The Mothering Project

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So many of us are getting through the day but not actually thriving, and most of the time we don't notice the gap until we're already running on empty. Steven Daniels from Align56 knows that gap from the inside. He changed industries and had to unlearn a lot of what he thought he valued along the way.

We talk about the tiny stressors that pile up and turn into burnout, why emotional regulation matters so much in leaders, and something I see all the time in my own work: high performance depends a lot more on your relationships than on grit. Steven also explains what alignment actually means to him, including the name Align56, and shares the morning routine that keeps his head clear.

If you've been telling yourself you're "fine" for a while now, this one's for you.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro and Steven's background
01:12 What Align56 is and where the name came from
07:06 Changing industries and unlearning values
10:44 Why so many of us are functioning, not thriving
19:01 Burnout and managing stress
27:57 Emotional regulation in leadership
36:40 High performance and relationships
41:36 What alignment actually means

RESOURCES MENTIONED
The Top Five Regrets of the Dying – Bronnie Ware: https://www.amazon.com/Five-Regrets-Dying-Things-You/dp/0310344851
Unstressable – Mo Gawdat: https://www.amazon.com/Unstressable-Mo-Gawdat/dp/1785042784
Align56: https://align56.com

CONNECT WITH STEVEN
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/stevendaniels

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In this episode, I’m joined by naturopath and nutritionist Claire Luckman for a really warm and honest conversation about moving overseas, finding your way in a new country, changing direction in your career—and learning to listen to what your body is trying to tell you.

Claire shares her experience of moving abroad and building a life away from home, including the challenges, opportunities and personal growth that came with beginning again. We talk about how these experiences shaped her journey into naturopathy and nutrition and ultimately led her to supporting women with their health.

We also explore women’s health, hormones, perimenopause and menopause. Claire explains how stress, the mental load and the pressure so many women carry can affect our hormonal and overall wellbeing—often before we fully recognise what is happening.

Claire shares practical insight into nutrition, gut health and hormonal balance, as well as why supplements shouldn’t be treated as a one-size-fits-all solution. We talk about the importance of self-awareness, understanding your individual body and getting the right support for you.

We also discuss the gaps that still exist in women’s health education, the influence of cultural and societal expectations, and how partners can better understand and support women as they move through perimenopause and menopause.

This is a beautiful conversation about change in all its forms—moving countries, finding purpose, navigating hormonal shifts and learning to trust yourself through each new stage of life.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Claire’s experience of moving overseas and creating a life away from home
• Starting again and finding a new sense of purpose
• Her journey into naturopathy and nutrition
• How stress and the mental load can affect hormonal health
• Perimenopause, menopause and the changes women may experience
• Learning to listen to your body and recognise when something feels different
• Nutrition and gut health for hormonal support
• Why supplements should be tailored to the individual
• The gaps in women’s health knowledge and education
• The importance of partner support and open communication

As always, this episode is intended to support and inform, but it should not replace personalised advice from your healthcare professional.

Find Claire here : 

https://www.instagram.com/claireluckman_naturopath/

Some podcast recomendations from Claire below:

The Dutch Podcast (for hormonal insights) 
Glucose Revolution
Below Her Surface 

KicPod

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I said I was taking a few weeks off. That became months — and the longer I left it, the harder it got to come back.

So I stopped waiting for the perfect plan and just turned the microphone on. In this one I'm telling you where I actually went. The chaos of school holidays and sick kids, and the guilt I kept feeling that I should be producing something.

 The Human Project growing louder while the podcast went quiet, and the question I know so many of you live too — how do you make room for the thing you built without letting it take over everything else? And something tender happening with my family back in Ireland, which has had me thinking about home, about parents getting older, and about belonging to two places at once.

Underneath all of it there's one thread I can't stop pulling on: connection.

And it's led me to an idea I want to build with you — an intimate, in-person night for the women who've been part of these conversations. If that sounds like something you'd come to, I want to hear from you. What would make it worth leaving the house for? Who would you want in the room? Email me or send me a DM — I'm reading every single one.

Please click on this link - I would love your feedback. 

https://forms.gle/DLm6ZMMG3mcgJzpKA

In this episode:

• Why my "few weeks off" turned into longer 
• Motherhood, guilt, and redirecting my energy instead of stopping
• The Human Project getting louder while the podcast went quiet
• Loving my family from the other side of the world
• Why connection is the thread through all of it
• The idea I want to build with you — and how to be part of

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Season 2 has always been about more than motherhood OR business. 

Behind every conversation with incredible women, another story was quietly unfolding—my own.

In this final episode, I'm sharing what this season changed in me. From stepping into my first solo leadership workshops to growing The Human Project, navigating grief, rediscovering confidence, and finding the courage to build a business that truly reflects who I am. 

I also reflect on the five biggest lessons that emerged across every guest conversation—lessons about identity, ambition, motherhood, courage, and what it really means to begin again.

If you've ever felt like you're becoming someone new, this episode is for you.

And it's also the beginning of what's next.

In This Episode

• Why Season 2 became about so much more than motherhood.
• The personal journey that unfolded behind the microphone.
• The five biggest lessons every guest unknowingly taught me.
• What I've learned about rebuilding your career and your identity.
• A first look at the Career Reset Guide and where Season 3 is heading.

Resources & Links

✨ Career Reset Guide: Message me on my insta ( Link Below)

 https://www.instagram.com/the_mothering_project/  

💛 Learn more about The Human Project:  Home | The Human Project

🎙️ Connect with Christina: https://www.christina-byrne.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_mothering_project/
LinkedIn: Christina Byrne | LinkedIn

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What happens when you put three mums behind the microphone and give them permission to be completely honest? ( We all talk at once ;) ) 

In this episode, I am joined by Lucinda and Lauren from Ready Or Not for a funny, heartfelt and refreshingly real conversation about motherhood, work, identity and the invisible mental load so many women carry every single day.

Together, we unpack the constant tension between ambition and parenting, the pressure to "do it all," and why motherhood often feels less like balance and more like an ongoing negotiation. From school apps and WhatsApp groups to careers, relationships and finding yourself again, this conversation will leave you feeling seen, understood and a little less alone.

If you've ever wondered whether everyone else has somehow figured motherhood out better than you… this episode is for you.

In this episode we explore

• The identity shift that comes with becoming a mother
• Why motherhood can make you feel stronger and more vulnerable at the same time
• The reality of juggling careers, children and trying to find time for yourself
• How Ready Or Not grew from a small idea into a trusted parenting community
• The role social media can play in creating genuine connection
• The invisible mental load of school admin, appointments and family logistics
• Practical ways to lighten the load, including shared calendars, asking for help and embracing "done is better than perfect"
• Why friendships with other mums become even more valuable as children grow
• Navigating your relationship with your partner through the busy parenting years
• Why every season of motherhood asks something different of us

Key takeaways

• There is no perfect formula for balancing work and motherhood.
• Letting go of perfection creates more space for what truly matters.
• Sharing the mental load isn't a luxury—it's essential.
• Community makes motherhood lighter.
• Every stage of parenting is temporary, even when it doesn't feel like it.

Memorable moments

Plus...

• The hilarious conversation about school apps, WhatsApp groups and the invisible administration of parenting.
• An honest discussion about ambition, burnout and why switching off isn't always easy.
• A playful debate about what "having it all" really means.

Mentioned in this episode

• Ready Or Not Podcast
• The Mothering Project
• Shared family calendars and practical planning tools
• Parenting experts and support networks
• Irish roots, Cork, family traditions and nostalgia

This episode is for you if...

• You're balancing work and motherhood.
• The mental load feels overwhelming.
• You're trying to rediscover who you are after becoming a parent.
• You love honest, funny conversations that don't pretend motherhood is perfect.
• You need a reminder that you're not the only one figuring it out as you go.

Episode theme

Motherhood is messy, beautiful, exhausting and transformative. This conversation reminds us that none of us are meant to carry it all alone—and sometimes the greatest comfort comes from hearing another mum say, "Me too."

Find them over here https://www.instagram.com/readyornot.pod/

Me: https://www.instagram.com/the_mothering_project/

Sign up to my newsletter here : 

https://www.christina-byrne.com/

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I absolutely loved this conversation with Mia Lake.

Mia is the founder of Mia Lake Interiors, mum to her little man and one of those women who just gets it. We chatted about business, motherhood, ambition, style, boundaries and how success can look so different after kids.

What I loved the most was how much of this conversation wasn't really about interiors at all. It was about creating a life that works for you and your stage of life and needs at that time. 

Mia shares her journey from working with her dad to starting her own business and growing a team, but also the messy bits we don't always see. The juggle, the shifts in priorities, the breakdowns, the pressure and the constant recalibration that comes with trying to do meaningful work while raising a family.

We also chatted about:

• Why motherhood changed what success means to her
• The reality behind Instagram and running a business
• Building a team and protecting culture
• Confidence, style and feeling good in yourself again
• Boundaries, self-care and listening to your body
• Why flexibility matters so much when you're raising kids
• Supporting women and creating environments where people thrive
• Being able to adapt to your environment from Office to Building sites 
• Choosing a life that fits, instead of chasing someone else's idea of success

There were so many moments in this conversation where I found myself nodding along, and taking Mental Notes for myself. :) 

So many of us have spent years chasing the next thing, only to realise that what we're actually craving is a life that feels good. 

A life with enough space. 

Enough flexibility. Enough joy. 

A life that fits.

I hope you love this conversation as much as I did.

♥ Christina

Connect with Mia:

Instagram: @mialakeinteriors
LinkedIn: Mia Lake
Website: www.mialakeinteriors.com.au

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The Mother Who Wants Something Too

Motherhood is one of the biggest jobs there is.

The caring, the planning, the organising, the emotional load, the constant responsibility for small humans we love more than words can explain. It's relentless, beautiful, exhausting and life-changing all at once.

And yet, amongst all of that, many mothers find themselves asking a question they never expected:

"What do I want now?"

• Not because motherhood isn't enough.
• Not because they love their children any less.
• But because becoming a mother doesn't erase the woman underneath it all.

In this final episode of The Mother You Become series, Fionnuala and I talk about the tension so many mothers feel between caring for everyone else and staying connected to themselves.

We explore identity shifts, ambition, intuition and the courage it takes to listen to your own desires without guilt.

Because motherhood asks so much of us.

 The bravest thing we can do is acknowledge that alongside being a mother, we are still women with dreams, curiosity, purpose and parts of ourselves that deserve attention too.

If you would love some help with that I would love for you to reach out to me. 

https://www.christina-byrne.com/

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Most mothers think starting school means finally catching a break. I thought the same thing. I was wrong.

When my son started school, I wasn't prepared for any of it — the gut-punch of goodbye at the school gate, the mental load that somehow got heavier, or the quiet anxiety that crept in when I compared his milestones to every other kid in the yard.

Nobody talks about that part.

In this episode I'm getting honest about what the school years actually did to me — and what I had to learn the hard way about showing up for my kids without completely losing myself in the process.

We get into:

• Why the transition hits harder emotionally than you expect
• How comparison and milestone anxiety can quietly wreck your confidence
• Real, simple ways to cut the mental load before it cuts you
• What it actually looks like to parent with patience when you're running on empty

This isn't a highlight reel. It's the stuff I wish someone had told me before we ever set foot in that school playground.

Hit play if you're in it — or about to be.

🎙️ Because perfect parenting isn't the goal. Showing up real is.

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The toddler years can be beautiful, messy, exhausting, and transformative all at once.

In this episode I (yes the interview was flipped on me which makes me feel uncomfortable ha) share my experience of navigating the early years of motherhood and the profound shifts that come with raising young children.

 Together Fionnuala and I explore how parenting evolves from the baby stage into toddlerhood, the challenges of managing big emotions (both theirs and ours), and the often-overlooked journey of reparenting ourselves along the way.

We also talk about the importance of support, community, and maintaining connection with your partner and your own identity during a season that can feel all-consuming.

Whether you're in the thick of toddler life or reflecting on your own motherhood journey, this conversation offers reassurance, practical insights, and a reminder that you're not alone.

In this episode we discuss:

•  How parenting changes from the baby years to toddlerhood 
•  Managing big emotions and emotional regulation 
•  Reparenting yourself through motherhood 
•  The role of support networks and community 
•  Maintaining connection with your partner 
•  Protecting your identity alongside motherhood 
•  Why self-care looks different in this season 

A gentle and honest conversation for any mother navigating the beautiful complexity of the early years. 💛

Keywords: Motherhood, Toddlerhood, Parenting, Emotional Regulation, Self-Identity, Reparenting, Relationships, Support Networks, Early Years, The Mothering Project.

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Becoming a Mother — The Emotional Reality No One Can Fully Prepare You For

In Episode 1 of The Mother You Become mini-series, I sit down with Fionnuala for a really honest conversation about the early days of motherhood — the shock, the identity shift, the emotional rollercoaster, the overwhelm… and the love that completely changes you.

We talk about what it actually felt like bringing our babies home, the pressure so many women quietly carry, and the parts of motherhood that nobody can fully prepare you for.

This episode isn’t about having all the answers.
It’s just two women reflecting honestly on one of the biggest transitions of our lives 🤍

In this episode we talk about:
– the emotional shock of becoming a mother
– postpartum emotions and identity shifts
– the pressure to “get it right”
– support, self-care and survival in the early weeks
– learning to trust your own intuition
– the beauty and complexity of early motherhood

If you’re in this season now, preparing for motherhood, or reflecting on your own experience, I hope this episode makes you feel seen ✨

Christina x