by Julie Neale | Mar 8, 2023 | INVESTED - Podcast Episodes, Podcast
Welcome to this special Season Seven finale episode of the Mother’s Quest Podcast, released on International Women’s Day 2023. It feels like just right timing to bring this conversation to you, but the seeds for this episode have been germinating since last spring, when Jill Daniel of Happy Women Dinners came to me with an invitation. She asked whether my sister Caren, founder of Democracy Clothing, might be interested in hosting a brunch at her house in Los Angeles with best-selling author Eve Rodsky.
I had recently learned about Eve’s groundbreaking work, where she transformed her own “blueberries breakdown” into a catalyst for social change, applying her Harvard-trained background in organizational management to ask the simple yet profound question: What would happen if we treated our homes as our most important organizations?
Her New York Times bestselling book and Reese’s Book Club Pick, Fair Play, a gamified life-management system that helps partners rebalance their domestic workload and reimagine their relationship, has elevated the cultural conversation about the value of unpaid labor and care. In her highly anticipated follow-up, Find Your Unicorn Space: Reclaim Your Creative Life in a Too-Busy World, Eve explores the cross-section between the science of creativity, productivity, and resilience. Her journey and the tenets of both books came together in the Fair Play Documentary, a film by Jennifer Siebel Newsom in partnership with Hello Sunshine.
Needless to say, I encouraged Caren to say “yes” to this opportunity. I knew there would be synergy between Caren’s journey creating her hugely successful Unicorn brand Democracy Clothing, while raising two children and running a household, and Eve’s message. Jill gathered an incredible community of women for brunch that day where we gifted all of them with size inclusive Democracy jeans through a try-on experience that was empowering and a conversation between Jill, Caren and Eve that was profound.
When Eve said yes to being a guest on my podcast and it came time to interview her, I knew I wanted to include Caren in this conversation. What follows is an intimate look at the values and insights Eve has woven into her two books and an exploration of what Eve has learned about living an E.P.I.C. life.
As Eve shares at the end of this episode, the Mother’s Quest Podcast and this conversation between the three of us is also “unicorn space.” We’re so grateful to share it with you. We hope that what you hear sparks conversations with your own partner and children that bring to light and make more fair the division of labor in your household and that you use this as a permission slip to reclaim your own time and creativity in your E.P.I.C. life.
Content Note: Eve speaks in powerful ways and sometimes that includes a few carefully chosen bad words. I encourage you to listen to this episode in privacy or to pop in some ear buds if you are with your children.
About Eve Rodsky:
Eve Rodsky transformed a “blueberries breakdown” into a catalyst for social change when she applied her Harvard-trained background in organizational management to ask the simple yet profound question: What would happen if we treated our homes as our most important organizations? Her New York Times bestselling book and Reese’s Book Club Pick, Fair Play, a gamified life-management system that helps partners rebalance their domestic workload and reimagine their relationship, has elevated the cultural conversation about the value of unpaid labor and care. In her highly anticipated follow-up, Find Your Unicorn Space: Reclaim Your Creative Life in a Too-Busy World, Rodsky explores the cross-section between the science of creativity, productivity, and resilience. Described as the ‘antidote to physical, mental, and emotional burnout,’ Rodsky aims to inspire a new narrative around the equality of time and the individual right to personal time choice that influences sustainable and lasting change on a policy level. Rodsky’s work is backed by Hello Sunshine—Reese Witherspoon’s media company whose mission is to change the narrative for women through storytelling. Rodsky was born and raised by a single mom in New York City and now lives in Los Angeles with her husband Seth and their three children.
Connect with Eve:
Eve’s Books and Documentary Mentioned in this Episode:
About this Episode’s Co-Host Caren Lattiere:
Caren Lettiere is the Founder and President of Democracy Clothing, the casual lifestyle brand designed for the modern, multitasking woman who grew up with fashion, then got busy with life. Caren is fueled by a passion for making fashion accessible, affordable and ageless.
Best known for its “Ab”solution jeans with fit technology, Democracy Clothing embraces women of all shapes and sizes, providing them with confidence-building clothing that helps them look good and feel good, while doing good.
Since launching the Democracy brand, Caren has successfully led her dynamic dream team through a period of unprecedented growth. In November 2019, Democracy launched their e-commerce site, www.democracyclothing.com, to facilitate an even closer connection to the brand’s loyal customers. Following the expansion into e-commerce, Caren helped secure a partnership with HSN and has become Democracy’s spokesperson to a live nationwide audience.
With her knack for storytelling and her authentic enthusiasm in front of the camera, Democracy has risen through the ranks at HSN establishing a following for it’s multigenerational appeal.
Alongside Democracy, Caren’s proudest accomplishment is the fulfilling family life she’s built with her husband of over 30 years, David, and their amazing kids Nicole and Josh.
Connect with Caren:
Topics Discussed in this Episode:
- Eve’s experience as a “parental child” supporting her disabled brother and caring for her single mother
- The influences that led Eve to believe she could do it all
- How Eve’s big dreams of smashing glass ceilings turned into smashing peas after she became a mother
- The erasure of identity that happens for mothers and why we have to fight for an E.P.I.C. life
- We deserve permission to be unavailable from our roles and to do so takes power and unlearning
- Fair Play as a movement to reclaim our time and the toxic time messages that get in the way of our reclamation
- The importance of making our invisible labor visible with our children
- Why women feel ashamed to admit that the division of labor in their home is not fair
- The number one issue Eve heard from men about why they hated home life and how the boundaries, systems, and communication formula can shift that
- Using Fair Play’s Card Deck to engage in mindful conversation about domestic life with our families
- Eve’s description of Unicorn Space as an outlet for our passion and purpose
- Eve’s 3 C’s: Curiosity, Connection, & Completion
- The biggest key to mothers granting permission to invest in themselves
This Episode’s Challenge:
Eve challenges us to discover once again, our individual identity separate from our roles. She wants us to look for a trusted accountability partner, and report to that person one day next week, that you prioritized doing something outside of your roles as a parent, partner or professional. Take one day off and do something completely for yourself.
We welcome you to share your report in the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group so we can inspire one another!
This Episode is dedicated by Bridgid Coulter Cheadle
Bridgid Coulter Cheadle is an award winning, serial entrepreneur and philanthropist with a decades long history of advocating for access to education and protection of the environment. Bridgid is celebrated for her family’s philanthropic work with a focus on climate change, social justice, political decency, women’s equity and education for the historically marginalized.
Principal of her eponymous design studio, a boutique interior and design-build firm with offices in Santa Monica and Hawaii, her focus is on residential, hospitality, creative office space and furniture design. Established over fifteen years ago, Bridgid approaches each project whether for an individual client, a brand or design-build development; as an artistic venture whilst providing exceptional development from concept to administration. Her well recognized signature textile collections incorporate her own personal painting and design work that have been inspired by her avid travel and perception of nature.
In 2018 Bridgid founded Blackbird Collective, a for-profit public benefit corporation and the preeminent private membership collective for women of color and allies to create positive social and economic change for each other and the world. In its exquisitely designed Culver City Flagship location, Blackbird is a curated network of work, wellbeing and creative programming studios offering inspired space for entrepreneurs, makers, storytellers, executives, practitioners, trailblazers, content creators and changemakers to gather and work both individually and together, both in person and virtually — grounded by a love of storytelling.
With professional resources shared with aligned peers, experts and practitioners to support productivity, wellbeing, creativity and advocacy; Blackbird is a joy-filled place in aligned community where you don’t have to go it alone — where wellbeing includes the full spectrum of wellness to include nourishment of the physical, mental self with societal belonging. In 2020, Bridgid founded Blackbird Alliance, the non-profit sister organization to the collective, to further support advancement through sponsorship, mentorship and technical training.
She is a graduate of UCLA and serves on several company boards. In her free time, Bridgid enjoys fine art, playing board games, and solving the ongoing puzzle of juggling family life with her acting, entrepreneurial, and interior design careers.
She is the proud mother of two with the most supportive hubby; and she enjoys board games—and the puzzle of juggling family life with acting and interior design.
Connect with Bridgid Coulter Cheadle
You Might Like to Tune Into These Other Related Episodes:
Special Thanks To Jill Daniel of Happy Women Dinners
Happy Women Dinners is the brainchild of food writer, gourmet cook, and publicist Jill Daniel. As a food writer, Jill wrote about food from one coast of the country to the other. With Happy Women Dinners, Jill has brought together fantastic food and speakers with a focus on women. Happy Women Dinners events are held in intimate settings and limited to small groups of women.
Announcement
The Mother’s Quest Podcast will take a break between seasons until May. Make sure to sign up for email updates at mothersquest.com and join the free Facebook Group at www.mothersquest.com/community to stay connected and informed about all the good things coming.
Mother’s Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.
Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).
Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest
by Julie Neale | May 12, 2022 | INVESTED - Podcast Episodes, Podcast
Welcome to this first episode of Season Seven of the Mother’s Quest Podcast!
Today’s episode was sparked by an experience I had on my most recent big milestone birthday. The morning of December 1st, I turned 50 and the podcast, which was a 45th birthday present to myself, turned 5.
As I often do, I began my morning practice reading a book on my bedside table; the one I grabbed this time was a new one I had purchased called Wonder Seeker. Inspired by an idea within the gorgeously photographed pages, I hopped out of bed, wandered over to my bookshelf, pulled books from the shelves that were speaking to me on this occasion, and before I knew it had organized them into a pile which that became my “Manifesto for Becoming 50.”
There was such spontaneity, joy, and ease in this creative endeavor…qualities that emanate from the book Wonder Seeker and qualities I had long admired in Wonder Seeker’s author Andrea Scher.
So, when it came time to launch the new season and invite a guest to anchor our month-long Mother’s Quest May invitation to reclaim our E.P.I.C. lives in the Mother’s Quest Community, I knew just who to ask. What a delight it was when Andrea Scher said yes!
Andrea is an author, artist, and life coach whose work is driven by her belief in the transformative power of creativity for joy and wellbeing. For nearly two decades, through her award-winning blog Superhero Journal, her Creative Superheroes podcast, and her bestselling e-courses, Andrea has thrilled others with their own power to find the magic all around them.
Her new book, Wonder Seeker: 52 Ways to Wake up Your Creativity and Find Your Joy straddles the world of creativity and mindfulness – playfully inspiring readers to live more vibrant lives full of presence, joy, and connection.
Like the book, I felt like this whole conversation straddled the world of creativity and mindfulness. Andrea shares with us where she developed her unique lens of looking at things through “wonder goggles” as she calls them, about the big dreams she calls Mondo Beyondo, how she loved herself and her children through her divorce, and where she’s finding joy today. Talking with Andrea reminded me that our creative endeavors have ripple effects we may not even know and that we don’t need permission to pursue the things that we love.
I hope you love this conversation as much as I did and open yourself to seeking more wonder in your life. I also invite you to join me and Andrea in saying “yes” to our own Mondo Beyondo dreams, to our own creativity, and to creating our own Manifestos, by signing up for the Manifesto Challenge, linked in the show notes, tapping into some of the creative ideas for expression from Wonder Seeker, like the book spine poetry I drew inspiration from, and then joining Andrea and me on May 24th to celebrate what we’re creating and manifesting together.
About Andrea:
Andrea Scher is an author, artist, and life coach whose work is driven by her belief in the transformative power of creativity for joy and wellbeing. For nearly two decades, through her award-winning blog Superhero Journal, her Creative Superheroes podcast, and her bestselling e-courses, Andrea has thrilled others with their own power to find the magic all around them.
Her new book, Wonder Seeker: 52 Ways to Wake up Your Creativity and Find Your Joy (HarperCollins) straddles the world of creativity and mindfulness – playfully inspiring readers to live more vibrant lives full of presence, joy, and connection.
You can learn more about Andrea on her website or follow her on Instagram!
Connect with Andrea:
Topics Discussed in this Episode:
- What Andrea means by “Mondo Beyondo” and some of our Mondo Beyondo moments.
- How Andrea mindfully engaged with her children through the experience of her divorce.
- The simple somatic practice Andrea uses when she sees something she wants more of in her life.
- What women were taught growing up about pursuing what we desire and what Andrea thinks we need to shift.
- Manifesting and creating blueprints for our life goals.
- How you can see things from a new perspective and from different angles.
- Andrea’s magical journey to bringing her book Wonder Seeker to publication, something both 25 years in the making and that came to fruition in mere months.
- Andrea’s most recent “Wonder Date” experience with bioluminescent algae on Tomales Bay.
- Our joint challenge to you is to create a Mondo Beyondo Manifesto of your own.
Resources and Topics Mentioned
This Episode’s Challenge:
This Mother’s Quest May, say “yes” to the annual 7-day Manifesto Challenge, which you can access in the Mother’s Quest MemberVault. Then create your own Manifesto, utilizing the creative ideas, like the book spine poetry that inspired my “Becoming 50 Manifesto,” from Andrea’s Wonder Seekers book. Finally, you can join me and Andrea for a celebration of our creativity, Mondo Beyondo dreams, and our Manifestos (or Manifestos still in the making!) on May 24th at noon PST. Register here.
This Episode is dedicated by Jamie Greenwood
Jamie Greenwood is a self-care and leadership coach and the founder of Homecoming, a 6-month group coaching program that teaches big-dreaming, high-achieving women how to take exquisite care of themselves, without an ounce of guilt. With over 15 years of experience, Jamie specializes in helping women get really clear on who they are, how they want to live, and then actually doing it on their own terms.
Jamie is also the host of The Path Home, a podcast that explores the many facets of the home, how we find a home in ourselves, and how we create a sense of home in our work, our relationships, our communities, and in the future we want to see.
When Jamie’s not coaching, speaking, or podcasting, you can find her running after her 5-year-old and 3-year-old daughters and wondering what’s for dinner.
Connect with Jamie:
Mother’s Quest May Gift Guide
Need a little inspiration to invest in yourself? Check out our Mother’s Quest Mother’s Day Gift Guide! Choose yourself and say yes to taking time off! Buy something meaningful to you, sign up for the Manifesto Challenge, or contribute to a cause you care about– there’s something for all mothers here!
Mother’s Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.
Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).
Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/
by Julie Neale | Jul 21, 2021 | Mother on a Quest
Podcast guest, long-term community member, and Mom for Mom‘s Graeme Seabrook has an amazing new program launching, Motherload Liberation. We asked Graeme if she would share what she means by Motherload Liberation and why it’s so important, especially in the wake of the pandemic’s impact on mothers.
The last 18 months have been brutal. But let’s not all pretend it was sunshine and roses before. We moms, all 43.5 million of us, moved into this pandemic period already bruised and on the edge of (or fully in the midst of) burnout. It’s how modern motherhood is set up. We are expected to manage the mental, emotional, physical, financial, and cultural/spiritual health of ourselves, our children, and our families. We’re expected to do this while also being contributing members of our wider society outside of those roles. We’re expected to excel in all of these areas as if patriarchy, capitalism, and white supremacy aren’t poisoning us and our world.
It would be laughable if it wasn’t so tragic, if so many millions of us hadn’t internalized these expectations. So yes, this pandemic period has been awful in many ways – and it has also revealed rot that was already there.
I work with moms. As the founder of The Mom Center™, I hear from all kinds of moms from all around the country (and the UK and Brazil so far) and I’m hearing the same thing – burnout, frustration, and anger.
Even while so many of us are celebrating our moments of reconnection with friends and family, while we’re trying to navigate this ‘new normal’ I know that we cannot let the lessons learned during the height of the pandemic fade.
The way it was simply assumed on every level from the national government down to individual households that mothers would bear the childcare burden.
The way that was assumed by moms, themselves.
The millions of mothers who were forced out of the workforce.
The millions of mothers whose spouses began to work from home, but who never acknowledged all the home-work that was being done on a daily basis to make that possible.
Each year, I teach a course called Motherload Liberation. Not in 2020, though. I spent last year reworking the entire thing from the ground up. I did that because what I was seeing in homes across the country and around the world broke my heart and filled me with rage.
Mothers were being ignored, discarded, undervalued. Fathers who were oblivious.
And now the talk has shifted to going back to offices and jumpstarting the economy and somehow gaining back the losses women in general and mothers, in particular, have suffered. I don’t see how that’s possible without both personal healing for moms and collective action to change the systems in this country (and globally).
Because this will happen again. Or something similar will. There will be some emergency that puts pressure on the idea of the 50/50 relationship and the lie will crumble right before our eyes.
I cannot, on my own, affect systemic change. I can help moms to peel back the curtain and understand how these systems have impacted them, their partners, and their parenting. I can help moms make sustainable changes in their lives and relationships that will alter the balance of responsibility.
Motherload Liberation is a 10-week course for mothers who are married or partnered with men that address how patriarchy and capitalism show up in your relationship and in your parenting. The course includes an entire year of support from me as well, so no matter what comes our way you will not be alone in navigating it.
This course supports the inner healing work necessary for you to make sustainable changes in your life and in how your family works. I’m not talking about reading an article and trying something for a week – I’m talking about a seismic shift in who is responsible for all aspects of raising your children.
This course is for the mom of young ones who have been under immense pressure to be your child’s everything while in isolation and is overwhelmed and exhausted.
This course is for the moms of older kiddos who navigated online school, and missing friends, and reentry drama.
This course is for moms of teens who think it’s too late to make real changes and who are just holding on until graduation.
If you’re a mom in a relationship with a man, this course is for you. And now is the time. You’ve seen how even though “he’s not as bad as my friends’ husbands” he still doesn’t carry anywhere near the load that you do. You’ve felt the exhaustion and cried out the frustration. And I’m telling you that you can, you absolutely can break these systems down within your own home.
That change will ripple throughout your life. That change will embolden you when you are in the world outside your home. That change will show your children what adulthood and motherhood can be.
Motherload Liberation is enrolling now. I hope that you’ll join us. I hope you’ll share it with your friends. I hope you’ll choose now as your time.
Graeme is offering 10% off* for Mother’s Quest members. Prices go up after August 5, 2021. Click here to sign-up today!
P.S. Did you ever tune into the Mother’s Quest Podcast episode featuring Graeme? It’s a powerful conversation. Check it out here. During the episode, Graeme and Julie conceived of the Manifesto Challenge, what became a 5-day experience, with recorded videos, daily prompts, and a reflective journal to help you reclaim how you want to live your life in motherhood. You can now follow-along in a FREE self-guided journey on the Mother’s Quest Portal. Sign-up here.
* This post contains affiliate links to courses and products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
by Julie Neale | Nov 7, 2019 | INVESTED - Podcast Episodes, Podcast
Overcoming Overwhelm: Dismantle Your Stress from the Inside Out is the title of the book written by my guest for this episode of the podcast, Dr. Samantha Brody.
Dr. Samantha, as she is frequently called, is a licensed naturopathic physician and acupuncturist, and the founder of Evergreen Natural Health Center in Portland, OR. For decades in her private practice and virtual consulting business, she has helped thousands of people transform their lives with her innovative, personalized approach.
I love how the right podcast guest presents herself to me every time.
Because the truth is, I have been feeling pretty overwhelmed in my life right now. A new puppy, challenges with our younger son in relationship with the puppy, a traumatic experience with an active shooter scare at a theme park with my son Ryan, and a cold and cough that I couldn’t shake was definitely creating a sense of overwhelm.
But, inspired by this conversation, I decided to take a pause and start to take steps that are already helping me feel better. I said no to some things on my to do list, I pushed out the date of this episode’s release and I started shutting down my computer in the evenings. I reached out to Dr. Samantha for a consultation about my health and my friend, Casey O’Roarty of the Joyful Courage Podcast, for a positive parenting coaching session.
I also posted in the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group to share what was happening and was met with an outpouring of support. One mother who responded with compassion and to tell me I was not alone in how I was feeling was Anne Ferguson of MamaFuel, the perfect person to bring us this episode’s dedication about the importance of saying no and caring for ourselves.
Anne’s dedication, this conversation on the podcast, and the challenge and tools that Dr. Samantha invites us to explore have been powerful invitations for me to slow down, to look at what I value most, and to realign with a focus on self-compassion and self-care, to those things.
I invite you to press pause, to release something from your to do list today, so that you have a little more space to listen in to this reflective conversation with Dr. Samantha. Then follow through as I will with the “values” exercise she gives us as our challenge, share what you discover in the Mother’s Quest Facebook group where Samantha will be following up with us, and join me in taking more steps toward overcoming overwhelm.
Much appreciation,
P.S. Know someone who would love this conversation? Pay this forward to a friend who may be interested.
This Episode is Dedicated by:
Anne Fergurson of Mamafuel
This episode is dedicated by Anne Ferguson to every mama who has said no to the overwhelm and lovingly took the time to take care of themselves, so they can show up strong and whole in their lives and with the people they love.
Anne is the founder of MamaFuel, a global community of mamas who are learning to put themselves first, so they can enjoy happier relationships with their kids and thrive in every part of their lives. Anne hosts amazing urban retreats for mamas across Switzerland, where she lives with her husband, two daughters and one very demanding dog.
Anne is also the host of MamaFuel: The Podcast in which she shares raw, real and often funny conversations with mamas who are doing great things in ways large and small. Her mission is to change the way mamas treat themselves and each other so we can live in a more connected, harmonious world where mamas are thriving.
Anne’s passion for words and how we talk to ourselves and each other expands beyond MamaFuel. Anne recently founded Your Process Lab, a company that’s revolutionizing the way organizations train and motivate their people by ditching stiff, archaic language and communicating in ways that make today’s workforce take action. Anne consults to the United Nations on language and communication and is expanding her activities to include public speaking across Europe.
Visit the MamaFuel website: https://www.mamafuel.me/
Follow Anne Ferguson on Social Media:
In This Episode We Talk About:
- How Samantha’s medical trauma and experience being bullied may have impacted her healing career path
- Samantha’s commitment to empowering and supporting her patients to express their needs and advocate for themselves.
- Living in integrity with your values and the “tells” our body gives us when we are out of alignment
- Conversations with Samantha’s son about his adoption and about race (he is biracial and Samantha and her husband are white) from the time he was young and how that set up an openness and honesty about all kinds of conversation
- What is overwhelm and Samantha’s four-step process for overcoming it
- How so many things in our lives can come in “seasons” and how in this season for Samantha, slowing down to pause is serving her most
Resources from Dr. Samantha:
Resources mentioned in this episode:
This Week’s Challenge:
For this week’s challenge, Dr. Samantha challenges us to do the values exercise from a chapter in her book. This exercise is designed to help you understand what aspects of your inner and outer worlds are most important to you.
You’ll discover what values and ideals you want your life–and your choices– to be lining up with on a daily basis.
This is the first step, Dr. Samantha says, in finally overcoming overwhelm; if you’re trying to have less stress and/or if you want to be less overwhelmed, lining your choices up with your values is the key to making that happen.
Learn More About Dr. Samantha:
Dr. SAMANTHA BRODY is a licensed naturopathic physician and acupuncturist, and the founder of Evergreen Natural Health Center in Portland, OR. For decades in her private practice and virtual consulting business Dr. Samantha has helped thousands of people transform their lives with her innovative, personalized approach. She is the author of Overcoming Overwhelm: Dismantle Your Stress from the Inside Out (Sounds True Publishing). You can find her online at www.DrSamantha.com and on social @drsamanthand.
Connect with Dr. Samantha:
Announcements:
Mother’s Quest is turning 3!
It’s hard to believe but on December 1, Mother’s Quest Podcats will be turning 3 years old. In honor of that milestone, I’m going to record a special episode with some of the key takeaways and reflections I’ve had on my journey over the last 3 years. I would also love to share your voice and your reflections on things that you’ve been able to take away from these conversations.
Please take a moment to either send me an email at juile@mothersquest.com or leave me a voice message by using the speak pipe tool on the podcast page at www.mothersquest.com. I look forward to hearing all you have to share and celebrating this milestone with you!
Join Speaker Coach Alexia Vernon as Ambassador in the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group
Last weekend, I had an amazing experience hosting an Improv for Speakers Master Class with the incredible speaker coach Alexia Vernon. Even though many of you wanted to join us in person but couldn’t, you can still benefit from an opportunity to learn from Alexia. This month in the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group, Alexia is our “ambassador” and will be sharing tips and resources and answering your questions about public speaking. So, if you’re not yet a member of the group, come on over to www.mothersquest.com/community to request to join us.
Want More Reflection in Your Life?
Book A Discovery Call
Some key themes that emerge from all my conversations, is the power of reflection and the power of being seen. These are elements that I bring, not only to every podcast interview, but to my one-one-one coaching and Mother’s Quest Circle facilitation. If you’re seeking more space for pause and reflection in your life, I encourage you to reach out to me for a discovery call to learn how we might work together. Visit mothersquest.as.me/discoverysession to schedule a time to talk.
Click here to book a discovery call
One Minute Mom Manifesto
⚡️Have you been feeling a nudge to say “yes” to create your Mother’s Quest Manifesto? The official challenge and giveaway may be over, but the invitation and content is always there for you to create your #oneminutemommanifesto
Here are some easy steps you can follow…
👉 Join the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group www.mothersquest.com/community to find the “unit” for the Manifesto Challenge’s reflective prompts and live videos. It’s all waiting for you!
👉 Follow along with the “unit” at your own pace. Share your reflections along the way in the comments. Let us cheer you on!
👉 Give yourself some quiet time to create your own #oneminutemommanifesto in whatever way feels good…writing, art, photos, song. It can be simple and quick. Don’t overthink it. What matters most, as a guiding light, for how you want to live your life at this stage of raising your children?
👉 Share your #oneminutemommanifesto on social media with the hashtag. Tag me if you can to make sure I’ve seen it. Consider nominating a friend who would benefit.
–Join us, share or tag a friend, or comment on how the #oneminutemommanifesto has helped you if you’ve already created yours.–
Would LOVE for more of you to join us in claiming, or reclaiming, HOW you want to live your life ✨🙌
Acknowledgments:
A big THANK YOU to our “patrons” for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial and/or in-kind support:
Anne Fergurson of Mamafuel
On the Move and etsuko Kubo
Kate Amoo-Gottfried
Nicole Lee
Olivia Parr-Rud
“Vince” of the While Black Podcast
Sara Brannin-Mooser
Lindsay Pera
Julie Castro Abrams
Alexia Vernon
Brooke Markevicius
Democracy Clothing
Michael Skolnik
Helgi Maki
Kari Azuma
Tamara Sobomehin
Katie Krimitsos
Carrie Caulfield Arick
Rachel Rosen
Chandra Brooks
Jen Simon
Monisha Vasa
Celia Ward-Wallace
Vanessa Couto
Desiree Adaway
Rachel Steinman
Katie Hanus
Denise Barreto
Sage B. Hobbs
Samantha Nolan-Smith
Jody Smith
Emily Cretella
Collette Flanagan
Titilayo Tinubu Ali
Carly Magnus Hurt
Lizzy Russinko
Suzanne Brown
Mara Berns Langer
Mallory Schlabach
Katharine Earhart
Jessica Kupferman
Jen Jenkins Dohner
Genese Harris
Tonya Rineer
Liane Louie-Badua
Cristin Downs
Erin Kendall
Niko Osoteo
Erik Newton
Claire Fry
Divya Silbermann
Rachel Winter
Caren and Debbie Lieberman
Cameron Miranda
Fran and David Lieberman
Debbie and Alan Goore
The Sustainable Living Podcast
Support the Podcast
If you’d like to make a contribution to Mother’s Quest to support Season Three of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution.
If you would like to “dedicate” an upcoming episode to a special mother in your life, email me at julie@mothersquest.com
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Mother’s Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.
Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).
Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/
by Julie Neale | Sep 26, 2019 | Podcast, PURPOSEFUL - Podcast Episodes
I’m so honored to bring you this reflective conversation about investing from a place of trust in our dreams of becoming mothers, in our children, and in the causes we believe in, with someone who has been a dear friend and colleague for over a decade, Pia Infante.
As Trustee and Co-Executive Director of the Whitman Institute, Pia leverages decades of multi-sector experience as an educator, facilitator, organizational development consultant and more. In her work at the Institute and as a speaker, she advocates for radically embodied leadership and trust-based philanthropy in settings that have included Harvard Kennedy School: Center for Public Leadership, Ashoka Future Forum, Net Impact, Council on Foundations, International Human Rights Funders Group, and Skoll World Forum to name a few.
Before Pia joined The Whitman Institute, she and I worked together for years as facilitators of a practice called “adult reflection” and also supported one another in our own lives as participants in a women’s reflection circle. I consider her part of my “root system” and so appreciated the opportunity to reconnect and uncover lessons about Pia’s decade-long fertility journey, her relationship with her mother and her ancestors from the Philippines, her experience navigating post-partum depression and the waters of new motherhood, and her perspective about money as energy we can get circulating by investing in organizations and movements over the long-term, from a place of deep, relational trust.
The thread of trust weaved through the entire conversation. I hope you leave this conversation as I did, renewed and inspired to trust the unfolding of your own epic life journey, of your children’s development in their own time and in their own way, and in your own power to invest in the causes that matter to you.
Much appreciation,
P.S. Know someone who would love this conversation? Pay this forward to a friend who may be interested.
This Episode is Dedicated by:
etsuko Kubo of On The Move
This episode is dedicated to the diverse group of 30 women who are mothers, like etsuko, that work for On the Move (OTM) on behalf of themselves, their children and communities. OTM’s initiatives offer a powerful and groundbreaking combination of strategies seeking to engage and develop new leaders, collaborate with partners in rigorous systems change, and foster communities that are inclusive and equitable.
Based in Napa, OTM was founded in 2004 with a mission to develop and sustain young people as leaders by building exceptional programs that challenge inequities in their communities. Working for over 14 years to expand throughout the Bay Area, OTM has implemented programs and initiatives that develop the next generations of community leaders who reflect the diversity of the communities in which they live and work.
In partnership with local communities, OTM has explored innovative approaches to closing the achievement gap for children of color, transforming outcomes for former foster youth, promoting health and wellness across communities, and building strong, engaged families.
For over a decade On The Move has created and implemented innovative programming that challenges communities and local leaders to push beyond mediocrity and into excellence. Supported by a track record of results-oriented programming and in partnership with the hundreds of established community partners, OTM works to unite communities and focus on the safety and inclusion of all people.
Learn more about OTM and their work here
In This Episode We Talk About:
- Lessons learned on Pia and her wife Nzinga’s decade-long fertility journey to having their daughter Laniakea and the extra challenges a queer couple faces on that quest.
- Being present with our intention without being attached to every facet of the outcome
- Mindful engagement with our children and not trying to force our kids into a prescribed timeline or way of doing things
- Whitman Institute’s decision to “spend down,” the concept of money as “energy” and why Pia wishes more of us would get money circulating
- Thoughtful ways philanthropists and donors can shift the power dynamic with those they fund to be more equitable, building non-transactional relationships, reciprocal relationships, and investing as partners
- Why a funder’s job is to put gas in the tank of those they fund, not to tell them to use this GPS or follow this particular map.
- The challenges of post-partum depression and that feeling of love and terror simultaneously Pia experienced as a new mother
- The power of building new circles of community and how connecting with other mothers struggling with the same issues helped Pia crawl onto a life raft from what felt like a swamp.
- Investing in our children, ourselves, and in the causes we care about
Resources Connected to this Episode:
Additional Resources from Pia:
This Week’s Challenge:
In this episode, Pia challenges us to tap into the power of money as energy and to get it circulating by making a monthly long-term commitment to a cause we think will contribute to an epic life. I said yes to this by personally committing to a monthly, long-term donation to the organization featured in the episode’s dedication, On the Move, and also decided to engage my children and husband in making a long-term commitment to a cause that matters to them by year-end.
Learn More About Pia:
Pia Infante is the Co-Executive Director of The Whitman Institute, which seeks to leverage the power of trust-based philanthropy to promote more equitable practices in resourcing social good.
As Trustee and Co-Executive Director of The Whitman Institute, Pia draws on decades of multi-sector experience as an educator, facilitator, organizational development consultant, executive coach, non-profit manager, business owner, writer and speaker to advocate for trust-based practice.
Pia also speaks and teaches on radically embodied leadership and trust-based practice in many settings including Harvard Kennedy School: Center for Public Leadership, Ashoka Future Forum, Opportunity Collaboration, Net Impact, Council on Foundations, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, International Human Rights Funders Group, and Skoll World Forum 2017.
She proudly serves as the Board Chair for the Center for Media Justice. She is an I.C.F. certified executive leadership coach, holds a M.A. in Education from the New School for Social Research, and a B.A. in Rhetoric from the University of California at Berkeley.
Connect with Pia:
Announcements:
Mother’s Quest Q & A with Ashia Ray
My incredible guest, Ashia Ray, and I have set aside October 3rd from noon to 1 pm for a Mother’s Quest Q & A with Ashia. To register, join us in the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group to find announcements. Click mothersquest.com/comunity to join.
Watch out for a Bonus Episode!
If you want to know what is on Ashia Ray’s bookshelf, join the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group where we will be releasing bonus audio to the group next week!
Women Podcasters in Solidarity Initiative
If you identify as a woman podcaster, I hope you’ll join us for the third season of the Women Podcasters in Solidarity Initiative. Our group recently committed to the topic of immigration from a social justice perspective, and we invite you to join us by committing to record an episode that can shine a light on this important issue. To take a look at past seasons and get more information visit www.womenpodcastersinsolidarity.com.
Want More Reflection in Your Life?
Book A Discovery Call
Some key themes that emerge from all my conversations, is the power of reflection and the power of being seen. These are elements that I bring, not only to every podcast interview, but to my one-one-one coaching and Mother’s Quest Circle facilitation. If you’re seeking more space for pause and reflection in your life, I encourage you to reach out to me for a discovery call to learn how we might work together. Visit mothersquest.as.me/discoverysession to schedule a time to talk.
Click here to book a discovery call
One Minute Mom Manifesto
⚡️Have you been feeling a nudge to say “yes” to create your Mother’s Quest Manifesto? The official challenge and giveaway may be over, but the invitation and content is always there for you to create your #oneminutemommanifesto
Here are some easy steps you can follow…
👉 Join the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group www.mothersquest.com/community to find the “unit” for the Manifesto Challenge’s reflective prompts and live videos. It’s all waiting for you!
👉 Follow along with the “unit” at your own pace. Share your reflections along the way in the comments. Let us cheer you on!
👉 Give yourself some quiet time to create your own #oneminutemommanifesto in whatever way feels good…writing, art, photos, song. It can be simple and quick. Don’t overthink it. What matters most, as a guiding light, for how you want to live your life at this stage of raising your children?
👉 Share your #oneminutemommanifesto on social media with the hashtag. Tag me if you can to make sure I’ve seen it. Consider nominating a friend who would benefit.
–Join us, share or tag a friend, or comment on how the #oneminutemommanifesto has helped you if you’ve already created yours.–
Would LOVE for more of you to join us in claiming, or reclaiming, HOW you want to live your life ✨🙌
Acknowledgments:
A big THANK YOU to our “patrons” for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial and/or in-kind support:
On the Move and etsuko Kubo
Kate Amoo-Gottfried
Nicole Lee
Olivia Parr-Rud
“Vince” of the While Black Podcast
Sara Brannin-Mooser
Lindsay Pera
Julie Castro Abrams
Alexia Vernon
Brooke Markevicius
Democracy Clothing
Michael Skolnik
Helgi Maki
Kari Azuma
Tamara Sobomehin
Katie Krimitsos
Carrie Caulfield Arick
Rachel Rosen
Chandra Brooks
Jen Simon
Monisha Vasa
Celia Ward-Wallace
Vanessa Couto
Desiree Adaway
Rachel Steinman
Katie Hanus
Denise Barreto
Sage B. Hobbs
Samantha Nolan-Smith
Jody Smith
Emily Cretella
Collette Flanagan
Titilayo Tinubu Ali
Carly Magnus Hurt
Lizzy Russinko
Suzanne Brown
Mara Berns Langer
Mallory Schlabach
Katharine Earhart
Jessica Kupferman
Jen Jenkins Dohner
Genese Harris
Tonya Rineer
Liane Louie-Badua
Cristin Downs
Erin Kendall
Niko Osoteo
Erik Newton
Claire Fry
Divya Silbermann
Rachel Winter
Caren and Debbie Lieberman
Cameron Miranda
Fran and David Lieberman
Debbie and Alan Goore
The Sustainable Living Podcast
Support the Podcast
If you’d like to make a contribution to Mother’s Quest to support Season Three of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution.
If you would like to “dedicate” an upcoming episode to a special mother in your life, email me at julie@mothersquest.com
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Mother’s Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.
Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).
Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/
