Let's Be Real: Mama Journeys
Motherhood is hard. We don't allow moms to be real about their feelings, frustrations and needs. You can read about child psychology and human development but the REAL stuff comes when you live it. The mamas you will hear from in this podcast are real. They have struggled, had their share of hard times but also amazing mama moments. These interviews are meant to inspire, educate and entertain while giving you the opportunity to hear things that will make you think, “I get it.”
S3 E142 · Mon, April 28, 2025
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 142 W/Fernanda Shoup
Fernanda Shoup, originally from Argentina and turning 40 with two toddlers at home! She married her wife during Covid outside at a barn in Parker but was supposed to be in Argentina! Talk about a different environment. When she connected with her wife, she wasn’t sure she wanted to be a mom but when she realized that she would parent with HER and that was what changed the whole thought about motherhood! When you have a wife, everything changes. Her wife didn’t want to be pregnant and Fernanda said she was 100% on board with carrying a child but unfortunately it took 2 ½ years of all kinds of infertility issues! Her pregnancy was a breeze and it was glorious. In the 3rd trimester her legs went numb and she was in a ton of pain. She tried many different remedies but it was demoralizing because no one would listen to her. After her wife had to FORCE the hospital to listen, they did scans and found a herniated disc and kept her overnight and had to do survey for her disc issue while 36 weeks pregnant. She had immediate pain relief as soon as she woke up from surgery! Her OB wasn’t the best and didn’t listen so they switched offices (always advocate for YOU) and she had a c-section at 39 weeks. Her c-section was quite the experience too! She struggled with so much postpartum depression and the “I’m not worthy” feelings. Her midwife told her “is the fact that your child wasn’t breastfed going to show up on their application for medical school?” Her feelings of inadequacy lasted months! Even her mom said she was a shell of herself. Her sweet life and her decided that they wanted more kiddos and her wife decided she would carry baby number 2. She got pregnant on the FIRST try! So when they came home with a newborn, they were pregnant with their second! Her wife is a firefighter and hated being pregnant and was on bedrest at 20 weeks!
S3 E141 · Mon, April 21, 2025
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 141 W/Emily Hill
Emily Hill is a hospice chaplain and licensed social worker. She developed a love for hospice when she was 7 years old because of her grandfather. She was so blown away by how hospice people change the world of the family of the person passing on. She earned a Master’s of divinity and connects with death doulas and how to make people comfortable. Regardless where you fall in the spiritual spectrum, death is a kind of rebirth into the next steps. She has two children and grew up as a pastor's kid but in her head she had everything planned out with the “normal” progression of get married, have babies, move on. She has a group of college girlfriends that she can’t do life without! She was the first one of the friends to have a baby and they showed up with a party size pizza because they were 24 and didn’t know any better! They are her people! Her best mama moment came recently when she was asked to chaperone a field trip and when she was worried what her 10 year old would say about her going. But low and beyond, her daughter was excited to have her, it made her heart so happy! Her worst mama moment was when she had a miscarriage. It rocked her world after having a 3, and 5 year old she had a miscarriage and she was devastated. It also could have ended their marriage because of how they experienced this loss. Humans often experience experiences so differently and they can sometimes make or break a marriage. She wishes she would have known that everyday is a fresh start. We build on things day after day but really every single day can be a do-over! Emily says, “give yourself grace!” You are never going to be perfect so give yourself grace!
S3 E140 · Mon, April 14, 2025
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 140 W_Deborah Mallow
Deborah Mallow never thought she wanted kids but after spending time with her friends and their kids, she fell in love with the idea of being a mom. She is one of the positive, happiest people you have ever met! In fact, she has written a book called 6 Steps to Fewer Days That Suck. What a great title! She was 38 when she had her son and now he’s in his 20’s, living in Minnesota. She struggled with balancing it all. She was exhausted through motherhood because she was so stressed about making sure everything was “good.” She wishes she would have taken more time to “chill.” She says living in the moment is important. Her husband was her biggest supporter and is still the doting father. He was always a very active dad and he used to have their son strapped to him. He has always LOVED being a dad. Her best mama moment was when her son went to college! As a helicopter mom, she was so proud! She encourages you to understand that if people are not kind to you, it’s not something YOU need to worry about. Disengage from toxic people. Confidence, resilience and positivity are the three life skills you need for this life. Find the things in life that are positive because all things are contagious and if you go down the negative road, that’s what you will attract. You can find her at thedailydecisions.com.
S3 E139 · Mon, April 07, 2025
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 139 W_Dr. Jann Blackstone
Dr. Jann Blackstone is a Jan of all trades as a behavioral scientist because she studies people's behaviors. She likes to call it mediation to bring people together. She predominantly works with co-parents to get families to be able to parent in a cohesive way for everyone in the family. A bonus family is basically a step-family but she didn’t like the word “step.” That word was just too negative. THe biggest need of a bonus family is acceptance. All of the people in the family need to feel nurtured and accepted and that all starts with acceptance. The logistics of a bonus family are really important to make everyone feel comfortable and “at home.” She coined the phrase “bonus” as how the family can all work together. Bonus means a reward for a job well done. Once you feel like you are part of the family, then you want to be involved and you will respect your bonus parents. She says there can’t be too many people who love your child. Everyone is different and that’s what the acceptance thing is all about. Comparing is when things go badly. You need to reach out for help to have a relationship because putting the kids first should be your priority. Using the children as the criteria for all decisions. Modeling apologies for your kids is really important. She isn’t saying you can’t fight in front of your kids. BUT what you can do, is disagree but then when things are calmed down, model the “I’m sorry.” Using the words that you want your children to learn, and model in the real world. When you tell your kiddo NOT to do something, you need do tell them what TO do. Also, when parents are splitting up, try to talk to them together and what those kids really want to know is how this is going to affect THEIR life. Kids are egocentric and that’s their job. As children get older, you are going to have to repeat yourself many times. As they grow, their cognitive ability has changed and they need reassurance. Adding children to a bonus family all comes down to communication and respect so that the unknown isn’t feared. You can find Dr. Jann Blackstone at https://bonusfamilies.com/ She wrote a book called The Bonus Family Handbook and is found on Amazon and all places where books are sold!
S3 E138 · Mon, March 31, 2025
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 138 W/Angela Tipton
Angela Tipton runs a website called fireyourcareer. She believes in empowering other women to live their truths. She became a mom at the age of 30 because she focused on creating her career. She had a tough time balancing her career and personal ambitions with being a mom. She didn’t want to set aside her career but finding the time to be 100% at both. Her husband has been her biggest supporter and was truly her 50% parenting partner. She also has some family around her in Oregon. Her mother- in-law and aunt were two of her biggest supporters and she doesn’t know how she would have done it all without them. Choosing her best mama moment was tough because she has so many great memories and times with her two boys. She took her eldest skiing for the first time and was so impressed with his tenacity and the chance to watch him enjoy a sport that she loved was a highlight in her mamahood journey. Her worst mama moment came during Covid when childcare wasn’t available and figuring out all of the dynamics behind all of that was really tough. She wishes she would have known that parenting was harder than she ever thought it would be. But she also learned that she is getting through it and you can work things out. Preparenting she had lots of opinions but they didn’t turn out to be very realistic. Going with the flow is so important in parenting. At Fire Your Career is all about living life on YOUR terms. The pursuit of what makes you happy is so important, especially financial freedom. She has a free ebook on her website. Check it out!
Mon, March 24, 2025
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 137 w/Riana Milne
Riana Milne is a coach and psychotherapist for parents. She specializes in childhood and relationship trauma. 100% of us have childhood trauma because sometimes it comes from 3 generations. She is a mama of two very empowered ladies as a single mom. She uses the theory of mindset for success, she created a modeling agency. She has written 13 books and has a podcast all about relationships. She believes in empowering women to be healed in order to be the best mom they can be. When you know what childhood trauma is, you can change how you parent and how your kiddos grow. She teaches people about the top 10 childhood traumas: Alcohol or addiction issues, verbal messaging, emotional abuse or neglect, physical abuse, abandonment, foster care or adoption, personal trauma, sibling trauma, community and family trauma, mental health issues with mom or dad are the top 10 traumas that absolutely touch 100% of people. Understanding what traumas are in your past can help you understand your own behaviors and how you parent. The first step to healing is identifying your traumas and then working through those traumas. Parents have a direct impact on who their kids become and watching what you say and how you encourage or don’t encourage makes a huge difference. Plant the positives. Riana works 100% virtually and can help any parent to help them become the best parent and human that they can be. Rianamilne.com is where you can find her. She has free book downloads and tests and quizzes. Her podcast is called Lessons in Life and Love. Check her out because her expertise can really help you.
S3 E136 · Mon, March 17, 2025
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 136 W/Kim Keane
Kim Keane is a mom of two daughters and lives in Pennsylvania who also helps women through their healing journey through sound healing and reiki. Using vibrational frequency helps healing through tuning into your chakras. She was 27 when she became a mom and her biggest challenge has been letting go of perfectionism. This was a huge issue because both girls are strong willed and arguing with “yourself” is really hard. Motherhood hasn’t always been a fun journey until she healed her own trauma and could see that she couldn’t expect perfectionism from them or herself. She felt she was on her own since her husband worked a ton and often struggled with frustrations of teaching Kindergarten and having kids who didn’t listen at work and at home. Her husband is her biggest supporter now and all of the things that we are responsible for and transport kids where they need to be. Her mom has always been the pitch hitter in the family when she needed her. Her best mama moment is watching the sisterhood relationship that has developed with her daughters. Having them spill the tea with her makes her realize that she has done a good job to cultivate the trust. Her worst mama moments came with her lack of patience. Again, it came back to her own need to control the situation. She wishes she would have known she didn’t need other people’s validation or opinions. You are setting yourself up for disappointment because other people’s opinions don’t matter in the long run. She wants moms to know that it’s ok to ask for help and it’s ok to care for yourself (whatever that looks like for you). Kim wants to help moms and you can find her at kimkeane.com Find our Podcast on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gTKJ9WwE Apple: https://lnkd.in/gfcrreYg Or on our website: https://lnkd.in/gy5hf6hz
S3 E135 · Mon, March 10, 2025
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 135 W/Aureen Monteiro
Aureen Monteiro is an author of a book called Rise Higher, to manage stress for women in higher profile positions. She became a mom at 27 with her one and only baby girl. She is a teenager now and it’s been a roller coaster as a mama of a teenager! The spectrum of emotions is something she didn’t see coming. She was worried she would lose her connection with her preteen but she learned that she needed to listen more and talk less. Evolving as a mom as our kids evolve is so important. Tweaking your communication methods is essential in order to continue the relationship in a positive way. Her biggest challenge as a new mom was the unintended c-section and breastfeeding. It truly takes a village to raise a child. She had a village and sometimes that wasn’t enough. There are nights when you just sit and cry right alongside your kiddos. Her daughter made her proud when she was in 5th grade when she wrote her own book. She had her own book published about being bullied and how to get through that. They are both writing books simultaneously and it’s a really wonderful way to connect with each other. Her least favorite mama moment was when she realized she had an identity crisis. She went from being Aureen to only being her daughter’s mom. Losing your own identity is hard. Be open to listening to what your kids share without judgement. Their way of communicating might be different than the ways you expect but give them the time and space. Be willing to pivot your communication ways! She used to wish she would have had a manual but learning alongside her daughter has been an amazing 14 years. Her website is risefromtheash.com where you can learn more about her journey and how to manage stress.
S3 E134 · Mon, March 03, 2025
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 134 W/Jalisa Hardy
Jalisa Hardy joined us from Maryland, where she is a publisher, author and all around amazing single mama. She got pregnant with her second only 6 weeks after giving birth to her first at 30 weeks! She struggled with landing in her body again. The biggest challenge she faced was the person she chose to have her kids with. She wanted her kids to grow up in a non-broken home so she and her parents moved in together and they are neighbors with her sister and her kids. Intergenerational living is amazing! Her co-parent chose to walk away from her and his three kids so she pulled herself up and did the bravest thing she could do. Her mom has always been her biggest supporter and she was right there with her through all of it. She even thought at one point that her kids would be better off without her but thanks to her mom and her therapist, she realized that wasn’t true and kept putting one foot in front of the other. Monster mom comes out sometimes but she does the best she can to prove to her kids that no matter how broken you are, you keep picking yourself up and learn from it to move on. Giving yourself grace is so important and our kids give it to us so we need to give it to ourselves. These moments teach our kids that no one has to be perfect. The best apology is changed behavior. She wishes she would have known what a roller coaster mamahood can be. Embrace the moments of the ups and downs! Some days all you can feel is “I kept the little people alive,” and that’s more than enough! jalisahardy.com is where you can find her. She has a blog, books, webinars, and her youtube channel! Check her out! @jalisathegoldenchild
S3 E133 · Mon, February 24, 2025
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 133 W/Shakila Marando
Shakila Marando Is the owner of Doulas by the Bay in San Francisco, CA. She had a tough time with breastfeeding and realized that other moms needed that help too. She started working as a nanny and then accidentally started working with a family who taught her about what a doula is and what they do. She love it and that started her journey to help other moms. She puts herself in the shoes of the other moms so she can touch the families and make a difference in their worlds. Lived experience speaks volumes as a doula and she loves to normalize the struggles of motherhood. She trains her other doulas that normalizing them and their experiences. Moms deserve support and should be the priority after birth and her organization starts with moms and also supports babies and partners. Her best mama moment is right now with grown children who are good humans who truly love one another. Her worst mama moment happened recently while the California’s 2025 fires and being separated from her family on opposite sides of the state. She wishes she would have known that parenting is harder than she thought and having support is essential. She also wants moms to understand that mama guilt is normal but when you don’t fill your own cup, you can’t fill others. Sometimes prioritizing YOURSELF is really important.
S3 E132 · Mon, February 17, 2025
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 132 W/Sara Nudd
Sara Nudd is a mama of 4 with a heart bigger than you can imagine. Her birth story with her first, at the age of 21 was traumatic and heart wrenching, on top of having no support or knowledge of what being a mom would be like. She struggled and struggled but after 3 more kiddos, she realized that she was suffering with PPD. Her life now is super full and her favorite mama moments are when all 6 of her family are together (including the senior Golden Doodle who is her soulmate!). She is almost finished with her Nurse Practitioner Degree and will specialize in Maternal Mental health. She has been a pediatric nurse for years and owns her own business called The Mama Co-op (find her here:themamacoop.com). She understands the need for good sleep and how that can completely derail your life. Her practice focuses on ensuring families have the resources they need to thrive and not just survive. You have not met a more genuine, lovely human as Sara Nudd. We are honored to have her as a YANA Board of Directors!
S3 E131 · Mon, February 10, 2025
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 131 W_Julie Morey
Julie Morey is a school social worker who does a lot for single moms because she chose to become a single mom by a donor with an unconventional motherhood journey. Her goal is to do a TEDx. She empowers women to write their own story and make decisions for themselves instead of waiting around for Prince Charming. She thought things were going to be more difficult than they were but she created a situation that worked. She believed in having a village and lived in an area that was walkable because it was important to her to have the availability of getting out of the house when she needed it. Being a 40 year old first time mom was a great choice for her because she was older, wiser and didn’t sweat the small things. She had some great help along the way and was open to accepting it (which is such a great trait!). Her best friends were her biggest supporters and created an open experience for her birthing experience and allowed many friends and families to experience it with her. Her little girl is her travel buddy and they have been to numerous countries together. She also has a fear in the back of her mind that she could lose her and that causes some mama anxiety. Julie was well prepared to be a mom (at the age of 40) but things she wished she would have known was that you need to stop sweating the small stuff. You can make mistakes and your child will survive! She was rigid at the beginning but now she has learned that she has to let go of some of the things that she thought were so important. You can find her at juliemorey.substack.com or on instagram at the.unconventional.mom.
S3 E130 · Mon, February 03, 2025
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 130 W_Savannah Becerril
Savannah Becerril is the Assistant Program Director of the Strong Mamas, Thriving Babies program for our nonprofit, YANA. She has done a lot in the marketing world before coming to YANA including social media, websites and small business expansion. She was a teen mom at the age of 18, is currently a foster mom to a 16 year old, a mom to a 13 year old and a 6 year old. She has so many different ages and personalities in her house that her life is chaotic on a daily basis! Her biggest challenge of being a teen mom was building a mama village. Her village has come but it took some time. Being a single, teen mom was so difficult but didn’t think she needed the help. As she grew in her motherhood journey, she was really lucky to marry into a family who truly stepped up and became an amazing mother-in-law, giving her the support she didn’t even know she needed. She has been a mom for 18 years and finding the joy in motherhood isn’t always easy to find but all the small moments of being a present parent. Her worst mama moment was when her youngest son, who was 11 months old was in the school when an active shooter was shooting up the school. Her son is the youngest child on record of being in a school shooting. This is NOT something you want to be known as and the unknown time when she didn’t know where her son was or if he was safe, was the worst day of her life. She wishes she would have known that teenagers are really tough and maybe been a little more prepared even if she doesn’t know what that means. Parenting in 2024 is not for the weak at heart.
S3 E129 · Mon, January 27, 2025
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 129 W/Kalissa Braga
Kalissa Braga is the Regional Program Coordinator for the Strong Mamas, Thriving Babies program through our nonprofit, YANA. She has quite a birthing story with her 3 babies. She was diagnosed with PCOS as a teenager so she knew getting pregnant was going to be a struggle so they started with Clomid to get the process started and sure enough, she was able to get pregnant after the second round! She struggled with breastfeeding and had no support nor did she know what she was doing. She thought pumping and feeding would be such a great way to feed her new baby but boy did she realize that wasn’t easier! She found out she was spontaneously pregnant 18 months later but lost that baby. After lots of fertility treatments and IUI’s and after 9 rounds of IUI’s, she finally found out she was pregnant, right before they were going to start IVF! They moved from Iowa to Colorado with her mom and dad, having family close by for the first time in her life! She was so excited to have a 2 ½ year old and about to give birth to number 2, was helping her mom start a business, moved to another state and her water broke! The birthing center she was supposed to deliver at didn’t have the capabilities she needed so off to the hospital they went (NOT the plan!). Incompetent medical providers made it quite the story but she eventually had her second baby but she wasn’t crying and it was a traumatic situation from start to finish. They started the fertility process again quickly, including IUI’s and Progesterone shots. After 5 IUI’s and were about to start IVF treatments when she finally got pregnant…AGAIN on the last IUI! She was almost rushed into emergency surgery to stop the hemorrhaging that happened because of a “piece of placenta that was left.” She is blessed to have her 3 but was told she had to stop having babies because of her inability to stop bleeding. This was heartbreaking and sad for her but at the age of 32 she had to have a hysterectomy. Her story hopefully will encourage you that it CAN happen for you, even when you think you might not.
S3 E128 · Mon, January 20, 2025
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 128 W/Jessica Jamison
Jessica Jamison is a therapist and personal trainer in the eating disorder and body image space. She found herself there because of her own journey. When she couldn’t get pregnant, she needed to find ways to do things differently. She specializes in women who need help finding themselves. When she finally decided to have kids, it took her over 2 years to get pregnant with her first but it took years for her to slow down and take care of herself with love and respect for her own body. The pressure of new moms to “bounce back” and get back to their pre pregnancy weight is unrealistic and ridiculous. She feels like she adjusted to her first baby really well. It took over 2 years so she seemed to “have it together” but after the second baby, she realized she was NOT ready for that. Her kiddos didn’t get along from the beginning and that was hard on her mama heart. She had to be physically in between the 2 kids because she was concerned for the safety of the baby because her son was NOT happy about having another child in the mix. Sibling rivalry is a REAL thing and can derail a whole family and the dynamics in the household. She has had a lot of support from her parents as a mama and has childcare by her parents! She is super lucky to have them available to her. Her worst mama moment came with her first and only panic attack due to an irrational fear of something happening to her daughter. She had a miscarriage before giving birth to her daughter and she believes the fact that she didn’t truly process the grief of her loss was a catalyst to her panic attack. She wishes she would have known how much she would change. Her beliefs, values, and priorities have all shifted. You genuinely change when you become a mom. That’s NORMAL and ok. You can find Jessica at Revolutionhc.com Her Facebook group is called dumbbells and donuts and is specifically for women struggling with food, fitness and body image. Check it out.
S3 E127 · Mon, January 13, 2025
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 127 W/Nicole Majik
Nicole Majik was a chemist over 16 years but almost died of mercury poisoning. She has had a business for almost 17 years to help people overcome their limiteding beliefs and step into their authentic selves. She has a genetic mutation (that she didn’t know she had) that doesn't allow her body to metabolise heavy metals and the exposure to them in her job created a catastrophic situation where she couldn’t even speak! She was in chronic pain and it took 18 months to get the metals out of her body and cost thousands of dollars! She had to diagnose herself and figure it out for herself. She is now healthy, happy and doing well but it was something she doesn’t wish on her worst enemy. She is a mom of 4 and started having kiddos at 24. She is a mom to a 25, 22, 19 and 15 year old. She was pregnant with her first baby and the doctors told her that the baby was not “well” but they couldn’t ever figure out why. She decided at that time that she couldn’t control what that outcome was going to be so she was going to let it be what it was and accept it. As a parent, we have to learn that we can’t control what paths our kids take and sometimes we have to just sit back and watch, hoping that what we taught our kids is enough to keep them safe, happy and healthy (however that looks for them). She believes we are all meant to follow our own divine alignment. Nicole is the Empowerment Alchemist and you can find her on all social medias with Nicole Majik or nicolemajik.com
S3 E125 · Mon, January 06, 2025
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 125 W/Christi Gmyr
Whitney Frost is not only the Founder and CEO of The Riley Center for Hope and Healing as well as a Board member for YANA! Her center takes all insurances including Medicaid and are on a sliding scale! Her journey has been a rough one. She had 5 losses between the 2 earth-side girls and her two pregnancies were very high risk! She has two sassy girls, who obviously get their sassiness from their dad! She is working hard at leaving her work at work and needing to be PRESENT for her girls. Being a working mom is close to impossible and we are often so overwhelmed by things like packing lunches! The jobs that moms are expected to fit into our days are never ending! Her hubby is her biggest cheerleader and biggest support but also part of the challenge (like most spouses). With postpartum OCD, she has struggled with moments of needing to be perfect even today. Traveling is the time when it tends to come out more. She wishes there would have been a handbook of things to understand. Her baby had 2 heart defects and postpartum depression is really hard. She wishes there was a playbook for motherhood. But the surprises just keep coming. You can find her at theryliecenter.com
S3 E125 · Mon, December 30, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 125 W/Christi Gmyr
Christi Gmyr is a mental health counselor in upstate New York who virtually specializes in helping moms with managing and understanding all of the things it takes to be a mom. She had her own Covid baby but then had a 4 year old at home with her too during the pandemic. Mothering the 2 at a time was really challenging when she expected to have her 4 year old in preschool and having one-on-one time with the new baby. She had an idea of what it would look like but life changes and is different than we think it is going to be. The unknown is one of the hardest parts of parenting because when we become moms, we realize so much about it outside of our control. Many moms have expectations of themselves even though they have never been in this place before. Moms are always expected to be supportive of others. Judgements are just opinions and the nature of opinions is that everyone has a different one. We get to decide who we get to listen to and whose opinion we want to listen to. We have expectations of ourselves AND of others. The messages we get from others can really derail us as moms. Moms struggle with losing friendships but good friends will be flexible and honor the fact that having a baby changes your availability. Life changes, people change and we need to be flexible about our relationships too. Watching her children show kindness are her best mama moments and her worst mama moments were during the pandemic when she lost her “cool.” We ALL have those moments and beating ourselves up doesn’t serve anyone! She is a coach of stressed out mamas who have demanding careers, helping them overcome burnout, resentment and guilt Check her out at ChristiGmyrcoaching.com
S3 E124 · Tue, December 24, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 124 W/Sarah Boes
Sarah Boes is a multifaceted mama who started her own business during covid but sold it and moved into advocacy. She found out that her daughter had congenital heart disease and has 4 heart conditions! With numerous ultrasounds, she thought she was going to have a healthy, happy baby. She also found out that she had OCD and her baby became her obsession. Her daughter will have to have numerous heart surgeries as she grows. Her spouse was her biggest supporter but she also had a postpartum doula who changed her whole motherhood journey. Her daughter has had a lot of medical issues throughout the last two and a half years but she is healthy, happy and doing amazing but it has been quite the journey. She was frustrated with how the after birth process worked and the lack of support she had in the NICU. She advocates for Congenital Health Disease awareness on Capitol Hill! She has been unseen and unheard and diagnosed in her 30’s with OCD after years of therapy. One in 100 babies will be born with a heart defect! She is out in the world, making sure people know about it! Find her at SarahMichelleBoes.com
S3 E123 · Mon, December 16, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 123 W/Winifred Bragg
Dr. Bragg is a doctor in Norfolk, Virginia who treats people with non-surgical solutions for orthopedic and spinal problems. She is a pain management physician who does comprehensive pain management with as little pain meds as possible. She isn’t completely against opioids but has treated over 20,000 people. She has been working with pain management since 1995! She wrote a book after taking care of her mom and it sparked her need to help others with their pain. Women are more apt to have back pain because of their daily routines. Moms can do small things to alleviate back pain and injury. The routine changes can make or break you (and your back!). Exercise during pregnancy is really important if approved by your doctor as well and after birth you will benefit from those efforts. Her YouTube channel is called Dr. Winifred Bragg and you can hear some of her tips and tricks! You can find her website at www.knockoutpain.com and can download a chapter of her book there.
S3 E122 · Mon, December 09, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 122 W/Margot Machol Bisnow
Margot Bisnow spent 20 years working for the government and then her oldest son started a company and she decided she wanted to get involved! She joined his young entrepreneurs and most of them had people who believed in them. Most of the time, that person was their mom. Her book is called Raising an Entrepreneur and she interviewed 70 entrepreneurs and their moms to learn about how the support of a mom helped shape who they became. She has learned a lot from these interviews and what parents seem to want for their kids. She is a mom to kiddos in their thirties where she travels to visit them now. She was ambivalent about being a mom and she loved her life. She didn’t feel a gap and since she had done the big career thing first, she felt secure and took 6 weeks off with her first. With her second child, 20 months apart from her first son, she wanted to have them close enough in age so they could be friends. She had a nanny to help with the kids and felt great about that relationship. She tells moms that they have three choices…they can not work and feel guilty, they can work full time and feel guilty or they can work part time and STILL feel guilty! For her book, she interviewed 70 entrepreneurs and learned so much and really enjoyed learning what she could about the different family dynamics and the fact that they were all basically raised the same. ALL of them had an interest outside of school and their parents supported them in it. Supporting your kiddos looks different for each parent and however you are supporting your kiddos is best for you and them. Be proud of who you are and how you are parenting!
S3 E121 · Mon, December 02, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 121 W/Susan Caso
Susan Caso is a mom of 3 and a therapist who works with teens and adults for many years. She lives in Boulder, Colorado and is also an author of a book called the The Parent-Teen Connection. She gave birth in Denver but had such an interesting experience where the nurses took her baby to the nursery anytime she fell asleep. She wanted that baby near her! Her biggest challenge was having her third child at the age of 43! That rocked her world. To have a child later in life, you have so many different things with the older kiddos but then you have the newborn to feed during the night. Advanced Maternal Age is a horrible way to say it to a mom who may already be fragile. She has a sister who was a huge support and lots of friends but her husband is an incredible support for her. Having a spouse who understands you and is a team with you. Empathy plays such a huge role in marriage and life! Susan’s mama moments are when they are all in the same house together. Thanksgiving is one of her favorite times to all be under the same roof. Her worst mama moments were when she didn’t handle things better when her kids were younger. She wishes she could go back and change how she reacted to the bickering. Dropping her kids off at college was also one of the hardest part of motherhood. She wishes she would have known she didn’t have to be a perfect parent. As an anxious mom, she worried too much about being perfect. Let it go mama!
S3 E120 · Mon, November 25, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 120 W/Cheryl Chiasson
Cheryl Chiasson is a mom of 3 boys with quite the story. They took in a young man who had a TON of trauma and took him in. With her first two babies, she said she struggled with PPD and intrusive thoughts. She struggled and had no idea what she was struggling with because no one talked about it. Her biggest supporters were both men. First, her husband and second, her father in law (crazy that it was two men!!!). She had the support but didn’t ask for help and didn’t accept the help because she thought she had to do it all herself. Her best mama moments come when she is now watching her boys be kind to other people and serve others as well as watching her son find happiness, love and when she danced with him at his wedding. How they treat others and go out into the world is both through nature and nurture and being proud of the job you have done as a mom is an important aspect of motherhood. Her biggest regret is raising her voice but because of her childhood and living in a domestic violence situation as a child, she never wanted to have this situation in her own home. When she did raise her voice, she was hard on herself because of the trauma she anticipated she extended to her boys. She wishes she would have known that perfection should not be a goal, that it’s ok not to be ok, to ask for help and accept it when offered. Take the time to be with others besides your kids. You have to be a full person without them too. It’s ok for their dad to be with them without you and it’s ok to take some time for yourself.
S3 E119 · Mon, November 18, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 119 W/Kimberly Vines
Kimberly Vines lives in North Carolina with her three littles (just moved there 2 weeks ago) and is excited to start their new adventure on the east coast. She and her husband lived in an RV for a few years to climb rocks and travel around Colorado. She loves trying new recipes and exploring the outdoors. She was 30 with her first baby and although they were living it up and rock climbing and being nomads, they decided it was time to get serious about starting a family. She was doing the best she could holding onto a full time job while parenting a new baby full time and things worked out during COVID to regroup and started to find herself again. She found mom friends and then realized she wasn’t living her “truth.” She is doing what she can to extend herself to others and make sure she is connecting with other moms. Parenting is like doing improv every single day. WIth three kids you have to let go of the structure 100% of the time because helicopter parenting is not the answer either. As a first time mom, her sister-in-law was three months ahead of her in pregnancy and she was her biggest supporter. Peer moms are so important to the mamahood journey. Watching her baby wake up smiling from ear to ear makes her day every morning and the pride she has in her oldest daughter and her drive to be who she is makes her proud. Her worst mama moment came when she left her 3 year old son at the park when he wandered off. Who hasn’t had that fear in the pit of their stomach? The identity switch you go through is a huge part of being a mom and she wishes she would have known that reaching out to other mamas is essential to your mental health. Take care of each other.
S3 E118 · Mon, November 11, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 118 W/Kristin Goodwin
Kristin Goodwin is an amazing badass! She was a pilot as a Brigadier General and served over 30 years in the Air Force. As a woman, graduating from the Air Force Academy and doing flight school at 21, she decided she needed to think ahead to the family she wanted to have. At the age of 25, she wasn't living her authentic life and came to terms with being gay and what that meant to be in the military under Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT). She put her dreams of having a family on hold for 13 years until DADT was repealed. She was so excited to start a family, she rushed into a relationship to have all the things she wanted…being a mom! She had a lot of struggles as a new mom, working for a 4 star general as a new mom being one of them! The pressures were HUGE, the postpartum was rough and she struggled with the emotions of motherhood, unsupportive spouse AND the 12-14 hour days at work. She wanted to be true to herself but couldn’t really do that with her job and SHOULD have taken the help but didn’t feel like she could (for many reasons). As a new mom, her biggest supporters were her mom and step-dad who ended up staying through the COVID pandemic to help and that was a Godsend. Her best mama moments come so often but finding out she was pregnant with her second daughter was so special since she had to use IVF for that pregnancy. Her worst mama moment was in the delivery of her first baby girl. She counted 16 people in the room and realized she might lose her daughter and that was life changing. She LOVED being pregnant and was glowing and after doing an Iron Man triathlon, and being in amazing shape (and still is!), she thought she could do a natural labor and she labored for over 13 hours because her daughter got stuck. She actually had her second daughter 2 years and 1 day later and she came out in minutes! She actually had 2 babies who were exactly the same weight and length! She said she was pretty naive and thought labor was going to be a bit painful but HOLY MOLY it’s way harder than she thought it would be. She also wishes she would have realized that her body would never be the same. Like EVER. She wants moms to know that they are not alone! Kristin and her wife, Dr. Traci have a coaching business called Delta-V. They can be found at thedelta-v.com where they help with one-on-one coaching, executive team building and leadership development. Check them out, because they are truly two of the most amazing badass women you will ever meet.
S3 Enull · Wed, November 06, 2024
Let's Be Real SPECIAL Episode! HRtBeat Podcast Repost
In this episode of HRtbeat, the Highlands Ranch podcast, Jake Freedle welcomes back Nikki Brooker, founder of the nonprofit YANA, (You Are Not Alone), for an inspiring update on her organization’s work in providing vital support to new moms. YANA’s program, Strong Mamas, Thriving Babies, now operates in three hospitals, offering comprehensive, year-long support to mothers, including personal outreach, community gatherings and digital resources. Nikki shares the tremendous impact of their 96% acceptance rate, emphasizing how this unique program fills a gap in maternal care, especially during the challenging first year. She discusses the importance of community and mental health support, touching on YANA’s funding journey, including grants from Douglas County and encouraging donations for the upcoming Colorado Gives Day. To get involved or support their mission, visit yanamom.com and tune in to hear more about the organization’s next steps and heartwarming stories. We talked about: Journey of expanding YANA’s hospital partnerships, now reaching three hospitals. How Strong Mamas, Thriving Babies connects moms with weekly gatherings, an app and direct support. Role of Douglas County’s grant and other funding to help sustain YANA’s free services for moms. The $60 per mom cost for providing year-long, wraparound support, showcasing YANA’s efficiency. YANA’s goal, to combat isolation in motherhood and to build a supportive “village” for maternal mental health. Learn more about Nikki Brooker: Visit her website https://yanamom.com/ Get to know her new program https://yanamom.com/
S3 E117 · Mon, November 04, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 117 W/Bracha Goetz
Bracha Goetz is an author of 42 children's books that help children's souls to shine as well as a memoir called Nourish the Soul. She has 6 grown kids and 36 grandchildren with two more on the way. Bracha was 24 when she started having kids and he’s now 44 years old! She went to Harvard and medical school but went to Israel for the summer and didn’t come back to medical school. She met her husband and lived there for 10 years. She came back to America to take care of her parents. She has been in the states for 30 years but they are making their way back to Israel. They had 5 kiddos in Israel and one in Baltimore. Raising 5 kids in Israel was really hard without family around but she moved to a small settlement with a great network of friends who were all settlers and pioneers of this settlement. Her best mama moment is seeing the amazing grandchildren her kids are raising. She devoted her energy, her time and her talents in her kids and now sees all of those fruits of her labor in her grandkids. She spends her time ensuring people know that you can be extremely intelligent and choose to put your time and effort into being the best mom and homemaker you can be. Her worst mama moment was way back when she dropped her first baby as an infant. She was terrified that she hurt her own baby. She had no experience as a caretaker so she was a fish out of water. Until she connected with other mothers, she was lonely and had no idea that the difficult times aren’t going to last forever. Now looking back, everything was a blur and it’s hard to remember all of the rough days. Take a deep breath and know that this too shall pass. She also wants you to value the little things with your kids. Cuddling and reading books were her bonding time and that lead to what she’s doing now. She thinks one of the most important things to instill in kids is gratitude. This creates happiness for life. Bracha is the grateful granny! You can find her at www.growingimpactpublications.com
S3 E116 · Mon, October 28, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 116 W/Susan May
As a mama of 4 and grandma of 8, Susan May has been in the “mothering business” for quite awhile. She was a substitute teacher for over 20 years and she is also a writer and has published many novels including harlequin novels and a nonfiction about her son and his heart transplant. Her author name is Susan Carlisle. Her oldest just turned 40 and they share a birthday! She has been married for 42 years after attending Auburn University. She had 4 (almost) under 4 and had a busy house but didn’t think that through when it came to paying for college! Empty nesting together wasn’t hard on her because she was so excited to watch them fly! Her youngest son was born with a heart condition and needed surgery and possibly a transplant. He is one of the oldest people on record who is living with a heart transplant. Her biggest supporter during early motherhood was her mom, who stepped in with the other three while she spent a lot of time in the hospital with her youngest who needed the heart transplant. Her best mama moment is when the entire family is sitting at one big long table. NO kids table. EVERYONE at one table is her favorite part of being a mama and grandma. She wants mamas to know that things are survivable. Being proactive for your kids because there is no alternative. Fight for what you know they need. She wishes she would have known that being a mom is a lot of work! She did things in the “acceptable” order with school, marriage and kids but that doesn’t work for everyone. She has learned how unbelievably strong you can love another human being. She also believes that everyone is going to get their season. Each kiddo will need you at different times. You can find Susan at susanCarlisle.com or susancmay.com.
S3 E115 · Mon, October 21, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 115 W/Meera Ishaya
Meera Ishaya is an Ishaya monk and a mom! After becoming extremely depressed, leaving her the feeling that she didn’t want to be alive anymore, and that turned into a whole new world for her. She thinks that trying to prove that she was a good mom, the most depressed she became. Being a monk has opened up a whole new world. She has published numerous books but her first is about coming back to being who you are. Being authentically YOU is essential. Being a monk is about learning that we are all one. It takes away the mind chatter and grounds you. She came to this world after thinking, “there has to be more to life than this.” And she found it by being an Ishaya monk. Her two kiddos have helped to keep her grounded. Aftering having her kiddos, she struggled with massive pain along with mental health issues. She had Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction which was excruciating and she was struggling to stay alive. She was on crutches and couldn’t walk but then had to get back to “normal” through excruciating pain and physical therapy including having someone dress her! She was pushed to another place where she found 100% peace. When you open yourself up to the possibilities of what’s out there, things come to you. Her biggest supporter was her husband and when she finally found her “people” in Spain at this retreat where she felt 100% supported. Her best mama moment was when her daughter said, “I couldn’t have gotten through this without you, I love you.” It feels good when you are appreciated and supported by the people you love the most. She wishes she would have known how to mediate and to not punish. Less is more and through meditation she has let go of a lot of the stress she was experiencing. You can find her at her youtube channel and website boundless-meditation.co.uk Check out her episode at https://yanamom.com/lets-be-real-podcast/
S3 E114 · Mon, October 14, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 114 W/Erin Barry
Erin Barry is a divorced mom of three adult kiddos with a combined family and now a mom of 6 with a new baby granddaughter. She is a life coach working to help people find their real, authentic selves. She lives in Minnesota and is a soccer referee and enjoys doing that with her daughter. She was 27 when she had her first and has enjoyed watching them all become adults. Her biggest challenge as a mom has been mental health and chronic hives with one of her kiddos. Trying to manage those issues and having NO control of the issues is so hard as a mom. As moms, we are supposed to be the ones who “fix” things and sometimes we just can’t. She had a lot of great support through her family when she was having her babies because she lived close enough to them. With a mom who was a daycare provider, she was blessed to have her as the caretaker of her kids. It was always important to her that her kids have good relationships with each other and listening to them empower each other is part of her favorite parts of being a mama. She wishes she would have known about time adjustments needed to be made when you have children. You might think you are busy now but just wait! Breastfeeding isn’t natural for everyone and sometimes outside pressures made her feel like she didn’t have a choice and it was terrible. She wants moms to know that creating traditions is important and those are some of her best memories. Create your own traditions and cherish them. Also, have grace with yourself, especially with life balance. You need to foster relationships, especially with yourself. You can find Erin at liveyourtruthjouney.com
S3 E113 · Mon, October 07, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 113 W/Juliana Mackin
Juliana Mackin is a mom of three working in PR firms and managing technology groups but has decided to open her own businesses. Her mama journey started later in life because her husband is 5 years younger but the positives of being an older mom is that she has more financial stability to work in a career first. She feels like she knows more about herself as well and that has been a huge positive. The mom guilt never goes away but has learned to accept that. Her biggest challenge has been the struggles of taking on too much and moved to the states from the UK and when she was overwhelmed with all of the mamahood challenges and hormonal changes she says that was really hard but since that was her first baby, she then knew that it was normal to feel that way with babies number 2 and 3. She didn’t bond at first with baby number 3 and she realized how normal that was too. Her best mama moments are when her kids progress and are growing and showing pride in themselves. Her 5 year old got up in front of a crowd of people and played his ukulele and her daughter sang and to watch them be proud of themselves was a great feeling. Her worst mama moments are when she is frustrated with them and sometimes shows those frustrations and expresses her stress. She wishes she would have known what it truly is like to be a mom because with number three, she seems to have it more “together.” But don’t we learn that as we go and our kids' personalities could also be more nurture than nature. She wants you to know that anything you are feeling guilty about is probably normal and other moms are feeling the same way. Don’t beat yourself up!
S3 E112 · Mon, September 30, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 112 W/Suzanne Jamieson
Suzanne Jamieson lives in Santa Monica, California and is a mom of a 9 and 12 year old. She went to school to be a performer and after being a mom, decided that chasing the audition wasn’t in the cards. She couldn’t find a lullaby album for her baby so she created her own! Her new album is called Love Is and is available wherever you stream music. The idea behind this album was the silo-ing of our country and the division and hate. The album explores what love is, different kinds of love and how to actionably show love to every part of our lives. Funneling the great ideas for kids into music, why not use music as a positive vehicle for it. She’s a DOer and she figured out what she needed and created it. She found mama circles in LA and that changed her mama journey in so many ways because she realized how important your community is for your own mental health and parenting. Her best mama moments are all the little things like having a teacher say that her child is empathetic or other fleeting moments that she savors. Her worst mama moment is something she can laugh about now but back then it was a huge issue that made her question her own mental health at the time. She wishes she would have known that this is the LOOOOONG game…in 20 years will THIS matter? Are you teaching them your values? Are you teaching them the good? Look at parenting from a broader perspective and not just should they eat that bag of chips? Showing your kids that you care about your own life too and your passions mean something too. If you stop loving yourself and pursuing the things you care about, you take away the pot of love and show your kids that you don’t matter. Self awareness is really important too. You can join her monthly newsletter by signing up through her website at suzannejamiesonsings.com
S3 E111 · Mon, September 23, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 111 W/Vanessa Perry
Vanessa lives in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina as a single mom of a 9 year old. She was a therapist who decided to add spiritualism into that realm. Her website is thepsychgym.com. She is a believer of spiritual grounding in therapy and transformed her practice into intuitive counseling. She experienced unexplained fertility issues and had to learn how to NOT expect a typical mama journey. She unexpectedly got pregnant, which was an ectopic pregnancy which caused more grief but then one month later, she got pregnant again!! That’s when you know you are MEANT to be a mom! She was under the impression that she needed to make this a family and although she tried her hardest, it wasn’t meant to be. Single parenting for the past 5 years has been its own journey and the struggle created a deep connection and love for her daughter, knowing she is doing the best she can for her and her daughter. She has had many different supports through her mama journey and she says they all helped (and continue to help) raise her as a mom. Validation from others really made a difference in her mama journey because she needed the feeling that she wasn’t alone and she felt held. Fixing things as moms isn’t always the best path. Letting our kids struggle a bit won’t hurt. Empowerment comes from doing things so we have to let them do it and feel brave. She wishes she would have known that she truly needed her community around her who are in the same places in her life. She kept all the old friends (hockey players) and she wishes she would have had someone to help her create the communities of people she needed as a mom and not a hockey player. She can be found on Instagram sea.stars.psych and Facebook under Vanessa Perry - Intuitive Counselor. Check out her podcast at https://yanamom.com/lets-be-real-podcast/
S3 E110 · Mon, September 16, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 110 W/Kyle Jetsel
Kyle is a strong willed parenting coach. He works with families with strong willed kids because he was a parent of SIX of those kinds of kids. He was co-parenting with his wife of 30 years but she died unexpectedly in 2021 and then he was left to parent alone. For their 30th wedding anniversary, they took a trip and that was when they decided as a couple that they needed to do more. They needed to support parents who were struggling with their own strong willed kids. Strong willed kids can be described as kids who frustrate, discourage or create worry for their future and these situations cause relationship issues and family dynamics that can make or break you. One thing they really learned was that you can’t parent them all the same because they are so different. Kyle grew up with the threat of violence, so Kyle’s wife decided they needed to have a better plan for their family dynamic. If they didn’t have that plan, Kyle says they were either going to implode or thrive. They decided they wanted it to thrive. Kyle’s wife believed in parenting through love and Kyle was a disciplinarian but after a rather frustrating situation with their non-verbal son, and praying about what he should do, he chose not to give up on his family but his wife lost faith in him as a partner and a father. After reading the Cat and the Hat, they realized they needed to have a strategy and a plan. They needed to not be focused on “winning” the argument but instead getting to a common goal together. Parenting is tough but it doesn’t have to be as tough as we make it. Make a plan, make it easier on everyone in the home! Check Kyle out at kylejetsel.com for more information about his parenting help and strategies. Give a listen at https://yanamom.com/lets-be-real-podcast/
S3 E109 · Mon, September 09, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 109 W/Anne Marie Wells
She lives in northern Virginia as a poetry and creative writing coach, writer and teacher. She turned her cathartic activity (writing) into her purpose. She has a non-traditional motherhood journey. In 2019 her father was diagnosed with terminal cancer and knowing she was going to lose one of the most important people in her life, she realized that we may or may not have “all the time in the world.” During her acute grief and a global pandemic her relationship didn’t make it through and she realized she had a huge need to be a mom. At the age of 20, she was diagnosed with a bicornuate uterus which changed everything and she didn’t think she could carry a baby and also didn’t have a partner she wanted to parent with but then found out she was misdiagnosed and didn’t have a deformed uterus. She chose to consciously co-parent with a man who she didn’t think she would fall in love with but was just going to parent together but low and behold, love did happen and they live in Virginia together and found the perfect situation for them with their 5 month old little boy. She wishes she would have known how hard breastfeeding was going to be. Her second book of poetry, Mother,(v), is all about her desire to become a mom as well as other women’s stories about their journeys. You can find her at annemariewellswriter.com.
S3 E108 · Mon, September 02, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 108 W/Kimberly Grustas
Kimberly Grustas is the inventor and owner of a skin care line that focuses on all natural skin care for all females but mostly girls to ensure they have all natural skin care, especially through puberty. Her business is called Good For You Girls. She has been creating these products since 2008 to make sure things are made and are GOOD for the consumer. Her brand is very specific in their ingredients and purposes. She started in the fitness industry (male dominated) and was envious of men for being fearless. So she embraced her tenacity and created products to help girls through puberty. Her mama journey started after being married for 10 years and after getting nervous, she got pregnant four months after starting her own advertising business. She was afraid to give up her independence and type “a” way of doing things after having babies and has always been a working mom even though she didn’t utilize day care and worked from home and is self made. She admits that not asking for help is a weakness she struggles with and gets overwhelmed but is “obnoxiously happy” in the mornings, knowing that happiness is important to her. After a stressful childhood as the youngest of 5 and an identical twin. After losing her brother, her entire family changed and her parents never found their way out of that grief. With her own babies, she never hid the hard stuff. She would have them right alongside her building her business. She does regret not giving herself more time for HER. She didn’t know her limits and gave and gave. She’s struggling as an empty nester and although she enjoys the young adult conversations and she is always “the call” they make but not being there is hard on a mama heart. She wishes she would have made time to create her tribe! She wishes she would have known how important that tribe is to the empty nesting too. You can find all of her products at goodforyougirls.com and you can use the coupon code:YANA20 for 20% off!
S3 E107 · Tue, August 27, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 107 W/Jessica Fein
Jessica has quite an amazing mama journey with the release of her new book called Breath Taking, A Memoir of Families, Dreams and Broken Genes. She left the corporate world to write her story and tell her family’s story. Her journey to motherhood was long and twisty and not at all what she thought it would be. After dating her husband for 10 years, they were finally married and thought they would be pregnant right away but five years later, they were still trying. After 25 procedures, and five years they decided they needed to pivot and fell in love with the idea of adoption. They adopted through Guatemala and adopted three amazing children. They thought their struggles had hit the apex but boy were they wrong! She suspected that her middle child had health issues and she was 100% right. She had her checked by Early Interventions and they and the doctors all said she was just a “little behind, give her time.” But this mama had an intuition that there was something else going on and low and below she was diagnosed with a mild to moderate hearing loss. At the age of 5 she was given genetic testing (because she was adopted) and that proved she had MERRF syndrome (a mitochondrial degenerative disease). This ultra rare disease was life changing for their entire family. Rare diseases are a challenge in every way for an entire family. When Dalia turned 9, they all went on a family vacation and a cold turned into respiratory failure with a tracheotomy and a ventilator. Dalia had to have eyes on her 24/7 and this continued for EIGHT years! Dalia lost her battle right around her 17th birthday and it changed Jessica in a beautiful and horrific way all at the same time. She wishes she would have known that all emotions are possible to be felt AT THE SAME TIME! Her journey is not like most but she has quite the story to tell and we implore you to check out her book, Breath Taking, found on her website https://www.jessicafeinstories.com Give a listen here: yanamom.com/lets-be-real-podcast/
S3 E106 · Mon, August 19, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 106 W/April Hawkins
As a single mama of 4 kids, 2 girls and 2 boys and is the reigning Ms. Colorado Americana. She also is a Geotechnical Engineer! She is also training to be in the WINTER OLYMPICS!!! She is a Skeleton athlete (head-first flying down the ice). She had to really train hard and the email to welcome her to the olympic team, WENT TO HER SPAM account!!!! Here is your lesson for the day…check your spam! As a mama of 4, she struggled with postpartum depression and frustration as well as trying to get your body back after giving birth FOUR times! She is an olympic athlete, she really struggled with getting her body back. She decided on the second go-around of having kids (she has an age gap between the two sets of kids) that she would give her more grace because there is no trophy for bouncing back the “fastest.” Her mama was her biggest supporter and continues to be. Since kids are sponges and repeat it all, when they repeat what she says she has to take a long look at what she says to ensure she isn’t putting things out there that she doesn’t want them to repeat. She wishes she would have known about YANA when she was a new mama. She wishes she had her community of people who “got” her that could have been there for her. She didn’t look for the help and support and wishes she would have.
S3 E105 · Mon, August 12, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 105 W/Karen O'Keeffe
Karen owns Organize It, a professional organizing and move management company. Her goal is to get new moms getting their nurseries in order. Her passion is helping mamas be more organized and ready for baby. She has 2 grown children, a husband and has lived in Colorado for almost 50 years. Her biggest challenge as a mama was the depression she struggled with. She had a wise friend who said, “have a plan with your husband so that if you are not able to communicate what’s going on, you make it obvious to him that you need help.” The shame of asking for help needs to end and in 2024, we are at the point where you CAN say I need help. Just because you can’t see it, it doesn’t invalidate it. With her husband as her biggest supporter, her faith and her boys, she has thrived and is such a good person. Her best mama moment came when she asked her adult daughter what she thought her best mama moment was and her answer thrilled her because it made her realize that her “normal” meant she was being an amazing mama. Her worst mama moment was when her mental health wasn’t being addressed properly. Now that she is properly medicated AND diagnosed properly, she can regulate and emplores you to go get more answers because not all doctors have the correct answers. Keep asking, keep seeking and don’t give up until someone gives you the answers you deserve.
S2 E104 · Mon, August 05, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 104 W/Pamela Maas Garret
Becoming a mama in her 30s and quarantined during pregnancy was strange and difficult in so many ways. Baby number two came after the pandemic and she found out what a regular pregnancy was. She is a “famous” online personality called Law Mother with over 2 million followers! She educates people about protecting the things that are the most important to them. She had to get her husband onboard as he waffled on the idea but eventually they made it happen. With her first baby, she struggled with postpartum and wasn’t prepared for that. She also was a new business owner with her first baby as well as being the breadwinner for the whole family. She really didn’t get a postpartum break but with her second, she knew she had to do it differently. With her second baby, she took four months off and knew that was exactly what she needed. She hired a postpartum doula to help out but then decided to split the shift with her going to bed at 7pm and sleeping until 3am and then her husband would go to bed at 3am. This really worked for them. She had a mindset coach she worked with and they helped her with the mom guilt and prioritize her time so she could break down her day and how she spent her time to help her feel more connected since she worked outside the house.Her best mama moments are the simple ones. When her kids are expressing themselves and becoming who they will be. She wishes she would have known how much support she needed for the postpartum period and had it set up. Take her advice and GET IT! You can find her at lawmother.com. Listen to our 2 year anniversary episode here https://yanamom.com/lets-be-real-podcast/
S2 E103 · Mon, July 29, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 103 W/Pouneh Alizadeh
Pouneh is a Board of Director advisor for YANA and we are blessed to have her on our team. As a stepmom, she has lots of experience in mamahood but when she had her own boys, everything changed. Originally from New Jersey, she says, “You can take the girl out of Jersey but you can’t take Jersey out of the girl.” As a Board Certified OBGYN, Pouneh has worked for years being the person who helps bring babies into the world but her entire care of mamas has changed now that she is a mom. Being pregnant and giving birth during her residency was close to impossible but she somehow made it through and all while her dad was diagnosed with a brain tumor. She looks back on that time in awe that her and her husband made it through. Because of her need to be more present, she reconfigured her entire work structure and became a traveling OBGYN where she travels for a week and gives rural OBGYN’s a break and then is home for three weeks where she can give her kids her undivided attention (thus her best mama moments when she watches her kids experience the world). Her worst mama moment was when her little guy was so hurt that he threw away his painting and broke his little heart (who else can identify with that!). She is always honest with her patients and tells them that parenthood is literally “on the job learning.” She also feels strongly about mamas finding and building their community. Motherhood needs to be a team activity!
S2 E102 · Mon, July 22, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 102 W/Lauren Friarson (1)
Lauren is an entrepreneur and teaches nutrition and health and wellness is her world. She loves helping people. She is a bonus mom of two older kiddos but always wanted to be a mama on her own. After IVF with Conceptions, she succeeded in her goal to be a mama and had her baby right after she turned 40. She is an older mom and had it “all together.” But boy did having a mama change everything. She really struggled with how to manage all the feelings she was having. How do you go from being a boss mama to covered in spit up? She experienced some jealousy with her husband who got a promotion and was doing things in his career that she wished she was doing, even though she always wanted to be a mom, this was more than she bargained for. Her biggest support came from her spouse, all the grandmas in her life and even the Facebook groups she joined. Her stories of her best and worst mama moments will blow you away and explain why I think she is such an amazing badass! Her experience has been beautiful, ugly, hard, amazing, unbelievable and down right way more than she anticipated. Her mama journey is less than a year old but she has learned more in those 10 months than she ever thought possible. She even wrote an article for the Daily Camera about her experience. You can read it HERE: https://www.dailycamera.com/2023/09/07/guest-opinion-lauren-friarson-a-holistic-practitioners-tribute-to-allopathic-medicine/ Follow her on Instagram at @ lifewithlaurendanielle
S2 E101 · Mon, July 15, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 101 W/Dawn Cofer
Dawn has been a lifelong teacher and is taking on a new role as an Assistant Director of a school. She started her mama journey with a step child at the age of 3 (who is now 18) and now has a 6 year old. Being a stepmom has been quite a journey and being a new mom as a stepmom has been a journey she never thought she would be on. Undiagnosed for most of her life, her stepdaughter just was diagnosed with autism so that’s a new challenge. She struggled being a new mom because her own mom passed away 6 months before she gave birth. Her rock was gone and she had to parent an infant all on her own. Her baby also had colic for the first year of her life. Her husband was her biggest supporter because her mom wasn’t there for her and she knows how lucky she is to have her. Her best mama moment has been watching both girls grow up and become who they are. When you see yourself in your kids, it’s the best part of being a mom. Being an introvert and having an extrovert child is no joke! Knowing she should have slept for years before her daughter was born!!! SO TIRED! She knows now that she needs her own unwind time before she can be a good mama. TAKE THE TIME for yourself and then you can be all the things to everyone but take care of YOU!
S2 E100 · Mon, July 08, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 100 W/Jeanie Tromblee Meagan Reilly and Savannah Becerril
Our 100th episode was an in-person party with two amazing mamas as well as our Strong Mamas, Thriving Babies Program Assistant Director! It was such a great way to celebrate our 100th episode! Jeanie has two small kiddos and lived in Florida at that time but moved a lot and she had a lot of challenges because she didn't have support. She is now in Colorado and building her own support system. Meagan is also a mama of two littles (her homies) living in Colorado. They both felt the massive change they went through after having babies. The new "normal" is no longer like what you thought it would be. The lack of sleep is absolutely life changing. Family and support being nearby is HUGE and finding the people who support you and creating your own "framily" is so important. Sheesh, where have we heard THAT before? , Jeanie shared one of her best mama moments was recently watching her son thrive in an educational setting that changed everything. Meagan is finally feeling pride in her mothering and how she is creating memories for her kids as a good mama. They both think that surrounding yourself with people who nourish you is essential! So reach out to YANA if you want to be matched with another mama! Worse mama moments come as well and Meagan is working to get her daughter tested after she noticed some concerning behaviors and has struggled feeling like she is winning. Looking back, she sees the positives of her motherhood journey but it took awhile to see them Jeanie's worst mama moments is that she is truly her biggest critic and has had to learn to give herself grace. Doing it on her own is hard but she also knows there is always room for repair. As their own biggest supporters, they realized they needed to be there for themselves. There is NOTHING wrong with being your own best "person."
S2 E99 · Mon, July 01, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 99 W/Kandra Becerra
Kandra is a sleep expert who helps people with their sleeping journey with their children. At the age of 27, she started her mama journey after going through infertility for years. Shaping her journey as a wife and mother, infertility needs to be understood on another level. She had really hard pregnancies and was in and out of the hospitals and threw up every day all day long. Being on the other end of that journey feels really good because it was really difficult. “Being a mom is a growing journey learning who you are.” Having a great childhood doesn’t always mean you don’t have triggers that can really throw you for a loop. She realized through her kids Occupational therapies that she couldn’t regulate her needs to escape the over stimulation. She never realized she had anger issues until it happened but growing and learning as a mom is so important. As a mom, you become a different version of who you have always been. Her village was amazing and so supportive during her start of mamahood. She has 6 grandparents for her boys and has never had to pay for daycare! Her best mama moment happened this last Christmas when she planned, and completed the best movie night with her three boys and how special that was to all of them. She wishes she knew that some kids don’t sleep during the day! She felt she was the only person on the planet with a newborn who struggled to sleep during the day. That’s SO normal but she didn’t know that. You can find her at: rockymountainsleepingbaby.com
S2 E98 · Mon, June 24, 2024
Let's Be Real- Mama Journeys - Episode 98 W/Dina Tibbs
Dina was a corporate America person but now holds space for women who are going through transitions. Her one kiddo will be 19 soon and she believes her soul was matched with the two souls who left before she could be their mother on earth. Her wisdom councils and circles change lives and give moms the permission to honor their mama journey’s. Giving up some of the plan you have in mind in motherhood, both birth and motherhood is essential. Don’t grip so hard! The control isn’t always in your hands. Loneliness is oftentimes really difficult, especially when they can’t talk and interact. She struggled with that. The empty nest issue happens when kiddo goes off to school full time and that was rough on her. The friendships that come and go can also be really challenging. She is really involved in intergenerational conversations and getting the older generation supporting the younger and vice versa. When you honor even the dark places you flow through, you can find the blessings they bring to your life. There are always opportunities in all things that happen in your life. She wants people to remember that you are the author of only YOUR story. You are not the author of your kids, your husband or anyone else. We are ushering our kids through their journey as a guide. Walk beside them. mavenandsageconsulting.com
S2 E97 · Mon, June 17, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 97 W/Kristina Schmitt
As a mama who had her first baby at the age of 35, she wasn’t sure she wanted kids. She was very driven in her career and wasn’t certain kids were in her future. But when she got married at the age of 34, 2 months into the marriage, they were pregnant! She is not a huge fan of kids, except her own! She joined some mom groups through a nonprofit that turned into a store and found her people. With her second baby, she was involved in her church and all the moms were amazing supports. In Canada you get 12-18 months of leave and get partial pay. Getting help doesn't mean you failed!!!! That is what she wishes she would have known as a new mom. She thinks her inability to accept help came from being the youngest or the societal pressure to NOT get help with things. When she was becoming a mom, she thought she had to do it ALL. But in the long run, she didn’t. Give yourself grace and redefine what doing it all looks like. Growth is good for us. Don’t be afraid of growth and change.
S2 E96 · Mon, June 10, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 96 W/Kelly Fox
Kelly has lived in Colorado since she was 8 and lives in Centennial. She works for a payroll company called PNIHCM and is passionate about her community. The job of being a mama and wife is a 24/7 job. She met her husband way back when she was 19 and got lots of stuff “out of the way” before she had her son. She had her son at the age of 35 and what an adjustment it was! Her pregnancy was a complete surprise because she was on birth control and didn’t expect to get pregnant! At 16 weeks pregnant she had a grapefruit sized cyst removed, which was very stressful and then 5 weeks later she had another cyst appear. Her pregnancy was not what she had in mind but it resulted in a healthy, happy baby boy. With her situation and experience, her body decided that they were one and done. She wishes she could go back in time and tell her younger self that she needs to be kinder to herself and stop looking at the “imperfections.” One of the biggest challenges she had was wanting her body back. She was “touched out!” Can you relate? Her one is done is the light of her life and her need to be herself and understand that it’s OK to not be or do all the things everyone else THINKS you should! She’s an amazing mama and friend!
S2 E95 · Mon, June 03, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 95 W/Brenna Harrison
Brenna is a single mom of 2 and closing in on 40 and so excited about the possibilities of the “rock star decade!” She is a police dispatcher for the Colorado State Patrol and her hours are nuts! She also put her application in to be a State Trooper and is starting that process! She became a mama at the age of 22 and her kiddos have different dads. Not knowing what a healthy relationship looked like, she struggled to find true love. Having two kids on her own, her mom homeschooled her and her siblings and that struggle was rough for Brenna while trying to raise her kids the way she wanted to. She was raised Southern Baptist and after graduating high school she walked away from that church. She ended up finding her OWN community through a totally different church setting. Parenting teens has been tough but she understands they are in their own developmental stages but it’s no joke. In 2021 her whole life came crashing down when her child told her that her ex husband had sexually abused them. With her ex in prison for his abuse, she is doing her best to heal all of the broken parts that her and her kids have experienced. Her advice is to NOT be a helicopter parent but just be in tune with what’s going on with their lives. Let go of the control and choose your battles.
S2 E94 · Mon, May 27, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 94 W/Michelle Kostner
Michelle is a mom of 2 living in Arvada, Colorado and works with companies to help them with their expansion plans. She is a member of YANA’s Board of Directors and has been an amazing asset to our program. She started her parenting journey later in life and had her son at the age of 40. She was a corporate climber so starting at the age of 40 was a little rough. She had 2 small kiddos for the global pandemic! She made some changes to her career in that time and switched lanes in her work/life balance. After leaving a work trip early because her first born was sick, she learned really quickly that her kids always come first. The pivotal moments in motherhood really makes you stop and think about how you will continue the life and career she built. With no family in Colorado, her support came from her mom who lives in Michigan but she came and spent 2 weeks/month in the first year! Both kids were 3 weeks early into the world, so her c-sections were a bit scary and it was both her best and worst mama moments. As a career focused mom, she wishes she would have known that chaos is normal. Trying to control it all is impossible and she has learned patience and how to roll with it and GIVE YOURSELF GRACE! It’s ok to not be ok. We do our best and that’s what our kiddos will remember!
S2 E93 · Mon, May 20, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 93 W/Susanna Peace Lovell
Susanna Peace Lovell is a mama and a life coach and advocate for families with kiddos with disabilities. She has a daughter with many extreme needs and it led her to this work. Her daughter is about to turn 18, living in LA and her and her ex-husband raise her collectively. She had ALL the motherhood answers before she became a mom (like a lot of us do) and then reality hit! Her daughter was diagnosed with a plethora of medical conditions and her mamahood journey was NOTHING like she was prepared for. She, and her daughter cried for the first 18 months of her life and she wondered if she would ever find a “normal” that wasn’t hard. She has had a rough mamahood journey of almost 18 years but she knows that without the support of her mom, and even her mother-in-law, she wouldn’t be the mama she is now. Her mission to help other parents of kiddos with disabilities keeps her grounded and inspired. You can find her at https://www.susannapeacelovell.com and her book at https://a.co/d/hty6wFX
S2 E92 · Sun, May 12, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 92 W/Dianna Vagianos Armentrout
Dianna is a classical homeopath in Littleton who wrote a book about newborn death. She does a lot of grief work with mamas who have experienced a loss. After four pregnancies, she has one living child and her unique experience is what helps her share with other mamas. There are over one million babies who die before their first birthday EVERY YEAR! Grieving is something we don’t talk about in this country. She is a member of the Colorado End of Life Collaboration and it is an organization she is very proud of. She is a death expert who says “be there, support them, let them know you care.” She was an older mama and no one talks about menopause and raising small children. There are so many different “shades” to motherhood and we need to experience all of them! She is mothering a boy and without having boys in her life before he was born, it’s not always easy but she is learning as she goes. She wishes she would have had some awareness of the challenges and differences in parenting later in life. Some days motherhood is disappointing and it’s ok! Let’s be real!!! Find her at frontrangehomeopathy.com
S2 E91 · Mon, May 06, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 91 W/Erin Williams
She and her husband are high school sweethearts and she was married at 20! She wasn’t sure she wanted kiddos but after 10 years of marriage, they decided they did! She was in the hospitality industry during the pandemic but that wasn’t ideal as a new mom. Hotels are open 365 days a year and 24 hours a day! That wasn’t working for her and her family so she decided it was time to realign her priorities and change her career on top of a pandemic and being a new mama! Her biggest realization was that relationships change when you have kiddos and that’s hard and sometimes heartbreaking. She has made some amazing friends and has a huge village and is very thankful for her support. Her mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer when baby number one was 6 weeks old. It was heartbreaking and sad for her to watch and not be able to turn to her and ask for advice. Her friends helped her work through all of that along with the loss of her mom. During that time, she also experienced miscarriages so her village carried her through it. When she was pregnant with number 2, who was a boy, she was a little worried about parenting a boy. She was a bundle of nerves about it all (and if she had enough love to give to both). The terrible 2’s got her and her worst mama moment came the day of family pictures! She wants mamas to know that you can’t control or know everything that is going to happen. Just take it for what it is. You got this mama!
S2 E90 · Mon, April 29, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 90 W/Kelli Melissa Reinhardt
Kelli is a badass CEO of a Colorado nonprofit called BCC Evolution (now Make Mental Health Matter), a mental health and suicide awareness nonprofit. They focus on the education aspect after her sister took her life. Kelli was a teen mom at the age of 16 as a junior in high school. She put her daughter up for adoption because she watched her sister go through it as a teen mom and didn’t want that for her life. So she asked for an open adoption and is in contact with the family with lots of adoption in her family. She had her second child much later in life and then was a single mom. NOT the experience she wanted. With family support and really great sisters, she felt she had some pretty decent help with the birth of her son. Her son had seizures at a young kiddo and that was one of the hardest things she ever had to go through because the unknown was rough but he is healthy now and doing great. She wants moms to know that there is no cookie cutter way to raise kids. Every parent is different, every child is different and there is no guide book! Roll with the punches and it’s never going to be perfect. Lean on other moms and ask the questions just know that their answers may not pertain to you but other opinions can’t hurt. You can find them at their website at makementalhealthmatter.org.
S2 E89 · Mon, April 22, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 89 W/Lindsey Mckissick
Lindsey is a mom of 2 girls and the program director of the Backcountry Wilderness nonprofit for our Community Association. She is passionate about protecting our wildlife in Colorado. She was in a hurry to be a mom and had baby number one at the age of 26 right after her husband graduated from PT school. She is a Colorado native who returned in her adult years because she LOVED the mountains and Colorado as a whole. Her biggest challenge as a mom has been doing parenthood the way that SHE wanted and not necessarily how others thought she should. She feels her husband was one of her best supporters and her parents were available and amazing people who showed up when she needed it but gave the space when she needed it. She wishes she would have trusted her mama gut when it came to knowing what was going on with her daughter, who has dyslexia. She learned from that experience and now is her girls’ biggest champion.
S2 E88 · Mon, April 15, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 88 W/Marta Padilla
Marta is a mom of 3 and a full time student pursuing her graduate degree in Social work. As an intern for YANA, she has contributed a TON of knowledge to our organization and she is a huge asset to us! They live the farm life and are encouraging her three kids to find happiness in whatever that is, even if it isn’t higher education. Healthy relationships have healthy conversations and discussions that show conflict resolutions that show them what the real world looks like (as unfortunate as that is sometimes). Her first child was a NICU experience and it was quite traumatic. She thought her birthing plan was a binding contract but God had other plans! She labored for over 30 hours and her son came out blue and not crying. As a healthy, happy kiddo now, it all worked out but it really made her realize that challenges at birth aren’t always the plan but they are God’s plan. With baby number three, she experienced Postpartum Depression and Anxiety. She really struggled and she didn’t know why. She can look back now and see what it was but she couldn’t admit it then (like so many moms). “I’ve done this twice before so I got this.” But she didn’t and her dark time really taught her to get the support when needed and don’t be afraid to ask for it. Grieving her circle of friends was hard but the new circle came into place and made it ok. She wishes she would have known it was ok to reach out for help. BRAVERY OVER SHAME! There should be no shame in asking for help! It truly takes a village to take care of mama!
S2 E87 · Mon, April 01, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 87 W/Ellen Freedle
She is a stay at home mom but was a theater actress and CEO of a Yoga studio for years. Her journey started at an advanced maternal age. Her home birth was magical and was exactly what she wanted it to be. She had 2 midwives, a doula, a birth photographer and her husband for her birth and LOVED it. She was radically supported and was only in labor for 5 hours as opposed to the 40 hours of the first birth! Her birth stories are unique and different but also HERS and she takes pride in that. Her first baby was born during a global pandemic and she struggled with Postpartum Depression and with shame and guilt about “letting her husband down” even though her husband would have never had those thoughts about her but she put those expectations on herself. Her second mama journey experience was so different than her first because with baby number two she wanted to prove to everyone she could be the best mama ever! And that wore her out and made her exhausted in a different way. She and her husband are Colorado natives (which is really rare) and they have a TON of support with lots of family around but her husband was her biggest supporter. Her mom and her mother in law have been amazing supporters and adore their grandchildren. She LOVES breastfeeding and is very proud of the two years she breastfed her first. After experiencing a miscarriage between her two kiddos, it really impacted her third pregnancy (second birth) and her anxiety throughout that time. This is normal and she wants other mamas to know that all of the things you go through in the postpartum timeline is NORMAL and it’s ok to ask for help and advice. You are not alone!
S2 E86 · Mon, March 25, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 86 W/Lainne Love
Lainne had a natural home birth with her son at the age of 36. She has had a lot of chaos in her mama journey and didn’t know the father well and she does not have a relationship with him so being a single mom was quite the challenge. She was shocked at her numbness during pregnancy and because of her traumatic childhood, she was not as prepared to be a mom as she wishes she would be. She didn’t recognize herself when she became a mom and realized her ancestral karma was holding her back. Epigenetics is the study of which genes are expressed and when and why. In our DNA there are traits that are passed down and we don’t always have control of those things and how we react to them. With a waterfall of challenges when she had her son, the biggest was battling with the father, her son was an American and she wasn’t (she’s from Canada) and was in fear of losing her child, along with being a single parent. Lainne has a wealth of knowledge about being a mom of a neurodivergent child and you can find her at her website at lainne.com. Lainne Love on social media too!
S2 E85 · Mon, March 18, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 85 W/Lori Huertas
As a mama of one and a son who joined the military, that fear was encompassing because she had no idea how to handle that. When she was a new mom, she was on her own as a single mom. She had support from her parents when her son grew but lost both of her parents to cancer. She feels that she has grown closer to her mom since she passed because she learned about her moms past and her life trauma and how that made her who she was. Blessed with the most amazing son and having such amazing memories of his childhood made her tear up because she loved being his mama and could NOT be more proud of him. As the first Doctor in the family, he called and was worried about being the first to graduate (before her) and upsetting her. She wrote a children’s book about her dad called Papa’s Scooter, a Legacy of Love. Check it out on Amazon! Lori is a beautiful mama with a lot of love for her amazing son and she wants you to know that you are doing a great job!
S2 E84 · Mon, March 04, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 84 W/Candace Lance
Candace has been a working mom for many years and owns Holistically Well (insert tag here). Even though she wasn’t always 100% sure she wanted to be a mom. She envisioned herself as the professional woman in New York City, living the dream of being a working woman who blew your socks off. After five years of trying, she finally got pregnant and were now a military family. The military doesn’t really support infertility and the struggle of it. After a miscarriage on her own, in her own home all alone she finally felt the need to be a mom. This was the first time she had that motherly feeling the need to have a family. Her mama journey was full circle because the day her daughter should have been born, she found out she was pregnant with her son. She did not enjoy pregnancy and her birth story was quite a traumatic experience. Her dyslexic son is an amazing kiddo but her need to be a mama bear sometimes can be the catalyst to reeling it back to allow him to be his own advocate. Finding a balance of how to handle discipline with each age is tough but if you tap into yourself and allow yourself to see your own truth. You can find her at holisticallywellut.com
S2 E83 · Mon, February 26, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys -Episode 83 W/Diane Smith
As a lifelong educator, she has dedicated her life to the education of children. She started her mama journey just before turning 30. With grown kids, she remembers having very little support throughout having little ones. She moved to Colorado with no family there and struggled with the lack of help. Even though she was in education and taught while having kids, she didn’t ever teach her own children. Her neighbors were her biggest supporters and they created her own village. As she grew as a mom, and now a grandmother, she did some remembering back to the days of reading stories and singing songs to put them to bed. When your kids become parents and acknowledge how hard it is to be a mom, that’s a good feeling. She wishes she would have let her kids struggle more. The need to rescue him was so powerful that she always jumped in to help, creating a less persistent adult. She wants you to think about letting them struggle more. When you are in the thick of it and you feel like it’s never going to end, cherish what you can because it goes by sooooo fast! Check out her work at https://ecclacolorado.org/counties/douglas-county-early-childhood-council-dcecc/
S2 E82 · Mon, February 19, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 82 W/Samantha Opperman
Samantha and I have a long history and it was such a joy to chat with her. She was a flower girl in our wedding way back in 1995! Samantha was 26 when she had number one and after having number one, number two was a whole different story and it was hard letting go of not having control over the unknown. The mom guilt for number one was really hard to navigate as well. Her biggest supporter was her mama (who happens to be my BFF!). She loved hearing from her that she is doing a good job! As a mama of a 7 and 4 year old, her favorite part of being a mom is when they want HER to put them to bed and spend time with them. To feel loved and accepted by your kids is really the best part of being a mom. She wishes she would have started a journal of the things her kids have said. She wishes she would have known that pretty much everything you hear about being a mom like “it gets easier” is all a bunch of bullshit. Absorb where you are right now and live in the moment as much as possible. Everything is going to change, for the good or the bad within probably minutes so just go with it.
S2 E81 · Mon, February 12, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 81 W/Marissa Harmon
Marissa is running for MAYOR of Lone Tree, Colorado and is kicking off her journey into the crazy world of politics! She is a mom of 2 girls and is passionate about leaning into her community. As a mom of one, her biggest challenge with having her second child was the unknown of how to handle things when your baby isn’t meeting the same milestones as your first. Where do you turn? Who do you tell? As the mom, we are supposed to “know” and it wasn’t until someone in her hairstyle chair said to her, “Developmental Pathways is amazing” that she finally allowed herself to be open to the possibility that they needed help. After her daughter was given the support she needed, she has thrived. It hasn’t come without many heartaches but it has gotten MUCH better and Marissa has learned to open herself up to what is out there that can help you along the way. She wants other mamas to know that it’s ok not to know, it’s ok to ask for help and you need to find your village. Her biggest supporter, to this day, is her husband and she is so excited about this next adventure. MARISSA FOR LONE TREE! https://www.marissaforlonetree.com/ , https://www.rootsandmaneco.com/
S2 E80 · Mon, February 05, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journey's - Episode 80 w/Trista Goforth
Trista is a coach of women and focuses on empowering women. She gave birth in Costa Rica at home as a single mom. She lived in Costa Rica for seven years to learn a new culture, Spanish and more about sustainability. She is one of six kids and always wanted to give birth at home. One of her biggest challenges was going from having the baby in her belly to always having him on her boob. The demands are huge to moms and never ending. When her son started to mirror her yoga practice, she saw the fruits of her labors. She felt she truly sees her positive energy coming through her four year old. Her worst mama moment came when she saw the fear in her son’s eyes when she yelled at him. THIS is what it means to be a good mom (recognizing that we don’t always have our s*#! together!). She fell in love with the idea of having a child and a family but didn’t really have the systems in place to support that. She wishes she would have had more in place. She has great resources so check out her linktree at https://linktr.ee/tristagoforth .
S2 E79 · Mon, January 29, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 79 W/Melissa Rohlfs
Melissa is a wife and mom of 2 teen girls. Holistic health and life coach helping girls and women break free issues with food. Being a mom is so hard because you watch yourself walk outside of your body with NO control. Being a mom is a 24/7 job because someone always needs something. Her kids are 27 months apart and that seemed to work well for them. Overwhelming at first but as they grew, it was better. Her best mama moment is right now! She is loving how much they need her in a totally different way and with their brains more developed, it’s been fun with them. When she was overwhelmed and the kids were so young, it was hard on her. She wishes she would have known that it is not going to always stay this way. It changes so quickly but she couldn’t see past it at the time. Moms, you matter and it is ok to take care of yourself. YOU need to do what YOU need to do to be the best version of you! You can find Melissa at free2Bcoaching.com
S2 E78 · Mon, January 22, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 78 W/Jenn Fredricks
Jenn is a life coach and helps people to be proactive in their resilience. She helps people prepare and practice for the curve balls that are thrown at us. She is an adoptive mom of a 15 year old girl who brought her daughter home at 5 weeks old. She is a 2-time kidney transplant recipient so couldn’t carry children so decided to be an adoptive mom. Her story is quite unique and full of hope, love and big things. Her daughter has a life threatening disease that she has learned how to manage and support while navigating motherhood, running a business and “being where her feet are.” She wishes she would have known that she was not put on the planet to make her child behave or obey but to help shape the person they will become. You can reach her at jenn@prosiliencecoach.com for more information about proactive resilience!
S2 E77 · Tue, January 02, 2024
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 77 W/Elena Flannery
A native California girl challenged with not being able to surf every day. Her and her family are about to retire from the military after 20 years of service. With baby number one, she almost lost her life in childbirth. As a family, they have moved 8 times in 13 years! As a military family, this was their “normal” but watching their kids struggle with those moves was gut wrenching. She wants other moms to know that you are doing better than you think you are. You CAN do hard things and you should never stop playing with your kids! Experiences over stuff, every time.
S2 E75 · Mon, December 18, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 75 W/Jessica Dawson
As a new author of a book about postpartum stuff that helps moms with the 4th trimester, her honest, raw thoughts and experiences are helping moms everywhere. She is a young, intelligent mom with so much to share. She learned early to set boundaries and let her friends and family know what they have for expectations and highly suggests that for all moms. There are two goals after having a baby…one is to keep that baby alive and thriving and also for YOU to heal and thrive too. Mom’s health and wellbeing needs to be a bigger priority. Her first few weeks after birth were really hard on her and she uses her experience to help other mamas. Insta: https://www.instagram.com/postpartum_mom_guide/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550836755889
S2 E74 · Mon, December 11, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 74 W/Melinda Brooker
Married at 19 and baby number one at 20, Melinda flew across the world to Ethiopia, Africa to be with her husband who was stationed in the Navy there. She had to birth on her own, mother for the first three weeks on her own and then be a mom in Africa! It was quite a challenge but in her words, “you just did it, you had no other choice.” After returning to Michigan, they had baby number two and then she had the support of her family but in only two short years, her entire world was turned upside down when her husband was killed in a car accident. He was active military when it happened and she was left to figure out how to parent on her own without her spouse and rock. To add insult to injury, her father died two years later from a heart attack and she was left again to pick up the pieces. Listen to her story of resilience, love, dedication and one hell of a badass who just so happens to be my mother-in-law! As a family, we are blessed to have her as our matriarch and Nana who gives of her heart and soul to those she loves.
S2 E73 · Mon, December 04, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 73 W/Jenny Robbins
Jenny Robbins is a mental health counselor at South Platte Counseling. She is a mom of 2 boys with only one on this earth. She was first a young mom at the age of 20 and a college student and also an older mom at the age of 37! She was part of a network of moms with her second son and without that group, she couldn’t have been strong enough to get through the death of her first son 11 years ago. As a therapist who specializes in grief and trauma, she helps people move forward after a deep loss. She wishes she would have realized how fast it all goes and to enjoy every moment and be “in” it. She wishes she would have known this more as a younger mom but she knows it now!
S2 E72 · Mon, November 27, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 72 W/Jazmin Slaughter
Jazmin Slaughter is a publicist and mother of one who gave birth during a global pandemic. She was so focused on building her career and education that she wasn’t sure she was wanting to be a mom at the age of 25. But when she got pregnant, that changed everything, She has a Bachelor’s degree and is working on her Master’s degree. She wishes she would have known that the sacrifice of time would be the hardest part of motherhood. She didn’t value her “me” time. She wants moms to keep trying your best even when you don’t have your best to give. Give yourself grace. She is someone who is your partner for innovative and impactful public relations campaigns. You can find A Hint of Jazz Management at www.hintofjazz.com
S2 E71 · Thu, November 23, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 71 W/Dru Ahlborg
Dru Ahlborg was an older mama at the ages of 37 and 40. She could not believe they let her drive away from the hospital with a newborn all by herself! Who said she was ready for this? Her oldest son had to go through many feed therapists and had a lot of her first years as a new mom were exploring foods and getting him to get through his food issues, which centered around textures. It was a big challenge as a new mom. As her kids grow she is learning that moms and daughters can have some challenges that can make or break you. As a mom, sometimes we say the things that don’t serve our kids and we need to listen and support them. She runs the Bullying Recovery Resource Center to give parents support when they need help with bullying of their kids. Their mission is to defend bullied kids and help them rebuild their lives. They teach and coach parents in advocacy for their kids' mental health. They do a lot of education and partner with mental health agencies as well as neurodiverse groups. Check them out at https://bullyingrecoveryresourcecenter.org .
S2 E70 · Wed, November 15, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 70 W/Angela Fuller (One Year Update)
We spoke to Angela exactly a year ago (Check out the episode back on November 29, 2022) This is her one year update! Angela Fuller is a mother, a dedicated fitness instructor, a competitive gymnast, an inspirational speaker, and even an American Ninja Warrior, as featured on NBC's latest season of ANW this summer. Angela's journey is a testament to her resilience, having overcome a broken back and battled through postpartum depression by choosing faith over fear. Today, at the age of 43, she defies expectations, flipping and soaring through the air. Angela's true passion lies in motivating mothers to rediscover their love for movement and self-care after having children, emphasizing that self-care is indeed self-love, an essential part of nurturing both yourself and your kids. Her mission is to inspire mothers, demonstrating that it's never too late to pursue your dreams.
S2 E69 · Mon, November 06, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 69 W/Randi Bevington
Randi Bevington is such a joy to call my friend. We have been friends for over 20 years and from day one, I have thought she was a badass. As a mama of two littles, she has proven that she truly is. Her quote, “we are always managing relationships” really hit me hard because that’s exactly what we do as moms. We are always managing relationships and those relationships are constantly changing. WOW. That’s exhausting and frustrating because just when you think you have things figured out, the world, you or the other person in the relationship changes. Her advice to find your tribe and ACCEPTING the help (and even ask for it when you need it) is SMART! Give a listen to help you feel that you are not alone in this motherhood journey!
S2 E68 · Tue, October 31, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 68 W/Cheryl Schuberth
Cheryl Schuberth- Cheryl was a corporate mama trying to do all the things when she realized that she wasn’t giving her best self to her family so she stopped running the rat race and changed gears. Now a mama of 2 boys ages 20 and 18, she took her worst mama moment and turned it into a positive by helping other parents of teenagers. Celebrate the wins, acknowledge all the things you are doing well and stop beating yourself up! Peacing it Together is her company connecting parents everywhere. Check out her website peacingittogether.com
S2 E67 · Mon, October 23, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 67 W/Heather Reed
Heather started her journey without a lot of background knowledge about babies or being a mom. Followed her gut most of the time but when she was 9 months old she was diagnosed with cancer! The moment that happened changed everything. Motherhood is not about martyrdom. You can find her at heather@heatherreedcoaching.com or https://heatherreedcoaching.com/
S2 E66 · Tue, October 17, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 66 W/Dr. Sonal Patel
Dr. Sonal Patel is a trained pediatrician and NICU doctor as well as a parent of 4 boys! She is married to her college sweetheart and after living through Hurricane Katrina, she was 6 months pregnant and activated in a horrible hurricane. She hates the phrase, “bounce back” because you aren’t bouncing back to anything. You are a totally different person now, you are a mom and we need to allow ourselves to be that new person. As a south Asian mama, she believes in a community of moms from generations and that made all the difference. You can find her at NAYACARE.org.
S2 E65 · Tue, October 10, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 65 With Therese Connolly
Tess is a single mom who divorced when her son was five because there was a substance abuse issue that created a need for her to leave. After many years of trying to work things out, she made the decision to leave when it was the right time. She says the time in the car with your kiddo can be the most amazing conversations you can have. Take the time. You don’t have to be perfect, you can just be yourself. Reach out to her at mindfulkidsandfamilies.com or therese@mindfulkidsandfamilies.com .
S2 E64 · Mon, September 25, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 64 W/Lainie Strouse
A producer in LA who wants mamas to know “You can only do what you can do.” It’s that simple. The word “perfect” should be taken out our vocabulary because there is no such thing and we try too hard to emulate it and often its at our deficit. Quality is more important that quantity when it comes to time with your kids. Make sure they know that you are there so that relationship will always have an open door. Don’t love your kids in spite of who they are but BECAUSE of who they are.
S2 E63 · Sun, September 17, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 63 W/Mary Lanni
Mary Lanni was a delightful mama to chat with and her advice is to place a mask on yourself before assisting others. Also you may have to advocate for your parenting choices and your kids as motherhood goes on because everyone has an opinion and will question all that you do (especially when you are doing things differently than they did). Advocating for your choices isn't selfish, it's necessary for your own mental health.
S2 E62 · Wed, September 06, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 62 W/Jen Shapiro
Jen is an amazing mama who has been through a lot in the past few years as she manages some very tricky rare medical diagnosis'. Her advice and mama journey lead her share that it’s ok to screw up and not have all the answers. As a mama who struggled with a partner who had a mental condition that changed who he was as a human being and created a need for her to leave with her son for safety reasons, she has done everything in her power to create a stable, loving home for her and her son.
S2 E61 · Wed, August 30, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 61 W/Vita Lagalla
We tell our kids to push themselves outside their comfort zone and sometimes we need to do the same. Moms are constanly pushing themselves outside their comfort zones and we should be proud of where we are going and what we can do. When we have those proud mama moments, it makes the hard times just a little bit easier. Vita teaches us that sometimes when our lives don't work out the way that we THOUGHT it should, it can be even better than we imagined (but it isn't always easy to see the other side of the tunnel). As a coach and badass mama, Vita has some great REAL experiences that could help you!
S2 E60 · Mon, August 21, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 60 W/Rebekah Griffith
Rebekah is not only a mama of 3 but a DOCTOR of Physical Therapy and one hell of a badass black belt in Taekwondo!! She truly is one of a kind who always adds humor to every situation and is a delight to hang out with! As a family of five black belts, they are a strong, loving family who live life to it’s fullest. Rebekah’s experiences and words of wisdom will give you some interesting things to think about and experience all the feels.
S2 E59 · Mon, August 14, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 59 W/Emily Sutherland
"Allow yourself your wins." What words of wisdom from Emily Sutherland, a beautiful soul, entrepreneur, mama, friend, mama champion and so much more. Her business, Next Level Nutritian, found at nextlevelnutritionist.com helps people understand how nutritian is and will determine your health goals and create a reasonable plan to achieve them, bringing balance between Mind, Body, Spirit and Home. She wants every mama to be proud of herself and what a miracle she truly is and that begins with what we put in our bodies. Give a listen to see if you can learn from Emily.
S2 E58 · Tue, August 08, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 58 W/Danielle Smason
Danielle is a powerhouse badass who has been through a lot to get to where she is today. She wears many hats as a business woner, advocate for change, mom, wife, etc. She never thought she wanted to be a mom! She became one, went through a lot of struggles but in the long run is thoroughly blown away by the best adventure of her life. She is part owner of Break Up with Cake, an all-natural gluten-free and vegan, handmade, fresh and ultra premium snack. Check out their website at breakupwithcake.com.
S2 E57 · Mon, July 31, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 57 W/Chrissy Brothers
"You were made to be YOUR kids' mom. They need YOU." What a profound statement from our guest on this week's podcast. She is so right. SO many moms are too hard on themselves and think that other moms are doing a better job or would be a better mom for their kids when in fact, your kids are meant to be YOUR kids and you are doing a great job. When we are doing the absolutey best we can do, that's enough! Give a listen to Chrissy and her wisdom and beautiful story.
S2 E56 · Mon, July 24, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journey's - Episode 56 W/ Natalie Oliver Atherton
Have you ever sat across from someone and were in total awe of their beauty and grace and then they opened their mouth and you were astounded by their life story, their kindness and their talent? Well that happened to me with Mrs. Colorado, Natalie Oliver Atherton! She is a beautiful soul with so much love to give. She is starting a nonprofit, she sings and performs, she is a coach and a mom of grown, beautiful humans. She has done it all and she has some great tidbits to share.
S2 E55 · Mon, July 17, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journey's - Episode 55 W/ Jenny Zichterman
GO BLUE! Jenny and her husband, Tom are fello Michiganders who live in Colorado and have two great kiddos. Her story shows that even though our kids don't always follow the path that we think they should, they can make great choices and do wonderful things with their lives. Her mamahood journey shows that you can still do the things you love and negotiations with your kiddos can help make memories you will cherish forever.
S2 E54 · Mon, July 10, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journey's - Episode 54 W/Cyndi Phillips
Cyndi and I met years ago when she was a neighbor of mine. We watched our kids grow up together, we were in the same babysitting co-op and we became lifelong friends. She has been through a lot in the past few years but has come out the other side in a magical way. I am so proud to call her my friend and listening to her story made me realize what an amazing human being she is and just how much I adore her!
S1 E53 · Mon, June 26, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journey's - Episode 53 W/Julie Eisenberg
WOW. What an amazing human Julie is and you will learn SO much! She, and her daughters created a "method" to treat generational trauma and how it holds you and your body back from healing and moving forward. Our interview really opened my eyes to what trauma really is and how it can greatly affect your wellbeing in so many ways. Give a listen and think about how different your life could be if you address the trauma that may be holding you back!
S1 E52 · Mon, June 19, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journey's - Episode 52 W/ Jasleen Durham
As a young mom, Jasleen has felt reverse ageism where people don't take her seriously because she is young but her ability to see motherhood as an honor and the love she has for her daughter is inspiring and well beyond her years. She works hard every day to be the best mom she can be and build a life for her daughter and husband. Her ability to understand that it's ok not to love being a mom every moment of every day but still love the child you created with all of your heart is another reason she was such a joy to interview. This episode celebrates a full year of episodes of Let's Be Real! We are so excited to keep talking to all the mamas!
S1 E51 · Mon, June 12, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 51 W/Melanie Douglass
Melanie is one amazing mama, doing it all on her own with three kids, all with a diagnosis of autisim. She juggles school, a full time job, three kiddos, a house and ALL of the things. She knows that positive mental health is essential for a productive home and future. With three kiddos who have special needs and have waivers with the state, she is constantly fighting for what they need. Her number one supporter has always been her three kids and she is one hell of a good mom! Learn from her, hear her story and understand that YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
S1 E50 · Mon, June 05, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journey's - Episode 50 W/Stephanie Holzhauer
Stephanie is a badass business owner of Fit4mom, a mama connection exercising program for all mamas with or without a stroller (used to be called Stroller Strides). She is the mama of daughters agest 6 and 8 and her number one piece of advice is to find your village! Connecting with moms, building community and creating lifelong bonds is essential for moms to feel accepted and part of a team. Fit4moms can totally help you create those! Hear Stephanie's mama journey now!
S1 E49 · Wed, May 31, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journey's - Episode 49 W/Monika Nielsen
As a homeschooling mama, Monika has a unique perspective of motherhood AND educator. Her adventures and dedication to her family are truly inspiring. Her advice is to take a deep breath and know that it will all be ok...don't sweat the small stuff and enjoy the ride. Even when the ride is bumpy, it will lead you to the next adventure.
S1 E48 · Wed, May 24, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journey's - Episode 48 W/Kelly Dore
WOW! Kelly is one amazing human being who is earning kudos and honors from international organizations for her work as an advocate against human trafficking. Her generational trauma has created her focus in helping other humans heal and discontinue the havoc it causes. Trauma changes how you parent, live and create relationships and she wants everyone to know that healing and understanding how it can affect your world is very important. Kelly's accolades are too many to list but she is doing HUGE things internationally and is a wealth of knowledge about human trafficking and so many other subjects. Give a listen!
S1 E47 · Mon, May 15, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journey's - Episode 47 W/Emily Sanders
Emily is a badass single mom who wants all moms to know that they are enough just as they are. Even when your momma journey isn't going the way that you envisioned it to go, you are doing everything right for you and your kids. Emily's momma story will inspire you and prove that the best mommas are the ones that give a 100%.
S1 E46 · Mon, May 08, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 46 W/Lea
Lea and I had a great conversation about all kinds of different parenting struggles and how finding a passion your kids and you can connect with is sometimes the best parts of mamahood. Her advice is to learn early on that you have to let go of any thoughts of control of your kids' path. You can guide them but in the long run, they will be the deciders of their own destiny.
S1 E45 · Tue, May 02, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 45 W/Siobhan Sullivan
Siobhan (pronounced Sha-von) and I sat down to discuss motherhood from a gay mom's perspective with a son whom she adores more than life itself. As a lifetime Montessori teacher and badass early childhood educator, her perspective on things comes from a lens of always wanting what's best for him. Her advise for moms is to lilghten up and enjoy the ride. Parenthood is an adventure and if you take everything so seriously, you will miss the fun!
S1 E43 · Mon, April 24, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journey's - Episode 43 W/Sarah Hubbard
Sarah's new mama journey is heartwarming and so special. She struggled with infertility and after a very scary, taumatic pregnancy, she gave birth to an amazing baby boy. Her advice for moms is to be real, be honest and stop the fluff! Talk about the real stuff and you will find the support you need (but don't always know that you need).
S1 E42 · Sun, April 16, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 42 W/Marta Spirk
Marta is originally from Brazil and is a badass entrepreneur boosting other business people's confidence and helping them to grow their businesses. Her biggest success is birthing triplets and being one amazing mama! She believes heavily in empowering others and building them up to be the best business owners that they can be. Give a listen to how amazing she is as a mama, business powerhouse and person!
S1 E42 · Thu, April 13, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 41 W/Jan Kelley
Jan has an unique perspective on being a mama. She is a step-mama and an "adopted mama" to 10 different humans. She is a grandma to many and takes her jobs very seriously. She never planned NOT to have kids of her own but instead took on the role of step-mom to her husband's kiddos and has loved it from the beginning. Her story is unique and you should really hear all about how more positive influences on kids is a good thing when everyone involved is loving and works together for the betterment of everyone involved!
S1 E40 · Mon, April 03, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journey's - Episode 40 w/Odelia Elgarat
My conversation with Odelia will leave you with such an inspiring journey. As an immigrant to the US, she has been through quite an adventure and truly is an inspiration to all women trying to make a difference in this world. Her advise is to let kids be who they are as they are perfect just as they are! Give a listen and feel inspired!
S1 E39 · Tue, March 28, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 39 w/Sara Stoner
Sara and I had a great conversation about motherhood and how her experience with being a school psychologist working mostly with low income kiddos helped steer her motherhood journey. Every mom has a story and Sara has a lot to offer our listeners.
S1 E38 · Mon, March 13, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 38 W/Gary Clark
Tune in to hear a dad's point of view with our first dad interview! Gary joined me for a fun convo from a dad who says we all need to ASK FOR HELP and ask often and fast. Admitting you can't do it all yourself and that you need help is a super power and we need to normalize it.
S1 E37 · Mon, March 06, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 37 W/Carly Black
Carly has a special story with trama transformed into a beautiful spirit who only wants to make the world a better place! She works every day with Revival Society with a proprietary Moment-to-Moment Method is a deep process designed to help facilitate growth and change. We had a great conversation full of laughs and some great content! Give a listen!
S1 E36 · Tue, February 28, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 36 w/Cathy Begun
Cathy and I had a great conversation about motherhood and trusting your gut. As a mama, you know what is the right decision most of the time and if you just trust it, you will be amazed at how well that will work for you. Cathy also gave a big shout out to her FRAMILY...her neighborhood. She said look at those around you for a community, and sometimes neighbors are the right connection!
S1 E35 · Mon, February 13, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 35 w/Michelle Kuenzler
Michelle is a mom of 4, works full time and is beyond exhausted! Her biggest piece of advice is that YOU matter and YOU need to take care of YOU because frankly, no one else is going to do it! She says that mom's post-baby health is often overlooked and we need to do a better job of advocating for ourselves.
S1 E34 · Mon, February 06, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 34 w/Brooke Berndt
Brooke is a powerhouse mama who truly knows how to speak to your heart. Her advise is that it is NEVER EVER too late! Brooke became a mom at the age of 45 and although struggled with being the "older mama" she wouldn't trade it for the world. Give a listen and see what she has to say!
S1 E33 · Mon, January 30, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 33 w/SJ Struckmeyer
SJ is an integrated Nurse Practitioner with lots of letters behind her name who specializes in hormone, thyroid and nutrient optimization as well as women's reproductive health. Her vast experience and education are an impressive and her down-to-earth, honest interview was an honor to be a part of. You do not have to suffer in silence and SJ wants you to know you can use your voice or find someone who can do it for you. There are so many allies out there. Give a listen and share it with someone you love.
S1 E32 · Mon, January 23, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 32 W/Roseanne Tracy
Roseanne and Nikki talk about mamahood, how motherhood changes as you grow and how special your relationship can be with your adult children. Roseanne is a delight to listen to and learn from and we hope you enjoy this episode of Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys!
Mon, January 16, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 31 w/Vikki Faudel
Sometimes our past can really affect our future. Vikki has done everything in her power to fight for her freedom, her kids and her sanity. Listen to her story about an abusive ex-husband who did a lot to create havoc and disarray in her life. Vikki is another badass mama who creates positive paths for people with her business, The Mindset Team.
S1 E28 · Sun, January 08, 2023
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 30 w/Karyn Tillman
Karyn is a badass mama who has done lots of different things but the most important is being a mom to her 2 kiddos. She wrote a book with her daughter about the struggles with Anorexia and how that mental health struggle can rock your world. She is a beautiful mama, inside and out and her story will give you hope that through love, hard work and dedication, you can overcome anything.
S1 E29 · Tue, December 27, 2022
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 29 W/Brooke Hengst
Author, Real Estate Agent, twin mom, real estate investment expert and all around badass, Brooke Hengst was in studio sharing her mama journey and inspiring me to live my best life by always doing what makes my heart happy. Give a listen to Brooke's wisdom, love for her daughters and her success as a real estate agent in a thriving office.
S1 E28 · Wed, December 21, 2022
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 28 W/Karleen Wagner
Karleen's mama journey is not only heartwarming but she also gives us something to think about. When we look back at our past, it can only help us in our future. Our past is the window to our future and we can shape where we go by keeping the past in our rearview mirror.
S1 E27 · Mon, December 12, 2022
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 27 w/Phyllis Marlene
Phyllis Marlene is an entrepreneur and ingenious mama who sought something other than a 9-5 job that sucked the life out of her! Hear what she has to say about living your best life and figuring out what is best for YOU!
S1 E26 · Mon, December 05, 2022
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 26 w/Jaquetta Anderson
Jaquetta is an ambitious mama with many balls in the air! Something she said resonated with me on a deep level. See if you can identify a fantastic quote by Jaquetta! It may make you stop and think about how you treat YOURSELF. She is kind, she is beautiful and she is a badass! Give a listen!
S1 E25 · Tue, November 29, 2022
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 25 w/Angela Fuller
Just when you think you might be out of the game, YOU CAN GET BACK IN! Angela is one badass mama who realized her dreams weren't done yet. She teaches us to DREAM BIG and realize that we can do ANYTHING we put her mind to. Give a listen and feel inspired!
S1 E24 · Mon, November 21, 2022
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 24 w/Liz Henley
Are you a mom of boys? Do you wonder how you will get through some of your crazy days? Do you believe in being absolutely and completely HONEST and REAL about motherhood? Liz is a breath of fresh air with her candid take on motherhood! Give a listen!
S1 E23 · Wed, November 16, 2022
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 23 w/Dani Clark
Dani has a unique story with some twists and turns. Give a listen to how we explored our motherhood stories!
S1 E22 · Mon, November 07, 2022
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 22 w/Bri Salen
When I first met Bri, I knew we would be fast friends. Her sense of humor and ability to make people feel heard and seen makes for a phenominal human being. Her 2 babies are lucky to have her and YANAM2M is lucky to have her as a Board member. Have a listen to her mama journey and how she is a badass!
S1 E21 · Mon, October 31, 2022
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 21 w/Sondia Roberts
Prison...that's where Sondia had to parent from for many years. She was trying to create a life for her kids that their peers had and got caught up in it. Listen to her story and learn from her mistakes! You never know if you could be in her shoes!
S1 E20 · Mon, October 24, 2022
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 20 w/Trista Borrego
WOW! Trista has such a powerful message! You will be blown away by her strength and ability to move past the mama heartbreak she endured with her daughter. Give a listen to her conversation with Nikki about persevering as a mama.
S1 E19 · Tue, October 18, 2022
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 19 w/Christine Parsons
Take a listen to Nikki and Christine's discussion about how a severe hearing loss can change your path. How mothering is hard and also how mental health challenges can make or break you!
S1 E18 · Mon, October 10, 2022
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 18 w/Laura Wyse
Laura, a mom of 2, shares her motherhood journey and how teenagers can make or break you! Take a listen to Nikki and Laura's exploration of motherhood.
S1 E17 · Fri, October 07, 2022
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 16 w/Amanda Sakach
As a busy business owner with two teenage daughters, Amanda talks about her journey as a mom and how it has shaped her and the girls she is raising. Enjoy Nikki and Amanda's exploration of mamahood and how difficult it can be!
S1 E16 · Thu, September 29, 2022
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 16 w/Stefanie Holub
Stef and Nikki have been friends since 1997! Hear about their mama journey's and Stef's experience with the foster to adopt system in Colorado. TWINS and a great story for you to connect with and giggle with us!
S1 E15 · Mon, September 19, 2022
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 15 Laurian Holowitz
Give a listen to Laurian and Nikki as they talk about their mama journeys! Laurian is a single mom, creating her own path and making a difference in the world. We hope you enjoy our talk!
S1 E14 · Mon, September 12, 2022
Let's Be Real - Mama Journey's - Episode 14 w/Sheria Butler
Do you know anyone who has had 8 children????? I do! Sheria is one amazing mama who started her mama journey at the age of 14! This woman is amazing! You will not be disappointed.
S1 E13 · Mon, September 05, 2022
Let's Be Real - Mama Journey's - Episode 13 w/Heather Lutze
Heather and Nikki discuss their mamahood journeys, watching their kiddos grow and moving onto their own lives. Give a listen, giggle with us and maybe feel connected to our stories!
S1 E12 · Tue, August 23, 2022
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 12 w/Krista Simonson
You won't want to miss this interview with Krista! Nikki and Krista explore the complexities of motherhood, the ups, the downs, the heartaches and the celebrations. Check her out!
S1 E11 · Mon, August 15, 2022
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 11 w/Gina Schreck
What a hoot Gina is! Wait until you hear about her mamahood journey and all the things she has learned along the way. She is a mom of adult children and doing amazing things in her own right.
S1 E10 · Mon, August 08, 2022
Let's Be Real - Mama Journey's - Episode 10 w/Dana Christensen
WOW! This woman has 2...count them 2 sets of twins!!! You have to hear her story and learn how motherhood can be so very exciting but also daunting. Nikki and Dana talk about their motherhood stories and share stories that make them the moms they are today.
S1 E9 · Tue, August 02, 2022
Let's Be Real - Mama Journey's - Episode 9 w/Janell Arant
Join Nikki and Janell and explore motherhood through their experiences. Divorce, life, teenagers, parenting in 2022...what a challenge but also what a great ride!
S1 E8 · Wed, July 27, 2022
Let's Be Real - Mama Journey's - Episode 8 w/Gina Fontaine
Join Gina and Nikki as they chat about mamahood, their experiences and how to be a Super Mom! Giggle with them, learn something and enjoy 30 minutes of feeling as though you are sitting in the room with them!
S1 E7 · Mon, July 18, 2022
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 7 w/Gina Heumann
Discover Gina and Nikki's mama journeys and maybe learn a little about trama and how it affects motherhood. Not everyone's story is the same and learning from each other is so important.
S1 E6 · Mon, July 11, 2022
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 6 W/Abbey Harrison
Abbey and Nikki discuss motherhood, how twins change everything and how watching your eldest move on to adulthood can rip your heart out! Come along with us on our journey of mamahood and maybe giggle a little, learn something and have 30 minutes of YOU time!
S1 E5 · Tue, July 05, 2022
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 5 W/Connie Lamb
Nikki and Connie explore their mama journeys and learn from each other along the way. Motherhood is a journey and without other mamas, it's close to impossible. Learn how Connie and Nikki credit other mamas for helping them be better mamas.
S1 E4 · Mon, June 27, 2022
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 4 w/Julie Kessler
Join Julie and Nikki as they expore their mama journeys and how number 2 can be SO different than number 1!
S1 E3 · Wed, June 22, 2022
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 3 w/Deborah Freeman
Join Deborah and Nikki as they explore their mama journeys and find out that sometimes pregnancy happens when you least expect it!
S1 E2 · Mon, June 13, 2022
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 2 Nikki's Introduction
Meet Nikki Brooker, the Founder and CEO of YANAM2M (You Are Not Alone - Mom 2 Mom), a 501c3 nonprofit in Colorado to support moms. She has a loving husband, 3 fabulous kiddos and a thriving photography business. She has been an educator for over 25 years and is passionate about the mental health of our moms.
S1 E1 · Thu, June 02, 2022
Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 1 w/Taylor Stauffer
Taylor and Nikki talk about their mama journey's, and how being "real" changes motherhood. Learning from each other's jouneys can create a sense of belonging and acceptance that we don't have to do it alone!
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