Adoption Is a Lifelong Journey: Supporting Adoptive Families at Work | Emily Frith, CEO of Adoption UK
Wisdom For Working Mums Podcast Show
Release Date: 08/28/2026
20 Years, 20 Lessons: How to Build a Successful Career AND a Successful Life
Wisdom For Working Mums Podcast Show
This month marks 20 years since Nicky started her business, and in this special anniversary episode, she shares the 20 biggest lessons those two decades have taught her about work, leadership and life. From betting on yourself and navigating burnout to evolving ambition, redefining success and learning not to postpone your life, these aren’t simply lessons about business. They’re about creating success that actually feels successful. If you’re ambitious and trying to build a career you’re proud of without losing sight of your health, relationships and the life you’re building...
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Adoption Is a Lifelong Journey: Supporting Adoptive Families at Work | Emily Frith, CEO of Adoption UK
Wisdom For Working Mums Podcast Show
Adoption doesn't end with a child joining a family; it's the beginning of a lifelong journey, one that deserves greater understanding and support. In this episode, I'm joined by Emily Frith, CEO of Adoption UK, for a thoughtful conversation that challenges many of the assumptions we hold about adoption and shines a light on the realities adoptive families often navigate behind the scenes. We explore the emotional complexity of the adoption journey, the unique challenges adoptive parents and adopted people can face throughout their lives, and what employers, managers, colleagues, and friends...
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Why Rest Feels So Uncomfortable for High Achievers
Wisdom For Working Mums Podcast Show
Do you ever go on holiday promising yourself you'll switch off… only to find yourself checking emails, mentally planning September, or feeling guilty for doing nothing? If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you. In this episode, Nicky explores why rest feels so uncomfortable for ambitious women and why the struggle has far less to do with time than it does with identity. Drawing on psychology, leadership research and her own burnout recovery, she unpacks why so many high achievers tie their self-worth to productivity, why your nervous system resists slowing down, and how learning...
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Maternal Mental Health: When Motherhood Doesn't Feel Like You Expected
Wisdom For Working Mums Podcast Show
We often hear that becoming a mother is supposed to be the happiest time of our lives. But what happens when your experience doesn't match the story you were expecting? In this deeply honest conversation, I sit down with Nikki Wilson, CEO of the Maternal Mental Health Alliance, to talk about the realities of perinatal mental health, birth trauma, identity, and why so many women suffer in silence. For the full show notes, key takeaways, resources mentioned in the episode and links to the organisations we discuss, visit the podcast page:
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Where Did My Confidence Go? The Truth About Confidence After Life's Biggest Transitions
Wisdom For Working Mums Podcast Show
Have you ever found yourself wondering, "Where did my confidence go?" Whether you're returning from maternity leave, navigating a career setback, going through perimenopause, or simply feeling like you've lost a part of yourself, this episode is for you. In this evidence-based episode, Executive Coach Nicky Lowe explores why confidence isn't actually the problem, the hidden impact of identity transitions, and why the key to rebuilding confidence lies much deeper than you might think. Find all the resources and links mentioned in this episode here: Love the Wisdom For...
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Why Good Relationships Get Harder After Children (And What You Can Do About It) with Alex Trippier
Wisdom For Working Mums Podcast Show
Why do so many loving couples start arguing after they become parents? If you've ever wondered, "Why am I carrying all the mental load?" or "Why don't they just see what needs doing?", this conversation is for you. I'm joined by couples coach, speaker and founder of Be A Happier Parent, Alex Trippier, to explore why good people in good relationships often struggle after children... and how we can rebuild connection without blame. In this episode we explore: Why the mental load so often falls to women Why many men genuinely don't see the invisible work happening around them The difference...
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Pregnancy Loss, Baby Loss & Creating Compassionate Workplaces with Sands
Wisdom For Working Mums Podcast Show
Pregnancy loss and baby loss affect far more families than many of us realise, yet these experiences are still often surrounded by silence, misunderstanding and stigma. In this episode, I'm joined by Sands, the UK's leading pregnancy and baby loss charity, to explore the realities of loss and the impact it can have on individuals, families and working lives. Together, we discuss why pregnancy and baby loss can feel so difficult to talk about, the hidden impact of grief in the workplace, and what managers, colleagues and organisations can do to provide meaningful support. In this episode, we...
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Why Women Are Exhausted: Understanding Mental Load with Professor Leah Ruppanner
Wisdom For Working Mums Podcast Show
Why are women so exhausted? Professor Leah Ruppanner explains the invisible mental load women carry every day - from planning and organising to worrying and responsibility-holding. We explore the eight types of mental load, why women become the default managers of family life, the impact of social judgment and gender expectations, and practical ways to reclaim energy for what matters most. A validating, research-backed conversation for every working mum who feels mentally and emotionally overloaded. More details: Love the Wisdom For Working Mums Podcast? Let’s take...
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I Teach Leadership for a Living. My Son's School Suspension Unravelled Me in Seconds
Wisdom For Working Mums Podcast Show
I teach leadership for a living. So when I got a phone call from school telling me my son had been suspended, I should have been able to handle it, right? Within seconds, I was unravelling. Shame flooded in before logic had a chance, my people pleaser came online and every piece of leadership work I'd ever done on myself went quiet. In this episode, I'm sharing something deeply personal with my son's full permission. Because what happened next and how my family navigated it taught me more about emotional regulation, personal leadership, and parenting than any professional training ever has. ...
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Still Not Feeling Like Yourself? What Every Mum Needs to Know About Postnatal Depletion
Wisdom For Working Mums Podcast Show
Still not feeling like yourself even though your baby is months or years old? You're not imagining it. And you're not failing. In this episode, Nicky Lowe shares her own experience of burnout and exhaustion after her first child - the years it took to get answers, and the moment she finally found the language for what had happened to her. Drawing on the work of Dr. Oscar Serrallach (The Postnatal Depletion Cure), Nicky explores why postnatal depletion can last up to ten years after having a baby, why high-achieving women are so often dismissed when they say something is wrong, and what you...
info_outlineAdoption doesn't end with a child joining a family; it's the beginning of a lifelong journey, one that deserves greater understanding and support.
In this episode, I'm joined by Emily Frith, CEO of Adoption UK, for a thoughtful conversation that challenges many of the assumptions we hold about adoption and shines a light on the realities adoptive families often navigate behind the scenes.
We explore the emotional complexity of the adoption journey, the unique challenges adoptive parents and adopted people can face throughout their lives, and what employers, managers, colleagues, and friends can do to create more understanding and supportive environments.
Whether you're a leader, a working parent, or simply someone who wants to better support the people around you, this conversation is an invitation to listen with curiosity, deepen your understanding, and lead with greater empathy.
In this episode, we discuss:
• Why adoption is the beginning of a lifelong journey
• The realities of becoming an adoptive parent and building attachment
• Common misconceptions about adoption and adopted families
• How workplaces can better support adoptive parents and adopted colleagues
• The importance of lifelong support and why it matters
For the full show notes, key takeaways, resources mentioned in the episode and links to the organisations we discuss, visit the podcast page: https://luminate-group.co.uk/podcast/193