The Belonging Project

About The Belonging Project

For working parents navigating career, finding their voice as a leader alongside parenthood. The Belonging Project Podcast brings honest conversations about work, identity, parenthood and belonging, grounded in real life. Hosted by career and leadership coach Fiorenza Rossini, the podcast explores how our sense of belonging evolves through career transitions, leadership journeys, and life changes — especially during seasons of working parenthood, when the mental load, confidence, and priorities may bring shifts. Through conversations with guests from different professional and personal backgrounds, each episode explores the real-life challenges that shape how we show up at work and beyond. Expect reflections, practical insights, and energising conversations about career growth, confidence, leadership, and finding your voice when life is already full. Because belonging isn’t just about fitting in at work or in life— it’s about creating careers and lives that feel aligned with who we are and who we are becoming. belongingproject.substack.com (https://belongingproject.substack.com/s/the-belonging-project-podcast?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Fiorenza Rossini, working parents career coach

Category

business · kids & family

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

6 Sept 2021

Latest episode

14 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

68 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   14 Oct 2026

   Have you outgrown your job? A working parent's guide to career change

   Have you ever wondered whether you’ve outgrown your job? Perhaps the work that once excited you no longer feels fulfilling. Maybe the next promotion doesn’t appeal in the same way, or you’re questioning whether your career still fits the life you want to lead as a parent. In this episode, career transition and leadership coach Fiorenza Rossini explores four signs that your job might no longer be right for you, particularly when you’re navigating the demands of working parenthood. Becoming a parent can change your relationship with work, ambition and success. You might still want to grow professionally, take on new challenges and do meaningful work, but find that the way you’ve been working no longer feels sustainable. So, how do you know when it’s time for a career change? In this episode, we explore: * Losing interest in your work: How to distinguish between being exhausted by the demands of working parenthood and genuinely having outgrown your role. * Feeling stuck in your career: Why the next promotion or traditional career progression might no longer be what you want, and how to rethink professional growth. * When work becomes unsustainable: How workload, workplace culture, inflexible expectations and the mental load of parenting can affect your working life. * Redefining career success: What happens when your priorities change and you begin making space for family, creativity, personal interests and a more fulfilling life beyond work. We also explore an important distinction: do you need a new job or career, different working conditions, or a new definition of professional success? You don’t necessarily need to start again from scratch. Sometimes, the first step towards a more fulfilling career is understanding what no longer works and what you want more of in your working life. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating and review! 💡Questions to reflect on If you’re questioning your career, take a moment to consider: * What do I want more of in my working life right now? * What is making my current situation difficult, and which parts can I influence? * If I stopped measuring my career against the expectations I had five years ago, what might I want now? You don’t need to have all the answers today. You can start by getting curious about what your experience is telling you. 🔗 Resources A blog post on 4 signs it’s sign to change your career (https://www.growinnow.com/insight/4-signs-its-time-to-change-your-career/) Explore more: Visit growinnow.com (https://www.growinnow.com/) to discover more resources and coaching support for your career journey. 🔗 About Fiorenza Rossini, your host Fiorenza Rossini is a career transition and leadership coach who supports working parents to grow fulfilling careers with clarity and confidence, alongside meaningful lives beyond work. Connect with Fiorenza on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/fiorenza-rossini/) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fiorenza_rossini/) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit belongingproject.substack.com (https://belongingproject.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

2. 

   30 Sept 2026

   The assumptions we make about working mothers, with Ceci Hajredinaj

   When I sat down with Cecilia (Ceci) Hajredinaj, there were moments when it felt like I was speaking with a future version of myself: a Fiorenza with teenage children, further along her own journey of unlearning, reflecting on how we become better humans and what we model for our children. Ceci moved from Honduras to the US at 16, navigating a new country, culture and way of life. She remembers her childhood in Honduras fondly, particularly the strong sense of community around her. She had a village. When she became a mother in the US, she experienced something very different. The village she had grown up with was not there. For much of her daughter’s early years, the core support system was Ceci and her husband. She talks openly about the guilt she experienced as a working mother, the mental load of managing family life, and the challenge of making space for her own career ambitions alongside motherhood. Ceci describes being passed over for promotions and projects because senior leaders made assumptions about what she would want or have time for, now that she was a parent… rather than asking her. While the flexibility was there, it did not mean equal opportunities for career progression were there. We also talk about the cultural messages that can shape how women show up at work. Ceci grew up hearing: “Calladita te ves mas bonita” In Spanish, this means “You look prettier when you're quiet.” What happens when a message like that stays with you? What does it teach us about speaking up, ambition, leadership and what women are allowed to be? And what do we have to unlearn later in life? This poses the question: What messages did we absorb growing up about what women are allowed to be? ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating and review! In this episode, we also discuss 💡What workplaces still don’t fully understand about working parents, including: * the emotional and financial impact of childcare * why flexibility matters, particularly during the early years of parenthood * the assumptions that can affect working mothers’ career opportunities * psychological safety and feeling able to speak up * the importance of community and belonging at work * why working parents want understanding, not lower expectations for their careers. 📚 Key topics: This is a conversation about working motherhood, career progression, ambition, cultural conditioning, belonging and the things we learn about ourselves long before we enter the workplace. 🔗 Cecilia Hajredinaj Cecilia has a non-linear career journey across client-facing roles, sales and marketing, operations, people operations, learning and development, coaching and consulting. Today, she brings that generalist perspective to her work supporting leaders and mission-driven organisations. And perhaps fittingly, unlearning has become a central part of her work. Ceci talks about why leaders sometimes need to unlearn old behaviours, habits and assumptions before they can genuinely learn something new. Connect with Cecilia on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceciliahajredinaj/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceciliahajredinaj/) 🔗 Fiorenza Rossini, your host Connect with Fiorenza on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/fiorenza-rossini/) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fiorenza_rossini/). This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit belongingproject.substack.com (https://belongingproject.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

3. 

   16 Sept 2026

   How to Improve Your Executive Presence: 3 Simple Communication Habits

   Executive presence doesn’t have to mean becoming louder or more performative. Sometimes, it’s about letting go of small communication habits that can undermine the seniority you already have. In this short episode, I share three tiny shifts to try: * Replace “Does that make sense?” with a pause. * Own your recommendations instead of softening them with “maybe” or “perhaps”. * Stop apologising when you contribute or interject in meetings. Three small changes. Potentially a very different impact. Which one will you try first?⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating and review! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit belongingproject.substack.com (https://belongingproject.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

Who has been a guest on The Belonging Project

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Victoria Phipps
• Elysha Weissglass
• Sam Allman-Briggs
• Gemma Dean
• Sima Rahman

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

6 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 50 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

76

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

60

Contact The Belonging Project

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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