Building a thriving business while being a mom is hard work—and can be filled with those two weighty words: “mom guilt.” 

My guest today, Paula Faris, gets it. As an Emmy Award-winning journalist, speaker, mom, and author of the new book, You Don’t Have to Carry It All, Paula has experienced the frustration, overwhelm, and weight of mom guilt that so many women can relate to. And she’s determined to change it. 

Today, Paula reveals why society needs to value mothers first and how being a mom actually gives you advantages in the workplace. Plus, she shares why men aren’t the enemy—and practical, cost-effective ways companies can give moms more support at work. It’s time to ditch the mom guilt and burnout—and finally give working moms the support they desperately need. Paula is giving us a game plan to do just that. Listen now!

Get Paula’s new book HERE. 

Download your exclusive goal-setting FREE PDF HERE.

Buy your copy of Cindy’s new book, More Than a Bag, HERE. 

For daily leadership + business tips, follow Cindy on Instagram HERE.

You’ve defined what success looks like. You’ve created your goals for the year. Now it’s time to create an actionable plan to make them happen. I call this “mapping” — and it’s Step #3 in my Flourish Model. 

In this episode, I’m going to teach you how to set and prioritize each of your goals by mapping out your goal path for this year. Then, I’ll show you how to execute those goals in ways that will leave you feeling like you are flourishing in business and family. 

To achieve what matters, you must have a plan to get there and map out each step along the way. This episode will show you how.

Download your exclusive goal-setting FREE PDF HERE.

More on the Eisenhower matrix HERE. 

Buy your copy of Cindy’s new book, More Than a Bag, HERE. 

For daily leadership + business tips, follow Cindy on Instagram HERE.

Have you ever reached a point where leadership feels a lot more exhausting than it does fun? I’ve been there. With sales declining and my frustration at myself and the business growing, I knew I needed help. And that’s when I met my coach and guest on today’s podcast, Craig Wiley. 

Craig helped me get unstuck and focus on what I knew to be true about the business, our consultants, customers, and myself. When Craig first started coaching me, I remember telling him, “I want to stop being a hot mess of a leader.” Well, that changed dramatically once we started working together!

Today, Craig reveals what to do if you feel like you’ve lost your inner coach and don’t trust yourself anymore. Plus, the surprising difference between a leader that reacts and a leader that responds. Then, Craig gives us a little rapid-fire coaching session on 5 specific areas high-achieving female leaders struggle with. 

If you’re feeling burnt out from growing your business or struggling to trust yourself, this is the episode for you.

Learn more about Craig HERE. 

Download your exclusive goal-setting FREE PDF HERE.

Buy your copy of Cindy’s new book, More Than a Bag, HERE. 

For daily leadership + business tips, follow Cindy on Instagram HERE.

A lot of women work really hard setting and achieving meaningless goals—and that’s the last thing I want for you, my friend. Achieving meaningful success starts with two steps: setting your intentions and creating a plan to get there. 

Today, I’m breaking down how to take the intentions you’ve set and use them to create and plan tangible goals for your business and your life. (Check out Episode #3 to learn how to set your own intentions!) Plus, I’m walking you through the exact goal-setting process I use and the specific questions you must ask to transform your intentions into tangible, actionable goals. 

You deserve to create a long-lasting legacy for you and your family—not just momentary success. It’s time to take your intentions and dreams and turn them into reality by planning meaningful (and achievable!) goals. This episode will show you how. 

Download your exclusive goal-setting FREE PDF HERE.

Buy your copy of Cindy’s new book, More Than a Bag, HERE. 

For daily leadership + business tips, follow Cindy on Instagram HERE.

Can you really run a successful business while having a thriving marriage? Many women think you can’t have both and you must choose one or the other. I completely disagree. You CAN have a thriving business and marriage—but it takes work, sacrifice, and asking for help. 

In this episode, my husband and best friend Scott Monroe joins me for a special (and honest!) Valentine’s Day conversation. Two kids, building a business, and 30 years of marriage have taken us places we never dreamed of—and there have been countless challenges and hardships along the way. Today, Scott and I get honest about the highs and lows we’ve walked through in starting and leading Thirty-One and how they affected our marriage. Plus, we reveal the 5 key focus areas that have helped us grow stronger and closer together while building a business and cultivating respect, forgiveness, and commitment (because it’s a team effort!). 

Download your exclusive FREE PDF HERE.

Buy your copy of Cindy’s new book, More Than a Bag, HERE. 

For daily leadership + business tips, follow Cindy on Instagram HERE.

Giving yourself permission to bet on yourself, take a risk, and lead can feel completely daunting—and my guest today, Janet Kinkade, knows that well. 

What started as a jewelry design side hustle in Janet’s basement quickly grew into a multi-million dollar company. But with five kids and facing a divorce, Janet quickly realized she couldn’t do it all and do it well. Something needed to change—and it started with giving herself permission to accept help and bet on herself.

In this episode, Janet reveals how she was able to be a present mom while leaning into her new role as CEO and growing several multi-million dollar businesses. Plus, Janet gets honest about her intentions for her business and personal life this year and shares her best advice to new entrepreneurs on scaling (I think it might surprise you!). Listen now to hear Janet’s incredible story—and feel encouraged and motivated along the way. 

Connect with Janet on Instagram HERE.  

Shop at Olive + Tweed HERE and Reva Grey HERE. 

Download your exclusive FREE PDF HERE.

Buy your copy of Cindy’s new book, More Than a Bag, HERE. 

For daily leadership + business tips, follow Cindy on Instagram HERE.

One of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make is not having a clear vision of the path to success they want to create and setting goals without any intentions behind them. And that leads to achieving meaningless goals, which is something you can’t afford to do.

In this episode, Cindy breaks down step-by-step how to set meaningful intentions for your business and your life this year. After listening, you’ll walk away with a clear vision of what success looks like and the next steps you must take to achieve your goals. Remember, without clarifying your intentions first, you’ll only achieve momentary success—not the long-lasting legacy you’ve always wanted.

Download your exclusive FREE PDF HERE.

Buy your copy of my new book, More Than a Bag, HERE. 

For daily leadership + business tips, follow me on Instagram HERE.

When you decide to be bold, take risks, and take action on a new business idea, dream, or goal, you’re going to be met with some opposition—and most of it is in your head. That means if you want to experience meaningful success, you must minimize the negative thoughts and voices in your life, and learn to embrace the thoughts, actions and positive emotions that support you and your purpose.  

In today’s episode, Cindy reveals the top 5 biggest challenges women face when it comes to leading well in both your business and personal lives—and why it’s costing you the success you’ve always wanted. Then, Cindy shares a few of the strategies she’s used to take that resistance and use it to become a better business owner, leader, wife, and mom. 

Download your exclusive FREE PDF HERE.

Buy your copy of my new book, More Than a Bag, HERE. 

For daily leadership + business tips, follow me on Instagram HERE.

I know you’re ready to start that business you’ve been dreaming of or achieve your next big revenue goal. You have bold ambitions and dreams, but this nagging fear of failure is holding you back from taking your next action steps. 

In today’s episode, Cindy reveals the first step you must take to kick your fear aside and create the flourishing business and personal success you’ve always wanted. Hint: It all starts with giving yourself permission to lead, grow, and achieve more so you can truly flourish in your business and personal life. Plus, she shares why you must set intentions before you ever set goals—and how one of her favorite words has changed her definition of success. 

Download your exclusive FREE PDF HERE.

Buy your copy of my new book, More Than a Bag, HERE. 

To read more about the psychology behind the word “flourish,” check out this article.

For daily leadership + business tips, follow me on Instagram HERE.

Welcome to Permission to Lead, where we teach high-achieving female business leaders and entrepreneurs like you how to achieve more, lead effectively, and flourish in both your business and personal life. Listen each week as host Cindy Monroe (former CEO of the multimillion-dollar company Thirty-One Gifts) reveals practical and actionable business and leadership strategies you can implement immediately, interviews some of the world’s boldest female CEOs and business leaders, and gives you the tools you need to lead a thriving business while achieving goals you never thought possible. 

You deserve to have the business and family life you’ve always wanted—and you don’t have to choose one over the other. Permission to Lead will show you how. Subscribe now!