The MomForce Podcast Hosted by Chatbooks

Latest Episodes:

Resilient Kids: Navigating the Good and Bad Kinds of Stress with Dr. Lisa Damour (encore) Jun 02, 2024

Show notes

Dr. Lisa Damour has been a huge resource to me on my parenting journey. She the mother of 2, the host of one of the top parenting podcasts Ask Lisa, and a New York Times bestselling author three-times over–In fact she wrote 2 of my all time favorite parenting books Untangled and Under pressure and I've heard amazing things about her latest book The Emotional Lives of Teenagers. I was so honored to have her as a guest on the Momforce Podcast years ago to talk about the deteriorating mental health of kids and teens these days.

In this encore episode you will see that Lisa is a welcome voice of reason committed to "Untangling Family Life" as she calls it. I love how she's able to explain calmly and rationally how we can best help our kids. In this conversation we talk a lot about stress and I love her nuanced approach–so often we assume it's bad and try to avoid it at all costs. But really, the stresses of life, are not only inevitable but can also be beneficial in certain contexts. especially for adolescents, as it's what helps them learn to navigate challenges and build resilience. I know you will love learning from Lisa and gleaning from her wisdom for your own family.

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Conquering Addictions, Big and Small with Moira Kucaba May 13, 2024

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Addiction can be a heavy topic which is why I am so glad we have Moira Kucaba at the helm of the conversation! She bravely shares her story and shows that there is always a path forward – and it is usually not a straight line.

As a high achieving student and athlete Moira fell into alcohol and substance abuse during her high school years. Soon she found herself completely taken over by her addictions. By age 21, she confronted her addictions head-on, transitioning from alcohol and drugs to battling an eating disorder for a decade. Through her recovery process, Moira credits her faith and supportive community for helping her gradually reclaim her life.

Now, as a thriving entrepreneur, devoted mother of two, and esteemed career coach, Moira's resilience shines through. Join us as she shares invaluable insights and tools for confronting life's challenges. She shares what has helped keep her sober for more than 20 years

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Empowering Motherhood: Celebrating Women of The MomForce Podcast and All of Their Life Experiences May 07, 2024

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As we head into Mother's Day this year I want to share some wise words from some of the women who have joined me over the years on The MomForce Podcast. Through 5 seasons we've talked about everything from infertility, to adjusting to life with a newborn, to how to get your teenagers to talk to you. I hope you can take this super-cut episode as my little Mother's Day gift to you!

Time codes:

2:00 Sharon McMahon

5:40 Myriam Sandler

8:03 Jennifer Borget

11:25 Ralphie Jacobs

15:22 Myriam Sandler

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From Farm Life to First Family: Abby Cox's Journey as Utah's First Lady Apr 29, 2024

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Join Abby Cox as she shares her inspiring journey from small-town farm life to residing in the governor's mansion in Salt Lake City. Growing up in the small town of Fairview, Utah she never imagined herself living a life in politics. Since becoming First Lady, Abby created the "Show Up" initiative, which invites everyone to show up in their community through service opportunities.

This year she has refocused her efforts on the larger nationwide initiative of "Disagree Better". Meant to help ease the political discourse that has gotten so impassioned over the years.

During the conversation, Abby shares how she has personally learned how to "Disagree Better". She explains what she does when she disagrees with her husband or kids on political issues, how we can better understand each other, and why it is important to never stop doing the work.

Jenna Johnson Chmerkovskiy's Difficult Journey to Motherhood Amidst Life in the Spotlight on Dancing with the Stars (encore) Mar 09, 2024

Show notes

Known for her incredible talent on the dance floor, Jenna Johnson Chmerkovskiy has helped so many women who struggle with infertility feel seen and known as she has shared her journey to becoming a mother. We originally aired this episode last year and had an incredible response from our community so I wanted to share it again. Jenna's adorable baby boy Rome is now 1 and has accompanied her on tour with the Dancing with the Stars team.

Jenna is a bright light in the dance community and you're going to love learning more from her including what it was like meeting her husband on Dancing with the Stars and how they ultimately fell in love and started their family.

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Enter the Chat: Navigating Style and Motherhood with Merrick White of @merricksart Mar 09, 2024

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What jeans should I be wearing?! Fashion designer, content creator, mom of three, and style educator Merrick White is answering that question and so many more during this episode of The MomForce Podcast. She has been in the blogging space for more than a decade and shares daily fashion tips to help guide us all. Merrick is responding to questions from the MomForce community about how to do a successful closet cleanout, how to find your personal style, and of course – what jeans will make you feel good! I know you will love this episode and what Merrick has to say about fashion in motherhood. Not only that she shares a great guide for teaching our teens and tweens about making appropriate clothing choices. You don't want to miss it!

Time codes:

5:35 Jeans 101

13:30 Finding your personal style

14:45 Postpartum fashion

16:30 Capsule wardrobes

20:00 Criteria for a closet clean out

22:00 What Vanessa should keep and what she should get rid of

30:15 Selling clothes and organizing a clothing swap

40:00 The pajama pants trend and how to help teens make appropriate clothing choices

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How to find your personal style quiz

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Motherhood in Motion: Misty Copeland's Inspiring Journey as a World-Famous Ballerina Mar 08, 2024

Show notes

World famous ballerina Misty Copeland has an incredible story to share. When she discovered ballet at the age of 13 she was living in motel rooms and struggling to find a place to sleep on the floor between her five siblings. Thanks to a ballet class offered at the Boys and Girls Club and a mentor that took special interest in her abilities, Misty was on pointe shoes within three months of starting classes. A true prodigy, she began performing professionally less than a year after that.

Misty's mentor and teacher from the Boys and Girls Club invited her to live in her home so that she could provide the stability Misty needed to focus all of her time and energy on ballet. From there Misty continued to excel in every aspect of the ballet world.

On June 30, 2015, she became the first African American woman to be promoted to principal dancer in American Ballet Theater's 75-year history. Since that time she has used her voice to promote inclusion and diversity in ballet through her foundation. You are going to love hearing from Misty.

Time codes:

00:50 Photos of her son Jackson that have a fun backstory

13:30 Support your kids dreams and listen to them

14:00 How to be a hands on parent and nurture your kids interests

15:00 If Misty will have her little boy do ballet

17:30 The importance of representation in ballet and the steps Misty has taken through her foundation and philanthropy to make that happen

19:50 Why Misty is hopeful for the future of diversity and inclusion in the dance world

21:30 How to help move diversity and inclusion forward wherever you are

26:25 Misty's ultimate mom hack secret

28:00 The role journaling has and still does play a part in Misty's life

29:30 Creating a Chatbook of her little family and sending it to relatives as a surprise

31:15 Misty on growing her family and writing her next children's book, Bunheads 2

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Grandma's Guide: Insider Tips & Tricks for Supporting a New Mom Mar 04, 2024

Show notes

Becoming a first-time mom is quite the adjustment period. I knew that I wanted to be there for my oldest daughter as she began her motherhood journey but I did not want to be overbearing or step on any toes. Going into the experience of becoming a grandma I wanted to be as helpful as possible so I reached out to this amazing MomForce community for advice. You all shared heartfelt experiences and tips that I decided to pack into this mini episode for you. From freezer meals to the nighttime shift I am truly grateful for everything that was shared. Thank you for sending your thoughts and if you are about to become a mom or grandma I know that you will find something helpful in this episode!

The joy that our new granddaughter has brought into our family cannot be overstated. If you want to see a few of my favorite moments so far find me on Instagram @vanessaquigley.

Time codes:

00:55 Vanessa's experience having her babies

1:40 Treat the new mom like your baby, get her everything she needs

2:30 Don't ask to hold the baby constantly, help with everything else around the baby like cooking and cleaning

3:45 Let the new parents do the baby stuff, you help run the household

4:30 Let the new mom hold the baby

5:00 How to be proactive but not presumptuous

5:20 How to help with meals and snacks

6:00 Be a gatekeeper for unwanted visitors

6:15 Run all the errands

7:00 The night shift

8:05 How to reassure the new parents that they can do it and are totally capable

9:00 Take all the pictures and videos

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Conflict, Communication, and Connection--a Peek Inside our Marriage with Chatbooks Co-Founders Nate and Vanessa Quigley (encore) Feb 13, 2024

Show notes

Marriage takes work! That is the lesson Nate Quigley shared the first time he was on The MomForce Podcast. For round two, Vanessa and Nate dig deep into their marriage, and what has worked and what hasn't! They open up about how good communication helps them navigate conflict while fostering greater connection. Nate shares why "birding" is his favorite date night activity and Vanessa tells why she has fully embraced it over the years. They also weigh in on the worst marriage advice they were ever given.

Tune in to hear the Quigleys share the ups and downs of their relationship and how they just launched a new app to help strengthen families called Hey Fam! This episode originally aired in February of 2023.

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Audrey Roloff on Marriage, Traditions, and Building a Business Beyond Reality TV Feb 06, 2024

Show notes

Audrey Roloff, a former collegiate athlete from Portland, Oregon, captivated audiences during her love story with reality TV star Jeremy Roloff. Their relationship grew thanks to handwritten letters back and forth despite being primarily long-distance and culminated in a televised wedding on "Little People, Big World", watched by millions. After exchanging vows and welcoming their first daughter, the couple chose to step away from the TV spotlight.

Transitioning to entrepreneurship, Audrey and Jeremy have built Beating 50 Percent, aimed at helping couples beat the statistic that half of marriages will end in divorce. In this podcast episode, Audrey shares insights from their book "Love Letter Life" and offers practical tips for nurturing connection with your spouse. She is also a dedicated Chatbooker and shares how she uses photo books to strengthen her family.

Tune in to hear Audrey's candid reflections on sustaining a successful marriage beyond the glitz of reality TV, and discover how the Roloffs are making a lasting impact beyond the screen.

Time codes: 3:00 Redhead connection

4:30 Getting ready for baby number four

5:15 Little People, Big World journey

6:55 Getting married on the show with millions of people watching

8:00 Stepping away from reality TV

9:00 The art of writing letters to your spouse

13:45 Beating 50 Percent

15:50 The "52 date night challenge" and prioritizing your marriage

17:30 Finding joy in your partner's joys

20:50 What questions to ask to build connection in your relationships

27:01 How to lock in memories

29:00 Tricks for taking family photos