ME + MOTHERHOOD with Benita Bensch

For this, my 50th episode, I'm sharing my lessons on blending motherhood and entrepreneurship. From the start of TTC (trying to conceive), going through IVF, the newborn and toddler days and now the school years, motherhood and business have gone hand-in-hand for me. This journey has shaped me in ways I never expected, teaching me lessons that go far beyond business strategies or parenting te...

I was asked recently what it's like raising four boys. It definitely got me thinking. They’re about to celebrate their birthdays in the next six weeks – the twins will turn nine, our eldest is almost 11, and our youngest will be seven. And while there’s a bit of rough-and-tumble going on that usually comes with the territory, raising sons has been an eye-opening experience and completely diff...

As we step into 2025, my life has been swirling with change – not just with a new home, but with a shift in my career as well. Recently, my family and I embarked on a significant move that upended our surroundings and challenged us to settle into a new rhythm. Alongside the chaos of relocating, I’ve also closed a chapter as an accountability coach with the Farm Owners Academy, leaving me with a cl...

I find myself in the thick of school holidays and I imagine many of you, much like myself, are navigating the highs and lows that accompany this somewhat haphazard time of year. Whether you have kids at home from primary school, kindy, daycare, or even boarding school, the change in routine can feel both liberating and overwhelming. Some days, it feels like we’re swimming in flexibility and fun, a...

As we usher in 2025, I find myself deeply reflective and excited about the year ahead. Whether you celebrated New Year's Eve by turning in early or dancing the night away, I hope your festivities were wonderful. I’m writing this with a sense of fresh beginnings and anticipation, and I wanted to share some of the goals I've set for this year.  Embracing New Beginnings As many of you know...

This episode is inspired by our family's significant move from our beloved farm near Moonie to the lively border town of Goondiwindi, and my reflections on living in a rural town compared to life on the farm. After spending decades mainly on the land and out of town, this transition brought its share of revelations, and I'm eager to share the highs and lows. When we decided in 2022 to li...

In this episode I’m talking about a topic that I know many of my rural and regional listeners who are involved in farming businesses will resonate with. That said, I think there's a good message in here for everyone as we discuss the labels we put on ourselves and finding our place in the stage of life we’re in.  In this conversation, I’ll explore taking a stand for what we want for our lives...

We talk a lot about mental health these days which I’m so grateful for. It’s brilliant that we as a society are more aware of this topic and it’s no longer taboo to talk openly about things like anxiety and depression. While I believe these conversations are extremely valuable, we often place the focus on mental illness as opposed to mental health itself. I’d like to open the discussion on how to...

Moving away from the familiar is generally very uncomfortable.  As someone who has experienced a lifetime of perfectionism and people pleasing, I know just how hard it is to let go of control and branch out into something beyond my comfort zone.  But what if discomfort is actually the best thing for us? At the time of recording this, I found myself reflecting on the story of Australian man Nedd Br...

I’ve been feeling different in the past few years. There has been one internal shift, big question and hard decision after another to contend with. I’m thinking more deeply about what I want to do with my life, and who I want to surround myself with. I’m referring to the midlife unravelling. Notice how I specifically didn’t use the term 'midlife crisis'? That’s because, for many of us, t...

Sometimes, we prefer to stay in our suffering. The pain we’re familiar with can be a lot less scary than the unknown - which potentially comes with rejection, failure or even success (yes, that can be scary too!) This could be relationships, habits, friendships, old beliefs… and sometimes they’re paralysing to let go of, even when we know in our hearts that we should. So how do we find the courage...

A lot of us would never call ourselves creative. We think that if we can’t paint, write or draw, then we’re definitely not creative. That was me for many years. At a young age, I decided that because I was the academic one in the family and not good at art like my sister, I wasn’t and never would be creative.  Thankfully, I no longer believe this lie. I now recognise the unique ways in which I cre...

Life comes with its fair share of ups and downs, but there are moments when the downs can feel overwhelming - insurmountable even.  Personally, I’ve had a few episodes of poor mental health in my lifetime - patches of anxiety and depression that I’ve learnt how to manage. However, in 2022, I got to my lowest point with it, even experiencing symptoms of psychosis.  When I first considered going on...

Do you ever feel like a doormat? You spend all day pouring out love, time and energy into meeting everyone else’s needs and by the end of the day, you feel like you’ve been walked all over. Your needs go unnoticed. Your needs don’t matter. It’s no wonder so many of us struggle with feelings of resentment and anger. A lot of the time, it all comes down to a matter of boundaries. For many women, bou...

I’m tackling a bit of a sensitive topic today and if you’re currently relying on that nightly glass (or two) of wine to unwind after a long, stressful day, it may even hit a raw nerve to hear me talk about why, and how, I gave up wine o’clock. In Australia, we have such an alcohol fueled culture, which makes it harder to recognise the dangers of wine o'clock in mummy wine culture. It’s become...

A question most mothers will ask themselves at one point or another is, "Can I really do this?" Balancing motherhood, work, personal growth, and other responsibilities can feel overwhelming, so today I want to share some strategies that have helped me navigate a challenging few months. I recently went through 9 weeks of solo parenting while my husband was away, during which time I also h...

Motherhood is a profound experience that brings about countless changes. For many women, it comes with a huge identity shift, sometimes even an identity crisis. Before having children, you might have felt like a confident, capable individual with a strong sense of self - but the transition into motherhood can come as quite a shock. A lot of women feel out of control, overwhelmed, isolated and like...

Words are not just sounds; they are vibrations that shape our entire world. Believe it or not, the stories you tell yourself are ruling your life and these stories can either empower you or hold you back. The choice is completely up to you.  We all have those repetitive stories - the ones embedded in our minds from past experiences, conditioning, and the environments we grew up in. These narrative...

As I celebrate my 43rd birthday, I find myself reflecting on the journey of the past year. It’s been a period filled with growth, challenges, and ultimately, a great deal of personal development.  From Farm to Town Life One of the most significant changes in the past year has been our move from the farm to town life in Goondiwindi. For almost a decade, our family lived on a farm near Moonie, engag...

What does it mean to be the “perfect” mother?  And is this a standard that we should even remotely be trying to live up to? For some background, listen to episode 26 where I chat with Dr. Sophie Brock, a mentor of mine who specialises in this area and with whom I completed my Motherhood Studies Practitioner Certification. She has a fantastic podcast called " The Good Enough Mother " that...

Being a mum is amazing, but let's be honest, it's also very hard work! And when sickness hits your house, it can feel like everything explodes into chaos. I know for me personally, I find not only my physical health deteriorates if I’m unwell, but my mental health really takes a dive.  So I thought it may be helpful to share some strategies that I have to help improve your mindset when t...

As a Mum of four, coach and multiple business owner, I spend most of my days listening, nurturing, and getting things done. There's not always a lot of room for, well, me. This year, I decided to change that. I started thinking about what I could do as a hobby that was purely for myself. It didn’t have to be connected to any particular career aspirations or life goals, it just had to feel lik...

“Is this decision serving me to my greater good?” This is one of the questions I want to leave you with as I take a break from this podcast. I have found making the decision to put the podcast, and other parts of my business on hold to be incredibly difficult, and I understand that readjusting your priorities can be hard, but you are important and your health is important. Adam and I are off to fo...

Dr Sophie Brock is a motherhood studies sociologist and mother living in Sydney, Australia. She provides analysis of motherhood in our culture and the ways individual experiences of mothers are shaped by broader social constructs. Sophie's work contributes to changing the cultural conversation on motherhood and the individual experiences of mothers to create a world where mothers feel empower...

“Our challenges now will be their strengths in the future” shares Steph Schmidt on navigating her motherhood journey. Steph is a psychologist working in farmer mental health and grassroots and community based strategies. She is also a mother to 3 boys and alongside her husband runs a sheep and cropping farm in South Australia. Steph openly admits that she has found motherhood to be the hardest thi...