In a world that rewards busyness and glorifies the grind, it's no wonder so many of us feel chronically behind—on time, on rest, on joy.

In this episode, we sit down with Cassie Holmes, chaired professor at UCLA's Anderson School of Management and bestselling author of Happier Hour, for a deeply grounding conversation about why time always feels scarce—and what actually helps.

Cassie doesn't just study happiness and time poverty. She's lived it. As a working mom navigating the seasons from toddlers to teens, she brings both data and deep empathy to the question so many women are asking: Why does it feel like there's never enough time—and how do we stop feeling so depleted by it?

Together, we talk candidly about:

• What time poverty really is—and why women and mothers feel it most acutely

• Why busyness has become a badge of honor (and how it quietly erodes our happiness)

• The surprising research behind giving time to get time

• How small mindset shifts—like "less doing, more being"—can radically change how our days feel

• Why connection, not productivity, is often the missing ingredient

• The myth of needing more time—and the reality of finding joy inside the time you already have

• How to "time craft" your days and weekends so they feel more spacious and meaningful

• Why happiness isn't selfish—and how it actually makes us better partners, parents, and leaders

This conversation is full of permission slips: to stop racing the clock, to stop saving joy for "someday," and to notice the ordinary moments that won't always be there—bedtime cuddles, slow mornings, shared chairs at the beach.

Links & Resources 👉 Happier Hour by Cassie Holmes

👉 Research on time poverty, happiness, and well-being

👉 Cassie's website

For more conversations like this one, subscribe to Mighty as a Mother on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen—and follow along on Instagram and LinkedIn.