The Mama Mode Podcast

As the founder and owner of Mothersense and a mama herself, Aimee Minnaugh understands the demands of pregnancy and postpartum on a mom’s body, but finding a way to truly nourish and care for her individual body’s needs took her on a life-changing journey. That journey laid the groundwork for the development of Mothersense™ Prenatal+, a comprehensive, clinician-formulated prenatal supplement. Today on the Mama Mode podcast, Aimee joins Emily to share her story of loss, discovery, and wellbeing as a mother and business owner with insight for new and hopeful moms. After multiple miscarriages, Aimee vowed to listen to her body and work with her doctors to get to the root of her challenges in carrying a healthy pregnancy. Her self-advocacy led to a better understanding of a common gene mutation she carried and why her body struggled to carry a pregnancy to term, inspiring her to bring Prenatal+ to market. Tune in to learn more about the critical and often misunderstood role of nutrition from preconception to postpartum and the calling that guided Aimee to found Mothersense for more than just herself. Connect with Mothersense on Instagram @mothersense_shop at https://mothersense.shop/ to find out more.

Before she was known online as @thatmomkarissa, Karissa Whitman faced a dilemma many moms know well: how to manage chaotic careers while she and her husband grew their family. With a demanding job in emergency veterinary medicine, Karissa and her husband, a fire fighter in their native Southern California, realized a major career shake-up needed to happen to make their family dreams a reality. Today on the Mama Mode podcast, Karissa shares the why and how behind her decision to become a work-from-home mom and the conversations that continue to shape her choices for her career, her children, and her marriage. Tune in to learn more about how Karissa found blogging as a new mom and grew that hobby into successful content creation work as she embraces her family’s own kind of unique dynamic. We’re diving into all of it- including the challenges of parenting (and sometimes solo-parenting) on an unpredictable schedule while navigating what it means to be a fire wife and the impacts of that lifestyle on kids as they grow. Connect with Karissa on Instagram @thatmomkarissa for more.

Every parent knows the confusion that comes with wondering how to best support little ones as they work toward developmental milestones. Pediatric physical therapist Jessica Costagliola and pediatric occupational therapist Nora McCrystall understand this stress from both sides, as clinicians and moms themselves. Together, after challenging postpartum experiences seeking support for themselves and their children, they created the Developmental Pod, a developmental coaching service designed to empower parents through personalized guidance and feedback specific to their unique experiences with their children’s development. Through parent-focused support, Jessica and Nora instill confidence by equipping parents with individualized strategies and recommendations to aid development through their everyday play and daily routines. Clients also have access to ongoing support through messaging and video calls as they navigate their personalized developmental plan. Today on the Mama Mode podcast, Jessica and Nora share their own professional and parenting experiences that laid the foundation for the Developmental Pod, as well as tips and insight for parents wondering what more they can do for their children’s development from birth through toddlerhood and beyond. Listeners can learn more about the Developmental Pod online at https://www.thedevelopmentalpod.com/ or on Instagram @thedevelopmentalpod.

Naturopathic doctor and aesthetic specialist Dr. Natalya Borakowski believes helping women to love themselves and their reflections also means understanding more about their own bodies and hormonal health. Today on the Mama Mode podcast, Dr. Borakowski shares her professional journey, from attending medical school with two young children at home to founding her own clinical aesthetics and skin health clinic alongside her husband, as well as information she wants women to understand about the impact of hormonal health on their wellbeing. She breaks down common misconceptions about stress hormones, menstrual cycle phases, and sleep hygiene as women navigate the transition to and through motherhood, giving us a clearer picture of how we can support ourselves as women while managing the ups and downs of family and professional life. Learn more about Dr. Borakowski’s work and her Scottsdale clinic, Desert Bloom Skincare, on Instagram @natalyaborakowski or by visiting https://www.desertbloomskincare.com/dr-natalya-borakowski-nmd/

After two decades in corporate marketing dream-roles with QVC and Lilly Pulitzer, Eleni McCready took a major career leap to join boutique marketing agency PWRHOUSE Collective as a partner and now CMO, a change that aligned with her vision for her next chapter as a working mom. Today on the Mama Mode Podcast, Eleni and Emily discuss her professional journey from social media pioneer to senior director and the workplace support that kept her engaged through pregnancy and mom life (with twins!) and ultimately helped her make the transition away from corporate roles. Eleni also created and facilitates the Well Positioned workshop, designed to serve motivated women seeking to reclaim their story and step into meaningful roles that align with their values, experience, and perspective. Tune in to hear more about how motherhood continues to influence her career decisions, rewrote her definition of ambition, and encourages her to make the most of her professional and personal life.. Connect with Eleni on Instagram at @eleni_t or LinkedIn and learn more about the Well Positioned workshop at https://www.thepwrhouse.com/group-events

For Winston Meikle, serving others is a lifelong calling that drives his work in nursing and approach to living a full life. After starting his healthcare experience in high school as a home health aid, Winston continued on to earn his LPN at the age of 18, setting the course for completion of his RN, MSN, and MBA degrees in the years to come. In 2025, with 40 years of nursing experience, he published his debut book, the Power of Love: A Nursing Theory, exploring the connection between spirituality and quantum science to support patient care. Join us for a thought-provoking episode of the Mama Mode podcast as Emily and Winston discuss his career, book, and the power of positivity that he sees as transformational in nursing. He’ll walk us through the most memorable experiences in his professional career that helped shape his approach to and outlook on care as he and Emily consider how these principles can be applied to motherhood and daily life beyond medicine. To learn more about Winston’s work, visit https://poweroflovetheory.com .

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As she carried the stress of childcare, work, and daily life as a single parent, Samaria Gaines, mom of 3, began to lose sight of her identity outside of motherhood. When she returned to her job just 6 weeks postpartum, she had the realization that her skillset and work experience could lay the foundation for her own business and pursuing passions long put on hold. Today Samaria balances her business clients, home life, and work as an identity coach with her online community, The Mom Tribe, where she helps moms connect through conversation and the common experience of motherhood. Join us on the Mama Mode podcast as Samaria shares her journey with Emily, from first baby to first business, and how she encourages moms to reconnect, rediscover, and rise as they find their identity inside and outside of being a mom. Learn more about Samaria’s work on YouTube and Skool.

Baby Sleep Training Consultant Ann Marie Harriger of AM Smiles has walked alongside more than 600 families over 8 years, creating customized sleep plans and providing sleep training guidance for happier, more well-rested babies and parents. When Emily found herself stuck in an unsustainable bedtime routine with baby #3, she knew something needed to change, but wasn’t sure how to effectively manage sleep in a way that felt in-tune with her parenting style. Overwhelmed and intimidated by the myriad sleep training methods, she consulted Ann Marie to put together a personalized sleep training plan that allowed her to support healthy sleep habits for everyone in the house at her own pace and comfort level. Today, Emily checks in with Ann Marie to provide an update on her sleep training journey one year later and to reflect on the experience of working with @am_smiles_sleepcoach to gain a better understanding of sleep training and its impact on the family as a whole. Tune in for all the details and visit https://amsmilessleeptraining.com/ for more about Ann Marie’s work, consultations, and her free starter course.

After having her first child and struggling to find a career that allowed her the flexibility and freedom she sought to care for her daughter while providing for her family, Jessica Paxton, now a Business Idea Coach and homeschooling mom of 3, began exploring freelance work to meet that goal. Her first virtual assistant gig gave her the encouraging push to move forward as a freelancer and she began earning on her own terms. Today, she not only continues to freelance, but also helps moms who feel unqualified to pursue freelancing find the courage and direction to put their own skills and experience to work for them. Join us on the Mama Mode podcast as Emily and Jessica discuss the messy action of entrepreneurship, building business around your life in its current season, and the reality of freelancing with the unpredictabilities of motherhood. To learn more about Jessica Paxton and how she can help you find a freelance idea that fits your skills, strengths, and life, visit https://nichewithjess.com/ or follow @nichewithjess on Instagram.

For Julia Bocchese of Julia Renee Consulting, planning for a family meant building a career that would allow greater availability and flexibility when kids entered the picture. Now a mom of 2, Julia continues to run her own business as an SEO, Pinterest, and AI Search Consultant serving clients in creative and holistic fields. Today on the Mama Mode podcast, Julia walks us through her thought process in choosing entrepreneurship, how her business changed after becoming a mom, and the ups and downs of working from home with a growing family. From bringing babies to conferences to managing work time between wake windows, she’s sharing her encouragement for other working moms in this season of motherhood. Press play for some real-life insight on how successful WFH moms are managing it all and their best tips for making it work. Learn more about Julia Renee Consulting at https://juliareneeconsulting.com or on Instagram @juliareneeconsulting