Any way you slice it, Back-to-School is a sprint.

The extra load?! It’s real. And working mothers typically feel it extra hard.

And yet, there can be an unhelpful temptation the moment that back-to-school week is over…to immediately jump back into “real life”, without a moment to recover.

This will leave you spent. And contributes to burnout.

You might think “recovery” means preparing well for back-to-school. Reducing the load of back-to-school week itself. Promising yourself a vacation next spring as a reward.

And while none of these things are bad, they’re not exactly what’s required to recover.

You might think that taking any time at all to recover is precious time you don’t have.

But failing to plan a proper recovery can leave you operating in “survival mode” for months. Who has time for that?!

Let’s cut that whole process down to a week or two, shall we?

Whether your kids went back to school last week or last month, you’ll learn what you can do now to get your mojo back.

What You'll Learn:

• Why recovery time is vital to preventing burnout

• What Paralympic runners can teach us about the recovery period

• The best short- and medium-term tactics for getting back in gear after the back-to-school “sprint”

For more information, visit The Mental Offload.

You’ve been angling for a promotion. And it should be yours.

You’ve got strong results.

Good performance reviews.

You get along with your colleagues.

And yet…that promotion still hasn’t come.

What’s going on here?

Is it bias?
A boss who’s not advocating for you?

Some hidden secret handshake you haven’t mastered?

Let me be clear: You’re probably not imagining it.

Vague, coded feedback like “be more strategic” or “your communication could be sharper” is all too common.

And yes — bias exists.

So do clueless (or overwhelmed) managers who don’t champion you.

But, here’s the other part of the equation: there is a playbook for getting promoted.

What’s often missing — and what this week’s episode breaks down — is the strategy behind what actually gets women promoted into leadership.

After coaching nearly 100 women into Director, VP, and SVP roles, I’ve identified 3 things you must have to get from ready on paper to “yes, promote her already!”

In this episode, I’ll walk you through the real stories of three incredible women who thought they were doing all the right things — and still hitting a ceiling.

And how understanding the promotion playbook took them from vague feedback and stalled momentum… to clarity, recognition, and the next level.

If you’ve been stuck in the waiting game — or feel like you’re constantly proving yourself with no clear payoff — this episode is your roadmap forward.

What You'll Learn:

• Why just “doing great work” often isn’t enough — and can actually trap you where you are

• Move over, mentors…women need sponsors

• The 3 forms of capital your promotion is riding on

• Leaving behind the “good student” mentality, so you can get ahead

For more information, visit The Mental Offload.

You’re presenting your big recommendation.

You’ve prepped. You’ve practiced. You’ve got the room’s attention.

And then…

Someone pushes back.
Challenges your approach.
Questions your recommendation.

Suddenly, you find yourself on the back foot.

Nervous.

Stammering.

Feeling defensive. But unable to defend yourself well.

I see this same pattern with so many brilliant women.

They’re strong on offense: those moments when they’re in control of the narrative. They’ve mastered the prep, the pitch, the polish.

But when the unexpected happens? When someone else takes the (conversational) ball?

Their confidence collapses. They’re trying to sell their ideas while feeling like a huge imposter.

Have you been there?

If so, I’m 90% sure it’s not because you lacked preparation. Or weren’t good enough at your job.

It’s because you hadn’t honed your “defensive game”.

Defense is not about the perfect comeback.

It’s about keeping your footing when someone else intercepts the ball.

It’s about facing a challenge with confidence.

And it’s about knowing that just because someone else has the ball, it doesn’t mean you’ve lost the game.

This week on The Mental Offload podcast, I’m breaking down what “playing defense” looks like in leadership. And why it might be the missing skill that unleashes your confidence.

Because even the greatest players don’t always control the ball. But they do know how to get it back in their court.

By the end of this episode, you’ll see pushback in a whole new way. Not as a threat, but as part of the leadership game.

What You'll Learn:

• The difference between offense and defense at work (and why both are critical for your confidence)

• How over-focusing on “preparation and delivery” leaves you surprisingly unprepared

• A simple mindset shift that helps you stay grounded when challenged

• Practical ways to develop your defensive game

For more information, visit The Mental Offload.

Even the most capable leaders fall into this trap:

You evolve professionally—get promoted, shift roles, step into a new organization—but keep showing up the same way you always have.

You end up trusted for execution. Valued for your solid judgment. Respected for your work ethic.

But still, something’s off.

You’re not quite getting the traction you expected. You’re recommendations are getting overlooked. You’re still getting treated as a “junior”, even when your title is “senior”.

It’s so frustrating—because you think you’re doing all the right things, but they’re getting the wrong reaction.

That’s exactly the problem.

Your executive presence and personal brand can’t stay frozen in time. As your career evolves, so must the way you show up.

In this week’s episode of The Mental Offload Podcast, we’ll dive deeper into five key moments when it’s critical to reassess your leadership brand and executive presence — and how high-performing women often miss these cues.

Have you ever heard yourself saying things like:

• “I don’t need to ‘manage my brand’—my work speaks for itself”

• “Why am I getting so much pushback, when I know I’m the expert?”

• “I just returned from mat leave and everyone seems to be treating me differently”

These are clues that it might be time to evolve.

We’re talking about the difference between being seen as competent and being seen as a leader.

And why smart, experienced women sometimes cling to a personal brand that’s too junior.

What You'll Learn:

• Why your personal brand isn’t about image—it’s about how others describe you when you’re not in the room

• The 5 professional moments where a “set it and forget it” brand will quietly hold you back

• How to shift your executive presence without losing your authenticity

• Specific language and behavior cues that support your brand at the next level

This isn’t only about performance. It’s about power — and how you can use yours with confidence and impact.

For more information, visit The Mental Offload.

There’s no sugar-coating it. Most jobs are relentless.

Even greedy.

You’re not imagining it. It’s very real. (In fact, Claudia Goldin won the 2023 Nobel Prize in Economics for her work highlighting the impact of demanding jobs on the careers and earnings of women.)

One potential solution: going part-time.

For many women, this is the holy grail of work arrangements.

A little less pressure at work, a little more space to breathe at home.

It sounds so reasonable.

And when you're running on fumes, it's hard not to dream about a schedule that doesn’t have you overstretched to the point of burnout.

But the reality of part-time isn’t always what it’s painted to be.

Going part-time doesn’t always lead to less stress — and in some cases, it can make work-life balance even harder.

This week on the podcast, I’m pulling back the curtain on what really happens when high-achieving women shift to part-time work. Not to scare you, but to prepare you — so you can make your next move with clear-eyed confidence, not wishful thinking.

Over the years, I’ve coached dozens of brilliant women through this very decision. Some chose to go part-time with no regrets. Others looked at the reality and decided it wasn’t going to be the quick fix they were hoping for.

What made both these groups happy about their choices? Not luck. Strategic decisions.

If you’ve been contemplating (or fantasizing) about going part-time, you’ll want to tune in for this.

What You'll Learn:

• Why part-time roles often don’t reduce your workload — and 2 other common pitfalls

• A decision-making framework to help you assess if part-time is really the right path for you

• What to say (and ask) at work and at home so your “part-time” life doesn’t become “double time” under a different name

• A smart way to go “pretend part-time”, without a single tough negotiation on hours

For more information, visit The Mental Offload.

If you’re a working mother with a demanding job, you’ve probably asked yourself:

Is this sustainable?

Am I doing enough?

How do successful moms make this all work?

One journalist has some answers to share. This week, I’m joined by Joann Lublin, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Wall Street Journal contributor, and author of Power Moms: How Executive Mothers Navigate Work and Life.

Joann has been studying working mothers for decades. She’s seen firsthand how the expectations, demands, and even the guilt have evolved across generations. She’s lived it, too.

In fact, back in 1980, she wrote an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal about her experiences as a working mother. Her piece ruffled quite a few feathers – some hate mail even suggested she should never have had kids – and the blowback almost led her to quit her prestigious job.

The times have changed, but even today, the core struggle remains: How do we build meaningful careers and be present for the people who matter most?

What’s striking about Joann’s work is that she didn’t just speak to one kind of mom. She interviewed high-achieving women across a range of industries, backgrounds, and family setups—along with their adult daughters—to understand what actually helps working mothers work best.

And she’s clear: The idea of “balance” is due for an upgrade.

In this conversation, Joann shares hard-won insights and surprising findings from women who’ve made it to the top—and stayed grounded.

If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s possible to build a life that honors your ambitions for your career and your family, listen in.

What You'll Learn:

• Why “balance” is the wrong goal (and what to aim for instead)

• 4 proven ways to ditch the mom guilt

• How today’s ambitious mothers differ from their trailblazing predecessors

This episode is packed with practical takeaways, while staying candid about the systems we’re working within.

For more information, visit The Mental Offload.

As kids finish off the school year, I’m looking back in awe how much they’ve grown and accomplished this year.

And then, the proud reverie is interrupted. It’s like a split screen where I see my own stalled progress. And feel a giant ugh in the pit of my stomach.

I see the goals I meant to prioritize this year — consistent exercise, healthier meals, getting to bed by 10pm. On some of them, I’m doing great. On others…it’s not pretty.

When life is going at full speed — school breaks, work travel, a sudden realization that no one is available for pickup on Thursday — it’s easy to feel like you’re falling short.

But as you try to offer yourself grace, you hear a voice of doubt:

“Am I letting myself off the hook here?”

In this week’s episode of the podcast, I sit down with midlife health coach Elizabeth Sherman to talk about this exact dilemma: how high-achieving women judge themselves when real life gets in the way of their goals.

We get into the cultural conditioning that rewards a “no excuses” mindset—and how that plays out when you’re just trying to get through the week without collapsing by Thursday night.

We unpack why it’s so hard to discern when you're giving yourself a pass...and when you actually need to pause.

If you’ve ever struggled to tell the difference between reasons and excuses, this is one you’ll want to hear.

What You'll Learn:

• A smarter way to think about “no excuses” culture—and how it may be hurting your energy and your goals

• A practical lens to tell the difference between a reason and an excuse (no shame, just clarity)

• What resistance can teach you when your motivation dips

• How to set high standards without running yourself into the ground

This one is honest, compassionate, and a little bit of a reframe.

For more information, visit The Mental Offload.

From the outside, it probably looks like you’re doing it all—and doing it well. You’ve checked all the boxes: crushing it at work, holding things down at home, maybe even taking on a volunteer project or two.

But on the inside? You might be asking yourself:
How much longer can I keep going like this?

In this week’s episode of The Mental Offload, I sit down with Lori Oberbroeckling—senior corporate leader, mom of four, author of Secrets of Supermom, and someone who’s lived through the very burnout she now helps other women recover from.

We’re talking about that dangerous space high-achieving women fall into when busy becomes a badge of honor, and even the things we once loved start to feel like obligations.

You catch yourself saying, “It’s just this week, next week will be better”...for months on end. Meanwhile, your energy is slowly draining away.

What You'll Learn:

• The often-overlooked early warning signs of burnout for working mothers

• Why being overloaded doesn’t mean you’re a failure

• How to set boundaries without blowing up your life

• What parts of the ‘supermom’ label to embrace

Burnout isn’t inevitable. Listen in for Lori’s inspiring take on the small changes that can steer you out of burnout.

For more information, visit The Mental Offload.