This week on Mum Means Business, I’m joined by Maria Rush - leadership mentor, speaker and host of the Women Don’t Rush podcast.

For the past 15 years Maria has dedicated her time not only to raising her two children, now teenagers, but to promoting self-leadership, emotional intelligence and solution-based communication in entrepreneurial spaces, state organisations and private businesses.

Maria is fascinated by people. Her work explores how we can communicate and connect more deeply with ourselves and others by becoming more authentic and self-aware. She supports capable, high-achieving women and mothers who, despite outward success, often feel tired, overwhelmed and quietly unfulfilled.

Through her calm and thoughtful framework, Maria helps women uncover the missing link between outer achievement and inner fulfilment.

In this reflective and practical conversation, we explore:

We also talk honestly about early motherhood, uncomfortable self-awareness and the courage it takes to recognise when our own behaviours may be contributing to the challenges we’re facing.

🎁 Exclusive for Mum Means Business listeners:

The programme offers a practical introduction to emotional intelligence and compassionate communication in a small group setting - equipping parents, partners and professionals with tools to strengthen their relationship with themselves and enjoy greater calm and connection.

About Maria Rush:

Drawing on her experience as a mother, mentor and entrepreneur, Maria guides high-achieving women to bridge the gap between external success and inner alignment. Her work empowers women to communicate more effectively, articulate their needs with confidence and cultivate deeper connections with themselves and others.

You can connect with Maria via her website, on Instagram, LinkedIn or through her podcast.

I was raised by a nurturing Mother and an entrepreneurial Father and have inherited traits from both, so the tension between ambition and motherhood is one I grapple with on a daily basis!

I’m fascinated to hear the stories of other women on a similar path, who are striving to build thriving businesses whilst being present for their children. It's a tough juggle, but I hope the conversations shared on this podcast help Mums in business feel less alone and inspired to keep going in pursuit of their dreams.

Head to the Mum Means Business Podcast website for full show notes.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed in this conversation, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @victoria_phipps or @mummeansbusinesspodcast.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5* rating and review!

My guest this week is Isabelle Pearcey, founder of Izz Whizz VA, where she helps founders, small teams and legal professionals bring structure, calm and confidence to the way they run their business.

With a background in law, executive support and charity governance, Isabelle has spent years as the unflappable right hand to high-level leaders; quietly building effective systems, leading with empathy and keeping operations running smoothly behind the scenes.

After navigating long COVID alongside early motherhood, Isabelle made the courageous transition into entrepreneurship. She built a virtual assistant business rooted in her values of kindness, trust and flexibility - and is now growing a small, trusted team of VAs who want meaningful, family-friendly work.

Her approach to business feels like a breath of fresh air: calm rather than chaos, collaboration rather than control and support instead of silent struggle.

In this honest and reassuring conversation, we explore:

We also talk about resilience, identity shifts and what it really means to invite someone into your world to help carry the load.

About Isabelle Pearcey:

With a background in law, executive assistance and charity governance, Isabelle combines professionalism with empathy — helping business owners feel calm and confident as they grow. She is building a team of skilled virtual assistants who want meaningful, flexible work that aligns with family life.

Through her work and charitable involvement, Isabelle is passionate about empowering women at every stage of motherhood and business.

Connect with Isabelle on LinkedIn and Instagram to find out more about how her team could support you.

I was raised by a nurturing Mother and an entrepreneurial Father and have inherited traits from both, so the tension between ambition and motherhood is one I grapple with on a daily basis!

I’m fascinated to hear the stories of other women on a similar path, who are striving to build thriving businesses whilst being present for their children. It's a tough juggle, but I hope the conversations shared on this podcast help Mums in business feel less alone and inspired to keep going in pursuit of their dreams.

Head to the Mum Means Business Podcast website for full show notes.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed in this conversation, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @victoria_phipps or @mummeansbusinesspodcast.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5* rating and review!

This week on Mum Means Business, I’m joined by Ekaterina Ward - mindset coach and founder of Vivacity, a community supporting female founders aged 40 and over to build vibrant, soul-aligned businesses that support the lives they want to lead.

Ekaterina began her career in teaching before moving into corporate financial services. Eleven years ago, she retrained as a coach and has since worked extensively in corporate and executive coaching. Today, her focus is on supporting mothers in business - helping them grow their income, energy and impact without sacrificing themselves in the process.

A mum to an eleven-year-old daughter, Ekaterina is deeply passionate about challenging the societal expectation that women should shrink as they move through midlife. Instead, she invites women to see this season as one of expansion, power and becoming.

Her work explores the patterns that often guide our behaviour. As she recently shared, some of us are led by the heart, others by fire - but many of us are unconsciously addicted to suffering through overworking, people pleasing, control and self-neglect. Ekaterina’s message is clear: we do not need to suffer in order to grow.

💡 “We do not need to suffer to grow.”

In this deep, reflective and quietly powerful conversation, we explore:

We also talk about self-enquiry, identity shifts and what it means to truly come home to yourself - as a woman, a mother and a business owner.

About Ekaterina Ward:

Ekaterina specialises in supporting mothers in business to grow sustainably, without burnout. Her work challenges outdated narratives around midlife and menopause, reframing them as powerful seasons of self-leadership, honesty and renewal.

You can find Ekaterina on Instagram or LinkedIn, and learn more about her work through Vivacity via her website.

I was raised by a nurturing Mother and an entrepreneurial Father and have inherited traits from both, so the tension between ambition and motherhood is one I grapple with on a daily basis!

I’m fascinated to hear the stories of other women on a similar path, who are striving to build thriving businesses whilst being present for their children. It's a tough juggle, but I hope the conversations shared on this podcast help Mums in business feel less alone and inspired to keep going in pursuit of their dreams.

Head to the Mum Means Business Podcast website for full show notes.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed in this conversation, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @victoria_phipps or @mummeansbusinesspodcast.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5* rating and review!

This week on Mum Means Business, I’m joined by Liz Mosley - graphic designer, Adobe Ambassador, podcast host and public speaker on a mission to help small business owners feel more confident about their branding and marketing.

Liz believes that when branding is not only beautiful but also strategic, it can completely transform how business owners show up. Through her design work, she creates bespoke branding and websites that leave her clients feeling excited, empowered and ready to share what they do with the world.

Alongside client work, Liz has recorded over 200 episodes of her podcast Building Your Brand - all within the constraints of the school day. She’s a mum of two and a passionate champion for small businesses navigating visibility, content creation and sustainable growth.

Liz is also well known for her rejection challenge. In 2023, after recognising how much fear of rejection might be limiting her own business growth, she set herself the goal of collecting 100 professional rejections in six months.

Since then, she’s been openly sharing what she’s learned - helping creatives and business owners see that rejection is a normal, unavoidable and often far less scary part of putting yourself out there.

💡 “Rejection is a normal part of being a creative and a business owner.”

In this honest and encouraging conversation, we explore:

We also talk about trusting your instincts, doing work you genuinely enjoy and why consistency becomes far more sustainable when you stop trying to perform and start being yourself.

About Liz Mosley:

Liz is passionate about helping creatives overcome fear of rejection and build resilience through visibility, experimentation and self-trust. She shares practical marketing advice alongside honest reflections on running a business and navigating motherhood.

You can find Liz on Instagram, via her website or by listening to Building Your Brand 🎧

I was raised by a nurturing Mother and an entrepreneurial Father and have inherited traits from both, so the tension between ambition and motherhood is one I grapple with on a daily basis!

I’m fascinated to hear the stories of other women on a similar path, who are striving to build thriving businesses whilst being present for their children. It's a tough juggle, but I hope the conversations shared on this podcast help Mums in business feel less alone and inspired to keep going in pursuit of their dreams.

Head to the Mum Means Business Podcast website for full show notes.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed in this conversation, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @victoria_phipps or @mummeansbusinesspodcast.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5* rating and review!

This week on Mum Means Business, I’m joined by Rachael Twumasi-Corson - a multi-award-winning serial entrepreneur, public speaker and non-executive director.

Rachael founded her first company, Afrocenchix, at just 18 years old and scaled it to international success, raising over $2 million in investment before exiting the business in 2023. An advocate for ethical leadership and powerful storytelling in business, she’s delivered talks for global organisations including Google, Meta and HSBC.

Today, Rachael serves on multiple boards, was recently appointed Vice Chair of British Mensa and is on the cusp of launching her new haircare brand Ayaa Botanicals. She lives in London with her husband and four children.

As a busy Mum, Rachael believes work-life balance is a myth. Instead, she champions the idea of work-life harmony - a more compassionate and realistic way of approaching ambition, family life and personal wellbeing.

As she puts it, balance leads to stress and frustration, while harmony creates freedom.

In this rich and practical conversation, we explore:

Rachael shares both the mindset shifts and the practical tools that have helped her navigate different seasons - reminding us that when family life feels settled, we can go again and when it doesn’t, stepping back is not failure but part of being human.

During our conversation Rachael also recommends a book called "Coherence" which I can confirm is by Dr. Alan Watkins.

Her work focuses on ethical leadership, storytelling and helping others build lives and businesses that feel aligned - rather than perfectly balanced.

She lives in London with her husband and four children and continues to explore new ventures inspired by resilience, lived experience and a commitment to long-term impact.

Learn more about Rachael via her website or connect with her on Instagram or LinkedIn.

I was raised by a nurturing Mother and an entrepreneurial Father and have inherited traits from both, so the tension between ambition and motherhood is one I grapple with on a daily basis!

I’m fascinated to hear the stories of other women on a similar path, who are striving to build thriving businesses whilst being present for their children. It's a tough juggle, but I hope the conversations shared on this podcast help Mums in business feel less alone and inspired to keep going in pursuit of their dreams.

Head to the Mum Means Business Podcast website for full show notes.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed in this conversation, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @victoria_phipps or @mummeansbusinesspodcast.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5* rating and review!

This week on Mum Means Business, I’m joined by Amy Grilli - former teacher and co-founder of The Five Hour Club, a growing movement challenging the traditional 9–5 workday and advocating for more realistic, family-friendly ways of working.

After taking five years out of paid employment to care for her children, Amy found herself staring at a large gap in her CV and questioning how it would be received. Her instinct was that being a “full-time parent” would be judged, dismissed or even criticised. So she left the gap unexplained and quietly withdrew, feeling insignificant, undervalued and unsure whether she was still welcome in the professional world.

In frustration, Amy shared her experience on LinkedIn in 2024. The post went viral, resonating with tens of thousands of mothers who felt deeply seen. That response became the catalyst for The Five Hour Club - a professional job board promoting five-hour workdays, alongside a podcast of the same name, all designed to help parents maintain and return to meaningful careers after having children.

What began as a personal moment of vulnerability has grown into a powerful movement. As Amy puts it so simply - 9 to 5 doesn’t work for parents.

In this thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation, we explore:

About Amy Grilli:

After experiencing first-hand the barriers parents face when trying to return to work, Amy now advocates for systemic change that allows families to thrive - without forcing parents to choose between career and caregiving.

You can learn more about The Five Hour Club by visiting their website, following them on LinkedIn and Instagram, or listening to The Five Hour Club podcast.

I was raised by a nurturing Mother and an entrepreneurial Father and have inherited traits from both, so the tension between ambition and motherhood is one I grapple with on a daily basis!

I’m fascinated to hear the stories of other women on a similar path, who are striving to build thriving businesses whilst being present for their children. It's a tough juggle, but I hope the conversations shared on this podcast help Mums in business feel less alone and inspired to keep going in pursuit of their dreams.

Head to the Mum Means Business Podcast website for full show notes.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed in this conversation, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @victoria_phipps or @mummeansbusinesspodcast.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5* rating and review!

This week on Mum Means Business, I’m joined by my marvellous coach Teresa Heath-Wareing - an international award-winning TEDx speaker, business strategist and host of the #1 rated Your Dream Business podcast.

Teresa is widely known as the go-to expert for launching and scaling online businesses, specialising in practical growth strategies for course creators, membership owners and coaches. With a degree in marketing and over a decade of experience, she began her business in 2013 as a single mum to her four-year-old daughter.

Since then, Teresa’s business - and life - have evolved dramatically. Alongside growing a globally recognised online brand, she has navigated divorce, solo parenting and a profound shift in her relationship with alcohol, a journey she shares openly on her health podcast Losing Part of Me. Today, her daughter is a teenager, she’s gained two grown-up stepchildren and a “handsome husband”.

In 2024, Teresa launched her signature programme 'Grow Launch Sell', bringing together her depth of experience to help entrepreneurs build profitable online businesses in a way that feels aligned, sustainable and human - moving away from one-size-fits-all solutions and towards thoughtful, supported growth.

In this open and generous conversation, we explore:

About Teresa Heath-Wareing:

She is the host of Your Dream Business podcast and creator of the Grow Launch Sell programme, supporting business owners to build sustainable success without sacrificing themselves in the process.

You can find Teresa via her website, YouTube channel and on Instagram @teresa_heathwareing.

I was raised by a nurturing Mother and an entrepreneurial Father and have inherited traits from both, so the tension between ambition and motherhood is one I grapple with on a daily basis!

I’m fascinated to hear the stories of other women on a similar path, who are striving to build thriving businesses whilst being present for their children. It's a tough juggle, but I hope the conversations shared on this podcast help Mums in business feel less alone and inspired to keep going in pursuit of their dreams.

Head to the Mum Means Business Podcast website for full show notes.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed in this conversation, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @victoria_phipps or @mummeansbusinesspodcast.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5* rating and review!

This week on Mum Means Business, I’m joined by Dr Tuesday Watts-Overall - an Essex-based academic psychologist, speaker, writer and self-described recovering perfectionist whose work explores the real emotional experience of modern motherhood.

Tuesday has built a deeply engaged online audience by choosing honesty over polish in a space where so many mothers feel pressure to curate perfection. Her work brings compassion and depth to feelings women often keep hidden, helping to reshape how we understand - and talk about - maternal mental health.

Drawing on her doctorate in psychology alongside counselling skills, hypnotherapy, hypnobirthing and postnatal mental health training, Tuesday supports women through identity shifts, big transitions and the unraveling and rebuilding that so often comes with motherhood.

In one of her pinned posts she writes, “I don’t feel guilty about working whilst my children are small. I see my work as the creative rest I need to be the best mother I can be.”

When I first read that, I felt seen - and that ability to articulate what so many women feel but struggle to say out loud is very much Tuesday’s superpower.

In this honest and validating conversation, we explore:

About Dr Tuesday Watts-Overall:

Known online as Dr Tuesday, she shares unfiltered reflections on family life, mental health and ambition, creating spaces where women feel less alone and more understood. Her work challenges the idea that mothers must have it all figured out and instead invites compassion, flexibility and honesty.

You can find Tuesday via her website or on Instagram at @iamdrtuesday.

I was raised by a nurturing Mother and an entrepreneurial Father and have inherited traits from both, so the tension between ambition and motherhood is one I grapple with on a daily basis!

I’m fascinated to hear the stories of other women on a similar path, who are striving to build thriving businesses whilst being present for their children. It's a tough juggle, but I hope the conversations shared on this podcast help Mums in business feel less alone and inspired to keep going in pursuit of their dreams.

Head to the Mum Means Business Podcast website for full show notes.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed in this conversation, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @victoria_phipps or @mummeansbusinesspodcast.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5* rating and review!

As we look ahead to a new year, this week on Mum Means Business I’m joined by Ruth Ashton - founder of RAPT Movement, a personal training business supporting women to rebuild strength and return to exercise safely in the early season of motherhood.

Movement has always been Ruth’s way of managing life’s demands and reconnecting with herself. But after returning to work as a management consultant following the birth of her first baby, she found that exercise no longer felt straightforward. Physical changes, injury and a lack of time made traditional fitness routines feel unrealistic and often unsafe.

Ruth soon realised she wasn’t alone. Many of her friends felt intimidated by gyms and frustrated by fitness messaging that swung between extreme workouts and gentle stretching, with nothing in between. There was a clear gap in support for women navigating postpartum recovery.

In 2024, Ruth qualified as a personal trainer and fitness instructor and began developing a strength-training approach based on what had actually worked for her during her own postpartum running journey. When an opportunity arose to move to Canada with her husband’s job, it felt like the right moment to step away from consultancy and launch RAPT Movement.

Now based in Toronto, Ruth works with women one-to-one both in person and online, offering simple, home-based strength training sessions that fit into real life. Her philosophy is fitness for life - not about getting your pre-baby body back, but about caring for and celebrating the body you’re in right now.

In this thoughtful and practical conversation, we explore:

About Ruth Ashton:

Based in Toronto, Ruth works with women one-to-one both in person and online, offering accessible strength training designed to fit into busy lives. Her work focuses on helping women rebuild confidence, strength and trust in their bodies at every stage of motherhood.

You can find Ruth and learn more about working with her on Instagram at @rapt.runs.

About The Host:

I was raised by a nurturing Mother and an entrepreneurial Father and have inherited traits from both, so the tension between ambition and motherhood is one I grapple with on a daily basis!

I’m fascinated to hear the stories of other women on a similar path, who are striving to build thriving businesses whilst being present for their children. It's a tough juggle, but I hope the conversations shared on this podcast help Mums in business feel less alone and inspired to keep going in pursuit of their dreams.

Head to the Mum Means Business Podcast website for full show notes.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed in this conversation, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @victoria_phipps or @mummeansbusinesspodcast.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5* rating and review!

brings honesty and hope to conversations about healing, self-worth and authenticity. Her work centres on supporting women who, as little girls, were made to feel they were too much and who grew up believing they were never enough.

Charlotte knows this story personally. After years of hiding parts of herself to feel worthy, she began addressing the roots of those patterns and found freedom, safety and self-acceptance. Now, she’s deeply committed to helping women - and the little girls watching them - feel safe to be seen, heard and fully themselves.

By exploring people-pleasing, perfectionism, self-sabotage and visibility struggles, Charlotte reminds us that authenticity isn’t about performing confidence. It’s about feeling safe enough to be who we really are.

In this deeply moving and reflective conversation, we explore:

Charlotte also shares a spoken word piece that captures the emotional heart of this episode — a moment that stayed with me long after we stopped recording.

About Charlotte Bailey:

Her work is rooted in helping women feel safe to be seen, heard and expressed - not only for themselves, but for the children who are watching and learning from them. Charlotte believes that healing ourselves is one of the most powerful gifts we can give the next generation.

Visit charlotte-bailey.com, listen to Let’s Talk People Pleasing wherever you get your podcasts, or connect with Charlotte on Instagram @charlotte_bailey_therapies or LinkedIn.

About The Host:

I was raised by a nurturing Mother and an entrepreneurial Father and have inherited traits from both, so the tension between ambition and motherhood is one I grapple with on a daily basis!

I’m fascinated to hear the stories of other women on a similar path, who are striving to build thriving businesses whilst being present for their children. It's a tough juggle, but I hope the conversations shared on this podcast help Mums in business feel less alone and inspired to keep going in pursuit of their dreams.

Head to the Mum Means Business Podcast website for full show notes.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed in this conversation, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @victoria_phipps or @mummeansbusinesspodcast.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5* rating and review!