Between Meetings and Motherhood

Between Meetings & Motherhood
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Between Meetings & Motherhood is a podcast about modern working motherhood: how it changes us, challenges us, and forces us to question the systems we’ve been told are normal. Hosted by Alexa Starks, founder of Mothered Media and Editor-in-Chief of Mothered Magazine, the show blends powerful conversations with working mothers, founders, and leaders alongside honest solo episodes about matrescence, ambition, feminism, burnout, identity, work culture, and the invisible load women carry every day. This is a podcast for women rethinking work, power, leadership, and motherhood in real time. likeamotherf.substack.com

  1. 4d ago

    How to Actually Do Big Shit — The Strategy Nobody Talks About

    Welcome to Doing Big Shit — a brand new series inside Between Meetings & Motherhood where host Alexa Starks sits down with founders, builders, and visionaries who are doing exactly that. First up: Synne Linden, a Norwegian-born, Australia-raised, 13-year entrepreneur and founder of Tidal — a matchmaking agency launching on International Equal Pay Day, September 18th, with one mission: more money in the hands of women. Synne has been running her own show since before most people had figured out what they wanted to do with their lives. She developed her own Empathy First Sales Methodology, built a global women’s sales community, and then decided that wasn’t big enough. So she built Tidal — a category-defining business that matches business owners with vetted, certified women experts so that every transaction shifts the global wealth scales one deal at a time. This episode is about what doing big shit actually looks like from the inside — the strategy, the fear, the burnout, the goalpost moving, and why none of it is as glamorous as the boss babes on your feed want you to think. In this episode: * What “doing big shit” actually means — and why big goals have to be a little scary to count * Why Synne says pretty much anything is possible — it’s just more or less work * The difference between big picture thinking and actually executing: breaking 237 to-do tasks into momentum * How Tidal works: empathy-first matchmaking that puts women experts in front of the right clients * Why teaching women to sell wasn’t big enough — and what she built instead * The problem with boss babes, overnight success stories, and hustle culture pyramid schemes * Energy maths: why spreading yourself across 10 focus areas means building momentum in none of them * Being hospitalized with burnout — and why “don’t burn out” became a non-negotiable SMART goal * The goalpost-moving trap that high achievers fall into — and how to actually celebrate what you’ve built * RTT: the rapid transformation therapy session that removed her imposter syndrome block in one sitting * Why women say “I was so lucky” when they should be saying “I’m really good at this” Tidal launches September 18th on International Equal Pay Day. Follow the journey and become a Tidal Ambassador on LinkedIn: Synne Linden. Follow Synne on Instagram Join the Tidal Waitlist 🎙️ Between Meetings & Motherhood is hosted by Alexa Starks, founder of Mothered Media and editor-in-chief of Mothered Magazine — a podcast for ambitious moms building businesses and raising families at the same time. #DoingBigShit #WomenInBusiness #MomEntrepreneur #FemaleFounder #BetweenMeetingsAndMotherhood #MotheredMagazine #MotheredMedia #EqualPay #WomenWealth #StartupLife #MomPodcast #Entrepreneurship #SalesStrategy #WomenEmpowerment #Tidal Get full access to Like a Motherf*cker at likeamotherf.substack.com/subscribe

    How to Actually Do Big Shit — The Strategy Nobody Talks About

  2. Jul 20

    From Educator to Bestselling Author — Here's What She Wants Every Parent to Know

    What if the secret to raising confident, emotionally resilient kids isn’t doing more — it’s doing less? In this episode of Between Meetings & Motherhood, host Alexa Starks sits down with Sarah Lucas, childhood education expert with over 25 years in the classroom, author of Atomic Parenting, and the woman parents have been begging to write a book for decades. Sarah breaks down why modern parenting culture is making us worse at parenting — and what to do instead. No jargon, no guilt, no unrealistic standards. Just real, actionable advice from someone who has seen it all from both sides of the classroom door. In this episode: * Why your parenting instinct is your most powerful tool — and how social media is making you distrust it * The case for lowering the bar: why “good enough” parenting is actually great parenting * Reflection over perfection — why repairing mistakes matters more than never making them * Potty training, fussy eaters, night terrors, sibling rivalry, sleep issues — what actually works * Screen time and social media: what Sarah wishes she’d done differently with her own teens * Why overscheduled kids show up to school on Monday more wired than rested * The dangerous myth of “enjoy every minute” — and why it’s okay to admit some parts of parenting are hard * From toddlers to teenagers: how emotional co-regulation skills translate at every age * Why children need boredom, slowness, and free play more than another activity * What’s next: a TED-style parenting and education platform launching in Malaga this November Sarah’s book Atomic Parenting is available now at atomicparenting.net and on Amazon. She is also featured in the July issue of Mothered Magazine — read the full interview at motheredmagazine.com. 📲 Find Sarah: atomicparenting.net | @atomic_parenting on Instagram 🎙️ Between Meetings & Motherhood is hosted by Alexa Starks, founder of Mothered Media and editor-in-chief of Mothered Magazine — and is a podcast for ambitious moms building businesses and raising families at the same time. Get full access to Like a Motherf*cker at likeamotherf.substack.com/subscribe

    From Educator to Bestselling Author — Here's What She Wants Every Parent to Know

  3. Jul 20

    From McKinsey to Matrescence Coach and Redefining Success and Identity in Motherhood

    She had the career most people dream about — McKinsey consultant, Alibaba leadership program, expat life in Shanghai, all the external markers of success. Then she had a baby. And six months later, she was standing in a forest telling her husband she wanted to quit everything. In this episode of Between Meetings & Motherhood, host Alexa Starks sits down with Babette Lockefeer, leadership facilitator and matrescence coach, and founder Matermorphosis, a group coaching program helping ambitious mothers navigate the identity shift of motherhood and come out the other side more themselves than ever before. In this episode: * What matrescence actually is — and why knowing the word is just the beginning * The three phases of the matrescence arc: the shock, the long foggy middle, and what’s waiting on the other side * Why so many high-achieving women feel like they’re failing on all fronts after becoming a mom — and why it’s not their fault * The invisible motherhood script: why it’s designed to be impossible and why trying harder only makes it worse * What happens when you try to go back to your old self — and why it creates resentment * The difference between old ambition and new ambition — and why the second kind feels so much better * How Babette is raising three boys to see caretaking as something both parents do * Why matrescence is not something to survive — it’s the most powerful growth opportunity of your life * How to start navigating it: the arc of matrescence and the map she uses with every client * What a care-centric world actually looks like — and how supported mothers are the ones who go build it Babette’s next international cohort starts in September. Download her free map of matrescence here: https://www.matermorphosis.org/matrescence Babette is also featured in the July issue of Mothered Magazine — read the full interview at motheredmagazine.com. 📲 Find Babette: LinkedIn — Babette Lockefeer and on Instagram Between Meetings & Motherhood is hosted by Alexa Starks, founder and CEO of Mothered Media and editor-in-chief of Mothered Magazine — a podcast for ambitious moms building businesses and raising families at the same time. Get full access to Like a Motherf*cker at likeamotherf.substack.com/subscribe

    From McKinsey to Matrescence Coach and Redefining Success and Identity in Motherhood

  4. Jul 20

    Mom of 4, Therapist, Corporate Leader — She's Living Everything She Helps Other Women Through

    She had four kids back to back. She’s a maternal mental health therapist, a keynote speaker, a global clinical researcher, and she’s doing it all while raising a seven-year-old, a five-year-old, a two-year-old, and a six-month-old. In this episode of Between Meetings & Motherhood, host Alexa Starks sits down with Tiffany Williamson, M.Ed., LCMHCA, founder of Transformative Destiny — the woman who became the therapist she needed when she was a new mom herself. This one is raw, real, and full of the things nobody puts in the books. In this episode: * What nobody warns you about when you become a mom — and why the books only tell half the story * The identity shift of motherhood and what it really feels like to lose yourself and find a new, stronger version * Postpartum depression vs. postpartum anxiety vs. postpartum rage — why we only talk about one of them * How to prepare your village before the baby arrives — and what real support actually looks like * Being “touched out” with multiple kids: what it means, why it happens, and how to ask for what you need * Why high-achieving women struggle hardest to ask for help — and how to unlearn people-pleasing in motherhood * The difference between postpartum after baby one versus baby four — and what confidence looks like on the other side * Why giving 100% in every role every day is the fastest road to burnout * What she hopes her kids see when they watch her build her career alongside motherhood * The leadership skill motherhood built most: time management so efficient it’s almost supernatural * What she wishes someone had told her: “It’s gonna be okay. You will find yourself again.” Tiffany is also featured in the July issue of Mothered Magazine — read the full interview at motheredmagazine.com. 📲 Find Tiffany: tiffanywco.com | @transformativedestiny on Instagram | Tiffany Williamson on LinkedIn Get full access to Like a Motherf*cker at likeamotherf.substack.com/subscribe

    Mom of 4, Therapist, Corporate Leader — She's Living Everything She Helps Other Women Through

  5. Jul 20

    She Built a Maternal Mental Health Business From the Beach — While Raising a Toddler in the Philippines

    She got angry. Really angry. And instead of swallowing it, she built a business out of it. In this episode of Between Meetings & Motherhood, host Alexa Starks sits down with Vanessa Rio — cover feature of the July issue of Mothered Magazine, founder of Mothering Minds, and the woman quietly solving one of the biggest gaps in maternal mental health care in the UK. Vanessa went from journalist to maternal mental health entrepreneur after experiencing firsthand how completely unsupported new mothers are — and how long the NHS wait lists really are. She built Mothering Minds on no funding, part-time hours, and a team of passionate therapists who took pay cuts just to work with this client group. One year in: fully booked, revenue generating, and growing entirely on organic reach. Oh, and she’s doing it all from a beach in Palawan, Philippines — with a four-year-old. In this episode: * Why the NHS mental health system leaves most new mothers completely without support * What Mothering Minds does differently: no thresholds, no waitlists, self-referral from day one * Why she loves it when moms reach out preventatively — before things get hard * How she built the business on no funding, imperfect systems, and pure goodwill — and booked sessions almost immediately * Growing a team of specialist perinatal therapists who took pay cuts to join because they believed in the mission * Achieving organic growth with zero ads — because they were the only ones doing this * What channeling rage into purpose actually looks like as a founder * Uprooting her entire life and moving from the UK to the Philippines with a toddler — and why she’d do it again * Her daughter’s first day of school, learning Tagalog, and what slowing down has given their family * What’s next: training for adjacent professionals to better identify and support maternal mental health Vanessa is the cover feature of the July issue of Mothered Magazine — read the full exclusive interview at motheredmagazine.com. 📲 Find Vanessa: motheringminds.uk | LinkedIn — Vanessa Rio Between Meetings & Motherhood is hosted by Alexa Starks, founder and CEO of Mothered Media and editor-in-chief of Mothered Magazine — a podcast for ambitious moms building businesses and raising families at the same time. Get full access to Like a Motherf*cker at likeamotherf.substack.com/subscribe

    She Built a Maternal Mental Health Business From the Beach — While Raising a Toddler in the Philippines

  6. Jul 14

    The 8 Secrets to Building a Business While Raising Babies That No One Talks About

    Nobody tells you the real truth about building a business while raising small children. Not the highlight reel version — the actual truth. In this solo episode of Between Meetings & Motherhood, host Alexa Starks breaks down the 8 things she wishes someone had told her before she started building Mothered Media with two toddlers at home. This isn't a motivational pep talk. It's the unfiltered, been-in-the-trenches version of what it actually takes. In this episode: Why consistency and discipline in the early days matter more than any strategy or tool you'll find onlineHow to stand out in a crowded market — and why doing what everyone else is doing is the fastest way to stay invisibleThe power of showing your mess: why vulnerability and openness build more trust than a polished brand ever willThe truth about revenue — how long it actually takes, and how to survive the gap before it's consistentWhy visibility across multiple platforms isn't optional, and how to build a presence strategy that gets your name out thereThe unsexy secret weapon every mom founder needs: networking, and how to do it when you have zero timeGetting comfortable with being uncomfortable — why the research and learning phase never actually endsHow to fail fast, adapt quickly, and pivot without losing momentumIf you're a mom in the early stages of building something — or stuck in the messy middle — this one is for you. Connect & Learn More: Alexa on IG Alexa on LinkedIn Mothered Media IG Mothered Magazine IG Interested in being featured in the next issue of Mothered Magazine? Learn more here https://www.motheredmagazine.com/be-featured/ #MomEntrepreneur #BuildingABusiness #MomFounder #WorkingMoms #MomPodcast #BetweenMeetingsAndMotherhood #MotheredMagazine #ExecutiveMoms #MomBoss #FemaleFounder #StartupLife #BusinessTips #MomsInBusiness #Entrepreneurship #SoloEpisode Get full access to Like a Motherf*cker at likeamotherf.substack.com/subscribe

    The 8 Secrets to Building a Business While Raising Babies That No One Talks About

  7. Jun 15

    The Most Ambitious Woman in the Room Is Also the Most Present Mom — Here's Her Secret | Exclusive Interview with Alex Pensiero, Founder of Wellspring Coaching

    What if the skills that make you a great mom are the exact same ones that make you a great leader? In this episode of Between Meetings and Motherhood, host Alexa Starks sits down with Alex Pensiero — doctor, school psychologist, leadership coach, and founder of Wellspring Coaching and Consulting (wellspringcoachingandconsulting.org) — for a deeply honest conversation about ambition, identity, failure, and what it really means to raise daughters while building a business. Alex started her career working with students who had significant behavioral challenges, went on to earn multiple master's degrees and a doctorate in leadership coaching for organizational performance, and now runs a coaching firm dedicated to helping leaders grow from the inside out. Oh, and she did most of it while raising two daughters in gymnastics and figuring out how to sleep on 45-minute increments. In this episode: From third grade teacher dream to school psychologist to leadership coach — how one woman followed her passion at every turnWhy "filling your own cup" isn't selfish — it's a gift to your kidsThe toxic power of the word "should" and how to stop letting society write your definition of successHow imposter syndrome and mental load show up in leadership coaching — and how to work through bothReframing failure as opportunity: a mindset she learned at 21 working with trauma-impacted studentsThe goal-setting technique she uses with her daughters at gymnastics that works for kids and executives alikeWhat she's actively teaching her daughters about compromise, ambition, and emotional regulationWhy patience, flexibility, and empathy are the three leadership skills motherhood builds mostModeling what it looks like to apologize, own your mistakes, and keep goingAlex is also featured in the June issue of Mothered Magazine — read the full interview at motheredmagazine.com. 📲 Find Wellspring Coaching: wellspringcoachingandconsulting.org | @wellspringcoaches on Instagram & TikTok And follow ⁠Mothered Magazine⁠ on Instagram for more behind-the-scenes and details from the June issue! Interested in being featured in the next issue of Mothered Magazine? Check out feature opportunities here: ⁠https://www.motheredmagazine.com/be-featured ⁠ And follow CEO of Mothered Media & Editor-in-Chief of Mothered Magazine, Alexa Starks on ⁠Instagram⁠ or ⁠LinkedIn⁠ Get full access to Like a Motherf*cker at likeamotherf.substack.com/subscribe

    The Most Ambitious Woman in the Room Is Also the Most Present Mom — Here's Her Secret | Exclusive Interview with Alex Pensiero, Founder of Wellspring Coaching

  8. Jun 15

    She Burned It All Down & Built Something Better — The Origin Story of Made for Mothers | Exclusive Interview with Mariah Stockman

    She was the county's number one Girl Scout cookie seller at nine years old, moved to New York City the day after her 18th birthday with zero plan, built a quarter-million-dollar marketing agency during COVID — and then burned it all down three weeks postpartum while being threatened with a lawsuit while holding her newborn. In this episode of Between Meetings and Motherhood, host Alexa Starks sits down with Mariah Stockman, founder of Made for Mothers (madeformothers.co) — one of the fastest-growing communities for moms in business — who is also the cover feature of the June issue of Mothered Magazine. This is an episode about what happens when ambition meets motherhood, isolation forces clarity, and a woman decides to build the village she never had. In this episode: From Girl Scout cookie hustler to nonprofit leader to marketing agency founder — Mariah's wildly non-linear origin storyWhy her quarter-million-dollar agency became her biggest resentment the moment she got pregnantBeing threatened with a lawsuit three weeks postpartum — and the decision that changed everythingWhy she only works with moms now and how she designed a business that fits around nap times and school pickupsHow Made for Mothers started with 17 women in a yoga studio and grew into a national chapter modelThe Virtual Village: a 160+ member online community for moms in business with masterclasses, hot seat coaching and brand partnershipsWhy she always charged for her events — and what that taught her about building strong communitiesLicensing chapters: how moms across the US can bring Made for Mothers to their city and generate real revenueHer goal: 100 chapters in 100 cities by the end of 2027A magical second birth, exclusive pumping, and what a truly intentional maternity leave looks likeWhy motherhood is the MBA — and what happened when the internet's loudest critics proved her rightMariah is the cover feature of the June issue of Mothered Magazine — read the full exclusive interview and see her stunning cover shoot at motheredmagazine.com. 📲 Find Made for Mothers: @madeformothers.co on Instagram | https://www.madeformothersco.com/💸 Join the Virtual Village: use promo code CANADA for $50/month (normally $78)📍 Interested in licensing a chapter in your city? DM Mariah directly on Instagram. And follow ⁠⁠Mothered Magazine⁠⁠ on Instagram for more behind-the-scenes and details from the June issue! Interested in being featured in the next issue of Mothered Magazine? Check out feature opportunities here: ⁠⁠https://www.motheredmagazine.com/be-featured ⁠⁠ And follow CEO of Mothered Media & Editor-in-Chief of Mothered Magazine, Alexa Starks on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ Get full access to Like a Motherf*cker at likeamotherf.substack.com/subscribe

    She Burned It All Down & Built Something Better — The Origin Story of Made for Mothers | Exclusive Interview with Mariah Stockman
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About

Between Meetings & Motherhood is a podcast about modern working motherhood: how it changes us, challenges us, and forces us to question the systems we’ve been told are normal. Hosted by Alexa Starks, founder of Mothered Media and Editor-in-Chief of Mothered Magazine, the show blends powerful conversations with working mothers, founders, and leaders alongside honest solo episodes about matrescence, ambition, feminism, burnout, identity, work culture, and the invisible load women carry every day. This is a podcast for women rethinking work, power, leadership, and motherhood in real time. likeamotherf.substack.com

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