Real Talk Series #1: From Burnout to Boundaries with Stasia
The First in Our Working Mom Interview Series
"You shouldn't be doing it all alone" - sometimes the most important lessons come from the hardest experiences.
I'm thrilled to launch something I've been thinking about for months - real conversations with real working moms about the beautiful, messy, complicated reality of trying to "have it all."
This isn't about perfect Instagram moments or having everything figured out. This is about the honest truth: the tensions we all feel, the boundaries we struggle to set, and the hard-won wisdom that comes from living this experience.
And also i get so much out of it myself!
Today, I'm sharing the story of - educator, product manager, and recovering perfectionist who learned some lessons the hard way. Her story isn't "shiny," as she puts it, but it's exactly the kind of real talk I feel we need more of.
Meet Stasia Lewicka
About: Educator and product manager on a mission to help women build better businesses through better management.
Current reality: Expat mom in Austria, recovering from burnout (twice), and rebuilding her relationship with success
Superpower: Weather radar addiction (seriously!)
The Tension: When 100% Everywhere Isn't Sustainable
Stasia: "The hardest part is the pressure to deliver on all fields. This partially is something learnt along the corporate experience, where this is how you were measured, and partially an internal perfectionism and fear of mistakes. In the end I turned out to be a mother who wanted to give 100% everywhere. And that was very unhealthy."
Stasia's honesty about burnout really touched me because so many of us recognize this pattern. We bring our corporate "deliver excellence everywhere" mindset to motherhood and wonder why we're exhausted.
The expectations we place on ourselves? They're not real. They're cultural patterns that don't always serve us.
Recovery means learning what we and our families actually need - not what we think we should need. (Ui, this one i had to think about when writing it. So me…:))
Success Redefined: From Paychecks to Purpose
Before Motherhood: Success = well-paid 9-5 + impressive CV
After Motherhood: Success = deciding how to spend my time
Stasia: "Success for me is to be able to decide how I spend my time. Being in a position where I can decide what my priorities are and where I put my focus on... Success is being able to make more things that matter. And paycheck doesn't have to be the only measurement of that."
This shift really resonates. When time becomes your most precious resource, autonomy over how you spend it becomes the ultimate luxury. Or the one thing you really hang on to.
Boundaries: The Lesson Learned the Hard Way
The Mistake: As an expat mom, Stasia assumed she had to "cover it all alone" and dedicated all her resources to family and work, forgetting about her own needs.
The Recovery:
No meetings before school time
No meetings after school time
Learning to let others do their part
Remembering: "My family will always be there, not the company that hires me"
Stasia: "Better after 10 years than never 🙂"
Building Your Village: It's Not Optional
The Expat Reality: "No family, hardly any friends... Austria is a weird place to make friends as an adult... But we did a nice network of neighbors, and this is something really great!"
What Worked:
Connecting with neighbors
Reaching out to mom-friendly organizations
Building a network of contacts for questions and support
Stasia: "I guess I have never realized that a family needs this whole network of support. Building a village is not optional! It's huge effort - but so needed!"
The Advice That Matters
Stasia: "You shouldn't be doing it all alone, so if you feel lonely as mum/working mum - look for your people and your village. They are there, somewhere..."
Simple. Powerful. And so true.
Lightning Round Insights
🌅 Morning person (unfortunately, doesn't match the rest of her family!)
📱 Can't live without: Weather Radar app (we all have our things!)
💡 Myth to dispel: "Let's stop pretending our private life has nothing to do with our work life and performance. It's a blend, not two separate worlds!"
Stasia's Practical Village-Building Wisdom
On Building Support Systems: "If you don't have much family and friends, all other support becomes quite expensive... So an additional piece of advice: look for your village even if it feels super awkward... and don't give up when it takes time. Go out and build your network even if it seems really challenging. This is something I have learnt the hard way."
Her Current System:
Friendly Kindergarten and whole day school
Tagesmutter (mini home-based kindergarten) - "such a huge help when kids were small"
Neighbor friends with same-age kids - "still great support"
Both parents have flexible work and unlimited home office
Simple Tools That Work:
Weekly planning on paper, hung in a central place
Shared calendar for events affecting both parents
Better planning to avoid scheduling conflicts
The takeaway? It's not about having a perfect system - it's about building what works for YOUR situation, one connection at a time.
What We Can Learn From Stasia's Story
1. Perfectionism is a Trap
The "100% everywhere" mentality that serves us in corporate environments can destroy us as mothers. It's not sustainable, and it's not necessary.
2. Boundaries Are Medicine
Stasia learned this after two burnouts. Don't wait for crisis to teach you - start setting boundaries now.
3. Village-Building Takes Effort
Especially as expat moms, we can't assume support will just appear. It requires intentional effort to build your network.
4. Recovery Is Possible
Even after burnout (twice!), you can rebuild. You can redefine success. You can find your way back to what matters.
Your Turn
Reading Stasia's story, what resonates most with you?
Are you struggling with the "100% everywhere" pressure?
How have you redefined success since becoming a mother?
What does your support village look like?
What boundaries do you need to set (or strengthen)?
Hit reply and let me know - I read every response, and your experiences often inspire future newsletters.
What's Next
This is just the beginning of our Working Mom Interview Series.
Over the summer, we'll hear from mothers across different industries, countries, and life stages - all sharing their real experiences of navigating work and motherhood.
If you know a working mom whose story should be part of this series, forward this newsletter to her and have her send a message to me. I would love to hear more!
Because here's what I believe: The more we share our real stories, the less alone we all feel.
And Stasia's right - we shouldn't be doing this alone.
Lift Her Up: Support Stasia's Mission
Stasia isn't just sharing her working mom wisdom—she's actively helping other women build better businesses through The Business Haven.
What She Does: Stasia guides women in learning the skills and tools to manage their businesses and projects better. Forget boring business training—she makes learning easy, fun, and inspiring! Her mission? Help you gain confidence in your ideas and navigate your business through challenges and key decisions.
Why You Should Connect:
If you're a working mom with a business idea: Stasia's been where you are and has the management expertise to help you succeed
If you're struggling with business operations: Her practical, no-nonsense approach cuts through the overwhelm
If you want to learn from someone who gets it: She understands the unique challenges of building something while managing family life
How to Support Stasia:
📧 Subscribe to her newsletter: Stasia's Business Haven - Get insights, tools, and inspiration delivered to your inbox
🌐 Visit her website: The Business Haven - Explore her trainings and resources
📱 Follow her journey: @stasialewicka on Instagram
Take Action Today: If you've been sitting on a business idea or struggling with managing your current venture, Stasia's newsletter is the gentle push (and practical guidance) you need. Her next email might contain exactly the insight that will help you.
When we lift each other up, we all rise. Let's show Stasia some love!
Let's think Out of the Box together,
Constanze
P.S. If this interview format resonates with you, I'm also considering turning some of these conversations into Video interviews or podcast episodes or anything a bit more longterm. Would you be interested in hearing the full, unedited conversations? Let me know!
P.P.S.: And if you would like to be part of the series, reach out! I am so excited by this!
So happy to be part of it! Thank you for giving me this space!
What an awesome first post in your new series. I really like the format though I am not a working mom. But there is a lot to learn from a real person. Congratulations 🎊 👏... you finally did it and you did it great. Keep going.