Partner Series - The Mum Connection

Introduce yourself, who are you? Where are you from? Who's in your family? What is your career background?

We are Madi & Emily!

I’m Madi, a mum of two, living on a beautiful property in Tasmania with my partner, our children (Indie and Beau), our two dogs, and cat. Motherhood is incredible, but it can also feel isolating, overwhelming, and full of unexpected challenges. I work in marketing and recruitment as my day job and my passion is The Mum Connection. 

I’m Emily, 27, a proud mum to a four-year-old boy and an eighteen month-old girl. Originally from Hobart, I live with my fiancé and our children, and at the moment, we’re enjoying an adventure travelling around Australia in our caravan, which we currently call home. I have a background in primary teaching, with a particular passion for supporting children with additional needs and ensuring they receive the care and opportunities they need to thrive.

Together, we run The Mum Connection, a space dedicated to supporting mothers across Tasmania, helping women navigate the challenges of isolation, rediscover their sense of identity, and connect with other mums. We’re passionate about creating open conversations around the realities of motherhood: the profound physical, emotional, and mental changes, the guilt that can come with returning to work, and the importance of recognising that wanting fulfilment beyond motherhood doesn’t diminish our love or dedication to our children it simply reflects who we are as individuals.

Through The Mum Connection, we aim to empower mums to feel supported, connected, and inspired to embrace all parts of themselves both as mothers and as people with dreams, passions, and professional ambitions.

Let’s start with the heart stuff - what inspired you to start this space for mums?

Honestly, it came from my own experience of feeling really alone after becoming a mum the second time especially. I loved my babies more than anything, but I also found myself missing the version of me who had purpose outside of motherhood. I missed adult conversation, I needed a community and I just couldn’t find a space that felt real or supportive in the way I needed.

The more mums I spoke to, the more I realised I wasn’t the only one. We were all craving connection, understanding, and a safe space to talk about the messy, beautiful, and in-between parts of motherhood.

So I decided to create what I needed, a place where mums could come as they are, be supported, and remember that they’re not alone in this. That’s how The Mum Connection began, straight from the heart and a whole lot of lived experience.

If you had to describe your community in three words, what would they be?

Connection, Empowerment and Authenticity.

What were those early days like?

Those early days were really simple and honestly, a bit nerve wracking. Sometimes it was just me, another mum, our kids and a coffee, wondering if anyone else would turn up. There was no big plan or structure at the start, just real conversations, shared stories, and a sense of “oh thank god, it’s not just me.”

Some days it really was just me with a coffee in hand, hoping someone would show up. But every time one mum came along and opened up, it reminded me why I started. Those moments….the tears, the laughs, the honest chats that’s what kept me going. It wasn’t about numbers, it was about connection.

How have you seen connection change a mum’s experience of motherhood?

I’ve seen connection completely transform a mum’s experience of motherhood. One mum came along at the start and wouldn’t speak or share anything, she felt completely alone. A few months later, she’s now leading the way in having the hard conversations and supporting so many of our mums.

Seeing that shift  from isolation to confidence, from silence to leadership is incredible. Moments like that remind me just how powerful community can be. It makes motherhood feel less overwhelming, and shows mums that they’re never truly alone.

What’s something about new motherhood that you wish more people talked about?

We wish more people talked about how lonely new motherhood can be. Everyone expects joy and love all the time, but it’s also messy, exhaustion, anxiety, so many doubts and moments where you feel like you’re failing. It’s not something people usually admit, so many mums go through it feeling completely alone.

We also wish we talked more about the identity shift, how becoming a mum changes everything about how you see yourself, your relationships, and your life just in general.It can feel like you’ve lost a part of who you were, and that’s hard to navigate without support of other mums.

What do you think makes your group feel like a safe space for mums to show up as they are?

Mums know they can come as they are. That can exhausted, emotional, proud, happy, frustrated and be seen and heard. 

We encourage real conversations, we share our own struggles, and we celebrate the wins, no matter how small. There’s a real sense that everyone is in it together, so mums feel comfortable opening up, asking for help, or just sitting quietly and knowing they belong. That sense of trust and understanding is what turns a group of people into a true community. We also sometimes could overshare some topics but that’s because we are so comfortable with our group and we want to set the example that you can share anything. We also have a value of “authenticity” which we all live by everyday.

If a new mum is nervous about joining a group - what would you want her to know?

I’d want her to know that it’s completely normal to feel nervous, almost every mum feels that way at first. You don’t have to have it all together, and you don’t have to talk if you’re not ready.

This is a space where you can come exactly as you are messy hair, crying baby, coffee in hand and be seen, heard, and supported. Every mum here has been where you are and the small, honest connections you make can make a huge difference. You don’t have to do motherhood alone, and showing up, even just a little, is already a brave step.

How can people get involved or support the work you’re doing?

Mums can join our Wombee group to connect with other mums, come along to our walks and events, or participate in our workshops. Even sharing our group with a friend who might need support makes a big difference community grows when we show up for each other.

You can join The Mum Connection group here on Wombee.

And finally - coffee order of choice for a 9am meet-up?