Single Mother Survival Guide

Samantha X is a journalist, an author, a business owner, a high-class escort and a madam. And she’s also a single mum.   I'm delighted to have Samantha X on the show this week. We talk about: single motherhood, what life is really like as a high-class escort, the types of clients she has, what the other mums at school think of her career, her incredible sobriety journey, co-parenting, studying counselling, coaching, and so much more! Links mentioned in the episode: Sign up to the 10 day FREE Get your Sparkle Back Challenge HERE. Jump on the waitlist for Thrive Tribe HERE. Checkout podcast episode 202 - Introducing Thrive Tribe HERE.  For help with alcohol abuse, visit AAmeetings.org.au, Smart Recovery, South Pacific Private, and check out the book: This Naked Mind by Annie Grace. Visit Samantha X After Dark HERE. Connect with Samantha X on Instagram HERE and Twitter HERE.  To contact Julia, email: julia@singlemothersurvivalguide.com. Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide.  Or connect with Single Mother S

In this episode, I share eight first steps to take as a brand new single mum.  Links mentioned in the episode: Sign up to the 10 day FREE Get Your sparkle Back Challenge HERE.  Listen to episode 208, with Lynn Jimenez, HERE. To contact Julia, email: julia@singlemothersurvivalguide.com. Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide.  Or connect with Single Mother Survival Guide on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest.

Happy fourth birthday to the Single Mother Survival Guide Podcast!! Thanks so much for being a part of the journey.  Links mentioned in the episode: To contact Julia, email: julia@singlemothersurvivalguide.com. Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide.  Or connect with Single Mother Survival Guide on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest.

In this episode, I answer more questions sent in by listeners. This week, these questions relate to: Dealing with your feelings, and the feelings of your family, around shame and guilt when pregnant and single. How to deal with bringing your baby to meet the woman your partner left you for. Links mentioned in the episode: Join the Thrive Tribe waitlist HERE. To contact Julia, email: julia@singlemothersurvivalguide.com. Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide.  Or connect with Single Mother Survival Guide on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest.

In this week’s podcast episode, I talk with wife and husband team Poppy and Geoff. Poppy and Geoff have a beautiful love story. They were college sweethearts, who then both went their separate ways and 32 years, and two divorces later each, they came back together. Poppy and Geoff are Certified Supreme Court Family Law Mediators and Relationship Counselors with expertise in neuroscience. As Certified Parenting Experts, and Certified Myers Briggs Practitioners, they offer guidance to parents and co-parents, to help them move forward and flourish in their life. In this episode, Poppy and Geoff talk about three tools that we can use to better understand our ex-partners and ourselves, and how we can use this knowledge to better our co-parenting relationships and to improve the parent/child relationship we have with our kids.  These tools include: Myers Briggs. The Five Love Languages. The Apology Languages. Links mentioned in the episode: Find out more about poppy and Geoff, and contact them here. Connect with

Lynn Jimenez (based in Southern California), is a mental health therapist, yoga instructor, and single mum. She's also the founder of Connect.Flow.Grow - a platform that provides parents with easy to use tools so they can teach their kids about feelings and behaviours, reducing stress and frustration in the home, and increasing the MAGIC of family time. She's had a broad range of experience ranging from the activation in the stress response system, to creating school-based programs to teach kids social-emotional skills, to working with adults in a substance abuse treatment centre. In this episode, Lynn shares some tips to help you help your kids become emotionally intelligent by teaching them about their feelings and what to do with them. These easy to use tools will help parents and kids manage their emotions, will bring them closer together and will help promote peace in the home. We also talk about: travelling as a single mum, the benefits of a family meeting and what to discuss, why saying "why did you d

In this episode, I share seven lessons I learned as a single mum that will be sure to help you too.  Links mentioned in the episode: Blog post: 9 REASONS WHY YOU NEED TO FIND YOUR SINGLE MUM TRIBE. To contact Julia, email: julia@singlemothersurvivalguide.com. Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide.  Or connect with Single Mother Survival Guide on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest.

Paula Booth was very much in love with an amazing man when after almost 8 years together he decided that he didn't want to have kids after all. Paula wasn't sure if she could have children of her own after an accident in 2011 left her with a spinal cord injury which had resulted in her becoming a paraplegic. Nonetheless, she was left with a decision - stay with her partner and forego the chance to try having a child or leave her partner and follow her dream of becoming a mum. Paula chose the latter.   After a brief stint of online dating, Paula decided it wasn't the path she wanted to take and spoke to her GP about becoming a single mother by choice. The GP advised her that she was not suitable for a referral to a fertility clinic because she didn't think she was capable of being a mother, let alone a single mother. How would she teach her child to climb a tree? She decided to go about it privately and found a site where people who wanted to be donors or co-parent advertise. After a few false matches, she fou

July 2020... the perfect time to re-focus and plan out the rest of this year, one that will be sure to go down in history. How will you remember 2020? Links mentioned in the episode: Listen to Episode 193 (single parenting in the time of coronavirus) HERE. To contact Julia, email: julia@singlemothersurvivalguide.com. Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide.  Or connect with Single Mother Survival Guide on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest.

In this episode, I answer more questions sent in by listeners. These questions relate to: The fear of having time without your child and when you're constantly threatened by your ex with being taken to court. What to do when you are constantly the one trying to facilitate a relationship between your young child and their father, and the father is not putting in any reciprocal effort. How to help your child when they struggle with you having a new partner and not seeing their dad.  Links mentioned in the episode: Blog Post: THE BEST 5 BOOKS FOR CHILDREN OF SINGLE PARENTS. To contact Julia, email: julia@singlemothersurvivalguide.com. Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide.  Or connect with Single Mother Survival Guide on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest.

In 2015, at 36 years old, Anna von Frances packed up her house, sold all her things and left Canada. With a 40 L backpack and her Chihuahua x Jack Russel, Anna moved to Guatemala. Six months later, she fell pregnant to a local tattoo artist after a one night stand. Despite pretty much everyone she spoke to about it advising her against having the baby, the father of the unborn child swept in and offered her a family and support. He encouraged her to have the baby. Anna didn't know it at the time, but he would become emotionally abusive. As her pregnancy progressed, she found herself becoming increasingly reliant on this abusive man and more aware that she was gradually losing her identity and her own circle of friends through the tactics he used to isolate her. She had become a shell of the woman she used to be and was depressed and suicidal. At 7 months pregnant, Anna packed up her things and escaped Guatemala in the middle of the night, driving over the mountain range into South Mexico. After she had her da

In this episode, I share two pieces of BIG news... Thrive Tribe - the global membership experience for single mothers - will be open for enrollment from 8:00 am 1st July - 8:00 am 6th July (AEST). This is a membership that I am just SO excited to open up to you. I have been working with 34 founding members to bring you the best membership experience possible. This membership will show you where you are on the single mother journey and provide you with a clear strategy and action items to progress you along the path to get you THRIVING and living your best life. In addition, we have monthly zoom sessions (think of this as like the BEST kind of mothers group ever), Facebook lives where your questions are answered, masterclasses, workshops, the most AMAZING guest speakers, and surprises all along the way. Did I mention we also have the most beautiful community filled with so much love and support? This is not just a Facebook group, it's a family. It doesn't matter how old you are, what country you live in, or a

In this super length episode, we celebrate 200 episodes of the Single Mother Survival Guide podcast and the amazing community that this has become. I have invited several past guests on the show to answer three questions: What has been your lowest moment (or most challenging experience) as a single mum? What is your favourite thing about being a single mum and why? What is your top tip for single mums? Thank you to my guests: Krystal, Lisa Kennedy, Evie Farrell, Dapnee, Ashlene Marshall, Isabelle Silbery, Hayley, Melissa Wilson, Nadia Mori, Zoe Hendrix, Amy, Farrah Greville (Miller), and my anonymous guest. The details for each individual episodes with each guest are listed below.  Thank you also to my listeners from 147 countries of the world. This community wouldn't be what it is without you. Forever grateful. This is for you xx  Links mentioned in the episode: Listen to Episodes 174 and 175 with Krystal. Listen to Episodes 127 and 128 with Lisa Kennedy. Listen to Episode 172 with Evie Farrell. Listen to

In this episode, I chat about the Black Lives Matter movement and what I'm personally doing - listening and educating both myself and my daughter. Links mentioned in the episode: To contact Julia, email: julia@singlemothersurvivalguide.com. Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide.  Or connect with Single Mother Survival Guide on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest

Lisa was 31 when she went to see an IVF specialist to enquire about becoming a single mum by choice. She soon discovered that being a single mother by choice was the path she wanted to embark on.  At 33 she had her son, Teddy, by using donor sperm. Lisa is now 35, and in this episode she shares: her experience of undertaking two IUIs, the process of undertaking IVF (in April 2018, and getting 5 embryos by the end of it), her experience of miscarriage, the process of picking a donor, and what it was like telling people that she was pregnant (and single) and how they reacted. Lisa also openly shares the struggle she had when the baby arrived and how hard it was doing everything solo, especially during the first four months. She talks about how she underestimated how hard it would be to do everything on her own, and especially how hard it was not having the mental and emotional support, despite having a wonderful support network.  This is an open and honest account of what it's like to be a single mum with a n

One of the hardest things my guest this week had to come to terms with was breaking her marriage vows... "till death do us part". But when her husband continued to suffer from depression for over a decade and had no interest in getting better she couldn't go on anymore.   In this episode she discusses: What it was like living with a spouse who had depression, and how his failure to get help for issues affected her, their relationship, and their entire family. Having a child with special needs and educational needs How the valued the support she received from her friends and family. What it was like living with an ex before parting ways in a living arrangement way. Going through grief during a pandemic. How her faith helped her to find her inner strength, power and wisdom to take the next step.  And so much more! Links mentioned in the episode: To contact Julia, email: julia@singlemothersurvivalguide.com. Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide.  Or connect with Single Mother Survival Guide on Facebook, Ins

Staying organised is a great way to look after your future self and keep you happier. In this episode, I share some quick tips so you can look after your future self too.  I also share some exciting news with you! Links mentioned in the episode: To contact Julia, email: julia@singlemothersurvivalguide.com. Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide.  Or connect with Single Mother Survival Guide on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest

Prèma was 23 years old when she unexpectedly fell pregnant whilst having a fling. At 24 she gave birth and raised her daughter solo; the father having no interest in having a child.  A few years later, Prèma ended up in a relationship which over time became abusive; her partner rarely remembering the attacks. With time, however, she gained the strength to leave.  Prèma then met the love of her life, Simon, online, and together they welcomed a baby in 2019.  In this episode, Prèma shares her story. She also talks about her father's recent passing and the family dynamics of her own stepfamily, as well as her story of being adopted as a baby and later meeting her birth parents, and how that also helped shape decisions she made later in life. Prèma now lives happily with her two daughters (aged 13 and 9 months) and Simon, studying, and also doing a job that she absolutely loves.  Links mentioned in the episode: To contact Julia, email: julia@singlemothersurvivalguide.com. Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide.

Krista was 30 when she decided to become a single mother by choice. She was happy in her job, she had spent time travelling, and she owned her own house. The only thing missing for Krista was a child. And so her path to becoming a single mother by choice began. In this episode, Krista shares her fertility treatment journey that she has been on for the last 3.5 years to become a single mother by choice. She discusses her 5 IUIs and further IVF treatments, and the emotional rollercoaster that these have entailed. She shares the joy of finally becoming pregnant after 3 years and then the heartbreak of going into early labour and delivering her daughter Stella at 20 weeks.  She talks about navigating the grief, the love and support she has received from people in her life, and facing her first Mother's Day as a mother, albeit a bereaved one. Krista also talks about how absolutely certain she was that this was the right path for her, and the steps she is taking next. One of her key messages is to not let fear hold

Dealing with heartbreak in a pandemic is not fun. But there can definitely be some positive things about it. I have been saddened to hear of so many relationships (single mums with new partners) ending in the last couple of months.   In this week's episode, I tell you about the ending of my relationship and how I overcame those initial weeks - dealing with heartbreak in a pandemic. You are not alone xx Links mentioned in the episode: Contact Lifeline or 1800 Respect. Blog post - What You Need To Consider When Introducing A New Partner To Your Children. To contact Julia, email: julia@singlemothersurvivalguide.com. Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide.  Or connect with Single Mother Survival Guide on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest