We’ve made it, besties!! We have Kelly Stumpe, aka THE CAR MOM, on the pod. We speak from experience when we say that even if you don’t consider yourself a car girlie, you’ll love this interview. We’ve watched Kelly’s very niched business grow, and we’re thrilled that she’s sharing her story with us today!

Founded in 2020, The Car Mom began simply as a way to review family cars from a mom's perspective. In the three years since, the mission has quickly grown to empower families of all sizes throughout the car selection and buying process. 

With a down-to-earth, family focused, and accessible approach to car tours, Kelly has fostered a loyal community of over half a million followers. In addition to being The Car Mom, Kelly is also the co-host of the podcast The Carpool, a Child Passenger Safety Technician and most importantly, a mom to three.

Today’s Banter:

• The terrible housing marketing 
• Why are soccer practice snacks a thing?!
• Bentgo boxes are so overrated 
• Don’t compare your beginning with someone else’s middle
• What a Car Mom work week looks like
• Figuring out your “non-negociables” as a mom
• Bestie Banter includes: blood boiler, little luxuries, and unpopular opinions  
• Business Banter includes: the Car Mom origin story, when Kelly learned how to monetize her Instagram, how she makes business decisions, her fails & successes 

Links You May Be Looking For:

• Rebecca's Instagram: @themomfluencer
• Lauren's Instagram: @counselorclique
• Rebecca's Amazon Storefront
• Lauren's Amazon Storefront
• Set up your Facebook ads consult call with Numbers Drive!
• Kelly's Instagram: @the_car_mom
• The Carpool with Kelly and Liz: @the_car_pool
• The Car Mom website
• The Car Mom on YouTube

Connect with Us:

• Send a DM: @themomfluencer
• Send us an email: [email protected]
• Shop the Momfluencer Amazon Storefront
• Leave a 5-star podcast review: Apple Podcasts and Spotify

It's just us (Rebecca and Lauren) today and we're hitting allllllll the bestie banter segys for you! We're reflecting on some iconic abbreviations from our college days (DFMO anyone?!), sharing a must-have for your kids' quiet time, and filling you in on some major life changes going on.

Don't forget to follow along on Instagram @themomfluencer to cast your votes on some of today's controversial topics! 

Today's Banter:

• SURPRISE! Lauren is pregnant (and so so sick 🤢)
• The deets of Rebecca's recent mental breakdown
• A story that will make you rethink using flushable wipes
• What's worse: A Friday or Sunday wedding?
• Bestie Banter includes: blood boilers, unpopular opinions, 30-second therapy, what’s saving our lives right now, little luxuries, millennial memories, mom fail of the week, questions that need answers
• Business Banter includes: An update on where our businesses are right now

Links You May Be Looking For: 

• Rebecca's Instagram: @themomfluencer
• Lauren's Instagram: @counselorclique
• Rebecca's Amazon Storefront
• Lauren's Amazon Storefront

Interested in Sponsoring the Pod for an Episode? Send us an email!

Connect with Us: 

• Send a DM: @themomfluencer

• Send us an email: [email protected]

• Shop the Momfluencer Amazon Storefront

• Rebecca's business: @its.not.rocket.science

• Lauren's business: @counselorclique

• Leave a 5-star podcast review: Apple Podcasts and Spotify

If there’s one theme that we’ve been hearing from our guests it’s to DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY!

So often in the online space, we hear “you HAVE to do this” and “you HAVE to do that”. But it turns out that paving your own path pays off. That definitely rings true for our guest today, Brittany Hege of Mix and Math.

Brittany hosts an online membership for fourth and fifth-grade math teachers where she provides professional development and hands-on resources. One of the many things we love about her is that she’s done things differently than a lot of others in the teacherpreneur space.

Brittany not only shares her entrepreneurial story with us today but also her story of bouncing back from a tough postpartum period. PLUS we’ll get into totally unrelated business banter like forgetting to eat, eyebrow lamination, (or “lamintation” as Lauren calls it) house temperature preferences, and oh yeah...what the heck happened to all the clowns of the world?!  

Today's Banter Includes:

• A few house-cleaning hacks
• A shoutout to Amazon promotional credits
• Fun fact: you're supposed to chew each bite of food 20-30 times
• Why you and your partner need to have your own comforters
• Differing visions of success
• Adjusting our expectations based on the season we're i
• Bestie Banter includes: unpopular opinions, what's saving our lives right now, Steve Jobs moments, and questions that need answers 
• Business Banter includes: what led Brittany to start Mix & Math, mindset blocks that she faced, what the hiring process has looked like for her, her long-term vision 

Links You May Be Looking For:

• Rebeca's Instagram: @themomfluencer
• Lauren's Instagram: @counselorclique
• Rebecca's Amazon Storefront
• Lauren's Amazon Storefront
• Brittany's website
• YouTube: Mix and Math
• Brittany's Instagram: @mixandmath

BESTIES! We have our first artist on the pod, Amy Marcy of Amy Marcy Art. Amy is a coastal modern artist who has a one-of-a-kind technique that results in resin water sculptures. She handmakes every element, from start to finish, in order to create artwork that looks like framed water itself.

Amy's art is seriously amazing and we know you'll love hearing how she went from photographer to artist and how she landed a feature on HGTV in her very FIRST year of business!  Plus, we're bringing the bestie talk as usual from the cons of hiring a cleaning company to the squatty potty to double standards for moms. 

Today's banter:

• Is it weird to kiss your family members (and/or dogs) on the lips?!
• Annoying requests going on inside Facebook groups
• Eliminating barriers for tasks we tend to avoid
• Balancing feelings of inspiration and burnout
• Simple advice for using Instagram to grow your business
• ...Did you know that Lauren does Rebecca's social media?
• Bestie Banter includes blood boilers (aka burnt biscuits), 30-second therapy, what’s saving our life right now, and TV shows we’re bingeing
• Business Banter includes: the Amy Marcy Art origin story, investments that she’s made, what her husband thought when she decided to change careers, how Amy manages her creation schedule and time, and what it’s been like to grow her social media following

Links you may be looking for:

• Rebecca's Instagram: @themomfluencer
• Lauren's Instagram: @counselorclique
• Rebecca's Amazon Storefront
• Lauren's Amazon Storefront
• NEXT COLLECTION DROPS SATURDAY JULY 1st!!!
• Amy's Instagram: @amymarcyart
• The Studio Source

Today we’re welcoming Allison Lee of Eventide Pennant Co. to the Bestie Business Banter podcast! Allison is a P.E. teacher turned entrepreneur. Like us, she’s juggling a business and motherhood. It’s all in a day’s work!

You’ll hear all the details of Allison's customizable pennant business, which offers options for monthly milestones, back to school, room decor, and more. We also chat about the celebrations and challenges of running small businesses, managing distractions, advice on organization, and some unpopular opinions (sorry in advance if we offend anyone!). After listening, you just may think twice before telling a mom that she's "doing a good job"! 

Today’s banter includes:

• Laundry chaos caused by POINTLESS removable pads
• A genius hack for loading silverware in your dishwasher 
• A pregnancy announcement trend that makes Lauren do a double take
• How Allison's life has changed as a result of Eventide Pennant Co's success
• Nap schedules and quiet time struggles
• Advice for moms trying to balance all the demands
• Why sometimes ya just need to lower your expectations
• Bestie Banter includes: blood boilers, what's saving our life right now, and unpopular opinions
• Business Banter includes: the exact moment that Allison's business took off, what her team looks like, the long-term vision for Eventide Pennant Co, and more

Links You Might Be Looking For: 

• Allison's Instagram: @eventidepennantco
• Eventide Pennant Co website
• Rebecca’s Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/themomfluencer 
• Lauren’s Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/counselorclique 
• Allison’s Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/eventidepennantco
• Episode 7, "Nothing But Time" with Kate Strickler of Naptime Kitchen

Interested in Sponsoring the Pod for an Episode? Send us an email!

Connect with Us: 

• Send a DM: @themomfluencer

• Send us an email: [email protected]

• Shop the Momfluencer Amazon Storefront

• Rebecca's business: @its.not.rocket.science

• Lauren's business: @counselorclique

• Leave a 5-star podcast review: Apple Podcasts and Spotify

It’s actually happening ya’ll! We have Kate Strickler from Naptime Kitchen on the pod!

Kate is a mom of four based in Charleston, South Carolina. She's known for her blog and Instagram, Naptime Kitchen, where she shares cooking tips and life management advice. She has been blogging since 2016 and it has now become her full-time career, which she loves!

We're getting into all kinds of good stuff, like the details of Naptime Kitchen's evolution, challenges that come with growing a buiness, hiring help, shifts in identity as a mother, and so much more.

Today’s banter includes:

• Why Kate loathes anyone besides her kids calling her mama
• Books we can’t stand reading to our kids (we know you have one too!)
• A typical work week schedule for Kate
• Bestie Banter includes: blood boilers, 30 second therapy, little luxuries, & bottom 3
• Business Banter includes: How Kate’s business began, the secret sauce to Naptime Kitchen, the role that Kate’s husband plays in the business, and favorite brands she’s worked with

Links You Might Be Looking For: 

• Kate's Website 
• The Home Reset
• Instagram: @naptimekitchen

Interested in Sponsoring the Pod for an Episode? Send us an email!

Connect with Us: 

• Send a DM: @themomfluencer

• Send us an email: [email protected]

• Shop the Momfluencer Amazon Storefront

• Rebecca's business: @its.not.rocket.science

• Lauren's business: @counselorclique

• Leave a 5-star podcast review: Apple Podcasts and Spotify

It’s been a few episodes since we’ve gone all in on bestie banter with just the two of us - so we’ve got plenty of that for you today. Plus we’re sharing all the business updates (we’re Meta verified, baby!!). Consider it our quarterly State of the Union Address.  

Today's banter includes:

• The beautiful moment when someone thinks you’re younger than you actually are
• Boar’s Head deli meat (yum) vs. the pre-packaged slime (gross)
• Our strong love for Survivor 
• A status check on Groupon
• Laser hair removal - does it really work?
• Bestie Banter includes: blood boilers, what’s saving our life right now, little luxuries, and questions that need answers
• Business banter includes: seasonal updates in our business, new hires, and how we found our niche online

Links You Might Be Looking For:

• Rebecca's Bread Recipes: Just Google them
• Lauren's Sunglasses That She Lost: https://amzn.to/43Xz3lQ   
• The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters by Priya Parker: https://amzn.to/3An4FDX 
• The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer: https://amzn.to/3mZBMKK 
• The Biggest Story Bible Storybook by Kevin DeYoung: https://amzn.to/40ATvWL 
• Habits of the Household by Justin Whitmel Earley: https://amzn.to/41Quokl 
• Groupon: Recover your password and let us know some of the things you bought

Interested in Sponsoring the Pod for an Episode? Send us an email!

Connect with Us: 

• Send a DM: @themomfluencer

• Send us an email: [email protected]

• Shop the Momfluencer Amazon Storefront

• Rebecca's business: @its.not.rocket.science

• Lauren's business: @counselorclique

• Leave a 5-star podcast review: Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Raise your hand if you're just as obsessed with hearing stories of how other moms built their businesses as we are! Do you know what else we love? Products that are practical and designed to help moms in their daily lives. 

If you're with us, you're going to love our featured guest today, Kate Gaffney. Kate runs Avryn Co. Her company makes women's lives easier by lightening the everyday physical and mental load with their hand-crafted leather wristlets and wallets.

Kate began Avryn Co. in February of 2020 and it has grown into an incredible brand. She's here to share her business story and of course, join us in some bestie banter too! Plus, she knows how to keep a clean car, so listen up.

• Our plea to stop sending in bags of candy to school

• When husbands hover in the kitchen

• A couple of genius tips for keeping your car organized and decluttered

• How Kate switched from making products in her house to a studio

• Kate’s advice for balancing being a business owner & mom (and doing literally anything else in your life!)

• Bestie Banter includes: blood boilers, 30-second therapy, and what’s saving our life right now

• Business Banter includes: How Kate transitioned from Etsy to selling on her website, the challenges of running a product-based business, the impact of social media on her business, and what her team looks like three-years in

Links You Might Be Looking For:

• Book: Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer
• Rebecca's Wrislet: Cornflower Blue
• Rebecca's Card Wallet: Cornflower Blue
• Lauren's Wrislet: Discontinued color, so you're out of luck here... but if I did pick something new right now, it would be: Midnight Blue
• Lauren's Card Wallet: Sandy Tan

Meet Kate Gaffney of Avryn Co.:

• Follow @avrynco on Instagram
• Shop Avryn Co.

Connect with Us: 

• Send a DM: @themomfluencer

• Send us an email: [email protected]

• Shop the Momfluencer Amazon Storefront

• Rebecca's business: @its.not.rocket.science

• Lauren's business: @counselorclique

• Leave a 5-star podcast review: Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Buckle up because today's the day, besties. We're hosting our first official guest on the pod! Kalin Sheick of Sweetwater Floral is here and we're talking spray tans, lashes, and business. 

We LOVE Kalin, her brand, and her eternal optimism..and we know you will too. When Kalin realized her former job as a television reporter was sucking the life out of her, she drained her savings account, took a flower class, and started a floral business! Eight years later, Kalin and her husband have grown a successful business and had three children. Push play to hear her story!

• How starting a business has changed Kalin's life
• A reminder not to yuck someone else's yum 
• Working with your partner and leaning into each other's strengths
• Thriving with delusional confidence 
• Bestie Banter includes: little luxuries and unpopular opinions 
• Business Banter includes: how it started vs. how it's going at Sweetwater Floral, stepping into the role of CEO, diversifying streams of income within your business, and the challenges of running a business and being a mom

Links You Might Be Looking For:

• Heating Pad
• Nespresso Coffee Machine
• Well-Oiled Operations Podcast

Meet Kalin Sheick of Sweetwater Floral:

• Follow @sweetwaterfloral on Instagram
• Follow @kalinsheick on Instagram
• Shop Sweetwater Floral
• Listen to Clinks! the Podcast

Connect with Us: 

• Send a DM: @themomfluencer
• Send us an email: [email protected]
• Shop the Momfluencer Amazon Storefront
• Rebecca's business: @its.not.rocket.science
• Lauren's business: @counselorclique
• Leave a 5-star podcast review: Apple Podcasts and Spotify

We’re sorry (not sorry), but can we do away with gifts at kids’ birthday parties? Hear us out in today’s episode!

Plus, it’s Lauren’s turn to do the interviewing! You’ll hear all about Rebecca’s business, It’s Not Rocket Science®. Rebecca shares the story of becoming a business owner, defining moments along the way, and how she manages her time as an entrepreneur and a mom.

Summary:

• Costco vs. Sam’s Club
• Rebeca’s strong disdain for email
• The ‘why’ behind our no-gifts rule
• Bestie Banter includes: 30-second therapy, what’s saving our life right now, and unpopular opinions
• Business Banter includes: behind the scenes of It’s Not Rocket Science®, building confidence as a business owner, setting boundaries, mom guilt, and more

Links You May Be Looking For:

• It’s Not Rocket Science Website
• Secondary Science Simplified Podcast
• Resource: Inbox When Ready
• Book: Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World by Kristen Welch

Look out for polls on @themomfluencer IG stories for things we talked about in today's episode! 

Connect with Us: 

• Send a DM: @themomfluencer

• Send us an email: [email protected]

• Shop the Momfluencer Amazon Storefront

• Rebecca's business: @its.not.rocket.science

• Lauren's business: @counselorclique

• Leave a 5-star podcast review: Apple Podcasts and Spotify