The Juggleverse - Moms Balance It All

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The Juggleverse: Moms Balance It All is your passport to the real, unfiltered universe of modern motherhood. Every two weeks, we dive into candid conversations and inspiring stories from moms who are navigating the beautiful chaos of parenting, careers, relationships, and all the “extras” that fill their days. From boardrooms to bedtime routines, teenage troubles, creative side hustles to school runs, our guests share how they juggle it all—the wins, the stumbles, and the laugh-out-loud moments in between.  Whether you’re a working mom, stay-at-home parent, entrepreneur, or somewhere in between, The Juggleverse is your space to find solidarity, inspiration, and a reminder that you’re not alone in your balancing act. Because in this universe, every mom’s story matters—and every juggling act is extraordinary. 

Episodes

  1. 12/15/2025

    Going “off book”// Episode #6

    Send us a text What if home isn’t a place on a map but the person who falls asleep in your arms? That’s the thread we pull as Alla Kamenskaya joins me to share how a decade-plus of living across Russia, the USA, the Maldives, Switzerland, China, and Singapore gave way to a new season shaped by a toddler, resilience, and a redefined career path. We get honest about the gap between preparation and reality. Alla arrived at motherhood with checklists, courses, and a can-do mindset—and still found herself stunned by postpartum emotions, mom brain, and the slow, painful grind of a month of breastfeeding challenges. You’ll hear how she navigated the noise of well-meaning advice, chose what to keep, and learned to trust her instincts when nothing seemed to fit the handbook. The eventual breakthrough became more than a feeding milestone; it was a lesson in surrender, patience, and self-compassion. From there, we talk community and identity. As an expat, Alla intentionally built networks—expat meetups, Russian-speaking groups, and mom circles that trade tips without judgment. She shares how hard it was to let others help, what finally shifted, and why reclaiming me time through tennis changed her mood, confidence, and outlook. Along the way, we explore stress relief that works in real life, the surprising joy of bedtime smiles after a stormy day, and how to balance ambition with presence when your industry expects long hours. If you’re navigating a career pause, early parenthood, or a move far from home, this conversation offers practical steps and a gentle reminder: ask for help early, curate kind communities, protect your energy, and define success on your terms. Subscribe for more stories that blend candor, culture, and courage—and share this episode with someone who could use a little hope today. Support the show Host: Edit Kerekes, former diplomat, senior strategic advisor, mom of two. Follow us on social media: ▶️🔴 YouTube 📸 Instagram 🟦 Facebook 🟢 Spotify 🎙️ Podcast Support the show

    38 min

  2. 12/01/2025

    Living Without Regrets // Episode #5

    Send us a text What if the fastest path to a calmer home and a stronger team is as simple as dropping ego and training your attention? That’s the heartbeat of our conversation with strategic leader and solo mother Daphne Lim, whose life philosophy turns chaos into rhythm through clear boundaries, mindful resets, and a bias for elegant solutions. We dig into Daphne’s career pivots—from primary school teacher to managed services leader to steering a listed company through post-bankruptcy growth—unpacking how she standardizes complex work, aligns teams with transparent flows, and makes tough decisions without turning people into problems. You’ll hear how the Oceanus Ambassador program solved cross-department miscommunication, why standardizing deliverables doubled profits and cut overtime, and how choosing unpopular but necessary calls can be the most compassionate move for everyone involved. On the home front, Daphne shares a refreshingly practical approach to parenting a teenager: grant freedom with responsibility, praise the ordinary good moments, and keep kindness non-negotiable. She talks about solo motherhood, staying present during hard transitions, and the weekly and daily resets — like cycling home or baking — that help her leave work at work and show up fully as a mom. Mindfulness isn’t a mood; it’s mental training that lets you notice ego, release control, and return to solving the real problem in front of you. If you’re craving simpler decisions, fewer fires, and a way to live today like you won’t need to change everything tomorrow, this conversation will meet you where you are. Follow the show, share this with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway so we can learn from you too. Support the show Host: Edit Kerekes, former diplomat, senior strategic advisor, mom of two. Follow us on social media: ▶️🔴 YouTube 📸 Instagram 🟦 Facebook 🟢 Spotify 🎙️ Podcast Support the show

    48 min

  3. 11/17/2025

    From Classroom To Finish Line // Episode #4

    Send us a text What if the life you want is hiding inside the choices you keep postponing? We sit down with Suzie Bacon — a mom to two, international school teacher, and dedicated triathlete in Singapore — to trace a journey that began with a single volunteer shift and grew into a new career, a global race start line, and a calmer mind. We follow the leap from the GB to Singapore, where safety, community, and the simple gift of a pool downstairs made space for reinvention. Suzie shares how a temporary classroom role became a teaching qualification and a calling, and how triathlon transformed from “maybe I could” into a World Championship experience in Lake Taupo. Along the way, she opens up about the funny, messy moments—like a very ill-timed car podcast—and the serious ones: plantar fasciitis, rebuilding from near-zero, and learning to let consistency beat ego. Her mindset tools are practical and portable: break big tasks into small intervals, build systems that protect your time, and use her favorite mantra—be the pond—to hold emotions without being swept away. This conversation is for anyone balancing parenting, career change, and personal goals. We explore the logistics of two athletes in one household, carving intentional time with kids, and starting a triathlon CCA at school to give more girls a joyful first start line. Suzie’s core belief shines through: you can start late, go slow, and still go far. Whether your “hard thing” is a report deadline or a humid tempo run, the same habits work—plan ahead, keep it simple, and show up. Press play for a story that blends growth mindset, injury comebacks, and the everyday discipline that turns dreams into routines. If this spoke to you, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs encouragement, and leave a quick review to help more listeners find us. What passion are you ready to start this week? Support the show Host: Edit Kerekes, former diplomat, senior strategic advisor, mom of two. Follow us on social media: ▶️🔴 YouTube 📸 Instagram 🟦 Facebook 🟢 Spotify 🎙️ Podcast Support the show

    37 min

  4. 11/03/2025

    No Guilt, Just Grace // Episode #3

    Send us a text The “supermom” cape looks shiny until it weighs a ton. We sit down with Shaily Gupta — powerhouse HR leader, executive coach, and mom—to unpack why chasing perfection drains our energy, dims our joy, and keeps us from seeing the help already around us. Her stories cut through the noise: the bold career pivot from engineering to HR, the dinner-table debate that flipped a “strawberry generation” stereotype, and the simple family rule that transformed summers into core memories. What stands out is how small shifts change everything. When relentless travel and meticulous planning left her burned out, a friend asked, “What if you drop the ball?” She tried it—and watched a father–daughter bond bloom without her orchestration. That insight fuels a practical framework: treat life as seasons. Sometimes you choose a stable job to protect family bandwidth; other times you lean into a career sprint. Shelly’s own courageous ask led to a flexible month-in-Singapore setup, helping her scale a company while gaining more presence at home. It’s proof that honest communication and clear proposals can unlock manager support. We also dig into parenting without control. Kids learn in the wild: swimming, skating, confidence, and resilience often appear when we step back. Support the safety net; don’t build a cage. Shaily shares why mothers should stop grading themselves against impossible standards, how to turn guilt into choices and iterations, and why coaching family is a boundary she won’t cross—mentoring when asked and referring to independent coaches instead. Now, with her daughter grown, she’s channeling fresh ambition into teaching HR leadership, executive coaching, and exploring HR tech and AI. If you’re tired of tightrope walking between ambition and home, this conversation gives you tools to rebalance with intention: ask for what you need, share the load, and let some balls drop so the right ones can stay in the air. Subscribe, share with a friend who’s juggling too, and leave a review to tell us the first “ball” you’re ready to drop. Follow Shaily's work on Linkedin Support the show Host: Edit Kerekes, former diplomat, senior strategic advisor, mom of two. Follow us on social media: ▶️🔴 YouTube 📸 Instagram 🟦 Facebook 🟢 Spotify 🎙️ Podcast Support the show

    34 min

  5. 10/20/2025

    Supermom: Myth vs Reality // Episode #2

    Send us a text "We can do it all" might be the biggest myth facing working mothers today. Between deadlines that won't budge and children who need you right when the office does too, the elusive work-life balance often feels like chasing a mirage. But what if the secret isn't in perfecting the juggle, but in having the courage to ask for help? Sharon Yee, a powerhouse in wealth management and mother of two teenage competitive fencers, pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to build a fulfilling career while raising children and giving back to the community. With refreshing candor, she challenges the "supermom" ideal that keeps so many women exhausted and guilt-ridden. "It doesn't make you less of a super mom by asking for help," she shares, offering a perspective that feels like permission to breathe. Throughout our conversation, Sharon reveals how her definition of success transformed through motherhood. Moving beyond material measures, she now finds victory in raising children who contribute positively to society and in creating quality connections rather than counting hours spent together. Her insights on supporting her sons' fencing careers illuminate how sports build resilience and emotional intelligence—skills she admits her teenagers sometimes handle better than she does. Perhaps most touching is Sharon's work with ARC Children's Center, serving young cancer patients unable to attend mainstream schools due to compromised immunity. Her personal connection to childhood cancer has fueled her passion to create environments where these vulnerable children can thrive despite their diagnoses, addressing not just their physical needs but the often-overlooked childhood depression that can accompany serious illness. Whether you're balancing board meetings with soccer practice or simply trying to find five minutes for yourself, this episode offers practical wisdom for redefining success on your own terms. Share your own juggling act with us in the comments or on social media—we're building a community where every story matters and no one has to balance alone. Support the show Host: Edit Kerekes, former diplomat, senior strategic advisor, mom of two. Follow us on social media: ▶️🔴 YouTube 📸 Instagram 🟦 Facebook 🟢 Spotify 🎙️ Podcast Support the show

    36 min

  6. 10/20/2025

    Redefining the Rules of Motherhood// Episode #1

    Send us a text What does it truly look like to raise a child where three languages and cultures converge? Cynthia, a Taiwanese-born Google engineering program manager living in Singapore with her Hungarian husband, offers a captivating glimpse into her multilingual, multicultural family life. Wearing what she calls "multiple hats" throughout her day, Cynthia Wei navigates early morning global work meetings, acts as a "human snooze alarm" for her four-year-old daughter, and maintains family connections spanning three continents. Her household is a beautiful linguistic tapestry where Mandarin and Hungarian become "secret languages" between parent and child, occasionally leading to hilarious misunderstandings—like when her husband accidentally shouted "Happy New Year" in Mandarin instead of "Happy Birthday" to her 95-year-old grandmother. Beyond the daily cultural juggling act, Cynthia's story takes a profound turn as she reveals her harrowing medical emergency just days after childbirth. A ruptured colon led to life-threatening infection, emergency surgery, and weeks in the hospital separated from her newborn. This experience fundamentally transformed her perspective: "Being alive is not a given," she reflects, explaining how this awareness helps her navigate parenthood's frustrations with deeper gratitude. The family's commitment to lifelong learning stands out as they make it a point to learn something new together every year—from Cynthia learning to ski at 42 to studying Hungarian grammar. This approach models resilience for their daughter while creating meaningful family bonds. They've also built a rich support network in Singapore, particularly valuing the unexpected parent friendships formed during COVID lockdowns that began with socially distanced picnics. Whether you're raising multilingual children, balancing a demanding career with parenthood, or simply interested in how families create meaning across cultural boundaries, Cynthia's story offers wisdom, humor, and a refreshing perspective on embracing life's beautiful complexity.  Support the show Host: Edit Kerekes, former diplomat, senior strategic advisor, mom of two. Follow us on social media: ▶️🔴 YouTube 📸 Instagram 🟦 Facebook 🟢 Spotify 🎙️ Podcast Support the show

    32 min
  • 6 Episodes

About

The Juggleverse: Moms Balance It All is your passport to the real, unfiltered universe of modern motherhood. Every two weeks, we dive into candid conversations and inspiring stories from moms who are navigating the beautiful chaos of parenting, careers, relationships, and all the “extras” that fill their days. From boardrooms to bedtime routines, teenage troubles, creative side hustles to school runs, our guests share how they juggle it all—the wins, the stumbles, and the laugh-out-loud moments in between.  Whether you’re a working mom, stay-at-home parent, entrepreneur, or somewhere in between, The Juggleverse is your space to find solidarity, inspiration, and a reminder that you’re not alone in your balancing act. Because in this universe, every mom’s story matters—and every juggling act is extraordinary. 

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