A Little Less Of A Hot Mess

This episode is a recording of an instagram live that I did with Eve Rodsky, NYT Bestselling author of Fairplay and Find Your Unicorn Space. As I've watched Eve Rodsky shine in national media, and take up space on some of the biggest stages and in some of the most important conversations about social justice and gender equity, one thing remains true: Eve is on a mission to change the world...and I don't say that lightly! Eve has so graciously been a big supporter of my book, A Little Less Of A Hot Mess, and in this episode you'll here us in conversation about my book, the mental load, and women's/mom's mental health as a whole.

A bit About Eve:

Eve Rodsky is working to change society one partnership at a time by coming up with a new 21st-century solution to an age-old problem: women shouldering 2/3 or more of the unpaid domestic work and childcare for their homes and families.

Eve's books:

Raquel Kelley is a mother, writer, TV producer, and host of the MOMGUL Podcast. She began her career at E! Entertainment, where she worked for over a decade on shows such as Live! From the Red Carpet, Sports Soup, and Fashion Police. She was the Los Angeles expert for Conde Nast at BRIDES Magazine and has been an internationally featured contributor for The HuffPost. 

In this episode, I talk with Raquel about the high and lows of motherhood, expectations versus reality, postpartum depression, and her inspiration for writing her book, Where’d I Go?

We take a deep dive into real thoughts and feelings our minds and bodies go through during such a significant transition in our lives. Raquel also tells us how an unusual Christmas wish and a kids lift-the-flap book lead her to write a hysterical and heart-warming story for every mom to relate with!

This conversation was truly a dream come true. I got the opportunity to have an author's conversation with one my favorite humans, Best Selling Author of Fairplay, Eve Rodsky. Eve share her take aways from my book, A Little Less of a Hot Mess, and we discuss the intersection of her work around social justice and advocating for gender equity in the home and my work in the field of mental health.

If you haven't yet, run (don't walk) to but Eve's books, Fair Play and Unicorn Space.

In this episode, I talk with Meredith Raber. Meredith is the owner of Meredith Raber Virtual Assistant Services, a full-service boutique virtual assistance agency for female entrepreneurs. With 11 years of corporate advertising experience coupled with 4 years entrenched in the online business industry, Meredith provides strategic marketing direction as well as manages day-to-day tasks so business owners can focus on their core business. Her goal is to serve as a trusted partner and build long-term relationships with her clients. In today’s episode, we dive into the benefits of virtual assistance and how to know when it’s time to hire support in your business.

In this episode I talk about what the process of writing and launching my first book has been like- starting with my "why" behind taking the leap to decide to write a book (amid a global pandemic), how I came up with the topic and framework for the book, and what I have learned/still am learning through the process.

Tune in to hear about ways you can get involved in my book launch, and visit my website to sign up to be a part of the virtual book launch team.

If you haven't yet, preorder the book now (everywhere books are sold), and please share with your mom friends! 

In this episode, I talk with Jess Ekstrom the founder and CEO of Headbands of Hope, a company she started as a junior in college in 2012. For every headband that’s sold a headband is given to a child with cancer. Jess is also a professional speaker, author of Chasing The Brightside, and founder of Mic Drop Workshop where she helps women tell AND sell their stories through speaking. 

Our conversation included talking about learning to adapt to an abundance mindset versus a competitive mindset in a world built for men especially in the speaking realm, starting before you’re ready, and adopting therapeutic activities like journaling into your daily routine.

To receive 1 FREE Month of Bright Pages, please use the code: MESS.

This episode is my invitation for us to take a different approach to your goals in 2022. I don’t know about you, but I have done the whole new year’s resolution thing way too many times without being successful. And, of course, that always leads me to feel crappy about myself. So, this year I want to take a different approach. In this episode, I’m sharing why I think taking a different approach is important and giving you a few tips to start the new year strong.

One of my best friends, Jenny Watson, is on this podcast episode. She is a mama of two, a fellow wife to a firefighter, and a full-time real estate agent in both Sonoma and Marin Counties. I wanted her to come to the podcast to discuss what it means to be a working mom and the narrative we hold around it outside and at home. We talked about how Jenny has normalized the idea of being a working mom at home, the barriers that moms have to deal with if they decide to work, and how the pandemic has changed families dynamics.

You can learn more about Jenny on Instagram @jennywatson and follow her fabulous work @soldbyjj.

Reading has always been an important part of my life but let’s be honest, as a mom, I rarely get reading time. I prioritize audio over hard copies, but I still want to share my current reads in case you are looking for something to read during your time off this holiday. I have three book recommendations for you, two of them by two of my biggest she-roes and one for fun. I also have some suggestions in case you are looking for a special gift for someone in your life. I'm being very intentional with gifts this year so rest assured, these are meaningful to me. And finally, I'm sharing what I’m working on right now and talking a little bit about the book launch.

Today we are talking about the difference between being thankful and embodying gratitude. We can be thankful for the experiences we have, for our family members, etc. But gratitude is different from being thankful. Thankfulness is a feeling, but gratitude is an action. We show we are grateful through our actions. I'm giving you an exercise to do every day to evolve your gratitude and embody it. Very doable and quick, like we like them. If we start with ourselves, we can model gratitude better for our kids instead of forcing them to say thank you when they don't understand or feel it. The most significant way we can impact the people we love the most and help them evolve positively is to evolve ourselves.

As mental health has become more mainstream, more people speak up about their situations and feel more comfortable asking for help. But things get tricky during the holidays, so I wanted to do this episode around the questions I get asked all the time around this time of the year: Why are boundaries essential for the holiday season? How do I know what boundaries I need to set, and how can I hold them? The stakes are higher during the holidays because of all the expectations that come along with it. We tend to loosen up on our boundaries to please everyone else, and we suffer for it. I hope these tips help you feel more prepared and empowered as we start this holiday season.

Karen Laos is a keynote speaker and leadership coach equipping women to stand out with confidence. She champions female business leaders to own their value and find their voice so they can be seen and heard. Karen also works with teams to create cultures of trust and function at their best. In this episode, we talk about her mission to reach 10 million women to overcome self-doubt and speak with confidence, tips to assert yourself verbally, and the three-step process she used to manifest her way out of her corporate job.