Mary Boone’s book research has taken her places many people have never been … chest deep in the Union River to count salmon, inside a cricket barn, and, perhaps most daring of all, the front row of a Justin Bieber concert surrounded by screaming teens. Mary has written 70+ nonfiction books for young readers, most recently Pedal Pusher, School of Fish, and Bugs for Breakfast.

Two more books are set for release in 2026: Flying Feminist and Unfathomable: 20 (Wild But True) Stories of the Sea.

Mary and her family live in Tacoma, WA, with a stubborn Airedale terrier named Ruthie Bader. 

Join host Dori DeCarlo on The Authors Alley and connect with Mary at BooneWrites.com and on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky, X and buy her books on Amazon, too.

Please support UnsilencedVoices.org a global 501(c)3 nonprofit that empowers survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. 

We thank Smith Sisters and the Sunday Drivers for our theme song, "She is You".

Be sure to connect with us come tell us your story!

WordofMomRadio.com - sharing the wisdom of women, in business and in life.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/word-of-mom-radio--5252572/support.

Stop the Morning Chaos: Back-to-School Routines That Actually Work

Back-to-school mornings shouldn’t feel like a battle zone… but for most parents, they do.
Shoes disappear. Homework is “forgotten.” Emotions are high before you’ve even had coffee. In this episode of Ask Mom, Sue and Randee share what’s really behind morning chaos (hint: it’s not just about “getting the routine right”) and the surprising shifts that make mornings calmer, kids more cooperative, and parents a whole lot less stressed. You’ll hear:

• The morning habit that makes everything easier… but most parents skip it.
• Why less talking can get your kids moving faster.
• How to catch meltdowns before they start — without adding more to your plate.
• The one prep step you can do tonight that changes everything tomorrow.

This episode also has Q&A with real-world questions from parent newsletter subscribers…the kind most families can relate to. If you’ve ever thought, “There has to be a better way to start the day,” this episode will show you exactly where to start.

If you like what you hear, visit AskMomParenting.com  and sign up for the newsletter, joining the free FB group or get 1:1 customized coaching with Sue. Follow on IG, FB Ask Mom Parenting or subscribe on YouTube

*Just for listeners, get the free PDF -   20 Conversation Starters for After School (That Aren’t ‘How Was Your Day?’)? Email [email protected]

🔗 Links & Resources:
    · Free Facebook Group: Yell-Free Parenting for Exhausted Moms
    · Sue’s Book: Secrets to Parenting Without Giving a F^ck
    ·  Want 1-on-1 coaching? Book here
    ·  Get Sue’s Weekly Newsletter: Subscribe now  

Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a mom who needs to hear it.

Please support UnsilencedVoices.org a global 501(c)3 nonprofit that empowers survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. 

We thank Smith Sisters and the Sunday Drivers for our theme song, "She is You".

Be sure to connect with us come tell us your story!

WordofMomRadio.com - sharing the wisdom of women, in business and in life.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/word-of-mom-radio--5252572/support.

The Contractor Carousel: Why 5 Marketing "Experts" Still Can't Grow Your Practice

📈 You've hired five different marketing "experts" in the past two years – a content writer, social media manager, web designer, SEO specialist, and email marketing contractor. Each one has impressive credentials and delivers what they promise. Your content gets published, social media engagement increases, your website looks professional, search rankings improve, and emails go out consistently. But somehow your practice is still stuck in the same place.

Here's what's actually happening: Your content writer creates blog posts without knowing what your social media manager is promoting. Your social media contractor posts engaging content that doesn't align with your website messaging. Your SEO specialist optimizes for keywords that conflict with your content strategy. Each contractor operates in their own silo, creating mixed messages that confuse prospects instead of guiding them toward clear next steps.

In this eye-opening episode, we expose why cycling through marketing contractors keeps you trapped in expensive mediocrity. You'll discover how the lack of coordination between contractors creates scattered efforts that actually work against each other, turning potentially effective marketing into confused messaging that questions your expertise.

Learn why each contractor optimizes for their individual deliverables rather than your revenue goals – celebrating engagement rates that don't generate inquiries, tracking page views that don't create leads, and focusing on metrics that make them look successful while your business growth stagnates. Most importantly, understand how fractional marketing departments solve the contractor chaos by coordinating everything as one team with one strategy, creating the predictable growth that scattered contractor efforts can never achieve.

If you're tired of managing multiple marketing relationships while seeing minimal business results, this episode reveals why integration beats individual expertise every time. 

Ready to transform your marketing with strategies that create authentic connection without inappropriate oversharing? Schedule your Digital Success Session at http://sophiezocalendar.com today.  

Join us for Building Your Empire with SophieZo and connect with Sophie at FMDStrategicPartners.com, and follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Get your copy of Women Gone Wild and The Unstoppable Marketing Mix Free Guide, too! 

Please support UnsilencedVoices.org a global 501(c)3 nonprofit that empowers survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking.  We thank Smith Sisters and the Sunday Drivers for our theme song, "She is You".

Be sure to connect with us and come tell us your story!

WordofMomRadio.com - sharing the wisdom of women, in business and in life.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/word-of-mom-radio--5252572/support.

Shannon Russell is a Career Transition and Business Coach empowering women to leave unfulfilling careers and build joyful, purpose-driven businesses. She is the Author of Start Your Second Act: How to Change Careers, Launch a Business, and Create Your Best Life, a Speaker, and Host of the Second Act Success Career Podcast.

Through her company, Second Act Success®, Shannon shares her journey as a television executive turned business owner, coach, author, and mom with others. She works with women who are unhappy in their 9-5, as they pivot towards a "second act" by providing exit strategy guidance and support as they transition from employee to entrepreneur. Shannon began her career spending over 16 years as a Television Producer in New York City and Los Angeles working for MTV, E!, Yahoo!, Pop Sugar, A&E, TLC, and more.

Shannon then made the leap to open her own business running a STEM education franchise teaching children, so that she could be more present for her children. Now, as a certified Career/Business Coach, Shannon’s motto is "produce your best life” and her mission is to motivate more women to make big moves in life.

Join host Dori DeCarlo on The Coaching Corner and connect with Shannon at SecondActSuccess.co and on LinkedIn, and SecondActSuccess on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with the women in your life who need to hear it.

Please support UnsilencedVoices.org a global 501(c)3 nonprofit that empowers survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. 

We thank Smith Sisters and the Sunday Drivers for our theme song, "She is You".

Be sure to connect with us and come tell us your story!

WordofMomRadio.com - sharing the wisdom of women, in business and in life.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/word-of-mom-radio--5252572/support.

Do you ever feel like your kid hears everything except you?

Like they can pick up a whisper about dessert three rooms away but somehow miss the rule you’ve said 17 times?

In this episode of the Ask Mom Parenting Podcast, we’re learning there’s more to your kid’s ‘selective hearing’…and you might be the plot twist.

👉 Are we…unintentionally…training our kids to ignore us? If you’ve ever:

• Repeated yourself endlessly
• Given in just to keep the peace
• Or got talked in circles by a snack-sized negotiator…

Then you might be leaking leadership. And it’s costing you your credibility. Join Sue and Randee as they unpack:

• What it really means to be “For Sale” as a parent
• Why fewer rules, but 100% follow-through…is the secret to getting kids to listen
• And how to course-correct, even if you’ve already caved more times than you can count

Plus: A real-world teen negotiation story, a 3-step plan to rebuild trust, and a powerful reframe on how holding the line builds respect, not resentment. You’ll learn:

• Why inconsistency trains kids to test you
• When the right time is to negotiate and when to hold the line
• The power of a “training conversation” for rule setting
• And what to do today to get your authority back

Perfect for parents who are tired of yelling, exhausted by pushback, and ready to be taken seriously again. If you like these idea and want more strategies that actually work when you’re tired and on your last nerve: -          

🔗 Links & Resources:
    · Free Facebook Group: Yell-Free Parenting for Exhausted Moms
    · Sue’s Book: Secrets to Parenting Without Giving a F^ck
    ·  Want 1-on-1 coaching? Book here
    ·  Get Sue’s Weekly Newsletter: www.AskMomParenting.com

Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a mom who needs to hear it.

Please support UnsilencedVoices.org a global 501(c)3 nonprofit that empowers survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. 

We thank Smith Sisters and the Sunday Drivers for our theme song, "She is You".

Be sure to connect with us and come tell us your story!

WordofMomRadio.com - sharing the wisdom of women, in business and in life.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/word-of-mom-radio--5252572/support.

The Freelancer Illusion: Why "Strategic" Marketers Still Leave You Scattered

📈 You hired what seemed like a really talented marketing freelancer – maybe someone who even calls themselves "strategic." On paper, it made perfect sense: get sophisticated marketing expertise without building an entire team. But here's what's actually happening: your freelancer creates beautiful blog content that doesn't connect to your email campaigns, manages social media in isolation from your website messaging, and designs campaigns that look professional but don't align with your overall positioning.

Picture a financial advisory firm that hired separate freelancers for content, email, and social media. Each freelancer does quality work individually, but prospects experience a practice that seems to have multiple personalities rather than a coherent brand. Meanwhile, another firm engaged a fractional marketing department that handles all these elements as one integrated system, creating compound effects that drive consistent client acquisition.

In this revealing episode, we explore why even talented freelancers struggle to create strategic marketing that drives business results. You'll discover how working in isolation prevents the collaboration that makes marketing truly effective – your social media doesn't reinforce email messaging, content doesn't connect to conversion goals, and campaigns operate without strategic alignment. Learn why freelancers focus on completing tasks rather than achieving business goals, optimizing for project deliverables instead of revenue outcomes.

We'll show you why a healthcare practice might have impressive content metrics but zero new patient appointments, or why an attorney's social engagement doesn't translate to consultation requests.

Most importantly, understand how fractional marketing departments develop comprehensive strategies and execute them as one unified team, creating integration that's impossible to achieve through individual freelancers working separately.

Ready to transform your marketing with strategies that create authentic connection without inappropriate oversharing? Schedule your Digital Success Session at http://sophiezocalendar.com today.

Join us for Building Your Empire with SophieZo and connect with Sophie at FMDStrategicPartners.com, and follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Please support UnsilencedVoices.org a global 501(c)3 nonprofit that empowers survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking.  We thank Smith Sisters and the Sunday Drivers for our theme song, "She is You".

Be sure to connect with us and come tell us your story!

WordofMomRadio.com - sharing the wisdom of women, in business and in life.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/word-of-mom-radio--5252572/support.

Liz Steblay became a solopreneur before the word was even invented. Upon being laid off, she called a former colleague, and a week later she had her first consulting contract. After that first project, she realized that she made more money, worked fewer hours, and had more time with her daughter. She never considered another “real job,” despite being a single mom in an expensive city.

Five years later she founded the ProKo Agency, which represents independent consultants on projects with Fortune 500 clients. As a result of growing ProKo into a national business, Liz has become known as the person to call if you have questions about self-employment.

In 2018 she launched Professional Independent Consultants of America (PICA), an educational organization and community that helps people start and grow their own solo businesses.  

She’s the author of the book, "𝗦𝗨𝗖𝗖𝗘𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗦 𝗔 𝗦𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗨𝗥: Six Keys to Taking the Leap, Winning Clients, and Building Wealth", the ongoing blog "Successful Independent Consulting" as well as articles on Inc.com. The only daughter of an entrepreneur, Liz always knew she wanted to run a business, but her true calling is to teach others how to launch and grow theirs.

Join host Dori DeCarlo on The Authors Alley and connect with Liz at SixKeys.info and on LinkedIn. 

Please support UnsilencedVoices.org a global 501(c)3 nonprofit that empowers survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking.  

We thank Smith Sisters and the Sunday Drivers for our theme song, "She is You".

Be sure to connect with us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and come tell us your story!

WordofMomRadio.com - sharing the wisdom of women, in business and in life.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/word-of-mom-radio--5252572/support.

The Numbers Game: When Your Marketing Metrics Tell Beautiful Lies
📈 Picture this: A healthcare practice gets their monthly marketing report and everything looks incredible. Website visits are up 40%, social media followers have grown by 300, email campaigns are hitting 35% open rates, and blog posts are generating tons of comments. Their marketing coordinator is excited, the practice manager is impressed, and everyone feels great about their marketing investment.

But here's the gut-punch reality – new patient appointments haven't increased in six months. Revenue from marketing-generated patients is essentially flat. They're busier than ever creating content and managing social media, but they're not seeing any actual business growth from all this impressive-looking activity.

In this eye-opening episode, we expose the dangerous trap of vanity metrics that look amazing but have zero connection to your bottom line. You'll discover why focusing on website traffic, social media engagement, and email open rates can actually mislead you into doubling down on strategies that aren't working. We'll explore how most marketing teams measure activity instead of results, creating a cycle where you celebrate busy work rather than business growth. 

If you've been celebrating marketing metrics while wondering why your revenue isn't growing, this episode will completely change how you measure marketing success.

Ready to transform your marketing with strategies that create authentic connection without inappropriate oversharing? Schedule your Digital Success Session at http://sophiezocalendar.com today.

Join us for Building Your Empire with SophieZo and connect with Sophie at FMDStrategicPartners.com, and follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Get your copy of Women Gone Wild and The Unstoppable Marketing Mix Free Guide, too! 

Please support UnsilencedVoices.org a global 501(c)3 nonprofit that empowers survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking.  We thank Smith Sisters and the Sunday Drivers for our theme song, "She is You".

Be sure to connect with us and come tell us your story!

WordofMomRadio.com - sharing the wisdom of women, in business and in life.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/word-of-mom-radio--5252572/support.

Lisa Talbot, Founder of True North PM Solutions, specializes in helping growing businesses streamline operations and scale smoothly. As businesses expand from five employees to 10, 15, or more, the processes that once worked often start breaking down—leading to inefficiencies, overwhelm, and lost time.

That’s where Lisa comes in.

With years of experience managing projects across industries—from nonprofits and agriculture to fiber optics and Fortune 500 software deployments—she’s seen firsthand how the right systems can reduce chaos, save time, and support sustainable growth. Lisa takes a practical, hands-on approach to problem-solving.

Lisa has developed a deep expertise in the PMBOK methodology while embracing agile and hybrid frameworks to suit the unique demands of each project. No two projects are alike, and that’s what excites her—untangling complex workflows, streamlining inefficiencies, and presenting clear, actionable plans that empower teams to succeed. Scaling a business shouldn’t mean working longer hours—it should mean working smarter. Let’s make that happen. 

Join host Dori DeCarlo for The Business Spotlight and connect with Lisa at TrueNorthPMSolutions.com and on LinkedIn.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/word-of-mom-radio--5252572/support.

How to Stop Overparenting: Trust Yourself, Not Your Fear! 
Are you doing everything for your child…and calling it love?!?

In this episode, Sue peels back the curtain on overparenting and calls out the subtle ways control shows up (micromanaging, rescuing, rushing, rewriting their essays) and how it can backfire.

Spoiler: Letting go isn’t giving up your authority, it’s how you gain influence and raise independent, resilient kids who actually want to talk to you because they trust you and don’t feel judged by your control.

What We Talk About:
The sneaky ways control hides in “good parenting”

• Why micromanaging robs your kids of confidence, and you of your sanity
• How fear fuels overparenting (and how to stop letting it drive the car)
• The “structure not a script” strategy to give kids autonomy within boundaries
• Why overcontrolling kids can turn them into rebels, people-pleasers… or liars
• A decision-making skill you’re accidentally preventing your kids from developing
• Instrument practice, friend choices, and the tightrope between encouragement and control
• The parenting question that will change your day: “Am I helping or hovering?”
• Your challenge for the week: Pick one place to loosen your grip and watch what happens

One-Liner to Remember:
"When we prevent our kids’ discomfort, we also prevent their growth. You want to raise a problem-solver, not a puppet."

Listener Challenge:
Pick one area where you’re over-involved. Is it homework? Doing laundry? Friend drama? Step back…on purpose. Let your child try. Let them fail safely.
Then watch them rise. Rate + Review:
Loving these no-filter conversations? Drop us a review and share this episode with a friend who needs to hear, “Hey, you don’t need to do it all.”

🔗 Links & Resources:
    · Free Facebook Group: Yell-Free Parenting for Exhausted Moms
    · Sue’s Book: Secrets to Parenting Without Giving a F^ck
    ·  Want 1-on-1 coaching? Book here
    ·  Get Sue’s Weekly Newsletter: Subscribe now  

WordofMomRadio.com - sharing the wisdom of women, in business and in life.


Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/word-of-mom-radio--5252572/support.