If we have learned anything the past two years, it's to honor the season you are in. We are closing the current chapter on The Career Driven Mama podcast. We’re so proud of what we’ve built, the stories we’ve shared, and the community that has grown alongside us. Thank you to every listener, guest, and supporter who cheered us on, we couldn’t have done it without you. Here’s to carrying the lessons, laughter, and connections into what’s next.

Join Alicen and Hillary as they do a follow-up on the March episode about burnout at home. At the time, Alicen was experiencing pretty significant burnout in motherhood. She was feeling totally depleted, helpless, and quite hopeless and she recognized she did not have the tools to course correct on her own. At that time, she started “putting in the work.” This included regular therapy, routine check-ins with her partner, and honest conversations with other moms. With the help of therapy and some concrete tools, she was able to begin working through her burnout. Her hope now is to share her experience with others in case there is one tool that might help… or just to make sure other burnt out mamas know they are not alone.

This week Alicen and Hillary recount their experiences returning to work from maternity leave. From the easy decisions, like email on your phone wasn’t a thing yet, to the tough decisions, like calling in sick your first week back, they talk through the myriad of emotions they felt returning to work. Some of those emotions even included excitement! Alicen and Hillary share a few things their employers did that helped their reintegration and things they hope for future moms returning to work. Both acknowledged and felt gratitude for the supportive workplaces they were returning to. Finally, Alicen’s boss’s boss demonstrates how a small gesture can make a huge impact.

Join Alicen and Hillary as they explore the world of hobby shame. They discuss complex questions like what is a hobby, do you have to have a hobby, and what if maybe you aren’t that into hobbies. Further - do you have to be good, extreme, or have some level of expertise to claim a hobby? During this laughter-filled journey they answer all these questions and more!

This week Alicen and Hillary play “Would You Rather - Home vs Work Edition!” In this episode, they debate ridiculous scenarios like bosses showing up at bedtime and toddlers showing up in board rooms and real-life scenarios like managing crucial conversations at work and curbing the pacifier habit at home. Which would you rather??

This week, Alicen and Hillary are celebrating the mom wins! With all the A+ personalities, it is easy to focus on the fails, and once that train is out of the station it can be hard to even recognize the wins as they are flying by. But if therapy and book club and hindsight has taught us anything - mom wins are real, you have them, and they deserve a clink! (Also - going to therapy - BIG mom win!). Join in the celebration as Alicen and Hillary talk about facing their fears, letting go of control, and staying present in the moments. Bitch - you doing a good job!

Alicen and Hillary are back to wrap up The Career Driven Mama’s inaugural book club series featuring The Power Pause by Neha Ruch. Once again, Part Three offers up numerous paradigm busters like the notion that stay at home parents are lonely too, motherhood can be a time to discover new skills and passions, and the term actually is “homing in.” The book concludes with great guidance and resources on returning to paid work - if you want to. Alicen and Hillary agree this book can apply to all mamas and each give it a resounding five stars! 

Welcome back to The Career Driven Mama’s book club featuring The Power Pause by Neha Ruch, Part Two! This week Alicen and Hillary dive into redefining success, creating a daily rhythm, and getting help without guilt. Through the chapters in Part Two, they learn about concepts like the North Star, time poverty, and the notion that outside help is not just for mom - but rather an investment for the family. Once again, Alicen and Hillary relate to so much in these three chapters and agree this book is not just for moms on a career pause, but for all moms!

Join Alicen and Hillary for the Career Driven Mama’s grand opening, debut, kick-off, first ever book club!! Alicen and Hillary are reading “The Power Pause: How to Plan a Career Break After Kids – and Come Back Stronger Than Ever,” by Neha Ruch, and are excited to discuss Part One with you. Part One, Permission to Pause, explores the identity shift that comes along with taking a pause and touches on many of the ideas Alicen and Hillary have talked about in previous episodes including identity, the meaning of your title, and finding respect (often and maybe mostly from yourself!). They also discuss resigning strategically, owning your resume gap, and comeback careers. All of this and it is only Part One!

Maximizing return on investment, building systems, delegating, aligning values, and defining roles and responsibilities - we love doing all of this at work - and this week we learn how to apply these same principles at home. Alicen and Hillary talk with Courtney Cecil, mom, wife, working moms coach, host of The Life Management System for Working Moms podcast, Founder of Working Moms Movement, and Fortune 50 executive about how to orient your life around your values. Courtney is an industrial and systems engineer and has learned to apply the very theories and practices she uses at work to better manage her life at home, and she is helping other working moms do it, too. This conversation explores how to achieve a sense of control without being the one doing every single thing, understanding your individual and family values, and managing changing seasons. 

You can learn more about Working Moms Movement at Working moms coaching, listen to Courtney’s podcast The Life Management System for Working Moms, and follow along on Instagram @workingmomsmovement.