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. 5d ago

    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

  2. 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

  3. 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)

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. Jul 16

    How to Trust Your Own Pace and Stop Comparing Your Business to Someone Else's Win (with Em Connors)

    This week Dana sits down with Em Connors of The Creative Bodega for an honest, no-filter conversation about comparison, confidence, and money mindset, sparked by watching a creator go from unknown to multimillionaire almost overnight. Dana and Em both had a rough week of unfollowing, re-following, and wondering what was wrong with their own pace. This episode is the debrief. They get into why "new" isn't always what it looks like, why 90% of the block women feel in business comes down to self-doubt (not strategy), why launches were never built for the seasonal reality of a mom's life, and the money trauma both Dana and Em inherited from their own dads, and how to finally paint your own truck. You'll hear: Why comparing your business to someone's overnight win is comparing yourself to a story you don't have the full data on The real math behind viral launch reviews (it's not what you think) Why self-doubt, not strategy, is the number one block for most women building a business The "bravery isn't in a safe community, it's on the internet" reframe Em's "paint your truck" money mindset story Why launches aren't built for moms, and how to protect your own season anyway This is a must-listen for any mom who's had a hard week of scrolling lately. Mentioned in this episode: The Creative Bodega: thecreativebodega.com The Content Coven: thecreativebodega.com/the-content-coven Em on Instagram: @the.creative.bodega Boss Mom Community (free): bossmom.com/community Boss Mom Plus: bossmom.com/join

  7. Jul 9

    Why Working Harder Is Quietly Wrecking You (And What Daniella Devine Does Instead)

    Daniella Devine did all the things. The degree, the second degree, the big deputy director job. Then she had a baby and hit the quiet, spiraling question so many of us know: this is not it. In this episode we go deep on what actually comes next. Daniella is a third-generation business owner, a business buyer, and a commercial real estate agent who now acquires and grows Main Street businesses, all while raising young kids. We talk about the dull ache of discontentment that shows up in early motherhood, why working harder will quietly deplete you, and the reframe that finally lets a business grow. We get into the "no one's coming" reality of being the hunter, gatherer, and caregiver all at once, how to build a support system so you stop asking one person to be your savior, and how to know which person to call when you need a shoulder versus the hard truth. Plus the seasons nobody warns you about, and why the small moments (yes, including the popcorn game) are the whole point. Find Daniella on Instagram @thedanielladevine and at thedanielladevine.com. Come build your business differently inside the free BossMom Community at bossmom.com/community, with networking events, mindset workshops, daily mindset audios, and a dedicated app off social. When you are ready to level up with the right marketing plan and the implementation support to hit your financial goals, join us in BossMom+ at bossmom.com/join.

  8. Jul 2

    Know Your Zero: The Tom Hanks Trick for Raising Confident Kids (with Presilah Nunez Davis)

    What does getting a fast pass at Universal Studios have to do with building a business? More than you'd think. This week Dana sits down with Presilah Nunez Davis, founder of The Finer Points, a coaching practice built at the intersection of performance psychology, neuroscience, and modern etiquette. Presilah spent over a decade as a working actor before motherhood shifted her focus, and she now teaches the exact skills, presence, eye contact, recovering from mistakes gracefully, that separate the person who commands a room from the person who shrinks in it. This conversation will change how you think about what you're teaching your kids, and what you never got taught yourself. You'll hear: Why "etiquette" is really just the hyper-awareness of the feelings of others The 2 a.m. Instagram scroll that turned into an entire business Why Dana teaches her kids to "ask for the ketchup," and what that has to do with pricing your work The "know your zero" framework for understanding your own natural presence The acting class critique that reframed everything Presilah teaches about perfectionism Why "the fourth grader is king" and imperfection is what actually builds connection Five simple ways to start building confidence in your kids today This is for any mom who wants her kids (and honestly, herself) to walk into a room and stay in it. Mentioned in this episode: Presilah on Instagram: instagram.com/presilah The Finer Points: discoverthefinerpoints.com BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community BossMom+: 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
    768
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    The Boss Mom Podcast

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