simple exercise to help you identify your values and trust your decisionsHow to start setting boundaries without feeling overwhelmedWhat we model to our children when we make room for our own needsWhy you can be a kind person and still say noWatch every full episode on YouTube and subscribe. Loved this episode?Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode of Motherkind. It helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing.If you enjoyed this episode, you might also enjoy Zoe’s conversation with Nedra Glover Tawwab: Why Mothers Feel So Resentful (And The Boundaries That Change Everything) Feeling different since becoming a mother? Get clarity on who you’re becoming now and download your FREE Matrescence Cheat SheetConnect with Zoe:Follow Zoe on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTokGet Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’This Motherkind episode is sponsored by:Headline sponsor: Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply.Grape Tree Feel Good Foods. Buy online at Grapetree.co.uk or find your local store

Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off.What happens when your life looks perfect from the outside, but deep down you know something isn’t right?Mimi Ikonn had built a successful business, a marriage and a family, but after becoming a mother, something began to shift. She felt increasingly alone in motherhood and slowly started to disconnect from her relationship without fully understanding what was happening.In this deeply honest conversation, Mimi shares what ultimately led her to leave her 13-year marriage, why becoming a mother changed the dynamic of her relationship and the difficult decision to choose herself while raising a young daughter.Mimi and Zoe also explore ambition after motherhood, mum guilt, asking for help, perfectionism, and why motherhood can force us to rethink who we are, what we value, and what success actually means.At the heart of this conversation is a powerful reminder: choosing yourself doesn’t mean choosing your children any less.💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:Why relationships can change so dramatically after becoming parentsHow loneliness and resentment can quietly build in motherhoodWhy asking for and accepting help is so importantHow to balance ambition with being the mother you want to beWhy perfectionism becomes impossible once you have childrenHow to recognise when your life no longer feels alignedWhy choosing yourself can also model something powerful for your childrenHow self-acceptance can change the way you experience motherhoodFollow or subscribe so you never miss an episode of Motherkind. It helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing.Watch every full episode on YouTube and subscribe. Loved this episode?Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode of Motherkind. It helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing.If you enjoyed this episode, you might also enjoy: The "Old You" is Gone, Here's How to Embrace Who You're Becoming — Jada SezerFeeling different since becoming a mother? Get clarity on who you’re becoming now and download your FREE Matrescence Cheat SheetConnect with Zoe:Follow Zoe on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTokGet Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’This Motherkind episode is sponsored by:Headline sponsor Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply.Grape Tree Feel Good Foods. Buy online at Grapetree.co.uk or find your local storeKey topicsMotherhood identity • Matrescence • Relationships after children • Marriage after motherhood • Divorce • Separation • Single motherhood • Mum guilt • Mental load • Resentment • Asking for help • Ambition after motherhood • Self-acceptance • Choosing yourself • Motherhood and relationships • Working motherhood • Perfectionism • Life transitions • Finding yourself again • Mimi Ikonn

Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off.Have you ever gone back to a fitness class after having a baby and wondered why nobody asked how your body was doing?In this Motherkind Moment, women’s fitness coach Elizabeth Davies talks to Zoe about pelvic floor symptoms that can be hard to bring up at the gym, and the support many mothers don’t know is available. Elizabeth explains what a pelvic health physiotherapist can help with, including an individual assessment and a plan for returning to the movement you enjoy.They also discuss why being “18 months postpartum” doesn’t automatically mean your body is ready to pick up where it left off. Whether you want to run, skip or lift weights again, Elizabeth’s advice is to find a starting point that suits you and build gradually. There’s no deadline to get back to it.💡 In this Moment, you’ll learn:What a pelvic health physiotherapist does and how you may be able to access oneWhy it’s okay to speak up if you experience leaking or something feels wrong during exerciseHow to approach running and other high-impact activities graduallyWhy returning to exercise doesn’t have to be a raceWatch every full episode on YouTube and subscribe. Loved this episode?Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode of Motherkind. It helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing.If you enjoyed this episode, you can listen to the full episode: The ultimate (realistic) guide to fitness in motherhood, with Elizabeth DaviesFeeling different since becoming a mother? Get clarity on who you’re becoming now and download your FREE Matrescence Cheat SheetConnect with Zoe:Follow Zoe on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTokGet Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’This Motherkind episode is sponsored by:Headline sponsor Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply.Grape Tree Feel Good Foods. Buy online at Grapetree.co.uk or find your local store

Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off.Does the thought of getting through bedtime without that evening glass of wine feel almost impossible?Motherhood can leave your nervous system completely overwhelmed. You’re overstimulated, exhausted, carrying the mental load and desperately looking for something that will help you switch off. It makes sense that alcohol can begin to feel like the quickest way to find relief.But what if the thing helping you cope in the moment is actually making you feel more anxious, affecting your sleep and leaving motherhood feeling even harder the next day?In this powerful Moment, Zoe is joined by author, entrepreneur and Made in Chelsea alumna Millie Mackintosh to unpack the reality behind “mummy needs wine” culture.Millie shares how easily alcohol became intertwined with motherhood, from champagne after giving birth to drinking at children’s parties and counting down to that first evening glass. She explains why she eventually realised it was stealing her joy, and the practical first steps that helped her change her relationship with drinking.This isn’t about judgement or labels. It’s an honest conversation for anyone who has wondered whether alcohol is still working for them.💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:Why motherhood can make alcohol feel like such a powerful coping mechanismHow even moderate drinking can affect anxiety and sleepWhy “mummy needs wine” culture has become so normalisedThe signs that alcohol may be taking more from your life than it givesHow to explore your relationship with drinking without labelling yourselfThe practical first steps Millie recommends if you know something needs to changeWhy support, information and self-compassion can make changing your habits feel possibleWatch every full episode on YouTube and subscribe. Loved this episode?Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode of Motherkind. It helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing.If you enjoyed this episode, you might also enjoy Zoe’s conversation with Frankie Bridge: How to Stay Ambitious After Kids Without the Mum Guilt An honest conversation about anxiety, maternal mental health and giving mothers permission to admit when they are struggling.Feeling like you’re carrying it all? Download your FREE Mental Load Cheat Sheet and learn how to start feeling lighter, even if nothing in your life changes.Connect with Zoe:Follow Zoe on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTokGet Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’This Motherkind episode is sponsored by:Headline sponsor: Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply.Key topicsMotherhood and alcohol • Mummy wine culture • Grey-area drinking • Sober curiosity • Alcohol-free motherhood • Maternal anxiety • Anxiety after drinking • Alcohol and sleep • Nervous-system regulation • Overstimulation in motherhood • Maternal mental health • Mental load • Drinking habits • Emotional coping mechanisms • Sobriety • Self-care for mothers • Millie Mackintosh • Bad Drunk • Motherkind

Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off.What happens when you genuinely love your career and desperately want to be there for your children?In this week’s Moment, we explore one of the hardest tensions of working motherhood: the feeling that however much support you have, there are some parts of being a mother you simply don’t want to outsource.After taking on a huge new role with Steven Bartlett while six months pregnant with her third child, Amy Golding shares how motherhood completely changed the way she makes career decisions. Before having children, she thought combining work and family was largely a logistical challenge, something you could solve with enough childcare, money and careful planning. Then she became a mother and realised she'd forgotten something much harder to quantify: love.We talk about the invisible mental load, wanting to be the primary attachment figure, the complicated emotions that can come with childcare, and why loving your work doesn’t make it any easier to miss the school plays, appointments and everyday moments with your children.Because perhaps the tension between motherhood and ambition isn't an equation we're supposed to perfectly solve.💡 In this Moment, you’ll learn:Why working motherhood can feel impossible to get rightHow motherhood can change the way you make career decisionsWhy childcare doesn't necessarily remove working mum guiltThe emotional side of the mental load we rarely talk aboutHow to navigate loving your career and wanting to be with your childrenWatch every full episode on YouTube and subscribe. Loved this episode?Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode of Motherkind. It helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing.If you enjoyed this episode, listen to the full episode: Steven Bartlett’s CEO: How I Make Career Decisions Around My FamilyFeeling different since becoming a mother? Get clarity on who you’re becoming now and download your FREE Matrescence Cheat SheetConnect with Zoe:Follow Zoe on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTokGet Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’This Motherkind episode is sponsored by:Headline sponsor: Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply.Key topics: Working motherhood • Working mum guilt • Career after children • Motherhood and career • Mental load • Invisible labour • Childcare • Career decisions • Motherhood and ambition • Maternal guilt • Work-life balance • Working parents • Motherhood identity • Primary attachment • Career change • Women at work • Returning to work after maternity leave • Maternity leave • Ambitious mothers • Modern motherhood • Motherkind 

Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge, starting 21 October. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off.Have you ever felt like maternity "leave" was the wrong word for what you were actually doing?In this powerful Moment, broadcaster and author Emma Barnett shares the phrase that changed how she — and so many mothers listening — understood motherhood: maternity service.Emma explains how the reframe came to her during an intense week of solo parenting, and why swapping just one word completely shifted her relationship to those early, relentless months. Together, Zoe and Emma dig into the "death and rebirth" of matrescence, the strange creative clarity that can show up in the fog of new motherhood, and why so few honest portraits of this stage of life exist. If you've ever felt blindsided by who you became after having a baby, this conversation will leave you feeling far less alone — and hand you some new language for what you lived through.💡 What You'll Learn in This MomentWhy "maternity service" fits better than "maternity leave"How the reframe came to Emma mid-heatwaveThe unexpected creative clarity of new motherhoodThe "death and rebirth" of matrescenceWhy honest portraits of new motherhood are so rareWatch this episode on YouTube and subscribe. Loved this episode?Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode of Motherkind. It helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing.If you liked this moment, listen to the full episode: Maternity Service, Not Leave: A New Perspective with Emma BarnettFeeling like you’re carrying it all? Download your FREE Mental Load Cheat Sheet and learn how to start feeling lighter, even if nothing in your life changes.Connect with Zoe:Follow Zoe on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTokGet Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’This Motherkind episode is sponsored by:Headline sponsor Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply.Jurassic Oceans Exhibition at The Natural History Museum. Kids go half price.