1:1 Coaching - Mrs Mummy PhD

Mama, I get it…

As an intelligent, high-achieving woman, you want to pursue your career and academic goals. But you’re also a wife/partner and Mama and you want to show up well for your family too, enjoy the little moments (that are the big ones, really) and create memories that will last a lifetime…

But instead of enjoying your kids, spouse/partner, scholarly journey and career opportunities – you feel overwhelmed, stressed out and fed up trying to juggle it all…

The mental load of juggling work, family and PhD life makes success seem unachievable.

Either your mind is constantly rummaging through your never-ending to-do list, or you’re too busy trying to multitask and be ‘all things to all people’ that you don’t even know whether you’re coming or going.

You feel stuck in endless cycles of guilt because when you are with your family, you are there in body but not in spirit as your mind is constantly wandering off to all the PhD work you have to get done. Then when you catch yourself not being fully engaged and present with the kids, you feel even worse inside.

You may be wondering when you’ll ever feel like you ‘have your life together…’

When will you finally stop feeling like a guilt-ridden Mama with a constantly scattered brain but nothing to ‘show’ for all the hard work you’re putting in?

You just want to be done with this PhD so you can get back to living your life…

You want to be a wife/partner & Mama with a fulfilling career who can purposefully integrate all of that with PhD life without losing yourself in the process…

You want to achieve your ambitious goal of becoming a ‘Dr’ without sacrificing what matters most, and why not?!

Because traditional academic culture has made you feel like you can’t successfully achieve your scholarly goals as a Mama.

So what happens?

Guilt and overwhelm enter the chat…

These two tell you that you are selfish for pursuing your professional ambitions and that you should put them on the back burner because you are so deep in the throes of the juggle-struggle, that you don’t even know what you want any more, let alone finish this PhD you started…

And you’re starting to believe the lies…

But that’s where I enter the chat!

I’m here to show you what’s possible and help you navigate this unique Scholarly Mama® journey so you can seamlessly blend your work, PhD and family life commitments, without the overwhelm, without sacrificing what matters and without losing yourself in the process.

Here’s the thing Mama…

I see so many Mamas just struggling through their PhD journeys feeling constantly burdened and overwhelmed.

And you know what, these Mamas are the best dreamers!

They constantly fantasise about ‘getting their lives together’ after they achieve their next academic milestone, because then they will finally be able to pick back up the fragments they are creating now, by default.

They are in a perpetual state of ‘one-day’ living, always waiting for things to get easier… for the kids to be older and less demanding, for the degree to be finished and behind them, for their academic paper to be published, for the next holiday to catch a break or just catch up… for life to be better… you know, one day…

But how long will you keep living for that ‘one day?’

How long will you daydream about life after you achieve this or that?

How long will you keep waiting to truly live the life you deserve?

How many more months of feeling overwhelmed will you put up with before you decide to invest in yourself?

How long will you have this ‘full life’ that you feel you’re missing out on all the fun parts of anyway?

How good would it feel to be the Mama who finishes her PhD well but who also enjoys her life to the full, instead of being burdened by her out-of-control to-do lists and overwhelmed by the juggle-struggle?

How amazing would it be to blend your work, PhD and family life in a way that doesn’t cause you to lose yourself?

How awesome would it be to become Dr [fill in the blank with your name] without sacrificing the most important things in your life as a Mama?

What an awesome thing that would be, right?

“I’ve discovered that the secret to a purposeful Scholarly Mama® life is centred around my priorities in the season of life that I’m in. This helps me to manage my time and energy in a way that is productive and intentional without losing myself in the mix. And I know that when I win where it truly matters, everyone wins! Mama, if you desire it, you too can step into the purposeful leader you were called to be…” – Dr. Michelle Gibbs | Mrs Mummy PhD®

What are the options for 1:1 coaching?

I offer two distinct 1:1 coaching containers:

SOAR – a 90-minute breakthrough session designed to tackle a specific challenge you’re facing in your Scholarly Mama® journey. This coaching container is perfect for you if you are currently experiencing a specific roadblock and just need a one-off session to help you get unstuck and back on track to SOAR! Book a SOAR session here.
OPTIMUM – a 12-week high-touch 1:1 coaching programme. This coaching container is perfect for you if you require more in-depth support over a longer term as you navigate Scholarly Mama® life. After this programme, you’ll have both the clarity of purpose and the practical tools to empower you to finish your PhD well, while juggling work and/or family life. This coaching programme will leave you empowered to become the ‘Dr’ you’re destined to be, without sacrificing what matters most! Keep reading below to learn more, or feel free to book your free OPTIMUM discovery call to discuss working together!

Interested in booking a 1:1 SOAR session?

If a longer-term 1:1 coaching programme OPTIMUM (see below) isn’t a good fit for you, I offer one-off, 90-minute SOAR sessions to help you SOAR above a specific challenge in your Scholarly Mama® life.

After this 90-minute strategy session, you will leave with an individual action plan to help you get unstuck and move forward toward your Scholarly Mama® goals with confidence. You’ll be equipped with a personalised strategy to help you SOAR above your specific challenge with clarity, purpose and action!

In our SOAR container, I will hold space for you for 90-minutes, as you gain deeper insight into what matters, so you can go on to take purposeful action that honours both your priorities and ambitions as a Scholarly Mama®.

With oodles of empathy and sprinkles of tough love, you’ll leave your SOAR session empowered to do just that, SOAR!

Interested in the OPTIMUM programme?

OPTIMUM is a premium solution for the Scholarly Mama® who feels overworked and overwhelmed by the juggle-struggle of combining her PhD pursuits with real life as a Mama and wants to create a more purposeful Scholarly Mama® experience for herself with a little more support to do so.

This is for the Mama who is ready to take purposeful action towards their goals!

This is for the Mama who is ready to step into her ‘Dr’ era without having to put her family life in jeopardy.

This premium 1:1 coaching programme is for the Mama on an academic journey who is struggling to see the light at the end of the tunnel and wants to create scholarly joy without sacrificing what matters because she knows she is more than her titles and accolades but can’t work out exactly how to turn that belief into a lifestyle.

If this sounds like you, you’re not alone.

I know how hard it is to combine the demands of higher education with the demands of family life without becoming overwhelmed and disillusioned by the external pressures to balance it all perfectly.

I get it.

You want a new approach.

You may even say that you don’t just want one, you NEED one!

You deserve to reach your scholarly goals without guilt. And, most certainly, without sacrificing the essential stuff…

It’s time to trade overwhelm for overflow on this academic motherhood journey.

Overflowing peace of mind.

Overflowing joy.

Overflowing moments and memories.

Overflowing success.

Perhaps you’ve been on your journey for a while, but recognise that you need a Scholarly Mama® coach who has walked this road before and can be your detached thinking partner.

Inside OPTIMUM, you’ll have the opportunity to work 1:1 with me. I will hold space for you to gain clarity on your ambitious goals, and work towards them without sacrificing yourself or your family life.

Your ‘Dr’ era awaits, and I want to support you in reaching it!

What can our OPTIMUM programme help you do?

What if your Scholarly Mama® journey didn’t have to feel like navigating the woods alone?

What if it could be different?

Reflecting on my PhD journey, I remember feeling so overwhelmed at times. The journey felt so unbearably long, painfully hard and sadly isolating… with all its many twists and turns.

You see, I began the journey as a Mama of one and was trying hard to finish as a Mama of three… my Mama friends didn’t get it and my PhD colleagues didn’t get it either…

This journey was truly one of a kind! And so many times, I just wanted to give up!

As I plodded along, there were a few times I lost sight of the goal, and inevitably the gift of the present.

It was like being lost in the woods…

…then I realised that I was carrying some heavy loads that were putting additional pressure on my already stressed capacity and navigation system… the mum guilt, perfectionism, overwhelm, fear of failure, imposter syndrome, expectations of others, over ambition and the list goes on…

But when I began to gradually offload as many of these as I could, it helped me to focus on the exact things that would get me to my goal of completion without compromising my values.

I began to see things much more clearly and take purposeful action towards my goals.

I no longer needed to stress over the “where” and “when” of the journey as I was able to trust the process and focus on the “who”, “why” and “how” parts i.e. who I was, who I was becoming, as well as why and how I was going to achieve my goals purposefully with kids in tow…

In my OPTIMUM 1:1 coaching, you remain at the centre of the story, because you’re the “who”, but as we work together, you’ll get clearer on the “why” and eventually the “how”….

Because when you win where it matters as a Scholarly Mama®, everyone wins!

You don’t have to keep feeling alone and lost in the woods… and your navigation system hasn’t completely failed either, you just need to get back in the driver’s seat of your journey!

Book a free 1:1 call below and let’s explore how you can get there with OPTIMUM 1:1 coaching 🙂

How is OPTIMUM any different?

Our OPTIMUM programme will help you accelerate the transformation of your juggle-struggle with much more tailored 1:1 support.

But let’s be clear…

OPTIMUM 1:1 coaching isn’t about adding to your plate. It’s about simplifying your life by experimenting with new ideas, systems and approaches to create more time and capacity for scholarly joy and purposeful success in your life as both a Mama and a Scholar.

It’s about creating a vision and specific goals for your Scholarly Mama® life and taking intentional action where it matters.

With OPTIMUM, you can kick-start your purposeful Scholarly Mama® journey today with individualised support.

Imagine becoming a ‘Dr’ without sacrificing what matters by finally being able to:

Have more joy and satisfaction in your PhD motherhood journey now (not when you achieve this or that)
Love and look after yourself well so you can feel good on the inside and out and stop pouring from an empty cup
Compartmentalise your academic tasks through strategic planning so you can progress in your work and keep the guilt at bay
Reignite the passion you once had for learning and education while savouring the memorable moments you get to create with your family
Have clarity of your top priorities so you can confidently carve out time in your weekly schedule for what matters, without the guilt
Create healthy boundaries and finally have the confidence to say ‘no’ and stop overcommitting
Have a healthier work-life blend by incorporating simple self-care strategies into your day-to-day to avoid overwork and burnout
Create work-life harmony so you can have more joy and fulfilment at work and home without your research life spilling over into family time or sacrificing your family life
Tap into your creativity as an outlet for yourself, or better yet, use it to enhance the lives of others
Start building your legacy now so your kids can be proud of you long after you’re gone
Have more joy and peace at home by investing in your marriage/relationships without compromising your scholarly goals
Finally lay down your ‘overachiever and superwoman capes’ and trade them for new journeys of becoming smart, purposeful, and whole as a Scholarly Mama®

What is a Scholarly Mama® Purpose Path?

Our OPTIMUM 1:1 coaching exists to help you turn your juggle-struggle into your purposeful journeys of becoming so you can finally enter your ‘Dr’ era. The best way to do this with kids in tow is by creating and taking action on your unique Scholarly Mama® Purpose Path.

A Scholarly Mama® Purpose Path is your personalised success blueprint for navigating your journey of PhD motherhood by design and not by default.

Think of it as your personal Scholarly Mama® manifesto!

It’s essential for creating scholarly joy and purposeful success on your terms, as you grow gracefully on your journeys of becoming.

You will have the unique opportunity to create your very own Scholarly Mama® Purpose Path inside our OPTIMUM 1:1 coaching container.

Creating your Scholarly Mama® Purpose Path will give you the confidence to navigate your Scholarly Mama® journey with intention and purpose. And because it is a unique and personal journey, there are no rigid rules, just a personalised framework to help you along the way.

Every Scholarly Mama® Purpose Path has the potential to be transformative… but of course, that bit is totally up to you!

With clarity of your Scholarly Mama® Purpose Path, you will be empowered to become the ‘Dr’ you want to be. After all, you’re the real asset here! Imagine leading a purposeful Scholarly Mama® life where the blend of family, work and PhD life isn’t perfect, but is easier, more manageable and more fulfilling, without you constantly feeling like you’re falling apart.

Let’s work together on this inside OPTIMUM!

Meet your Coach!

Hey Mama, I’m Dr. Michelle Gibbs, your purposeful Scholarly Mama® coach!

Believe me when I tell you that I know the student/academic Mama juggle-struggle all too well because I’ve been there, done that and bought the T-shirt!

I went from an overwhelmed new Mama living deadline to deadline and trying to juggle it all, to becoming a purposeful Scholarly Mama® who was able to reach my academic goals while enjoying a life that feels just as good on the inside as it looks on the outside.

I’ve also learned the hard lessons so you don’t have to. This is why I now combine a truly client-centred approach (with a sprinkle of tough love) to help you transform your juggle-struggle into your purposeful journeys of becoming a smart, purposeful, and whole Scholarly Mama® who is able to make her goals a reality without losing herself.

As a Scholarly Mama®, I have experienced a great deal of academic ‘success’, including some of the most prestigious honours, awards and distinctions in my undergraduate degree, three post-graduate degrees and most recently, my PhD! This is all on top of building a beautiful marriage of over 18 years with my high school sweetheart and together, raising our three heartbeats i.e. our boys.

In addition, as a healthcare professional and academic, I’ve worked with patients, students and colleagues, to support them in reaching their health, academic or career goals respectively, and achieve their desired outcomes.

I’ve also experienced my own personal transformations along the way, as I discovered the art of navigating my Scholarly Mama® journey with purpose.

Now, I will be combining all these skills and my lived experiences to help you achieve your scholarly goals and become ‘Dr’ without neglecting yourself or those you love.

With OPTIMUM 1:1 coaching, you will be empowered to become an ‘OPTI-MUM’! Did you notice what I did there? Haha 🙂

"A journey of a thousand miles, begin with a single step" - Lao Tzu

How will the OPTIMUM programme work?

Our OPTIMUM programme is a uniquely tailored experience where I will hold space in our private 1:1 coaching container so that you can gain clarity of your specific vision, purpose and goals.

OPTIMUM coaching is a high-touch coaching programme that considers the unique challenges we often face as Scholarly Mamas®.

As your Scholarly Mama® coach, I want to support you as you take action in a way and at a pace that works for you in your own, private 1:1 coaching container.

Mama, you can think of me as your detached thinking or brainstorming partner, with a little sprinkle of tough love!

What is the Value of OPTIMUM?

OPTIMUM is a semi-structured, bespoke experience including 12 weeks of tailored 1:1 support.

With all the money being spent on your doctoral degree, it’s time to invest in yourself, because you are the asset in all of this!

Not only do you deserve to finish well, but to onboard new mindsets and strategies as a Mama wearing many hats that you can carry with you well into the rest of your Scholarly Mama® life too.

The value of this programme is priceless because you will learn the skills and perspectives you need to help you reach your Scholarly Mama® goals without sacrificing what matters most (which took me many years to learn).

Imagine going from feeling stuck in the juggle-struggle, feeling isolated, overwhelmed and dwindling in motivation, to being clear on what you want to achieve as a Scholarly Mama® and feeling empowered to reach your academic goals and finish your PhD well without sacrificing yourself or the precious family time you cherish.

Imagine being able to blend your scholarly pursuits and your home life so you can experience more joy, harmony and fulfilment in your life.

Book your free OPTIMUM discovery call below and let’s talk about whether OPTIMUM 1:1 coaching is a good fit for you!

What do others say?

"Michelle really helped me with the reassurance in confidently navigating my academic and family goals. Having a familiar face to check-in with over a few months, where I could debrief without judgement, and receive guidance from someone who has successfully lived and breathed the research/ work/ parenting juggling, was so incredibly helpful. During our coaching sessions, I was navigating a very challenging season of life: my research career and opportunities were really taking off and my future plans were being set in motion, whilst I navigated several months of our family getting illness after illness from daycare as well as accepting changes in the workforce. Michelle really helped me identify key moments of my success that I could reflect on as evidence for when I had moments of impostor syndrome, as well as plan effectively for days when the kids were unwell and making my schedule more adjustable to meet the bare minimum in busy seasons. A lot of the self-doubt I had about completing a PhD (especially as a part-time student/ part-time worker/ full-time mother) has diminished, and my ability to visualise successfully achieving my research goals and start on the trajectory of an academic career. The tools Michelle gave me to plan out my week, allow additional "buffers" and break down my "to-do lists" into much smaller goals (removing the overwhelming list of big, unmanageable tasks), which helped me effectively survive a very challenging, busy, unpredictable season of my research and family journey. Coaching with Michelle really helped me not feel alone on my journey as a mother, academic and worker, including introduction to the Scholarly Mama community. It's been hard to genuinely have a "village" that completely understands the journey of "wearing all the hats", but spending time working with Michelle has demonstrated to me that it absolutely is possible to navigate all the identities I hold and successfully complete my PhD. ...Michelle is so relatable, supportive and so encouraging - you're spending time with someone who absolutely "gets it" and has a wealth of knowledge and experiences to share. I am so thankful for Michelle's support and the skills she has shared with me - they are such valuable tools to have for all mamas on their research journeys!"

Mrs R.H.

Working Mama of 2 & PhD Candidate

"As a PhD scholar and a mama of two, I embarked on a challenging journey that seemed overwhelming at times. However, Dr. Michelle’s one-on-one coaching sessions have transformed my perspective and approach to this unique journey. Through our conversations (safe space), I have come to understand that being a dedicated mother and pursuing a PhD simultaneously is not only possible but also manageable. Dr. Michelle provided me with invaluable insights into time management and habit formation, enabling me to effectively balance my responsibilities. I have learned to focus on what is within my control and to approach my tasks with confidence, calmness, and purpose. Dr. Michelle helped me recognize the importance of scheduling my time and breaking down activities into manageable parts. This awareness has been crucial in making the most of my restricted time and utilizing available resources efficiently. As a result, I have grown both personally and professionally, finding myself in a much better space to pursue my PhD with determination and enjoyment. I am now more confident, relaxed, and capable of completing my tasks without fear. Dr. Michelle’s guidance has been instrumental in helping me realize that this journey is not impossible; it is indeed, doable. Her support has allowed me to embrace my dual roles with grace and to pursue my academic goals without sacrificing what truly matters. I am immensely grateful for the growth and clarity I have gained through her coaching sessions. I highly recommend Dr. Michelle’s coaching for any scholar mama who wants to pursue their PhD purposively. Her insights and strategies are invaluable for navigating this demanding yet rewarding path."

Mrs E.M. Working Mama of 2 & PhD Candidate (video testimonial below)

"Michelle is one of the most focused, purposeful, and motivated people I have met along my doctoral journey! Not only is she knowledgeable in her subject area but is exemplary in her vision, mission and passion to serve others to achieve their maximum capability and potential! Her knowledge and interest extend far more than just academia - her life and family experience, her entrepreneurial spirit and knowledge add a further layer of expertise to help YOU navigate your current and future vision, dreams and goals! Her consistency, drive and love of people, to help them nurture their purpose, is what sets her apart - she is conscientious and therefore well suited to help you achieve success and your next level - Michelle, I salute you."

Dr Claudine Matthews DPROF HSC

RD & Mama of 2

"Dr. Michelle Gibbs is very thoughtful, and inspiring... She has been through it all and understands what moms go through to finalise their PhD, she is a great example of the fact that it can be done and done well... [She] said to me during the discovery call (and this still resonates deeply with me) - ‘you have come a long way and overcome so many hurdles that this PhD is one of them and you will overcome it’. Also, she said, ‘There is a purpose in this PhD and [you] will get it done...’ I can't summarise in words what [this] meant to me, it definitely sparked a fire in me... I am very grateful for your time Michelle..."

J.T.

PhD Candidate & Mama

What can I expect with OPTIMUM 1:1 coaching?

Inside the Scholarly Mamas® OPTIMUM 1:1, coaching sessions will take place weekly on Zoom for 12 weeks.

Our 1-hour private 1:1 coaching sessions will be centred around the unique challenges you face as a Scholarly Mama®, and how you can overcome them to create your own success story.

This is where the magic will happen!

Together, we will look at your situation, create your unique Scholarly Mama® Purpose Path, identify your priorities, get clear on your specific goals and then get to work on devising a bespoke, actionable plan that will get you there.

Each week, during our OPTIMUM 1:1 coaching calls on Zoom, we will talk about your challenges, get to the root of your juggle-struggle and set small, achievable, intentional goals towards your purposeful success and scholarly joy.

Let’s get you purposefully to your doctoral finish line as your whole self, without having to pretend you’re not a Mama!

How do I sign up for OPTIMUM?

Here’s what to do next if you’re interested in signing up for our OPTIMUM programme:

Book a FREE OPTIMUM discovery call where we will talk through your specific needs and whether the OPTIMUM high-touch programme is a good fit for you.
If you are happy to proceed, you’ll be invited to complete your paperwork, make payment and book your 12 x 1:1 sessions.
Your OPTIMUM 1:1 coaching programme will then commence on the agreed start date.

Questions? Book your OPTIMUM discovery call today!

Well, that’s it, Mama!

I hope you found this information helpful and I look forward to working together in OPTIMUM! When we work together, I’ll help you reclaim the time, energy, space and identity you need to rediscover who you are beneath all the titles and accolades, so you can reach your life and academic goals, become ‘Dr’ [fill in the blanks with your name] AND still hold it down at home.

Sending you much love and gratitude,

Dr Michelle (your Scholarly Mama® Coach)