Time to Change The Inner Narrative

How superwomen treat themselves and each other

Interview with Anne Ferguson, Chief Gatherer, Mama Mentor and Podcaster at MamaFuel™ | By Dr Marina Nani

Anne Ferguson has come a long way from the corporate offices of the global communications and healthcare firms where she spent the first few years of her career. After becoming a mother and retraining as a yoga teacher, Anne learned (the hard way) that being a superwoman and trying to do it all isn’t good for anyone. As a result of her personal experience, she decided to help other mothers learn to treat themselves kindly, and created MamaFuel™ , an amazing community where mothers feel seen, supported and connected to themselves and to each other.

How did you come up with the idea for MamaFuel™ ?

Following years in an international role, I stopped working to have my first daughter in Spain, where my husband was living. My first delivery was deeply traumatic and the PTSD and anxiety that occurred right after the birth drove me into isolation. We quickly moved to Geneva, and despite speaking French fluently I found my supermama tendencies and the local culture made it difficult to integrate as much as I’d have liked. I retrained as a yoga teacher and built my own yoga business, offering yoga and community to international mothers in Geneva. It quickly became
apparent that the need was even wider than yoga and meditation– women needed a place to gather, a safe space to be real with each other and more than anything else, an environment that’s judgement-free and supportive

How does MamaFuel help women to overcome the struggle of isolation and feeling overwhelmed?

Mothers often take on much more than is healthy for them. We try to be all things to all people and end up overwhelmed and exhausted. When we remember that our needs are important, and start putting ourselves first, we begin to feel better and calmer. MamaFuel™ helps mothers to remember to put themselves first. When I started offering workshops, there was nothing like MamaFuel™ in the Geneva area, and very little offering globally. Local workshops eventually grew to become a global community of mothers under the MamaFuel™ brand. Many other mother-focused organisations have cropped up since I founded MamaFuel ™ , which is fantastic.

I’m thrilled to see more and more women supporting each other!
MamaFuel™ is a community-focused business that supports mamas who are feeling isolated, overwhelmed and unhappy in their mothering. Many of these mamas are raising their families far from the people and places they come from, often following their partners to an international posting and can easily become isolated. We give them a place – virtual and in person – to gather, speak freely about their experiences of motherhood and build beautiful relationships with other women. Mamas come to us feeling alone and concerned that their mental and physical wellbeing are under threat.After a few months in the MamaFuel universe, women realise they’re not alone, that others are treading similar paths and facing similar challenges, and we find solutions together.