What happens when you've spent years building a life around achievement, productivity and professional success — and then you become a mother and suddenly feel like everyone else is moving forward without you? Today's guest is Jacqueline Lantzen, a Motherhood & Identity Coach, former international corporate leader and passionate advocate for mothers. Before motherhood, Jackie's identity was deeply connected to her career. She was ambitious, driven and used to fast-paced days filled with meetings, targets, problems to solve and goals to hit. She knew what success looked like — and she knew how to achieve it. Then she became a mother. Suddenly, her days looked completely different. The pace of her external life had slowed dramatically, yet she was more exhausted than ever. She would reach the end of a day caring for her newborn and find herself wondering: what have I actually done today? At the same time, the professional world she'd left behind continued moving. Colleagues were progressing, getting promotions and achieving the things that had once been so important to her — while she felt as though she was standing still. In this episode, we explore why motherhood can be particularly confronting for ambitious, high-achieving women whose sense of self has become closely connected to productivity, performance and external validation. We talk about the fear of falling behind, watching other people's careers progress while you're on maternity leave, the discomfort of slowing down, and what happens when the tools that helped you succeed professionally don't necessarily help you navigate life with a newborn. We also explore matrescence and the wider identity shift of motherhood — and why perhaps the goal isn't to get back to the woman you were before children, but to understand and make space for the woman you're becoming. What matrescence meansIdentity loss after motherhoodWhy high-achieving women can struggle with the transitionProductivity, achievement and self-worthThe pressure to "get yourself back"Motherhood and career ambitionReturning to work after maternity leaveWorkplace support and parental transitionsRelationships and identity after childrenLearning to embrace the woman you're becomingAbout Jacqueline Jacqueline Lantzen is a Motherhood & Identity Coach helping ambitious women understand one of the biggest transitions of their lives: becoming a mother. After more than a decade leading international teams in the corporate world, she realised that while we prepare women for birth, we rarely prepare them for the profound identity shift that follows. Today, she helps mothers make sense of who they're becoming and supports women navigating the intersection of motherhood, identity and ambition. She is also passionate about changing the way we support women through matrescence at home, in healthcare and in the workplace. Website: www.jackielantzen.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackie.lantzen/ Connect with Lou.. Website: www.lounevitt.coInstagram: @lounevitt.co If you've enjoyed this episode, please follow, rate and review The Mothership Podcast — and if you know a mother who would enjoy this conversation, please share it with her. Every follow, rating, review and share helps us reach more mothers who deserve to know they're not alone. Because every mother deserves a Mothership — a place for connection, support and community. None of us were meant to do motherhood alone. If you'd like to explore matrescence coaching, find out how I support organisations through parental transition and leadership consultancy, or enquire about speaking and collaborations, visit www.lounevitt.co.
