Today we are checking in on Becky, her thoughts and feelings after The First Visit of her kiddo coming home for the first time after moving away for college. This is a VERY emotional time for moms (and kids) and Becky is sharing the things she wishes she would have done to care for her heart and things that are now working better. This episode in the last half reads a little like a big sister heart to heart/therapy session with Anne!

You’ll hear us share on:

1. What it feels like dropping them off again once the weekend is over

2. Surrendering your child to the Lord

3. Embracing loneliness and being productive with it

4. Normal emotional and physical feelings that come with them leaving & visiting 

5. Silver linings about this season

6. Surprising timeline of adjustment for Becky

7. Things that change once there is one less person at home

8. Reflections from Anne of her experience from this time

9. The impact on emotions of a mom during this transition 

10. Hope for finding your new normal and hard things easing up!

11. Allowing yourself space to rest and adjust (instead of staying busy and being in denial) 

12. Thoughts on emotional/identity bridges

13. Why having a life of your own enhances your relationship with your children

Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠

Connect with Anne:

⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠

Instagram

Connect with Becky:

Website⁠

⁠Her books⁠

The Inspired Business podcast

How do you feel about your body as you age? Loaded question, we know! Today we are talking about body image as you age. Level 5 (turning 50) can bring up a whole host of feelings and today we are sharing our thoughts and experiences with aging. Remember, what works for one woman to feel confident in her current body will look different for another. 

You’ll hear today:

1. NOT should you or should you not do things but rather our experiences with aging 

2. The different ways different women feel beautiful as they get older

3. The good desire to want to feel confident and beautiful that God put in women

4. The reasons culture makes us feel less attractive as we age (and how it doesn't respect certain types of beauty)

5. How it’s up to each woman to decide how to support her own body confidence 

6. Practical ways to feel good in your skin

7. Adult breakouts … sigh, it’s a thing.

8. How with age comes wisdom and also not caring as much about people's thoughts

9. Self care looking like fashion or beauty choices at times 

10. How Empty Nesting opens up opportunities to invest time and money on you!

Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠

Connect with Anne:

⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠

Instagram

Connect with Becky:

Website⁠

⁠Her books⁠

The Inspired Business podcast

Today’s episode will start with a big time giggle on the expense of Anne. She’s sharing what can happen when you aren’t aware of current lingo and then she and Becky discuss the deep questions those embarrassing moments can bring up. The reflection, the wondering of things like, “Who is paying attention to me? Am I okay with being irrelevant?”

You’ll hear today:

1. The wrestling that comes with once being someone who strives, to now simply not caring or having that ambition anymore

2. The lack of information for mothers in this stage of parenting 

3. Encouragement to re-invent yourself when the kids leave

4. The different value our culture puts on women in different stages

5. How our world worships youthfulness (and sometimes even in the church)

6. The good desire in your 50’s and beyond to be valuable and how it looks different now

7. How women our age are more picky about where they want to be seen (not always on social media)

8. The difference between a shift in your values vs your value

9. The freedom that comes when you see there are ways to make impact even when “culturally irrelevant”

10. The joy of putting energy towards timeless things

11. How contributions to the world looks different in different seasons of life

12. The people pleasing you shed as you age that can be mistaken for invisibility 

13. Why things don’t have to be public to be valuable 

Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠

Connect with Anne:

⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠

Instagram

Connect with Becky:

Website⁠

⁠Her books⁠

The Inspired Business podcast

That thing that was once waaaayyy in the future has come and gone now for Becky: dropping her oldest off at college. It’s hard. It’s weird. It’s abrupt. It’s hopeful. It’s rewarding. And everything in between.

Today we are chatting about redefining your role as a mother and your relationship with kids as they get older and enter new life seasons. There definitely are wise and not so wise ways to do this!

Things you’ll hear today:

1. What changes when you become your child’s guide 

2. How to support your kids, even if you don’t agree with their decisions

3. The risks that come with imposing parenting when the stage of life calls for being a guide

4. Why trusting your skills as a mother helps you trust your kids later on in life

5. The best way to “let your kids go” and encouragement for this time

6. Navigating how often to reach out to your kids once they move out

7. Signs your kids are not feeling judged for their life choices

8. How to NOT put your emotional care on your children (example texts provided!)

9. Considerations for the feelings of the kid(s) still in the nest

10. A helpful mindset to have to live in the moment

Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠

Connect with Anne:

⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠

Instagram

Connect with Becky:

Website⁠

⁠Her books⁠

The Inspired Business podcast

Back to school season is in full swing right now. New school supplies, check. New teachers, check. Fresh starts for kids AND moms? Also check!

Today we are diving into the pros and cons of summer vs the regular school year. Each time of year brings a different set of challenges for moms but also unique blessings! You'll also find inspo in this conversation and practical ideas to help you discover the exciting next chapter of your life as a daughter of God.

You’ll hear today:

1. What we love about summer and what we enjoy about the school year

2. How bringing back routine impacts your physical time and your mental time

3. Thoughts on organizing your extra time during the school year

4. Things Anne and Becky miss about having younger kids and things they are glad they don’t have to deal with anymore! 

5. How Becky is using work as a healthy tool right now, while her mama heart is hurting about missing her kids

6. Why it’s important to remember your kid’s childhood is only a small/short part of your life

7. Inspiration for finding what’s next for you as a mom once the kids are out of the house

Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠

Connect with Anne:

⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠

Instagram

Connect with Becky:

Website⁠

⁠Her books⁠

The Inspired Business podcast

Today is a unique style episode: we recorded this in real time for you! We thought it would be insightful to interview Becky on how it’s feeling IN THE THICK OF THINGS. Sometimes with the passing of time, our recollections of events and attached emotions can dim …  so why not check in while the hard thing is happening?

This special and emotional episode (grab the tissues!) reads sorta like a counselling session or big sister talk between Anne and Becky. Perhaps some of you are in the very same boat as Becky and if so, we pray this vulnerable episode is one of solidarity, hope, and practical encouragement! 

You’ll hear today:

1. How grief is being expressed for Becky at this time (pre-grief is a thing!)

2. The tension of “both and” (so feeling two opposing things at once)

3. How to soak in your last summer with your kid AND give them more rope for independence 

4. Things Anne remembers about this “weirdest summer” of your life as a mom

5. Helpful AND vulnerable conversations to have with your kid about them leaving

6. Disappointments that have happened to Becky, things that can’t be distractions anymore from feeling her feelings (a blessing in disguise)

7. The temptation to switch to another identity once your mom identity shifts 

8. Why your kids need to see you as a PERSON and not just their parent

9. Some tough love and wisdom from Anne to Becky (and you) for this season

   Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠

   
   

   Connect with Anne:

   ⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠

   Instagram

   
   

   Connect with Becky:

   Website⁠

   ⁠Her books⁠

   The Inspired Business podcast

   
   

Today is the episode about finances. Oooohhh, yes. We are going there. How to think about spending money on yourself. It goes much deeper than buying new things but uprooting thoughts about not being worthy of being invested in.

We talk today:

1. How we turn around and take money and time that was once spent on our kids and now being okay with spending it on ourselves

2. Something Anne looks back on, wishing she and her hubby had done on top of date nights when the kids were growing up

3. The benefits of NOT bringing the kids along on vacay

4. Lies that sometimes make moms think it’s not okay to spend money on themselves and their dreams

5. Big and small fun ideas of what to do with that extra cash

6. Things to expect to happen once you start to invest in yo self

7. The messy process of getting to know you again

8. An unexpected gift you can give your children

Get in Touch With us!⁠

Connect with Anne:

⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠

Instagram

Connect with Becky:

Website⁠

⁠Her books⁠

The Inspired Business podcast

Though we really wanna, it’s not helpful to our children when we try to rescue them all the time. So much learning comes from them taking responsibility for the consequences of their choices. So much growing into the person they need to be, who are okay and successful without us.

Today we chat about:

1. A funny story where Anne admits she was wrong in advice she gave to her adult kid (all our cat lover friends will love this one!)

2. How it looks to actually let your kids make mistakes (and why this is so darn hard to do!)

3. What “taking off the hero cape” is and what it does to your kids when you don’t

4. Different ways to help your kids that don’t involve removing the challenge for them

5. The difference between Equipping vs Rescuing

6. The long term impact of always swooping in to save your kids 

7. A caution for all those generous mamas out their who have a love language of giving gifts

8. How guidance looks different as your children get older

⁠Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠

Connect with Anne:

Website

⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠

Instagram

Connect with Becky:

Website⁠

⁠Her books⁠

The Inspired Business podcast

Today we have our first guest episode … wooo who! Author Kate Battistelli (yes, Francesca’s mom!) joins us to talk about her book The After Party of the Empty Nest. As her website says, “As you begin your empty nest, you’re not only leaving your child behind, but the life you knew so well.” And that our friends, is why this season is so darn hard at times. It makes sense why we feel like a fish out of water! It’s braaaannndd new territory. 

You’ll hear in this episode:

1. Why being mom is not your only name

2. Figuring out what else God has for you

3. Why it’s okay to grieve in this season

4. Three different types of mama birds and how they embrace the empty nest differently

5. How God may dare you to do new things

6. The bonuses of the empty nest

7. The power of volunteering when finding new purpose

   
   

Connect with Kate:

Website

Book

Podcast

⁠Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠

Connect with Anne:

Website

⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠

Instagram

Connect with Becky:

Website⁠

⁠Her books⁠

The Inspired Business podcast

It’s that time of year where some are a little antsy for summer to come and school to be over. But that’s not the case for everyone in the family: mom can be dreading the buffer summer between college days beginning. 

Check out today’s conversation to hear how our thoughts on the “time bomb ticking” of things never being the same again.

We chat today:

1. The desire to smother your kid as the end of their high school career looms 

2. What to expect in the last summer before post secondary begins 

3. How to make the most of that last summer together and set boundaries on time

4. Why eye rolls aren’t the worst thing when you share your heart with your kid

5. The limbo/not in control season your child feels they are in during this weird in between season

6. Possible behaviors to expect in your child in the buffer summer

   ⁠Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠

   Declare Conference info

   Connect with Anne:

   Website

   ⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠

   Instagram

   
   

   Connect with Becky:

   Website⁠

   ⁠Her books⁠

   The Inspired Business podcast