Conversations during the holidays can be TOUGH. So, in today’s episode, I brought in another sweet mama who is an expert in navigating tough conversations. Julie Crenshaw is a Conversation Coach and author of Navigating & Avoiding Awkward Conversations. Throughout the last 15 years, she has cultivated a strong set of interpersonal skills as a result of working in major department stores, for a collections company, and as a physical therapist in the home health setting. She teaches on a wide variety of topics, from basic socializing and small talk skills to dealing with conflict, having conversations on difficult subjects such as illness and grief. Her mission is to empower others to feel confident in their ability to express themselves and their needs/desires more clearly and to be able to handle difficult situations and conversations with ease. I hope this incredible conversation leaves you feeling confident and empowered this holiday season.

Subscribe, like, or share to show your support and help another mama friend. 

Contact Julie:

Website: https://yourconversationexpert.com/ 

Email: [email protected]

IG: https://www.instagram.com/yourconversationexpert/ 

FB: https://www.facebook.com/yourconversationexpert/

BUY HER BOOK HERE:

https://amzn.to/327MVir 

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Merry week of Christmas, sweet mama friend! In this episode, I want to address one of the stresses that accompany socializing at holiday gatherings: taking things personally. This is the perfect opportunity for a family member to criticize your clothes, hair, weight, kiddos, etc. It hurts when people do this. We go down a rabbit hole of self-criticism, leading to low self-confidence and low self-esteem. First, screw ‘em because it’s ridiculous when people feel the need to behave like that. Secondly, pull up those britches and hold your head high mama, because the good news is it has absolutely NOTHING to do with you, and EVERYTHING to do with their individual realities (paradigms). Let’s first seek to understand the why this ugly behavior so you can head into the holidays better prepared not to take others’ opinions, thoughts, and words personally. My goal behind this episode is to have you leave your holiday gatherings with a full heart.

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Many of my listeners know that we recently and unexpectedly lost a close friend. He left behind a wife, his daughter, and their 6-month-old baby girl. As part of my grieving process, one of the thoughts and later conversations with Brad was that I hoped our friend had life insurance as his wife recently left her career to be a full-time mama. 

In this episode, I asked my husband Brad to join me, as we have a conversation with our personal advisor, Andrew Nicholas, about the importance of life insurance for both parents regardless of job status. Andrew is a licensed Financial Consultant who specializes in retirement income planning, investments, estate strategies, solutions for businesses, and life insurance which is the focus of this discussion. We discuss the different types of life insurance, the length of time it takes to receive a payout if something were to happen, and the importance of needing a will in addition to life insurance. We debunk the myth that investing the cost of a monthly premium is better than purchasing a plan and how $1 million really isn’t that much money anymore. The most important aspects of this entire conversation are communicating with your spouse, not waiting to act, and finding someone you trust and aligns with your personal and financial goals. Brad and I share how we found Andrew and why we chose him to be our personal Financial Consultant. You’ll want to take a few notes in this episode, and I strongly encourage you to take action if you have not already done so.

If you would like to get in touch with Andrew, please feel free to reach out to him:

[email protected]

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Affirmations are ALL the rage. In this episode, I dive into affirmations and make the difference between positive and negative affirmations VERY clear. So, what is an affirmation anyway? I define (in my own words, of course) what an affirmation really means. I talk about how affirmations affirm the identity you wish to manifest in life. Many people claim they are the key to success. Personally, I feel differently, but to each their own. What I do believe, however, is the fact that affirmations can also affirm the identity in which you wish to change. There is such a thing as a negative affirmation. And that, sweet mama, is the trap we fall into and where we get stuck. Negative self-talk becomes the affirmation for the identity which you want to change. 

Let’s use Ice Cube’s words to summarize how I feel about affirmations:

“You betta check yo self.
For you wreck yo self.
'Cause I'm bad for your health.
I come real stealth.”

Yeah girl, I went there.

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Today’s episode is with my wonderful friend and client, Amanda Bajek. I’m so excited Amanda came on the show to share the incredible journey we went through together as we navigated getting her life back. She shares with us the moment she hit her rock bottom and the trials and tribulations she went through to pull herself up. Amanda went through my Mama Mentor program and officially “graduated,” and we reflect on some beautiful moments, some of her biggest struggles, the tears shed in the process, the highs, the lows, and HOW she re-built the life, she knew she was capable of. Through my mentoring and approach of getting back to the basics, Amanda took action and accountability in her own life and saw incredible results. I’m SO INCREDIBLY proud of her and truly enjoyed the relationship we built along the way.
I believe, and Amanda is living proof, that one podcast can save someone’s life. Please, share the episodes you listen to because you never know which mama needs a hand up at any given moment.

Show notes:
[0:00] Intro
[5:02] Let’s get to know Amanda Bajek more
[9:01] Feeling lonely as a SAHM—Amanda’s unusual journey
[13:44] The scale tipping moment for Amanda
[16:54] How did Amanda find the Mama Mindset Podcast?
[18:50] Her rock-bottom moment and realizing she needed help
[27:54] Finding a time for yourself
[41:15] Join the Mama Mindset Reset Challenge!
[44:19] The story of Amanda’s toe and her struggle in reading books
[53:32] Empowering yourself and gaining confidence
[1:03:32] Holding on to control
[1:16:19] Mentor vs. coaching vs. therapy
[1:22:40] Amanda’s advice to other Mamas listening
[1:28:26] Outro

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In this episode, I start with a true mom-talk regarding life experiences my family and I recently went through, including having professional family photos taken. YUCK! I despise doing family photos for a variety of reasons, but the main one can be chalked up to it being an ultimate form of vulnerability. I talk about how I overcame that, who helped me, and why. In this seemingly simple example, I cover the topics of overcoming fears, finding courage, asking for help, and the beautiful outcome that results from applying those efforts.

Secondly, I discuss the importance of INTEGRITY going into the holidays. I talk about how integrity is defined (using our children’s dictionary in true mom fashion, of course) as well as the importance of finding and using it in our lives each day. We can either manifest trust or distrust depending on how we exhibit integrity in the presence of others. This is done through our treatment of those who are not present. I talk about how gossip is the laziest form of communication and why people use it. I also give you four ways to respond to others who do not respect or are not aware of your boundaries regarding discussion topics, especially around the holidays. And, of course, I talk about what it means when those people get offended or uncomfortable when you choose to stick to those boundaries. Do you want to be a person who lives with integrity and builds trust amongst others?
 
Show notes:
[1:54] We had our family photos taken—professionally!!! Yup!
[5:31] It’s ok to ask for help
[8:51] What I really wanted to talk about in today’s episode
[10:11] Definition of “integrity”
[11:13] How this plays up—some real-life examples
[14:50] Here’s a quick Mama Confession
[16:36] Think about integrity and how to manifest it as we head towards the holidays
[17:32] The best way to be known as someone with integrity
[19:37] Three (or four) simple ways to set personal boundaries
[25:29] What do you want to be remembered as?
[30:37] Here’s a quick summary
[32:48] Outro

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I answered all your amazing questions sent to me via DM’s and my Instagram stories in this episode. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions you may have, via Facebook, Instagram, or email me [email protected]. Here are the questions I answer and dive into in today’s episode:

1. Do books teaching a new skill such as canning or gardening count for the 10-page requirement in the Mama Mindset Reset Challenge?
2. What am I currently reading?
3. What is your alcohol alternative on the MMR Challenge?
4. How do you battle loneliness as a SAHM?
5. Where did I learn yoga and what videos do I use at home?

Books Mentioned:

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey: https://amzn.to/3d8MSoe

Declutter Like a Mother by Allie Casazza: https://amzn.to/3Ej9KgE 

Items Mentioned:

Dandy Blend, Instant Herbal Beverage with Dandelion: https://amzn.to/3G83VmK

Yoga Resources Mentioned:

https://www.doyogawithme.com/

https://www.youtube.com/c/yogawithkassandra

https://www.youtube.com/c/yogawithadriene

https://www.youtube.com/user/cexercize (Boho Beautiful)

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Do you find yourself feeling resentful when you get stuff from family during the holiday? Are you feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and fearful of the amount of stuff you and the kiddos will be receiving? 

In this episode, I dive into ways to combat these feelings through proactive actions you can take right now. In this community, we discuss mindset as well as action steps to take to shift your mindset. One of the biggest stressors we face as moms throughout the year is the holidays. So, grab a cozy beverage, roll up those sleeves and let’s dive into this tough conversation together.

Resources Mentioned:
Declutter Like a Mother by Allie Casazza – Order Here https://amzn.to/3pcUT1f
The Minimal Mom - https://www.youtube.com/c/TheMinimalMom 

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Ladies, this episode is such a fun and unique perspective from Christine Maziarz AKA Coach Christine. Christine hosts and produces the Your Empty Nest Coach podcast. Christine was thrown into the empty nest early and used the transition experience to learn how to move forward positively. She now shares what she’s discovered with others through her podcast. We chat about her incredibly unique homeschooling experience, how she was quickly thrown into an empty nester situation because of this, and how she and WE can move forward positively once we become empty nesters. Did we chat about Matthew McConaughey? YUP!

I know you’re probably thinking, “Amy, why were you talking about Matthew McConaughey and seriously, I have YEARS until we are empty nesters. I’m just trying to fold this pile of laundry right now.” Please hang in there with me on this. First of all, why wouldn’t we want to talk about him? And secondly, the episode could monumentally shift your perspective in how you move through your days. There will come a day when you are no longer raising tiny humans. We talk about the shift that happens from caretaker to cheerleader.  I chatted with Christine about steps we can take at this moment, even with very young children, to best prepare ourselves for the empty nest that will inevitably come. We chat about ALL things SAHM life, setting boundaries, and what happens when we stop comparing ourselves to others.

Also, I want you to keep in mind; we can use Christine’s perspective and knowledge to understand best our own parents and the thoughts, feelings, and emotions they went through in the past when WE moved out. So, grab a cozy beverage and join me in this conversational journey with Empty Nest Coach Christine.

Follow Christine:
Podcast – Your Empty Nest Coach
IG - https://www.instagram.com/emptynestcoach/
Website - https://youremptynestcoach.com/
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@emptynestcoach

Primally Pure
https://primallypure.com/
Discount Code: MAMAMINDSET

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Let’s talk about what you’re doing right now. What are you doing right this moment to move the needle forward in your life? What are you working towards in your life at this moment? Are you living in the past? Are your accomplishments you talk about from pre-kids, pre-marriage, college, or even high school? News flash, the past means very little, if anything at all. I and others want to hear about what you’re living now and how you’re living now. The things you are doing now are what is the absolute most important thing. The past is done. Let’s move forward and live in the present.   

Primally Pure
https://primallypure.com/
Discount Code: MAMAMINDSET

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