The Shameless Mom Academy: Motherhood, Motivation, and Mindset Tips for Busy Moms

How are you at holding space for tension? The discomfort of tension in our lives can make us rush through a trying moment to get out of discomfort as quickly as possible.   What would change for you if you could embrace discomfort and sit in it for a minute? In this Greatest Hits episode, I talk about an interview with Oprah and Steven Pressfield for SuperSoul Sunday. They were talking about resistance - and that resistance MUST exist in all opportunities that provide growth, evolution, and magic.   Steven said, “Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the life unlived within us. Between the two stands Resistance.”  Wow, if that doesn’t speak to my soul. I see so many Shameless Moms working to hold space for tension and practicing embracing the resistance. It is in these spaces that some of life’s most powerful lessons and moments come to exist. It is profound and life-altering.   And I see Shameless Moms who feel the resistance and take it as a sign that something is not meant to be.  Mama…. NO.   I want you to lean into the resistance. See it. Embrace it. Own it. Walk through it. It will change you - in all the BEST ways.   Listen in to hear me share the 3 phases of holding tension that will allow you to walk through resistance, find your power, and declare a magical VICTORY on the other side.  We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The day you became a mom you were catapulted into a new leadership role with no training and dire consequences if you couldn’t rise to the occasion. For months, you stumbled, fumbled, and slowly figured this new leadership role out. You learned new skills, you learned how to take care of those you were leading, and you advocated for those in your care at every turn. You felt protective in a way you have never felt protective before. You knew it was on you to figure this out quickly. And, you did it.   Over the last couple of years, as I’ve had conversations with women in new leadership roles, I‘ve heard over and over about how hard it is to step into a new leadership role with little or no training. It’s overwhelming, disorienting, and exhausting. There are so many things to figure out - some inconsequential and some largely consequential. In many instances, folks who were once your peers are now the people you have to give hard feedback to. You have this sense that all eyes are on you - and maybe, just maybe, some folks would be happy to see you fail. So, there is no room for mistakes. And, it seems, no room to give yourself grace.   As I stepped into community leadership roles over the last few years, I was excited to give back, make a difference, and have a voice. But having a voice feels scary AF when you go to open your mouth for the first time in front of a new audience. How can you instill quickly build trust and demonstrate integrity? How can you solicit support while sharing new ideas and opinions?   Most opportunities to lead come too fast. You feel ill-prepared. You question if you are the right person or the right “fit” for the job. You are. You’ve been here before. You’ve figured it out. And, you’re sure as hell going to figure it out this time too.  In this episode, I talk through why owning the title of leader might feel conflicting to you, 3 key responsibilities in any leadership role, and what to do when you find yourself in a leadership role that you don’t feel totally prepared for.   We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The mental load of motherhood is the invisible yet relentless responsibilities, from managing household chores to coordinating family schedules, which often fall disproportionately on mothers. This burden not only involves physical tasks but also includes the (often more exhausting) emotional and cognitive labor of anticipating and attending to the needs of their children and family members. The Motherload (aka the mental load of motherhood) includes the 175 running lists you keep in your head in every single moment of #everydamnday. It includes: every school form you need to sign tonight how much creamer you have left in the fridge how many rolls of TP you have in the house when you need to call your mom what bills you need to pay by next Wednesday when the kids have their next day off school every single email you need to reply to today and which ones can wait until tomorrow what time the babysitter is coming on Friday which hotel you need to book for spring break which of your kid’s friends can’t have peanuts which of your kid’s friends you need to buy bday gifts for which socks your kid will NOT wear how many pairs of clean undies every single person in the household has left before you have to do laundry again what you’re having for dinner tonight and tomorrow and the next night and the next night and the next night and the next night which kid will eat crusts which kid will eat carrots Have any of the children had any water today? You are a living, breathing library of information. You are basically hosting an entire internet system right inside your head. It’s a lot. Too much. So overwhelming and often maddening. And sometimes downright unfair. The Motherload is exhausting on so many levels. I want to give you some hope. But I’m going to warn you that this will require some work (I promise to keep it simple!) on your part. But the work will be REWARDING. The work will lessen the load! When it comes to The Motherload, we tend to make it really hard on ourselves. We get in our own way over and over. We get stuck in perfectionism and martyrdom, making ourselves completely miserable. Listen in as I give you 4 methods to manage the madness. These simple methods are going to dramatically improve your life and create space in your head (who doesn’t need more space in their head?!) We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Julie Neale is a life and leadership coach, mom to two neurodivergent boys, and creator of Mother’s Quest, the Mother’s Quest Podcast, and the Live Your EPIC Year Planner. Started in 2016, Mother’s Quest provides inspiration, coaching, and community for mothers who want to live their version of an E.P.I.C. life while raising their children. At the age of 50, Julie received a diagnosis of ADHD, realizing that she is also neurodivergent. The diagnosis explained a lot and has provided a window for her to understand better what it’s like for her children to embrace their differences while finding strategies to address the challenges. This year, Julie is serving on the UCLA Parents' Council. She looks forward to working alongside her son Ryan, from a parent perspective, to support neurodivergent students and their families at UCLA. Ryan Neale is a neurodivergent sophomore at UCLA, planning to double major in Communication and Disability Studies with a minor in Film Studies. He is part of the College Scholars Program at UCLA and recently was selected as part of the 2023 Chancellor's Leadership Program cohort. He is passionate about neurodiversity advocacy and sharing his own experiences to pave the way for others. He is currently a staff member at the Bruin Resource Center, where he is a student lead on a new campus-wide neurodiversity initiative to make UCLA more inclusive for students like him. This summer, he served on staff for the Stanford Neurodiversity Project - Research, Education, and Advocacy Camp for high schoolers wanting to create neurodiversity advocacy projects. He was also a speaker at the 2021 Stanford Neurodiversity Summit and has been a guest host on the Mother’s Quest Podcast. Ryan was diagnosed with autism at the age of 18 months old and also identifies with ADHD and anxiety. April is Autism Awareness Month. April 2nd is Autism Awareness Day. I was so honored to have Ryan and Julie here to talk about neurodiversity, including autism, and all that Ryan is doing to build inclusive spaces for kids like him on college campuses.   Listen in to hear Ryan and Julie share: Ryan’s optimism around the neurodiversity movement, esp in collegiate environments Ryan’s autism diagnosis at 18 months and his experience of learning of his diagnosis at age 13 Ryan’s disconnection from his diagnosis given his propensity for rich connections How Julie was diagnosed with ADHD when going through menopause  The difference in the ways Ryan and Julie accepted and integrated their respective diagnoses What Ryan’s transition into college life has been like How Ryan has leaped into neurodivergence advocacy at UCLA Links mentioned: Connect with Julie: https://mothersquest.com Connect with Ryan: www.ryanjneale.com  Mother’s Quest on IG: www.instagram.com/mothersquestpod Ryan on IG: www.instagram.com/ryan.neale04 Ryan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-neale-031112176/ Autism Story Telling Project in San Fransisco: https://www.autismstorytellingproject.com/  Spark Course about Ryan’s college experience  Mother's Quest Podcasts with Ryan related to neurodiversity: https://mothersquest.com/ep-93-learning-outside-the-lines-in-college-with-neurodivergent-advocates-ryan-neale-jonathan-mooney/ https://mothersquest.com/embracing-neurodiversity-and-being-an-adult-with-julie-lythcott-haims-and-ryan-neale/ https://mothersquest.com/ep-18-yolo-you-only-live-once-and-other-milestone-reflections-with-ryan-neale/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A few weeks ago, my dear friend Dana shared a post to her IG stories that said, “A year from now nothing will be the same.” I immediately took a pause. Dang. What a true statement that I hadn’t previously considered. When I think about where I was this time last year, there are so many things I couldn’t have predicted happening over the last year. My husband’s layoff, a layoff that is still enduring 10 months later. Going to grad school. A number of professional opportunities. A handful of personal breakthroughs, as well as some losses. When I think about what life could hold a year from now, I realize that there is so much coming that I don’t know about. Yikes! Or… Yay??? I’m not sure which. Maybe a bit of both.  Wherever you are today, the moment you are in will pass. The things that are hard today will be different a year from now. The things that are great right now will have shifted and evolved - maybe gotten even better, maybe disappeared. And, there are a whole bunch of things coming your way that you don’t know about yet. Big things. Great things. Hard things.  So, how can you hold space for what’s to come so you’re not devastated by the hard things or unable to engage in the great things? In this episode, I will walk you through 3 ways you can stay open to possibility as life gets ready to life all over you over the next year.  We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tressa Beheim is an online business manager and strategic partner who supports women entrepreneurs in all that they do. She’s a project manager, back-office coordinator, and a people wrangler who knows product development and online marketing. She goes beyond the typical Online Business Manager with nearly 15 years of experience and knowledge plus the ability to help her clients execute their big (and small!) visions in the real world. Tressa is one of those extremely organized, type-A people and it aligns perfectly with her role as a strategic partner. Running a micro agency allows her to utilize everything in her toolbox, knowledge and business acumen attained through an MBA, skills mastered through years in a corporate position, and managing businesses since 2009 to help her clients thrive. She is from the United States and has lived abroad in Leipzig, Germany since 2016 with her husband and two daughters. Listen in to hear Tressa share: What it’s like being an expat in Germany What it’s like raising 12 and 14-year-olds in a country different from what she grew up in? The difference in kids’ independence in Germany and the US How she started her business as a virtual assistant when her daughters were very young The cost of carrying tons of 5-minute tasks on your To-Do List The unexpected gifts of having someone else as a decision-maker and action-taker in your business How to know when you need more strategic help in your business Links mentioned: Connect with Tressa: tressabeheim.com Tressa on LinkedIn  Tressa on IG We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When given the opportunity to try something new, unfamiliar, or uncomfortable, it’s often easier to say NO than YES. It’s typically pretty easy to justify your NO, too.   Nope, I’m too busy right now.  Nope, that sounds terrifying.  Nope, I’m just not ready yet. For some, NO is a default that prevents critical growth. But, every NO has a cost. When you say NO are you considering all that you’re saying NO to? Often your NO to an opportunity is also a NO to growth, excitement, validation, affirmation, a new level of success, a new skill, new relationships, and an enhanced sense of self.   When you look at what’s stopping you from saying YES, it is likely self-limiting thoughts, uncomfortable emotions or feelings, and/or limited resources. These can all be very valid objections to missing out on an opportunity. But, sometimes it is well worth pushing back on your thoughts, feelings, emotions, and even resource limitations to consider the value of saying YES while recognizing all the possibilities and potential that this YES could carry. In this episode, you will have a chance to take a close look at what’s stopping you from saying YES and how you can get out of your own way to make choices that invite growth, advance success, and amplify your sense of self in significant ways.   We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Amy Porto is an anti-diet registered dietitian, nutrition professor, and certified intuitive eating counselor. As an expert in her field with over 20 years of experience, Dr. Porto speaks the truth about nutrition. Her purpose is to disrupt mainstream diet culture with real science, a dash of humor, and a little bit of common sense. And while she holds a BS in Biochemistry and a PhD in Nutrition Science, she believes you shouldn’t need a PhD to decode food labels at the grocery store. Breaking down complex information about food and nutrition into digestible bite-sized pieces of information is her passion — plus, she loves a good pun. Amy’s ultimate goal is to help you trust your body and reclaim your relationship with food. This is Amy’s second time on the show and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have her back. Every once in a while I have a guest who makes me think, “Maybe we should start a podcast together or take our show on the road”... Amy is one of those guests. I could talk to her and learn from her all day every day.   Listen in to Amy share: What food elitism is and how it shows up in society The dangers of putting food in a hierarchy Why the “Dirty Dozen” food list is not worth your worry Why language matters so much when we speak about food and the dangers of labeling foods as bad, trash, fake food, junk food, clean food, etc How food elitism contributes to discrimination toward people who are food insecure Her thoughts on healthism and the morality of health How our judgments around food are whitewashed and part of the Supremacy culture we live in How you can start to unfold your own biases around food, nutrition, and health Why you should avoid health & wellness practitioners who weaponize fear to sell to you Links mentioned: Connect with Amy: Amyporto.com Learn about Amy’s Eat Better Club: Amyporto.com/links Amy on IG and threads: @dr.amyporto Amy on FB Pesticide Counter: https://www.safefruitsandveggies.com/  We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This will not shock you.  I am a talker.   As an extrovert with ADHD who has 1 million opinions and a good story to go with any situation, I’m never at a loss for words. Perhaps this is how we arrived at 858 podcast episodes!   I’m also aware that if I want to show up as the best version of myself I have to really practice being a good listener. Given my propensity toward nosiness, sometimes listening comes easy. However, in a heated discussion or a lively room, I want to say all the things. And, I’m aware that sometimes this can leave others feeling unseen or unheard.   As my child has developed my propensity for words (all the words, all the time), I have become increasingly aware that listening is something that must be practiced. For us talkers, listening doesn’t come naturally - or easily!  Being a great listener shows consideration, care, kindness, and empathy. These are all very important to me. So, I’m invested in doing a better joy to listen to understand versus listening to reply. There is a big difference.   Over the last few years, I’ve been paying attention to how some of the best communicators around me listen. I’ve been taking notes. In this episode, I’ll share the listening skills I have observed and am working on developing. If you’re a better talker than a listener, this one’s for you!  We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sivan Hong is both the author and illustrator of the top-selling children's series, The Super Fun Day Books. Her acclaimed titles, including Benny J. and the Horrible Halloween, George J. and the Miserable Monday, Emily D. and the Fearful First Day, Avery G. and the Scary End of School, and Joey T. and the Winter Holiday Worries, depict the victories of neurodiverse children as they tackle difficulties with perseverance and bravery. Furthermore, The Super Fun Day Books are available in Spanish and as audiobooks, ensuring they resonate with all kinds of learners. Her influential work has garnered attention from multiple news outlets. In addition to her literary pursuits, Sivan actively serves as a Trustee on the Board of the Rita Allen Foundation, using her vast expertise and passion to effect positive change. Away from her professional endeavors, Sivan cherishes her roles as a wife and mother to two delightful children. The family, which includes their beloved dog and cat, lives in Connecticut. Listen in to hear Sivan share: What her life as a neurodivergent woman and mother to two neurodivergent children looks like A comparison of the academic structures of traditional classroom settings and classrooms specifically for neurodivergent kids How the term neurodiverse came into common use, what it means, and what it doesn’t mean Why it’s so important for “neuro-typical” people to understand neurodiversity The tremendous losses that occur societally when we aren’t open to creating accommodations for neurodiversity The importance of being a proud self-advocate as a neurodivergent person The role of “neuro-typical” people in advocating for neurodivergent people  The problem with framing diagnoses from a position of deficits rather than strengths or uniqueness Links mentioned: Get Sivan’s Books: The Super Fun Day Books Connect with Sivan: sivanhong.com Sivan on IG Sivan on FB We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy 8th Birthday to the SMA! The show turns 8 on March 15th. To celebrate I created an episode about one of my favorite topics this year: advancing women's and mom’s thought leadership.   What does it mean to be a thought leader? You might think it requires a bunch of degrees or building a cult-like following online. Neither of these are necessary. A thought leader is someone who shares their expertise and passion with the world in a way that calls people in and inspires people to see things in a new way. Thought leaders often challenge assumptions and disrupt the status quo. While we often see thought leaders do this in highly visible ways, you can also be a thought leader in a way that is authentic to who you are. You don’t have to stand on the world’s largest stage, with the world’s largest microphone.   Women don’t tend to position themselves as thought leaders because we haven’t been socialized to believe we have a unique POV, special talents to build community around an idea, or the skills to guide people to see things from a different perspective. However, the truth is we do this #everydamnday in various capacities as moms. Moms are perfectly poised for thought leadership because we see the world in ways that others don’t - because we have had to break through barriers and smash glass ceilings to be seen, heard, held, and valued. As a result, we are smart, scrappy, creative, innovative, resilient, tenacious, efficient, and productive in ways that others are not.   So, the truth is either you already are a thought leader OR you are poised to become one starting right now.   If you choose to advance your thought leadership new and unexpected doors will open for you. Opportunities that you didn’t even know you wanted will start presenting themselves - this is literally how the Shameless Mom Academy was born 8 years ago this week!  Thank you for being part of the Shameless Mom Academy whether you have listened to one episode or all 856 over the last 8 years. I appreciate you. We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Heidi Carlson is a Certified Master Life, Relationship, and Self-Empowerment Coach who helps women navigate complex mother-daughter dynamics.   Raised as the youngest of five children to young immigrant parents in an arranged marriage, Heidi faced unique challenges stemming from her parents’ limited life and relationship experience. Growing up in a culture that prioritized people-pleasing over self-prioritization left her without essential life skills, compounded by her parents’ struggling marriage, further complicating her understanding of a healthy relationship.   At 19, Heidi's transformative journey began with deep self-discovery and personal growth. Heidi now embodies self-compassion, prioritizes herself, communicates effectively, and maintains boundaries. Her journey also transformed her relationship with her mother.  Over the years, Heidi has guided countless women on similar personal growth and healing paths. She is a respected guiding force, inspiring women to take control of their lives and mend their mother-daughter relationships. Listen in to hear Heidi share: Her experience being the youngest of 5 kids, born to immigrant parents who were married at a very young by way of an arranged marriage How her family’s circumstances suppressed her identity How her family dynamics and her trying relationship with her mom led her down a path of personal discovery  The impact of her being labeled her mom’s “Mini Me” and how that contributed to her struggles with her identity The significance of healing mother-daughter relationships to show up differently in all areas of your life How consistency played a big role in healing herself and her relationship with her mom What it feels like to shift from someone who was chronically self-sacrificial in relationships to someone who uses her voice, sets boundaries, asks for what she needs in relationships, and goes after what she wants despite other’s opinions Links mentioned: Connect with Heidi: heidicarlsoncoaching.com Email Heidi: heidi@heidicarlsoncoaching.com Heidi on LinkedIn Heidi on FB Heidi on IG We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This feels very surreal. But, yes, I’m going to grad school! This is a decision that seemed to come quickly out of nowhere, but it was also always right there. It feels fast, but right on time. I feel unprepared yet 100% ready. I’m so excited but also nervous. At the end of the day, it feels RIGHT. And, that feels GOOD.  A big part of this decision came as I was considering that I have another 20 years (at least) to invest in my career path. I have no desire to change what I’m doing today, but I also feel like I want some grounding and intentionality as I make decisions around what I’m delightedly calling My Next 20.   As I started thinking about My Next 20, I asked myself: Where do you want to be at the end of your career? How do you want to use all the work you’ve done for the last 25 years to inform your work for the next 20 years? What decisions can you make now that will give you options and flexibility over time? How can you continue to create work opportunities for yourself that bring you purpose, meaning, and joy? In what directions are you most excited to learn and grow? Navigating these questions gave me a fairly quick and clear sense of the direction I wanted to head and helped me see that a master's degree would support this direction.  In this episode, I talk more about why I’m going back to school, why I chose the program I chose, what I want to do with the degree, and how I’m combatting my inner critic as I return to studying, writing papers, and being in new and uncomfortable territory.   I hope this episode will help you also consider what you want to create for yourself over your Next 20! We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nadia Davis is a mom, attorney, victims’ rights advocate, kundalini yoga instructor, and author of Home Is Within You: A Memoir of Recovery and Redemption and has a podcast of the same name. She is a survivor of trauma and abuse, a near-fatal car accident, addiction, and public shaming. Nadia has a lifetime record of passionate work and dedication to improving the lives of others. She has received numerous awards for her work, including the John F. Kennedy Jr. Service Award. Nadia works for justice in keeping moms with their kids while seeking treatment, and for more compassionate methods of treatment and restorative justice. She has a BA from UCLA and a JD from Loyola Law School.    Listen in to hear Nadia share: Her young life of seeking acceptance and assurance as the youngest of 7 children How her lack of safety as a child led to her narrow zone of tolerance as an adult How she was forced to face her childhood trauma after enduring public shaming, blackmail, and addiction  The steps she took to start healing Simple steps anyone can incorporate to start a healing practice How to build a home within that gives us the personal autonomy that is often (almost always) missing from our lives Links mentioned: Connect with Nadia: www.nadia-davis.com Nadia’s Book: Home is Within You: Transforming Shame into Power Nadia’s Podcast: Home is Within You: Transforming Shame into Power Nadia on FB Nadia on IG Nadia on TT We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is one of those episodes where once I started down the rabbit hole, I couldn’t find my way back out. I was digging through research and information on motherhood, burnout and exhaustion and every piece of information led me to more info that I didn’t know I needed. At a certain point, I realized I was building list upon list for you all. This onslaught of information helped me see the pervasiveness and insidiousness of burnout and exhaustion that profoundly impact mothers.   The truth is we are all tired. Beyond tired. Most of us don’t even know it. We are walking around in a state of malaise that we see as normal. We don’t recognize who we are anymore, and we don’t have a clue how to find ourselves again. Plus, who even has time to find themselves given all the immediate and urgent tasks that fill our days, nights, and dreams (or nightmares??) In this episode, we will dig into the symptoms and causes of motherhood exhaustion and burnout. Then, we dig into solutions. What are the simple things you can do to bring you back to yourself and step away from the habits and mindsets that are creating a state of perpetual exhaustion and burnout in your life? We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Priya Krishnan, Chief Digital, and Transformation Officer at Bright Horizons, is an entrepreneur who founded India’s leading child care and schooling service provider with more than 150 company-owned, company-operated centers across the country. At Bright Horizons, she leads client relationships for the US, International M&A, and innovation projects. Priya joined Bright Horizons after founding and running KLAY, a high-quality childcare organization, which has grown to become India’s largest child care. She initially started the business to enable women to return to work after childbirth. She won numerous entrepreneurship recognition awards, as her startup venture expanded to 180 company-owned, company-operated centers across the country, staffed with empowered employees taking care of more than 16,000 children. Priya’s company went on to provide high-quality child care services onsite, and worked with varying workplace models to help companies create employee solutions. Priya also founded a not-for-profit school for marginalized children which has been recognized worldwide for its pedagogy and approach to blended learning. Priya has had a global career in IT consulting across Singapore, New York, and London, working with companies including Accenture, PwC, EDS, and HP. She holds a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering and has an MBA from London Business School. Listen in to hear Priya share: Her life mantra: Failing fast, failing cheap, and learning fast What inspired her work to build a childcare system in India - leading her to become a sought-after visionary and national leader in childcare Her contribution to set a national standard of 6 months maternity leave in India and a national mandate for companies to provide childcare How alignment in values has impacted her career trajectory and called her to build a career around intergenerational family systems  Why childcare is a critical component of cultural infrastructure - and how childcare is a triple bottom line impact in terms of how it positively or negatively impacts the entire society Her invitation to design work around life vs life around work Links mentioned: Listen to Priya’s Podcast: The Work-Life Equation Connect with Bright Horizons: https://www.brighthorizons.com/ Bright Horizons on IG Bright Horizons on FB Bright Horizons on LinkedIn Priya on LinkedIn Priya on Twitter/X We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you a high-five person? My husband and I spent a weekend with a couple years ago who high-fived each other all the time. After that weekend, my husband said to me, “They high-five a lot. We are just not high-five people.” Don’t get me wrong, we loved this couple. But we didn’t think we would ever share their enthusiasm for high fives.   What’s ironic now is that I’ve built an entire legacy around high-fiving women, more or less. When I think of high-fiving others it can look like a lot of things - a compliment, a congrats, a comment of support. When someone else high-fives me, literally or figuratively, it feels so good!   It takes almost nothing to be a cheerleader and champion of other women, yet it can make all the difference in the world. Think of how great it feels when someone shows up to let you know they are happy for you, impressed by you, or grateful for you. High-fives matter.   Women championing one another is a must. This is how we model to our children how women treat women. This is how we make space for other women in a world that, in many instances, doesn’t make space for women. This is how we can see others and be seen ourselves.   In this episode, I share 6 ways you can champion other women in loud & proud ways, as well as quietly. After you listen in, think about how you can immediately go champion another woman by giving her that literal or figurative high-five to let her know, “We are in this together. I got you. I see you.” We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Going back to school after 40 is not for the faint of heart. Dr. Vrnda 'V' Boykin knows this well returning to school in 2017 and obtaining her BS in Marketing Management, MS in Management and Leadership, Master of Business Administration, and Doctorate of Business Administration in Organizational Leadership. Dr. V’s expertise is in creating equitable work experiences for women. Dr. V established clear evidence to illustrate the importance of social support systems in tackling workplace equity through simple shifts in the social environment. Bravery is in Dr. V's bones and she is known for her commitment to innovation. Viewing education as the most effective tool in achieving equity, V utilizes her skills and knowledge to disrupt and redefine leadership training and enablement programs resulting in increased performance and profitability within the technology space. Listen in to hear Dr. V share: Her recent accomplishment of getting her PhD and becoming one 4.4% of black women with a doctoral degree Her life path from being a very young mother and stripper on food stamps who ended up in the prison system to then getting 4 degrees, including a PhD, in a mere 7 years How she used her time in prison, and how she decided to move forward from that time in her life How she sits with shame and how and why she has worked so hard to reconcile that for herself and other Black women The fine line between vulnerability and power and how dancing and stripping allowed her to step away from vulnerability and into her power The legacy she is building around creating equity and belonging in the workplace, as well as what true equity in the workplace looks like for women and moms The major caveat around the “bringing your full self to work” movement, especially for people carrying marginalized identities How providing services for women and moms benefits organizations Her tagline and call to action: stop talking about my attitude and start talking about my accomplishments Links mentioned: Connect with Dr. V: drvboykin.com V on LinkedIn We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You know that voice in your head that makes you doubt yourself, says nasty things to yourself, beats yourself up, compares you to others, and tells you you are not enough? That’s your inner critic. She can be a real nightmare! If you’re anything like most women I know, you probably give her way too much airplay. You hear her as she clears her throat to step up to the mic and then you listen intently as she rants about your weaknesses and shortcomings. Worst of all, you believe her.   Your inner critic keeps you quiet, small, fearful, and frustrated. Because she has been with you for so long, you likely don’t realize she has set up shop as your default voice. You may find she is the loudest voice in your head. As the loudest voice in your head, she inhibits your decision-making and action-taking. She tells you you’re not worthy, capable, qualified, or ready to do the things you want to do or say the things you want to say. She has stolen your voice and stunted your growth as a woman and a leader in the world.  In this episode, I walk you through how your inner critic came to be and how she got so loud. I hope that once you see how she was born you can permit yourself to permanently kick her to the curb. She is a product of the patriarchy and she really doesn’t deserve another ounce of your precious time or energy. Sometimes, we see things we can’t unsee or hear things we can’t unhear. I think you’ll find when you learn the roots of your inner critic, you can no longer sit idly by and let her go on. Because the reality is that you are worthy, capable, qualified, and ready to do the things you want to do or say the things you want to say. She, on the other hand, is NOT.  We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Maria Ross is a speaker, leadership trainer, author, and empathy advocate who believes cash flow, creativity, and compassion are not mutually exclusive. She’s spent decades helping forward-thinking leaders and teams connect and engage through empathy to accelerate growth and impact. Maria has authored multiple books, including her most recent, The Empathy Edge, and hosts The Empathy Edge podcast. Maria understands the power of empathy on a personal level: In 2008, shortly after launching her business, she suffered a near-fatal ruptured brain aneurysm that inspired her memoir, Rebooting My Brain. Her next book The Empathy Dilemma: How Successful Leaders Balance Performance, People, and Personal Boundaries, arrives Fall 2024. Listen in to hear Maria share: How she shifted from her work as a brand strategist to empathy expert How motherhood pushed her to really dig into bringing her empathy work into the  workplace Different examples of what empathy looks like in the workplace - and what the absence of it looks like How empathy in the workplace must be a combination of compassion + action Myths around empathy The significance of action behind your empathy - and how action can look for different people How we can (and why we should) use empathy in the overlap of our personal & professional lives What to do in an interaction with someone who is not being empathetic Links mentioned: Connect with Maria: https://www.red-slice.com Maria’s Podcast: The Empathy Edge   TedX Talk LinkedIn Instagram Threads Twitter/X Facebook Maria on YouTube Book: Roadmap for Revolutionaries We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices