Ready or Not Ready or Not & Witching Hour

Since I last interviewed Phoebe Simmonds over a year ago and Ava Chandler Matthews just under a year ago, the two business owners, mothers, and friends have had just a bit going on. Ava is getting ready to launch her business Ultra Violette into the US and she's actually launching herself into second time motherhood very soon, too. So soon, I'm surprised she even let me convince her to come back on the show.
As for Phoebe, The Memo is having a big year. They've just opened their Fitzroy store, and they're opening their Highpoint store in just a few weeks' time. And as you'll hear here, they have no plans to slow down from there.
I wanted to get Ava and Phoebe back onto the show for many reasons. Firstly, you loved both of their episodes, which I'll link in the show notes, and secondly, they had sons at the same time as I did. They're also friends who have being co-founders in common, and as women in business who I really look up to, I wanted to know what's changed for them both as they continue to move through navigating career and motherhood.
So, this episode is a bit hodge podge by design. It's less of an interview and more of a check in. I wanted you to feel as if you were part of the car talk that mum friends have on the regular as they make their way to or from the office.
Here, we talk about the delight of two year olds, the things we still don't have the answers for, what Ava will grapple with until the day she dies and why Phoebe doesn't believe in imposter syndrome.

ORIGINAL EPISODES:
Listen to the interview with Phoebe on Apple here and Spotify here.Listen to the episode with Ava on Apple here and Spotify here.
THIS WEEK'S PARTNER
This episode is brought to you by Our Pilates – an online, physio led library of classes that you can seamlessly fit into a busy life. With prenatal and postnatal programs as well as membership options available, Our Pilates has every busy parent covered. Start your free 7-day trial now at ourpilates.com.au
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Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review. You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod
This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which we're lucky enough to raise our sons and daughters always was and always will be Aboriginal land.
We Pay The Rent and you can too here.

Welcome back to Witching Hour: the show that looks at what's exciting, delighting, intriguing, and frustrating us as we make work, work alongside parenting. It's Ready or Not's loose little sister coming to your ears every Monday.
In today's episode, we cover:
Research shows that those who spend more time speaking tend to emerge as the leaders of groups, regardless of their intelligence.Jessica Biel Is Done Being A “Cool Girl” About PeriodsAnd your answers to a poll I didn’t anticipate being so popular – all about that elusive and important ‘me time.’THIS WEEK'S PARTNER
This episode of Witching Hour is brought to you by Elan House of Wellness, the mother-led brand that's dedicated to nurturing, nourishing and empowering new mothers and families. I have eaten my way through SO many of their incredibly nourishing dry food packs like the dark chocolate banana bread, golden kitchari, and blooming bites and you're in luck, because some of my favourite products are currently 20% off. Get 20% off until 30 June here: elan.house/collections/most-loved
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Thanks for listening to Witching Hour! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review. You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod
This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which we're lucky enough to raise our sons and daughters always was and always will be Aboriginal land.
We Pay The Rent and you can too here.

Stephanie Wescott is a feminist academic and researcher. She’s also the mother of a three year old boy, and at the moment, she’s conducting research into how extremist online influencers like Andrew Tate are shaping boys' behaviours and attitudes towards women. It’s a fascinating and important time to be raising a son and we talk about this – that we need feminists raising our boys and the fact that her partner was almost nervous – somewhat hesitant – when he found out they were having a son.
She completed a PhD with very little childcare, which is no small feat, but she’s quick to tell you that she dropped out of plenty of university courses in her former studying years, too.
Here, we explore how motherhood and feminism intersect with capitalism and the patriarchy, why it took some time for her to not only accept but embrace mother as being one of her titles, and what parents can do about navigating the misogynist content being served to our children online.

THIS WEEK'S PARTNER
This episode of Ready or Not is brought to you by Elan House of Wellness, the mother-led brand that's dedicated to nurturing, nourishing and empowering new mothers and families. I have eaten my way through SO many of their incredibly nourishing dry food packs like the dark chocolate banana bread, golden kitchari, and blooming bites and you're in luck, because some of my favourite products are currently 20% off. Get 20% off until 30 June here: elan.house/collections/most-loved
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Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review. You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod
This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which we're lucky enough to raise our sons and daughters always was and always will be Aboriginal land.
We Pay The Rent and you can too here.

Welcome back to Witching Hour: the show that looks at what's exciting, delighting, intriguing, and frustrating us as we make work, work alongside parenting. It's Ready or Not's loose little sister coming to your ears every Monday.
In today's episode, we cover:
We dive back into the Women at Work 2024 Deloitte study.Wake windows - Our thoughts and experiences on wake windows, plus, what does the research say on how long your baby should stay awake?And your answers to our questions on telling your boss that you’re pregnant.THIS WEEK'S PARTNER
This episode of Witching Hour is brought to you by Elan House of Wellness, the mother-led brand that's dedicated to nurturing, nourishing and empowering new mothers and families. I have eaten my way through SO many of their incredibly nourishing dry food packs like the dark chocolate banana bread, golden kitchari, and blooming bites and you're in luck, because some of my favourite products are currently 20% off. Get 20% off until 30 June here: elan.house/collections/most-loved
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Thanks for listening to Witching Hour! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review. You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod
This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which we're lucky enough to raise our sons and daughters always was and always will be Aboriginal land.
We Pay The Rent and you can too here.

Look, I know this exactly how I open my conversation with Francesca Jewellery founder Hannah Vasicek, but it's impossible for me to paint a picture of the vibrant person that she is in any other way.
When I first met Hannah at an event, she said that her mind is like a city. She said it's one of the reasons why she loves living in the quiet but creative Hobart, the city where she started small by selling her jewellery at the iconic Salamanca Markets.
Fast forward to today, and alongside her sister, she leads a team of 75. And at home, along with her husband, she leads a much smaller but arguably more demanding team of two children.
This is a really special episode, and there's so much to say about Hannah's journey in motherhood and career. She employs an incredible group of refugee women and is passionate about supporting the migrant community. Her daughter was born with a limb difference and she opens up about how she navigated this privately during pregnancy as a generally open person. And she naively - her words not mine - thought that motherhood would be a break. Turns out, that while she adores her little people more than anything, managing a workforce of 75 might just be easier.
From the stories of survival and sacrifice from the incredible women she employs to her experience in navigating her daughter's limb difference, here, Hannah shares what she's learned professionally and personally along the way.

THIS WEEK'S PARTNER
This episode of Ready or Not is brought to you by Elan House of Wellness, the mother-led brand that's dedicated to nurturing, nourishing and empowering new mothers and families. I have eaten my way through SO many of their incredibly nourishing dry food packs like the dark chocolate banana bread, golden kitchari, and blooming bites and you're in luck, because some of my favourite products are currently 20% off. Get 20% off until 30 June here: elan.house/collections/most-loved
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Thanks for listening to Ready or Not! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review. You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod
This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which we're lucky enough to raise our sons and daughters always was and always will be Aboriginal land.
We Pay The Rent and you can too here.

Welcome back to Witching Hour: the show that looks at what's exciting, delighting, intriguing, and frustrating us as we make work, work alongside parenting. It's Ready or Not's loose little sister coming to your ears every Monday.
In today's episode, Loz's best mate Chrissie (who works in education at The Memo) kindly steps in for Lu to cover the following:
We look at Deloitte’s women at work report and the bits that we’re finding interesting. (Deloitte)Supporting your loved one to breastfeed starts by valuing it as work. (ABC)And with her background in hypnobirthing as well as her own personal experiences, Chrissy talks all things birth trauma and how to support a birthing partner.THIS WEEK'S PARTNER
This episode of Witching Hour is brought to you by Elan House of Wellness, the mother-led brand that's dedicated to nurturing, nourishing and empowering new mothers and families. I have eaten my way through SO many of their incredibly nourishing dry food packs like the dark chocolate banana bread, golden kitchari, and blooming bites and you're in luck, because some of my favourite products are currently 20% off. Get 20% off until 30 June here: elan.house/collections/most-loved
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Thanks for listening to Witching Hour! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review. You can also find us on Instagram at readyornot.pod
This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which we're lucky enough to raise our sons and daughters always was and always will be Aboriginal land.
We Pay The Rent and you can too here.