Welcome to Scholarly Mamas®

As I navigated my PhD journey as a Mama of 1, then a Mama of 2 and later a Mama of 3, I remember feeling so isolated on the journey of scholarly motherhood as I felt no one understood this unique juggling act. So I created what I wish existed back then, a purposeful space for ambitious PhD mothers, with a purposeful twist! Scholarly Mamas® is exactly that and more! - Dr Michelle Gibbs | Mrs Mummy PhD®

Is Scholarly Mamas® for you?

Hey Mama, I'm Dr Michelle Gibbs - Founder of Scholarly Mamas®.

I get it.

As a Mama pursuing huge scholarly goals, the juggle-struggle is REAL! 

You feel like you're on a hamster wheel running at top speed, as you try to keep up with it all. If it isn't 'Mum guilt', then it's the 'academic guilt'! And it feels like no one understands this juggling act.

You feel so knee-deep in the overwhelm that you don't even know who you are anymore.

You desperately need a new way to navigate this journey so you can not just survive, but thrive in it.

You need a space to embrace the unique blend of your scholarly pursuits, with your real life (marriage/relationships & motherhood), as you grow, reflect and become all you were meant to be.

Let's transform the juggle-struggle into your purposeful journeys of becoming, by creating a space where honest conversation, authentic connection and holistic growth can happen. You deserve to feel valued and appreciated as a whole person!

But most importantly, you deserve to achieve your big academic dreams without sacrificing yourself or the family life you love.

It may sound a little controversial coming from a Scholarly Mama® who has multiple degrees and titles but here's the truth: 

You can’t do this anymore... you can't continue to:

1. Burn your candles at every end.
2. Pour more into your research life than you invest in working on yourself.
3. Compare yourself to childfree colleagues whose journeys are… well, just different.
4. Say yes to every ‘opportunity’ ignoring what it’s costing you elsewhere in your life.
5. Put your life, including playfulness and joy, on hold by sidelining what matters so you can do your ‘best academic work’.
6. Allow overwhelm to dictate your decision-making and fear to control your future.
7. Put yourself last on your priority list.
8. Navigate this journey by default.

The thing is that it’s so easy to overlook all these compromises and not notice the compounding detrimental effects, because they can be so subtle over time.

That’s NOT how you finish well. It’s time to change that narrative.

I get how hard this is Mama, because I am a high achiever myself too… I know how good it feels to work toward and achieve big goals.

However, my joy and my family life meant way too much to me to sacrifice, simply for the sake of being ‘successful’ academically.

So I took back control of my life, reclaimed my power and fully embraced my identity as a Scholarly Mama®, beginning with acceptance of my circumstances and unconditional self-love, no matter where I was on my journey compared to everyone else.

I was able to create safety and security in simplicity which allowed me to achieve my academic goals, create scholarly joy and enjoy my purposeful success!

Because I realised that if I wanted something different I had to do something different, but I also had to be brave enough to think differently first!

Mama, you can achieve your academic goals too, but it may require an identity shift because ambition shouldn’t cost you all the things that matter in your life.

This is exactly the goal of Scholarly Mamas®. This space exists to help you pursue your ambitions with purpose, creativity & boldness. 

And the best bit? 

You won't be alone! You'll be right alongside other like-minded Scholarly Mamas®.

Just because I have kids doesn't mean I can't pursue my scholarly goals, and just because I am pursuing my scholarly goals doesn't mean my kids don't come first! (Dr. Michelle Gibbs | Mrs Mummy PhD®)

If you want to transform your narrative of academic motherhood from being stuck in the throes of the juggle-struggle to becoming a smart, purposeful Scholarly Mama® who finishes well, then you've come to the right place.

This is an exclusive space for academic mothers who are ready to re-redefine success for themselves, chart their own paths to joy, and design fulfilling lives that they can enjoy now, on their own terms (not when they achieve this or that).

We want to see you win! 

We can't wait to welcome you into our purposeful spaces!

Meet The Founder!

Hey, Mama! I can't wait to get to know you but here's a little more about me...

 I'm Dr Michelle Gibbs (Mrs Mummy PhD®), Founder of Scholarly Mamas®.

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

I've also learned the hard lessons so you don't have to.

This is exactly why I founded Scholarly Mamas®!

After completing 5 degrees (including my PhD) throughout my professional career journey, and having 3 kids along the way with my high-school sweetheart-turned-husband of over 18 years, I've discovered the art and secret of navigating the unique blend of marriage, motherhood and academic life purposefully!

You see, I was where you are... disillusioned, overwhelmed, and on the verge of burnout.

After experiencing some dark times during my scholarly journey as a Mama, I learned that when my daily actions were purposeful, and in alignment with who I was and who I wanted to become, my journey became less of a hustle-driven juggle-struggle and more of a purpose-driven journey of self-discovery. 

Now, as the Founder of Scholarly Mamas®, I want to help you do the same.

What's the investment?

Our Scholarly Mamas® EXPLORE Space is FREE. 

Inside, you'll be able to explore how you can become the purposeful Scholarly Mama® you desire to be, how our programmes and services can support you in doing so and how you can connect with your new village.

It's time to navigate this journey by design and not by default so you can finally become 'Dr', without sacrificing what matters!

Ready to join us inside Scholarly Mamas®?

One day we’ll all look back at our journeys through PhD motherhood and when we do, we hope to do so without regret. Let’s not just hope... let’s make them journeys to remember!

So Mama... Are you in? Fabulous, let's begin! 

These are our journeys of becoming! 

See you inside :-)

Disclaimer: Scholarly Mamas® is not a substitute for mental health support. Please seek assistance from a trained mental health professional if you are struggling with a mental illness or disorder. It's also not a substitute for PhD supervision as specific support on your PhD topic is expected to come from your PhD supervisor/advisor.