Not Working Right Now

It’s been... a while. 😅

After accidentally convincing ourselves we’d only recorded one episode this year (spoiler: this is somehow episode six), we’re catching up on everything that’s happened over the last six months.

This conversation is a real-time life update—from navigating motherhood and summer chaos to making career pivots, letting go of businesses, saying no to opportunities that aren’t aligned, and learning (again) that two things can be true at once.

In this episode, we chat about:

    •    Why time has completely disappeared since February

    •    Summer schedules, camp life, and trying to slow down

    •    The pressure of the "shoulds" we carry as moms

    •    Melyse's life update and navigating a major new chapter

    •    Alicia's decision to pass NOLO on to another mom entrepreneur

    •    Choosing alignment over security (even when it's scary)

    •    Why "What's working right now?" continues to be the question that grounds us

    •    Celebrating the life we've intentionally been building—even when it still feels messy

If you've been feeling like you're in the messy middle too, this one's for you.

Thank you for sticking with us through the pauses, pivots, and plot twists. We're so glad you're here.

✨ Mentioned in this episode:

    •    The evolution of Not Working Right Now

    •    Summer with kids (and all the chaos that comes with it)

    •    Letting go of expectations and embracing what's true right now

    •    A teaser for our next conversation: Are we finally through burnout?

As always, we'd love to hear from you:

What's working right now... and what's not?

Burnout has a way of making everything feel black and white: stay miserable, or burn it all down. In this episode, Alicia sits down with Melyse — this time in the hot seat — to unpack the inspiration behind her newly released guide, Before You Burn It All Down.

Together, they explore what burnout actually looks like (hint: sleep won’t fix it), why so many women feel stuck in all-or-nothing thinking, and how small, intentional reflection can create clarity without adding more pressure. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, unfulfilled, or quietly asking yourself “is this really it?” — this episode is for you.

This isn’t about fixing your life or making drastic decisions. It’s about slowing down, naming what’s not working, and giving yourself permission to explore the grey.

In this episode, we cover:

• How burnout sneaks up on high-functioning women

• Why burnout isn’t cured by rest alone

• The “tunnel” feeling of being stuck with no clear exit

• Why working motherhood adds an invisible load

• How black-and-white thinking keeps us frozen

• The power of small, low-pressure reflection

• What the Before You Burn It All Down guide is (and what it isn’t)

• Why you don’t need a plan to take your first step

Who this episode is for:

• Anyone feeling burnt out but unsure what to do next

• Women stuck between staying put and quitting everything

• Working moms carrying mental, emotional, and invisible labor

• Anyone craving clarity without pressure

Resources mentioned:

• The Before You Burn It All Down guide

• Melyse's FREE Burnout quiz

Takeaway:
You don’t need to burn your life down to feel better. Sometimes the most powerful move is simply paying attention to what isn’t working — and giving yourself permission to explore what could.

What happens when life forces a pivot you never planned for — and you still choose to keep going?

In this deeply honest conversation, Alicia and Melyse sit down with Marisa, founder of Defining Journeys, to unpack what happens before the pivot — and what can grow on the other side when life changes the plan.

Marissa shares her winding, multi-path career journey — from early childhood education and working within the school board, to returning to school (again and again), to navigating a cervical cancer diagnosis, infertility, and ultimately becoming a parent through surrogacy. What began as a career pivot rooted in family planning became something much bigger: a calling shaped by lived experience.

Together, they explore:

• Why loving your job doesn’t always mean it’s sustainable or the right one, right now

• The quiet burnout that comes from underpaid “purpose-driven” work

• How health, fertility, and family realities can completely redirect your career

• The loneliness of navigating infertility and surrogacy — and why lived experience matters

• Building a flexible, values-aligned career without burning it all down overnight

• How small, consistent actions create momentum when everything feels uncertain

This episode is for anyone in the messy middle — especially if your pivot wasn’t a choice, but a necessity. It’s a reminder that detours can become directions, and that the life you build after the plan falls apart can be even more aligned than the one you imagined.

Feeling stuck in the messy middle? This episode is your pause button.

In Season 2, Episode 3, Alicia and Melyse guide listeners through a simple but powerful self-reflection practice: What’s working right now — and what’s not. No fixing. No optimizing. Just naming.

This episode is a check-in designed to help you take one small, gentle action that builds momentum. Because action builds momentum, momentum builds confidence — and you don’t have to do it alone.

Grab a piece of paper, open your Notes app, or just listen along as Alicia and Melyse model the practice in real time, sharing honest examples from work, parenting, money, health, routines, and relationships.

✏️ The Practice: Name, Don’t Solve

In this episode, you’ll be invited to:

• Set a 5–10 minute timer

• Create two columns: What’s working | What’s not working

• Write the first things that come to mind

• Resist the urge to fix or optimize

• Simply acknowledge what’s true right now

This practice isn’t about changing your life — it’s about understanding it.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Clarity doesn’t come from big plans — it comes from small awareness

• Naming what’s not working can create immediate relief

• What used to work may no longer fit this season

• You don’t need to optimize every area of your life

• Momentum starts with noticing, not doing more

💬 Why This Episode Matters

If you’re:

• Transitioning out of a season that no longer fits

• Feeling low-energy, overwhelmed, or off-alignment

• Craving clarity without another “plan”

• Tired of fixing and just want to feel better

This episode is for you.

🎧 Listen now and try the practice alongside us.
And remember: you’re not behind — you’re just in a season.

What started as a slightly unhinged idea (buying grocery carts full of pumpkins) turned into a real business, and a crash course in the messy middle.

In this episode, Alicia and Melyse go behind the scenes of My Happy Porch and share what it actually looked like to build something from scratch: the humbling moments, underpricing their labor, washing pumpkins in the driveway, finding unexpected joy, and learning what kind of work really fits this season of life.

More importantly, they break it down into 3 lessons you can apply to your own messy middle, whether you’re starting something new or just trying to feel less stuck.

1️⃣ Stop overthinking. Take one small step.
You don’t need clarity — you need motion.

2️⃣ Momentum builds confidence.
Readiness comes after action, not before.

3️⃣ Accountability changes everything.
Let someone in. Say it out loud. Don’t do it alone.

If you’ve been feeling stuck, restless, or unsure what’s next — this episode is your reminder that the messy middle isn’t something to power through… it’s something you move through, one step at a time.

🎧 Listen now.

Happy 2026 — we’re back!

If you’ve been here since Season 1, you might be wondering where we went. Short answer: life happened. Long answer? The messy middle got really messy.

After telling you we weren’t going anywhere… we kind of disappeared. From September until now, we went quiet — not because we stopped caring about this community, but because everything else got loud. New businesses, career pivots, hard decisions, unexpected pauses, and a whole lot of figuring-it-out-as-we-went.

In this episode, we’re not doing a full recap or tying everything up neatly. Instead, we’re talking about what it looks like when life pulls you into a season of action, pause, and recalibration — and why sometimes stepping back is part of moving forward.

We talk about:

• Why we hit pause on the podcast (and why coming back mattered)

• What happens when you stop overthinking and just try the thing

• Building a “portfolio career” instead of chasing one perfect job

• Letting go of identity tied to titles, resumes, and productivity

• What working with your hands taught us about fulfillment

• Why part-time, fractional, and flexible work deserves a louder conversation

• Redefining success in seasons where time, presence, and energy matter more than income alone

• How asking “What’s working right now?” has become a daily practice

This episode is about permission — to pause, to pivot, to experiment, and to admit you don’t have it all figured out (yet). We’re closer than we were before, and that counts.

Season 2 is officially here. The mics are back on. The conversations are continuing.

Thanks for being here with us in the messy middle. We missed you. 💛

This week, we’re doing something different — and something fun. We asked you, our Not Working Right Now community, to send us your burning (and sometimes random) questions, and wow, you delivered.

In this special Community Ask Me Anything episode, Alicia and Melyse dive into your submissions with their trademark honesty, humour, and a whole lot of messy realness. From parenting hacks to government pay frustrations and to big transitions back to work, we cover it all.

Here’s what you’ll hear in this episode:

• 🛑 The biggest quality of life shifts we’ve made in the messy middle

• 📊 How simple morning routine charts transformed our family chaos

• 👫 Strategies (that sometimes work) for handling constant sibling fights

• 💸 The unresolved saga of government pay (spoiler: still broken)

• ✈️ Why vacations are on pause for now — and what we’re doing instead

• 👩‍👦 The real talk on whether parenting gets easier as kids get older

• 💼 Alicia’s upcoming return to work — excitement, nerves, and boundary-setting

• ☕ And of course, our go-to Starbucks orders

This episode is a mix of laughs, solidarity, and the reminder that none of us really have it figured out — but we’re figuring it out together.

✨ If you’ve ever reheated your coffee three times, felt guilty about mornings, or wondered if you’re the only one fumbling through this season — this one’s for you.

This week on Not Working Right Now, we’re pulling back the curtain on what it’s like to start an SSRI for anxiety. Melyse is just 10 days into sertraline (Zoloft), and she’s sharing it all: why she decided to revisit medication, what the first week of side effects felt like (spoiler: it was a lot like first trimester nausea), and the surprising early wins she didn’t expect to see.

We also talk about:

• Stigma, strength, and why moms often feel like medication is “a crutch”

• The physiotherapy-for-your-brain analogy that helped Alicia say yes to meds years ago

• Side effects in the first week: headaches, stomach issues, brain fog, and tbh farts

• Early signs it’s working (aka: basement lights & intrusive thoughts 👀)

• Talking to kids about medication, when it makes sense

This conversation is messy, honest, and hopefully a reminder that you’re not alone if you’re considering support for your mental health.

In this solo episode, Alicia and Melyse are back to share a pulse check on summer, talk about their sanity (or lack of!), and explore what’s next in their messy middle journeys.

Melyse spills details from Mom Camp 2025—the highs, lows, and what she’ll do differently next year (hint: more camps, less chaos), what she’s learning in her coaching program, and her exciting next step: dipping her toes into supply teaching!

Alicia opens up about the growth and healing she’s been focused on during her medical leave, how summer wasn't exactly what she had planned, and how she is getting better at living true to her values.

Together, they dive into:
✨ The surprising joy of simple, low-cost summer activities (beach day > pricey water park)
✨ What therapy, occupational coaching, and boundaries have taught them about burnout
✨ How saying “no” (to events, commitments, and even co-hosting a baby shower) can be the ultimate form of self-care
✨ Big Fall plans for the Not Working Right Now community, including new events!

It’s raw, it’s relatable, and it’s proof that even in the messy middle, growth is happening—and sometimes that’s exactly what’s working right now.

In this episode of Not Working Right Now, we sit down with a grade school teacher Katie, who is also a mom, runner, yogi, and unofficial Christmas sweater influencer to dive into all things school and motherhood.

Katie joins us to pull back the curtain on what really happens inside a classroom—and let’s just say, it’s not what most parents imagine. From managing 30+ kids (with only 40 minutes of prep time a day!) to answering to “Mom,” “Mrs. Teacher,” and “Miss Mommy,” Katie shares hilarious, honest, and eye-opening stories about teaching in 2025.

We cover it all:

✨ The surprising overlaps between parenting and teaching

✨ Why patience, multitasking, and juggling mental to-do lists should all be Olympic sports

✨ The real challenges teachers face with oversized classrooms and limited resources

✨ What parents can actually do to help (hint: just reply to the email!)

✨ Why boredom matters, and how to help kids problem-solve instead of panic

✨ The best (and worst) teacher gifts ever received—yes, it involves Alfredo sauce in a Ziploc bag

If you’ve ever wondered what your child’s day at school actually looks like, or if you’re looking for ways to support your kid’s learning without another workbook, this episode is for you.