That Mom

That Mom
  • 5.0 (16)
  • Self-Improvement

ThatMom is for the working mom caught between ambition and motherhood — the one who's capable enough to do it all, and tired of being expected to. Each week, host Maria (MBA, JD) sits down with psychologists, therapists, coaches, and fellow high-achieving moms to unpack a simple truth: being capable of everything doesn't mean you should carry everything. Using The Capacity Method — audit what's working, reclaim what isn't, reinvest in what matters — ThatMom gives you permission, clarity, and real tools to stop optimizing for "effortless" and start building a life that actually fits. If you're ready to stop doing it all and start choosing what matters, you're in the right place.

  1. Sep 30

    She Was Waking Up at 3:30 AM to "Get Ahead"-Here's What Actually Fixed It (ft. Rebecca Olson, Pt. 2)

    In Part 2 of my conversation with career coach Rebecca Olson, we get practical. We start with how to actually live by your priorities day to day — and why constantly second-guessing yourself is a red flag that they aren't clear yet. Rebecca shares the story of a client who kept waking up earlier and earlier to "get ahead," until she was regularly up at 3:30 AM, before finally realizing the toxic "if I can just get more done, then I'll take time for myself" thinking that was driving it. What We Cover: Why second-guessing your decisions is a sign your priorities and values aren't clear yetThe client who was waking up at 3:30 AM trying to "get ahead" — and the toxic "if-then" thinking behind itPeople-pleasing: why it's more socialized into women, and how it shows up differently for confident men vs. women at workRebecca's own daughter as the family "peacekeeper" — the strength of high EQ versus the risk of raising a people-pleaserWhere the healthy version of a trait (caring, confidence) tips into the unhealthy, over-indexed versionThe "inside-out" approach: why internal mindset work only matters if it actually changes your calendar and your behaviorThe "thought adoption" tool: asking "how might that not be true?" to dismantle a story that isn't serving youHappiness vs. joy — and Rebecca's daily practice of finding a "delicious" moment (hers is strawberries)Rebecca's free Daily Kickstart practice and her "I am" statement exerciseAbout the Guest: Rebecca Olson is a career and life coach who has spent the past decade helping career-focused, ambitious mothers build sustainable work-life balance without giving up on their goals. She's worked personally with hundreds of women, hosts the podcast Ambitious and Balanced Working Moms, and runs a 3-month group coaching program called Ambitious and Balanced. She teaches an "inside-out" approach — starting with mindset and values, then translating that clarity into real behavior change. Rebecca lives with her husband and two children. Links + Resources: Listen to Rebecca Olson: her podcast, Ambitious and Balanced Working MomsLearn More + Rebecca's Free resource: The Daily KickstartFollow ThatMom: InstagramJoin the ThatMom Community: EMAILMaria is most prepared for work and life with her monthly clothing subscription from Rent the Runway. Try it here with 50% off (referral link from which I may receive a benefit)If this episode resonated, share it with a mom who has been carrying too much for too long. And if you're enjoying these conversations, follow That Mom for more thoughtful discussions about motherhood, identity, ambition, happiness, emotional well-being, and building a life that feels aligned with what matters most.

  2. Sep 23

    The Motherhood Identity Crisis Every Ambitious Mom Has. (ft. Rebecca Olson, Pt. 1)

    In Part 1 of my conversation with career coach Rebecca Olson, we get into the two things she hears most from the career-focused, ambitious moms she works with: the "can I have it all" work-life balance question, and what she calls the motherhood identity crisis — that jarring loss of self that hits high-achieving women when the drive and momentum of pre-kid life collides with the slow, rhythmic, anything-but-driven reality of motherhood. We dig into why "having it all" is really a question of perspective, not a universal truth — and why the more useful question isn't "is this possible?" but "what would a regret-free life look like for me?" Rebecca also shares a genuinely surprising stat from her coaching practice: roughly 80% of the women she walks through her process end up staying exactly where they are, career-wise — the shift isn't the job, it's that they've consciously re-chosen it instead of running on autopilot. What We Cover: The two things ambitious, career-focused moms come to Rebecca for most: "can I have it all," and the motherhood identity crisisWhy new motherhood can feel like a jarring collision between a high-achiever's drive and the slow, rhythmic reality of caring for an infantReframing "having it all": there's no universal truth, only the perspective that's actually useful to youWhy believing your desired life is possible has to come before you can build itThe better question than "is it possible": "what does a regret-free life look like for me?"The surprising stat: about 80% of Rebecca's clients end up staying in their current career — just consciously re-chosen, not run on autopilotRedefining success as a working mom: no longer one thing, but two — career and motherhood, bothAbout the Guest: Rebecca Olson is a career and life coach who has spent the past decade helping career-focused, ambitious mothers build sustainable work-life balance without giving up on their goals. She's worked personally with hundreds of women, hosts the podcast Ambitious and Balanced Working Moms, and runs a 3-month group coaching program called Ambitious and Balanced. She teaches an "inside-out" approach — starting with mindset and values, then translating that clarity into real behavior change. Rebecca lives with her husband and two children. Links + Resources: Listen to Rebecca Olson: her podcast,Ambitious and Balanced Working MomsLearn More + Rebecca's Free resource: The Daily KickstartFollow ThatMom: InstagramJoin the ThatMom Community: EMAILMaria is most prepared for work and life with her monthly clothing subscription from Rent the Runway. Try it here with 50% off (referral link from which I may receive a benefit)If this episode resonated, share it with a mom who has been carrying too much for too long. And if you're enjoying these conversations, follow That Mom for more thoughtful discussions about motherhood, identity, ambition, happiness, emotional well-being, and building a life that feels aligned with what matters most.

  3. Sep 16

    Parenting a Child With Complex Needs Is a Third Full-Time Job. (ft. Heather Laing, Pt. 2)

    In Part 1, Heather Laing shared what led to her son's crisis and the week she had to lay off 20 people the same night he was involuntarily committed. In Part 2, she shows us where that experience led her: building Complex Caregiver Solutions, a business created to close the exact gap in corporate support she couldn't find for herself. She built a calculator that shows employers what this gap is actually costing them: 5 to 10 lost hours a week per employee, and roughly 40% of parents like her leaving the workforce entirely, adding up to multi-million dollar losses at any company with 5,000+ employees. What We Cover: How Heather's HR background helped her spot the gap: real support exists for parental leave and aging-parent care, but almost nothing for parents of kids with complex needsThe calculator she built to show employers what this is already costing them: 5-10 lost hours a week per employee, and about 40% of these parents leaving the workforce entirelyWhy that adds up to multi-millions in losses at any company with 5,000+ employeesThe "family-friendly" benefits that quietly don't work for families like hers: backup child care that can't take a child with autism, legal benefits that don't cover a special education attorneyPaid caregiver leave: only 14 states and DC currently require itWhy even a well-intentioned manager doesn't know how to ask "how are you doing?"The difference between an ERG that's really just a social club and one that brings in real resources: a pediatric psychiatrist, a neuropsychologist, an educational advocateReframing the invisible workload: not a second full-time job, but a third — on top of career and parenting, navigating healthcare, insurance, pharmacology, and the school systemHeather's advice for moms in this position: open up and share your story, even with just one person About the Guest: Heather Laing spent 20 years in HR and talent leadership, including roles at VMware, SanDisk, and Sonos, most recently as Head of People at a sales tech startup. After her younger son was diagnosed with autism and ADHD at three, she navigated years of escalating crises while balancing a demanding career — until she stepped away from corporate HR to found Complex Caregiver Solutions, helping Fortune 500 CHROs address the workforce-retention challenges of complex caregiving. Links + Resources: Connect with Heather Laing: LinkedInLearn more about Heather's work: complexcaregiversolutions.comFollow ThatMom: InstagramJoin the ThatMom Community: EMAILIf this episode resonated, share it with a mom who has been carrying too much for too long. And if you're enjoying these conversations, follow That Mom for more thoughtful discussions about motherhood, identity, ambition, happiness, emotional well-being, and building a life that feels aligned with what matters most.

  4. Sep 9

    My Son Was Committed. I Laid Off 20 People the Next Day. (ft. Heather Laing, Pt. 1)

    In Part 1 of my conversation with Heather Laing, we get into the story behind the business she just launched — starting with her younger son's autism and ADHD diagnosis at age three, and how far things escalated before she found real support. Heather spent 20 years in HR and talent leadership, most recently as Head of People at a sales tech startup, while her son's needs kept intensifying: hours-long COVID-era rages, a wrong first diagnosis, and eventually a mental health crisis serious enough that he was involuntarily committed — the same week she had to lay off 20 people at work. We talk about holding a demanding career and a child in crisis at once — including sending her older son to live with grandparents for 10 months — and the data that convinced her she wasn't alone: 26.2% of kids in the US now have a special health care need. This is a raw, honest conversation about the parts of motherhood — and work — that rarely get said out loud. What We Cover: Heather's 20-year HR career, and how her younger son's autism/ADHD diagnosis at three changed everythingThe COVID-era chaos of getting evaluated — 12 to 24 month waitlists, and a first diagnosis she knew was wrongSending her five-year-old to grandparents in Florida for 10 months so she could focus on her younger son's crisisParenting a physically aggressive child — hiding knives and scissors — and learning to be his "regulator"The week her son was involuntarily committed under a psychiatric hold, the same week she laid off 20 peopleRealizing she was burnt out, stepping away from corporate HR, and finding how common her experience actually wasThe data: 26.2% of US kids now have a special health care need; 1 in 31 has autism, up from 1 in 36 two years agoWhy shame is "a backpack" that makes everything heavier — and what actually helped her carry it About the Guest: Heather Laing spent 20 years in HR and talent leadership, including roles at VMware, SanDisk, and Sonos, most recently as Head of People at a sales tech startup. After her younger son was diagnosed with autism and ADHD at three, she navigated years of escalating crises while balancing a demanding career — until she stepped away from corporate HR to found Complex Caregiver Solutions, helping Fortune 500 CHROs address the workforce-retention challenges of complex caregiving. Links + Resources: Connect with Heather Laing: LinkedInLearn more about Heather's work: complexcaregiversolutions.comFollow ThatMom: InstagramJoin the ThatMom Community: EMAIL If this episode resonated, share it with a mom who has been carrying too much for too long. And if you're enjoying these conversations, follow That Mom for more thoughtful discussions about motherhood, identity, ambition, happiness, emotional well-being, and building a life that feels aligned with what matters most.

  5. Sep 2

    Happiness Week 2: She Built a Business at 10 PM After the Kids Were Asleep (Part 2) ft. Tia Graham

    In Part 2 of my conversation with Tia Graham, we get into meditation — how she went from "I don't have time for this" to making it non-negotiable once she understood the neuroscience, and what worked for her. Then we get into how she actually built Arrive at Happy: giving her corporate job intentionally less than 100%, studying from her car after work, coaching clients on Saturday mornings, and eventually negotiating a three-day workweek before leaving entirely — plus why she chose to invest in mentors and coaches instead of figuring it out alone. We close on her advice for staying grounded in hard seasons: remembering that nothing, good or bad, stays the same, and that prioritizing your own well-being isn't selfish — it's the biggest lever you have for your kids' mental health, too. What We Cover: Why Tia resisted meditation for years, and what changed her mind How Tia built her business on the side of a full-time corporate job; letting her daughters see the whole journey, wins and failures included, and what it's taught them about entrepreneurshipHer advice for staying steady in hard seasons — remembering that nothing, good or bad, stays the sameWhy the research shows a mom's mental health is the number one predictor of her child's mental health. About the Guest: Tia Graham is the founder of Arrive at Happy, a positive psychology-based leadership training and keynote speaking company, and host of the Feel Good Club, a membership and podcast for working moms raising neurodivergent kids. A former hotel and resort director of sales and marketing, she left her 15-year corporate career after discovering the science of happiness, going on to earn certifications in coaching, positive psychology, applied neuroscience, and as a Chief Happiness Officer. She's the author of Be a Happy Leader and gave the TED talk "The Simple Secret of Being Happier." Tia lives with her husband and two daughters. Links + Resources: Connect or learn more about Tia Graham: arrivathappy.comTia's book: Be a Happy LeaderTia's TED Talk: "The Simple Secret of Being Happier"Follow ThatMom: InstagramJoin the ThatMom Community: EMAILMaria is happiest when she always has something to wear with a monthly clothing subscription from Rent the Runway. Try it here with 50% off (referral link from which I may receive a benefit) If this episode resonated, share it with a mom who has been carrying too much for too long. And if you're enjoying these conversations, follow That Mom for more thoughtful discussions about motherhood, identity, ambition, happiness, emotional well-being, and building a life that feels aligned with what matters most.

  6. Aug 31

    Happiness Week 2: The Inner Critic Every Mom Knows (And How to Quiet It). (ft. Tia Graham, Pt. 1)

    Welcome to Week 2 of our two-week happiness series. Last week I sat down with Pam Garramone on the simple, science-backed habits that build a happier baseline. This week I'm talking with Tia Graham — like Pam, she studied under Harvard's Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar — about the deeper, more personal work of getting there. In Part 1 of my conversation with happiness researcher and Arrive at Happy founder Tia Graham, we start with her own story: watching her dad decide, out loud, that he wasn't going to have another bad year, and how that planted the idea that happiness is a choice. Years later, as a director of sales and marketing overwhelmed by mom guilt after her second daughter was born, Tia hired a coach, discovered the science of happiness, and eventually left her corporate career to build a company around it. What We Cover: Tia's happiness origin story, from her dad's "no more bad years" decision to hitting a wall as a new working mom of twoWhy naming your dreams out loud to a coach breaks "this-or-that" thinking and opens up possibilities you couldn't see aloneThe five areas of well-being — spiritual, physical, intellectual, emotional, relational — and where to startWhy human connection is the single biggest predictor of happiness, and what counts (hint: not social media)The "lifelong student" habit: why just 30 minutes a week of learning something new moves the needleThe science of self-compassion: naming your inner critic, and swapping it for your "best friend voice" About the Guest: Tia Graham is the founder of Arrive at Happy, a positive psychology-based leadership training and keynote speaking company, and host of the Feel Good Club, a membership and podcast for working moms raising neurodivergent kids. A former hotel and resort director of sales and marketing, she left her 15-year corporate career after discovering the science of happiness, going on to earn certifications in coaching, positive psychology, applied neuroscience, and as a Chief Happiness Officer. She's the author of Be a Happy Leader and gave the TED talk "The Simple Secret of Being Happier." Tia lives with her husband and two daughters. Links + Resources: Connect or learn more about Tia Graham: arrivathappy.com Tia's book: Be a Happy LeaderTia's TED Talk: "The Simple Secret of Being Happier"Follow ThatMom: InstagramJoin the ThatMom Community: EMAILMaria is happiest when she always has something to wear with her monthly clothing subscription from Rent the Runway. Try it here with 50% off (referral link from which I may receive a benefit) If this episode resonated, share it with a mom who has been carrying too much for too long. And if you're enjoying these conversations, follow That Mom for more thoughtful discussions about motherhood, identity, ambition, happiness, emotional well-being, and building a life that feels aligned with what matters most.

  7. Aug 26

    Happiness Week 1: The 40% of Happiness You Actually Control. (ft. Pam Garramone, Pt. 2)

    In Part 2 of my conversation with happiness researcher Pam Garramone, we get into the small rituals that build connection at home: whether your face actually lights up when your child or partner walks into the room, and how repeating a simple moment of joy — a hug, a greeting — turns it into a ritual that defines "who we are" as a family. Pam also shares the "I am" technique, a way of noticing and flipping the negative self-talk ("I'm so tired," "I'm overwhelmed") that shapes how we feel and how we show up. We close with the research behind lasting happiness: why chasing the next milestone never actually satisfies, what the Harvard longevity study found people regret most, and the surprising breakdown of how much of our happiness is genetic versus in our control. Pam leaves us with the reminder that failure isn't the opposite of success — it's part of the process, and modeling that for our kids might be one of the most valuable things we do. What We Cover: The "does your face light up" test, and why how we greet our kids and partners matters more than we thinkHow repeating small moments of connection turns them into family rituals that shape identityThe "I am" technique: catching and flipping negative self-talk like "I'm so tired" or "I'm overwhelmed"Why praising the process — effort, persistence, asking for help — builds more resilience in kids than praising outcomesThe "arrival fallacy": why happiness is never waiting for you at the next milestoneWhat the Harvard longevity study found people regret most, and what women said that men didn'tThe research on how much of our happiness is genetic (50%), circumstantial (10%), and within our control (40%)Why choosing your own definition of a meaningful life matters more than meeting anyone else's standardSara Blakely's family ritual of celebrating failure, and why it's part of the process, not the opposite of success Links + Resources: Connect or learn more about Pam GarramoneGet Pam's Be Happier Journal: available onlineFollow ThatMom: InstagramJoin the ThatMom Community: EMAILMaria is happiest when she always has something to wear with her monthly clothing subscription from Rent the Runway. Try it here with 50% off (referral link from which I may receive a benefit) If this episode resonated, share it with a mom who has been carrying too much for too long. And if you're enjoying these conversations, follow That Mom for more thoughtful discussions about motherhood, identity, ambition, happiness, emotional well-being, and building a life that feels aligned with what matters most.

  8. Aug 24

    Happiness Week 1: The 5-Min. Habit That Rewires Your Brain for Happiness (ft. Pam Garramone, Pt. 1)

    This week kicks off a two-week series on the science of happiness. First up: my conversation with Pam Garramone, who spent nearly a year studying under one of Harvard's most popular professors. Next week, I'll bring you a different take on the same question from happiness researcher Tia Graham. In Part 1 of my conversation with happiness researcher Pam Garramone, we get into the habits she picked up while studying for nearly a year under Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, the Harvard professor who taught the university's most popular class on happiness. Pam explains why our brains are hardwired to fixate on the negative — a leftover survival instinct from caveman days — and how a five-minute nightly habit called "Three Good Things" has been shown to override it, reducing anxiety and depression for months at a time. We also break down the PERMA model, positive psychologist Martin Seligman's five ingredients of a happy life: positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and achievement (plus health, Tal's addition). Pam shows how each piece shows up in the small, everyday moments of motherhood, and why happiness isn't about waiting for the big stuff to go right. What We Cover: Why Pam left a 16-year career running a nonprofit to study happiness with Harvard's Dr. Tal Ben-ShaharThe "Three Good Things" habit: what it is, the science behind it, and why it takes less than five minutes a dayWhy our brains are wired with a negativity bias, and how that made sense for cavemen but not for modern lifeHow to actually savor a good moment instead of letting it slide by unnoticedThe PERMA model: positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and achievementWhy positive emotions aren't just "nice to have" — the research on how they boost creativity, resilience, and connection for both moms and kids About the Guest: Pam Garramone is a former nonprofit director and elementary school teacher who spent nearly a year studying under Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, the Harvard professor behind the university's most popular course on positive psychology and happiness. For the past nine years she's practiced and taught the simple, science-based habits that came out of that work, and created The Be Happier Journal to help others build them into daily life. Links + Resources: Connect or learn more about Pam GarramoneGet Pam's Be Happier Journal: available onlineFollow ThatMom: InstagramJoin the ThatMom Community: EMAILMaria is happiest when she always has something to wear with her monthly clothing subscription from Rent the Runway. Try it here with 50% off (referral link from which I may receive a benefit) If this episode resonated, share it with a mom who has been carrying too much for too long. And if you're enjoying these conversations, follow That Mom for more thoughtful discussions about motherhood, identity, ambition, happiness, emotional well-being, and building a life that feels aligned with what matters most.

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About

ThatMom is for the working mom caught between ambition and motherhood — the one who's capable enough to do it all, and tired of being expected to. Each week, host Maria (MBA, JD) sits down with psychologists, therapists, coaches, and fellow high-achieving moms to unpack a simple truth: being capable of everything doesn't mean you should carry everything. Using The Capacity Method — audit what's working, reclaim what isn't, reinvest in what matters — ThatMom gives you permission, clarity, and real tools to stop optimizing for "effortless" and start building a life that actually fits. If you're ready to stop doing it all and start choosing what matters, you're in the right place.

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  • Creator
    That Mom
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    47
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 That Mom

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