Powermomma Podcast

Samantha Hoey Nelson

Powermomma: Raising Our Kids While Raising Ourselves Motherhood changes everything. Our schedules. Our bodies. Our relationships. Our work. Our identities. Our ability to remember why we walked into a room. Powermomma is the podcast for women raising children while also trying to raise themselves into the next version of who they are becoming. Hosted by Sam Nelson, the show features honest, funny, deeply human conversations with women, experts, creators, caregivers, and big thinkers about the parts of motherhood we are supposed to handle gracefully while quietly wondering, Is everyone else also making this up as they go? We talk about identity, ambition, health, relationships, creativity, aging, work, and what happens when the woman behind the mom refuses to disappear. Season 4 goes even deeper into women's health and midlife, including hormones, stress, movement, gut health, longevity, aging, and the mildly infuriating fact that women are expected to manage all of it while still answering, "What's for dinner?" This is not a show about perfect mothers, five-step morning routines, or pretending balance is a real and stable condition. It is about finding your people, pulling up a chair, telling the truth, and taking the next manageable step. Expect smart conversations, practical ideas, plenty of humor, and absolutely no judgment. Because raising our kids matters. And frankly, raising ourselves does too.

  1. Jul 25

    Episode 23: A Kitchen Table Conversation with myself. The Season in Review

    *]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(--scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(--thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id= "request-6a604096-c090-83e8-8139-9034bcd6836e-7" data-turn-id-container= "request-6a604096-c090-83e8-8139-9034bcd6836e-7" data-testid= "conversation-turn-24" data-turn="assistant"> In this mid-summer Season 3 reflection, I pull up a chair with myself to look back at the conversations, lessons, and ideas that shaped The Kitchen Table Revolution. This season became about more than the podcast. It changed how I think about creativity, community, work, motherhood, and what it means to build the next thing before you can fully explain what that thing is. Apparently, that is how I spent my summer: making things, following ideas, and occasionally pretending there was a master plan. I'm revisiting what my guests brought to the table, what stayed with me after the microphones were turned off, and what I'm carrying forward into Season 4. The biggest lesson? We do not need to know every step before we begin. Sometimes we just need to find our people, pull up a chair, and trust that the next step will follow. Thank you to Amy, Tara, Haely, Ruthie, Fiona, Casey, Gayle, and Sara for making this such an honest, generous, and unforgettable season. Season 4 of The Powermomma Podcast begins September 15. Look forward to you pulling up a chair.

  2. Jun 1

    Episode 22: A Kitchen Table Conversation The Best Foot Forward with Sara Alaimo

    In this episode of The PowerMomma Podcast, Sam talks with Sarah Alaimo, a people strategy leader, entrepreneur, author, and mom, about confidence, leadership, motherhood, work, and the stories we carry with us. The conversation begins with shoes, but quickly becomes about much more than fashion. Sam and Sarah talk about the shoes women wear when they need to feel powerful, the shoes they wear while chasing kids, and the shoes they wore in professional spaces where they were trying to prove they belonged. Together, they explore how personal style can connect to identity, confidence, and the way women show up in the world. They also talk about why flexible work matters, and how leaders can build workplaces where people are allowed to be human. Sarah shares her perspective from two decades in people strategy, including what she has learned about mentorship, communication, recovery, workplace culture, and helping employees feel supported before things fall apart. She and Sam also discuss the pressure women face to be polished, professional, and endlessly capable, while often carrying invisible responsibilities at home. A major theme of the episode is learning to take up space without waiting for permission. Sarah talks about accepting compliments, saving the good feedback, and recognizing professional wins instead of brushing them off. Sam reflects on motherhood, entrepreneurship, ageism, autism advocacy, and building a life and business where she no longer has to shrink herself to fit someone else's version of success. By the end, the episode comes full circle. PowerMomma began with a pair of shoes on a hard day, and this conversation becomes a reminder that confidence is built one step at a time. Put your best foot forward, PowerMommas. Even if that foot is currently in a very practical mom sneaker.   Connect Connect with Sarah Alaimo: Find Sarah on LinkedIn: here Follow Sarah on Instagram: @sarahdalaimo Connect with Sam + Storytime: Join The Kitchen Table Revolution: here Connect with Sam on LinkedIn: here Follow Storytime LA on Instagram: @storytimela Follow PowerMomma on Instagram: @powermommapodcast Newsletter: Sign Up:  here

  3. May 15

    Episode 21: A Kitchen Table Conversation – The Mother Code, With Guest, Ruthie Ackerman

    Show Notes: Ruthie Ackerman, The Mother Code In this episode of PowerMomma, Sam sits down with Ruthie Ackerman, author of The Mother Code and founder of the Ignite Writers Collective, for a rich conversation about motherhood, identity, family mythology, infertility, creativity, and the stories women inherit before they even know they are carrying them. Ruthie shares how her book grew out of a lifelong question about whether or not she wanted to become a mother, especially after growing up with complicated stories about abandonment, family history, and what motherhood was supposed to look like. Together, Sam and Ruthie talk about the pressure women feel to choose between motherhood and ambition, creativity and caregiving, selfhood and family, as if life were some neat little multiple-choice quiz written by the patriarchy.  This conversation moves through the uncertainty of motherhood, the emotional weight of infertility, thoughts on "having it all," and the power of rewriting the narratives we were handed. Ruthie also shares how motherhood deepened her creative voice rather than silencing it, and how her work through the Ignite Writers Collective helps women get their stories and books out into the world. In this episode, we talk about: Ruthie's book, The Mother Code Being "on the fence" about motherhood Family mythology and inherited stories The myth that motherhood has to be all or nothing Infertility, IVF, donor eggs, and becoming a mother later in life Motherhood as a radical act Creativity, writing, and finding your voice after becoming a mother Why women's stories matter The power of rewriting the narrative instead of living inside someone else's version This episode is for anyone who has ever wondered who they are allowed to become, especially after motherhood, grief, infertility, career shifts, family expectations, or one of those delightful life plot twists no one asked for. It is a conversation about questioning the old stories, telling the truth, and making room for a fuller, messier, more honest version of a good life. About Ruthie Ackerman Ruthie Ackerman is the author of The Mother Code and the founder of the Ignite Writers Collective, where she helps writers develop their ideas, books, essays, memoirs, and proposals. She is a developmental editor, writing teacher, and longtime journalist who is passionate about helping women figure out what they are trying to say and how to say it. Connect: Connect with Ruthie Ackerman: here LinkedIn: here Buy The Mother Code: here Learn more about Ignite Writers Collective: here Follow Ruthie on Instagram: here Connect with Sam + Storytime Join The Kitchen Table Revolution LinkedIn: Samantha Hoey Nelson Storytime LA Instagram: @storytimela Powermomma Instagram: @powermommapodcast Newsletter - Sign Up Here

  4. Apr 30

    Episode 20: A Kitchen Table Conversation – Sober Curious: The Ritual Without the Regret, With Guest, Fiona McEntee

    In this episode of The PowerMomma Podcast, Sam sits down with Fiona McEntee, co-founder of Nouvie, a premium dealcoholized wine brand created for people who still want the ritual, the sparkle, and the grown-up glass without the sleep sabotage, sugar bomb, or next-day regret. Fiona's story starts in Dublin, where she grew up in a family of entrepreneurs, watching her mother build businesses, take risks, and model what it means to create something from scratch. After moving to the United States, Fiona built a successful immigration law firm in Chicago with her brother, working with clients across sports, entertainment, music, family immigration, and more. But during COVID, a wellness reset unexpectedly changed her relationship with alcohol and eventually sparked the idea for Nouvie. The quote that got me from this conversation was simple: "You're never going to wake up clear the next morning and wish you had been drinking." And honestly, that is the whole episode. This conversation gets into the real-life middle space so many women are living in right now: not necessarily sober, not anti-alcohol, but much more honest about how drinking affects sleep, anxiety, focus, hormones, parenting, and the ability to function like a semi-responsible adult in a house full of people who keep needing snacks. Sam and Fiona talk about wine culture, motherhood, menopause, ambition, entrepreneurship, the rise of low-alcohol and no-alcohol options, and why so many women are quietly rethinking what actually feels good now. This episode is not about labels. It is about choice. It is about intention. It is about keeping the ritual without paying for it the next morning. And sometimes the answer is: a beautiful glass of sparkling wine that does not ruin your sleep, your mood, or your next morning.  Here is a 10% discount code to give Nouvie a try - code is PowerMomma  https://www.drinknouvie.com/discount/PowerMomma   To Connect with Fiona + Nouvie https://www.drinknouvie.com/ LinkedIn: Fiona McEntee Nouvie Instagram: @drinknouvie   Connect with Sam + Storytime  Join The Kitchen Table Revolution LinkedIn: Samantha Hoey Nelson Storytime LA Instagram: @storytimela Powermomma Instagram: @powermommapodcast Newsletter - Sign Up Here

  5. Apr 17

    Episode 19: A Kitchen Table Conversation – The High-Performing Home, With Guest, Gayle Walker

    This week on The Powermomma Podcast, I'm talking with Gayle Walker about something so many women live every day but rarely stop to name: the invisible load of home. Gayle is the founder of Life Doula Inc., a retired Navy nurse, and a home management strategist who helps families build better systems of care and support. In this conversation, we talk about what happens when women are high-functioning everywhere else, but home is still expected to run on one person's mental tabs, emotional labor, and sheer willpower. We get into burnout, cognitive load, family values, dinner, laundry, kids helping at home, and why support is not weakness. It is strategy. One of my favorite takeaways from Gayle is this: just because you can do it all does not mean you should. That one hits. This is a conversation about building a life that actually supports the woman living it. And frankly, more of us need that. Gayle L. Walker is the Founder of Life Doula Inc. and a Chief Home Management Strategist who helps high-performing professionals scale their lives — not just their careers. With 25+ years of experience across military nursing, healthcare leadership, and family care, she teaches leaders how strategic household infrastructure increases capacity, reduces burnout, and strengthens relationships. Through her High-Performing Home framework, Gayle is leading a conversation about how the absence of leadership at home is quietly destabilizing modern success.   To Connect with Gayle
 Website - mylifedoula.com
 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaylelwalker/
 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@mylifedoula
 Care for Life in the Middle - https://vimeo.com/1043598658
 Why I do this work - https://vimeo.com/1153770739
 Witnessing a Care Crisis - https://vimeo.com/1153853046
 https://strengthonstages.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Gayle-Walker.pdf

 Connect with Sam + Storytime + Kitchen Table Revolution 
 The Kitchen Table Revolution: storytimela.com/kitchen-table 
 LinkedIn: Samantha Hoey Nelson 
 Storytime LA Instagram: @storytimela 
 Powermomma Instagram: @powermommapodcast  Newsletter - Sign Up Here

  6. Apr 2

    Episode 18: A Kitchen Table Conversation – Not The Path We Were Given, With Guest, Casey Hanisko

    Episode Description: In this episode of the PowerMomma Podcast, Sam sits down with Casey for a rich conversation about women's leadership, purposeful growth, and what it really means to build a business that fits your values instead of someone else's definition of success. Casey shares her path from the travel industry and executive leadership into coaching and consulting for small business owners,  mostly women. Together, Sam and Casey talk about redefining power, building a business around the life you actually want, and why growth for growth's sake is a trap so many women are finally rejecting. They also explore the parallels between travel and leadership, from communication and contingency planning to cultural curiosity and courage. The conversation moves into sustainability, motherhood, reinvention, and the importance of finding your people and owning your niche. This is a thoughtful, honest conversation for women building something meaningful while also trying to live a full human life. In this episode, we talk about: Casey's path from travel leadership to executive coaching What travel teaches us about leadership, planning, and communication Why more women are redefining power, success, and ambition Building a business around values, not just status or money The difference between sustainable growth and growth for growth's sake Why so many women undervalue their time and underprice their work The challenge of trying to do too much at once How to get clearer on your niche and what makes your business different What it means to model courage and purpose for our kids Key Takeaways Power does not have to look hard-edged to be real A successful business should support your life, not consume it Sustainable growth starts with valuing your time properly Clarity around values and niche makes better decisions easier Women are allowed to lead as whole people, not edited-down versions of themselves Connect with Casey Website: www.caseyhanisko.com Newsletter: www.caseyhanisko.com/newsletter LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/caseyhanisko/ Connect with Sam + Storytime + Kitchen Table Revolution
 The Kitchen Table Revolution: storytimela.com/kitchen-table
 LinkedIn: Samantha Hoey Nelson Storytime LA Instagram: @storytimela
 Powermomma Podcast Instagram: @powermommapodcast

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Powermomma: Raising Our Kids While Raising Ourselves Motherhood changes everything. Our schedules. Our bodies. Our relationships. Our work. Our identities. Our ability to remember why we walked into a room. Powermomma is the podcast for women raising children while also trying to raise themselves into the next version of who they are becoming. Hosted by Sam Nelson, the show features honest, funny, deeply human conversations with women, experts, creators, caregivers, and big thinkers about the parts of motherhood we are supposed to handle gracefully while quietly wondering, Is everyone else also making this up as they go? We talk about identity, ambition, health, relationships, creativity, aging, work, and what happens when the woman behind the mom refuses to disappear. Season 4 goes even deeper into women's health and midlife, including hormones, stress, movement, gut health, longevity, aging, and the mildly infuriating fact that women are expected to manage all of it while still answering, "What's for dinner?" This is not a show about perfect mothers, five-step morning routines, or pretending balance is a real and stable condition. It is about finding your people, pulling up a chair, telling the truth, and taking the next manageable step. Expect smart conversations, practical ideas, plenty of humor, and absolutely no judgment. Because raising our kids matters. And frankly, raising ourselves does too.