Host Dr Michelle Gibbs

Mrs Mummy PhD®

This podcast is a reflective space for high-achieving mothers navigating scholarly work, home, and identity. Hosted by Dr Michelle Gibbs — a wife, Mama of 3, RD and Dr (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 ours...

Author

Host Dr Michelle Gibbs

Category

Education

Podcast website

mrsmummyphd.com

Latest episode

Jul 6, 2026

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Episodes

44. This Single Word Swap Is A Game-Changer for Any Mama Doing a PhD 22.01.2024

This single-word swap is a game changer for any Mama doing a PhD.  Why? Because it's a mindset shift that will change the way you think about your PhD journey forever! Send me a text message. Support the show Want more?  Check out the Mrs Mummy PhD ® website. Book your  free SEED call.  Follow me on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , Threads , Pinterest or TikTok .  Join the newsletter family a...

43. The Post-PhD Wilderness And How To Navigate It 15.01.2024

The post-PhD wilderness is real. But how do we navigate it as Scholarly Mamas®? In this podcast episode, I share my thoughts on how you can prepare for and navigate the post-PhD wilderness. Send me a text message. Support the show Want more?  Check out the Mrs Mummy PhD ® website. Book your  free SEED call.  Follow me on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , Threads , Pinterest or TikTok .  Join the ne...

42. Reframing Failure As A Scholarly Mama 08.01.2024

How do we perceive and deal with failure as Scholarly Mamas®? In this podcast episode, I share my thoughts on facing failure as Mamas on doctoral journeys and how we can reframe it for good.  Send me a text message. Support the show Want more?  Check out the Mrs Mummy PhD ® website. Book your  free SEED call.  Follow me on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , Threads , Pinterest or TikTok .  Join the...

41. Inside The Scholarly Mamas Collective Plus 3 Important Traps to Avoid in 2024 01.01.2024

Happy New from Mrs Mummy PhD®! Join the family at Scholarly Mamas®. Send me a text message. Support the show Want more?  Check out the Mrs Mummy PhD ® website. Book your  free SEED call.  Follow me on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , Threads , Pinterest or TikTok .  Join the newsletter family at Scholarly Mamas® - The Letter Check out my Doodle Dozen® children's book series These are our jour...

40. Merry Christmas & Reflective Replay of 'Finding Fulfilment: Why You Need to Prioritise What Matters Now' 25.12.2023

Merry Christmas from Mrs Mummy PhD®! This is a season of love but it's also a season of reflection and on today's episode, we are sharing a Reflective Replay of an earlier episode that feels quite timely now as you maybe reflecting on 2023 and thinking ahead for 2024. Enjoy the Reflective Replay! The Scholarly Mama juggle-struggle is hard. This is why it's even more important to slo...

39. Huge Wins And Hard Lessons From 2023: The Rollercoaster Year That Changed My Life Forever 18.12.2023

I don't know about you, but 2023 certainly brought me some huge wins and some hard lessons too! It was truly a rollercoaster of a year but one that changed my life forever. As I reflect on the year 2023, I share some of those huge wins and hard lessons in this emotional episode.  Trigger warning: I emotionally discuss our recent experience of grief and loss in this episode (from around 21 min...

38. Is Scholarly Mamas For You? 11.12.2023

Our new Scholarly Mamas® webpage is now live! Check it out here . But who is the Scholarly Mamas® collective really for? The previous episode focussed on why Scholarly Mamas was created... This episode is all about who Scholarly Mamas® is for! If you simply want to blend your PhD life and Mama life in a way that allows you to achieve your personal and scholarly goals without guilt and without sacr...

37. The Scholarly Mamas Collective and The Powerful 'Why' Behind It 04.12.2023

Sometimes we just have to be the change we want to see. I knew the moment I started my PhD as a Mama of 1 that it was going to be a hard road ahead, but nothing prepares you for doing a PhD while becoming a Mama of 2 and then a Mama of 3. Although this did not change my goal of completing my PhD, it did change the way I went about achieving it. In this episode, I want to share why I am creating Sc...

36. What To Do When You've Fallen Out Of Love With Your PhD 27.11.2023

If anyone tells me that they've completed a PhD without ever thinking of walking away from it, they are not being truthful. As Scholarly Mamas , we all have these moments at some point during our PhD journeys, where we realise that no matter how hard we keep working at it... we fall out of love with it... The PhD pressure rises and the passion fades. So, in this episode, I will share some tho...

35. The 7 C's Every Scholarly Mama Needs To Unlock Success 20.11.2023

As Scholarly Mamas , we all want to reach our academic (& personal) goals.  However, it can be difficult to know where to begin when our goals feel unattainable at times. Well, as someone who has been through this in quite an unconventional way, I want to share the 7 key pillars every Scholarly Mama needs to kickstart that success. I hope you enjoy this empowering episode! Read the related blo...

34. 'Manage Your Energy Over Your Time!': What I Wish I Knew Before Becoming a Scholarly Mama 13.11.2023

As Scholarly Mamas , who wear many hats, we're often told to master the art of time management. And it makes sense in theory, right? If we're in the throes of the juggle-struggle, we could try organising our time more effectively to get in control of our tasks... However, in reality, managing your energy might be the secret to blending your academic aspirations and your role as a mother....

33. Time Management Mastery for Purposeful Scholarly Mamas 06.11.2023

As a Scholarly Mama , you are certainly no stranger to the juggling act of managing both your academic pursuits and the demands of motherhood.   It's a challenging task, but with the right time management strategies, you can master both and achieve your academic goals while still being present for your family. If you want to know more, this is an episode you don't want to miss. Read the...

32. Purpose Over Prestige: A New Rule For Success 30.10.2023

It's time for a new rule for success as the obsession with prestige does not serve us as Scholarly Mamas . So what's the new rule for success for us as Scholarly Mamas ?  It's simply valuing purpose over prestige!  If you want to know more, this is an episode you don't want to miss. Read the related blog post: Purpose over Prestige: A New Rule For Success Send me a text message...

31. The Hidden Benefits of Doing Your PhD Part-Time 23.10.2023

Doing your PhD part-time can sometimes feel like an unwanted option for most scholars but it can be a lifeline for some of us as Scholarly Mamas®!  While it's not for everyone, there are so many hidden benefits of doing your PhD part-time and in this episode, I share a few of those with you, in case you're faced with the choice of whether to do your PhD full-time or part-time.  Of course...

30. 7 Important Things No One Shares About Doing A PhD With Kids 16.10.2023

Have you ever wished you had a little inside scoop into what PhD it's like doing a PhD with kids? Well in this episode you get just that, the inside scoop nobody gives you! Full show notes: 7 Important Things No One Shares About Doing a PhD with Kids Send me a text message. Support the show Want more?  Check out the Mrs Mummy PhD ® website. Book your  free SEED call.  Follow me on Instagram ,...

29. Becoming a PhD Doctor: The Simplicity of Scholarly Mama Joy 09.10.2023

Becoming a PhD doctor feels so surreal... and what a journey it's been! But where is the real joy in all of this for a Scholarly Mama like me? As you know, I was recently officially awarded my PhD and while I am still processing it all, I wanted to share with you my reflections on becoming this new version of myself. Here is the link to my childhood photo which I refer to in the episode. Tune...

28. 8 Practical Ways To Give Your PhD Meaning Beyond Academia 02.10.2023

"Does my PhD have meaning?"  We all ask ourselves this question at some point on our journey through academia. It may seem a strange question, but when was the last time you felt like your PhD had real meaning and significance beyond the academic landscape? Let's explore this together in this episode! Full show notes: 8 Practical Ways To Give Your PhD Meaning Beyond Academia Send me...

27. What To Do When PhD Life Throws You Lemons? 25.09.2023

PhD life as a Mama can be both rewarding and incredibly demanding.  Juggling research, marriage/relationships, and parenting can sometimes feel like a never-ending obstacle course.  But remember, challenges can be opportunities in disguise...  So Mama, when PhD life hands you lemons, let's talk about how you can turn them into something truly sweet! Full show notes: What To Do When PhD Life T...

26. How to Believe In Yourself Again When You've Lost Your Confidence: 10 Ways 18.09.2023

As a Scholarly Mama® , it can be hard to believe in yourself again when you’ve had a blow to your confidence.  Firstly, this happens to all of us. It can be caused by a variety of factors. These may include negative feedback from others, failure to achieve your goals or even a fear of taking risks. Sometimes, for whatever reason, you simply struggle to believe in yourself!  In this episode, I want...

25. Nail Your PhD Viva With This Purposeful Scholarly Mama Strategy - PART 2 11.09.2023

Want to nail your PhD viva as a Scholarly Mama ? Try this strategy! In this episode, which is PART 2 of this 2-part series, I share how my PhD viva went after juggling my viva preparation with entertaining our kids who were off school for their summer break.  In PART 1, I focussed more on the actual preparation phase of my PhD viva experience (be sure to check this one out first!) Full show notes:...

24. Nail Your PhD Viva With This Purposeful Scholarly Mama Strategy - PART 1 04.09.2023

Want to nail your PhD viva as a Scholarly Mama? Try this strategy! In this episode, which is PART 1 of this 2-part series, I share how I prepared for my PhD viva whilst entertaining our kids who were off school for their summer break.  In PART 2, I will move on to the actual viva itself and share my top tips for that, plus overall takeaways from the entire experience. Full show notes: Nail Your Ph...

23. Feeling Overwhelmed? 3 Helpful Tweaks for Scholarly Mamas Balancing It All 28.08.2023

Are you an ambitious, Scholarly Mama wearing many hats but feeling overwhelmed trying to balance them all?  In this episode, I share 3 helpful tweaks to help you go from overwhelmed to purposeful. You can read the full show notes here: Feeling Overwhelmed? 3 Helpful Tweaks for Scholarly Mamas Balancing It All Send me a text message. Support the show Want more?  Check out the Mrs Mummy PhD ® websit...

22. Becoming a Children's Author: How Creativity Gave Me New Hope 21.08.2023

Becoming a children’s author as a Scholarly Mama , while pregnant, homeschooling and living through a raging worldwide pandemic… Hmmmm… I’m sure you’re probably wondering what any of that has to do with creativity and hope?   Allow me to explain in this episode... You can read the full show notes here: Becoming a Children's Author: How Creativity Gave Me New Hope Send me a text message. Suppo...

21. 8 Simple Ways To Switch Off From Your PhD and Actually Enjoy Family Time 14.08.2023

Ever felt like no matter what you do, you can’t seem to switch off from your PhD? It is not unusual for us to have trouble switching off from our PhD, preventing us from being able to enjoy family time. And so I thought I'd share a few tips in this episode on how I have learned to switch off from my PhD and enjoy time with the people I love. You can read the full show notes here: 8 Simple Way...

20. 5 Best-Kept Secrets for Thriving in Marriage as A Black Couple - Part 2 07.08.2023

As Scholarly Mamas®, we wear many hats. We are mothers and scholars but many of us are also navigating marriage/relationships outside of all of that.  Black couples, in particular, face many challenges in their journeys of love and marriage. With so many marriages ending prematurely in divorce, we wanted to share our 5 best-kept secrets for thriving in marriage as a millennial black couple. We bel...

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