Mighty As A Mother

Today's episode is heating up with the topic of hormonal shifts! Whether you're knee-deep in motherhood or just beginning, the menopausal and perimenopausal phases are closer than you think. Join us as we delve into this vital conversation with an esteemed guest — Midi Health Co-Founder and CEO Joanna Strober. As someone who has spent her career building businesses that unlock the potential of women and their families, Joanna has a visionary approach to transforming women's healthcare, particularly in addressing the challenges of menopause. It's no surprise she created the first and only virtual-care platform for women experiencing this significant life change.

Join us as we discuss:

- The Evolution of Working Parenthood: Reflecting on her book "Getting to 50/50," Joanna discusses changes in the landscape of working parents and partnerships over the past 15 years.

- Lessons from a Decades-Long Career: Joanna imparts wisdom gained from her extensive career in business, highlighting key lessons learned along the way.

- Understanding Menopause and Perimenopause: Joanna provides definitions and age ranges for menopause and perimenopause, plus common symptoms experienced during these phases. We discuss empowering women to educate themselves, particularly in their early to mid-thirties.

- The Role of Midi Health: Explore how Midi Health supports women in aging their best and managing menopausal symptoms with dignity and ease.

- The Economic Impact of Menopause: Discussing the significant economic impact of menopause and its implications for consumers in the coming years.

Grab a pen and paper and an open mind. Together with Joanna, we're ready to help you navigate these inevitable hormonal shifts with confidence and grace.

Links:

• Midi Health

• Joanna on LinkedIn

• Getting to 50/50: How Working Couples Can Have It All by Sharing It All by Joanna Strober and Sharon Meers

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We're honored to have Dr. Cassidy Freitas, LMFT, join us to discuss how critical conversations around maternal mental health must be discussed often and openly. Dr. Freitas is a licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in peripartum mental health. With a wealth of firsthand experience as a mother herself and expertise running her own group practice, Cassidy supports the treatment of emotional pain, trauma, grief and loss, while honoring the courage and vulnerability it takes to ask for help. She encourages us to look at our wounds, to embrace the messy parts of our lives, and understand the WHY behind so many common struggles. She explains what it means to "hold space" for meaningful change and healing, while sharing strategies for how we can prioritize our own mental well-being during the lifelong journey of motherhood.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

- Balancing Work and Motherhood: Strategies for mothers to prioritize mental well-being while managing professional and family responsibilities.

- Supporting Maternal Mental Health: Dr. Cassidy discusses varying approaches to supporting mothers experiencing postpartum depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges.

- Understanding Mom Rage: Exploring common triggers for mom rage and coping strategies for navigating the common intense emotions.

- Addressing Guilt: How to help mothers address feelings of guilt while validating their range of emotions.

- Coping Strategies: Techniques for managing inevitable stress and overwhelm both at home and in the workplace.

Tune in for a rich discussion that will empower and support you, wherever you may be on your motherhood journey.

Links:

• Dr. Cassidy's Website

• Dr. Cassidy's Instagram

• Holding Space Podcast

• Open Path Collective

• Postpartum.net

• Psychology Today

For more authentic and honest motherhood conversation, subscribe to Mighty as a Mother:

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Join in on the conversation and follow along with us on Instagram: ⁠@mightyasamotherpodcast⁠!

We are so excited for you to listen to today's episode with Monique Volz, a corporate marketer turned blogger and cookbook author. Monique's goal is simply this: to inspire us all, both in and out of the kitchen - and she does that and then some.

Together we discuss how to confidently leave behind a "dream job" in order to ruthlessly pursue your dreams and Monique shares what began as a personal journey to share her favorite recipes while processing the loss of her father has blossomed into a multifaceted brand known for its innovative dishes, vibrant photography, and heartfelt storytelling. Beyond the kitchen, Monique is a fellow mama (three toddler boys!) and entrepreneur, balancing the demands of motherhood with the responsibilities of running a successful business.

Monique shares her personal practices for balancing the many demands of life while making time for herself, and she does it in the most authentic and approachable way. We close with a discussion on how she manages running successful businesses and raising three, energetic toddlers and it left each of us feeling so inspired.

This episode is filled with so many pearls of wisdom that we'll remember as we approach our own daily lives. We adore how honest and approachable Monique is, and how despite growing her team, still manages to stay close and connected to her community. If you're ready to sit down with three girlfriends and chat openly and honestly about all things ambition in motherhood, this is the episode for you.

Links:

• Monique's IG

• Monique's cookbook

• Monique's blog

For more authentic and honest motherhood conversation, subscribe to Mighty as a Mother:

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Join in on the conversation and follow along with us on Instagram: ⁠@mightyasamotherpodcast⁠!

It's Stress Awareness Month and we dive head first into the complexities of maternal stress with fellow mom and PhD, Molly Dickens. As a scientist, writer, advocate, and founder, Molly has the fascinating insights to share around the physiological and psychological impacts of chronic stress on mothers, along with personal lessons learned throughout her career journey from academia to maternal health advocacy, and her latest initiative, The Maternal Stress Project.

In this episode you will learn:

• What is "The Maternal Stress Project"? - Molly maps the stressors related to modern American motherhood in a way we've never seen before with the goal of better understanding and supporting the health and wellbeing of women and working caregivers around the country.

• What is "Maternal Stress" and what are the societal acceptances of maternal stress and its impact on health outcomes, with an emphasis on the need for targeted interventions that actually help!

• The physiological and psychological impacts of chronic stress. Spoiler alert: they each have significant effects on both the body and mind of mothers, influencing our overall wellbeing and health.

• Coping strategies to help manage your day to day life, emphasizing the importance of taking care of your body and mind, while identifying and leaning on support as often as you can.

• What is needed from a policy and domestic initiative perspective to better support us mamas in managing stress and advocating for systemic changes.

We took away tons of actionable insights from this conversation and hope you love it, too!

Links:

• Maternal Stress Project Substack

• Maternal Stress Project LinkedIn

• Molly's LinkedIn

For more authentic and honest motherhood conversation, subscribe to Mighty as a Mother:

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Join in on the conversation and follow along with us on Instagram: ⁠@mightyasamotherpodcast⁠!

In today's critically important episode, we're talking all things gender equity and working parenthood with

Lauren Smith Brody. Fellow mom, gender equity advocate, and former Executive Editor at Glamour Magazine sits down with us to discuss the crisis facing working parents and caregivers today - and what's needed to advance women's leadership and overall economic growth.

Lauren shares her own experiences as a working mother and interviews with other women to offer practical tips, anecdotes, and guidance on navigating the professional and personal aspects of life after childbirth. Lauren's work has been featured in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and on Good Morning America and we know you'll love this episode regardless of where you are on your motherhood journey!

By the end of our conversation, you'll learn how we as mothers can successfully navigate our own careers (whatever that looks like for you) and the actions we can (and should) take to challenge the status quo.

Links:

• Lauren's book: The Fifth Trimester

• Lauren's website: https://www.thefifthtrimester.com/

• Chamber of Mothers

• Episode referenced: Mighty as a Mother E11: Beyond Birth: Unpacking Maternal Mental Health with Gayane Aramyan, LMFT

For more authentic and honest motherhood conversation, subscribe to Mighty as a Mother:

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Join in on the conversation and follow along with us on Instagram: ⁠@mightyasamotherpodcast⁠!

Today's episode with none other than CNBC's Julia Boorstin is such a treat. As a mom to two boys and esteemed journalist and reporter, Julia shares her experiences and perspectives on reframing what leadership is for women. She has interviewed some of the most notorious and influential men (and women) in business over the last few decades but only once becoming a mom did Julia ditch her fears of what others thought.

In this episode, be prepared to take away:

♥️ How women are breaking barriers and shattering glass ceilings, paving the way for future generations

♥️ How to trust your gut, decision making abilities, and experiences versus following other people and their decisions of what's right for you

♥️ Why the lens of motherhood brought even deeper purpose and meaning to her career

♥️ Regardless of where you are or are not in your professional career, mothers are all inherent leaders and it's up to us to remember what truly matters

Links:

• Julia's Book: When Women Lead: What They Achieve, Why They Succeed, and How We Can Learn from Them

• Julia's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliaboorstin/

• Julia's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliaboorstin/

For more authentic and honest motherhood conversation, subscribe to Mighty as a Mother:

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Join in on the conversation and follow along with us on Instagram: ⁠@mightyasamotherpodcast⁠!

In today's episode we sat down with the multi-faceted, multi-talented Rachel Mansfield! As the co-founder of grt sht ventures, food entrepreneur, cookbook author and podcast host, Rachel has merged her love of food, business and family. She is known for her engaged cult following, easy recipes that taste delicious, lifestyle tips and tricks, and raising her three adorable boys in New Jersey.

In this episode, we chat with Rachel about:

♥️ How getting fired from an uninspiring corporate career catapulted her into successful entrepreneurship

♥️ Rachel's personal journey with infertility and why she's always chosen authenticity and transparency in sharing her story to hopefully help others

♥️ The ways we can find balance and fun in the food we make and serve our families

♥️ Maneuvering food variety and healthier options with our littles

♥️ Why striving for what's next is needed to keep us constantly evolving and growing

♥️ At the end of the day, we're all just mamas doing the best we can, and that's more than enough

Links:

• Rachel's Blog: RachLmansfield

• Rachel's Book: Just The Good Stuff: 100+ Guilt-Free Recipes To Satisfy All Your Cravings: A Cookbook

For more authentic and honest motherhood conversation, subscribe to Mighty as a Mother:

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Join in on the conversation and follow along with us on Instagram: ⁠@mightyasamotherpodcast⁠!

In honor of American Heart Month, we're tackling a special topic today: Happiness. When we think of juggling motherhood alongside any passions or responsibilities outside of our kids, guilt and overwhelm often kick in - but does it have to? To better understand this phenomenon, we sat down with esteemed Brown University Assistant Professor and Licensed Clinical Psychologist Yael Schonburn to discuss her work around the science of happiness and how our careers and motherhood can actually compliment one another.

Yael also writes about parenting, work, and relationships, drawing on scientific research, clinical experience, and real life experiences with her own three small kiddos. We were first introduced to Yael via her work as author of the incredibly helpful book Work Parent Thrive, 12 Science Backed Strategies to Ditch Guilt, Manage Overwhelm, and Grow Connection (When Everything Feels Like Too Much).

I mean, how relatable of a title is that?!

Join us for today's conversation as we discuss:

• The two different types of happiness and why we as humans need both

• How self-compassion is the most treasured gift we can give ourselves - and why!

• How to observe our thoughts in a non-judgemental way

• Why creating whitespace and allowing ourselves and our kids to "be bored" is actually better than packing more activities in

Links:

1. https://www.amazon.com/Work-Parent-Thrive-Science-Backed-Strategies/dp/1611809657/ref=asc_df_1611809657/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=564704744805&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14094078586807344666&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031565&hvtargid=pla-1636771075583&psc=1&mcid=e1a3159cd6e43b2d8f9dd5b05a4b31f9&gclid=CjwKCAiA44OtBhAOEiwAj4gpOSfMhb9AHc2i3ptVzvsfVnd-SiNuOps4ppLJBUgsxTvCptSsFLDosRoCbDAQAvD_BwE

2. https://yaelschonbrun.com/

3. https://www.instagram.com/yaelschonbrun/

For more authentic and honest motherhood conversation, subscribe to Mighty as a Mother:

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Join in on the conversation and follow along with us on Instagram: ⁠@mightyasamotherpodcast⁠!

We're kicking off American Heart Month with our first MD and OBGYN, Dr. Tasha Kalra! By the end of this episode you'll feel inspired and ready to make some small tweaks to your daily habits in order to live a healthier life. Tasha is a busy mama to two toddlers and just 'gets it' - there's not enough time, not enough energy, and sometimes not enough resources to prioritize your own health. But she serves up some helpful and realistic tips and tricks to ensure you're identifying and implementing super simple ways to live well and nurture yourself as you nurture your kiddos.

Join us for today's conversation as we discuss:

• Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women - what can we do to prevent illness?

• How to be an advocate for your own health

• The feel-better effect of movement on your mood and mindset - even during pregnancy

• Reaping the benefits of exercise without having to "fix" your body

• Creating sustainable health habits that stick

• How, as a busy mom to two toddlers and as on-call physician, Dr. Kalra prioritizes herself and her well-being

• Low libido and painful sex

• The one health hack Tasha says anyone can start today for a healthier tomorrow

Links

• Eat Everything: How To Ditch Additives and Emulsifiers, Heal Your Body, and Reclaim The Joy of Food by Dr. Dawn Harris Sherling
• Dr. Tasha Kalra bio
• All About Women's Care Instagram

For more authentic and honest motherhood conversation, subscribe to Mighty as a Mother:

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Join in on the conversation and follow along with us on Instagram: ⁠@mightyasamotherpodcast⁠!

If you've ever been forced to return to work so soon after welcoming a child, or taken unpaid maternity leave, or wondered how you'd juggle your career and caring for a human, we see you.

Frankly, American societal infrastructure is stacked against mothers and caregivers, which is why we sat down with esteemed author, columnist, and fellow mom Jess Grose to discuss why it feels so hard to be a mother in America. Jess is an opinion writer at The New York Times who often writes about women, parenting, and culture. She was named a Glamour Game Changer for her realistic coverage of parenting during the pandemic and is the author of several books including Sad Desk Salad, Soulmates, and Love, Mom, and most recently a book appropriately titled Screaming on the Inside: The Unsustainability of American Motherhood - which was voted by People Magazine as one of the best books of 2023.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Jess' own motherhood journey and the motivation behind her column and best-selling book

• The history behind American parenthood, and how we are now in a modern world with an antiquated infrastructure that leaves working parents and caregivers hanging

• How to embrace being a "good enough" mom and avoid feelings of failure

Jess is kind, humble, and brilliant. This episode on motherhood is one you surely won't want to miss!

Links:

• Screaming On The Inside: The Unsustainability of American Motherhood by Jess Grose

• https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/next-question-with-katie-couri-131117/episodes/the-parenting-deep-dive-part-1-156582216/transcript

• https://www.nytimes.com/by/jessica-grose

• https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/04/opinion/women-men-work.html

For more authentic and honest motherhood conversation, subscribe to Mighty as a Mother:

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Join in on the conversation and follow along with us on Instagram: ⁠@mightyasamotherpodcast⁠!