THE GOOD ENOUGH MOTHER PODCAST

Financial Value and Self-Worth: In Motherhood and in Business

August 17, 2020

PARENTING, MOTHERING, BUSINESS, LIFE, BIRTH

with mother and The Women's Coach, Leisa Masters

In this episode I talk with Leisa Masters from Earthside Birth Services on the subject of money and worth in motherhood and in business. We are both single mothers and business owners whose work supports mothers. It’s from this context that we explore how mothering is financially devalued, and the correlated challenges we’ve experienced in running businesses that support mothers.

This episode covers research on the ‘motherhood penalty’, the ‘maternal ‘wall’ as the new ‘glass ceiling’, and the economic value of women’s care-work. There is recognition of our collective loss of community support and the commodification and hierarchy of valuing tangible ‘things’ in motherhood.

We delve into a deeper discussion about the discomfort that can come up both in motherhood and specifically in mother-run businesses, around self-worth, and the socially reinforced expectation that mothers try and prove our worth through measurable, quantifiable outputs. We consider all of the ways that mothering is skilled work, how the way we see ourselves impacts how others see us too, and the potential that would open up for mothers if we were to recognise and claim our individual and collective value.

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Meet

Leisa Masters

Leisa is a mother, an experienced business manager, and has been in the space of birthwork for over a decade.

She loves the amazing journey of personal work. After becoming a mother, she realised she could no longer avoid the deep self-reflection, learning and healing that was necessary for her to become the woman, mother and coach she wanted to be. Surrounding herself with the right people, and doing the work for herself, meant she got to feel the immensity of this transformation. She was cracked open, turned inside out, and she experienced the clarity, growth, comfort and healing that I now believe is every woman's birth right.

After more than a decade of supporting women during pregnancy, birth, motherhood and decades more in business management, Leisa understands the complexities of finding the right pathway for her, and the hurdles that stand in your way. If you want support with a difference, that goes beyond the usual approach and helps you remove your blocks so you can go forward with confidence and joy, then let's make a time to talk on a free clarity call.