Now What? Podcast

ODd Network

Now What? is a podcast for single mothers, solo mums by choice and women navigating separation, co-parenting, dating again and blended families. Formerly Mothering On My Own, the show has evolved to reflect how single motherhood keeps shifting and reshaping over time. Hosted by Rachel Maksimovic, it’s a space for honest conversations, expert insights and real stories that help you feel less alone as you navigate each new chapter and ask yourself… now what?

  1. Jul 21

    When Life Doesn't Turn Out the Way You Planned- with Dr. Sarah Jane

    What do you do when life doesn't turn out the way you imagined? In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Sarah Jane, creator of Spinal Energetics and author of the new book Your Spine Holds the Answer. This conversation is about so much more than healing. It's about navigating the gap between the life you thought you'd have and the life you're actually living. We talk about divorce, recurrent pregnancy loss, single motherhood, getting older, and the quiet grief that can come from watching other people live the life you once imagined for yourself. We also explore why so many of us understand our attachment style, our triggers and our patterns, yet still find ourselves stuck in the same emotional loops. Why isn't awareness always enough? And what role does the body play in helping us move through experiences that our minds alone can't seem to resolve? For the single mums listening, we also dive into chronic stress, living in survival mode, the fear of letting your guard down, and whether it's actually possible to feel safe again after life has knocked you around. This conversation is an invitation to make space for grief without letting it define you, to loosen your grip on how life "should" look, and to remember that a meaningful life isn't reserved for those whose plans worked out. In this episode we discuss:• The grief of letting go of the life you imagined• Divorce, infertility and rebuilding after loss• The pressure women feel around age and timelines• Why knowing your patterns isn't always enough to change them• Chronic stress, survival mode and the nervous system• Learning to feel safe in your body again• Opening yourself up to love after heartbreak• Finding hope when life hasn't gone to plan Find Dr Sarah Jane:@drsarahjanechiro@spinalenergeticsPre Order her book "Your Spine holds the answer"Rach:@rachel.maksimovic See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  2. Jul 9

    The Mommune: Inside the Household Where Two Single Mums Raise Their Kids Together- with Bernie Sinclair

    When she became a single mum, Jen made a promise to herself: she was not going to live a smaller, harder life just because a relationship had ended. Years later, that promise turned into a "mommune" — a shared home in New York City with her best friend Annabelle, also a single mum, where they split rent, share dinners, divide the mental load of parenting, and raise their kids as one family unit. No romantic partners live in the house. No calendars or chore charts either. Just two women who decided that trust, presence and showing up for each other beats waiting around for a man to do it. In this conversation, Jen unpacks how the mommune actually started (hint: it wasn't a business decision, it was years of shared play dates and swapped babysitting), how she and Annabelle split money and domestic labour without ever discussing finances directly, how dating still fits into her life without ever entering the home, and why she believes isolation, not money, is often the real crisis facing single mums. This episode is for anyone who has ever sat alone on a Friday night after the kids are asleep and wondered if there's another way to build a home, a family and a life that doesn't hinge on finding "the one." In this episode: How a years-long friendship turned into a shared householdSplitting rent, groceries and bills without pooling financesWhy trust replaced micromanaging once a man was out of the equationThe "no men in the home" rule, and how dating still works around itThe moment Jen realised the mommune had given her her mental space backAdvice for anyone wanting to build this kind of support system, with or without moving in together See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The Mommune: Inside the Household Where Two Single Mums Raise Their Kids Together- with Bernie Sinclair
  3. Apr 29

    I am grieving a marriage I needed to leave- with Tara Pavlovic

    Tara Pavlovic is a Gold Coast-based content creator and mum of two who recently announced her separation — and the response from women everywhere made it clear this conversation needed to happen. Rachel and Tara get into what the lead-up to leaving actually looks like from the inside. The years of therapy. The panic attacks. The couples counselling that didn't save the marriage but mattered anyway. The Fiji holiday they booked because they knew they could still have a good time together. And the moment Tara's body made the decision before her mind was ready to. They also go somewhere neither of them planned — into what it does to a woman's sense of self when she realises her version of the marriage and his were two completely different realities. And what it means to lose trust in yourself so completely that you can't imagine ever choosing again. Honest, raw, and at times genuinely surprising. This one will probably make you cry at least once. In this episode: Why the hardest part of leaving isn't what comes after — it's the decision itselfWhat couples counselling actually does when it doesn't save the marriageHow alcohol can hold a relationship together — and what happens when it's goneThe moment the panic attacks became impossible to ignoreWhy she doesn't believe anyone will truly love her nowWhat it feels like to lose all trust in yourself after a marriage endsWhat Tara would say to any woman sitting in that dark place right nowFind Tara: @tarapavlovic Now What is hosted by Rachel Maksimovic. Follow @rachel.maksimovic & @nowwhat.podcast on Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    I am grieving a marriage I needed to leave- with Tara Pavlovic
  4. Apr 1

    Which Ball Do You Want Me to Drop? Catie Gett on Nourishment, Survival Mode and the Real Cost of Doing It All Alone.

    Catie Gett is a Melbourne-based naturopath, founder of The Staple Store, and single mum to her daughter Scout. She has spent her career making food and health accessible to people who can't afford a 20-step morning routine — and this conversation goes places neither of them expected. Rachel and Catie get into what survival mode actually costs you. Why the wellness industry has made health aspirational instead of accessible. Why telling women to self-care without changing any of the actual conditions they're living in is just another layer of guilt. And what it feels like to look back on your daughter's early years and realise you don't remember them — because you were so deep in stress you weren't really there. Rachel also gets honest about where she's at right now. And somehow, by the end of it, finds one thing she can actually change. This one is for every woman standing at the bench feeding her kids breakfast while she has nothing but a coffee. It's practical, it's honest, and it will probably make you cry at least once. In this episode: Why the wellness industry has made health a purchase, not a rightWhat survival mode does to your body — and your memoryThe breakfast change that shifted everything for KatieWhy "have you tried yoga?" is some of the most expensive free advice women getThe specific cruelty of heartbreak when you're parenting aloneFind Catie: @thestaplestore Now What is hosted by Rachel Maksimovic. Follow @rachel.maksimovic & @nowwhat.podcast on Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Which Ball Do You Want Me to Drop? Catie Gett on Nourishment, Survival Mode and the Real Cost of Doing It All Alone.

About

Now What? is a podcast for single mothers, solo mums by choice and women navigating separation, co-parenting, dating again and blended families. Formerly Mothering On My Own, the show has evolved to reflect how single motherhood keeps shifting and reshaping over time. Hosted by Rachel Maksimovic, it’s a space for honest conversations, expert insights and real stories that help you feel less alone as you navigate each new chapter and ask yourself… now what?