The Crushing Weight of Women’s Labor (how we're easing our load)

In this candid conversation, Becky Mollenkamp and Faith Clarke kick off their summer series exploring women’s labor—visible, invisible, paid, unpaid, emotional, and generational. They dive into what’s been stirring beneath the surface: the overwhelm of trying to do it all, the cultural myths of "having it all," and the shame and guilt baked into simply needing rest.

Faith opens up about her reflections on the Paris Paloma song and her own poetry as a way to name what’s often unspoken. Becky shares the seasonal stress of parenting, running a business, and feeling like she’s always supposed to keep pushing. Together, they name the collective weight women carry and offer an alternative path rooted in pleasure, community, and ease.

This episode kicks off a looser, more spacious summer format—one that resists perfectionism and honors capacity. Expect solo musings, guest conversations, and whatever else feels good, all orbiting the theme of labor and liberation.

Discussed in this episode:

• Why emotional labor is real—and disproportionately carried by women
• How systems reinforce impossible expectations, especially for mothers
• Faith’s reflection on being “the Black woman holding up the Earth”
• Becky’s struggle with summer parenting vs productivity
• The guilt/shame spiral of rest and how to rebel against it
• Why letting systems break is sometimes the most powerful choice
• How joy, rest, and pleasure are radical strategies for change
• What to expect in this summer series shift
• Paris Paloma’s song “Labour”

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