Shameless Leadership

Today’s episode is an episode from almost two years ago where I talk about collective trauma and growth mindset. As I listened back to this episode recently, I was quick to realize the collective trauma we were experiencing two years ago as we clawed our way out of Covid still hasn’t been healed. From where I’m sitting, people are still suffering in tremendous ways and as we approach what many consider to be the most disappointing and disheartening election season of our lives, the sense of instability and insecurity across the US cannot be overstated. Given the state of the US and the world, I thought it would be helpful and supportive to revisit this episode so we can continue to move forward and see potential in our day-to-day lives, in spite of all the things we cannot control. An article on collective trauma in Psychology Today states that collective trauma “can change the entire fabric of a community… In fact, collective trauma can impact relationships, alter policies and governmental processes, alter the way the society functions, and even change its social norms.” Once we acknowledge that we are experiencing this and have been for years now, we can see how our mindsets have shifted to match this arduous cultural moment in history. In fact, it stands to reason that we have quite possibly (and very understandably) shifted our default mindset to a fixed mindset framework, instead of a growth mindset framework. Best-selling author, Carol Dweck, provides fantastic guidance around this terminology and topic. In this Greatest Hits episode, we explore why you might be defaulting to fixed mindset, how it’s limiting you, and how to shift out of it to see more opportunities, potential & possibilities in your life - instead of defaulting to seeing obstacles & roadblocks. This isn’t to say the obstacles aren’t real. Things are hard. But let’s uncover how to hold space for two truths: Things are hard. You are resourceful and resilient and can make great things happen in your life. Links mentioned: Attend my Influence & Ignite Retreat for Women Business Owners: shamelessmom.com/retreat Psychology Today article: What is Collective Trauma? Book: Mindset by Carol Dweck We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

La’Kita Williams is the founder and principal strategist of CoCreate Work, a workplace culture consultancy guiding businesses to systems-level changes that result in measurable successes and true inclusivity. As a certified professional coach with a Masters in Social Work and 20+ years of experience, La’Kita is passionate about helping leaders perform the deep work of personal transformation, which is a critical element for organizational transformation. She firmly believes culture is not separate from strategy — it IS strategy. She has done culture-building work with organizations from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies. La’Kita has been quoted in several national outlets including The New York Times and written for Harvard Business Review. While I love and admire everything La’Kita is doing professionally, I really wanted to talk to her on a more personal level for this conversation. I’m grateful she was willing to dive in and go deep with this conversation! Listen to hear La’Kita share: How a health crisis in the middle of the pandemic upended her life and resulted in her diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis How her diagnosis impacted her 4 children who were ages 10-20 years old at the time of her diagnosis The changes she had to make with her relationship with ambition as a result of her diagnosis How she uses Spoon Theory to manage her energy daily Her advice to other leaders or folks who are managing chronic illnesses, including what pieces and resources to get in place to protect yourself at work What needs to happen systemically to provide protection for people with chronic illnesses so that disclosing chronic illness isn’t putting someone at risk of losing their job The critical importance of flexible schedules and WFH flexibility across all organizations and industries who claim to be creating accessible, inclusive workplaces and communities What her company, Co-Create, does to create a great culture in the organizations they partner with Her vision of the future of leadership Links mentioned: Connect with La’Kita and her work: cocreatework.com La'Kita's Instagram La'Kita's LinkedIn CoCreate Work Instagram CoCreate Work LinkedIn We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

So, what is personal agency? According to Shaun Gallagher and his work on philosophical conceptions of the self, personal agency refers to, “the sense that I am the one who is causing or generating an action.” This means that a person with a sense of agency perceives themselves as the subject influencing their own actions and life circumstances. A couple of years ago, I had the chance to do a three-day Trauma-Informed Practice Intensive for Coaches and Leaders. One of the things we kept coming back to over the course of these three days was making sure we, as coaches and leaders, are creating spaces that allow our clients a strong sense of agency. As we dug into this from various angles and examined it through the lens of trauma, I got more and more curious and started doing my own research on the side. I know, super nerd alert. I love geeking out on this stuff. While I won’t bore you with the super coachy stuff, I do want to share with you the juicy parts that I know have the potential to benefit you right away. One of the best parts of my job is providing you with tools to see your own power and your own ability to make choices that serve you. I want you to feel confident in your own sense of self and sense of agency that guides your decision-making and action-taking. In this Greatest Hits episode, I dig into: What personal agency is and what it can mean for you Why is a sense of agency important 6 ways to develop your sense of agency It is my hope that developing your sense of agency will give you clarity and discernment around who you are and who you are becoming, and that, in turn, will impact how you show up and have impact in the world. Links mentioned: Trudi Lebron: trudilebron.com Article: https://www.mindful.org/seven-ways-to-develop-personal-agency/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Heather Boorman-Morris, LCSW lives a life of truth-telling, compassion, and curiosity. She dedicates her professional work to advocate for individual and systemic wellness, and does so through her writing, speaking, and outpatient therapy practice specializing in trauma and neurodiversity. After awakening to the truth that she had been living in an abusive relationship for two decades, Heather expanded her advocacy work to challenge society’s inaccurate conceptions of who gets abused and what abusers look like. Her latest book, A Thousand Paper Cuts, brings readers inside the mind, heart, and experiences of a victim of covert narcissistic abuse. With raw vulnerability, Heather shares her story, from love bombing to devaluing to freedom, highlighting the destructiveness an abuser can have without ever raising his fist. Over the last few years, different forms of narcissism and abuse in the form of coercive control have come on my radar. This kind of abuse is among the most dangerous forms of abuse because of how long it takes victims to realize they are being abused. I know people who have experienced this form of abuse in their marriages and in family relationships such as mother/daughter relationships. Because these kinds of abusers are so charming and charismatic to the outside world, their victims often feel they will not be believed if they share their abuse. And so they keep quiet for years, if not decades. When Heather reached out to me to talk about her experience in getting out of a marriage where she was the victim of what I now know is called covert narcissistic abuse as well as her professional experience as a therapist uncovering the data around this kind of abuse, I immediately said yes. This conversation is so important. It is very likely that you know someone enduring a relationship with a covert narcissist. Listen in to hear Heather share: How narcissism personality disorder exists on a spectrum and the difference between overt and covert narcissism How she got involved in a relationship with a narcissist and what the coercive control looked like from the very beginning of their relationship What narcissists are looking for when they seek out partners How she recognized 19 years into her marriage that she was in an abusive relationship The vulnerability and massive fear of engaging her family and friends to help her see how she had been gaslit over the years How she finally got out of her marriage Her decision to write about her story What someone can do if they think they are in an abusive relationship with a narc/covert abuser Links mentioned: Get information about my September Influence & Ignite Retreat for Women Business Owners: shamelessmom.com/retreat Connect with Heather: www.heatherboormanmorris.com Book: A Thousand Paper Cuts Podcast with Heather and Antwan: www.startingstronger.com Heather’s Podcast: www.thefringybit.com Heather on Facebook Instagram:@ startingstrongerpodcast and @thefringybit We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Two years ago, I did my first triathlon in 18 years. It was an incredible experience - one that I seriously considered postponing for another year. Life was hectic in the summer of 2022 and we were traveling for part of the summer. I knew my training would be imperfect and somewhat cobbled together. I had to choose between making this a 12-month goal or a two month (very imperfect) goal. I opted for the latter. Whether you're working toward a new goal or returning to an old one, I encourage you to reflect on how you're approaching your goal. Your perspective and approach will significantly influence your experience and outcomes. When I competed in triathlons 18-22 years ago, it was a tremendous amount of work and stress. Much of the training felt like a grind, and the entire process was constantly intense. At the age of 46, and having been away from the sport for so long, you might expect that the intensity and stress would return when I started training again. However, that was not the case. This time, I was very intentional about my approach to this goal. By focusing on enjoying the journey, I was able to savor every moment of training and every second of race day. This shift in perspective made a profound difference in my experience. In this Greatest Hits episode, I talk you through how you can make a scary goal more approachable and less scary so you can give yourself permission to go after what you want without the weight of fear, doubt, and perfectionism holding you back for the entire journey. Link mentioned: Get information about my September Influence & Ignite Retreat for Women Business Owners: shamelessmom.com/retreat We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Featured in leading publications like CEO Magazine and Luxury Lifestyle Magazine, Kevin Loeffler (they/themme) is the Founder and CEO of Finally Kevin!, an inspirational Gender Identity speaker, and author of the upcoming book, "Finally Kevin” (Spring 2025). Kevin's unique journey allows audiences of all generations to understand what gender identity is and, just as importantly, what it is not. Kevin empowers parents and community leaders, regardless of age or background, with the knowledge necessary to increase authentic allyship skills for their gender-diverse loved ones. For almost 50 years, Kevin lived as the person they thought their parents, wives, children, and employers wanted them to be, never daring to be their authentic selves in front of any of them. Their heartwarming story of choosing to live as their transparent self by announcing their gender identity to the world at the age of 63 has landed them numerous media and speaking opportunities. I was introduced to Kevin by friend of the SMA and past guest of the show, Elena Joy Thurston. While Kevin and I recorded this episode a few months ago, I saved it to release during Pride Month because it feels like the perfect closing to this special month. Happy Pride to all our LGBTQIA+ community members. We love you and want you to be 100% you 100% of the time. Listen in to hear Kevin share: How Kevin became Finally Kevin! and what their transformation as a non-binary person has looked like What led them to start to live their femme tendencies out loud after 50 years The interconnectedness between shame and addiction in Kevin’s life The difference between gender identity and sexual orientation The beauty and power of being able to finally “get out of bed free” What life feels like to finally be Kevin after 50 years of stifling Kevin How LinkedIn became the safe place for Kevin to begin to own their identity publicly Links mentioned: Kevin’s Programs and Resources: Finallykevin.com Kevin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinmloeffler Kevin on FB: https://www.facebook.com/kmloeffler/ We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speaking up for ourselves, others, our ideas, and important issues can feel pretty uncomfortable, if not downright scary. Speaking up is a skill, that takes practice - like a muscle that must be built and strengthened over time. In this Greatest Hits episode, I share about an event where I spoke a couple of years ago. After my session, there was time for Q&A and the question folks kept circling back to was, “How do I start to speak up so I can play a bigger game?” A number of attendees noted they were so in the habit of not speaking up that they didn’t know where or how to start using their voices. Because women have been socialized to stay small and quiet, if can take extra effort (and bravery!) to actually use our voices. I gave these women three simple, low-risk steps to start practicing speaking up: Practice stating your preferences out loud Practice stating your needs out loud Practice sharing opposing opinions in neutral ways These steps are intended to be practiced over time, in this order. Start out with low-risk/low exposure steps. The stakes are typically pretty low when you’re stating a preference: “I prefer pepperoni pizza to sausage & mushroom.” Or, “I would prefer to watch Movie ABC vs Movie XYZ this evening.” Once you’ve practiced this a few times, try to share a need with a loved one: “I need some time to myself, so I’m going to take myself to lunch and a movie this weekend.” Practice this a few times. Once you’ve practiced these lower-stakes ways of speaking up, you can start to test higher-stakes ways of speaking up. This is where you can start to practice sharing an opposing opinion in a neutral way, “Thank you for sharing your opinion/experience. That hasn’t been my experience.” Or, “Thank you for sharing your opinion/experience. I see it differently.” Make sure to listen in to the episode to learn how to do #3 safely, this part is important! The goal is to build your “Speak Up muscle” and then continually strengthen it over time. The outcomes you can expect include: feeling seen and heard, experiencing a stronger sense of power and autonomy, realizing your voice matters and can impact others and inspire change, and enjoying a sense of freedom over owning and honoring your voice. While speaking up can feel scary, I promise it is well worth it! We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is a Greatest Hits episode especially chosen in celebration of Juneteenth which is today, June 19th. This interview is from the first time I interviewed Jasmine in 2020. Little did I know that she would become a trusted friend and colleague. Jasmine is the first race educator from whom I learned about Juneteenth, well before it became a national holiday. I am sharing this episode with you in hopes that you talk to your kids about race today in celebration of Juneteenth. Jasmine Bradshaw is a researcher, educator, and podcaster who truly believes that creating a more loving, inclusive, and just society starts within the sacred walls of our homes. Her podcast, First Name Basis, exists to give parents the tools they need to teach their children about race, religion, and culture. Her community makes parents feel empowered and gives them the confidence they need to create lasting change in their sphere of influence. Listen in to hear Jasmine share: Why and how race exists as a social construct How to have early conversations about race and skin tone with your kids How to lay the groundwork for conversations about race in order to have deeper, more difficult conversations with kids as they get older How to talk to your child’s school about their efforts toward diversity and inclusion How to talk to your child’s school about the versions of American history they teach How to be a better anti-racist in order to teach your children to be anti-racists How you can move from good intentions to confident action in your anti-racism work Links mentioned: Connect with Jasmine: Firstnamebasis.org Jasmine’s Podcast: First Name Basis Jasmine on IG Join Jasmine’s Patreon: patreon.com/firstnamebasis First Name Basis Juneteenth Episode: What is Juneteenth? Purchase Juneteenth Jubilee at the First Name Basis Online Store Teaching Tolerance Resources: https://www.tolerance.org/ We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Marisa Peters is a rectal cancer survivor, women’s health thought leader, and founder of BE SEEN. Marisa was diagnosed with Stage 3 rectal cancer in 2021 when she was 39 years old despite being an otherwise healthy and active mother of three young boys. She is on a mission to help other people take their colorectal health very seriously because it is, well, very serious. This conversation was so informative and, dare I say, even fun! The timing could not have been more perfect as we recorded this right before I was scheduled for my second colonoscopy as someone who has a family history of colon cancer. This gave Marisa and me much content for fodder! Friends, listen to this episode, go sign the BE SEEN Pledge, and then get yourself scheduled for a colonoscopy. This is critical self-care. Listen in to hear Marisa share: Symptoms of colon cancer to be looking for: blood loss through poop, increased urine urge, stomach pain, extreme fatigue What you should be asking your doctor for if you have any concerns about color-tectal symptoms Her journey of being dismissed by doctors as she experienced symptoms over the course of 5.5 years before finally being diagnosed Your different options for your colonoscopy prep What to expect during your first colonoscopy How she talked to and continues to talk to her children about her cancer diagnosis and treatment What family support looked like and how they had to learn how to receive support as people who were used to being the givers of support in their community How to hold space for family and friends after they have gone through treatment - when they may be cancer free, but are still recovering physically and emotionally Why you and your family should take the BE SEEN Pledge to take steps toward maintaining colorectal health Links mentioned: Connect with Marisa and Be Seen: beseen.care Take the Be Seen Pledge: https://beseen.care/take-the-be-seen-pledge Marisa and Be Seen on IG Marisa and Be Seen on FB Marisa on LinkedIn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Last week I had the opportunity to head to campus for 3 days as part of my graduate school experience. While much of my program is online, from time to time I will have the chance to head to campus for these 3-day immersive experiences. I was so excited for this first chance to be on campus and meet some of my professors and classmates. When entering a new space, there is always some discomfort. I felt that on the first morning as I entered the classroom. I sat with that discomfort for a bit and really listened to it. As I listened inward throughout our first morning, my discomfort gradually shifted to excitement. I could feel in my bones that I was in exactly the place I was meant to be. I’ve had a few days to think about this experience of stepping into something new, unfamiliar, and uncomfortable. I realized there are some important pieces of how I navigated this discomfort that can be helpful to anyone entering a new experience or environment. In this episode, I walk you through my experience in this class situation while also offering key insights into how you can step into new experiences and quickly discern if it's the right place for you right now, how to navigate your discomfort, how to shift anxiety into excitement, and how to create space for the growth opportunities that will likely open up for you. We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today’s episode showcases three guests currently featured in the new documentary, Conversion. This critical documentary exposes the deep trauma conversion therapy causes our LGBTQIA+ community members. Often conversion therapy is veiled as something far different from what it is. This interview and the movie expose the insidiousness and prevalence of conversion therapy in our communities today. I am so honored to have been given the opportunity to interview Elena Joy Thurston, Zach Meiners, and Dustin Rayburn to talk about their incredible movie. Elena Joy Thurston, she/her, is the CEO of LATITUDE, a boutique HR consultancy that specializes in creating psychological safety on corporate teams. Her viral TEDx talk on surviving conversion therapy, with over 45,000 views, propelled her exposure, resulting in media spots on ABC, CBS, and FOX. Zach Meiners, he/him, is the founder, President, and Creative Director of Chronicle Cinema, a full service media production company, where he has produced national ad campaigns, corporate events, and award-winning entertainment. Dustin Rayburn, they/them, is a performer and activist best known by their stage name, Dusty Ray Bottoms. Dusty gained notoriety on season 10 of the Emmy Award Winning TV Show RuPaul's Drag Race. Listen in to hear Elena Joy, Zach, and Dustin share: What conversion therapy is Their personal experiences with conversion therapy What conversion therapy looks like and the insidiousness of covert conversion therapy The retraumatization of realizing you went through conversation therapy without even knowing that’s what it was How being part of the creation of this documentary has been healing for each of them How conversion therapy changes the brain in a way that doesn’t allow for closure in healing - meaning the healing is ongoing and forever What parents should know about conversion therapy as it relates to their kids and the other kids in our respective communities How to show allyship through your commitment to learning about LGBTQIA+ issues Links mentioned: Preorder Conversion: https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/conversion/umc.cmc.75rmpixysv3qoksxyus5zq9rr Watch the Conversion Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=U50wbO3MfANkAxdQ&v=oyLEJtQ6MTI&feature=youtu.be More info on the Conversion doc: https://www.conversionmovie.com/ Elena Joy on SMA Episode 595: Living Out Loud After Enduring Life Threatening Conversion Therapy Conversion movie on IG Elena Joy on IG Dustin on IG Zach on IG We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Work-life balance is not a thing. Not only is it not a thing, but the idea of it is founded on a lie. It is an idea and philosophy that the Patriarchy feeds to women as something to be desired, something to be attained, something to aspire to. As feminism has evolved over the last few decades, many of us have been told that, “This is your time! Finally, women can have it all.” Sounds great in theory. But we have been given no resources and no support. But without resources, support, and systemic restructuring (philosophical and logistical) there is no way for this to be lived. It’s an idea and a lie that allows the Patriarchy to look like they care. Cute, huh? We have been conditioned that because we can have it all, we should go after it all. And then once we go after it all and fill every millimeter and pore of our metaphorical plates, we should also keep it all balanced in some picture-perfect mathematical ratio - as if our lives are as simple as some sort of formula or squeaky clean quadratic equation. We are told if we have better balance, we wouldn’t be so stressed out all the time. We are told if we have better balance, we will be better moms and our kids will be more likely to thrive. We are told we are lucky to live in an era where we can work full time (if not more) and also parent full time - cramming 48 hours of work into every 24-hour day. Because we are told this lie is true and possible, we are left to feel inadequate, guilty, and resentful when we cannot figure out how to make it work. When we are working, we feel guilty that we aren’t parenting. When we are parenting, we feel guilty that we aren’t working. If you feel like you don’t have a work-life balance, it’s because there is no such thing. You are not the only one who feels inadequate in your constant journey toward this farce. Millions of us are standing beside you. And, we are tired too. This Greatest Hits episode is an invitation to exhale, see a new truth, and give yourself permission to start living in a reality that allows you to release all feelings of failure and inadequacy because they were never yours to own. We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Parijat Deshpande is the founder and CEO of Ruvelle, the only trauma-informed wellness company specifically dedicated to improving high-risk pregnancy outcomes, reducing preterm birth, and supporting parents on the entire high-risk pregnancy journey. On a mission to end the high-risk pregnancy crisis, she has served and supported thousands of clients through her live events, one-on-one work, her bestselling book, Pregnancy Brain: A Mind-Body Approach to Stress Management During a High-Risk Pregnancy, and the Body Language Journal. I am thrilled to welcome Parijat back to the show as a second-time guest. I have watched her work evolve over the years since she was last on the show and I had a sense that now is just the right time to have her come back - this time to talk about traumatic stress and collective trauma. Listen in to hear Parijat share: Her path to working in women’s health and serving women who are enduring health trauma The significance of trauma-informed medical care and where we are currently going wrong without it What it’s like for people with medical trauma to navigate the world without people understanding their experience How the pandemic created a situation of global collective trauma that we are still very much living in What needs to happen for us to heal from collective trauma When we don’t have collective safety, how we can find support at any given moment by addressing our own physiological needs How we have shifted from living in collective trauma to living in a collective functional freeze What trauma-sensitive medical care actually looks like Links mentioned: Connect with Parijat and Ruvelle: www.ruvelle.com Parijat and Ruvelle on IG We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sometimes life is messy, ugly, and downright cruel. Currently, I have a number of loved ones going through really big, messy, unfair, hard things. When we find ourselves in these moments or seasons it can be so hard to keep going. The overwhelming emotions of frustration, disappointment, fear, and fatigue can make it really hard to rise and shine and face each day. I certainly don’t want to suggest you bypass these hard feelings. That won’t help you. In fact, that will only harm you in the long run. But, I do want to encourage you to find a way to make space to hold multiple truths and multiple layers of feelings and emotions. Life can be absolutely awful and full of beautiful moments at the same time. We experience this regularly in motherhood. And, we certainly experienced this during the pandemic. In the middle of your very worst day, your toddler finds a precious rock or stick and is filled with utter delight. This creates delight for you too. In the middle of a stressful season of work, your teen says, “Mom, I love you - even if I’m a jerk sometimes.” Your heart melts. In the middle of a nasty fight with a loved one, your dog or cat comes and cozies up on the couch next to you to show love and alliance. You know they always know what you need most. Being able to notice these little magical moments amidst the messy ones is what keeps us moving forward. In this episode, I talk you through how to use unconventional gratitude practices to get through sticky emotions. We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Many of my coaching clients, business and executive coaching clients alike, come to me to talk through the options that lie in front of them. Often times, it seems they are faced with two options and both have pros and cons. While the pros might look exciting, the cons are just the opposite. They can fill one with dread, if not total anxiety. What I have noticed time and time again is that when we think there are only two options, we are telling ourselves a little lie. The truth is, in most situations, there are more options. They just might not be as obvious. It might take some creativity, and outside influence to see that they exist. I was recently working with an executive coaching client who had two options in front of her. Both had some serious pros - exciting components she hadn’t seen coming. And… both had some serious cons. As we talked through which option might be the best for her right now, we both felt unsettled with each option. So, I asked her a simple question, “What would be an ideal outcome for you in this situation?” In talking through what she really wanted out of this situation, a third option begann to arise. As we talked through the third option, she started to get excited. She realized she could make up a third option out of the best parts of the two options that had been presented to her. We left this call with her feeling so much clarity and optimism. In this episode, I walk you through three questions to ask yourself when you’re on the brink of making a decision. Then, I give you three ways to dig deep to discover options that might not be immediately presenting themselves. We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kristi Coulter is the author of the acclaimed memoirs Exit Interview: The Life and Death of My Ambitious Career and Nothing Good Can Come From This, and a finalist for the Washington State Book Award. Her writing has appeared in The Paris Review, New York Magazine/The Cut, Elle, Glamour, DAME, Big Technology, and elsewhere. She has been a guest and commentator for media outlets ranging from Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway's Pivot podcast to the Evercore Investor Forum to NPR's Live Wire Radio. Coulter has taught creative writing at the University of Washington, University of Michigan, and Hugo House. She lives in Seattle and Los Angeles. EXIT INTERVIEW tells the story of Kristi’s twelve-year career at Amazon, where she held numerous leadership roles in an obsessively driven, punishing work culture that was particularly unfriendly to women (though not exactly great for men, either!). Her experience included thrills and exhilarating achievements along with alcohol abuse, burnout, and disillusionment. Ultimately, Kristi recognized that for her ambition to live and thrive, she would need to leave the alpha-male rigidity of Big Tech. Her story is incredible. I could not put this book down! Listen in to hear Kristi share: Her deeply thoughtful and personal story of professional endurance within the “alpha-male rigidity of Big Tech” The significance of unconscious sexism in the workplace and the impact on men and women Her nerves around the publication of the book and what her co-workers and fellow Amazonians might think How her ambition didn’t die when she left Amazon, but it outgrew Amazon and corporate spaces The messaging she received around success as a Gen Xer and how she sees this shifting for younger generations How she had to overcome people pleasing to write honestly and ethically about other people who may feel called out when reading book What burnout looked like and how easy it was to not see it or acknowledge it How her gray area drinking impacted her career at Amazon Links mentioned: Connect with Kristi: www.kristicoulter.com Book: Exit Interview: The Life and Death of My Ambitious Career Book: Nothing Good Can Come From This Kristi on IG Kristi on LinkedIn We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I am often asked, "Sara, how do I discover my passion?" It's a question typically accompanied by a sense of frustration over not having found it yet. We're often led to believe that unless we're wholly devoted to something we're passionate about, we're squandering our time and talents. However, I propose that it's sometimes acceptable to engage in pursuits that don't ignite our passion entirely, especially if they offer security and stability—like a steady paycheck and benefits. Of course, pursuing meaningful work that resonates with our passions and provides a sense of purpose is undeniably appealing. Additionally, the world eagerly awaits the gifts you have to offer, so withholding them would be a disservice. So, how do you discern when to pursue your passions? How do you identify the endeavor you want to pursue passionately? And when is the right moment to pivot or make a strategic shift? For 20+ years, I've dedicated considerable effort to building businesses centered around work that deeply resonates with me—work that fills me with purpose. However, there have also been times, even seasons, when I've found myself in less-than-thrilling situations as I strategically plotted my next move. In this episode, I'll recount a few examples to illustrate what this process looks like in reality. Whether you're contemplating a pivot or shift right now or crafting a five-year plan toward your purpose, I've got you covered. This episode will give you great insight. Link mentioned: Interested in Business Coaching with Sara? Email us at [email protected] with the subject line: Business Coaching and we will send you details on Sara’s 6 month One-on-One Business & Coaching Package! We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Katie Krimitsos is the creator of the Women’s Meditation Network, a collection of 20 guided meditation podcasts that help listeners feel calmer, sleep easier, release anxiety, and consciously create their lives. Her meditations have been listened to over 140 million times by women all around the world. She’s a writer at heart, has a soft spot for animals, adores her Greek hubby, loves a good margarita, and treasures the job of raising her two girls. Katie has become a dear friend as we have navigated podcasting and entrepreneurship together. She has been a guest on the SMA multiple times. Our conversations are always fire and magic. We were video messaging back and forth recently about our childhoods and parenting and it got deep fast. After a bit, we both said, “We really should record this conversation!” So, here it is… Listen in to hear Katie share: The red flags that alert you to the fact that you're disconnected from your sense of self Why it can be so difficult to answer the question, “What do I want?” How we are personally and professionally impacted by what our parents modeled throughout our childhood The power of recognizing what was missing from your childhood - even if your childhood was really great How to unpack your childhood a bit to acknowledge what you might need to release Easily accessible tools that can help you begin to listen inward Permission to not know what you want and how to start connecting to what you want Links mentioned: Find all of Katie’s Meditation Podcasts on Apple Podcasts: Womens Meditation Network Connect with Katie or WMN resources: womensmeditationnetwork.com Meditation for Moms: I See You, Mama with Sara Dean We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Women often find themselves grappling with a complex and sometimes sticky relationship with self-trust. From a young age, we are subtly conditioned to doubt our own instincts and inner knowing. This societal conditioning seeps into our subconscious, creating a disconnect from our innate self-trust and inner knowing that persists throughout our lives. The erosion of self-trust often sets off a cascade of detrimental effects on our well-being. We find ourselves trapped in internal feedback loops that echo with damaging self-talk: “I’m not good enough.” “I’m not worthy of success or love.” “I must not be trying hard enough.” "Everyone else seems to have it all figured out, why can't I?" “No one really cares about what I think or feel.” These thoughts become our default narrative, undermining our confidence and distorting our perceptions of reality. The cycle perpetuates, reinforcing the belief that we are inherently flawed or inadequate. Do any of these sentiments resonate with you? In this episode, I aim to guide you through a common dysfunctional feedback loop, shedding light on its mechanisms and implications. Then I will walk you through a more healthy and productive feedback loop—one rooted in self-compassion, empowerment, and trust. My hope is that by unraveling the patterns of self-doubt and negative social narratives, you can begin to reclaim your inherent self-trust and rewrite the script of your self-narrative, allowing you to embrace your worthiness and reshape the way you perceive yourself and your capabilities. Link mentioned: SMA Ep 391: Why Moms Lack Self-Trust https://shamelessmom.com/episode/why-moms-lack-self-trust/ We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As a busy mom, time becomes your most precious resource, but it often feels like there's never enough. Effective time management is crucial for achieving your goals and avoiding the overwhelm that comes with motherhood. There are some simple strategies that you can put in place immediately to help you protect your time and energy. Additionally, I want to provide you with some mindset resets around time management that will help you see time and how you use it in new ways. In this episode, we'll explore practical strategies to help you reclaim your time and find a sense of balance amidst the chaos of family life. From reevaluating your schedule to embracing the concept of unscheduling, you'll discover how to create more mental space and carve out time for self-care and pursuing your dreams. By gaining a few new time management skills, you'll build the confidence you need to make the most of your time and create a life that aligns with your priorities. Whether you're craving more time for yourself, more quality time with your family, or wanting to pursue a big goal, this episode offers actionable tips to help you navigate the challenges of being a busy mom while still making room for what truly matters. Links mentioned: SMA Ep 105: 7 Secrets To Slow Down & Simplify SMA Ep 397: 4 Time Management Mindset Shifts For Moms We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The title of this episode might have some of you judging me. I get it. Before you judge, hear me out… A few years ago, I listened to the book FINISH by Jon Acuff. Then, I read the hard copy. Then, I chose the book for the book club inside our SMA membership community. I loved (and still love) this book. The book is all about how to finish the things you start. One of Jon’s tools in finishing your top priority goals or action items is to simultaneously “choose what to bomb”. Sometimes, if you need to get the big, important things done you have to let yourself completely fail in other areas. As I find myself in this season of working full time while, navigating month 11 of my husband’s unemployment, being a grad school student, and intense parenting (friends… nobody warned me about 11!), I’m having to choose to bomb some things. And, being a social butterfly is one of them. I am saying no to things I really want to do with people I really want to spend time with because this is the only way to protect my time and sanity. It’s hard to set and hold these boundaries, but it’s really necessary in this season of life. In this episode, I talk through how to choose what to bomb when life is a lot and something’s got to give. I also talk you through how to bomb things in a way that doesn’t make you feel like you’re being a horrible person. I know the truth is that I’m a very good friend - even if I’m not the greatest friend right now. I’m guessing the same is true for you. Link mentioned: Book: FINISH by Jon Acuff We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hi Perfectionist Friend, I SEE you. I know you. Sometimes, I am you. You likely find yourself often feeling stuck. You’re tightly holding onto dreams, but unable to take steps toward them. You feel the weight of chronic decision fatigue as you try to determine what the next “best” or “right” step is. So you find yourself waiting. Waiting until the time and conditions are juuuust right. Yet, somehow that time never comes. I know you want more - but with less worry, nervousness, and anxiety. I see you worrying about what others might think if you flop. I see you anxiously stuffing your dreams into deep hiding places because you think you might fail. Perhaps you desire perfection so deeply you cannot make a decision or take any action because… FEAR. Perhaps you spend inordinate amounts of mental energy on a decision because you think making the wrong decision could ruin everything. One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned in motherhood and entrepreneurship is that perfect sucks. In fact, perfect stops me in my tracks and keeps me stuck for far too long. And, imperfect action is ridiculously liberating. We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Melissa Bond is a narrative journalist, poet, and matriarch of Salt Lake City’s Slam Scene. The Salt Lake Tribune and the New York Post have both done features on Bond's book Blood Orange Night, her memoir about becoming dependent upon and then withdrawing from Benzodiazepines. Blood Orange Night was published by Simon & Schuster in June 2022 and was selected by the New York Times as one of the best audiobooks of 2022. Bond has been featured on PBS Story in the Public Square, Radio West, the podcasts Risk!, Endeavors, Psychology Unplugged, The New York Times Podcasts, RadioWest and Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books. Listen in to hear Melissa share: How a very common medical prescription for insomnia led to full physical dependence on benzodiazepines that led to her rapid physical and mental downward spiral How she was able to begin to put together the pieces around her unforeseen medication dependence after narrowly escaping harming herself and her daughter in a fall Her discovery that her myriad of strange physical and mental health symptoms were actually her going through medication withdrawal every single day Her decision to confront the doctor who massively overprescribed benzodiazepines to her How the Benzo Harmed Community relates differently to common terminology around addiction How the “shadow of shame” impacts people’s recoveries from substance use, substance dependence, and substance abuse Her advice to moms who are mentally or physically suffering with the demands of motherhood and how they can get help from medical professionals in the most safe and trusting way Links mentioned: Connect with Melissa: www.melissaabond.com Melissa’s Book: Blood Orange Night Melissa on Instagram Melissa on Facebook We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mom guilt is one of my favorite topics. Mom guilt is familiar to most if not all moms. However, very few moms consider where this constant guilt and the accompanying feelings of inadequacy come from. In this Greatest Hits episode, I talk about mom guilt as a social construct in which women are indoctrinated to think they should feel bad for ever prioritizing themselves, their identity, their careers, or their happiness over their kids. You know how I know this is true?? Because I know the following: Dads are not asked, “How do you do it all? How do you juggle your career with your family? Dads are not asked, “Don’t you feel bad when you have to travel for work and you don’t get to see your kids for 3 days?” Dads don’t have to internalize messages like, “I don’t know how you work so much. I would feel so bad not being at my kid’s games/practices/plays/recitals.” When dads consider taking up new hobbies/activities they don’t automatically think, “That would be awesome, but I would feel so bad taking that time away from my family.” Women are indoctrinated to feel like subpar moms if they prioritize their careers, self-care, or their sanity over their family's needs. Men are encouraged to prioritize their careers and hobbies over their family's needs - “Climb that corporate ladder!” “You gotta start golfing with us, man!” “Meet us every Saturday for pick-up basketball!” I am inviting you to take a look at the guilt you carry. Guilt of any kind is not productive. It keeps us stuck. It holds us back. It does not serve any positive purpose. So, if you’re spending time stuck in mom guilt, you’re wasting time and energy that could be used for so many other positive things in your life. In this episode, I talk about how we can flip this social construct on its head to protect our energy, gifts, and rights to rest (yes, you will rest more when you stop feeling so damn guilty.) If you’re ready to reject mom guilt, this episode is for you! Links mentioned: Book: Drop The Ball by Tiffany Dufu We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alyson Baber is a mom, wife, and tenured sales leader with experience in both startups and major public enterprises. Her background spans chemical engineering, medical device and capital equipment field sales, tech sales, and advisory roles. Currently, Alyson serves as the VP of Commercial Sales at Outreach. Previously, she held roles as the Head of Sales at Melio and helped Zoom scale from $50M to $4B in revenue. Prior to that, she led new business and expansion sales at SendGrid (now Twilio) and various startup teams within Intuit. Alyson has a passion for leadership, problem-solving, data analytics, and creating clarity and process from chaos. Because she can't say no to a good challenge, she's been an advisor for multiple startups and is an LP at Stage2 Capital. Alyson lives in Colorado with her husband, two children, and a puppy named Baxter (yes, from Anchorman). In her free time, she enjoys taking advantage of all things Colorado, traveling, having a creative outlet through multiple art mediums, and attempting to learn to ski well past the level of her comfort. Listen in to hear Alyson share: How healing her eating disorder in her teens and twenties shaped who she is today as a woman and leader How her eating disorder was a coping mechanism for stress, anxiety, uncertainty, and ambiguity How she got affordable and effective eating disorder help in a surprising place - ultimately allowing her to be in recovery for 15 years now How her recovery impacts how she shows up in personal relationships and leads in professional spaces Her and her husband’s winning decision for him to stay home as their kids’ primary caregiver while she pursues executive leadership roles How she is consciously building her own leadership brand What a leadership brand can look like for highly effective leaders How she navigates her desire to be respected vs being liked Link mentioned: Connect with Alyson on LinkedIn We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How are you at holding space for tension? The discomfort of tension in our lives can make us rush through a trying moment to get out of discomfort as quickly as possible. What would change for you if you could embrace discomfort and sit in it for a minute? In this Greatest Hits episode, I talk about an interview with Oprah and Steven Pressfield for SuperSoul Sunday. They were talking about resistance - and that resistance MUST exist in all opportunities that provide growth, evolution, and magic. Steven said, “Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the life unlived within us. Between the two stands Resistance.” Wow, if that doesn’t speak to my soul. I see so many Shameless Moms working to hold space for tension and practicing embracing the resistance. It is in these spaces that some of life’s most powerful lessons and moments come to exist. It is profound and life-altering. And I see Shameless Moms who feel the resistance and take it as a sign that something is not meant to be. Mama…. NO. I want you to lean into the resistance. See it. Embrace it. Own it. Walk through it. It will change you - in all the BEST ways. Listen in to hear me share the 3 phases of holding tension that will allow you to walk through resistance, find your power, and declare a magical VICTORY on the other side. We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The day you became a mom you were catapulted into a new leadership role with no training and dire consequences if you couldn’t rise to the occasion. For months, you stumbled, fumbled, and slowly figured this new leadership role out. You learned new skills, you learned how to take care of those you were leading, and you advocated for those in your care at every turn. You felt protective in a way you have never felt protective before. You knew it was on you to figure this out quickly. And, you did it. Over the last couple of years, as I’ve had conversations with women in new leadership roles, I‘ve heard over and over about how hard it is to step into a new leadership role with little or no training. It’s overwhelming, disorienting, and exhausting. There are so many things to figure out - some inconsequential and some largely consequential. In many instances, folks who were once your peers are now the people you have to give hard feedback to. You have this sense that all eyes are on you - and maybe, just maybe, some folks would be happy to see you fail. So, there is no room for mistakes. And, it seems, no room to give yourself grace. As I stepped into community leadership roles over the last few years, I was excited to give back, make a difference, and have a voice. But having a voice feels scary AF when you go to open your mouth for the first time in front of a new audience. How can you instill quickly build trust and demonstrate integrity? How can you solicit support while sharing new ideas and opinions? Most opportunities to lead come too fast. You feel ill-prepared. You question if you are the right person or the right “fit” for the job. You are. You’ve been here before. You’ve figured it out. And, you’re sure as hell going to figure it out this time too. In this episode, I talk through why owning the title of leader might feel conflicting to you, 3 key responsibilities in any leadership role, and what to do when you find yourself in a leadership role that you don’t feel totally prepared for. We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The mental load of motherhood is the invisible yet relentless responsibilities, from managing household chores to coordinating family schedules, which often fall disproportionately on mothers. This burden not only involves physical tasks but also includes the (often more exhausting) emotional and cognitive labor of anticipating and attending to the needs of their children and family members. The Motherload (aka the mental load of motherhood) includes the 175 running lists you keep in your head in every single moment of #everydamnday. It includes: every school form you need to sign tonight how much creamer you have left in the fridge how many rolls of TP you have in the house when you need to call your mom what bills you need to pay by next Wednesday when the kids have their next day off school every single email you need to reply to today and which ones can wait until tomorrow what time the babysitter is coming on Friday which hotel you need to book for spring break which of your kid’s friends can’t have peanuts which of your kid’s friends you need to buy bday gifts for which socks your kid will NOT wear how many pairs of clean undies every single person in the household has left before you have to do laundry again what you’re having for dinner tonight and tomorrow and the next night and the next night and the next night and the next night which kid will eat crusts which kid will eat carrots Have any of the children had any water today? You are a living, breathing library of information. You are basically hosting an entire internet system right inside your head. It’s a lot. Too much. So overwhelming and often maddening. And sometimes downright unfair. The Motherload is exhausting on so many levels. I want to give you some hope. But I’m going to warn you that this will require some work (I promise to keep it simple!) on your part. But the work will be REWARDING. The work will lessen the load! When it comes to The Motherload, we tend to make it really hard on ourselves. We get in our own way over and over. We get stuck in perfectionism and martyrdom, making ourselves completely miserable. Listen in as I give you 4 methods to manage the madness. These simple methods are going to dramatically improve your life and create space in your head (who doesn’t need more space in their head?!) We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Julie Neale is a life and leadership coach, mom to two neurodivergent boys, and creator of Mother’s Quest, the Mother’s Quest Podcast, and the Live Your EPIC Year Planner. Started in 2016, Mother’s Quest provides inspiration, coaching, and community for mothers who want to live their version of an E.P.I.C. life while raising their children. At the age of 50, Julie received a diagnosis of ADHD, realizing that she is also neurodivergent. The diagnosis explained a lot and has provided a window for her to understand better what it’s like for her children to embrace their differences while finding strategies to address the challenges. This year, Julie is serving on the UCLA Parents' Council. She looks forward to working alongside her son Ryan, from a parent perspective, to support neurodivergent students and their families at UCLA. Ryan Neale is a neurodivergent sophomore at UCLA, planning to double major in Communication and Disability Studies with a minor in Film Studies. He is part of the College Scholars Program at UCLA and recently was selected as part of the 2023 Chancellor's Leadership Program cohort. He is passionate about neurodiversity advocacy and sharing his own experiences to pave the way for others. He is currently a staff member at the Bruin Resource Center, where he is a student lead on a new campus-wide neurodiversity initiative to make UCLA more inclusive for students like him. This summer, he served on staff for the Stanford Neurodiversity Project - Research, Education, and Advocacy Camp for high schoolers wanting to create neurodiversity advocacy projects. He was also a speaker at the 2021 Stanford Neurodiversity Summit and has been a guest host on the Mother’s Quest Podcast. Ryan was diagnosed with autism at the age of 18 months old and also identifies with ADHD and anxiety. April is Autism Awareness Month. April 2nd is Autism Awareness Day. I was so honored to have Ryan and Julie here to talk about neurodiversity, including autism, and all that Ryan is doing to build inclusive spaces for kids like him on college campuses. Listen in to hear Ryan and Julie share: Ryan’s optimism around the neurodiversity movement, esp in collegiate environments Ryan’s autism diagnosis at 18 months and his experience of learning of his diagnosis at age 13 Ryan’s disconnection from his diagnosis given his propensity for rich connections How Julie was diagnosed with ADHD when going through menopause The difference in the ways Ryan and Julie accepted and integrated their respective diagnoses What Ryan’s transition into college life has been like How Ryan has leaped into neurodivergence advocacy at UCLA Links mentioned: Connect with Julie: https://mothersquest.com Connect with Ryan: www.ryanjneale.com Mother’s Quest on IG: www.instagram.com/mothersquestpod Ryan on IG: www.instagram.com/ryan.neale04 Ryan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-neale-031112176/ Autism Story Telling Project in San Fransisco: https://www.autismstorytellingproject.com/ Spark Course about Ryan’s college experience Mother's Quest Podcasts with Ryan related to neurodiversity: https://mothersquest.com/ep-93-learning-outside-the-lines-in-college-with-neurodivergent-advocates-ryan-neale-jonathan-mooney/ https://mothersquest.com/embracing-neurodiversity-and-being-an-adult-with-julie-lythcott-haims-and-ryan-neale/ https://mothersquest.com/ep-18-yolo-you-only-live-once-and-other-milestone-reflections-with-ryan-neale/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A few weeks ago, my dear friend Dana shared a post to her IG stories that said, “A year from now nothing will be the same.” I immediately took a pause. Dang. What a true statement that I hadn’t previously considered. When I think about where I was this time last year, there are so many things I couldn’t have predicted happening over the last year. My husband’s layoff, a layoff that is still enduring 10 months later. Going to grad school. A number of professional opportunities. A handful of personal breakthroughs, as well as some losses. When I think about what life could hold a year from now, I realize that there is so much coming that I don’t know about. Yikes! Or… Yay??? I’m not sure which. Maybe a bit of both. Wherever you are today, the moment you are in will pass. The things that are hard today will be different a year from now. The things that are great right now will have shifted and evolved - maybe gotten even better, maybe disappeared. And, there are a whole bunch of things coming your way that you don’t know about yet. Big things. Great things. Hard things. So, how can you hold space for what’s to come so you’re not devastated by the hard things or unable to engage in the great things? In this episode, I will walk you through 3 ways you can stay open to possibility as life gets ready to life all over you over the next year. We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tressa Beheim is an online business manager and strategic partner who supports women entrepreneurs in all that they do. She’s a project manager, back-office coordinator, and a people wrangler who knows product development and online marketing. She goes beyond the typical Online Business Manager with nearly 15 years of experience and knowledge plus the ability to help her clients execute their big (and small!) visions in the real world. Tressa is one of those extremely organized, type-A people and it aligns perfectly with her role as a strategic partner. Running a micro agency allows her to utilize everything in her toolbox, knowledge and business acumen attained through an MBA, skills mastered through years in a corporate position, and managing businesses since 2009 to help her clients thrive. She is from the United States and has lived abroad in Leipzig, Germany since 2016 with her husband and two daughters. Listen in to hear Tressa share: What it’s like being an expat in Germany What it’s like raising 12 and 14-year-olds in a country different from what she grew up in? The difference in kids’ independence in Germany and the US How she started her business as a virtual assistant when her daughters were very young The cost of carrying tons of 5-minute tasks on your To-Do List The unexpected gifts of having someone else as a decision-maker and action-taker in your business How to know when you need more strategic help in your business Links mentioned: Connect with Tressa: tressabeheim.com Tressa on LinkedIn Tressa on IG We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When given the opportunity to try something new, unfamiliar, or uncomfortable, it’s often easier to say NO than YES. It’s typically pretty easy to justify your NO, too. Nope, I’m too busy right now. Nope, that sounds terrifying. Nope, I’m just not ready yet. For some, NO is a default that prevents critical growth. But, every NO has a cost. When you say NO are you considering all that you’re saying NO to? Often your NO to an opportunity is also a NO to growth, excitement, validation, affirmation, a new level of success, a new skill, new relationships, and an enhanced sense of self. When you look at what’s stopping you from saying YES, it is likely self-limiting thoughts, uncomfortable emotions or feelings, and/or limited resources. These can all be very valid objections to missing out on an opportunity. But, sometimes it is well worth pushing back on your thoughts, feelings, emotions, and even resource limitations to consider the value of saying YES while recognizing all the possibilities and potential that this YES could carry. In this episode, you will have a chance to take a close look at what’s stopping you from saying YES and how you can get out of your own way to make choices that invite growth, advance success, and amplify your sense of self in significant ways. We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Amy Porto is an anti-diet registered dietitian, nutrition professor, and certified intuitive eating counselor. As an expert in her field with over 20 years of experience, Dr. Porto speaks the truth about nutrition. Her purpose is to disrupt mainstream diet culture with real science, a dash of humor, and a little bit of common sense. And while she holds a BS in Biochemistry and a PhD in Nutrition Science, she believes you shouldn’t need a PhD to decode food labels at the grocery store. Breaking down complex information about food and nutrition into digestible bite-sized pieces of information is her passion — plus, she loves a good pun. Amy’s ultimate goal is to help you trust your body and reclaim your relationship with food. This is Amy’s second time on the show and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have her back. Every once in a while I have a guest who makes me think, “Maybe we should start a podcast together or take our show on the road”... Amy is one of those guests. I could talk to her and learn from her all day every day. Listen in to Amy share: What food elitism is and how it shows up in society The dangers of putting food in a hierarchy Why the “Dirty Dozen” food list is not worth your worry Why language matters so much when we speak about food and the dangers of labeling foods as bad, trash, fake food, junk food, clean food, etc How food elitism contributes to discrimination toward people who are food insecure Her thoughts on healthism and the morality of health How our judgments around food are whitewashed and part of the Supremacy culture we live in How you can start to unfold your own biases around food, nutrition, and health Why you should avoid health & wellness practitioners who weaponize fear to sell to you Links mentioned: Connect with Amy: Amyporto.com Learn about Amy’s Eat Better Club: Amyporto.com/links Amy on IG and threads: @dr.amyporto Amy on FB Pesticide Counter: https://www.safefruitsandveggies.com/ We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This will not shock you. I am a talker. As an extrovert with ADHD who has 1 million opinions and a good story to go with any situation, I’m never at a loss for words. Perhaps this is how we arrived at 858 podcast episodes! I’m also aware that if I want to show up as the best version of myself I have to really practice being a good listener. Given my propensity toward nosiness, sometimes listening comes easy. However, in a heated discussion or a lively room, I want to say all the things. And, I’m aware that sometimes this can leave others feeling unseen or unheard. As my child has developed my propensity for words (all the words, all the time), I have become increasingly aware that listening is something that must be practiced. For us talkers, listening doesn’t come naturally - or easily! Being a great listener shows consideration, care, kindness, and empathy. These are all very important to me. So, I’m invested in doing a better joy to listen to understand versus listening to reply. There is a big difference. Over the last few years, I’ve been paying attention to how some of the best communicators around me listen. I’ve been taking notes. In this episode, I’ll share the listening skills I have observed and am working on developing. If you’re a better talker than a listener, this one’s for you! We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sivan Hong is both the author and illustrator of the top-selling children's series, The Super Fun Day Books. Her acclaimed titles, including Benny J. and the Horrible Halloween, George J. and the Miserable Monday, Emily D. and the Fearful First Day, Avery G. and the Scary End of School, and Joey T. and the Winter Holiday Worries, depict the victories of neurodiverse children as they tackle difficulties with perseverance and bravery. Furthermore, The Super Fun Day Books are available in Spanish and as audiobooks, ensuring they resonate with all kinds of learners. Her influential work has garnered attention from multiple news outlets. In addition to her literary pursuits, Sivan actively serves as a Trustee on the Board of the Rita Allen Foundation, using her vast expertise and passion to effect positive change. Away from her professional endeavors, Sivan cherishes her roles as a wife and mother to two delightful children. The family, which includes their beloved dog and cat, lives in Connecticut. Listen in to hear Sivan share: What her life as a neurodivergent woman and mother to two neurodivergent children looks like A comparison of the academic structures of traditional classroom settings and classrooms specifically for neurodivergent kids How the term neurodiverse came into common use, what it means, and what it doesn’t mean Why it’s so important for “neuro-typical” people to understand neurodiversity The tremendous losses that occur societally when we aren’t open to creating accommodations for neurodiversity The importance of being a proud self-advocate as a neurodivergent person The role of “neuro-typical” people in advocating for neurodivergent people The problem with framing diagnoses from a position of deficits rather than strengths or uniqueness Links mentioned: Get Sivan’s Books: The Super Fun Day Books Connect with Sivan: sivanhong.com Sivan on IG Sivan on FB We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy 8th Birthday to the SMA! The show turns 8 on March 15th. To celebrate I created an episode about one of my favorite topics this year: advancing women's and mom’s thought leadership. What does it mean to be a thought leader? You might think it requires a bunch of degrees or building a cult-like following online. Neither of these are necessary. A thought leader is someone who shares their expertise and passion with the world in a way that calls people in and inspires people to see things in a new way. Thought leaders often challenge assumptions and disrupt the status quo. While we often see thought leaders do this in highly visible ways, you can also be a thought leader in a way that is authentic to who you are. You don’t have to stand on the world’s largest stage, with the world’s largest microphone. Women don’t tend to position themselves as thought leaders because we haven’t been socialized to believe we have a unique POV, special talents to build community around an idea, or the skills to guide people to see things from a different perspective. However, the truth is we do this #everydamnday in various capacities as moms. Moms are perfectly poised for thought leadership because we see the world in ways that others don’t - because we have had to break through barriers and smash glass ceilings to be seen, heard, held, and valued. As a result, we are smart, scrappy, creative, innovative, resilient, tenacious, efficient, and productive in ways that others are not. So, the truth is either you already are a thought leader OR you are poised to become one starting right now. If you choose to advance your thought leadership new and unexpected doors will open for you. Opportunities that you didn’t even know you wanted will start presenting themselves - this is literally how the Shameless Mom Academy was born 8 years ago this week! Thank you for being part of the Shameless Mom Academy whether you have listened to one episode or all 856 over the last 8 years. I appreciate you. We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Heidi Carlson is a Certified Master Life, Relationship, and Self-Empowerment Coach who helps women navigate complex mother-daughter dynamics. Raised as the youngest of five children to young immigrant parents in an arranged marriage, Heidi faced unique challenges stemming from her parents’ limited life and relationship experience. Growing up in a culture that prioritized people-pleasing over self-prioritization left her without essential life skills, compounded by her parents’ struggling marriage, further complicating her understanding of a healthy relationship. At 19, Heidi's transformative journey began with deep self-discovery and personal growth. Heidi now embodies self-compassion, prioritizes herself, communicates effectively, and maintains boundaries. Her journey also transformed her relationship with her mother. Over the years, Heidi has guided countless women on similar personal growth and healing paths. She is a respected guiding force, inspiring women to take control of their lives and mend their mother-daughter relationships. Listen in to hear Heidi share: Her experience being the youngest of 5 kids, born to immigrant parents who were married at a very young by way of an arranged marriage How her family’s circumstances suppressed her identity How her family dynamics and her trying relationship with her mom led her down a path of personal discovery The impact of her being labeled her mom’s “Mini Me” and how that contributed to her struggles with her identity The significance of healing mother-daughter relationships to show up differently in all areas of your life How consistency played a big role in healing herself and her relationship with her mom What it feels like to shift from someone who was chronically self-sacrificial in relationships to someone who uses her voice, sets boundaries, asks for what she needs in relationships, and goes after what she wants despite other’s opinions Links mentioned: Connect with Heidi: heidicarlsoncoaching.com Email Heidi: [email protected] Heidi on LinkedIn Heidi on FB Heidi on IG We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This feels very surreal. But, yes, I’m going to grad school! This is a decision that seemed to come quickly out of nowhere, but it was also always right there. It feels fast, but right on time. I feel unprepared yet 100% ready. I’m so excited but also nervous. At the end of the day, it feels RIGHT. And, that feels GOOD. A big part of this decision came as I was considering that I have another 20 years (at least) to invest in my career path. I have no desire to change what I’m doing today, but I also feel like I want some grounding and intentionality as I make decisions around what I’m delightedly calling My Next 20. As I started thinking about My Next 20, I asked myself: Where do you want to be at the end of your career? How do you want to use all the work you’ve done for the last 25 years to inform your work for the next 20 years? What decisions can you make now that will give you options and flexibility over time? How can you continue to create work opportunities for yourself that bring you purpose, meaning, and joy? In what directions are you most excited to learn and grow? Navigating these questions gave me a fairly quick and clear sense of the direction I wanted to head and helped me see that a master's degree would support this direction. In this episode, I talk more about why I’m going back to school, why I chose the program I chose, what I want to do with the degree, and how I’m combatting my inner critic as I return to studying, writing papers, and being in new and uncomfortable territory. I hope this episode will help you also consider what you want to create for yourself over your Next 20! We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nadia Davis is a mom, attorney, victims’ rights advocate, kundalini yoga instructor, and author of Home Is Within You: A Memoir of Recovery and Redemption and has a podcast of the same name. She is a survivor of trauma and abuse, a near-fatal car accident, addiction, and public shaming. Nadia has a lifetime record of passionate work and dedication to improving the lives of others. She has received numerous awards for her work, including the John F. Kennedy Jr. Service Award. Nadia works for justice in keeping moms with their kids while seeking treatment, and for more compassionate methods of treatment and restorative justice. She has a BA from UCLA and a JD from Loyola Law School. Listen in to hear Nadia share: Her young life of seeking acceptance and assurance as the youngest of 7 children How her lack of safety as a child led to her narrow zone of tolerance as an adult How she was forced to face her childhood trauma after enduring public shaming, blackmail, and addiction The steps she took to start healing Simple steps anyone can incorporate to start a healing practice How to build a home within that gives us the personal autonomy that is often (almost always) missing from our lives Links mentioned: Connect with Nadia: www.nadia-davis.com Nadia’s Book: Home is Within You: Transforming Shame into Power Nadia’s Podcast: Home is Within You: Transforming Shame into Power Nadia on FB Nadia on IG Nadia on TT We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is one of those episodes where once I started down the rabbit hole, I couldn’t find my way back out. I was digging through research and information on motherhood, burnout and exhaustion and every piece of information led me to more info that I didn’t know I needed. At a certain point, I realized I was building list upon list for you all. This onslaught of information helped me see the pervasiveness and insidiousness of burnout and exhaustion that profoundly impact mothers. The truth is we are all tired. Beyond tired. Most of us don’t even know it. We are walking around in a state of malaise that we see as normal. We don’t recognize who we are anymore, and we don’t have a clue how to find ourselves again. Plus, who even has time to find themselves given all the immediate and urgent tasks that fill our days, nights, and dreams (or nightmares??) In this episode, we will dig into the symptoms and causes of motherhood exhaustion and burnout. Then, we dig into solutions. What are the simple things you can do to bring you back to yourself and step away from the habits and mindsets that are creating a state of perpetual exhaustion and burnout in your life? We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Priya Krishnan, Chief Digital, and Transformation Officer at Bright Horizons, is an entrepreneur who founded India’s leading child care and schooling service provider with more than 150 company-owned, company-operated centers across the country. At Bright Horizons, she leads client relationships for the US, International M&A, and innovation projects. Priya joined Bright Horizons after founding and running KLAY, a high-quality childcare organization, which has grown to become India’s largest child care. She initially started the business to enable women to return to work after childbirth. She won numerous entrepreneurship recognition awards, as her startup venture expanded to 180 company-owned, company-operated centers across the country, staffed with empowered employees taking care of more than 16,000 children. Priya’s company went on to provide high-quality child care services onsite, and worked with varying workplace models to help companies create employee solutions. Priya also founded a not-for-profit school for marginalized children which has been recognized worldwide for its pedagogy and approach to blended learning. Priya has had a global career in IT consulting across Singapore, New York, and London, working with companies including Accenture, PwC, EDS, and HP. She holds a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering and has an MBA from London Business School. Listen in to hear Priya share: Her life mantra: Failing fast, failing cheap, and learning fast What inspired her work to build a childcare system in India - leading her to become a sought-after visionary and national leader in childcare Her contribution to set a national standard of 6 months maternity leave in India and a national mandate for companies to provide childcare How alignment in values has impacted her career trajectory and called her to build a career around intergenerational family systems Why childcare is a critical component of cultural infrastructure - and how childcare is a triple bottom line impact in terms of how it positively or negatively impacts the entire society Her invitation to design work around life vs life around work Links mentioned: Listen to Priya’s Podcast: The Work-Life Equation Connect with Bright Horizons: https://www.brighthorizons.com/ Bright Horizons on IG Bright Horizons on FB Bright Horizons on LinkedIn Priya on LinkedIn Priya on Twitter/X We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are you a high-five person? My husband and I spent a weekend with a couple years ago who high-fived each other all the time. After that weekend, my husband said to me, “They high-five a lot. We are just not high-five people.” Don’t get me wrong, we loved this couple. But we didn’t think we would ever share their enthusiasm for high fives. What’s ironic now is that I’ve built an entire legacy around high-fiving women, more or less. When I think of high-fiving others it can look like a lot of things - a compliment, a congrats, a comment of support. When someone else high-fives me, literally or figuratively, it feels so good! It takes almost nothing to be a cheerleader and champion of other women, yet it can make all the difference in the world. Think of how great it feels when someone shows up to let you know they are happy for you, impressed by you, or grateful for you. High-fives matter. Women championing one another is a must. This is how we model to our children how women treat women. This is how we make space for other women in a world that, in many instances, doesn’t make space for women. This is how we can see others and be seen ourselves. In this episode, I share 6 ways you can champion other women in loud & proud ways, as well as quietly. After you listen in, think about how you can immediately go champion another woman by giving her that literal or figurative high-five to let her know, “We are in this together. I got you. I see you.” We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Going back to school after 40 is not for the faint of heart. Dr. Vrnda 'V' Boykin knows this well returning to school in 2017 and obtaining her BS in Marketing Management, MS in Management and Leadership, Master of Business Administration, and Doctorate of Business Administration in Organizational Leadership. Dr. V’s expertise is in creating equitable work experiences for women. Dr. V established clear evidence to illustrate the importance of social support systems in tackling workplace equity through simple shifts in the social environment. Bravery is in Dr. V's bones and she is known for her commitment to innovation. Viewing education as the most effective tool in achieving equity, V utilizes her skills and knowledge to disrupt and redefine leadership training and enablement programs resulting in increased performance and profitability within the technology space. Listen in to hear Dr. V share: Her recent accomplishment of getting her PhD and becoming one 4.4% of black women with a doctoral degree Her life path from being a very young mother and stripper on food stamps who ended up in the prison system to then getting 4 degrees, including a PhD, in a mere 7 years How she used her time in prison, and how she decided to move forward from that time in her life How she sits with shame and how and why she has worked so hard to reconcile that for herself and other Black women The fine line between vulnerability and power and how dancing and stripping allowed her to step away from vulnerability and into her power The legacy she is building around creating equity and belonging in the workplace, as well as what true equity in the workplace looks like for women and moms The major caveat around the “bringing your full self to work” movement, especially for people carrying marginalized identities How providing services for women and moms benefits organizations Her tagline and call to action: stop talking about my attitude and start talking about my accomplishments Links mentioned: Connect with Dr. V: drvboykin.com V on LinkedIn We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You know that voice in your head that makes you doubt yourself, says nasty things to yourself, beats yourself up, compares you to others, and tells you you are not enough? That’s your inner critic. She can be a real nightmare! If you’re anything like most women I know, you probably give her way too much airplay. You hear her as she clears her throat to step up to the mic and then you listen intently as she rants about your weaknesses and shortcomings. Worst of all, you believe her. Your inner critic keeps you quiet, small, fearful, and frustrated. Because she has been with you for so long, you likely don’t realize she has set up shop as your default voice. You may find she is the loudest voice in your head. As the loudest voice in your head, she inhibits your decision-making and action-taking. She tells you you’re not worthy, capable, qualified, or ready to do the things you want to do or say the things you want to say. She has stolen your voice and stunted your growth as a woman and a leader in the world. In this episode, I walk you through how your inner critic came to be and how she got so loud. I hope that once you see how she was born you can permit yourself to permanently kick her to the curb. She is a product of the patriarchy and she really doesn’t deserve another ounce of your precious time or energy. Sometimes, we see things we can’t unsee or hear things we can’t unhear. I think you’ll find when you learn the roots of your inner critic, you can no longer sit idly by and let her go on. Because the reality is that you are worthy, capable, qualified, and ready to do the things you want to do or say the things you want to say. She, on the other hand, is NOT. We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Maria Ross is a speaker, leadership trainer, author, and empathy advocate who believes cash flow, creativity, and compassion are not mutually exclusive. She’s spent decades helping forward-thinking leaders and teams connect and engage through empathy to accelerate growth and impact. Maria has authored multiple books, including her most recent, The Empathy Edge, and hosts The Empathy Edge podcast. Maria understands the power of empathy on a personal level: In 2008, shortly after launching her business, she suffered a near-fatal ruptured brain aneurysm that inspired her memoir, Rebooting My Brain. Her next book The Empathy Dilemma: How Successful Leaders Balance Performance, People, and Personal Boundaries, arrives Fall 2024. Listen in to hear Maria share: How she shifted from her work as a brand strategist to empathy expert How motherhood pushed her to really dig into bringing her empathy work into the workplace Different examples of what empathy looks like in the workplace - and what the absence of it looks like How empathy in the workplace must be a combination of compassion + action Myths around empathy The significance of action behind your empathy - and how action can look for different people How we can (and why we should) use empathy in the overlap of our personal & professional lives What to do in an interaction with someone who is not being empathetic Links mentioned: Connect with Maria: https://www.red-slice.com Maria’s Podcast: The Empathy Edge TedX Talk LinkedIn Instagram Threads Twitter/X Facebook Maria on YouTube Book: Roadmap for Revolutionaries We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In no universe am I a time management expert. However, it is something I get asked about all the time. While I am not a time management expert, I have had to learn to manage time in very strategic ways for my brain to maximize all I want to get done in a day (without feeling like I’m in constant chaos). I get better and better with time management every year that I am a business owner and a mom. Because it’s necessary for survival, haha… I’ve implemented a handful of time management tricks that have created mental ease and a ton more focus time for me over the years. These strategies are have allowed me to build multiple businesses simultaneously while enjoying motherhood for a good chunk of every day, and while keeping up with multiple community volunteer commitments. I’m sharing my tactics with you in case applying even one of them might bring you mental ease, more focus, and greater productivity with less stress. Listen in to hear me share: How I manage my calendar on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis How I use categorized checklists to guide me weeks and each specific day of the week The ways I use “focus mode” and “pause” functions on various tech platforms to remind me when it’s time to focus The ways I use timers to complete tasks and manage energy We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tracy Crowley is an author and entrepreneur who is passionate about helping stay-at-home moms. As a former stay-at-home mom with a side hustle, she knows the day-to-day challenges stay-at-home-moms face when they think about returning to work. After returning to work she realized she had gone through a process others could follow, so she started writing. The result was her Growing Back to Work workbook. Her work life has spanned everything from running her own business to retail to network marketing and now having a full-time career. She has been married for almost 30 years and has raised two boys. She loves connecting with people and partnering with moms to help them be successful. Listen in to hear Tracy share: Her process of deciding to re-enter the workforce and how she was able to create a system around her process How her side hustles and work in a network marketing and networking groups prepared her to re-enter the workforce How to take skills from motherhood and turn them into translatable skills for the workplace - while also creating metrics to support your skills and strengths How to start quickly and easily preparing for a shift in work and return to the workforce The magic of giving yourself 12-18 months to begin your career transition - if you can How to leverage the heck out of little bits of time Links mentioned: Tracy’s podcast: https://www.goodlifestories.com/ Connect with Tracy, get the book, and get her newsletter: https://tracycrowley.life/ Tracy on FB We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Over the last few years, I have heard the discourse on rest evolve dramatically. More and more books are coming out on the importance of rest. Doctors, therapists, and thought leaders are addressing the ways our chronic hustling has harmed us as individuals and as a society. This is great and necessary progress. It is very hard to reprogram a society that was built on devaluing rest, even going so far as labeling anything that’s not explicitly productive as “lazy”. Last year, I read Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey and my eyes were further opened to how our inability to rest is all part of Supremacy culture. Not resting isn’t new. It’s part of an over 400-year-old, very intentionally built system. As you think about what you want and what you need for yourself this year, I want to invite you to explore your relationship with rest. Is resting hard for you, even downright uncomfortable? Do you have a hard time giving yourself permission to do nothing? Do you use rest as a reward when, in reality, it is your birthright? In this episode, you will have the chance to explore your roots with rest as well as your current relationship with rest. If you find rest to be uncomfortable, I’m right there with you. This episode is for us! Let’s make this the year that we reframe our relationships with rest and model what rest looks like to those around us so they may build healthier relationships with rest, shall we? Link mentioned: Book: Rest Is Resistance by Tricia Hersey We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Diana Fryc is a Shameless Mom and stepmom who was raised by immigrant refugee parents. Her father is a holocaust survivor. Professionally, she is a marketing executive with 20 years of experience advising brands from Fortune 50 companies to start-ups on how to address their toughest growth challenges. As partner and CMO of branding firm Retail Voodoo, Diana uses her expertise in brand development, innovation, consumer markets, marketing, and packaging systems to help clients generate meaningful and sustainable growth. Tireless and determined in every element of her work, Diana believes that business should be a force for good. She uses her networking superpowers to drive change in the food, beverage, and wellness industries - specifically in the areas of employment diversity, food equality, and the promotion of sustainable supply chain. She is also the founder and host of The Gooder Podcast where she interviews the powerhouse women leading on every level in food, beverage, and wellness. Listen in to hear Diana share: How her work with Jane Goodall impacted her work and professional journey in a profound way Her experience being raised in the US by immigrant refugee parents and navigating being “in the middle” of so many aspects of her identity - not fitting in in many places and always feeling like an outsider The impact of learning her Dad was a holocaust survivor in her twenties How she has been able to use “finding common ground by acknowledging differences” as a superpower How she has used her values and layered identities to build a company around her personal philosophy to “do good” What she loves and what she struggles with as a stepparent Her experience getting her MBA as a mom of a middle schooler and high schooler Links mentioned: Connect with Diana and follow her work: Retail-voodoo.com Diana’s Podcast: Gooder Podcast Diana on LinkedIn Retail Voodoo on LinkedIn Retail Voodoo on FB Diana on IG We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Looking forward can be exciting. It can also be very scary. It’s easy to put off our future lives because the uncertainty can feel too great, the stakes too high. As I’ve been working with clients and teams over the last few years, it has been so thrilling to see how we can shift what we see as possible when we take some intentional time to look back and find evidence of what we are capable in order to harness that capability moving forward. As the world has flipped itself upside down over and over again in my last 20+ years as an entrepreneur, I have had the opportunity to experience some deep lows followed by very high highs. Over the last few years, I have found myself better able to sit in sticky moments and look toward an uncertain future with ease and even excitement. This is because I’ve had to spend a lot of time collecting past evidence as proof that: I can figure out really complicated things. I’m good at adapting to changing times (even if I hate it). My creativity allows me to be nimble and agile. My intuition is strong and is usually right on the money. These are all things that I long thought I sucked at. But when I started forcing myself to look back before making moves forward, I was able to see my track record. I was able to see all this proof that I was actually good at things I had been telling myself I was horrible at. Recognizing this has given me a tremendous amount of power over my decision-making and action-taking in recent years. In this episode, I walk you through a few ways you can use your past successes and failures to collect the right evidence to help you make bold moves with ease and confidence moving forward. We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices