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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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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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!!!

On today’s episode of A Day In Her Life, Ellie sits down with Mary James, who leads an analytics group at Real Chemistry (a pharmaceutical marketing and communications company) and is raising two little ones, a 9-month-old and a 2.5-year-old. Mary is the primary earner in her household, while her husband is a stay-at-home parent, and she gives an honest look at what it actually takes to keep work, kids, and sanity moving forward in a season that feels nonstop.

Mary describes her days in three words: dynamic, relentless, and funny, because if you don’t laugh… you might cry.

In this episode, we cover:

• The 5 a.m. OrangeTheory era (and the real reason she’s doing it) - Mary is in her “rebuild my strength postpartum” season, and early workouts are the only time that’s truly hers.
• Her tiny morning ritual that keeps her from disappearing - A simple “for me today” list - a few selfish, non-negotiable things that serve her before she starts serving everyone else.
• The workday strategy that protects her brain from constant context switching - She time-blocks calls, aims for “three key things,” and shares a few meeting hacks that might save your sanity.
• The 5 p.m. hard stop (and why it matters when you’re the breadwinner) - Their household runs on a daily handoff. She signs off at 5:00, not because it’s easy, but because it’s how they keep resentment from building.
• Dinner realism: kids at 6, adults later, and no shame about it - Family dinner happens when it happens. Otherwise, it’s “survival food,” frozen options, and DoorDash in a season where time is the luxury.
• Outsourcing that feels like getting your life back: laundry pickup - This is the one she’s not giving up. Pickup, drop-off, done. (Now they’re just figuring out the “put it away” part.)
• Friendship in the trenches: Marco Polo, audio notes, and staying in it without texting back instantly - A genuinely workable approach to keeping friendships alive when your hands are full and your phone is always being stolen.

Follow Mary

Mary Faith James

References

Kindle Scribe

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 Kelsey Smith – Adaptable, Intentional, Caffeinated Days as a Working Mom of Two and Email Accessibility Consultant

On today’s episode of A Day In Her Life, Ellie sits down with Kelsey Smith, a working mom of two toddlers living just outside Denver. Kelsey works in marketing, technology, and digital communications for a large public university and also runs her freelance consulting business, The Email Edit, where she helps nonprofits, small businesses, and entrepreneurs improve email marketing with a focus on digital accessibility.

Kelsey shares what life looks like right now with two kids just 11 months apart, a household that runs on teamwork (and coffee), and a workday shaped by a two-hour time difference. From chaotic pre-dawn wakeups and daycare drop-offs to hot sauna workouts, low-effort dinners, and bedtime that suddenly takes an hour, this episode is full of the real stuff working moms are navigating.

If you are balancing remote work, little kids, a relationship, and the constant feeling that your to-do list is never done, you will feel very seen in this conversation.

In this episode, we cover:

Two toddlers 11 months apart and mornings that start before you are ready - Kelsey’s reality right now: kids up between 5 and 6 a.m., a toddler climbing into her bed overnight, and mornings that feel like chaos before coffee even happens.

Remote work across time zones - What it is like being on Mountain Time while the rest of your team is on East Coast time, and how that creates built-in protected focus time in the late afternoon.

Time blocking for technical vs creative work - Kelsey’s approach to structuring her day: technical tasks and meetings in the morning, creative strategy work later, and a consistent end-of-day plan for tomorrow.

Bedtime phases and sleep curveballs - How bedtime used to be easy and suddenly is not, what it looks like getting two toddlers down, and the looming toddler bed transition.

How to find a therapist through insurance platforms - Kelsey’s experience starting with SonderMind and moving to Alma, plus the reminder to check your 2026 benefits.

Work travel with young kids and “partner guilt” - Why she does not feel mom guilt leaving but does feel the weight on her partner, and how family flying in makes travel possible.

Friendship in a busy season - Staying connected through small touchpoints, hosting, and aiming for at least one friend meetup a month.

Date nights without babysitters - Their every-other-Friday at-home date night rotation, alternating who plans, and creative ways to connect during the day while the kids are in daycare.

The ball she is letting drop - Releasing pressure around cooking and remembering: if you only have 40% that day and you give it, you gave 100% of what you had.

Connect with Kelsey

Find her on Instagram: @the.email.edit (email marketing, digital accessibility, and life as a working mom)

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 Lucie Corkery – Chaotic, Messy, Joyful Days as a Mom of Three

On today’s episode of A Day In Her Life, Ellie chats with Lucie Corkery, a mom of three under five, writer, and creator behind What Lucie Says and the Substack series Between Friends. Lucie lives in Massachusetts with her husband Kevin, their three kids, and their corgi Beverly, and shares a refreshingly honest look at full-time motherhood in a deeply busy season.

If you are in the thick of young kids, constantly forgetting lunch, negotiating bedtime chaos, and trying to stay connected to yourself, your partner, and your friends, this episode will feel deeply relatable.

In this episode, we cover:

Mornings with three kids under five - Why Lucie wakes up an hour before her kids, the bare minimum routine that helps her feel human, and how TV at breakfast is sometimes the only way mornings work.

Finding time for yourself as a stay-at-home mom - How tennis became Lucie’s outlet for movement, focus, and adult connection, and why having time without her phone has been surprisingly transformative.

The midday juggle no one talks about - Laundry running constantly, walking the dog alone, vacuuming with a toddler and a toy leaf blower, squeezing in workouts, and always forgetting to eat lunch.

Quiet time, shared rooms, and realistic rest - How Lucie structures naps and quiet time for three kids at different stages, and why rest time is non-negotiable for everyone’s sanity.

Afternoons, activities, and getting the wiggles out - Why leaving the house almost always leads to a better evening, even if it’s just a library trip, playground stop, or long car ride.

Early dinners and separate adult meals - Why her kids eat at 5:30, she and her husband eat later, and how letting go of family dinner expectations has made evenings calmer.

Bedtime chaos and small parenting hacks - From bath time that ramps kids up to the light-flicking trick she stole from teachers to regain attention during total mayhem.

Marriage, date nights, and staying connected - Why Lucie and her husband prioritize weekly date nights, how they find babysitters for three kids, and why investing in their relationship matters in this season.

Friendship in a misaligned season of life - The inspiration behind Between Friends, how friendships shift after kids, and why putting plans on the calendar is the only way they happen.

The ball she’s letting drop - Letting go of a spotless house, embracing the mess, and choosing peace over perfection in a home full of young kids.

Connect with Lucie

• Instagram: @whatluciesays
• Substack: What Lucie Says, including the Between Friends series

References

• Skylight Calendar

Listen and Review

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More A Day In Her Life

@adayinherlifepod

adayinherlife.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

Tell us what you think!!!

A Day In Her Life with Kyla Hanaway-Quinlan – Chaotic, Peopley, High Energy Days as a COO and Single Mom of Two

On today’s episode of A Day In Her Life, Ellie sits down with Kyla Hanaway-Quinlan, Chief Operating Officer and Head of People at Feast & Fettle, and single mom of two girls, ages 5 and 13. Kyla splits her life between Rhode Island and Washington DC and gets real about what it takes to lead a fast growing company while solo parenting in a high energy season.

She opens up about slow, coffee fueled mornings, packed meeting days, and why outsourcing laundry and dinner is the only way she stays present with her girls. She talks about embracing being not a morning person, protecting dinner and bedtime, and navigating late-thirties dating across two cities.

In this episode, we cover:

Two city, single mom logistics - How Kyla balances life between Rhode Island and DC, structures her week around meeting-heavy and deep-work days, and uses flights as protected, no-Wi-Fi reading time.

Work life balance in a 24/7 business - The two time blocks she guards at all costs, the very real 9 to 11 p.m. “mom catch up hour,” and how she manages boundaries when her operation never actually turns off.

Weeknight dinners without the chaos - What it’s like being both a leader and customer at Feast & Fettle, how her girls remix meals to their liking, and why cooking in DC has become her creative outlet.

Evenings, puzzles, and an overstimulated mom brain - Her realistic night routine, the end-of-day reset she swears by, and how puzzles, reading, and dry humor TV help her wind down.

From toxic restaurant culture to people first hospitality - How her early years in restaurants shaped her mission to build Feast & Fettle’s W2, benefits rich, people centered model.

Chores, acrylic nails, and outsourcing the things you hate - The brilliant deal she struck with her 13 year old, how she divides chores by age, and why laundry and bill-pay live permanently on autopilot.

Friendship and dating in your late thirties - Maintaining long-term friendships in a kid heavy season, giving herself permission for a “hobbit night,” and treating online dating in DC like a low pressure social experiment.

If you’re a working mom juggling leadership, caregiving, airports, group texts, and a never ending to do list, this episode will make you feel seen in the best way.

Follow Kyla:

Feast & Fettle (instagram)

LinkedIn

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