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Mrs Mummy PhD®

Mrs Mummy PhD®

Written by: Host Dr Michelle Gibbs
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About this listen

This podcast is a reflective space for high-achieving mothers navigating scholarly work, home, and identity.


Hosted by Dr Michelle Gibbs — a wife, boy Mama of 3 and doctor/scholar (of the PhD kind) — the Mrs Mummy PhD® podcast is shaped by lived experience of holding ambition alongside family life, responsibility, and seasons of change. It speaks to the reality that meaningful work does not exist in isolation from the rest of our lives.


Scholarly motherhood is complex and deeply human. It is marked by transitions, pressure, and continual becoming — and without intention, it can quietly pull us away from ourselves.


Through thoughtful conversations and reflections, this podcast invites you to slow down, lead yourself first, and reconsider what sustainable impact looks like in this season of life. Rather than offering quick fixes or productivity promises, it offers insight, perspective, and permission to build a life that includes your work, your family, and yourself.


If you are a mother navigating intellectually demanding work — in academia or beyond — and are seeking steadiness, clarity, and a way forward that does not require self-sacrifice, this space is for you.


So Mama, are you in?


Fabulous!


Let's begin...


These are our journeys of becoming — and you’re welcome here.

© 2026 Mrs Mummy PhD® Careers Economics Personal Success Self-Help Success
Episodes
  • 129. Rest Is Not a Reward: Reframing Rest as Self-Leadership

    129. Rest Is Not a Reward: Reframing Rest as Self-Leadership
    Feb 23 2026

    In this episode, Dr Michelle is talking about rest — not as something you earn after doing all the things, but as an intentional act of self-leadership. If you're a high-achieving Mama who struggles to rest without guilt, who tells herself she'll rest "after" (and that after never comes), this one is for you. In this episode, you'll learn why rest is not the opposite of productivity. That rest is what makes sustainable productivity possible. And for Scholarly Mamas®, rest is a form of self-leadership.

    Read the related blog post: Rest is Not a Reward: Why High-Achieving Mothers Need to Reclaim Rest as Self-Leadership Now

    Send me a text message.

    Support the show

    Want more?

    1. Check out the Mrs Mummy PhD® website.
    2. Book your free SEED call.
    3. Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Threads, Pinterest or TikTok.
    4. Join the newsletter family at Scholarly Mamas® - The Letter
    5. Check out my Doodle Dozen® children's book series

    These are our journeys of becoming.

    Disclaimer: All views are my own. Nothing shared on this podcast should be considered a substitute for medical/clinical advice or mental health support. Please seek assistance from a qualified professional who can help you if you are struggling or in need of advice/intervention.
    Show More Show Less
    29 mins
  • 128. Boundaries Are Acts of Self-Leadership (Not Selfishness)

    128. Boundaries Are Acts of Self-Leadership (Not Selfishness)
    Feb 16 2026

    In this episode of the Mrs Mummy PhD® podcast, Michelle explores boundaries as an act of self-leadership rather than selfishness. She unpacks why high-achieving mothers struggle to say no and how over-functioning can quietly lead to burnout. Michelle offers practical strategies for establishing boundaries based on capacity, values, and identity, encouraging listeners to reflect on their own commitments and make intentional choices that align with their goals and well-being. This episode offers reflection, reassurance, and a new way to think about success without self-sacrifice.

    Read the related blog post here: The simple truth about boundaries as self-leadership (not selfishness)

    Send me a text message.

    Support the show

    Want more?

    1. Check out the Mrs Mummy PhD® website.
    2. Book your free SEED call.
    3. Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Threads, Pinterest or TikTok.
    4. Join the newsletter family at Scholarly Mamas® - The Letter
    5. Check out my Doodle Dozen® children's book series

    These are our journeys of becoming.

    Disclaimer: All views are my own. Nothing shared on this podcast should be considered a substitute for medical/clinical advice or mental health support. Please seek assistance from a qualified professional who can help you if you are struggling or in need of advice/intervention.
    Show More Show Less
    40 mins
  • 127. Are These 3 Things Quietly Burning You Out?

    127. Are These 3 Things Quietly Burning You Out?
    Feb 9 2026

    In this episode, Michelle discusses the subtle yet significant issue of quiet burnout among high-achieving mothers. She explores three hidden reasons why mothers may quietly burnout without realising it. Michelle emphasises the importance of recognising these factors and offers practical strategies to help you begin to lead yourself first, differently.

    Read the related blog post: The 3 Hidden Reasons High-Achieving Mothers Experience Quiet Burnout

    Send me a text message.

    Support the show

    Want more?

    1. Check out the Mrs Mummy PhD website.
    2. Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Threads, Pinterest or TikTok.
    3. Join the newsletter family at Scholarly Mamas® - The Letter
    4. Check out my Doodle Dozen® children's book series

    These are our journeys of becoming.

    Disclaimer: All views are my own. Nothing shared on this podcast should be considered a substitute for medical/clinical advice or mental health support. Please seek assistance from a qualified professional who can help you if you are struggling or in need of advice/intervention.
    Show More Show Less
    23 mins
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