Gillian Behnke is passionate about helping moms create lives they don’t want to run away from.
If you’re sitting in a pile of unfolded laundry, or at a desk piled with the endless to-dos of your job, balancing all the things at home and work, you may be laughing at the idea of not wanting to run away. Like, maniacally laughing until you cry a little. Or a lot. WE GET IT.
Gillian talked us through what she’s learned in her own life, as well as what she’s learned from hosting her podcast and running Mom Camp. One of the major themes of this episode is taking care of yourself, making your health a priority so that you’re up to the tasks of life. What she told us about the snooze button was more than a little eye-opening (there’s a pun in there, but we snoozed this morning, so we can’t quite wrap our minds around it).
Regular listeners will not be surprised that we asked Gillian about her gratitude practice. It turns out that she, like all of our brilliant guests, makes gratitude part of her life. Gillian also shared how she creates, and then harnesses, energy. If you’re looking for a pep talk on balance, this isn’t the place. In this episode we talk more about harmony.
As always, there’s so much more. We know you’re going to walk away with an idea or two that keeps you from… running away. See what we did there?
More About Gillian
As a busy mom of two, Gillian cares deeply about helping other moms feel better both mentally and physically. She believes that motherhood does not equal exhaustion, and that it is possible to thrive mentally, emotionally, physically and professionally. Gillian is the founder of Mom Camp, a media and events company that empowers moms to live their best lives. She is also the host of the Mom Camp: Around the Campfire podcast. Gillian has worked in marketing and event management for over 15 years. She is a passionate problem solver and loves connecting people with the right solutions that will improve their lives and work.
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Musical NotesOur delightfully happy intro and outro theme music, “We Will Get Through This” is performed by Young Presidents, and used under license from Shutterstock.
Julie’s new book, Your Turn: How to Be an Adult, was written with the 18-34 set in mind. It’s a book about adulting, and sure, young people need to learn a lot about being adults.
It turns out, however, that we, um, slightly older people also need some adulting help. As Julie said, “Adulting is simply the phase you’re in if you’re alive… So if you’re alive, and you’re no longer a child, you’re an adult. So [the book] applies to everybody.”
We love that. If you’re not a child, and you’re not dead, you’re an adult.
We had the best conversation with Julie, even if Susanne did threaten to hold her hostage. (Sort of… please don’t contact the authorities. Just listen to the episode.) This episode covers understanding identity in order to stop pleasing others, how to get yourself moving and stop hanging out in neutral, and caring for ourselves.
One of the things that’s on our minds lately is gratitude. It comes up in almost every discussion, with nearly every guest. Julie takes us through what that looks like for her, and has some great tips for incorporating gratitude in your life.
Oh, and more. Lots more. We’re not above begging you to listen, because Julie Lythcott-Haims is a national treasure. Above all, she wants to help people. It just doesn’t get much better than that.
More About Julie
Julie is a mom and… writer, speaker, and so much more.
Julie believes in humans and is deeply interested in what gets in our way. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the anti-helicopter parenting manifesto How to Raise an Adult which gave rise to a TED Talk that has more than 5 million views. Her second book is the critically-acclaimed and award-winning prose poetry memoir Real American, which illustrates her experience as a Black and biracial person in white spaces. A third book, Your Turn: How to Be an Adult, is out now.
Julie is a former corporate lawyer and Stanford dean, and she holds a BA from Stanford, a JD from Harvard, and an MFA in Writing from California College of the Arts. She serves on the board of Common Sense Media, and on the advisory board of LeanIn.Org, and she is a former board member at Foundation for a College Education, Global Citizen Year, The Writers Grotto, and Challenge Success. She volunteers with the hospital program No One Dies Alone.
She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her partner of over thirty years, their itinerant young adults, and her mother.
How to chat with us, or follow us, and support us!
We want to hear from you, and we are also excited about talking to someone other than ourselves.
Please subscribe to the podcast 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!
Musical NotesOur delightfully happy intro and outro theme music, “We Will Get Through This” is performed by Young Presidents, and used under license from Shutterstock.
Welcome to the Mom & dot dot dot podcast Tipsy Ellipses edition – Once a month, we do a Facebook Live taping of the podcast – It’s a much different format than our usual “numbered” episodes – It’s a little more informal than usual, one, (or both of us) is usually tipsy, and instead of interviewing career and life coaches about how we moms can make the most of our Mom & dot dot dot ellipses, we interview moms who are already making the most of their ellipses.
This month there are a few more differences. We usually have our Facebook Live on the 1st of the month, but we’re doing it on the 2nd because that’s when our wonderful guest wasn’t stuck at a Ruths Chris steakhouse during an unexpected flight delay. Also, tonight, Missy is missing – not actually *missing*, but on vacation somewhere out of internet range, but she’s here in spirit and really wishes she could be here to chat with our guest.
Speaking of our guest, Mary Katherine Backstrom is a dear friend, an award-winning author and influencer, best known for her viral videos and candid writing on family, faith, and mental illness. She has been featured on Today Show, CNN, and New York Times—but her friends and family are most impressed with her one-time appearance on Ellen. MK resides in Alabama with her husband, children, two dogs, and a cat. When she isn’t writing, MK is active in her church, her community, and her favorite Mexican restaurant.
Her new book, Holy Hot Mess releases Tuesday August 3rd, which is also the date she kicks off her book tour. Check and see if she’s coming to your city here.
Find more posts and links to all of MK’s social media accounts at HolyHotMess.com
We talk a lot about relaunching, but today we’re going to talk about… quitting. Our guest, Goli Kalkhoran, is a professional quitter. Wait, that doesn’t sound quite right. But here’s the deal: Goli found herself in a place many of us have been in, and she made a brave, scary choice.
After a lifetime of working toward a career in law, Goli achieved everything she’d been working toward. And she hated it. She tells us how it felt, and what it looked like, to change everything.
This is the episode for you if…
You’ve ever felt stuck in your career.
You’ve ever felt guilty about wanting to make a career change.
You’ve ever wondered how to pivot, professionally or personally.
You don’t know what you want, or how to figure it out.
In this episode, we dive into breaking old habits and patterns, and how mindset is key to getting what you want out of your life and career.
More About Goli
Goli is a mom and… lawyer-turned-entrepreneur and podcaster, which is a fancy way of saying she quit law, tried a bunch of things, and happened upon an idea that she turned into a business.
Goli hosts the Lessons from a Quitter podcast, where she uses her platform to de-stigmatize quitting and provide resources and inspiration to individuals looking to pivot in their established careers. She challenges people to exceed their own expectations and guides them through the initial steps of starting over in order to build a more intentional, fulfilling life.
How to chat with us, or follow us, and support us!
We want to hear from you, and we are also excited about talking to someone other than ourselves.
Please subscribe to the podcast 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!
Musical NotesOur delightfully happy intro and outro theme music, “We Will Get Through This” is performed by Young Presidents, and used under license from Shutterstock.
So, you’ve been home for a while, and out of the workforce. Maybe you’re raising children, or perhaps you’re caring for elderly or ill family members. It’s time, though. You’re ready to get back out there and go back to work. But how?
It’s daunting, and don’t we know it. The hosts of this podcast have each been home, raising kids, and working sporadically, contract or part-time, since the early 2000s. (That sounds like a lifetime ago, and… it was. We went from working full time, to having babies, to now having kids who can drive cars. Whoa.)
Enter: iRelaunch. Our guest, Carol Fishman Cohen, is a former relauncher. She knows first hand what it’s like to go from career to break, and back again. Carol and her team now work with companies around the world to develop programs that help relaunchers get back to work. She shared her journey with us, and her expertise about what it takes to forge a new start.
You have to listen for all the scoop, but we promise you this: what follows is not a generalized discussion. Carol gives us specific, actionable steps. She provides detailed information about what companies are looking for, what relaunchers need to know, where to go for support, and how to set yourself up for re-launching success.
More About Carol
Carol is a mom and… builder of corporate career reentry programs, leader of the iRelaunch #returntowork community (now nearly 90,000 strong) and all around pioneer in the career re-entry space. And of course, she is the co-author of the ultimate “back to work” bible, Back On the Career Track.
Her viral TED talk “How to Get Back to Work After a Career Break,” has nearly 3.5 million views and is translated into 30 languages. She is the host of the popular 3,2,1 iRelaunch podcast and, together with her iRelaunch team, produces the iRelaunch Return to Work Conferences, working with over 100 global companies on return to work programs of all kinds. She is a graduate of Pomona College and Harvard Business School, and lives outside of Boston.
People, Places, and Things You May Want to Know More About:
How to chat with us, or follow us, and support us!
We want to hear from you, and we are also excited about talking to someone other than ourselves.
Please subscribe to the podcast 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!
Musical NotesOur delightfully happy intro and outro theme music, “We Will Get Through This” is performed by Young Presidents, and used under license from Shutterstock.
Our guest this week saw a problem, and she decided to do something about it. That’s our kind of woman!
Ashley had a career she was passionate about, but there was an undercurrent of worry. She knew that it was going to be hard to maintain the pace of that career and be a parent, something she definitely wanted to become. Instead of continuing to worry about it, Ashley started interviewing women and employers, putting together a more complete picture of challenges facing mothers in the workforce.
And thus, Prowess Project was born.
If it seems like we left out some details, we did. We’re keeping the show notes a no-spoiler zone, but just so we don’t seem too selfish, some of the things Ashley shared with us:
The biggest barrier to reentry for women who take a career break.
How Prowess Project saves time and money for employers, as well as job seekers.
How Prowess helps women create a complete picture of their skills and values.
The true cost to women when they leave the workforce
And a lot more, including… the exclusive details on a new feature of Prowess Project.
You need to know Ashley. You need to know Prowess Project. You gotta listen to this episode.
More About Ashley
Ashley Connell is the CEO and Founder of Prowess Project. She is one part fearless entrepreneur, one part fearless women’s advocate landing her thought leadership pieces in Forbes, Built in Austin and at SXSW.
For the first 15 years of her career, she was an award-winning tech marketer in both Austin and London. Ashley’s unstoppable drive to have both a career and time for family motivated her to start Prowess. Now she’s committed to changing the lives of overloaded employers, women seeking rewarding work, and doing all she can to close the gender gap.
In her pretty much non-existent spare time she enjoys yoga, walks with her bulldog, cheering on her beloved Longhorns, and spaghetti and meatballs.
How to chat with us, or follow us, and support us!
We want to hear from you, and we are also excited about talking to someone other than ourselves.
Please subscribe to the podcast 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!
Musical NotesOur delightfully happy intro and outro theme music, “We Will Get Through This” is performed by Young Presidents, and used under license from Shutterstock.
As so often happens, we start talking with our amazing guests and WE CANNOT STOP TALKING! Mecca Brown, (featured in Episode #26) is now breeding goldendoodle and poodle puppies, and has a litter at her house. We got carried away talking about all things dog-related, and thought you’d enjoy the conversation, too. Plus, if you go check out the video at our YouTube Channel you get to see a dog cameo and LOTS of pics.
The dogs have their own Instagram, so be sure to check it out: @ohmgee_doodles
More About Mecca
Mecca Brown is the founder of “Career on Fire,” a program that empowers women across the country to get clear about their career goals. After working through the program they elevate their visibility to potential employers, and have the confidence to see themselves in more fulfilling roles in their choice of organizations. Mecca is an expert at it, and will walk you through the process every step of the way.
When she’s not being a busy bee at work, Mecca can be found with her family, enjoying a movie, visiting a foodie destination, or getting away for vacation. Other things that bring her joy: all things nerd, Beyoncé, or movie-related. Mecca’s current obsessions include the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Disney, Game of Thrones, and of course, the TV show Supernatural.
Our Look Listen Learn discussion can be found in the original Episode 25 Show Notes.
How to chat with us, or follow us, and support us!
We want to hear from you, and we are also excited about talking to someone other than ourselves.
Please subscribe to the podcast 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?
Tipsy Ellipses: July 2021, featuring Simone de Muñoz
Most of the time we interview career & life coaches, or authors who have written books specifically about expanding the possibilities outside of “mom” life. But there are SO MANY AMAZING MOMS out there who aren’t necessarily coaches, yet are still coaching by example. They set ambitious goals and take risks in their lives.
Simone de Muñoz is one of those moms, and she’s the author of Manflu. We talked about what it was like to publish a book about a pandemic during a pandemic, whether it’s awkward to write the sexy scenes, and what it’s like to manage life, career, and writing.
About Simone
Simone de Muñoz writes dystopian, or perhaps utopian, fiction, depending on your perspective, where women drive the story and sometimes even run the world.
She holds a master’s degree in public policy from UC Berkeley and a bachelor’s degree in economics from MIT, which she uses in her day job as a data analyst at a nonprofit.
Based in Silicon Valley, she lives with her patient husband, their two young sons, and a grumpy dog named Fish. Manflu is her debut novel.
Learn about Susanne’s father-in-law’s (Arthur Kerns) Hayden Stone series here.
Listen to the Mom Writes podcast episode where Melanie “nails” her sex scene here with a bonus shout out to romance writer Michelle Hazen, @michellehazen on Twitter, michellehazen.com for romance coaching.
The Handmaid’s Tale (Have we mentioned this show before?! Not even bothering to link here. It’s on Hulu.)
Learning to bake from scratch (super successful venture – delicious cakes!) Try the recipes for the carrot cake and chocolate cake! So easy even Susanne can make them!
On the first of every month, we take to Facebook Live via the Mom &… Podcast Facebook Page. As the name implies, we usually have a cocktail in hand. Topics vary, and you truly never know what we’ll say. We’re available for questions during the episodes, and love connecting with listeners in a live format. Please join us!
How to chat with us, or follow us, and support us!
We want to hear from you, and we are also excited about talking to someone other than ourselves.
Please subscribe to the podcast 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!
Our delightfully happy intro and outro theme music, “We Will Get Through This” is performed by Young Presidents, and used under license from Shutterstock.
At 18, Mecca Brown got pregnant. She went from high school graduate, on track to attend one of the top universities in California, to facing a host of obstacles: she was (in her words) an African-American, plus-sized, college dropout, teen mom, working and raising her child in one of the most expensive areas of the country.
Mecca knew she was facing negative labels before people ever gave her a chance. In order to provide for her child, and advance in her career and life, she had to work extra hard. Years of hustle (and a lot of success, especially given the odds stacked against her) led her where she is today. Mecca is now a career coach, and owner of Plan to Slay and her new mentor program, Career on Fire.
We learn a lot – A LOT – in this episode about modern day job hunting, how to best use LinkedIn, what your resume should say, and so much more. Mecca has practical advice that any job-searcher or career re-launcher needs. Her wisdom will save your job search. With experience working for Fortune 10 companies, and knowledge gained from interviewing well over 1000 people, this lady knows her stuff when it comes to resumes, interviews, and getting that job.
Mecca also gave us chills, and inspired us, with her dream of getting women a seat at the table. What if there are no seats? Well, she’s helping women build their own table. Just typing those words makes our hearts soar again. This is a must-listen episode. We mean it. Go listen!
More About Mecca
Mecca Brown is the founder of “Career on Fire,” a program that empowers women across the country to get clear about their career goals. After working through the program they elevate their visibility to potential employers, and have the confidence to see themselves in more fulfilling roles in their choice of organizations. Mecca is an expert at it, and will walk you through the process every step of the way.
When she’s not being a busy bee at work, Mecca can be found with her family, enjoying a movie, visiting a foodie destination, or getting away for vacation. Other things that bring her joy: all things nerd, Beyoncé, or movie-related. Mecca’s current obsessions include the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Disney, Game of Thrones, and of course, the TV show Supernatural.
How to chat with us, or follow us, and support us!
We want to hear from you, and we are also excited about talking to someone other than ourselves.
Please subscribe to the podcast 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!
Musical NotesOur delightfully happy intro and outro theme music, “We Will Get Through This” is performed by Young Presidents, and used under license from Shutterstock.
Episode 25: Jenny Remington Returns to Talk About Habits
We have our first return guest this week! We love talking to Jenny Remington, and hope she’ll continue to join us frequently (Hey Jenny, will you be a regular contributor, please?).
If you haven’t listened to Jenny’s previous episodes, go check out Episode 8 and Episode 9. The first is all about StrengthsFinder, and the mini-episode was an outtake from our interview that veered into habits territory. And now, finally, we got to have a complete habits-focused conversation for this episode!
We talk about the stark differences in the before times, then Covid life, and now, the after times. A lot of us have jumped right back into our complex, busy lives, but we’ve seen what it’s like to live without the chaos. And we liked it. Transitions are tough, even when almost everyone we know is experiencing a similar transition. Jenny has advice about managing during this time, including maintaining the good habits we’ve built, as well as creating new habits to go with this new post-Covid life.
One of our big takeaways this week is that our habits exist to support our lifestyle. You’ll have to listen for more on that concept, but it’s one of those mind-blowingly simple ideas that can absolutely change your life.
We also talk about pivotal habits, and WHOA, another ah-ha moment occurred for us. Sometimes changing just one thing can, in the end, change everything. There’s so much more in this episode; one amazing idea after another, and we know you’re going to learn a lot. Thanks for listening!
More About Jenny
Jenny Remington is a professionally trained and certified coach with the International Coach Federation. She has empowered hundreds of professionals, entrepreneurs, and parents to reignite their career, discover their path, or realign their life. Jenny has a gift for bridging the personal with the professional, and encourages her clients to embrace self-care.
Topics, People, Etc. That Come Up in This Episode (By the way, all links to products are things we use and love. We are not compensated in any way by any of these companies.)
David Campbell quote: Discipline is remembering what you want.
Leuchtturm1917 planners (Susanne loves hers! Missy loves how hers looks, but isn’t using it as much as she thought she would. She should try again, because she needs a planner.)
Using large sticky notes to transport to-do lists to a new page on the planner. We love these.
How to chat with us, or follow us, and support us!
We want to hear from you, and we are also excited about talking to someone other than ourselves.
Please subscribe to the podcast 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!
Musical NotesOur delightfully happy intro and outro theme music, “We Will Get Through This” is performed by Young Presidents, and used under license from Shutterstock.
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