Calissa Smith shares how she built two thriving businesses around her family's needs while creating community for children of all developmental levels and their parents. She reveals the journey of transitioning from employment to entrepreneurship through a series of small steps of faith rather than one intimidating leap.

• Starting with group music classes at Sing Play Speak that incorporate language development before launching individual speech therapy services through Thrive Therapy
• Using the power of peer learning and socialization to benefit children of all developmental levels
• Taking small steps of faith instead of intimidating leaps when building a business
• How word-of-mouth referrals from community relationships proved more effective than traditional marketing
• Setting boundaries to protect family time even as business grows
• Finding divine timing in business growth, especially when navigating her son's epilepsy diagnosis
• The story behind her new Lake Orion space and the miraculous way it came together
• Creating genuine community spaces where parents and children can connect
• Future plans for mama entrepreneur meetups and therapist networks

If you're considering taking steps toward building your own business and you're a believer, put God's timing over yours. When you wait for the right timing, it will be better than you imagined.

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Lauren Washington, a former pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) nurse, shares her courageous journey of leaving healthcare after COVID to be more present with her children and pursue a life aligned with her values. She discusses the identity crisis that came with stepping away from her career, finding peace in a slower pace, and how transitioning from clinical nursing to becoming a doula allowed her to use her skills in a new way.

• Working in pediatric emergency and intensive care before having children
• The identity crisis and guilt that came with leaving a prestigious nursing career 
• Creating a slower pace of life with morning cuddles and homeschooling
• Moving from suburbs to country to provide more space and opportunities for the family
• Becoming a doula after experiencing both traumatic and empowering births
• Navigating multiple passions and interests while prioritizing motherhood
• Using homeschooling to teach life skills beyond traditional academics
• Balancing holistic health values with traditional medical approaches
• Finding identity and purpose in faith rather than career achievements
• Simplifying and taking small steps toward personal goals during the little years

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Emily, a mother of seven, shares her journey of discovering her calling to be fully present in motherhood and living that calling wholeheartedly through biological parenting, foster care, and adoption. Her story reveals how God works through our willingness rather than our perfection, showing how she built a beautifully blended family while navigating real challenges and experiencing incredible grace.

• Becoming a mom at 22 and knowing from the start that motherhood would be her primary calling
• Growing her family from two biological children to becoming licensed foster parents 
• Receiving a newborn straight from the hospital and experiencing instant attachment
• Navigating different attachment styles with her adopted children and the importance of age-appropriate honesty
• Finding unexpected compassion for biological parents while struggling more with the broken foster care system
• Learning to trust God with her children's futures rather than carrying anxiety about what might happen
• Creating moments of rest through simple practices like walking, reading, and prioritizing quiet time
• Embracing the sanctifying nature of family life while acknowledging it isn't always perfect
• Encouraging those considering large families to take it "one kid at a time" and trust God's timing

Connect with Emily through her foster care support group called The Village or through the House of Providence, a therapeutic group home for girls where she serves on the board.

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Discover how mothers can find remote part-time work in law firms without requiring a legal degree, with roles paying between $17-$40 per hour. These positions include client intake, scheduling, billing, CRM management, social media, and administrative tasks that leverage the organizational and communication skills mothers already use daily.

• Law firms, especially small ones, actively seek trustworthy part-time remote help
• Most positions range from 5-20 hours weekly with firms willing to train the right person
• Moms make excellent candidates due to their organizational skills and emotional intelligence
• Start by identifying your transferable skills in areas like customer service, organization, or communication
• Learn basic legal terminology through free online resources
• Create a resume highlighting relevant skills, especially confidentiality
• Search for opportunities on LinkedIn, Indeed, FlexJobs, Upwork, and through local networking
• During interviews, emphasize your reliability, consistent availability, and interest in long-term growth

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Nicole Troster, CEO of Courage Labs, shares her journey helping women scale service-based businesses beyond $500,000. We discussed:

• Drawing inspiration from her entrepreneur mother who ran a hospitality business for 34 years after immigrating to Canada
• Developing frameworks to help women scale service-based businesses while avoiding burnout.
• Navigating the tension between career growth and being present for young children.
• Planning for maternity leave as an entrepreneur through stakeholder conversations.
• Shifting from working IN the business to working ON the business to enable scaling.
• Letting go of tasks that aren't your strengths to focus on high-impact priorities.
• Building support systems and having honest conversations about motherhood challenges.
• Creating business systems that provide both time freedom and financial growth.
• Working with clients to create human-centered design for service businesses.

Connect with Nicole on LinkedIn or visit Coeurage Labs to learn more about her coaching programs and services for women entrepreneurs.

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Dr. Lyndsi Davenport—a physician, homeschooling mom, and woman of deep faith—whose story is a powerful reminder that motherhood isn’t the end of ambition, it’s the beginning of something deeper. Dr. Lyndsi left behind a thriving academic medical career at a major hospital to follow a calling she could no longer ignore.

Her story challenges the notion that motherhood limits professional success, showing instead how it can lead to more meaningful and purposeful work.

We discussed:

• Transitioning from hospital-based medicine to direct primary care
• Balancing early motherhood with demanding physician schedules
• Finding faith during career transitions and family building
• Understanding direct primary care's benefits for both doctors and patients
• Discovering hybrid homeschooling as a solution for working professionals
• Redefining success beyond traditional career achievements
• Taking the leap of faith to follow your calling despite fears

To learn more about Dr. Davenport, you can enroll as her patient at https://paradox.health/ or you can follow her on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/drlyndsidavenport/

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Corinne Lantis shares her journey transitioning from full-time corporate work in marketing to very part-time hours, reshaping her approach to motherhood, and discovering deep purpose in everyday family life.

• Former marketing professional who initially said she would "never be a stay-at-home mom"
• Struggled with her achievement-oriented personality (Enneagram 3) when first becoming a full-time mom
• Transitioned slowly into motherhood while moving from Colorado to Michigan to be near family
• Created intentional rhythms inspired by "Habits of the Household" including nighttime routines of pray, hope, story and song
• Deleted Instagram to be more present and intentional with her time and attention
• Chose classical education and hybrid homeschooling for their focus on cultivating wisdom and virtue
• Trained for marathons after each baby as a form of self-care and personal goal-setting
• Makes faith central by keeping her Bible visible and accessible throughout the day
• Prioritizes praying with her husband over their children each night
• Embraces the challenges of motherhood while seeking to be fully present in this season

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Hannah Dewar shares her journey from full-time employment to entrepreneurship, describing how she created a flexible business model centered around her family priorities. She walks us through the faith and practical decisions that led her to launch Lovely Nine Months, her fitness and nutrition coaching business for pregnant and postpartum women.

• Working as a chiropractic assistant provided valuable experience but created logistical challenges after having her daughter
• Commuting between home, childcare, and work sometimes took two hours of her day
• Felt convicted about not prioritizing her highest calling as a mother and disciple
• Made the courageous decision to step away from her job before seeing financial provision
• Downsized their home and moved in with in-laws to create financial flexibility
• Built her business slowly and intentionally, focused on word-of-mouth growth
• Approaches business decisions by discerning between "striving" and "grace"
• Creates a welcoming environment for moms by allowing children at training sessions
• Recommends 100g of protein daily during pregnancy and weightlifting 2-3 times weekly
• Suggests putting workout times on the calendar "like a business meeting" for postpartum recovery
• Values the small, everyday moments with her daughter that became possible through her career shift

If you want to work with Hannah, follow her on Instagram and Facebook at Lovely Nine Months for pregnancy and postpartum fitness and nutrition coaching, available both remotely and in-person.

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Upwork offers moms a flexible, accessible way to earn $20-75 per hour from home while maintaining control over their schedules and rates. The freelance platform connects 12 million freelancers with 5 million clients, making it easier to find work in writing, design, admin support, legal services and more without needing your own website or marketing strategy.

• Creating a strong, specialized profile increases your chances of getting accepted and hired
• Most successful freelancers apply multiple times before getting accepted
• Include a professional photo and complete all profile sections
• Craft a specific headline that includes what you do and who you serve
• Use relevant keywords naturally throughout your profile
• Research successful profiles by creating a client account to see what works
• Start with beginner-friendly rates to build reviews and experience
• Write customized proposals that show genuine interest in each job posting
• Deliver excellent work and follow up to request reviews

Check out our upcoming resource at littlehandsbigplans.co featuring 50 business ideas moms can do part-time. If you start freelancing on Upwork after this episode, I'd love to feature you in a future podcast!

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Gabriela Rivera shares her journey from Panama to Michigan, revealing how she built community as a homeschooling mom and barre instructor without extended family nearby. Her story demonstrates that intentional friendship-building requires the same strategic approach many apply to business development.

• Originally from Panama where both parents typically work, Gabriela discovered the possibility of staying home with children in America
• Became exposed to homeschooling through a church family during college, drawn to the freedom and creativity it offered
• Teaches bar fitness classes 4-5 hours per week, finding it energizing and community-building rather than draining
• Approaches friendship strategically by setting goals: going to a park to meet one mom, getting a phone number, following up
• Avoids small talk by asking deeper questions that quickly reveal whether meaningful connection is possible
• Seeks three types of relationships: younger moms to mentor, peers in the same life stage, and older women who offer wisdom
• Delivered her first baby during the pandemic when family couldn't travel to support her
• Recommends the book "Breath as Prayer" for new moms dealing with anxiety

If you've ever felt lonely in motherhood, take the first step to build your village. Don't wait for someone to invite you – be the one who reaches out, sets the date, and pursues your people. Your community is out there, it just takes time and intentionality.

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with another mom who needs encouragement. Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and connect with me on LinkedIn.

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