BEAM Stories

What does a snapshot of your life look like in this exact moment? When we look at the slices of American motherhood, it can feel fragmented and disconnected in many ways. Spurring from a conversation about how different an experience it is to raise a family now than in the 1980s (gasp!), BEAM Stories host Amy Kugler kicks off a new series for the show that highlights conversations within the "Venn Diagram of Parenting," as she nicknamed it. 

We dive into the conversations and questions we'll cover in the coming weeks about the personal, community and structural snapshots of where we are in motherhood. Let's find a path forward. 

We want to hear from you! Share your story at proofofmom.co and you might be featured on the podcast and/orour Substack!

Subscribe to BEAM Stories on Substack 

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Bringing back this episode from Season 1 because The Setback Cycle is officially here! Order it here.

Wouldn’t it be nice if everything in life were a straight line, up and to the left? Always moving forward, always finding success. If only that were true. Author and Forbes contributor Amy Shoenthal has dedicated her professional and personal life to exploring the trajectory of our life and trying to understand more about how we overcome those setbacks. As a mom, her work is even more important now than ever before.

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In a world of polished images and perfected poses, photographer, author, and mom Kate T. Parker embraces the messy, wild, unpredictable, and real. In this wide-ranging conversation, Kate shares more about her journey to capture the authentic, raw everyday moments so that women and girls can see their power and be inspired by their courage. 

Kate's newest book - FORCE OF NATURE - is out now. Not only does Kate walk us through her journey in creating this art, shares her inspiration and how she's navigating being a mom to teenagers, leading by example that they should look inward to their own strength instead of peering outward to compare with others. 

Have a story to share on the BEAM Stories podcast or Substack? Tell us here

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A new look, a new name...same profoundly impactful stories. BEAM Stories continues the mission that And More with Amy Kugler started, which is to amplify the intersectional stories of motherhood and caregiving so that we can find a way forward that lifts us all. With this evolution, we'll dare to ask some big questions about ambition, equity, mental health, maternal health, and how we can truly care for one another because, let's face it, this shit is hard. 

With the launch of BEAM Stories is the BEAM Stories Substack, a space where we share even more conversations from moms and caregivers around the world that are often left untold. We invite anyone and everyone to submit their story idea, even if you're unsure if you want to share. We'll reach out and help you build it into something you're proud of. 

Share your story here: www.proofofmom.co. 

Subscribe to the BEAM Stories Substack here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With so much joy and heartbreak going on in the world, how do we summon the courage to share our experiences? In this personal episode, Amy shares how we need to have the brain space and bandwidth to explore the deeper conversations about how we walk about our world. She explains some of the challenges she's faced over the past few months and how she's moving forward.

CW: postpartum depression and anxiety, trauma. 

PROGRAMMING NOTE: And More with Amy Kugler will become BEAM Stories on March 6! Make sure you stay subscribed as we make the shift. You can also learn more at the BEAM Stories Substack: beamstories.substack.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Baily is back and on a mission to break down any stigma or barrier that prevents us to connecting with ourselves and others. In the second part of Amy's conversation with Baily, they cover how community, connection and collaboration overlap, and how we can approach life from a new perspective to find some key solutions. "Everything is done with the support of others" is just the starting point of this conversation. 

About Baily Hancock

• Learn more about Baily.

• Follow Baily on Instagram or LinkedIn.

About Amy Kugler:

• Check out Amy's website and writing.

• Sign up for Unscripted, Amy’s bi-monthly newsletter.

About the Show: “And More with Amy Kugler” is a production of BEAM, a venture dedicated to amplifying the untold stories of motherhood and building public/private/advocacy partnerships to shift policy for moms nationally and globally.

• For more information about BEAM, visit welcometobeam.com.

• Share your own perspective on BEAM’s website.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Find your people" or "build your village." The many phrases that encourage us to find our community are inspiring, but how do we actually go about connecting with others when we're in the thick of so many life changes as parents? Motherhood can be isolating and it requires bravery to reach outside of our comfort zone - all of that can stop us in our tracks.

This conversation with community architect, catalyst, and mom of two Baily Hancock dives deep into why our biggest wins lie on the other side of our fear as we are vulnerable with others. You'll leave this conversation ready to step outside of your comfort zone and foster authentic connections that help both at home and beyond. 

About Baily Hancock

• Learn more about Baily.

• Follow Lindsay on Instagram or LinkedIn.

About Amy Kugler:

• Check out Amy's website and writing.

• Sign up for Unscripted, Amy’s bi-monthly newsletter.

About the Show: “And More with Amy Kugler” is a production of BEAM, a venture dedicated to amplifying the untold stories of motherhood and building public/private/advocacy partnerships to shift policy for moms nationally and globally.

• For more information about BEAM, visit welcometobeam.com.

• Share your own perspective on BEAM’s website.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sleepless nights are part of the caregiving package, but what happens when it veers into a whole new category of "something isn't right?" Even if we're caring for others while working in high-pressure positions, we cannot neglect our sleep health for too long.

Speaker and strategist Lindsay Scola spent 19 years advocating for her own sleep health, ultimately being diagnosed with narcolepsy at the age of 35. Lindsay's story is one of perseverance when the world tells you that your physical health symptoms are "just normal," even when you know they are anything but. 

About Lindsay Scola

• Learn more about Lindsay.

• Follow Lindsay on Instagram or LinkedIn.

About Amy Kugler:

• Check out Amy's website and writing.

• Sign up for Unscripted, Amy’s bi-monthly newsletter.

About the Show: “And More with Amy Kugler” is a production of BEAM, a venture dedicated to amplifying the untold stories of motherhood and building public/private/advocacy partnerships to shift policy for moms nationally and globally.

• For more information about BEAM, visit welcometobeam.com.

• Share your own perspective on BEAM’s website.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Parenthood brings up a myriad of emotions, many of which were buried deep down until a comment or an eye-roll bubbles the feelings to the surface. If you're a highly sensitive person and empath like Amy, then you know how quickly moms can go from calm to She-Hulk. (Amy's current PR: 2.5 seconds.)

Rage and anger are often branded as an unspeakable topic. In this first show of a new And More series, Unscripted, Amy draws upon the experts to propose a new option: Anger shows us where our unmet needs are. In this episode, we discuss shame, empathy, and a story of repair after things spiraled off the rails this weekend. 

About Amy Kugler:

• Check out Amy's website and writing.

• Sign up for Unscripted, Amy’s bi-monthly newsletter.

About the Show: “And More with Amy Kugler” is a production of BEAM, a venture dedicated to amplifying the untold stories of motherhood and building public/private/advocacy partnerships to shift policy for moms nationally and globally.

• For more information about BEAM, visit welcometobeam.com.

• To financially support, visit BEAM’s crowdfunding page.

• Share your own perspective on BEAM’s website.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What could be possible if we could build a professional life that allowed us to be ambitious and pursue dreams and also prioritize our caregiving responsibilities? What if we could find alignment within the ebbs and flows of each stage of our life, knowing that we’re living in our values and meeting our own needs so that we can show up fully and not feel depleted or burnt out?

As business coach and former journalist Jenni Gritters says in this episode, two things can be true: We can embrace all of our ambition and also build a life that is right-sized for whatever moment we’re in. In this episode, Jenni talks about what she’s learning about holding firm to her boundaries, where she’s finding flexibility, and insights we can consider as we look at building the “both/and” life in this moment.

About Jenni Gritters

• Subscribe to Mindset Mastery, Jenni’s Substack

• Work with Jenni

• Follow her on Instagram @jennigritters

About Amy Kugler:

• Check out Amy's website and writing.

• Sign up for Unscripted, Amy’s bi-monthly newsletter.

About the Show: “And More with Amy Kugler” is a production of BEAM, a venture dedicated to amplifying the untold stories of motherhood and building public/private/advocacy partnerships to shift policy for moms nationally and globally.

• For more information about BEAM, visit welcometobeam.com

• Share your own perspective on BEAM’s website.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.