Wanna Grab Coffee? with Natalie Lisk

Hi Friends! In this episode I am sitting down with Desiree Horner, the creative force behind Painted Pancake Studio, and I have to tell you this conversation went completely off script in the best possible way.

Desiree is a self-taught artist and content creator based in Texas who has built a following of nearly 60,000 people on Facebook by doing one thing really well: showing up exactly as she is. Paint on her clothes, hair out of her face, no filter, no performance. Just her art and everything she knows about it.

We talked about what it actually looks like to quit a stable corporate job when everything piles up at once. We talked about being a mom of three daughters spread across basically two different generations, the guilt of being the last pickup at daycare, and what it feels like to finally be home and present for the one you almost missed. We talked about going viral, what it does and does not do for your business, and why she made the decision to teach people how to do what she does instead of just selling the finished product.

Desiree is also one of the most generous creators I have come across online. She answers her comments over breakfast, she gatekeeps nothing, and she has received messages from women telling her that picking up foam board and paint pulled them out of a genuine funk. That is the kind of impact she is having and it comes through in every single minute of this conversation.

We also bonded over reading, breakfast food, the Sunday scaries of summer break, raising kids in a world that did not exist when we were growing up, and the very real mental load of being a working mom who eventually decided she did not have to do it all alone anymore.

Fair warning, we jumped right in without a formal introduction and we never really stopped talking. I had a whole list of prepared questions and we got to maybe half of them. So if you love this conversation as much as I do, stay tuned because I have a feeling Desiree will be back.

Find Desiree:

Facebook: facebook.com/Paintedpancakestudio

TikTok: @painted.pancake

Instagram: @PaintedPancakeDesiree

Etsy: etsy.com/shop/paintedpancakestudio

Amazon Storefront: amzn.to/4m2sK9c

Lowe's Storefront: shoplowes.me/465EJ0f

Meeden Art Supplies (use code DESIREE for 15% off): meedenart.com

YouTube: youtube.com/@paintedpancakedesiree

Facebook Community Group: Foamboard Creators and Yard Art DIY

Linktree: linktr.ee/PaintedPancakeStudio

Find Me! New Instagram handle: @natalie.lisk

If you listened to our first episode, you know I went through the full lice spiral - the panic, the Walgreens parking lot, the kid screaming while I'm trying to absorb instructions I couldn't hear. The woman who talked me off the ledge and actually saved us - twice - is Sarah DeMarzo, owner of Lizzie's Lice Pickers right here in Orange, CA. I've wanted to get her on the podcast since the moment I sat across from her at her salon desk, completely overwhelmed, and she just looked at me and said "you're going to be fine."

We sat down in her salon (yes, the one above the gym I've been working out at for years without knowing what was upstairs 😅) and talked through everything - lice facts, what actually works, what's a total waste of money, and why the stigma exists in the first place. But honestly, what I didn't expect was how much of this conversation ended up being about working motherhood, building something on your own schedule, and showing up for your kids without sacrificing yourself. Sarah has been doing this for 13 years and she has a lot of wisdom.

I hope you love her as much as I do.

Episode Highlights

• 00:00I introduce Sarah and embarrassingly recap how she saved us - from the parking lot call to sitting in her salon chair
• ~03:00Sarah tells me how she got into this: her daughter's birthday, bugs crawling in the salon chair, and 5 hours of treating that didn't work
• ~08:00How working part-time turned into 6 days a week - and why her husband basically told her to just go do it herself
• ~12:00What it looked like raising her girls in the salon - the back room with the TV, toys, and pizza orders
• ~16:00I had no idea she does free camp screenings for foster kids. This part got me.
• ~20:00I ask why lice is so stigmatized - and she explains something I genuinely never knew: head lice and body lice are completely different things
• ~26:00The Walgreens parking lot moment. She talks me through why RID and NIX mostly don't work anymore (and I was standing there about to buy both)
• ~32:00What actually works - enzyme treatments, dry combing, and how to handle it at home if you have to
• ~36:00We talk seasonal patterns and I take notes: summer camps, Halloween hats, the last-day-of-school hug problem. It's all real.
• ~40:00I ask her for the most unhinged parent reaction she's ever seen. She takes a breath before answering. That's all I'll say.
• ~46:00Scientists flew from the East Coast to buy her bugs. She thought the email was a joke.
• ~52:00Lightning round! I ask her everything from "worst time to find lice" to "tea tree oil: myth or not" (spoiler: myth)
• ~58:00We wrap with her advice on working motherhood, mom guilt, and what she'd do with a completely free day

Resources & Contact

Business Lizzie's Lice Pickers - Orange, CA (2nd floor, discreet entrance)

Phone 714-602-6274

Find Online Google or Yelp: "Lizzie's Lice Pickers"

Hours By appointment only

Services Head checks, full treatment, take-home kits, enzyme spray, school screenings (private schools), camp screenings

I just went through what I can only describe as the depths of hell… and yes, we’re talking about lice.

This episode is a quick one, but it’s one I feel obligated to share because if you’re a parent, especially a working mom, there is a very real chance this will happen to you at some point. I used to think it wouldn’t happen to us. I was wrong.

In this episode, I’m walking you through what actually went down in our house, what I learned the hard way, and the biggest myths about lice that I wish someone had told me sooner.

Because spoiler: a lot of what we think we know about lice is completely wrong.

What I Talk About:

• What it’s really like when your kid gets lice (emotionally, logistically, all of it)
• Why lice has nothing to do with being “dirty”
• How I completely missed the signs, even with a teaching background
• The moment I got the call from school and everything spiraled
• Why I immediately called a lice salon and what that experience was like
• The full reality of what it takes to treat lice at home
• What actually matters when it comes to cleaning your house (and what doesn’t)

The Biggest Lice Myths I’m Busting:

• Lice prefer dirty hair
• If your kid gets lice, you did something wrong
• Your whole house will automatically get infested
• Lice are impossible to get rid of
• You need to wash everything you own
• Only certain kids get lice
• One check is enough to confirm you’re in the clear
• This will completely ruin your entire week

What I Learned (The Hard Way):

• Lice actually prefer clean hair
• It spreads through close contact, not jumping or flying
• You can miss it even if you’re actively looking
• Treatment needs to happen multiple times to fully clear it
• You don’t need to panic-clean your entire house, you just need to clean smart
• This is way more common than people admit

If You’re In It Right Now:

You’re not a bad mom. You didn’t miss something obvious. And you’re definitely not alone.

If you’re dealing with lice right now, I see you. If you’ve been through it before, solidarity.

And if you haven’t yet… consider this your warning and your prep guide.

If this episode helped you, send it to a friend, especially one who might be dealing with lice right now or has kids in school.

And if this hits your house someday, come back to this episode… I promise you’ll want it.

I’ll be back soon with another episode sharing actual tips and tricks to prevent and treat lice more effectively.

Love you, mean it.

In this episode of Wanna Grab Coffee?, I’m joined by my longtime friend Stephanie Perkins, someone who’s been part of my life since our now-husbands were classmates, roommates and co-workers back in the day.

We talk about the real-life season Stephanie and her husband walked through when he left athletic training to pursue PA school, and she became the sole provider while also stepping into motherhood. We get into what it actually felt like to be a working mom in survival mode, the pressure we put on ourselves, and how those hard years shaped their marriage, parenting, and decision-making as a team.

We're interrupted multiple times by my precious angel children who decided printing coloring pages and burping loudly in the next room over were totally appropriate while mom recorded her podcast. We're raising little ladies over here, after all!

Stephanie also shares the heart behind Rad Moms Club, the “get a hobby” moment that sparked it, and why she’s so passionate about celebrating moms in the chaos, not just the highlight reel. Plus, we get into the underrated magic of car rides with your kids, how real conversations happen when everyone’s facing forward, and simple prompts that actually get kids talking.

Listener note: This episode includes discussion of miscarriage and stillbirth. Please take care while listening.

Find Stephanie + Rad Moms Club

Website: www.radmomsclub.com

Instagram: @rad_moms_club_

This week I’m sharing one of my biggest mom fails. And yes, it involves a puppy, allergies, and my daughter screaming “I hate you” at me while we sat in LA traffic.

What started as a low-stakes Saturday adventure turned into one of the hardest parenting decisions I’ve had to make. We adopted a puppy. I truly thought I did everything right. I tested for allergies. I asked the right questions. I gave it time. And then my daughter had a severe reaction and I had to choose between something we wanted and someone I love more.

This episode is not really about a dog. It’s about what it feels like to make a decision that has no clean win. It’s about the guilt, the grief, the shame, and the second guessing that can come with motherhood. And it’s about realizing our kids are watching how we handle hard things.

I talk about what it was like returning the puppy within 24 hours, sitting with my daughter’s anger and grief, and reminding myself that you can be sad and still be right. You can disappoint people and still be loving. And you can grieve something and still move forward.

I also share how this moment forced me to think about the example I’m setting for my daughters. I want them to grow into women who know their health gets a vote. Physical, mental, and emotional. And I want them to know that walking away from something that looks good but hurts them is not failure. It’s strength.

If you’ve ever made a parenting decision that felt like heartbreak and leadership at the same time, this episode is for you. And if my mess makes you feel even a little bit better about your own, then it’s worth sharing.

In this episode, we talk about:

• One of my biggest mom fails and how it unfolded
• Adopting a puppy with severe allergies in our family
• What it feels like to make a no-win parenting decision
• Sitting with your child’s grief without fixing it
• Why health (physical, mental, emotional) always gets a vote
• Letting go of shame after doing your best
• Teaching our kids when to walk away from something that hurts them
• How heartbreak and leadership can coexist

A few reminders I keep coming back to:

• You can be sad and still be right
• You can disappoint others and still be loving
• You can grieve and still move forward

If this episode resonated with you, I’d love it if you shared it with another mom who might need to hear it. And if you’re new here, make sure you’re following the show @wannagrabcoffeepod so you don’t miss future episodes. We’re having honest conversations over coffee, without pretending any of this is easy.

Thanks for being here. I’ll see you next week!

Hi friends! Remember me? I took a little winter break because your girl got absolutely owned by the holidays. If you’re walking around with that post-Christmas fog, feeling flat, overwhelmed, and like your brain has 47 tabs open, this episode is for you.

I actually recorded this once already and re-recorded it because I wasn’t mentally present. I value authenticity, and I’m not here to show up half-hearted for this community.

What we’re talking about:

The post-holiday hangover is real. If you feel tired, full, and uninspired coming out of the season, you’re not the only one. There’s comfort in that, and also… it makes me think we’re carrying way too much.

My personal holiday pile-on: all three of my kids have October birthdays (not intentional, please keep your jokes to yourself), we hosted Thanksgiving, I launched the podcast in October, and then boom, Christmas season hit.

Elf on the Shelf almost took me out. I tried to make elf ideas easier for other moms by turning it into content. Plot twist: I burned myself out doing it. I love Christmas, I love my kids, I love this community. It was still too much.

I punted my birthday and it was my best decision. My birthday is December 16. If you’re a holiday birthday person, you get it. I moved my celebration to January and I’m doing that again.

I want less stuff and more experiences. I am at my limit with tiny plastic items in my home. Next year I want to go all in on trips, passes, memberships, and memories.

New job ramp plus holiday chaos: I started a new job, which is exciting and a big win for my family, and also stressful because ramping is ramping. Add the holidays and I felt maxed out.

The holidays are a month-long adrenaline drip. So when it’s over and you feel like a zombie, that’s not weakness. That’s your nervous system coming down. Also, I’m not doing 5:30 AM workouts. I said what I said.

Capacity doesn’t disappear, it changes. I talked with Casey Calkins about this. We’re used to doing a lot, then life shifts and you’re like, wait… why can’t I operate like I used to? The truth: our capacity didn’t shrink. It looks different now. More intentional. More efficient. More valuable.

Invisible labor gets loud during the holidays. Planning, coordinating, gift tracking, traditions, managing everyone’s experience. It stacks fast.

The uncomfortable conversations that made things lighter: I share a few hard talks my husband and I have had that helped, including stockings (yes, I want mine filled and no, I do not want kitchen utensils), holiday expectations, and how we divide and organize gifts. Yes, I have a spreadsheet. No, I’m not sorry.

Reflection questions (no fixing required)

• What did this season cost me?
• What do I not want to carry into next year?
• What can be lighter?
• What can be simpler?
• What can be released?

Before you go:

If you’re still regaining your footing, unclench your jaw, drop your shoulders, and breathe. You’re not broken. Your life is full. Give yourself grace.

If this episode felt familiar, send it to a working mom you love.

Come hang out with me on Instagram: @wannagrabcoffeepod (W-A-N-N-A grab coffee pod). See you next week. We’re back in the swing of things.

Ever had a neighbor become part of your village?

This week I’m sitting down with Melissa — one of my favorite humans, former across-the-street neighbor, and the teacher-mom who helped raise my kids during our cul-de-sac years.

Melissa recently did something incredibly brave: she moved her family out of state, left the only community she’s ever known, and started teaching in a completely new school system.

In this conversation we talk about:

• What actually happens when you move your family to a new state

• Teaching 4th & 5th graders in 2025 — the emotions, the tech, the expectations

• Why kids today struggle with focus, grit, and problem-solving

• The hidden emotional labor teachers carry

• Parenting styles, classroom culture, and what teachers wish parents knew

• How mom friendships become lifelines — especially during COVID-era motherhood

• Cowboy romance books, Amazon “potato shoes,” and the art of driveway therapy.

If you’ve ever lost your village, rebuilt your village, or wished you had one — this episode will feel like a warm cup of coffee on the driveway.

🎙️ Listen, share, and tag a teacher-mom who would love this.

Episode Description

Hey friends! This episode is a really special one because I'm sitting down with one of my best friends, Casey Calkins—the person who literally talked me out of the classroom and into tech, and who has been cheering on this podcast since it was just a scribble in my notes app.

If you're a high-achieving, spreadsheet-loving, "I can handle it" working mom who's running on fumes, this one's for you.

Casey spent 20 years in sales at companies like Salesforce, leading teams and crushing it on paper. But behind the scenes, her body was waving every red flag: chronic migraines that looked like strokes, a collapse at lunch with her parents, a heart defect, and what turned out to be a cerebellar stroke.

In This Conversation, We Talk About:

• What burnout really looks like for ambitious women (beyond "I'm tired")
• How COVID, remote work, and little kids created the perfect storm for chronic stress
• The identity crisis that came with taking a leave of absence
• The resentment she felt towards her own body
• Small, unsexy things that helped her heal: walks, boundaries, fiction, creativity, asking for help
• Why she left corporate to start C2IT Partners, coaching leaders to build healthier team cultures

If you've ever wondered "Is it really this bad? Or am I just not enough?"—you need to hear this. You are not weak. Your nervous system is just tired.

Note: This episode is longer than usual because I couldn't cut anything out. Grab your coffee (or sleepy time tea), maybe some banana bread, and let's dive in.

Resources Mentioned:

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily & Amelia Nagoski

Unlocking Us® episode: "Burnout and How to Complete the Stress Cycle"

The 5 Types of Wealth by Sahil Bloom

After-School Banana Bread by Joanna Gaines Get the cookbook here! View the recipe

Connect with Casey Calkins:

Website: C2IT Partners

LinkedIn: Casey Calkins

Instagram: @c2itpartners

Connect With Me:

Instagram: @wannagrabcoffeepod

Trigger Warning: This episode discusses health crises and the physical effects of chronic stress.

On this episode of Wanna Grab Coffee? we’re talking PTO. You know, that “benefit” that somehow turned into Paid Time Off for Sick Kids, School Chaos, and Everyone Else’s Emergencies Except Yours. Working moms, this one is for us.

If you’ve ever tried to be emotionally available on the first or last day of school while secretly checking Slack in the pickup line… same. And if you’ve ever wondered why taking a single PTO day feels harder than your actual job… also same.

In this episode, we’re breaking down how to reclaim PTO as part of your earned compensation, not a guilty treat. You’ll learn how to use PTO as a tool for intentional life design- not just for fevers, field trips, and last-minute crises — but for mental health, emotional availability, and showing up for your kids when it matters most.

We get into:

☕️ The invisible emotional load of school transitions ☕️ Why presence > perfection (and definitely > inbox zero)

☕️ How to set boundaries with your team + manager

☕️ Tactical ways to unplug without spiraling

☕️ How PTO supports burnout recovery, parenting, and career longevity

☕️ What it looks like to design a life that works for your family, not just your job

This is real talk for working moms juggling career pressure, mom guilt, emotional labor, and the constant mental load. If you’re trying to balance motherhood and ambition without losing your sanity, this episode will give you both the truth bombs and the tools.

Grab your coffee, shut down your Slack, and let’s talk about the PTO you deserve — and how it can change the way you show up for your family and yourself.

In this episode, I’m diving into one of the hardest but most necessary parts of being a working mom...setting boundaries at work. You know that feeling of being “always on,” constantly checking Slack or email even after you’ve logged off? Yeah, I’ve been there.

I share some of my own experiences around learning (and sometimes failing) to draw the line between work and home, and what it’s taken to unlearn the guilt that comes with prioritizing rest and self-care. We’ll talk through a few small, realistic steps you can take to protect your energy and create more breathing room in your day.

Because at the end of the day, boundaries aren’t about saying no. They’re about saying yes to peace, connection, and the parts of life that matter most.