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Navigating Career Shifts as a New (or Old) Mom Jan 21, 2025

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January 21, 2024 / Mom &… Podcast Episode 144 / Guest: Jess Galica Subscribe and Review wherever you listen to podcasts! Show Summary: In this episode of the Mom &… Podcast, hosts Susanne Kerns and Missy Stevens welcome Jess Galica, an executive and career coach, speaker, and author. Jess shares her journey of transitioning from corporate roles to becoming a career coach, particularly focusing on the intertwining of motherhood and career aspirations. The discussion delves into the impact of COVID-19 on work-life paradigms, common career challenges faced by moms, and strategies for re-entering the workforce. They also emphasize the importance of support systems like coaches and community networks while touching on Jess’ book LEAP: WHY IT’S TIME TO LET GO TO GET AHEAD IN YOUR CAREER. Topics From This Episode: 00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Hosts 01:17 Guest Introduction: Jess Galica 01:56 Jess’s Career Journey and Motherhood 03:41 Impact of COVID on Career and Motherhood 05:35 Navigating Career Transitions 09:11 The Role of Coaching and Support 11:56 Storytelling and Overcoming Negative Self-Talk 18:14 Networking Strategies for Moms 24:21 Maintaining a LinkedIn Profile 26:53 Strategic Activities During Career Breaks 28:37 Exploring Core Values and Interests 30:12 Introduction to Jess’s Book 30:45 Navigating Career Shifts as a New Mom 32:39 Finding Comfort in Shared Experiences 34:11 Promoting the Book and Connecting with the Author 34:46 Look, Listen, Learn Segment Introduction 35:07 Susanne’s Look, Listen, Learn 43:10 Jessica’s Look, Listen, Learn 46:52 Missy’s Look, Listen, Learn 53:31 Final Thoughts and Farewell Look, Listen, Learns Susanne: Shopping for a printer MOTHER OF STRANGERS, by Suad Amiry How learning to put in contacts is a metaphor for life Jess: Origin Neha Ruch, Mother Untitled Melinda French Gates’s new philanthropic endeavors for women’s rights Missy: LAY YOUR BODY DOWN, by Amy Suiter Clark Listening to favorites playlist and a lot of Taylor Swift Graston technique More About Jess Galica: Jessica Galica has worked in almost every kind of corporate environment, from Fortune 100 titans to startups to management consulting at prestigious Bain & Company. Today she splits her career between her role as a Director at Siemens and her work executive coaching and writing on how high-performing women can reclaim control, fulfillment, and greater success within their careers. Jess has researched women and career throughout her education. Her undergraduate thesis at Georgetown University examined depictions of working moms across media. And at MIT Sloan School of Management, where Jess earned her MBA, she pioneered the first research study to compare rates of students’ class participation by gender—proving her hypothesis that men were more likely than women to speak up in quantitative courses. Jess wants to redefine for high-performing women what a successful career looks like. Reclaim Your Career began as a personal project to redirect Jess’ career, but quickly became something much bigger. Jess discovered that her story—building a career, doing everything “right,” but waking up lost—is not unique. She had struck a larger chord. A personal project turned into dozens of in-depth interviews and valuable research on “the why and how” of reinventing your career. Now Jess is on a mission to share these insights so that all women have the inspiration and tools to build a purposeful, intentional career. Jess is a present mom to her two kids and lives in Boston’s Charlestown neighborhood with her husband Matt and dog Riley. Connect with Jess Galica: Website LinkedIn Instagram Connect With the Mom &… Podcast Please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts! If you’re so inclined to give us a 5-star rating, we’ll love you forever. Who couldn’t use a little extra love? Leave us a message – via voicemail or use our form – with your questions for experts, or suggestions for future episodes. Check out our website, where you can find links to all the things! Follow our Facebook Page Join our private Facebook Group (All you have to do is ask to join, and then be nice once you’re in. So easy!) Follow us on Instagram Become a patron – check us out on Patreon! Watch this episode on our YouTube Channel! Musical Notes Our delightfully happy intro and outro theme music, “We Will Get Through This” is performed by Young Presidents, and used under license from Shutterstock. Transcript is auto-generated by a robot. Apologies in advance for misspellings or errors. [00:00:04] Susanne: Welcome to the mom and dot, dot, dot podcast, the podcast that helps you make your ellipses count, you know, all the dot, dot, dots that come after I’m a mom and I’m Susanne Kerns, mom and dot, dot, dot writer, LGBTQ and sex ed advocate. And today, Prepping to jump from the frying pan into the fire, at least temperature wise, as we are heading to Arizona to celebrate my mother in law’s birthday. I mean, it’s been in the high nineties here in Texas, but it’s going to be 104 there, so. [00:00:35] Missy: but it’s a dry heat. [00:00:37] Susanne: It’s a dry heat, yes, that’s true. Look at you looking on [00:00:40] Missy: what they always say. I did think when we were there for a conference last year, I did think like it is different. [00:00:47] Susanne: is. Anything’s better than Texas, really, for many reasons. [00:00:52] Missy: Right. Agreed. Well, I’m Missy Stevens, mom and dot, dot, dot writer, foster care advocate. And today parent of a kid with a fresh new learner’s permit. We have another learning driver on the road [00:01:04] Susanne: Ooh, [00:01:04] Missy: and he drove himself to swim practice this morning. Very exciting. [00:01:07] Susanne: that is a big deal. [00:01:09] Missy: He keeps asking me if I need to go anywhere today and if he can take me and I’m like, Nope. Don’t have anywhere to go today. [00:01:16] Susanne: Can he come take Zoe to the store because she doesn’t want to drive? [00:01:19] Missy: He’d be happy to. [00:01:20] Susanne: Thank you. And today we are so excited to be welcoming Jess Gallagher to the podcast. Jess is a mom and executive and career coach, sought after speaker on topics around women’s leadership and motherhood, host of the Reclaim Your Career podcast and author of the book Leap, Why It’s Time to Let Go. Go and get ahead in your career. Jess holds an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management, and a BA from Georgetown University. Welcome, Jess. We are so excited to have you here. [00:01:56] Jess: Hey, both. It is great to be here. Excited to chat today. [00:02:00] Missy: Awesome. Well, we want to dive into everything you do, but we thought we’d start with a just one on one and give us like a little snapshot if you can of where you started and what got you to where you are now. [00:02:12] Jess: sure. Yeah. So like you mentioned, I’m a mom. I have two kids, a daughter who is three and a half years old and a one year old son. So I am in the thick of it in those early years of motherhood, um, which is both wonderful and of course a challenge too. but my story is really about the intersection of my role as a mom also with my career ambition. And I spent the first 15 years of my career in pretty traditional corporate business roles. I worked in management consulting. I worked in tech leading global sales teams. And then my career really shifted in the beginning of 2020 before the pandemic broke out. I felt really unfulfilled at work despite working at all of these amazing companies and organizations. I just felt like I hadn’t found my place when it came to my career. And then of course I was stepping into motherhood for the first time. So I was pregnant with my now three and a half year old and that stepping into motherhood transformed really everything when it came to my career. But I had this deep desire to pursue work that felt more fulfilling. And I also had this desire to show up as a mom and invest more time with my kids that evolved starting as I became a mom and then has evolved in the years since. So that led me to write the book that you see behind me, which helps women who are kind of grappling with this question of how do I redefine my career and my career ambition, particularly after motherhood, um, and has led me to all of the work that I do today that I know we’ll dive a lot more into. [00:03:45] Susanne: Oh, it’s interesting, especially after that period of COVID that you’re, I mean, you had so many big life changes happening. Along with this global phenomenon, not in a good way, um, of COVID. So, I’m, I’m guessing that that greatly influenced the, the themes that you are hearing from some of your coaching clients. So, are, what, what is that looking like post COVID? those continuing themes, uh, that you see with moms. [00:04:19] Jess: I think there are some big themes, but I think the biggest one is just that COVID for so many people, whether a parent or a caregiver or not, It really challenged these fundamental truths and assumptions that we thought were unmovable about work and our lives, right? it really upended it, like the idea that, oh, maybe we can work remotely, maybe we can move somewhere else. this, um, you know, period where people started to, uh, COVID was such a challenging time for many, but it also was a time when a lot of people got to tap into other really rich, rewarding, fulfilling parts of their lives in a way that they hadn’t before. So I think it completely shifted, so many people that were really exclusively focused on career to really think less about just optimizing for career and more about optimizing for their life. So for me, when I think about COVID, that is the most fundamental shift is this opening, this invitation, this possibility that work and life could look different. and opening that door a little bit, uh, allows a lot of people to make big reflections, decisions, and transitions when it comes to how they want to live their life. [00:05:30] Susanne: Yeah. Were you seeing that a lot of those transitions were intentional or forced? I know that a lot of stay at home moms suddenly had to go back to work because the partner was laid off or maybe they were laid off and it made them have to face a transition. I’m just really curious how people approach those next steps differently when it’s something that they’re excited about and, you know, is proactive versus something that was forced upon them by an outside force. [00:06:00] Jess: Yeah, absolutely. And sometimes it’s really clear, right? Sometimes it is choice, and sometimes it’s, um, by circumstance, and it’s very clear. And then I think there’s this kind of middle group, too, right? That it’s, well, is it choice, or is it circumstance, right? Maybe it’s not a complete choice, maybe it’s not a complete layoff scenario where it’s the only option, but it’s a pressure cooker environment of, gosh, I’m trying to juggle the cost of childcare and a dual income household or whatever it may be, but there’s so much pressure and force that whether it is choice or circumstance, but I think you’re totally right that it’s not only, you know, people and women in particular who are reimagining by choice, but there are also these really difficult circumstances with covid and then also with just generally motherhood and childcare, that force women into, you know, thinking about these situations in a new way. [00:06:51] Susanne: Yeah, [00:06:51] Missy: it comes to that re imagination, and this is, I may be putting my stuff into this question, but, uh, whether it’s something you want to do, cause it’s definitely a thing that I have a lot of energy around doing, but whether you want to do it or you’re being forced to do it, it’s kind of hard to know what that, how to start. How do we even start envisioning this new thing? How do we take what we have done before and Where we are now and combine that and create next [00:07:22] Susanne: your [00:07:23] Missy: Where do you, yeah, where do you start with that? [00:07:26] Jess: Yeah, I think the most helpful thing to get clear on is what’s the purpose here, right? What’s the value that you’re getting out of this? What is the why? and that can look really different, right? For people who are in a full time career wanting to switch to a full time career, that purpose might look like they want more flexibility, they want more fulfillment, they want a new different challenge. for a stay at home parent who is, I don’t know, maybe trying to launch a small sort of side business or do something different, right? What they want out of it probably looks really different. It might be, you know, oh, I want, you know, intellectual engagement. I want a small stream of revenue. I want, you know, something to keep my foot sort of in the water because long term I may want to transition back. but what I find is that the most important thing is not focusing on the execution, like how do I, you know, do X, Y, and Z. It’s really about getting super clear on what’s the purpose behind this, because the clearer and more confident you are on what you’re trying to get out of it, the more likely you will be to Stay committed and to execute and have that, um, just have that conviction that this is something you want to do. And then I say all the time, once you know you want to do it, people are phenomenal, especially women and moms. They are phenomenal executors. So really investing that time to, to know your why is I think the most important first step. [00:08:57] Susanne: And I think for probably a lot of us, that’s where a good coach comes in, because I think doing it by yourself can feel. Really overwhelming because you barely are able to find the what, let alone the why behind it. Missy and I liked to joke that after so many years of being stay at home moms, like, we didn’t even know what we liked anymore. We didn’t know what our interests were. We didn’t know if we had any hobbies or anything that we even liked. We just did kind of whatever the schedule for our kids told us to do in a given day. And I’m guessing you’ve encountered clients who are doing the same thing. [00:09:35] Jess: Yeah, absolutely. It’s funny, right? The, um, the biggest thing that our most common thing that I hear from clients, or if I’m doing a speaking engagement is. Well, he want, you know, I sense that I want to do something different or want to do something more, but I just, I don’t know what. And I think the most important thing that a coach can do, the coach isn’t going to give you the answers, right? Um, that’s, you’re with the wrong coach if they’re giving you the answers. But what a coach can do is really help you to unlock that voice that you have inside of yourself, that so many women and so many moms in particular have deprioritized and silenced and kind of, you know, all of the other things have gotten stacked on top of it. It’s really that work that a coach can help with to start to unearth, okay, what is that voice? And what are those things that I know about myself, that I want to uncover and, you know, shed some light on? [00:10:28] Missy: I think as moms, like, my brain is going a million miles [00:10:33] Susanne: I know. I’m [00:10:34] Missy: This is something really top of mind for me, but, um, you know, if we made the choice to have this extensive career pause, which Suzanne did, I did. I’m not going to lie, like lately more than ever, I am regretting it because it feels insurmountable to come back from this pause. And so what is that process like if someone like myself, for example, has been home for a long time and I’ve dabbled and I’ve done contract work and I’ve done some things, but, What does that look like when someone is trying to reinvent themselves and figure out what to do with that huge gap? How do you, how do you present it and move forward? [00:11:13] Jess: Mm. Yeah. I think, you know, I would talk about kind of three pillars. And this is for someone who’s alread…

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Laugh, Learn, Lead – Building Connection through Improv & Play Oct 14, 2024

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August 30, 2024 / Mom &… Podcast Episode 142 / Guest: Erin Diehl Subscribe and Review wherever you listen to podcasts! Show Summary: In this episode of the Mom &… Podcast, hosts Missy Stevens and Susanne Kerns welcome guest Erin Diehl, founder of Improve It and author of I SEE YOU: A LEADER’S GUIDE TO ENERGIZING YOUR TEAM THROUGH RADICAL EMPATHY. They discuss the transformative power of play and improv in the workplace, including how it can lead to higher engagement and a positive shift in team dynamics. Erin shares her journey of starting Improve It through a series of dares, and her passion for bringing joy and empathy to corporate environments. Additionally, they touch on Erin’s personal experiences as a mom, her struggles, and her learnings, offering valuable insights for both working professionals and stay-at-home parents. The conversation also includes a deep dive into the concept of radical empathy and practical exercises to foster genuine connections and understanding. Topics From This Episode: 00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Hosts 00:58 Welcoming Erin Diehl: Business Improv Expert 02:23 Erin’s Journey: From Childhood to Improv Comedy 03:52 Balancing Motherhood and Career 07:04 The Importance of Play in the Workplace 11:50 Implementing Improv in Corporate Training 18:05 The Power of Radical Empathy 29:26 Transformational Leadership Workshops 30:53 The Importance of Leader Participation 32:06 Introducing the Book: A Leader’s Guide 32:27 Applying Leadership Lessons at Home 33:49 Self-Love and Healing Journey 36:10 Big Wick Energy: Maintaining Self-Care 37:39 Connecting with Erin Diehl 39:04 Look, Listen, Learn: Recommendations and Reflections 51:27 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Look, Listen, Learns Missy: THINK TWICE by Harlan Coben JUST FOR THE SUMMER by Abby Jimenez Learning how to manage the summer schedule Erin: CHANGE YOUR SCHEDULE, CHANGE YOUR LIFE by Dr. Suhas Kshirsagar, Michelle D. Seaton WORTHY by Jamie Kern Lima Speaker School, digital course from Judi Holler Susanne: Looking at her bird feeder (we are bird-watching-years-old) Treehouse by Alex G Learning about bats from Kristy Vera of Lone Star Riverboat Bat Cruise More About Erin Diehl: Erin “Big” Diehl is a Business Improv Edutainer, Failfluencer, and Professional Zoombie. Through a series of unrelated dares, Erin created improve it!, a unique professional development company rooted in improv comedy, that pushes leaders and teams to laugh, learn, play, and grow. She is the proud host of The improve it! Podcast, a Top 1% Global Podcast, which helps develop leaders and teams through play, improv and experiential learning, and first time author of the Amazon Best Seller & Top New Release: I See You! A Leader’s Guide to Energizing Your Team Through Radical Empathy. Among her many accolades, Erin is most proud of successfully coercing over 39,000 professionals to chicken dance. Connect with Erin Diehl: Websites: http://www.learntoimproveit.com and http://www.itserindiehl.com Podcast: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/podcast LinkedIn: linkedin.com/erindiehl Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itserindiehl/ Connect With the Mom &… Podcast Please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts! If you’re so inclined to give us a 5-star rating, we’ll love you forever. Who couldn’t use a little extra love? Leave us a message – via voicemail or use our form – with your questions for experts, or suggestions for future episodes. Check out our website, where you can find links to all the things! Follow our Facebook Page Join our private Facebook Group (All you have to do is ask to join, and then be nice once you’re in. So easy!) Follow us on Instagram Become a patron – check us out on Patreon! Watch this episode on our YouTube Channel! Musical Notes Our delightfully happy intro and outro theme music, “We Will Get Through This” is performed by Young Presidents, and used under license from Shutterstock. Transcript is auto-generated by a robot. Apologies in advance for misspellings or errors. [00:00:25] Missy: Welcome to the mom and dot, dot, dot podcast, the podcast that helps you make your ellipses count. You know, all those dot, dot, dots that come after I’m a mom and I’m Missy Stevens, mom and dot, dot, dot writer, foster care advocate, and today the parent of a high school graduate. We’re all done. It’s very exciting. [00:00:45] Susanne: One down, One to go. [00:00:47] Missy: It’s right. [00:00:48] Susanne: Well, and I’m Suzanne Kearns, momanddotdotdotwriter, LGBTQ, and sex ed advocate, and today, the parent of a high school student! Well, the eighth grade graduation is coming up. Complete. And I gotta tell you, the first kid did not have the eighth grade graduation. His school made it like a whole thing. They walked across the thing and everything. Impressive. [00:01:10] Missy: Pretty cute. Yeah, we didn’t get to do that with, uh, my oldest either. We didn’t really get to do eighth grade graduation. [00:01:16] Susanne: I guess each principal gets to decide how fun they want to be. [00:01:20] Missy: Yeah. Yeah. Well, we are really excited today to welcome Erin Deal to the podcast. Erin is a mom and dot, dot, dot business improv edutainer. Fail fluencer and professional zombie. Through a series of unrelated dares, which I want to talk about later, Erin created Improve It, a unique professional development company rooted in improv comedy that pushes leaders and teams to laugh, learn, play, and grow. She is the proud host of the Improve It podcast, a top 1 percent global podcast, which helps develop leaders and teams through play, improv, and experiential learning. And a first time author of the American bestseller and top new release, I see you a leader’s guide to energizing your team through radical empathy. Among her many accolades, Erin is most proud of successfully coercing over 36, 000 professionals to chicken dance. Welcome. [00:02:12] Susanne: I [00:02:12] Erin: Thank you. Thank you. I am a very proud chicken dance enthusiast. Um, and I’m excited to be here. I love the mom and that is, that is the best. That is the best ellipses I’ve ever, I’ve ever heard. And we’re, we’re all those things. And, and, and I’m here to talk about it. [00:02:32] Susanne: Oh, well, we are so excited. I was just telling you as we were getting started that sometimes the world just brings us the right guest at the right time. And I feel like I am super in need of everything that you have to teach us today. But before we get into that, can you give our listeners a little Erin 101, kind of a snapshot of your career and your life leading up to where you are now? [00:02:57] Erin: Yes, I’ll do a 101. I’m going to do cliff’s nose version. Okay. Childhood moved around a lot. Okay, but always in acting and a love of comedy, a love of home videos and being putting on a wig was like my favorite thing to do. And, uh, then college went to Clemson University, wanted to be a talk show host post college moved to Chicago to pursue Chicago to become Oprah Winfrey. That did not happen, uh, but I found improv comedy and improv comedy became my passion and it became the thing that made me feel the most alive and the thing that when I watched other people do it, I saw sparks and I had what I call an aha, haha moment, which is. When the light bulb goes off and you’re laughing at the time. And I said, I’m going to create a company that brings improv into corporate America and businesses and teams and helps them learn to be the highest versions of themselves through play. Improve. It’s been around for 10 years. We have a team of 22 amazing improv professionals, an internal team of six, and, uh, we are all over the U S. Just wrote a book, as you mentioned, I See You, and that has been a wild journey. Through that all, my personal life, I’m a mom. I have a miracle baby boy. When I say miracle, like, lots of science, science backed baby boy, okay? And, uh, he is a five year old. We had some genetic disorders on top of the science, and proud to say he is extremely healthy. Hearing, because our genetic disorder was hearing loss and deafness. Five year old, almost five year old, right now he’s a fournado, a four year old [00:04:45] Susanne: Oh, boy. Yes. [00:04:47] Erin: turns five in about five weeks. And, uh, yeah, it’s been a journey, all of it, but I would say, I would say out of all those creations, he’s my greatest one. [00:04:58] Susanne: Oh, I love that. And the fournadoes. Oh, my gosh. I think both Missy and I, every time we hit these milestones, like they’re graduating the eighth grade, graduating the high school, it always ends up seeming to go back, like, into the photo albums, because usually the teachers are like, oh, for the slideshow, for this graduation, we need their baby picture, whatever. And you can’t just look at a baby picture. You got to look at the twos and the threes and the fournadoes and the videos. And yeah, it’s UV. [00:05:27] Missy: pictures now. Because I spent weeks making a graduation slideshow because. You go down the rabbit hole. You can’t just be like, well, that’s a cute picture. I’ll put it in. You have to look at every picture and you had, then you’re caught up in that moment again, and you’re reliving it all. And my mom said, you’ve been doing this slideshow for weeks. And I’m like, because it takes like. A day to go through a year of pictures, at least because I just can’t so start a little file, set them aside and move over a little slideshow picture every so often so that it may be won’t take you weeks and weeks, but you’re still going to go down memory lane [00:06:01] Susanne: oh, it’s so fun. But yes, you just have so, you have so many fun things and milestones ahead of you. I’m kind of jealous and excited for you. [00:06:09] Erin: yes. He just graduated 4k last week, so he will be in kindergarten next year, which I am. I have already had tears about, um, but it’s okay. It’s supposed to happen. I know. And I’m like, okay, I can, you know, this is, this is going to be a big change for him and us. And, um, when I go back and like you said, I look at some of his videos and I just remember being in that moment and thinking, Oh my gosh, is this ever going to end? Cause it was so hard. And now I go back and I’m like, I miss those moments. Why wasn’t I more grateful for those moments? [00:06:51] Susanne: Yes. [00:06:52] Missy: just being human. I think, yeah, you’re caught in the moment. It’s like, it’s, it is hard. And sometimes it’s not just that it’s hard. Like it’s highly unpleasant. Not all the moments are great. [00:07:02] Susanne: Or boring. [00:07:03] Missy: Yeah, then you can’t, you’re not supposed to appreciate all of it. I don’t think. Some of it’s really awful, but yeah, then all of a sudden it’s over and you think, where’s that little person? [00:07:12] Erin: I know [00:07:13] Susanne: Oh, my gosh. Look at us, Missy. We’re not, we’re not allowed to record the week after any important events that are. [00:07:19] Missy: No. Yeah. I should not be recording anything today. I’m still in the emotional fog of it, all of it. So let’s pivot from our sweet babies and talk about your other child and prove it. [00:07:32] Erin: Yes. [00:07:33] Missy: One of our favorite quotes, and it is Brian Sutton Smith, but we heard it via Brené Brown years ago and she’s talked about it for years, is that the opposite of play is not work, it’s depression. And you teach leaders how to bring that play to work so they can avoid depression and burnout. We don’t even really know where to start with diving into all of this. It’s overwhelming, I think, to talk to people about embracing play in our culture that is so product driven. So where do you even start? How do you find your clients and get them on board? [00:08:04] Erin: Oh my gosh. Well, such a great quote, number one. Number two, the word play, I always have an intentional word for every year. So I always have a one word intention. And my word for 2024 is play. And I, and I’ll say why in just a moment, but I have a vision board specifically behind my little podcast studio I have right here. It’s a closet. Okay. I’ve, I made a closet into a studio. Um, [00:08:31] Susanne: true. [00:08:32] Erin: Okay. Okay. I say studio to glam it up. I’m giving you behind the scenes, real deal. So, but behind me is a vision board, and I have the words PLAY just in giant letters. So I love that you started with this because it is literally top of mind for me. Because I was, if you ever heard you’re the teacher who doesn’t do whatever you’re teaching, I was the teacher who wasn’t playing. I’m the improv expert who wasn’t playing. And I will say this, having my son, watching him engrossed in play every single day. Losing any judgment of what other people think, engaging with the people around him in pure joy is one of the greatest things to watch because what happens, and I know this won’t be forever when he gets older and when society takes hold and they say, Oh, drop the imagination, focus on real life, focus on the real world. There’s going to be a mask that he puts on to hide. That beautiful mind that is there right now. And so what happens when we engage in play as adults is we’re actually activating to get a little psychological, our childhood selves. And we are letting go of the judgment of ourself, and we’re letting go of the judgment of others. And so using improv as a teaching tool is, in my opinion, the greatest teaching tool because it allows us to drop that mask that society has placed on us to be a professional. To be show up in a certain way and it allows us to fully be engaged and be in the moment. I actually have a bracelet. I had to take it off because it dangles, but it says be here now. And when you are focused in play, you were in that moment. And what’s so joyful about that moment is that’s what we’re here to do. Be present to our lives, to be in this body and to give to those around us moment to moment, but we don’t allow ourselves to do that. So full play allows you to be present and it allows you to drop that inhibition and that mask and our clients find us because the people, what is so wonderful is our actual clients, the people who booked this for their teams. Are the greatest people because they understand this concept and I created so many friendships out of our clients because they’re just great humans. They see how this could work. There’s not really a lot of convincing when you, when you put those vibes out and you attract them back. And, um, it’s my greatest, it has been the greatest joy of my career too. Watch the case studies unfold and watch the teams go into a room and watch them go in, let’s say it’s a group of 20. They walk in 20 individuals and they walk out this cohesive ensemble of human beings who have interacted together in a way that they never would have if play was not involved. [00:11:48] Missy: Yeah. [00:11:50] Susanne: Okay. So if we have any business managers out there listening, just thinking of the, they want to do this for their team. Like, what does that look like? Is it a whole day thing? Is it an hour? Is it a couple hours? Like, what should they be thinking? Thinking about what types of teams can benefit the most from this. [00:12:05] Erin: So many. I know this is good. Okay, so here’s how we figure out because we have 10 different offerings. And each one is a different soft skill that we can help develop your team on. And each, each different soft skill has its own pre work. And the pre work is actually a comedic video that myself and team put together that is the opposite of what we’re going to teach you. So the comedy comes in is this is how not to do. [00:12:32] Missy: I [00:12:33] Erin: is how not to communicate. This is how not to present. And then we show them through laughter. What that looks like, what the negative of that looks like, then we have a, uh, a survey, for lack of a better word, that we send to participants to understand…

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Acupuncture and Wellness with Charleen Whipple Apr 05, 2024

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April 3, 2024 / Mom &… Podcast Episode 136 / Guest: Charleen Whipple Subscribe and Review wherever you listen to podcasts! Show Summary: In this episode of the Mom &… Podcast, hosts Missy Stevens and Susanne Kerns dive into a comprehensive discussion about wellness practices, with a special focus on acupuncture and Eastern medicine. Their guest, Charleen Whipple, a native of Colorado with an extensive background in sports medicine, nutrition, and Chinese medicine, shares her journey from being a competitive dancer to founding The Point Wellness in Round Rock, Texas. Charleen educates on the benefits of acupuncture, debunking myths around the practice and explaining how it can aid in treating various health concerns including anxiety, inflammation, and pain. The discussion also covers managing a brick-and-mortar health business, the synergy between different wellness practices, and the accessibility of alternative medicine through health insurance. Furthermore, the hosts and Charleen explore topics like the impact of ‘tech neck’ on children, managing staff in a wellness setting, and the personal touches that make wellness treatments more approachable, such as the use of panic buttons during acupuncture sessions. The episode also touches on personal and professional development through courses, the importance of supportive communities in business, and the broad application of wellness practices for both physical and mental health improvements. Topics From This Episode: 00:15 Spring Break Adventures and Changes 01:07 Introducing Charlene Whipple: A Journey into Acupuncture 03:06 Demystifying Acupuncture: Does It Hurt? 06:26 Acupuncture for Everyone: Beyond Pain Relief 18:34 The Business of Wellness: Starting and Running a Clinic 21:26 Navigating the Challenges of Small Business Ownership 26:34 Managing a Team: Lessons Learned the Hard Way 28:35 Spring Promotions and Cryotherapy Treatments 29:24 Personal Experiences with Cryotherapy 30:28 Finding a Trusted Practitioner 31:30 Acupuncture and Wellness Journeys 33:34 Look, Listen, Learn Segment: What We’re Into This Week 50:45 Closing Thoughts and Goodbyes Look, Listen, Learns Missy: Somebody Feed Phil, latest season on Netflix Resident Alien, SyFy (on Netflix and Peacock) Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt Charleen: Succession Watching her daughter learn something new (cheerleading) Binaural Beats Huberman Podcast (Host notes: since recording this episode, Andrew Huberman has been the subject of an article in New York Magazine, claiming he has some credibility issues.) Cold Plunging Susanne: Adrenal Transformation Protocol by Izabella Wentz Listening to too many news podcasts Paymo More About Charleen Whipple: Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, Charleen emerged from a tight-knit Italian family, where communal bonds were as strong as the Rocky Mountain air. Beginning her journey in competitive dance at 5, she continued this passion through college, pursuing dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Sports Medicine and Nutrition at Colorado State University, while also dancing with the Colorado Eagles along the way. Following graduation, Charleen followed her calling into holistic healing, earning a degree in Chinese medicine from Colorado Chinese Medicine University in 2012. Launching her entrepreneurial path in Denver, she later resettled in Austin, Texas, where she honed her practice within a chiropractic clinic, amidst milestones like marriage and motherhood. In 2021, Charleen’s dream clinic became a reality, marking the culmination of years of dedication, and today, she remains poised for the future with gratitude and anticipation. Connect with Charleen Whipple: Website Facebook Instagram Connect With the Mom &… Podcast Please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts! If you’re so inclined to give us a 5-star rating, we’ll love you forever. Who couldn’t use a little extra love? Leave us a message – via voicemail or use our form – with your questions for experts, or suggestions for future episodes. Check out our website, where you can find links to all the things! Follow our Facebook Page Join our private Facebook Group (All you have to do is ask to join, and then be nice once you’re in. So easy!) Follow us on Instagram Become a patron – check us out on Patreon! Watch this episode on our YouTube Channel! Musical Notes Our delightfully happy intro and outro theme music, “We Will Get Through This” is performed by Young Presidents, and used under license from Shutterstock. Transcript is auto-generated by a robot. Apologies in advance for misspellings or errors. [00:00:00] Missy: Welcome to the mom and dot, dot, dot podcast. The podcast that helps you make your ellipses count. You know, all those dot, dot, dots that come after I’m a mom. And I’m Missy Stevens, mom and dot, dot, dot writer, foster child advocate, and this week’s spring break prepper. It’s our last spring break with two kiddos living at home. Crazy, [00:00:29] Susanne: And it’s our first spring break with just the one kiddo. And [00:00:36] Missy: And now we’re sad. [00:00:38] Susanne: I’m Suzanne Kearns, mom and dot, dot, dot, writer, LGBTQ and sex ed advocate. And this week I’ve been so busy with work that I forgot that it is spring break next week. And we are doing. Just the one kiddo dragging him along because we spent all of our spring break budget on sending Zoe to L. A. with her roommate For an awesome week, so the rest of us are going to Marfa. We’re going to Marfa and Big [00:01:06] Missy: One of my favorite trips ever was Big Bend. Yeah, I will have to talk when we aren’t on the clock and I loved it so much. [00:01:13] Susanne: Okay, I’m gonna get notes [00:01:15] Missy: Yeah, I’m so, so excited this week to talk to our guest and full disclosure, I talk to Charlene all the time because her therapist and Charlene have been instrumental in getting me back into fighting shape. so I get to see her at least once a week, but now we all get to talk to her today. And I’m so thrilled for her to share her knowledge with all of us. Charlene Whipple is a native of Colorado and she attended Colorado State University and studied sports medicine and nutrition. And then she later went on to go to the Colorado Chinese Medicine University, where she graduated in 2012. And now for the last three years, we’ve gotten to have her here in Round Rock, where she owns the Point Wellness. And we will talk all about that as we go on today. Welcome. [00:01:58] Susanne: Welcome you. Excited to be here. Oh, well, so excited. And I, I, this is my first time meeting you. I don’t get to see you every week. So I definitely need, and our audience needs, a Charlene 101. So can you tell us a little bit about your career path and how you got to where you are today? [00:02:16] Charleen: Yes. So I actually always have been in the sports world. I was a competitive dancer growing up, grew up in a family of all boys, with cousins and all of that. So sports has always been my passion. And so when I graduated from Colorado State with sports medicine, I ventured into, do I want to go into PT, OT, chiropractic, and nothing really held my interest until I talked with my current acupuncturist that I was seeing at the time and just fell in love with Chinese medicine and the fact that I can treat the entire body, not just the physical ailments that were going on. It’s a mind, body, spirit. and started acupuncture school, which was actually a lot more difficult than I ever imagined. so did that and started in Denver. And then my husband and I moved down here in 2013. So I’ve been practicing. I did a solo practice for about seven years. And then in 21, my husband pushed me to open my dream clinic. And we have been open here for about three years now. [00:03:14] Susanne: Very cool. [00:03:15] Missy: So you mentioned that you had an acupuncturist who piqued your interest in all of this and the word acupuncture, I think freaks people out. So I wanted to talk a little bit about what it is. Why it works and does it hurt? Because I do it every week. I know the answers to a lot of these questions because I do it every week or every other week. but when I tell people I do it, they’re like, Oh my God, that sounds so painful. So I want to talk a little bit about the why behind it and what it is, if you can share that with us. [00:03:45] Charleen: Absolutely. And I’ll share a little bit on the eastern side and the western side because sometimes when people hear the eastern side of acupuncture and Chinese medicine, it gets a little woo woo for them, a little out there, but there is a good science behind it that people can actually understand. And it’s a little bit tangible. So the theory and the basis behind Chinese medicine is that the body can heal itself. We have everything that we need to, to heal ourself. We just have obstruction. Those obstructions can be physical, they can be mental, they can be emotional. So our job is to identify those obstructions and break them free. Let the body do what it needs to do. And we do that with a number of things, whether it’s cupping for muscle stuff or acupuncture for the internal. We also work with Chinese medicine and herbs. So there’s a whole array of things that we can do. So a typical session is usually when an acupuncturist or Chinese medical doctor will identify what’s going on based off of your symptoms and all of that. And we usually start out with some muscle work, some palpation, all of that to see where everything is stuck. And then we use acupuncture needles. So I always like to tell people, I actually did this experiment in school because I didn’t believe them, but you can fit 30 acupuncture needles in one hyperdermic needle that a doctor would use. So that kind of gives you a gauge on how big the needles are. [00:05:03] Susanne: heh. [00:05:04] Missy: tiny. [00:05:05] Charleen: so they’re super teeny tiny. You can actually bend the needles. They’re not stiff enough or thick enough that they’re, you know, you can’t bend them. They are pliable. So they are super tiny. And most of the time when we do a traditional treatment with acupuncture, you might feel a tiny pinch when the needle goes in, but after that you shouldn’t feel anything. And most of our patients, Missy, if you can attest to this, most of our patients fall asleep on the table. So. Yeah, it’s very relaxing. It’s a very like it works with the energy. So when we talk the eastern, it helps with the energy blockages, helps open everything up, allow the body to heal and do what it needs to. From a western side that people can attribute a little bit more knowledge, some tangible too, is when you puncture the skin with a needle, you are actually creating what we call a micro injury. So you are injuring the body. That puts the body into a healing process. So you’re creating a micro injury. It actually takes your body out of fight or flight. shuts off that sympathetic nervous system and puts it into parasympathetic so that the body can heal. Now that is one of the hardest things for people to do nowadays just with our society with everything go go go is a lot of people can’t shut off that fight or flight system and acupuncture actually forces the body to do that. So that’s one of the ways that it helps the healing process is it actually forces the body to shut off fight or flight because you’ve now created an injury. So now it’s going to go into the restaurant store to help that body. [00:06:33] Susanne: Oh, interesting. Okay. So I usually typically think of acupuncture of like, okay, I have something that hurts here, or it’s something that you’re trying to heal or recovery. But say you’re just one of those people where everything feels pretty good, but [00:06:48] Charleen: Does that person exist? [00:06:50] Susanne: yeah, exactly. But like aches and pains wise, you’re in good shape, but maybe anxiety or just like you said, they’re just a person who lives in the world and, you know, has that fight or flight. So that is something that you don’t necessarily have to have, like an acute pain or something specific, an injury that you’re treating. [00:07:12] Charleen: Absolutely. And those are some of my favorite treatments or what we call maintenance treatments. You’re coming in just to keep everything nice and open and relax and take your mind off of stuff for an hour. And yeah, so definitely for stress and anxiety. I’ve been diagnosed with high functioning anxiety since I was 18, and it’s something that I can tell like when my body gets to that point, like I just need to shut off that nervous system so that my body can do what it needs to do and bring everything out of fight or flight. [00:07:39] Susanne: Ooh, can you acupuncture yourself? [00:07:41] Charleen: You can. you can. And I do regularly. I have two acupuncturists that work with me, but there are times that I just need to do. And one of the good systems for people who are anxious about acupuncture is called a regular acupuncture. So it’s actually all done in the ear. So you don’t have to lay down. You don’t have to be still. Cause some people are like, I can’t lay there for an hour, but you can actually do a full acupuncture treatment with just the ear, [00:08:06] Susanne: Okay, now that might sound even scarier to people. Are you, like, putting the needles in the, like, where, where [00:08:10] Charleen: just like on the side, like right in here, it just goes on the outside. So not in the ear. But where you would get piercings, I’m sorry, where you would get piercings, you can actually do acupuncture. [00:08:20] Susanne: Okay, I just wanted to clarify that for anybody who’s like, and what you can do is you can put them in your eyeball. Oh, that’s very interesting. Okay, because yeah, that might be for some people who are a little hesitant. Yeah, that laying down is kind of a submissive position. If you’re like, no, I still kind of feel in control. If you’re seated and kind of do that baby step. [00:08:42] Missy: And Charlene gives you a panic button when you’re lying down. So, like, before she leaves the room, she tucks this little button under my hand, and I’m always afraid I’m accidentally going to do it, because I have never once panicked. I mean, I check completely out, it’s an out of body experience. I am not in the room with myself when it’s going on, but I’m always afraid I’m going to accidentally, like, fall asleep and twitch and hit that button. But you do have a panic button if you are worried about lying there with needles in you. [00:09:08] Susanne: No, any treatment that involves lying down, I’m all for. [00:09:12] Charleen: Yes. [00:09:13] Susanne: I might just book an appointment just to come take a nap on your table. That would be [00:09:17] Charleen: Just a nap pod. [00:09:19] Missy: I’ve been begging for the treatment plus nap package so that when my treatment is over, then I can just sleep for like 20 or 30 minutes because it’s so relaxing. [00:09:28] Susanne: Oh, I’m going to have to try it. And I definitely, yeah. I’m curious, well we’ll probably have to talk afterwards, my mom’s been having a lot of trouble with sciatica and she’s tried just about everything else and I feel like, let’s try one more thing. [00:09:43] Charleen: Absolutely. [00:09:44] Susanne: so aside from the acupuncture, you’ve got the massage services also? And what, what else could, what else could we take advantage of there? Are those the primary buckets? [00:09:55] Charleen: we actually have, so we have acupuncture and massage. We have manual stretching. Then we have a cranial sacral and Reiki therapist. We have an infrared sauna and we have a cold plunge. [00:10:08] Susanne: Oh my gosh, cool. [00:10:10] Charleen: And then we do have another company that works with us that does all the vitamin injections, vitamin IVs, Botox fillers, the whole shebang. So they’re a little bit separate, but they’re out of our clinic. [00:10:21] Susanne: So how does that w…

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Navigating Motherhood, Careers, and Well-being with Dr. Anne Welsh Feb 15, 2024

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February 15, 2024 / Mom &… Podcast Episode 134 / Guest: Dr. Anne Welsh Subscribe and Review wherever you listen to podcasts! Show Summary: This episode of the Mom &… Podcast features guest Dr. Anne Welsh, a mom, clinical psychologist, executive coach, and consultant. Dr. Welsh shares insights about the dilemmas and challenges women often face when returning to work after maternity leave, as well as the importance of understanding that these decisions are not always permanent and can be adjusted according to changing circumstances over time. The episode also dives into the ways in which parenting skills can be valuable in the professional space, and the importance of having a supportive community during these transitions. Moreover, Dr. Welsh introduces her Working Mothers Lifeline group, designed to support working mothers through their shared experiences. Topics From This Episode: 00:00 Introduction to the Podcast 00:00 Hosts’ Personal Updates and Anecdotes 01:39 Introducing the Guest: Dr. Anne Welsh 03:00 Dr. Anne Welsh’s Career Journey and Expertise 05:47 Understanding the Difference Between Therapy and Coaching 07:54 Challenges and Transitions in New Parenting 11:41 Exploring Parental Leave Coaching 14:40 Navigating the Decision to Return to Work Post-Maternity 17:57 The Value of Stay-at-Home Moms and the Importance of Self-Care 28:39 Strategies for Keeping Skills Fresh During Extended Leave 31:38 Parenting as a Skill-Building Exercise 32:19 The Three Categories of Skills Developed Through Parenting 33:09 Parenting as Project Management 33:55 The Value of Parenting Skills in the Workplace 34:34 Transitioning Back to the Workforce 35:35 Tips for Preparing to Reenter the Workforce 35:49 The Importance of Self-Compassion and Getting Help 39:14 The Working Mother’s Lifeline Group 39:24 The Power of Community for Working Moms 41:35 Look, Listen, Learn: Recommendations and Discoveries Look, Listen, Learns Susanne: The Good Life Project Podcast, specifically the Dan Buettner episode Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones on Netflix Bake Off: The Professionals Anne Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin Peloton Moms Book Club on Facebook Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi Listening to Boygenius Learning about a new phase of parenting Missy The Split on Hulu Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver Kizik shoes More About Dr. Anne Welsh: Dr. Anne Welsh is a clinical psychologist, executive coach, and consultant. Dr. Welsh began her career at Harvard before opening her own practice with a focus on supporting working parents in growing their careers and families. She is a mother of 4 and draws on her own experience as a mother, her research career in the transition to motherhood, and her 15 years in practice to help parents feel less alone, more connected to themselves and their values, and more empowered to make choices that fit for them. Connect with Dr. Anne Welsh: Website Instagram LinkedIn Connect With the Mom &… Podcast Please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts! If you’re so inclined to give us a 5-star rating, we’ll love you forever. Who couldn’t use a little extra love? Leave us a message – via voicemail or use our form – with your questions for experts, or suggestions for future episodes. Check out our website, where you can find links to all the things! Follow our Facebook Page Join our private Facebook Group (All you have to do is ask to join, and then be nice once you’re in. So easy!) Follow us on Instagram Become a patron – check us out on Patreon! Watch this episode on our YouTube Channel! Musical Notes Our delightfully happy intro and outro theme music, “We Will Get Through This” is performed by Young Presidents, and used under license from Shutterstock. Transcript is auto-generated by a robot. Apologies in advance for misspellings or errors. [00:00:08] Susanne: Welcome to the mom and dot dot dot podcast the podcast that helps you make your ellipses count You know all the dot dot dots that come after I’m a mom and and I’m Susanne Kerns a mom and dot dot dot writer LGBTQ and sex ed advocate and this week I am starting A new client. I’m up to two now, which is pretty exciting, and it’s also my lucky number, so I’m stopping there. [00:00:33] Missy: All right. Perfect. You’re done. I [00:00:35] Susanne: I know. Part time needs to stay part time. That’s my motto. [00:00:38] Missy: That’s right. That’s right. And I’m Missy Stevens, mom and dot, dot, dot, writer, foster child advocate, and this week returner of random items that I’ve bought in the middle of the night when I can’t sleep. So note to everyone, don’t shop when you have insomnia because you don’t need any of that stuff. [00:00:54] Susanne: Oh, are you going to share what any of them were? [00:00:56] Missy: the one thing, it’s not that interesting, but I bought a mattress pad that we don’t need. Like I woke in the middle of the night in a panic and I’m like, we don’t have a mattress pad for that bed. Yes, yes, we do. Like, I’m not drinking. I’m not on drugs. I just am not sleeping well. And my brain is going on too many things. And yeah, but I, yeah, and I bought just, you know, shoes that don’t fit and tops that are stupid and, you know, just stuff. Stuff. I get it. And I’m like, what? Oh, I bought a pair of coveralls, like Dickie’s coveralls. Thought they’d be really cute. They were not. [00:01:26] Susanne: I’m scared. Those always look so cute on people, but I think my boobs are too big. I think that they would do [00:01:32] Missy: I don’t know what was wrong with my body in them, but it was not happening. [00:01:37] Susanne: Oh my gosh, okay, and we do have a guest today too, not just our shopping recap. Our guest this week is Dr. Anne Welsh. Anne is a mom and dot dot dot clinical psychologist, executive coach, and consultant. Anne began her career at Harvard before opening her own practice with a focus on supporting working parents in growing their careers and families. She draws on her own experience as a mother of four, her research career in the transition of motherhood, and her 15 years in practice to help parents feel less alone, more connected to themselves and their values, and more empowered to make choices that fit for them. Welcome. Oh my, those are all our favorite things to talk about. I’m so excited. [00:02:20] Anne: I’m super excited to be here. I have listened to many of your shows and learned from all of your other guests, so it feels like a real treat to get to be the guest this time. [00:02:30] Susanne: Oh, yay. [00:02:31] Missy: Thank you. We’re really glad you’re here. And we learned some about you from your bio, but we’d love to look at a little more and one Oh one and just a snapshot of your career in life and maybe any pivots and how motherhood might’ve impacted any of those pivots. [00:02:45] Anne: Yeah, I, started out, getting my doctorate in psychology, but there was a pretty big pivot even before that. I had gotten into medical school and decided not to go. Uh, my parents were not thrilled, but I kind of just knew that this was not quite. The fit, even though I had worked really hard to get there. and so I decided I wanted to get my doctorate in psychology and thought I might want to go kind of academic and, you know, again, Reassessed over time and ended up going into a more clinical focus. but from the beginning, my research was actually on the transition to motherhood. I was not a mom. I was in my early twenties at the time and I really liked transitions. Um, like that was the thing that I enjoyed studying and kind of how people navigate shifts in their life. And my research advisor at the time was like, hey, why don’t you look at motherhood? it’s really understudied. And that was very true at the time. And so I started researching and then I actually defended my dissertation like eight and a half months or eight and a half weeks. Sorry, pregnant. So nobody knew I was super sick. Um. But defended my dissertation on the transition to motherhood, and then, you know, promptly nine months later went through it myself and was still kind of woefully unprepared, even though I had been researching it for years. Um, and so then I went on, I worked at Harvard for a while doing university mental health, which had been my dream job. It had been the thing that I wanted to do for a while. And I, and I did love it. I loved the students. They were interesting and bright and motivated. but once I had my second kid, it just was too intense to do it in a full time way. University mental health is a pretty intense, It’s pretty intense work. It’s a can be an intense schedule and I asked to cut back even a little bit and there was just no flexibility and so I left to do my own thing. And since then, basically, I’ve kind of shifted my focus into clinical work with new parents, and I do that both through therapy and through coaching and, you know, more recently, kind of in the And I have started to do it in a consulting way as well helping companies retain working parents or bring them back into the workforce after so many left to do caretaking during covid. [00:04:56] Missy: Right. [00:04:57] Susanne: Yeah. Oh, my gosh, that’s so interesting. I mean, talk about the transition to parenting, defending your dissertation at eight and a half weeks pregnant. Oh, my gosh. [00:05:07] Missy: perfect. I love the way the world works sometimes. [00:05:09] Susanne: and just to give a little context to our conversation, we’ve talked about this with previous guests, but in case it’s anyone’s first time, welcome. Glad to have you here. Um, or if anybody needs a refresher, can you help explain the difference between therapy and coaching? Um, How you practice those. [00:05:25] Anne: Sure, yeah. And I think you know I may have a slightly different perspective as someone that currently does both, you know, and I think of them as like a Venn diagram right they’re not separate entirely separate buckets. And I think. It may be the amount of overlap is going to differ depending on who it is you’re working with. I think the traditional definitions are things like therapy is treating a mental illness. therapy is focusing on the past. and that coaching is present focus and is looking towards the future. But I think even that there’s actually a lot. It’s less cut and dry than that in in that coaching shouldn’t be used to treat mental illness. But a lot of therapy clients that I work with don’t have a significant diagnosis. They’re going through a transition point. They have something they’re addressing. That’s kind of a moment in time. And that’s what we’re working on. So you don’t have to have like capital M. mental illness to be in therapy. Um, and I also have coaching clients who have a therapist, right? So they may have anxiety and they’re working on that with their therapist and working with me on career development. so I know that actually probably muddies the waters more than clarifies it. but you know, I think the bigger thing is that, you know, with. Therapy. It can be long term. The goals are usually symptom remission. It can sometimes feel a little more meandering. Coaching is super goal oriented and usually there is something very concrete we’re working on. It’s usually shorter term, not always. And it is usually behaviorally focused. We definitely look at thoughts, but there is often a, here’s a behavior I want to change, here’s exactly what I want to look different on the other side of this. [00:07:06] Susanne: Thank you for that reminder. It’s always helpful to, yeah, give us just a little framework for as we discuss kind of the both sides of the services you offer. [00:07:14] Missy: Yeah. We want to talk a little bit about that new parenting stage. We’re past that. A lot of our listeners may be past that as well, but even if you’ve done it, or maybe you’re doing it for the sixth time, or maybe someone you love is doing this and you want to be able to reach out to them, what kinds of things are you really helping new parents address most in this post COVID world? Always. [00:07:36] Anne: I would say, and I would say to your point, right, whether it’s your first or your sixth or whatever in between, it is always a transition because there’s always a new family member. And I would say the stuff that I’m working with new parents on doesn’t go away when your kids are older, often, right, because I’d say the one of the most common things I’m working on is feeling overwhelmed and feeling like you’re failing and sadly, I don’t think that goes away when your kids get older. Certainly it hasn’t been my experience that it gets easier. It gets different, but it’s not like there’s less to do. You know, I think in that toddler age, the physical demands are there like it’s exhausting in a physical way when they’re teenagers. It’s still kind of exhausting, but it’s just a different sense of it. Um, But so I would definitely say overwhelm is a huge one. Um, and so we talk about a lot of boundary setting. What can you put down? What balls can you not hold on to right now? with that feeling of failing. And that’s again true whether you’re, you feel like you’re failing, As a working mom, as a at home mom, as some combination of, of either, we’ll often talk about things like perfectionism and try to grow confidence and think about, like, what are the stories and the expectations we have for ourselves and maybe where is that not true, or not aligned with kind of our values, the other things that come up, and again, I think this is true of new moms or Um, Kind of, uh, veteran moms, if you will, right, of feeling alone and unsupported, whether that’s with friends or with your partner or, with a broader sense of community. and then also feeling unhappy, right? I think a lot of times it is this sense of, you know, I’m doing this mom thing and I wanted these kids and I’m Doing my best, and I’m not happy, and I’m not sure why, um, and that’s another, a common one, and sometimes, you know, in my therapy patients, sometimes it is that an undiagnosed postpartum depression or anxiety that they don’t recognize, but sometimes there’s other pieces to it. A lot of times it’s, I’ve stopped asking myself what I want because I’ve been so focused on everybody else, and There isn’t necessarily an awareness that they stopped, right, and so we have to kind of relearn how, how do I even ask myself what I, and we’ll start with like, what do you want for dinner? Right? What, [00:09:58] Susanne: Oh, my gosh, you’re speaking to [00:10:01] Anne: work up, you know, to what do you want to do with your life? What do you want this parenting thing to look like? [00:10:08] Missy: it’s one of my favorite things to talk about. And I’ve told the story a thousand times on this podcast, or at least a few. And at one point, a therapist asked me, what do you like? And I couldn’t answer it. And it was that it completely that, that I had forgotten to ask myself what I was interested in or what I wanted. I was just so focused on surviving every day with these little people. [00:10:32] Susanne: Yes. Well, and speaking of getting ready for life with these little people, one of the services you offer is parental leave coaching, which I don’t know if that didn’t exist 18 years ago when I was going through this, or I [00:10:44] Missy: We needed it. [00:10:45] Susanne: have the know how to go even look for it or it’s probably too cheap. I don’t know. but so what does that encompass when someone comes to you for parental leave coaching? [00:10:54] Anne: just to answer your other question, you know, it didn’t, I don’t think it did exist. Um, Amy Beacom, who was a guest on your show, really [00:11:01] Missy: love [00:11:02] Anne: Yeah, so she, I would say she really pioneered this field after her kids. So it is new, um, as a service. And now, you know, there are individuals that of us that do it. There’s a couple companies that are trying to, Get it kind of as…

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July 11, 2024 / Mom &… Podcast Episode 140 / Guest: Jennifer King Lindley

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June 27, 2024 / Mom &… Podcast Episode 139 / Guest: Heather Hester

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June 14, 2024 / Mom &… Podcast Episode 138/ Guest: Brendan Hansen

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February 29, 2024 / Mom &… Podcast Episode 135 / Guest: Allie Perez

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