All Figured Out with Andrea Barr: Figuring Out Work, Life and Parenting

Andrea Barr — Figuring Out Work, Life and Motherhood
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All Figured Out with Andrea Barr is the podcast for working moms who want more clarity, flexibility, and joy in their careers and family lives. Andrea Barr—a Certified Career Coach for Parents, mom of two, and former corporate leader—shares honest conversations and practical strategies on work-life balance, parenting, self-care, and career growth so you can thrive at work and at home.

  1. 3D AGO

    130. Why working parents need to stop managing days and start managing months

    I’m not afraid to say that I have a complicated relationship with time, from when I was working in corporate, to mat leave, to running my own business. Time is something that I’m always finding new ways to make the most of. In this episode, I’m sharing the calendar reset I’m committing to taking a long overdue family vacation. This doesn’t mean that I’ll have a rigid system, or a perfect solution, it’s just an honest look at what’s not working and a realistic plan to fix it. In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Intro (03:29) Andrea's history with time (03:57) High school and university years (04:51) The advertising era (07:26) COVID and finding rhythm (09:24) Returning to corporate after mat leave (11:37) The moment something had to give (13:18) Why she left corporate (16:14) Life now: two kids, three business areas  (17:10) Being your own worst boss (19:28) The shadow side of entrepreneurial freedom (21:39) Why time blocking fails working parents (23:38) Creating a calendar on your own terms (24:45) Syncing your calendar with your cycle (28:16) The Sunday calendar reset (29:51) Zooming out to 4–6 weeks (30:31) Andrea's Q2 plan (32:12) Where to find Andrea + special request KEY TAKEAWAY You don't need a perfect system — you need to zoom out, protect your non-negotiables, and let everything else fall into place around them. Related episode Ep. 72: Understanding your cycle as a working mother for optimized health, mood, and productivity with Dr. Liza Klassen – Spotify or Apple About Andrea Barr, host of All Figured Out: Andrea is a certified career and life coach for parents. Through her coaching, she supports parents in finding better work-life rhythms so they can continue to grow personally and professionally without sacrificing family time. Connect with Andrea Website | ⁠https://www.andreabarr.com/⁠   Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/allfiguredoutandrea | https://www.instagram.com/allfiguredout.podcast  Listen to All Figured Out 💚 Spotify | https://tinyurl.com/afo-spotify  💜 Apple Podcasts | https://tinyurl.com/afo-apple  🖤YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@allfiguredoutandrea

    34 min

  2. 5D AGO

    129. The 15-minute method that carried one mom through the unthinkable - Michelle Hooey

    Have you ever wondered what it would take to go from burned-out corporate climber to grounded, present mom — not because life got easier, but because you finally learned to regulate yourself through the hard stuff? In this episode, I sit down with Michelle Hooey, life coach and author of The Goldie Effect, who shares how her signature 15-Minute Rewrite method was born in the most unlikely place: a hospital room. Michelle opens up about her daughter Goldie, navigating life with a child with "special rights" (we're making the switch to this term and we're not looking back!), and how nervous system regulation for parents isn't just a personal practice — it's what holds your marriage, your identity, and your sanity together when everything is on the line. If you've ever felt like you have nothing left to give, tune in! In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Intro (01:15) Who was Michelle Hooey before? (03:25) Five pregnancy losses and the invisible toll on her body and marriage (04:33) How Frankie's celiac diagnosis accidentally uncovered Michelle's own — and led to Goldie (07:19) Goldie's emergency birth at 33 weeks (11:20) Seizures, five months in the NICU, and learning to survive in uncertainty (17:20) How Michelle started protecting her nervous system in 15-minute pockets of time (18:36) Living without a diagnosis: navigating systems, insurance, and the world with a medically complex child (26:00) The "special rights" movement — and why it needs to come to Canada (28:39) The 15-Minute Rewrite explained: regulate, reflect, reclaim (37:39) How their marriage survived — couples therapy, staggered breakdowns, and hard conversations (43:46) The resentment that came to a head (53:10) The Goldie Effect: Michelle's memoir-meets-self-help book, out March 6th, 2026 (55:52)  How can people who don't have family members or children with special rights can be advocate (57:38) What Michelle is still trying to figure out KEY TAKEAWAY You don't need a dramatic life overhaul to regulate your nervous system, you only need 15 intentional minutes and the willingness to ask yourself what you actually need. About Michelle Hooey Michelle Hooey is a bestselling author, speaker, and guide for women navigating real-life change. After years in corporate leadership, her life shifted with the birth of her second daughter, Goldie, who was born with complex medical needs. What followed wasn’t a reinvention. It was a reckoning with capacity, identity, grief, and what it means to stay present when life no longer follows the plan. Out of that season came The Goldie Effect and the 15-Minute Rewrite, grounded ways of turning lived experience into clarity, strength, and forward movement without burning yourself out. Connect with Michelle Hooey Website | https://anchorlesscoaching.com/  Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/michelle_hooey  Linkedin | https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-hooey/  Book - The Goldie Effect | https://amzn.to/46MGlvL About Andrea Barr, host of All Figured Out: Andrea is a certified career and life coach for parents. Through her coaching, she supports parents in finding better work-life rhythms so they can continue to grow personally and professionally without sacrificing family time. Connect with Andrea Website | ⁠https://www.andreabarr.com/⁠   Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/allfiguredoutandrea | https://www.instagram.com/allfiguredout.podcast  Listen to All Figured Out 💚 Spotify | https://tinyurl.com/afo-spotify  💜 Apple Podcasts | https://tinyurl.com/afo-apple 🖤YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@allfiguredoutandrea

    59 min

  3. MAR 5

    128. What a holistic nurse wants every parent dealing with pain to know - Julia Bitter

    In this episode with Julia Bitter, a registered nurse and holistic nurse coach, talks about career resilience, how she used every setback to build a career she actually loves, and why your body might be trying to tell you something. If you’re a parent dealing with something chronic (pain, migraines, autoimmune, fatigue, etc.) and you feel like you’re at the mercy of your body or the healthcare system, Julia gives us a new lens and practical tools to start actually managing it, on your own terms.  In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Intro (08:12) What it felt like to lose her dream nursing job for the first time — and the union displacement process nobody warns you about (11:45) Being handed a list of people she could "bump" — and why she never did it, not once (14:45) Taking a risk on a brand new community pain management program she knew nothing about (17:55) The bio-psychosocial model of pain — why your sleep, stress, relationships, and emotions all make pain worse (or better) (22:12) Julia's own story of childhood chronic illness and autoimmune conditions — and not realizing stress was behind her hospital visits (26:59) "Couples therapy with your body" — learning to listen before your body starts screaming (30:18) Why having the right care team changes everything, and how to advocate for yourself in a system that doesn't always listen (35:11) Prevention vs. flare-up management — what to do before things spiral, and what to do when they already have (40:15) The flare-up box strategy: writing a plan when you're well so your autopilot has somewhere better to go (42:10) Displacement number three, building a home on five acres during COVID, and natural horsemanship as unexpected therapy (50:23) Becoming a certified holistic nurse coach — what that actually means and who it's for (52:32) Pain reprocessing therapy: the evidence-based approach that's helped patients go completely pain-free (01:00:29) Pronoia — the opposite of paranoia, and Julia's thesis for getting through every hard thing (01:03:26) How to find a pain clinic or pain specialist near you (Canada, US, UK, and beyond) KEY TAKEAWAY Your body isn't working against you, it's talking to you, and learning to listen before it has to scream is one of the most powerful things a working parent can do for their health, their career, and their family. About Julia Bitter Julia Ott Bitter is a Registered Nurse and Clinical Coordinator with Fraser Health Authority’s Community Pain Management Program. With over a decade of experience in health care, she champions trauma-informed and strengths-based approaches to healing and systems-level change. She holds dual degrees in Nursing and Psychology from the University of British Columbia and is a Certified Holistic Nurse Coach and Consultant. Julia recently founded Safe Space Healing, a private practice integrating holistic, evidence-informed support for pain, stress, and burnout. She is also a busy mom living on a five-acre equestrian hobby farm and loves spending time with her family outdoors. Connect with Julia Bitter Website | https://www.safespacehealing.ca/  Email | Julia@safespacehealing.ca About Andrea Barr, host of All Figured Out: Andrea is a certified career and life coach for parents. Through her coaching, she supports parents in finding better work-life rhythms so they can continue to grow personally and professionally without sacrificing family time. Connect with Andrea Website | ⁠https://www.andreabarr.com/⁠   Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/allfiguredoutandrea | https://www.instagram.com/allfiguredout.podcast  Listen to All Figured Out 💚 Spotify | https://tinyurl.com/afo-spotify  💜 Apple Podcasts | https://tinyurl.com/afo-apple  🖤YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@allfiguredoutandrea

    1h 8m

  4. MAR 3

    127. The veteran and burnout survivor who rebuilt her life on her own terms - Erika Latta

    Is it possible to survive trauma, burnout, and relentless transitions, and emerge more grounded, more powerful, and more truly yourself?  Internal leadership coach and nervous system strategist Erika Latta offers her own life as proof.  Her story is a non-linear path: from growing up in a Texas trailer with a father who was a Vietnam veteran and a heroin addict, to enlisting in the Air Force at 17 for survival, narrowly escaping a terrorist bombing in Saudi Arabia, and burning out twice in corporate sales.  Hear her most recent, beautiful transition: becoming a mom at 52—and using all of these experiences to build her coaching practice, Inner Edge. In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Intro (01:38) Becoming a mom at 52 (02:34) Growing up in Texas (06:58) Erika’s mom enlisted in the military at 34 with two kids and a six-month-old (13:00) Leaving home at 17, and joining the Air Force to survive (14:49) The trauma she carried into adulthood — and what she wants every mother to know about open dialogue with their kids (23:22) What basic training actually looks like (23:33) Episode sponsor: Erika Latta (32:04) Being stationed in Saudi Arabia, and protecting the no-fly zone from Saddam Hussein (38:47) The Colonel Dick moment (42:18) Moving to Canada (45:18) Fertility struggles, miscarriage, and how the universe brought their daughter into their lives (51:47) Becoming a new mom and getting laid off in the same season, and why it turned out to be the biggest blessing (57:41) How to lead under pressure without performing (1:02:37) Energy management over time management: the reframe that changes everything for high-performing working moms (1:04:21) How to set boundaries at work without sounding scripted (1:09:46)  Where to find Erika Latta KEY TAKEAWAY Your transitions and lived experiences that almost broke you, are exactly what qualifies you to lead differently. Erika Latta’s own “Inner Edge” is lived experience, and not only surviving, but thriving. The most powerful thing that high-performing women can do is learn to lead from regulation and clarity. About Erika Latta Erika Latta is an internal leadership coach and nervous system strategist who works with high-performing women — Directors, VPs, executives, and founders — who are thriving on the outside but quietly running on empty on the inside. A burnout survivor herself, Erika has led in some of the most demanding, male-dominated environments out there — the U.S. Air Force, the chemical industry, and corporate sales — so she knows firsthand what it costs to lead through performance rather than presence. Certified in Conscious Connected Breathwork and grounded in nervous system science, Erika helps women stop white-knuckling their careers and start leading from regulation, clarity, and grounded authority — especially during the big transitions: role shifts, rising visibility, and the quiet realization that you've outgrown your current chapter. Her work isn't therapy or leadership theory — it's the internal leadership system most high-achieving women were never given, and desperately needed. Connect with Erika Latta Website | https://erikalatta.com/  Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/breathewitherika/ | https://www.instagram.com/ritual.urban.retreat/  Linkedin | https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikalatta  About Andrea Barr, host of All Figured Out: Andrea is a certified career and life coach for parents. Through her coaching, she supports parents in finding better work-life rhythms so they can continue to grow personally and professionally without sacrificing family time. Connect with Andrea Website | ⁠https://www.andreabarr.com/⁠   Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/allfiguredoutandrea | https://www.instagram.com/allfiguredout.podcast  Listen to All Figured Out 💚 Spotify | https://tinyurl.com/afo-spotify  💜 Apple Podcasts | https://tinyurl.com/afo-apple 🖤YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@allfiguredoutandrea

    1h 11m

  5. FEB 26

    126. Why your "random" life choices are secretly connected — Tasneem Damji

    What if the "wrong" turns, the detours, and the jobs that made zero sense were actually building something extraordinary all along? Tasneem Damji — educator, career coach for students, and mother of two — unpacks a nonlinear career path that spans continents, cultures, and decades. All of us at some point have looked at our lives and thought how does any of this connect?, this conversation covers that and how everything ends up being a full circle moment.  In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Intro(01:30) Tasneem and the two very different stages of motherhood she's navigating(06:23) Failing a science degree she never wanted and what it took to finally change course (09:48) Moving to Tajikistan with no plan and accidentally discovering her life's work (17:08) Leaving a toxic job and saying yes to a workshop she had no idea how to run (21:47) Sponsor: Tasneem Damji (25:27) Why everything she did that "made no sense" became her superpower in the job market (37:05) Moving back to Canada and rebuilding her career (45:42) Tasneem’s work with high school students — and why she never tells them what to do (58:33) What parents of young kids can do right now to raise children who know themselves (1:10:23) What is Tasneem figuring out and her big dreams KEY TAKEAWAY You can't plan your future — and that's actually the best news you'll hear all day. What you can do is plan your next step with intention, follow your interests, and trust that the through line will reveal itself later. As Tasneem says, the question isn't what do you want to be? — it's who are you becoming? About Tasneem Damji Tasneem Damji is a college and career clarity coach who helps young people connect the dots between who they are and where they’re going. But her path here wasn’t linear. From navigating uncertainty in her own life to pivoting careers and raising two children eight and a half years apart, Tasneem knows firsthand that growth rarely follows a straight line. It unfolds through courage, discomfort, and the willingness to step outside your comfort zone — again and again. Today, she works with teens and families to move from overwhelm to clarity, helping young people uncover their strengths, tell their stories with confidence, and make thoughtful decisions about their future. Her work goes far beyond applications and resumes; it’s about building lifelong self-trust. At the heart of everything she does is one belief: nothing in your life is wasted. Every twist, every detour, every doubt is part of the bigger picture. Tasneem is a mother of two and believes that when we raise reflective, compassionate, and resilient young people, we change not just their future — but ours too Connect with Tasneem Damji Website | https://www.tasneemdamji.com/  About Andrea Barr, host of All Figured Out: Andrea is a certified career and life coach for parents. Through her coaching, she supports parents in finding better work-life rhythms so they can continue to grow personally and professionally without sacrificing family time. Connect with Andrea Website | ⁠https://www.andreabarr.com/⁠   Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/allfiguredoutandrea | https://www.instagram.com/allfiguredout.podcast  Listen to All Figured Out 💚 Spotify | https://tinyurl.com/afo-spotify  💜 Apple Podcasts | https://tinyurl.com/afo-apple 🖤YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@allfiguredoutandrea

    1h 15m

  6. FEB 24

    125. She planned her whole career but becoming a mom changed everything with Tianna Mamalick

    Digital strategist and soon-to-be author, Tianna Mamalick built her business in the wake of unimaginable grief.  In this episode, Andrea and Tianna share about motherhood, entrepreneurship, loss, and what it actually looks like to go all in on yourself when life forces your hand. Tianna opens up about leaving the corporate world after having her son, finding confidence through freelancing, navigating an unconventional family schedule with her husband, and how losing her brother, Christian, became the unexpected catalyst that pushed her to build something truly her own.  Oh, and she's writing a book — on her terms, with her words, and nobody else's name on the cover. In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Intro (00:30) Meet Tianna, the least tech-savvy kid in a very tech-savvy family (03:40) From software companies to marketing agencies — why she always needed to move fast (05:10) How motherhood completely changed the plan (06:53) The freelance test that gave her the confidence to go all in (12:07) Why different family setups work (16:01) The book she couldn't promote (19:16) Losing her brother the day before the book launched (28:35) Going all in on grief, and how it accidentally built her business (39:25) Introducing yourself differently depending on the room (44:07) Writing the book she actually wants to be proud of (51:50) Book recommendations for the romance novel lovers (53:25) Tianna’s advice for listeners KEY TAKEAWAY You don't have to have it all figured out to go all in. Sometimes grief, a career pivot, and an unconventional family setup are exactly the ingredients that build something beautiful, on your own terms. About Tianna Mamalick Tianna Mamalick is the founder of SMB Marketing, a boutique digital marketing agency helping women-led small businesses grow through SEO, Google Ads, and content strategy — without the jargon or the burnout. With over a decade of experience in digital marketing, Tianna's mission is to give female entrepreneurs simple, actionable tools that build long-term visibility and growth.  Connect with Tianna Mamalick Website | https://smbmarketingschool.com/  Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/smbmarketingschool/  Linkedin | https://www.linkedin.com/in/tmamalick/  About Andrea Barr, host of All Figured Out: Andrea is a certified career and life coach for parents. Through her coaching, she supports parents in finding better work-life rhythms so they can continue to grow personally and professionally without sacrificing family time. Connect with Andrea Website | ⁠https://www.andreabarr.com/⁠   Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/allfiguredoutandrea | https://www.instagram.com/allfiguredout.podcast  Listen to All Figured Out 💚 Spotify | https://tinyurl.com/afo-spotify  💜 Apple Podcasts | https://tinyurl.com/afo-apple  🖤YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@allfiguredoutandrea

    59 min

  7. FEB 19

    124. 4 vacation myths that are keeping working parents burned out - Jennica Day

    GET JENNICA DAY’S BOOK → You Need a (Better) Vacation https://amzn.to/3ZMe6cG  How many times have you caught yourself saying "I need a vacation from my vacation"? That's probably because you're vacationing wrong, and Jennica Day is here to debunk some vacationing myths that genuinely blew my mind.  Jennica is a vacation expert, author, former international teacher, and mom of three boys (who she is fully qualified to wrestle).  In this episode, she breaks down the science of rest, reframes what vacation actually means, and gives us a surprisingly simple framework that will change how you think about your time off, for good. In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Intro (01:53) From varsity wrestler to mom of three boys — Jennica's origin story (07:38)  Permanent vacation that led to living in Cancun (16:17) The 3 things that actually make a vacation restful: relax, detach, and control (23:37) Why longer vacations aren't actually better (27:40) Pre-vacation syndrome (PVS) and how to avoid burning out before you even leave (38:20) Adventures vs. vacations — the distinction that will change your life as a parent (42:31)  The 4-hour break rule and micro-vacations (57:57) 4 vacation myths debunked (01:05:20) What Jennica is still trying to figure out KEY TAKEAWAY You don't need more time off, what you need is to vacation better. A 2-day vacation done right gives you the same health and wellness benefits as a 17-day one (and science is proving this!). The goal isn't to squeeze every last minute out of a trip; it's to actually rest, detach, and do what you want. And if you're a parent? Stop expecting adventures with your kids to fill your rest tank. They won't. Schedule your micro vacations like your sanity depends on it — because it kind of does. About Jennica Day Jennica Day is a vacation expert, author, and advocate for intentional rest and recovery. After experiencing burnout while living and working in Cancun, she dedicated herself to understanding the science of vacationing and work recovery. Her research and personal experimentation led her to develop the Vacation Hero Method, a proven strategy that promotes proper rest, prevents burnout, and enhances productivity. Author of the book You Need a (Better) Vacation, where she share evidence-based strategies to help individuals and organizations optimize time off for improved well-being, performance, and happiness. Connect with Jennica Day Website | https://thevacationnerd.com/  Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/thevacationnerd  Book - You Need a (Better) Vacation | https://amzn.to/3ZMe6cG  About Andrea Barr, host of All Figured Out: Andrea is a certified career and life coach for parents. Through her coaching, she supports parents in finding better work-life rhythms so they can continue to grow personally and professionally without sacrificing family time. Connect with Andrea Website | ⁠https://www.andreabarr.com/⁠   Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/allfiguredoutandrea | https://www.instagram.com/allfiguredout.podcast  Listen to All Figured Out 💚 Spotify | https://tinyurl.com/afo-spotify  💜 Apple Podcasts | https://tinyurl.com/afo-apple 🖤YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@allfiguredoutandrea

    1h 7m

  8. FEB 17

    123. What happens when you refuse to take "wait and see" for an answer - Nikki Holekamp

    Nikki Holekamp is a testament to resilience, creativity and advocacy. She is a trained pediatric occupational therapist, who had to use her skills, her voice and her written words to advocate for her son, Asher. In this conversation with Nikki, she shares about her life parenting a child with medical needs, how she’s advocating for him and teaching other kids, as well as her own daughter, that life can look different for others, trusting your intuition when doctors say “wait and see” and finding healing through storytelling. In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Intro (04:40) Life before kids: Nikki's career as a pediatric OT and early motherhood (09:27) Asher's birth and the first signs something was different (13:51) The early months of Asher (16:49) Getting a second opinion that changed the trajectory (19:28) Navigating the Canadian vs. US medical systems (28:13) Standing up to doctors and trusting your parental intuition (38:39) Life with Asher now: wheelchairs, preschool, and letting go of expectations (49:03) Ways to be an ally for children like Asher (51:46) Balancing two children with different needs (56:20) What Nikki is still trying to figure out KEY TAKEAWAYS When medical professionals are telling you to “wait and see”, but your intuition is screaming that something is wrong, listen to yourself. You’re allowed to have a second opinion, and sometimes they’re essential, because it's not about stepping on anyone's toes; it's about protecting your child’s health and your own Writing and storytelling can be medicine. The processing through writing became healing, and the connections with other families navigating similar challenges became lifelines. Sharing your story—however you choose to do it—creates community and helps you process what you're living through. About Nikki Holekamp Nikki is a trained pediatric occupational therapist turned passionate parent advocate who has learned the power of using her voice to create meaningful impact. Through storytelling and lived experience, she’s discovered how words can shift perspectives and make space for change. She blends creativity with purpose. Writing became her way of sharing stories, but it has evolved into a way of helping others see through a new lens.  Connection is at the heart of who she is. As a projector in Human Design, Nikki has a gift for seeing the bigger picture and lifting others up with insight and intention. Her mission is to help moms recognize that they hold more capacity than they often believe. She reminds women that while hard things will happen, grace, growth, and profound lessons can emerge from those seasons. Nikki inspires others to dream bigger, live with purpose, and create a life they feel deeply proud of. Connect with Nikki Holekamp Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/nikkiholekamp | https://www.instagram.com/aligned.with.asher  Substack - The Strength In Our Scars | https://substack.com/@thestrengthinourscars  About Andrea Barr, host of All Figured Out: Andrea is a certified career and life coach for parents. Through her coaching, she supports parents in finding better work-life rhythms so they can continue to grow personally and professionally without sacrificing family time. Connect with Andrea Website | ⁠https://www.andreabarr.com/⁠   Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/allfiguredoutandrea | https://www.instagram.com/allfiguredout.podcast  Listen to All Figured Out 💚 Spotify | https://tinyurl.com/afo-spotify  💜 Apple Podcasts | https://tinyurl.com/afo-apple 🖤YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@allfiguredoutandrea

    58 min
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5
out of 5
3 Ratings

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All Figured Out with Andrea Barr is the podcast for working moms who want more clarity, flexibility, and joy in their careers and family lives. Andrea Barr—a Certified Career Coach for Parents, mom of two, and former corporate leader—shares honest conversations and practical strategies on work-life balance, parenting, self-care, and career growth so you can thrive at work and at home.

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