Startup Parent

Latest Episodes:

A Work-in-Progress Approach to Entrepreneurship & Parenting (Michele Hansen) May 21, 2018

Show notes

#057 — A See-What-Sticks Approach to Product Development & Parenting

‘It’s okay to just try something and see where it goes and see where it sticks, and it doesn’t have to be perfect when you launch it into the world. It’s never going to be perfect. It’s always going to be a work in progress.’

When Michele Hansen and her husband started planning for the birth of their daughter, they quickly realized that the high cost of daycare—a whopping $24K per year—was going to require an additional income stream.

So, they created an app called Open Nearby as a side project. In the course of building that business, Michele and her husband uncovered a need in the market for geocoding software that translates addresses into latitude and longitude coordinates. They built that product too.

Four years later, Geocodio has grown to become Michele’s full-time gig. She has adopted a see-what-sticks approach to business, using jobs-to-be-done interviews with customers to improve their product and initiating meetups to support fellow entrepreneurs AND combat the loneliness of working from home. And the whole process happened organically.

Today, Michele sits down with me to explain how the expense of daycare inspired her entrepreneurial journey. She offers insight around how being a parent has made her more efficient with the use of her time and how Geocodio grew from a side project to become her full-time work. I ask Michele what it means to be a ‘product person,’ and she discusses the value of customer feedback in making business decisions. Listen in as Michele shares her efforts to help during Hurricane Harvey by creating a disaster relief map and her work-in-progress approach to entrepreneurship and parenting.

FULL SHOW NOTES

Get the complete show notes with episode quotes, photos, and time stamps at http://www.startuppregnant.com/057.

EPISODE SPONSOR & SPECIAL OFFER

Thank you to the sponsor of this episode: Aeroflow Breastpumps. They are dedicated to making the hassle of getting your breast pump a little bit easier—actually, a lot easier! Head to www.aeroflowbreastpumps.com/startup to have them help you qualify for a free breast pump through insurance.

All of our sponsor offers are available on our website for you to grab the perks and discounts offered to podcast listeners: http://startuppregnant.com/sponsors.

LEARN MORE ABOUT MICHELE HANSEN

Michele Hansen is the co-founder of Geocodio, a software product that supports high volume geocoding. Prior to becoming a full-time entrepreneur, Michele worked in financial services and political consulting, serving as Product Development Manager for The Motley Fool as well as Technical Project Manager for Engage, LLC. She helped organize the DC Jobs to be Done Meetup for the purpose of supporting businesses in her areas of expertise—product development and customer discovery.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

THE STARTUP PREGNANT PODCA

Honoring Mother's Day — Mini Episode May 14, 2018

Show notes

#056 — Honoring Mother’s Day

Following Mother’s Day, I’d like to take a moment to honor the profound experience that is parenting—the unparalleled demands on your time, the general nonstop-ness of it all. Being a mom is overwhelming in the best way, and it qualifies as one of the biggest and messiest and strangest things I have ever done.

So many women—and men—deserve recognition on Mother’s Day, and today I am celebrating all of the people who love and nurture our children. Listen in as I offer my gratitude to everyone who shares in the responsibility of providing for growing humans and acknowledge the women who cannot have children or choose not to.

Parenting is life changing-ly difficult, so to those of you who are dedicating the time to grow, to raise, to provide for a new life: Thank you.

FULL SHOW NOTES:

Get the complete show notes with episode quotes, photos, and time stamps at http://www.startuppregnant.com/056.

EPISODE SPONSOR & SPECIAL OFFER

Community makes all the difference. So, at Startup Pregnant, we are launching a mastermind program for women who are interested in going deeper around questions about parenting, motherhood and business. To learn more and apply for the beta version starting in June, go to https://startuppregnant.com/mastermind.

All of our sponsor offers are available on our website for you to grab the perks and discounts offered to podcast listeners: http://startuppregnant.com/sponsors.

THE STARTUP PREGNANT PODCAST & HOST

Building a Startup Without the Grind (Laura Roeder) May 07, 2018

Show notes

#055 — Fitting Your Business Around Your Life

People will tell you that the early days of your startup will require 80-hour work weeks, that you won’t see your friends and family. But here’s the thing: You always have a choice. If there’s 80 hours-worth of work to be done, you can slice that up into two weeks. Or rather than doing it all by yourself, two or three people can work together.

Laura Roeder founded her startup, Meet Edgar, while she was pregnant. She took three months off during Edgar’s first year—and came back part-time for the first year of her son’s life. Laura chose entrepreneurship because of the freedom and flexibility it affords her to choose sane work hours and make time for her family.

Today, Laura joins me to share her parallel parenting and startup journey. She explains why she chose to self-fund Meet Edgar and the benefits of the SaaS model. I ask Laura about her company’s parental leave policy, and she describes the boundaries around work hours she has set for herself AND her team. Listen in as Laura gets real about how parenting didn’t come naturally to her and get her advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.

FULL SHOW NOTES

Get the complete show notes with episode quotes, photos, and time stamps at http://www.startuppregnant.com/055.

EPISODE SPONSOR & SPECIAL OFFER

Thank you to the sponsor of this episode: Acuity Scheduling. Acuity functions as an online assistant, helping to organize your schedule and collect client information. Take advantage of Acuity’s 45-day free trial for Startup Pregnant listeners at https://acuityscheduling.com/startuppregnant.

All of our sponsor offers are available on our website for you to grab the perks and discounts offered to podcast listeners: http://startuppregnant.com/sponsors.

LEARN MORE ABOUT LAURA ROEDER

Laura Roeder is the founder and CEO of the social media automation tool Meet Edgar. Laura started freelancing at 22, and she founded LKR Social Media in 2009 to teach business owners how to harness the power of social media marketing. She was named one of the top 100 entrepreneurs under 30 three times—in 2011, 2013 and 2014. Laura launched Edgar in 2014, and the startup hit $1M in revenue within 11 months. Today, Edgar helps thousands of subscribers share their best evergreen content on social, and the company is worth $4M.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Option B by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant

THE STARTUP PREGNANT PODCAST & HOST

Connection, Friendship and Kindred Spirits — Mini Episode May 02, 2018

Show notes

#054 — Connection, Friendship and Kindred Spirits

If you’re busy with work, busy with your kids, busy with life—it can be tough to prioritize friendship. And social media complicates things by making it seem like you’re in touch when you’re not actually connecting.

I have developed an approach that combines connection with a gratitude practice, a simple proactive approach to reaching out that has helped me rekindle old friendships and bounce back from the bad days when I’m feeling isolated.

Today, I’m sharing the two scripts I’ve designed for reestablishing friendships. I explain why it’s important to ask for specific advice and approach the practice with sincerity. Listen in and learn to stop scrolling and start making authentic connections!

FULL SHOW NOTES:

Get the complete show notes with episode quotes, photos, and time stamps at http://www.startuppregnant.com/054.

EPISODE SPONSOR & SPECIAL OFFER

All of our sponsor offers are available on our website for you to grab the perks and discounts offered to podcast listeners: http://startuppregnant.com/sponsors.

RESOURCES

News Feed Eradicator for Facebook

THE STARTUP PREGNANT PODCAST & HOST

Alex Jamieson — Powerful Boundaries, Creative Risks and the Fuck It List Apr 30, 2018

Show notes

#053 — Masterminds, Creative Risks and the Fuck It List

Positive psychology asks us to focus on what’s right with us. What are your strengths? What are your values? What do you want?

But what if you’re not sure what’s right with you? We all have built-in negativity bias, so it’s a whole lot easier to identify what we don’t like about our lives, what we’re not satisfied with, than it is to define what is going well.

Alex Jamieson has your back. She’s designed The Fuck It List, a strategy giving you permission to honor the negativity bias and get all of the things you hate about your life down on paper. Then she flips the script and guides you in replacing the bad with a positive alternative, crafting a life focused on what you truly care about.

Today, Alex joins me to share the fundamentals of positive psychology and explain how she used its principles to create The Fuck It List. She discusses her life as a mom, describing her son’s sweetness and her own efforts to be more thoughtful of her actions. I ask Alex about her ability to set powerful boundaries, to take creative risks, and to build relationships with communities of women. Listen in for Alex’s insight around the value of masterminds in supporting women through change and learn to say fuck it as you work toward a life you love!

FULL SHOW NOTES:

Get the complete show notes with episode quotes, photos, and time stamps at http://www.startuppregnant.com/053.

EPISODE SPONSOR & SPECIAL OFFER

All of our sponsor offers are available on our website for you to grab the perks and discounts offered to podcast listeners: http://startuppregnant.com/sponsors.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ALEX JAMIESON

Alex Jamieson is a best-selling author, functional nutrition and positive psychology coach, and ‘cravings whisperer.’ She has been featured on Oprah, The Today Show, and Dr. Oz, among many others, and she was the co-creator of the Oscar-nominated documentary Super Size Me. Alex’s podcast, Her Rules Radio, debuted at #1 on iTunes, and her latest book, Women, Food & Desire, was the #1 New Release in Spirituality and Self-Help on Amazon.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

THE STARTUP PREGNANT PODCAST & HOST

Startup Pregnant

It's Okay If Your Baby Cries — Mini Episode Apr 25, 2018

Show notes

#052 — It's Okay If Your Baby Cries

The sound of your baby crying? It’s intense. And when it’s your first child, chances are instinct has you scrambling to get to your kiddo immediately and take care of whatever it is that ails them.

But here’s the thing: You’re not just responsible for taking care of your new baby. You’re also responsible for taking care of you, and if that means your crying baby has to wait a minute or two while you finish washing your hair, it’s going to be okay.

Today, I’m sharing the advice I got from my friend Lindsay around crying babies and ‘fourth children’—advice that’s given me a lot of comfort as a new mom. Listen in as I share my approach to acknowledging my son’s not-so-subtle demands for attention while still making time for moments of self-care.

FULL SHOW NOTES

Get the complete show notes with episode quotes, photos, and time stamps at http://www.startuppregnant.com/052.

RESOURCES

THE STARTUP PREGNANT PODCAST & HOST

Postpartum Depression, Daycare and Whether or Not to Be a Parent (Kathleen Shannon) Apr 23, 2018

Show notes

#051 — Postpartum Depression, Daycare and Whether or Not to Be a Parent

What if you’re doing everything right—exercising, eating right, self-care and meditation—and you’re still not okay? After Kathleen Shannon gave birth to her son, Fox, she was doing all the things, using every strategy in the Emotional Resilience toolkit, and on the outside, she appeared to have it all together. But she just didn’t. Though she didn’t realize it at the time, Kathleen was suffering from postpartum depression.

After a visit to an insightful midwife, Kathleen learned that extreme sleep deprivation had her battery running dangerously low. And the fact that nothing else was working meant that something deeper was happening. The midwife prescribed anti-anxiety medication, and it saved Kathleen.

Today, Kathleen joins me to share her messy parenting journey, discussing her challenge in deciding whether to be a mom in the first place and her struggle with postpartum depression and anxiety. She offers insight around the beauty of daycare, explaining why she views it as an investment and how it has expanded her son’s capacity for love. I ask Kathleen about her work with Braid Creative and Being Boss, and she describes what branding is and when you should initiate the process. Listen in for Kathleen’s advice on managing mental health like a boss and learn how parenting influences her work—and vice versa.

FULL SHOW NOTES

Get the complete show notes with episode quotes, photos, and time stamps at http://www.startuppregnant.com/051.

EPISODE SPONSOR & SPECIAL OFFER

All of our sponsor offers are available on our website for you to grab the perks and discounts offered to podcast listeners: http://startuppregnant.com/sponsors.

LEARN MORE ABOUT KATHLEEN SHANNON

Kathleen Shannon is the co-founder of Braid Creative and Consulting, a boutique branding agency that helps creative entrepreneurs position themselves as experts and blend more of who they are into the work they do. She is also the co-founder of Being Boss, a popular podcast and coaching resource for creative entrepreneurs, and co-author of the new book, Being Boss: Take Control of Your Work & Live Life on Your Own Terms.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

THE STARTUP PREGNANT PODCAST & HOST

Your Body — Mini Episode Apr 18, 2018

Show notes

#050 — Your Body

"I can’t wait to get my body back."

We have complex relationships with our bodies. Women harbor certain expectations and assumptions about what our bodies are supposed to look like and what they are capable of. And it can be tough to come to terms with the reality when it doesn’t quite line up with what we had in mind.

I am making a conscious effort to pay attention to the language I use in reference to my postpartum body. To acknowledge what I am feeling about this new version of myself and be grateful about what my body CAN do.

In episode 49, Parijat Deshpande says, ‘You are the expert on your body—and you are not broken.’ Today, I’m exploring how we confront big questions around fertility and longevity, discussing the value of identifying our feelings as we deal with changing bodies through pregnancy, nursing, health complications and aging. Listen in for insight on reframing the way we think and talk about our bodies and acknowledging our complicated emotions.

FULL SHOW NOTES

Get the complete show notes with episode quotes, photos, and time stamps at http://www.startuppregnant.com/050.

THE STARTUP PREGNANT PODCAST & HOST

High-Risk Pregnancy and the Mind-Body Connection (Parijat Deshpande) Apr 16, 2018

Show notes

#049 — High-Risk Pregnancy and the Mind-Body Connection

You don’t know Murphy’s Law until you’ve heard the story of Parijat Deshpande’s high-risk pregnancy.

After being diagnosed with endometriosis, Parijat and her husband sought out a specialist and started fertility treatment. After an intrauterine insemination that ended with an ectopic pregnancy, they tried again with IVF. Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome was just the first in a series of eight complications that Parijat endured during the pregnancy. She was forced to stop working at six weeks—and her water broke at only 23 weeks and two days.

Today, Parijat sits down with me to share her story, discussing the details of the medical complications she survived and the emotional extremes that came with extensive bed rest. She walks us through the harrowing weeks leading up to her son’s premature birth at just 24 weeks and the time he spent fighting for his life in the NICU. I ask Parijat how the pregnancy affected her work life and shaped the business she is building now. Listen in for Parijat’s take on the connection between personal healing and business growth and learn how she supports women in processing the grief and guilt associated with high-risk pregnancy.
FULL SHOW NOTES

Get the complete show notes with episode quotes, photos, and time stamps at http://www.startuppregnant.com/049.
EPISODE SPONSOR & SPECIAL OFFER

All of our sponsor offers are available on our website for you to grab the perks and discounts offered to podcast listeners: http://startuppregnant.com/sponsors.
LEARN MORE ABOUT PARIJAT DESHPANDE

Parijat Deshpande is a high-risk pregnancy expert, speaker and advocate for moms at risk for pregnancy complications and preterm birth. She combines her professional background in clinical psychology, wellness and lifestyle medicine with her personal experience with an extremely high-risk pregnancy to help women lower stress, have a safer pregnancy and reduce the risk of premature delivery. Parijat is also the founder and executive director of MySahana, a nonprofit that seeks to reduce stigma and increase awareness about mental health issues and wellness in the South Asian community.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

THE STARTUP PREGNANT PODCAST & HOST

Startup Pregnant
Startup Pregnant Newsletter
Email hello@startuppregnant.com
Startup P

Within Your Control: An Exercise — Mini Episode Apr 11, 2018

Show notes

#048 — Within Your Control: An Exercise

We all know the importance of goal-setting. Clearly defining your objectives is key to achievement.

But the way you frame those goals matters. Choosing targets that aren’t within your control (like getting pregnant) leads to frustration, helplessness—hopelessness, even.

How can we reframe those goals to reflect the things we can control? And make peace with the fact that we did everything we could, even if it doesn’t work out?

Today, I’m explaining the three spheres of influence and walking you through an exercise in goal-setting that puts the power back in your hands. Listen in for case studies in rewriting goals around growing your family AND your business that are within your control.

FULL SHOW NOTES

Get the complete show notes with episode quotes, photos, and time stamps at http://www.startuppregnant.com/048.

THE STARTUP PREGNANT PODCAST & HOST

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected