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. 6d ago

    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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. Aug 19

    The Trade-Off Every Working Parent Should Be Making. (ft. Laura Vanderkam, Pt. 2)

    In Part 2 of my conversation with time management expert Laura Vanderkam, we pick up right where we left off: why we so consistently underestimate our own free time. Laura explains the psychology behind it — we overestimate how long the things we don't want to do take, and underestimate how fast time flies when we're enjoying ourselves — and why that gap gets especially wide in the early years of motherhood, before easing as kids grow. The fix starts with a simple trade-off: each parent claims one protected night (or weekend block) that's theirs. We close with Laura's weekly planning ritual, a reframe of "work-life balance", and her favorite mental shift for feeling like you have enough time for what matters. What We Cover: Why we overestimate how long tasks we dread will take, and underestimate how fast time flies when we're enjoying ourselvesWhy moms of kids under two really do have significantly less leisure time — and why that changes as your kids growHow mental overload closes us off to serendipity — the coffee dates, introductions, and stray ideas that can lead somewhereWhy building unscheduled space into your week (like a no-meeting Friday) creates room for things to go right, not just a buffer for when they go wrongLaura's three-part weekly planning ritual: career, relationships, and selfThe real math behind work-life balance — you're awake and not working almost twice as many hours as you workWhy zooming out from a day to a year changes what feels possible, even a weekly hobby is just 1% of your year About the Guest: Laura Vanderkam is a time management expert and bestselling author of several books on productivity and time, including 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think, I Know How She Does It, Off the Clock, Tranquility by Tuesday, and her newest, Big Time: A Simple Path to Time Abundance. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Fast Company, and her TED talk on controlling your free time has more than 16 million views. She hosts the podcast Before Breakfast and co-hosts Best of Both Worlds, and lives outside Philadelphia with her husband and five children. Links + Resources: Connect or learn more about Laura Vanderkam: lauravanderkam.comFollow Laura on Instagram: instagram.com/lvanderkamGet Laura's time-tracking spreadsheet: available on her websiteFollow ThatMom: InstagramJoin the ThatMom Community: EMAILMaria saves time and 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 feels like she doesn't have enough time. 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 17

    Why You Have More Time Than You Think. (ft. Laura Vanderkam, Pt. 1)

    In Part 1 of my conversation with time management expert and bestselling author Laura Vanderkam, we dig into her new book, Big Time: A Simple Path to Time Abundance, and what it actually means to fall in love with your schedule. Laura explains why she doesn't want people to just pack more into their days — she wants us to feel like we have enough time for work we care about, people we love, and things that light us up. Laura shares why tracking your time for just one week can change the story you tell yourself about how busy you are, and why zooming out to look at a whole week — instead of judging any single day — is the key to feeling like you have more time than you think. We close Part 1 with a preview of what's next: the free time most of us don't realize we have. What We Cover: What Laura means by a "good life," and why time abundance — not just packing more in — is the real goalWhy putting hobbies and social time on the calendar protects them from everyone else's requestsWhy "self-care" like bubble baths keeps getting bumped, and what to do insteadHow to turn a work break into a real mini-vacation instead of doom-scrollingWhy tracking your time for even one week changes how much time abundance you feelHow to use weekday evenings more intentionally, even with young kids at homeWhy high-achieving moms should judge their time by the week, not the day About the Guest: Laura Vanderkam is a time management expert and bestselling author of several books on productivity and time, including 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think, I Know How She Does It, Off the Clock, Tranquility by Tuesday, and her newest, Big Time: A Simple Path to Time Abundance. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Fast Company, and her TED talk on controlling your free time has more than 16 million views. She hosts the podcast Before Breakfast and co-hosts Best of Both Worlds, and lives outside Philadelphia with her husband and five children. Links + Resources: Connect or learn more about Laura VanderkamFollow Laura on InstagramGet Laura's time-tracking spreadsheetBuy Laura's book Big TimeFollow ThatMom: InstagramJoin the ThatMom Community: EMAILMaria saves time and 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 feels like she doesn't have enough time. 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 12

    Why You Have Nothing to Wear Even Though Your Closet Is Full. (ft. Amanda Vargus, Pt. 2)

    In Part 2 of my conversation with stylist Amanda Vargus, we get tactical: why a closet can be "full" and still feel useless, how to edit it down, and the outfit formulas that make getting dressed effortless. Amanda breaks down the real reasons behind "nothing to wear" — styling gaps, too-bland basics, or too many statement pieces with nothing to ground them — and shares her closet-edit process for fixing it. We also get into why she calls outsourcing styling help a "power move" for busy moms, her go-to sneaker and shoe rotation, and how to mix prints, colors, and unexpected combos without it looking like a mistake. She closes with the real payoff of this work: it's never just about the clothes. What We Cover: The three real reasons your closet feels "full" but unwearableWhat "styling" actually means — pairing, layering, and building a full look, not just picking a topFinding the right ratio of basics to statement pieces (hint: it depends on how loud you like to dress)The handful of items Amanda says almost everyone needs: a strong blazer, a good coat, a clean lifestyle sneaker, a great white teeMaking athleisure and drop-off outfits feel intentionalHer current shoe rotation: retro sneakers, chunky New Balances, sambas, and the "sneakerina" trendBuilding a shoe capsule: a few flats, a couple of heels, an elevated sandal, a go-to sneakerWhy she calls hiring a stylist a "power move" — and what her closet-edit process actually looks likeRules of thumb for mixing prints, colors, and unexpected style combosWhy having a personal "outfit formula" makes getting dressed so much easierThe real payoff of this work — it's rarely just about the clothes About the Guest: Amanda Vargus is the CEO and founder of Wave and Woven, a personal styling company based in Boston. Before styling, she built a career in luxury sales and advertising, working for iHeartRadio and Pandora. She's been featured in USA Today and Glam Weekly, and specializes in transformational styling for women navigating changing bodies, careers, and life stages. Links + Resources: Follow Wave & WovenLearn more about Amanda and her ProcessMaria feels confident with monthly outfits from Rent the Runway. Try it here with 50% off (referral link from which I may receive a benefit)Follow 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.

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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
    44
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 That Mom

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