Career Mom

I recently read the book,  Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking The Stress Cycle by Emily and Amelia Nagoski. This book has been a game changer for me and how I think about and treat stress in my life.  As a Career Mom, I know you are no stranger to stress and I know that for most of us COVID has done nothing but add 100x more of it  to our lives.  The term burnout has been thrown all over the working mom community in relation to this pandemic so this episode is how to begin treating and preventing burnout. I share several ways to complete the stress cycle and actually more stress through your body.    Check out this book on audible and get a free audiobook download here: audibletrial.com/careermom   Check out my course on Listenable! Have a Career and Be a Good Mom: How to Redefine Working Motherhood The first 7 days of a listenable subscription is free so listen to my course (only 46 minutes) in those 7 days and then cancel - I won’t tell anyone ;) Sign up for  Listenable.io Join the Career Mom conversation on Instagram @careermompodcast Join the Career Mom Facebook group Career Mom Facebook Group Music Credit: Campfire by Scandinavianz:  soundcloud.com/scandinavianz

Routines, you either love them or hate them. I’ve leaned hard on routines during COVID and while they can be a challenge to start I do appreciate their power. This week’s guest, Ashley Brown, created a business and podcast all around routines. She uses routines not only to structure her days but to reduce stress, reduce the mental load, and to intentionally align her life with her values.  Ashley  is a mom of 2 and creator and owner of Routine and Things, which equips women to consistently live their happiest life one routine at a time. Ashley strongly believes routines are a form of wellness and can be a beautiful springboard for improving your home, yourself, and your life. She’s on a mission to see as many women as possible live life with ease by starting, maintaining, and enjoying routines!  Things we talk about in the episode:  Ashley’s definition of a routine - an intentional flow of actions done consistently. Common beliefs of routine resistant people - they are boring and restrictive (not true, btw!).  The benefits of routines: reduced stress and confusion, lighten the mental load, create more flexibility, and live your life aligned with your values.  Check out Ashley’s FREE routine assessment here: routineandthings/assessment   I hope you enjoy our conversation!   Check out my course on Listenable! Have a Career and Be a Good Mom: How to Redefine Working Motherhood  Check out Ashley’s podcast  Routine and Things Podcast Check out Ashley’s website routineandthings.com Follow Ashley on Instagram @routineandthings Join the Career Mom conversation on Instagram @careermompodcast Music Credit: Campfire by Scandinavianz:  soundcloud.com/scandinavianz

I created an audio course on Listenable.io and this Career Mom Conversation is the first two lessons of that course. The full course is 10 lessons and 46 minutes long. The course’s objective is to help modern working moms understand their identity, how their careers relate to their identity and why women tend to lose themselves in motherhood. It provides exercises, tools, and resources to redefine and embrace working motherhood to ease mom guilt. It will empower you to make changes in your mindset to challenge societal messages telling women they don’t deserve a career or fulfillment outside of motherhood.     Check out my course on Listenable! Have a Career and Be a Good Mom: How to Redefine Working Motherhood The first 7 days of a listenable subscription is free so listen to my course (only 46 minutes) in those 7 days and then cancel - I won’t tell anyone ;) Sign up for  Listenable.io   Join the Career Mom conversation on Instagram @careermompodcast Sign up for a free 30 day trial of Audible. audibletrial.com/CareerMom Music Credit: Campfire by Scandinavianz:  soundcloud.com/scandinavianz

This month the world is reflecting on what a year in a global pandemic has been like. If 2020 taught us anything, it is how we all deal with change! Today’s guest, Danielle Vardaro, lost her job in aviation at the beginning of the pandemic and was forced to face change head on. She has a powerful story of seeing job loss as one of the biggest opportunities she has had. She spent the time navigating job loss getting clear on how she manages change and what it is she wants out of her career and life.    Danielle is a proud working mom based in The Greater Boston Area, where she resides with her husband, and twin 4-year-old boys. Danielle is the Head of Worldwide Customer Support & Aftermarket Sales for Commercial Aviation with Embraer. She has spent her entire career in the Aerospace Industry, with experience in Engineering, Program Management, Business Development, and Product Marketing & Value Selling. When she’s not chasing toddlers or airplanes, you can find her on the Peloton, weightlifting, mentoring, or finding a reason to open a bottle of champagne. She is committed to helping Modern Day Working Women own their power and actualize their full potential, and shares a slice of her life, and best mother hustler mindsets and tips from her platform @BubblesAndBabes.   Things we talk about in the episode:  Mindset, mindset, mindset - Danielle shares her positive mindset to manage change and job change.  Personal branding - Owning who you are and what you stand for in every room you enter. Change Management - Knowing what we need to manage change; things like our support system, physical activity, and solid routines. I hope you enjoy our conversation!   Check out my course on Listenable! Have a Career and Be a Good Mom: How to Redefine Working Motherhood  Sign up for  Listenable.io Follow Danielle  on Instagram @bubblesandbabes Check out Danielle’s site  www.bubblesandbabesinc.com  Join the Career Mom conversation on Instagram @careermompodcast Sign up for a free 30 day trial of Audible. audibletrial.com/CareerMom Music Credit: Campfire by Scandinavianz:  soundcloud.com/scandinavianz

"Don’t should on yourself".  I love this quote because I think we all can relate to the feeling that we should be doing something when we don’t want to. I didn’t fully realize the impacts of "shoulds" until I read Elle Lunas book: "The Crossroads of Should and Must: Find and Follow Your Passion." I read this right before starting my podcast and it pushed me to take the leap to start it. I re-read it at the start of 2021 and I loved it again! I want to share the main take-aways with you. Even if you’re thinking “I don’t have a passion” it doesn’t matter because the fundamentals of the book fit perfectly into the conflicts of modern working motherhood.   Check out my course on Listenable! Have a Career and Be a Good Mom: How to Redefine Working Motherhood Join Listenable.io Join the Career Mom conversation on Instagram @careermompodcast Sign up for a free 30 day trial of Audible. audibletrial.com/CareerMom Music Credit: Campfire by Scandinavianz:  soundcloud.com/scandinavianz

Amber Hall is an advocate for women in STEM related positions in corporate America. She had a refreshingly honest take on what it is like to be a  Black woman in today’s corporate environment. Amber is cultivating change through conversation, with her own podcast, The Chief Hustlher, by giving strategic tips to aspiring Womxn to own their corporate careers like CEOs. Amber knows how critical mentorship, advocacy, and sponsorship are for Womxn in the workplace.  She uses her voice and platform to fight for change and advocate for other Womxn to thrive.  Amber is a seasoned engineer who has garnered 15 patents under the age of 30, Amber is currently a product innovation strategist and has leveraged her knowledge across several industries. Her focus is to develop breakthrough innovative products and solutions for the consumers and brands she serves.  Things we talk about in the episode:  The importance of breaking down the “woman” identity and having conversations about experiences of Black women, gay women, Hindu women, etc. in our organizations. What women supporting women mean in today’s corporate environment and examples of how women can make change in their organization and pick their area of change within their spaces (hint: we don’t have to and can’t do it all!) The importance of being the CEO of your career and who should be on your personal board of directors.  I hope you enjoy our conversation!   Check out my course on Listenable! Have a Career and Be a Good Mom: How to Redefine Working Motherhood  The mental load is heavier now more than ever for Career Moms, signup for Robyn Miller’s course “Share the Mental Load” to begin balancing the load within your household. Use the code CAREERMOM to access an additional session with Robyn and I to focus on the Career Mom Mental Load. mentalloadproject.com/signup   Follow Amber on Instagram @theamberlhall Check out Amber’s podcast The Chief Hustlher Podcast  Join the Career Mom conversation on Instagram @careermompodcast Sign up for a free 30 day trial of Audible. audibletrial.com/CareerMom Music Credit: Campfire by Scandinavianz:  soundcloud.com/scandinavianz

This week’s career mom conversation is a blog post I wrote for Recovering Superwoman's  blog series: The Struggle is Real. Since I don’t have a blog of myself and I’m feeling really passionate about this topic this episode was the best way for me to share this piece with you.    The mental load is heavier now more than ever for Career Moms, signup for Robyn Miller’s course “The Mental Load Project” to begin balancing the load within your household. Use the code CAREERMOM to access an additional session with Robyn and I to focus on the Career Mom Mental Load. mentalloadproject.com/signup     Join the Career Mom conversation on Instagram @careermompodcast Join the Career Mom Facebook group Career Mom Facebook Group If you have a story or topic you want to share contact Jenny by email  careermompodcast@gmail.com Sign up for a free 30 day trial of Audible. audibletrial.com/CareerMom Music Credit: Campfire by Scandinavianz:  soundcloud.com/scandinavianz  

This week's guest is “the older mom”, Carla Burgess, she had a baby in her 20's, 30's, and 40's. She has also been a stay at home mom and a working mom. She has so much wisdom to share!  She started her blog after the birth of her third daughter because as an older mom she didn’t have a peer group, but it’s turned into a mentoring space where she shares what she’s learned over her decades of motherhood. Carla is a teacher at an alternative school.  She has a masters degree in anthropology that helps inform her bigger picture perspective on cultural expectations of mothers and their adjustments to becoming a parent. As a mom who struggled herself with this transition, she uses what she's learned through parenting trial and error with what she knows from a theoretical perspective to mentor women who "love being a mother but don't like being a mom." Her blog, theoldermom.com, focuses on helping women manage motherhood, find themselves, and keep their lives together. Things we talk about in the episode:  What it means to love being a mother, but not like being a mom. How to find your motherhood zone of genius.   How important it is to evaluate our expectations of motherhood; what were you initially expecting from motherhood and was that expectation realistic?   I hope you enjoy our conversation! The mental load is heavier now more than ever for Career Moms, signup for Robyn Miller’s course “The Mental Load Project” to begin balancing the load within your household. Use the code CAREERMOM to access an additional session with Robyn and I to focus on the Career Mom Mental Load. mentalloadproject.com/signup   Follow Carla on Instagram @theoldermom Check out Carla’s blog theoldermom.com Join the Career Mom conversation on Instagram @careermompodcast Join the Career Mom Facebook group Career Mom Facebook Group If you have a story or topic you want to share contact Jenny by email  careermompodcast@gmail.com Sign up for a free 30 day trial of Audible. audibletrial.com/CareerMom Music Credit: Campfire by Scandinavianz:  soundcloud.com/scandinavianz

Today’s episode is how to work smarter, not harder. Or how to work at all at this point in a global pandemic and virtual schooling environment. I have been relying on a few key tools to keep me motivated and productive. They are serving me well during work from home life, but they would also be great tools to have in your returning to work after maternity leave toolkit. I remember being so distracted during the first few months being back at work. It took me a long time to realize that a mom brain is an amazing tool when you can eliminate the distraction and harness its power.  Tools discussed:  Brain Dumps Most Important Task Pomodoro Method Reducing Decision Fatigue The mental load is heavier now more than ever for Career Moms, signup for Robyn Miller’s course “The Mental Load Project” to begin balancing the load within your household. Use the code CAREERMOM to access an additional session with Robyn and I to focus on the Career Mom Mental Load. mentalloadproject.com/signup   Join the Career Mom conversation on Instagram @careermompodcast Join the Career Mom Facebook group Career Mom Facebook Group If you have a story or topic you want to share contact Jenny by email  careermompodcast@gmail.com Sign up for a free 30 day trial of Audible. audibletrial.com/CareerMom Music Credit: Campfire by Scandinavianz:  soundcloud.com/scandinavianz

This week’s guest became a mother to three girls within a one year timespan and no, she did not have triplets! Laura and her husband fostered two sisters who within a year of foster placement they adopted. Not even a year after that Laura had her biological daughter. Laura shares her experiences of becoming a mother through adoption and  through the birth of her biological child.  Laura’s girls are 18 month, 4, and 10. She Works as a donation family advocate helping care for families of organ donors during their loved ones last days. Things we talk about in the episode:  Laura’s experience learning about, participating in, and adopting through the foster system.  How expectations of our careers and career path change after we have children. Laura thought she was in her dream job before she started her family yet, shortly after becoming a mother made a change she never expected.  How a flexible and grace filled mindset will serve you well when managing motherhood and all the changes that come along with it.  I hope you enjoy our conversation!   The mental load is heavier now more than ever for Career Moms, signup for Robyn Miller’s course “The Mental Load Project” to begin balancing the load within your household. Use the code CAREERMOM to access an additional session with Robyn and I to focus on the Career Mom Mental Load. mentalloadproject.com/signup   Follow Laura on Instagram: @mrs.iosbaker Join the Career Mom conversation on Instagram @careermompodcast Join the Career Mom Facebook group Career Mom Facebook Group If you have a story or topic you want to share contact Jenny by email  careermompodcast@gmail.com Sign up for a free 30 day trial of Audible. audibletrial.com/CareerMom Music Credit: Campfire by Scandinavianz:  soundcloud.com/scandinavianz

  This week's Career Mom Conversation is short and sweet because I forgot to put it together! I had a lingering feeling all week that I was dropping the ball somewhere and by the time I realized it was the podcast I didn't have the energy to get an episode done in time. So, instead, I'm taking this quick minute to THANK YOU! Thank you for listening and thank you for your support! I'm amazed by the community of listeners and I am so grateful to be a podcast host in this space. Take the time this week that would have been reserved for an episode to get caught up with any episodes you missed or re-listen to your favorite!     The mental load is heavier now more than ever for Career Moms, signup for Robyn Miller’s course “The Mental Load Project” to begin balancing the load within your household. Use the code CAREERMOM to access an additional session with Robyn and I to focus on the Career Mom Mental Load. mentalloadproject.com/signup   Join the Career Mom conversation on Instagram @careermompodcast Join the Career Mom Facebook group Career Mom Facebook Group If you have a story or topic you want to share contact Jenny by email  careermompodcast@gmail.com Sign up for a free 30 day trial of Audible. audibletrial.com/CareerMom

Do you pee your pants while laughing, sneezing, or doing just about anything else after having a baby? Do you have urgency issues, painful intercourse, and low back pain? Have you been told that is just how things are now after having a baby? It is important for you to know that is not true! If you feel like something isn’t “right” in your body after childbirth you deserve care. And that care you might need is pelvic floor physical therapy.  In countries other than the US, this is standard practice of care. My guest today is passionate about healing women so they can live without pain and move comfortably after childbirth.  Megan Kelley has been practicing physical therapy for 7.5 years with an emphasis in pelvic health for 3 years. Megan is a biological mom to Lincoln, age 4, and she has 2 foster daughters, ages 3 and 5. She and her family enjoy spending time outdoors and camping. She also spends time developing a relationship with Christ and studying God’s Word.    Things we talk about in the episode:  Main symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction: Pee your pants while laughing, sneezing, doing just about anything after having a baby, urgency issues, painful intercourse, and low back pain. There is no wrong time to see a Pelvic Floor PT; prenatal care can prepare you for birth.  Ideally every woman should go at least once after giving birth for an assessment but if you are experiencing issues as you age or after having a baby a decade ago you can still benefit. We also  We talk about what to expect from an initial exam, whether kegels are helpful or hurtful (hint: it really depends and you should get an assessment from a PT), and how to manage scar tissue from tears during childbirth. I hope you enjoy our conversation! The mental load is heavier now more than ever for Career Moms, signup for Robyn Miller’s course “The Mental Load Project” to begin balancing the load within your household. Use the code CAREERMOM to access an additional session with Robyn and I to focus on the Career Mom Mental Load. mentalloadproject.com/signup   Need a PT in the Quad City Area: @rockvalleypt  Follow her on instagram: @Kelley_ma Join the Career Mom conversation on Instagram @careermompodcast Join the Career Mom Facebook group Career Mom Facebook Group If you have a story or topic you want to share contact Jenny by email  careermompodcast@gmail.com Sign up for a free 30 day trial of Audible. audibletrial.com/CareerMom Music Credit: Campfire by Scandinavianz:  soundcloud.com/scandinavianz

Today's Career Mom Conversation is a letter that I wrote to my best friend, Denise, before she gave birth to her first child. Our children are about a year apart so I wrote this at the end of my first year of being a new mom and before Denise became a mom. I came across this letter on my phone and I wanted to share it because I think all that I share still rings true today. This is what I wanted someone to tell me before I became a mom and now I want to share it with all the new moms out there.    The mental load is heavier now more than ever for Career Moms, signup for Robyn Miller’s course “The Mental Load Project” to begin balancing the load within your household. Use the code CAREERMOM to access an additional session with Robyn and I to focus on the Career Mom Mental Load. mentalloadproject.com/signup   Join the Career Mom conversation on Instagram @careermompodcast Join the Career Mom Facebook group Career Mom Facebook Group If you have a story or topic you want to share contact Jenny by email  careermompodcast@gmail.com Sign up for a free 30 day trial of Audible. audibletrial.com/CareerMom Music Credit: Campfire by Scandinavianz:  soundcloud.com/scandinavianz

Returning to work after a baby is hard! Doing that during a pandemic seems really hard! Will transitioning back to an office full time feel like as big of a change as returning from maternity leave? These are all things that are addressed in this week’s episode with Lori Mihalich-Levin. Lori was so unprepared for her transition back into the workforce having her sons that she wrote a book and created a program to help others navigating that challenging time.    She has four pillars in her book and program for returning to work and those are: mindfulness, logistics, leadership, and community. These are not only anchors for returning to work but that she uses for any major life transition. They totally relate to COVID life as well.    Lori Mihalich-Levin, JD, is an advocate for working parents and the founder of Mindful Return, a program that helps new parents return to work after parental leave.  She is also a health care partner in BigLaw, the Chief Operating Officer of the Women's Leadership Forum, the author of Back to Work After Baby: How to Plan and Navigate a Mindful Return from Maternity Leave, and mama to two boys, ages 7 and 9.   Things we talk about in the episode:  Normalizing the working parent experience by talking about it! And the importance of seeking out other working parents in your organization to create community. How working motherhood is the true demonstration of leadership skills; empathy, negotiation skills, managing multiple priorities and tasks at the same time, etc.  Productivity hacks like the Pomodoro Method, MIT - most important tasks, and the Eisenhower Matrix.    The mental load is heavier now more than ever for Career Moms, signup for Robyn Miller’s course “The Mental Load Project” to begin balancing the load within your household. Use the code CAREERMOM to access an additional session with Robyn and I to focus on the Career Mom Mental Load. mentalloadproject.com/signup   Connect with Lori www.mindfulreturn.com Follow her on instagram: @mindfulreturn Buy her book: Amazon: Back to Work After Baby Listen to her podcast: Parents at Work Join the Career Mom conversation on Instagram @careermompodcast Join the Career Mom Facebook group Career Mom Facebook Group If you have a story or topic you want to share contact Jenny by email  careermompodcast@gmail.com Sign up for a free 30 day trial of Audible. audibletrial.com/CareerMom Music Credit: Campfire by Scandinavianz:  soundcloud.com/scandinavianz

COVID19 has done a number on working parents, and working moms especially. Our already large mental load exploded when we found ourselves working from home, virtually teaching, and still managing our households.  I interviewed Dr. Robyn Miller about a year ago in Episode 08: The Mental Load Project and it is one of the most listened to episodes of the entire podcast. Career Moms are experiencing the burden of the mental load and Robyn is not only bringing awareness to the issue, but offers a course helping women share the load with their partners.  I feel so passionately about these courses that Robyn and I are partnering together for 2021 and offering extra support to Career Moms that take her course, sign up/ join the waitlist for the next enrollment here mentalloadproject.com/signup and use the CAREERMOM code when checking out to get an additional hour long session with both Robyn and I to dive deeper into the mental load of Career Moms and how to truly share it. Robyn Miller has spent the past decade as an Australian medical doctor.  In 2018, Robyn had her first child and upon returning to work after maternity leave she experienced the struggles of the "mental load".  The mental load refers to the endless and invisible, planning, organizing, remembering of everything that is required to run a household that often falls on the women in a relationship. When she couldn't find any solutions or strategies on-line to help her equally share the mental load with her partner, Robyn drew upon her own skills and experience to develop a unique formula to achieve mental load equality.  Her strategy worked so well, she turned it into an on-line course to support other women and couples struggling with true division of invisible and visible labor. Things we talk about in the episode:  The definition and examples of the mental load as well how a few ways Robyn’s program addresses sharing the load. How COVID has impacted the mental load and increased the emotional load of mothers as well.  Why creating an equal load is a feminist issue and how the mental load is part of the reason the glass ceiling still exists.  Connect with Robyn at: mentalloadproject.com Use the code CAREERMOM when signing up for the course for a free bonus session with Robyn and Jenny! Follow her on Instagram: @mentalloadproject Join the Career Mom conversation on Instagram @careermompodcast Join the Career Mom Facebook group Career Mom Facebook Group If you have a story or topic you want to share contact Jenny by email  careermompodcast@gmail.com