Let's Be Real: Mama Journeys

David Hampson is a multi company business owner and author of a book called Rainbow Gold. He advises people on how to run a business. He believes that enjoying the journey is the most important part of owning a business but that doesn't always happen. This happens because of the grind and the need to financially be considered successful. He says that anyone can build a business and that doesn't always mean going to business school. You need to be open to mentorship, having a passion and empowering people. Developing leaders is about listening and mentoring them to find their inner strength. Women are outstanding leaders and often they make better decisions and are open to discussions and mentorship. Men often have an ego issue that gets in the way to actually hear other inputs and take them in. Women don't sleep as well and are always "on." For a leadership position, the balance and the taking in many different inputs is really important. The disproportionate amount of things going on in a female's world is really unfair but somehow they overcome it. For male business leaders, flexibility is such an important part of managing your employees. If you can get the job done, let people enjoy their lives. He wishes he would have done differently is "is the business I am buying something I am passionate about?" Passion can make or break you in what you do with your life. You can find him at www.myrainbowgold.com and his book is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. You can email him at [email protected]

Dr. Marina is an OBGYN in Ottawa Canada in practice for over 35 years and about 3 years ago her daughter graduated from medical school. She was asked by her daughter to pay to freeze her eggs. What a request! In this episode of Let's Be Real Mama Journeys, Nikki Brooker sits down with Dr. Marina, an Ottawa-based OBGYN of 35+ years and author of Optimize Your Fertility Naturally. They discuss real-world fertility solutions beyond IVF—how lifestyle (nutrition, movement, sleep, stress) and reducing exposure to toxic chemicals can improve egg and sperm health, the surprising impact of environmental contaminants, and practical tools like the EWG Healthy Living app, air/water filters, and the Dirty Dozen/Clean 15 lists. Dr. Marina also shares personal stories about egg-freezing timing, transgenerational effects, genetics, and why a root-cause (functional medicine) approach matters. Learn more and grab her e-book (prelaunch on Amazon; full release June 20) or sign up for her free report at DrMarinaOBGYN.com. You can vote for her here: https://entrepreneurofimpact.org/2026/dr-marina-straszak-suri

Tara Turnure is a mama of twins as well as a singleton who created a beauty wellness brand called Beauty Drip. She was a model and FOX sportscaster on the sidelines! She is an influencer and has created her own brand so that all women can feel her best. As a FOX News sportscaster, she has worked with men who didn't want her there. She learned a lot and feels like the experience she had there prepared her for just about any other job on the planet. When you are second guessed as much as a woman in a man's world, you are constantly in "prove myself" mode. Her first born is her wild child and when she got pregnant with twins, she cried because she couldn't imagine taking care of 2! She ended up with a girl and boy and she says sometimes you have to dig deep because not every day is a picnic. Finding what brings your joy is the biggest benefit from motherhood because you get to make those decisions. Her best mama moment is when all three of her kids are getting along and playing well together because of the age difference, sometimes that's a challenge. Her worst mama moment is being sick kids who you can't help and make it better. Sleep training with her twins was also one of her biggest challenges and she is so glad that part is over. The real raw truth of motherhood is that all the beautiful and amazing moments AND all the really hard and super challenging moments, none of it lasts forever…so just hold on mama! She wishes she would have known that when she became a mom. Her round 2 (times 2) was a bit simpler because she knew a lot of it was coming but also knew it was a phase that would end and not last forever. You can find Tara on her personal instagram @taraturnure. Beauty drip is found at beautydrip.co and the website is themodelmama.com They want people to look and feel the best they can from the inside out!

Laurie Jacobson is in a small town in Virginia and is a step mom who is semi-retired and a certified health coach. She has done a lot about nutrition, chef work, yoga and has written a book called Unexpected Awakening about her time at a Buddhist Monastery. Laurie did not have kids of her own but is a step mom to 2 kiddos. When she came into the picture they were a little older so she didn't experience being a step mom of little kiddos but building a relationship with older "children" is also a challenge. She worried about stepping on toes and overstepping her boundaries but now that she's a grandma, she feels good about her relationships with her step kiddos. Her book, about the 22 days she spent at a Buddhist Monastery, came from her personal experience. She was in a dark place in a very abusive marriage and when she talks to other women, she has found that 9/10 of the women she talks to have experienced an abusive relationship. She had an opportunity to go to a silent retreat in West Virginia and she thought she had nothing to lose. She had tried everything else! The emotional bubble up that happens when you are in silence for a long time can truly change your whole life. It gave her the clarity and courage to find herself again and walk away from the abusive relationship. She came to the realization that everyone has struggles and most everyone just wants happiness and contentment. It also taught her to SLOW DOWN. You pay attention more and ground yourself in the present moment. Her website is www.lauriesjacobson.com where you can find links to her Amazon page and her book. She also offers a free 24 page digital guidebook called Building Your House of Health if you prescribe to the newsletter on her website.

Carol Moss is an empty nester and loves it. She is the co-owner of One Flesh Ministries working with her husband to help couples in marriage coaching and relationship building. She was 21 when she had her first baby and he passed away at the age of 34. He was a child of special needs but with her blended family of 4 adult kids spread all around the country. Her first born, with special needs as a single parent and she didn't realize he had needs until he was around 2 because he couldn't hit the milestones that most children did at that age. She had no support when she had her first kiddo and her biggest challenge was going through a divorce and becoming a single mom of three. She worked for the government after going to college and her co-workers were her support system. She fought for people to get the benefits they deserved. She worked for the Social Security administration for 32 years and retired. Her lived experience helped so many other families who were experiencing the same challenges. Her best mama moment was when she realized that she didn't have to walk around with sadness of having a disabled child. When she realized he was a blessing and focused on the things he COULD do, not what he COULDN'T do. When we focus on perfection, we will always fail. Her worst mama moment was when she had to go through the divorce and overcoming humility and forgiveness. Trying to co-parent without hatred is hard after a divorce. She wishes she would have known the difference between males and females (in parenting!). There are so many differences that we need to address this in parenting AND our relationships. Pride often gets in the way of relationship building. Be open to learning and changing. You can find her at onefleshministries.org or google Terry & Carol Moss and find all of their offerings.

Jean Doolittle is the owner of Southglenn Montessori Preschool in Littleton, Colorado. Her preschool is a mixed grade preschool of ages 3-6 year olds. She is also starting a new program for adults called Womens Roots (stay tuned)! She started young and had her first at the age of 19. She didn't have a community with her first but worked really hard to get connected as she had more kiddos. She has children she has parented and one she "ushered into the world" but then gave the opportunity for another family to parent. This was an unexpected blessing that she was able to pass onto another family. Her biggest challenge (especially with her first) was extreme isolation. She saw our YANA nonprofit flyer at the OBGYN and said "I thought of that nonprofit 22 years ago!!!" She has connected with some amazing women during her mamahood journey who are now her lifelong friends and she was open to the "yes." Her best mama moment was being present with her kiddos. She didn't have a cell phone for most of the parenting time with her little ones. That was a blessing! Her first relationship ended in divorce and telling her 8 year old daughter and her emotional processing of all of that was her worst mama moment. Watching your baby sad is the hardest part of being a mom. Being a first time mom at the age of 19, she wishes she would have known that accepting help (and even asking for it) is your POWER. YOU are powerful. There are no limits to your journey. Growing into yourself and finding your authentic self is part of being a mom. You can find more about her school at www.southglennmontessoripreschool.com or https://www.womensroots.com/ You can find our Podcast on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gTKJ9WwE Apple: https://lnkd.in/gfcrreYg Or on our website: https://lnkd.in/gy5hf6hz

Dr. Gertrude Lyons is a life coach focusing on families couples and the transformational journey of mothering. She leads retreats, is a speaker and an author. Her book, Rewrite the Mother Code. Her book was born out of lived experience as a lifelong learner and student along with her personal journey of being a mom to two daughters. She has two daughters out in the world and is grateful for that they have taught each other. As someone who believes in the preparation and the education side of knowing how to do something, she thought she had done the work to know how to parent. But she found that losing herself a little when having kids allowed her to grow more than she thought would happen. Being challenged and shutting down sometimes is when things set in that growth can happen. The pain and struggle of parenthood is necessary but also beautiful. Having that metamorphosis is essential to the growth and a portal to the cosmos if you let it be. Her best mama moments came when her first daughter was born and she felt like a goddess. Creating life is truly a gift that every mom should be proud of that accomplishment. Her worst mama moment came when she lost a child in the streets of downtown Chicago and she didn't have the immediate response to scream her name in order not to "look crazy." You can find Dr. Lyons on her website Drgertrudelyons.com. Her TedX talk is found HERE.

Dr. Dean Rudoy is a clinical psychologist, author and educator. He is an advocate for lived experience and how we can share stories to help others in learning from other people's experiences and also the lessons we have learned. Children are all created with a gift. Unfortunately, oftentimes those gifts aren't always expressed and that's because their wings were folded in due to the expectations around them (sometimes that's intentional and sometimes it's not). Gender roles determine what they are "allowed" to do, say and how they act. For example, boys at the age of 4 boys are told that they need to "man up" and "big boys don't cry." So to please the big people in their lives, whom they love, they will usually comply and suppress their feelings. Girls are told that "girls don't climb trees." Compliance is often the barrier to true growth. A Star Wars quote says "Your focus determines your reality." Dr. Dean says that couldn' t be more true. He often tells families that being outside is the best way to ground yourself. Everything in nature is exactly what it's meant to be with no need to be anything else. Dr. Dean believes that not only does it take a village to rise a child but it takes a child to raise a village. Giving children attention, affection and admiration and acceptance (as is), as well as listening to them are the best parenting advice he can give. Good enough parenting is a concept that's also important. Dr. Dean believes you should give yourself a break and know that parenting is a constant changing adventure that you will never perfect. Adults need to pause and listen to children because they are truly here to help us remember our beginning. Being listened to and remembered is what we all truly want in life. Before we speak or act, think, "what will this further." You can find Dr. Dean and his infinite wisdom at Deanrudoy.com and you can find his book and other information. He also has a youtube channel found at (9) Dean Rudoy - YouTube

Allison Bray is the founder of My Motherhood Agenda, a line of planners designed for all things included in motherhood. The foundation of their business is that self care is important and essential to be integrated into the lives of moms. Reminding them to take care of themselves is really important. When she realized she wasn't taking care of herself, she realized that so many other moms weren't either so she created one place for all the things. Self care doesn't always have to be massages and facials but it can be a 10 minute call with a friend. As a first time mom, at the age of 28 she had her first. He is 2 ½ now and it has been everything she wanted it to be even though it's been really hard. She says it is the greatest thing she has ever done but also the hardest. Her biggest challenge has been sleep deprivation. That change in her life really rocked her world. When you aren't sleeping, everything is heightened to a place that can send someone over the edge. Her biggest supporter is her best friend who lives right next door! What a dream come true! Her best mama moment is watching her little guy learn something new that she taught him. Her proudest moment is watching her son understand emotional regulation that she modeled. Her worst mama moment has been when her full-on meltdown interrupts the flow of a day and doesn't feel good. Grace is important in these moments and happens to everyone but knowing she doesn't want to dwell on them or repeat them. She wishes she would have known that asking for help is a necessity of motherhood. Asking for help is not a weakness, it is a strength. You can find Allison Bray at her website at https://mymotherhoodagenda.com. Check out her publications, My Motherhood Agenda HERE. @mymotherhoodagenda on Instagram and other social medias.

Stella Falkner is a 2-time founder who believes in maternal mental health and the wellness that support can change and save lives. Her experience of being a first time mom compounded with experiencing trauma, she experienced mental health challenges that made her determined to help other moms. She was fortunate to be able to attend a mental health program for moms that changed the course of her recovery journey. She credits the program and the moms who were there with saving her life. Most motherhood support programs only support the first 12 months of postpartum but we know that mothers need support before and well beyond that timeline. She believes (as do we) that expecting moms to find the help they need on their own is unrealistic and without someone who noticed something wasn't right (through texts) she wouldn't have gotten the help she needed. Her biggest challenge changes from year to year but in the beginning it was figuring out how to work full-time without missing any of the special moments. Being present is a challenge for working moms (as well as SAHM's) and sometimes that challenge is overwhelming. Her biggest supporter is her husband and although it wasn't always perfect, it has been a working relationship and has improved throughout the last four years. His emotional support has been life changing for her. Dads go through PPD as well and not talked about. Her favorite mama moments are when her 4 year old is a special gentleman who wants mama to "sparkle." Her worst mama moment was when her 1 and ½ year old was dabbing the tears away trying to make her feel better. That moment made her think that she may have "ruined" him but to flip that script and realize that she was raising a very empathetic child who wanted to make his mama feel better. She wishes she would have been more aware of the toxicity of social media and motherhood. Her amazing app is called DOWA and can be found on the app store. GREAT resource for mamas! Check it out.

Abbey Stone is a mama in Colorado and Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and a mama of 2 ages 4 and 6. She moved to Colorado in 2011 as a travel nurse (from Tennessee). Her mama journey was a little different than she thought it would be because she was induced with her first. She had her second in a birthing center (which she wanted with her first but it didn't happen). She struggled with perinatal mood disorders and her mom told her that she actually felt "normal" when she was pregnant. So hormonal imbalances can change your whole personality and how you go through the world. Her two pregnancies were very different and her second was more familiar so that was easier. Her biggest challenge was sleep deprivation. Taking care of herself was also a huge struggle with a newborn and the lack of rest multiplied the effects. Her biggest supporter has been her husband and he only got one week of leave so her mom and mother-in-law really stepped up. Her best mama moments are when she explores the world with them. Taking them camping and learning to ride a bicycle as well as learning new things and watching them exploring the world around them. Her worst mama moment has been parenting a challenging kiddo who has deep, big feelings. His feelings become bigger and bigger and holding space for him and yet having the patience to handle it all. She wishes she would have known that most of the things that are going on internally are NORMAL. We don't talk about our mental health in a really good way and we need to do more. Anxiety, intrusive thoughts and worrying can look different for every human being!

Terry Iverson is a dad of 3 who has worked in the manufacturing sector for over 45 years. His career has focused on mentoring younger people. In 2012 he started a new organization called ChampionNow. This organization is meant to teach kids and parents that the perception of manufacturing in our country has become very skewed and is very important in our country. Going into student debt can really derail and delay success for a young person. He believes that moms have a phenomenal influence on their children and knowing the other options that are out there, can help steer their children in different ways. In 1980, when Terry started, computers were just starting to change the way that things are done. As a bored student, he attended college and after 6 years he quit because theory wasn't what interested him. He believes in skills, education and degrees but they don't always fit every person. Thinking outside the box is important because we still need a hands-on workforce and that could be YOUR kiddo! Keep options open because every child has a different set of skills and goals. There are so many people who earn a degree and never use it in their profession. What is the return on education? Keep that in mind when directing or encouraging your kids. You can find his books, Finding America's Greatest Champion, and Inspiring Champions in Advanced Manufacturing. You can find them on Amazon and his website championnow.org

Diane Cherico is in Midland Park, New Jersey and a therapeutic massage therapist and mother of 2. She started the journey of massage when she had to leave her abusive husband (and father of her kids). She wanted to be a registered nurse but didn't have the money or time to go to school for it. Her kiddos are 40 and 35 and she has always been shocked by how fast it all goes. Her biggest challenge has always been keeping herself healthy. Being a mom means you put yourself on the backburner all the time. When you do good things for yourself, you aren't pampering yourself, you are helping yourself. She takes care of herself by strengthening her core, a daily walk, eating healthy and drinking plenty of water. Her mama and her sister were her biggest supporters and her mom says that because of Diane, she is walking better. Watching her daughter say the words now that she is an adult makes her so proud and is her best mama moment. Her son married someone who doesn't love her light and it's not going well. That's hard on a mama heart. She wishes she would have known that sweating the small stuff isn't going to change it. Breathing deeply and taking care of YOU is so important. Taking the time to breathe and think of all of the blessings in your life. She has written a book called Stretch Your Pain Away in Just 10 Minutes a Day. You can find her on Amazon and her website at gettheknotsout.com

Chris Livezey is an author, speaker and mindset coach. He is also a real estate investor. He was born and raised in the Philadelphia area but now lives in Florida. Back in 1999 he set the goal to be a motivational speaker and took the path to be an investor so he can go out and change lives. His dream to be a motivational speaker started all because he was pigeonholed into a place where his teachers saw him as a behavior issue. He was diagnosed with a lot of different things that removed him from the regular classroom and this made him a victim of other people's beliefs. This led him to getting into trouble at an early age. In 9th grade he read See You At the Top by Zig Ziggler. This changed his whole life. Being told over and over that he "couldn't" do things programmed him to not be able to do things. Our environment programs into our subconscious mind and can reject others ideas. There are many instances where people were told they will never walk and 6 months later they walk out of the hospital. Your mind works in mysterious ways and we have the ability to accept or deny what we want or don't want for our own lives. People become a victim of their environmental heredity. As a mom, help your kids find their interests, talents and encourage them that they can overcome their weaknesses. Whatever you are looking at and listening to seeps into your unconscious mind and through our conscious mind we can realign. As soon as you tie emotions to what's going on around you, that's when it creates a vibrational state. His book is called The Shortcut to Magnificent. You can find his book on Amazon and on his website at chrislivezey.com You can find our Podcast on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gTKJ9WwE Apple: https://lnkd.in/gfcrreYg Or on our website: https://lnkd.in/gy5hf6hz

Melissa Rod is a budding author, a nanny who married her last employer who had a little boy. Her book is about a man she thought was her dad but wasn't. Her mom doubled down and said she was switched at birth! This caused her to write a book about her experience. When she started nannying for her current husband, his baby was 13 months old. She has six children now from ages 33-19. Her biggest mamahood challenge was adopting two children because although one was placed in her arms at 1 minute old, the others were 7 and 9 and their experiences were complicated and difficult so parenting them was more challenging. She thought love would fix it all and make it all go away. Her own mom was her biggest supporter from the time she met her husband and they started their family. Her best mama moments were when they were all little and hug on her and tell her that they love her but watching them all start their own families and be parents is life changing. Her worst mama moments came when her youngest was 2 years old and spent 1 week at Texas Children's Hospital. They thought he had Leukemia. As it turned out, he didn't have cancer and he went home with all symptoms gone! It was a crazy 5 days. She wishes she would have known not to take the little things so seriously. In the long run they aren't that big of a deal! You can find her book on Amazon or Barnes and Noble online or on her website at melissajeanrod.com.