The Boss Mom Podcast

Dana Malstaff
  • 4.6 (350)
  • Marketing
  • Updated Weekly

Motherhood and business aren't meant to be done alone. The Boss Mom Podcast isn't just a collection of conversations—it's your decision support, your permission slip, your place to laugh, cry, and connect. Hosted by Dana Malstaff, founder of Boss Mom LLC, this is your new home base, where you'll find mom-centric business advice, the raw truth about being a mom with big dreams, and a ton of hope and proof that you can reach all of your goals. No matter what stage of motherhood or business you're in, we're here for all of it. From big decisions to little wins, we've got your back. Think of us as your biggest advocate, helping you build the business and life you love, one episode at a time.

  1. Sep 11

    Moms Control the Economy. So Why Don't We Act Like It?

    If moms stopped spending money tomorrow, the entire economy would collapse. We make up 68% of it. That's real power. So why does that power just feel like weight, the self-doubt, the impostor syndrome, the sense that you're the only one who can hold this household together? Dana sat with that question after recording this episode, and it's exactly why she brought back Dr. Lisa Woodruff, one of her very first podcast guests, nine years ago. Lisa's back now with a PhD to back up everything she already knew. This conversation covers a lot: why Lisa went back for a PhD just to be believed, what ADHD and executive function actually mean (and why the label matters less than the systems), the CEO/manager/employee framework for running your home so power stops feeling like a solo burden, the self-care definition nobody had written down until Lisa did, and the story of the first time in her adult life, at 54, that she told her own kids no. You'll hear: Why moms drive 68% of the economy, and why that power just feels like weight when you're carrying it alone The real reason Lisa got a PhD (it wasn't about the system, it was about being believed) ADHD as a spectrum of eight executive functions, not a yes-or-no label The CEO / manager / employee framework for your household The self-care definition Lisa had to write herself because it didn't exist Why her dissertation found housework might never have been gendered at all The first time in 54 years she told her kids no, just because she wanted to Mentioned in this episode: Lisa's book, Escaping Quicksand, and the Sunday Basket: Organize365.com Lisa on Instagram: @organize365 BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community BossMom+: bossmom.com/join

  2. Sep 3

    I'm Doing More Than Ever and I Feel Less Overwhelmed

    Dana is doing more right now than she has in a long time. More in her business, more with her kids, more in her relationship. And somehow, she feels more expansive, not less. In this solo episode, she breaks down exactly what shifted over the last six months that let her hold more without falling apart doing it, and why capacity was never actually about time. This one gets personal. Dana talks about the "two balls in the air" belief that ran her life for years, the moment she finally forgave old versions of herself, and a hard conversation with her partner that unlocked something she didn't expect. You'll hear: Why capacity is about patience and honesty, not time or energy The "two balls in the air" belief that kept Dana small for years What actually happened when she stopped being mad at her old self Why saying your needs out loud changes how doing feels, not just what gets done The walk exercise Dana uses to picture a future she can't quite picture in numbers What real capacity feels like when life is still hard and stressful This is for any mom who feels like she can only hold two things at once, and is tired of believing that's the ceiling. Mentioned in this episode: BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community BossMom+: bossmom.com/join

  3. Aug 28

    We Might Be the Last Generation of Moms Who Don't Know Who We Are Without Doing

    Katie Read is back, and this time the two of them fell straight into a conversation about something bigger than marketing: are we the last generation of moms who doesn't know who we are without doing? It started with a newsletter Katie sent about the future of work, and by the time they hit record they were deep into what happens to a mom's identity once AI starts doing the "doing" for her — plus the wild stat that kicked it all off: kids today are projected to have 25 jobs in their lifetime. This one covers a lot of ground: the death of the career ladder, why motherhood has always been an identity catalyst (and why AI is about to do the same thing to everyone else), the difference between real safety and familiar discomfort, and why exploration itself might be the smartest business model available to you right now. You'll hear: Why kids having 25 jobs in a lifetime is actually good news, not a crisis The Starbucks story that explains why job titles were never really our identity How motherhood has always forced identity exploration, and why AI is now doing that to everyone The "chapters, not a ladder" reframe for thinking about your own career Why the real obstacle to change is safety, not money How Dana separated her personal identity from her business brands using AI Why the money (and the purpose) is on the other side of being embarrassed If you've ever wondered who you are underneath the job title, the launch, or the to-do list, this episode is for you. Mentioned in this episode: Katie Read's site + free instant diagnostic: KatieRead.com Katie's buyer psychology work + free instant diagnostic: BuyerPsych.com Boss Mom Community (free): bossmom.com/community Boss Mom Plus: bossmom.com/join

  4. Aug 19

    Why Moms Like Us Feel at War with Ourselves (with Amanda Goetz)

    This one's real, raw, and honest — the kind of conversation you'll want to relisten to with a notebook. Dana sits down with Amanda Goetz — two-time founder, four-time CMO, divorced mom of three, and author of the debut book Toxic Grit: How to Have It All and Actually Love What You Have — to talk about the mindset work, the boundaries, and the money story she had to consciously rewrite to stop feeling so disconnected from herself. They get into subconscious mindset work, why "having it all" was never actually the problem, why Amanda doesn't want her kids around on her birthday, and the "character theory" framework at the heart of her book — the idea that you're not one person trying to find balance, you're several people who each need their turn. Heads up: there are a couple of juicy words in this one, so headphones on if you've got little ones nearby. You'll hear: The lemon exercise that shows exactly how your brain builds the future you keep rehearsing The piece of paper Amanda burned that changed her relationship — a few weeks later Why the word "you" was the real problem in "you can't have it all" Character theory: how to stop trying to align every version of yourself and start giving each one hierarchy instead The "transition sequences" that help you actually switch between your CEO self, your mom self, and everyone in between Why wanting a birthday or a Mother's Day without your kids doesn't make you a bad mom The generational money scripts both Dana and Amanda had to unlearn This is for any mom who's doing all the things and still feels a little disconnected from herself underneath it. Mentioned in this episode: Amanda's book, Toxic Grit: How to Have It All and Actually Love What You Have https://www.toxicgrit.com/ Amanda's newsletter, Life's a Game https://amandagoetz.kit.com/posts Boss Mom Community (free): bossmom.com/community Boss Mom Plus: bossmom.com/join

  5. Aug 13

    "Thank God I Started When I Did" (with Brenna McGowan)

    Brenna McGowan is back, and this one is not a launch strategy episode. It's the conversation she said she's never had publicly. Brenna started her business at 40, after more than a decade as a stay-at-home mom, because she needed an extra $500 a month. Eight years later, with her kids grown and gone or nearly gone, she had a realization that stopped her cold: thank God she started when she did. Not for the money. For who she gets to be now that the house is quiet. Dana and Brenna get into the guilt moms carry for wanting something of their own, the middle space nobody has named where you're still doing all the mom things and working eight hour days anyway, and why the advice to "charge your worth" may have done more damage to moms than almost anything else in the online business world. You'll hear: The empty nest realization that reframes every hour you've spent feeling guilty about your business Why the lead-up to a hard season is often worse than the season itself, and how to spot the story you've been handed Brenna's actual origin story: $500 a month, an electric bill, and zero qualifications "I was my own paid intern" and why that mindset builds real confidence Why "charge your worth" is bad advice, and what to charge instead The big-launch model and why it structurally breaks moms How to stay unattached from the outcome without stopping caring The unglamorous work that becomes your intellectual property This one's for any mom who's wondered whether wanting more makes her selfish, or whether it's too late to start. Mentioned in this episode: Brenna's site and Pre-Launch Plan Program: brennamcgowan.co Behind the Launch: behindthelaunch.co Brenna on Instagram: @brennamcgowanco Behind the Launch Facebook group: join here Brenna's launch calendar tool (BossMom affiliate link): brennamcgowan.co/bossmom-calendar BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community BossMom+: bossmom.com/join

  6. Aug 6

    The Three Stages Every Mom Goes Through (Nobody Names Ours)

    The internet has started calling it the messy middle: that stretch where you don't want a 9-to-5 away from your kids, but you also want something of your own that makes you feel like a whole person. In this solo episode, Dana argues that the name is doing real damage, and then goes somewhere unexpected with it. At her son's middle school orientation, Dana heard that kids move through three stages: understanding the family dynamic, then finding their community, then working out who they want to independently be. Moms move through the exact same three stages. Nobody names ours. And instead of an institution built around it, we get shame. If you've been walking around convinced you're behind, this episode gives you a different word for where you actually are. You'll hear: Why the term "messy middle" is doing more damage than we realize, and why renaming it isn't the fix The belief → thought → action → result chain, and why the work has to start at belief The ten tabs reframe (three are making money, three are making your family healthier, three are you) Why shame is not a launching position, and what it's quietly costing you "Mothers are the neck," and the buying power moms consistently refuse to own Why losing your identity after a baby is supposed to happen The three stages every mom moves through, and why almost everyone is in stage two grading herself against stage three Why you can't skip stage two, and what happens when you try This is for any mom who feels behind, scattered, or like she should have figured herself out by now. Mentioned in this episode: BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community — also searchable as "BossMom" in the App Store BossMom+: bossmom.com/join Email Dana: dana@bossmom.com Becoming Boss Mom (the book Dana is currently shopping to traditional publishers)

  7. Jul 31

    Motherhood Isn't a Role. It's a Creative Force. (with Dr. Gertrude Lyons)

    I read Dr. Gertrude Lyons' book Rewrite the Mother Code and immediately wanted to get everyone in a room and talk about it. She's a maternal identity expert with a doctorate, nearly three decades of coaching, and a worldview that breaks motherhood wide open: motherhood isn't a role, it's a creative force. It shows up in your business, your relationships, your dreams, and most importantly in how you mother yourself. In this conversation we get into why almost every mom loses herself at some point (including the ones with degrees in this exact subject), why self-doubt is the number one obstacle moms name, and what it takes to actually come back. You'll hear: Why you're already mothering, whether or not you have children The catalysts that reliably knock moms off track, and why drifting is the assignment rather than the failure Where the erosion of self-trust actually comes from, and how we got cut off from our own intuition The $100 answer that fixed my daughter's year of stomach pain after a doctor said girls are just dramatic Why the truth is an act of kindness, and how "keeping the peace" costs us more than we realize The say-no assignment, and why not explaining yourself is the hard part "He knows he's enough and I know I'm not too much," and why so many moms think they have to earn the right to just be The conversation my thirteen-year-old started with me, and what it proved about doing the inner work This is for any mom who has quietly wondered where she went, and whether it's too late to go get herself. Mentioned in this episode: Dr. Gertrude Lyons' book and site: drgertrudelyons.com 2027 self-mothering retreats (Mexico, Ireland, Malta, Chicago): drgertrudelyons.com/retreats2027 TEDx talk, Rewrite the Mother Code: youtube.com/watch?v=NZ9ZF8JKIDY Instagram: @drgertrudelyons Substack: gertrudelyons.substack.com BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community BossMom+: bossmom.com/join

  8. Jul 23

    The Story You Tell vs. The Story You Live (with Chandler Bolt)

    Chandler Bolt has been a friend of the show for years, and this conversation felt like it. He also doesn't have kids yet, which makes it kind of funny that this turned into one of the more honest conversations we've had about the gap between the story we tell (on stage, in a book, online) and the story we actually live behind closed doors. Dana and Chandler get into walking the walk, why authenticity beats polish every time, modeling instead of martyring yourself for your kids, and why the people closest to you deserve the mic, even when the truth stings. Plus: Dana and Chandler are teaming up for a free live training on July 29th, and you'll want to be there. You'll hear: Why what you do behind closed doors matters more than what you post How to reverse engineer what you actually want in your business before you chase another goal Why authenticity beats polish every time The "model, don't martyr" philosophy for ambition and motherhood Why seasons of parenting (and business) are allowed to change your priorities Chandler's honest story about losing, then finding, his authenticity Why the people closest to you deserve the mic, even when the truth stings Mentioned in this episode: Free training with Dana and Chandler, July 29th at 2pm PT / 5pm ET: selfpublishing.com/dana Chandler's company: selfpublishing.com Book a call with Chandler's team: selfpublishing.com/bossmom Boss Mom Community (free): bossmom.com/community Boss Mom+: bossmom.com/join

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4.6
out of 5
350 Ratings

About

Motherhood and business aren't meant to be done alone. The Boss Mom Podcast isn't just a collection of conversations—it's your decision support, your permission slip, your place to laugh, cry, and connect. Hosted by Dana Malstaff, founder of Boss Mom LLC, this is your new home base, where you'll find mom-centric business advice, the raw truth about being a mom with big dreams, and a ton of hope and proof that you can reach all of your goals. No matter what stage of motherhood or business you're in, we're here for all of it. From big decisions to little wins, we've got your back. Think of us as your biggest advocate, helping you build the business and life you love, one episode at a time.

Information

  • Creator
    Dana Malstaff
  • Years Active
    2015 - 2026
  • Episodes
    771
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    The Boss Mom Podcast

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