The Shameless Mom Academy: Motherhood, Motivation, and Mindset Tips for Busy Moms Sara Dean

Featured in leading publications like CEO Magazine and Luxury Lifestyle Magazine, Kevin Loeffler (they/themme) is the Founder and CEO of Finally Kevin!, an inspirational Gender Identity speaker, and author of the upcoming book, "Finally Kevin” (Spring 2025). Kevin's unique journey allows audiences of all generations to understand what gender identity is and, just as importantly, what it is not. Kevin empowers parents and community leaders, regardless of age or background, with the knowledge necessary to increase authentic allyship skills for their gender-diverse loved ones. For almost 50 years, Kevin lived as the person they thought their parents, wives, children, and employers wanted them to be, never daring to be their authentic selves in front of any of them. Their heartwarming story of choosing to live as their transparent self by announcing their gender identity to the world at the age of 63 has landed them numerous media and speaking opportunities. 
I was introduced to Kevin by friend of the SMA and past guest of the show, Elena Joy Thurston. While Kevin and I recorded this episode a few months ago, I saved it to release during Pride Month because it feels like the perfect closing to this special month. Happy Pride to all our LGBTQIA+ community members. We love you and want you to be 100% you 100% of the time.  

Listen in to hear Kevin share:

How Kevin became Finally Kevin! and what their transformation as a non-binary person has looked like 

What led them to start to live their femme tendencies out loud after 50 years

The interconnectedness between shame and addiction in Kevin’s life 

The difference between gender identity and sexual orientation

The beauty and power of being able to finally “get out of bed free” 

What life feels like to finally be Kevin after 50 years of stifling Kevin

How LinkedIn became the safe place for Kevin to begin to own their identity publicly


Links mentioned:

Kevin’s Programs and Resources: Finallykevin.com

Kevin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinmloeffler


Kevin on FB: https://www.facebook.com/kmloeffler/



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Speaking up for ourselves, others, our ideas, and important issues can feel pretty uncomfortable, if not downright scary. Speaking up is a skill, that takes practice - like a muscle that must be built and strengthened over time.  
In this Greatest Hits episode, I share about an event where I spoke a couple of years ago. After my session, there was time for Q&A and the question folks kept circling back to was, “How do I start to speak up so I can play a bigger game?” 
A number of attendees noted they were so in the habit of not speaking up that they didn’t know where or how to start using their voices.  
Because women have been socialized to stay small and quiet, if can take extra effort (and bravery!) to actually use our voices.  

I gave these women three simple, low-risk steps to start practicing speaking up:

Practice stating your preferences out loud 

Practice stating your needs out loud

Practice sharing opposing opinions in neutral ways 


These steps are intended to be practiced over time, in this order. Start out with low-risk/low exposure steps. The stakes are typically pretty low when you’re stating a preference: “I prefer pepperoni pizza to sausage & mushroom.” Or, “I would prefer to watch Movie ABC vs Movie XYZ this evening.”
Once you’ve practiced this a few times, try to share a need with a loved one: “I need some time to myself, so I’m going to take myself to lunch and a movie this weekend.” Practice this a few times.  
Once you’ve practiced these lower-stakes ways of speaking up, you can start to test higher-stakes ways of speaking up. This is where you can start to practice sharing an opposing opinion in a neutral way, “Thank you for sharing your opinion/experience. That hasn’t been my experience.” Or, “Thank you for sharing your opinion/experience. I see it differently.” Make sure to listen in to the episode to learn how to do #3 safely, this part is important!
The goal is to build your “Speak Up muscle” and then continually strengthen it over time. The outcomes you can expect include: feeling seen and heard, experiencing a stronger sense of power and autonomy, realizing your voice matters and can impact others and inspire change, and enjoying a sense of freedom over owning and honoring your voice. While speaking up can feel scary, I promise it is well worth it!
We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor
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This is a Greatest Hits episode especially chosen in celebration of Juneteenth which is today, June 19th. This interview is from the first time I interviewed Jasmine in 2020. Little did I know that she would become a trusted friend and colleague. Jasmine is the first race educator from whom I learned about Juneteenth, well before it became a national holiday. I am sharing this episode with you in hopes that you talk to your kids about race today in celebration of Juneteenth.  
Jasmine Bradshaw is a researcher, educator, and podcaster who truly believes that creating a more loving, inclusive, and just society starts within the sacred walls of our homes. Her podcast, First Name Basis, exists to give parents the tools they need to teach their children about race, religion, and culture. Her community makes parents feel empowered and gives them the confidence they need to create lasting change in their sphere of influence.

Listen in to hear Jasmine share:

Why and how race exists as a social construct

How to have early conversations about race and skin tone with your kids

How to lay the groundwork for conversations about race in order to have deeper, more difficult conversations with kids as they get older

How to talk to your child’s school about their efforts toward diversity and inclusion

How to talk to your child’s school about the versions of American history they teach

How to be a better anti-racist in order to teach your children to be anti-racists

How you can move from good intentions to confident action in your anti-racism work


Links mentioned: 

Connect with Jasmine: Firstnamebasis.org


Jasmine’s Podcast: First Name Basis


Jasmine on IG

Join Jasmine’s Patreon: patreon.com/firstnamebasis


First Name Basis Juneteenth Episode: What is Juneteenth?


Purchase Juneteenth Jubilee at the First Name Basis Online Store


Teaching Tolerance Resources: https://www.tolerance.org/




We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor
Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com
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Marisa Peters is a rectal cancer survivor, women’s health thought leader, and founder of BE SEEN. Marisa was diagnosed with Stage 3 rectal cancer in 2021 when she was 39 years old despite being an otherwise healthy and active mother of three young boys. She is on a mission to help other people take their colorectal health very seriously because it is, well, very serious. This conversation was so informative and, dare I say, even fun! The timing could not have been more perfect as we recorded this right before I was scheduled for my second colonoscopy as someone who has a family history of colon cancer. This gave Marisa and me much content for fodder!  
Friends, listen to this episode, go sign the BE SEEN Pledge, and then get yourself scheduled for a colonoscopy. This is critical self-care. 

Listen in to hear Marisa share:

Symptoms of colon cancer to be looking for: blood loss through poop, increased urine urge, stomach pain, extreme fatigue 

What you should be asking your doctor for if you have any concerns about color-tectal symptoms

Her journey of being dismissed by doctors as she experienced symptoms over the course of 5.5 years before finally being diagnosed

Your different options for your colonoscopy prep

What to expect during your first colonoscopy

How she talked to and continues to talk to her children about her cancer diagnosis and treatment

What family support looked like and how they had to learn how to receive support as people who were used to being the givers of support in their community

How to hold space for family and friends after they have gone through treatment - when they may be cancer free, but are still recovering physically and emotionally

Why you and your family should take the BE SEEN Pledge to take steps toward maintaining colorectal health


Links mentioned:

Connect with Marisa and Be Seen: beseen.care


Take the Be Seen Pledge: https://beseen.care/take-the-be-seen-pledge


Marisa and Be Seen on IG

Marisa and Be Seen on FB

Marisa on LinkedIn


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Last week I had the opportunity to head to campus for 3 days as part of my graduate school experience. While much of my program is online, from time to time I will have the chance to head to campus for these 3-day immersive experiences. I was so excited for this first chance to be on campus and meet some of my professors and classmates.  
When entering a new space, there is always some discomfort. I felt that on the first morning as I entered the classroom. I sat with that discomfort for a bit and really listened to it. As I listened inward throughout our first morning, my discomfort gradually shifted to excitement. I could feel in my bones that I was in exactly the place I was meant to be.  
I’ve had a few days to think about this experience of stepping into something new, unfamiliar, and uncomfortable. I realized there are some important pieces of how I navigated this discomfort that can be helpful to anyone entering a new experience or environment.  
In this episode, I walk you through my experience in this class situation while also offering key insights into how you can step into new experiences and quickly discern if it's the right place for you right now, how to navigate your discomfort, how to shift anxiety into excitement, and how to create space for the growth opportunities that will likely open up for you.  

We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor
Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com
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Today’s episode showcases three guests currently featured in the new documentary, Conversion. This critical documentary exposes the deep trauma conversion therapy causes our LGBTQIA+ community members. Often conversion therapy is veiled as something far different from what it is. This interview and the movie expose the insidiousness and prevalence of conversion therapy in our communities today. I am so honored to have been given the opportunity to interview Elena Joy Thurston, Zach Meiners, and Dustin Rayburn to talk about their incredible movie.
Elena Joy Thurston, she/her, is the CEO of LATITUDE, a boutique HR consultancy that specializes in creating psychological safety on corporate teams. Her viral TEDx talk on surviving conversion therapy, with over 45,000 views, propelled her exposure, resulting in media spots on ABC, CBS, and FOX. 
Zach Meiners, he/him, is the founder, President, and Creative Director of Chronicle Cinema, a full service media production company, where he has produced national ad campaigns, corporate events, and award-winning entertainment. 
Dustin Rayburn, they/them, is a performer and activist best known by their stage name, Dusty Ray Bottoms. Dusty gained notoriety on season 10 of the Emmy Award Winning TV Show RuPaul's Drag Race.

Listen in to hear Elena Joy, Zach, and Dustin share:

What conversion therapy is 

Their personal experiences with conversion therapy

What conversion therapy looks like and the insidiousness of covert conversion therapy

The retraumatization of realizing you went through conversation therapy without even knowing that’s what it was

How being part of the creation of this documentary has been healing for each of them

How conversion therapy changes the brain in a way that doesn’t allow for closure in healing - meaning the healing is ongoing and forever

What parents should know about conversion therapy as it relates to their kids and the other kids in our respective communities

How to show allyship through your commitment to learning about LGBTQIA+ issues


Links mentioned:

Preorder Conversion: https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/conversion/umc.cmc.75rmpixysv3qoksxyus5zq9rr


Watch the Conversion Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=U50wbO3MfANkAxdQ&v=oyLEJtQ6MTI&feature=youtu.be


More info on the Conversion doc: https://www.conversionmovie.com/


Elena Joy on SMA Episode 595: Living Out Loud After Enduring Life Threatening Conversion Therapy


Conversion movie on IG

Elena Joy on IG

Dustin on IG

Zach on IG


We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor
Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices