In this episode, I sat down with the magnetic and insightful Julie Cole - Co-founder of Mabel’s Labels (a company I genuinely cannot live without), author, media personality, and mom of six.

We covered everything from what it was like mothering six kids while pivoting from a career in law to starting her own business, to the messy, not-so-glamorous truth behind entrepreneurship. Julie shared how, long before “authenticity” became a buzzword, it was her willingness to write openly about the hard parts of motherhood - through her blog - that helped her connect with other moms and build deep trust with her customers.She doesn’t sugarcoat the hustle, and it’s exactly that honesty that makes her so credible and relatable.

As a mom of six - one of whom is autistic - Julie had a wealth of perspective I couldn’t wait to absorb. I found myself asking again and again: “How did she do it?” This may be the episode I’ve learned the most from so far. Her insights, especially as a mother of now-young adults, were absolute gems.

Key Takeaways

(I’ll keep them simple—just like Julie does.)

• Saving your kids from every challenge may actually disable them. Let them forget their lunch. Don’t swoop in. At her kids’ school, the spot for forgotten items was lovingly dubbed the “enable table.”

• Failing builds resilience. Let them.

• Todays problem solvers and tomorrow’s leaders and change makers. 

• Chores matter. They teach responsibility, accountability, and empower kids in lasting ways.

• As your kids get older, you shift from managing to coaching. That's the point.

• The village matters. Julie’s early mom community is still her community today.

Perhaps what stuck with me most was Julie’s philosophy of “let them.” Let them forget. Let them fall. Let them figure it out. In her words, delivered with a signature shrug and smile:

“What do I care?”

That line might sound flippant - until you hear the love and trust behind it. That’s Julie. Full of heart, wisdom, and the kind of clarity that only comes from really living motherhood.

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