Hello My Tribe

Ashlee Piper, author of "Give a Sh*t," chats with Alex this week about how climate change impacts us as women and mothers, and all the things we care about. How would our lives look differently with more of a minimalist lifestyle? We would have more time and more energy, big things women desire. Did you know we spend 55 minutes a day just looking for things? Ashlee talks with us about how climate change influences global security and terrorism, the Marie Kondo movement versus ethical offloading, and what the American dream has become. Ashlee’s approach to all of this is warm and accessible. She prides herself in showing people that being eco-friendly and caring about the future of our planet doesn't mean sacrificing style, fun, or beauty. "Give a Sh*t" is a road map to a healthier, streamlined, stress-free, and sustainable existence. It’s not a manual of restrictions, but rather full of helpful, EASY, and impactful steps to take. Warning: this episode contains some potty language. http://www.ashleepiper.com/

"It was a fight to get out of bed and a fight to try and get better. You feel like it's going to be like this forever." Jen Schwartz joins us to talk about her journey with postpartum depression. We discuss her process from realization, to going to the doctor, to trying different medications, to finding the right therapist. We discuss shame around medication and the decision to have only one child. Jen also shares with us the work she is doing to support the 1 in 5 women who experience perinatal mood and anxiety disorders through her platform Motherhood Understood and her other leadership roles.

After a decade at her dream job, Lauren Petrowski made the decision to leave her role as a news anchor a few years after becoming a mother. "I don't think this is working for my life anymore." Alex and Lauren discuss Lauren's daily wake up at 2:30am, maternity leave, losing a piece of your identity when leaving a job, questioning what you're good at now, finding a sense of self-worth post career, and figuring out what to do next. "You will never know the possibilities until you take the leap."

Have a dream? Trying to achieve a goal? What's stopping you from going for it? Fear of failure is the number one reason stopping people from making goals in first place. Goals put us in a vulnerable spot light as we have a 50/50 chance: success or failure. Jacki Carr, goal coach, writer, motivational speaker, yogi, and mother of two daughters, joins guides us to help set and achieve goals. And according to Jacki, failure is an important part of the process. “Failure is slowly becoming a great friend of mine.” Jacki also helps us reframe how hiring a coach of any kind is an investment in ourselves, rather than an expense. Both Alex and Jacki each share some of their own goals and current barriers to reaching them. And currently in a tough place where self-care and goal setting sound overwhelming to you? Don’t worry, we address this.

Jacki Carr: https://www.jackicarr.com

Finish by Jon Acuff: https://acuff.me/books/

Jen Pinkston shares her journey of being a full-time content creator and mom of two, all while working from home and prioritizing her kids over career. Alex and Jen chat weekly planning, daily schedules, blogging, self-care, and bed-time routines. In 2011, with the belief that effortless, every day style should be accessible to all, Jen channeled her love of fashion and enthusiasm for design into the lifestyle site, TheEffortlessChic.com. Jen's work has been featured on The Today Show, Real Simple, W Magazine, Martha Stewart, Women's Health Magazine, and many more. Her site is often praised as an inspiring resource to help get you dressed, design your own home, and feel more confident in motherhood.

The Effortless Chic: theeffortlesschic.com

15 Laws of Growth book: https://www.amazon.com/15-Invaluable-Laws-Growth-Potential-ebook/dp/B0076DF6T4

On this week's episode, Lauren Cunningham, mother of two boys, opens up about her experience with infertility, IVF, and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Lauren shares her healing and self-care journey with us, including the use of both medication and alternative medicine to address prenatal depression and postpartum anxiety. And for the first time, we hear from a woman about the ethical dilemma of what to do with unused embryos.

Anxiety, debilitating depression, thoughts of suicide, and hallucinations led Jill Birt to follow her intuition, using yoga to connect deep to her inner-self to begin the healing process. As a mom of three, Jill has been caring for expectant mothers since 2001, first as Labor and Delivery nurse and now as a prenatal yoga instructor. This career transition came after Jill’s journey with postpartum psychosis after the birth of her third child. Originally published on 9/12/18.

Kate Westervelt is Founder and CEO of MOMBOX, and is on a mission to take better care of new moms during the postpartum recovery period. Kate and her MOMBOX team ship postpartum care kits, direct-to-consumer, filled with the healing products new moms need. She talks with us about her own surprising postpartum experience, and shares her advice for a better postpartum experience.

References:

MOMBOX: https://www.mom-box.com/

Kate's article You might not like motherhood, and that's ok: https://www.hellomytribe.com/pre-post/you-might-not-like-motherhood-and-thats-ok/

In case you missed this episode back in August of 2018, we are sharing it again! First stop for Babyation, reinventing the outdated breast pump. Sam Rudolph, the woman behind the start-up, chats breast pumps and motherhood with us.

Cristina Bocanegra is an Austin-based wardrobe stylist who has worked with clients like Brooklyn Decker, Norah Jones, and Whitney Wolfe Herd. Inspired by new motherhood and the birth of her two sons, Bowie and Grey, Cristina founded Love Child, a digital publication for the modern parent who seeks relevant lifestyle content and daily inspiration. Never content to stay still, Cristina also recently founded Mini Market, an event featuring goods for mamas and their minis, as well as the Current Conference, a one-day event where motherhood and creativity intersect. She shares her tips for managing all these responsibilities with motherhood and marriage, and finding the motivation to start it all over again each morning.

References:

Love Child Digital Magazine: www.lovechildmag.com

Current Conference: https://www.currentconference.com/

Wardrobe Styling: http://www.cristinafacundo.com