The Podcast, The Pivot & The Power of Slowing Down

Tell us about your family. How many Kids?

I’m a mum to the most magical little boy, Rui, who is 4 years old later this month. He is genuinely the best thing that has ever happened to us, and every single day he shows me what it means to be fully present.

For now, it’s just the three of us, but we hope to expand our family in the coming years. I’ve always intentionally wanted more of a gap between my kids — it just works for us as a family — but we are so excited for when another angel joins the Thompson team.

I’m also deeply proud of my roots. My parents migrated from Uruguay and built everything from nothing. Watching them work multiple jobs to give my sister and me a private school education gave me my earliest lessons in grit, resilience, and what’s truly possible when you back yourself.

What was the biggest adjustment for you when you became a mum?

Without a doubt, it was surrendering the plan. I had the most beautiful home birth prepared. I’d done everything “right” and felt fully ready mindset-wise and energetically. And then, in a matter of moments, everything changed.

Rui’s birth became a category 1 emergency caesarean, and I ended up having an unexpected birth and post-birth experience. The physical recovery was significant, but what I didn’t expect was the emotional weight I’d carry from that.

I’ve since worked with incredible healers in the birth space to help me heal it all, and I swear it’s also helped me become a calmer and more grounded mum.

How do you manage the juggle when it comes to trying to do it all?

I stopped trying to do it all — and that changed everything.

I work around three to four days a week, four to five hours a day, and every work block starts with creative and high-value work first. Not emails. Not admin. Not scrolling. The things that actually move the needle.

Rui’s kindy and daycare days are my work days, and I treat those windows like gold. The rest of my days are for presence — slow mornings, beach walks, and actually being a fun and happy mum.

I’ve also poured a huge amount of energy into automating and systemising my business so that it doesn’t rely on me being constantly “on.” I use a lot of AI in my business and have created agents who do a bulk of the work I don’t need to spend time doing. I just review, refine, and approve — and that gives me enough space to be creative in my business.

What is the best thing about being a mum?

Seeing the world through the lens in which he sees it. Kids look at everything with this pure, unfiltered wonder, and it is genuinely the most grounding thing in my life.

Before him, I thought I understood joy. But watching a tiny human discover something for the first time, or being so proud of himself for completing something solo… it recalibrates everything — including your perspective on life and what really matters.

Being his mum is, without a doubt, the greatest thing I have ever done. It’s really helped me re-prioritise my values and understand how lucky we are to wake up every day and live another day. Life is short and fleeting… he’s helped me realise that and not take it for granted.

What has been the biggest challenge?

Honestly, I think bringing up children is one of the toughest jobs you’ll ever do — and the most important.

Letting go of control has been a lesson I keep being reminded of (in the best way possible). They really do such an incredible job of showing you your shadows and reflecting back all the unhealed and unloved parts of yourself that you’ve ignored your whole life.

The biggest challenge has been having the courage to go there and do the inner work required for me to become a better human. As confronting as self-reflection can be, it’s also the biggest gift.

What surprised you most when becoming a mum?

How instantly and completely your identity transforms.

I had always been so clear on who I was — ambitious, driven, focused. And then this tiny person arrived, and suddenly none of those labels mattered in the same way.

What surprised me most was how much I actually wanted to slow down. I had always equated busyness with success, and motherhood cracked that story wide open. Slowly and beautifully, I rebuilt my identity — both as a woman and an entrepreneur — around what actually matters: presence, purpose, and spaciousness.

What do you wish you knew before becoming a mum?

That reading all the books doesn’t matter, and trusting your own instincts is the most important thing you can do.

There is so much noise out there about what you should do — how you should feed, sleep, schedule, parent — and while it’s all well-meaning, so much of it is irrelevant to your specific child.

The sooner you tune out the noise and tune into what your body and your baby are telling you, the easier everything becomes. Trust yourself — that would be my biggest advice to past Chani.

If you could go back, what would you tell yourself before becoming a mum?

To ask for help sooner — and to know that being a mum who has big dreams and a big business is one of the most powerful things you can model for your child.

You are not abandoning them by pursuing something that lights you up. You are showing them what a fully expressed, fully alive woman looks like.

But in the same breath, if you’re sacrificing your values, missing precious time with them, feeling burnt out or misaligned, you need to ask yourself — is the paycheck really worth it?

There will always be a season where you get to have your full comeback.

Do you have any tips or tricks to manage the day-to-day juggle?

A few things that have genuinely changed the game for me:

⇨ My husband and I alternate mornings where we take time for ourselves — the gym, a nature walk, or a surf. Whoever’s morning it is gets to enjoy it. Whoever is home with Rui gets to enjoy that solo time too. Sunday mornings are for all of us, together.

⇨ Protect your mornings ferociously — slow starts set the tone for the whole day

⇨ Identify your peak creative hours and guard them like they’re sacred

⇨ Batch and automate everything you can in your business — not everything needs you live and in real time

What AI is capable of right now is wild — learn how to use it beyond just a chatbot. I currently have five agents set up who are essentially replacing my EA, who I used to pay close to $80K a year. Now it costs me about $30 a month.

How do you manage your time to fit in career, being a mum, relationship and time for you?

I treat my calendar like a declaration of my values. Rui’s three kindy days are my non-negotiable work windows. I start every work block with creative work first, and I’ve worked hard to automate the parts of my business that used to eat my time (like emails and admin). Every now and then, I’ll book in a networking event, which doubles as a catch-up and a dress-up with some of my girlfriends who live on the Gold Coast.

Outside of work, my non-negotiables are slow mornings, movement, beach walks, and white space in the diary. Our gym has classes where we can bring our little ones, so I make sure I do those when I have Rui. I have a lot of mum friends, so when I’ve got him, I use that time for playdates and catching up.

For my marriage, we have a two-hour date locked into the calendar every second Friday before we pick Rui up from family day care. We’ll do something fun — a bathhouse, somewhere new to eat, or just the beach if it’s a beautiful day. It’s time we intentionally carve out.

I’m a pretty big introvert with a small, tight circle of friends — very much quality over quantity. I honestly love being at home more than anything, but we do book in a regular girls’ lunch every couple of months. It’s one of my favourite things to look forward to.

Who is in your village and you couldn’t live without?

We’re really lucky to have our parents living close by — and we’ve intentionally made sure of that. There have been times we’ve considered moving overseas, but I always come back to our village and how grateful I am for it.

We can’t seem to leave Australia just yet, mainly because of our support system. They are everything. It really does take a village.

We also have incredible friends who run a family day care that Rui attends, and we’ve had an amazing nanny in our lives since he was tiny. She’s our go-to for date nights when our parents aren’t available. We’re very lucky.

The 5 things in your bag you can’t leave home without?

⇨ My iPhone — Instagram is basically where I run my business. It’s also my car key (and yes, I’ve run out of battery before… not fun when you don’t have your Tesla key card). My phone case doubles as a tripod too — another reason I’m obsessed with my PROPS iPhone Case.

⇨ The Kylie Glossy Lip Kit

⇨ Sunnies — I have a pair from the MYRA SWIM x Bailey Nelson collection with my prescription in them. Can’t live without them

⇨ My emotional support water bottle

⇨ Fields of Yarrow essential oil roll-on — the best smell in the world. I’m constantly being asked what I’m wearing

Your favourite holiday spot is…

Bali, without question. I’ve been going for well over a decade — it’s where we got engaged, married, and had our first family holiday.

It’s also where we’ve invested in property — Nisi Villas in Bingin, Uluwatu — our home away from home. It holds such a special place in my heart, both personally and professionally.

Why do you love this place?

The energy. The people. The food. The spirituality woven into everyday life. There is nowhere else I’ve ever felt so deeply at home.

We’ve also built what I (humbly) think is one of the most beautiful villas in the world. We come every other month for a week or two and soak it all in.

My husband and I have been travelling since 2013, collecting little things we’ve loved from hotels and stays around the world. We never planned to do anything with that list… until the opportunity to build Nisi Villas came up. Now everything we’ve ever loved is built into that space.

What location is on the top of your wish-list to travel to next?

We’ve found this incredible five-star resort in Greece with a paddle court and an amazing kids’ club — tick, tick.

We love a Euro summer (and Greek food), and we usually escape the Aussie winter every year, so hopefully we’ll get there this year.

What is your favourite brand and why?

I really love Kookai basics. I create a lot of content — YouTube, podcasts, face-to-camera — and their pieces are perfect for both that and everyday wear.

The trend you’re loving right now

Hard to choose one! I’m obsessed with linen, faux fur ostrich feather jackets, sequin knit dresses/tees and skirts, and elevated baggy basics with heels.

The trend you can’t get on board with

Crocs. I just can’t.

Your latest brand discovery

Bubish! I’m getting myself that feather jacket this winter.

Where do you do most of your fashion shopping?

Online, for sure. Whenever I see something I love on social media, I save it to a folder called “shopping wish list.” When I need something for an event, I go straight there and buy what feels right.

What does a healthy lifestyle mean to you?

To me, health is a whole-person conversation. It’s not just what I eat or how often I exercise — it’s my nervous system, relationships, energy, and thoughts.

A healthy lifestyle means waking up with spaciousness instead of anxiety. Moving in a way that feels good, not punishing. Being in nature. Eating food that makes me feel alive. And having a regulated, grounded nervous system that can hold life’s chaos.

What do you do to keep your body moving?

Beach walks are my favourite. We live on the Gold Coast, so the beach is basically our backyard. They’re equal parts movement and meditation.

I also go to a gym called Native State, which has a recovery space downstairs. That’s where I go on mornings without Rui.

What are your top 5 tips for maintaining a healthy lifestyle?

⇨ Start your morning with intention — I wake up early, but even 10 minutes before your phone makes a difference

⇨ Move in a way that brings you joy

⇨ Get outside every day — sunshine and nature are medicine

⇨ Regulate your nervous system first — everything else second

⇨ Stop treating rest as a reward. Rest is the work

What are your non-negotiables when it comes to health and wellness

Sleep — eight hours, no compromise.

I wake before my family, sit in front of my red light, and do a Dr. Joe Dispenza meditation. Alongside that, I prioritise protein and high-quality, nutrient-dense food.

What does the word ‘balance’ mean to you?

Balance isn’t 50/50 — it’s a dynamic, ever-shifting dance.

Some weeks business gets more of me. Some weeks Rui does. Some weeks I need restoration.

Balance is having the self-awareness to know what I need — and the courage to give it to myself without guilt. I also love working with the lunar calendar and aligning my energy with that rhythm.

What inspired you to launch the Worthy with Chani Thompson Podcast?

I had a podcast with my best friend for eight years, but as we navigated motherhood, we paused it.

A huge part of my work is around energetics, mindset, and astrology, and I wanted a space to talk about worthiness and creating a life you’re obsessed with. I couldn’t put down the mic — I had to keep sharing.

What is the best thing about it?

The conversations. Always.

Whether it’s with guests or just myself and a mic — going deep is everything. The connections that come from it are really special.

Your personal mission is helping strategy-exhausted entrepreneurs build a life and business they’re actually obsessed with. Can you tell us about that?

Everything I create is in service of this.

I see so many incredible women burnt out from following strategies that were never designed for them. My work helps them come back to themselves — using astrology, energetics, and mindset first, and letting strategy support that.

When women stop forcing themselves into the wrong mould, everything shifts — business gets easier, income becomes more consistent, and joy comes back. That’s what I’m here for.

Anything exciting happening for you personally that you can share with us?