What if stepping back wasn’t failure, but strategy?

In this episode of Why Isn’t Everyone Doing This?, I sit down with Neha Ruch, founder of Mother Untitled and author of The Power Pause, for one of the most validating conversations I’ve had about ambition, identity, and motherhood.

Neha names something so many women feel but rarely have language for: the tension between wanting a meaningful career and wanting to be deeply present with our children, without burning ourselves out or betraying ourselves in the process. She reframes the idea of a “career pause” as an empowered, intentional choice, not a step backward, but a recalibration.

We talk about why motherhood has been intellectually and culturally diminished, how internalized capitalism keeps women stuck in guilt loops, and why the most ambitious thing you can sometimes do is choose what matters most right now. This conversation is honest, nuanced, and deeply relieving, especially if you’ve ever felt like you were failing at something when you were actually just listening to your intuition.

If you’ve ever felt pulled between ambition and presence… this episode is for you.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why motherhood has been “dumbed down” culturally • The concept of the Power Pause, and why language matters • How to make intentional choices without shame or guilt • Ambition vs. intuition (and why it doesn’t have to be either/or) • Internalized patriarchy and capitalism in working motherhood • Seasonality, boundaries, and redefining success • Why presence matters more than hours

About Neha Ruch

Neha Ruch is the founder of Mother Untitled, a leading platform for ambitious women navigating parenthood, and the author of The Power Pause. Her work is reshaping how society understands stay-at-home motherhood, ambition, and identity. Neha has been featured on Oprah, USA Today, and beyond.

Where This Work Continues

This episode touches on questions we explore more deeply inside Level 3 — how to redefine success, work with seasons instead of against them, and make choices that actually support the life you’re living now.

Level 3 focuses on the inner practices that help those choices feel steady and sustainable.

Explore Level 3 here:
👉 https://zivameditation.com/pages/nextlevel

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2606 - Marc Maron