Are you stuck in survival mode, powering through your days just to keep up?
In this episode, Lori sits down with Courtney from the Working Moms Movement to talk about what it really takes for working moms to go from burnout to balance—and start truly thriving again.
After years in corporate consulting and 80-hour workweeks, Courtney hit her breaking point. Instead of staying stuck, she used her background in Industrial and Systems Engineering and culture change to design a life that actually works. Now, she helps ambitious moms do the same—by creating systems, setting boundaries, and realigning their lives with what they value most.
We’re diving into:
✨ The mindset shift that started Courtney’s transformation
✨ How to problem-solve your life like an engineer
✨ The truth about guilt, perfectionism, and the “B-minus season” of motherhood
✨ How to set (and actually keep) boundaries that protect your energy
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, overworked, or guilty for wanting more balance, this conversation will remind you that you can choose change.
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Rather read? Check out the show notes and episode content right here!
Show Notes: Why Working Moms Stay Stuck in Survival Mode
Hey, hey friend! Welcome to Episode #258 of The Secrets of Supermom Show!
Meet Courtney: Engineer, Culture Shaper, and Champion for Working Moms
Courtney joins us from Charlotte, North Carolina, where she’s a mom of two boys, ages eight and ten, and the founder of the Working Moms Movement.
After years in the consulting world—working 80-hour weeks and juggling client demands—Courtney hit a wall of burnout. But instead of “powering through,” she decided to engineer her way out of exhaustion.
With a background in Industrial and Systems Engineering and culture change, she applied problem-solving principles to her personal life—creating systems, setting boundaries, and redefining success. Now, she helps ambitious working moms do the same: move from surviving to truly thriving.
💡 How to Start When You’re Drowning
Courtney’s first step toward change was deceptively simple: she chose change.
“A lot of people stay in dysfunction because escaping it feels harder than living in it,” she says.
Here’s what she recommends if you feel stuck or overwhelmed:
- Choose accountability. Decide that you’re ready for something different.
- Use systems thinking. Problem-solve your home life the same way you’d fix a work process.
- Get clear on your values. When you know what matters most, it’s easier to prioritize time, money, and energy around it.
🧭 The Power of Values and Alignment
The theme that runs through all of Courtney’s work? Clarity on values.
When moms feel lost or burned out, it’s often because they’re living by someone else’s definition of success—whether that’s a boss, a parent, or society’s expectations of what a “good mom” should do.
“When you know what you value,” Courtney says, “you know what to prioritize. And when you know your priorities, you know how to spend your resources—your time, your money, and your energy.”
Alignment allows moms to stop chasing “A-plus” standards and embrace what Courtney calls the B-minus season of life—a phase where “good enough” really is good enough.
💬 On Guilt, Comparison, and the Myth of the Perfect Mom
One of the biggest challenges moms face when they begin setting boundaries or doing less is guilt.
Courtney reminds us that much of that guilt comes from comparing ourselves to outdated expectations—like what our mothers or grandmothers did, or what other families seem to manage on social media.
Life is simply different now. We’re parenting in a world of back-to-back Zoom calls, 24/7 connectivity, and mental load overload.
Her advice:
- Acknowledge that your circumstances are unique.
- Get clear on why you work and why you make the choices you do.
- Re-ground in your values whenever guilt creeps in.
“We’re living in a different world, but comparing ourselves against an old one,” Courtney explains. “That’s unfair to us.”
🧱 Boundaries That Actually Work
Courtney defines boundaries not as walls but as social contracts—handshakes with yourself or others about what matters most.
To create boundaries that stick:
- Articulate what’s important. You can’t protect what you haven’t defined.
- Say it out loud. Communicate your boundaries with partners, coworkers, and even kids.
- Agree and revisit. Boundaries aren’t one-time declarations—they’re ongoing conversations.
Setting boundaries is one thing; honoring them is where the real work begins. And yes, it may take 347 reminders to reinforce them—but that’s okay.
🌟 The “Supermom” Moment
When asked when she feels most like a Supermom, Courtney doesn’t name an achievement—it’s a feeling.
“It’s my shoulder-back energy,” she says. “When I’m walking with my boys, proud of who I am and what I’ve built, that’s my Supermom energy.”
It’s not about doing it all—it’s about standing tall in who you are and how you’re showing up for your family.
✅ One Small Step to Get Started
Courtney’s challenge for every busy mom listening:
Differentiate your to-do list from your wish list.
You don’t need to “do it all.” Some tasks truly matter (schedule the dentist, pay the bill). Others are wish list items (organize the garage, alphabetize the pantry).
Let the wish list go and give yourself permission to live in the B-minus season—you’re still an A-plus mom.
🗓️ Upcoming Free Training: From Surviving to Thriving
Join Courtney’s free live training on October 20, where she’ll share practical tools to help you go from surviving to thriving.
👉 Register here
(Even if you can’t make it live, register to receive the replay and invites to future sessions!)
About Our Guest: Courtney Cecil
Courtney Cecil – founder of Working Moms Movement – coaches working moms on building a sustainable work/life balance so that they can remain in the workforce without losing their sanity, or themselves!
She is also a speaker, published author, podcast host of The Life Management System for Working Moms, and served as Head of Culture at a Fortune 50. She studied Industrial and Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech, is a proud wife and mom, and based in Charlotte, NC.
Instagram: @WorkingMomsMovement
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About the Host: Lori Oberbroeckling
Lori Whitney Oberbroeckling is a mom of four, corporate leader, podcaster, productivity expert, and author of the book Secrets of Supermom: How Extraordinary Moms Succeed at Work and Home & How You Can Too!
She is passionate about helping parents who want fulfilling careers–or side hustles or passion projects–while also wanting to feel present and connected to their families.
