Ever feel like balancing career and motherhood is a never-ending juggling act where something’s always about to fall?"

Hello, and welcome back to the Empowered and Unapologetic podcast! I’m your host, Veronica Cisneros, and today, I’m thrilled to introduce you to Kathy Sullivan—a powerhouse executive coach and change agent. As the owner of Talent Principles, Kathy has spent years empowering women to break through barriers at work and beyond. She's here to share some insight into her journey, her work with high-achieving women, and the wisdom from her book, Moms Eat First: Five Principles to Prioritize Yourself and Create the Change You Crave.

Summary

• Reflection is key to self-preservation and understanding what is important to you.
• Rediscovering possibilities is essential to feeding your soul and dreaming big.
• It's never too late to reset your priorities based on what is important to you.
• Amid adversity, you can reclaim power through choice and perseverance.
• Peace prevails when you release what you can't control and focus on what you can.
• Organizations can better support working moms by providing flexibility, support, and pay equity.
• Maintain resilience and personal growth by defining self-care, knowing yourself, and celebrating wins.

Building a Career While Raising a Family

Kathy’s story is one of resilience, as she balances her successful career as an executive coach with being a single mom of two. “Day by day,” Kathy says. For her, it was a journey of self-reflection and learning to prioritize herself. She describes how her background in HR and organizational development, coupled with her own life experiences, shaped her approach to empowering women. Kathy understands the unique challenges women face in balancing career aspirations with family life.

"Many women feel guilty about not being able to ‘do it all.’ But self-care is the foundation that lets us show up as the best version of ourselves." - Kathy Sullivan

Common Barriers for High-Achieving Women

Through her work, Kathy has noticed recurring struggles faced by ambitious women, especially mothers. Guilt often tops the list, as women juggle professional roles, parenting, and societal expectations. This guilt can sometimes turn into what Kathy calls “mom-gree”—a blend of responsibility overload and resentment from trying to do it all.

As a mother and executive, Kathy recognized the need for women to reframe their mindset, letting go of guilt and unrealistic expectations. Kathy encourages women to question: What am I feeling guilty about? Are these responsibilities real, or are they imposed by societal expectations?

"Understanding our guilt and our ‘responsibilities’ lets us release what’s not serving us and helps us create a new vision of balance." - Kathy Sullivan

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