I Don't Know How She Does It

Kate Sheahan was back at work just three days after giving birth, newborn baby in her arms. The Collingwood AFL player, tennis coach and mother of six-year-old Will lives and breathes sport, but as a 12-year-old, her dream to play football was smashed when she was told, like every other girl, that she could no longer play with the boys. Now, Kate finally has the opportunity to play ...

What would happen if your boss gave you unlimited leave? Let you manage yourself? Didn't require that you were in the office every day? It sounds like a dream, but that’s exactly what Melbourne-based business owner Amantha Imber did for her staff. And she doesn’t regret it one bit. The Innovation Psychologist and mother-of-one joins Holly to talk about how she runs ...

She wrote her 10th novel while completing her PhD, is the mother of four children, and wants to stop Islamophobia in Australia. Lawyer, columnist and human rights advocate Randa Abdel-Fattah is the busy mum who manages it all. But as she tells Holly Wainwright, she won't apologise for that. So how does she manage it all? She surrounds herself with family, she doesn't sleep much, and she accep...

What's it like being a touring ballerina, with an 18-month-old daughter? Complicated. Throw in a husband who is also a touring ballet dancer. Even more complicated. Welcome to the life of Amy Harris. A senior artist at the Australian Ballet who has been dancing professionally since she was 15 years old. She sits down with Holly Wainwright to talk about how her body changed during pregnancy, managi...

Snezana Markoski is used to no sleep. As a single mother, worker and uni-student, she was burning the candle at all ends. Then her 11-year-old daughter, Eve, decided she needed some love in her life, and pestered her to apply for The Bachelor. Snez met Sam Wood, fell in love hard, and her life flipped upside down. What's life like now? She joins Holly Wainwright to talk about her li...

Tara Moss is a towering, lipsticked powerhouse of a woman. An extensively-travelled journalist, TV presenter, Unicef ambassador, she's also the author of 11 bestselling books , a mum to a 5-year-old daughter, and she's currently completing her PhD. So how does she do it all?  The key, she says, is being adaptable. Working smarter. Not sticking to traditional gender roles. Setting goals, and w...

She has more instagram followers than we thought was humanly possible, runs a fashion blog and e-store, and is mum to 8-month old Aston, so don't call her a "WAG". Entrepreneur Nadia Bartel talks life with her AFL star husband Jimmy, who does the cooking, and what it takes to balance business with a baby. Show Notes Your host is Holly Wainwright With thanks to Nadia Bartel.  This po...

The fitness guru has made a career out of seemingly doing it all. She's a personal trainer, the author of 13 books, a star of Channel Ten's  The Biggest Loser and mum to baby Axel. So it's no surprises that Holly Wainwright grabbed her to ask: HOW DO YOU DO IT? While she claims it's all smoke and mirrors, we don't really believe it. Michelle talks life with Steve, the...

The Project host and mother to Ollie and Evie hasn’t started a Netflix show in a while. She likes to cook but she doesn’t have time. And if she could, she would get around in active wear every day.  The Gold Logie winner opens up about the juggle of kids, relationship, work, exercise and sleep. Or lack thereof.  Show Notes Your host is Holly Wainwright With tha...

She's written six books. Founded her own skin-care line. Has a cult beauty following, and locked down the sleep routines of her 2-year-old, Sonny. Zoe Foster-Blake is #nailing it, but it took some work to get there. The beauty expert and all round kick-arse human opens up about porridge for dinner, sleeping in separate rooms to husband Hamish, her best beauty tips for busy women&nbs...

Kieran Shield is not a celebrity. She's a hero.  Keiran is a fire-fighter, married to another fire-fighter, raising a daughter. So how does she juggle life-risking work with the school drop-off? Via a very, very organised Excel document. Every work shift, every sports game, every birthday invite goes onto the spreadsheet or it doesn't happen. Kieran can tell you...

Jane Martino is the kind of woman that just gets it done. A mum of three young boys, she's a successful entrepreneur, having founded Smiling Mind, a meditation app, and Shout for Good, a charity fundraising app. She's got all the tips on how to outsource your life, the best apps to help you along the way, her rules around screen time and why she never o...

"I mean I want to go to swimming lessons, I want to go to gymnastics, I want to be that mum. I don't want to go 'pass you off and you can go with the nanny'. That's not how I want to be a mum." Natalie Bassingthwaighte is a rock mum. A business-owner mum. And a hands-on mum.  But she's definitely not a stage mum.  This actress, singer, performer and childrens-clothing designer has t...

Are you ready to step into a world where dinner gets prepped at 5am, all lunchboxes have an exact duplicate, and children interview potential babysitters? Then you're ready to hear from Madeleine West. The mother of six may be best known for playing Dee Bliss on Neighbours, but it's her role as mum to six kids under eight that has us sitting up and taking notice. Author of a ne...

Sue Channon is no "ordinary" mother. She spends most of her time in a hospital with her youngest daughter Lauren, 8, who suffers from a chronic illness and in her short life has so far endured 118 operations.  Sue, who lives in western Sydney, has four other children. Two of whom have autism. On this very special bonus episode, Sue describes what life is like for the parent of...

Member for Adelaide Kate Ellis would walk through the halls of Federal Parliament and people would bustle on past. But it was when she started pushing a pram down the hallways, things changed.  The Federal Shadow Minister for Education and Early Childcare revealls the juggle of life, travel, politics and babies. Why parenthood isn't just hard for women in parliament....it's hard for everybody...

She's a woman who wears a heck of a lot of hats. From mother, to business owner, to weather presenter to model, Rebecca Judd has a lot going on. She's also one of the most down-to-earth people there is. In this frank and interesting interview, Rebecca Judd talks to Holly Wainwright about how she gets everything done, and still has time for family time in the Judd spa after a days work.  Show...

She works in Canberra, but her life's in Adelaide.  Penny Wong is a mother of two. The Leader of the Opposition in the Senate. And a woman who obliterates stereotypes. In an unusually personal interview, Holly Wainwright speaks to Senator Penny Wong about the work-life juggle, dealing with her critics, and just how very, very ordinary family life is in Adelaide with her pa...

She's a mother, performer, teacher and the co-creator of Lah Lah, the children's hit TV show. So how does Tina Harris manage touring, recording, making a TV show plus raising her two daughters? She takes them with her. In this conversation, Tina shares everything from what it’s like to tour with kids, to how her family is happier now they DON’T live in a big fancy home and mo...

How do you train for an Olympics with a toddler in tow?  Lydia Lassila is a freestyle aerial skier. A business owner. An Olympic Champion. And the mother of two little boys. So how the hell does she do it? The Gold Medalist speaks to Holly Wainwright about how it feels to risk your life for glory, before and after motherhood. And how the hell you train for an Olympics when you...

The alarm goes off at 4:30am for Meshel Laurie. The single mother of twins is on breakfast radio, appears on The Project  every week, has a hit podcast and is writing her second book while going through a divorce and moving house.   How does she manage it all? What are the productivity tips, hacks, and cheats she uses to keep all her balls in the air? Show Notes Your...

Emma Isaacs breaks all the rules.  As the CEO of Australia’s largest community for women, Business Chicks, she wants women to live bigger lives. A serial entrepreneur, she works across four different timezones, has raised over $10million for charity, and is mother to four children aged six and under. How does she do it? Show Notes Your host is Holly Wainwright With thanks to E...

She barely sleeps, she never, ever lies on the lounge to watch TV and her day begins at 2.45am.  But despite her brutal schedule, single mum-of-three and radio host Robin Bailey says she doesn't "do it all".  And, as she tells Holly Wainwright, she doesn't think any of us should be trying.   Show Notes Your host is Holly Wainwright With thanks to Robin Bailey This podcast was produc...

Vanessa Alexander has six children, from a one year old, to a 22-year old. She also has a job as a writer and director for TV and film, AND she's doing a PHd.   She talks about the time she tried to start her own childcare centre, whether meditation can help mothering, and the reason she will never pay her children pocket money. Show Notes This podcast was produc...

Anne Stephens has two sets of twins, born two years apart.  The kids may be 24 and 22 now but they all still live at home.  While bringing up the double dose of double, Anne also worked as an English teacher, has been P and C President, coached the netball, did the oranges for footy and looked after her elderly mother who lived with the family for many years.  Anne answers...