The Stepmom's Toolbox

Do you have teenagers in your stepfamily? Face difficulties when communicating with your teenage stepchild? Struggling with your spouse over parenting teenagers in your blended family? Join RemarriageWorks.com publisher, Paula Bisacre as she interviews Al Betz, author of Outfluence, The Better Way to Influence and founder of Outfluence, LLC which offers coaching, training, and public speaking to teens, families, and other audiences interested in improving communication and inspiring personal and professional experience. Al is an entrepreneur, an author, and a public speaker who believes in hard work, inspired performance, giving back, second chances, and always moving forward. Tune in to hear Al's tips and pearls of wisdom about understanding teens and communicating with them. You'll discover the meaning of silent communicators and learn techniques for changing troublesome behavior to respectful behavior.

One of my favorite guests, Linda Ford is returning.  This time, we're going to talk about how long does it take for a stepfamily to bond. It begs a more generic question?  How long before I get what I want????  Look for a few tips on the entire bonding experience. Linda Ford is a certified master life coach, having studied with Dr. Martha Beck of O Magazine fame.  She is a world traveller, originally from the UK and now living in Maine. Linda's passion is to help people fulfill their dreams and she's just great at it.    Linda's last show on Stepmom Toolbox was one of the highest downloaded shows and we talked about Law of Attraction.  Expect to hear more about how to attract the things you want on this show, too. You can find Linda Ford at www.AttractaLife.com You can find me, Barb Goldberg at www.TheEvilStepmotherSpeaks.com Tweet me at @StepmomSpeaks

Hi there.  This is Claudette Chenevert, The Stepmom Coach. Is your life filled with clutter? Are you wondering what to do about it? Do you know the negative effect clutter has on your life? Did you know there are different layers of clutter? Would you like to get rid of clutter once and for all?  Join me as I talk with Sue Rasmussen on getting control of clutter in your home and in your life.    Sue is internationally recognized for showing women how to unclutter their inner and outer lives, let go of what is no longer serving them, and make room for what really matters. You can find more about Sue at www.unclutter-organize-transform.com. See you soon. Claudette Chenevert The Stepmom Coach www.stepmomcoach.com Twitter@stepmomcoach www.facebook.com/ClaudetteChenevert.StepmomCoach Get your FREE Gift "3 Biggest Mistakes Stepfamilies Make" here at www.stepmomcoach.com Taking stepmoms from Surviving to THRIVING, one STEP at a time!

Today is your lucky day, Stepmoms!  Today, we welcome Susan Hyatt, Author of Create Your Own Luck, 7 Steps to Get Your Lucky On! Susan is a Master Certified Life Coach, published author, audience-shifter, luck accelerator + multi-passionate mentor for your body, your business and your life. She helps men + womenwho’ve lost their sense of play and possibility figure out what they want — and why they want it. It’s less like “self-help,” and more like “bad-assery activation.” She writes, speaks and lead workshopsabout actively creating luck, navigating tradition with a spirit of rebellion, and rewiring your mind to welcome success — with wide open arms. You can see Susan on a multitude of media outlets.  She is a regular on Fox TV, various radio outlets and even on Australia’s Morning Show, Weekday Sunrise.  Hopefully, you guys saw the awesome spread in O Magazine and Oprah.com where Susan teamed up with Seattle’s Best Coffee to offer a 5 level self improvement program.  No one does it better than Susan.  So, for today, we’re going to talk about the concept of luck.  What role do you think luck plays in your life?  Is there such a thing?  What does it mean to you? Find Susan at www.ideallifedesign.com Find Barb Goldberg at www.TheEvilStepmotherSpeaks.com Tweet me @StepmomSpeaks

  Hi there.  This is Claudette Chenevert, The Stepmom Coach. Adoption.  What if we want to adopt our stepchildren? What do we need to know or do in order for this to happen?  Is this the best approach to take with our stepkids?   Join me today as Abrielle Anderson,Esq and I discuss why we would consider adoption of our stepkids, what we need to know before we get started and the steps to take. For more information on adoption and on Abrielle Anderson, visit Abrielle's website at:http://www.abandersonlaw.com or you can contact Abrielle at aba@abandersonlaw.com  She also is on Twitter at: Twitter: @Adopt_Law See you soon. Claudette Chenevert The Stepmom Coach www.stepmomcoach.com Get your FREE Gift "3 Biggest Mistakes Stepfamilies Make" here at www.stepmomcoach.com Follow me on Twitter @stepmomcoach   or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ClaudetteChenevert.StepmomCoach Taking stepmoms from Surviving to THRIVING, one STEP at a time!

On today's Stepmom Toolbox Show, The Evil Stepmother Speaks, Barb Goldberg, teaches a quick lesson on some of the core teachings of the Tao.  What?????  What does this have to do with being a stepmom???  Actually, it has alot to do with it.  The Tao de Ching, written by Lao Tzu, is considered one of the most powerful books ever written.  Only 81 verses, it is chock full of wisdom.  Barb is not a Taoist Master, but knows just enough to be dangerous.  She will teach the class in easy to understand terms and just pick out a few of the key learnings.  As is the way with most things in life, we had the power all along, we just have to understand how it all works. Give this one a try.  It will be a little different, but you will be forever changed by it. Join Barb at www.TheEvilStepmotherSpeaks.com Tweet her @StepmomSpeaks

Hi there.  This is Claudette Chenevert, The Stepmom Coach. Join me this week as I talk with Rhona Berens, Parent Coach. Rhona specializes in helping parents (new and veteran) help them maintain and/or reignite their relationship satisfaction after they have kids.  We'll discuss some of the challenges parents and stepparents face when they decide to have an "our" child and ways to keep the couple relationship strong. For more information about Rhona Berens and her work with couples with young kids, go to www.parentalliance.com Follow our conversations on twitter @AParentAlliance or @stepmomcoach or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ClaudetteChenevert.StepmomCoach See you soon. Claudette Chenevert The Stepmom Coach www.stepmomcoach.com Get your FREE Gift "3 Biggest Mistakes Stepfamilies Make" here at www.stepmomcoach.com Taking stepmoms from Surviving to THRIVING, one STEP at a time!

Here's your chance to laugh your way through StepMomHood!  Morgana  Morgaine is a certified Martha Beck life coach, world traveler, nurse, anesthesiologist and professional clown.  Yes, I said clown!  She understands the importance of laughter in your life.  Join us! Morgana Morgaine is a coach, educator and humorist.  As a healer, she is a  nurse, an anesthetist, a Martha Beck certified life coach and a trainer of clowns. Her degrees include the BA, the BSN, the RN, the CRNA, the MA, and her life coach certification. She is also a worldwide traveler.  She is the author of the free ebook, Turn Depression into Expression, 5 Practices That Will Move You  and the new book, found on Amazon,  Borderless Broads, New Adventures for the Midlife Woman.  Morgana is a healer on many levels. She teaches people to take off the shackles of the too serious gene and allow the right brain self to speak clearly and creatively in designing their lives. As a professional clown and teacher, Morgana teaches the power of the lightness of being. You can find Morgana at www.MorganaMorgaine.com.

How do you handle issues around being a stepmom?  Do you ever ask yourself if all of this is normal or if you are alone in what you are feeling? What is the most important areas to focus on in your steprelationship? Join me and Brenda Ockun as we talk about some of the common issues stepmoms face and what we can do about it.  Brenda Ockun is the founder and publisher of StepMom Magazine. “Becoming a stepmom was one of the biggest challenges I ever faced.  I created the “how-to” guide I wished I had when I married my husband.  My goal is to provide stepmoms with information and support to help them live happy lives while giving stepfamilies the tools they need to be successful.” StepMom Magazine is written by a team of highly qualified stepfamily experts.   Whether you’re a brand new stepmom, or a veteran with lots of experience, you’ll find tons of helpful information here.  So grab a cup of coffee (or a glass of wine!) and join us in our conversation For more about StepMom Magazine, go to http://www.stepmommag.com/ See you soon. Claudette Chenevert The Stepmom Coach www.stepmomcoach.com Get your FREE Gift "3 Biggest Mistakes Stepfamilies Make" here at www.stepmomcoach.com Taking stepmoms from Surviving to THRIVING, one STEP at a time!

"Families don't break, they change," according to Judy Osborne, LMFT, author of Wisdom for Separated Parents: Rearranging Around the Children to Keep Kinship Strong and Director of Stepfamily Associates.  Join Paula Bisacre, publisher of RemarriageWorks.com as she interviews Judy Osborne to discuss the limits of language when it comes to talking about separated parents and stepfamily living. As Judy says, "A post-divorce relationship is no longer an oxymoron." Tune in as Judy shares new terms and models that support families transitioning through separation, divorce, remarriage, and stepfamily living. Hear how to focus on "success" as parents and not on the "failure" of marriage for the sake of you and especially, your children.

Stepmom and Mom Leadership from a Place of Strength! So often we hear about business leadership, but little about women's leadership in the world and in her home.  It is an honor to welcome my guest, Gretchen Pisano, an expert in Positive Psychology and Leadership.  We are going to have an in depth discussion regarding myths around women's leadership and how we are more than able to handle family and work.  Look for tactics and strategies on how to tap into your strength-based leadership skills. Gretchen has a Masters in Positive Psychology from University of Pennsylvania and is a Certified Masters Coach, Martha Beck.  You can find Gretchen at TheSoundingBoard.com. She is well known as a strategist for large corporations, government agencies and non profit corporations.  If you want to improve your family dynamics or finding yourself frustrated?  You can find Barb Goldberg at TheEvilStepmotherSpeaks.com Tweet me @StepmomSpeaks.

Hi there.  This is Claudette Chenevert, The Stepmom Coach. Join me this week as I talk Christina Hines, author of "Navigational Skills for Stepfamilies"  Christina Marie has 23 years of experience with step-motherhood with different sets of children, as well as; 20 years of biological motherhood. In addition to her life experience, she uses her  extensive research and thought provoking interviews, survey's and conversations with hundreds of people within a stepfamily situation to continue to develop within her commitment to serving the stepfamily community. Christina is also the publisher of a free on-line magazine called "Xpanded Family Magazine" See you soon. Claudette Chenevert The Stepmom Coach www.stepmomcoach.com Get your FREE Gift "3 Biggest Mistakes Stepfamilies Make" here at www.stepmomcoach.com Taking stepmoms from Surviving to THRIVING, one STEP at a time!

Another fantastic treat when I invite Darliss O'Donnell, Certified Martha Beck Coach and Relationship Coach to The Stepmom Toolbox Show.  Darliss, who splits her time between Alaska and Arizona, is an expert on the relationships that shape our lives. Her motto is, "It's all about relationships!"  So, of course, I'm going to give her a shot at the core relationships that affect our lives. The Kids? The Ex? Our Marriages? Why Are We Ignored? How Can Take Our Families from Good to Great? And, any other subject that comes up as we sip our morning coffee. Feel free to join us or send us questions or call in.  Our main sites are: Find Darliss:  http://darlissodonnell.com/blog/ Tweet Darliss:  @DarlissODonnell Find Me:  http://TheEvilStepmotherSpeaks.com Tweet Me:  @StepmomSpeaks

Hi there.  This is Claudette Chenevert, The Stepmom Coach. Join me this week as I talk  with a special guest Eileen Meyer. Eileen is a financial advisor with Mass Mutual Insurance and Financial Services specializing in Life Insurance products for the family, individuals, and businesses.  She is also licensed in Long Term Care and Disability Planning, as well as annuities.  While she represents Mass Mutual, as a company, she also represents and sells products from many other carriers as well.  She has a major concern  in finding the best possible solutions for specific client needs. Prior to joining Mass Mutual she represented Washington Woman magazine, a magazine dedicated to women’s issues and interests in the Washington Metro area.  She also owned and operated her own business for more than twenty years, and therefore as a deep understanding of issues surrounding business and employment in today’s climate. Mrs Meyer holds a bachelor of arts degree, as well as a bachelor of science degree in education . See you soon. Claudette Chenevert The Stepmom Coach www.stepmomcoach.com Get your FREE Gift "3 Biggest Mistakes Stepfamilies Make" here at www.stepmomcoach.com Taking stepmoms from Surviving to THRIVING, one STEP at a time!

I have been so lucky to be a student of Dr. Martha Beck.  Dr. Beck teaches a technique that can be used to handle literally any issue.  It's called the 3 Bs:  Bag It, Barter It or Better It.  Needless to say, our families often have issues that come up and I know that I often did not know what to do.  What was my place?  What is the right thing? So, I thought that I would share a quick tip from Dr. Beck that may make your life a little easier.  I hope it resonates with you.