My First Year as A Mum & The 6 Things I Wish I'd Known

Tired of waiting for someone to give you a chance? This is how you stop waiting — and start doing. Whether you want to write, launch a project, change careers, or share your work with the world, this episode with author Amie McNee is your go-to guide. She shares how she stopped chasing permission, started backing herself, and built a creative career on her own terms — before anyone said yes. If you’ve been holding back on making something or becoming something because you're waiting to be picked… this is your sign to choose yourself. Yours helpfully, Ed x CHAPTERS 00:00 Living Between Two Worlds 01:47 The Essence of Art 06:22 Claiming Your Creative Identity 11:55 Self-Creation and Empowerment 17:14 Reclaiming Power as Creatives 22:41 Valuing Art Beyond Metrics 27:38 Taking Baby Steps in Creativity 29:31 The Power of Baby Steps in Creativity 32:24 Embracing Imperfection: The Art of Making Shitty Art 36:31 The Courage to Bomb: Lessons from Stand-Up Comedy 41:14 Vulnerability in the Creative Journey 45:50 The Transformative Power of Journaling BOOKSWe Need Your Art: Stop Messing Around & Make Something PODCASTS Ash Ambirge - Middle Finger Project Sam Reece - Shitty Craft Club  The Unpublished Podcast (with Amie & James) CONNECT WITH US Connect with ⁠That’s Helpful on Instagram. Find me on Substack & YouTube. Follow Amie McNee on Instagram.

Back in 2015, journalist Gemma Hartley wrote an article for Harper’s Bazaar that went viral. The article was about emotional labor & it really hit home for so many people - in fact 2 BILLION people read it. It led to Gemma writing a book on the topic & coming up with some real solutions to this incredibly familiar experience. Gemma is the author of Fed Up; Navigating & Redefining Emotional Labour For Good. CONNECT WITH US Connect with ⁠That's Helpful on Instagram. Find Gemma on Instagram⁠ & via her website. BOOKS Fed Up; Navigating & Redefining Emotional Labour For Good. Want to become a podcast sponsor, got some feedback for me or just fancy a chat? Email me - [email protected] TIMESTAMPS 00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:55 - The Mother’s Day that led Gemma to write the book 00:03:30 - What is emotional labor? 00:06:35 - Society assumes women are the default parent  00:08:00 - The mindset of ‘helping out’  00:10:40 - What happened when Gemma’s husband became the full time at home parent 00:12:30 - The response to ‘stop being such a control freak’ 00:15:00 - Setting shared standards 00:19:00 - Emotional labor for men in the dating period 00:21:12 - Why Gemma no longer asks for ‘help’ at home 00:25:11 - How to explain the problem without it becoming a fight 00:30:18 - Why taking on the emotional labor can make partners’ lives richer 00:33:15 - Having the expectation that this is going to require more than a single conversation 00:36:16 - Taking on the emotional labor of addressing emotional labor (!!) 00:40:30 - It’s okay to leave if someone isn’t meeting you where you are  

I feel like I've levelled up in every single way since becoming a mum. But when I was pregnant, I only saw the negatives of motherhood & it wasn't until I had my baby that I realised the true power of becoming a mum. I invited Lauren & Lucinda from Ready or Not Podcast (where they chat all things work & parenthood) on to have a chat about this revelation & explore all the ways they feel improved by becoming a mum. Send this inspo to all your pregnant & new mum friends - I promise they will thank you!!  Yours helpfully, Ed x CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction to Motherhood's Transformative Power 02:54 The Leveling Up Experience of Motherhood 06:06 Finding Your Voice Through Motherhood 09:02 The Shift in Identity and Purpose 12:13 Body Image and Self-Perception Post-Pregnancy 24:10 Navigating Guilt and Societal Expectations in Motherhood 27:47 Trusting Your Instincts: The Power of Intuition 31:53 Embracing Personal Growth Through Motherhood 36:20 The Creative Surge: Balancing Motherhood and Career 39:07 Reconciliation of Work and Motherhood 43:10 Empowerment and Community in Motherhood PODCASTSReady Or Not CONNECT WITH US Connect with ⁠That's Helpful on Instagram. Find me on Substack & Youtube. Find Ready or Not on Instagram This episode discusses: motherhood, transformation, leveling up, identity, self-perception, body image, motherhood journey, parenting, personal growth, empowerment, motherhood, intuition, personal growth, career, empowerment, societal expectations, work-life balance, creativity, self-care, community  

If you're pregnant or have a new baby - I have some GAME-CHANGERS for you!! I'm coming up on my first year of being a mum and I've learnt so much. In this episode, I've whittled down a year's worth of blood, sweat and tears in to my 6 essentials - there's a couple of reccomendations & a few pieces of wisdom in there that I know you'll find truly helpful. Yours helpfully, Ed x PODCASTSHypnobirthing 101: Simple Tools to Make Your Birth Better Make Your Intuition Your Super Power with Prof Joel Pearson BOOKSHypnobirthing: Practical Ways to Make Your Birth Better Ina May's Guide to Childbirth PROGRAMSPossums Sleep Program CONNECT WITH ME Connect with ⁠That's Helpful on Instagram. Find me on Substack & Youtube. This episode discusses: motherhood, hypnobirthing, baby sleep, new mom tips, new mum tips, motherhood journey, parenting advice, intuition in parenting, motherhood challenges, personal growth, motherhood insights

You might think you're doing it because you're too kind...but you're not (super awks). Today we’re going to learn WHY you're a people pleaser & the 3 simple steps that will give you the confidence to make the changes you so badly need to, revolutionise your relationships & give you your energy back in the process. Dr Vicki & Dr Ritz are counselling psychologists from The Therapy Floor podcast. CONNECT WITH US Connect with ⁠That's Helpful on Instagram. Find Dr Vicki & Dr Ritz via their website. PODCASTSThe Therapy Floor This episode discusses: people pleasing, self-improvement, relationships, boundaries, psychology, self-esteem, communication, mental health, personal growth, emotional well-being

If you, like me, spend most conversations wondering when it's your time to talk - you’re probably not a very good listener. And here’s the kicker - it’s likely affecting your relationships. In this episode we’re going to learn the simple tips to level up our listening & turn it into our ultimate super power for deeper connections in every area of our lives. Ross Judd, is the author of Listening: A Guide to Building Deeper Connections. CONNECT WITH US Connect with ⁠That's Helpful on Instagram. Find Ross via his website & on Instagram. BOOKSListening: A guide to building deeper connections This episode discusses: listening, communication, relationships, vulnerability, body language, summarizing, emotional safety, deeper connections, self-improvement, personal growth

If you've ever said 'I'll just get through this...& then it will all be fine', this episode is MANDATORY listening. Overwhelmed? Me too! Today we're going to learn the simple systems to ease it once & for all. Michelle Gauthier worked in corporate America for 20 years helping business to simplify their work & make effective change - now she’s turned her attention to helping people just like you. So let's get your shoulders dropped, that jaw unclenched and your breath a little deeper! CONNECT WITH US Connect with ⁠That's Helpful on Instagram. Find Michelle via her website & on Instagram. PODCASTSMichelle's Podcast This episode discusses: overwhelm, mindfulness, life coaching, self-improvement, women empowerment, boundaries, mental health, stress management, personal development, work-life balance

PSA: Complexity DOESN'T mean complicated!! Today we’re going to learn how to take a perfectly imperfect approach to eating - one that will maximise your nutrition, ditch the guilt and ease your food anxiety. Food feels like an area that should be simple but it's often anything but. We are complex beings dealing with a whole heap of confusion from diet culture, to social media, family input, food culture...the list goes on. So instead of taking an over simplified approach to what you eat, Food Nutrition Scientist Dr Emma Beckett wants you to lean into the complexity of nutrition & work with your unique biology to revolutionise the way you think about food. CONNECT WITH US Connect with ⁠That's Helpful on Instagram. Find Emma via her website & on Instagram. BOOKSYou Are More Than What You Eat This episode discusses: self-improvement, nutrition, diet culture, food anxiety, flexible eating, health, joy, food choices, kindness, empathy, diet culture, processed foods, nutrition, supplements, social media, perfect diet, food choices, kindness, health, wellness.

Kasey Edwards has spent the last 10+ years researching & writing about raising kids who like themselves & she’s used everything she's learnt to re-parent herself. Now she's on a mission to teach you to do the same. She’s rewritten the most common, toxic rules you were likely taught in childhood to show you that you deserve more than what you’ve been taught to accept.  CONTENT WARNING: This episode briefly discusses child sexual abuse & domestic violence. CONNECT WITH US Connect with ⁠That's Helpful on Instagram. Find Kasey via her website & on Instagram. BOOKSGoodbye Good Girl, Hello Me Bringing up Boys Who Like Themselves Raising Girls Who Like Themselves PODCASTSThe 7 Non-Negotiables of Raising Girls who Like Themselves How to Bring up Boys Who Like Themselves This episode discusses: self-esteem, self-discovery, trauma, women empowerment, toxic beliefs, validation, love languages, personal growth, mental health, reparenting, love languages, relationships, body image, societal expectations, women empowerment, competition, self-worth, communication, emotional health, personal growth.

Where your attention goes, your focus grows - but are you really conscious of where you’re spending your most valuable asset? This episode is going to change the way you use social media & spend time online FOREVER. If you, like me, are grappling with your relationship with the internet, the next hour is just for you. I want to help you take back control of where you focus your attention, take back your creativity & learn how to use your most powerful resource to its full potential. Annie Margaret is a teaching professor in the ATLAS Institute at the University of Colorado and an attention activist. CONNECT WITH US Connect with ⁠That's Helpful on Instagram. Find Annie via her website & on Instagram. OTHER HELPFUL LINKSAnnie's online course Social media addiction survey PODCASTSPreserving Childhood in an Age of Tech-Driven Advertising with Dr Susan Linn This episode discusses: social media, attention economy, mental health, distraction, technology, creativity, algorithms, parenting, media consumption, psychological effects, media consumption, social media detox, agency, identity shift, young people, digital age, attention economy, joy, inspiration, self-awareness.