The Mothering Project

Christina Byrne
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The Mothering Project is for women, carers, and empathetic leaders navigating work, care, and identity — and wondering when exactly the mental load gets its own day off. Honest conversations about motherhood, leadership, and holding it all together (mostly) 

Episodes

  1. 16M AGO

    Embracing Your Power: The Journey of a Sacred Entrepreneur & Mama in Transition

    **** This conversation was recorded before Fionnuala’s little bub arrived — in that tender, anticipatory season before motherhood expands again. It’s a beautiful listen knowing what was on the horizon, and we’ll be recording a Part 2 to reflect on the lived reality once she’s in it.**** What happens when you stop ignoring the inner nudge and finally trust it? In this episode, I sit down with Fionnuala to explore the real edges of entrepreneurship, motherhood, and identity. This is an honest conversation about pivoting from corporate life, building a soulful business, and learning to honour your energy through changing seasons. No hustle narrative. No perfection. Just truth. In This Episode We Explore: Trusting your intuition when logic feels louderBuilding boundaries that protect your energy and prevent burnoutStructuring your business around seasons — including pregnancy and maternity leaveReleasing guilt around rest and self-investmentWhy mentorship and community are essential, not optionalThe role of shadow work and mindset in sustainable growthMoving from grind to grace in business and lifeThe power of retreats and in-person connectionEntrepreneurship isn’t just strategy.  It’s nervous system work.  It’s identity work.  It’s season work. If you’re a mum navigating transition — or a woman feeling the pull toward something new — this conversation will meet you there. Timestamps  00:00 – Listening to the inner voice  02:04 – Fionnuala’s journey into entrepreneurship  05:15 – Trusting purpose over traditional work  08:14 – Boundaries and avoiding burnout  12:29 – The importance of mentorship and community  17:55 – Growth through entrepreneurship  20:42 – Shadow work and mindset shifts  23:11 – Advice for aspiring mama entrepreneurs  27:50 – Preparing your business for maternity leave  31:10 – Retreats, community, and future plans in Ireland  37:11 – Transitioning out of corporate  41:22 – Embracing seasons and staying grounded  47:24 – Closing reflections You can find Fionnuala - Instagram , Instagram

    40 min

  2. 18H AGO

    When Your Brain Never Switches Off

    In this episode of The Mothering Project, I talk about the mental load — the unseen, ongoing thinking that keeps homes, families, and workplaces running. Not just the tasks. But the anticipation. The remembering. The emotional temperature-checking.The part that rarely gets acknowledged. I share some of my own experiences — from early motherhood to returning to work — and explore why this kind of invisible responsibility is so exhausting. We look at how easily it becomes internalised as “I should be coping better,” when in reality, it’s sustained responsibility without relief. This conversation also touches on the cultural layer — why mental load disproportionately sits with women, and why naming it matters. Nothing here needs fixing.  But it might help to hear it said out loud. • Mental load isn’t just tasks — it’s anticipation and emotional management.  • It’s not about who does more, but who carries the thinking.  • When your brain is always scanning, it never truly rests.  • Exhaustion doesn’t mean weakness — it often means responsibility without relief.  • Irritability and numbness can be signals, not personality flaws.  • Naming what you’re carrying reduces shame.  • You don’t need to optimise harder — you need your inner world taken seriously.  • Making the invisible visible can shift relationships and self-blame.  • This isn’t just personal — there are structural and cultural layers at play.  • Noticing what you carry is the first small act of change.

    11 min

  3. 20H AGO

    The Tug of Motherhood and Work: A Personal Revelation

    Returning to work after maternity leave isn’t just a logistical shift — it’s an identity one. In this episode, I talk about going back four days a week and living with the constant tug between wanting to be present at home and wanting to stay credible, committed, and capable at work. The guilt.  The internal negotiations.  The pressure not to be the first to leave.  The quiet grief for the version of yourself who could stay late without thinking twice. This isn’t an episode about “finding balance.”  It’s about naming the tension — and recognising that the tug you feel isn’t weakness. It’s information. If you’ve ever felt stretched between career and motherhood, grateful but unsettled, ambitious but aching — you’re not alone in that. Nothing here needs solving.  But it might help to hear it said out loud. In this episode, I explore: What returning to work actually feels like (not the Instagram version)The myth of “balance” and the reality of compressionThe inner dialogue of choosing between your child and your careerWhy not wanting to leave first says more about culture than commitmentHow guilt and exhaustion can be signals, not failuresThe small, steady steps I took toward doing work differentlyWhy this tension isn’t just personal — it’s structural

    7 min

  4. SEASON 1, EPISODE 1 TRAILER

    The Beginning - And what this podcast is all about.

    The place where it all started, the ideas and the questioning

    2 min

Trailer

About

The Mothering Project is for women, carers, and empathetic leaders navigating work, care, and identity — and wondering when exactly the mental load gets its own day off. Honest conversations about motherhood, leadership, and holding it all together (mostly) 

Information

  • Creator
    Christina Byrne
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    4
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Mothering Project
  • Show Website
    The Mothering Project