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Mother's Quest Podcast

Are you a mom who is ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life? A few months before a big milestone birthday, host Julie Neale, a life and leadership coach, community builder and mom to two high-energy boys, decided to stop sidelining her dreams and become the hero of her own journey. She created this show to help light her way by gathering words of wisdom and lessons learned from other mothers further ahead on their quest. 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). Come along with Julie and you are sure to find some treasures of your own.
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Now displaying: 2018
Dec 21, 2018

I’m thrilled to share this special finale episode of the Mother’s Quest podcast with my very own sister, Caren Lettiere. Caren, ten years older than me and like a second mother in many ways, has been a guide, mentor and inspiration to me my whole life.

She’s an ambitious, talented leader in the fashion industry and has managed to grow a $70 million dollar brand, Democracy Clothing, alongside a 27 year marriage and raising two of the loveliest young adults I know, my niece and nephew Nicole and Josh.

After graduating from UCLA with a degree in political science, she took a different course and embarked on a career path in fashion, beginning in sales for a company called Rampage, and ultimately landing at Kellwood. There, she first filled a gap she noticed her daughter had for jeans and developed a brand to meet it called Jolt/Rewind.

Soon after, she recognized an even greater underserved customer in the market, a dynamic, modern, multitasking mother like herself who loves fashion but got busy with life. Devoted to this ageless woman and aware that she doesn’t want to put an expiration date on her vitality, but could benefit from a little “engineering” when it comes to jeans, Caren launched Democracy Clothing.

I loved this conversation with my sister and learned so much myself about how she grew the brand from her side hustle into the tremendously successful venture it is today.

Family, magic, a positive mindset and a willingness to grow and evolve in community are just a few of the themes we explore in this episode. We cover everything from the important role that Caren’s husband David played in supporting her career to how they both championed their son Josh last year, when he received a cancer diagnosis and moved forward with his own positivity through three rounds of chemo and a clean bill of health.

Caren also shares openly about her own health challenges and all the ways she has built community, at home and at work, to help her thrive.

Finally, Caren gives us a special challenge. She asks us to follow and apply the 4 Pillars of Democracy Clothing:  to embrace who you are, enhance what you’ve got, elevate your taste level and evolve your personal style, in order to live a more whole and confident life.

There’s also a special offer just for us…if you want to explore those pillars in a pair of Democracy jeans yourself, she’s offering a special 10% discount code, 10DEMOCRACY, that you can use on Amazon.com through January 13th.

If this calls to you, we encourage you to purchase a pair, wear them with confidence doing something that really matters to you, and then take a photo and share your story with us on Instagram using the hashtags #democracyclothing and #mothersquest.

We look forward to seeing and hearing your stories (then sharing them on Democracy’s Instastories) and learning about all the ways you are “rocking your walk,” as Caren likes to say… in your E.P.I.C. life.

Much appreciation,

P.S. Know someone who you think would appreciate this special episode? Click forward and share this conversation!

This Episode is Dedicated by:

The team at Democracy, represented by Director of Sales Judy Owens.

Democracy is a denim-based casual lifestyle brand devoted to the woman who grew up with fashion, but then got busy with life.

Founded in 2010, on the principle of “Curve Equality,” which acknowledges that all shapes are not created equal, Democracy’s designers set out to create a jean that that would maximize a woman’s shape by fusing together, style, comfort and technology.

Sales inquiries: democracy.sales@kellwood.com
www.democracyclothing.com
www.facebook.com/democracyjeans
www.twitter.com/democracyjeans
www.instagram.com/democracyclothing

In This Episode We Talk About:

  • The BuzzFeed Article that sparked this episode and revealed Mother’s Quest community member Nancy Netherland’s story of wearing Democracy jeans from Capital Hill to her daughter’s hospital bedside
  • 3 Things Caren learned from our mother, growing up as a 60’s child
  • Caren’s path to living an E.P.I.C. life through pursuing her love of fashion
  • Moments that make me and Caren cry as she reflects on the impact of our mother and father and her husband on her life
  • How Democracy Clothing started out as Caren’s side hustle, the unique woman who inspired the brand, and how her work family helped it succeed
  • The one thing Caren always knew she was on a quest for
  • Keys to honoring your kids as they become more independent
  • Caren’s son Josh’s experience battling testicular cancer last year and how she and her husband David honored his choices
  • What Caren’s Dr. told her she could NOT do if she wanted to avoid diabetes, how she reclaimed her health, and the special way she starts her mornings alongside her daughter Nicole
  • The Four Pillars of Democracy Clothing and a special challenge and discount for the Mother’s Quest Community 

Resources and Topics Mentioned:

Other Episodes with My Family Members:

This Week’s Challenge:

For this week’s challenge, Caren encourages us to take a moment and recognize that you are an extraordinary and dynamic woman. Learn to give yourself space to appreciate who you are and how you got to where you are now.

Caren also asks us to follow and apply the 4 Pillars of Democracy to:  embrace who you are, enhance what you’ve got, elevate your taste level and evolve your personal style, in order to feel good about yourself and live a more whole and confident life.

There’s also a special offer…if you want to explore those pillars in a pair of Democracy jeans yourself, she’s offering a special 10% discount code, 10DEMOCRACY, that you can use on Amazon.com through January 13th. We encourage you to purchase a pair, wear them with confidence doing something that really matters, and then take a photo and share your story with us using the hashtags #democracyclothing and #mothersquest.

We look forward to seeing and hearing your stories and learning about all the ways you are “rocking your walk,” as Caren says…in your E.P.I.C. life.

*Don’t forget to put #DemocracyClothing #MothersQuest as you share your Jeans story on Instagram and have an opportunity to have yours shared on Democracy’s Instastories.

The code can be redeemed on multiple units of Democracy but only on one order per person. Code is valid through 1/13/19 or until supplies last.

Learn More About Caren Lettierre:

Caren is the founder and President of Democracy Clothing, the brand that she passionately created and launched in 2010 for Kellwood.

After graduating from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in political science, Caren embarked on her non-traditional career path into fashion. She began in sales, launching the Rampage Clothing brand and their modern missy sub-brand CDC. After this, she embarked on her quest to fill the void in fashion for the dynamic, modern, multitasking woman.

Through her empathetic lens, she embraces women of all shapes and sizes and is committed to providing them with the foundation and confidence as they pursue their E.P.I.C. life.

Caren’s proudest accomplishment is the fulfilling family life that she built along the way with David, her husband of 27 years and their amazing kids Nicole and Josh.

LinkedIn

Announcements:

Support the Circle of Mothers GoFundMe Campaign

As of December of 2018, 644 children and 2,729 teens have been killed by gun violence in the US this year. If you feel  pain at the loss of so many young lives full of promise, imagine the devastating grief experienced by the mothers they’ve left behind.

On May 16, 2014, Sybrina embarked on a powerful call to action to support and invest in mothers, by reaching out to mothers grieving in our communities. The Circle of Mothers, an annual retreat for women who have lost a child to senseless gun violence, was born. 

It costs $1,500 to sponsor a mother who would otherwise not be able to participate in Circle of Mothers. Activist Michael Skolnik and I have pledged the first $3,000 of this $15,000 campaign, 2 toward our goal of 10 women we hope to send. 

I pray that one day we won’t need The Circle of Mothers, because we’ve brought an end to gun violence in the US and no more mothers will have to grieve the theft of their children’s lives.  

Until then, I hope you’ll open your hearts and minds to Sybrina’s story, lift up grieving mothers who seek healing, and invest in them to lead the way forward.

Support the Campaign

Women Podcasters in Solidarity

Tragically, I have now lost count of the number of mass shootings have taken place just in the time since the Women Podcasters in Solidarity selected “gun safety” as the issue we want to shine a light on this season.

Grateful to partner with Cristin Marie and Elsie Escobar on bringing this season of the Initiative to life. It is my deepest hope that through the power of podcasting, the episodes we will record, the conversations we will share with our listeners, and the dollars we will collectively raise toward gun safety causes, will save lives.

Please take a look at Cristin’s post here and say “yes” to the Initiative yourself or help spread the word to reach other podcasters who would want to join.

Mother’s Quest Circle

APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR FEBRUARY 2019!!

If you’re on a quest to live an E.P.I.C. life, but you’ve been feeling challenged, isolated, or unsure of the path ahead, the Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle may be the source of connection you’re looking for.

The Mother’s Quest Circle provides inspiration, coaching and community for an intimate group of no more than 8 women who are ready to say “yes” to:

  • Reflect together, in a community of like-minded mothers, on what matters most
  • To consciously live their version (not someone else’s) of an E.P.I.C. life
  • To take bold action toward one of the E.P.I.C. life guideposts before the end of the sessions
  • To hold space for sharing, coaching, and championing one another so we are “in community” on our journey

If you’re looking to start the year strong, the Circle is a great way to make an investment in yourself and what matters most to you. Apply here to add your name to the wait list. 

Watch out for Season Four

This is the last episode of Season Three of the Mother’s Quest Podcast. I’ll be taking some time off from podcasting during the holidays and start of the new year but will be back in February with an incredible Season Four. Until then, I invite you to subscribe if you haven’t already to catch up on any episodes you’ve missed. And would love to see you in the private Mothers’ Quest Facebook Group where we will continue to build community and connection. Visit www.mothersquest.com/community to join.

Acknowledgements:

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:

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

 


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. lifeEngaging 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/

Dec 19, 2018

I’m honored to bring this special episode of the Mother’s Quest Podcast to you with mother, activist, writer, co-founder of the Trayvon Martin Foundation and an inspiration to so many, Sybrina Fulton. 

The episode is the last in a series I’ve recorded for the Women Podcasters in Solidarity Initiative on the subject of gun safety and the intersectional impact of gun violence on our communities. 

Unfortunately, Sybrina deeply knows the grief that comes in the wake of gun violence. But, after the deadly 2012 shooting of her beloved son, Trayvon Benjamin Martin, she felt compelled to rise up, literally pushing herself to get out of her bed, becoming the voice for her son and embarking on a journey to bring awareness to senseless gun violence and racial profiling.  

In 2016, Sybrina rallied to the forefront at the Democratic National Convention with a group of African American trailblazing women, connected by tragedy, who became known as “Mothers of the Movement” for the “Black Lives Matter” Movement the death of their children sparked. 

She didn’t stop there. In 2017, Sybrina co-authored her first book, Rest in Power, The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin, a memoir recounting the death of her son, which became the subject of a docu-series that debuted this year, Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story, produced by hip-hop mogul Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter.

This intimate conversation, over a year in the making, was a unique opportunity to delve into Sybrina’s own journey, how the E.P.I.C. guideposts show up in her life and in her activism, and to hear her powerful call to action to invest in mothers, by reaching out to mothers grieving in our own communities and by contributing to her “Circle of Mothers,” a labor of love that came to her in her dreams. 

I’m grateful to activist Michael Skolnik, who dedicated this episode, for connecting me to Sybrina and for inviting us to spread this conversation far and wide and direct resources to help mothers turn their grief into healing and advocacy, following Sybrina’s powerful example. 

Michael and I have each pledged the first $3,000 to the campaign, each of us $1500 to sponsor a different mother to attend Circle of Mothers. I hope you’ll open your hearts and minds to Sybrina’s story, visit mothersquest.com/circleofmothers and join us in contributing to her mission. 

Much appreciation, 

P.S. Know someone who you think would appreciate this special episode? Push forward and share this conversation!

This Episode is Dedicated by:
Michael Skolnik

Michael Skolnik was recently profiled in the NY Times and identified as “the man you go to if you want to leverage the power of celebrity and the reach of digital media to soften the ground for social change.” But, besides all of that, he is most proud to be the father of Mateo Ali, a rambunctious five year old. 

He is the co-founder and partner of The Soze Agency, a social impact agency that partners with companies, non-profits, foundations and movements to create campaigns that uplift compassion, authenticity and equity.

He is a respected leader in the new social justice movement, and has helped ignite conversations around America’s relationship with race, the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown and Eric Garner, and the Obama and Trump presidencies.

He is a prolific voice on social media with more than 350,000 followers, and a regular commentator on outlets such as CNN, MSNBC and Fox News.

Michael serves on the Board of Directors for Rock The Vote, The Trayvon Martin Foundation, Policy Link, The Gathering For Justice and The Young Partners Board of The Public Theater.

Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn
Twitter
The Soze Agency
Learn more about Michael Skolnik: https://about.me/michaelskolnik

 

In This Episode We Talk About:

  • What Sybrina wishes everyone would know about approaching a conversation with a mother who has lost a child.
  • My 14 year old son’s question to Sybrina about what it feels like when your calling and the powerful work you’re doing is sparked by a tremendous loss.
  • Why we need systemic and cultural change, and more awareness-raising conversations, to keep young people of color safe from racial profiling.
  • The tragic death of Chinedu Okobi, an unarmed young black man who was tasered to death by San Mateo County deputies, just 20 minutes from my own home.
  • The importance for grieving mothers to remember the things that they used to love and what Sybrina’s joyful outlet is
  • The Circle of Mothers and how the idea to create it came to Sybrina in a dream.
  • Sybrina’s challenge for all of us to open our hearts and to reach out to mothers, across differences, who have lost their child to let them know we care.
  • Why investing in mothers is the most powerful lever to impact gun control.

 

Resources and Topics Mentioned:

Other Mother’s Quest Episodes in This Series on Gun Safety: 

And in Last Year’s Series on Anti-Racism and Police Accountability:

 

This Week’s Challenge:

For this week’s challenge, Sybrina asks us to reach out to a mother who has lost a child and be a support to them. Take them out, let them know you are here, organize something for a group. Let them know that they are not alone. 

You can also show your support, and invest in the healing of mothers who can lead the way forward, by contributing directly to the GoFundMe campaign and sponsor mothers to attend this year’s Circle of Mothers event. We have a goal to raise $15,000 and send 10 mothers, at $1,500 per person, who wouldn’t otherwise be able to attend. 

CLICK HERE 

Learn More About Sybrina Fulton:

After the death of her beloved son, Trayvon Benjamin Martin, in February 2012, Sybrina Fulton was charged with a new mission. A desire to transform family tragedy into social change allowed her to establish the Trayvon Martin Foundation in March 2012.

As Fulton traverses the globe, she passionately embarks on a journey designed to bring awareness to senseless gun violence and serves as an advocate to families, the catalyst for her dream project, the “Circle of Mothers.” Winning the national support of president-elect Hillary Clinton, Fulton rallied to the forefront in 2016 at the Democratic National Convention with a cadre of African American trailblazing women known as “Mothers of the Movement.” The women, connected by tragedy, are the inspiration behind the “Black Lives Matter.”

In 2017, Fulton co-authored her first book, Rest in Power, The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin, a memoir recounting the death of her son, and the subject of a six-part docuseries, Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story, produced by hip-hop mogul Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter for Paramount Network and BET (July 2018).

Bestowed with many distinguished awards, Sybrina Fulton has represented the United States at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss racial discrimination; the National Urban League, Black Lives Matter, Rainbow PUSH Coalition, The Triumph Awards (2016), Essence Festival & Conference (2017, 2018), and was selected as the White House’s guest of honor for the unveiling of former President Barak Obama’s initiative, “My Brother’s Keeper.” Fulton is also one of the 2018 recipients of VH1’s Trailblazer Honor Award.

A Miami native and graduate of Florida Memorial University, Sybrina Fulton, along with her son, Jahvaris, are on a mission to build better, safer communities. She is a proud member of the Miami Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the Metropolitan Dade County Section of the National Council of Negro Women, Inc.

She created the Circle of Mothers as a way to empower women. The purpose of the Circle of Mothers is to bring together mothers who have lost children or family members to senseless gun violence for the purpose of healing, empowerment, and fellowship towards the larger aim of community building. 

Connect with Sybrina at: Facebook Twitter Instagram
www.circleofmothers.org
www.trayvonmartinfoundation.org

 

Announcements:

Support the Circle of Mothers GoFundMe Campaign

As of December of 2018, 644 children and 2,729 teens have been killed by gun violence in the US this year. If you feel  pain at the loss of so many young lives full of promise, imagine the devastating grief experienced by the mothers they’ve left behind.

On May 16, 2014, Sybrina embarked on a powerful call to action to support and invest in mothers, by reaching out to mothers grieving in our communities. The Circle of Mothers, an annual retreat for women who have lost a child to senseless gun violence, was born. 

It costs $1,500 to sponsor a mother who would otherwise not be able to participate in Circle of Mothers. Activist Michael Skolnik and I have pledged the first $3,000 of this $15,000 campaign, 2 toward our goal of 10 women we hope to send. 

I pray that one day we won’t need The Circle of Mothers, because we’ve brought an end to gun violence in the US and no more mothers will have to grieve the theft of their children’s lives.  

Until then, I hope you’ll open your hearts and minds to Sybrina’s story, lift up grieving mothers who seek healing, and invest in them to lead the way forward.

Support the Campaign

Women Podcasters in Solidarity

Tragically, I have now lost count of the number of mass shootings have taken place just in the time since the Women Podcasters in Solidarity selected “gun safety” as the issue we want to shine a light on this season.

Grateful to partner with Cristin Marie and Elsie Escobar on bringing this season of the Initiative to life. It is my deepest hope that through the power of podcasting, the episodes we will record, the conversations we will share with our listeners, and the dollars we will collectively raise toward gun safety causes, will save lives.

Please take a look at Cristin’s post here and say “yes” to the Initiative yourself or help spread the word to reach other podcasters who would want to join.

Mother’s Quest Circle

If you’re on a quest to live an E.P.I.C. life, but you’ve been feeling challenged, isolated, or unsure of the path ahead, the Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle may be the source of connection you’re looking for.

The Mother’s Quest Circle provides inspiration, coaching and community for an intimate group of no more than 8 women who are ready to say “yes” to:

  • Reflect together, in a community of like-minded mothers, on what matters most
  • To consciously live their version (not someone else’s) of an E.P.I.C. life
  • To take bold action toward one of the E.P.I.C. life guideposts before the end of the sessions
  • To hold space for sharing, coaching, and championing one another so we are “in community” on our journey

If you’re looking to start the year strong, the Circle is a great way to make an investment in yourself and what matters most to you. Apply here to add your name to the wait list.

Learn More

Acknowledgements:

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:

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

 

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. lifeEngaging 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/

Dec 8, 2018

I’m honored to share this episode of the Mother’s Quest Podcast, the second in a series I’m recording for the Women Podcasters in Solidarity Initiative on the subject of gun safety and the intersectional impact of gun violence on our communities.

As the mother of two boys, I was interested in having a conversation with an expert on this subject who’s also a man and a father and I’m so grateful to have found one willing to go deep and be vulnerable in gun prevention advocate Ladd Everitt.  

Ladd has been involved in this movement since 1993, when his life changed forever after a man boarded a rush hour train on the Long Island Railroad and opened fire with a handgun, killing six and wounding 19. This train was the one Ladd took regularly and he realized that it easily could have been him killed that day.
 
That moment sparked Ladd to attend the Million Mom March in 2000 in Washington DC, where despite the fact that he was a single man with no children, he found himself stepping into leadership for a local chapter and working alongside mothers for gun safety.  

More than two decades later, he has become a father himself, and is still deeply committed to this work. After 10 years as a strategic communications and social media specialist with the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, Ladd took the position he holds today as Director of One Pulse for America, a gun violence prevention group established after the Florida Pulse Nightclub shooting by acclaimed actor/LGBTQ rights activist George Takei.
  
Ladd brought honesty and clarity to the conversation as we traced his E.P.I.C. life journey, from growing up as a young boy influenced by Marvel comics, to stepping into his own powers as a caring father and a decades long gun control advocate.
 
I appreciated Ladd’s humility as he expressed how the trauma of doing this work has impacted him, his own growing pains as he’s learning about and confronting racism and patriarchy, and the importance of giving the microphone and following the lead of young people, who he says are the emotional and cultural leaders of the movement today. 
  
Ladd leaves us with hopefulness about the possibility for real change after the mid-term elections along with a challenge to hold our elected officials accountable, beginning with a specific request of Nancy Pelosi to focus on new and bold, not watered down, gun policy changes. 

I was inspired by the example in Ladd of a white male leader, connected to his emotions, doing meaningful work, and looking for ways to share his privilege and influence with voices that should have more representation in the movement. Ladd and I both left the conversation feeling enriched by the opportunity to talk through complex issues. I’m excited to invite you in to listen with us and then move into action for gun safety alongside us. 

Much appreciation, 

Julie Neale

P.S. Know someone who you think would appreciate this episode? Push forward and share this conversation!

This Episode is Dedicated by:
Helgi Maki

Helgi dedicated this episode to all mothers affected by cycles of gun violence, who witness and deal with its aftermath for generations, especially the mothers affected by the terrorist attack in Pittsburgh, in the anti-Semitic hate crime shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue on Saturday, October 27, 2018. They deserve our heartfelt, meaningful support in the wake of life altering gun violence. 

Helgi is a lawyer and the founder of traumainformedlaw.org - an initiative to help justice professionals and communities reduce the impact of  trauma and violence on public health.  You can learn more about her work at the links below.

The Trauma-Informed Law Project
Trauma-Informed Law On Twitter
Tree of Life Congregation

In This Episode We Talk About:

  • How Marvel creator Stan Lee influenced Ladd’s own development and the ways that Stan’s depiction of women and people of color changed over time
  • The tragic event that became a wake-up call and sparked Ladd’s passion for working toward gun safety.

  • Ladd’s first experience working toward gun control after the Million Mom March

  • How young people are the emotional and cultural leaders of the gun control movement now and Ladd’s fear that they may start listening to adults

  • The vicarious trauma and harassment that those on the frontlines of gun advocacy work experience

  • The exploration of toxic masculinity in the movie “The Mask You Live In” and why Ladd believes it’s crucial to teach boys that crying is a healthy way to express their emotions

  • The importance of fighting back against stigmatization of the mentally ill

  • Ladd’s experience being arrested, along with Michael Skolnik and other male activists, while protesting on behalf of women during the Kavanaugh hearings

  • The Universal Background Check and why is it important.

  • The book on Ladd’s desk when we conducted our interview that he’s reading to help him learn how to confront racism and white fragility

  • His Challenge for all of us to hold our newly elected officials accountable for bold gun policy  

Resources and Topics Mentioned:

This Week’s Challenge:

For this week’s challenge, Ladd challenges us to focus on what he believes is the most important issue related to gun safety: to get serious about disarming violent people in our country.

Ladd asks us to follow through on his One Pulse America Action Alert: To Tell Presumptive Speaker Pelosi to Make Assault Weapons Ban a Priority

Follow the links below for more information:

https://www.onepulseforamerica.com/action-alert/tell-presumptive-speaker-pelosi-to-make-assault-weapons-ban-a-priority/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1779750855570640/

And read Ladd’s recent OpEd in the LA Times on this subject

Learn More About Ladd Everitt:

Twitter

Facebook

LinkedIn

Other websites:

https://medium.com/@LaddEveritt

Announcements:

Women Podcasters in Solidarity

I want to let you know about a special end of the year campaign as part of the Women Podcasters in Solidarity Initiative to raise money for the mothers, caretakers and activists on the frontlines of gun violence prevention. To make sure you get notified about the campaign, sign up for email updates at www.mothersquest.com and follow the Mother’s Quest page on Facebook. You can also reach out to me at julie@mothersquest.com if you’d like to be one of the first to “seed” the fund with your contribution. 

Tragically, I have now lost count of the number of mass shootings have taken place just in the time since the Women Podcasters in Solidarity selected "gun safety" as the issue we want to shine a light on this season.

Grateful to partner with Cristin Marie and Elsie Escobar on bringing this season of the Initiative to life. It is my deepest hope that through the power of podcasting, the episodes we will record, the conversations we will share with our listeners, and the dollars we will collectively raise toward gun safety causes, will save lives.

Please take a look at Cristin's post here and say "yes" to the Initiative yourself or help spread the word to reach other podcasters who would want to join.

Mother’s Quest Circle

If you’re on a quest to live an E.P.I.C. life, but you’ve been feeling challenged, isolated, or unsure of the path ahead, the Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle may be the source of connection you’re looking for.

The Mother’s Quest Circle provides inspiration, coaching and community for an intimate group of no more than 8 women who are ready to say “yes” to:

✨Reflect together, in a community of like-minded mothers, on what matters most
✨To consciously live their version (not someone else's) of an E.P.I.C. life
✨To take bold action toward one of the E.P.I.C. life guideposts before the end of the sessions
✨To hold space for sharing, coaching, and championing one another so we are “in community” on our journey

If you're looking to start the year strong, the Circle is a great way to make an investment in yourself and what matters most to you. Apply here to add your name to the wait list. 

Acknowledgements:

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:

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

--

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. lifeEngaging 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/

Nov 23, 2018

The last few weeks where I live, in California, have been a challenging time.  Wildfires raged in Southern and Northern California, taking lives and destroying so much (including my beloved childhood summer camp, Hess Kramer) and causing us to stay indoors or wear masks due to the unhealthy air quality.

Through it all, I found myself coming back to the lessons on choosing gratitude in this “Revisited” episode with Nancy Netherland and the dedication from my friend Lizzy Russinko. Just over a year ago, challenged by another wildfire in Sonoma County, Lizzy found reprieve in the connection and hospitality of a neighbor and made a commitment of her own to reach out.

If you, like me, are getting ready to gather with family or friends, I encourage you to find some time to listen to this episode with Nancy, to think about where you can find magic and meaning during even the most difficult times, and to join Lizzy in her commitment to pay forward kindness in some way to those who are suffering right now.

In Northern California, much needed rains have come and the air has been clearing. I’m grateful for many things…. to breath a little easier, for my family, for women like Nancy Netherland and Lizzy Russinko who inspire me with their own E.P.I.C. life stories, and for the opportunity to reflect on the meaning in my own life, with members of the Mother’s Quest community like you.

Feeling thankful for so much and sending wishes for you to “choose gratitude” today too.

XOXO,

In This Episode You’ll Hear About:

  • Lizzy’s story of connection and commitment amid the wildfires last year
  • Resiliency and mindfulness during traumatic events
  • The importance of creating magic in our lives
  • “Gratituding” as a verb and how to “choose gratitude”
  • Nancy’s favorite book “Man’s Search for Meaning”
  • Advocating for your children’s health
  • The importance of community, especially as a caretaker
  • Building deep relationships with people of differing viewpoints

Resources Mentioned:

This Episode’s Challenge “Revisited”

Building on Nancy Netherland’s story, this challenge came last year from Lizzy Russinko who committed to leave note cards of encouragement and hope around town for her neighbors to find and give, as their community in Sonoma County coped with the wildfires last year. This was their little way of injecting magic and meaning into a time of significant adversity and change. Lizzy invites us to do something special to bring comfort in our neck of the woods.

Announcements:

Mother’s Quest Circle

If you’re on a quest to live an E.P.I.C. life, but you’ve been feeling challenged, isolated, or unsure of the path ahead, the Mother’s Quest Circle may be the source of connection you’re looking for.

The Mother’s Quest Circle provides inspiration, coaching and community for an intimate group of no more than 6 women who are ready to say “yes” to:

Reflect together, in a community of like-minded mothers, on what matters most
To consciously live their version (not someone else’s) of an E.P.I.C. life
To take bold action toward one of the E.P.I.C. life guideposts before the end of the sessions
To hold space for sharing, coaching, and championing one another so we are “in community” on our journey

Add your name to the wait list to be the first to find out when our Virtual Circle begins in 2019.

Spark Your E.P.I.C. Life

Join me for “Spark Your E.P.I.C. Life,” a four session series of one-on-one coaching sessions based on the signature process I’ve been using in the Mother’s Quest Circle experience.

I have space for three clients to experience an intensive, one-one-one, four-session coaching process. Could this be you?

*Do you feel like you’re on the threshold of a powerful shift in your life?

*Are you ready to spark new perspectives, new ways of being, and some E.P.I.C. action of your own?

*Have you wanted to participate in the Mother’s Quest Circle but the timing wasn’t right or you prefer to work one-on-one?

Interested? I’d love to schedule a time to check-in about what’s happening in your life and how this could support you.

️Sign up for a discovery session at this link or message me some times that could work for you if you don’t see something that fits your schedule.

https://mothersquest.as.me/discoverysession

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

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. lifeEngaging 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/

Nov 8, 2018

I’m thrilled to share this episode of the Mother’s Quest Podcast with mother, coach, entrepreneur and mind-body wellness expert Erin Stutland. Through her signature Shrink Session workouts and Soul Strolls, which combine principles from dance, yoga, meditation and more, Erin helps over 70,000 people in 155 countries to transform negative thinking into possibility and tap into their own inner strength. 

I bring this episode to you as I participate in Erin’s free five day movement and mantra challenge. I first discovered this challenge three years ago, and ever since, her inspiring videos have become a key part of my morning practice. So, it was surreal in the best way, when I had the opportunity to talk live with Erin about movement, motherhood and her own E.P.I.C. life. 

The ability to embody leadership, to create movement in our bodies and our lives, is the gift that Erin brings to all those she reaches through her products, programs, and soon-to-be-published book Mantras in Motion.

In this conversation, I loved learning about how Erin developed these gifts from an early age, growing up in Chicago where her own mother allowed her the freedom and permission to move, play and pursue her passion for dance. Recently a mother herself, Erin brings this awareness and the gift of movement to her own baby daughter. 

There was a lightness and grounding quality in talking with Erin that I so appreciated, as we explored everything from the lesson she learned about leadership while shepherding goats in Israel to how she brought her whole self and integrity to hosting a reality television show. 

I was grateful to be immersed in Erin’s perspective and challenge this week, which coincided with our mid-term elections in the United States. On election day in particular, I noticed my anxiety rising, and was able to consciously transform Erin’s movement mantra of the morning “This is my time,” to “This is our time,” envisioning the progressive leaders I supported successfully winning their elections. 

That invitation to change my “inner landscape” as Erin calls it, through mantra and movement, made a huge difference in my outlook. A day later as I record this, I’m sitting with mixed feelings about the outcome of the election, but also a determination to move into action. 

I hope after listening today, that you, like me, are inspired by the lessons Erin has shared with us and the gift of her Soul Stroll, to get moving and stay moving toward the change in our lives and in our country that we seek. 

Much appreciation, 

P.S. Know someone who you think would appreciate this episode? Push forward and share this conversation!

In This Episode We Talk About:

  • Favorite mantras that Erin and I brought to this episode as our intentions for the conversation.
  • The importance of guiding from behind and moving our own egos out of the way when we parent (and what this has to do with goats!)
  • The power of MOVEMENT in our lives and the impact of shifting our inner landscapes.
  • How using movement can help us be more present for our children.
  • Why a body at rest stays at rest, and moving is often the last thing we want to do. But, our lack of desire to get moving is not a reflection of how we’ll feel once we get going.  
  • Bringing consciousness to how we invest and care for ourselves and why it’s natural to make different kinds of investments at different times in our lives.
  • Erin’s soon to be published book – “Mantras in Motion”
  • What to do when you’re feeling stuck, anxious, or depressed
  • Erin’s challenge and gift to us to make time for a “Soul Stroll”
  • The story I shared with Erin about Jacob and Taekwondo that she says she’ll remember

Resources and Topics Mentioned:

This Episode is Dedicated by:

Kari Azuma supports mothers to powerfully design their lives. Check out Kari’s new program – THRESHOLD, an immersive retreat into the depths of womanhood and motherhood to reclaim your power and unleash your highest self.

Threshold

Website

Facebook Business Page

Personal Facebook Page

Instagram

This Week’s Challenge:

For this weeks’ challenge, Erin encourages us to take a Soul Stroll and discover what a 20-minute walk can do to reduce your stress and renew your perspective. You can use this free link to access your special Soul Stroll, led by Erin, with inspiring music and mantras to accompany you.

When you feel like you don’t want to move, just put on your shoes, flip-flops or slippers and take a walk outside your house with no intended destination in mind, only the thought “I’m just gonna go out for a walk”.

Learn More About Erin Stutland:

Erin is a mind-body wellness and fitness expert. She is the host and life-style coach of Z Living’s cable series, Altar’d. Nominated for a Real Screen award alongside Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday, the show returns for its second season this fall.

In January 2019, she is publishing her first book, Mantras in Motion: Manifesting What You Want through Mindful Movement, which explores her proprietary approach to creating meaningful change by harnessing the body’s mental, physical, and spiritual energy through stories, journaling exercises, meditations and movement.

Erin is the creator of several mind-body fitness programs including her signature Shrink Session workout and Soul Strolls and has appeared on The Rachael Ray Show, People.com, Fox News, Glamour Magazine and more.

She currently lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband Lance and daughter, Kwynn.

Learn more about Erin by visiting these links:

Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Youtube
Pre-order her new book here

Announcements:

Women Podcasters in Solidarity

Tragically, I have now lost count of the number of mass shootings have taken place just in the time since the Women Podcasters in Solidarity selected “gun safety” as the issue we want to shine a light on this season.

Grateful to partner with Cristin Marie and Elsie Escobar on bringing this season of the Initiative to life. It is my deepest hope that through the power of podcasting: the episodes we will record, the conversations we will share with our listeners, and the dollars we will collectively raise toward gun safety causes, will save lives.

Please take a look at Cristin’s post here and say “yes” to the Initiative yourself or help spread the word to reach other podcasters who would want to join.

Mother’s Quest Circle

If you’re on a quest to live an E.P.I.C. life, but you’ve been feeling challenged, isolated, or unsure of the path ahead, the Mother’s Quest Circle may be the source of connection you’re looking for.

The Mother’s Quest Circle provides inspiration, coaching and community for an intimate group of no more than 10 women who are ready to say “yes” to:

Reflect together, in a community of like-minded mothers, on what matters most
To consciously live their version (not someone else’s) of an E.P.I.C. life
To take bold action toward one of the E.P.I.C. life guideposts before the end of the sessions
To hold space for sharing, coaching, and championing one another so we are “in community” on our journey

If you’re looking to end the year strong, now is a great time to make an investment in yourself and what matters most to you. Apply here. Application closes tomorrow!

Say It. Sweat It. Get It. Challenge

Sign up today to come along with me on Erin’s week-long challenge where she will give you super short, easy to follow workouts, that combine movement and mantras, to inspire you, physically, mentally and spiritually. During the challenge, I’ll release an episode on the podcast with Erin to give you insight into her journey and why movement plays such a powerful role in her life.

Acknowledgements:

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:

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

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. lifeEngaging 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/

Oct 26, 2018

This conversation with best-selling New York Times author and Ted talk speaker Julie Lythcott-Haims was over two years in the making and yet came just at the right time.

Author of How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success and Real American: A Memoir, Julie’s interested in the human experience and writes non-fiction, creative non-fiction, and poetry with the aim of helping humans thrive.

She has a JD from Harvard Law School, an MFA in writing from California College of the Arts and holds her BA in American Studies from Stanford University, where she later returned to serve as Dean of Freshman and Undergraduate Advising, among other roles.  She currently lives in Silicon Valley with her partner of more than thirty years, her two teenagers, and her mother.

Born to an African-American father and a British mother, Julie moved often in her childhood from Nigeria to New York to Wisconsin to Washington D.C., where her father was part of the Carter Administration, and then back to Wisconsin again. Along the way, she struggled to find her identity as a bi-racial woman who faced stereotypes and micro-aggressions about her blackness that sent her on a journey from self-loathing to self-love, something she reflects on with powerful honesty in her memoir.

Themes of self-exploration, self-sufficiency and service weave thread through this incredibly enriching conversation with Julie. We discuss her healing journey with her mother and how that impacts how she parents her children today. Julie shares the lessons that she learned about how to successfully raise adults from her years as the Dean at Stanford and extensive research that informs her best-selling book and popular Ted talk on the subject.

She reveals the way that she has daringly made career pivots that others thought were crazy, what’s next on the horizon for her, and how she may even create her own radio show one day. And, we talk candidly about her journey to embracing self-care, about her commitment to her partner of over thirty years, and to the impact on her body and sexuality of moving toward menopause.

I was struck by Julie’s continued evolution in her own awareness, and her commitment to personal growth and to pursuing her own purposeful path, parallels evident in the wisdom she holds for us about how to raise our children to be healthy adults. Finally, I’m inspired by her bold challenge to us, to look at how stereotypes and biases about black people show up in ourselves, and to do the conscious work of taking them apart.

This conversation is a powerful one that has already begun to shift my awareness. I look forward to hearing what Julie’s life lessons, wisdom, and revelations shift for you when you listen. 

Much appreciation, 

P.S. Know someone who you think would appreciate this episode? Push forward and share this conversation!

In This Episode We Talk About:

  • Julie’s journey of healing with her mother, now 80 years old, and how a third chapter of their relationship led to reciprocal learning across three generations, between Julie’s mother, Julie, and Julie’s daughter.
  • What happens when our egos impact our parenting and the power of realizing that we are not our kids; they’re not a mini-me, a pet, a trophy or a bonsai tree. They are their own person.

  • What Julie’s experience as a Stanford Dean taught her about how to raise adults, including the two most essential things she learned kids need: to do chores and to be loved.

  • How a commitment to life-long learning inspired Julie to make daring career pivots, from attorney to school administrator to writer.

  • The three more books  that Julie knows she has inside of her.

  • Julie’s own evolution in her understanding of what self-care means and the ways that she invests in herself today.

  • The practices Julie has committed to with her husband to keep their thirty plus year connection strong.

  • The impact of peri-menopause and menopause in how we feel in our bodies and on our libido in particular, and my commitment to focus a future episode on this subject.

  • The importance of becoming aware of the stereotypes we hold about black people and Julie’s challenge to us to consciously undo them.

Resources and Topics Mentioned:

This Episode is Dedicated by:

Tamara Sobomehin, chasing the human dream, working to unleash the brilliance and potential of people by cultivating a culture of positive creation supported by the foundation of effective human and technical systems. Dedicated in honor of Tamara’s mother Paula Denise Lacy.  

Street Code Academy – The organization Tamara runs with her husband Tunde. 
Recharge Ravenswood – The website to learn more about Tamara’s campaign for Ravenswood City School Board. 
Team Esface – The exceptional basketball program, founded by the Sobomehin brothers, that Ryan participated in and where we first met Tamara and her family. 

This Week’s Challenge:

For this week’s challenge, I encourage you to read Julie’s powerful memoir, The Real American, to explore the impact of stereotypes about black people on her life experience. Then, follow Julie’s invitation to notice when stereotypes about black people kick in for us. She says, “If you’re not loving black people, ask yourself why? Be interested in that. Black people are humans worthy of love, compassion and care like anybody else is. If you notice a stereotype kicks in when you see a black person, see if you can immediately say to yourself – what would I do if this was a white person? Or a person of any race other than black? When a stereotype pops up, name it and tell yourself I’m discarding it. Try interacting with that person as if they were your own brother, sister, grandmother, father, friend or family.”  It’s our job to acknowledge the impact of stereotypes and biases and undo it.

Learn More About Julie:

Julies Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

Announcements:

Mother’s Quest Circle

If you’re on a quest to live an E.P.I.C. life, but you’ve been feeling challenged, isolated, or unsure of the path ahead, the Mother’s Quest Circle may be the source of connection you’re looking for.

The Mother’s Quest Circle provides inspiration, coaching and community for an intimate group of no more than 10 women who are ready to say “yes” to:

  • Reflect together, in a community of like-minded mothers, on what matters most
  • To consciously live their version (not someone else’s) of an E.P.I.C. life
  • To take bold action toward one of the E.P.I.C. life guideposts before the end of the sessions
  • To hold space for sharing, coaching, and championing one another so we are “in community” on our journey

If you’re looking to end the year strong, now is a great time to make an investment in yourself and what matters most to you. Apply here

Say It. Sweat It. Get It. Challenge

Sign up today to come along with me on Erin’s week-long challenge where she will give you super short, easy to follow workouts, that combine movement and mantras, to inspire you, physically, mentally and spiritually. During the challenge, I’ll release an episode on the podcast with Erin to give you insight into her journey and why movement plays such a powerful role in her life.

Starts Mon. Nov. 5th! Sign up Today!

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

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. lifeEngaging 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/

Oct 12, 2018

Hello and welcome to this episode with mindfulness educator, corporate trainer, podcast host and author of “Mindful Parenting in a Messy World,” Michelle Gale. 

This conversation, rooted in how to bring more equanimity to our lives–finding our center of calm in the storm–came to me just when I needed it most, during a start to my fall season marked by big school transitions for my children, travel away from home, and supporting my family after my father’s bypass heart surgery. 

In the midst of all of that, it was such a gift to have this time with Michelle, whose journey brought her from working in technology startups like Twitter to a deep dive in mindfulness training. Michelle draws on that training today as an advisor to organizations like Wisdom 2.0, in trainings with corporations like Disney and Google, for summits and workshops for parents that she organizes, and as a parent with her own two boys at home. 

An awareness of our impact in the day to day, through being a mindful parent, is something that Michelle embodies in her own parenting, in the appreciation she describes for her own mother, a single parent who adopted Michelle at the age of four months old, and in the ways that she makes mindfulness relatable and accessible to those she teaches. 

I learned so much from Michelle in the time we spent together, about answering our own calls for life-long learning, about slowing down, raising our awareness and making the implicit explicit, of the importance of bringing compassion, especially during times of transition, and how to draw on our experience as mothers as a source of learning and transformation.  

When we began, I asked Michelle to lead us through a Three Breath Practice which I heard her share about on Deborah Reber’s TILT Parenting Podcast. The practice became the bookends for this episode, the opening that allowed us each to make intentions for our time together, and the challenge that Michelle invites us to integrate into our lives. 

As you listen to this episode, I invite you to slow down by taking your own three breaths with us, tap into Michelle’s intention for finding “equanimity,” your center in the midst of chaos, and open yourself to Michelle’s wisdom. If you do, I’m certain you’ll find more of your calm in the storm and connect more fully to your own mindful parenting in a messy world. 

In This Episode We Talk About:

  • The Three Breath Practice and how I’ve begun using it to help me make better decisions about how to use my time.
  • The concept of “equanimity” and the importance of creating awareness and space for our discomfort so that we can come back to our center.

  • Michelle’s appreciation for  “Attachment Theory” through the lens of her own experience being adopted at the age of four months. Also the realization that she doesn’t have a newborn photo and how that drove her inquiry about who was mothering her before she was adopted.

  • Michelle’s journey to mindfulness and how she roots her practice in the day to day experience of mothering, especially in the challenging moments, like when our children can’t fall asleep alone or when they struggle with homework.

  • Michelle’s ritual before sitting down to do creative work that she has introduced to her children as well before they do homework.
  • Michelle’s passion for changing the landscape of how corporations think about supporting parents and the E.P.I.C. snapshot moment that happened for Michelle during a training at Macy’s.

  • How her experience in circle and community enabled Michelle to call more of that connection into her life and more about the tools she uses to “call in”.

  • How Michelle is bringing her mindfulness practices to her health, especially as she navigates the transition to menopause and the hormonal swings and changes that come with it.

Resources and Topics Mentioned:

Tilt Parenting Podcast: Michelle Gale on the Power of Mindful Parenting in a Messy World

The Sweet Spot: How to Accomplish More by Doing Less by Christine Carter

Jonathan Field’s Good Life Project Community where Michelle and I first connected

Wisdom 2.0

This Episode is Dedicated by:

Katie Krimitsos, CEO & Founder at Biz Women Rock and the Women’s Meditation Network and the host of the Meditation for Women Podcast. Katie’s beautiful dedication shines a light, through the example of her mother Linda, of the ways we can make an impact in our day to day lives through being a mindful, loving parent. 

You can connect with Katie on Facebook,  Instagram or through her website.

This Week’s Challenge:

Michelle encourages us to find a place in our life where we can consciously use the 3 Breaths Practice that she modeled in the episode. The practice includes: 

  1. Focusing on your breath coming in and out
  2. Letting your body relax; and,
  3. Asking yourself, what’s really important and what really matters? 

By noticing an area of our lives that needs more consciousness (like reaching for our phone for distraction for instance) and using this practice, we can invite more intentionality, awareness, connection, and equanimity into our lives.

Learn More About Michelle:

Michelle Gale is the podcast host and author of the book “Mindful Parenting in a Messy World”,  a mindfulness teacher, executive coach and a corporate trainer. She works in corporations, schools and communities teaching and speaking to fellow parents about mindful parenting.
 

Michelle’s Website

Facebook

Twitter

Michelle’s Mindful Parenting Resource List

Announcements:

Join the Journey to Right Livelihood

I’m so excited to be part of a special program, Journey to Right Livelihood as a learner. And as an affiliate, I’ll also offer Mother’s Quest bonuses to deepen the experience for members of my community who decide to come along too.

If you’re interested, you can learn more at this link and also come over to my private facebook group, where I had a conversation with the founder, and one of my teachers and mentors, Lindsay Pera. It’s not too late to join us!

Click www.mothersquest.com/community to request to join and listen to our conversation 

LIVING WITH PRESENCE and PARENTING WITH PURPOSE Online Conference

Expert advice to find more peace, ease, presence and spaciousness in your family through the Online Conference hosted by Michelle and a phenomenal group of mindfulness experts. Learn more and purchase the conversations if you choose by visiting the site here.

Mother’s Quest Circle

If you’re on a quest to live an E.P.I.C. life, but you’ve been feeling challenged, isolated, or unsure of the path ahead, the Mother’s Quest Circle may be the source of connection you’re looking for.

The Mother’s Quest Circle provides inspiration, coaching and community for an intimate group of no more than 10 women who are ready to say “yes” to:

  • Reflect together, in a community of like-minded mothers, on what matters most
  • To consciously live a more E.P.I.C. life
  • To take bold action toward one of the E.P.I.C. life guideposts before the end of the session
  • To hold space for sharing, coaching, and championing one another so we are “in community” on our journey

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. lifeEngaging 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/

Sep 27, 2018

Welcome to another new episode of the Mother’s Quest Podcast, one I’m sharing after a short break, so I could focus on transitioning my children into the new academic year, welcoming in the Jewish New Year and supporting my parents as my father recovers from bypass heart surgery (he is doing much better and already plotting to get back on the golf course!)

During this time of reflection and connection to family, it feels right to bring forward this episode on ancestry with Nicka Smith, a professional photographer, speaker, host, and documentarian with more than 19 years of experience as a genealogist. 

I learned about Nicka through my friend and previous podcast guest Jenjii Hysten, one of Nicka’s biggest cheerleaders, who regularly acknowledges Nicka’s expertise in African ancestored genealogy and her ability to connect young people to their ancestry. Nicka’s experience and accomplishments are vast: she has edited and designed volumes of family history that include narratives, photos, and genealogical information and is the host of BlackProGen LIVE, an innovative web show focused on people of color genealogy and family history.

Using Nicka’s life experience, this episode goes deep in how to give ourselves permission to step into becoming our own family historians, the importance of connecting the threads of our ancestors to who we are today, the challenges and emotions involved in tracing genealogy for African American people whose ancestors were enslaved, and the idea that we can become today the ancestors we aspire to be for our descendants by taking the political and social action our times demand. 

With Nicka’s guidance, I’ve started the process of connecting the threads of my ancestors. To be honest, I was a little skeptical that I would find anything particularly interesting. But, while visiting my parents in Los Angeles, my mother and I stayed up late on the couch looking on ancestry.com at documents connected to her mother, my grandmother, Ruth. 

My mother shared details about Ruth’s life in a previous episode’s dedication, that I’ll link in the show notes. We knew that her mother had married (what we say in Yiddush) a “nogoodnick” who left my grandmother destitute with three young girls to raise on her own. 

That night on the couch, we found a strange named document connected to my grandmother’s records titled Hebrew Orphan Asylum of New York City. We clicked on the link and soon saw evidence that my grandmother and her youngest sister had been left in the care of an orphanage. But that some time after, my great grandmother, came back to get them. My grandmother, who was only 2 at the time, never spoke of this to us and may not have known.  But now my mother and I know that our ancestor, against the odds, found a way to reunited with her children. Had she not, my grandmother’s fate would surely have been different, and my mother and I might not have been here today. 

I know now that my discoveries as my family historian are just beginning. I hope this episode and what I uncovered about my great grandmother give you permission to step into becoming your family historian, to explore the untold stories of your ancestors, and to weave the threads between yourself, your ancestors and your descendants, that will help you more fully live your E.P.I.C. life. 

Much appreciation,
Julie Neale

In This Episode We Talk About:

  • How a simple hobby back in college turned out to be Nicka’s passion and purpose in life.
  • The diverse community and landscape that shaped Nicka’s worldview
  • The layers to Nicka’s “genealogical cake” including revelations she learned about her family ancestry: the Native American blood in her family, the fact that her great great grandfather was legally married to a white woman in the late 1800’s, and that her ancestors were enslaved on the same plantation for more than 30 years by a slave-owner from western Massachusetts.
  • Nicka’s ancestor who took great risks to advocate for his birthright as a Cherokee Freedmen to the Committee on Indian Affairs and the impact that had on Nicka.
  • How Nicka’s 3 year old son teaches her to experiment and to explore new experiences
  • How we can use tools like ancestry.com and a database of documents to help us explore our lineage..
  • The life-long trauma experienced still by Nicka’s grandmother’s grandmother, in her 90’s,  from being forcibly separated from your parents during their enslavement and how that connects to the children separated at the border today.
  • The case of Plessy vs. Ferguson and how the descendants of slaves and slave owners now unite to fight for civil rights 
  • The threads that connect us to who we are across generations and the ways that Nicka’s ancestors activism have shaped her own.
  • Nicka’s challenge for me and for you to step into the role of family historian 

Resources and Topics Mentioned:

Nicka’s Website

Black ProGenLive  – Nicka’s YouTube show with twice monthly broadcasts feature a panel from BlackProGen and friends discussing a myriad of topics in the world of genealogy.

Coming to the Table Post about Researching Slaveholding and Slave Trading Ancestry

Birthright: 8 Generations of Cherokee Freedmen and Our Story of Redemption

Plessy and Ferguson: Descendants of a divisive Supreme Court decision unite to create a civil rights organization

Ancestry.com – start here to set up an account and step into your own role as a family historian

Family History Is at the Heart of Pixar’s Coco

Kamala Harris’ remarks on Separating Families at the Border and How We Will Be Judged Harshly

Episode of the Mother’s Quest Podcast with the dedication from my mother to my grandmother Ruth

Episode with my father David Lieberman, inspired by an oral history and genealogy workshop I attended

This Episode is Dedicated by:

Carrie Caulfield Arick, the founder of Ya Ya Podcasting, a company that helps podcasters put their best voice forward. She’s spent over ten years putting together her own family tree and assists her father, historian at Seabreeze Park in Rochester, NY piece together the stories of notable park guests and employees through genealogical research.

You can connect with Carrie on Facebook,  Instagram or through her website.

This Week’s Challenge:

Nicka challenges everyone to give yourself permission to step into the role of family historian. Sign up for an account with ancestry.com and begin with yourself to trace your family tree backward. Investigate to trace your own lineage and see how history repeats itself.

Take a deep dive, and ask yourself these questions: How did we get here? Who immigrated? Why? And apply that to your present.

Announcements:

Join the Journey to Right Livelihood

We start today, Thursday September 26th!! 

I’m so excited to embark on this program, Journey to Right Livelihood as a learner. And as an affiliate, I’ll also be offering Mother’s Quest bonuses to deepen the experience for members of my community who decide to come along too.

If you’re interested, you can learn more at this link and also come over to my private facebook group, where I had a conversation with the founder, and one of my teachers and mentors, Lindsay Pera.

Click www.mothersquest.com/community to request to join and listen to our conversation 

What My Open Heart Surgery Taught Me About Coaching

Read the blog post HERE

 

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

 

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. lifeEngaging 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/

Sep 14, 2018

We are welcoming back the 5-Day Mussar Yoga Challenge, which officially kicks off today. This is in line with my podcast episode with Edie Raphael last year on Mussar and this season of renewal. Come along for five daily prompts in the Mussar Yoga Challenge at the Mother's Quest Facebook Group.

Mussar is an ancient Jewish practice that invites us to contemplate, journal on, talk in community about... a character trait in our lives, for a specific period of time, in this case 5 days. 

I'm fascinated that the "middah" we picked last year, "order" is also the issue I identified to work on without fully realizing it. 

Have you heard of Mussar before or did you participate in the challenge last year? What do you think about it? Do you have your own rituals or practices for reflection and renewal this time of year?

Listen and learn more in my podcast episode with Edie if you want to go deeper.

PLUS Would love to support you in a one-on-one 90 minute Clarity Session if you want to go deeper. Special rate through Sept. 19th. You can book your session here https://mothersquest.as.me/FallClaritySessionSpecial

Ep 28: Mussar Yoga for Reflection and Renewal with Edie Raphael Brotman

Hello and welcome to the Mother’s Quest Podcast that I’m bringing to you at the start of the Jewish New Year. The holiday kicks off a ten day period, known as the Days of Awe, between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the day of Atonement.  

This time of year, regardless of your religious faith, is a season of reflection and renewal, as our children get settled into a new school year and the leaves begin to change color. I wanted to take advantage of this time to turn inward and create an opportunity for change not only for myself but also for members of the Mother’s Quest Community.

I decided to reach out to mindful mother, Edie Rafael Brotman, author of the book “Mussar Yoga,” to learn from her how she approaches self-improvement through blending the ancient Jewish practice of Mussar and the ancient Eastern practice of Yoga.

Edie’s book was a trusted resource in a Mussar class I took a few years ago. I was enthralled by the process and know that the experience planted seeds for Mother’s Quest. So, when I reached out to Edie to see if she’d share her approach on the podcast and then lead a 5 day challenge in the Facebook Group and she said “yes,” I was thrilled. 

Edie is a workplace consultant and coach for a business consulting firm called Rewire Inc that leverages emotional intelligence, mindfulness and communication. She has her PhD in Sociology and was an adjunct professor at UVA, Case Western Reserve University and Towson University.

She’s also a highly trained yoga instructor, was named one of Baltimore’s favorite yoga teachers in Baltimore Magazine’s “Best of Baltimore” and co-founded Off the Grid Yoga and Camping Retreats.

In this episode, Edie orients us to Mussar in which character traits, known in Hebrew as “middot,” are the centerpiece of the practice. Edie and I explore her E.P.I.C. life story, how she came to mindfulness and Mussar, and how reflecting on middot in her life has enriched her and her relationships.

Edie also shares how her mother influenced her independence. And how her mother’s untimely death jump-started Edie’s journey to discover Mussar and connect it to Yoga as a bridge to connect Jewish spirituality and her love for physical activity.

I appreciated so much about this conversation with Edie, especially the deep dive into the history of Mussar practice, and how she came to this connection between self-improvement, spirituality and the physical body.  I’m so excited to continue the exploration of all of these things, and hope you’ll decide to come along too as we challenge ourselves together during this season of reflection and renewal.

In This Episode We Talk About:

  • Why the fall is the perfect time to undertake a Mussar Yoga Challenge
  • How I first learned about Edie and her Mussar Yoga Book
  • The path of renewal Edie’s mother took in her career, how that impacted her, and how her mother’s passing brought her to Mussar
  • The power of mindfulness and daily meditation to become more conscious and aware of emotions as they arise
  • Mussar as a way of rewiring your brain so it is in alignment with universal precepts
  • The origins of Mussar and the people who pioneered the teachings
  • The traditional way to practice Mussar, utilizing self-reflection on one character trait at a time on a continuum, and how Edie blends it powerfully with Yoga
  • The connection between body and spiritual growth

Resources Mentioned:

This Week’s Challenge:

Join the Mother's Quest Facebook Group and do the 5-Day Mussar Yoga Challenge at www.mothersquest.com/community

Announcements:

ARE YOU…

✔️ Hopeful that the new school year will be a positive, powerful experience for your child?
✔️ Thinking about how best to set your children up for success?
✔️ Wondering what new practices you can build into your life and theirs to help make that possible?
✔️ Getting lost in all the paperwork and volunteer requests and want to ground yourself in what’s most important?
✔️ Ready to focus fully on YOU and YOUR life now that your kids will be in school?

If you’re feeling a similar desire to press “pause” on the busyness as I did and reflect on your vision for this year, what’s working and what needs to shift, and what key guidepost would help you move forward more intentionally, I’d love to support you with a 90 minute clarity coaching session.

You’ll leave with:

✔️  Clarity about what matters most to you in your future vision for this year
✔️ Reflection on what beliefs/ways of being you want to leave behind and what lessons you want to carry forward
✔️ Commitment toward one E.P.I.C. Guidepost and key action(s) that will help you and your children move forward intentionally

✨Fall Special Clarity Coaching Session ✨

A 90 minute session for the price of a 60 minute session
Book By September 19th
Say “yes” if this is calling to you. It’s an investment in yourself and your children. 

$198

Just click the link below by Sept 19th to schedule a time at this special rate.
https://mothersquest.as.me/FallClaritySessionSpecial

Whether I have the opportunity to support you now or not, I wish you and yours a sweet and meaningful beginning to this new season. 

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. lifeEngaging 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/

Aug 23, 2018

Honored to share this special episode of the Mother’s Quest Podcast featuring a conversation I had with author and coach Sage Hobbs as a guest on her show, Naked Conversations. I loved all the themes that we discussed and wanted to introduce more of you to Sage’s work, so I’m excited and appreciative that she gave me permission to share in this way.

This is the last of a series of previously released conversations that I’m bringing to you this summer as I’ve focused on time with my children and transitioning them to school. In two weeks, I’ll be back with a brand new conversation, so make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast so that new episode comes straight to you.

Sage and I cover so many topics in this episode, from personal challenges, to losing ourselves in motherhood, to the power of storytelling to feel our common humanity, to activism.  Underneath them all is this idea of defining courage for ourselves, exploring how we’ve been expanding our leadership in more courageous ways, and how this helps us pursue a fuller expression of who we are.

The theme around courage is particularly resonant for me right now, as I’ve been stepping into new territory advocating for two police accountability bills being deliberated on in Sacramento, and after I helped to bring a powerful play called The (M)others, of mothers who have lost loved ones to police brutality, to Sacramento just last week.

It’s also resonant because in their own ways, my children have been stepping into more courage. Starting a brand new school, especially when you’re differenty-wired, has required each of them to move out of their comfort zone and hold a positive picture of what’s possible for them.

My oldest son Ryan and I went on another milestone hike together, where he re-committed to not letting fear stop him from living his YOLO life.  My youngest Jacob and I have been doing some affirmations together as part of our Miracle Morning Challenge happening in the facebook group right now, and he chose this affirmation from my list as his own, “Like an alchemist, I transform fear into curiosity and excitement.”

I hope this episode gives you an opportunity to reflect on courage in your life, and to find some inspiration to transform any fear you or your children have at this time of year, into curiosity and excitement for yourselves.

In This Episode We Talk About:

  • Definitions of courage (one from my 14 year old!)
  • What it means to live an E.P.I.C. life
  • The moments that moved me to activism for police accountability
  • Using growth mindset to explore challenging topics
  • Leadership and permission
  • My incredible story of two birds trapped in my house, and their timely lesson
  • The Women Podcasters in Solidarity Initiative

Resources Mentioned:

This Episode is Dedicated by:

Rachel Rosen, a seasoned facilitator, leadership coach, inclusion strategist, and speaker, and the Founder of SPARK For Humanity, the interactive, community-building card game where everyone belongs.

She dedicates this episode to Jillian Roth of Mama J Consulting and Anjela Ford of Anjelabundance.

Learn more about Rachel:

Learn More About Sage:

www.sagebhobbs.com
Naked Conversations Podcast
Sage’s Book Naked Communication
Facebook @sagebhobbs and Instagram @sagebhobbs

This Week’s Challenge:

Reflect on your own definition of courage and share it in the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group. Explore using the affirmation “Like an Alchemist, I transform fear into curiosity and excitement” for yourself and your children as you start the new school year.

Announcements:

Fall Clarity Session Special

In our family right now, we’re getting adjusted to two big milestones. Jacob has started kindergarten and Ryan is in high school. To start the school year well, I made sure to invest in myself to reflect on what matters and get grounded, and I know that helped them to start well. In honor of this critical time of year, I’m offering a special rate for a 90 minute clarity coaching session and would love to support you, and your children, to begin the year mindfully. Go to https://mothersquest.as.me/FallClaritySessionSpecial to book your session by the end of August for this special rate. Wishing you and yours an ease-filled and intentional start of this school year.

Support The (M)others and Two Key Police Accountability Bills

In CA, lawmakers are deliberating right now on two key police accountability bills, SB-1421 and AB-931. In advance of that deliberation, I worked with Nikki Yeboah, the producer of a powerful play called (M)others, to bring forward the stories of those who’ve lost loved ones to police brutality to the Sacramento community. The showings were powerful and we’ve decided to bring the play to other cities in CA, those with the highest rates of police-involved shootings. Visit gofundme.com/slash take-this-play-to-senate to learn more about this effort and how you can support. We also need your support to call CA lawmakers and tell them to vote “yes” on these two bills. Find additional background on the bills and a call script for here https://www.indivisible.org/resource/police-reform-california/.

Acknowledgements:

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:

  • 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

 

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. lifeEngaging 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/

Aug 10, 2018

Hello and welcome to this special revisited episode of a conversation I had a year ago with Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin, titled "Intersectionality and The Age of the New Heroine.” This episode was one of my most impactful conversations and one that set me on my own heroine's journey to use my voice and leadership in new ways.

So much has happened since that conversation. Sparked by that episode, and the horror of the Charlottesville Rally that took place a few weeks later, I launched the Women Podcasters in Solidarity Initiative and held a series of interviews on the subject of anti-racism and police brutality. I hosted an Impact Circle with other mothers where we made commitments to step into more action and raised dollars and awareness for the groundbreaking work of Mothers Against Police Brutality.

I kept taking steps, one after the other.. Elizabeth invited me to speak about this work and my journey on a panel at her Gaia Women Lead Conference, and a week later, I witnessed the story of Laurie Valdez and other women who have lost loved ones to police brutality in the powerful play (M)others. The last few months brought me to a Father’s Day special episode with Assemblymember Rob Bonta on the podcast where we talked about his commitment to this issue and I began working with the play (M)others’ producer to bring the play to Sacramento ahead of key votes on critical police accountability bills in CA SB-1421 and AB-931.

Along the way, messages from my conversation with Elizabeth have taken on deeper meaning, I've learned powerful lessons from incredible guides, and experienced signs and synchronicities that help me realize I’m moving forward on an aligned and purposeful path.

So, it also felt right at this full circle moment to re-release the episode with a new introduction with reflections a year in, and a new dedication provided by one of my guides, activist, coach, speaker and now co-host of the new Families Fighting Mass Incarceration Podcast, Chandra Brooks.

In this new introduction, I share five lessons I’ve learned over the last year as I moved into anti-racism and police accountability advocacy:

Lesson #1 - Be willing to hold discomfort and a growth mindset

Lesson #2 - Move from guilt into responsibility and action

Lesson #3 - Raise your awareness and bear witness to the impact of police brutality

Lesson #4 - Open yourself to signs and synchronicities on the journey

Lesson #5 - Choose to answer the call

If there is a cause that is calling to you, but you haven't yet answered it, consider this post your cosmic nudge to take your first few steps, find your guides, and trust that you can make a difference.

And, if making a difference on the issue of police brutality is one that has been calling you, but you didn't know how you could help...there is an opportunity in CA RIGHT NOW that needs every soul who is willing...

✨To support bringing (M)others to Sacramento through contributing money to and sharing the GoFundMe page (linked below). Though we reached out initial fundraising goal, additional funds will enable the play’s producer to bring (M)others to other cities in CA.

✨To reach out to CA lawmakers to urge them to vote yes on AB 931 and SB 1421; and,

✨To urge lawmakers and those you know in Sacramento to attend the play on August 13th or August 16th and witness the powerful (M)others stories that need to be heard.

Along this journey, I took a class called Diversity is an Asset with Desiree Adaway and Jessica Fish. One of the points that Desiree drives home at the end of every call is that none of us can truly be free until all of us are free.  I hope these reflections and the episode to follow from Elizabeth inspires you to step from guilt and helplessness into action, into your own heroine’s journey, and to working toward freedom for all of us.

Resources Mentioned:

The (M)others Play  and the (M)others GoFundMe Site
Ep 07: Living Out Loud with Jenjii Hysten
Ep 32: Sit at the Table & Own Your Power with Chandra Brooks
Ep 27: Courageous Conversations about Race with Nicole Lee
Ep 31: Brave Spaces and Solidarity with “Rad Women” Author Kate Schatz
Ep 33: Beyond the Trauma: Legacy, Compassion and Change with Mothers Against Police Brutality Co-Founder Sara Mokuria
Ep 44: A Family Legacy of Service and Leadership with California Assemblymember Rob Bonta
Women Podcasters in Solidarity - explore the series I recorded on anti-racism and police accountability and over a dozen other powerful episodes recorded by other podcasters who joined the Initiative.  
Diversity is an Asset Post from Desiree Adaway written after the Charlottesville Rally 

Phone Scripts and other Resources for CA Police Accountability Advocacy [Editable &Printable]

 

This Episode is Dedicated by:

Chandra Brooks, author of the book called Black, Brown & Political: Get Informed, Get Empowered and Change the Game and co-founder of the new podcast, Families Fighting Mass Incarceration. Dedicated to the organizers of the San Jose Women's March 2018, Vicky Mattson and Jenny Bradanini.

Families Fighting Mass Incarceration Podcast
Black, Brown & Political: Get Informed, Get Empowered and Change the Game!

 

Original Show Notes for Episode 24: Intersectionality and the Age of the New Heroine with Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin

Hello and welcome to this Episode #24 of the Mother’s Quest Podcast. I’m so honored to bring you this important and powerful conversation today with Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin, who through her daily Resistance Lives on Facebook, guides thousands of us with a voice of reason and optimism during the twists and turns of today’s political landscape.

Known as a “celebrated career coach” and “fearless entrepreneur” Elizabeth, a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University with a J.D. from George Washington University Law School, transitioned from a fifteen year career as a Wall Street securities litigator and trial lawyer to found The Gaia Project for Women’s Leadership. The organization offers virtual and live programming that cultivates leaders from the ground up to to grow what they call “New Paradigm Women’s Leadership.”

Elizabeth is also a mindful mother. No matter how full her life gets leading women around the globe or fighting for our democracy, she prioritizes bringing presence and focus to her two children, both under the age of 5.

In this episode, we talk about how Elizabeth grew up in a very progressive community and had a strong intuition she would make a massive difference in the world. She attended her first protest when she was just 15 years old and now she’s leading a new awakening in activism – one that challenges her over 20,000 followers, of which I am one, to take daily political action, to truly listen to one another and to others with differing perspectives, and move forward as intersectional feminists, shoulder to shoulder.

We also talk about the new heroine’s journey where the heroine brings back the lessons learned along the way, her words of wisdom for me as I set out to raise awareness and create space for uncomfortable but important conversations about race, how we can “bear witness” for those who have different experiences than our own, and Elizabeth’s challenge to all of us to use our voice for change.

We packed so much depth and wisdom in this conversation, including the first ever lightning round exploration of the E.P.I.C. Guideposts.

I look forward to hearing about the ways in which this episode will inspire you and invite you to join the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group to share with us and participate in a special Q & A on Thursday, August 3rd at 11:30 am PST with activist, leadership specialist, and former NAACP Vice President Chandra Brooks.

I left this conversation feeling more inspired than ever myself to step up and into the role of the New Heroine during these times. Moved by my experience with Elizabeth, I commit to daily political action, to stretch myself to have brave conversations and use my voice for change, to truly listen to others, and to consciously cultivate this Mother’s Quest community I’m growing.

Topics discussed in this episode:

  • Elizabeth’s unique upbringing in progressive New Hope, Pennsylvania where 50% of the population was gay and there was a strong counter-culture.
  • The necessity of letting go of our anger, being willing to listen, and leading from a place of healing to hold a vision for and create the holistic society we seek.
  • The feminine energy and ongoing cyclical nature of the New Heroine’s Journey.
  • The massive acceleration of purpose and mission brought about by our current political situation.
  • Intersectionality within the Resistance and how women with privilege need to investigate our own internal biases so we can create a culture where everyone is safe regardless of our race, gender, sexual orientation or immigration status.
  • Feedback for me on an initiative I’m exploring to raise awareness and funds for Black Lives Matter; the importance of listening and “bearing witness” for communities who have different experiences than ours.
  • The profound moment of reconciliation at the Gaia Lead Conference that had everyone in tears.
  • The importance of consciously cultivating the businesses, work-places and communities that represent all of us and how even the smallest gestures of reaching out can really make a difference.
  • A lightning round version of how the E.P.I.C. guideposts are showing up in Elizabeth’s life and the lessons she’s learning along her heroic journey.

This Week’s Challenge:

Elizabeth asks us to think of ways we can stretch ourselves, outside of our comfort zone, to use our voice for good. And believe that we can change the world by making a difference even in one person’s life.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Listen Now

Announcements:

Take this Play to Senate - Support our GoFundMe Campaign & Action Steps

 
In CA, at the time of the release of this episode, lawmakers are about to deliberate on two key police accountability bills, SB-1421 and AB-931. In advance of that deliberation, I’m working with Nikki Yeboah, the producer of a powerful play called (M)others, to bring forward the stories of those who’ve lost loved ones to police brutality to the Sacramento community and to the lawmakers who will vote on this bill. We need your help to raise funds, to spread the word, and to call CA lawmakers, urge them to attend, and to vote yes on these bills. Visit gofundme.com/slash take-this-play-to-senate to learn more about this effort and how you can support. Willing to make phone calls to CA lawmakers? Find additional background and call scripts for the CA bills (among others) from Indivisible here https://www.indivisible.org/resource/police-reform-california/.
 

Spark Your E.P.I.C. Life

 
Join me for the first "Spark Your E.P.I.C. Life" Pilot! Four consecutive weeks of one-on-one coaching using a signature process I've been facilitating in my circles this spring 🍃

I have space for three clients to experience an intensive, one-one-one, four-week coaching process. Could this be you?

✨Do you feel like you're on the threshold of a powerful shift in your life?

✨Are you ready to spark new perspectives, new ways of being, and some E.P.I.C. action of your own?

✨Have you wanted to participate in the Mother's Quest Circle but the timing wasn't right or you prefer to work one-on-one?

We've been having an amazing experience in the Mother's Quest Virtual Circle and I want to bring the same practices and flow to work one-on-one in a more focused period of time...over one month instead of three.

Interested? I'd love to schedule a time to check-in about what's happening in your life and how this could support you.

✏️Sign up for a discovery session at this link or message me some times that could work for you if you don't see something that fits your schedule.

https://mothersquest.as.me/discoverysession

Acknowledgements:

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:

  • 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

 

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. lifeEngaging 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/

Aug 2, 2018

This episode introduction comes to you from my hotel balcony in San Miguel de Allende Mexico, where Chris and I are celebrating our 21st anniversary and our children are on a special trip with their grandparents.

To make space for vacation, I decided to re-release two episodes and take a break from recording. Next week, at the one year mark of the Charlottesville Rally, I’ll share again my original conversation with Resistance Live’s Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin along with a new introduction where I share what I’ve learned since answering the call to fight against police brutality. Please stay tuned for that episode and see the link in the show notes for how you can help this cause right now.

For this week, when I thought about the first episode from past seasons I’d like to share again, the first introductory episode 00, titled “Planting the Seeds for Mother’s Quest,” came immediately to mind. It seemed right to revisit this episode, because this summer has been a time of reflecting on milestones, in my own personal development and learning, with my children, and in the development of Mother’s Quest since that first recording.

In the last few months, I spoke about my journey on a panel at a conference for the first time, the podcast hit a big milestone, reaching over 20,000 downloads, with over 45 episodes, in 30 countries, with 7 podcast platforms, our Facebook group passed 500 members, and I stepped into new territory advocating for police accountability bills in the state of California. I completed the first virtual Mother’s Quest Circle pilot and the first Spark Your E.P.I.C. life one-on-one program and launched a new blog series called “Tales of our Humanity.” My children have experienced tremendous growth too, one graduating from preschool and the other middle school, and each taking on new adventures that have stretched them in different ways.

Seeds I planted when I recorded this episode have taken root in amazing ways. And, at the same time, the original intention to use my voice, to create space for powerful conversation, to build community and to grow in a reciprocal relationship with my children have stayed constant.

I’m appreciating the power of marking a new beginning, enjoying the journey, staying true to a vision, and allowing the original seeds of intent to flourish. I hope in listening to this episode again, or perhaps discovering it for the first time, you’ll feel grounded in the original messages of Mother’s Quest and also inspired by what has been possible since….so you can plant some new seeds of your own and trust that they too will grow.

Episode 00: Planting Seeds for Mother’s Quest – An Introduction:

Welcome to this introductory episode of the Mother’s Quest podcast. This solocast will give you a preview of what to expect in this twelve week season and reveal the stories behind Mother’s Quest E.P.I.C. framework, the podcast logo and the mantra that closes each show.

This solocast, and the podcast that it officially kicks off, is a birthday present to myself. This milestone birthday, on December 1st, 2016, and the reflective and transformative experiences in the months preceding it, inspired me to start my quest and this podcast.

For the first time in my life, I have the desire to create and share publicly something deeply personal; to use and share my voice; to commit to something I am calling my E.P.I.C. life; and to build a community to support me and other mothers along the way.

In the episodes that will follow, I interview other mothers to learn their words of wisdom. But this episode is an opportunity for me to use my own voice and share some lessons I’ve learned since the moment I decided to cross the threshold and begin living my E.P.I.C. life.

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

  • How attending a creative workshop hosted by Elizabeth Gilbert last year began a process of self-reflection and helped me to start dreaming
  • The mission behind Mother’s Quest, and what it means to live an E.P.I.C. life.
  • How two birds that got trapped inside my home became the metaphor that sparked my journey.
  • Kids are always listening to what we say, to the “seeds” that we plant and nurture in them. And, we are in a reciprocal relationship with our children where we both learn and grow together.
  • It’s the journey and not the destination that matters the most.
  • Synopses of the first three episodes of the podcast
  • The first season of the Mother’s Quest podcast is dedicated to my friend Leslie Fischer, who passed away last summer from pancreatic cancer. How the inspiration of her life crystallized a Mother’s Quest mantra that will close each episode.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Announcements:

Take this Play to Senate – Support our GoFundMe Campaign & Action Steps

In CA, at the time of the release of this episode, lawmakers are about to deliberate on two key police accountability bills, SB-1421 and AB-931. In advance of that deliberation, I’m working with Nikki Yeboah, the producer of a powerful play called (M)others, to bring forward the stories of those who’ve lost loved ones to police brutality to the lawmakers who will vote on this bill. We need your help to raise funds, to spread the word, and to call CA lawmakers, urge them to attend, and to vote yes on these bills. Visit gofundme.com/slash take-this-play-to-senate to learn more about this effort and how you can support.

Spark Your E.P.I.C. Life

Join me for the first “Spark Your E.P.I.C. Life” Pilot! Four consecutive weeks of one-on-one coaching using a signature process I’ve been facilitating in my circles this spring 

I’m looking for no more than FOUR clients to experience an intensive, one-one-one, four-week coaching process in the month of June. Could this be you?

Do you feel like you’re on the threshold of a powerful shift in your life?

Are you ready to spark new perspectives, new ways of being, and some E.P.I.C. action of your own?

Have you wanted to participate in the Mother’s Quest Circle but the timing wasn’t right or you prefer to work one-on-one?

We’ve been having an amazing experience in the Mother’s Quest Virtual Circle and I want to bring the same practices and flow to work one-on-one in a more focused period of time…over one month instead of three.

Interested? I’d love to schedule a time to check-in about what’s happening in your life and how this could support you.

Sign up for a discovery session at this link or message me some times that could work for you if you don’t see something that fits your schedule. https://mothersquest.as.me/discoverysession

I’d like to identify the four individuals this week, get scheduled and start next week!

Mother’s Quest Tales of our Humanity #2 of 52

On the heels of attending Kate Schatz’ launch event for her new book “RAD GIRLS CAN,” and in the wake of the tragic loss of life and promise of Nia Simmons, I’m honored to share a series of stories about an incredible 7 year-old girl, Havana, written by her mother Bethany Edwards.

Along with the support of her parents, Havana is already proving there are so many things she CAN do to make a difference, defying stereotypes based on the color of her skin and her age, at every turn.

Havana sees the potential in herself and in her peers. She said it best at a recent event where she spoke “Every single girl in this room is a warrior. And every girl here can change the world.”

Here’s to Havana, here’s to her mother Bethany, here’s to our humanity.

Read Here

Reflection on the Mother’s Quest Podcast Milestone

It’s a big milestone for the Mother’s Quest Podcast 20,000 downloads! Lessons from my father on seeking our fate. And join me in the first “Spark Your E.P.I.C. Life Pilot. Watch the video here.

Acknowledgements:

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:

  • 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

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. lifeEngaging 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/

Jul 19, 2018

I’m honored to share with you this episode with Renegade Mothering’s, Janelle Hanchett, mom to four ranging in age from 4 to 16, and author of the new memoir “I’m Just Happy to Be Here.” I reached out to Janelle after reading her raw and honest blog post about raising teenagers. In my experience raising my own teenage son, I saw myself in Janelle’s words, and shared her post with every friend I know parenting teenagers.

I’ve since become a fan of Janelle’s wildly popular blog. She started Renegade Mothering in 2011, when after reunifying with her husband and children after years battling addiction, she settled into sobriety, suddenly “woke up” amid the daily life of working and raising her children, and felt overwhelmed by the feeling of erasure in motherhood.

To determine if the rest of the mothering world was crazy or she was, she started writing after her kids went to bed and invited readers to join her. Writing irreverently about the humorous and darker sides of motherhood, and eventually sharing her own recovery from alcoholism, she attracted an audience of hundreds of thousands of readers, and in May 2018 published her first book, the powerful memoir “I’m Just Happy to Be Here.”

The theme of being honest and real, owning our truths, seeing ourselves and therefore being able to truly see our children runs through this powerful conversation and carries forward into the challenge that Janelle gives us. She invites us to create space to reflect on, name, and be honest with ourselves about the parts of motherhood that we just don’t like. I added to her challenge that I would create a gathering with local moms this summer and give ourselves permission to name and also share these truths with one another. Photo and update on how that goes to come.

I hope you’ll say “yes” to claiming space for yourself, owning your truths, finding connection by doing this with others, and that you’ll share your photos and your experience with us.

I loved this conversation with Janelle, but admit that after finishing her book last night, I have so many more questions for her. She’s agreed to do a follow-up video conversation, that you’re invited to, in the month of August. So, I encourage you to order Janelle’s book, “I’m Just Happy to Be Here,” read it, join the Mother’s Quest group so you’ll get notified when our conversation is scheduled and come with your questions.

Looking forward to claiming space, uncovering and owning more of our truths together.

 

This episode dedicated by Jen Simon, Writer and Mom:

Jen’s biggest secret went viral — although she was a mom, she was addicted to prescriptions pills. After her explosive Washington Post essay, she has been contacted by hundreds of women all saying the same thing: this was my story too. Jen has written about her addiction for Cosmopolitan, Redbook, Babble, and The TODAY Show. She was recently a guest on The TODAY Show and also filmed a video for their website.

In addition to writing about addiction, Jen writes about motherhood, postpartum depression, relationships, pop culture, and feminism. She has contributed to Yahoo, Slate, Woman’s Day, and more than two dozen other publications. Her essays have been featured in six anthologies.”

www.jensimonwriter.com
Facebook @JenSimonWriter
Twitter @NoSleepInBklyn
Instagram @JenSimonWriter

 

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

  • How a blog post Janelle wrote on parenting a teenager led me to seek out more of her voice as a guide on my own motherhood journey.

  • Janelle shares about her childhood being raised by her own renegade mother.

  • We talk about her early years of marriage… parenting, studying, working, and sinking more deeply into alcoholism in the midst of the massive identity shift of motherhood.

  • In sobriety, the awakening she experienced of being erased by motherhood, the need to claim space for herself, and how that led to the creation of her blog, Renegade Mothering.

  • Janelle’s quest to realize herself as a human constantly seeking truth and seeing how she can offer the world something of meaning

  • Having children with a broad age difference and how Janelle engages her children through the little in-between moments.

  • How Janelle strives to “see” her children for who they uniquely are, remembering she can’t save them, while also teaching them, and remembering that they are not the justification for her existence.

  • Janelle shares the impact that her writing has had for her, her children, the mothers who read her blog, and families of those who have experienced addiction and recovery.

  • Her passion for deconstructing patriarchy and the false expectations society has for mothers, letting go of guilt and shame and of being a sanctimonious mother

  • How Janelle invests in herself, her writing, her spirituality and all the connections that help her stay sober

  • The strong and powerful friendships in her life and a special group of friends that participate in a weekly rotating dinner practice

  • Our realization that our children really are watching us. They are aware of and shaped by us more than we think.

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

 

Blog posts mentioned in this episode:

 

This Week’s Challenge:

Janelle challenges us to create a space to reflect on, name, and be honest with ourselves about the parts of motherhood that we just don’t like and that we want to say no to. I added to her challenge that I would create a gathering with local moms this summer and give ourselves permission to name and also share these truths with one another. Photo and update on how that goes to come. You’re invited to do the same and share your photos and truths in the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group.

 

Announcements:

Join the Mother’s Quest Community

As I finished Janelle’s book, book with tears in my eyes, I was struck by the power of owning our truths, seeing ourselves in our whole humanity, the good and the bad, and the connection that’s possible when we share those truths with one another.

I resonated with a particular passage in her book where she writes about finding her voice and her Renegade Mothering community. She says “When I found my voice, I didn’t find answers–I found a purpose for every moment I had lived. I found power in every blackened room in my mind, every fear, every sad parent, every futile word and nightmare memory. Because it led me to you, to the place where we are the same, to the place where words draw a line from my bones to yours, and you look at me and say, “I know,” and I look back at you, thinking “Well I’ll be damned. I guess we’ve been here together all along.”

That’s how I feel about finding my voice through this podcast, about owning the questions I get to explore here with truth-seekers like Janelle, and in realizing, when you listen and engage with me, that we’re not alone in our pursuit.

If you haven’t yet and want to join the deeper conversation and the community, reach out to me at julie@mothersquest.com or follow the links in the show notes to join our free facebook group. If you’re already a member, invite a friend to join us. In the group, stay tuned for an announcement about a special live and interactive conversation with Janelle. Together, I look forward to exploring more questions, seeking more truth, and making more connections.

Spark Your E.P.I.C. Life

Join me for the first “Spark Your E.P.I.C. Life” Pilot! Four consecutive weeks of one-on-one coaching using a signature process I’ve been facilitating in my circles this spring 

I’m looking for no more than FOUR clients to experience an intensive, one-one-one, four-week coaching process in the month of June. Could this be you?

Do you feel like you’re on the threshold of a powerful shift in your life?

Are you ready to spark new perspectives, new ways of being, and some E.P.I.C. action of your own?

Have you wanted to participate in the Mother’s Quest Circle but the timing wasn’t right or you prefer to work one-on-one?

We’ve been having an amazing experience in the Mother’s Quest Virtual Circle and I want to bring the same practices and flow to work one-on-one in a more focused period of time…over one month instead of three.

Interested? I’d love to schedule a time to check-in about what’s happening in your life and how this could support you.

Sign up for a discovery session at this link or message me some times that could work for you if you don’t see something that fits your schedule. https://mothersquest.as.me/discoverysession

I’d like to identify the four individuals this week, get scheduled and start next week!

Mother’s Quest Tales of our Humanity #1 of 52

Janelle’s recent post about her daughter Ava became the first of the series of 52, “Mother’s Quest Tales of our Humanity”

 

Acknowledgements:

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:

  • 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

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. lifeEngaging 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/

Jul 5, 2018

I’m honored to bring you this Episode #45 of the Mother’s Quest Podcast, a conversation I shared first a little over a year ago, when my own son Ryan marked a big milestone in his life, his 13th birthday and the approach of his bar mitzvah.

Recently, Ryan crossed another threshold, his middle school graduation, and in the weeks before this new milestone, he wrote a speech to capture the experiences and lessons learned from a challenging spring semester. 

Though Ryan didn’t have the opportunity to address his class at graduation, I believe the messages of his speech, about moving from feelings of depression and isolation to curiosity and connection, could impact an even bigger audience through the power of podcasting.

So, I decided to bring you his speech, in his voice, followed by our original podcast conversation from a year ago. I’m thankful to Ryan for giving me permission to share his speech with this community and for the gift of the conversation we had on the podcast a year ago.

I hope the common themes and the honest messages from last year to now, of overcoming challenges, building trust, finding connection, and not letting fear stop you from living a YOLO life, reach all who need it.

This episode dedicated by Monisha Vasa:

This Milestone Reflections Revisited Episode also warranted, in my mind, a new dedication, from someone with a unique perspective on the topics Ryan explores. I found who I was looking for in Monisha Vasa, a psychiatrist, mother, and writer who dedicated the episode to her courageous patients.

Learn more about Monisha’s work at www.monishavasa.com and www.mindful-healing.com.

YOLO (You Only Live Once) and other Milestone Reflections with Ryan Neale Original Episode Show Notes

As Ryan approached his bar mitzvah, a year ago in April 2017, becoming a “Jewish adult” and entering his teens, we decided we would spend his thirteenth birthday together, going on a “milestone hike” ‘and then recording an episode of the podcast at a recording studio in San Francisco.

It was a magical day of reflection, revelations for both of us, and a lot of laughter. I’m honored to bring highlights of all of that to you through this episode.

You’ll hear Ryan share eloquently and honestly about his appreciation for the support that helped him conquer his developmental delays, how his own fears manifest in his life today, and how, in his next chapter, he wants to trust more and move through his fear. Because, he says, he wants to live with a YOLO (You Only Live Once) mindset.

Ryan reflects on snapshot moments from his life, about his deep love for his younger brother, his experience finding a group of friends and a school program where he could thrive, receiving the academic achievement award, and the moments he hopes he’ll be able to look back on with pride at the next milestone.

Ryan also gets a turn to ask me his own questions and give me feedback. I had an opportunity to share the biggest lesson my mother gave me, to always appreciate every stage of life you’re in when you’re in it, and acknowledge what I wish I could change about myself.  

I also heard Ryan reflect back that in being “a little selfish” in creating Mother’s Quest I’ve given him so much more than if I only focused on my children.

There’s a game we play with Erik Newton (whose studio we recorded in) as our game show host, a lot of laughter and some comical out-takes that you’ll want to stick around for at the very end.

I felt so blessed to create this experience with Ryan and to share it with you. I take with me the importance of marking these rites of passage thoughtfully with our children, what a privilege it is to be witness to the development of another human being as a mother, a reminder of how powerfully our children see and know us and help us grow, and what fun it can be to create new experiences together.

Ryan and I will never forget how we spent his thirteenth birthday together. We hope you’ll leave this episode inspired to mark a milestone in your life, with your children, and make some life-long memories of your own.

Topics discussed in this episode:

  • Our meaningful and magical milestone hike through Laurelwood Park

  • How you cannot see yourself fully through the mirror but can through your loved ones

  • Life happens fast, appreciate every aspect of your life as you’re in it because before you know it you’ll be on to the next

  • Take life in small steps and the snapshot moments that Ryan most remembers from his 13 years

  • Ryan’s love for his brother Jacob and what Ryan said the day Jacob was born

  • The impact living my E.P.I.C. life has had on Ryan

  • How things that are scary can at the same time be beautiful and Ryan’s commitment not to let his fears stop him from living his YOLO (You Only Live Once) life

  • The pact Ryan and I made to help us with our biggest area of growth, our management of time

Resources mentioned in this episode:

  • Headstart, a special program for preschool aged children from low-income communities that provides access to early childhood education
  • The GATE Program (Gifted And Talented Education Program) national links and background information. Ryan participates in our local school district’s program.

  • Divergent Series by Veronica Roth

  • “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky

  • Erik Newton, The Together Show

  • Sports Illustrated Kid Reporter, a unique program Ryan has applied to which gives selected children ages 10 – 14 an opportunity to write and broadcast about sports

  • UCLA Bruin Woods where I was a counselor in college and where we all go to “camp” each summer as a family

Announcements:

Milestone Rite of Passage Coaching Session

The focus of today’s episode is about honoring the milestones in our lives. I’ve learned that when we’re moving through these periods of transition, it can be so powerful to slow down and reflect on our experience. If you’re on the verge of a new chapter and would like coaching to cross the threshold thoughtfully, email me at julie@mothersquest.com to find out more about my Milestone Rite of Passage Coaching Session. I’d love to help you gather your lessons learned and clarify your vision for what’s ahead.

Click here to book a Strategy Session

Spark Your E.P.I.C. Life

Join me for the first “Spark Your E.P.I.C. Life” Pilot! Four consecutive weeks of one-on-one coaching using a signature process I’ve been facilitating in my circles this spring 

I have space for three clients to experience an intensive, one-one-one, four-week coaching process this summer. Could this be you?

Do you feel like you’re on the threshold of a powerful shift in your life?

Are you ready to spark new perspectives, new ways of being, and some E.P.I.C. action of your own?

Have you wanted to participate in the Mother’s Quest Circle but the timing wasn’t right or you prefer to work one-on-one?

We’ve been having an amazing experience in the Mother’s Quest Virtual Circle and I want to bring the same practices and flow to work one-on-one in a more focused period of time…over one month instead of three.

Interested? I’d love to schedule a time to check-in about what’s happening in your life and how this could support you.

Sign up for a discovery session at this link or message me some times that could work for you if you don’t see something that fits your schedule. https://mothersquest.as.me/discoverysession

One Minute Mom Manifesto

Launched on Mother’s Day, my guest on the podcast, Graham Seabrook, and I invite you to create your own One Minute Mom Manifesto about what you want to claim or reclaim in your motherhood.

Use video, photos, poetry or any other form of your choice to express what matters most to you and share on social media using the hashtag#OneMinuteMomManifesto.

For more on the inspiration behind this idea, and why it’s so important that we claim and reclaim our whole selves in motherhood, tune into our episode on the podcast, link in the comments and at mothersquest.com/ep41-graemeseabrook

The Podcast has Reached a Milestone

Help us reach our next milestone by forwarding along your favorite episode to a friend. Thank you for your support!

Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle Pilot

I’m excited to announce that the first founding Mother’s Quest Virtual Circle has been filled. If you’re interested in a future circle, and want to receive notice when the applications open again, please add your name to this wait list. julie@mothersquest.com

Click here to Apply

Help us Grow the Mother’s Quest Community

If you’re finding value from the Mother’s Quest Podcast and would like to get more involved, please join us in the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group, help us find more like-minded mothers on a quest by spreading the word and sharing your favorite episodes, and make a donation or apply to dedicate an episode. You can also share your story on the Mother’s Quest Blog.

Acknowledgements:

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:

  • 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

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. lifeEngaging 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/

Jun 21, 2018

I’m excited to share this second special episode this month of the Mother’s Quest Podcast, in honor of Father’s Day, with someone I’ve known and admired for over a decade through our connection at Alternatives in Action, California Assemblymember Rob Bonta.

This month of June has been a time to focus on the amazing fathers in our lives. It’s also been primary election month in many communities. And when I thought about who I could interview who is both an amazing father and committed to a life of public service, Rob immediately came to mind.

When we pressed record on this interview, Rob had just been elected for a fourth term to the California State Assembly’s 18th District, where he represents the cities of Oakland, Alameda, and San Leandro and became, in 2012, the first Filipino American legislator in the 165-year history of California.

Prior to this, Rob utilized his law degree from Yale to serve as Deputy City Attorney for the City and County of San Francisco, and served as the Chair of the City of Alameda’s Economic Development Commission and as board president for the Social Service Human Relations before becoming Vice Mayor of the City of Alameda, the position he held as he ran for the State Assembly.

We started our conversation reflecting on Rob’s childhood and how his father, who stood with Dr. Martin Luther King in the Civil Rights Movement, and his mother, a long-time leader in the Filipino social justice movement, taught him to understand injustice and the importance of joining the struggle to empower vulnerable communities.

We reflect on some E.P.I.C. snapshot moments from Rob’s childhood. Growing up in a trailer just a few hundred yards from César Chávez’s home, Rob watched closely as his parents organized Filipino and Mexican American farm workers, infusing his formative years with first-hand experience of one of the greatest peaceful social, racial, and economic justice movements of all time.

Then, we delve into how the E.P.I.C. guideposts show up in Rob’s life, how he makes space for each of his four children and allows them to step into leadership and activism on their own, his passionate and purposeful work and the causes he’s championing as an Assemblyman, from early childhood education to affordable housing, the deep connection to his community that fulfills and restores him, and the family relationships that are everything to him, especially the one with his wife Mialisa, who he met in college and has been married to for 21 years. 

We also had the opportunity to talk about AB-931 and SB-1421, two bills aimed at reducing instances of police brutality and increasing police accountability. Moving through some discomfort I felt in the moment, I asked and Rob agreed to work toward getting these bills passed, to talk with the founders of Mothers Against Police Brutality for policy insight, and to explore bringing a powerful play called (M)others to Sacramento to shine light on the real stories of families who’ve lost loved ones to police violence.

At the end, Rob challenged me and all of us to hold him and other lawmakers accountable to the issues and causes that matter most to us. In a heart-wrenching week when our government has been separating children from their families at the border, Rob’s message and call to action to hold our leaders accountable resonates deeply. I left the conversation with renewed commitment to do so, modeling engagement, not apathy, for my children and saying “yes” to creating my own family’s legacy of activism and leadership.

This episode dedicated by:

Celia Ward-Wallace – an author, community leader, inspirational speaker and certified life coach in honor of her parents, social justice activists and leaders Eric Mann and Lian Hurst Mann.  Visit Celia’s website athttp://celiawardwallace.com/.

You can also visit:

Celia’s Father’s Organization, The Labor Community Strategy Center:https://thestrategycenter.org/

The Organization’s Radio Show, Voices From the Front Lines:http://voicesfromthefrontlines.com/

Reform LA Jails: http://reformlajails.com/, an Initiative under way that Celia and her parents are championing

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

  • The activist and public service seeds planted in Rob and his siblings from his parent’s and Rob’s E.P.I.C. snapshop childhood memories in the presence of César Chávez and organizing for Mexican American Farmworkers’ rights.
  • How Rob’s parents fled the Philippines for the security of the family before the Martial Law era of Ferdinand Marcos

  • The way that Rob and his wife, Mialisa, make time for each child and share with their kids what they love and care

  • The many causes Rob is championing in his role as Assemblymember.

  • Rob’s position on the gravity of solving the problem of police violence in our country, an exploration of two new California bills aimed at reducing police violence, and the requests I made of Rob to go further in his commitment.

  • How being in his home community restores and fulfills Rob and how his love of soccer, since the days that he served as captain of Yale’s Soccer team,  continues to be a way that Rob invests in his own well-being.

  • Rob and Mialisa’s love story, how they continue staying together, and the extended family that supports them

  • Rob’s awareness that this interview provided an opportunity to “Get off of the dance floor and onto the balcony” to survey the big picture and reflect

  • What Rob really thinks is the enemy of democracy and his challenge for all of us

This Week’s Challenge:

Rob believes that the enemy of strong communities and Democracy is apathy. He challenges us to step up and hold him and our other leaders accountable, even through discomfort, to the issues and things that we value and are passionate about.

Resources:

Announcements:

Join the Parenting ADHD Summit

Honored to be part of this amazing Summit that Penny Williams is organizing. You can hear from me (my session is called “How Moms Can Live a Life of Intention and Purpose”), Dr. Elisa Song, and over 30 other parenting experts.

Honestly, I think what you’ll learn here will help you on your parenting journey regardless of whether you have a child who has ADHD or is “differently wired” in other ways.

Click here to join.

Spark Your E.P.I.C. Life

Join me for the first “Spark Your E.P.I.C. Life” Pilot! Four consecutive weeks of one-on-one coaching using a signature process I’ve been facilitating in my circles this spring 

I’m looking for no more than FOUR clients to experience an intensive, one-one-one, four-week coaching process in the month of June. Could this be you?

Do you feel like you’re on the threshold of a powerful shift in your life?

Are you ready to spark new perspectives, new ways of being, and some E.P.I.C. action of your own?

Have you wanted to participate in the Mother’s Quest Circle but the timing wasn’t right or you prefer to work one-on-one?

We’ve been having an amazing experience in the Mother’s Quest Virtual Circle and I want to bring the same practices and flow to work one-on-one in a more focused period of time…over one month instead of three.

Interested? I’d love to schedule a time to check-in about what’s happening in your life and how this could support you.

Sign up for a discovery session at this link or message me some times that could work for you if you don’t see something that fits your schedule. https://mothersquest.as.me/discoverysession

I’d like to identify the four individuals this week, get scheduled and start next week!

Launched on Mother’s Day, my guest on the podcast, Graham Seabrook, and I invite you to create your own One Minute Mom Manifesto about what you want to claim or reclaim in your motherhood.

Use video, photos, poetry or any other form of your choice to express what matters most to you and share on social media using the hashtag#OneMinuteMomManifesto.

For more on the inspiration behind this idea, and why it’s so important that we claim and reclaim our whole selves in motherhood, tune into our episode on the podcast, link in the comments and at mothersquest.com/ep41-graemeseabrook

The Podcast has Reached a Milestone

Help us reach our next milestone by forwarding along your favorite episode to a friend. Thank you for your support!

Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle Pilot

I’m excited to announce that the first founding Mother’s Quest Virtual Circle has been filled. If you’re interested in a future circle, and want to receive notice when the applications open again, please add your name to this wait list. Please email julie@mothersquest.com

Help us Grow the Mother’s Quest Community

If you’re finding value from the Mother’s Quest Podcast and would like to get more involved, please join us in the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group, help us find more like-minded mothers on a quest by spreading the word and sharing your favorite episodes, and make a donation or apply to dedicate an episode. You can also share your story on the Mother’s Quest Blog.

Acknowledgements:

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:

  • 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

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. lifeEngaging 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/

Jun 7, 2018

What an honor it is to bring you this episode with my own father as one of two I’m having with men on the podcast this month in honor of Father’s Day.

Two things sparked my interest in having my father on the show now…first, a desire to feel more connected to my grandmother Molla, my father’s mother, who passed away years before I was born from pancreatic cancer. I wanted to hear from my Dad about his experience of his mother, how she shaped him, and the ways he notices her spirit living on in us today.

Related to this, I recently went to a workshop to learn about uncovering our family ancestry and at that workshop they discussed the power of oral histories. My Dad is a storyteller and I wanted to use this amazing platform to capture his stories and life lessons, for me, for my children and the Mother’s Quest Community.

The episode is an exploration of my father’s E.P.I.C. life, how his mother’s passion as a voice and elocution teacher shaped him into the powerful speaker and human being he is today, the moment he first saw my mom when she was just 11 years old, how he built a career and a family, and a love of golf to help him cope with the effects of Type 1 Diabetes. And, how he views love of family and the pursuit of fate as a theme that runs through it all.

This episode’s dedication was shared by Vanessa Couto, an astrologist who considers fate and what’s written “in the stars” for us as part of her exploration and practice. Vanessa honored her father Guido with this dedication and reflected on the ways that fate, legacy, and character help us live a life of purpose.

I loved reflecting on these same elements of my father’s life in this conversation. I wasn’t surprised that there were moments that made my Dad and I laugh and cry during along the way. But, I was surprised by the insights that emerged…about the ways in which my grandmother and my father’s qualities live in me. I’ve known I’m much like my mother, but it wasn’t until the end of this conversation that I realized that the “seeker” in me, the one who is always on a quest, comes from my father.

My Dad believes that fate play a role in all of our lives, but that we must actively pursue it to fully realize it. Our challenge this month is to reflect on the moments in our lives when we chose to pursue our fate and what happened as a result. Also, to notice and seize the new opportunities and possibilities that call us to take action today in our E.P.I.C. lives.

In honor of Father’s Day, I’d like to add one more challenge that we didn’t discuss in the interview but came to me as I wrote this introduction. Seek out the father or father figures in your life to ask them about and record the stories, lessons and insights they have to pass along to this and future generations.

I promise you’ll learn something powerful about yourself and how to more fully live your E.P.I.C. life.

**Stick around till the end for some light and funny bloopers from the interview.

This episode dedicated by:

Vanessa Couto – Artist, Astrologer, and Teacher. Visit her website at www.vanessacouto.com and connect on Facebook 

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

  • My father’s view on fate and how it has been a thread weaving through his whole E.P.I.C. life
  • The ways my grandmother shaped my father and the thing she said to him that sealed his fate for a life he loved in California

  • How fate brought my father and mother together, from his first site of her receiving a drama lesson from his mother, to summers as children and teens in a bungalow colony, to 50 plus years of marriage.

  • Where the seeds for his playful nature and love for his children and grandchildren were planted early in his life

  • How he pursued a career in a business he built, the people he met and helped along the way, and the importance of being a person of integrity

  • The impact of Type 1 Diabetes and stress on his life and how his love of golf became his remedy

  • Some funny stories of crazy things that happened to him, several involving the Wall Street Journal, and one that you may want to turn the volume down on if your children are listening with you.

  • The favorite toasts passed down to him by his mother

This Week’s Challenge:

There are three challenges this week:

  • One from me, to look back on our lives, notice the moments when we chose to seek our fate, the impact that has had on us, and to share it with our family members
  • One from my father to continue to seek out our fate, taking action on opportunities even when we’re not certain what might come from it
  • And one that emerged from my son Ryan, to share this episode with the fathers or father figures in your life, let them know how you appreciate them, and explore and record their stories and lessons learned.

Other Special Episodes with the People in My Life:

Announcements:

Join the Parenting ADHD Summit

Honored to be part of this amazing Summit that Penny Williams is organizing. You can hear from me (my session is called “How Moms Can Live a Life of Intention and Purpose”), Dr. Elisa Song, and over 30 other parenting experts.

Honestly, I think what you’ll learn here will help you on your parenting journey regardless of whether you have a child who has ADHD or is “differently wired” in other ways.

Click here to join.

Spark Your E.P.I.C. Life

Join me for the first “Spark Your E.P.I.C. Life” Pilot! Four consecutive weeks of one-on-one coaching using a signature process I’ve been facilitating in my circles this spring 

I’m looking for no more than FOUR clients to experience an intensive, one-one-one, four-week coaching process in the month of June. Could this be you?

Do you feel like you’re on the threshold of a powerful shift in your life?

Are you ready to spark new perspectives, new ways of being, and some E.P.I.C. action of your own?

Have you wanted to participate in the Mother’s Quest Circle but the timing wasn’t right or you prefer to work one-on-one?

We’ve been having an amazing experience in the Mother’s Quest Virtual Circle and I want to bring the same practices and flow to work one-on-one in a more focused period of time…over one month instead of three.

Interested? I’d love to schedule a time to check-in about what’s happening in your life and how this could support you.

Sign up for a discovery session at this link or message me some times that could work for you if you don’t see something that fits your schedule. https://mothersquest.as.me/discoverysession

I’d like to identify the four individuals this week, get scheduled and start next week!

CreateYour One Minute Mom Manifesto

Launched on Mother’s Day, my guest on the podcast, Graham Seabrook, and I invite you to create your own One Minute Mom Manifesto about what you want to claim or reclaim in your motherhood.

Use video, photos, poetry or any other form of your choice to express what matters most to you and share on social media using the hashtag#OneMinuteMomManifesto.

For more on the inspiration behind this idea, and why it’s so important that we claim and reclaim our whole selves in motherhood, tune into our episode on the podcast, link in the comments and at mothersquest.com/ep41-graemeseabrook

The Podcast has Reached a Milestone

Help us reach our next milestone by forwarding along your favorite episode to a friend. Thank you for your support!

Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle Pilot

I’m excited to announce that the first founding Mother’s Quest Virtual Circle has been filled. If you’re interested in a future circle, and want to receive notice when the applications open again, please add your name to this wait list. Please email julie@mothersquest.com

Help us Grow the Mother’s Quest Community

If you’re finding value from the Mother’s Quest Podcast and would like to get more involved, please join us in the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group, help us find more like-minded mothers on a quest by spreading the word and sharing your favorite episodes, and make a donation or apply to dedicate an episode. You can also share your story on the Mother’s Quest Blog.

Acknowledgements:

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:

  • 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

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. lifeEngaging 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/

May 24, 2018

I’m honored to share this Episode #42 of the Mother’s Quest Podcast, a special conversation released in conjunction with ALS Awareness Month with Mary Huffman. Mary is a wonder woman unlike any I’ve ever met, who relishes life with exuberance, and shares her love with everyone in her midst, even when facing the greatest of challenges.

I’ve known Mary and her family, her husband Ted, and her two children Anna and Jonny, for the last eight years, where we’ve been sharing one week out of every summer at a paradise known to us as Bruin Woods, UCLA’s alumni family camp in Lake Arrowhead, California.

But the last summer we came together, Mary arrived in a wheelchair, suffering from a mysterious set of symptoms which she later learned was a fast progressing form of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

ALS is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder which has currently left Mary almost bedbound 24/7 . This diagnosis has been devastating, as you can imagine. But through it all, Mary has focused on trying to stay positive, continuing her life goal of helping others, and making memories with her family and friends.

In our conversation, we explore all the ways in which Mary has lived with grace, positivity and optimism her whole life, and especially since her diagnosis, when instead of falling into despair, she has determined to “Stephen Hawking the crap outta this,” cherish every moment, especially with her children, and find ways to live her legacy.

This conversation covers a lot of territory, including the inspiration of her mother, who taught her so much about helping people, a year abroad in Russia during the time of Gorbachev, becoming the first college graduate in her family and then continuing to Stanford’s business school, and her entrepreneurial endeavors creating adult coloring books to reduce anxiety, something she has learned to conquer. She gives us a challenge to commit to coloring each night before we go to bed to reap mental health benefits and invited us to contribute to her Master List of Life Tricks.

And of course we talked about her family…especially her husband and children who she adores.

It was such a blessing to have this conversation with Mary during a time when she had full use of her voice. And, although we didn’t know when we recorded that we would share it publicly on the podcast, we decided afterward that doing so could contribute to her legacy of helping others. And that, as you’ll learn when you listen, means everything to Mary.

Mary has so many lessons to teach us.. I hope you’ll leave this conversation, as I did, with a deep appreciation for living your E.P.I.C. life to the fullest, finding the ways that you can help others with a generous spirit, facing any challenge that life brings you with tenacity and optimism, and remembering as Mary and her son Jonny say that there is always rain before a rainbow.

I’m sending you and your family so much love Mary as we release this episode out into the world. I hope those of you listening will join me in sending positive thoughts and wishes.

This episode dedicated by:

Mary’s friend, Marcella Klein Williams.

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

  • UCLA’s Bruin Woods, the magical place where Mary and I, and our families, have spent the last eight summers and a favorite memory of mine of Mary there singing karaoke to her husband
  • The fast-moving form of ALS Mary has, the inspiration she takes from Stephen Hawkings’ legacy, and how she hopes the fast-moving version will become the curable one

  • The video “There’s Something About Mary” that her friends and family created for her and the custom “ALS Mom” and “Team Mary” T-shirts she and her supporters have had printed

  • The inspiration of Mary’s mother to help people and the many ways her mother and Mary have opened their homes and extended kindness to others

  • Mary’s approach to engaging with her children by spending time and listening to them, giving them permission to make mistakes, and helping them understand the ups and downs that come with life.

  • Her adventurous life path, including becoming the first in her family to attend college, a year abroad in the then Soviet Union, graduate school in business at Stanford, and management consulting abroad.

  • The ways Mary has built strong connections her whole life and a key piece of advice for how to handle criticism that has served her and her relationships well

  • How stumbling on a coloring book of her mother’s led her to co-create adult coloring books with a friend, and how coloring can have the same benefits as meditation

  • Mary’s experience battling anxiety and her strategy for defeating our “anxiety monster”

  • How Mary got started creating “Mary’s Tricks for Life”, and the “Master List of Life Tricks” that we can all contribute to

  • The E.P.I.C. snapshot moments that revolve around her children and why they mean so much

This Week’s Challenge:

Mary challenges us to:

  1. Try coloring 15 minutes each night before going to sleep. Check out the special coloring pages that Mary has created if you don’t already have your own favorites.

  2. Tale a look at the list of life tricks at Mary’s website and send in your own so she can add it to the Master List of Life Tricks. This List is part of Mary’s legacy, one way to help others now and in the future.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

  • Learn more about Mary from her blog, Ted and Mary and watch the video we mention (linked at the bottom of the page) “There’s Something About Mary”
  • Mary’s adult coloring books available at Amazon.

  • The Coloring Book Zone where you can find Mary’s and other great coloring books. Use the code MOMISGREAT to get 30% Off.

  • The Master List of Life Tricks

  • You can help Mary with her ALS medical expenses at her gofundmepage.

  • UCLA’s Bruin Woods where I met Mary and I have spent one week out of every summer together with our families for the last eight years

Announcements:

Launched on Mother’s Day, my guest on the podcast, Graham Seabrook, and I invite you to create your own One Minute Mom Manifesto about what you want to claim or reclaim in your motherhood.

Use video, photos, poetry or any other form of your choice to express what matters most to you and share on social media using the hashtag#OneMinuteMomManifesto.

For more on the inspiration behind this idea, and why it’s so important that we claim and reclaim our whole selves in motherhood, tune into our episode on the podcast, link in the comments and at mothersquest.com/ep41-graemeseabrook

The Podcast is Reaching a Milestone

We almost have 20,000 Downloads!!!

Pay the inspiration forward 
Share the mothersquest.com/podcast with a friend!

Spring into Your E.P.I.C. Life Clarity Coaching Package

Spring is an amazing time to more fully seed the E.P.I.C. Guideposts in your life. I’m opening a limited number of one-on-one coaching spaces for a 90 day coaching package that includes bi-weekly hour-long coaching sessions where I will help you mindfully close the chapter of the last season, identify your vision for what’s ahead, set strategic action steps for moving forward, and provide inspiration and accountability along the way. Email me at julie@mothersquest.com to set up a free discovery call and learn more.

Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle Pilot

I’m excited to announce that the first founding Mother’s Quest Virtual Circle has been filled. If you’re interested in a future circle, and want to receive notice when the applications open again, please add your name to this wait list at http://mothersquest.com/virtualcircleapplication/

Help us Grow the Mother’s Quest Community

If you’re finding value from the Mother’s Quest Podcast and would like to get more involved, please join us in the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group, help us find more like-minded mothers on a quest by spreading the word and sharing your favorite episodes, and make a donation or apply to dedicate an episode. You can also share your story on the Mother’s Quest Blog.

Acknowledgements:

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:

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

May 10, 2018

I’m so honored to bring you this special Mother’s Day edition of the Mother’s Quest Podcast with Graeme Seabrook, a woman whose recent writing on reclaiming ourselves in motherhood through a Mother’s Bill of Rights had me laughing, crying and cheering out loud. The moment I read it, I knew I wanted to have this conversation on the podcast.

Graeme is a Motherhood Life Coach, who bases her approach to coaching on the belief that you must be a priority in your own life in order to thrive. Following a traumatizing birth experience and postpartum depression, anxiety, and PTSD, Graeme began a healing journey as a mother and a woman. Believing that our global culture treats mothers as if we’re inhuman and expects us to be superhuman, she helps mothers reclaim our humanity through her work as the founder of The Mom Center, a social and coaching network for mothers, and through her speaking and writing.

In our conversation, Graeme shared generously about her life-long quest to become a mother, the disillusionment she experienced in her first months of motherhood, and how she reached out for support to reclaim her life, something she now pays forward by creating and holding space for other mothers.

We discuss the ways that living an E.P.I.C. life resonates for her, the E.P.I.C. guideposts in her life, and how the floodgates for impact opened as she crystallized everything she’s experienced and thought about into the “Mother’s Bill of Rights” with Ten Articles which I think are revelatory: a mother’s right to Personhood, Privacy, Space, Care, Voice, Respect, Name, Dreams, Desire, and Visibility.

In time for Mother’s Day, I hope this conversation inspires you to examine your own truths and that you’ll record and share with us what you uncover using the hashtag #OneMinuteMomManifesto. It’s a co-created challenge, and a Mother’s Day Gift to you, from me and Graeme…an invitation to you for nothing less than a reclamation of your whole SELF.

This episode dedicated by:

Desiree Adaway of the Adaway Group. Sign up for four weeks of reflection, discussion, and sisterhood through Desiree’s upcoming Sister Summer – a 4-week writing intensive. And learn to become a force for freedom –for your liberation and the liberation of others through the Freedom School.

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

  • The experiences that shaped Graeme’s childhood and conception of motherhood, including her observations of her own mother’s experience parenting, the many times her family moved, and how her home and heart landed in Charleston.
  • Graeme’s honest retelling of the challenging early months of motherhood where she remembers holding her precious baby and feeling like there was a wall between them.
  • The E.P.I.C. spark moment that came when she shared her story online, received an outpouring of messages from other mothers going through the same experiences of emotional pain, depression, and anxiety and realized she needed to do something about it.
  • -Graeme’s “true truths” and the concept from her current favorite author, Octavia Butler, about God. It’s so powerful and a metaphor for the reciprocal relationship between parents and their children.
  • Graeme’s description of the Ten Articles in the Mother’s Bill of Rights, how she champions and helps mothers reclaim themselves through this framework and the support she offers in her Mom Center.
  • Graeme’s E.P.I.C. Snapshot moment which revealed reflections on the legacy of our matriarchs, the mothers we claim for ourselves, and how we can become the ancestor we aspire to now.
  • A description of our co-created #OneMinuteMomManifesto challenge.

This Week’s Challenge:

A challenge co-created by me and Graeme in honor of Mother’s Day to invite you to create your own one-minute manifesto about what you want to claim or reclaim in your motherhood. Use video, photos, poetry or any other form of your choice to express what matters most to you and share on social media using the hashtag #OneMinuteMomManifesto. Visitwww.facebook.com/MothersQuest for more information and inspiration. Help us reach our goal to inspire the creation of one million of these Mom Manifestos!

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

Announcements:

Dedicate an Episode of the Mother’s Quest Podcast

On this special Mother’s Day edition of the podcast, I want to honor my own mother Fran Lieberman, my mother in law Anne Neale, and the matriarchal ancestors that came before us, both biological and those as my guest Graeme Seabrook says we claim for ourselves.

I invite you to take a moment in honor of Mother’s Day to think about the mothers who have impacted you. And if there’s someone special you’d like to dedicate an upcoming podcast episode to, send an email tojulie@mothersquest.com. I’d love to hear your story and share how you can tell it on the podcast.

Spring into Your E.P.I.C. Life Clarity Coaching Package

Spring is an amazing time to more fully seed the E.P.I.C. Guideposts in your life. I’m opening a limited number of one-on-one coaching spaces for a 90 day coaching package that includes bi-weekly hour-long coaching sessions where I will help you mindfully close the chapter of the last season, identify your vision for what’s ahead, set strategic action steps for moving forward, and provide inspiration and accountability along the way. Email me at julie@mothersquest.com to set up a free discovery call and learn more.

Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle Pilot

I’m excited to announce that the first founding Mother’s Quest Virtual Circle has been filled. If you’re interested in a future circle, and want to receive notice when the applications open again, please add your name to this wait listjulie@mothersquest.com

Help us Grow the Mother’s Quest Community

If you’re finding value from the Mother’s Quest Podcast and would like to get more involved, please join us in the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group, help us find more like-minded mothers on a quest by spreading the word and sharing your favorite episodes, and make a donation or apply to dedicate an episode. You can also share your story on the Mother’s Quest Blog.

Acknowledgements:

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:

  • 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

Apr 26, 2018

Hello and welcome to this Episode #40 of the Mother’s Quest Podcast with someone who’s grown up alongside me as my friend since I was five years old, Rachel Winter.

The St Ends to my Be Fri in the Best Friends necklace charm we bought in elementary school, Rachel knows me better in some ways than I know myself. Most know her as the Oscar-nominated producer for the movie “Dallas Buyers Club,” and the life and creative partner of Terence Winter, the Emmy-Award winning screenwriter for the HBO show Sopranos and the Oscar-nominated screenwriter for the movie Wolf of Wall Street. 

She’s also a mom to two children, Max and Simone, a devoted daughter, a champion to her friends, and at her core, a storyteller, a quality expressed beautifully by Rachel Steinman, who presents this week’s dedication.

In our conversation, Rachel and I explore the people and experiences that shaped her as a child, why she asked for a divorce when she realized she wasn’t living authentically to her vision and how she has since stepped forward as the heroine of her journey in the movie version of her life.

We talk about her latest movie starring Rosario Dawson, Krystal, which took fifteen years to make. And how, because of how long it took to produce, it resulted in a deep friendship with William H. Macy, who directed and acted in the movie, and Felicity Huffman, Bill’s real-life wife who also played his wife in this movie.

I appreciated Rachel’s honesty as we delved into how the E.P.I.C. guideposts show up in her life, how she has learned to slow down and focus when she’s with her children, the upcoming movie projects she’s most excited about, how she takes care of herself with strong boundaries and a morning workout ritual after drop-off, and how she shows up for the people she loves in her life.

Rachel gave us all a challenge to seek out an out of the box movie experience, like Krystal, if its playing near us, and take a moment to look around, and even introduce ourselves to someone sitting near us, so that we realize we are all connected and that stories bring us together. 

I’m grateful that I get to live my life alongside my friend Rachel and that I had this time to delve deep into what it’s really like for her to live the authentic, movie-version of her E.P.I.C. life. I hope you leave this episode inspired to create space for conversations like these with your closest friends, to find the important and out of the box stories you need to bring forward, and to fully realize the vision you have for your life.

This episode dedicated by:

Rachel Steinman for her mother Laurie Kallen Schwent

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

  • The people and experiences that shaped Rachel as a child: how she believes we are the next version of our own mothers, the impact of her father’s work as a juvenile public defender, and the experience of seeing stories come alive at the Jewish Community Center.
  • Her commitment to living an authentic life, how she realized she wasn’t living the life she envisioned in her first marriage, and her steps to clear a path for who she was meant to be.
  • What she experiences as a cycle of life and balance with our children, in which we pay forward our love and care for our children as our mothers did for us. And also why it’s important for our children to see us and care for us while we’re raising them.
  • Her desire to have it all in her own way, why she writes everything down to see the juxtaposition of her life as a mom and her life as a movie producer, and the surprising day that brought her from picking up medicine at CVS to lunch with George Clooney.
  • Rachel’s experience of mindfulness with her children, which begins with slowing down and focusing, and how she’s learned to come from a place of calm, especially with her daughter.
  • Her passionate and purposeful desire to tell true stories that inform and also entertain and the ones she’s in the process of creating now, from a movie about LeBron James to one she is co-creating with her husband about Evil Kenevil.
  • The movie Krystal, 15 years in the making, how it does not fit easily in a box and how it challenges us to embrace things that are unexpected, to move beyond our fears, and to see that we are in this together.
  • An E.P.I.C. Snapshot moment she’ll never forget, stepping onto the Red Carpet at the Academy Awards, when she and Terry both arrived as nominees for their own work, on equal footing.

This Week’s Challenge:

Go and see the movie Krystal if it’s playing near you, or another out of the box movie. Be open to seeing something unexpected that isn’t like anything else. While there, take a moment to look around, and even introduce yourself to someone sitting near you, and realize we are all in this together.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

Announcements:

Spring into Your E.P.I.C. Life Clarity Coaching Package

Spring is an amazing time to more fully seed the E.P.I.C. Guideposts in your life. I’m opening a limited number of one-on-one coaching spaces for a 90 day coaching package that includes bi-weekly hour-long coaching sessions where I will help you mindfully close the chapter of the last season, identify your vision for what’s ahead, set strategic action steps for moving forward, and provide inspiration and accountability along the way. Email me at julie@mothersquest.com to set up a free discovery call and learn more.

Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle Pilot

I’m excited to announce that the first founding Mother’s Quest Virtual Circle has been filled. If you’re interested in a future circle, and want to receive notice when the applications open again, please add your name to this wait list. julie@mothersquest.com

Help us Grow the Mother’s Quest Community

If you’re finding value from the Mother’s Quest Podcast and would like to get more involved, please join us in the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group, help us find more like-minded mothers on a quest by spreading the word and sharing your favorite episodes, and make a donation or apply to dedicate an episode. You can also share your story on the Mother’s Quest Blog.

Acknowledgements:

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:

  • 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

Apr 12, 2018

I’m excited to share this Episode #39 of the Mother’s Quest Podcast with a special guest who I seemed destined to know, and who I’ll have the pleasure of meeting in person when we both speak at the upcoming Gaia Women Lead Conference in May, Alethea Cheng Fitzpatrick. 

The immigrant daughter of immigrant parents from Hong Kong, Alethea was born in London and grew up in a predominantly white community in the south of England. Today, she lives in Brooklyn, where she moved after university, with her husband and her two boys, currently aged 9 and 6.

An Advanced Certified Coach with the Gaia Project for Women’s Leadership and a Myers Briggs Certified Practitioner, Alethea is also the founder of Photosanity, where she helps parents find presence, joy and connection through photographing their kids. She has a background in architecture, with a BArch from Pratt Institute, and almost 20 years of experience as a licensed architect in NYC.

Alethea is a multi-passionate person who has arrived at a point in her life where all the parts of herself and her path weave together in unique ways. In this episode, Alethea and I explore the many ways that she finds presence in her life. We discuss how the current political landscape has caused uncomfortable but important personal growth in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion in both of us, how motherhood can turboboost our connection to ourselves and how we can use photography as a tool to bring mindfulness with our children and grace to ourselves as mothers. 

We also discuss what she’s discovering about how the Myers Briggs personality assessment, in women’s leadership and in parenthood, identifies our preferences and helps us make choices that energize rather than drain us. 

Finally, Alethea gives us all a challenge to reflect on our own “zone of genius” and will come back into the Mother’s Quest Facebook group on April 24th for a live conversation to help us make sense of what we learn. Make sure to join the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group to receive your invitation to that event.

I was so energized by this conversation with Alethea. I hope you, like me, come away from this conversation excited and inspired to look at how the threads of your own life weave together, what your personality preferences are, and how you can become more fully present and in your zone of genius for a more E.P.I.C. life.

This episode dedicated by:

Katie Hanus for her grandmother, Marion Walden Cowan.

Katie’s Blog, The Nature Wheel

Facebook

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

  • How Alethea and I came to know one another through our mutual quest for activism after Trump was elected

  • Who packs school lunches for Alethea’s children and how that may have been shaped by her growing up in a household with non-stereotypical gender roles

  • What it was like growing up as an Asian immigrant in a predominantly white community of England and how that impacts her today

  • How becoming a mother can turboboost you into becoming your true self and what Alethea wishes she could tell every new mother

  • Alethea’s path to finding Myers Briggs as a tool for understanding the natural preferences in herself, her children, and her clients and the ways it might support you

  • Capturing a moment through photography as a vehicle for deep connection and tool to bring even greater presence to our lives

  • Brave spaces that Alethea participates in to build dialogue and connection across differences

  • Alethea’s challenge to explore our “zone of genius” as a first step to understanding our personality preferences

This Week’s Challenge:

Alethea urges us to think about where our Zone of Genius lies, as a powerful reflection to do prior to exploring preferences from the Myers Briggs Framework.

The Zone of Genius is a place where there is the most amount of impact with the least amount of effort. When you are in the Zone of Genius, things come with ease, synchronicity abounds, and you have many aha moments.

Observe throughout your day when you feel energized from doing something and take snapshots of those moments to gather data. Encourage your children to do the same. Review Alethea’s article on this for more background and share your observations and photos in the Facebook Group. Then, join us for a live conversation and Q &A with Alethea in the Group on Tuesday, May 23rd.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

Announcements:

Spring into Your E.P.I.C. Life Clarity Coaching Package

Spring is an amazing time to more fully seed the E.P.I.C. Guideposts in your life. I’m opening a limited number of one-on-one coaching spaces for a 90 day coaching package that includes bi-weekly hour-long coaching sessions where I will help you mindfully close the chapter of the last season, identify your vision for what’s ahead, set strategic action steps for moving forward, and provide inspiration and accountability along the way. Email me atjulie@mothersquest.com to set up a free discovery call and learn more.

Mother’s Quest E.P.I.C. Life Check-In Featuring Alethea Cheng Fitzpatrick – April 24th

Join us for a special edition of our E.P.I.C. Life Check-In with Alethea Cheng Fitzpatrick on Tuesday, April 24th from 11:30 am-1PM pm via Video on Zoom. 

We’ll follow-up on Alethea’s challenge to reflect on our “Zone of Genius” and learn about how Myers Briggs might support us to stay in that zone more often. We’ll also build connections within the Mother’s Quest community, reflect on how we feel along the E.P.I.C. Guideposts this week, and set an intention for the week.

Time for learning new concepts, introspection and community-building all packed into one hour and a half. Are you In? Join the Mother’s Quest Community to RSVP and find the zoom link to join.www.mothersquest.com/community

Click HERE to Join

Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle Pilot

I’m excited to announce that the first founding Mother’s Quest Virtual Circle has been filled. If you’re interested in a future circle, and want to receive notice when the applications open again, please add your name to this wait list. julie@mothersquest.com

Help us Grow the Mother’s Quest Community

If you’re finding value from the Mother’s Quest Podcast and would like to get more involved, please join us in the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group, help us find more like-minded mothers on a quest by spreading the word and sharing your favorite episodes, and make a donation or apply to dedicate an episode. You can also share your story on the Mother’s Quest Blog.

Acknowledgements:

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:

  • 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

Mar 29, 2018

I’m honored to share this Episode #38 of the Mother’s Quest Podcast with someone who even my children were excited I was interviewing… best-selling, award-winning, children’s recording artist Laurie Berkner.

Widely recognized as the uncrowned queen of children’s music, Laurie’s albums, released on her own label Two Tomatoes, have been best sellers beloved by children and adults alike.  Her debut DVD, which went quadruple platinum, was the first-ever indie children’s music DVD to enter Billboard’s Top Music Video chart at #1. Laurie’s twelfth album, Laurie Berkner: the Dance Remixes, was released in September 2017.

A longtime fixture on TV’s Nick Jr. and Sprout channels, Laurie’s music videos now appear regularly on NBCUniversal’s Universal Kids channel. And she’s ventured into new creative endeavors, writing the music and lyrics for three Off-Broadway children’s musicals produced by New York City Children’s Theater and publishing a series of Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, including Pillowland, which has become my son Jacob’s story and song of choice at bedtime.

Laurie’s music bridges a divide between parents and their children and invites connection, joy and meaning. In our conversation, I was compelled by the stories Laurie shared about families whose children have cancer and listen to her music for comfort in the hospital or whose children have autism and their first words were the names of Laurie’s songs.

For her, bringing opportunities for connection and making space for creative expression is her true mission and has begun to take many forms. I was fascinated to learn about the unplanned path that brought her from preschool teacher to children’s musician, and how the tenets that inform her music training program, to stop talking and “put it in the music,” to let children express themselves in their own voice, and to follow children’s rhythm and leadership are powerful metaphors for parenthood and life.

I loved every moment of this conversation, but especially the end, where Laurie recounted a recent E.P.I.C. snapshot moment with her own daughter and then closed us out with her guitar in hand singing my favorite song of hers, “Moon, Moon, Moon.”

I felt so enriched by this conversation, and following Laurie’s guidance, I’m committed to creating more space for emotion, connection, play and music with my children.

But, there’s also something else. The day after I recorded this episode and had the honor of hearing Laurie sing about the moon, I took in the power of the Lunar Eclipse and the rare Blue Moon, sending an email to Laurie to note the synchronicity of it all. I was struck again to learn that as I release this episode, Dr. Roz, the woman beautifully honored in the dedication for this episode, would have celebrated her birthday this week, if she were still alive today.

So, I also leave this experience with renewed faith in ripple effects beyond what we first imagine and a reverence for following the rhythm in our lives, if we make the space to listen.

This episode dedicated by:

Denise W. Barreto, Relationships Matter Now, LLC
www.relationshipsmatternow.com
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

  • What I was doing when I stopped everything to find Laurie’s contact information and invite her to come onto the podcast
  • The influence Laurie’s driven working mother had on instilling the belief that Laurie could create a meaningful career
  • Laurie’s true life mission which has nothing specifically to do with music or children
  • The unplanned path that led Laurie to become a children’s musician and the new forms that Laurie’s creativity has taken her in recent years
  • Laurie’s music mentor, Ruth Alperson and how her advice shaped how Laurie engages children with music
  • What happened in the preschool classroom that led to the creation of her first song, “We are the Dinosaurs”
  • Laurie’s key tenets for children’s music like “Sing it Don’t Say It,” and “Singing in a Child’s Voice,” and how that informed a music training program she created to help children feel ownership and leadership
  • How what we “create” are gifts to the world and the unexpected ripple effects that Laurie’s music has had on families, especially families with children who are ill or have special needs
  • The importance of following rhythm in many forms
  • How the E.P.I.C. Guideposts show up in Laurie’s life and how she is on a quest to bring more of the “I,” investment in herself, through meditation, exercise and more.
  • The importance of making space for connection with our children, managing our use of screens, and the very special family time Laurie has established with her family every night
  • How Laurie’s E.P.I.C. Snapshot moment with her own daughter reflected back everything Laurie has sought to create through her music for others

This Week’s Challenge:

Make space for connection and music with your own children. Use music in your daily routine by turning an ordinary task with your child into a song.

Remember to:

  • Sing it, don’t say it
  • Incorporate your children’s own sense of internal rhythm into the music
  • Bring in playfulness

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

Announcements:

Spring into Your E.P.I.C. Life Clarity Coaching Package

Spring is an amazing time to more fully seed the E.P.I.C. Guideposts in your life. I’m opening a limited number of one-on-one coaching spaces for a 90 day coaching package that includes bi-weekly hour-long coaching sessions where I will help you mindfully close the chapter of the last season, identify your vision for what’s ahead, set strategic action steps for moving forward, and provide inspiration and accountability along the way. Email me at julie@mothersquest.com to set up a free discovery call and learn more.

Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle Pilot

I’m excited to announce that the first founding Mother’s Quest Virtual Circle has been filled. If you’re interested in a future circle, and want to receive notice when the applications open again, please add your name to this wait list. julie@mothersquest.com

Mother’s Quest E.P.I.C. Life Check-In

Would love to have you in our weekly E.P.I.C. Life Check-In on Tuesday, from 12N-1PM pm via Video on Zoom

We’ll create connections within the Mother’s Quest community, reflect on how we feel along the E.P.I.C. Guideposts this week, and set an intention for the week.

Time for personal introspection, group accountability and community-building all packed into one hour. Are you In? Join the Mother’s Quest Community to RSVP and find the zoom link to join. www.mothersquest.com/community 

Click here to join!

Help us Grow the Mother’s Quest Community

If you’re finding value from the Mother’s Quest Podcast and would like to get more involved, please join us in the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group, help us find more like-minded mothers on a quest by spreading the word and sharing your favorite episodes, and make a donation or apply to dedicate an episode. You can also share your story on the Mother’s Quest Blog.

Acknowledgements:

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:

  • Denise Barreto of Relationships Matter Now
  • Sage B. Hobbs of Naked Communication 
  • Samantha Nolan-Smith
  • Jody Smith
  • Emily Cretella of MotherHustle
  • Collette Flanagan, founder of Mothers Against Police Brutality
  • Titilayo Tinubu Ali of Own Your Expertise
  • Carly Magnus Hurt
  • Lizzy Russinko of This (Un)Scripted Life
  • Suzanne Brown, author of Mompowerment
  • Mara Berns Langer
  • Mallory Schlabach of Marketing Magic for Entrepreneurs
  • Katharine Earhart of Alesco Advisors
  • Jessica Kupferman of She Podcasts
  • Resistance Artist Jen Jenkins Dohner
  • Genese Harris
  • Tonya Rineer, founder of The Profit Party
  • Liane Louie-Badua
  • Cristin Downs of the Notable Woman Podcast
  • Erin Kendall of Fit Mom Go
  • Niko Osoteo of Bear Beat Productions
  • Erik Newton of The Together Show
  • Claire Fry
  • Divya Silbermann
  • Rachel Winter
  • Caren and Debbie Lieberman
  • Cameron Miranda
  • Fran and David Lieberman
  • Debbie and Alan Goore
  • Jenise and Marianne of 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

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. lifeEngaging 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/

Mar 22, 2018

Hello and welcome to this special episode of the Mother’s Quest Podcast which I’m releasing just days before the March for our Lives. On March 24, 2018 the kids and families of March For Our Lives will take to the streets of Washington DC, and around the country, to demand that their lives and safety become a priority and that we end gun violence and mass shootings in our schools today.

To help light the way, I reached out to Gloria Pan, who currently serves as the National Campaign Director for Gun Safety for the grassroots advocacy organization MomsRising. A public interest advocate and Internet communications strategist, Gloria also leads the organization’s member engagement, rapid response and mobile actions initiatives, as well as the #KeepMarching project. 

In our conversation, Gloria shares about her upbringing in an Asian-American immigrant family, the impact of her mother’s experience working in the UN during the Women’s Movement, and whether the idea of living an E.P.I.C. life is relevant for MomsRising mothers, many of whom are struggling to meet basic needs. We delve into the E.P.I.C. guideposts from the lens of gun safety advocacy, explore the ways in which we can broaden our lens to make that advocacy intersectional, and Gloria gives us specific actionable challenges to get involved and make a difference. 

One of the most impactful moments of the interview for me happened when we talked about the young people of Parkland, and Gloria shared her unwavering belief that those young people would use their privilege to shine a light on their peers who’ve been organizing for the Black Lives Matter Movement, for gun safety in their communities of color, disproportionately and daily impacted by gun violence.

The moment brought me to tears, because I really believed her…and sure enough in the days since that interview, those young people have been joining with students of color in Chicago and other urban areas, making their advocacy platform intersectional and building bridges where adults have failed to do so.

In a recent article, Cameron Kasky, one of the Parkland student leaders said “We have to represent those who unfortunately were ignored.This is not just about us. … When we’re together marching, this is not going to be different races, different generations ― this is going to be a unified people standing together against those who are trying to ignore us.”

I’ll be standing for all of that on Saturday at the March for our Lives and as I move through the advocacy challenges thoughtfully shared by Gloria and MomsRising in the days afterward. I hope you’ll join me.

This episode dedicated by:

Sage B. Hobbs, Author of Naked Communication and Host of the Naked Conversations Podcast. You can find out more about her work at:
www.sagebhobbs.com
Naked Conversations Podcast 
Facebook 
Instagram

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

  • The importance of modeling activism for our children 
  • How the MomsRising members frequently attend rallies, hearings and meetings with law-makers and bring their children along
  • An honest exploration of whether living an E.P.I.C. is culturally relevant for families working to meet their basic needs
  • The power of using social media platforms as a tool for exploring issues with people of differing political opinions. 
  • Our responsibility to step into activism to support communities under siege under this administration 
  • Audrey Lorde’s famous quote that “there is no such thing as a single issue struggle” and how MomsRising pursues an intersectional multi-issue advocacy agenda
  • How the Parkland students, so “clear-eyed” as Gloria says, are galvanizing support for gun safety and using their privilege to shine a lot on the impact of gun violence in communities of color 
  • The policy prescription for gun violence prevention in an intersectional way
  • Gloria’s E.P.I.C. snapshot moment where MomsRising galvanized mothers, through a storybook campaign, to successfully fight against an Open Carry Law in Florida that would have allowed people to carry guns at Disney World. 
  • Gloria’s challenge to our community to help MomsRising fight gun violence on three fronts

This Week’s Challenge:

Become a MomsRising member and fight with them on three fronts:

  1. Get FedEx to cut ties with the NRA – sign the petition here
  2. Ban military-style assault weapons and high capacity magazines – sign the petition here
  3. Urge lawmakers to pledge to not take money from the NRA and reject their influence. You can also reach out to friends in other areas to ask them to ask out to their lawmakers

And participate in upcoming student-led events:

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

Announcements:

Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle Pilot

I’m excited to announce that the first founding Mother’s Quest Virtual Circle has been filled. If you’re interested in a future circle, and want to receive notice when the applications open again, please add your name to this wait list. julie@mothersquest.com

Mother’s Quest E.P.I.C. Life Check-In

Would love to have you in our weekly E.P.I.C. Life Check-In on Tuesday, from 12N-1PM pm via Video on Zoom

We’ll create connections within the Mother’s Quest community, reflect on how we feel along the E.P.I.C. Guideposts this week, and set an intention for the week.

Time for personal introspection, group accountability and community-building all packed into one hour. Are you In? Join the Mother’s Quest Community to RSVP and find the zoom link to join. www.mothersquest.com/community

Help us Grow the Mother’s Quest Community

If you’re finding value from the Mother’s Quest Podcast and would like to get more involved, please join us in the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group, help us find more like-minded mothers on a quest by spreading the word and sharing your favorite episodes, and make a donation or apply to dedicate an episode. You can also share your story on the Mother’s Quest Blog.

Acknowledgements:

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:

  • Sage B. Hobbs
  • Samantha Nolan-Smith
  • Jody Smith
  • Emily Cretella of MotherHustle
  • Collette Flanagan, founder of Mothers Against Police Brutality
  • Titilayo Tinubu Ali of Own Your Expertise
  • Carly Magnus Hurt
  • Lizzy Russinko of This (Un)Scripted Life
  • Suzanne Brown, author of Mompowerment
  • Mara Berns Langer
  • Mallory Schlabach of Marketing Magic for Entrepreneurs
  • Katharine Earhart of Alesco Advisors
  • Jessica Kupferman of She Podcasts
  • Resistance Artist Jen Jenkins Dohner
  • Genese Harris
  • Tonya Rineer, founder of The Profit Party
  • Liane Louie-Badua
  • Cristin Downs of the Notable Woman Podcast
  • Erin Kendall of Fit Mom Go
  • Niko Osoteo of Bear Beat Productions
  • Erik Newton of The Together Show
  • Claire Fry
  • Divya Silbermann
  • Rachel Winter
  • Caren and Debbie Lieberman
  • Cameron Miranda
  • Fran and David Lieberman
  • Debbie and Alan Goore
  • Jenise and Marianne of 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

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. lifeEngaging 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/

Mar 16, 2018

I’m honored and excited to bring you this Episode #36, the first of Season Three of the Mother’s Quest Podcast. 

If you had a chance to tune into the bonus episode I released last week, “Sprouting Seeds for Mother’s Quest,” you know that today’s episode marks what feels like a new chapter with the podcast and with what I call my E.P.I.C. Life.

Through that episode, I reflected on the growth that’s happened in my life over the last year and also the places where I want to focus or deepen new learning.

One area where I want to grow is in conquering limiting beliefs, fear of failure, and over-analysis and instead step forward with more freedom, authenticity and in a place of flow. 

I couldn’t ask for a better guide to kick-off the season with this mindset and to lead the way for all of us than Karly Nimmo. Karly is a No. 1 iTunes podcaster, with her two hit shows; Karlosophies and Keeping Good Company which she launched with her best friend Lisa Corduff. She’s a serial entrepreneur, mad creator, born communicator and killer storyteller with a knack for getting you to look at life from a different perspective.

After finding herself hooked up to an ECG having a suspected heart attack, Karly took a good hard look at what was really important to her. And found it wasn’t all the trimmings. It was really quite simple. She wanted to slow down. Spend time with family and friends. Do work that she really cares about. On the work front, she started to let things go. One by one. Until two things were left: Speak. Write. And, that’s what you’ll find her doing today. 

Another woman who powerfully speaks and writes, and whose episode on Karly’s new podcast supported me in moving through some recent fear of speaking out myself, is Samantha Nolan-Smith. I knew I needed a special person to dedicate Karly’s episode, I’m so grateful that Samantha said yes, and was deeply moved by her dedication to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers of Australia, and her words about the truth-telling she’s experienced from Karly.

In this episode, Karly and I talk about the ways that she has come through for me, helping me find my own truths, first when I was moving through uncertainty in the launch of the podcast, and later when I learned I hadn’t pressed record on an interview with Karly and Podcast Hall of Famer Elsie Escober. The resulting lesson from Karly on letting go, quantum psychics, and neural pathways thankfully was recorded (and you can download it if you’d like to listen) and it made that mistake priceless in what it helped me learn. 

Karly shares about her own E.P.I.C. life, how she got to where she is now, living in a state of authenticity doing what feels like her true purpose. And, she gives us two powerful challenges: the first to identify foundational commitments we can make to ourselves each day, and the second to explore how to go after doing our “best work” from a place of flow. I hope you leave this conversation, inspired as I did, to trust yourself and the mistakes that happen in your life, to bring you closer to the fullest expression of who you are and your authentic purpose.

This episode dedicated by:

Samantha Nolan-Smith, who supports women to be seen and heard in the world. You can find out more about her work at www.samanthanolansmith.com on Facebook or on Instagram.

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

  • How my big mistake on an interview with Karly and Elsie Escobar allowed me to reroute my neural pathways with Karly’s guidance
  • The perspective shift that happens when we believe things happen for a reason, even if it doesn’t make sense at the time, and the idea that “nothing that is for you will go by you”
  • Karly Nimmo’s nurturing mother, and the impact her mother had, catering to Karly’s father, on Karly’s determination to do differently
  • The struggle of not fulfilling the life you imagined – and how to pick yourself up from failure
  • Being vulnerable and revealing a full spectrum of emotions
  • Honoring yourself, how important it is to prioritize yourself, and the idea of five foundational commitments
  • Karly’s belief that our purpose is “being you” and her challenge to us to do our “best work” as the fullest expression of who we are

This Week’s Challenge:

Karly gives us a two-fold challenge:

  1. Identify and experiment with incorporating 5 Foundational Commitments to Yourself – these can be simple things, like making your bed, or having a daily cup of tea, that make you feel good each day.
  2. Reflect on this question…“Are you doing your best work?” If the answer is yes, go ahead and celebrate your achievement. If not, do some self-exploration and find where you can express your fullest potential and go “all in.”

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

Announcements:

Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle Pilot

I’m excited to announce that the first founding Mother’s Quest Virtual Circle has been filled. If you’re interested in a future circle, and want to receive notice when the applications open again, please add your name to this wait list. julie@mothersquest.com

Mother’s Quest E.P.I.C. Life Check-In

Would love to have you in our weekly E.P.I.C. Life Check-In on Tuesday, from 12N-1PM pm via Video on Zoom

We’ll create connections within the Mother’s Quest community, reflect on how we feel along the E.P.I.C. Guideposts this week, and set an intention for the week.

Time for personal introspection, group accountability and community-building all packed into one hour. Are you In? Let me know and I’ll make sure to send you the zoom link. www.mothersquest.com/community

Help us Grow the Mother’s Quest Community

If you’re finding value from the Mother’s Quest Podcast and would like to get more involved, please join us in the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group, help us find more like-minded mothers on a quest by spreading the word and sharing your favorite episodes, and make a donation or apply to dedicate an episode. You can also share your story on the Mother’s Quest Blog.

Acknowledgements:

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:

  • Samantha Nolan-Smith
  • Jody Smith
  • Emily Cretella of MotherHustle
  • Collette Flanagan, founder of Mothers Against Police Brutality
  • Titilayo Tinubu Ali of Own Your Expertise
  • Carly Magnus Hurt
  • Lizzy Russinko of This (Un)Scripted Life
  • Suzanne Brown, author of Mompowerment
  • Mara Berns Langer
  • Mallory Schlabach of Marketing Magic for Entrepreneurs
  • Katharine Earhart of Alesco Advisors
  • Jessica Kupferman of She Podcasts
  • Resistance Artist Jen Jenkins Dohner
  • Genese Harris
  • Tonya Rineer, founder of The Profit Party
  • Liane Louie-Badua
  • Cristin Downs of the Notable Woman Podcast
  • Erin Kendall of Fit Mom Go
  • Niko Osoteo of Bear Beat Productions
  • Erik Newton of The Together Show
  • Claire Fry
  • Divya Silbermann
  • Rachel Winter
  • Caren and Debbie Lieberman
  • Cameron Miranda
  • Fran and David Lieberman
  • Debbie and Alan Goore
  • Jenise and Marianne of 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

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. lifeEngaging 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/

Mar 10, 2018

Hello and welcome to this special solocast, a chance for me to reflect on the first full year of living what I call my E.P.I.C. Life, the first year of the podcast, and what feels like the ending of a first chapter of this journey as I get ready to launch Season Three. After a long winter break, one my son Ryan especially encouraged me to take, I’m back and I’m so honored and excited for what’s to come. 

Before recording this solocast, I was interviewed on Sage Hobbs’ Naked Conversations Podcast. She asked me right out of the gate what courage means to me. I encourage you to tune into that conversation when it comes out for the full story on my answer, but in essence I said, “Courage to me is standing in my truth and power, even in the face of fear, for love.” 

I love the quest I’ve been on. I love those of you who I’ve met along the journey. And I love this vision for Mother’s Quest and all it stands for. So, I’m bravely recording again, with a commitment along the way to do my best to let go of perfection and share what feels true. 

Spring is Coming – And Season Three With It

I’m recording and bringing this episode to you in early March 2018, as seeds are sprouting and even some flowers have begun blooming and there is this sense of spring coming in the air. In many of my coaching circles that I’ve been facilitating, we’ve been using the metaphor of planting seeds as we’ve all set intentions for what we want to create in our life this spring. And I decided that I wanted to carry this metaphor of seeds and growth forward in this episode. 

It seems fitting and full circle because the first episode I ever recorded,episode 00, which was also a solocast, was called Planting Seeds for Mother’s Quest. That episode captured all the moments, experiences and wishes I had as I set forward to build this vision for Mother’s Quest. Since then, there has been so much growth, in myself, in my family, and in the Mother’s Quest Community. 

I want to use this episode that I’m calling “Sprouting Seeds for Mother’s Quest,” to reflect on what’s already taken visible form from those intentions I set over a year ago, some of the gifts I’ve taken from the women who have come onto the podcast to share their stories and words of wisdom, and also to share what I’m on a quest for now and therefore what you can expect in Season Three. 

This episode dedicated by:

Jody Smith, a like-minded mother on a quest who is getting ready to launch her own mission, a children’s book that empowers girls.

E.P.I.C. Guideposts

In this episode, I explore just a few moments from the podcast across the guideposts that have impacted me most:

E –  Ways to be more mindfully engaged. I’ve made space for more “special time,” adventure fridays and lots of reflective conversation in the car with my children. One of the things I’ve continued to appreciate the most is the way in which my children have shared with me and supported me. One that stands out is Jacob’s “focus on our goodness” comment after Trump was elected which became the message on the sign at the first Women’s March which I attended and his advice to me before I did my first live event interview. 
Selected Clip: And there was this moment, with my son Ryan, which I share on the podcast episode with Kristina Kuzmic.

Ep 11: “Flawed” with Truth Bomb Mom Kristina Kuzmic

P – Making a passionate and purposeful impact beyond my family. So much has changed with Mother’s Quest as this vehicle I’ve developed. Since I launched the podcast, the MQ Community has grown to almost 500 members, I’ve launched my first Mother’s Quest Circle, and I’ve taken on a dream client in the organization Emerging Women to facilitate circles for them. My podcast interview with Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin helped me to develop more of what I call an activist muscle, led me to have an opportunity to interview her in person at her live event in the bay area and to be invited as a panelist for her upcoming Gaia Lead Conference. 
But the greatest impact I think has been my willingness to share about my experience along the way, bringing back reflections, challenges, and lessons learned with my family and community.
Selected Clip: This part of my conversation with Elizabeth summarized well this unique aspect of the heroine’s journey. 

Ep 24: Intersectionality and the Age of the New Heroine with Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin

I – Investing in myself. My conversation with Lindsay McCarthy about the Miracle Morning, and the 10 day challenge we then did in the facebook group, definitely expanded my morning practice, and an exploration of my own roots through a Jewish practice called Mussar with Edie Raphael Brotman built upon that. Danielle Dutton shined a light on the importance of meditation and taking time to yourself. My conversation with Nicole Lee was instrumental in helping me hold a growth mindset for myself and my children when it comes to courageous conversations about race. 
Selected Clip: This reminder about self-care that came forward in my conversation with Women’s March organizer Paola Mendoza, about its importance as an act of political warfare and about building moments of self-care into your daily life, has also stayed with me. 

Ep 16: Rising Up with Paola Mendoza

C – Connecting to experiences of gratitude with the people in our lives and building relationships. Nancy Netherland’s conversation touched me in so many ways, and has deepened my gratitude practice with my husband and my children. My conversation with Samantha Ettus helped me think about the importance of inviting people into my home and reaching out when I’m feeling the need for connection. As a result, I hosted my first ever Multicultural Yom Kippur Break the Fast and also hosted a tea and did an interview of my friend Chelsea Bonini who was running for City Council. 
Selected Clip: Finally, I really appreciated this moment on the podcast with Nicole Lee about building connections across differences and the importance of authentic relationships that are not transactional. I’ve come back to this again and again, and am honored to now count Nicole Lee as a friend. 

Ep 27: Courageous Conversations about Race with Nicole Lee

What I’m on a quest for now: 

Without a doubt, my E.P.I.C. life is still, as it should be, a work in progress. Some challenges I’ve made progress on and even feel a sense of completion about. Others I have taken some steps, but more work is ahead, need to circle back to them, and trust they will resurface or I’ll make movement at just the right time. There are other goals and areas for learning that have come into sharper focus. Here are some things I’m most on a quest for and will be bringing guests on to help light the way for. Tune into the podcast for specifics on some of the guests who are already confirmed or on my wish list:

E – To honor my children. I want to continue to engage mindfully with my children and to more deeply understand who they are and how to support them to grow into their fullest expression of themselves. 

P –  Moving away from fear and resistance and into more ease and flow, especially in my work and continuing to grow my social justice lens and my activist muscle. 

I – Continuing to grow my skills in being mindful and present. I’m on a quest to cook and eat more healthy food for myself and my family, balancing my own use of screen-time, finding help in navigating changing hormones as I get older and improving my time management and organizational skills. 

C- Connection with my own ancestors, roots and rituals. Deepening friendships, networks of support during challenging times, and making time to nurture my relationship with my husband. 

Along with these intentions and directions for conversation and growth, I’m committed to two  particular things as I move forward into this next two chapter. 

1)The first is to remember that it’s the journey and not the destination that is what it’s really all about. 

2) The second is a commitment to live MY version of an E.P.I.C. life, not somebody’s else’s, and to continue digging into more and more what that really means for me. And also to support YOU in defining what that means for you. 

This Week’s Challenge:

Read my post on how my meaning of the ultimate success has changed over the last year.  Grab your journal, think about what you might have defined as your E.P.I.C. life in the past and then identify what feels more real for you now. 

Answer these questions…

  • What are you most on a quest for now? 
  • What does YOUR version of an E.P.I.C. life, not someone else’s, mean to YOU? 

Announcements:

Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle Pilot

Applications close this weekend for the first Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle Pilot. If you’re on the threshold of something big in your life and you seek inspiration, coaching and community, this could be just what you need. 
 
Click http://mothersquest.com/virtualcircle/ to learn and apply. The group will start in March, and there are only a handful of spaces left, so apply today if you’re interested. Questions? Email me at julie@mothersquest.com

Mother’s Quest E.P.I.C. Life Check-In

Would love to have you in our weekly E.P.I.C. Life Check-In on Tuesday, from 12N-1PM pm via Video on Zoom

We’ll create connections within the Mother’s Quest community, reflect on how we feel along the E.P.I.C. Guideposts this week, and set an intention for the week.

Time for personal introspection, group accountability and community-building all packed into one hour. Are you In? Let me know and I’ll make sure to send you the zoom link. www.mothersquest.com/community 

Acknowledgements:

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:

  • Jody Smith
  • Emily Cretella of MotherHustle
  • Collette Flanagan, founder of Mothers Against Police Brutality
  • Titilayo Tinubu Ali of Own Your Expertise
  • Carly Magnus Hurt
  • Lizzy Russinko of This (Un)Scripted Life
  • Suzanne Brown, author of Mompowerment
  • Mara Berns Langer
  • Mallory Schlabach of Marketing Magic for Entrepreneurs
  • Katharine Earhart of Alesco Advisors
  • Jessica Kupferman of She Podcasts
  • Resistance Artist Jen Jenkins Dohner
  • Genese Harris
  • Tonya Rineer, founder of The Profit Party
  • Liane Louie-Badua
  • Cristin Downs of the Notable Woman Podcast
  • Erin Kendall of Fit Mom Go
  • Niko Osoteo of Bear Beat Productions
  • Erik Newton of The Together Show
  • Claire Fry
  • Divya Silbermann
  • Rachel Winter
  • Caren and Debbie Lieberman
  • Cameron Miranda
  • Fran and David Lieberman
  • Debbie and Alan Goore
  • Jenise and Marianne of 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 contributionhttp://mothersquest.com/be-a-supporter/ 

If you would like to “dedicate” an upcoming episode to a special mother in your life, email me at julie@mothersquest.com

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. lifeEngaging 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/

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