You're Not Less Ambitious. The World Around You Just Hasn't Caught Up Yet With Kat Francis

Since going back to work after maternity leave, has anyone - a manager, a colleague, a well-meaning relative - implied that you've changed? That you're not quite as driven as you used to be? Maybe your focus has shifted? Because here's the truth: you haven't changed. Not in the way they think. Your ambition is still there, it's just evolved into something sharper, more purposeful, and more powerful than it's ever been. The problem isn't you. The world around you just hasn't caught up yet. This week on Working Mumma, I'm sitting down with Kat Francis, a Melbourne-based leadership coach for ambitious women, keynote speaker. Kat spent two decades climbing through creative agencies to Managing Director level, then walked away from equity and ownership to build a career that actually aligned with who she'd become. This conversation is honest, validating, and deeply practical. Whether you're fresh back from mat leave or a few years in and wondering why your career still feels like it's running in slow motion, this one is for you. In this episode we cover: The LinkedIn post about ambition after motherhood and why it struck such a raw nerve with Australian working mums Kat's own pivot: walking away from an MD role with equity on the table, and what that decision revealed about values, identity and what we actually want from work The data from The Ambition Report that's hard to hear - only 16% of mums were promoted after returning from mat leave, and only 23% received a pay rise Why your ambition didn't disappear after kids, it got sharper, and why that gets misread as "less committed" The settling trap: how so many women come back from maternity leave and quietly accept a role that's comfortable but hollow and how to stop How to advocate for yourself with outdated managers without burning bridges or losing your composure The motherhood penalty vs the fatherhood bonus, what it actually looks like in Australian workplaces right now How to have the ambition conversation with your partner and why getting on the same page about success changes everything Connect with Kat Francis Website: coachkat.com.au LinkedIn: Kat Francis Connect with Carina and Working Mumma  Follow on Instagram  Follow Working Mumma podcast on Instagram Connect with Carina on LinkedIn Subscribe to the newsletter