Working Mom Hour

Erica & Mads
Working Mom Hour

We know moms tend to get more done in an hour than the average human, yet are often misunderstood and underappreciated in the workplace. We’re here to shine a light on the working mom experience to help ourselves and others step into and advocate for this superpower! We’re not experts, we’ve just been there - and are still there - kids, clients and all. Join us as we cultivate more joy in working motherhood, at the corner of calm and chaos.

  1. 06/18/2024

    Making Breathing Room For Busy Moments

    Motherhood is a demanding journey, especially when paired with a career. Today, we dive deep with Dr. Tamara Soles, a seasoned child psychologist and parenting coach, who shares insights on how to keep up with the "swirl" of working motherhood. We'll explore practical strategies to navigate this complex balance, emphasizing the importance of self-compassion and realistic scheduling. Yes and yes to that! In this episode, you’ll discover: - How to manage the constant juggle of parenting and professional responsibilities. - Strategies to identify and prioritize activities that truly add value to your family life. - The significance of 'do nothing' time for both parents and children, fostering better mental health and family connections. Timestamps: - 0:00:00 - Introduction - 0:05:00 - The parenting whirlwind and why we get swept up in it. - 0:09:55 - Shifting away from what parenting "needs" to look like and exploring what time and space can do for a family. - 0:13:57 - How parents can be the greatest agents of change. - 0:19:37 - Sensory activities and sensitivities. - 0:25:00 - The value of "do nothing" time. - 0:31:27 - Traditional schooling and exploring other options. - 0:39:58 - Self-care, acknowledging our own needs, and modeling boundaries. - 0:49:04 - The importance of self-compassion in parenting. Connect with Dr. Tamara Soles: Website: https://drtamarasoles.com Free PDF, "4 Hidden Reasons Your Child is Melting Down": http://drtamarasoles.com/meltdowns  Course: "No More Powers Struggles" https://drtamarasoles.com/enroll  Instagram: @drtamarasoles  LinkedIn: Dr. Tamara Soles Please make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, and kindly review the podcast on Apple Podcasts so we can reach more working moms. We always want to hear your thoughts, concerns, questions or guest suggestions – email workingmomhour@212comm.com. Follow us! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/workingmomhour Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workingmomhour/ TikTok: https:/www.tiktok.com/@workingmomhour Working Mom Hour Website: https://workingmomhour.com/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@workingmomhour

    51 min
  2. 06/04/2024

    Advocating for Ourselves with Christine Michel Carter

    Motherhood is a nurturing, compassionate, and emotional occupation - yet our systems aren’t set up to support women during this transformative time.  Today, we engage in a candid conversation with Christine Michel Carter, marketing expert, and leading advocate for maternal mental health and gender equity, who Katie Couric has called the “the mom of mom influencers.” Together, we open a critical dialogue on navigating injustice, racial discrimination, and how to push for true, tangible change. Once you’ve listened, we have a feeling you’ll need to add her best-selling books to your reading list, including Can Mommy Go To Work? and MOM AF. And, she’s a senior contributor for Forbes, where she tackles the complexities mothers face today, and offers accessible solutions. In this episode, you’ll discover: - How to embrace accomplishments, challenge societal norms, and advocate for yourself. - Strategies for navigating conversations about race, identity, and injustice. - The importance of community building and solidarity among working mothers. 5:37 - Personal experiences of discrimination in healthcare 7:02 - Details about Mom Congress and its advocacy work 10:44 - Decline of maternity leave benefits in companies 17:11 - Content creation during the pandemic 25:37 - Encouragement to own achievements and take up space 28:45 - Navigating personal growth and self-promotion, recognition and validation 32:16 - Balancing pride with ego and managing others' perceptions 39:51 - Societal influence on behavior 45:01 - Journey of self-awareness and growth Connect With Christine: Website: christinemichelcarter.com Instagram: @cmichelcarter X: @cmichelcarter Linkedin: Christine Michel Carter Learn more about Mom Congress: Mom Congress Please make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, and kindly review the podcast on Apple Podcasts so we can reach more working moms. We always want to hear your thoughts, concerns, questions or guest suggestions – email workingmomhour@212comm.com. Follow us! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/workingmomhour Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workingmomhour/ TikTok: https:/www.tiktok.com/@workingmomhour Working Mom Hour Website: https://workingmomhour.com/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@workingmomhour

    48 min
  3. 05/21/2024

    Being Present as a Professional Athlete and Parent

    With the 2024 Olympics on the horizon, we’re honored to have Betsi Flint join us for a timely conversation on managing motherhood as a professional athlete.  Betsi is an integral part of the USA Volleyball Team, boasting an impressive record as a 7-time AVP Champion, 2-time AVCA All-American and still holds indoor records in career aces and digs.  At the start of her career, in 2015, she was awarded the AVP Newcomer of the Year award. She has also been awarded the AVP Best Server of the Year in 2019, 2022, and 2023. In this interview, she shares her journey of returning to training after welcoming her child and moving through moments of self-doubt. Tune in for insights on integrating motherhood into athletic careers, embracing both wins and losses, and cultivating a mindset of growth and balance. In this episode you’ll discover: - How to reframe nerves as excitement and embrace wins and losses. - Strategies for balancing intensity on and off the court. - Insights on how to integrate motherhood into athletic careers. - Lessons on determination and sacrifice. - The importance of strong partnerships on and off the court in achieving success. 02:17 - Returning to Training After Childbirth 06:12 - Balancing Motherhood and Career 09:04 - Challenges of Traveling for Tournaments 12:05 - Perspective Shift After Motherhood 17:08 - Humbling Moments in Victory and Defeat 20:58 - Coping with Losses and Maintaining Perspective 27:14 - Nervousness Before Big Matches 32:27 - Discussion about competitiveness and societal expectations 35:05 - Betsi's experience with Olympic qualification 37:42 - Importance of partnership in sports and life 39:09 - Favorite tool for working motherhood: Dr. Becky's resources Connect With Betsi: Instagram: @betsiflint  Website: https://betsiflint.com/  Check out her Sponsors: Just Ingredients Discount Code: BETSIFLINT https://just.crrnt.app/BETSIFLINT Please make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, and kindly review the podcast on Apple Podcasts so we can reach more working moms. We always want to hear your thoughts, concerns, questions or guest suggestions – email workingmomhour@212comm.com. Follow us! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/workingmomhour Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workingmomhour/ TikTok: https:/www.tiktok.com/@workingmomhour Working Mom Hour Website: https://workingmomhour.com/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@workingmomhour

    42 min
  4. 05/07/2024

    The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood

    Join Mads for a special interview with Gretchen Sisson Ph.D., who recently released “Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and Privilege of American Motherhood,” to uncover the often-overlooked stories of mothers who relinquish their children for adoption. Throughout the process of writing Relinquished, Gretchen learned how factors like poverty, lack of support, inadequate counseling, and limited access to resources and information force women to make choices they never imagined. She also reveals startling facts about the lack of federal regulation and the role of market forces. As an adoptive mom, Mads believes these conversations are critical for change, so don’t miss out on this important discussion.  In this episode you’ll discover: How to understand adoption from a birth parent's perspective.The broad definition of motherhood, and how birth mothers continue to mother their children in unseen ways, even after relinquishment.Emotional and financial struggles mothers face and how adoption can often come from a place of limited choice. 1:52 - Defining Motherhood 6:17 - The Emotional Impact of Adoption 10:27 - Statistics, Data and Private Adoption System 13:53 - Barriers to Parenting and Examples of Relinquishment 23:17 - Ethics in the Adoption Industry 28:02 - Unlicensed Adoption Facilitators, Legal Ambiguity and Revocation Rights 40:51 - Vision for a Healthier Adoption System and Practices Connect with Gretchen: Website: https://www.gretchensisson.com/ Book Website: https://www.relinquishedbook.com/ Substack: https://gretchen.substack.com/ Please make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, and kindly review the podcast on Apple Podcasts so we can reach more working moms. We always want to hear your thoughts, concerns, questions or guest suggestions – email workingmomhour@212comm.com. Follow us! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/workingmomhour Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workingmomhour/ TikTok: https:/www.tiktok.com/@workingmomhour Working Mom Hour Website: https://workingmomhour.com/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@workingmomhour

    50 min
  5. 04/23/2024

    Cultivating Our Creative Cycles

    What’s more valuable - creativity or productivity? Spoiler alert: it’s a trick question. To understand why these two practices are better together, we brought on social innovation artist, and creator of Rest to Harvest, Moulsari Jain. In this interview, she helps us get in sync with our natural cycles, embrace every stage, and find peace after we hit the pause button.  Moulsari challenges the notion of isolated creativity, comparing it to demanding a plant to uproot itself, which is impossible. Trust us, we’ve tried. Instead, she encourages us to celebrate ideas and possibilities without rigid control.  What you'll learn from this episode: - Tap into your innate creativity by embracing the Rest to Harvest approach. - Honor your natural cycle. - Recognize the importance of building relationships and community connections. - Balance masculine and feminine energies. - Change your perspective on productivity by learning the value of simply being instead of constantly striving for tangible results. 01:30 - Origin of "Rest to Harvest" concept. 06:15 - Embracing the power of doing nothing. 14:00 - Understanding women's natural cycles. 26:57 - Balancing masculine and feminine energies. 35:30 - Adapting to technological change. 42:33 - The power of community in Rest to Harvest. 46:19 - Embracing vulnerability for growth. Check out her TEDx talk: Rest to Harvest - Redesigning work along the cycles of life  | Moulsari Jain | TEDxBreda Connect with Moulsari Jain LinkedIn: Moulsari Jain Facebook: Moulsari : B-A-D for GOOD  Instagram: @moulsari Website: https://moulsari.com/ Please make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, and kindly review the podcast on Apple Podcasts so we can reach more working moms. We always want to hear your thoughts, concerns, questions or guest suggestions – email workingmomhour@212comm.com. Follow us! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/workingmomhour Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workingmomhour/ TikTok: https:/www.tiktok.com/@workingmomhour Working Mom Hour Website: https://workingmomhour.com/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@workingmomhour

    51 min
  6. 04/09/2024

    Dr. Nikki Pensak Talks Rattled | Part 2

    Welcome back to Part 2 as we continue our enlightening conversation with Dr. Nikki Pensak. In this bonus episode, she shares her journey of writing her new book, ‘Rattled’ and how she decided to blend personal anecdotes with professional expertise to create a digestible guide for mothers. Personally, we can’t wait to add this to our reading list. 1:18 - The writing process of “Rattled” 3:32 - Addressing the idea that it's never too late to seek help 4:45 - Importance of not projecting personal experiences onto children 5:30 - A tool for working motherhood: being present with children 8:14 - Details on the release of "Rattled" and pre ordering information 8:55 - Closing remarks Connect with Dr. Nikki Pensak: LinkedIn: Nicole Amoyal Pensak PHD Instagram: @drnikkipensak Website: https://www.drnicoleamoyalpensak.com/ Preorder RATTLED here, available April 30, 2024. Attend her virtual live book launch event with Eve Rodsky on May 8, 2024 @11am EST Please make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, and kindly review the podcast on Apple Podcasts so we can reach more working moms. We always want to hear your thoughts, concerns, questions or guest suggestions – email workingmomhour@212comm.com. Follow us! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/workingmomhour Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workingmomhour/ TikTok: https:/www.tiktok.com/@workingmomhour Working Mom Hour Website: https://workingmomhour.com/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@workingmomhour

    9 min
  7. 04/02/2024

    The Power of the Postpartum Brain with Dr. Nikki Pensak - Part 1

    Postpartum can be a complex time in motherhood, as it is often linked with feelings of depression, anxiety, or similar challenges. Today, we're privileged to bring back trained clinical psychologist, Dr. Nikki Pensak, to talk about postpartum mental health, and her new book, RATTLED, which dives into how to manage and calm new mom anxiety. Rather than viewing this developmental phase through a lens of struggle, Dr. Nikki helps us see it as a time ripe with potential. She explains how our brains change during this time, why our feelings might not match up, and why it's so important to take care of ourselves and get professional help when we need it. For a deeper dive into Dr. Nikki’s book, RATTLED, and her favorite working mom tool, stay tuned for our bonus Part 2 episode coming next week. What you’ll get out of this episode: - A better understanding of matrescence, the rapid transformation that causes a mismatch between physiological and psychological adjustments. - The psychological challenges of becoming a mother, including postpartum OCD and anxiety. - How high-functioning mothers often mask their struggles, facing perfectionism and unrealistic expectations. - Why mindful practices and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) are effective tools. - How to manage ‘mom guilt’ when it pops up during much-needed downtime.   0:48 - Understanding matrescence. 4:51 - Challenges in recognizing postpartum mental health needs. 15:28 - The experience of high-functioning mothers. 28:26 - Addressing mom guilt and the importance of leaning into downtime. 32:48 - Understanding intrusive thoughts and anxiety in new parents. 46:42 - Practical ways to support parental leave and mental health. 52:52 - Embracing neuroplasticity and growth during motherhood. Connect with Dr. Nikki Pensak: LinkedIn: Nicole Amoyal Pensak PHD Instagram: @drnikkipensak Website: https://www.drnicoleamoyalpensak.com/ Preorder RATTLED here, available April 30, 2024. Attend her virtual live book launch event with Eve Rodsky on  May 8, 2024 @11am EST  Please make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, and kindly review the podcast on Apple Podcasts so we can reach more working moms. We always want to hear your thoughts, concerns, questions or guest suggestions – email workingmomhour@212comm.com. Follow us! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/workingmomhour Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workingmomhour/ TikTok: https:/www.tiktok.com/@workingmomhour Working Mom Hour Website: https://workingmomhour.com/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@workingmomhour

    55 min
  8. 03/19/2024

    Authentic Friendships with Dr. Miriam Kirmayer

    Having trouble keeping up with the group chat? We’re all guilty of it. When life gets busy, friendships often take a back seat. But in reality, these connections are critical to our well-being, especially as working moms.  To help us understand the science behind social connections, we brought back one of our favorite guests, Dr. Miriam Kirmayer, clinical psychologist and friendship expert. Together, we discover how to open ourselves up to finding, broadening, or deepening friendships, all while staying vulnerable and authentic. We also discuss tricky dynamics, from friendship breakups to natural ups and downs. What you’ll get out of this episode: Strategies for expanding and deepening existing friendships.How to tune into your authentic motivations for building new friendships and learn practical steps for initiating connections.Understand when to address negative dynamics in friendships and how to navigate them with compassion and honesty.Ways to sustain friendships beyond the shared context of children, fostering deeper connections based on mutual interests and shared experiences.Tangible steps to rekindle friendships after periods of absence or busy seasons.0:00 - Introduction 1:03 - Discussion on the importance of friendships for emotional and physical well-being. 4:17 - Tips for making friends authentically. 8:45 - The power of expressing a desire for friendship directly and authentically. 13:04 - Strategies for deepening existing friendships without emotionally dumping. 15:18 - Broadening and deepening existing friendships. 19:09 - Understanding and communicating boundaries in friendships. 20:33 - Recognizing when a friendship is negatively impacting your energy. 28:19 - Maintaining friendships beyond the connection through children. 30:56 - Empowering adult friendships and strategies for bridging gaps in communication during busy periods. 38:38 - Reconnecting with old friends. 42:04 - Bold acts of friendship. 45:43 - Embracing changing friendships. 48:59 - Guiding children in friendship choices. 55:31 - Course announcement: "Confidently Connected" Connect with Dr. Miriam Kirmayer: Linkedin: Dr. Miriam Kirmayer Instagram: @miriamkirmayer Website: https://miriamkirmayer.com Sign Up For Miriam’s Friendship Course: Confidently Connected Book Miriam to Speak: Keynote Speaking Please make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, and kindly review the podcast on Apple Podcasts so we can reach more working moms. We always want to hear your thoughts, concerns, questions or guest suggestions – email workingmomhour@212comm.com. Follow us! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/workingmomhour Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workingmomhour/ TikTok: https:/www.tiktok.com/@workingmomhour Working Mom Hour Website: https://workingmomhour.com/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@workingmomhour

    53 min
5
out of 5
60 Ratings

About

We know moms tend to get more done in an hour than the average human, yet are often misunderstood and underappreciated in the workplace. We’re here to shine a light on the working mom experience to help ourselves and others step into and advocate for this superpower! We’re not experts, we’ve just been there - and are still there - kids, clients and all. Join us as we cultivate more joy in working motherhood, at the corner of calm and chaos.

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