What if loving motherhood deeply doesn’t mean you have to want to spend every waking moment with your kids?

This week at the Milk Money booth, I’m sitting down with Nat, founder of Vixen Creative, mom to a two-year-old, and someone who is getting really honest about a conversation so many moms feel ashamed to have: wanting a life outside of motherhood.

Nat opens up about the guilt she felt when she put her son in daycare, the cultural expectations she grew up with, building a village when your family lives far away, and why asking for help doesn’t make you any less of a mom.

We also get into information overload, trusting your own intuition, the pressure to “bounce back,” unsolicited comments about moms’ bodies, and how becoming a mother completely changed the way Nat looked at her time.

Because motherhood can be a huge part of your life without having to be your entire life. And maybe building a life that belongs to you, too, isn't selfish. Maybe it's part of taking care of yourself, and showing up as the mom you actually want to be.

Today’s Special

In this episode, we’re talking about:

•  The guilt that comes with wanting time away from your kids 
•  Why daycare can be part of your village & not a failure of motherhood 
•  The difference between being a mom entrepreneur and simply being a mom who is an entrepreneur 
•  Why mothers are held to different standards than fathers 
•  Building your own support system when family isn't nearby 
•  Information overload and learning to trust your own intuition 
•  The pressure to “bounce back” after having a baby 
•  Why we need to stop commenting on mothers’ bodies 
•  How motherhood changed Nat’s relationship with time 
•  Leaving corporate and realizing the value of her own time 
•  Creating a life and business that actually fit the life she wants 
•  Letting go of the idea that there is one “right” way to be a good mom

On the Menu

Motherhood + Identity
You can love being a mom without wanting motherhood to consume every part of your identity.

Mom Guilt
Why do we feel like needing space, daycare, childcare, or help means we're doing something wrong?

Building Your Village
Sometimes your village isn't family. Sometimes you have to build it yourself.

Trusting Your Intuition
When the internet gives you 47 different opinions about how to raise your child, how do you learn to trust yourself again?

The Value of Your Time
Motherhood can completely change the way you look at your limited time—and what you decide is actually worth spending it on.

A Life of Your Own
You don't have to choose between being a present mom and having dreams, ambition, work, friendships, or a life that belongs to you.

Meet Our Guest

Nat is the founder and lead strategist at Vixen Creative, a web design and SEO strategy studio for women and BIPOC founders. She's also a mom to a two-year-old and a first-generation immigrant who moved to the U.S. from Brazil at 16.

After years in a stable corporate career, becoming a mom shifted the way she thought about time, work, and what she wanted her life to look like. She eventually took the leap into full-time entrepreneurship—and she's bringing all of that honesty to the booth.

Connect with Nat 

Instagram + Threads: @vixencreative
Website: https://viksen.co/

 From the Booth: “Why am I not using the now to do something better? The later is not promised.”  

Pull Up a Seat

Enjoyed the conversation? Subscribe to Milk Money and pull up a seat at the booth for more honest conversations about motherhood, ambition, business, identity, and all the messy bits in between.

You can also find Milk Money here:

@themilkmoneypodcast

 Meet me behind the counter: 

@milkmademedia_

Serving short stacks and big dreams 🥞☕

What if being a present mom and being an ambitious business owner didn't have to be an either/or?

In this episode of Milk Money, Stephanie sits down with Tiana Wiley, creative director and founder of Ferox Event Designs and Planning, for an honest conversation about building a business while being intentional about the time she has with her son.

Tiana shares what it looks like to navigate entrepreneurship, a corporate career, motherhood, and the never-ending mental load that comes with having approximately 37 tabs open in your brain at all times. Together, Stephanie and Tiana talk about creating boundaries with clients, protecting time with your kids, and giving yourself permission to not be available 24/7.

Tiana also opens up about becoming a mom at 20 and having her son at 25 weeks, spending three months in the NICU while finishing her degree, and how that season taught her a level of tenacity she carries with her today.

But this isn't a conversation about pushing through at all costs.

It's about knowing when to push, when to pause, and when to give yourself grace.

We talk about being physically present but mentally somewhere else, involving your kids in your work, communicating with them about what you're doing, creating intentional pockets of time together, and remembering that one hard or chaotic workday doesn't define your motherhood.

Because you don't have to choose.

You can love being a mom and love what you do.

You can work hard and be present.

You can build something of your own and give yourself permission to rest.

And sometimes, the secret sauce is simply being intentional, setting boundaries, and finding the pockets of joy in between.

Pull up a seat, this one's for the mom trying to do both.

Today's Special

A few takeaways from the booth:

•  You don't have to choose between motherhood and ambition. 
•  Your clients don't need access to you 24/7. 
•  Boundaries aren't just for your clients - they're for you, too. 
•  Being intentional can matter more than trying to create a “perfect” balance. 
•  You can have an incredibly chaotic business season without being a bad mom. 
•  Sometimes you need to push through; sometimes you need to stop. 
•  Your kids can understand more about your work than you might think. 
•  Find the pockets of joy - the car rides, movie nights, coloring, dance breaks, and little moments that become memories. 
•  Give yourself grace.

On the Menu

In this episode, we talk about:

•  Building a business while raising kids 
•  Being an ambitious mom 
•  Intentional motherhood 
•  Setting boundaries with clients 
•  Protecting your time 
•  The mental load of motherhood + business 
•  Being physically present but mentally somewhere else 
•  Involving your kids in your business 
•  Communicating with your children about work 
•  Finding pockets of intentional time together 
•  Knowing when to push through and when to slow down 
•  Mom guilt 
•  Giving yourself grace 
•  Tenacity through difficult seasons 
•  Tiana's experience becoming a mom at 20 
•  Her son's premature birth and NICU journey 
•  Finishing college while her son was in the NICU 
•  Building a business around the life you actually want

Meet Our Guest

Tiana Wiley

Tiana Wiley is the creative director and founder of Ferox Event Designs and Planning, working across experiential events, weddings, and brand activations.

With a background in events, hospitality, and corporate training, Tiana also developed the Luxury Client Experience System, focused on helping creatives and entrepreneurs audit and elevate their client experience.

She's also a mom to an eight-year-old son — and someone who knows firsthand what it means to build a career and business while being intentional about motherhood.

📱 Instagram + TikTok: @feroxeventdesignsandplanning
💼 LinkedIn: Tiana Wiley

Pull Up a Seat

Enjoyed the conversation? Subscribe to Milk Money and pull up a seat at the booth for more honest conversations about motherhood, ambition, business, identity, and all the messy bits in between.

You can also find Milk Money here:

@themilkmoneypodcast

 Meet me behind the counter: 

@milkmademedia_

Serving short stacks and big dreams 🥞☕

What if taking care of your health isn't something you squeeze into the leftover spaces of your life, but something you have to protect in order to build the life you're working so hard for?

In this episode of Milk Money, Stephanie sits down with Relle, a keynote speaker and performance coach, to talk about one of the things ambitious moms are often the quickest to put on the back burner: their own health.

Relle shares how she learned the hard way that you can't separate your body from your business. We talk about the “hustle, hustle, hustle” mentality, running on caffeine and willpower, and why health has to be part of the equation if you want to show up for your family and pursue your biggest goals. 

Stephanie also shares her own experience of reaching three months of consistent naptime workouts, and the two talk about why consistency doesn't mean perfection. A walk counts. A 15-minute workout counts. Taking a rest day counts. The goal isn't to “bounce back” to who you were before having kids - it's to bounce forward into who you're becoming. 

You'll also hear about realistic nutrition for busy moms, meal prep, protein, movement, rest and recovery, listening to your body, and letting go of the idea that taking care of yourself is selfish or indulgent.

Because your health isn't separate from your ambition.

Health is part of the hustle 🥞☕️

Today's Special

A few takeaways from the booth:

•  Your health is part of your business, not separate from it. 
•  Consistency does not mean doing something perfectly every day. 
•  A 10-minute walk or 15-minute workout is still meaningful movement. 
•  Rest isn't laziness - sometimes it's exactly what your body needs. 
•  Stop trying to “bounce back” and start bouncing forward. 
•  Taking care of yourself allows you to be more present for the people and goals that matter to you.

On the Menu

In this episode, we talk about:

•  Health and wellness for ambitious moms 
•  Why moms put their health on the back burner 
•  The connection between your health and your business 
•  Realistic movement when you have young kids 
•  Naptime workouts 
•  Walking and small pockets of movement 
•  Consistency vs. perfection 
•  Rest and recovery 
•  Nutrition and fueling your body 
•  Protein and building balanced meals 
•  Meal prep for busy families 
•  Mom guilt and the pressure to “snap back” 
•  Moving beyond diet culture 
•  Listening to your body 
•  Building a sustainable healthy lifestyle 
•  Why health is part of the hustle

Meet Our Guest

Relle Dixon

Relle is a keynote speaker and performance coach who helps ambitious women understand that health is part of the hustle. After experiencing firsthand what happens when health gets pushed to the bottom of the priority list, she now talks about creating sustainable habits around nutrition, movement, rest, and recovery while pursuing big goals. 

Relle is also an entrepreneur and mom of two boys and continues to work part-time as a dental hygienist. 

Connect with Relle:

📱 Instagram: @bewellwith_relle
🌐 Website: bewellwithrelle.com

From the Booth: “Stop trying to find time for your health in your schedule, and just start protecting it.” 

Pull Up a Seat

Enjoyed the conversation? Subscribe to Milk Money and pull up a seat at the booth for more honest conversations about motherhood, ambition, business, identity, and all the messy bits in between.

You can also find Milk Money here:

@themilkmoneypodcast

 Meet me behind the counter: 

@milkmademedia_

Serving short stacks and big dreams 🥞☕

Motherhood changes you.

But what happens when part of becoming a mother means grieving the woman you were before?

In this episode of Milk Money, Stephanie sits down with Caroline Kapke for an honest conversation about identity, motherhood, ambition, postpartum anxiety, infertility, and the complicated space between who you were and who you're becoming.

Caroline opens up about the experience of becoming a mother after years of praying and hoping for it, only to find herself struggling emotionally once she finally got there. She shares her experience with postpartum anxiety, the guilt that can come with struggling after getting something you desperately wanted, and what it looked like to navigate a changing relationship with her career and sense of self.

Stephanie and Caroline talk about the parts of motherhood that don't always make it into the highlight reel - losing yourself, wondering whether you're doing enough, slowing down professionally, and trying to figure out which parts of your old identity you want to bring with you into this new chapter.

They also get into a question that sits at the heart of so much of the Milk Money conversation:

Does motherhood change who we are, or does it reveal parts of ourselves we hadn't met yet?

This is a conversation about motherhood, identity, postpartum anxiety, infertility, career, ambition, mom guilt, and becoming someone new without completely losing who you were.

Because maybe you aren't supposed to “find yourself” again.

Maybe you're supposed to meet the version of you that's being created now.

Today's Special

A few takeaways from the booth:

•  You can deeply love motherhood and still grieve parts of your old life. 
•  Struggling after getting something you've desperately wanted doesn't make you ungrateful. 
•  Motherhood can change your definition of success — personally and professionally. 
•  You don't have to rush to become the “old you” again. 
•  Sometimes motherhood doesn't erase your identity; it introduces you to parts of yourself you hadn't met yet.

On the Menu

In this episode, we talk about:

•  The identity shift that comes with motherhood 
•  Grieving who you were before becoming a mom 
•  Postpartum anxiety 
•  The emotional complexity of infertility and finally becoming a mother 
•  Mom guilt 
•  Wanting an identity outside of motherhood 
•  Navigating changes in your career after having children 
•  Redefining success 
•  The pressure to “do it all” 
•  Learning to recognize yourself in a new season 
•  The difference between losing yourself and becoming someone new 
•  What Caroline wishes more moms talked about 

Meet Our Guest

Caroline Kapke

Caroline is a mom, entrepreneur, and advocate for honest conversations around motherhood, identity, and the realities of building a life and career after becoming a parent.

Stephanie first met Caroline at a women in business conference, where Caroline was speaking on a panel about motherhood and entrepreneurship. Her perspective immediately resonated with Stephanie — and she knew she needed to invite her to the booth.

📱 Instagram: @carolinekapkerealtor

From the Booth: “I don't think we talk enough about that in-between space where you're grieving who you were while also becoming someone new.”  

Pull Up a Seat

Enjoyed the conversation? Subscribe to Milk Money and pull up a seat at the booth for more honest conversations about motherhood, ambition, business, identity, and all the messy bits in between.

You can also find Milk Money here:

@themilkmoneypodcast

 Meet me behind the counter: 

@milkmademedia_

Serving short stacks and big dreams 🥞☕

What happens when becoming a mom doesn't quiet your ambition - it makes you want to create even more?

In this episode of Milk Money, Stephanie sits down with Bec Thexton, a new mom, creative builder, product designer, and founder of Fleurac Fragrance, a fragrance brand she launched while on maternity leave.

Bec shares the unexpected journey behind Fleurac, which began during her experience with infertility and IVF and her desire to create a fragrance she could feel confident wearing during that season. What started as something she made for herself eventually became a business - one she launched while caring for a six-month-old baby.

Stephanie and Bec talk about what it's actually like to build a business during maternity leave, including contact naps, working from your phone with one hand, launching a business while your baby has their first cold, and learning to accept that sometimes done really is better than perfect. 

They also get into the mom guilt that comes with wanting something outside of motherhood, why creativity can actually be a form of rest, and the reminder that being a mom and being an ambitious, creative woman aren't mutually exclusive.

This is a conversation about motherhood, entrepreneurship, creativity, mom guilt, identity, infertility, IVF, maternity leave, and building something of your own in the margins of motherhood.

And Bec has one simple message for the mom sitting on an idea right now: Just start.

Today's Special

A few takeaways from the booth:

•  You don't have to wait for the “perfect” season to start creating. 
•  Creativity can be part of your identity and part of your motherhood. 
•  Your business doesn't have to move at the same pace it did before kids. 
•  Done is better than perfect, especially when you're building around a tiny human. 
•  Sometimes the constraints of motherhood can actually give your creativity more focus.

On the Menu

In this episode, we talk about:

•  Bec's journey through infertility and IVF 
•  How motherhood inspired the creation of Fleurac Fragrance 
•  Building a business during maternity leave 
•  Navigating the reality of contact naps and limited work time 
•  Working on a business one-handed 
•  Launching a business while raising a baby 
•  Mom guilt and wanting an identity outside of motherhood 
•  Why women can be more than one thing 
•  Creativity as a form of rest 
•  Building a business around the season you're actually in 
•  Letting go of perfectionism 
•  The power of consistency and showing up 
•  Supporting other women and mom-owned businesses 
•  Why sometimes you just need to start

Meet Our Guest

Bec Thexton

Bec Thexton is a creative builder, product designer, new mom, and founder of Fleurac Fragrance, an elevated fragrance brand born from her own journey through infertility, IVF, and motherhood.

After years working in tech and design, Bec used her maternity leave to explore a creative idea that eventually became a business. She now shares her experience of building a business while becoming a mother, along with her creative pursuits and life as a new mom.

📱 Instagram: @becthexton
🌸 Fleurac Fragrance: @fleurac_fragrance
🌐 fleuracfragrance.com

Bec also writes about building a business while becoming a mother on Substack. 

 From the Booth:  “I think if you have an idea or a burning desire to create something, build something, make something for yourself, just start.” 

Pull Up a Seat

Enjoyed the conversation? Subscribe to Milk Money and pull up a seat at the booth for more honest conversations about motherhood, ambition, business, identity, and all the messy bits in between.

You can also find Milk Money here:

@themilkmoneypodcast

 Meet me behind the counter: 

@milkmademedia_

Serving short stacks and big dreams 🥞☕

What if your support system doesn't have to be made up of people?

In this episode of Milk Money, Stephanie sits down with Sabre Black - mom of three, former military HR professional, and systems wizard - for a conversation about one of the biggest challenges facing moms who are also building businesses: the mental load.

Sabre shares how becoming a mom while living far away from family forced her to rethink what “building a support system” actually meant. Instead of waiting for a traditional village to appear, she started looking for ways to take things off her plate through grocery delivery, meal planning systems, automation, and technology.

Together, Stephanie and Sabre talk about treating your home a little more like a business - creating systems and SOPs that allow other people to step in without you having to manage every detail yourself. Because sometimes support isn't another person. Sometimes it's the thing that saves you 30 minutes, eliminates a decision, or keeps you from starting from scratch.

They also get real about postpartum anxiety, postpartum rage, breastfeeding, the mental and physical demands of motherhood, mom guilt, and why moms shouldn't have to earn their rest.

And, of course, Sabre has some strong opinions on what moms should outsource, what's overrated, and where she'd spend an extra $50 a month to buy back some precious time.

This is a conversation about motherhood, entrepreneurship, systems, mental load, support, postpartum, breastfeeding, burnout, outsourcing, and giving yourself permission to make life easier.

Because maybe you don't need a bigger village, you just need a better system.

Today's Special

A few takeaways from the booth:

•  Your support system doesn't always have to be a person. 
•  Build your systems around your worst days, not your best ones. 
•  Moms shouldn't have to earn their rest. 
•  If something repeatedly takes time and energy you don't have, it's worth asking whether it can be outsourced, automated, or eliminated. 
•  Your kids don't have to stop your life - they can come along for the journey. 

Sabre's philosophy really comes down to this: stop starting from scratch. If you're doing something repeatedly, find a way to make it easier for the next time. 

On the Menu

In this episode, we talk about:

•  Building a support system when you don't have a traditional village 
•  The mental load of motherhood 
•  Using technology as part of your support system 
•  Grocery delivery and outsourcing household tasks 
•  Creating a “meal bank” for your family 
•  Treating your home like a business 
•  Creating household SOPs 
•  Building systems for your worst days 
•  Postpartum anxiety and postpartum rage 
•  The realities of breastfeeding 
•  Mom guilt and the pressure to do everything 
•  What moms should outsource 
•  Why “just get childcare” isn't always the answer 
•  The best way to spend an extra $50 a month 
•  Learning to take rest without earning it first 
•  Letting your kids see you pursue your own dreams 

Meet Our Guest

Sabre Black

Sabre Black is a mom of three, former military HR professional, and systems-focused entrepreneur who helps moms, particularly default-parent moms building businesses, use systems, automation, and their limited time more intentionally.

After becoming a mom while living far from family, Sabre learned firsthand that building a support system doesn't always mean finding more people. Sometimes it means finding better systems that take things off your plate.

She's also a YouTube creator and self-proclaimed yapper, so naturally, we love her. 😂

Connect with Sabre:

Instagram: @sabreoreyana
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SabreOreyana
Threads: @sabreoreyana

 A Little Something From the Booth: “If you keep basing everything off your best day, it's never gonna work out.” 

Pull Up a Seat

Enjoyed the conversation? Subscribe to Milk Money and pull up a seat at the booth for more honest conversations about motherhood, ambition, business, identity, and all the messy bits in between.

You can also find Milk Money here:

@themilkmoneypodcast

 Meet me behind the counter: 

@milkmademedia_

Serving short stacks and big dreams 🥞☕

What happens when the version of success you worked so hard for no longer fits the life you actually want?

In the first-ever Guest Check, Stephanie sits down with Dana Foster, a pharmacist-turned-coach and mom of two kids less than a year apart, to talk about building a sustainable business alongside motherhood.

Dana shares her journey from working in ICU pharmacy during COVID, experiencing burnout and postpartum anxiety, and moving into an administrative role for more flexibility, to starting a gut health coaching business and eventually pivoting into business support for mom founders.

Together, Stephanie and Dana unpack what it actually looks like to build a business when you don't have unlimited time, energy, childcare, or control over your schedule. They talk about redefining success around flexibility and being a present parent, why Dana thinks of work and motherhood as a blend rather than a balance, and how to communicate with clients when motherhood inevitably throws an imperfect week your way.

They also get into meal routines, Dana's 555 grocery method, solo parenting while her husband works 48-hour firefighter shifts, perfectionism, and the pressure to stop rushing through every season.

This is a conversation about motherhood, entrepreneurship, mom guilt, burnout, ambition, flexibility, and letting go of perfectionism - and a reminder that building a successful business doesn't have to mean building one that consumes your life.

Today's Special

A few takeaways from the booth:

•  Success can look different after becoming a mom — and that's not settling. 
•  Flexibility can be a legitimate measure of business success. 
•  “Balance” may not be the goal; finding a sustainable blend might be. 
•  An imperfect week doesn't mean you're failing at motherhood or business. 
•  You don't have to rush every season of your life.

On the Menu

In this episode, we talk about:

•  Burnout from working in ICU pharmacy during COVID 
•  Postpartum anxiety and the transition into motherhood 
•  Leaving clinical pharmacy for more flexibility 
•  Dana's journey into entrepreneurship 
•  Pivoting from gut health coaching to supporting mom founders 
•  Building a business around the realities of parenting 
•  Redefining success after becoming a mom 
•  The difference between work-life balance and work-life blend 
•  Communicating with clients when life gets messy 
•  The 555 grocery method 
•  Solo parenting with a spouse who works 48-hour shifts 
•  Perfectionism, slowing down, and letting go of the rush

Meet Our Guest

Dana Foster

Dana Foster is a pharmacist-turned-coach, mom of two, and business support expert who helps mom founders build businesses that actually work within the realities of their lives.

After experiencing burnout in ICU pharmacy during COVID and navigating postpartum anxiety, Dana began rethinking what she wanted her career and motherhood to look like. Her own journey eventually led her to supporting other mom entrepreneurs who want to build sustainable businesses without ignoring the constraints of parenting.

Instagram: @danafosterco

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DanaFosterCo

Pull Up a Seat

Enjoyed the conversation? Subscribe to Milk Money and pull up a seat at the booth for more honest conversations about motherhood, ambition, business, identity, and all the messy bits in between.

You can also find Milk Money here:

@themilkmoneypodcast

 Meet me behind the counter: 

@milkmademedia_

Serving short stacks and big dreams 🥞☕

What happens when you love being a mom but still want a life, identity, and ambition of your own?

In the very first episode of Milk Money, Stephanie Lemes pulls up a chair and shares the story behind the podcast she never expected to create. After becoming a mom and launching her own business, Stephanie found herself searching for conversations about the messy middle of motherhood and entrepreneurship - the mom guilt, identity shifts, loneliness, ambition, and constant question of “Am I doing the right thing?”

There were plenty of podcasts for women in business and plenty of podcasts about motherhood. But Stephanie couldn't find the conversations that went deep enough into what it actually feels like to build a business while raising kids and figuring out who you are after motherhood changes everything.

So she created the conversation she couldn't find.

In this episode, Stephanie shares where the idea for Milk Money came from, why she believes moms deserve a space to talk about more than motherhood alone, and her vision for the diner we're building together — a place where ambitious moms, mompreneurs, working moms, and women building businesses can pull up a seat, pour it all out, and feel a little less alone.

Welcome to Milk Money, the coffee is hot, the booth is open, and we saved you a seat 🥞☕🍒

Pull Up a Seat

Enjoyed the conversation? Subscribe to Milk Money and pull up a seat at the booth for more honest conversations about motherhood, ambition, business, identity, and all the messy bits in between.

You can also find Milk Money here:

@themilkmoneypodcast

 Meet me behind the counter: 

@milkmademedia_

Serving short stacks and big dreams 🥞☕

Welcome to Milk Money, a podcast for moms who love their kids fiercely AND have dreams, ambitions, identities, and lives of their own. 

Pull up a seat for honest conversations about motherhood, business, ambition, identity, mom guilt, and all the messy bits in between. We're serving up the conversations moms don't always get to have - with women building businesses, chasing big dreams, and figuring it out along the way.

The coffee is hot, the booth is open 24/7, and yes .. we'll probably ask what's for dinner tonight?

Milk Money opens August 21, 2026. We saved you a seat!

Pull Up a Seat

Enjoyed the conversation? Subscribe to Milk Money and pull up a seat at the booth for more honest conversations about motherhood, ambition, business, identity, and all the messy bits in between.

You can also find Milk Money here:

@themilkmoneypodcast

 Meet me behind the counter: 

@milkmademedia_

Serving short stacks and big dreams 🥞☕