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.

Go getters always manage to get it done.

But for some of you, it’s often “just in the nick of time”.

Are you jumping from one last-minute push to the next late-night sprint?

Have you convinced yourself that this is simply the cost of being successful, high-achieving, and in demand?

I know, I know. You want to focus on the result: you’re meeting deadlines. Getting s*** done.

I used to tell myself I “worked best under deadline”.

But, then I realized my processes were keeping the stakes high and the stress higher.

“Cutting it close” isn’t a productivity strategy. It’s a disordered way of working.

And over time, it chips away at your capacity, your confidence, and possibly even your credibility — even if you're still technically delivering.

In this episode, I pull back the curtain on a mindset that many high-performing working mothers assume is unavoidable:

Working with zero margin.

It looks like constant pressure. And maybe taking pride in being able to handle “whatever comes your way” — while always operating at the brink of burnout.

Here’s the hard truth:

Constant urgency may make you feel productive, but it’s actually a slow drain on your leadership and your talent.

We’re not talking about dropping the ball.

We’re talking about getting it down the field more effectively.

What You'll Learn:

• Why “just-in-time” delivery erodes trust — even when the work is technically on time

• The hidden tax of trying to “do it all” without the right support

• Why your adrenaline-based productivity is blocking your creativity and long-term strategy

• How to start creating margin and lead time — and why it’s the key to peace, polish, and presence

For more information, visit The Mental Offload.

If you've ever found yourself trying to stay calm in a heated meeting—or keeping your cool with a tantruming child—you know: try harder is not the answer.

In this week’s episode of The Mental Offload, I continue my powerful conversation with nervous system expert Jane Pilger. We dive deep into how you can regulate your nervous system—and help others regulate, too—even in the midst of difficult conversations.

We explore the real reason emotional spirals happen, even when we think we’re "fine." More importantly, you'll learn how to work with your body’s built-in systems to stay grounded, even when the world around you is anything but.

This is about leadership from the inside out—whether you're managing a colleague gone rogue, an adult toddler, or an actual toddler.

What You'll Learn:

• The critical difference between feeling safe and actually being safe (and why it matters for every conversation you have)

• Why "tough love" doesn’t work (and what does)

• How to use co-regulation intentionally—at work, with your kids, and with your partner

• What to do when the person you're talking to isn't capable of rational discussion in the moment

If you want to lead with more presence, power, and peace…this episode is a must-listen.

For more information, visit The Mental Offload.

As working mothers and high achievers, we are trained to keep pushing through—no matter the cost.

On top of that, you’ve probably been told at some point that the best way to be taken seriously as a woman in leadership is not to show any emotion.

That can lead you to keep pushing down your emotions.

But those pesky emotions often refuse to be silenced.

That’s why I recently sat down with nervous system expert Jane Pilger to demystify a topic you’ve heard about but may not fully get: nervous system regulation.

No doubt, you’ve heard about the benefits of nervous system regulation for your children.

But, did you know that it’s a skill that the most trusted leaders employ pretty much daily?

We break down why one key to effective leadership—at work and at home—starts with staying in control of your own internal state. When you understand how your nervous system works, you stop fighting yourself and start moving forward with more ease and confidence.

This isn’t about "fixing" or eliminating your emotions. It’s about working with your body and mind, not against it.

What You'll Learn:

• What is your nervous system “home base”, and how do you know if you’re in it?

• Why willpower and pushing through don’t help

• Practical tools you can use in stressful moments

• Why expanding your “emotional capacity” is a core leadership skill

This conversation is packed with simple, practical strategies you can use immediately.

Tune in now and learn how to lead from a place of calm strength—no ice baths or meditation cushion needed.

For more information, visit The Mental Offload.

You start the week with a color-coded calendar, clear priorities, and the best intentions.

But by Wednesday, things are already going off the rails. You’re already working through lunch, but you’re about 4 tasks behind where you intended to be.

Loads of high-achievers get sucked in by the same culprit:

Magical schedule thinking.

Magical schedule thinking is what happens when you underestimate how much time things will take, and end up overcommitting yourself in the process.

You convince yourself you can knock out a killer presentation in exactly one hour. Which would work in a world where there was no inbox pinging you, or colleagues interrupting you.

Your motivation isn’t the problem. Your math is.

Instead of working harder to try to grind it all out, you need to understand how to unwind the magical thinking.

So that your schedule works for you, instead of against you.

When you learn to ditch the magical schedule thinking, you’ll finish the day feeling accomplished, not defeated and overwhelmed.

What You'll Learn:

• The hidden reasons we overload our calendars (even when we know better)

• How to spot the telltale signs that you’ve slipped into magical thinking

• A simple, four-step approach to creating an intentional, doable schedule

• Replacing overwhelm with a powerful feeling of control over your time

You can’t create more hours in the day.

But you can change how you show up for them.

Listen to the full episode now.

For more information, visit The Mental Offload.