Tell us what you think!!!

This week, we're sitting down with Rachel Dillon, co-founder of Mary and Jane (a hemp-derived edibles company) and mom of two boys who splits her time between Minneapolis and Costa Rica as a "millennial snowbird." Rachel shares what it's like to train for the Boston Marathon in Costa Rican heat, run a startup with just two full-time employees, and simplify life by living without Amazon deliveries for months at a time.

In this honest conversation, Rachel opens up about accidentally starting a cannabis company, leaving corporate burnout for yoga teacher training (and hating teaching yoga), and the moment her co-founder called to say "let's pivot.” We talk about making up bedtime stories about spaghetti and shoes, getting organic farm delivery and fresh tuna from "the fish guy," the sandwich shop theory of bringing intensity everywhere you go, and why simplifying life in Costa Rica means wearing the same thing every day.

What We Cover:

• Why she wakes up before 6am to sneak out for marathon training runs (sometimes 19 miles in brutal heat) or surf sessions where stingrays swim underneath you.
• How she and her co-founder Laura started a weed company even though neither of them likes weed, and the Timberwolves game that almost ruined everything.
• Her days of walking kids to school down a dirt road in Costa Rica, working from the cafe next door, and managing a Chicago newspaper ad remotely from a beach town.
• The bedtime ritual of "best and worst" to recap the day plus making up stories about random topics like spaghetti and shoes (future children's book idea).
• How her kindergartener's teacher said "that's amazing, you absolutely should do that" when she worried about pulling him out mid-year for Costa Rica.
• The sandwich shop theory: you'll bring the same intensity to an ice cream shop that you bring to corporate, so sometimes you just have to say no to Spanish lessons.

Follow Rachael and Mary & Jane

@rachaeldillon

@discoverymaryandjane

https://www.shopmaryandjane.com (code DAYINHERLIFE for 20% off)

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Looking for your next romance read? Look no further! This month at Pepper Books we've got your Celebrity/Normie Romances from One Pepper all the way to Five! 

Episode Music - For Days - Tom Deis via Shutterstock

Tell us what you think!!!

This week, we're sitting down with Adriana Mastronardi, a high school math teacher, mom of three teenagers, and online fitness and nutrition coach for midlife women. Adriana shares what it's like to wake up at 4:50am every single morning (no snooze button allowed), front-load two liters of water before work, and record podcast episodes while driving to the gym in the dark.

In this honest conversation, Adriana opens up about her journey from engineer to teacher to fitness coach, starting strength training at 36 after her third baby, and the moment she realized a sweaty workout doesn't equal a good workout. We talk about being on HRT and thyroid medication, teaching her 11-year-old daughter to make pasta from scratch, having kids with evening activities that run until 10:30pm, and why she's obsessed with helping midlife women stop blaming hormones and start building simple habits instead.

What We Cover:

• The exact system behind her 4:50am wake-up that eliminates the snooze button forever, including why she lays out workout clothes the night before and how she drinks two liters of water before most people open their eyes.
• Why she records podcast episodes in her car during the 10-minute gym commute and what it's really like teaching high school math in an alternative program where every student is individualized and on track to graduate.
• How the "smorgasbord dinner" approach saves her sanity when kids have activities until 10:30pm, why her husband takes the late shift so she can be asleep by 9:30, and what Sunday food prep actually looks like in practice.
• The truth about being on HRT and thyroid medication in your late 40s, why she prioritizes health span over lifespan, and the one thing women need to check before blaming everything on hormones.
• What made her leave engineering after eight years for teaching, the moment at 36 when she realized a sweaty workout doesn't equal a good workout, and how she accidentally built a coaching business when beta clients refused to stop working with her.
• Why her 11-year-old daughter now makes dinner twice a week (it started with a slime rebellion), how she gave up the perfectionist mindset about folded laundry, and the brilliant move of making kids do all the dishes while parents walk away.
• The surprisingly practical ways she uses AI for everything from school instructions to "should I buy the white car or the blue car" to turning regular recipes into high-protein versions that aren't dry.
• What she's learned about helping midlife women break through the stories they've believed for 40-plus years and why she's obsessed with showing them that the excuses they hold so tightly aren't actually true.

Connect with Adriana:

• Instagram: @cup.of.dri
• Website: www.cupofdri.com
• Podcast: A Cup of Dri (5-10 minute episodes)

Looking for your next romance read? Look no further! This month at Pepper Books we've got your Celebrity/Normie Romances from One Pepper all the way to Five! 

Episode Music - For Days - Tom Deis via Shutterstock

Tell us what you think!!!

This week, we're sitting down with Kaylee Brown, an associate attorney in toxic tort litigation who's navigating the unique experience of having two kids as an associate rather than waiting until partnership. Kaylee shares what it's like to bill your time in six-minute increments, work from home while managing depositions and drafting motions, and squeeze in ChatGPT-designed workouts in her basement gym before the emails start rolling in at 8am.

In this honest conversation, Kaylee opens up about graduating law school in 2022 as a "COVID law student," keeping work strictly in her office and never in her bedroom, and the mental commute of driving her 13-month-old son to daycare while listening to podcasts. We talk about being the only associate with young kids at her firm, meal prepping with protein-packed cottage cheese sauces, the struggle of getting an 8-toothed baby to accept a toothbrush, and why life feeling "pleasantly boring" right now is actually the best thing ever.

What We Cover:

• Why she describes her days as steady, full, and happy
• Waking up at 7am with the whole house (no early morning alone time)
• Working from home as an associate attorney in toxic tort litigation (asbestos and talcum powder)
• Billing time in six-minute increments and color-coding deadlines in Outlook
• ChatGPT-designed workouts: telling it what equipment you have and getting push/pull/leg days
• The 15-minute "mental commute" to daycare (listening to podcasts and zoning out)
• What her days look like as an associate and having little control over her schedule
• Family dinners at 5:15-5:45 (prioritizing what her mom did growing up)
• How she ended up in tort law after thinking she’d do family law.
• Going to law school thinking she'd do family law, ending up in toxic torts
• Having two kids as an associate instead of waiting until partner
• Life being "pleasantly boring" right now (and that's a good thing)

Connect with Kaylee:

• LinkedIn: Kaylee Brown
• Substack: Allegedly Busy

Listen and Review

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Looking for your next romance read? Look no further! This month at Pepper Books we've got your Celebrity/Normie Romances from One Pepper all the way to Five! 

Episode Music - For Days - Tom Deis via Shutterstock

Tell us what you think!!!

This week, we're sitting down with Megan Henken, co-founder of My UTI and healthcare consultant, who's juggling multiple businesses, a 14-year-old daughter, and learning to unwind a decade-long hustle mindset. Megan shares what it's like to leave the corporate ladder at Quest Diagnostics to build a consulting business in Colorado, how COVID created the perfect moment to launch a direct-to-consumer UTI testing company, and why she spent her entire career in "the same four to six inch region" talking about stigmatized health topics.

In this honest conversation, Megan opens up about the partnership with her co-founder that she didn't meet in person for a year, the constant moving goalposts of fundraising in women's health, and the decision to finally say no to more work after years of sprinting through every day. We talk about 5am wake-ups for uninterrupted coffee, managing three calendars, the satisfaction of crossing tasks off Post-it notes, and why her 14-year-old's friends know they can call her with questions about anything.

What We Cover:

• Why she describes her days as dynamic, busy, and optimistic
• The 5-5:30am wake-up for uninterrupted coffee and workouts
• Managing three calendars and time-blocking across multiple businesses
• The career journey: Quest Diagnostics to consulting to co-founding My UTI during COVID with someone she didn't meet in person for a year
• The brutal reality of fundraising in women's health (constantly moving goalposts)
• The transition to allowing her daughter to wake herself up (letting her be late to learn)
• Learning to say no to work projects and unwinding the hustle mindset
• Giving herself permission to have unscheduled weekends
• Conversation starters with her husband and monthly one-on-one time with her daughter
• Being very open about consent and terminology (her daughter's friends can call her)

00:00 Podcast Welcome 

01:26 Meet Megan 

03:33 Rapid Fire Qs 

04:41 Morning Routine 

09:29 Workday Structure 

11:45 Afternoon Wrap Up 

14:49 Dinner and Recipes 

16:19 Evening Wind Down 

18:01 Founding MyUTI 

21:40 Startup Lessons 

23:58 Chores and Outsourcing 

26:07 Self Care Check In 

26:43 Coffee Meetups Self Care 

27:41 Hormones Better Sleep 

28:45 Family Calendar System 

30:01 Choosing Kids Activities 

33:04 Work Travel Reality 

35:41 Creativity Problem Solving 

37:18 Using ChatGPT Wisely 

39:11 Making Time For Marriage 

43:10 Rituals Dad And Daughter 

44:40 Teen Years And Body Talk 

48:58 Saying No To Hustle 

52:29 Current Obsessions Wrap Up 

53:59 Podcast Closing Thanks

Connect with Megan:

• Website: myuti.com
• Instagram: @myuti
• LinkedIn: Megan Henken

Listen and Review

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@adayinherlifepod

adayinherlife.com

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Looking for your next romance read? Look no further! This month at Pepper Books we've got your Celebrity/Normie Romances from One Pepper all the way to Five! 

Episode Music - For Days - Tom Deis via Shutterstock

Tell us what you think!!!

This week, we’re sitting down with Ashley Kang, a former fashion executive who made the intentional decision to pause her career almost a year ago to invest in herself and her family. Ashley shares what it’s like to leave a job she loved at a fashion company after five years, move to New Jersey to live near her family (yes, literally in the same building complex), and build an entirely new structure around being present for her two boys, ages 2 and 4, and the structures they’ve built to support that.

00:00 Podcast Welcome

01:26 Meet Ashley King

03:07 Rapid Fire Favorites

04:08 Early Morning Routine

08:16 Drop Off and Gym

10:52 Errands and Playdate

12:41 Lunch and Desk Hours

15:15 Pickup and Activities

17:36 Dinner and Bedtime

21:27 Evening Wind Down

22:33 Skincare and Picky Eating

24:09 Weekly Meal Rotation

24:43 Breakfast Broths Lineup

25:10 Dinner Favorites and New Foods

26:16 From Fashion to Full Time Mom

28:48 Surprises After Quitting

30:26 Dividing Chores and Outsourcing

32:47 Self Care and Content

34:08 Ideal Day and Staying Organized

36:42 Friendships and Community

38:30 Marriage Time and Date Nights

39:43 Using AI and Weekly Routines

41:26 What Gets Deprioritized

43:29 Parenting Goals and Motivation

46:14 Sweetest Moments With Kids

47:52 Podcast Wrap Up and Outro

Connect with Ashley:

• Instagram: @ashleymkang
• TikTok: @ashleymkang
• LinkedIn: Ashley Kang

Listen and Review

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Looking for your next romance read? Look no further! This month at Pepper Books we've got your Celebrity/Normie Romances from One Pepper all the way to Five! 

Episode Music - For Days - Tom Deis via Shutterstock

Tell us what you think!!!

Welcome to my first solo episode of 2025! After 140 episodes of talking with incredible women about their days, I'm turning the mic on myself to share what my life looks like right now as a working mom of two in the Boston area.

In this quick check-in episode, I'm opening up about how my days have shifted over the past year, what's working, and what I'm still figuring out. From waking up at 6:45 (or 6:00 on workout days) to bedtime snuggles at 7:30, I'm walking you through the honest reality of balancing full-time work in healthcare project management, hosting this podcast, traveling 1-2 times a month, and trying to find humor in the heavy moments.

What I Cover:

• Why I describe my days as full, organized, and funny
• My Tuesday/Thursday workout routine (and why I have to do it first thing or it won't happen)
• The morning struggle with two non-morning-person kids
• How my husband has stepped up with breakfast and mornings (a big change from past episodes!)
• My workday: 9am-5:15pm with too many meetings and not enough lunch breaks
• High-low-buffalo at dinner (something I learned from podcast guests!)
• The Nintendo Switch debate and how we're handling it as a family toy
• Traveling 1-2 times a month for work (and the surprising truth about not hating it)
• Our laundry outsourcing situation and the transition with our home assistant
• Why I'm not a date night person but love in-home date nights
• Screen time boundaries, kids' chores, and teaching my 4-year-old to load the dishwasher
• Using The Bright Method to completely transform my calendar
• How I'm using AI for the podcast and work (Superhuman, Descript, Notion, Claude)
• The bedtime routine that fills my cup: charging up my kids and hearing "love you mommy night night"
• Dropping the ball on work travel but trying not to miss anything for my kids

Three Words to Describe My Days: Full, organized, funny

00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:57 How To Support

01:48 Solo Episode Setup

02:17 Meet Ellie

02:41 Why This Podcast

03:47 Solo Episodes Plan

04:41 Three Words Today

05:15 Morning Routine

07:15 Kid Wake Up

09:18 Workday Flow

11:52 Food And Lunch

12:39 Dinner And Family Time

15:18 Bedtime Routine

16:39 Evening Hobbies

19:23 Work Travel Shift

20:47 Outsourcing And Systems

21:23 Screen Time And Switch

22:20 Kids Chores

23:53 Friends And Marriage Time

26:17 Groceries And AI Tools

27:54 Dropped Balls

28:21 Current Obsession

28:55 Favorite Daily Moment

29:27 Wrap Up And Recap

29:48 Final Call To Action

Looking for your next romance read? Look no further! This month at Pepper Books we've got your Celebrity/Normie Romances from One Pepper all the way to Five! 

Episode Music - For Days - Tom Deis via Shutterstock

Tell us what you think!!!

This week, we’re sitting down with Afoma Umesi, a writer and content creator who left a career in medicine to build a life centered around books, creativity, and human connection. Afoma runs Reading Middle Grade, a website and newsletter that helps parents find the perfect books for kids ages 8-14, and she’s doing it all while navigating profound grief, three moves in three months, and building a new life in Toronto, Canada.

In this deeply honest conversation, Afoma shares what it’s like to lose her mother in August and move countries days after the funeral, why she’ll never be a 6:30am workout person again (and the guilt she had to release around that), and how losing her mom changed her—making her want to connect with people in ways she never did before.

What We Cover:

• Leaving medicine after eight years to pursue writing and creative work
• The full, satisfying, rich reality of working 4-6 hours a day on your own terms
• Moving three times in three months while grieving the loss of her mother
• How grief changed her relationship to mornings, routines, and human connection
• Working as a freelance writer before building Reading Middle Grade
• The practical reality of running a content business: newsletters, Instagram, Substack, and blog posts
• Why she gave up being a “crazy early morning person” and the guilt that came with it
• Why date nights don’t work for them (and what they do instead)
• Using movement and being outside as non-negotiable self-care during grief
• The joy of discovering Toronto’s public library system after not having one in Nigeria

Guest Bio: Afoma Umesi is a writer, content creator, and the founder of Reading Middle Grade, where she helps parents and educators find the perfect books for kids ages 8-14. After medical school, Afoma pivoted to writing and hasn’t looked back. She started as a freelance writer for marketing and tech companies before discovering her passion for middle grade literature, sparked by rereading The Babysitter’s Club on her Kindle during med school. Originally from Nigeria, Afoma recently moved to Canada and lives in Toronto with her husband. Her work spans her website, newsletter, Substack, and Instagram, where she reviews books, creates curated lists, and helps match young readers with stories they’ll love.

Connect with Afoma:

• Instagram (books): @readingmiddlegrade
• Instagram (personal): Afoma Umesi
• Website: readingmiddlegrade.com
• Substack: readingmiddlegrade.substack.com

00:00 Welcome to A Day In Her Life
01:26 Meet Our Guest: Fomo ESI
02:51 A Writer's Journey
03:51 Daily Routines and Coping with Grief
05:46 Rapid Fire Questions
12:33 From Med School to Writing
18:45 Middle Grade Book Passion
23:25 Wrapping Up the Day
28:38 The Importance of Sleep and Mental Health
29:31 Balancing Household Responsibilities
32:26 Prioritizing Self-Care
35:10 Building a Community in a New City
38:53 Maintaining Long-Distance Friendships
40:55 Nurturing Your Relationship
43:21 Thoughts on AI and Daily Routines
50:06 Finding Joy in New Hobbies and Routines
54:17 Conclusion and Where to Follow

Looking for your next romance read? Look no further! This month at Pepper Books we've got your Celebrity/Normie Romances from One Pepper all the way to Five! 

Episode Music - For Days - Tom Deis via Shutterstock

Tell us what you think!!!

This week, we're sitting down with Sofi Madison, a former shop owner turned independent consultant who's redefining what work-life balance looks like in the North Shore. Sofi shares her journey from running Olives and Grace—a beloved retail destination—to consulting for independent retailers and hospitality teams, all while raising two boys (ages 3 and 5) in Manchester by the Sea.

In this honest conversation, Sofi opens up about the intentional decision to become a "working plus stay-at-home mom," her 9am-2:30pm work window, and why she chose to close a successful business she loved to create space for motherhood. We dig into the messy realities of balancing creative work with the demands of young children, why she's slow to sign her kids up for sports, and how she's finding creative expression through social media and Substack in this season of life.

What We Cover:

• Seasonal routines: Why Sofi's a 5am coffee-on-the-porch person in summer but hits snooze until 6:45 in winter
• The luxury of a single school drop-off and what slow, wholesome mornings look like at Waldorf school
• Working compressed hours (9am-2:30pm) while running an independent consulting practice
• Why she closed a thriving retail business when her "lens of love completely shifted" after kids
• Navigating witching hour, car snacks, and the All Star soundtrack on repeat
• Dinner struggles with picky eaters and the dream of everyone eating the same meal
• The invisible labor of household management and how she and her husband divide responsibilities
• Shrinking friend circles for quality over quantity in the mom phase
• Using AI for dinner prep advice and vitamin guidance (but never for personal communication)
• Being honest about romantic relationships taking a backseat when kids are young
• Why she doesn't miss her kids when she travels for work (and the freedom in saying that out loud)

Connect with Sofi:

• Instagram: @sofimadison_
• Substack: sofimadison.substack.com
• Website: sofimadison.com

Key Timestamps:

• 01:26 Meet Our Guest: Sofi Madison
• 02:13 Rapid Fire Questions with Sofi
• 03:50 Sofi's Morning Routine
• 07:43 Navigating Work and Family Balance
• 19:03 Dinner Time and Evening Routines
• 25:54 Choosing Activities for the Kids
• 28:33 Choosing the Right Sports for Kids
• 32:14 Balancing Self-Care and Parenting
• 35:45 Household Management Strategies
• 44:19 Navigating Friendships and Relationships
• 47:57 Embracing Creativity and Social Media
• 50:52 The Role of AI in Daily Life
• 56:08 Current Obsessions and Joys
• 59:03 Conclusion and Farewell

Resources Mentioned:

• Range by Kara Duval (movement/Pilates)
• Meet Boston (NESN, Saturdays) with Jenny Johnson & Billy Costa

Listen and Review

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Looking for your next romance read? Look no further! This month at Pepper Books we've got your Celebrity/Normie Romances from One Pepper all the way to Five! 

Episode Music - For Days - Tom Deis via Shutterstock

Tell us what you think!!!

A Day In Her Life with Layla Shaikley – Efficient, Full, Emotionally Regulated Days as a Founder and Mom of Three

What does it look like to build a venture-backed tech company, raise three young kids, recover from a major injury, and stay emotionally steady through it all?

In this episode of A Day In Her Life, Ellie sits down with Layla Shaikley, co-founder of Wise Systems, writer, and mom of three (ages 3, 5, and 7). Layla shares how predictability, emotional regulation, and ruthless prioritization are what make her high-capacity life sustainable, not hustle or perfection.

This is a powerful, grounding conversation about ambition, motherhood, and learning how to regulate yourself so you don’t burn everything down when things get hard.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why emotional regulation is the real foundation of high performance, and how Layla thinks about passing that skill to her kids
• The predictable morning routine that allows her to work East Coast hours while parenting on the West Coast
• How she structures work around goals, not tasks, and why feeling “behind” is often a sign you’ve lost sight of outcomes
• Why proximity determines extracurriculars (and why that’s not “failing your kids”)
• What evenings actually look like with three young kids, and how she lets chaos happen without reacting to it
• The systems she uses to buy back time, from outsourcing household work to using AI as a thinking assistant
• Why this season is about choosing three priorities only, and being okay with everything else waiting

If you’re a working mom trying to hold ambition, caregiving, health, and sanity at the same time, this episode will help you breathe a little deeper and think more clearly about what actually matters.

Follow Layla

• Substack
• Instagram
• TikTok

References

• Case Study
• 7 Types of Rest

Listen and Review

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@adayinherlifepod

adayinherlife.com

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Looking for your next romance read? Look no further! This month at Pepper Books we've got your Celebrity/Normie Romances from One Pepper all the way to Five! 

Episode Music - For Days - Tom Deis via Shutterstock

Tell us what you think!!!

A Day In Her Life with Dahlia Stroud – Crazy, Stressed, Well-Dressed Days as a Founder and Mom of Two

What does it really look like when you’re building something new, parenting school-aged kids, and trying to keep yourself intact in the process?

In this episode of A Day In Her Life, Ellie chats with Dahlia Stroud, a UK-based consultant and host of Stressed But Well-Dressed, about the beautifully messy reality of her days. From “Jekyll and Hyde” mornings to late-night second winds, Dahlia shares the routines that ground her, the pressure she’s actively letting go of, and the moments that feel surprisingly sacred right now.

This is an honest, relatable conversation about ambition, energy, and redefining what balance actually means in midlife motherhood.

Listen to find out:

• Why Dahlia says she has two completely different morning routines and how both somehow get her kids out the door on time
• The one non-negotiable habit she uses to reset her mental health before opening her laptop
• Her refreshingly honest take on after-school activities and why kids already “work a full day”
• What evenings really look like with older kids, when bedtime turns into the moment they finally want to talk
• The nightly ritual she’s doing with her 10-year-old that’s become the highlight of her day
• How launching a new consultancy forced her to rethink boundaries, energy, and perfection
• Why she’s letting go of having it all together and feeling better because of it

If you’re a working mom navigating career growth, school-aged kids, and the constant pull between ambition and exhaustion, this episode will feel deeply familiar.

Where to find Dahlia

• Instagram: Stressed But Well-Dressed (podcast updates, wardrobe takes, confidence convos)
• Podcast: Stressed But Well-Dressed
• LinkedIn: Dahlia Stroud

Listen and Review

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More A Day In Her Life

@adayinherlifepod

adayinherlife.com

adayinherlife.substack.com

Looking for your next romance read? Look no further! This month at Pepper Books we've got your Celebrity/Normie Romances from One Pepper all the way to Five! 

Episode Music - For Days - Tom Deis via Shutterstock