Shameless Leadership

Cara is a Shameless Mom and Stepmom of 3. She works as a productivity coach and her mission is to help busy moms take massive action on their goals and 3x their productivity without overwhelm or burnout. . She does this via her blog, her wildly popular podcast - The Purpose Driven Mom Show, virtual community groups, and e-courses that help women learn to prioritize their lives! Cara came on the show to talk about some of the most common struggles for moms: productivity, being present and preventing burnout. She has great tips on building micropriorities in order to stay in momentum and prevent losing motivation in your life. Listen in to hear Cara share: Why she left her teaching career and what inspired her current career Her journey from building a 6 figure business to having to visit the food bank to feed her family What it looked like to lose so much while managing her Postpartum Depression, Postpartum Anxiety and rage The mindset shift that allowed her to build A Purpose Driven Mom How to use seasonal productivity to organize your life How to ID the season you are in in life in order to give yourself permission to be present in any season and appreciate it for what it is The 4 microseasons to prevent burnout How to use microproirities to reach your goals The problem with simply relying on motivation to accomplish things Her 15 Minutes Formula and the magical power of only 15 minutes Links mentioned: Connect with Cara: apurposedrivenmom.com Cara on IG Cara on FB Get Cara’s 15 Minute Formula: the15minuteformula.com/free Sponsor info and promo codes: Please find our sponsor information here: 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

One of the most common struggles moms share with me is finding other mom friends. Making friends as a grown-up is so tricky. It can take a lot of time and energy - of which you have little (if any?) to spare. My team and I recently created an Attraction/Amplification/Activation framework for my business coaching clients to help them build powerful business relationships. After I taught this framework, I realized it could be applied to friendships. So, that is what we are going to dig into in this episode. Listen in to hear me share: My Attraction/Amplification/Activation framework to finding awesome relationships The 5 steps to attracting the right kind of friendships into your life Specific conversation starters you can use with new folks you want to connect with and invite into your life Ideas for new friend “dates” How to connect with confidence when you might be feeling a little shy about inviting new friends into your life Link mentioned: Get my newsletter to learn about events where you can connect with other Shameless Moms: shamelessmom.com/newsletter Sponsor info and promo codes: Please find our sponsor information here: 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

Kate Swenson is a proud working mama of four living in suburban Minnesota. She lives for coffee, preaches kindness like her life depends on it and is continuously surprised by the twists and turns of motherhood. Her son Cooper was diagnosed with autism when he was three years old and since then life hasn’t slowed down. Her daily life consists of keeping tiny humans alive and writing, creating videos, and influencing. She launched Finding Cooper's Voice 5 years ago for a place to share her feelings and today it is almost a million people strong. Listen in to Kate share: How she wrote a book as a pregnant mom of 4 during the pandemic The process of her son Cooper being diagnosed with autism The taboo nature of grieving your child’s diagnosis How she held grief and relief simultaneously after Cooper’s diagnosis How she and her husband grieved differently, leading to their divorce and eventual reconciliation and remarriage What communication looks like for Cooper as a non verbal child How to use language in an inclusive way (special needs vs disabilty, autistic child vs child with autism) The backlash and bullying she received after going viral talking about autism Her new book Forever Boy: A Mother's Memoir of Autism and Finding Joy - and why every parent should read it Links mentioned: Join my business training: Build Your Courageous & Confident CEO Blueprint: shamelessmom.com/ceo Connect with Kate: https://findingcoopersvoice.mysites.io Kate on FB Kate on IG Book: Forever Boy: A Mother's Memoir of Autism and Finding Joy Sponsor info and promo codes: Please find our sponsor information here: 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

Quitting is often synonymous with failure or laziness or not enoughness. But the truth is… sometimes quitting is upleveling. Recently, I was on a call with a coaching client and she was sharing some of the shame she was carrying around changing jobs 4 times in one year. As we talked through each job, she shared how her titles and roles became bigger and carried more responsibilities. She had made significant jumps in each new position. Then she charted out her salary in each position to see that she increased her salary with each new role, and over the course of the year, she doubled her salary. Doubled! So, I asked her this: Is it true that each job you quit allowed you to up-level in the next job? When she realized this to be the truth, she became emotional, explaining that she never knew she could carry the title she now carries, nor support her family with this level of income. Sometimes quitting is upleveling. In fact, sometimes the only way to up-level is to quit something. When you quit one thing, you make space for the next thing. With every conscious choice to say NO to one thing, you make space for a YES somewhere else. Whether you are quitting a job, a relationship, a task/chore, a role, spending your time or energy in a certain way, you are making space to move into jobs, roles, relationships, time & energy in a way that is more aligned with your values and who you are becoming. This is upleveling. This is growth. This is power. Tune into this episode to learn more about the power of quitting and how to reframe quitting in your mind in order to step into growth in a more intentional way. Link mentioned: Join my business training: Build Your Courageous & Confident CEO Blueprint: shamelessmom.com/ceo Sponsor info and promo codes: Please find our sponsor information here: 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

Sage B. Hobbs is the author of Naked Communication and the host of Race, Culture, & Beyond: A Naked Conversations Podcast Series. Sage’s passion for maximizing human potential, building emotional intelligence, and cultivating cultures of equity has led to over 20 years of experience working in public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. Her speciality is relational leadership and communication, enabling leaders and team members to create positive relationships and organizational cultures that ensure greater success and satisfaction. With a commitment to continual learning of diversity, equity, and inclusion, Sage brings an equity lens to all of her work. She’s comfortable facilitating uncomfortable conversations in order to support the growth and impact that her clients seek. Sage and I became friends after she was on my show for the first time a couple years ago. As her work has evolved to be more centered around DEI work, we have had some great conversations around what it means to be a white woman talking about race and culture in America. I know many of you are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion across your communities, so I thought this would be a really valuable conversation to have here. Listen in to hear Sage share: How we are building resilience in the smallest moments of joy right now Her daily 10 minute practice with 3 girlfriends that has had massive impact over the last few months Why she decided to launch her podcast, Race, Culture, and Beyond, and the considerations she made to create a show on race as a white woman How she’s handled making inadvertent microaggressions on her show The truth about being an ally, who gets to own that word and the significance of ally being a verb How we can make equity a throughline in all the ways we show up in various communities The power of choosing curiosity over assumption to de escalate conflict and come to a solution How to make space for everyone, especially introverts and slower processors, in conversations Links mentioned: Join my April 6th business training, Build Your Courageous & Confident CEO Blueprint: shamelessmom.com/ceo Podcast: Race, Culture, and Beyond Connect with Sage: sagebhobbs.com Sage on LinkedIn Sage on Instagram: @sagebhobbs and @racecultureandbeyondpodcast TV Shows: Queen Sugar and Remy Book: Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad Sponsor info and promo codes: Please find our sponsor information here: 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 feel like I’m floating above my body, watching myself move through the world.” At least 3 coaching clients have told me this in the last week or so. So many of us are navigating big seasons of change, growth, and transformation. Sometimes that is accompanied by feeling like your world is spinning out of control like you’re moving through your days with no sense of which way is up like your feet are not planted firmly on the ground. This might be because the pace of life is just really fast right now. It might be because you are entering a new season of uncertainty. It might be because there has been a big professional shift for you. It might be because a significant relationship in your life has shifted - or ended. Regardless of why you’re feeling this sensation of floating over yourself, it is absolutely possible to bring your feet back to the ground and feel yourself planted in the moment and in your day. It is possible to bring back a sense of awareness to what you CAN control when things feel out of control. It is possible to learn to return to yourself and feel a sense of ease in moments of dis-ease. In this episode, I walk you through 6 ways you can get grounded when you feel like your world is spinning out of control. These are simple things you can do to get your feet planted beneath you in order to feel a sense or calm and power as you navigate a hard day or a hard season. Link mentioned: Join my April 6th business training, Build Your Courageous & Confident CEO Blueprint: shamelessmom.com/ceo Sponsor info and promo codes: Please find our sponsor information here: 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

Deeann Graham is the award-winning author of Head-On, Stories of Alopecia, and an alopecia coach/consultant, educator, and advocate. She was first diagnosed with alopecia areata (an autoimmune hair loss condition) when she was 7-years-old. She published Head-On, Stories of Alopecia to share stories and photos of people around the world who are living with alopecia, in order to provide a broad perspective on the journey of hair loss. Educating communities in order to empower others who have been diagnosed, especially in the beauty and medical industries, is an important part of Deeann's outreach. She is also the course creator of the Alopecia Roadmap, and host of the Alopecia Life podcast where she continues to educate and share stories to help others realize they are not alone. Listen in to hear Deeann share: Alopecia 101: what alopecia is and how it can manifest differently in people The difference between alopecia and alopecia areata What her life was like as a 7 year who experienced total hair loss What it was like to not know anyone with alopecia like her for 30 years to then making 500 new friends with alopecia Her decision to stop wearing wigs when her daughter was in the 2nd grade and how she handled kids at her daughter’s school talking about her Where people experiencing hair loss can turn for support What to say and what not to say to someone who is bald or balding Links mentioned: Join my free CEO training for small business owners: shamelessmom.com/ceo Connect with Deeann: alopecialife.com/ Get Deeann’s Book: Head-On, Stories of Alopecia Deeann’s Podcast: Alopecia Life Deeann on IG Deeann’s FB Group Nonprofits: https://www.childrensalopeciaproject.org | https://www.naaf.org/ Sponsor info and promo codes: Please find our sponsor information here: 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

One of the most common struggles for women and moms centers around self-worth. Because we are taught from such an early age that we should look a certain way, act a certain way, desire certain things, reject certain things, we often spend a lot of our lives questioning ourselves. We wonder if we are enough, if we are qualified, if we are making the right choice, if we should try harder if we should do things more like others are doing them, We think about how we might be more perfect or polished or positive. We assume other people have it all figured out. We feel alone and isolated and confused. Over the last 6 years, and in my 15-year fitness career before the Shameless Mom Academy, countless women have told me they struggle with self-worth. If you struggle with self-worth, whether it’s been a struggle your entire life or it’s something that is hard for you in this particular season, this episode is for you. Listen in as I walk you through 5 simple steps to start shifting your self-worth today. Link mentioned: Join my free CEO training for small business owners: shamelessmom.com/ceo Sponsor info and promo codes: Please find our sponsor information here: 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

Reshma Saujani is a leading activist and the founder of Girls Who Code and the Marshall Plan for Moms. She has spent more than a decade advocating for women’s and girls’ economic empowerment, working to close the gender gap in the tech sector, and, most recently, championing policies to support mothers impacted by the pandemic. Saujani is also the author of the international bestseller Brave, Not Perfect, and her influential TED talk, “Teach Girls Bravery, Not Perfection,” has more than five million views. She began her career as an attorney and Democratic organizer, and she now lives in New York City with her husband, Nihal; their sons, Shaan and Sai; and their bulldog, Stanley. I have been a long-time follower and admirer of Reshma’s work and her relentless commitment to her mission. I was so delighted when she said yes to this conversation. As you listen to Reshma share how she sees the future of work for women and moms in America, I think you will see yourself reflected over and over again as she offers story after story that Illuminates the impossible expectations put upon moms over the last two years. Listen in to hear Reshma share: What is the Future of Women and Work – and why is it different than we think What women are looking for in an employer The long term significance of 2.3 million women leaving the workforce in the last year Her Marshall Plan for Moms, what came out of it, why it’s critically important in this historical moment What all moms can do to be a part of the PAY UP movement to push through change for moms and women in the workforce across the country Why it’s imperative that we “not waste a good crisis” The constant cognitive dissonance for moms around being told we can have it all and not having access to having it Why she is critical of the feminist movement and is still a Feminist Links mentioned: Connect with Reshma: reshmasaujani.com Get Reshma’s Book: PAY UP: The Future of Women and Work Reshma on IG Reshma on Twitter Please find our sponsor information here: shamelessmom.com/sponsor/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Last week I got stuck. A cascade of hard events plus solo parenting for the week plus general pandemic/war/life fatigue caught up with me. I don’t get stuck often. But every now and then, if I don’t check myself, a series of hard events will send me spiraling into a funkity funk funk. Last week was a funkity funk funk week for sure. After sitting in my funkity funk funk for a good 20 hours or so, I decided it was time to pull out my tools. After many years of defunktifying myself, I know exactly what works for me. After 19 years of coaching women, I know what works for most folks. If you happen to fall into your own funkity funk funks every now and then, this episode is for you. I’m going to walk you through exactly how to defunktify yourself by changing your state to change your day. These tools are really simple, but ridiculously and predictably powerful. They WORK. So, let’s defunktify, shall we? Link mentioned: Leave a review for the SMA: shamelessmom.com/review Please find our sponsor information here: shamelessmom.com/sponsor/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Margaret Ables and Amy Wilson, are comedians, mothers, and hosts of the podcast What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood. What Fresh Hell regularly ranks at the top of the Parenting and Kids and Family charts on Apple Podcasts, and has over five million lifetime downloads. In each episode Margaret and Amy discuss a parenting topic from their usually-completely opposite perspectives. Amy Wilson is the author of When Did I Get Like This? The Screamer, The Worrier, The Dinosaur-Chicken-Nugget Buyer, and Other Mothers I Swore I’d Never Be (HarperCollins) and of Mother Load, a one-woman show which she toured to 16 cities after its hit off-Broadway run. She also appeared as a series regular in two sitcoms (Daddio on NBC and Norm on ABC). She and her husband live in New York City with their three kids. Margaret Ables is a comedian and writer whose work has appeared on MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and PBS. Margaret created television shows for Klasky Csupo (creators of Rugrats) and was the head of video production for Nickelodeon’s mom-centric channel NickMom. Margaret also teaches improv and public speaking in correctional facilities for the non-profit organization Rehabilitation Through the Arts. She and her husband live in Westchester, NY with their three kids. I met Amy and Margaret via our mutual podcast editing team (SHOUT OUT to Christy and Allison!) Christy had a sense we might hit it off and, of course, she was spot on. Listen in to hear Margaret and Amy share: How they came together to create WFH and how each bring their unique strengths to create support for parents how parenting changes and evolves us over the years why we don’t need to fear or resist the constant growth that parenting provides Why new ventures and unchartered territory feel so big and daunting as we approach them, but then so much smaller in hindsight How parenting problems over the years. IE: little kids = lots of problems/easy to solve, big kids = fewer problems, harder to solve The difference between “easy” parenting and satisfying parenting What satisfying parenting looks like and how it can look sooo different than what you expected Links mentioned: Connect with Margaret and Amy: whatfresshhellpodcast.com Podcast: What Fresh Hell WFH on IG WFH FB Group Please find our sponsor information here: shamelessmom.com/sponsor/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I had the honor of speaking at an event for moms last week. My talk was “How to Play Bigger in Life without Asking Permission.” After my talk, 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, we often have to really make a concerted effort to actually use our voices. I gave these women three 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 #1 and #2 over time, you can move to higher exposure speaking up - where the risks and stakes are higher. 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! Listen in to learn more about how to practice speaking up - in order to get what you want and, ultimately, in order to impact the world. Please find our sponsor information here: shamelessmom.com/sponsor/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jennifer Kem is a San Francisco Bay Area-based brand building and leadership expert who gets entrepreneurs seen, heard, and paid for being themselves. She’s the creator of the Master Brand Method: a framework to develop powerful brand archetypes that win customers’ hearts, leveraging Jennifer’s 20 years of corporate experience and her launching of multiple companies. What she is most passionate about in her work today is her legacy project: Femmefluence, a platform that supports women leaders to fully rise into their influence and affluence, so they can make an even greater impact in the world. Jennifer serves up straight talk wrapped in love, because she understands entrepreneurs’ challenges. She built a retail business and became a millionaire at 32, only to lose it all in the recession two years later. She is now the successful owner of three million-dollar brand-building businesses and the mother of three children. I’ve had the opportunity to overlap Jen in a few business groups over the last couple years and she is a force. I finally got to meet her a few months ago and I decided to ask her to be a guest on the show. I was elated when she said yes, as I know she has such a compelling story. Listen in to hear Jen share: Her experience of going through a violating event in her corporate career that changed the trajectory of her work and her life How she went from having it all, to losing it all, to building it all again - all on her own terms as she navigated being a wife and mom What happened when she built and then lost a 10 million dollar a year business What it means to be Values Driven and why it’s crucial to know your values in life and work/business How your values can guide you to make confident and clean decisions How to find and define your values by clarifying your voids and violations Links mentioned: Connect with Jen: www.JenniferKem.com Jen’s Podcast: Femmefluence Radio Jen on Instagram Jen on LinkedIn Jen on Facebook Jen on YouTube Jen on Twitter Jen on Pinterest Please find our sponsor information here: shamelessmom.com/sponsor/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are times when we look at something we would like to accomplish and it just feels too far out of reach - like the work required to get us to that point is not only completely overwhelming but also elusive in nature. When we consider taking action we think: How will I find the time? How will I find the energy? How will I acquire the skills? Do I even have what it takes? By the time we get through this list of questions, we decide it’s too hard, will take too long, we definitely don’t have the skills and we don’t know where to begin to acquire them. So, we do nothing. I want to invite you to an alternative way to take action in your life: practice taking tiny action. What is tiny action? Tiny action is those little steps that we are tempted to skip entirely because we falsely assume they don’t matter or won’t make a difference. But the truth is that if we want to become better action takers, taking tiny action might just be the prerequisite you didn’t know you needed. Taking tiny action is taking any action step and making it smaller, less overwhelming, less time consuming, less frequent, less energy-consuming. When we practice taking tiny action over time, we begin to see the effects of compound interest: 10 minutes of exercise each day that boosts energy and productivity 10 minutes of reading each day that inspires our work or our way of thinking Yoga once a week that alleviates back pain Date nights once a month that improve our marriage Asking for what we need from our family once a week that leads to more personal time Speaking up at the monthly office meeting that leads to being considered for a new role at work As we take action in these small ways, our identity starts to shift and we see ourselves as more capable, more confident, more courageous. We see ourselves as action takers who go after the things we want and actually get them! This shift is not tiny. Taking tiny action leads to BIG shifts. In this episode, I share 4 ways taking tiny action gives you more power. Then, I share 3 simple steps to taking tiny action #everydamnday. Please find our sponsor information here: shamelessmom.com/sponsor/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Laurel Handfield began her writing career years ago in a small, suburban town outside of Philadelphia, PA. In college, she majored in business marketing and after graduation, she worked in sales, marketing, and advertising. However, a trip to the Bahamas led to a shift in focus and a rediscovery of her true passion: writing. Her vacation to the islands turned into an unexpected romance when she met and fell in love with her now-husband. After two years in a long-distance relationship, she decided to move to the Bahamas permanently. While life in the Bahamas was slower and more relaxed, she also discovered that her marketing career didn’t hold quite as much opportunity on the islands as it did in the United States, so she went back to creating. She wrote and ghostwrote over five full-length novels, including a fictional tale about the only Black family on the Titanic. Today, Laurel creates coloring/activity books for young girls of color. She still calls the Bahamas home and enjoys the laid-back island life with her husband, three children, and two dogs. Listen in to hear Laurel share: Her journey of building her self esteem as a young Black girl and then a Black woman The impact of being teased for her looks and physical attributes as a young girl How the impact of her low self-worth led to self-harm in the form of an eating disorder How she healed from her low self-esteem and eating disorder - and recognized what an epidemic there was around the struggles she was facing What inspired her work to create books and coloring books for girls of color How moms can affirm their daughter’s worth in different ways Her advice to moms who might want to write a book Links mentioned: Join me in Jen Lumanlan’s 10 week Taming Your Triggers workshop: shamelessmom.com/taming Connect with Laurel: www.happyislandpress.com Laurel’s Books on Amazon: Happy Island Press Laurel on FB Laurel on IG Laurel on TikTok Please find our sponsor information here: shamelessmom.com/sponsor/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Back in August of 2021, I got a text from my dear friend Laura Cathcart Robbins: “Sara, I know this is crazy, but I’m going on the Dr. Phil show on Wednesday to talk about CRT and they’ve just asked me if I know of any white moms who might be willing to speak as an ally and I thought of you. Would this be something you would consider?” I thought for a solid 30 seconds, felt like I might vomit, and then said YES. The next day, I flew to LA to record the show. It was a whirlwind event around a huge topic: Should Critical Race Theory be Taught in Schools? This week, I asked Laura if she would come on the SMA (for the 3rd time - WHOOP!) to have a conversation around our experience and around Critical Race Theory in America. If you’re not familiar with Laura, she is the host of the popular podcast, The Only One In The Room (you must subscribe!), and author of the forthcoming Atria/Simon& Schuster memoir, STASH (due out in spring of 2023). She has been active for many years as a speaker and school trustee and is credited for creating The Buckley School’s nationally recognized committee on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice. Her recent articles in Huffpo and The Temper on the subjects of race, recovery, and divorce have garnered her worldwide acclaim. She is a LA Moth StorySlam winner and currently sits on the advisory boards of the San Diego Writer’s Festival and the Outliers HQ podcast Festival. In this conversation, Laura and I dig into: Why each of us said YES to appearing on Dr. Phil Some of the behind the scenes surprises while taping the show What Critical Race Theory actually is Our takeaways from the conversation we had with 6 other guests on the show - all of whom had strong opinions and some very opposed to ours What the media is actually talking about when they talk about “Critical Race Theory in schools” Steve Bannon’s involvement in creating an intentionally divisive conversation for Conservatives to more easily pave the road to the White House What is actually being taught in schools that is being misrepresented as Critical Race Theory Why age appropriate race education is crucial in schools Links mentioned: Join me in Jen Lumanlan’s 10 week Taming Your Triggers workshop: shamelessmom.com/taming Connect with Laura: theonlyonepod.com/ Podcast: The Only One In The Room Laura on YouTube Laura on IG Please find our sponsor information here: shamelessmom.com/sponsor/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Melissa Guida-Richards is a Shameless Mom to two little boys and the author of WHAT WHITE PARENTS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT TRANSRACIAL ADOPTION. Melissa uses her gift of writing to help other adoptees and adoptive families. Her work has been featured in The Independent, Zora, Insider, HuffPo, Level at Medium, Electric Literature, Hello Giggles. And she had a viral Huffpost Article, My Adoptive Parents Hid My Racial Identity For 19 Years. She is also a contributing writer for The Everymom. I am in a Facebook group for writers and when Melissa shared a bit of her story in that group, I immediately reached out to ask her if she’d be willing to join me here on the podcast. I’m so grateful that she said yes. Listen in to hear Melissa share: Her adoption story of being adopted from an orphanage in Colombia, being raised in New York, and not being told she was adopted until age 19 The process of discovering she was Latina, not Portuguese Italian, as her family had led her to believe The process of having her article, My Adoptive Parents Hid My Racial Identity For 19 Years, go viral The evolution of her relationship with her parents in the years after discovering she was adopted What inspired her to write her first book, What White Parents Should Know About Transracial Adoption Important notes for white adoptive parents or prospective white adoptive parents Her experience of finding her biological sisters and mom How having her own children created an entire process of grieving around her adoption How she’s connected to her Colombian culture as an adult and as a mom raising Colombian sons Links mentioned: Join me in Jen Lumanlan’s 10-week Taming Your Triggers workshop: shamelessmom.com/taming Connect with Melissa: AdopteeThoughts.com Melissa’s Book, What White Parents Should Know About Transracial Adoption Melissa on IG Please find our sponsor information here: shamelessmom.com/sponsor/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For the last couple weeks, I have been talking about triggers in parenting - and life. I had to laugh as I was putting together content for this episode. As I was preparing my notes early one morning, Vinnie told me his “nose was burning.” He shared this about 7 minutes before we were supposed to leave for school. Of course. Given the current Covid climate, I couldn’t just send him to school. We had to talk through a litany of symptoms, take his temperature, run a rapid Covid test… All the damn things required if one has the slightest inkling their child might be bringing germs to school. The Covid test came back negative, but with a sore throat (aka “burning nose”) and a bit of congestion on board, V had to stay home from school. This was NOT the plan I had for my day. NOT AT ALL. I found myself totally triggered in the middle of creating this episode on the top triggers facing moms in 2022. Talk about ironic timing… I know I’m not the only mom who is super over the constant uncertainty of every single day, the endless pivoting of best laid plans, and the chronic fatigue of juggling 197 things #everydamnday. In this episode, I share the 8 top triggers impacting moms right now as well. It is my hope that you will feel seen and held as reflect on all that you are being expected to manage right now. Then I offer you some “medicine” to support your mental and emotional health as you continue to show up day after day doing your very best. As always, we are in this together. I’m losing my shit just as often as you… promise. Let’s stick together, shall we. Link mentioned: Join me in Jen Lumanlan’s 10 week Taming Your Triggers workshop: shamelessmom.com/taming Please find our sponsor information here: shamelessmom.com/sponsor/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jen Lumanlan holds a Masters in Psychology in Child Development and hosts the Your Parenting Mojo podcast, which is a reference guide for parents of children between the toddler and elementary years based on scientific research and the principles of respectful parenting. In each episode, she examines a topic related to parenting and child development from all sides to help parents understand how to make decisions about raising their children. She lives in California with her husband and daughter. This is Jen’s second time on the show. She is back this time to talk about taming your triggers in parenting, which is a very timely topic, like every parent I know is feeling especially spread thin and beyond exhausted after enduring the last two years. We dig into the concept of parenting triggers and then Jen coaches me about a trigger that is very front and center in my own parenting journey right now. Please enjoy hearing me get uncomfortable! Listen in to hear Jen share: Why you’re feeling triggered by your child's behavior How your parenting triggers might be connected to your own “little t” traumas or “big T” traumas of your past How your own trauma of unmet needs impacts your parenting The “magic bullet” to help you manage guilt and shame in hard parenting moments Coaching me through raising an extrovert who likes to be really loud all the time Scripts you can use to navigate conversations with your child so you can both get your needs met in hard moments The connection between our parenting and smashing the patriarchy The value in practicing repairing your relationship with your child after having a hard moment How to work with her (and me!) in her 10-week workshop, Taming Your Triggers Links mentioned: Sign up for Jen’s free Masterclass on February 12th: How to Tame Your Triggers Around Your Child's Difficult Behavior: shamelessmom.com/triggers Join me and enroll in Jen’s 10-week workshop, Taming Your Triggers between February 13th-23rd: shamelessmom.com/taming Book: Set Boundaries, Find Peace Please find our sponsor information here: shamelessmom.com/sponsor/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I was in a conversation with a coaching client the other day and we were hashing out some details around her company branding and mission. She is a badass coach who works with moms who want to learn how to prioritize themselves in order to shift the relationship to self and the way they parent to overcome things like mom rage and all the other overwhelming emotions that come with momming on any given day. As we were talking through some ideas, she mentioned how the moms she works with want to “become better moms”. I found myself nodding along. Yes, of course! Who doesn’t want to be a better mom?! The next morning. I found myself in the shower thinking about this conversation and I had a visceral reaction. NO. WE DON’T NEED TO BECOME BETTER MOMS. I get that we desire to be our very best for our kids. And we always want to become better versions of ourselves. I know so many of you listening are committed to growth and evolution and doing better when it comes to everything from the way you mother to the way you show up at work to the way you participate as a good citizen in your communities. But, if we are carrying with us this constant idea that, “I need to be a better mom”, we are likely carrying guilt, shame and a strong sense of not enoughness. It is quite possible that your desire to “become a better mom” is completely undermining the incredible mother you already are. In this episode, I dig into how you can change your mindset around the mother you currently are in order to bring more joy and peace to mothering and life in general. You are already an amazing mom. Full stop. Link mentioned: Sign up for Jen Lumanlan’s free Masterclass on February 12th: How to Tame Your Triggers Around Your Child's Difficult Behavior: shamelessmom.com/triggers Please find our sponsor information here: shamelessmom.com/sponsor/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Amy Henderson is one of our nation’s leading voices on the critical role of parenting and caregiving in developing the future of work. Amy has three kids and is the founding CEO of TendLab, where she has been working with companies and their parents’ groups at places like Salesforce, Accenture, Cloudflare, Airbnb, Lululemon, and many others to optimize the workplace for parents. As cited in Forbes for her "truly collaborative nature," Amy also started and co-leads the Fam Tech Founders Collaborative, a network of over 180 founders who are solving for the needs of caregivers. A regular speaker and author advocating on behalf of the power of parenthood at work, Amy has been featured in and written for The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fortune, Fast Company, Slate, InStyle, and more. Her book, 'Tending: Parenthood and the Future of Work," was published by Nationbuilder Books in May 2021. I got to hear Amy speak at an event for her book recently and I was blown away. I reached out to her (aka: stalked her down online) immediately after the event and asked her to join me for an interview. I’m so delighted and honored she said yes. Her work is not only brilliant, but absolutely critical, right now. Listen in to hear Amy share: Her stark realizations after having 3 kids under the age of 4 and having to figure out how to raise babies and her career How parenthood changes all parents brains - regardless of whether or not you birthed your child How parenthood unlocks parts of your brain forever - that qualify you to show up and lead in new and more dynamic ways for the rest of your life Why the US is the only developed country in the world in which parenthood decreases your happiness instead of increasing it The motherhood penalty in the workplace - PS: it’s REAL How PTSD prepared her for being a working mom in America 5 things parenthood unlocks within you that makes you more capable and marketable if you choose to leverage them What gives her hope for working moms in the US - and how COVID may have helped us in a certain sense Links mentioned: Book: Tending: Parenthood and the Future of Work Connect with Amy: amyhenderson.org TendLab: TendLab.com Amy on LinkedIn Amy on Instagram Amy on Twitter Amy on Facebook Please find our sponsor information here: shamelessmom.com/sponsor/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are you the type of person who must keep moving forward in order to keep up hope? I definitely am. When things get heavy and hard, if I sit down for too long, the weight of the world becomes heavier with every inhale. The walls start to close in on me, anxiety takes control of my brain, and it can take an uncomfortable, if not unreasonable amount of time to break down those walls. I hate dealing with those walls, so I am careful not to let them close in on me. I stay in motion. I make things happen. I keep up the momentum. Even when things are hard. This doesn’t mean I don’t rest. It just means that I KEEP GOING, even if I slow down a bit, even if I stop for a nap. It means I keep looking for the light, which sometimes means searching for the tiniest cracks to find the light only beginning to peek in. It means I look for reasons and purpose and people to guide me toward possibility. We are in a time right now where possibilities can feel pretty limited. So, I wanted to share with you how I’m helping my clients amplify possibility as I coach individuals and groups through this relentless season. In this episode I share 5 steps to help you amplify possibility right now: Assume success Step back to see the forest through the trees more regularly Reconsider timelines and stop waiting for “someday” Tighten and expand your circle as frequently as necessary Find the edges and feel them After you listen in, let me know how you will KEEP GOING and one step you will take to amplify possibility this week. Link mentioned: Leave a review for the show: shamelessmom.com/review (Thank you!! Your reviews mean soooo much to me!) Please find our sponsor information here: shamelessmom.com/sponsor/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Terri Cole is a licensed psychotherapist, global relationship and empowerment expert, and the author of Boundary Boss-The Essential Guide to Talk True, Be Seen and (Finally) Live Free. For over two decades, she has worked with a diverse group of clients that includes everyone from stay-at-home moms to celebrities and Fortune 500 CEOs. Terri has a gift for making complex psychological concepts accessible and actionable so that clients and students achieve sustainable change. She inspires over 450,000 people weekly through her blog, social media platform, signature courses, and her popular podcast, The Terri Cole Show. When the opportunity to interview Terri landed in my inbox, I JUMPED. I have heard her speak a few times over the years and she is always FIRE. I cannot wait to share her genius here with you! Make sure to check out the free gift she is offering all Shameless Moms at boundaryboss.me/shameless. Listen in to hear Terri share: What boundaries are (your own personal rules of engagement) and why they matter Disordered and dysfunctional boundaries The importance of uncovering your downloaded boundary blueprint The danger of the truth that: “Women are raised and praised to be self-abandoning codependents” How to take small steps to better boundaries and pause all of your YESes Why boundaries are crucial in parenting and what disordered boundaries in parenting can look like How fear shows up and prevents us from setting healthy boundaries and speaking truthfully How she works with people through The Real Love Revolution - via a deep dive into yourself Links mentioned: Learn about Terri’s course, Real Love Revolution: terricole.com/rlr Terri’s free gift for Shameless Moms: boundaryboss.me/shameless Podcast: The Terri Cole Show: https://terricole.com/itunes Terri on IG Terri on Twitter Terri on FB Terri on YouTube Please find our sponsor information here: shamelessmom.com/sponso Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We set mothers up to fail in this pandemic. For decades before the pandemic began, we told moms they could and should DO IT ALL. While the intent was to give women permission to do all the things men do - we screwed this one up. Big time. Instead of giving moms the support they need (read: childcare and household support), we let them just keep adding to their plates in an effort to prove they can “do it all”. After decades of piling on all the things and 2 years of a global pandemic, moms are breaking under the pressure and no one is talking about it. I routinely hear moms say things like: “I just need to get through this day/week/season.” “I know I have it better than others so I really don’t want to complain.” “It’s not that bad. I’m just a little tired. I can push through.” But, the reality is… for almost 700 days now: You haven’t had a break Society hasn’t acknowledged the massive load you’ve carried for the last 2 years (or decades before that) There is no end and no relief in sight Social media makes it look like everyone else is faring just fabulously, so you really should figure your shit out There are no solutions being presented that make anything easier - just temporary workarounds that might work for a hot second until the next dumpster fire The truth is… You don’t need to push harder You don’t need to try to keep up You don’t pretend this isn’t hard as hell You don’t need to ignore or negate the impact of the last 2 years - even if you’ve “had it better than others” What you really need is likely: To be and acknowledged as someone who has (perhaps single handedly) kept the world spinning for an entire household To recognize that you have endured Trauma and/or trauma over the last 2 years in the form of loss, grief, and chronic stress and it’s taken a toll on your nervous system and mental health Connection and camaraderie with women who can hold you, hear you, learn with you and laugh with you FUN In this episode, I talk you through how to get past what you’ve been fed in order to get WHAT YOU NEED. Link mentioned: Join Momentum Mamas by January 25: shamelessmom.com/momentum Please find our sponsor information here: shamelessmom.com/sponsor/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Uzma Jafri grew up in Houston, the daughter of Muslim immigrants from Pakistan and India. Coming from a traditional Muslim family and being unapologetically Muslim, while still identifying with American culture, made Uzma hyperaware of the dangers that arise when people conflate culture and religion. Today, Uzma is a physician running her own practice in Phoenix, medical director of an assisted living and hospice agency, and clinical faculty to future physicians. Uzma’s most important full-time job is that of mom to her 4 kids. Zaiba Hasan is an American Muslim who grew up biracial and bicultural. Born and raised in Chicago, Zaiba’s Irish/Pakistani heritage and interfaith upbringing gave her a head start on navigating between identities. She is frequently invited to speak at interfaith events since her background makes her a natural at bridging gaps between Muslims and non-Muslims in the United States. When she isn’t busy with podcasting, public speaking, fostering an interfaith community, or working on her Master’s Degree & Parent Coaching Certification, Zaiba can be found with her husband and their four children at one of their sporting events. I am so honored to have Uzma and Zaiba on the show, as this is a critically important conversation for those who want to be true allies to our Muslim friends, neighbors, and community members. Listen in to hear Uzma and Zaiba share: The story of how two Muslim friends who hadn’t seen each other in 20 years decided to launch a podcast together How Zaiba’s son being stopped at an airport as a 14-year old Muslim boy inspired their show, Mommying While Muslim How creating a community and resource for Muslim moms ended up attracting a lot of white moms and evangelical men and the value of creating a space where listeners feel like they can be a fly on the wall with two Muslim moms The significance of being in the last pre 911 generation of Muslims in America The racial and religious profiling that happened and continues to happen post 911 How we expand our capacity to connect as humans when we listen in to the stories of people who are unlike us Links mentioned: Join Momentum Mamas: shamelessmom.com/momentum Subscribe to the Podcast: Mommying While Muslim Learn more about Uzma and Zaiba: mommyingwhilemuslim.com Reach out to Uzma and Zaiba: [email protected] Uzma and Zaiba on IG Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s not ok. Mothers need mentorship. Desperately. And we’re not getting it - anywhere, really. Because as a culture we leave moms to fend for themselves with ridiculously frugal resources to support their physical and mental health in the early years of motherhood, most moms are left feeling lonely and isolated as they care for their babies. Sometimes desperately so. And they have nowhere to turn. In the absence of mentorship, moms feel like they are failing, like everyone else has it all figured out and they just need to “be strong” or pull themselves up by their bootstraps. There is no guidance, let alone connection, companionship or camaraderie for struggling moms. There is no clear path through hard days or hard seasons. There is no normalization of how incredibly hard motherhood is. There are plenty of beautiful instagram accounts that suggest you should be camera ready at all times and be hustling to post all your baby’s milestones and all your career wins, but no permission for you to be chronically overwhelmed and overstimulated, exhausted to the point of disorientation, disconnected to your former sense of self to the point of major anxiety and/or depression. ENOUGH ALREADY. In today’s episode, I break down what moms are missing out on when they don’t have mentorship, the harm we perpetuate as a society that doesn’t prioritize mother’s needs and 5 ways for you to find the connection and mentorship you’re likely craving. Link mentioned: Get SMA updates and an invitation to Momentum Mamas: shamelessmom.com/newsletter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sandra is a mom of a 6 year old and an 8 year old. She is the owner of Family Personalities and the co-host of the Family Personalities podcast, a show that brings personality type models into parenting. If this conversation fascinates you as much as it does me, definitely go subscribe to her show! Sandra uses her experience and training in Myers-Briggs personality type, to work with families, helping them parent more effectively and compassionately based on their children's unique wiring and needs. I am obsessed with personality types. I believe that knowing your type gives you so much power to lean into who you truly are in all the best ways possible. This was a fantastic and deeply insightful conversation all around how knowing our personality type and our kid’s personality types can be hugely beneficial and helpful in supporting our kid’s needs. Listen in to hear Sandra share: How to use the Myers-Briggs to understand how you make decisions, how you get energy, how you take in information How to best figure out your Myers-Briggs type - outside of standard assessments Why is super valuable to know your kids type in order to see some of their “harder” behaviors in a positive light How to use your child’s type to motivate them Her experience of struggling to “go with the flow” when enduring 4 miscarriages and really looking at her type to learn how to step away in order to see the bigger and pivot Learning about the NJ superpower: gleaning insight, taking in data/info and curating it to create something bigger Links mentioned Connect with Sandra: familypersonalities.com Sandra on IG Sandra on FB Family Personalities Podcast: familypersonalities.com/podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It is highly likely there are some messages you have internalized from your childhood that still have a stronghold on you. These may have been explicit messages shared by friends and family members or maybe quiet, subtle, more insidious messages that became a part of who you are without you even realizing it. Whatever the case may be, these messages are holding you back. They are half truths at best and harmful lies at worst. They likely keep you stuck in self criticism, self doubt, and frequent not-enoughness. These messages have likely created feedback loops in your brain that tell you stories and keep you repeating patterns that don’t serve you and possibly even bring you great struggle. In this episode I share three messages that I carried from my childhood: People can leave at any moment. And some people might not know how to love you. Your body size is a reflection of your worth. Smaller is always better. There are barely enough resources to get by. If anything unexpected happens, there won’t be enough. These messages wove their way into my life in a variety of ways - some through observation, some were verbalized to me, and some were overheard (as I was/am a world class eavesdropper.) I am sharing these 3 messages with you because it is likely you can relate to at least one of them. And you can also probably think of a few more that are unique to you. If you carry messages like these with you and keep listening to them you will constantly struggle to see potential and possibility in your life. As we enter another season of uncertainty in the world, we can’t afford to carry messages that compromise possibility and potential. So, I’m going to invite you to change your messaging and your thought loops - starting now. Link mentioned Join my 2022 Plan & Prep Pajama Party: shamelessmom.com/pajamaparty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Eliza Reynolds is a best-selling author, speaker, and professional big sibling who keeps it real. She’s spent the last 15 years creating space for preteen and teen girls to be their authentic selves, and now offers online mentorship programs teaching emotional intelligence, embodiment, body literacy, and more for big-hearted preteen and teen girls who are tired of faking it at Badass Girls. I have a number of friends who have teen girls. I’m learning a lot about this world and - WOW - there is a lot to learn. I’m so grateful to Eliza for her generous work. And I’m very inspired to work on my own inner teen work. I didn’t realize that I had some stuff to heal until Eliza pointed it out. I hope you’ll join me in this venture, as I think it could be critical to our parenting. Listen in to hear Eliza The importance of doing our own inner teen work in order to support teens in our lives The importance of socializing girls to trust themselves Why we need to talk about the most intense parts of being a teen openly rather than shying away from it - like we probably did back when we were teens How we can heal our own inner teen in order to help the teens in our lives How to self regulate as a mom so you can respond rather than react in hard moments of parenting The steps of moving from dependence to interdependence to independence in parenting The 3 S’s of toxic mean girl culture How toxic mean girl culture is still alive and well among grown women - and why it exists beyond the teen years Why #girlpower is a weary anthem that we need to replace with actual action steps to dismantle systems of oppression and build actual self trust Why performative confidence is dangerous and damaging 3 ways for any mom to show up for preteen and teen girls in your family and community Links mentioned: Sign up for my Plan & Prep Pajama Party Connect with Eliza: me Book: Hold On To Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Kids by Gordon Neufeld Eliza on IG: @badassgirls.parents and @badassgirls.me Free Resource: Badass Girls Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy 2022! As you take your first steps into this new year, I want to invite you to NOT leap into 18 resolutions that only last for 18 days. Instead, I’m going to offer you a more simple and more enjoyable alternative that will allow you to actually get what you want out of 2022 without complete overwhelm and massive risk of failure. Here’s how this is going to go… As you prepare to own 2022, I want you to make repeated small commitments over time. Here is a simple protocol to help you get started with your first desired action step: Decide small action step you want to take Schedule it Share it with others Practice it repeatedly Recognize that each time you practice this, it is becoming more a part of who you are Continually return to your core values - remembering that you are an action taker who takes small steps over and over and that is part of your SECRET SAUCE for cultivating courage and growth In this episode, I walk you through this process step by step with examples to help you see exactly what it takes to step into more courageous action and exactly how life changing these practices can be. Links mentioned: LAST CHANCE for Early Bird Registration for my 2022 Plan & Prep Pajama Party: shamelessmom.com/pajamaparty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joree Rose, MA, LMFT, is a licensed marriage and family therapist, mindfulness and meditation teacher, coach, author, speaker, and she also leads mindfulness retreats around the world. Joree has helped thousands of people to live happier and more fulfilling lives through living with greater awareness and compassion, allowing them to decrease their stress, anxiety and shed unhealthy habits, patterns, and mindsets. Joree is host of the podcast ‘Journey Forward® with Joree Rose’ and has authored the newly released A Year of Gratitude, Daily Moments of Reflection, Grace and Thanks as well as 2 mindfulness books, Squirmy Learns to be Mindful and Mindfulness, It’s Elementary. Joree has been featured in prominent media outlets such as Oprahmag.com, NBCnews.com, Business Insider, KTLA News, and so many more! I was recently a guest on Joree’s podcast and within the first few minutes of that conversation I knew I had to ask her to join us here/ I’m so glad she said YES. This is a fascinating and important conversation into the importance of recognizing all the dynamics at play with multiple generations of our families. Listen in to hear Joree share: How she’s navigating this season of her teen daughters getting ready to leave home and the evolving framework of her family shifting The utter joy and devastation of your children growing up How to recognize transgenerational patterns of over-enmeshment with your family and how to start to build healthier boundaries How her mom’s family trauma led to transgenerational over-enmeshment and codependency - which was necessary for survival at one time, but dysfunctional over the course of generations How she recognized her patterns of needing to create safety and security in order to “be happy” Why she had the courage to get divorced How she shifted the way she saw her entire world through adopting a mindfulness practice Links mentioned: Sign up for my Plan & Prep Pajama Party Connect with Joree: Joree Rose Podcast: Journey Forward with Joree Rose Joree on IG Joree on FB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In those first few months after becoming a mom, you start to feel like all your other identities are being stripped away. 97% of your attention goes to this baby and the other 3% is spread across your past identities like partner, friend, employee, athlete, artist, free spirit, independent woman - where you feel like you’re only showing up as a shell of your former self in any of these formerly cherished roles. It took me a few years to figure out who I was beyond a mom. There was no going back to my old roles and identities because some just didn’t fit anymore and the ones that did still fit were dressed totally differently and felt so unfamiliar. Yes, I was still a wife, but in an “I love you and can we not talk because I’m too tired to talk or listen” kinda way. Yes, I was still a business owner, but in a “cut-to-the-chase, I only have time for the essentials” kinda way.. Yes, I was still a daughter, but in an “I can call you at nap time, and can only talk for 20 minutes because I also have to shower, eat lunch, prep dinner, do laundry, and clean the freaking breast pump parts” kinda way. As I came out of this new mom fog (which took a solid 3 years, btw), I started to catch glimpses of who I was becoming: A business owner who could move mountains with very little sleep A daughter with healthier boundaries A wife who could relax and have fun and talk about something other than the baby. A friend who was ready for new friend adventures. A colleague who was a fantastic listener and advisor. A storyteller who could make people laugh and cry on demand. A coach who could help people see their own power in their lowest moments. An athlete who could dump 2 hour workouts of the past and squeeze in 20 minutes of sweat to feel like a total badass on any given day. A student open to learning about the world and all people in new and different ways. In this episode, I share how understanding the evolution of my identity (or rather identities) made a huge difference in my ability to show up for my life and really build a life I love that, yes, includes motherhood, but is not only about motherhood. Links Mentioned: Register for my Plan & Prep Pajama Party Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Elizabeth Milovidov is a lawyer from California, a law professor in Paris, France, and a Digital Safety Consultant in Europe. Using her European/American focus on Internet, technology, and social media issues, she researches solutions to empower parents to guide their children in the digital age. She is the founder of DIGITALEM, a website, and community with resources and strategies for parents. Currently, she is an independent consultant for the Council of Europe (Children’s Rights and Education departments), Microsoft (Digital Safety), Family Online Safety Institute (digital parenting), and e-Enfance (Child online protection). She is an international speaker on digital parenting and safety and her work has been featured in WSJ, BBC, France 24, HuffingtonPost, Internet Matters, and other media outlets and organizations focused on child online safety. Internet safety is such a huge and important topic. I’m so grateful to have Elizabeth here to dig deep into this today. Listen in to hear Elizabeth share: How she went from being a lawyer to digital safety consulting The grief and growth that motherhood presented her What digital parenting looks like What are Connected Conversations and how to have Connected Conversations with your kids Why 13 is the recommended minimum age for kids to get on social media - and why it should perhaps be 23 if we want to be aligned with full brain development The one question you should go ask your kids about the internet right now How to create space for your child to thrive in the digital environment while keeping risks lower Creating a culture of “shared responsibility” around your child(ren)’s digital use, rather than relying on policing them online Links mentioned: Sign up for my Plan & Prep Pajama Party: shamelessmom.com/pajamaparty Digitalem.org @digiparentcoach Facebook group: Digital Parenting Community Movies: The Social Network, Screenagers Thank you to our sponsor: Talkspace: To match with your perfect therapist for a fraction of the price of traditional therapy, go totalkspace.com, Make sure to use the code SHAMELESS to get $100 off your first month and show your support for the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What are the stumbling blocks that are holding you back from starting? More often than we’d like to admit we stop ourselves from starting. We make up all sorts of stories about why now is not the right time, how we’re just not quite ready, how we need more information or skills before we start, how we should wait until we have more time & energy. Behind these stories are a lot of excuses we make in order to stay in our comfortable bubbles. But, if we’re being really honest with ourselves, we might have to admit that staying in our comfort zones gets pretty uncomfortable after a while. Staying comfortable for too long breeds a new kind of discomfort - regret, resentment, wondering “what if I had just started way back when??” In today’s episode I talk you through 4 things that are stopping you from starting: Insecurities and the stories you tell yourself as a result of them A lifelong erosion of self trust A lack of connection to your intuition Infrequent practice using your voice and stepping into leadership and into action As we dig into these 4 concepts, it is likely that you’ll be able to connect some dots that will allow you to start taking small steps toward the things you really want, the things you very much deserve and the things you are very much qualified to do. Link mentioned: Sign up for my Plan & Prep Pajama Party Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cameron Normand is the host of The Stepmom Diaries podcast, co-founder of The Stepmom Summit, and founder and CEO of This Custom Life, where she provides stepmoms with tools and advice to help them embrace their blended family lives. She is a Certified Stepparent Coach, the creator of the BLENDED Family Formula For Stepmom Success, and author of The Stepmom’s Gratitude Journal. Cameron received her BA from the University of South Carolina and her JD from Emory University School of Law. By day, she is a corporate politico in the Washington, D.C. area and serves on several non-profit boards. She was named one of the Washington Business Journal’s, “Women Who Mean Business.” Cameron is known as “Cammie G” to four stepchildren. In her spare time, she loves pop culture, good coffee, spending time with her husband, and trying to achieve that elusive concept of “balance.” I was so excited to have the opportunity, as I hae been wanting to include stepmoms in our conversations around Shameless Motherhood for some time now. I’m so grateful to Cameron for her openness in this conversation. Listen in to hear Cameron share: What it was like to become a stepmom to 4 kids, ages 8-14 - the speed bumps, the potholes, and the sinkholes The importance of recognizing that the blended family is born out of loss 1300+ stepfamilies form everyday - why it’s important for us to recognize this as a society The struggle for stepmoms to fit into mom culture The importance of validation, compassion, and empathy for stepmoms Her advice for stepmoms who might be struggling Her BLENDED Family Formula of 7 steps to support stepmoms Common misconceptions about stepmoms and how to reframe them Links mentioned: Join my 2022 Plan & Prep Pajama Party Connect with Cameron BLENDED Family Formula The Stepmom Diaries Podcast Stepfamily Magazine Insta: @this_custom_life and @stepmomdiariespodcast Cameron on Facebook Facebook group for stepmoms Cameron on Twitter Thank you to our sponsor: Talkspace: To match with your perfect therapist for a fraction of the price of traditional therapy, go to talkspace.com, Make sure to use the code SHAMELESS to get $100 off your first month and show your support for the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I have an invitation for you. As you move through these last 2 weeks of 2021, I'm going to invite you to let go of 3 little (ok, maybe not so little) lies that are likely holding you back. Here are the lies: Everybody else has it all figured out Nobody gets it/gets me There’s never enough time If you felt a bit of contraction in your gut, like, “Ughhh, I’m totally stuck in that lie,” I got you. What you feel is true for you - and completely valid. But are these stories you’re telling yourself around these lies legit and valid? AND, Are they serving you? You can spin a story in your head in any direction - in a direction that serves you and encourages you to grow and evolve - OR - in a direction that halts you and hinders your growth and your ability to move forward on any given day. In this episode, I share the truths behind these lies. It is my hope that these truths will help you rewrite the stories you’re telling yourself that are holding you back. Only you can decide what you leave behind in 2021 and how you step boldly into 2022. To get all you want out of the next year, it might require letting go of some of the stories you’ve been telling yourself in 2021. In this with you. Always. Link mentioned: Join my 2022 Plan & Prep Pajama Party Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ronit Plank is a writer, teacher, and podcaster whose work has been featured in The Rumpus, The Atlantic, The Iowa Review, Writer’s Digest, The Washington Post, HuffPost, and The New York Times among others. Her stories and essays have been nominated for both the Pushcart Prize and The Best of the Net and she is author of When She Comes Back, a memoir about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation. Her short story collection Home Is A Made-Up Place won Hidden River Arts’ 2020 Eludia Award and will be published in 2022. I met Ronit at an event a couple months ago and had an immediate connection with her. As I’ve read her book, When She Comes Back, I feel like we are long lost sisters at times. While we had different experiences growing up, we both had parents who abandoned us, creating this void of confusion in our lives that left us constantly questioning how to take up space. If you’ve watched the docuseries Wild, Wild Country, some of Ronit’s story will be familiar, as the cult featured in the docuseries is the cult her mother joined. Listen in to hear Ronit share: Her experience of being born on a kibbutz in Israel and living separately from her parents as a baby and toddler The effects of her mom leaving her and her little sister to follow a guru How she maintained a relationship with her mom in spite of being repeatedly abandoning her The challenge and conflicting emotions of having her mom be close to her after her daughter was born What it’s been like for her to mother after not having a mother role model The difference between the vulnerabilities we choose to share and those we must carry How knowing someone’s story creates space for compassion in spaces where compassion might not otherwise exist Links mentioned: Get my newsletter to be notified of our 2022 Plan & Prep Pajama Party Connect with Ronit and get the book: Ronit Plank IG/Twitter: @ronitplank Thank you to our sponsor: Evite: Head over to Evite to choose from thousands of design options to create and send invitations for free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are at that time of year where it’s easy to wake up every morning and feel like you're 5 days behind on everything. Work deadlines, gift lists, travel plans… It’s so much! I want you to take a moment to imagine what it would be like to wake up each morning of this holiday season feeling a sense of peace and ease. Last week, in our membership community, Momentum Mamas, we had a couple members share that they completely flipped Thanksgiving on its head this year. They broke all past traditions, planned something totally new - and way more full of ease - and had the VERY BEST Thanksgiving, as voted on by themselves and their kids. Less plans, less people, less old & stressful default traditions. More peace, more ease, more connections with the few you want to be closest to, new thoughtful & intentional traditions that made their hearts swell. As these members shared their Thanksgiving stories, I reminded everyone: You can always rewrite the rules. Sometimes we forget. We default to what we’ve done in the past or what others expect of us. The result is often stress, total overwhelm, and resentment. Let’s rewrite the rules this year, shall we? This year, I’m inviting you to: Prioritize your joy over other people’s expectations Doing things differently Do less and breathe more Reconsider what brings joy Listen in to hear how to use these 4 invitations and how to apply 4 matching strategies to bring yourself more peace and ease this holiday season. Cheers to rewriting the rules, my friends. I’m doing this right alongside you! Link mentioned: Get my newsletter to be notified of our 2022 Plan & Prep Pajama Party Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Founder of The Compassion Code Academy®, Compassionate Communication Coach, International Best Selling Author, and Trainer for The Grief Recovery Institute®, Laura Jack guides heart-centered leaders to relate, communicate and lead more compassionately through loss and change of any kind - without burning out. I invited Laura to come on the show to talk about the story of losing her mom - a story of sudden tragedy, marked by heartbreak, grief, and ultimately, triumph. Listen in to hear Laura share: The story and deep impact of losing her mom in freak tragic accident in 2008 The unrooting of losing her mom and how she had to rebuild her sense of identity after that loss How motherhood is a grieving experience that no one warned you about How to redefine and reframe grief How her former life as Little Miss Sunshine & Silver Linings diminished her capacity to be compassionate toward others and how she had to learn to stop suppressing negative feelings How she found her “Monster Mommy” through her son after suppressing anger and hard feelings throughout her life How she teaches moms to rage in a safe and productive way How we are all constantly navigating grief and the key the managing the constant inevitable grief we endure Links mentioned: Learn about the Compassion Code Academy Connect with Laura Get Laura’s book, The Compassion Code Laura on IG FB: Living The Compassion Code and Laura Jack Laura on LinkedIn Thank you to our sponsors: Talkspace: To match with your perfect therapist for a fraction of the price of traditional therapy, go to talkspace.com, Make sure to use the code SHAMELESS to get $100 off your first month and show your support for the show. MamaZen: Go to your app store or Google Play and download MamaZen today. Use PROMO CODE: shameless for a FREE TRIAL so you can try MamaZen for yourself. Bean Box: Order today at com/SHAMELESS20 and get 20% off purchases of $40 or more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

About 10 years ago I went on a bit of a shopping spree at Banana Republic. I was on a mission to buy “speaker clothes” - some slacks, blouses, and a cardigan or two. I considered a blazer, but that seemed too presumptuous of a speaking career I did not yet have. The blazer would come a few years later. I delighted in making space in my closet for my crisp new speaker clothes. At the time, I was a gym owner. I wore workout clothes (often sweaty ones) all day #everydamnday. But I knew I wanted to be a speaker. On stages. Any stage would do. So, I started walking through life as if I were a speaker. I bought the clothes, planned some talks, applied to speak at some events, added “Speaker” to my email signature and website. It would be awhile before I actually got to speak in front of anyone outside of the gym I owned, where I was definitely already a speaker (as well as coach, motivator, and maybe even part preacher), but not the Banana Republic slacks wearing kind. Trying to get on stages would eventually get under my skin - as I saw so many men land the speaking gigs I was applying for. Ultimately, I launched my podcast, this podcast, in order to step into my role as a Speaker. I stopped waiting for others to invite me to their Banana Republic stages and I built my own damn stage. I had been walking through the world as a speaker for years waiting for invitations when I realized that I didn’t need anyone’s invitation. I only needed my own permission. In this episode, I share 4 ways you can practice walking through the world as the woman you are becoming. Perhaps you are becoming a Banana Republic wear speaker. Perhaps something totally different. No matter what, you deserve to walk through the world clear and confident about who you are and where you are going - without expecting or waiting for anyone else’s invitation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Julia Colangelo is an award-winning mindfulness educator, flow expert, and founder of Hello Flow a consulting and educational company based out of Maui where she teaches on Flow, Purpose, Creativity, Zone of Genius, Alchemy, and Alignment. Dr. Julia teaches and presents worldwide how the science of flow decreases stress allowing us to align our values and actions. Dr. Julia provides high-level executive consulting to public figures, celebrities, and thought leaders. She also teaches Mindfulness at Columbia University and speaks and trains at companies including LinkedIn, Convene, and Harvard in Tech. Her work has been featured in Glamour Magazine, The Washington Post, Huffington Post and more. A proud toddler mom and surfer raised in New Jersey, Julia’s equal parts hippie + hype. I met Dr. Julia at an event a couple months ago where she was speaking on flow. I immediately knew I want her to be a guest on the show. She is going to teach you how to break all the rules in order to find your flow. Get ready for some serious inspiration. Listen in to hear Julia share: Why she doesn’t “follow the rules” when it comes to time management, productivity, and mom life What is flow, how it looks different for every person and how it helps you in all aspects of your life How to access your flow state and intentionally trigger it How to prioritize humanness and self compassion in order to access your flow How shame shows up when moms are trying to access flow Why you might want to reconsider your YESes… When you say YES to everything you’re constantly saying NO to yourself Symptoms of burnout and intentional steps you can make to prevent chronic burnout How to take small steps to activating your flow state more routinely Links Mentioned: Apply for my Tenacious Mamas Business & Leadership Mastermind: [email protected] Julia on IG Julia’s Podcast: Hello Flow Podcast Connect: Dr. Julia Colangelo Dr Julia’s Free Quiz: ​​Flow Quiz Julia’s Free Best 100 Days Workshop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

600 EPISODES! Unreal. 600 times I have hit record. 300 incredible guest interviews. 300 solo shows. WOW. Having a podcast is like having a child. It’s like the podcast just started yesterday and it also feels like she’s been a part of my life forever. I have learned a lot over the course of 600 episodes. So many deeply impactful life lessons that I didn't see coming - and could have never anticipated when I started out. In this episode, I share 6 life lessons I’ve learned over the course of 600 episodes. I am sharing these lessons because I know many of you are learning right alongside me. With each lesson, I share a tip and the “secret sauce” behind making the tip work in a simple and consistent way in your everyday life. I want to take a minute to make a few Thank You’s, as I’ve only made it to 600 episodes because I walk through every episode with so many special people by my side. Thank you to my teammates over the last almost 6 years: Christy, Allison, Christie, Katie and Nikita. Your constant and unflinching support means so much to me. Thank you to every single guest who has shown up so openly and generously to be in conversation with me. You have touched and expanded my heart in more ways than I can count. Thank you to my loudest cheerleaders, Vince and Sheila (hi Mom!) You believe in me and build me up even when I’m tired and cranky. And you are the first ones who want to celebrate with me. Thank you to Vinnie, who makes me more of a Shameless Mom #everydamnday. Without you, there would be no Shameless Mom Academy. I can’t say more about you because the tears will most certainly damage my keyboard. Lastly, most importantly, thank you to every single listener - whether you have listened to 6 episodes or all 600. Thank you for trusting me. I know many of you have invited me into your ear for every single episode. It means so much to me that we have had the chance to spend time together 600 times. I’m beyond humbled and honored. People always ask if I’m worried I’ll run out of things to talk about. Never. Here’s to 600 more. Link mentioned: Apply for my Tenacious Mamas Business & Leadership Mastermind: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Monica Froese is a digital product coach for women business owners and host of the popular podcast, Empowered Business. She has an MBA degree in finance and marketing and runs two brands Redefining Mom, a site for helping women thrive in both motherhood and business, and Empowered Business, where she’s committed to empowering 1000 women to earn $100,000 through digital products. She spent 11 years working for a Fortune 100 company running multi-million dollar marketing campaigns with large brands like Microsoft and HP. Now she provides online marketing education to small businesses that are looking to build a profitable revenue stream through digital products through her online courses and podcast. I invited Monica on the show because I think it is so important that we have these conversations about women and money. They are hot button conversations for sure. And you know I never shy away from a hot button convo! Every single one of us was raised with a money story and we must constantly look at how we look at money and its role in our lives. Listen in to hear Monica share: How she landed at the White House seated in a round table conversation with President Barack Obama The truth about the working mom tax - the price moms pay to play in corporate America Why it’s critical for women to be financially independent The double standard of men being automatically autonomous with their finances and women having to jump through hoops to have financial autonomy How women can have more impact across multiple women’s lives through building microeconomies What happens across our communities when more women have financial independence Why mom guilt is a not real, but a social construct Links mentioned: Join my free business training on November 18th Connect with Monica Empowered Business Podcast™ Monica on Instagram Thank you to our sponsor: MamaZen: Go to your app store or Google Play and download MamaZen today. Use PROMO CODE: shameless for a FREE TRIAL so you can try MamaZen for yourself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I might have had too much fun with this… The truth is I can geek out talking about business all day long. Why, you ask? Because stepping into my identity as a business owner and entrepreneur has allowed me to step into my role as a leader. Before I had a business, I did not see myself as a leader. A loudmouth? Maybe. Outspoken? For sure. But a leader? Nope. When I started owning that I was, in fact, a business owner so many things shifted for me. I took my work more seriously. I valued my contributions to my clients at a higher level. I became so much more thoughtful and intentional about what I was building. So, when you hear me geek out about this, I hope you understand it is in stepping up as a business woman that I’ve been able to step up as me: Sara Dean, the leader, and the legacy builder. It is my hope that you find this for yourself - that magical place where you see yourself as a leader and legacy builder. Maybe it’s in your role in a traditional job, maybe it’s in the work you do to take care of your family, maybe it’s in the positions you hold in your community, and maybe, just maybe, it’s in your work as a business owner - like me. Last week I had so much fun talking about some of the nuts and bolts of my business. This week I’m back for more - but this time I’m coming from a different angle. I’ll be talking about how I manage my mindset when things get tough, how I stay out of the comparison trap, how I manage haters, and some nitty gritty podcast details (because some of you are dying for the nitty gritty!) I hope you enjoy this second week of me pulling back the curtain on my business. If you’re nosy like me, it’s really fun and fascinating to learn all the behind the scenes goodies of the people you know online. Lastly, if you want specific business advice, join me on Thursday, November 18th at 5pm PT/8pm ET for a free business training: 3 Building Blocks You Need To Grow Your Business. You can sign up here: Shameless Mom Link mentioned: Join my free business training on November 18th Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Featured in The New York Times and The Washington Post, Christine Michel Carter is the #1 global voice for working moms⁣. She is also the bestselling author of children’s book Can Mommy Go To Work? and adult novel MOM AF. In 2015, Christine created the first national mommy and me professional development networking event called Mompreneur and Me, which was featured in Adweek and Entrepreneur⁣. She's worked with the Congressional Caucus on Black Women & Girls, the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on maternal and child care related issues. She's also worked on the maternal initiatives of Vice President Kamala Harris and received a Congressional Citation from the U.S. Senate for going “above and beyond in ensuring that Black Moms and Moms of Color have access to important health information for their children and families.” When an inquiry about connecting with Christine landed in my inbox it was an immediate and easy and loud YES from me. I knew she was someone I wanted to learn more from. I’m so grateful for her voice and tenacity. Listen in to hear Christine share: How she is showing up in all the facets of her identity right now - as a single mom of 2, a mom raising black son, a woman with multiple professional tracks in her career, and a daughter caretaking a parent Her book, MOM AF, what makes it relatable to in ways that RH and Sheryl Sandberg, “I’m not going to tell you to wash your face or lean in” The truth about healthcare for Black women vs white women and her own personal experience of discrimination after giving birth to her son How systemic racism contributes to higher COVID rates among Black people and Black families What we can do on societal, employment, government levels to support Black maternal health and mental health Why she’s calling BS on traditional self care and the real truth about the notion of self care Why “work life balance” isn’t real - and what is real about how moms manage time How to relate to people in underrepresented groups - and find things in common in order to build relationships and bridges Links mentioned: Join my free business training on November 18th Connect with Christine Christine on Twitter and IG: @cmichelcarter Christine on Facebook and LinkedIn: @Christine Michel Carter Book: Can Mommy Go To Work Book: MOM AF Thank you to our sponsor: MamaZen: Go to your app store or Google Play and download MamaZen today. Use PROMO CODE: shameless for a FREE TRIAL so you can try MamaZen for yourself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“Sara, how do you run your business??” Well, let me tell you…. I get asked business questions pretty much every single day. Everything from the nitty gritty on how to produce a podcast to how to support clients with varying needs to how to stay inspired and pumped up year after year to what kinds of software to use. SO MANY QUESTIONS! While members of Tenacious Mamas, my business and leadership mastermind, can ask me these questions on our weekly calls, the rest of you don’t have a place to “pick my brain.” So I thought it would be fun to pull back the curtain a bit for you to see how I do things and WHY I do things the way I do. In this episode, I’ll talk about some of the first steps you should take in building a business, as well as how to delegate, and when to know it’s the right time to scale. This is going to be so fun! If you enjoy this episode, I hope you’ll join me for my upcoming free business training on November 18th. I’ll dig even further into these same topics and more. You can sign up for free here: shamelessmom.com/business. Also, ANNOUNCEMENT… After my free business training, I’ll be opening up applications to Tenacious Mamas, my business and leadership mastermind. If you think you could benefit from business coaching with me, I highly recommend you come to the training and apply to Tenacious Mamas. I would love to see if we are a good fit for each other. Link mentioned: Join my free business training on November 18th Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Elena Joy Thurston is an inspirational LGBTQ+ speaker, trainer, and founder of the nonprofit Pride and Joy Foundation. A Mormon mom of four who lost her marriage, her church, and her community when she came out as a lesbian, Elena’s viral TEDx talk on surviving conversion therapy has been viewed 40,000+ times and landed her media and speaking opportunities with ABC, CBS, Logitech, Penn State, and Michael’s. Elena Joy recently launched Pride and Joy Publishing, the only publisher of solely LGBTQ+ empowerment and business books. I recently met Elena through a coaching program we are both in and I immediately knew I wanted to ask her to come on the show. She has an incredible story that she shares so generously. And her message is of the utmost importance. Listen in to hear Elena Joy share: Her journey through marriage in the Mormon church, to growing a family of 4 children, to realizing she had a built a life that was not true to who she was Her experience of coming out as a lesbian as a Mormon mom of 4 How Mormonism encouraged her to disconnect from her body How she was able to give up control over her body and actually step into her body How finding opportunities to be embodied led her to realizing her sexuality The fear of losing her children for eternity when coming out Her experience of going to conversion therapy to “fix” her attraction to women The intense gaslighting and traumatization of conversion therapy that her to suicidal thoughts How she was able to finally own her sexuality and move out of her home and marriage and into a new life as a gay woman Her advice and guidance to women who might be stuck in the closet Links mentioned: Join my free business training on November 18th Parents of LGBTQ+ Suicide Risk Awareness ALP Workshop on November 9th PrideandJoyFoundation AllyQuiz Linkedin: Elena Joy Thurston Instagram: Pride Joy Foundation Instagram: Elena Joy Speaks Facebook: PrideJoyFound Twitter: PrideJoyFound Queer Business Book Thank you to our sponsor: Thrive: Start thriving and help women in need today by going to Thrivecausemetics.com/shameless for 15% off your first purchase! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I’ve been watching the ones who say yes over the past couple years. The ones who say yes when others won’t. The ones who say yes even when they aren’t certain they’ll be successful. The ones who say yes because they see possibility and potential. Sometimes the ones who say yes are my mentors. Sometimes they are my clients. Sometimes they are my friends. I’m always in awe. When you say yes, it inspires me to say yes. And I know you inspire many others to say yes too. I recently got to go to my first in person conference since the pandemic - because two women I admire tremendously, Jess Kupferman and Elsie Esocobar, said yes. They said yes to hosting hundreds of women for the first time in 2 years and it was 3 days of magic that will stick with me for a very long time. This episode is dedicated to the ones who say yes. Are you walking among them? If you are, KEEP GOING. If you’re not, it’s ok. Listen in and you might find yourself totally inspired in new ways. Warning: you might become one of the ones who say yes. Link mentioned: Join my free business training on November 18th: shamelessmom.com/business Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hitha Palepu is a woman of multitudes, which is what I loved most about her the first time she came on the show. She is a feminist, a lifelong politics enthusiast, a daughter of immigrants, and a mother raising feminist sons. These multitudes spill into her multi-hyphenated career as an entrepreneur, investor, writer, and speaker. Hitha’s passion for the news and politics is captured in #5SmartReads, a Webby-honored social series that shares 5 must-read articles every day to keep her community informed without being overwhelmed. I follow Hitha’s #5SmartReads on Instagram as one of my primary sources for diverse, culturally significant, and reliable news resources. Hitha's also has a highly visible longtime blog, Hitha On The Go, which established her as an authority on lifestyle topics and gave way to her book, How To Pack, and collaborations with leading brands such as Headspace, Google, and Northwestern Mutual. In her “day job”, Hitha is the CEO of Rhoshan Pharmaceuticals, where she oversees financing, partnerships, and strategy for the company. She is also an investor in innovative companies primarily founded by women and focused on women. She is a sought-after speaker on politics & the news, investing, entrepreneurship, work-life juggle, and motherhood. Listen in to hear Hitha share: The challenges of of balancing an amazing year of professional opportunities while struggling with showing up as a mom, wife, friend, daughter Why she decided to write an entire book, We’re Speaking, about Kamala Harris Why she wrote We’re Speaking as a play book on how to own your story, be a leader and tell your truth to the world The most surprising thing she learned about Kamala - that had absolutely nothing to do with her political journey The importance of Kamala’s own mother’s advice about being underestimated: “Don’t let anyone tell you who you are - YOU tell them who you are.” The significance of showing up with your own unique sense of style in spite of other people’s opinions - in order to feel powerful and exude confidence The truth about being at the top of her career - and owning that it’s not what she thought it would be Her advice for moms who want to start to use their voice more often and/or more loudly but don’t know where to start Links mentioned: Join my free business training in November Get the book: We’re Speaking by Hitha Palepu Hitha on Instagram Hitha on Twitter Thank you to our sponsors: Bean Box: Order today at beanbox.com/SHAMELESS and get your first Tasting Box for just $5 with promo code SHAMELESS. MamaZen: Go to your app store or Google Play and download MamaZen today. Use PROMO CODE shameless for a FREE TRIAL so you can try MamaZen for yourself. Talkspace: To match with your perfect therapist for a fraction of the price of traditional therapy, go to talkspace.com, Make sure to use the code SHAMELESS to get $100 off your first month and show your support for the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you catch yourself ruminating on why things are so hard, or spiraling into endless descents of negative self talk, or taking on a constant attitude of, “of course this isn’t going to work out the way I wanted it to”? I’m wondering if, over the course of your journey through motherhood, and layering in the last 20 months of a pandemic, you’ve fallen into a pattern of letting doubt become your default? You have every reason to own the relentlessness of this season. But if it’s compromising your mindset as you navigate your everyday life, it might be time to check in on your defaults. You might be stuck in a pattern of seeing the glass half empty. You might find yourself constantly comparing your life to someone else’s and feeling nagging jealousy. You might be overcome with the shoulds - “I should be…” If doubt has become your default, I’m inviting you to take another look at how you manage your thoughts. There is another way - a better way, I would suggest. A way that allows you to own hard truths while also seeing true and authentic possibility and potential in any moment. Listen in to hear how to reset your default thinking so doubt stops being your default. Link mentioned: Join my free business training in November Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices