In this candid conversation, burnout coach Nicole Havelka joins Becky Mollenkamp to explore the systemic roots of burnout, especially for women, mothers, and caregivers. They discuss why rest is more than sleep, how women’s invisible labor adds up, and why the “just get a new job” advice is bullshit in a culture designed to drain us dry. Nicole brings a trauma-informed, embodied approach to healing burnout—one that doesn’t start with productivity hacks but with reclaiming your nervous system, your spaciousness, and your humanity. This episode is part of our special Feminist Founders summer series focused on women’s labor.

Nicole Havelka's Website | Newsletter

💬 Discussed in This Episode

• What burnout really is (and why it’s more than just being tired)
• How gendered expectations and invisible labor feed chronic overwhelm
• The critical role of embodiment and nervous system work in healing
• Why capitalist and white supremacist systems depend on our burnout
• The illusion of spaciousness and what it means to actually rest
• How meditation doesn’t have to look like sitting still and saying "om"
• The power of giving yourself permission to not volunteer at the damn PTO
• How to plan your schedule to not be a human version of a doctor's waiting room
• Why moms get guilted and dads don’t—and what that says about our systems

📚 Resources Mentioned

• "Burnout" by Emily & Amelia Nagoski
• "Fair Play" by Eve Rodsky
• "Sacred Rest" by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith
• "Essentialism" by Greg McKeown
• "Rest is Resistance" by Tricia Hersey
• The Nap Ministry on Instagram

🎧 This show is part of the Feminist Podcast Collective, a community of progressive creators reclaiming media through storytelling and solidarity.

In this candid conversation, Becky Mollenkamp and Faith Clarke kick off their summer series exploring women’s labor—visible, invisible, paid, unpaid, emotional, and generational. They dive into what’s been stirring beneath the surface: the overwhelm of trying to do it all, the cultural myths of "having it all," and the shame and guilt baked into simply needing rest.

Faith opens up about her reflections on the Paris Paloma song and her own poetry as a way to name what’s often unspoken. Becky shares the seasonal stress of parenting, running a business, and feeling like she’s always supposed to keep pushing. Together, they name the collective weight women carry and offer an alternative path rooted in pleasure, community, and ease.

This episode kicks off a looser, more spacious summer format—one that resists perfectionism and honors capacity. Expect solo musings, guest conversations, and whatever else feels good, all orbiting the theme of labor and liberation.

Discussed in this episode:

• Why emotional labor is real—and disproportionately carried by women
• How systems reinforce impossible expectations, especially for mothers
• Faith’s reflection on being “the Black woman holding up the Earth”
• Becky’s struggle with summer parenting vs productivity
• The guilt/shame spiral of rest and how to rebel against it
• Why letting systems break is sometimes the most powerful choice
• How joy, rest, and pleasure are radical strategies for change
• What to expect in this summer series shift
• Paris Paloma’s song “Labour”

🎧 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCAST COLLECTIVE 🎧

What does it really take to build a business rooted in your values—without burning out, selling out, or sacrificing your sanity?

Becky Mollenkamp and Faith Clarke introduce a new 6-month group container designed for feminist entrepreneurs who are done with toxic business culture and ready to lead in a way that feels nourishing, not extractive.

We unpack:

• Why traditional masterminds and coaching programs don’t work for liberatory leaders
• What makes this group different (hint: no formulas, no gurus, no performance required)
• Who this is really for—and why you're not "too much" or "not enough"
• What you'll leave with: self-trust, spaciousness, and a community that gets it

This episode is full of real talk about building a values-aligned, human-first business in a world that’s obsessed with productivity, hustle, and hierarchy.

If you’re wondering how to run your business differently—but aren’t sure where to begin—this episode will feel like a warm, radical permission slip.

📝 Apply for the group program here: https://feministfounders.co/group

📩 Got questions? Email us at feministfounder@gmail.com

🌈 Subscribe to the Feminist Founders newsletter: https://feministfounders.substack.com

In the final episode of this five-part series on the Feminist Founders framework, Becky Mollenkamp and Faith Clarke explore what happens after the strategy sessions are over. This conversation is about the often-overlooked work of integration—how to actually live your values in the everyday reality of your business.

They share personal stories, client examples, and real-world tools to show how feminist business values like transparency, consent, curiosity, and co-regulation can show up in your systems, your leadership, and even your Zoom meetings.

Listen in to learn:

• What changes on Day 2, after you’ve reimagined your business
• Why discomfort is a sign you’re doing the work, not failing
• How to practice your values in meetings (yes, even as a solopreneur)
• The role of leadership in modeling accountability and co-regulation
• What to do when team members resist your evolving culture
• How to create rhythms for revisiting and refining your business framework

Spoiler: The real magic isn't in the vision—it’s in the practice. And the practice will be messy.

🎧 Plus, get a sneak peek of the supportive container Becky and Faith are building to help founders like you do this work with structure and community.

In this episode of Feminist Founders, Becky Mollenkamp and Faith Clarke dive deep into what might be the most critical (and most avoided) part of feminist entrepreneurship: conflict and disruption.

This conversation will help you reframe discomfort not as failure—but as proof that you’re doing something different. Becky and Faith explore why conflict is inevitable in values-aligned businesses, how to meet it with compassion, and why traditional conflict-avoidance strategies (hello, white lady niceness) just don’t cut it anymore.

Together, they discuss:

• The internal stories we tell ourselves in moments of discomfort
• Why systems of oppression make conflict feel dangerous—especially for white women
• How to regulate your nervous system during hard conversations
• Navigating conflict as a leader without falling into supremacist, hierarchical patterns
• Why harm repair should be a documented system in your business
• Tools like “oops/ouch” and “bug/wish” to build a conflict-embracing culture

Disruption deserves its own seat at the feminist business framework table—because this is where real change begins.

🎧 Next week’s episode wraps the series with how to implement all five parts of the Feminist Founders framework. Subscribe now so you don’t miss it!

In this episode of Feminist Founders, Becky Mollenkamp and Faith Clarke break down what it really means to build systems in your business that align with your feminist, anti-capitalist, and anti-supremacist values. From automation overwhelm to resisting empire-thinking in tech tools, they unpack why most systems weren’t built for you—and how to challenge that by designing your own.

They explore:

• What systems actually are (spoiler: it's not just software!)
• Why most business tools are inherently rooted in patriarchal, capitalist values
• How to map systems from vision to implementation while centering care
• The difference between cobbled-together and bespoke
• What it means to decolonize your systems
• How to co-create processes that prioritize relationships over rigid efficiency

If you’ve ever felt like your business systems were “a mess” or wondered why nothing out there fits what you’re trying to build—you’re not broken. You’re trying to do things differently. This episode is your permission slip to keep doing just that.

🎧 Listen in, and then subscribe for next week’s episode on navigating conflict in values-aligned businesses.

🎙️ In this episode of Feminist Founders, Becky Mollenkamp and Faith Clarke dive into the third pillar of their business framework: Culture.

What does it mean to build a culture rooted in equity and care—especially when you’re not in the room? Whether you have a team or work solo, culture emerges. The question is: Are you shaping it intentionally or letting systems of urgency, hierarchy, and supremacy do it for you?

Becky and Faith explore how to move from aspirational values to embodied cultural practices, how to build habits that reflect your beliefs, and how to address the difficult truth that your actions reveal what you truly value (even if you wish they didn’t).

💡 If you’re ready to design a trust-filled business that reflects your values, this episode offers both philosophical insight and practical starting points.

🎙️ In this episode of Feminist Founders, Becky Mollenkamp and Faith Clarke take on the second pillar in their 5-part framework for running a justice-focused business: Leadership.

Leadership isn’t just about having a team or managing others—it’s about how you lead yourself. In this conversation, they explore why self-accountability is crucial, how internalized hustle culture shows up even when we “know better,” and what it really means to invite clients, collaborators, and contractors into your vision.

They also unpack what vulnerability in leadership looks like, how to avoid replicating hierarchical systems, and why building community is essential to sustaining value-aligned leadership.

💡 Don’t just consume the ideas—live them. Get support inside the Feminist Founders community: https://feministfounders.substack.com/