The Sparkle Project

I am a huge proponent of practicing gratitude. But this week, I am going to be diving in to a conversation I've been having a lot lately about the surprising way that gratitude can actually be harmful when used to qualify or minimize our experiences. With this week being Thanksgiving in the United States,  I figured it was a good time to explore this topic here on the podcast!

Tune in to see how I notice moms using what I call "Toxic Gratitude" to dismiss their own struggles, and pay attention in your own life to see if maybe it's something that you do at times (I know I've done it plenty of times before).

If you are interested in inquiring about SHINE Beyond Motherhood, my signature 1:1 coaching program for moms, you can fill out this form and I'll connect back with you to schedule a call.

If you found this information valuable, share it with other moms in your life! You can do that by sharing a screenshot of the episode to your Instagram stories and tagging the podcast. You can follow along with The Worthy Mother Podcast on Instagram, and don’t forget to subscribe wherever you listen!  

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This week, join me for a conversation on valuing what we want and creating a life that feels good with Career Coach Ashley Fernandez. This conversation had me snapping along in agreement with Ashley, and I have a feeling you'll find it just as inspiring as I did.

In this episode, Ashley and I talk about: 

• Creating a vision to guide our decisions
• Work/Life Integration
• The reasons so many women feel somewhat unfulfilled
• Intentionally having fun as mothers
• Finding purpose in what we do

A little about our guest:
Ashley Fernandez is the CEO of Ashley Marie Coaching, LLC, a career development and personal growth company, and the hype woman everyone wants in their corner. She is a Professional Certified Career Coach and trauma-informed mindset practitioner who specializes in helping high-achieving women uncover what is holding them back from designing a career and life they don't want to run away from. With Ashley's background as a Fortune 500 recruiter, DEI practitioner, and having successfully transitioned across six industries, she is armed with the tools & strategies that help others gain clarity, increase confidence and own their career development. Ashley has a degree in psychology, over 10 years of experience in the HR space, and has been certified by an ICF accredited coaching program.  By day she works for a 'big 4' accounting firm and by night she is helping her clients get to the next level of success. Ashley is a born and raised NYer and currently lives in New Jersey with her husband and two sons, loves coffee & family adventures!

Follow Ashley on Instagram @ashley_marie_coaching, or visit her website https://www.ashleymariecoaching.com.

If you found this episode valuable, share it with other moms in your life! You can do that by sharing a screenshot of the episode to your Instagram stories and tagging the podcast @worthymotherpodcast. You can follow along with The Worthy Mother Podcast on Instagram, and don’t forget to subscribe wherever you listen!

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This week on The Worthy Mother Podcast, I'm talking solo about what it means to be the main character in your own life. As moms, it can be easy to get so caught up in our kids, partners, and everyone else, that we seemingly forget that we have our one life, just like they have theirs.

In this episode, I give you advice on how to check in with yourself to determine whether or not you are making the main decisions in your life, and I discuss some ways to shift your story back to you. I also explain the benefits of coaching when it comes to learning to focus on your own desires.

If you are interested in inquiring about SHINE Beyond Motherhood, my signature 1:1 coaching program for moms, you can fill out this form and I'll connect back with you to schedule a call.

If you found this information valuable, share it with other moms in your life! You can do that by sharing a screenshot of the episode to your Instagram stories and tagging the podcast. You can follow along with The Worthy Mother Podcast on Instagram, and don’t forget to subscribe wherever you listen!  

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This week's conversation with LMF therapist and relationship coach Christie Sears Thompson is all about how having children can impact our relationships with our partners, and what we can do to prevent or resolve issues that may arise. Many couples find that their relationships are strained in early parenthood, and Christie explains why this happens, and how she helps couples navigate this transitional time.

In this episode Christie and I talk about:

• The value of caring for our relationships on our children
• Identity loss as a new mom
• Macro issues that impact the early motherhood experience
• The impacts of adding another person (your child) to your relationship
• Communicating expectations
• The benefits of therapy on relationships

A little about our guest:
Christie is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Relationship Coach in Colorado with a passion for helping expectant and new parents not only survive but thrive during the transition to parenthood. As a mom and partner herself, she intimately understand the struggles of becoming a parent with your partner and how challenging it can be for everyone. Her goal is to help couples create the Partnerhood they desire as their family grows.

To connect with Christie, follow her on Instagram @thepartnerhood, or visit her website www.thepartnerhood.com.

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It's my birthday - and that means it's time to celebrate! I mean who doesn't love a good reason to celebrate?

On this episode, I share 8 benefits of celebrating ourselves - for wins both big and small. From affirming our self-worth to modeling self-love to our kids, the impacts of celebrating ourselves are plenty.

Then, I celebrate YOU. Listeners submitted their wins - big, small, mom-related, and not, and I read them aloud on this episode because we all deserve to be bragged on sometimes!

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October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and this week I am joined by fellow podcast host Breanne Smith  for a conversation about motherhood after the trauma that comes with being a survivor. While there are no details of abuse shared in this episode,  if you find this topic challenging to listen to, this may be one to skip over. 

In this conversation, Breanne and I talk about:

• Healing through motherhood
• Mothering without a mother
• Raising children who respect others
• How to move forward in the aftermath of abuse
• Breaking cycles of generational trauma
• The impact of sharing your story

A little about our guest:
Breanne Smith is the host of the Root and Rise Podcast, a podcast created to help you root despite the challenges in life and rise to live the life you deserve. She is a motherless mother breaking cycles of generational trauma and a domestic violence survivor helping empower others in their healing journey.

To connect with Breanne, follow her on Instagram @rootandrisepodcast or visit her website https://www.rootandriseblog.com. You can also check out Root and Rise Podcast wherever you listen.

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic violence and abuse, the United States national hotline is available to you 24/7 by calling 800-799-7233 or by texting "START" to 88788. You can also find more resources at https://www.thehotline.org.

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I spent a long weekend out of state with my husband WITHOUT the kids - and this is my reflection on that experience.

Whether you've traveled without your kids, or you want to do it in the future, or even if you can't even imagine that for yourself, there is something for you to take from this episode. I share my 4 most notable takeaways from the experience with the hopes that you learn some too!

As always there's some honest reflections, a bit of laughter, and some acknowledgement that motherhood can be quite complex.

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Get ready - this episode dives deep into what motherhood can do to our sense of identity, and how we can learn to listen to ourselves and find the things that light us up. Life Coach Sarah Carpenter calls bullsh*t on toxic positivity, and shares the statements she tells herself when life gets challenging.

In this episode Sarah and I talk about:

• The impact of motherhood on our sense of identity
• Being okay with not always being needed
• Finding things that light you up
•  Using the feelings in your body for guidance
• Toxic Positivity 
•  Reframing what it means to "heal"

A little about our guest:
Sarah Carpenter is a single mom of 4, an unimpressive rock climber, and a life coach. Her gift is helping women who are deep in the work of their own personal growth heal their relationship with themself so they can live an expansive life unafraid and free.

To connect with Sarah, follow her on Instagram @sarahcarpentercoaching, Facebook, or visit her website https://www.sarahthelifecoach.com.

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We are mothers, yes. And we are also full, complete humans outside of that role. We are both. That is what I am exploring on this episode of The Worthy Mother Podcast.

There's this idea out there that when we choose to spend our time and energy doing things that fulfill us outside of motherhood, we are somehow taking away from out children. And I'm here to put a stop to that conversation by acknowledging that actually, when we show up for ourselves, we are also showing up for our kids. I'm here to encourage you to embrace the power of both.

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There seems to be a gap in care when it comes to motherhood. We go to so many prenatal doctor's appointments and classes pre-baby, and after the baby is born, there are all kinds of services to ensure that the little one is healthy and cared for. But what about care for the new mom? 

In this episode of The Worthy Mother Podcast, I talk with postpartum doula Alexa Martinez about the need for motherhood support in the postpartum period, and she shares what she is doing about it. 

In this episode, Alexa and I talk about:

• The gap in care in the postpartum period
• Support systems for moms
• Postpartum mental health
• The importance of sleep 
• How modeling self care impacts our children 

A little about our guest:
Alexa lives in Frisco, Texas with her husband and 3 year old son. She has her Master’s degree in nutrition and believes in a holistic approach, with plenty of room for balance and real life. After becoming a mom, Alexa suffered from severe postpartum depression and anxiety. She and her husband ended up sleep training their son around 6 months old, and the extra sleep and schedules helped a lot with her depression. She ended up getting her sleep training certification with a goal to help new moms with their sleep, but quickly realized sleep is only a part of what can help! She then got her postpartum doula certification and began her business a few months ago with the goal of supporting new moms in all aspects!

To connect with Alexa, follow her on Instagram @mamamatterstoo_ .

Follow along with The Worthy Mother Podcast on Instagram, and don’t forget to subscribe wherever you listen!  

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