Not a Parenting Podcast

Would you put beets in your pasta sauce? Kendra Matthews did, and her kids loved it so much she bottled it up in jars and started selling it to grocery stores around the county. Kendra incorporates vegetables into all of her kids' meals, from blending nutritious veggies into smoothies, to stealthily adding them to favorite dishes, her sneaky tips will ensure your little ones get the nutrients they need while enjoying delicious meals. Embrace the magic of Hidden Foods and watch your kids devour their greens with delight. We speak with her on this episode of NAPP about how to grow your little ones’ palates, the Italian secret behind her insanely delicious pasta sauce, and how a family meal tradition turned into a thriving business.

Tommy and Daneyel Walker are serial entrepreneurs and as a couple, have created a safe space to build opportunities, collaboration, and community in southeast San Diego. With origins in LA and New York, they have found and created an incredible community in San Diego with their shop, The Mental Bar and as hosts of the Lyfe n' Shyt podcast.  

On this episode of Not a Parenting Podcast, we sit down with Tommy and Daneyel to discuss how entrepreneurship felt like a foreign language when they first started, how they have grown their portfolio of businesses, and what it's like having a blended family. 

What makes San Diego such a special place to raise kids for you?

As entrepreneurs in various industries, we believe that San Diego is an exceptional place to raise kids. The city offers a perfect blend of urban amenities and natural beauty, which is ideal for families. There are numerous attractions, such as theme parks, museums, and parks, where children can explore and learn. Additionally, the city's fantastic weather and scenic beaches make it an excellent place for outdoor activities with the family.

What are the greatest joys and challenges of balancing family and a career?

Balancing family and a career is always a challenge, but we've learned to manage our time effectively as entrepreneurs. It's crucial to have open communication with our team members and clients to ensure that everyone's needs are met. We make sure to prioritize family time and schedule our work around it rather than the other way around. The greatest joy of balancing family and a career is being able to provide for our family while also being present for them.

What part of your job makes you feel the most fulfilled or alive?

The most fulfilling part of our job is knowing that we are making a positive impact in the lives of others. In our coffee business, we provide our customers with an exceptional experience that they will remember. In our trucking and transportation business, we ensure that goods are delivered safely and efficiently to their destinations. As investors in real estate, we have the opportunity to create value for ourselves and our community. In our podcast and media ventures, we aim to educate and inspire others to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams.

Anything else you would love for our audience to know about you?

We want our audience to know that being entrepreneurs in multiple industries requires dedication, hard work, and perseverance. It's not always easy, but it's incredibly fulfilling. We're excited about the future of our businesses and the impact we can make in our industries and beyond. We hope to inspire others to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams and create a positive impact in the world.

Stephanie Issa and Christine Forsyth are the owners of Lullabar in Carlsbad. Both are moms who were inspired to start Lullabar after struggling to find the resources and support they needed when they became parents.

Their concept is a wellness cafe where mothers and caregivers will be able to receive self-care services while the little ones are safely entertained in the play gym. The space allows for parents to enjoy coffee, get a manicure, take a parenting workshop or shop.

On this episode of Not a Parenting Podcast, Stephanie and Christine discuss tips and advice for new parents and share their entrepreneurial journey as friends and moms and believe that every parent deserves a place to feel welcome, supported, and informed. Listen to their episode now and check out their Q&A below:

The outdoor lifestyle is really great for young children. I love the sun and it reminds me of my own childhood in Brazil where I spent most of my younger years outside playing in the sand on the beach. I love not having my plans change because of the weather!

The greatest joy of balancing family and a career is being a role model for my son. I want him to grow up watching me enjoy my work and feel excited about creating something beautiful. I want him to see me work and love what I do. The biggest challenge is trying to plan to expand your family while knowing the work ahead of you will be exhausting and very involved, and the guilt that will eventually come with splitting time.

When I talk to mothers who follow us online and learn how excited and relieved they are to have such a space open. It’s the excitement that keeps me going, especially on days that I’m feeling insecure or overwhelmed. They honestly keep me going and I feel a great sense of purpose in what we’re building. We have more than 1,200 women on our waiting list so far.

That I love going to therapy about daily motherhood dilemmas. I think everyone should be in therapy if they are able to, especially new mothers.

Kelly Mahoney is a yoga teacher, writer, and the founder of The Femme Dimension, a collection of embodiment experiences for women. Previously, Kelly worked in a high-level corporate sales position in New York City until decided to leave her job and pursue a deeper connection with her soul. Now, she teaches others how to do the same through workshops, weekly teachings, private coaching and yoga classes.

Originally from Massachusetts, Kelly lives in San Diego with her husband Willie and together they are foster parents to Baby L. On this episode of Not a Parenting Podcast, we discuss the complexity, tragedy, and raw beauty that is unique to becoming parents through foster care.

What makes San Diego such a special place to raise kids for you?

Having come from a big city like New York, San Diego feels grounding in ways I can't quite put into words.  I think it's largely energetic. My partner and I really value the medicine of being outside. He surfs, I hike every week, and we ride our bikes to the cliffs or around the bay. 

I love our neighborhood. Everyone on our block has small children and being able to walk to the beach or to happy hour just feels like it's a small town USA but only in the most appealing ways. Proximity to Mexico feels increasingly more important raising a child whose ancestral roots are in Mexico. 

What are the greatest joys and challenges of balancing family and a career?

The greatest joys: Learning how to play again. We laugh so much. She loves a good Lizzo dance party, and she's really into Apple Bottom jeans at the moment. 

The ability to play isn't something I realized I had lost until I was parenting a toddler. Seeing the way my parents are with her is so special—it's really healing for me to watch their relationship develop. Watching Willie be a dad has exploded my heart. Coming back to the basics of the practices that fill my cup. 

Greatest challenges: Navigating foster care (the system and the emotional landscape), walking away from my work for a whole year was very confronting—ego deaths and identity crises in full effect. I assumed I would just pick up where I left off and I'm just a whole new person now so it feels like amateur hour at times. Lot's of shifting/pivoting toward what feels like me in this new embodiment. The process has been more humbling and clarifying than anything I've experienced.  My work is drastically changing in real time. Even accepting this interview felt strange because my work is in such a place of transition and as people I think we like to have clearly defined elevator pitch for who we are, what we do and why it matters.  I'm still very much reorganizing all of that. 

What part of your job makes you feel the most fulfilled or alive?

Creating and leading retreat work has been, and continues to be, extremely fulfilling for me. I love the creativity of designing an experience. It's so special to watch people connect with each other and themselves on a more soulful level in a container where they are able to focus fully on filling their cups.  

It's such an act of rebellion, for parents especially, to remove themselves from the pace of life for a week and just have slow quiet mornings, move their bodies, float in the pool and eat gorgeous tapas. I just got back from leading one in Sedona and have another in Ibiza in early September.  

As a parent of a small child, it's not a realistic business model to be away constantly for a week at a time anymore, so I'm just doing a few a year now and leaning into the other thing that feels really alive in me right now which is writing. I'm still feeling into where that will take me and how I'll get there, but it for sure feels like the most honest version of who I am right now. It's scary and extremely exciting.

Anything else you would love for our audience to know about you?

Voices for Children as a place for people to volunteer if foster care touches their heart but they aren't able to make that commitment. There are other ways to serve the community that are more accessible and equally as important such as supporting teens aging out of foster care who end up in cycles of poverty, abuse, homelessness and incarceration.

Reena Vokoun, founder and CEO of Passion Fit, is an entrepreneur, author, public speaker, content creator, marketer, media spokesperson, personal and professional development coach, and consultant and certified health and wellness expert through AFAA, ACE, IDEA Fitness and Gallup.

Prior to launching her company, Reena worked in corporate America in marketing, sales and business development roles for companies such as Google, Yahoo, Reebok, CNET and GE. Reena is a TEDx speaker and featured regularly as a health contributor on the Fox KTVU news morning show and NBC California Live TV show. She also writes for outlets including Shape, Working Mother and Thrive Global.

On this episode of Not a Parenting Podcast, Reena discusses life as a Type A personality, leaving corporate America on your own terms and how to incorporate health into a stressful lifestyle. Listen to her episode now and check out her Q&A below:

My husband, sons (ages 12 and 15), and I moved to San Diego (specifically Pacific Highlands Ranch in the Carmel Valley/Del Mar area) about a year and a half ago from the Bay Area, to be closer to our extended family. It's also one of our favorite cities of all time, and we absolutely love it.

San Diego is such a special place to raise kids because of the amazing sunshine, idyllic weather, beaches, mountains, hiking trails, schools, universities, club sports teams, employers and more. The quality of life is so wonderful here, and we feel a strong sense of community within our neighborhood, schools, sports teams and more. We've made amazing friends in such a short period of time, plus we have lots of family nearby, which has made us so grateful for our life in San Diego.

The greatest joys of balancing a family and career include being able to be engaged in both your personal and professional life. To me, life feels very fulfilling when you have the opportunity to be a hands-on parent, raise a family and pursue a career you're passionate about. The challenges often involve time management, sometimes feeling spread too thin and having to prioritize, because some things have to give if you want to keep your sanity.

I left my corporate career and job at Google to pursue my passions around health and wellness, become an entrepreneur and start my own company, Passion Fit, more than eight years ago. I love being able to help others achieve healthier, happier and more fulfilled lives, and have the flexibility to tend to the needs of my family. I also love to leverage my strengths and passions around speaking, writing, educating, facilitating, creating and connecting with others.

In addition, I enjoy using my business skills, including marketing, advertising, sales, business development, digital media, technology and more, to build products, services and content to run my business. I feel most alive when I'm living my purpose, doing my life's work, making a positive and lasting impact in the world and leaving a legacy for my kids.

Fun facts: I'm barely five feet tall, I'm a former high school cheerleader and dance team member. I've been a fitness and dance instructor since I was a freshman in college, and I was a silver medalist in the ESPN National Fitness Championships several years ago. I'm also a first generation-born Indian-American, originally from the Midwest and a Californian at heart.

Beth Demmon is a San Diego-based freelance writer and podcast host who specializes in covering the craft beer and cider industries. Her monthly newsletter Prohibitchin' spotlights women and non-binary people working in beverage alcohol across the world. Her first book, The Beer Lover's Guide to Cider, will be on shelves this fall.

On this episode of Not a Parenting Podcast, Beth discusses the unique challenges of life as a freelancer and career parent, women journalists in male-dominated industries, and the joy of cider. Listen to her episode now and check out her Q&A below:

The weather (duh), proximity to (some) of my family, and a general cultural attitude of acceptance and positivity (not like some of the East Coast).

A huge challenge is the cost of childcare compared to income, especially for freelancers. However, the flexibility of freelancing can make scheduling family time easier, especially if you're organized. It's hard to always be some level of "on" (there is no rest for the career parent), but I enjoy being in charge of my own destiny and can't imagine working for someone else again.

Writing pieces that help change the hospitality realm in a positive way, even if it's by shining a light on negative issues like racism or sexism. Also, knowing that I'm working for myself means I can feel really good about a job well done or just a job that's done: I did that! By myself! It's awesome! (Can you tell I was never a "group project" person?)

I have a big personality and can be fiery on the page, but I'm actually pretty introverted and very nice in real life. Thanks, 10 years of yoga. I'm also very much a Taurus, and tend to be more of a cat than a dog person. I once won a trip to Hawaii, and Korean barbecue is my favorite type of food. I am also very, very prompt and can't stand even the remotest possibility of being late to anything.

Treci Smith is an interior stylist and mother of four who has a love of all things vintage and styling interiors to tell a story. Her deep dives into estate sales, thrift stores and even her clients’ own living rooms allow her to showcase rooms in a way that honors the past, while keeping an eye focused on the future.

“I’m always interested in the areas in the house where people congregate. I like creating and celebrating warm spaces that encourage conversations,” she says.

On this episode of Not a Parenting Podcast, Treci discusses life as a mom and wife, how her family survived the pandemic together, interior styling, and the community she has built with other Black San Diegans.

Listen to her episode now and check out her Q&A below:

What makes San Diego such a special place to raise kids for you?

Our family, friends and community have helped us build a wonderful life for our kids. Additionally, the climate and environment has allowed us to enjoy a natural lifestyle which is important to me and my family.

Another added benefit is that San Diego is culturally rich. For instance, enjoying the beauty of Balboa Park while walking across the international border to Mexico. I love how we have gone from Julian (to grab an apple pie) to watching the sunset on Coronado beach.

As a result, my kids are very open minded and they approach life with curiosity. After each one of our kids' high school graduations, we chose a different country to visit for our family vacation.

What are the greatest joys and challenges of balancing family and a career?

For me, the biggest challenge I have faced in balancing career and family is prioritizing my own time and professional needs. On the flip side of that, seeing my family enjoy their own personal success is incredibly rewarding and satisfying, but the truth is there’s never an equal balance. I’m a wife and mother first and a business owner second. The identities are not mutually exclusive, but having the discipline to be present, that’s always a challenge.

What part of your job makes you feel the most fulfilled or alive?

I love the hunt. Sourcing my finds in random estate sales and thrift stores is thrilling and provides the inspiration for my designs and projects. Sustainability is a big part of who I am. It’s how I live—from my vintage clothing, to how I style for clients, my store, my short term rental and even my own home. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get the look/quality that you're trying to achieve for your space.

Anything else you would love for our audience to know about you?

I was honored to have my home and family featured in the book APHROCHIC, a book that celebrates the legacy of the Black family home. Being able to see potential in pieces that most people would overlook is like my superpower.

Born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico, Odette Cressler is a mental health advocate and account specialist at Chosen Foods. Odette has called San Diego home for the past 12 years and shares a home with her husband, two kids and two dogs.

On this episode of Not a Parenting Podcast, Odette shares her journey in recovery from an eating disorder and discusses life with clinical depression. Now, she uses her free time to help others in recovery and those struggling with mental health issues including via her former podcast the Recovery Elevator and managing Chris Powell's new show: I Needed That.

Listen to her episode now and check out her Q&A below:

I am from Guadalajara. Mexico is a beautiful country, however, growing up I did not have access to clean and amazing public parks, museums, public beaches, a two-hour drive to the desert or the mountains [like I do here in San Diego].

I have been in San Diego for 12 years and continue to discover pieces of it as well as places that are nearby. We took the kids hiking in Pine Valley a few weeks ago, we had never been; so cool feeling like you can travel within your city.

Being present with the task at hand vs. multitasking. Also, fulfilling my own emotional needs as well as having some awareness of what each of my family members needs and being able to connect to that. Figuring out the logistics of both working parents plus kids with each their individual schedules. I am super grateful to have a partner that is a teammate in parenting. We have to strategize and make sure that we can handle everyone's activities and expectations.

For me, I fully believe that going after my goals and dreams is the best role modeling that I can do for my kids. It's easy to put things on the back-burner when they aren't urgent but I really want to make sure that my kids witness a mom that is living and pursuing her passions.

I am an introverted-extrovert, I definitely recharge when I am on my own; sometimes it is challenging finding pockets of time to recharge when I feel like there is so much to do. It's super important to me to communicate efficiently with my kids and my partner when I am feeling burnt out so that they can understand where I am at.

My kids are young but they 100 percent understand when I tell them "I am out of spoons" and need to go to bed early, for example. It's a joy for me to see them learn about emotional intelligence, it's something that I didn't have while growing up and I am very proud to teach my kids about emotional regulation.

Although my full time job is currently in operations, I've learned that I can still weave in skills and communication styles that I even apply in parenting to my work. When there are challenging moments at work, it's important to me to check-in on my colleagues and encourage my team to talk about how they are feeling. Working in corporate in 2023 for me is perceived as an opportunity to change the narrative on many cultural corporate norms that have been established. I like pushing the envelope a bit. I try to tag-team with my managers in proposing ideas that promote overall well-being.

In terms of the work that I do with Recovery Elevator and The Harmony Lane, it's important for me to share tools that can benefit people who are struggling with eating disorders, depression and addiction issues. I have been interviewed for multiple shows such as NAMI's newest podcast, sharing about my journey as well as tools that have allowed me to recover.

It's important to me that my kids learn that work isn't just about making a living but also about positively impacting those around us.

I would love to talk about the Latina roles in motherhood and how it's an added layer that I feel like we have to battle as our matriarch role is so ingrained in us—a conditioning many of us Latina women are trying to break free from while maintaining tradition and respecting our heritage.

I really like discussing the difference between motherhood and mothering. To me, motherhood is how society perceives us as we parent, we get judged on that and we feel like we have to perform. Mothering on the other hand is the exclusive bond that I share with my children. We know authentically where we are at, we know we understand each other, even though some methods or styles of communication may be perceived as "abnormal" motherhood.

I've worked really hard to create new values within my family such as setting and respecting healthy boundaries, learning the importance of saying "no" and not being afraid to disappoint the people that love you. Growing up in Mexico, what I saw to be a successful matriarch definitely involved always saying yes; pleasing others at all cost and sacrificing yourself for your family. 

I love my country and my heritage, so sometimes it feels very against the grain to be doing things differently than how grandma did it, for example. However I am proud to be carving a new path for my kids. We celebrate important Mexican traditions and still emphasize cultural norms while living with a new set of values.

In 2016, Jen Byard founded the first Communal coffee in North Park with its now iconic "Coffee + Flowers" mural painted on its exterior. With an emphasis supporting local, Communal serves craft coffees and drinks, local flowers and curated goods made by San Diego's residents.

Today she has multiple locations across SoCal, creating welcoming places for like-minded individuals to meet, converse and build community. On the Season 2 opener of Not a Parenting Podcast, we spend time with Jen to learn about life as a mother and business owner, divorce in the pandemic, and expanding Communal. Read her Q&A below and check out her episode here.

We lived in Phoenix until the boys were five, three and one, then moved to San Diego in 2008. We landed in North Park with our first rental and fell in love with the area. I've loved raising my kids here because they can be outside and have adventures.

I really try to raise my boys to be independent. The area where we live and the surrounding neighborhoods have allowed them to take risks in a safe environment. I feel like we live in a small town inside a city. We see people we know everywhere we go and love walking everywhere.

I love challenging myself and trying new things! I'm a 3/4 on the enneagram (achiever/artist) and founding these businesses while raising a family keeps me engaged all the time. I like to have work and life integration rather than "balance" because I found those expectations never went well for me. 

Some weeks are more kid things, less business and some weeks are heavy on the business side. The challenges have been learning to manage the weeks I have the kids alone and fit in friendships, as well as dating in the midst of all the rest.

The creative, building aspect of it. I love thinking through new concepts for future projects and I'm always thinking about how to make the businesses I have better.

I love to travel, with friends or alone. I love going to new places and learning everything I can. Kauai and Paris are the spots I'll always return to. I love learning about wine and spending time with friends.

As the chief diversity and inclusion officer at Rady Children’s Hospital, Nancy Moldonado provides vision, leadership, and direction within the executive and hospital operations teams. She is also focused on initiatives to support diversity, equity, and inclusion across the health system.

Nancy is also a single parent who has been recognized as one of the city’s most inspirational women in San Diego Magazine, Businesswoman of the Year in the San Diego Business Journal, and has garnered various other awards and accolades.

On this episode of Not a Parenting Podcast, we spoke with Nancy about single parenting, being a first generation college graduate, and running multiple businesses. Read her Q&A below and listen to her episode now.

What makes San Diego such a special place to raise kids for you?

I love raising my son in San Diego for many reasons, one of which is our proximity to Mexico. We are fortunate to live in a binational, multicultural, transborder community with a long history of activism and community engagement.

Because it’s so important to me that my son is exposed to different cultures, languages, identities, and experiences, I appreciate the Mexican influence and how it shapes San Diego’s identity. My son and I also love outdoor activities, such as hiking, biking, and rock climbing, and you can't beat the beautiful San Diego weather and our access to nature.

What are the greatest joys and challenges of balancing family and a career?

I am blessed to be able to work in a career I love and raise my son, Dominic, whom I adore. So often, we hear that we need to compromise or sacrifice and that it must be one or the other. My challenge when it comes to balancing motherhood and my career is to accommodate versus compromise.

When the opportunity presents itself, I think about how I can create new, innovative ideas where I don't have to sacrifice anything. One of those strategies is to involve Dominic in my work. I enjoy involving him in my career. From a very young age, he has been by my side as I attended community events, gave speeches in rooms full of people, or led team functions. I find joy in sharing my career with him and helping him understand the why behind my chosen path.

What part of your job makes you feel the most fulfilled or alive?

I feel so fortunate to be the inaugural chief diversity and inclusion officer for Rady Children’s Hospital because of how vital the organization is to our entire region and beyond. Rady’s does fantastic work and serves so many children and families. I am motivated by the fact that we are genuinely dedicated to ensuring that every patient receives the highest quality, equitable care. One of the aspects I love most about my job is that I work on the campus and have the opportunity to talk to and interact with our incredible team and patients.

Hearing directly from patients and families brings home the work we all do every single day and the fact that no matter what anyone’s role is at Rady, it has a tremendous impact. Knowing that I play a part in that is very fulfilling.

Anything else you would love for our audience to know about you?

I find it helpful to remind myself that I do not have to “do it all” to consider myself successful. While every day I have every intention of being great, some days, all I can be is okay.