Kertu Sepp had two career pivots. Neither happened the way she planned.

The first was a deliberate leap — from teacher to the booming Estonian tech sector — built through networking, self-study, software engineering courses, and sheer persistence. The second wasn't a choice at all: a mass layoff, a husband starting a new job, two daughters, and her mother's final months of life landing all at once in November.

She sat in the middle of all of it, and instead of rushing back to corporate, she waited. She dealt with her mother first. Then she asked herself what she actually wanted.

In this episode, Kertu — career and leadership coach based in Tallinn, Estonia — talks about why women in their 30s and 40s hit a wall even when they have everything they worked for, why staying in indecision is itself a decision, and what it feels like to finally stop putting yourself in a box.

A genuinely thoughtful conversation between two career coaches who happen to both be moms.

Meet Kerttu here:

LinkedIn

Website

-------

If this story what Kerttu shared today made you think about what might be possible for you, I'd love to talk. I'm a career strategist for moms, and if you're ready to figure out your next step, book a free advisory call with me — link in the show notes.

https://calendly.com/ganterklara/call-with-klara

Or check out my programs here: https://mompire.eu

Amber Frye was working 60-hour weeks in corporate, raising three kids, building a photography side business at 11pm, and navigating a toxic marriage — all at the same time.

She was on autopilot. She knew it. And she couldn't change any of it overnight.

So she started meditating. Not because she believed in it — she thought it was fluff — but because she had nothing to lose. Thirty days later, something shifted.

In this episode, Amber — business and growth strategist, boudoir photographer, and mom of three — talks about how she found her way out of survival mode, what it took to finally leave both the marriage and corporate, and how she now combines branding photography with coaching to help women see themselves the way she sees them through her lens.

She also shares the marketing skill from her corporate days that she swears by — and that nobody else wants to talk about.

Meet Amber here:

Facebook

LinkedIn

Instagram

If Amber's story made you think about what might be possible for you, I'd love to talk. I'm a career strategist specialised in moms, and if you're ready to figure out your next step, book a free advisory call with me right now: https://calendly.com/ganterklara/call-with-klara

Or check out my programs for moms: www.mompire.eu

Neetu Gupta had a banking career she was proud of. And then she sat down next to her 4-year-old son, looked into his eyes, and knew that no job, no title, and no salary was worth more than what he needed from her right now.

She resigned the next day. Nobody was with her — not her husband, not her family, not the school board, not the doctors. She fought for two years, alone, following her instinct, and the doctor at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia eventually told her: it's mothers like you who turn things around.

Her son now broadcasts baseball and basketball games. He never received a label.

In this episode, Neetu — born and raised in India, based in Pennsylvania, and now a certified life and inner-self relationship coach — shares the full arc of her story: the banking years, the moment she chose her child over her career, the layoff that became a doorway, and why she believes relationship is the most overlooked pillar of a meaningful life.

We cover:

• The moment she looked at her son and knew the system was wrong — and she was right
• What it costs to be the only person in the room who believes in your child
• Why a few years of stepping back never breaks a career — but absence can break a child
• What 20 years of sitting across from wealthy, successful, broken families taught her about money and meaning
• How a Tony Robbins Facebook ad led to a coaching certification — and a whole new chapter
• Why "mother therapy" turned out to be the only therapy that worked

Meet Neetu here:

Facebook
LinkedIn

If you are at a crossroads in your career or simply want to know what options you have as a mom, book your advisory call with Klara here: https://calendly.com/ganterklara/call-with-klara

Alesia Galati got laid off from manufacturing during COVID with two young kids at home, a stay-at-home husband, and exactly one plan: reach out to her network the very next day and see if anyone wanted help launching a podcast.

Someone said yes. That client is still with her today.

Alesia is a podcast strategist, homeschooler, and the sole financial provider for her family — including two kids on the spectrum of autism and ADHD. In this episode, she talks about what it actually looks like to hold all of that at once: the breadwinner pressure, the homeschooling logistics, the whiteboard in the living room that holds the whole operation together, and the deeply personal journey through postpartum depression, religious trauma, and a cult she grew up in — that ultimately led her to fall in love with podcasting as a medium for human connection.

She also shares the one thing most new podcasters get wrong — and what to do instead.

Book your podcast strategy session: https://galatimedia.com/

Lynda Leonce spent most of her career in IT. She was good at it. She climbed the ladder. And there was always a quiet voice underneath it all — curious, restless, not quite settled — that she kept pushing aside.

Until she stopped.

Lynda is an authenticity coach, founder of Live From Your Truth, and mom of two teenage daughters. In this episode, she talks about the moment she knew she had to go all in on what she really loved, what authenticity actually means beyond the buzzword, and why the biggest thing holding most of us back isn't fear — it's just a very noisy mind.

She also shares the flashlight analogy that changes how you think about every decision you're making right now.

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynda-leonce/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/livefromyourtruth/

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@LiveFromYourTruth

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@livefromyourtruth

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61580370510053

Dr. Carla Caturia has spent two decades coaching working moms through pressure, self-doubt, and the slow loss of self that happens when we tie our identity to everything except who we actually are.

She's not a mom herself — and in this episode, she explains why that might actually make her better at what she does.

Carla coaches whole families — moms, teens, and the spaces in between — and she's seen the same patterns over and over: over-scheduling, over-achieving, second-guessing, and eventually losing the thread of who you are outside of your roles. She calls it success without self. And she has a lot to say about how to find your way back.

Meet Carla here:

https://www.instagram.com/drcarlacaturia/
https://www.facebook.com/carlacaturia
https://youtube.com/@drcarlacaturia
www.thehouseofrise.com
www.linkedin.com/in/dr-carla-caturia

Vale Siegrist isn't on the other side of a transformation. She's in the middle of it — senior manager by day, founder of Circular Mom Club by night, mom of an 18-month-old in between.

In this episode, Vale talks about what it actually looks like to build a business in the margins — no dramatic leap, no dramatic burnout story, just a really smart long-term play built on 1-2 hours a day, hard boundaries, and a sleep coach who she credits for making all of it possible.

We talk about her path from the startup world to corporate and back again, how Circular Mom Club was born from a frustration with postpartum fashion, the compartmentalisation habits that keep her sane, and why she's perfectly happy letting this build slowly.

Meet Vale here:

• http://www.circularmomclub.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/circular___club/
• https://www.tiktok.com/@circular___club

--- SUMMER BUNDLE ACCESS OPEN---

Suzy May was juggling four jobs, paying for childcare, and running on empty — until she decided something had to change.

Now she's a nurse, certified money coach, and world schooler who splits her time between Spain, traveling Europe, and this fall, four months in Japan with her two kids. She got there through smart financial choices, slow travel hacks, and learning to see her life in seasons rather than a single relentless sprint.

In this episode, she shares how she did it — practically, honestly, and without making it sound easier than it was.

Find Suzy here:

https://beacons.ai/suzymaywander

Leah Renee is a stand-up comedian, podcaster, and mom of three who took the long way to her true calling — through photography, Amazon retail, product licensing, and at least one pitch for edible slime.

In this episode, she talks about what finally gave her permission to pursue comedy, why the research on working moms vs. stay-at-home moms has one surprising conclusion, and how Byron Katie's four questions can dismantle any stressful thought — including the ones you didn't know you were carrying.

Funny, sharp, and more grounding than you'd expect from someone who hides chocolate under a bag of pinto beans.

Find Leah and her work here:

Website: https://www.leahrenee.co/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@leahreneecomedian
Substack: https://substack.com/@leahreneecomedian
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/LeahReneeComedian/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leahreneecomedian
IG: https://www.instagram.com/leahreneecomedian/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahcreative/

Ali Raymer's son was born on Valentine's Day, 2020. Weeks later, every trip she had ever booked was cancelled. Her entire commission-based travel business was wiped out overnight — and she had a newborn in her arms.

She spent months working for free, sitting on hold with airlines and hotels, trying to serve her clients without earning a penny. Then she went back to teaching, just to keep her family afloat. And then she rebuilt everything.

In this episode — recorded on the day she launched her brand new agency, Peace and Pearl, named after her two children — Ali talks about what it actually takes to stay the course when the world has taken the floor out from under you.

We cover:

• What those first weeks of COVID felt like with a newborn, a commission-based business, and no income in sight
• Why she went back to teaching rather than leaving the industry — and why she never doubted the return
• How "revenge travel" exploded in 2023 right as she was on maternity leave with her second child — and what she did about it
• Why she named her new agency after Pax (Peace in Latin) and McClain Margaret (Pearl)
• The difference between a travel influencer and a travel advisor — and why she chose one over the other
• The "promise list" she and her husband keep on the fridge — and how her son now reads it back to them at 5pm
• The 15-minute walk that became her fake commute home

This is a story about what happens when you refuse to let your passion go, even when it costs you everything.

Get in touch with Ali:

Website: www.peaceandpearltravel.com

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alipeaceandpearltravel

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alipeaceandpearltravel/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@alipeaceandpearltravel

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AliPeaceandPearl

If today's episode resonated with you, I'd love to stay connected. You can find me at mompire.eu, or come say hi on LinkedIn — just search Klara Ganter. And if you're a corporate mom wondering what your next move looks like, take my free quiz at mompire.eu/quiz. It takes five minutes and gives you a real starting point.