This week, Krista and Samantha open up about the messy middle of maternity leave, the emotional (and strategic) recalibrating that comes with burnout, and the slow, weird journey of transitioning back to work when your brain still feels half-swaddled in sleep schedules.
Samantha reflects on her own experience stepping back from business after baby #2, navigating the invisible labour of motherhood, and confronting the gap between how we expect maternity leave to feel—and how it actually shows up. Together, they unpack the pressure to be creative on a deadline, the decision fatigue that weighs on both parenting and business, and the friction between the need for support and the challenge of finding it.
This is one of those conversations that lands like a deep breath—permission to feel all of it: the guilt, the gratitude, and the in-between.
Takeaways & Merit Badges Earned:
🍼 Maternity leave isn’t always restful—it’s a full-time identity shift.
🧠 Decision fatigue is real, and it touches everything.
🎨 Creativity and chaos don’t always coexist peacefully.
🔥 Burnout doesn’t mean you’re broken—it might mean it’s time to reset.
🕰️ Focused work time is sacred (and often scarce).
🙋♀️ Asking for help is a strength, not a shortcoming.
📬 Automation and systems are your friends—especially during transitions.
💞 Social connection matters, even when it’s hard to maintain.
🫠 The invisible load is real, especially for women.
🗣️ Clear, direct communication in relationships is everything.
In the thick of it? We’re right there with you.
👶 Follow us on Instagram @MamaMeritBadge
📩 Leave a review, share the episode, and send us a screenshot—we’ll DM you Sam’s summer activity schedule (your secret weapon for surviving the chaos with kids at home).
New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce
Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about the weekly slate of games and share their INSIDE perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. They also endlessly rag on each other as brothers do, chat the latest in pop culture and welcome some very popular and well-known friends to chat with them. Check out new episodes every Wednesday. Follow New Heights on the Wondery App, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free, and get exclusive content on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And join our new membership for a unique fan experience by going to the New Heights YouTube channel now!
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