The Work Like A Mother Podcast | Working From Home, Working Moms, Faith, Organization, Time Management

Marina Tolentino

You’re building a career, raising a family, leading a home, and trying to keep God at the center of it all. It’s a lot—but you were never meant to do it alone or strive your way through it. Welcome to The Work Like A Mother Podcast, a lifestyle and leadership show for ambitious women who refuse to choose between faith, family, and meaningful work. Hosted by Marina Tolentino—wife, mom of two, entrepreneur, REALTOR®, and business owner—this podcast explores what it really looks like to build a life that honors God without sacrificing the people and priorities that matter most. Each week, you'll hear honest conversations, biblical wisdom, and practical strategies on faith, motherhood, leadership, entrepreneurship, productivity, home, financial stewardship, and building a lasting legacy. We'll tackle everything from discipling and disciplining our children with grace and truth, to creating healthy family rhythms, leading businesses with purpose, managing our time with intention, and building systems that create more freedom—not more hustle. If you've ever felt torn between your calling and your family, overwhelmed by all the hats you wear, or wondered if there's a better way than constantly striving, you're in the right place. This is a place for women who want to work with excellence, lead with conviction, love their families well, and build lives marked by faith, purpose, and intentionality. Because the work you do—both seen and unseen—matters deeply. And when God is at the center, your work becomes more than a career or a checklist—it becomes part of your legacy. So grab your coffee, pull up a chair, and let's build a life that matters—together.

  1. 6d ago

    How I Went from Striving for Identity to Embracing My Inheritance

    I have a confession: sometimes, even with the keys to my own house in hand, I find myself sleeping in my car outside. It sounds absurd, but I know I’m not alone in this feeling. As a realtor and a woman of faith, I’ve spent so much time understanding who I am in Christ, yet I still slip back into the mindset of needing to earn my place at the table. Why is that? This episode dives deep into our spiritual identity and the inheritance that comes with being a child of God. We’ve all worn the label of being in the family of God, but how often do we truly grasp the weight of that identity? I’ve been the one trying to balance my responsibilities in motherhood, entrepreneurship, and faith, questioning my purpose and how to wield the authority that comes with my inheritance. In this episode, I’m peeling back the layers of what it means to transition from striving for blessings to understanding our true inheritance in Christ. You’ll discover: The significance of being a child of inheritance versus a child of blessing How to recognize the chairs we sit in spiritually and what that means for our lives Practical applications and biblical analogies that will resonate with your journey The importance of understanding our identity in Christ to truly live out our purpose Why sometimes it feels like we’re missing out on what God has promised and how to claim it This isn’t just a conversation; it’s an invitation to reflect on your own relationship with God and how you’re accessing the blessings already available to you. It’s a call to step into your inheritance with confidence and responsibility instead of lingering in the shadows of doubt. Mentioned in this Episode: Called to Reign: Living and Loving from a Place of Rest by Leif Hetland: https://amzn.to/3Sv6BHf Companion Guide: https://marinatolentino.myflodesk.com/alreadyhaveit My book is coming. The Hidden Deception: Raising Kids Who Don't Drift From Jesus — because our kids are watching what makes Mom feel valuable. Get on the early reader list: https://marinatolentino.myflodesk.com/thehiddendeceptionbook 🌺 CONNECT WITH MARINA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marinattolentino\_ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marinattolentino YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@marinatolentino/ Website: https://www.marinatolentino.com/ Email Newsletter: https://marinatolentino.myflodesk.com/worklikeamother 🏡 Moving to Oʻahu or thinking about buying or selling a home? Connect with Marina and explore her Oʻahu real estate resources here: https://bio.site/marinatolentino 🎙️ WORK LIKE A MOTHER Work Like A Mother is a podcast for ambitious women navigating motherhood, faith, entrepreneurship, career, marriage, parenting, and purpose. Hosted by Marina Tolentino, the show explores what it looks like to pursue your calling, raise a family, build meaningful work, and follow Jesus in the middle of real life. Subscribe or follow so you don't miss the next episode. Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: HJVPWMYTLBMKRBYM Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: GTD31923LTG6U0YZ.

    How I Went from Striving for Identity to Embracing My Inheritance
  2. Sep 8

    What If Success Didn’t Have to Feel This Heavy? | Ambition & Identity for Working Moms

    Who am I when I'm not producing? I have a confession: I've been wrestling with identity for most of my life. Not the deep-philosophy kind — the kind where you close a great month and immediately wonder if you can do it again. Where you finally sit down and your brain starts listing everything you should be doing. Where one slow season makes you question things a good one supposedly settled. In this episode I'm getting honest about what it's like to run a 100%-commission business, raise kids, and love Jesus — while still quietly asking my income, my productivity, and other people's approval to tell me who I am. I share a real season I'm in right now (three cancellations, no paycheck since June) and the question I keep coming back to: am I waiting for a closing to tell me I'm capable? Then we get into the "three chairs" picture from Leif Hetland's Called to Reign and the parable of the lost son — the story of a kid who came home to his father with a job application, and a father who wouldn't let him finish the sentence. If you've ever come home to God but brought your laptop, this one's for you. In this episode: Why success can feel heavy even when you love your work The three chairs: guest, employee, daughter — and why most of us live in Chair Two How performance pressure shows up in business, motherhood, and rest What the lost son's father actually did when his kid tried to get hired The robe and the ring: what it means to belong before you've earned anything The refrain to carry into your week: The question isn't whether I work hard. The question is what I'm asking my work to give me. Next week, Part 2: What does it look like to live and walk in inheritance as a business woman and mom? Scripture in this episode: Galatians 4:4–7 · Romans 8:15–17 · Ephesians 2:8–10 · Luke 15:11–24 · John 1:12 Who Jesus says you are: child of God (John 1:12) · loved (Romans 8:38–39) · chosen (Ephesians 1:4) · adopted (Ephesians 1:5) · redeemed and forgiven (Ephesians 1:7) · a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) · free from condemnation (Romans 8:1) · God's workmanship (Ephesians 2:10) · an heir with Christ (Romans 8:16–17) · a member of Christ's body (1 Corinthians 12:27) · gifted to serve (1 Peter 4:10) · a citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20) · His (1 Corinthians 6:19–20) Mentioned: Called to Reign: Living and Loving from a Place of Rest by Leif Hetland https://amzn.to/3Sv6BHf Companion Guide to this Episode: https://marinatolentino.myflodesk.com/nothingtoprove My book is coming. The Hidden Deception: Raising Kids Who Don't Drift From Jesus is about exactly this — because our kids are watching what makes Mom feel valuable. Get on the early reader list: https://marinatolentino.myflodesk.com/thehiddendeceptionbook 🌺 CONNECT WITH MARINA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marinattolentino_ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marinattolentino YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@marinatolentino/ Website: https://www.marinatolentino.com/ Email Newsletter: https://marinatolentino.myflodesk.com/worklikeamother 🏡 Moving to Oʻahu or thinking about buying or selling a home? Connect with Marina and explore her Oʻahu real estate resources here: https://bio.site/marinatolentino 🎙️ WORK LIKE A MOTHER Work Like A Mother is a podcast for ambitious women navigating motherhood, faith, entrepreneurship, career, marriage, parenting, and purpose. Hosted by Marina Tolentino, the show explores what it looks like to pursue your calling, raise a family, build meaningful work, and follow Jesus in the middle of real life. Subscribe or follow so you don't miss the next episode. Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: HJVPWMYTLBMKRBYM

    What If Success Didn’t Have to Feel This Heavy? | Ambition & Identity for Working Moms
  3. Sep 1

    I’m Back: Motherhood, Faith, & Redefining Success as a Working Mom

    Marina Tolentino is back on Work Like A Mother after an unexpected break—and she’s returning with a completely different perspective on motherhood, entrepreneurship, faith, career, and what it actually means to build a successful life. In this comeback episode, Marina gets honest about stepping away from podcasting, balancing motherhood and a real estate career, homeschooling her kids, navigating major family transitions, and growing deeper in her Christian faith. What started as a break from the podcast became a much bigger reset around identity, ambition, purpose, and the pressure so many working moms and women entrepreneurs feel to do everything—and do it well. She shares why Work Like A Mother went quiet, including the pressure to create a perfectly produced show, the financial cost of podcasting, comparison, and the feeling that every episode needed to perform. Now, she’s letting go of chasing charts and perfection to create something more honest, sustainable, and purpose-driven. IN THIS EPISODE: Why Work Like A Mother disappeared—and what finally brought Marina back The reality of balancing motherhood, entrepreneurship, real estate, and family life What a year of homeschooling taught her about parenting, presence, patience, and priorities How changing her kids' schooling changed the rhythm of their entire family Why working moms don't have to pursue success the way the world tells them to Letting go of perfection, comparison, and the pressure to constantly grow How Marina's Christian faith and relationship with Jesus changed during the break Wrestling with identity, calling, ambition, and what God may be asking you to do next Why this new season will include more honest conversations about faith, motherhood, business, marriage, parenting, and purpose Marina also opens up about one of the biggest changes happening behind the scenes: becoming more willing to talk publicly about her faith. As a Christian mom, entrepreneur, REALTOR®, wife, and woman still figuring out what obedience and calling look like in everyday life, she’s no longer interested in separating faith from the rest of the conversation. Because motherhood, business, marriage, parenting, money, career, ambition, and faith don't exist in separate boxes. If you're a working mom, Christian mom, woman entrepreneur, REALTOR®, business owner, or parent trying to balance family and career without losing yourself—or your faith—in the process, this episode is for you. Maybe you're questioning what success looks like now. Maybe you're navigating a career change, homeschooling or school decisions, burnout, motherhood, a new business season, or a calling that feels bigger than your current capacity. Or maybe you simply know the way you've been doing life isn't the way you want to keep doing it. This is the reset. Welcome back to Work Like A Mother—real conversations about motherhood, Christian faith, entrepreneurship, real estate, parenting, marriage, identity, purpose, and building a meaningful life without pretending to have it all figured out. 📖 THE BOOK IS COMING Marina is currently writing The Hidden Deception: Raising Kids Who Don't Drift From Jesus, a book for Christian parents who want to intentionally disciple their children and build a faith that lasts beyond childhood. Want to be the first to know when the book is available? Join the First to Know email list for book updates, behind-the-scenes progress, launch news, and first access when it's time to order. → GET ON THE FIRST TO KNOW LIST: https://marinatolentino.myflodesk.com/thehiddendeceptionbook 🌺 CONNECT WITH MARINA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marinattolentino_ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marinattolentino YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@marinatolentino/ Website: https://www.marinatolentino.com/ Email Newsletter: https://marinatolentino.myflodesk.com/worklikeamother 🏡 Moving to Oʻahu or thinking about buying or selling a home? Connect with Marina and explore her Oʻahu real estate resources here: https://bio.site/marinatolentino 🎙️ WORK LIKE A MOTHER Work Like A Mother is a podcast for ambitious women navigating motherhood, faith, entrepreneurship, career, marriage, parenting, and purpose. Hosted by Marina Tolentino, the show explores what it looks like to pursue your calling, raise a family, build meaningful work, and follow Jesus in the middle of real life. Subscribe or follow so you don't miss the next episode.

    I’m Back: Motherhood, Faith, & Redefining Success as a Working Mom
  4. 02/24/2025

    REPLAY: Debt-Free Dreams & Bougie Budgets for 2025 | Budget Besties

    Text me! Get ready to kickstart the new year with an empowering and practical episode of Work Like a Mother! Marina Tolentino is joined by returning guests and financial powerhouses, Shannon and Vanessa, best friends and co-hosts of the globally ranked Financial Coaching for Women podcast. Together, they tackle the “B” word—Budgeting—and share game-changing strategies to help women master their finances in 2024. Discover actionable tips to simplify your spending, automate your savings, and attack debt without sacrificing your Starbucks runs or Target hauls. With relatable anecdotes about mom life, expert budgeting hacks, and encouragement to be “bougie on a budget,” this episode is the ultimate guide for women who want to crush their financial goals while living life on their terms. Don’t miss this fun, insightful conversation that’ll leave you inspired to take control of your money and plan for your best year yet. Save this one and share it with a friend. Mentioned in this Episode Budget Besties Bootcamp Budget Besties https://budgetbesties.com/ Instagram Financial Coaching for Women Podcast Facebook Marina Tolentino https://www.marinatolentino.com/ Instagram YouTube Get Work Like A Mother delivered directly to your inbox! Click here. Listen to Work Like A Mother Apple Spotify Or any of your favorite platforms! Affiliate Links to Save You $$$ Moo Nuuly CE Shop Flodesk Amazon Storefront Castmagic OpusClip Oura

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

You’re building a career, raising a family, leading a home, and trying to keep God at the center of it all. It’s a lot—but you were never meant to do it alone or strive your way through it. Welcome to The Work Like A Mother Podcast, a lifestyle and leadership show for ambitious women who refuse to choose between faith, family, and meaningful work. Hosted by Marina Tolentino—wife, mom of two, entrepreneur, REALTOR®, and business owner—this podcast explores what it really looks like to build a life that honors God without sacrificing the people and priorities that matter most. Each week, you'll hear honest conversations, biblical wisdom, and practical strategies on faith, motherhood, leadership, entrepreneurship, productivity, home, financial stewardship, and building a lasting legacy. We'll tackle everything from discipling and disciplining our children with grace and truth, to creating healthy family rhythms, leading businesses with purpose, managing our time with intention, and building systems that create more freedom—not more hustle. If you've ever felt torn between your calling and your family, overwhelmed by all the hats you wear, or wondered if there's a better way than constantly striving, you're in the right place. This is a place for women who want to work with excellence, lead with conviction, love their families well, and build lives marked by faith, purpose, and intentionality. Because the work you do—both seen and unseen—matters deeply. And when God is at the center, your work becomes more than a career or a checklist—it becomes part of your legacy. So grab your coffee, pull up a chair, and let's build a life that matters—together.