Empowered Working Mom Revolution

You know that moment when someone holds up a mirror and what you see —  stops you in your tracks?

That's exactly what happened to executive coach Gloria Synn when her son described her, for a school project, with one word: sadness.

That gut-punch moment was the turning point that changed everything for her. And in this episode of the Empowered Working Mom Revolution, Gloria and I get into all of it — the sacrifice, the people-pleasing, the identity crisis that comes when you've spent your whole life being who everyone else needed you to be.

Gloria grew up navigating a lot of change, moving from Korea to Argentina to America, all between the ages of five and seven. That kind of early experience shapes you. For Gloria, it shaped her into the "perfect daughter," someone who absorbed her mother's sadness and made it her job to fix it. Sound familiar? So many of us learned early on that our worth was tied to how well we could take care of everyone around us — and we've been living off that playbook ever since.

Here's what we dig into together:

This is one of those conversations that'll have you wanting to reconnect to your own radiance. . 

Connect with Gloria:

Gloria is an executive and life coach with 20+ years of leadership experience at companies like Goop, Nordstrom, and Gap Inc. As a mother, wife, daughter, immigrant, and recovering overachiever, she knows the weight working moms carry firsthand. Through FLOWST8TE and her women's group coaching program MY RADI8NCE, she helps ambitious women stop running on empty — and start living as the most abundant, radiant version of themselves.

 Website: flowst8te.com

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Jocelyn Auyeung is a Life and Career Transitions Coach (ICF PCC) helping people trust their intuition while honoring the reality of their life as they navigate major life and career transitions — so they can move forward with both clarity and alignment. A former educator, mom of two (yes, a tween AND a teen — she's in it), and the host of the Empowered Working Mom Revolution podcast, Jocelyn brings both professional expertise and lived experience to every conversation.

Our mission is to amplify the stories of all moms so they can be seen, heard, and supported in their motherhood journey. Here's how you can help:

When we share diverse stories of motherhood with each other, we all feel less alone in our journeys.

The Top 3 Reasons Why This Episode Is for You

Episode Summary

This episode is a conversation I know you're going to love. I sat down with identity and transitions coach Raihana Ali-Aggarwal to talk about something so many working moms quietly struggle with — how do you stay true to yourself when life is asking you to make some major changes?

Raihana brings her whole heart to this conversation. She shares her deeply personal story of choosing to wear a hijab in 2015, and how that act of bold faith — despite the external judgment that came with it — became one of the most empowering decisions of her life. Her story is a powerful reminder that owning your identity, fully and unapologetically, is one of the most courageous things you can do as a woman navigating life on your own terms.

We also dive deep into what it really means to navigate a major life transition — whether that's recovering from a layoff, stepping into a new chapter of parenthood, or any other moment that leaves you asking who am I now? Raihana offers a beautiful identity framework for separating your sense of self from the external roles and titles that used to define you — so you can move forward instead of holding onto something that was never meant to define who you truly are.

And because self-work is never one-and-done, Raihana introduces a dimension of wellness that working moms don't hear enough about: sensory wellness. In a world that's constantly competing for our attention, she shares why building in intentional pauses and moments of de-stimulation isn't optional — it's essential for showing up as the leader, mother, and woman you want to be.

This episode will leave you feeling seen, inspired, and equipped. Come ready to noodle on some big questions about identity, courage, and what it really means to thrive — not just survive — in the middle of change.

Founder of RAA Coaching and Consulting,  Raihana helps high-achieving professionals navigate "Identity Drift" to rediscover who they are beneath their roles. Through her "Play-First" methodology, she creates intentional "Third Spaces" where titles are left at the door. By bypassing the professional ego through curiosity-led play and bespoke purpose coaching, Raihana guides leaders to reconnect with themselves and rewrite their personal narratives. It’s time to move from performing your life to living it with presence.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rfaggarwal 

The Radiate newsletter is a weekly "Permission Slip" designed as a digital sanctuary for high-achieving women to pause and reconnect with themselves. Each issue offers gentle reframes, reflection prompts, and intentional invitations to help you move from simply surviving to truly thriving. www.raacoaching.com/newsletters/radiate

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Jocelyn Auyeung is a Life and Career Transitions Coach (ICF PCC) helping people trust their intuition while honoring the reality of their life as they navigate major life and career transitions — so they can move forward with both clarity and alignment. A former educator, mom of two (yes, a tween AND a teen — she's in it), and the host of the Empowered Working Mom Revolution podcast, Jocelyn brings both professional expertise and lived experience to every conversation.

Our mission is to amplify the stories of all moms so they can be seen, heard, and supported in their motherhood journey. Here's how you can help:

When we share diverse stories of motherhood with each other, we all feel less alone in our journeys.

3 REASONS THIS EPISODE IS FOR YOU

EPISODE SUMMARY

You know that moment when you look at your career and think, Is this really it? Is there something more I'm supposed to be doing? That's exactly where Mo found herself before making a bold pivot from technology into coaching — and the wisdom she carries from that journey is fire.

In this episode, Mo and I dive deep into what empathy-led leadership actually looks like in practice, and why psychological safety isn't a "nice to have" — it's the foundation of every high-performing team. For all the hyper-achievers out there (you know who you are!), Mo introduces the "Big Rocks" strategy: a methodology for managing long-term goals like authorship, parenting, and career growth through small, intentional daily actions that make even the biggest milestones feel within reach.

We also get real about the fear of asking — and Mo shares a coaching approach that will help you reframe rejection as valuable data instead of a dead end. Whether you're dreaming of a career pivot, struggling with imposter syndrome, or simply ready to start advocating for yourself with more confidence, this conversation is your sign.

You can do hard things. And you don't have to do them alone. Now grab your favorite drink, get cozy, and let's dive in.

Mo helps entrepreneurs and leaders find clarity in purpose so they can lead and live with intention. She works with founders and senior leaders navigating growth and complexity, helping them build strong teams, scalable organizations, and meaningful results without losing their values. Drawing on leadership, education, entrepreneurship, and archery, Mo turns insight into focused, purposeful action.

Website: http://leifongcoaching.com

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Jocelyn Auyeung is a Life and Career Transitions Coach (ICF PCC) helping people trust their intuition while honoring the reality of their life as they navigate major life and career transitions — so they can move forward with both clarity and alignment. A former educator, mom of two (yes, a tween AND a teen — she's in it), and the host of the Empowered Working Mom Revolution podcast, Jocelyn brings both professional expertise and lived experience to every conversation.

Our mission is to amplify the stories of all moms so they can be seen, heard, and supported in their motherhood journey. Here's how you can help:

When we share diverse stories of motherhood with each other, we all feel less alone in our journeys.

We’ve all had that moment when your never ending to-do list keeps running through your head at 2am, during your commute, when you’re with your kids, or even right in the middle of a meeting where you’re trying to pay attention? 

If you're a working mom, a senior leader, or honestly just a human being trying to hold it all together, this episode is going to feel like a huge release. Because here’s what I want you to know: the overwhelm you're carrying doesn’t mean you’re failing — it's a signal that you need a better system, not more willpower.

This week, I sat down with Executive Life Strategist Robyn Cooper, and let me tell you — the wisdom she dropped in this conversation was mind-blowing.

Here's why this episode is for you:

Robyn's closing words of wisdom are ones that have stuck with me: You are one person — but you have resources, and you can blend aspects of your life together. You are guided. And every season is temporary.

You can do hard things. And you don't have to figure them out alone.

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Robyn Cooper is an Executive Life Strategist who helps high-performing professionals finally execute on their most important personal priorities — so it stops draining how they lead and they can show up fully everywhere that matters. With an MBA, PMP, and a background managing multimillion-dollar public health portfolios, she brings serious execution infrastructure to the priorities that keep getting pushed to “someday.” She works with Directors and Senior Managers who are done waiting for the right time — and as a mom of two, she knows that time isn’t coming on its own.

Book a complimentary Leadership Insight Call — a focused 15-minute conversation about closing the execution gap on your most important priorities.

www.theexecutivelifestrategist.com/leadership-insight

Connect with Robyn:

https://www.theexecutivelifestrategist.com/Masterclass

http://instagram.com/theexeclifestrategist 

http://facebook.com/profile.php?id=61585408832081

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Jocelyn Auyeung is a Life and Career Transitions Coach (ICF PCC) helping people trust their intuition while honoring the reality of their life as they navigate major life and career transitions — so they can move forward with both clarity and alignment. A former educator, mom of two (yes, a tween AND a teen — she's in it), and the host of the Empowered Working Mom Revolution podcast, Jocelyn brings both professional expertise and lived experience to every conversation.

Our mission is to amplify the stories of all moms so they can be seen, heard, and supported in their motherhood journey. Here's how you can help:

When we share diverse stories of motherhood with each other, we all feel less alone in our journeys.

You know that moment when you realize you've said "yes" to everyone else's needs — and completely forgot about your own?

Maybe it's saying yes to yet another volunteer commitment when your calendar is already overflowing. Maybe it's staying silent when someone crosses a line because you don't want to rock the boat. Or maybe it's looking in the mirror and genuinely not remembering the last time you did something purely for you.

Sound familiar? I sure know that feeling.

Here's what I want you to know: people-pleasing isn't just a habit — it's a survival strategy and behavior that moms have been conditioned to act upon, like a hamster constantly running on the never-ending hamster wheel. 

And the cost? Your peace, your identity, and your sense of self.And the cost? Your peace, your identity, and your sense of self.

In this powerful conversation, I sit down with Shay Michelle Drapeau — 3-time bestselling author, coach, and boundary advocate — for a deeply honest dialogue about what it actually looks like to stop over-giving and start protecting your peace.

Shay shares her personal journey of recovering from people-pleasing, and the specific steps she took to get there — including the courageous act of resigning from commitments that no longer aligned with who she was becoming. But here's the thing — she also gives us a distinction that changes everything: the difference between boundaries (your protected time) and standards (your integrity and values). Both matter. And learning to honor both is how you stop living life on everyone else's terms.

The conversation also goes deep on what Shay calls the community of self — the practice of "dating yourself" to cultivate the emotional awareness you need to recognize what you want, what you need, and what you will and will not accept in your life. Because you can't pour from a cup you've never taken the time to fill.

And for the mamas trying to figure out how to parent when your kids’ emotions are running high? Shay's wisdom on emotional regulation in children — allowing them to feel and name their emotions instead of rushing to fix them — is the kind of intentional parenting insight that you won’t forget.

You deserve a life that's guided by your own values — not everyone else's expectations. This episode will help you get there.

Shay Michelle Drapeau is a 3-time bestselling author, coach, crochet enthusiast, and boundary advocate helping women stop feeling guilty for protecting their peace. Her workshop, Letters To My Emotions, currently touring libraries throughout Westchester, NY, helps women reconnect with themselves through storytelling, reflection, and emotional healing.

Her signature workshop, Boundaries Without Guilt™, teaches women in personal and professional leadership how to stop over-explaining, stop people-pleasing, and finally say no without spiraling afterward. If your boundaries are constantly being tested, Shay's got the script, the strategy, and the system to make them stick.

Connect with Shay

Instagram: www.instagram.com/shebreatheslife

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Jocelyn Auyeung is a Life and Career Transitions Coach (ICF PCC) helping people trust their intuition while honoring the reality of their life as they navigate major life and career transitions — so they can move forward with both clarity and alignment. A former educator, mom of two (yes, a tween AND a teen — she's in it), and the host of the Empowered Working Mom Revolution podcast, Jocelyn brings both professional expertise and lived experience to every conversation.

Our mission is to amplify the stories of all moms so they can be seen, heard, and supported in their motherhood journey. Here's how you can help:

When we share diverse stories of motherhood with each other, we all feel less alone in our journeys.

Welcome to Season 7 of the Empowered Working Mom Revolution podcast! This season, we're continuing our mission to bring you real, honest conversations that help you feel seen, heard, and more equipped to navigate your motherhood journey on your own terms.

We're kicking things off with a conversation I can't wait for you to hear. If you've ever hit a moment where the path you've been on just isn't working anymore — but you're not quite sure what's next — this episode is for you.

I sit down with Loren Finger, career coach for mums and founder of EmpowerHER Careers, to talk about what it really looks like to walk away from a high-achieving career that became completely unsustainable after becoming a mom, and the courageous pursuit of work that actually feels meaningful. We get into redefining success on your own terms, the truth about ambition after motherhood, and two practical tools for trusting yourself when self-doubt gets loud.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

About Our Guest: Loren Finger

Loren Finger is a career coach for mums and the founder of EmpowerHER Careers, an education and coaching company where she helps moms figure out "what's next" in their career — and then helps them find and land fulfilling work that aligns with their professional potential, ambition, and life as a mum.

Loren has worked in recruitment, corporate law, and nonprofit leadership, bringing deep insider knowledge of how hiring decisions are made and how to stand out. She also brings lived experience as a mum who has successfully navigated career change multiple times.

Connect with Loren Finger

Keywords: working mom podcast, career change after baby, redefining success as a mom, ambition after motherhood, career pivot for moms, trusting your intuition, mom career coach, work-life integration, returning to work after maternity leave, high-achieving moms, self-doubt and growth, meaningful work, empowered working moms, Season 7

Enjoyed this episode? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it helps other working moms find this community. And share this episode with a mom in your life who needs to hear it today.

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Jocelyn Auyeung is a Life and Career Transitions Coach (ICF PCC) helping people trust their intuition while honoring the reality of their life as they navigate major life and career transitions — so they can move forward with both clarity and alignment. A former educator, mom of two (yes, a tween AND a teen — she's in it), and the host of the Empowered Working Mom Revolution podcast, Jocelyn brings both professional expertise and lived experience to every conversation.

Our mission is to amplify the stories of all moms so they can be seen, heard, and supported in their motherhood journey. Here's how you can help:

When we share diverse stories of motherhood with each other, we all feel less alone in our journeys.

Feeling torn between who you were and who you're becoming as a mom? Season 6's most powerful wisdom synthesized into 9 truths that change everything.

BONUS: Download your free phone wallpaper "The Mama Manifesto" with all 9 reminders at empoweredworkingmomrevolution.com

📱 FREE DOWNLOAD: "The Mama Manifesto" Phone Wallpaper

📧 Newsletter Sign-Up:

Jocelyn is a Life and Career Transition Coach (ICF PCC) helping people navigate major life and career transitions with courage and clarity. She's also a former educator, mom of two (tween and teen), and the host of the Empowered Working Mom Revolution podcast.

Our mission is to amplify the stories of all moms so they can be seen, heard, and supported in their motherhood journey. Here's how you can help:

When we share diverse stories of motherhood with each other, we all feel less alone in our journeys.

This episode features Carissa Kerrissey, a former educator and certified career coach, who shares how she built the courage to leave a nearly 20-year education career while raising three daughters. If you're a mom feeling stuck between staying safe and following your intuition, Carissa reveals the exact reframe that helped her push through fear: asking "What's the worst thing that could happen?" You'll learn how to build resiliency through rest, why saying no isn't selfish, and how centering your own well-being actually allows you to better serve your family and community.

Carissa Kerrissey is a certified career coach, consultant, and speaker who helps burned-out teachers break free from exhaustion and rediscover their purpose to create more balanced lives. After nearly two decades in educational leadership, she founded Future Forward Careers and created The Teacher Drop Out Academy, a movement that empowers educators to reclaim their energy, leverage their skills, and build sustainable, fulfilling careers that make an impact without starting over or sacrificing themselves.

Connect with Carissa:

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Connect with Host Jocelyn Auyeung:

Website: www.jocelynauyeung.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jocelynauyeungcoach/

Substack: https://substack.com/@leadfromyourheart

Here are 3 ways you can support the podcast:

Resources to Make Your MOM Life Easier ✨

Learning with Kelsey

You know that moment when you're looking at your toddler and wondering, "Am I doing enough to prepare them for school?"

Here's what I love about Learning with Kelsey: Kelsey gets it because she's lived it. As a former teacher AND a mom, she understands what kids actually need to thrive in kindergarten AND how overwhelming it feels trying to figure it all out as a parent.

Each month, you get beautifully curated boxes with hands-on activities that make learning genuinely fun (not stressful). The truth is, it's not really about the activities at all - it's about giving us confidence that we're nurturing our children's growth in exactly the right way.

Get curious about what intentional, joyful learning could look like in your home: https://rstr.co/learning-with-kelsey/5062

Plan to Eat

Let's be real - that 4 PM "what's for dinner?" panic is so real. (The one where you're standing in Target trying to remember what's in your fridge while your kids are asking for goldfish for the third time? Yeah, that one. 😅)

Here's what I'm learning about meal planning: it's not really about perfect Pinterest-worthy meals at all. It's about reclaiming your peace of mind and getting back precious time with your family.

Plan to Eat has been a total game-changer for our family - you can organize recipes, automatically generate shopping lists, and plan your week's meals in minutes.

The truth is, when we take care of this one thing, it creates space for what matters most: being present with our families instead of stressed about dinner every single night.

Get 20% off your first year: plantoeat.com/ref/empoweredmom

Feeling like you've lost yourself in motherhood? You're not alone, mama. In this powerful conversation with Julia Sewell, founder of The Self Made Mom movement, we're debunking the myth that mothers must sacrifice themselves to truly serve their families.

Julia shares her transformative journey from depletion and desperation to becoming the "sun" of her family's solar system - and how you can too. This isn't about choosing yourself over your children; it's about remembering that you're also a member of the family you serve.

🌟 The Self-Made Mom Mindset Shift

📋 Practical Tools for Busy Moms

💪 Building Intrinsic Self-Worth

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Modeling Healthy Boundaries

Julia Sewell is the founder of The Self Made Mom movement and author of the upcoming book by the same name. As a performance coach with decades of experience, she's impacted thousands of working mothers, helping them rediscover their power, intention, and joy without getting lost in service to their families and careers.

Julia deeply believes that working mothers need to be prioritized too, and her clients appreciate her vulnerable and direct approach to creating a life that is sustainable, joyful, and high-performing.

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Website: www.jocelynauyeung.com

Substack: https://substack.com/@leadfromyourheart

Love this episode? Please leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts - it helps other moms discover these important conversations!

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Learning with Kelsey

You know that moment when you're looking at your toddler and wondering, "Am I doing enough to prepare them for school?"

Here's what I love about Learning with Kelsey: Kelsey gets it because she's lived it. As a former teacher AND a mom, she understands what kids actually need to thrive in kindergarten AND how overwhelming it feels trying to figure it all out as a parent.

Each month, you get beautifully curated boxes with hands-on activities that make learning genuinely fun (not stressful). The truth is, it's not really about the activities at all - it's about giving us confidence that we're nurturing our children's growth in exactly the right way.

Get curious about what intentional, joyful learning could look like in your home: https://rstr.co/learning-with-kelsey/5062

Plan to Eat

Let's be real - that 4 PM "what's for dinner?" panic is so real. (The one where you're standing in Target trying to remember what's in your fridge while your kids are asking for goldfish for the third time? Yeah, that one. 😅)

Here's what I'm learning about meal planning: it's not really about perfect Pinterest-worthy meals at all. It's about reclaiming your peace of mind and getting back precious time with your family.

Plan to Eat has been a total game-changer for our family - you can organize recipes, automatically generate shopping lists, and plan your week's meals in minutes.

The truth is, when we take care of this one thing, it creates space for what matters most: being present with our families instead of stressed about dinner every single night.

Get 20% off your first year: plantoeat.com/ref/empoweredmom

Feeling trapped between who you think you should be and who you really are? This episode is for every working mom who's ever wondered if there's more to life than checking boxes and climbing ladders that lead nowhere meaningful.

Jessica Manca, Executive Career Coach and former Deloitte consultant, shares her raw journey from 80-hour work weeks and crushing burnout to building a thriving coaching business that aligns with her values. As a mom of two (ages 16 and 9), Jessica knows firsthand the impossible juggle of high-achieving careers and motherhood.

What You'll Learn:

Perfect for moms who:

Jessica Manca is an Executive Career and Personal Development Coach, Speaker, and author with over 25 years of experience at global organizations like Deloitte and Amazon. As founder of Mindspaces Coaching, she specializes in helping overthinkers, introverts, and perfectionists shift from feeling like imposters to feeling empowered. Her clients have unlocked the keys to successful career change, unshakeable self-trust, and lasting confidence.

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Website: www.jocelynauyeung.com

Substack: https://substack.com/@leadfromyourheart

Love this episode? Please leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts - it helps other moms discover these important conversations!

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Learning with Kelsey

You know that moment when you're looking at your toddler and wondering, "Am I doing enough to prepare them for school?"

Here's what I love about Learning with Kelsey: Kelsey gets it because she's lived it. As a former teacher AND a mom, she understands what kids actually need to thrive in kindergarten AND how overwhelming it feels trying to figure it all out as a parent.

Each month, you get beautifully curated boxes with hands-on activities that make learning genuinely fun (not stressful). The truth is, it's not really about the activities at all - it's about giving us confidence that we're nurturing our children's growth in exactly the right way.

Get curious about what intentional, joyful learning could look like in your home: https://rstr.co/learning-with-kelsey/5062

Plan to Eat

Let's be real - that 4 PM "what's for dinner?" panic is so real. (The one where you're standing in Target trying to remember what's in your fridge while your kids are asking for goldfish for the third time? Yeah, that one. 😅)

Here's what I'm learning about meal planning: it's not really about perfect Pinterest-worthy meals at all. It's about reclaiming your peace of mind and getting back precious time with your family.

Plan to Eat has been a total game-changer for our family - you can organize recipes, automatically generate shopping lists, and plan your week's meals in minutes.

The truth is, when we take care of this one thing, it creates space for what matters most: being present with our families instead of stressed about dinner every single night.

Get 20% off your first year: plantoeat.com/ref/empoweredmom