S5 E19: Burnout, neurodiversity and rediscovering yourself with Dr Claire Ashley, The Burnout Doctor
Release Date: 06/12/2025
E92: Macarons, motherhood and growth with Rachel Hanretty, founder of Mademoiselle Macaron
Bump to Business Owner
Rachel and I met on the Goldman Sachs 10KSB programme in February and instantly gravitated towards another. Both mums, both struggling with being away from family, but determined to grow our businesses, despite all the challenges that motherhood/founderhood bring. My conversation with Rachel is almost excoriatingly honest about the impact of motherhood on her business, and herself. These are the conversations we need to have with women, founders, mums and would-be mums. Because the internet will tell you, you can have it all, but the reality isn't quite like that. The economy, the strength of...
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E91: Not another end of year push podcast - Solo episode with Caroline
Bump to Business Owner
I don’t do New Year’s Resolutions. December isn’t a straightforward month for me, personally, and my energy levels in January after juggling school holidays and all the Christmas fun just aren’t up to “starting the new year strong”. So I’ve restructured my business year, and my mindset to fit my realities. In this episode I’m sharing: Why I'm so anti end of year hustle culture Why we should all be putting less pressure on ourselves How I've shaped my year to fit better with my energy levels, and financials Rebel with me. More on Takeaways: Christmas shift in mum admin...
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E90: Celebrating mums and business owners: live interviews from the UK VA Awards
Bump to Business Owner
Something a little different this week. I was at the UK Virtual Assistant awards last week celebrating the industry and gratefully receiving a couple of awards, on behalf of the business and the podcast team! While I was there, I did some live interviews with some incredible VAs and business women, who also happen to be mums, my industry peers and friends. They are sharing their wisdom and experiences of building businesses, working flexibly and prioritising their family. It was a very fun (by which I mean loud) atmosphere, so apologies for the background noise levels. Thanks to Amanda...
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Ep 89: The military, motherhood and Virtual Assistant industry with Amanda Johnson, founder of the VA Training Academy
Bump to Business Owner
Trigger warning: This episode was recorded during Baby Loss Awareness Week and includes discussion of miscarriage and baby loss. Please take care of yourself. This conversation is long overdue. Amanda Johnson, or The Amanda Johnson as she’s known in the Virtual Assistant industry, is founder and coach at the VA Training Academy, host of the UK VA Awards and my mentor. Before becoming a Titan of the VA industry, Amanda had a 23 year career in the military, until personal tragedy changed her priorities. Despite not personally inventing the field (listen in!) Amanda pivoted to becoming a...
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Miniseries Part 4: The future of the Virtual Assistant industry
Bump to Business Owner
We’re wrapping up the Assistant miniseries with a big-picture conversation, the future of the assistant and VA industry. I’ve been in this world for over 15 years, and in that time I’ve seen the role change again and again, from the 2009 crash, to the explosion of tech tools, and now to AI. In this episode, I’m talking about where I see things going, what makes our work truly irreplaceable, and why assistants need to be visible, strategic partners (not an exec’s “secret weapon”). I’m also sharing my thoughts on niching, the growing operational side of our roles, and the...
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Miniseries Part 3: Gold standard onboarding process
Bump to Business Owner
Onboarding is my area of geek, my Mastermind subject. In this week’s episode I am sharing my best practice tips for creating a great onboarding process, why it’s so important, where your focus should be throughout and why you should be trying to remove yourself from it as much as possible. This is episode three of a four-part mini series for the Assistant community, each episode is accompanied by a free downloadable resource. Listen to the rest of the series: Resources mentioned: Takeaways Why onboarding is so crucial to your business What you should prioritise throughout the...
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Miniseries Part 2: How to find clients as a Virtual Assistant
Bump to Business Owner
The question I get asked the most by Virtual Assistants is: ‘How do I find clients?’ There is no secret recipe - it takes time, it takes work, and it takes trying things out. I’m sharing how I found my first client, where I’ve invested money and time to find them and the one thing that really sets me apart when it comes to sales. In December I’m hosting a panel for the Strategic PA Network: Clients for Keeps: Building a sustainable client base and coworking afterwards, if you’d like more client list building tips and to extend your network . This is episode one of a four-part mini...
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Miniseries Part 1: Inbox Zero and why I nearly cancelled the podcast
Bump to Business Owner
I came close to cancelling the podcast. In this episode I tell you why, and why I think it’s healthy to reevaluate every so often as a business owner. But we’re back! And with something slightly different. A miniseries for my Assistant community especially, but with a lot of value for anyone starting a business. This week I’m sharing my tips for Inbox Zero - why it’s so important and how to get there. This is episode one of a four-part mini series for the Assistant community, each episode is accompanied by a free downloadable resource or event invitation Resources mentioned: ...
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S5 E23: Operational overload, purpose and performance with Nonie White and Yvonne Biggins of Positive Entrepreneurship
Bump to Business Owner
Have you heard of operational overload? Maybe not, but chances are you know how it feels. This week my guests are Nonie White and Yvonne Biggins of Positive Entrepreneurship, authors of the The True Cost of Female Entrepreneurship report. The report makes for stark, but not surprising, reading - 83% of female founders are experiencing high stress, 66% experience extreme loneliness, we have 75% greater responsibility for the household, but 97% of us enjoy the journey. We know the system is not built for us, we know the challenges we face as female founders. Nonie and Yvonne are here...
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S5 E22: New borns and new businesses with Anna Bailey founder of Pally Talk
Bump to Business Owner
My guest on the podcast this week is Anna Bailey, founder of the Assistant community Pally Talk. She launched her business and 2 months later had her first baby, in her own words, the last year has been ‘hardcore’. Anna has a lot of practical insight into navigating a business and new baby concurrently - this is your sign to start sliding into people’s DMs on LinkedIn. We spoke really honestly about social media v reality, not only of motherhood, but the assistant world and when, for Anna, revenue finally started coming in from the business. For me, there’s a theme - you will get...
info_outlineThe 5 stages of burnout are very familiar to me. I’ve been there, and even when I thought I had learnt my lessons, narrowly swerved burning out again. As a mum, especially a mum with a business, I’m sure at least a few of the stages are familiar to you too.
My guest on this week’s episode is Dr Claire Ashely, aka The Burnout Doctor. Claire was a highly successful doctor, used to pretty extreme levels of stress. And then with 2 small kids, a house renovation and a difficult work environment, she burnt out.
Claire is now fully recovered and shares the signs, symptoms and means to recovery to help us intervene and swerve burnout before it’s too late. Most of all - you will get through it.
Takeaways:
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Dr Claire’s experience of burnout - it can completely change your identity
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Work is the catalyst for burnout, but it’s not just a workplace issue, it affects every area of life
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Asking for help is key - the earlier the better
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Burnout is isolating, you need support networks
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The 5 stages of burnout
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Burnout changes the structure and function of your brain
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Self compassion and time are key in recovery
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Attachment theory - you are meeting your kids’ needs
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Recovery isn’t a linear process
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The interplay between neurodiversity and burnout, especially for women
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3 factors in recovery for mums and entrepreneurs
Resources:
The Burnout Doctor BOOK: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-burnout-doctor-a-practical-guide-to-understanding-your-symptoms-and-recovery-dr-claire-ashley/7680922?ean=9781399412803
Chapters:
01:00 Introduction to Burnout and Personal Journeys
02:56 Claire's Journey Through Burnout
06:49 Understanding the Stages of Burnout
17:56 Recognizing the Signs of Burnout
27:36 The Importance of Community and Support
32:20 Recovery and Self-Compassion
34:56 Navigating Parenting Challenges
39:24 The Journey of Recovery
46:56 Understanding Neurodiversity and Burnout
52:39 Realistic Recovery Strategies for Busy Moms
55:51 Finding Joy After Burnout
Links:
Website: www.bumptobusinessowner.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bumptobusinessowner/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinepooley/
About Dr. Claire Ashley
Dr. Claire Ashley is a GP, NHS Clinical Entrepreneur, content creator, author of The Burnout Doctor, and mum of two. Claire's work is shaping how we think about burnout, especially for those of us balancing motherhood, business, and burnout recovery. With over 20 years of clinical experience and a powerful personal journey through anxiety and burnout, she now dedicates her career to helping others understand, prevent and recover from burnout.
Dr. Claire Ashley’s Links:
Website: https://www.drclaireashley.com/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drclaireashley
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drclaireashley
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drclaireashley/
Music by AudioCoffee: https://www.audiocoffee.net/