Work-Life Flow

In today’s episode, my guest Liz O'Donnell shares how her becoming the primary caregiver to her parents made her realize the lack of support caregivers face in the corporate space. This is how her company Working Daughters came to life.  Liz debunks some of the myths regarding caregiving and shares her experience of how companies can properly support caregivers. Liz and I also talk about how to prepare yourself and your parents for future caregiving responsibilities. My contribution as an Executive Coach for high-achieving Women is to help them reach their leadership goals while balancing career & family so that they can bring their best selves to all areas of life, guilt-free. Because as women rise through the ranks, their lived experiences will inform and influence a more inclusive culture. It’s about changing the work culture one leader at a time! In this news, I currently have 2 openings for coaching. Book a Strategy Call with me today and find out how I can help you move forward in your career and leadership journey.What we’re talking about…That it is a 60:40 gender split of women to men taking care of their parentsWhy it is important to include caregiving benefits for eldercare in companiesHow caregiving increases emotional intelligence and professional skills That caregivers have to find a way to double down on self-careWhy it is important to have conversations with your aging parents about their wishes regarding careThat even if your parent(s) are in a care facility, you are still a caregiver Liz on LinkedInLiz on FBLiz on Instagram

In today’s episode, my guest Jenifer Sapel and I are talking about all things investing. We chat about the common misconception that women are not financially savvy and how that has come to be. Jennifer shares that statistically speaking women get better rates of return on investment than men but often feel less confident about it.Listen in for some best practices in financial planning and how to have the often dreaded conversations about money with your partner/spouse. What we’re talking about…How to become more confident with your financial decisionsWhy we should automate our investment accountsThat we get to define what financial decisions are right for our familiesStatistically, women are the better investorsWhy our financial decisions are not static and can change over timeThat communication about financial goals is key to a healthy partnership How to make a financial decision that mirrors our valuesThat we can adjust our investments depending on the season of life we’re inWhat to do when your partner/spouse is hesitant about investingLINKS MENTIONEDJenifer's websiteJenifer on FBJenifer on LinkedIn

In today’s episode my guest Mychelle Fernandez shares how her experience as a working mom led her to start her non-profit called Working Moms Tribe. We chat about what changes moms need to see in the workplace aside from flexibility in order to feel well and be most productive. Mychelle and I explore reasons why moms often are the last ones to invest in themselves. Lastly, she shares how her V.I.B.E. framework can help working moms create a life they love.Book a Strategy Call.What we’re talking about…The importance of mental health initiatives  and emotional intelligence in the workplaceHow employers can ensure their top talent stays with themThe kind of support working moms are looking forThat having a mom's village is key to being successfulHow to build your family team and get support at homeWhy moms still take on most of the mental loadYour social media handles: https://www.linkedin.com/company/workingmomstribe/https://www.Instagram.com/workingmomstribehttps://www.Facebook.com/workingmomstribe

Welcome to the Work-Life Flow podcast with a short and sweet special episode for International Women’s Day and their motto #BreakTheBias.Book a Strategy call As you know, this podcast has morphed and I like to say that it is part of my journey of finding who I can best serve. At the onset of the pandemic, I felt the urge to help parents create a family team and look at education through the lens of life. While my desire to serve and help was strong, I think moms were struggling so much to just get through the day, that my program felt like “another” thing to do on top of it all. Just last week I had a client tell me that she felt like failing in life. She should be able to work, care for a high needs child and run the household. She said in tears “I see other moms do it and it makes me feel like a failure. I used to be very driven, but my child needs me so much and I don’t have extended family to help. I am burnt out.”Lots of bias around the roles at home to be unearthed and cleared out.While I still love to talk about family culture and believe that it is important to work-life integration, I had to ask myself where can I make the biggest impact? Who would benefit most from my coaching? Through the pandemic nearly 2 million women have left, or shall I say had to leave, the workforce.  With all the support networks suddenly shutting down, many of us had to choose between a job or taking care of our children or elderly parents. This has set us women back decades of efforts in #Diversity and #Inclusion.Research published DeloitteGlobal’s report, Women @ Work: A Global Outlook identifies a number of actions that employers can take to make meaningful progress when it comes to gender equality. These include embedding a truly inclusive culture, enabling a better work-life balance by going beyond policies, demonstrating a visible and measurable leadership commitment and providing meaningful development opportunities.“Meaningful and sustained change will only come when women experience ‘everyday’ inclusive workplaces—whether virtual or in-person—where statements on the importance of gender equality are backed up by meaningful actions, and where goals are set and progress is measured,” Emma Codd, Deloitte Global Inclusion Leader says.For me it’s all coming full-circle now with the partnerships with Leader’s Lounge and Villyge. I also earned an executive coach certificate through the Center of Executive Coaching and am now working with high-achieving Women in STEM careers to reach their leadership goals while balancing career & family, so that they can bring their best selves to all areas of life, guilt-free.Together we can change the work culture one leader at a time! In this news, I currently have 5 openings for coaching. Book a Strategy call with me today and find out how I can help you move forward in your career and leadership journey. The link is in the show notes.Now that women are slowly joining the workforce again, they are asking for more support, more flexibility, more dialogue and are rejecting the daily bias they face. Let’s all pay attention to what they need and offer proper support.With this, let’s raise awareness to #BreakTheBias on International Women’s day!

In today’s episode, my guest Stephanie Kessl and I chatted about the concept of Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences and how we can become more self-aware of ourselves. This concept can help us identify our strengths and open the way to personal and professional growth. Stephanie is the founder of a free online community called Best Vibes Village and a paid membership for those who would like to take a deeper dive into self-discovery and lifelong learning.4 Must-Have Checklists for Kids, so They Can Get Ready on Their Own and Learn Executive Function Skills, While You Sit Back and Relax.What we’re talking about…Why we need to shift towards a growth mindsetThe importance of values to guide our big (and small) decisions in lifeHow to find joy in lifeWhy connecting with a community-driven by curiosity is important to our growthThat parents are the experts on their child(ren)LINKS MENTIONEDBest Vibes Village WebsiteBest Vibes Village LinkedInBest Vibes Village Instagram

In today’s episode, my guest Angela Harders and I explore what happens when play is work or work is play.Angela shares how she overcame the struggle of having to choose between being a great teacher and being the mom she wanted to be for her daughter. Her background in teaching made her question whether unschooling was possible, but she followed her daughter’s lead and started realizing that it was absolutely beautiful how her curiosity unfolded. This is what led her to form Peaceful Worldschoolers and an umbrella organization for families (PMA) who would like to homeschool with complete educational freedom.Doing what she loves, she feels that her work is playing and work-life integration becomes effortless.  4 Must-Have Checklists for Kids, so They Can Get Ready on Their Own and Learn Executive Function Skills, While You Sit Back and Relax.What we’re talking about…Why unschooling is a natural consequence of positive parenting That our children are the masters of their learning and we are here to support them The power of purposefully sitting back and observing our childrenWhy unschooling is a journey of trusting your childHow to look for learning in their everyday activitiesThat you can be an Unschooler and choose to go to schoolHow Angela’s umbrella organization might be a way for you to homeschool, even if it’s not legally allowed in your state/country yet.LINKS MENTIONEDPeaceful Worldschoolers WebsitePeaceful Worldschoolers YoutubePeaceful Worldschoolers InstagramPeaceful Worldschoolers FacebookOff-Trail Learning Podcast: Kevin Currie-Knight on Self-Directed Education in College 

In today’s episode, my guest Christelle Pillot and I discuss how being a multicultural family comes with its own set of challenges but also opens the doors to redefining your values and creating your family culture. She shares her journey leaving behind a career in Engineering to become a Life & Career Coach. Her experience having to gap different expectations from French colleagues and German clients fueled her interest in helping moms go back to work after child-rearing breaks. She helps working moms live in alignment, have a fulfilling career, and enjoy family time as well. 4 Must-Have Checklists for Kids, so They Can Get Ready on Their Own and Learn Executive Function Skills, While You Sit Back and Relax.What we’re talking about…How do we get to define what’s right for our familiesThat motherhood levels our leadership competencies up Why we should have our spouses/husbands shadow our work at homeThat communication is key for work-life balanceHow we can become more accepting of othersThat it is ok to change your career later in lifeA tool to get your family to helpLINKS MENTIONEDChristelle Pillot WebsiteChristelle Pillot LinkedInChristelle Pillot FacebookChristelle Pillot Instagram

And just like that we’re in 2022, wait we’re already halfway through the first month of the New Year! How did that happen?!? …anyways, today I wanted to share a few updates about my work and the Work-Life flow podcast. My hard work of showing up consistently and bringing real-life stories and experiences to you has gained me some incredible opportunities for collaborations. The first collaboration that I formed was with Kease International and I became a partner coach for their Leader’s Lounge membership. This means I have been preparing masterclasses for their members and offering coaching through their platform.Then, towards the end of the year, I had been approached by Debi Yadegari (whom I had interviewed in WLF episode 14 about working parent’s diversity and inclusion needs) to become an Expert Coach for Villyge, an Employee Benefits Program. I am really excited for both of these opportunities to make an impact on working parents’ lives.  And if you think your company could benefit from either the Leader’s Lounge or Villyge’s program, please share about these women-led companies with your HR or DEI department. You can find links to them on my website.I find this all very exciting and if you’ve been listening for a while, you know that one of my values is to be a lifelong learner, and as such, I decided to deepen my understanding of coaching and am currently enrolled to obtain my Executive Coach Certification. I’m in deep learning mode which may slow down my podcast output a little.You might have heard or read about “the great resignation”. More employees are leaving companies than ever before in search of a better fit. Employees ask for more than just a good salary, they want to be part of something bigger, feel included, and do meaningful work. Right now companies are very eager to learn how to attract and keep top talent, they are open to negotiations never imagined possible before. For companies, it is high time to invest in more Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Training, but also to offer a wide range of support through employee benefit programs such as Villyge, or the Leader’s Lounge. I find this to be truly exciting and it is what I had been writing and talking about since the onset of the pandemic. This is good stuff! Positive change is happening. Now I am grateful to be able to shape a new corporate culture through my work and my collaborations.What does this mean for the Work-Life Flow Podcast?With me partnering more in the corporate space, this podcast will likely move away from homeschooling (although it is a topic I love) and offer more interviews with corporate leaders, and working moms rather than business owners. The tricky part about that is that it is way easier to get a guest who runs a business than a person who does not really benefit from appearing on a podcast….so bare with me as I create a guest list.This means that the work-life flow podcast might be a little more eclectic for a while, as I want to understand the driving forces for working parents’ success, pitfalls, and well-being in the workplace and at home. The first few interviews that I have planned are with women and men who had a break in their career due to starting a family. With all this being said, let me know who you would like me to interview and what topics you would like to hear about. You can do this by joining my Work-Life Flow FB group, sending me a message on LinkedIn or on Instagram. I am always looking for a great guest or topic suggestions.

In today’s episode, Jennifer and I explore how to invite more music into your life even if you’ve never played an instrument. Her approach to music is all about self-care and connection-building moments by “strumming your soundtrack and serenading the world”. Her stories of professional caregivers learning songs that light up their patients, a little girl composing her own song, and many more are just beautiful reminders of letting go of perfection and playing music for fun.We also talk about how we don’t have to become an expert in everything, but rather keep the love of learning new skills alive. So let’s be more playful in life!4 Must-Have Checklists for Kids to build Executive Function Skills and Set Them up for SuccessWhat we’re talking about…That you can play music without reading sheet musicWhat it looks like to model resilience to your childHow you could invite more music into your lifeThat music can be a form of self-care and meditationWhy learning a song that is meaningful to you or your loved ones can be the greatest gift to giveHow you can create moments of connection through musicLINKS MENTIONEDJennifer on InstagramJennifer on YoutubeJennifer Bliss/ JBliss Guitar StudioKerstinkirchsteiger.com

In today’s episode, my guest Jessica Nagy and I explore the issue of isolation and lack of support in motherhood. She recognized that many moms feel like “solo moms” running the household and family on their own without spousal support. How the interpretation of scripture has led to moms trying to live up to an impossible standard, leaving them feeling that they are not enough. Jessica shares her vision of creating the proverbial village for moms with a network of women within 150 mi of each other in Canada and the continental US so that they could help each other with practical support.Empower Your Kids with my 4 Visual Must-Have Checklists for Kids What we’re talking about…That we should seek out people who encourage and/or challenge usWhy some moms are trying to keep up appearancesHow to build your support systemThat more moms are struggling than we thinkWhy we might feel extremely lonely even in a room full of people.That there is a lot of moms who are unseen, misunderstood, or even censored in their marriagesLINKS MENTIONEDJessica on FBJessica on Instagram

In today’s episode, my guest Katie Kimball and I explore our role to recognize when our kids are ready for new skills and then to offer opportunities to practice these new skills. We explore the concept of age-appropriate versus developmentally ready and how to recognize when your kids are a different new skill. We also talk about why the kitchen is a great place to start not only by teaching life skills that build confidence but also lead to healthier eating habits. I share how her course has helped my family teach these kitchen skills and how you could outsource teaching cooking skills through her course if you’re not well versed in the kitchen yourself.Lastly, we examine the importance of giving our children agency in their life and how to create these opportunities in our family life.  4 Must-Have Checklists so Your Kids can Get Ready on Their Own and Feel Empowered (While you Sit Back and Relax)What we’re talking about…That having agency is the key determining factor whether or not a child will be happy (from The self-driven Child by Ned Johnson and William Stixrud Ph.D.)That only one third (⅓) of college students know how to boil an eggHow kitchen skills build competence and confidence in childrenWhy it is important to involve your kids in the kitchenHow to create better-eating habitsThat time in the kitchen together builds memorable momentsWhen not invite your kids into the kitchenWhy curiosity in the kitchen leads to better eating habitsThat we parents have to observe when our kids are ready for new skillsLINKS MENTIONEDFree knife skills course Homeschool curriculumKitchen Stewardship eBooksNote: Please note that some of the links may be affiliate links. We only recommend tools, programs, or people that we absolutely love and trust. If you decide to purchase anything we recommend then we may receive a commission. Always know that the decision to buy something is always yours and we will heart your face no matter what.

In today’s episode, my guest Claire shares her view on the foundations of running a business. Interestingly, we concurred that even for our family life, we benefit immensely from declaring our vision and values. As Claire shares, it becomes our Northstar and we can measure whether or not our actions are bringing us closer or not. We also chat about intentional planning and how it can free us up for the holiday season. Lastly, we talk about strategies for productivity and a better work-life balance.  4 Must-Have Checklists so Your Kids can Get Ready on Their Own and Feel Empowered (While you Sit Back and Relax)What we’re talking about…Why you need to understand your mission, vision, and values That we need to be able to measure progressHow boundaries can be opportunitiesThe importance of self-awareness in business and lifeWhy we should make our homeschool more meaningful How can we think outside the box, so there’s less friction happeningLearning about self and how to be in the world that works for meHow to choose a curriculum to match your visionWhy it is important to support the strengths in neurodivergent peopleHow egg timers can propel our productivityLINKS MENTIONEDFREE Mission, Vision, & Values WorkbookClaire Crum WebsiteClaire Crum LinkedIn

In today’s episode, my guest Katy shares her journey to becoming debt-free and how she now helps families become sustainably debt-free. She explains that getting clear on a near-term and long-term vision for their finances is the first step to becoming debt-free. The next step would be to simplify your accounts and cards. We explore how our money stories inform our financial decisions and how to recognize our spending habits so that we can create the money future we want. When working with families her focus is on open and honest communication. 4 Must-Have Checklists so Your Kids can Get Ready on Their Own and Feel Empowered (While you Sit Back and Relax)What we’re talking about…Why paying off debt is not the main focusHow to make sure on where your money goesThat the major causes for being in debt in the US are student loans or medical billsThat when one person in the relationship models new money-related behaviors it can inspire the partner/spouseWhat to do when you keep accumulation debtWhy it is a good thing to simplify your financesHow to make better buying decisionsLINKS MENTIONEDThe Simplified Budget Facebook GroupKaty InstagramKaty FacebookKaty Website

In today’s episode, my guest Laura Froyen and I explore the world of positive parenting and self-compassion. The more we talked, the more parallels with emotional intelligence and leadership qualities we could identify. We explored how we need to really let our emotions wash over ourselves, and not stuff them down. We also talked about how we need to stop beating ourselves up when we make a mistake and what to do when it happens.We talked about how we need to let everyone in the family figure out their own relationship and avoid getting into the “triangle”. Laura shares how to remove ourselves from a triad when it happens and how to redirect to have your child and dad talk it out.4 Must-Have Checklists to Empower Your Kids to They Get Ready on Their Own, while You Sit Back and Relax What we’re talking about…That we are deserving of kind and gentle treatment in of itselfHow to build resilient relationships That we need more self-compassion in our parenting Why the buttons our children push are really opportunities to connect with yourself and your healingHow to get your partner to commit to positive parentingThat we as parents can be each other's accountability partnersHow family visioning can help define daily actions to achieving our goalsLINKS MENTIONEDLaura WebsiteLaura FacebookLaura Instagram

In today’s episode, my guest Nicole Lupushansky and I explore the world of respectful co-parenting after divorce and why it is important for the child’s overall well-being. In our conversation, we realized that even in ongoing partnerships or marriages, the same friction points can arise when two parents have a different view on parenting. We dive into why we need to learn to step back and let our children and their fathers build and define their own relationships. 4 Must-Have Checklists for Kids to Get Ready on Their Own, So You Can Sit Back and Relax (and Your Kids Feel Empowered).What we’re talking about…That we need to learn to let go of control over the other parent’s choicesHow to recognize when your child is struggling with mental healthWhy we need to strive for a healthy co-parenting relationship That criticizing the co-parent’s choices indirectly tell our children that part of them is not lovableHow one person can improve an unhealthy co-parenting relationship and create a ripple effectNicole's WebsiteNicole's FB groupNicole on InstagramTwo Homes, One Happy Childhood Podcast

In today’s episode my guest Julie Bogart and I talk about the importance of getting to know your children and letting them explore their interests even if it doesn’t look like “learning”. We chat about our roles as guides (leaders) and how to make their dreams a reality. In anything they do, we will be able to identify learning that’s happening if we dare to look.Julie shares stories of her children’s vastly different interests and they have become her fondest memories of their childhood. Julie shares that when she needed time to grief her divorce, she needed to put homeschooling on pause and send her children back to school. Take the Lead Bootcamp4 Must-Have Checklists for kids so you can cross stress off your list (and empower your kids through life skills)What we’re talking about…That writing doesn’t start on paper but in the mindThat adaptive tools are not cheatingWhy we need to create the space to let our children explore and failHow to guide them through their learning and lifeWhy the happiness of your child is an indicator or meaningful learning That homeschool is life and how we can help them figure outThat it is ok to take a break when you feel that it is too muchWhy it is important to be vulnerable with your childrenHow to support your children’s dreams even if money is tight

In today’s episode, Renee shares her story of how a skincare product she had created for dry skin grew into an online business that could retire her husband and support her family. Out of necessity, her husband took over homeschooling and soon realized that he liked to dive into projects with them that eventually led them to become specialists in these areas. This approach to fostering their interest and helping them identify marketable skills has led them to their new venture “Parent Their Passion” where they coach parents on the process of recognizing important skills in their children’s interest.Sit back and relax while the kids get ready on their own! With my 4 Must-Have Checklists for Your Kids (So they feel empowered and you feel calm)What we’re talking about...Why listening to our kids is important for them to take risksThat even interests that don’t look important to us can lead our children to find their passionHow we parents can become our children’s guides and role modelsWhy do we moms should work towards goals and let our kids into our world of workRenee challenges us to find real-world applications to our children’s interestsWhy we should say YES moreHow your children's seemingly irrelevant hobby can lead to finding their professionFor your discount on hard lotion by MadeOn click hereLINKS MENTIONEDMadeOn Skin Care FacebookMadeOn Skin Care StoreHardlotion Instagramparenttheirpassion InstagramParent Their Passion FacebookParent Their Passion Website

In today’s episode, my guest Dr. Michelle Deering shares how we moms are daughters first. We explore relationship dynamics and patterns we could have learned from our moms and might be unintentionally teaching our daughters.4 Must-Have Checklists for Kids, so You Can Cross Stress off Your List (and They Feel Empowered)What we’re talking about…That we are daughters first.What motherhood is supposed to look likeWhy we often fall into patterns unintentionallyThe relationship queues that influence our role as momsHow parents are the leaders of the home and as such create the family cultureThe red flags in our mother-daughter relationship and when to seek supportHow burnout had her rethink work-life integrationLINKS MENTIONEDMother Daughter Connections Facebook GroupDr. Michelle Deering Facebook Dr. Michelle Deering InstagramDr. Michelle Deering Website

In today’s episode, Candice and I are discussing all things bullying. We define what bullying is, explore the roots of bullying and its shocking effects. Candice is determined to stop the bullying culture by helping kids and teens with social-emotional skills and teaching leadership to them. And finally, she’s giving us some tools to stop bullying and intervene when we observe it happen.4 Must-Have Checklists for Kids, So you Can Cross Stress off Your List (and Empower Your Kids)What we’re talking about…How to recognize bullyingThat bullying happens as early as elementary schoolWhy do we need to keep a close eye on internet use with our kidsThe ARP of bullying - Is it aggressive, repetitive, and a power-imbalance?Why we never should engage with a bullyHow to resolve a situation when bullying is happeningLINKS MENTIONEDBullied Broken Redeemed LeadershipCandice on Instagram

In today’s episode let’s talk about how art can influence our mental health and wellbeing. Miriam, who grew up surrounded by art, shares how art has always fueled her. She shares her journey from feeling the need to express herself through art and how the energy and passion that she puts into her abstract paintings can elevate your home into a one-of-a-kind oasis, by raising the vibe in your home. 4 Must-Have Checklists for Your Kids, so You can Cross Stress off Your List (And Empower your Kids) What we’re talking about…How burnout brought Miriam to take up painting againThat you are the first soul to take care ofThe Importance of self-care as a mother looking after a familyThe impact of arts in our home and mental well beingThat it is okay to spend money on things that will uplift you every single dayLINKS MENTIONEDMiriam Gitlin WebsiteMiriam Gitlin Palette GiveawayMiriam Gitlin InstagramMiriam Gitlin Facebook