A tiny cap, a hallway of cheers, and a mom who couldn’t stop crying—this is the story behind 60 sessions that changed the way our son learns, focuses, and feels about himself. We walk you through the hard parts most parents don’t post about: the midyear school transfer that crushed routines, the two-school shuffle that wrecked work schedules, and the choice to pile on speech, OT, and more when waiting felt worse than trying.

What shifted everything was discovering Brain Balance and leaning into frequency over quick fixes. Three sessions a week layered sensory input, cognitive drills, and motor work until new patterns began to stick. We saw practical, everyday wins: unprompted stories after school, stronger language retrieval, calmer transitions, and fine motor progress that showed up at restaurants and homework time. Yes, maturation matters—and we name it—but structured repetition helped those gains surface sooner and hold longer. Kindergarten feedback reflected the change: reading readiness on track, better attention, and a child more present in the classroom and at home.

This conversation is honest about tradeoffs and hopeful about outcomes. If you’re navigating IEP timelines, long waitlists, or therapies that feel like maintenance, you’ll hear how a consistent, integrated approach can unlock learning, independence, and joy. We share the messy start, the skeptical moments, and the graduation night that made it all worth it, plus how we’re keeping progress steady with home exercises and follow-up assessments.

We didn’t share this story because it’s perfect—far from it. We shared it because it’s real. 💛 And if it helps even one family feel less alone or more hopeful, it’s worth it. ✨

If you’d like to learn more about Brain Balance 🧠 and how their program works, here are their links:

🌐 Website: Brain Balance Baltimore

📸 Instagram: @brainbalancebaltimore

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New year energy doesn’t have to feel like a sprint. Claire opens the studio for a candid reset: a quick reintroduction, the origin story of Columbia Mom, and a practical path to growth that skips brittle resolutions in favor of steady, quartered goals. It’s a warm, real start to 2026 that blends creative work, parenting, and personal mental health practices without pretending any of it is neat.

We dig into why the podcast exists at all—born late in the COVID era as a way to rebuild local connection—and how an “outlet” became a purpose. Claire shares how she protects her creative zone from email rabbit holes, why therapy, lifting, and winter walks are non-negotiables, and how she balances a Type B plus brain with the structure needed to ship consistently. The theme that ties it together is simple and honest: fear rarely disappears, so we name it, and we move anyway.

You’ll hear a small family story with big meaning, a framework for setting annual themes and quarterly priorities, and the difference between white-knuckling through survival and choosing courageous action with intention. If 2025 felt heavy for your work, your family, or your wallet, this conversation offers a kinder blueprint for 2026: protect one health rhythm, block time for creation, fence admin into tight windows, and plan the quarter. No perfection, just momentum.

If you’re craving a more grounded way to step into 2026—one that makes room for fear and forward motion—this conversation will meet you right where you are.

Follow along with me beyond the episode 🎧📖✨ for things to do in Maryland, local favorites, and life in between 💛

📸 Instagram: the.columbiamom

✍️ Blog: thecolumbiamdmom.com/blog

📘 Facebook: Facebook

💼 LinkedIn: Claire Duarte

📌 Pinterest: The Columbia MD Mom

🎥 YouTube: @TheColumbiaMDMom

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🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to MomTalk Maryland — where community, connection, and conversation collide!

💻 Visit us at thecolumbiamdmom.com

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What if the smartest move isn’t to push harder, but to taste and adjust? We sit down with Chef Ashish Alfred—known for Duck Duck Goose, his wellness advocacy, and recent turns on Bar Rescue—for a candid conversation about timing, reinvention, and the messy middle of growth. He didn’t fall into cooking for the romance; he found it because he needed structure. Culinary school introduced mise en place, and that single idea became a philosophy for life: put things in place, show up, and keep your head clear enough to do the next right thing.

We trace the arc from launching a beloved French-inspired restaurant to scaling across cities, and the subtle warnings that expansion can blur. Ashish talks openly about imposter syndrome, the urge to keep opening as proof of worth, and the point where momentum becomes noise. Then we move into the hard parts most entrepreneurs know but rarely say out loud: operating at a net loss, the weight of public scrutiny, and the emotional toll of being misunderstood. His reset is radical and simple—pack a knife roll, move to Paris, and relearn the craft in the city that shaped his palate. That season brought humility, fluency in patience, and a sharper sense of what matters.

We cover the call from Bar Rescue and why scars make for better mentors. Ashish explains how empathy lands when you’ve tasted both praise and loss, and why leaders need to pause, taste, and adjust long before the sauce goes bitter. He frames this season as layered—comforting, complex, and still building—and shares what’s next: more cooking, more travel, time with family, and a few TV ideas in development. If you’re navigating your own pivot, this story offers practical anchors: create structure, embrace discomfort, and stop sending plates you know aren’t ready.

Sometimes the smartest move is slowing down before the sauce goes bitter 🕰️🍲 Follow 👉 https://www.instagram.com/chefashishalfred/ for what’s next. 

Support the show

🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to MomTalk Maryland — where community, connection, and conversation collide!

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What if hustle wasn’t a badge of burnout but a promise to show up with heart, speed, and boundaries? We sit down with our friend Monica Blakely of Passion for Ezra to trace an all‑too‑relatable path: from rolling ribbon on the floor to dressing America’s favorite football mom on Super Bowl Sunday. It’s a Maryland-made story with national edges—proof that a single DM, a smart read on style, and a willingness to overnight a bold idea can flip the lights on for a small business.

We dig into the early days—wreaths, tutus, onesies—and the moment Monica realized women deserved sports apparel that actually fit, honored team colors, and felt fabulous. From there, we talk about pivoting through hard seasons, including sewing and donating thousands of masks during the pandemic, and the ongoing work of setting boundaries that protect your joy: saying no to on-site handoffs at games, carving out family time, and defining healthy yeses under pressure.

There’s also a candid look at women claiming space in male-dominated rooms. Monica and her husband Taylor model a partnership that flips assumptions, while the Washington Commanders earn real flowers for investing in small businesses and elevating women across roles. That support created a ripple—introductions to other teams, new collaborations, and a louder platform to pull more local entrepreneurs up the ladder. The takeaway is both practical and inspiring: shoot your shot, overdeliver, and keep the community at the center.

If you’re building a brand, parenting while pitching, or just need a reminder that “no” is often a stop on the way to “yes,” this conversation will move you. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a push, and leave a quick review to help more moms and makers find the show.

Follow Passion for Ezra to keep up with Monica’s latest designs, collaborations, and behind-the-scenes moments of building a brand with heart. 💛✨🧵

 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/passionforezra

🌐 Website: http://passionforezra.com

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Passionforezra

Support the show

🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to MomTalk Maryland — where community, connection, and conversation collide!

💻 Visit us at thecolumbiamdmom.com

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A rainy parking lot, a few resistance bands, and a coach who chose education over ego—that’s where this story of sustainable strength begins. Claire sits down with Niko, owner of Odyssey Strength and Conditioning in Howard County, to unpack how women and families can trade gym intimidation for measurable progress and everyday confidence. From immigrant grit to launching a thousand-square-foot studio, Niko shares why small groups, precise cues, and clean technique beat hype and fads every time.

We dive into the real reasons to lift: stronger bones, improved insulin sensitivity, and the resilience that carries you through perimenopause, postpartum recovery, and the demands of daily life. Forget the myths—yes, your knees can travel over your toes, and no, deadlifts aren’t anti-back. With a practical focus on squats, hinges, presses, and pulls, we talk about how to load movements safely, why progression matters more than novelty, and how a supportive group can spark friendly competition without the self-critique spiral.

Movement is medicine for everyone in the house. We connect strength training to kids’ development and cognitive benefits for adults, showing how new skills and consistent practice boost both mind and body. The result is a training culture that feels human: no yelling, no ego, just clear standards, steady challenge, and coaches who adapt the plan to your needs. Whether you’re a cardio loyalist, a barre fan, or brand new to lifting, you’ll leave with a simple blueprint to get stronger, protect your bones, and enjoy the work.

Stronger, smarter movement starts with one conversation—and this is a great place to continue it. Curious to learn more or take the next step? 💪
 Visit odysseystrong.com, follow instagram.com/odyssey.strong 📲, or reach out at [email protected] ✉️.

Support the show

🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to MomTalk Maryland — where community, connection, and conversation collide!

💻 Visit us at thecolumbiamdmom.com

📧 Join our newsletter for episode updates, exclusive content, and local happenings: Subscribe!

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A quiet shift can change everything. When a child moves from scanning the room for cues to confidently telling his own story, you feel it at home, at school, and in your gut as a parent. We sit down with Beth Snow, director of Brain Balance in Greater Baltimore, to unpack the steps behind Grant’s big leap—how integrating primitive reflexes, strengthening core and sensory systems, and supporting the visual pathway laid the groundwork for language retrieval, working memory, and self-direction to take off.

We walk through the data and, more importantly, the daily moments that prove the progress: naming shapes in a favorite book, explaining what “furious” means, humming the months of the year, and signing a classmate’s birthday card without a fight. Beth explains the brain pyramid—why building from the body upward unlocks learning at the top—and how a compliant child can still “fall through the cracks” until their nervous system is ready to absorb instruction. The takeaway is practical hope: when the foundation gets stronger, everything above it stabilizes.

We also turn the lens on adult brain health. If your attention feels shredded by phones and constant to-dos, you’re not broken—you’re overloaded. We share small, repeatable moves that protect focus: 15–30 minute walks without notifications, real silence in the car, music as a reset, hydration and steady fuel, and grace over perfection. At home, design beats willpower—set up a dedicated workstation with a homework toolkit, create a screen-free calm corner with comforting cues, and keep a visible movement zone so exercise happens without drama. For growing learners, use timers and short check-ins to build independence and cut friction.

If you’re a parent looking for language breakthroughs, attention strategies, or a calmer home rhythm, this conversation blends personal wins with clear, science-informed steps you can start today. 

If you’re ready to explore these strategies further or want support for your child, teen, or even your own focus and regulation, Brain Balance offers a non-medical, whole-brain approach designed to strengthen the systems that drive learning and behavior. You can dive deeper into how the program works, connect with the Greater Baltimore Center, or follow along for daily tips and success stories using the links below:

🌐 Program Overview: brainbalancecenters.com/our-program

📍 Greater Baltimore Center: brainbalancecenters.com/locations/maryland/baltimore

📘 Facebook: facebook.com/brainbalancecenters

📸 Instagram: instagram.com/brainbalancebaltimore

Support the show

🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to MomTalk Maryland — where community, connection, and conversation collide!

💻 Visit us at thecolumbiamdmom.com

📧 Join our newsletter for episode updates, exclusive content, and local happenings: Subscribe!

📲 Follow along on Instagram: @the.columbiamom

🗣️Got a topic idea, guest nomination, or want to sponsor an episode? Let us know!

🎬 Watch behind the scenes of the podcast on YouTube: Subscribe to the MomTalk Maryland Podcast Playlist

🎧 Like what you heard? Leave a review & share with a friend who needs this convo in their life!

Ready to feel strong in the gym and steadier in life? Claire sits down with Lisa, a physical therapist and women’s health coach, to unpack how lifting changes everything—from your confidence and bone density to the way you recover from stress and handle the “heavy” stuff off the platform. We get real about early alarms, community energy, and why a good coach makes feedback feel like fuel instead of criticism.

Lisa shares her path from athletic training to PT to therapeutic coaching, and why she built Evolving with Motion to help women move with intention, not just intensity. We talk through injuries as information, not identity: what a back spasm can teach about core strength and form, how dry needling and PT fit into a smart return, and the role of technique and progressive load. You’ll hear how functional movements—carries, deadlifts, strict presses—map directly to daily life, whether you’re hoisting luggage, corralling kids, or navigating stairs with confidence.

We also dive into hormones, sarcopenia after 35, and Wolff’s law to explain how muscle tension signals bones to get stronger. Expect practical takeaways: WHO’s two full-body strength sessions per week, building protein-forward meals, the value of rest days, and when tools like GLP-1 medications can support health goals like reducing visceral fat. Most of all, we champion the mindset shift from chasing “less” to fueling “more”—more strength, more resilience, more life.

If you’re ready to train for your 95-year-old self while enjoying every win along the way, this conversation will meet you where you are and help you move forward. 

Want to start lifting with intention? 🏋️‍♀️

Visit 🌿 ewmotion.com to explore Lisa’s coaching.
Join the Evolving With Motion community on:
Instagram 📲 @evolvingwithmotion
Facebook 🫶 Evolving With Motion
YouTube ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/@EvolvingWithMotion 

For daily encouragement, education, and strength inspiration. 💪

Support the show

🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to MomTalk Maryland — where community, connection, and conversation collide!

💻 Visit us at thecolumbiamdmom.com

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🎧 Like what you heard? Leave a review & share with a friend who needs this convo in their life!

What does it take to run a construction company with heart, clarity, and serious build quality—while raising a daughter and changing the face of a male-dominated industry? We invited Nina Orlando to pull back the curtain on her journey from her dad’s handyman shop to leading a woman-owned firm now rebranding as Grit and Grace in Howard County.

We dig into the projects that sharpened her edge: building bank branches behind temporary walls in 21 days, delivering medical clinic build-outs at the beach, and tackling state contracts that range from fish hatcheries to archery centers. Nina explains how franchise standards, safety codes, and waterproofing best practices translate into smarter residential design—from four-season “screen” rooms that beat pollen without full HVAC to basements that become real cinemas with tiered seating and hidden projectors. Along the way, she shares why Montessori-inspired details at kid-height build independence, and how a focus on empathy makes both commercial and home spaces feel effortless.

The trend shaping family life right now gets the spotlight: in-law suites. We break down separate entrances, ADA-aware layouts, and the maze of permits and HOAs that most homeowners dread. Nina’s turnkey approach—handling applications, neighbor signatures, and inspections—removes friction so clients can focus on the life change, not the paperwork. And woven through everything is a candid look at entrepreneurship as a lifestyle: early mornings, late-night estimates, on-site leadership, and the deep satisfaction of mentoring girls, speaking in schools, and proving that women can do this work—and often do it better.

If you care about smart construction, local business, and spaces that truly fit your life, you’ll love this one. Subscribe for more real talk from Maryland makers and moms, share it with a friend who’s planning a build, and leave a review to help others find the show. What space in your home deserves a Grit and Grace upgrade?

See Grit and Grace in action! 🛠️✨ Check out Nina’s projects and tips: Website, Instagram, Facebook

. From dream in-law suites 🏡 to smart commercial builds, it’s construction with heart 💛 and precision.

Support the show

🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to MomTalk Maryland — where community, connection, and conversation collide!

💻 Visit us at thecolumbiamdmom.com

📧 Join our newsletter for episode updates, exclusive content, and local happenings: Subscribe!

📲 Follow along on Instagram: @the.columbiamom

🗣️Got a topic idea, guest nomination, or want to sponsor an episode? Let us know!

🎬 Watch behind the scenes of the podcast on YouTube: Subscribe to the MomTalk Maryland Podcast Playlist

🎧 Like what you heard? Leave a review & share with a friend who needs this convo in their life!

The hardest part of parenting a neurodiverse kid isn’t always the diagnosis; it’s the in-between—when your child “gets by,” but daily life still feels uphill. We invited Beth Snow, a lifelong educator and director at Brain Balance, to unpack a non-medical, multi-sensory approach that strengthens the foundations most systems skip: primitive reflex integration, sensory processing, visual function, rhythm, and timing. Instead of chasing symptoms one by one, Beth shows how layered movement and cognitive work at the right challenge point builds real stamina, better regulation, and carryover where it counts—school, friendships, and family routines.

You’ll hear how a detailed discovery visit maps unique gaps and strengths, then becomes a customized plan that evolves session by session. Claire shares Grant’s story—from early gross motor wins and retained reflexes to a quieter mind, smoother transitions, and unprompted after-school stories. We talk about why motor drives cognition, how visual processing shapes attention and social cues, and what happens when you stack small wins until they feel like momentum. The thread through it all is practicality: intentional screen use without shame, unstructured outdoor play as brain fuel, simple nutrition shifts that reduce friction, and collaboration with schools, SLPs, OTs, and neuropsychs so progress sticks.

If you’ve felt spread thin by piecemeal supports or worried your child will slip through the cracks, this conversation offers grounded optimism and next steps you can act on. Join us for a candid look at what changes when you strengthen the base: kids regulate, focus, and flex; families exhale. 

🧑‍🧒‍🧒 Supporting kids, teens & adults
🧠 Everything starts in the brain
💡 Helping improve focus, regulation & comprehension

Want to learn more about Brain Balance? Explore their non-medical, whole-brain approach and find a location near you:

🌐 Program Overview: https://www.brainbalancecenters.com/our-program

📍 Greater Baltimore Center: https://www.brainbalancecenters.com/locations/maryland/baltimore

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brainbalancecenters/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brainbalancebaltimore/?hl=en

Support the show

🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to MomTalk Maryland — where community, connection, and conversation collide!

💻 Visit us at thecolumbiamdmom.com

📧 Join our newsletter for episode updates, exclusive content, and local happenings: Subscribe!

📲 Follow along on Instagram: @the.columbiamom

🗣️Got a topic idea, guest nomination, or want to sponsor an episode? Let us know!

🎬 Watch behind the scenes of the podcast on YouTube: Subscribe to the MomTalk Maryland Podcast Playlist

🎧 Like what you heard? Leave a review & share with a friend who needs this convo in their life!

What if the same playbook that steadies a press room could calm your kitchen at 6 p.m.? Claire sits down with Beth Levine—veteran Capitol Hill communicator turned Maryland mom—to unpack how crisis communications, audience research, and storycraft can make work smarter and parenting saner. Beth shares a candid path from rural Iowa to the Senate to K|O Public Affairs, revealing the on-the-ground habits that build trust when stakes are high: listen first, gather facts, define your audience, and speak simply.

We dig into the moment-by-moment choices that prevent blowups—at home and in headlines. Beth explains why the person who represents the message must stay calm, how to find the “one nugget” that makes a story resonate, and when to stop obsessing and ask your team for help. Claire brings the creator lens from social posts to newsletters to podcasts, showing how different formats demand different hooks, and how a small team can zoom out when the founder’s buried in details. Together, they connect communications strategy to real family life: every kid processes differently, phases pass, and reframing hard weeks can keep you moving.

You’ll leave with practical tactics for de-escalation, better storytelling, and boundaries you can actually hold. Expect real talk on perfectionism, shared mental load, and building a support circle that says yes when you finally ask. If you’re a parent, marketer, entrepreneur, or policy pro, this conversation offers clear, usable tools to steady your message and your home. Loved the episode? Follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a friend who could use a calmer playbook this week.

Beth Levine is a Partner at 💼 K|O Public Affairs, a full-service, top-tier firm that doesn’t just deliver results — it ignites transformation. ⚡ By combining public affairs, public relations, and government relations into unified strategies, K|O shapes conversations, drives change, and helps organizations amplify their impact. 🌟

📊 Learn more: 🔗 kopublicaffairs.com/about-us

Support the show

🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to MomTalk Maryland — where community, connection, and conversation collide!

💻 Visit us at thecolumbiamdmom.com

📧 Join our newsletter for episode updates, exclusive content, and local happenings: Subscribe!

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🗣️Got a topic idea, guest nomination, or want to sponsor an episode? Let us know!

🎬 Watch behind the scenes of the podcast on YouTube: Subscribe to the MomTalk Maryland Podcast Playlist

🎧 Like what you heard? Leave a review & share with a friend who needs this convo in their life!