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Ever wonder if doing it all is actually doing you in? In this powerful conversation, we sit down with brand strategist, entrepreneur, and mom, Katie Mleziva, to explore the unseen load modern moms carry and the transformative identity shift that arrives with matrescence. Katie shares her journey from high-intensity corporate life to entrepreneurship, parenting two teens, navigating early motherhood with zero feedback loops, and learning to recognizing comments like “I don’t know how you do it all” as the unintentional red-flag moments they often are.

We talk about redefining productivity, healing from burnout, finding joy in the daily grind, and setting boundaries that protect both your family and your health. Katie also walks us through her incredible work helping natural food brands, plus her passion project Sunbeam Kids—a nonprofit making family volunteering accessible and meaningful.

As a brand strategist, Katie shares how families can borrow principles from branding to create a strong family culture. She explains choosing “brand pillars,” using visual cues, reinforcing values through small daily rhythms, and giving kids the confidence and autonomy to make good decisions. This segment is packed with practical, actionable ideas for moms wanting a more intentional, connected home life—especially those craving structure, clarity, and shared purpose.

This episode is especially impactful for moms craving growth, overwhelmed mothers, entrepreneur moms, moms-to-be preparing for identity shifts, and anyone seeking more alignment, rest, purpose, and confidence in motherhood.

A grounded, heartfelt, wisdom-packed conversation about slowing down, tuning in, and building a family culture that truly reflects your values.

Connect with Katie: 

Work: Real Food Brands | Sunbeam Kids

Podcast: Real Food Brands Podcast

Social: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

Links & Discount Codes:

8Sheep Organics: Click this link for 10% off your purchase!

Kindred Bravely: THEREALMOMHUB15 for 15% off!

Host & Show Info

Hosted by: Cally & Emily O’Leary

About the Hosts: We’re real moms and real sisters. We may look and sound alike, but our motherhood journeys are uniquely ours. We all do Motherhood differently, and thank goodness for that. Let’s learn and grow together.

Podcast Website: https://therealmomhub.com/

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• Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify – Help others discover the show!
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What if that nagging fear isn't your enemy but your guide? This episode hands you the tools to stop treating anxious thoughts like prophecies and start using them as breadcrumbs to something deeper. Discover how to build your own maternal compass —and actually access her when you're spiraling. Episode four of our mini-series—catch up on episodes 1-3 first.

Main Topics & Discussion

Fear as a Trailhead to Maternal Wisdom

Learn how to stop letting fear run the show without pretending it doesn't exist. This conversation gives you a framework for separating "I'm having a fearful thought" from "this fear is the truth about me as a mother." You'll walk away knowing how to name the voice of anxiety in a way that strips it of power—and how that simple act creates space for your actual wisdom to speak up. 

Building Your Personal Maternal Compass

You'll get prompts and permission to imagine your inner wisdom as an actual figure. This isn't a visualization exercise for its own sake; it's about creating a reference point you can turn to when Google isn't the answer. By the end, you'll have a clearer picture of what confident, grounded mothering looks like for you—not borrowed from influencers or parenting books, but drawn from something you already carry inside. Basically, you'll have a Patronus Harry Potter would be proud of.

Accessing Your Maternal Compass Through the Body

Discover where your inner wisdom actually lives—in your chest, your gut, your feet, your breath—and get specific techniques for tapping into it on demand. You'll learn how to create physical anchors that interrupt the spiral of indecision and reconnect you to calm. 

Resources & Next Steps

Download the Worksheet: Practice identifying your own internal voices. FREE resource from Caitlin.

Learn more about Caitlin: [Website/Instagram]

This podcast is educational only and not a substitute for professional mental health care.

Links & Discount Codes:

8Sheep Organics: Click this link for 10% off your purchase!

Kindred Bravely: THEREALMOMHUB15 for 15% off!

Host & Show Info

Hosted by: Cally & Emily O’Leary

About the Hosts: We’re real moms and real sisters. We may look and sound alike, but our motherhood journeys are uniquely ours. We all do Motherhood differently, and thank goodness for that. Let’s learn and grow together.

Podcast Website: https://therealmomhub.com/

Like what you hear? Let us know!

• Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify – Help others discover the show!
• Join the Conversation – Join us on social (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok), or send us a message at [email protected] to let us know what you'd like to hear more of.
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SURPRISE! Emily had her baby early (like, everyone was surprised early), so Cally is flying solo with her husband Kevin for this special episode!

With their own third baby on the way and their house literally exploding with plaster dust, Cally and Kevin are diving deep into the wild world of nesting. Spoiler alert: Kevin thought nesting meant cozy blankets and Netflix binges. He was very wrong.

In this hilarious and honest conversation, they're sharing:

• What Kevin actually thought nesting was (you won't believe it)
• Why they bought a house, switched careers, and demolished two closets across three pregnancies
• The time Cally had a meltdown over THREE items on the coffee table
• Kevin's theory that he can appease "the monster" with power tools
• Their current nesting phase featuring plaster EVERYWHERE and clothes strewn across the guest room
• Real talk about what's worked (and what hasn't) to survive nesting without ending up in couples therapy

Big News: The Real Mom Hub is going to every-other-week episodes while Emily and Cally have a couple babies (and hopefully becomes human again).

Whether you're in your nesting phase, married to someone who is, or just want to hear about the chaos that is preparing for a newborn, this episode is for you. Fair warning: you might want to go hug your partner afterward.

Links & Discount Codes:

8Sheep Organics: Click this link for 10% off your purchase!

Kindred Bravely: THEREALMOMHUB15 for 15% off!

Host & Show Info

Hosted by: Cally & Emily O’Leary

About the Hosts: We’re real moms and real sisters. We may look and sound alike, but our motherhood journeys are uniquely ours. We all do Motherhood differently, and thank goodness for that. Let’s learn and grow together.

Podcast Website: https://therealmomhub.com/

Like what you hear? Let us know!

• Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify – Help others discover the show!
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What if the part of yourself you're most disgusted by is actually trying to protect you?

In this raw and revealing episode, Emily faces her internal "schlub" – that beer-bellied guy on the park bench who represents everything she fears about slowing down. Through this conversation with Caitlin Miller, LPC, we watch Emily's disgust transform into unexpected wisdom about rest, choice, and what it really means to be human.

Main Topics & Discussion

• Why we conflate slowing down with losing ourselves (and how pregnancy amplifies this fear)
• The difference between "succumbing" to exhaustion and choosing to rest
• How to find the kernel of wisdom in your most shameful internal parts
• Why fighting your fear only makes it stronger – and what to do instead

This episode is perfect for you if:

• You're struggling with the identity shift from career woman to stay-at-home mom
• You feel disgusted by your own need to rest
• You're afraid of wasting your potential
• You want to learn how to face your fears instead of running from them

Resources & Next Steps

Download the Worksheet: Practice identifying your own internal voices. FREE resource from Caitlin.

Learn more about Caitlin: [Website/Instagram]

This podcast is educational only and not a substitute for professional mental health care.

Links & Discount Codes:

8Sheep Organics: Click this link for 10% off your purchase!

Kindred Bravely: THEREALMOMHUB15 for 15% off!

Host & Show Info

Hosted by: Cally & Emily O’Leary

About the Hosts: We’re real moms and real sisters. We may look and sound alike, but our motherhood journeys are uniquely ours. We all do Motherhood differently, and thank goodness for that. Let’s learn and grow together.

Podcast Website: https://therealmomhub.com/

Like what you hear? Let us know!

• Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify – Help others discover the show!
• Join the Conversation – Join us on social (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok), or send us a message at [email protected] to let us know what you'd like to hear more of.
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Join Cally and Emily for a candid solo episode as they navigate the final weeks of pregnancy—swollen feet, sciatica, pregnancy rage, and all. They share sweet moments with their kids, from Kieran's first solo kitchen task shelling edamame to Nora's "butt" drawings during a church meeting.

The hosts tackle listener questions, including a powerful book recommendation (Drop the Ball by Tiffany Dufu), thoughts on unconditional love and advocating for your children, and advice for a mom dealing with critical in-laws. They discuss the importance of being on the same team with your partner, knowing when to set boundaries, and trusting your maternal compass when others judge your parenting choices.

Plus, practical reminders about checking your spam folder for their freebies and  updates on their Maternal Compass series with Caitlin Miller.

Topics covered:

• Late pregnancy symptoms and the emotional roller coaster
• Cherishing last moments before baby #2 arrives
• Book recommendation: Drop the Ball by Tiffany Dufu
• Navigating judgment and criticism from family members
• The "let them" theory and setting boundaries
• Advocating for yourself in medical settings

Text us your questions or suggestions through your podcast app!

Links & Discount Codes:

8Sheep Organics: Click this link for 10% off your purchase!

Kindred Bravely: THEREALMOMHUB15 for 15% off!

Host & Show Info

Hosted by: Cally & Emily O’Leary

About the Hosts: We’re real moms and real sisters. We may look and sound alike, but our motherhood journeys are uniquely ours. We all do Motherhood differently, and thank goodness for that. Let’s learn and grow together.

Podcast Website: https://therealmomhub.com/

Like what you hear? Let us know!

• Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify – Help others discover the show!
• Join the Conversation – Join us on social (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok), or send us a message at [email protected] to let us know what you'd like to hear more of.
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Part 2 of our 5-part miniseries on developing your inner maternal wisdom

Ever wondered what it would be like to sit in on one of our therapy sessions? This week, Emily sits down with therapist Caitlin Ruby Miller to identify exactly which voice is drowning out her maternal compass. What emerges is a beer-bellied Disney character who might be saying something important about worth, rest, and what happens when achievers become stay-at-home moms. Turns out, he doesn't want to talk to someone who's disgusted by him.

Main Topics & Discussion

The Guilt That Lives in Your Marriage

Emily expected mom guilt to center around her toddler. Instead? It's showing up in her relationship with Kyle – around their single-income arrangement, who's sacrificing what, and whose needs are going unmet. The conversation explores how modern motherhood forces difficult choices and why sometimes the injustice isn't about your kids at all.

When Your "Lazy" Part Has a Face

Through Caitlin's questions, a character emerges: disheveled, beer-bellied, kind of gross. He represents the terror of becoming someone who doesn't maximize potential. And when Caitlin asks Emily to engage with him? The HORROR! The theme is discomfort, but the technique leads to a deeper conversation about what basic human dignity looks like. We'll call that a win.

The CEO vs. The Schlub

Emily's operating in scarcity mode around time, money, and energy in ways she never has before. Meanwhile, another part – the CEO in the pantsuit – keeps asking "were you intentional today?" The tension between these voices reveals something crucial about identity, productivity, and what we actually value.

Resources & Next Steps

Download the Worksheet: Practice identifying your own internal voices. FREE resource from Caitlin.

Learn more about Caitlin: [Website/Instagram]

This podcast is educational only and not a substitute for professional mental health care.

Links & Discount Codes:

8Sheep Organics: Click this link for 10% off your purchase!

Kindred Bravely: THEREALMOMHUB15 for 15% off!

Host & Show Info

Hosted by: Cally & Emily O’Leary

About the Hosts: We’re real moms and real sisters. We may look and sound alike, but our motherhood journeys are uniquely ours. We all do Motherhood differently, and thank goodness for that. Let’s learn and grow together.

Podcast Website: https://therealmomhub.com/

Like what you hear? Let us know!

• Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify – Help others discover the show!
• Join the Conversation – Join us on social (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok), or send us a message at [email protected] to let us know what you'd like to hear more of.
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Dr. Deon Cox-Hayley is a geriatrician, author, mom, and grandma. Her career treating elderly patients gave her unique insight into who ages well—and who struggles. The fiercely independent approach American culture glorifies often backfires. This conversation explores how interdependence shapes both aging and motherhood, and the richness that happens when we prepare for needing help instead of pretending we never will.

Main Topics & Discussion

The Responsibility No One Warns You About: Dr. Deon remembers early motherhood's shock wasn't the love—it was the weight of responsibility. That sense of responsibility, she now realizes, prepared her for the full-spectrum caregiving she does today: writing, caring for her 89-year-old parents, watching her grandchildren. The thread connecting early motherhood to eldercare is that same feeling—profound responsibility for people you love.

What Chicago's South Side Taught a Geriatrician: Working at the University of Chicago in a predominantly African American community changed how Dr. Deon understood aging. There were no nursing homes in the area—multigenerational caregiving was the cultural norm. Families cared for bed-bound relatives right in their dining rooms, with teenage grandchildren learning to troubleshoot medical equipment. One 102 year-old woman lived independently despite having no family or financial resources because she'd spent decades building chosen family through tutoring, mentoring, and church involvement. When she needed help, that community reciprocated. Dr. Deon contrasts this with patients who insisted they could do everything themselves—until they suddenly couldn't, and found themselves isolated.

Three Themes for Aging Well: Dr. Deon's book outlines three patterns among people who aged well: cultivating interdependence rather than clinging to independence, living in the present moment, and staying other-centered rather than self-absorbed. The measuring stick for "aging well" isn't perfect health—it's contentedness versus deep dissatisfaction. The parallel to motherhood is striking: accepting help, being present with your kids, serving your family and community—these aren't just survival strategies for new moms, they're lifelong practices. 

Links & Discount Codes:

8Sheep Organics: Click this link for 10% off your purchase!

Kindred Bravely: THEREALMOMHUB15 for 15% off!

Host & Show Info

Hosted by: Cally & Emily O’Leary

About the Hosts: We’re real moms and real sisters. We may look and sound alike, but our motherhood journeys are uniquely ours. We all do Motherhood differently, and thank goodness for that. Let’s learn and grow together.

Podcast Website: https://therealmomhub.com/

Like what you hear? Let us know!

• Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify – Help others discover the show!
• Join the Conversation – Join us on social (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok), or send us a message at [email protected] to let us know what you'd like to hear more of.
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Part 1 of our 5-part miniseries on developing your inner Maternal Compass

What if the answer to confidence in motherhood isn't another expert opinion, another app or product, but something you already have inside you? This week, therapist Caitlin Ruby Miller introduces the concept of our Maternal Compass – a way to organize the chaos of competing thoughts, and even learn from our unpleasant intrusive thoughts. By developing identity,  autonomy, and confidence, we're able to discern into being the kind of mothers we want to be—not the one others say we should be.

Main Topics & Discussion

Why Your Inner Wisdom is MIA: Modern motherhood has created a peculiar problem: we've swung from honoring instinct and ancestral wisdom to Googling every decision and receiving too many opinions and judgements from social media for us to effectively sift through. This noise leaves most moms feeling too overloaded to connect to their own wisdom, and this miniseries offers tools to tap into it.

From Spiral to Action (And Why the Stakes Aren't What You Think): What if instead of fighting your intrusive thoughts, you actually listened to them? We explore how overthinking becomes a breeding ground for maternal anxiety and why taking action – even imperfect action – beats endless mental loops. Using Internal Family Systems (IFS), Caitlin gives us tools to help sift through anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and external opinions to identify the quieter, grounded inner wisdom that guides decisions with strength, calm and clarity. Your internal voices deserve to be heard – but not necessarily obeyed.  After all, who's really running the show?

Resources & Links 

• Download the free companion worksheet for Episode 1: [Get it here]
• Learn more about Caitlin Ruby Miller: [Website/Instagram]

This podcast is meant for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health care. 

Links & Discount Codes:

8Sheep Organics: Click this link for 10% off your purchase!

Kindred Bravely: THEREALMOMHUB15 for 15% off!

Host & Show Info

Hosted by: Cally & Emily O’Leary

About the Hosts: We’re real moms and real sisters. We may look and sound alike, but our motherhood journeys are uniquely ours. We all do Motherhood differently, and thank goodness for that. Let’s learn and grow together.

Podcast Website: https://therealmomhub.com/

Like what you hear? Let us know!

• Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify – Help others discover the show!
• Join the Conversation – Join us on social (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok), or send us a message at [email protected] to let us know what you'd like to hear more of.
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Kalin Sheick started Sweetwater Floral with $500, a ping pong table and zero business experience. Now she's a nationally recognized entrepreneur who's redefining what it means to thrive as a working mom and baller business woman.  With keeping hobbies as a top priority, not questioning family McDonald's dinners when the season is busy, and absolutely zero apologies, she's building an intentional life full of the good stuff.

Main Topics & Discussion

Building a Business While Building a Family

From fertility struggles to three kids in three years, Kaitlyn's entrepreneurial journey collided head-on with motherhood in the most chaotic way possible. When her daughter was born early and spent time in the NICU during their busiest wedding season, everything imploded - and that breakdown became the breakthrough that transformed their business. Sometimes the worst thing that happens becomes the catalyst for the best thing.

The Hobby Revolution

Here's where things get spicy: Kalin believes every woman needs hobbies that produce zero results. Not side hustles, not "monetize your passion" projects - actual hobbies that exist purely for joy. Golf, sourdough baking, mahjong, and wellness journeys that don't need to make Instagram content. She challenges the notion that moms should lose themselves in the "mom era" and argues for reclaiming multiple identities beyond motherhood.

Delusional Confidence and Strategic Failure

With a "done is better than perfect" philosophy, Kalin shares her most spectacular failures - from missing speaking engagements to tanking on QVC. Her secret weapon? The ability to compartmentalize mistakes without taking them personally. When you've experienced real stress (hello, NICU), business failures get put in perspective quickly. She operates on the principle that if you're not failing 20% of the time, you're not trying enough new things.

Find Kalin on Instagram @kalinsheick and check out her podcast, Lucky Girls Don't Quit. 

Links & Discount Codes:

8Sheep Organics: Click this link for 10% off your purchase!

Kindred Bravely: THEREALMOMHUB15 for 15% off!

Host & Show Info

Hosted by: Cally & Emily O’Leary

About the Hosts: We’re real moms and real sisters. We may look and sound alike, but our motherhood journeys are uniquely ours. We all do Motherhood differently, and thank goodness for that. Let’s learn and grow together.

Podcast Website: https://therealmomhub.com/

Like what you hear? Let us know!

• Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify – Help others discover the show!
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Motherhood challenges all of us, and it invites us to expand. Meet Bernadette Catalana, the author & powerhouse lawyer who took the LSAT seven months pregnant, aced law school with two babies at home, & now lives her best life in NYC just minutes from her grown daughters. This conversation will make you question everything you think you know about motherhood, ambition, & what's actually possible when you stop playing small.

Main Topics & Discussion

When Motherhood Becomes Your Superpower: Bernadette shares her journey into motherhood, & how becoming a mom at 23 gave her confidence she'd never had before. While most people thought she was crazy for applying to law school with a newborn & another on the way, she knew she wanted her daughters to be proud of her. We dive deep into how the right kind of pressure can transform you, why some of the best decisions look insane to everyone else, & how trusting yourself as a mother extends to trusting yourself in every other area of life.

The Art of Intentional vs. Reactive Parenting: We talk about the shift from parenting out of childhood wounds to parenting from a place of strength and joy. We dive into how she broke family cycles & the crucial role forgiveness plays in creating the family dynamic she wanted. Her approach to difficult conversations with her daughters will change how you handle the tough moments in your own life.

Raising Daughters Who Actually Want to Hang Out With You: Bernadette and her daughters are so close that one lived with her as roommates in NYC, and they still vacation together with their partners. She shares the mindset shifts that made this possible & the writing project that helped her process her mother's final years & created a beautiful legacy for her family. 

Connect: Instagram | LinkedIn | Website | Get the Book: Daughter Lessons

Links & Discount Codes:

8Sheep Organics: Click this link for 10% off your purchase!

Kindred Bravely: THEREALMOMHUB15 for 15% off!

Host & Show Info

Hosted by: Cally & Emily O’Leary

About the Hosts: We’re real moms and real sisters. We may look and sound alike, but our motherhood journeys are uniquely ours. We all do Motherhood differently, and thank goodness for that. Let’s learn and grow together.

Podcast Website: https://therealmomhub.com/

Like what you hear? Let us know!

• Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify – Help others discover the show!
• Join the Conversation – Join us on social (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok), or send us a message at [email protected] to let us know what you'd like to hear more of.
• Share this epis...