Caroline Jones on Ambition, Motherhood, and Owning Your Career

Caroline Jones built her identity on ambition, hard work, and never needing anything from anyone. Then motherhood shook the snow globe. Caroline is a country singer, songwriter, and full-time member of Zac Brown Band. She booked her own tours of New England schools while still in college and didn't have a manager until 24. She brings that same founder instinct to raising her three-year-old son, Declan, with her husband, a professional sailor. We recorded in Nashville and talked about everything: the postpartum anxiety she didn't recognize until later, going back on tour at four months postpartum, and the night signals that now tell her to take something off her plate. She shares the advice Jewel gave her about harmony over balance, why she wrote "Becca" for her best friend, a stay-at-home mom, and what it means to take your hands off the wheel for a second child. She closes the episode with a live performance of "All the Things," her rally cry for working moms. In this episode: Why her mom pulled her out of prep school, and what it taught Caroline about trusting kids to know themselves Owning your career early: booking yourself, learning to produce, and Jewel's example of ownership Delegating without guilt: the parenting tasks she hands off and the ones she'd never give up Knowing your signs, saying it out loud, and the Courage to Confide campaign Weekend Warrior touring and routing her own tour every other weekend around her family Harmony over balance: treating the family as one organism where everyone's needs count The deathbed exercise for women unsure about having kids About Caroline Jones: Caroline Jones is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and member of Zac Brown Band, which she joined in 2021 after opening for the band in 2017. Rolling Stone called her "an ambitious, entrepreneurial guitar heroine primed to bring back the pop-country glory of the Nineties." Her album Good Omen takes on marriage, motherhood, friendship, and divorce, subjects country music rarely gives women in their 30s. Mentioned: Wildling barefoot shoes https://us.wildling.shoes/products/ta... Check out the release of Caroline's ⁠new song 'Your Wife Is Dead⁠' which premiers on 10/30: https://carolinejones.ffm.to/yourwife... Join The Breadwinners community: Subscribe on Substack: wearethebreadwinners.substack.com Follow on Instagram: @wearethebreadwinners Rate & review wherever you listen. It helps more women find this show.