Beyond the balance

Jessica Perez

Beyond The balance is your no-BS, heart-forward podcast for working and entrepreneurial moms who are tired of burnout, guilt, and feeling torn between career, family, and self. Hosted like a conversation with your business bestie, this show delivers honest stories, tough-love truths, and actionable takeaways to help you reclaim confidence, set boundaries, and design a life that actually works for you. From imposter syndrome to redefining success on your own terms, every episode reminds you that you’re not alone - and that your dreams still matter. This is a place where purpose, passion and podcasting come together. Subscribe, exhale, and get ready to pursue purpose, courage, and zero apologies.

  1. 1d ago

    Beyond the balance- Episode 33 Mikaela Pecha

    In This Episode We Talk AboutMikaela Pecha did not set out to be "the cheesecake lady." She was a vet tech for six and a half years, then a newly divorced mom of twin boys looking for one thing that felt like hers again. She found it in baking. In this episode we talk about building Lovebug Baked Bites out of the hardest season of her life, why she chose to grow it with her boys beside her instead of away from them, and how she went from three flavors to ten on pure word of mouth. We get into passion over paycheck, getting comfortable being uncomfortable, and why collaboration beats competition every time women decide to lift each other up. This is a warm, honest conversation about identity, motherhood, and refusing to shrink your dream to fit a season. Key Takeaways✨ Your dreams don't change just because you have kids. You build a different way, not a smaller life. ✨ Passion has to come before the paycheck. Money makes life easier, but if that is the only reason you are doing it, burnout is already on the way. ✨ Every no is one step closer to your yes. ✨Word of mouth, the right networking rooms, and women supporting women will carry you further than doing it perfectly alone. Who This Episode Is ForThis episode is for the mom with a dream she keeps parking until the kids are older. For the woman who lost a piece of herself in a hard chapter and wants it back. For the mom building something of her own who needs permission to start before she feels ready, to protect her time with her kids, and to trust that passion and presence were never a trade. Connect with Jessica PerezInstagram: @jessicaperezandbeyond or @beyondthebalancewithjp LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jessica-perez-consulting Connect with Mikaela PechaWebsite / order: https://lovebugbakedbites.com Call or text to order: (602) 349-8291 Instagram: @lovebugbakedbites Facebook: Lovebug Baked Bites 🎂 Giveaway running now: two winners each get a Signature Square (a full pound of organic cheesecake). Enter on Instagram by Sunday, Nov 15. Local pickup only. Details on the post. Follow & Support the Podcast⭐ Follow the show ⭐ Leave a 5-star review ⭐ Share this episode with a mom who needs it Mentioned in This EpisodeWIFS (Women in Insurance & Financial Services) community · Arizona cottage food license · Lovebug Baked Bites "Bubble & Bites" tasting events · Signature Square (a pound of cheesecake) Affiliate disclosure: Some links may be affiliate links. If you buy through them, the show may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. #Beyondthebalance

    Beyond the balance- Episode 33 Mikaela Pecha

  2. Nov 3

    Beyond the balance Episode 32 Richelle Hopkins

    In This Episode We Talk About Richelle Hopkins did not plan a career in financial services. It found her at 24, and she built it into a 20-year reverse mortgage business while raising four kids and rebuilding her brand after the industry pulled the rug out from under her. We get into the season every working mom eventually hits, the "is this all there is?" moment, and what Richelle did when good stopped being good enough. She shares why she treats her business like one of her children, how she learned to say no sooner, and the Jamaica friendship that taught her patience, trust, and the power of acting on a prompt. This is a conversation about earned confidence, non-negotiables, and the tribe that carries you there. Key Takeaways ✨ Say no sooner. A no protects your peace and energy. The wrong yeses compound into a life that does not look like you. ✨ Good ain't good enough. Complacency is a signal. Test the waters before you assume the door is closed, and ask for what you actually want. ✨ Build your business like you raise a child. Every season needs a different version of you, and the goal is a business that can thrive without you at the center. Who This Episode Is For This episode is for the working mom who has been at it a while and is quietly asking what is next. For the woman who says yes to everything and is running on empty. For the mom building something of her own who needs permission to protect her non-negotiables and trust that motherhood and ambition were never a trade. Free Download for This Episode 📥 The Say No List: beyondthebalance.co/sayno 🔥 Reclaim, the free 5-day challenge to get your time back: www.beyondthebalance.co/challenge Connect with Jessica Perez Instagram: https://instagram.com/jessicaperez1123 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jessica-perez-consulting Connect with Richelle Hopkins LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reverserichelle/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reverserichelle/ Website: https://mutualreverse.com/lo/richelle-hopkins/ Follow & Support the Podcast ⭐ Follow the show ⭐ Leave a 5-star review ⭐ Share this episode with a mom who needs it Mentioned in This Episode WIFS (Women in Insurance & Financial Services) community#Beyondthebalance

    Beyond the balance Episode 32 Richelle Hopkins

  3. Oct 27

    Beyond the balance- Episode 31 Teri Ann Hourihan & Angela Harrolle Mohan

    In This Episode We Talk About Jessica gets dozens of political texts. Almost none of them respond when you want to dig deeper. This is the first candidate who ever answered her back, so she did something she has never done on this show: she gave two women running for Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Arizona the mic. Teri Ann Hourihan and Angela Harrolle Mohan are running as independents, not left, not right, with no PAC money and no party script. They get into healthcare, childcare, housing, schools, and whether a regular mom can really move the needle. This is a conversation and an education, not an endorsement. Hear them out, then decide for yourself. Key Takeaways ✨ You can make real change without ever holding office. Angela passed three pieces of legislation as a private citizen. ✨ Conviction over comfort. “I would rather lose than lose my integrity.” ✨ Less complaining, more action. Your voice is not noise, it counts, especially one week before you vote. Who This Episode Is For This episode is for the mom who is tired of being handed a label and told to pick a side. For the Arizona family doing the childcare and housing math at the kitchen table. For anyone who wants to hear people out and then make up her own mind. A Note from Jessica This is not an endorsement. It is a conversation. I believe in hearing everyone out and letting them stand for what they believe. Listen, learn, and vote your own conscience. Connect with Jessica Perez Instagram: instagram.com/jessicaperez1123 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessica-perez-consulting Connect with Teri Ann Hourihan & Angela Harrolle Mohan Website: teriann4azgov.org Resources to learn more: Vote411 (League of Women Voters voter guide): vote411.orgBallotpedia (candidates and what’s on your ballot): ballotpedia.org Arizona Secretary of State (register, check status, elections): azsos.govArizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission (candidate debates): azcleanelections.gov/debateFollow & Support the Podcast ⭐  Follow the show ⭐  Leave a 5-star review ⭐  Share this episode with a mom who needs it #Beyondthebalance

    Beyond the balance- Episode 31 Teri Ann Hourihan & Angela Harrolle Mohan

  4. Oct 13

    Beyond the balance- Episode 30 (Sam Allen)

    In This Episode We Talk About Sam Allen and I met in financial services and spent a year trying to get this conversation on the calendar, which is its own working-mom punchline. She went from a town of 300 people and a dream of being the next Katie Couric to EVP of Marketing at Merit Financial Advisors. In this one we skip the highlight reel and get honest about the hardest season of working motherhood: the chronic illness, the sleep deprivation, pumping in meetings, and the postpartum wave no one warned her about. We also laugh, a lot, about bringing a laptop to the hospital, surprise pregnancies with impeccable timing, and why the best thing you can do for yourself might be to burn the baby schedule book. If you have ever felt like the world was not built for working moms, you are going to feel seen. Key Takeaways ✨  Protect your mornings. Guard your focus time before the day grabs it, and save the draining tasks for when your energy is already low. ✨  Outsource what drains you. Knowing what you’re not good at is a strength, not a confession. ✨  Burn the schedule books. Car-seat naps count. Grace beats perfection, especially in the fourth trimester. ✨  Build the village on purpose. The women who cheer you on and remind you to refill your cup are not a luxury, they’re how you last. ✨  Choose presence over FOMO. When you know who you are, saying no to the room gets a whole lot easier. Who This Episode Is For This episode is for the working mom running on three hours of sleep who still showed up. For the first-time mom white-knuckling the baby schedule. For the achiever who needs to hear that the hardest job she’ll ever have is not a sign she’s failing. If you’ve ever whispered “is it just me?”, it isn’t. This one’s for you. Free Download for This Episode 🎁  The Focus-Time Reset — Comment "reset" and I'll get it over Connect with Jessica Perez Instagram:  https://instagram.com/jessicaperezandbeyond LinkedIn:  https://linkedin.com/in/jessica-perez-consulting Connect with Samantha Allen LinkedIn:  linkedin.com/in/samantha-allen  Follow & Support the Podcast If this episode resonated with you: ⭐  Follow the show ⭐  Leave a 5-star review ⭐  Share this episode with a mom who needs it Share This Episode Tag Jessica when you listen and share your biggest takeaway.  #Beyondthebalance

    Beyond the balance- Episode 30 (Sam Allen)

  5. Oct 7

    Beyond the balance- Episode 29 (China Allen)

    In This Episode We Talk About China Allen walked into COVID almost 300 pounds, in a marriage she describes as abusive, and at the height of a corporate career she had built from a $25,000 recruiting job she took at nineteen. Then she did the thing most of us talk ourselves out of: she changed everything at once. In 30 days she filed for separation, left a seven-year career, and booked weight loss surgery. This episode is a real look at what it actually takes to stop abandoning yourself. China and Jessica get into the cost of being a working mom in a male-dominated industry, raising two sons on the autism spectrum, and why the fear of losing herself finally outweighed the fear of starting over. It is bold, it is tender, and it will make you look hard at the decisions you keep putting off. Key Takeaways ✨ You do not have to lose yourself to be a good mom. Your kids are part of you, not all of you. ✨ Burnout and tolerating are not the same as trying. Sometimes the bravest move is burning it down and starting again. ✨ Confidence is not a personality. It is a skill you rebuild, on a stage, in a boardroom, or in your own mirror. ✨ The load is real. Moms still carry the majority of it, even when both partners work. ✨ You can be unapologetically feminine and formidable in the same breath. Who This Episode Is For This episode is for the mom who already knows what she needs to do and keeps finding reasons not to. For the woman quietly carrying most of the load and wondering if she is the only one. And for every mom raising a child the world was not built for, who needs to hear she is not alone in it. Connect with Jessica Perez Instagram: https://instagram.com/jessicaperezandbeyond LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jessica-perez-consulting Connect with China Allen Instagram: https://instagram.com/china.internationalmsusa26 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chinaallen/ Website: https://www.keyconsultingaz.com/ Follow & Support the Podcast ⭐ Follow the show ⭐ Leave a 5-star review ⭐ Share this episode with a mom who needs it #Beyondthebalance

    Beyond the balance- Episode 29 (China Allen)

  6. Sep 30

    Beyond the balance- Episode 28 (Maryam Houston)

    In This Episode We Talk About What does it actually look like to build a serious career and a full family life without burning yourself to the ground? Maryam Houston joins Jessica to talk about the parts of working motherhood nobody puts on a highlight reel: the decision fatigue, the “defend for yourself” dinner nights, the outsourcing that saved her sanity, and the boundaries she wishes she had set a decade sooner. It is equal parts strategy session and reality check, with a few tools you will want to steal before the episode ends. Key Takeaways ✨  Boundaries are not selfish. They protect the version of you that can go the distance. ✨  Outsourcing is a strategy, not a splurge. Hand off what drains you and buy back your capacity. ✨  AI is a mom tool, not just a work tool. From dinner to journaling, it can carry real weight. ✨  Your ADHD brain is pointing at something. Follow the pull toward your zone of excellence. ✨  Sometimes you have to leave the room to become who you are meant to be. Who This Episode Is For This episode is for the mom who is good at everything and quietly running on empty. For the one who says yes before she checks her own capacity, who carries the invisible load, and who is ready to stop giving herself away and start setting boundaries that stick. Connect with Jessica Perez Instagram:  https://instagram.com/jessicaperez1123 LinkedIn:  https://linkedin.com/in/jessica-perez-consulting Connect with Maryam Houston LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryam-houston/ Follow & Support the Podcast ⭐  Follow the show ⭐  Leave a 5-star review ⭐  Share this episode with a mom who needs it #Beyondthebalance

    Beyond the balance- Episode 28 (Maryam Houston)

  7. Sep 22

    Beyond the balance- Episode 27 (Maddison Koper)

    In This Episode We Talk About: This week I'm sitting down with Maddison Koper, ESQ. the attorney and founder of Sunshine Law Firm who decided she'd be a lawyer at 13 and never looked back. We get into the legal groundwork most new business owners skip, the exact steps she tells every client to take before they build a website or spend a single dollar on branding, and why waiting to protect your name can cost you everything you've made. Then the conversation turns personal. Maddison opens up about the year business went quiet: a new baby, a body running on no sleep, and the sudden loss of the family dog, all colliding at once. This is a conversation about building something the right way the first time, and about what happens when life forces you to stop chasing and start attracting instead. Key Takeaways:✨ Your business name means nothing legally until you've searched it and filed it with the USPTO ✨ A newborn and grief will slow your business down, and that is not the same thing as failing ✨ You don't chase the right clients or the right season, you attract them by staying vibrant Who This Episode Is ForThis episode is for: →  The mom building a business on the side who keeps telling herself the LLC and trademark can wait →  The woman whose business went quiet after a hard season and thinks that means she's falling behind →  Anyone who has ever felt like being multi-passionate meant she couldn't be taken seriously Connect with Jessica PerezInstagram https://instagram.com/jessicaperez1123 LinkedIn https://linkedin.com/in/jessica-perez-consulting Connect with Maddison Koper & Sunshine Law Firm Instagram https://instagram.com/sunshinelawfirm LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/maddison-koper-esq-a1085b129 Website https://sunshinelawfirm.net Follow & Support the Podcast ⭐  Follow the show ⭐  Leave a 5-star review ⭐  Share this episode with a mom who needs it #Beyondthebalance

  8. Sep 9

    Beyond the balance- Episode 26 (Shannon Spotswood)

    In This Episode We Talk About Shannon Spotswood didn't climb a straight ladder to become CEO of RFG Advisory. She left investment banking and a hedge fund that grew to over thirty billion dollars, walked away from Wall Street entirely to build a luxury children's clothing brand out of a garage with a friend (the one Gwyneth Paltrow made famous), and then walked back into finance to help build one of the fastest growing RIA platforms in the country. This episode is a real look at the power of the pivot, what decisive leadership actually looks like under pressure, and how she has raised three kids while never once standing still. Key Takeaways ✨  The pivot is not a failure. It's a strategy. ✨  Decisiveness is a skill you build under pressure, not a personality trait you're born with. ✨  “Be where your feet are” beats chasing balance every single time. ✨  Flexibility isn't a perk you hand out. It's how you keep your best women in the room. Who This Episode Is For This episode is for the mom who thinks she has to pick one lane and stay in it forever. For the woman in the boardroom quietly wondering if she's allowed to want more than one career. For every working mom who has wondered if walking away from something great means she failed. Shannon is proof it means the opposite. Connect with Jessica Perez Instagram:  https://instagram.com/jessicaperez1123 LinkedIn:  https://linkedin.com/in/jessica-perez-consulting Connect with Shannon Spotswood LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonspotswood/ Website:  https://rfgadvisory.com Follow & Support the Podcast ⭐  Follow the show ⭐  Leave a 5-star review ⭐  Share this episode with a mom who needs it #Beyondthebalance

    Beyond the balance- Episode 26 (Shannon Spotswood)
See All (33)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Beyond The balance is your no-BS, heart-forward podcast for working and entrepreneurial moms who are tired of burnout, guilt, and feeling torn between career, family, and self. Hosted like a conversation with your business bestie, this show delivers honest stories, tough-love truths, and actionable takeaways to help you reclaim confidence, set boundaries, and design a life that actually works for you. From imposter syndrome to redefining success on your own terms, every episode reminds you that you’re not alone - and that your dreams still matter. This is a place where purpose, passion and podcasting come together. Subscribe, exhale, and get ready to pursue purpose, courage, and zero apologies.

Information

  • Creator
    Jessica Perez
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    33
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Jessica Perez
  • Show Website
    Beyond the balance