Can Women Have It All? Exploring Happiness in Motherhood with Dr. Giselle Goodwin Artwork

The Sparkle Project

The version of motherhood we're sold looks nothing like the one we're actually living. That's by design.

The Sparkle Project is for the moms who are done pretending otherwise, and ready to reclaim the parts of themselves that got lost along the way. Hosted by Emily MacDonald, a single mom, feminist, and late-diagnosed ADHDer, each episode digs into the identity shifts, invisible labor, and systemic failures that make motherhood so hard. You'll hear from the experts, advocates, and real women who are finding their way back to themselves, so you can feel less alone in the hard parts and more like yourself in all the rest.

Somewhere between the mental load and the mom guilt, your shine is still there. The Sparkle Project is your space to find it.

(Formerly Worthy Mother Podcast)

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The Sparkle Project

Can Women Have It All? Exploring Happiness in Motherhood with Dr. Giselle Goodwin

April 15, 2025 • Episode 144

0:00 | 56:30

Can women really have it all? And what does that even mean? In this powerful episode, I sit down with Dr. Giselle Goodwin—author, researcher, and expert on women’s work and wellbeing—to explore this question and dive in to what it means for moms to achieve true happiness. Dr. Goodwin shares insights from her book "Can Women Really Have It All? A Happiness Handbook for Working Mothers", and opens up about her own journey from feminist ideals to the complex realities of balancing career, motherhood, and personal fulfillment.

Dr. Goodwin and I talk about:

📈 The evolving (and still unrealistic) societal expectations placed on mothers

💼 Why flexible work, better childcare, and equitable parental leave matter for everyone

⚖️ The emotional load of motherhood

😃Happiness is a mix of pleasure and purpose

💝Practical self-care strategies for busy moms—like bare minimums, micro-joys, and guilt-free delegation

A little about our guest:

Dr. Giselle Goodwin grew up in Canada and now lives in Cheshire, England with her husband and two teenage daughters. Over the course of a 25-year career, she co-founded, grew and successfully sold three businesses: two in healthcare and one in recruitment. Alongside this, Dr. Goodwin navigated countless children’s birthday parties, sports events, parent-teacher meetings and dentist appointments. While juggling her career and family life, she often felt like she was failing on all fronts. Driven by a desire to find a better way – not just for herself but for her children – Dr. Goodwin returned to university to explore the elusive issue of women’s work-life balance. In 2022, she completed a PhD on women, work and well-being, and her first book is the culmination of that research. Dr. Giselle Goodwin is passionately interested in all causes relating to equality and social justice.

To connect with Dr. Giselle Goodwin, find her on LinkedIn or follow her on Instagram @gisellegoodwinwrites. You can also visit her website www.gisellegoodwin.com.

If you found this episode valuable, share it with other moms in your life. Follow along with The Worthy Mother Podcast on Instagram @honestlyemilyrose and @worthymotherpodcast, and don’t forget to subscribe wherever you listen!

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