I am a podcast host, speaker, author, community columnist and have held several executive level positions during my 20-year career in Corporate. I have also served on the Institute of Management Accountant's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Advisory Committee from 2016 to 2022.

I founded NGC Consulting, a boutique consulting firm for small business owners, in 2021.

After my son was born in 2017, I battled postpartum anxiety, and struggled with balancing a demanding career, and life in general with a newborn. I needed a safe space to discuss honest, raw and real conversations about motherhood, and the challenges mother's face; so, I created this podcast, Mamas Know Best, We Got Something to Say, in 2019.

What started as a hobby has turned into a labor of love and resource for the motherhood community. Every conversation is informative, insightful and empowering!

In this special 100th episode, I am interviewed by my friend and business mentor Lynn Lessell, and we discuss:

• What I've learned during the journey to 100 episodes.
• What has changed and stayed the same since my first episode aired on 11/8/2019.
• What's next for Mamas Know Best and The Motherhood Village.
• My mission and how I hope to impact my community.
• How I release, reset and recharge.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert.
• Lifepass by Payal Kadakia.
• Inner Power Partners.

Connect with Lynn Lessell on:

• ItzWhy.com.
• LinkedIn.

Connect with Nicole and The Motherhood Village on:

• The Motherhood Village website.
• Instagram: @The.Motherhood.Village1.
• LinkedIn.

Beth Alhanti is a Solutions Focused, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, helping Adults, Teens and Couples deal with the hurdles faced at different phases of life. Beth teaches tools to deal with life's current changes and challenges, while making every day happier and more fulfilling.

She graduated from Lynn University with a Masters in Psychology and completed practicum training at one of Florida's premier counseling facilities. She has extensive counseling experience in Anxiety, Depression, Substance Abuse, Trauma including EMDR Therapy and Career Counseling. In addition, she spent several years in the business world working for corporations including Johnson & Johnson and Medtronic.

In this episode we discuss:

• The benefits of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy.
• Misconceptions of people with substance abuse issues.
• Warning signs parents should look out for if they suspect their child may be doing drugs.
• Strategies parents can use to help their children build self-confidence and manage stress.
• The rise of mental health issues in teens.
• The dangers of the motherhood wine culture.
• Ways parents can connect with their teenagers.
• Her advice for embracing the challenges we face.

You may connect with Beth on LinkedIn, her website, or call her at: (954) 260-9056.

Connect with me on Instagram, LinkedIn and at The Motherhood Village

Caitlin Johnson is a foster parent recruiter for Specialized Alternatives for Families and Youth (SAFY) of Nevada. Caitlin has also been a licensed foster parent herself, and adopted children through this experience.

Her experience in the child welfare and trauma-informed space include program design, web design, community program management, graphic design and marketing campaigns.

The mission of SAFY is to preserve families and secure futures. Since 1984, SAFY has worked to ensure that every child and family can reach their full potential.

In this episode we discuss:

• How lessons from foster parent training can help all parents build better connections with teenagers.
• Misconceptions people have about teenagers and teenagers in foster care.
• How parents can create a balance of respecting the autonomy and independence of their teens while also helping them make good choices.
• How to have difficult conversations with your teenagers.
• How to build relationships with your teens, and help your teens build healthy relationships with others.

You can connect with and learn more about SAFY and foster parenting & adoption on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Melanie McNally, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist who helps Gen Zers become the superheroes of their life stories. She provides online support through teletherapy and coaching; online programs; and books that teach Gen Zers how to build self-confidence, manage anxiety, and achieve their goals.

Dr. McNally founded Therapy Bootcamp, an app-based psychoeducational service for Gen Zers to get therapy tools delivered right to their phones. Therapy Bootcamp is an 8-week program where boot campers build self-awareness and develop coping tools, all while being able to message Dr. McNally directly. The next bootcamp starts June 13, 2022.

Dr. McNally has worked in the mental health field since 2005 and teaches the skills, strategies, and tools that she herself has used and continues to use. She lives in the forest of the upper peninsula of Michigan with her husband and two dogs.

In this episode we discuss:

• Her journey into psychology.
• The impact of social media on teens' mental health.
• Tools teens and young adults can use to manage their anxiety.
• How parents can tell the difference between general stress and significant anxiety.
• How parents with mental health issues can ensure their condition doesn't negatively impact their children.
• Ways parents can connect with their teens and young adult children.
• The future of therapy and counseling.

You can learn more about Dr. McNally and to connect with her destinationyou.net , Instagram, Pinterest , Facebook and download her free guide.

Melissa Mayer is a Holistic Physical Therapist in Hampton Bays, NY. She received a Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2006 from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and worked for many years as a physical therapist in New York City. Melissa has spent the majority of her life faithfully searching, contemplating, studying, and traveling. Along the way allowing in love, self awareness, and adventure, which have led to growth, expansion and freedom.

She is also the author of, 'Recovering My True Self.' In the book she describes her experience donating her kidney to her husband and the associated transformational journey that came from that experience.

Melissa is eternally grateful for all the miracles in her life and so excited to have the opportunity to share her journey with others, and be a conduit to healing. She spends her days treating patients, writing, meditating, doing yoga, walking on the beach, and spending time with her 2 daughters and husband.

Her mission is to extend love and healing in any way she can, whether it be through her healing work, her book, a compassionate ear, a prayer or a smile.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How she uses her highly sensitive traits as a super power.
• The transformative and miraculous experience of donating her kidney to her husband and how it changed her familys life.
• The journey of reparenting ourselves as we parent our own children.
• The joy of simplicity parenting.
• The importance of bridging traditional medicine with holisitic practices.
• How she's turned obstacles into opportunities.

You may connect with Melissa on Instagram and learn more about her on her website.

Melissa Rohlfs is a certified holistic health and life coach helping busy women break free from sugar without deprivation so they can be happy, healthy and love their life.

She is committed to empowering women to break free from dieting, emotional eating and self-image issues so they can ditch the diet mentality, and feel empowered in their own skin.

Melissa loves to teach women how to have their best body, best moods and best life, all by breaking free from sugar. After her own tumultuous history with food {withholding and then later in life, bingeing}, she learned how to deal with the core issues around her broken relationship with food. As a result, she felt called to go to school and learn to teach other women how to do the same.

She graduated from the Health Coach Institute as a Holistic Health and Life Coach in 2018 and is the proud owner of Free 2 B Coaching.

Melissa is a proud Boilermaker alumna living in Arizona with her husband, Chad and two kids!

In this episode we discuss:

• Healing our trauma before motherhood.
• The impact of food on our mental health & wellbeing.
• How she broke free from sugar and built healthier habits.
• The importance of teaching children the impact of food on our body.

You may connect with Melissa on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest

Download her Ultimate Guide to Body Freedom and Peace.

Raven "Ray" Cruz is a proud mama, personal trainer, wellness Influencer, and entrepreneur. Along with her signature workout programs, she also trains on the number one women's live workout platform, Queen Warriors TV. Her mission is to teach people, specifically women & children, how to discover their strengths, tap into their mental power, and maximize their life. She wants people to fearlessly live their life to the fullest.

This is Raven's second time on my podcast. In the first episode, we discussed her fitness journey and anticipation of motherhood.

In this episode we discuss:

• How she turned her fitness hobby into a successful business.
• Her journey into becoming a wellness influencer.
• How she helps women, especially mothers, build healthy habits.
• Overcoming the traumatic birth of her son; from planning a birth center birth to a c-section.
• Allowing herself grace and patience to recover & heal from her c-section.
• Her VBAC aspirations.

You may connect with Raven on Instagram and her website Fit by Ray Cruz.

Marisa Lonic is a keynote speaker, life & business coach, 3x author, top-rated podcast host and the founder of Mama Work It.

After spending nearly 15 years in corporate leadership positions, Marisa shifted gears to become a full-time Time Momager & Biz Momager. Through her books, courses, and coaching programs, she helps busy moms juggling mom life, work life, wife life, and fill in the blank life.

Her time management and goal achievement strategies have helped the most overwhelmed mamas turn their dreams into reality, even when they thought they had no time to make any of it happen.

In this episode we discuss:

• How she empowers moms to manage their time and fulfill their dreams.
• Her tips for mothers that want to start or grow their own business.
• The importance of shifting our mindset and adjusting our language to achieve success.
• How we can get rid of the overwhelm!
• When we should multitask and when we should not.
• Her books, coaching program, and Biz MOMagement Club.

You may connect with Marisa on Instagram, and Facebook and learn more about who she is and the services she offers at Mama Work It!

Iman Alleyne is a best selling author, speaker, and advocate for learners. She has worked with children most of her life and after teaching Special Education in Public schools decided to create a program that would work for all learners. She earned her Master's in School Counseling in 2013 and is certified in Elementary Education, Special Education, and Guidance Counseling.

Iman has been featured on NPR, New York Times, and Miami Times as well as other outlets. Her mission is to connect families with the best educational opportunities for their learners, and to empower students to believe they can be leaders in their communities by incorporating passion based learning, hands-on education, and 21st century learning models.

She is currently the Principal of Kind Academy, a progressive microschool located in South Florida.

In this episode we discuss:

• The future of education.
• Why progressve, microschools are important & becoming more prevalent.
• The benefits of conscious parenting.
• The importance of developing social and emotional intelligence in our children.

You may connect with Iman on Instagram, Facebook, and see her on YouTube

***Kind Academy currently has a few spots left (20 is the maximum). If parents work full-time but love the idea of homeschooling or individualized learning then definitely check out Kind Academy. The founding families tuition is set at $1000 less if parents apply and are accepted by June 1st.

Amanda served in the Air Force for six years as a Civil Engineer including a combat deployment to Afghanistan. When her first son was born, she traded in her combat boots for a diaper bag to stay home with her son.

Shortly after leaving the military, she began her blog Airman to Mom as a creative outlet for her to share her experiences. Today she is a mom of two boys, a Space Force spouse, the author of Women of the Military, and the host and creator of Women of the Military podcast.

Amanda is using her voice to help create resources for women who have served; while also inspiring the next generation of women to serve.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Her journey from Airman to mom, blogger & podcast host.
• The challenges she faced while serving in the military and becoming a mom.
• Ways civilians can support military families.
• Her mission to help young women as they join the military.
• The positive impact & challenges the military can have on military children.
• The importance of reaching out for help regarding mental health.

You may connect with Amanda on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and download her free guide Girls guide to the military