This episode kicks off 2026 with a fresh start and a familiar challenge — 12 hobbies in 12 months. I share the lessons learned from last year's attempt (including windstorms, morning sickness, and unexpected hospital trips) and why I’m doing it all again, this time with a newborn in tow.
It's not about finishing, it’s about trying. About making space for joy just for you. If you’ve ever felt like motherhood erased parts of who you were, this episode is your reminder that hobbies aren’t selfish — they’re reconnection.
✨ Links mentioned:
It’s okay if you’re learning something new while raising kids. Your growth matters too.
Follow Not Just A Mum on:
Motherhood doesn’t have to be the end of your ambitions – sometimes it’s the spark for completely new ones. In this episode I chat with Tru, a mum of two whose career has zig-zagged through admin roles, running an online kids’ business, studying HR in the middle of COVID, being made redundant (more than once), and now stepping into the not-for-profit and youth space – all while writing a novel on the side.
Tru shares what it was like leaving school early and feeling “behind”, navigating FIFO life and long stretches of solo parenting, going back to study as a mature-age student, and learning to pivot when something isn’t the right fit anymore. We also talk about identity, creativity, and why having something that’s just for you can make you a better mum.
If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s “too late” to start again, this one’s your permission slip to back yourself and take the next small step.
Links & resources mentioned:
Follow Tru on Instagram
Follow Not Just A Mum on Instagram & TikTok: @notjustamum_pod
Free resources & blog: https://notjustamum.com.au
Motherhood changes everything — your priorities, your body image, your career, even your sense of self. In this raw and honest conversation, Belinda Xia shares how she walked away from stability to pursue her spark, what it’s like to step into the breadwinner role, and how she’s challenging society’s expectations of women and mothers.
We dive into identity, ambition, the invisible mental load, and why mum guilt is really a societal construct. This episode will leave you rethinking what success looks like — and how you can start claiming it for yourself.
🔗 Connect with Belinda
Motherhood doesn’t just change your identity — it changes your independence. In this episode, we explore the loss of autonomy that comes with motherhood, from the little freedoms we took for granted to the bigger choices that now revolve around our kids.
You’ll hear why craving independence doesn’t make you ungrateful, practical ways to reclaim space for yourself, and how autonomy evolves as your kids grow.
Feeling a little lost in motherhood? 💭
You’re not alone — and we’ve created something to help you reconnect with you.
✨ Join our free “Who Am I Now?” Workshop, a 13-day guided journey designed to help you rediscover who you are beyond motherhood. You’ll reflect, reconnect, and rebuild your sense of self — one question at a time.
🧡 Plus — our Not Just A Mum caps are now available! Show your support for the pod and proudly wear your NJAM community hat.
👉 Join the workshop & shop the caps at www.notjustamum.com.au
Made redundant on maternity leave, Laura Struys turned a setback into the spark for something bigger. In this episode, she shares how motherhood became her driving force to launch Wollongong Women, prioritise her health without guilt, and build a business while raising little ones.
🔗 Connect with Laura Struys:
Instagram: @wollongongwomen | @thelauraaura_
Website: wollongongwomen.com.au
Ever been told your shower counts as self-care? Or that grocery shopping is a “break”? In this episode, we call BS on that. Maggie dives into the real reason mum guilt is so suffocating — and why prioritising yourself isn’t selfish, it’s necessary.
🧡 Download our free Hobby Guide here🧠 Read the blog: Letting Go of Mum Guilt
On this episode of Not Just A Mum, we’re joined by Brittnee Bish, who shares her powerful journey of rediscovering herself through motherhood. Inspired by the metaphor of flamingos losing their colour, Brittnee’s “Finding My Pink” series has touched women around the world — and today, we explore how to reclaim our identity, creativity, and joy after losing ourselves in the chaos of parenting. 💗🧡
✨ Plus, don’t forget to grab your FREE Hobby Guide to help you reconnect with the you underneath the mum hat. Click here to download your copy!
Follow Brittnee on:
IG: @thebishbunch
TT: @thebishbunch
In this very first full episode of Not Just A Mum, I’m sharing my story — how I went from feeling lost in motherhood to rebuilding my identity, one hobby (and hard moment) at a time.
From the breakdown of my marriage to rediscovering joy outside of being “mum,” this episode is a real, unfiltered look at what it means to find yourself again.
If you’ve ever thought “I love my kids, but I miss me…” — this one’s for you. 🧡
🔗 Read the Who Am I? article & download your free journal at here
Welcome to Not Just A Mum — the podcast for women ready to reconnect with who they are beyond motherhood. Whether you're a new mum, or a mum deep in the trenches, a mum who's kids have flown the coop, or maybe you're not a mum at all and you're navigating a big life shift, this teaser episode introduces what you can expect from the show, our amazing community, and all the free resources already waiting for you.
Subscribe now and join us on the journey back to YOU 🧡
Explore more at notjustamum.com.au
IG: @notjustamum_pod
TT: @notjustamum_pod
FB: Not Just A Mum
FB Group: Not Just A Mum