If Episode 1 cracked open your manifestation blocks and Episode 2 helped you build a business that actually fits your life as a mom, this episode is where it all locks in.

Because here’s the truth no one says out loud enough.Manifestation doesn’t respond to effort.It responds to identity.

In this episode, we’re having a real, slightly unhinged, very honest conversation about the identity shift that has to happen before your business growth, money goals, and “rich life” vision can actually land and stay.

We’re talking about why you can regulate your nervous system, clean up your workload, visualize the dream life, and still feel like something isn’t clicking.Spoiler alert. It’s usually because you’re still operating from the version of you who survived chaos instead of the one who’s ready to receive stability, ease, and expansion.

This episode connects the dots between nervous system safety, subconscious identity, and why your brain will quietly sabotage success if it doesn’t feel familiar yet. Not because you’re broken. Because your brain is literally trying to keep you alive.

We’ll unpack:• Why your current identity might be loyal to struggle even when you consciously want ease• How “being productive” can be a trauma response dressed up as ambition• The difference between wanting success and being available for it• What it actually looks like to shift from survival-based identity into leadership energy• How this identity shift supports everything from manifestation to sustainable income growth

This is the conversation that bridges intention and embodiment.The moment where you stop trying to become her and realize you’re already practicing being her, just with less self-trust than you deserve.

If you’ve been feeling like you’re doing all the “right” things but your life and business haven’t caught up yet, this episode will hit in that quiet, nervous-system-deep way.

And yes. This is exactly the work we deepen inside Soft Mama CEO.Season-aware leadership. Identity safety. Regulated ambition.The kind of growth that doesn’t require burning yourself down first.

Pour the coffee. Or the wine. Or both.Let’s talk about who you’re becoming.

If you are a mom with kids under five and running a business, feeling overwhelmed does not mean you are doing something wrong.

It means your workload was never designed for nap schedules, interrupted sleep, emotional labor, and being the default parent.

In this episode of Business & Brunch, we are breaking down why traditional productivity advice fails moms with young children and how to build a capacity based business that actually supports your life in this season.

This conversation is not about doing more or managing your time better. It is about designing your business around reality, not fantasy.

Inside this episode, we cover:

* Why most productivity advice does not work for moms with kids under five

* How to stop planning your business like you have uninterrupted adult hours

* What “enough for this season” really looks like when you are building a business and raising young kids

* The mindset shift from doing it all to focusing on what actually moves the needle

* How to create spaciousness and momentum without shrinking your income goals

If you want a business that grows without constant overwhelm, guilt, or burnout, this episode will help you rethink workload, capacity, and leadership in a way that feels grounded and sustainable.

This is about building a business that fits your life now, while still honoring where you are going next.

🎧 Press play, take a breath, and let’s talk about doing business in a season that matters.

If you are ready to stop forcing your business to fit a season of life it was never designed for, Soft Mama CEO was created for you.

This is a 12 month business and mindset mastermind for moms who want to grow sustainable income, lead with grounded confidence, and build a business that supports their nervous system, capacity, and family life.

If this episode felt like a deep exhale, you will feel right at home inside Soft Mama CEO.

2026 is not the year to force outcomes or white knuckle your way to success.

In astrology and Chinese symbolism, 2026 is the Year of the Horse, an energy rooted in momentum, freedom, stamina, and forward movement that feels natural instead of frantic. And here is the part most people miss. Horse energy only works when your nervous system is regulated enough to hold speed and expansion.

In this episode of Business & Brunch, we are talking about how to remove your current manifestation blocks so you can fully receive in 2026, not just in a woo woo way, but in a grounded, neuroscience backed, nervous system informed way.

Because manifestation does not start with the universe responding to your desires. It starts with your brain deciding whether expansion feels safe.

Inside this episode, we cover:

* What the Year of the Horse means energetically and why 2026 rewards alignment over effort

* The most common manifestation blocks showing up for moms in business right now

* How your nervous system and brain wiring influence what you can receive

* Why identity lag can quietly stall momentum even when opportunities are present

* The neuroscience behind receiving, regulation, and sustainable success

* How to prepare your body and brain to hold more money, ease, and growth this year

If you are a mom building a business and you want success that supports your life instead of draining it, this episode will shift how you think about manifestation, capacity, and growth in 2026.

This is the foundation for grounded momentum, aligned expansion, and becoming the version of you who can actually receive what she desires.

🎧 Press play, refill your coffee, and let’s talk about riding the energy of 2026 instead of fighting it.

This episode isn’t about setting resolutions.It’s about deciding what you are no longer available for.

In the final episode of Business & Brunch for 2025, I’m sharing exactly what I’m leaving behind — in my business, my mindset, and my life — as I step into 2026 with clear boundaries and zero tolerance for what drains me.

After a year that stripped everything down to the bone, I had to get honest about what was costing me too much. Hustle culture. People-pleasing. Overcomplicating my business. Outsourcing my voice. Building something that competed with my life instead of supporting it.

This episode is a raw, real conversation about the boundaries that changed everything — and why my business will never come before my life again.

Inside this episode, we talk about:

* Why hustle disguised as “responsibility” is keeping so many women burned out

* The difference between intentional action and performative productivity

* How people-pleasing shows up in marketing, pricing, and messaging

* Why simplicity is one of the most powerful business strategies you can choose

* The cost of overusing AI — and how it quietly erodes trust and authority

* What it actually looks like to build a business that supports your nervous system

* Why I’m done proving myself — and how that shift changed my confidence, offers, and boundaries

* A simple end-of-year release ritual to help you let go of what you’re done carrying into 2026

At the end of the episode, I walk you through a powerful New Year’s Eve release + intention ritual to help you physically let go of what you’re done carrying into 2026 — and intentionally anchor what you do want to bring with you.

I share:

* How to create a simple “burn list” for everything you’re releasing

* Why folding the paper away from you matters when letting things go

* How to set intentions by folding toward you and grounding into what you want to receive

* A quiet, symbolic ritual you can do after the kids are in bed to close out the year with clarity and peace

If you’re a mom building a business and craving more space, sustainability, and presence — without giving up your income or ambition — this episode will feel like permission you didn’t know you needed.

And if you’re ready to stop hustling, simplify your strategy, and build a business that truly supports your life, I invite you to join Soft Mama CEO — my signature space for women who want a spacious, six-figure business that works with their season of life, not against it.

As you head into the new year, ask yourself:What am I no longer available for — and what am I intentionally calling in?

2025 was the year that stretched me to my limits — financially, emotionally, and spiritually.

In this episode, I’m sharing the behind-the-scenes chapter I almost didn’t want to talk about: losing nearly 90% of my income, questioning my identity, releasing work that no longer lit me up, and seriously considering walking away from my business altogether.

This year was known as the year of the snake — a season of shedding layers, identities, relationships, and paths that were never meant to come with us into the next chapter. And for me, that shedding wasn’t gentle.

I talk openly about:

* What it feels like to lose income overnight as a mom in business

* Why pivoting into mindset and energetics required me to release fear of judgment

* The healing work I had to face when old wounds resurfaced

* How slowing down, trusting God, and simplifying my business changed everything

* And the two phrases that carried me through the hardest days: “You do not yield” and “To whatever end”

If you’re a book girly who’s read Throne of Glass, you’ll understand exactly why Aelin’s story mattered so much to me this year. And if you’re not — you’ll still feel the truth behind choosing not to surrender who you are, even when everything familiar falls away.

If 2025 stretched you, cracked you open, or forced you to become someone new — this episode will remind you that you didn’t fail.

You transformed.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

* Why 2025 felt like a breaking point — and why it wasn’t a mistake

* Losing 90% of my income and what it revealed about my business

* Outgrowing “safe” work and listening to the call for something deeper

* Pivoting into mindset and energetics without needing permission

* Almost returning to corporate — and why I ultimately chose alignment

* Healing old wounds instead of pushing harder

* Simplifying my business to support life as a two-under-two mom

* The book-girly lesson that kept me going when I wanted to quit

* Why shedding is often the doorway to embodiment

Who This Episode Is For

* Moms building a business who feel stretched thin

* Entrepreneurs navigating an identity shift or pivot

* Women who lost momentum, income, or passion and feel scared to admit it

* Anyone standing at the edge of a new chapter, wondering if they’re strong enough

Key Takeaway

Some years aren’t about expansion — they’re about release.

And when you refuse to yield during the shedding season, you don’t lose yourself.

You become her.

In today’s episode of Business & Brunch, we’re talking about 2026 business planning — without the rigid spreadsheets, unrealistic expectations, or planning guilt. This is for service providers (especially moms) who want clarity and consistency, but also want a business that actually fits their real life.

I’m breaking down a simple, flexible planning approach that works with your capacity — not against it — so you can move into 2026 feeling grounded, clear, and confident (instead of overwhelmed and behind).

No perfection. No pressure. Just a plan you’ll actually use.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

* Why traditional planning doesn’t work for service providers or moms

* The mindset shift that makes planning feel supportive instead of suffocating

* The 3x3 Planning Method (3 focus areas, 3 offers, 3 rhythms)

* How to plan your year without mapping every single month

* The Minimums + Moments system that keeps your business moving in any season

* How to create direction in your business without burning yourself out

* What you actually need written down to call yourself “planned” for 2026

Who This Episode Is For:

* Done-for-you service providers who hate rigid planning

* Moms building businesses while juggling real life

* Business owners who want clarity without overcomplication

* Anyone who wants consistent income without feeling chained to their calendar

Take Action After Listening:

After this episode, write down:

* Your 3 Focus Areas for 2026

* Your 3 Core Offers

* Your 3 Business Rhythms

* Your Minimums (non-negotiables)

* Your Moments (expansion actions when you have capacity)

That’s your plan. Truly.

Ready for Support?

If you want help turning your 2026 vision into a simple, sustainable business strategy — with accountability, structure, and space for real life — apply to Soft Mama CEO.

This is where we build businesses that support your life, not run it.

https://wildlycreativestudio.com/soft-mama-ceo/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=post

Join the Free Community: The Second Shift

If you want a taste of my world, join my free Telegram community — a space for moms who want real connection, real conversations, and real support (business + inner work). And yes… the Moms After Dark chat is exactly what it sounds like.

https://wildlycreativestudio.myflodesk.com/second-shift-opt-in

Welcome back to Business & Brunch.

Today’s episode is the definition of grounding, clarifying, and “oh wow, I really needed to hear that.”

I sat down with Marra McDonald — offer strategist, sustainable growth mentor, and mom of two — to talk about what it actually looks like to build a business that supports your life instead of constantly pulling from it.

If you’ve ever felt like your offers require more from you than you can give… or like everyone talks about “sustainability” but no one explains what it means (or how to do it)… this conversation is going to be a breath of fresh air.

Inside This Episode

* What sustainability in business really means for moms

* The pivotal moment that forced Marra to rebuild her business from the ground up

* How to structure offers that grow with you — even through unpredictable seasons

* Why you don’t need to become a coach to scale as a service provider

* The biggest misconceptions around “sustainable business models”

* How to create capacity, spaciousness, and support without burning out

* The mindset shifts moms in business must make to build long-term stability

Who This Episode Is For

Done-for-you service providers, moms in business, creatives, and anyone craving a business model that doesn’t collapse every time life changes.

Brunch Question of the Week

We kicked things off with the essentials:What’s your go-to brunch order?(Marra’s answer is elite.)

Marra’s Resources

If you loved this conversation, Marra is inviting you to come experience her world:

✨ Sit in on one of her mastermind calls for FREE→ https://marra-mcdonald.mykajabi.com/mastermind-free-sit-in

✨ Connect with her on Instagram→ instagram.com/marra.mcdonald

✨ Binge her podcast→

✨ Explore her work→ https://marra-mcdonald.mykajabi.com

Hey brunch bestie, today we’re going somewhere deeper — the real, raw side of doing the inner work.

Not the Pinterest-version of healing.Not the “journal and manifest” highlight reel.The truth about what it actually takes to shed old identities, face generational narratives around money, and become the mom who can hold wealth, freedom, and a thriving business without burning herself to the ground.

In this episode, I’m sharing the honest story behind my own identity upgrades — the shadow work, the reprogramming, the postpartum lows, the money wounds I’m still healing, and the exact tools that pulled me out when I didn’t think I could get back up.

You’ll hear:

* The moment I realized inner work wasn’t optional — it was survival

* How EFT, breathwork, and brain reprogramming saved me when I hit the lowest point of my life.

* Why moms carry the heaviest internal narratives (and how that impacts your income)

* The “I’m not enough” loops… and the truth behind why they’re not actually yours.

* The money wounds we inherit without realizing it

* How childhood experiences shape your ability to hold wealth, trust money, and feel safe receiving more.

* The identity shift required to build a spacious, sustainable 6-figure business

* Why strategy alone can’t override a nervous system that doesn’t feel safe growing.

* What it looks like to become the mom who has it all

* More freedom, more wealth, more ease — without trading time for money or sacrificing motherhood.

And if you’ve been feeling the nudge to step into your next chapter… this episode is your reminder that it is okay to want more. You’re not broken. You don’t need to “hustle harder.”

You need support for the inner work that makes the strategy stick.

Work With Me: Soft Mama CEO

If this episode hits deep and you’re ready for a customized healing + business approach that supports your identity, nervous system, and long-term wealth goals — Soft Mama CEO is where we do this work together.6- or 12-month options available.Apply through the link in the show notes or DM me on Instagram @aliciacroci to explore if it’s the right fit

https://wildlycreativestudio.com/soft-mama-ceo/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=post

Join the Free Community: The Second Shift

If you want a taste of my world, join my free Telegram community — a space for moms who want real connection, real conversations, and real support (business + inner work). And yes… the Moms After Dark chat is exactly what it sounds like.

https://wildlycreativestudio.myflodesk.com/second-shift-opt-in

If you think closing the sale is the end of the journey…think again. Your client experience is the real deal-breaker. One bad interaction, messy onboarding, or confusing process can completely destroy trust—even if your offer is amazing.

In this episode of Business & Brunch, I spill a personal story about a company I invested in that completely botched the client experience. Months of frustration, poor communication, and messy delivery slowly chipped away my trust—and now I don’t recommend them to anyone. Sound familiar? This is how sloppy client experiences silently hurt your revenue, referrals, and brand reputation.

Here’s what we cover in this episode:

* Why a seamless client journey is more important than fancy sales funnels

* How poor onboarding, confusing processes, and messy communication destroy trust

* Real-life strategies to streamline your client experience and wow your clients every step of the way

* The role of an Operations Manager, OBM, or VA in keeping your business smooth and professional

* How to gather client feedback, test systems, and continuously improve your service

If you’re a service-based business owner who thrives on taking action but is ready to clean up the mess, this episode will help you spot gaps in your client journey and turn messy systems into repeatable, confident sales and long-term client loyalty.

I also share how I help women in Soft Mom as CEO audit their business backend, optimize their client journey, and deliver a client experience so smooth that referrals and recurring clients just flow naturally.

And for moms building a business? Don’t forget to check out The Second Shift, my free community where real, raw, no-fluff support and connection happens every day.

Resources & Links:

* Join Soft Mom as CEO: https://wildlycreativestudio.com/soft-mama-ceo/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=post

* DM me on Instagram: @aliciacroci

* Free Community for moms in business: The Second Shift: https://wildlycreativestudio.myflodesk.com/second-shift-opt-in

If you’re exhausted from chasing quick wins, constantly “staying consistent,” or feeling like your income resets every single month, this episode is going to feel like a deep exhale.

Today, we’re breaking down the difference between making money and keeping money—and why sustainability is the real strategy behind those 10K–30K months you want.

This episode is especially for you if you’re a mom building a service-based business and you’re tired of the pressure, the noise, and the endless “high vibe hustle” advice. Your business wasn’t meant to be a scramble for the next client—it was meant to support your life, your family, and your long-term stability.

Inside, we talk about:

* Why quick-win culture keeps women stuck in burnout

* How to build a business that lasts—even when buyer habits shift

* The moment I realized I couldn’t sustain the 10K months I had created

* Why “wealth” is actually calm, steady, and rooted in intentional systems

* The exact foundations you need to create a spacious, sustainable six-figure business

* The difference between chasing trends and building a legacy your kids can depend on

If you’ve been craving a business that feels like a soft landing instead of a sprint, this conversation is going to speak straight to your soul.

→ Join Soft Mama CEO — the program for women who want structure, sustainability, and strategy that actually supports motherhood, not competes with it. Apply & book your free consultation to see if it’s a fit.https://wildlycreativestudio.com/soft-mama-ceo?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=post

→ Join The Second Shift (Free Telegram Community) — where we talk money, confidence, and motherhood without the hustle.https://wildlycreativestudio.myflodesk.com/second-shift-opt-in