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:

• www.renegademothering.com, Janelle’s Blog – Renegade Mothering

• “I’m Just Happy to Be Here“: A Memoir of Renegade Mothering

• Connect with Janelle on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter

• A Quote by Margaret Atwood “I am not your justification for existence”

• Jena Schwarz and her 11’s Writing Group where I delved into naming truths of my own on a daily basis in a powerful writing experience
• Langhorne Slim – the singer whose approach to writing music that reaches his listeners mirrors what Janelle hopes to do with her writing

Blog posts mentioned in this episode:

• Ep 41: Reclaiming Ourselves in Motherhood ~A Mother’s Day Special~ with Graeme Seabrook

• “Mama, why aren’t you in the PTA?” – Janelle’s blog post from the Renegade Mothering website

• Why aren’t we talking about parenting teenagers? I’m lost AF.

• “Mama, did you leave me on accident?” – The blog post about Janelle’s son saying “Mama home!” when she needed to leave for her writing

• 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”

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. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

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. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

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:

• Official Website for Assemblymember Rob Bonta

• LitLab – the early childhood literacy organization founded by Rob’s wife Mialisa Bonta

• Alternatives in Action – the organization where Rob served as President of the Board when I was the Director of Development

• EP43: A Love of Family and Pursuing our Fate – the other Father’s Day special episode released this month with my father David Lieberman

• Mother’s Against Police Brutality, whose founders Rob agreed to talk with

• EP33: Beyond the Trauma: Legacy, Compassion and Change with Mothers Against Police Brutality Co-Founder Sara Mokuria

• Bill Text for AB-931 Criminal procedure: use of force by peace officers.

• Bill Text SB-1421 Peace officers: release of records.

• Justice4Josiah the organization founded by activist Laurie Valdez, whose story was featured in the play The (M)Others about mothers who have lost loved ones to police violence.

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. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

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:

• Ep 40: Live the Movie Version of Your Life with Oscar®-Nominated Producer Rachel Winter, my childhood best friend
• Ep 34: Season Two Finale: The Power of Friendship and a 50 Year-Old Book Club with Fran Lieberman, my mother, and her friend Sandy Klasky
• Ep 18: YOLO (You Only Live Once) and other Milestone Reflectionswith my son Ryan Neale
• Ep 17: A Mindful Writer’s Practice with family friend Danielle Dutton

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. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

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

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:

• Postpartum Support Charleston and their annual MomsRun
• Graeme’s favorite books by Octavia Butler: Parable of the Sower andParable of the Talents
• You can visit Graeme’s website, The Problem with Motherhood.
• You can also follow Graeme on Twitter, or view her profile on Linked In.
• Graeme’s Mother’s Bill of Rights
• The piece Graeme wrote about her ancestors
• Lauren Rosenfeld, the mentor/teacher Graeme mentions in her E.P.I.C. snapshot moment
• Episode 7: Living Out Loud with Jenjii Hysten
• Episode 27: Courageous Conversations about Race with Nicole Lee

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 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:

• 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

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:

• Rachel Winter’s bio and filmography
• Watch the official trailer of Krystal
• Variety’s article about Krystal and other films that showcase the underserved
• The Dallas Buyers Club Law in Colorado
• Meet Terry and Rachel Winter, Oscar Season’s Power Couple
• A Conversation with Rachel Winter on Tablet
• The Oprah & Deepak Meditation Experience
• Episode 36: From Fear to Flow with Karly Nimmo

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

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:

• You can visit Alethea’s website and follow her on Facebook andInstagram.

• For more about Diversity is an Asset, the course that Alethea and I both took together, visit their website.

• Learn more about Gaia Women Lead, the conference where Alethea and I will be speaking in early May. You can still register to join us!

• The Gaia Coach Certification Program that Alethea completed

• Photosanity, Alethea’s mindful photography business for parents

• You can read more about the Myers Briggs framework here. And take an online test here.

• Get Organized Bk and Inclusive Conversations are the two groups where Alethea has been having brave conversations across differences

• Indicate your interest in learning more about an upcoming workshop Alethea is facilitating, based on the Scene on Radio “Seeing White” podcast series here

• For exploring the Zone of Genius, you can check out the book The Big Leap that Alethea recommended and the blog post Alethea wrote about The Zone of Genius here

• The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

• Karen Ward’s My Curious Eyes Photo Challenge that Jacob and I have participated in for several seasons

• Ep 02: Unmasking Motherhood with Katherine WintschMotherhood Un-Masked: Mother’s Day Thoughts on the Pictures We Don’t Usually Share

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

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
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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:

• Dalcroze Eurhythmics – A music curriculum that involves movement
• Two Tomatoes Records – Laurie’s record label
• The Music In Me – Laurie’s teacher training program and signature music classes for children 12 months to 4 years
• We Are The Dinosaurs – One of the first songs made by Laurie
• Moon Moon Moon – Our favorite song, sung live in this episode
• Pillowland – My son Jacob’s story and song of choice at bedtime
• The Blue Moon Lunar Eclipse – Images of the Blue Moon Lunar Eclipse, which synchronistically took place shortly after I recorded my episode with Laurie

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. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

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:

• March for our Lives on March 24th and document and share about your experience on social media to inspire others
• April 20th Anniversary of Columbine Student and Educator-Led Day of Action

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

• Follow #parkland on Twitter for the latest updates in the Parkland school shooting
• Read more about the Parkland students
• MomsRising
• Follow MomsRising on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
• #KeepMarching
• MomsRising Reject NRA Money Pledge for your representatives in Congress to sign
• Tell FedEx: Stop Supporting the NRA
• Pantsuit Nation
• Read more about the Indivisible political group
• EP33: Beyond the Trauma: Legacy, Compassion and Change with Mothers Against Police Brutality Co-Founder Sara Mokuria, one of three Mother’s Quest episodes recorded for the Women Podcasters in Solidarity Initiative
• Article about the Parkland students speaking out in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter Movement
• The young voices we aren’t hearing in the gun-control debate article

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. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

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:

• Check out Karly’s deeply personal podcast and her free-flowing conversations on: Karlosophies
• Keeping Good Company – Karly’s podcast with her best friend, Lisa Corduff
• You may follow Karly Nimmo in Facebook and Instagram
• She Podcasts, Ellie Escobar’s Podcast
• Ep 25: Change the Conversation: Podcasting as a Tool for Transformation with Elsie Escobar, the podcast episode that was possible because of the “mistake” I made that became a blessing
• Ep 115: Finally I’m Almost An Overnight Success from Karlosophies
• Bonus Audio: Original Conversation on Mistakes, Trust, and Neural Pathways
• EP 9: Samantha Nolan-Smith – Being Truly Visible from the Keeping Good Company Podcast

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. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

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. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

It’s a joy and honor to bring this final episode of Season Two, Episode #34, with my own mother Fran Lieberman and her dear friend Sandy Klasky, who are celebrating their book club’s 50th anniversary.

I couldn’t think of a more special way to close this season then reflecting with two women, who are mothers and grandmothers, on the lessons of their E.P.I.C. lives across decades, how they’ve passed on values of social justice to their children and grandchildren, the power of friendship, and of shared experiences, like reading books together, to build community.

In this episode, we talk about what shaped my mother and Sandy as they emerged from the stable years of the 1940’s and 1950’s into the tumultuous times of the 1960’s and 1970’s, the ways they sought to have impact beyond their family as women when there were fewer opportunities open to them, how they invested in their own interests and friendships while raising their children, and looking back now, the wisdom and advice they would offer to their younger selves.

The 50th anniversary of their book club, and how it’s been an important constant in their lives, is a thread we weave throughout the episode and the challenge they offer us is to read books that they felt made a profound impact on them. They share the reason behind the success and longevity of their book club and friendship and also some snapshot moments from across the years that they will always remember.

Stay through to the end for a funny blooper reel capturing some behind the scenes moments of what it took to persevere through the challenges to record the podcast episode. It was a testament to the power of what’s possible with today’s technology and to holding a growth mindset no matter what your age.

I loved the perspective and inspiration that shines through this unique conversation on the podcast and I hope you will too. So, get comfortable, pour yourself a cup of tea or coffee, or maybe a glass of wine, and settle into the wisdom from these two life-long friends.

This episode dedicated by:

Emily Cretella of MotherHustle. Learn more at www.motherhustle.com

Topics discussed in this episode:

• My mother and Sandy’s social justice roots, one forged as a student in New York where she was exposed to different cultures, religions, and races and one that grew from experiences of living in a segregated city of Detroit
• The trauma of the 1960’s and 1970’s, including the deaths of leaders like John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War, and how our country has risen before from tumultuous times
• The multigenerational influence Sandy and my mother have had on their children and grandchildren, especially as a result of sharing values and experiences around politics and social justice and how Sandy’s daughter, Stephanie Klasky-Gamer, was featured in LA Magazine for her leadership as President and CEO of LA Family Housing.
• The story of how the book club got started with women who were focused on raising their children and sought connection and intellectual stimulation. Also, what has enabled the club to endure through so many years.
• The difference in the way they had to do research for their book club discussions in the past, going to the library and photocopying materials vs. now that we have the internet.
• Snapshot book club moments my mother and Sandy will always remember, like coming together on 9/11 and when their dear friend, and founder of the club, Judy Duroff passed away.
• How Sandy and I both identify with having had a mid-life Renaissance and the importance of following your heart to create your E.P.I.C. life.
• The advice Fran and Sandy would give to their younger selves.
• The books from their book club that made a lasting impact on them.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Ep 18: YOLO (You Only Live Once) and other Milestone Reflections with Ryan Neale

• Headstart

• LA Family Housing where Sandy’s daughter Stephanie Klasky-Garner is President and CEO and the LA Magazine article where Stephanie was featured

• Junior Great Books from The Great Books Foundation

• Montecito Music Academy of the West

• A Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes

• Room by Emma Donoghue

• The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien

• Zoom – the technology we used to record our conversation

This Week’s Challenge:

Read the books Room by Emma Donoghue and The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien

Announcements:

A Podcast Break Until February – Stay in Touch!

This episode marks the end of Season Two and the start of some time off from podcasting until Season Three begins in February. If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe and join the email list so you’ll get updates when Season Three begins. And if you want to stay connected through the break, join the Mother’s Quest Facebook group where I’ll continue to share resources, favorite episodes from past seasons, and personal reflections.

Help Us Celebrate Mother’s Quest’s First Birthday

A year ago on December 1st, I launched the Mother’s Quest Podcast as a birthday present to myself. It’s hard to believe that another personal birthday and the first birthday of the podcast have arrived.

I’d love to celebrate by highlighting your stories and how the podcast or Mother’s Quest Community has helped you to live your E.P.I.C. life. Go to mothersquest.com and use the speakpipe tool to leave me a 1-2 minute message for a chance to be featured in a special E.P.I.C. Guideposts Episode.

Everyone who submits will also be entered into a drawing for a free signature coaching session from me and some other prizes from other amazing moms in the Mother’s Quest Community. Can’t wait to hear your stories and celebrate with you.

Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle Pilot

You’re a mindful mother. And being present for your children in these years when you’re raising them is your highest priority. You’re also committed to making a positive impact in the world, something that feels even more important with all the challenges we currently face.

If the description above sounds like you, the Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle Pilot, may be right for you. Or, if you live in the S.F. Bay Area, you can participate in an in-person circle that starts on December 16th.

This signature offering provides inspiration, coaching and community to spark your E.P.I.C. life with intimate virtual reflective sessions over four months.

Click http://mothersquest.com/virtualcircle/ to learn and apply. The group will start as soon as I have a committed number of participants so don’t delay if you’re interested. Questions? Email me at julie@mothersquest.com

Visit the Website

If you haven’t yet visited the website, head over to www.mothersquest.comto explore some of the ways you can get more connected. At the site, you can sign up for our email list (to get show notes delivered to your inbox and our new “Mothers on a Quest” features), click the link to join the Facebook group and press record to leave a voice message for me. You can also download the FREE Live Your E.P.I.C. Life Planning and Reflection Sheets.

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:

• 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. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

It’s an honor and responsibility to share this Episode #33 of the Mother’s Quest Podcast with Sara Mokuria, co-founder of Mothers Against Police Brutality. It’s the third and final in a series I recorded as part of the Women Podcasters in Solidarity Initiative and it comes to you with a call to action to get involved with this issue today. 

This episode was dedicated by Collette Flanagan, the founder of Mothers Against Police Brutality, who turned her grief from the loss of her son, Clinton Allen, into fuel for change. 

In her dedication, Collette reminded us of our common humanity as mothers and that an insult to one mother is an insult to all mothers. It is this knowing that caused me to record this series after I saw the heart-breaking video of Diamond Reynolds and her then four year old daughter after they witnessed the killing of Philando Castile. Philando was like a father to this little girl, was unarmed and was complying with the police officer’s requests when he was shot.

Seeing the trauma and heartbreak endured by this four year old girl, who was the same age as my son when I saw this video, became a catalyst to face the epidemic of police brutality in our country, and to begin taking action, however imperfect. 

Much like Diamond Reynold’s daughter, Sara also endured trauma and heartbreak when she watched her father get shot and killed by police at her home in Dallas when she was 10 years old. 

Fueled by her own experience, Sara joined Collette along with another co-founder, John Fullinwider, in creating Mother’s Against Police Brutality, as a multi-racial, multi-ethnic coalition uniting mothers nationwide to fight for civil rights, police accountability and policy reform. 

Sara is a mom herself to a seven year old boy.  And, in addition to her work with Mothers Against Police Brutality, she’s a sought after educator, community organizer, project manager, and facilitator, currently working as Associate Director for Leadership Initiatives with The Institute for Urban Policy Research at the University of Texas at Dallas. She has two masters degrees, has taught both high school and college at the University of Texas at Dallas and currently serves on the International Mechanism Coordinating Committee for the US Human Rights Network. 

She came to the conversation with an open heart she told me, and I felt her generosity and honesty throughout as she shared how police violence changed her life forever, discussed the trauma of being black in America, how the institution of policing and the prison industrial complex contributes to that trauma, and the ways in which an investment in Mothers Against Police Brutality can change policies and systems to reduce violence and create more accountability. 

As compelling was Sara’s exploration of the vision she has for our future... of vibrant communities where we invest in our young people, lean into and value our differences, and where each of us taps into our own unique magic to get us there. 

We ended our conversation with a co-created prayer, a wish for ourselves as much as for all of you listening, to move into greater responsibility for this work from wherever we are, to have the courage to go to those difficult and painful places so we can create a freer future, and to take this moment right now to support this cause. 

I’m doing that today by making a financial contribution to Mothers Against Police Brutality and putting my resources with the mothers, like Sara and Collette, who are closest to the problem and who can see the solution. I hope you’ll join me. 

Visit http://mothersagainstpolicebrutality.org/donate/ to make a donation and reference Mother’s Quest or, if contributing on November 28th, Giving Tuesday, visit the Mother’s Quest Facebook Page to contribute to the Giving Tuesday Campaign, where we have a  possibility of matching funds from the Gates Foundation.

This episode dedicated by:

Mothers Against Police Brutality founder Collette Flanagan, whose son, Clinton Allen, was shot and killed by the Dallas Police in March of 2013. 
 

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Sara’s joyous childhood which changed forever when her father was killed by Dallas police officers when she was just 10 years old

• How Sara’s mother was her fiercest advocate, even as her mother grappled with the deeply traumatic effects of her husband’s killing and the lack of support as a crime victim.

• Disturbing facts about our current law enforcement policies, lack of accountability, the militarization of police, and budget allocations that favor the prison industrial complex over investments that would build a vibrant community

• The New Jim Crowe and the War on Drugs and how it has played out as a war on people of color

• White privilege and how to move from shame and guilt to responsibility and action

• How Sara teaches her son to understand injustice, the history we don’t learn in our schools, and how tenderness, love and joy can be an act of resistance

• What happened when Sara met with the officer who killed her father years later and how that shifted her perspective about what the problem really is

• How women make up half of the world’s population and how we birthed the other half, therefore we are the world. And, the power of mothers to chart the direction of our families and communities.

• The importance of finding your own unique magic to make a difference and why Sara keeps her heart open to welcome people to this cause when they come to it

• Our prayer and invitation to you the listener

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Women Podcasters in Solidarity

• Mothers Against Police Brutality

• The Movie 13th, directed by Ava Duvernay

• The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander

• Drug Policy Alliance

• EP31: Brave Spaces and Solidarity with “Rad Women” Author Kate Schatz

• Ep 27: Courageous Conversations about Race with Nicole Lee

• Ep 07: Living Out Loud with Jenjii Hysten

• How the Irish Became White by Noel Ignatiev

• Dallas Woman Turns Tragedy Into Conversation About Race, an article where Sara talks about the system and not police officers being the problem

• Stride Toward Justice: 9 Steps to Change Policing in America - policy recommendations from Mothers Against Police Brutality

• The Movement for Black Lives

• Campaign Zero

This Week’s Three-fold Challenge:

1. Have courageous conversation about these issues with your families during the holidays.

2. Get involved and informed about these issues locally. Become an advocate in your city.

3. Make a monetary contribution to support the mothers who are closest to the solution at Mothers Against Police Brutality.

Announcements:

Giving Tuesday
Visit http://mothersagainstpolicebrutality.org/donate/ to make a donation and reference Mother’s Quest or, if contributing on November 28th, Giving Tuesday, visit the Mother’s Quest Facebook Page to contribute to the Giving Tuesday Campaign, where there is a possibility of matching funds from the Gates Foundation.

Women Podcasters in Solidarity

I’m honored to have shared three episodes in this series of conversations for the Women Podcasters in Solidarity Initiative. I created the Initiative to build awareness and raise dollars for Anti-Racism and the Movement for Black Lives.

Coming soon: visit www.womenpodcastersinsolidarity.com for the complete list of episodes created by other podcasters who pledged to the initiative.

Help Us Celebrate Mother’s Quest’s First Birthday

A year ago on December 1st, I launched the Mother’s Quest Podcast as a birthday present to myself. It’s hard to believe that another personal birthday and the first birthday of the podcast is almost here.

I’d love to celebrate by highlighting your stories and how the podcast or Mother’s Quest Community has helped you to live your E.P.I.C. life. Go tomothersquest.com and use the speakpipe tool to leave me a 1-2 minute message for a chance to be featured in this season’s finale.

Everyone who submits will also be entered into a drawing for a free signature coaching session from me and some other prizes from other amazing moms in the Mother’s Quest Community. Can’t wait to hear your stories and celebrate with you.

Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle Pilot

You’re a mindful mother. And being present for your children in these years when you’re raising them is your highest priority. You’re also committed to making a positive impact in the world, something that feels even more important with all the challenges we currently face.

If the description above sounds like you, the Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle Pilot, may be right for you.

This signature offering provides inspiration, coaching and community to spark your E.P.I.C. life with intimate virtual reflective sessions over 3-4 months.

Click http://mothersquest.com/virtualcircle/ to learn and apply. The group will start as soon as I have a committed number of participants so don’t delay if you’re interested. Questions? Email me at julie@mothersquest.com

Visit the Website

If you haven’t yet visited the website, head over to www.mothersquest.comto explore some of the ways you can get more connected. At the site, you can sign up for our email list (to get show notes delivered to your inbox and our new “Mothers on a Quest” features), click the link to join the Facebook group and press record to leave a voice message for me. You can also download the FREE Live Your E.P.I.C. Life Planning and Reflection Sheets.

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:

• 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

I’m honored to share this episode #32 of the podcast with Chandra Brooks, who has become a friend and a generous thought partner for me in recent months.

Chandra is a wife, mother of four, a grandmother, author, entrepreneur and the Northern California Staff Director for SEIU-United Service Workers West.  Born and raised in San Jose, CA, she’s passionate about civil rights, social justice, and improving voter outcomes and civic engagement in communities of color.  

She’s also an appointed commissioner for Santa Clara County’s Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, Chair of the Justice and Advocacy Committee and elected Delegate for The California Democratic Party.

In 2017 Chandra launched The SocialPreneur, a purpose driven business that prepares potential candidates to run for political office and mentors women to own their power and leadership within their company, business, and/or community.

I reached out to Chandra because I wanted to talk with her the week that she released her new book, “Black, Brown & Political: Get Informed, Get Empowered and Change the Game” which provides easy to navigate tips and inspiration to help women of color get involved in local politics.

In this episode, we got to dive deep into the influences which drove Chandra to own her voice and reach her fullest potential. She shares how her mother led her by example to stand up for herself as a woman at a young age and how her uncle unknowingly sparked her to strive for greatness after he doubted her future success when she became pregnant as a teenager.  And, we uncover how Chandra’s ambition, value for education, and commitment to political leadership helps her inspire generations today, from her 12 year old son to the women she mentors, to sit at the table and own their power. 

I didn’t realize when I scheduled the interview with Chandra that we would be talking the day before the November 2017 elections. The conversation couldn’t have come at a better time, and her challenge inspired me to go out and do another round of precinct walking with my 5 year old that afternoon. It was thrilling to wake up the next day to news that so many women of color, including one woman my son and I had supported the day before, had been elected.

Chandra, with her new book as a resource, is a powerful force to fuel this growing movement of women stepping into more leadership. I hope this conversation will inspire you, as it has me, to be part of this movement and to more fully own our power to make a difference.

This episode dedicated by:

• Titilayo Tinubu Ali of Own Your Expertise in honor of her mother, Dr. Gloria Bromell Tinubu

Topics discussed in this episode:

• How Chandra intended to release her book a year after the 2016 elections to encourage people to reflect on the decisions they made the year before and realize the importance of being politically involved
• Chandra’s strong, opinionated, and independent mother and how she set an example for Chandra to not be subservient to men
• How Chandra intentionally teaches her children about social justice issues and about their heritage
• The lack of access Chandra witnessed to vocational training and education for women in a local prison, compared to the men, and how she’s using her leverage as Commissioner to change that.
• What happened when Chandra’s uncle told her “Your life is over, you might as well prepare to be on welfare” after she announced she was pregnant as a teenager.
• How Chandra’s fascination and observation of people in leadership planted seeds for her becoming an entrepreneur
• The importance of seeking out mentors and coaches and not being afraid to reach out and ask for help
• Chandra’s call to action for us to get more engaged in our local community politics

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Chandra Brook’s Mother on a Quest Feature
• Chandra’s purpose-driven company The SocialPreneur
• Women Podcasters in Solidarity
• Black, Brown & Political: Get Informed, Get Empowered and Change the Game!
• National School Board Association
• Commission on the Status of Women – the County of Santa Clara

This Week’s Challenge:

Get involved as a leader in your local community.. Join a school board, commission, or neighborhood association. Use your influence and privilege to support communities in need and leaders of color.

Announcements:

A year ago on December 1st, I launched the Mother’s Quest Podcast as a birthday present to myself. It’s hard to believe that another personal birthday and the first birthday of the podcast is almost here.

I’d love to celebrate by highlighting your stories and how the podcast or Mother’s Quest Community has helped you to live your E.P.I.C. life. Go to mothersquest.com and use the speakpipe tool to leave me a 1-2 minute message for a chance to be featured in this season’s finale.

Everyone who submits will also be entered into a drawing for a free signature coaching session from me and some other prizes from other amazing moms in the Mother’s Quest Community. Can’t wait to hear your stories and celebrate with you.

Women Podcasters in Solidarity

I’m honored to have shared two episodes in a series of conversations for the Women Podcasters in Solidarity Initiative. I created the Initiative to build awareness and raise dollars for Anti-Racism and the Movement for Black Lives. My plans for the Initiative culminate the last week of November, with a final episode and a personal contribution and invitation to you to support this cause financially on Giving Tuesday. If you want to make sure you stay informed, take a moment now to get connected, whether that’s through subscribing to the podcast, joining the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group or signing up for the email list at mothersquest.com. I look forward to sharing more.

Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle Pilot

You’re a mindful mother. And being present for your children in these years when you’re raising them is your highest priority. You’re also committed to making a positive impact in the world, something that feels even more important with all the challenges we currently face.

If the description above sounds like you, the Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle Pilot, may be right for you.  This signature offering provides inspiration, coaching and community to spark your E.P.I.C. life with intimate virtual reflective sessions over 3-4 months.

Click http://mothersquest.com/virtualcircle/ to learn and apply. The group will start as soon as I have a committed number of participants so don’t delay if you’re interested. Questions? Email me at julie@mothersquest.com

Visit the Website

If you haven’t yet visited the website, head over to www.mothersquest.com to explore some of the ways you can get more connected. At the site, you can sign up for our email list (to get show notes delivered to your inbox and our new “Mothers on a Quest” features), click the link to join the Facebook group and press record to leave a voice message for me. You can also download the FREE Live Your E.P.I.C. Life Planning and Reflection Sheets.

Sign up! – Free 30 minute Discovery Session

I’m rolling out my new coaching offerings and having great conversations with women who are ready to live a more E.P.I.C. life and interested in coaching. If you’ve had a spark moment setting you on a new path or are at a crossroads but feel unsure, guilty or overwhelmed, I’d love to talk with you about how working with me could help light the way, get you clear about what you want, shift your mindset from fear to faith, and get you moving into action.

I’ve been there, I’m still on the journey myself, and I’d love to bring all I’ve learned from a decade of coaching, 13 years of motherhood and all the lessons from my podcast guests to support you. Send me an email at julie@mothersquest.com if you’re interested in learning 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:

• 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 Two of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution http://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. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

I’m honored to share this Episode #31 of the Mother’s Quest Podcast with Kate Schatz, and the second I’m bringing to you this fall 2017 as part of the Women Podcasters in Solidarity Initiative. 

Kate is an activist, educator, public speaker, and Bay Area-born-and-bred feminist mama. She’s also a New York Times-bestselling author well known for Rad American Women A-Z and Rad Women Worldwide among others. And, she’s the former Chair of the School of Literary Arts at Oakland School for the Arts, where she taught fiction, poetry, and journalism to 9th-12th graders for many years. 

Kate’s also a fierce advocate for social justice who isn’t afraid to use her gift for communication to speak out against racism. In ninth grade, she wrote her first letter to the editor calling out coded racism she recognized in questions parents directed to her during a parent info night. In college, she learned about the intersections of race, class and gender in her Women’s Studies Courses at UC Santa Cruz. And in 2016, she co-founded and now organizes Solidarity Sundays, an intersectional nationwide network of feminist activist groups.

She also wasn’t afraid to say “yes” to me when I asked if she’d step into brave space on the podcast to honestly explore her personal journey to solidarity and to break down concepts like white privilege, white guilt vs. responsibility, white fragility and centering, and how being an “ally” is not something we proclaim we are but ongoing action we take.

Because Kate is a mother, an author, and a teacher, she also gave me and those of you who say “yes” too, a challenge to read (with our children if they are older than 12) the young adult book “The Hate U Give,” and to seek out podcasts, television shows, and other media with black voices for us to listen to and learn from. She shared her favorites which we link to in the show notes as a place to start.

Before we pressed record, Kate and I talked about the pros and cons of having conversations as white women about racism. We discussed that sometimes the labor and burden of explaining these concepts needs to rest on the shoulders of white women but that we also can’t fall into the trap of having conversations only amongst ourselves.

The answer we came to is that there need to be more brave conversations, white women on our own, with women of color, and sometimes we as white women need not to talk at all, but to listen to women of color. I’m honored that other women podcasters have signed onto the Women Podcasters in Solidarity Initiative to create more conversations on this subject and I’ll share links to the full collection of those episodes in December. 

Until then, I hope my previous conversation with Nicole Lee, and this one with Kate Schatz, will help us realize that fighting against racism is our responsibility, that with a growth mindset we can step into brave spaces to do this work, and that the time to take steps, wherever you are on the activism spectrum, is now.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Kate’s Takeaways from Ep 27: Courageous Conversations about Race with Nicole Lee
• Stepping into a brave space vs. staying in a place of comfort to discuss race
• Kate’s upbringing in a stable, loving home and how her parents provided a foundation for her early dive into activism
• Kate’s quest to use her power, her voice, and her privilege to tell stories, like those in the Rad Women series, that the world needs to hear
• How smart children are and how interested they are in complex topics like politics
• Kate’s exploration of feminism and intersectionality as a Women’s Studies major at UC Santa Cruz
• An exploration of the E.P.I.C. Guideposts through the lens of Anti-Racism and Kate’s personal journey into understanding and unpacking white privilege, white guilt, white centering and white fragility
• Solidarity Sundays, the reason why the group name was changed from Suffragette Sundays and how the story of that change stands as an example of how to listen to concerns of women of color without getting defensive
• If people do not know where you stand, in some level, it does not matter what you stand for and how you can use your gifts and profession to make impact and engage in culture shifts
• Activism is a spectrum and the importance of getting in where you can
• Diversifying our literature, podcasts, and television shows to better understand black perspectives and experiences

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Ep 27: Courageous Conversations about Race with Nicole Lee
• Diversity is an Asset 101
• Solidarity Sundays
• Angels in America by Tony Kushner
• Jen Jenkins Dohner Resistance Art
• Radical Hope: Letters of Love and Dissent in Dangerous Times
• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
• Bettina Aptheker, Akasha (Gloria T.) Hull, and Marge Franz

This Week’s Challenge:

Kate and I landed on three challenges related to our conversation 1) Make your opinions and beliefs visible in some way. Even a social media post, simple sign, or wearing buttons will ripple in a powerful way. 2) Read developmentally appropriate newspaper articles with your children and, if he/she is 12 or older, the book The Hate U Give about police brutality  3) Expand your understanding of black perspectives and experiences through podcasts and shows. You can get started with a few of Kate’s favorites:

Podcasts:

• Another Round
• The Read
• Two Dope Queens

Television:

• Atlanta
• Master of None
• Insecure

Announcements

Kate Schatz in the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group

Join us for a check-in on the challenges from this episode and a Q & A with Kate during a live conversation in the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group on Giving Tuesday, November 28th at 11 am PST.

Women Podcasters in Solidarity

I’m honored to share this second episode in a series of conversations for the Women Podcasters in Solidarity Initiative. I created the Initiative to build awareness and raise dollars for Anti-Racism and the Movement for Black Lives. My plans for the Initiative culminate the last week of November, with a final episode and a personal contribution and invitation to you to support this cause financially on Giving Tuesday. If you want to make sure you stay informed, take a moment now to get connected, whether that’s through subscribing to the podcast, joining the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group or signing up for the email list at mothersquest.com. I look forward to sharing more.

Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle Pilot

You’re a mindful mother. And being present for your children in these years when you’re raising them is your highest priority. You’re also committed to making a positive impact in the world, something that feels even more important with all the challenges we currently face.

If the description above sounds like you, the Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle Pilot, may be right for you.  This signature offering provides inspiration, coaching and community to spark your E.P.I.C. life with intimate virtual reflective sessions over 3-4 months.

Click http://mothersquest.com/virtualcircle/ to learn and apply. The group will start as soon as I have a committed number of participants so don’t delay if you’re interested. Questions? Email me at julie@mothersquest.com

Visit the Website

If you haven’t yet visited the website, head over to www.mothersquest.com to explore some of the ways you can get more connected. At the site, you can sign up for our email list (to get show notes delivered to your inbox and our new “Mothers on a Quest” features), click the link to join the Facebook group and press record to leave a voice message for me. You can also download the FREE Live Your E.P.I.C. Life Planning and Reflection Sheets.

Sign up! – Free 30 minute Discovery Session

I’m rolling out my new coaching offerings and having great conversations with women who are ready to live a more E.P.I.C. life and interested in coaching. If you’ve had a spark moment setting you on a new path or are at a crossroads but feel unsure, guilty or overwhelmed, I’d love to talk with you about how working with me could help light the way, get you clear about what you want, shift your mindset from fear to faith, and get you moving into action.

I’ve been there, I’m still on the journey myself, and I’d love to bring all I’ve learned from a decade of coaching, 13 years of motherhood and all the lessons from my podcast guests to support you. Send me an email at julie@mothersquest.com if you’re interested in learning 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:

• 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

Hello and welcome to this Episode #30 of the Mother’s Quest Podcast, a conversation I’m releasing for the second time with healer, artist, healthcare advocate and mom to two incredible girls Nancy Netherland.

Between the hurricanes and the continuing devastation in Puerto Rico, the mass shooting in Vegas, and most recently the wildfires near where I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, I know so many people are struggling with how to find gratitude and meaning in the midst of adversity.

I noticed myself coming back to the lessons I learned about finding magic, even in the most challenging circumstances, from Nancy’s stories about her and her daughters in this episode, originally #10.

In our conversation, we explored how Nancy’s parents instilled a sense that anything is possible, something she has needed to draw on as she faced the loss of her husband and the serious, chronic illnesses of her daughters. And, she shared how she and her girls cultivate generosity and pay that generosity forward through something they created called “gratitools.”

I decided to re-release the episode this week with a new dedication and challenge for all of us from my friend and colleague Lizzy Russinko. Lizzy recently moved with her family from Philadelphia to Petaluma in Northern California where they found themselves in the midst of the devastating wildfires. In her dedication, she shares a story of connection amid uncertainty and her commitment to engage her children in sharing some love and healing in her community.

As we listen to this episode with Nancy, I invite us to think about where we can find magic and meaning during these difficult times.  And to join Lizzy in her commitment to pay forward love and kindness in some way to those who are suffering right now.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• How Nancy’s parents influenced her childhood by teaching her that anything is possible

• Resiliency and mindfulness during traumatic events

• The importance of creating magic in our lives

• “Gratituding” as a verb

• 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 in this episode:

• Gratitool

• Choosing Gratitude

• Hepatitis C information

• Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

• Commonweal – where Nancy learned her framework for self-care

• Clinical Trials  a site that is open to the public to find life saving clinical trials

• UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital

• These Inspirational Notecards that Lizzy and her family will be passing around to her community

This Week’s Challenge:

Building on Nancy Netherland’s story, this challenge comes from Lizzy Rossinko who dedicated the episode. Over the next month Lizzy’s family is going to leave note cards of encouragement and hope around town for her neighbors to find and give, as their community at Sonoma County copes with the wildfires. This will be 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 and home in our neck of the woods.

Announcements

Mother’s Quest Circle Pilot

You’re a mindful mother. And being present for your children in these years when you’re raising them is your highest priority. You’re also committed to making a positive impact in the world, something that feels even more important with all the challenges we currently face.

If the description above sounds like you, the Mother’s Quest Circle Pilot, launching this fall may be right for you.  This signature offering provides inspiration, coaching and community to spark your E.P.I.C. life with intimate in-person reflective sessions over 3-4 months.

Click www.mothersquest.com/mothers-quest-circle to learn and apply. The group starts in November so don’t delay if you’re interested. Questions? Email me at julie@mothersquest.com

Visit the Website

If you haven’t yet visited the website, head over towww.mothersquest.comto explore some of the ways you can get more connected. At the site, you can sign up for our email list (to get show notes delivered to your inbox and our new “Mothers on a Quest” features), click the link to join the Facebook group and press record to leave a voice message for me. You can also download the FREE Live Your E.P.I.C. Life Planning and Reflection Sheets.

Sign up! – Free 30 minute Discovery Session 

I’m rolling out my new coaching offerings and having great conversations with women who are ready to live a more E.P.I.C. life and interested in coaching. If you’ve had a spark moment setting you on a new path or are at a crossroads but feel unsure, guilty or overwhelmed, I’d love to talk with you about how working with me could help light the way, get you clear about what you want, shift your mindset from fear to faith, and get you moving into action.

I’ve been there, I’m still on the journey myself, and I’d love to bring all I’ve learned from a decade of coaching, 13 years of motherhood and all the lessons from my podcast guests to support you. Send me an email at julie@mothersquest.com or sign up for a free discovery call by clicking this link if you’re interested in learning more.

Women Podcasters in Solidarity

After the events that took place in Charlottesville, I’m even more committed to a quest I’ve been on to understand the roots of racism and bigotry, how it still shows up today, and how I can become a better ally and advocate to fight against it.

I’m raising awareness for myself, and inviting you to do the same, through this special podcast episode. I’m also pledging to donate to an organization supporting the Movement for Black Lives and to invite you to donate too leading up to Giving Tuesday in November. More on this to come soon.

If you are a women podcaster yourself, I’d love for you to make a similar pledge to use the power of your platform for this cause. You can learn more and join the initiative by signing up at mothersquest.com/solidarity.

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:

• This week’s dedication is provided by Lizzy Russinko, a handlettering artist & writer at This (Un)Scripted Life, coach at Retreat Roadmap, and founder of The BraveGatherers, a community for soulful, message-driven business owners who are ready to harness the power of intimate connection and make in-person events an integral part of their work.

• 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 Two of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution http://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

I’m excited to share this Episode #29 of the Mother’s Quest Podcast with renowned work/life wellness expert, intentional mom, bestselling author, and so much more – Samantha Ettus.

Sam is the author of The Pie Life and The Pie Life Planner which is a playbook for working moms who want to balance the seven “slices” of a delicious life which includes career, health, relationship, children, community, friends and hobbies. She’s also raising two strong independent girls and a feminist son along with her husband in Los Angeles.

Sam specializes in helping people thrive professionally and personally. Since earning her undergraduate and MBA degrees from Harvard, she’s coached thousands of professionals who aim to perform at the highest levels. She’s a bestselling author of five books, the CEO of Work Life Love, an entrepreneur, and Tedx and keynote speaker. She has also hosted a weekly nationally syndicated radio show and has appeared on Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News, Access Hollywood, CNN and The TODAY Show among others. She’s given hundreds of keynotes and led workshops at corporations and conferences around the world.

Samantha and I delve into the subject of how to sustain a thriving personal and professional life at the same time, the importance of keeping at least one foot in the career world while raising your children, and the power of the financial independence and fulfillment that brings, not only to women’s lives but to our children’s.

By showing our children our enthusiasm in our work, and other parts of our lives, we model investing in a life with not one or two but seven meaningful slices.

We also talk about the other important values Sam aims to teach her children by her example, the importance of honoring our bodies and seeing ourselves as beautiful in any size, to focus on the people who love you, not the haters or the 10% who will always be critical, and to let go of perfection and realize that the most delicious pies and lives are the ones that are messy, gooey, and real.

Finally, Sam shares how she consciously built a community in Los Angeles after relocating from New York, going from not having anyone to put on her children’s emergency card at school, to cultivating meaningful relationships, catalyzed by a Yom Kippur break the fast Samantha threw that has now become an annual tradition for a hundred people.

The challenge that emerged from our conversation was to focus on my slice of the pie that relates to building community. As a result of commitments you’ll hear me make on the podcast, I’ve set a date, October 28th, for a podcast listening party of my episode with Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin on the Age of the New Heroine followed by a Q & A with my friend Chelsea Bonini stepping into heroic challenges of her own as she runs for City Council. If you’re local to the Bay Area, I’d love for you to RSVP and join us.

I also committed to throw my first break the fast after 20 years of feeling a bit adrift during this Jewish holiday away from my Los Angeles family. I consciously chose to make this a multicultural break the fast and we had children and adults of multiple generations and religions, eating, playing and talking together.

It was a messy and delicious evening, and one that will become a new tradition in my E.P.I.C. Pie Life.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Samantha’s upbringing as a competitive tennis player in New York and the influence her mother had on her to become strong and independent.
• Sam’s belief that women should be financially independent and have careers so they will always have options.
• How being fully present in her work helps Samantha to be fully present for her children
• The benefit of sharing our enthusiasm for our work with our kids and modeling a fulfilling work life
• The Pie Life metaphor and how the messy gooey pies are the most delicious
• Sam’s commitment to teach and model to her children a positive body image and the belief that we are beautiful at any size
• How to plan for our lives, the benefits of a paper planner and a bit about how Samantha created her Pie Life Planner
• The importance of letting go of guilt
• How Samantha consciously built community after moving to LA from New York
• The importance of perspective, how life should be lived in moments, and how enjoying our lives (including making time for things like date nights) set an example for our children for how to live a full life
• The challenge I accepted to invest in community gatherings to build connections in my own life

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Mother’s Quest Podcast Ep 14: Breaking the Mold and Finding your Worth with Amanda Steinberg
• Mother’s Quest Podcast Ep 26: Surrender and Embracing Difference with Debbie Reber of TILT Parenting for “Differently-Wired” Kids
• Tilt Parenting Podcast Episode 29: What it Takes to Live a Healthy, Fulfilled Life as Mother to a Differently-Wired Kid, with Samantha Ettus
• Mother’s Quest Podcast Ep 02: Unmasking Motherhood with Katherine Wintsch
• Sam’s latest book, The Pie Life and The Pie Life Planner
• Sam’s TEDx Talk – The Secret to Unlocking a Child’s Potential

This Week’s Challenge:

Commit to meaningful gatherings. I accepted the challenge to say yes to “parties” and had my very first multi-cultural Yom Kippur break the fast celebration at our home. It was an amazing experience filled with friends and family of different generations and religions who came together and helped me deepen my Bay Area roots in new ways.

Another challenge Sam gave is to create a community around the Podcast. I’ve decided to combine a listening part of a favorite episode, with Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin on Intersectionality and the Age of the New Heroine along with a Q & A with my friend Chelsea Bonini who is stepping into her own heroine’s journey as she runs for City Council.

If you have a podcast or love listening to podcasts, you can create a party in your community, build relationships, and cultivate friendships.

Stay tuned for a future opportunity to have Samantha visit the Mother’s Quest Private Facebook Group for a Live Q & A and Check-in on the Challenge.

Announcements

Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America

At the time of this recording in October 2017, we are reeling as a nation from the recent mass shooting in Las Vegas. Like so many other moms, I’ve felt a range of feelings from despair to rage about the state of our country and fear for my childrens’ safety. And I’ve also felt more committed than ever to use my voice and continue to develop what I’ve been calling an “activist muscle” to advocate for critical change like gun law reform. This week I made a donation and have been following calls to action from an organization called Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. If you want to join a group of powerful mothers advocating for gun law reform, take a moment right now and text ACT to 64433 to get started.

Mother’s Quest Circle Pilot

You’re a mindful mother. And being present for your children in these years when you’re raising them is your highest priority. You’re also committed to making a positive impact in the world, something that feels even more important with all the challenges we currently face.

If the description above sounds like you, the Mother’s Quest Circle Pilot, launching this fall may be right for you.  This signature offering provides inspiration, coaching and community to spark your E.P.I.C. life with intimate in-person reflective sessions over 3-4 months.

Click www.mothersquest.com/mothers-quest-circle to learn and apply. The group starts in October so don’t delay if you’re interested. Questions? Email me at julie@mothersquest.com

Visit the Website

If you haven’t yet visited the website, head over to www.mothersquest.comto explore some of the ways you can get more connected. At the site, you can sign up for our email list (to get show notes delivered to your inbox and our new “Mothers on a Quest” features), click the link to join the Facebook group and press record to leave a voice message for me. You can also download the FREE Live Your E.P.I.C. Life Planning and Reflection Sheets.

Sign up! – Free 30 minute Discovery Session

I’m rolling out my new coaching offerings and having great conversations with women who are ready to live a more E.P.I.C. life and interested in coaching. If you’ve had a spark moment setting you on a new path or are at a crossroads but feel unsure, guilty or overwhelmed, I’d love to talk with you about how working with me could help light the way, get you clear about what you want, shift your mindset from fear to faith, and get you moving into action.

I’ve been there, I’m still on the journey myself, and I’d love to bring all I’ve learned from a decade of coaching, 13 years of motherhood and all the lessons from my podcast guests to support you. Send me an email atjulie@mothersquest.com or sign up for a free discovery call by clicking this link if you’re interested in learning more.

Women Podcasters in Solidarity

After the events that took place in Charlottesville, I’m even more committed to a quest I’ve been on to understand the roots of racism and bigotry, how it still shows up today, and how I can become a better ally and advocate to fight against it.

I’m raising awareness for myself, and inviting you to do the same, through this special podcast episode. I’m also pledging to donate to an organization supporting the Movement for Black Lives and to invite you to donate too leading up to Giving Tuesday in November. More on this to come soon.

If you are a women podcaster yourself, I’d love for you to make a similar pledge to use the power of your platform for this cause. You can learn more and join the initiative by signing up at mothersquest.com/solidarity.

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:

• Suzanne Brown, author of Mompowerment: Insights from Successful Professional Part-Time Working Moms Who Balance Career and Family who provided this week’s dedication

• 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 Two of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution http://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. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

Hello and welcome to Episode #28 of 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 find Mussar 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. 

I’m Julie Neale and this is Mother’s Quest.

This Week’s Challenge:

Join us for Mussar Yoga for Moms: A Mother’s Quest 5 Day Challenge with Edie Raphael Brotman using ancient practices to live more E.P.I.C. lives at the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group.

Listen to the episode and then make sure to join the Mother’s Quest Facebook group where we will poll the community to choose the “middah” or character trait that we’ll use in our 5 day Mussar Yoga practice starting Monday, September 25th.

We’ll also have a live Q & A in the Facebook Group with Edie to check in on the Challenge on Wednesday, September 27th at 11 am PST.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• 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 in this episode:

• Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur – Jewish new year holidays
• Mussar Yoga: Blending an Ancient Jewish Spiritual Practice with Yoga to Transform Body and Soul
• What is Mussar?
• Rabbi Israel Salanter
• The Path of the Upright
• Ben Franklin Circles

Announcements

Mother’s Quest Circle Pilot

You’re a mindful mother. And being present for your children in these years when you’re raising them is your highest priority. You’re also committed to making a positive impact in the world, something that feels even more important with all the challenges we currently face.

If the description above sounds like you, the Mother’s Quest Circle Pilot, launching this fall may be right for you.  This signature offering provides inspiration, coaching and community to spark your E.P.I.C. life with intimate in-person reflective sessions over 3-4 months.

Click www.mothersquest.com/mothers-quest-circle to learn and apply. The group starts in October so don’t delay if you’re interested. Questions? Email me at julie@mothersquest.com

Visit the Website

If you haven’t yet visited the website, head over to www.mothersquest.com to explore some of the ways you can get more connected. At the site, you can sign up for our email list (to get show notes delivered to your inbox and our new “Mothers on a Quest” features), click the link to join the Facebook group and press record to leave a voice message for me. You can also download the FREE Live Your E.P.I.C. Life Planning and Reflection Sheets.

Sign up! – Free 30 minute Discovery Session

I’m rolling out my new coaching offerings and having great conversations with women who are ready to live a more E.P.I.C. life and interested in coaching. If you’ve had a spark moment setting you on a new path or are at a crossroads but feel unsure, guilty or overwhelmed, I’d love to talk with you about how working with me could help light the way, get you clear about what you want, shift your mindset from fear to faith, and get you moving into action.

I’ve been there, I’m still on the journey myself, and I’d love to bring all I’ve learned from a decade of coaching, 13 years of motherhood and all the lessons from my podcast guests to support you. Send me an email at julie@mothersquest.com or sign up for a free discovery call by clicking this link if you’re interested in learning more.

Women Podcasters in Solidarity

After the events that took place in Charlottesville, I’m even more committed to a quest I’ve been on to understand the roots of racism and bigotry, how it still shows up today, and how I can become a better ally and advocate to fight against it.

I’m raising awareness for myself, and inviting you to do the same, through this special podcast episode. I’m also pledging to donate to an organization supporting the Movement for Black Lives and to invite you to donate too leading up to Giving Tuesday in November. More on this to come soon.

If you are a women podcaster yourself, I’d love for you to make a similar pledge to use the power of your platform for this cause. You can learn more and join the initiative by signing up at mothersquest.com/solidarity.

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:

• 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 Two of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution http://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

Hello and welcome to Episode #27 of the Mother’s Quest Podcast and the first of several I’ll be sharing for an initiative I’ve launched called Women Podcasters in Solidarity.

The Initiative is a commitment I’ve made, alongside some other amazing women podcasters, to raise awareness and dollars to uncover and dismantle the ways racism, both conscious and unconscious, are impacting our society. I planned the Initiative after viewing the haunting video of Philando Castile’s death and of his girlfriend Diamond Reynolds and her young daughter in the back of the cop car in its aftermath. But, the events of Charlottesville since then have brought another level of urgency to this effort.

I’m so grateful that I found Nicole Lee, an incredible African American woman and mother, as our first guest on this topic, to light the way for how we as mothers, and especially those of us who are white women like myself, can take steps to make a difference, beginning with our own children and our own communities.

Nicole is a strategist, executive coach and public policy advocate through her diversity and inclusion consulting firm, Lee Bayard Group, LLC. And she’s a practicing human rights attorney through the Black Movement Law Project she co-founded, which provides legal and strategy assistance to Black Lives Matter protestors and organizations. Social justice and human rights have been part of her character since she was a child where she got her pioneering spirit especially from her own mother, one of the first black women to be ordained in her Christian denomination.

Nicole brings her experience as a mother and advocate to training parents in how to have courageous conversations with our children about diversity, inclusion and equity. I had the opportunity to learn from Nicole on a recent webinar on the subject, an overview for a more detailed class launching in September, that was also attended by Mallory Schlabach who offers this week’s dedication.

Nicole and I start the episode with shared agreements and intentions for courageous conversation, committing to one another to come to the podcast recording with an open heart, a commitment to move through discomfort and risk imperfection. I vowed not to edit anything out and we both named a shared desire to plant seeds in mothers to raise awareness for themselves and their children.

We explored how we can open channels of communication with our children, holding a “growth mindset” for them in relation to diversity, allowing them to make mistakes as they share what’s on their minds and not “shushing” them when they do. Nicole also shared the importance of expressing our values to our children in ways that they understand.

When I asked her where we could invest in change, she challenged us to focus on our own communities and to identify some hard conversations we’ve been putting off. She emphasized the importance of introspective work to realize what’s in our way, determine what we need to be “ready” and then go get ready and have them.

I committed to doing this work and to having Nicole join us to continue the conversation and give me an opportunity to check in on my progress in the private Mother’s Quest Facebook Group on Wednesday, September 13th at 11:30 am PST.

As it has been for me, I hope this podcast episode, and the links and resources in the show notes, will be part of what you need to get ready to have the brave conversations with your own children and your own communities. As Nicole says at the end of our conversation, “we’ve got this.” We are not being asked to do anything that is not within our grasp. It’s not easy but we can get it done.

This Week’s Challenge:

Our challenge this week is to go back and process our own patterns and thinking about race, diversity and inclusion, to identify what courageous conversations we’ve been putting off, to get what we need to be ready, and then go have them.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• How having an open heart and articulating intentions create meaningful opportunity for brave conversations about our differences

• Nicole’s reflection on why many black women may not want to talk with white women about racism and how to seek out spaces, and resources, to explore these issues if you’re white and have genuine intention to learn

• Nicole’s childhood and how she was driven at an early age to fight for social good

• An exploration of the E.P.I.C Guideposts in relation to the topic of diversity and inclusion

• The role mothers have in planting awareness and knowledge in their children that will help transform our society

• The importance of cultivating real friendships across differences and how color blindness and an unwillingness to have tough conversations can block authentic connection

• The importance of having a growth mindset in the context of race and not to “shush” our children when they share what’s really on their minds

• Expressing our values in a way our children will understand

• Ideas for investing and supporting the Movement for Black Lives and Nicole’s opinion that getting involved locally in advocacy on police relations, and having the hard conversations, in our own communities, are the most important steps we can take.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Women Podcasters in Solidarity

• Mother on a Quest: Nicole Lee

• Growth Mindset in Diversity

• Mother’s Quest Ep 07: Living Out Loud with Jenjii Hysten

• Explaining Charlottesville to my 7-year-old by Nicole Lee

• How to Deal with the Police/Parents Explain

• Lee Bayard Group, LLC – Nicole’s diversity and inclusion consulting firm

• Black Movement Law Project – Legal and strategy assistance to Black Lives Matter protestors and organizations where Nicole is a co-founder

• Nicole’s Upcoming Class on Courageous Conversations With Children

• The Movement for Black Lives

Announcements

Women Podcasters in Solidarity
After the events that took place in Charlottesville, I’m even more committed to a quest I’ve been on to understand the roots of racism and bigotry, how it still shows up today, and how I can become a better ally and advocate to fight against it.

I’m raising awareness for myself, and inviting you to do the same, through this special podcast episode. I’m also pledging to donate to an organization supporting the Movement for Black Lives and to invite you to donate too leading up to Giving Tuesday in November. More on this to come soon.

If you are a women podcaster yourself, I’d love for you to make a similar pledge to use the power of your platform for this cause. You can learn more and join the initiative by signing up at mothersquest.com/solidarity.

Mother’s Quest Circle Pilot
You’re a mindful mother. And being present for your children in these years when you’re raising them is your highest priority. You’re also committed to making a positive impact in the world, something that feels even more important with all the challenges we currently face.

If the description above sounds like you, the Mother’s Quest Circle Pilot, launching this fall may be right for you.  This signature offering provides inspiration, coaching and community to spark your E.P.I.C. life with intimate in-person reflective sessions over 3-4 months.

Click www.mothersquest.com/mothers-quest-circle to learn and apply by September 10th. Questions? Email me at julie@mothersquest.com

Visit the Website
If you haven’t yet visited the website, head over to www.mothersquest.com to explore some of the ways you can get more connected. At the site, you can sign up for our email list (to get show notes delivered to your inbox and our new “Mothers on a Quest” features), click the link to join the Facebook group and press record to leave a voice message for me. You can also download the FREE Live Your E.P.I.C. Life Planning and Reflection Sheets.

Sign up! – Free 30 minute Discovery Session
I’m rolling out my new coaching offerings and having great conversations with women who are ready to live a more E.P.I.C. life and interested in coaching. If you’ve had a spark moment setting you on a new path or are at a crossroads but feel unsure, guilty or overwhelmed, I’d love to talk with you about how working with me could help light the way, get you clear about what you want, shift your mindset from fear to faith, and get you moving into action.

I’ve been there, I’m still on the journey myself, and I’d love to bring all I’ve learned from a decade of coaching, 13 years of motherhood and all the lessons from my podcast guests to support you. Send me an email at julie@mothersquest.com or sign up for a free discovery call by clicking this link if you’re interested in learning 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:

• Mallory Schlabach – 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 Two of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution http://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. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

Welcome to this episode #26 of the Mother’s Quest Podcast, “Surrender and Embracing Difference” with TiLT Parenting for Differently-Wired Kids founder Debbie Reber. This conversation about seeing diversity as an asset, valuing and embracing difference, couldn’t come at a better time.

Debbie Reber is the founder of TiLT, an online destination aimed at helping parents raising differently-wired kids do so from a place of confidence, connection, and peace. She’s also host of the TiLT Parenting Podcast, a life coach, speaker and a New York Times bestselling author of books aimed at raising self-esteem for young girls. Before becoming a writer, Debbie worked in children’s television, for a relief and development organization and at UNICEF.

Despite this long list of accomplishments, perhaps the greatest thing Debbie has done is become parent, advocate, homeschooler and champion for her own son Asher who is 13, has Aspergers, ADHD and is profoundly gifted.

After years of struggle with Asher, Debbie and her husband took a leap of faith in 2013, moving from the U.S. to Amsterdam where she stepped into her own hero’s journey to acceptance, surrender, and presence. In the process, she and Asher have come to an exceptional place, and share their lessons learned, wisdom and real life experiences to make sure other parents of differently-wired kids don’t have to journey alone.

Debbie and I had an amazing conversation, about faith, personal transformation through parenting and how to live an E.P.I.C. life of alignment. Debbie invites us to question hidden beliefs about neurodiversity, explore the judgements we make about children who are “differently-wired” and invite us to become more compassionate as a result. She’s also invited us to take her TILT 7 day challenge to support ourselves to gently shift our awareness.

This conversation was a year in the making and it was really powerful for me. I was reminded about the gifts our children bring us, even when they don’t come in the ways that we expected and it renewed my commitment to show up fully for my own children, embracing their differences and surrendering to the knowledge that life is a journey and not a destination.

Special Message for All of Us

I want to note that I bring this episode to you at a unique moment. At the time of this recording, the nation has endured tragedy and division in the wake of events at Charlottesville, fueled by hatred and fear about our differences. Days later, the universe provided us with awareness that we are bound together by something bigger than ourselves as people everywhere took in the total solar eclipse with awe.

The definition of eclipse means to darken and block out the light. We eclipse the light and love, and our common humanity, when we fail to recognize, understand, and celebrate our differences, whether that difference comes from the way our brains think in the case of differently-wired kids, the color of our skin, or the religion we follow. But, as Debbie so eloquently describes in our conversation, when we can see diversity as an asset and embrace difference, everything changes.

When I noticed that Miki DeVivo, another mom raising differently-wired kids, was launching her beautiful book of poetry this week, “The Naming of Real Things,” I asked if she would choose a piece for me to share as a lead into what felt like a sacred conversation with Debbie, as a prayer and invitation for all of us, during this challenging time, to move from darkness into more light, love and compassion for one another. Here it is...

From Miki DeVivo’s  new book of poetry, the Naming of Real Things

(shared with permission)

Love More

Love more fully.
Let your love fill in all the cracks
Like Japanese gold.
Raise your heart
To your lips and drink till you are full.

Love more widely.
Let your love widen beyond all the borders
Inflicted by man.
Raise your arms
To the sky in blessings spread wide.

Love more deeply.
Let your love deepen beneath the surface
Of skin and kin and the way we each choose to worship.
Raise your eyes
To see the raw humanity standing before you, pain and wisdom so deep.

Love more fiercely.
Let your love rage like fire and do not be silent.
Raise your voice
To power again and again, unflinching and fierce.

Love more wildly.
Let your love wild like flowers blanketing a meadow in the spring.
Raise your feet
To dance among the blossoms, growing wild.

Love more warmly.
Let your love warm the icicles of contempt that pierce your heart.
Raise your glass
To the fountain of hope until your cup runneth over, sweet and warm.

Love more freely.
Let your love free from the small box you were told would keep it safe.
Raise your hands
To pick the locks and set yourself free.

This Week’s Challenge:

Question and explore your beliefs about neurodiversity. Raise your awareness and step into more compassion with Debbie’s 7 Day Challenge.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• How Debbie and I have connected as mothers of differently-wired boys, since Jonathan Fields and Harmony Eichsteadt, of The Good Life Project, made an introduction between us a year ago.

• How Debbie wrestled with an Evangelical Christian faith upbringing, the questions she explored about her own spirituality, and how she came to believe there is something greater that connects us all.

• The right turn Debbie’s career took from empowering young girls to championing her own “differently-wired” son and then building a community to support parents to champion their own.

• The unexpected gifts that raising Asher has brought to Debbie and her life and the key that helped her shift into acceptance.

• How Debbie followed her intuition and changed everything for the better, to make a big leap of faith, move to Amsterdam, and begin homeschooling Asher.

• Nature is Debbie’s church and how lacing up their shoes for long walks outside provides Debbie and Asher opportunity for deep connection.

• Debbie’s new book, coming out in spring 2018, to help parents of differently-wired kids realize they are not alone.

• How Debbie’s “self-interest” helps her prioritize creating space and time for herself.

• The quote from Shakepeare Debbie’s son Asher shared, on his podcast episode, as he reflected on the importance of risk and leaps of faith required in order to grow.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Miki DeVivo’s book “The Naming of Real Things”

• The Good Life Project

• Episode 53 of The TILT Parenting Podcast: Debbie and Asher’s TiLT Parenting One-Year Anniversary Special where Asher talks about his sleep-away camp experience

• Episode 18 of the Mother’s Quest Podcast: YOLO (You Only Live Once) and other Milestone Reflections with my son Ryan Neale which Debbie and Asher listened to together

• TILT Parenting and the TILT Parenting Manifesto

• Debbie’s Differently Wired 7-Day Challenge

• TiLT Community Facebook Page

• Quote Asher used after his reflection on his sleep-away camp experience “Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.” -William Shakespeare

Announcements

Women Podcasters in Solidarity
In this week after the events that took place in Charlottesville, I’m even more committed to a quest I’ve been on to understand the roots of racism and bigotry, how it still shows up today, and how I can become a better ally and advocate to fight against it.

I’m raising awareness for myself, and inviting you to do the same, through a special podcast episode coming out in September.

If you want to listen to that episode, be sure to subscribe to the podcast and sign up for email updates at mothersquest.com. And if you are a women podcaster yourself, I’d love for you to make the pledge to use the power of your platform for this cause. You can learn more and join the initiative by signing up at mothersquest.com/solidarity.

Q and A with Debbie Reber
Join us on September 1st, Friday at 10:30 AM PST for a Q and A in the Mother's Quest Facebook Group with Debbie to continue our conversation and check in on the challenge. Click this link to join the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group and get invited to the event.

Visit the Website
If you haven’t yet visited the website, head over to www.mothersquest.com to explore some of the ways you can get more connected. At the site, you can sign up for our email list (to get show notes delivered to your inbox and our new “Mothers on a Quest” features), click the link to join the Facebook group and press record to leave a voice message for me. You can also download the FREE Live Your E.P.I.C. Life Planning and Reflection Sheets.

Sign up! – Free 30 minute Discovery Session
I’m rolling out my new coaching offerings and having great conversations with women who are ready to live a more E.P.I.C. life and interested in coaching. If you’ve had a spark moment setting you on a new path or are at a crossroads but feel unsure, guilty or overwhelmed, I’d love to talk with you about how working with me could help light the way, get you clear about what you want, shift your mindset from fear to faith, and get you moving into action.

I’ve been there, I’m still on the journey myself, and I’d love to bring all I’ve learned from a decade of coaching, 13 years of motherhood and all the lessons from my podcast guests to support you. Send me an email at julie@mothersquest.com or sign up for a free discovery call by clicking this link if you’re interested in learning 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:

• 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 Two of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution http://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. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

I’m excited to bring this Episode #25 of the Mother’s Quest podcast to you with a podcasting leader, mentor and community builder extraordinaire- the insightful and passionate, Elsie Escobar.

A podcaster herself since 2006, at the time of this recording, Elsie is getting ready to be inducted into the Academy of Podcasters Hall of Fame at the upcoming Podcast Movement conference. Among many accomplishments, she’s being recognized for her two impactful shows about podcasting The Feed – The Official Libsyn Podcast and She Podcasts, the podcast for women about podcasting and new media from the woman’s point of view.

Elsie has a lot to say about podcasting… she’s a self-proclaimed die hard podcast junkie, who especially loves to help women like myself find clarity and power in our voice and shift the narrative to focus on the things that matter most, not the numbers or downloads, but the transformative power of podcasting and expanding our podcasting audience.

Elsie and her She Podcasts partner Jessica Kupferman have developed together an incredible Facebook group with thousands of members, many of us mothers, on a quest to bring our mission forward through podcasting while showing up fully for our children in the magic and also the mess of motherhood.

Pursuing podcasting and motherhood is Elsie’s She Podcasts partner Jessica, who dedicated this week’s episode to Elsie herself and spoke about Elsie’s tremendous empathy. This empathic quality of Elsie’s comes through in our conversation in the way she talks about “creating space” for her children, for her passion, for dialogue that elevates and for understanding the needs and behaviors of podcast listeners.

In this episode, we cover a lot of territory, from Elsie’s roots in El Salvador and how she saw her mother reinvent herself after they emigrated to the US to the power and potential of podcasting to reach the ears of those who are underrepresented and need it most.

It was such an honor to have this time with Elsie, to experience her fire and passion first-hand and hear her call to amplify women’s voices, change the conversation to the things that really matter, and  bring the transformative power of podcasting into our communities.

Elsie gave me a personal challenge to step outside of my digital comfort zone and go to my local library to find mothers where they are and bring Mother’s Quest to them. I’m inspired to expand and stretch my voice, my impact and who I reach and welcome into my community. I hope this conversation will inspire you to do the same.

This Week’s Challenge:

Elsie gave me a personal challenge to step outside of my digital comfort zone and go to my local library, mother’s groups, or homeschooling co-ops and talk to someone in person about the Mother’s Quest Podcast.

She also shares another challenge to everyone to affirm, and share something that you love. Do it until sharing what you love expands, gets to the language that matches up with us, and enables you to eloquently share things that drive you. Again, do this challenge in person, and not online.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Consciously cultivating our podcast messages and giving podcast listeners “words they can repeat” and integrate into their own lives.
• Elsies’ upbringing in El Salvador, move to the United States when she was 9, and seeing her mother step up and reinvent herself after emigrating to the United States.
• “Creating space” for conversations with her children, especially when emotions are charged, and how her own partner spoke honestly with Elsie during difficult days after her children were born.
• Using podcasting as a venue to create a more feminine impact, looking beyond more traditional masculine metrics.
• How having the right business coaches has helped Elsie be everything she can be.
• The importance for Elsie of being true to herself and how that enables her to attract people who support her and forms her community.
• How socio-economics and cognitive behaviors affect the growth of podcasting
• The importance of expanding podcasting to those who are underrepresented: seniors, those who don’t have access to healthcare, the ones that feel alone, people battling addiction, people who need to hear a voice that is like theirs
• A challenge to move beyond our digital comfort zones and reach into communities to expand our podcast audiences

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• DeRay Mckesson involved in Black Lives Matter
• She Podcasts
• The Feed: The Official Libsyn Podcast
• Joyful Courage Podcast Episode on Brain-informed Parenting
• The E-League, Elsie’s Podcast Coaching Program
• Podcast Movement 2017
• Academy of Podcasters Hall of Fame 2017
• Thinx Panties
• Ep 24: Intersectionality and the Age of the New Heroine with Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin

Announcements

Q & A on the Transformative Power of Podcasting with Erica Gordon – Let’s continue this conversation inspired by Elsie’s episode with a Q & A in the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group with side business success strategist Erica Gordon of the Moms With Dreams Podcast, the week of August 13th, exact day and time TBA. Click link to join the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group and get invited to the event.

Visit the Website – If you haven’t yet visited the website, head over towww.mothersquest.com to explore some of the ways you can get more connected. At the site, you can sign up for our email list (to get show notes delivered to your inbox and our new “Mothers on a Quest” features), click the link to join the Facebook group and press record to leave a voice message for me. You can also download the FREE Live Your E.P.I.C. Life Planning and Reflection Sheets.

Sign up! – Free 30 minute Discovery Session

I’m rolling out my new coaching offerings and having great conversations with women who are ready to live a more E.P.I.C. life and interested in coaching. If you’ve had a spark moment setting you on a new path or are at a crossroads but feel unsure, guilty or overwhelmed, I’d love to talk with you about how working with me could help light the way, get you clear about what you want, shift your mindset from fear to faith, and get you moving into action.

I’ve been there, I’m still on the journey myself, and I’d love to bring all I’ve learned from a decade of coaching, 13 years of motherhood and all the lessons from my podcast guests to support you. Send me an email at julie@mothersquest.com or sign up for a free discovery call by clicking this link if you’re interested in learning 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:

• 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 Two of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution http://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. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

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. 

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. 

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. 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Gaia Women Lead Website
• RISE (Resist, Inspire, Speak, Empower): An Activist/Leader Bootcamp starting Oct. 15th to help us use our voice for change 
• #ResistanceLive
• Elizabeth's Speaking Tour Information & Tickets
• The Heroine's Journey
• Council on American-Islamic Relations
• The video I sent to Elizabeth before our podcast interview - Black parents explain to their kids how to deal with police
• The post that explains what happened when I committed to starting Mother’s Quest Two Trapped Birds: Opening the Door for Mother’s Quest
• Episode with Jenjii Hysten where we talk about her emotional Facebook live which first called me to "bear witness" regarding Black Lives Matter  Ep 07: Living Out Loud with Jenjii Hysten
• Episode with Women’s March Organizer Paola Mendoza Ep 16: Rising Up with Paola Mendoza 
• Episode with Kathleen Shannon where we discuss blocking our time Ep 20: On Being Mom and Being Boss with Kathleen Shannon 
• Sally Yates, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Siskind - women who are new heroines in their own ways

Announcements

Q & A on Activism and Intersectionality - Let’s continue this conversation inspired by Elizabeth’s episode with a Q & A in the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group with activist, former NAACP Vice President and leadership specialist Chandra Brooks , Thursday, August 3rd at 11:30 am PST. Click link to join the group. 

Visit the Website - If you haven’t yet visited the website, head over to www.mothersquest.com to explore some of the ways you can get more connected. At the site, you can sign up for our email list (to get show notes delivered to your inbox and our new “Mothers on a Quest” features), click the link to join the Facebook group and press record to leave a voice message for me. You can also download the FREE Live Your E.P.I.C. Life Planning and Reflection Sheets.

Sign up! - Free 30 minute Discovery Session

I’m rolling out my new coaching offerings and having great conversations with women who are ready to live a more E.P.I.C. life and interested in coaching. If you’ve had a spark moment setting you on a new path or are at a crossroads but feel unsure, guilty or overwhelmed, I’d love to talk with you about how working with me could help light the way, get you clear about what you want, shift your mindset from fear to faith, and get you moving into action.

I’ve been there, I’m still on the journey myself, and I’d love to bring all I’ve learned from a decade of coaching, 13 years of motherhood and all the lessons from my podcast guests to support you. Send me an email at julie@mothersquest.com or sign up for a free discovery call by clicking this link if you’re interested in learning 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:

• Resistance Artist Jen Jenkins Dohner (you can find her work here, proceeds of which are all donated to specific causes), who provided this week’s dedication to her mother Ginger Jenkins
• 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 Two of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution http://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. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

I’m excited to bring you this Episode #23 of the Mother’s Quest Podcast. I’m just back from an amazing week at one of my most favorite places, UCLA’s Bruin Woods Family Camp in Lake Arrowhead, where I felt like I had an amazing reset…a chance to unplug and notice some patterns from a fresh perspective.

It’s so perfect then, that I came back to put the finishing touches on this episode with author of the Miracle Morning for Parents and Families, Lindsay McCarthy. I’ve been wanting to have Lindsay on the podcast for a while now; I knew I had a lot to learn from her about how to change my relationship with mornings, but I didn’t realize our conversation would inspire a collaborative 30 day Mother’s Quest Miracle Morning Challenge that will start Monday, July 17th.

Lindsay is a wife and homeschool mom of two kids. She is the co-author of The Miracle Morning for Parents and Families, has a facebook community of the same name, and is creator of GratefulParent.com where she blogs.

Lindsay and I have a lot in common in that neither of us could have imagined we would step into owning and sharing our voice and our story with others until fairly recently, she through her book and me through the podcast.

We go deep in this conversation about the epic journey that brought Lindsay from attending a conference where she met Miracle Morning author Hal Alred to essentially writing a manual for bringing the Miracle Morning practice to parents and families.

We talk about our mutual love of frameworks and acronyms and how she and her husband adapted the Miracle Morning’s SAVERS to create their own acronym, CHARMS, which brings Creativity, Health, Affirmations, Reading, Meditation, and Service to her children every morning.

I love how Lindsay brings intentionality and mindfulness to her parenting and how she’s living her own version of an E.P.I.C. life, one rooted in being an amazing mom and co-creating incredible learning experiences for her children. She helped me change my perception of what homeschooling can look like and realize that we are all like a homeschooling mom when we seek opportunities for our children to pursue their curiosity and passions.

I’m also impressed by how committed Lindsay is to this Miracle Morning practice which has dramatically changed her family’s life and the lives of so many others through her book and group.

I’m thrilled I finally got a chance to talk with Lindsay and that together we will create this collaborative challenge. I have a strong feeling that this Miracle Morning practice will make a huge difference for me and I know I need some support and accountability to make it happen. I can’t imagine a better guide than Lindsay and I hope you’ll choose to come along with us.

This Week’s Challenge:

Join us for the 30-Day Mother’s Quest Miracle Morning Challenge. Sign up to follow us with daily prompts and reflections in the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Lindsay’s mother modeled creating opportunities for her children by setting up a field hockey team for her and other girls in their community.

• How attending Hal Elrod’s One Life Fully Lived conference in 2014 provided an opportunity for Lindsay to create what became like an operating manual for her family

• The importance of having a morning practice.

• How the C.H.A.R.M.S. (Creativity, Health, Affirmations, Reading, Meditation, Service) framework works in their family and how it can be adapted for other families.

• Tips on “Habit Stacking” and adding mindfulness and purpose to everyday activities.

• Working with a spiritual coach to support self discovery.

• Slowing down to have the space to create what you truly want.

• How Lindsay came to homeschooling her children, how she accesses other resources outside of her home as part of that, and how we are all homeschoolers in some way with our children

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• The Miracle Morning for Parents and Families: How to Bring Out the Best in Your KIDS and Your SELF by Hal Elrod, Mike & Lindsay McCarthy

• The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8AM) by Hal Elrod

• One Life Fully Lived Conference

• Gobundance, the company and mastermind of Mike, Lindsay’s husband

• Spirit Coach Training with Jenai Lane, Lindsay’s spiritual coach

• Make Me App

• Grateful Parent, Lindsay’s blog

• The Miracle Morning for PARENTS & FAMILIES Facebook Community

• The Miracle Morning Community

• 30-Day Mother’s Quest Miracle Morning Challenge at the Facebook Group

Announcements

If you haven’t yet visited the website, head over to www.mothersquest.com to explore some of the ways you can get more connected. At the site, you can sign up for our email list (to get show notes delivered to your inbox and our new “Mothers on a Quest” features), click the link to join the Facebook group and press record to leave a voice message for me. You can also download the FREE Live Your E.P.I.C. Life Planning and Reflection Sheets.

Sign up! – Free 30 minute Discovery Session

I’m rolling out my new coaching offerings and I’ve been having great conversations with women who are ready to live a more E.P.I.C. life and interested in coaching. If you’ve had a spark moment setting you on a new path or are at a crossroads but feel unsure, guilty or overwhelmed, I’d love to talk with you about how working with me could help light the way, get you clear about what you want, shift your mindset from fear to faith, and get you moving into action. I’ve been there, I’m still on the journey myself, and I’d love to bring all I’ve learned from a decade of coaching, 13 years of motherhood and all the lessons from my podcast guests to support you. Send me an email at julie@mothersquest.com or sign up for a free discovery call at mothersquest.com if you’re interested in learning 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:

• Tonya Rineer, founder of The Profit Party, who provided this week’s dedication

• 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 Two of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution http://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. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

I’m excited to share this episode #22 with Kalika Yap, a serial entrepreneur, inventor, intentional mother, and business leader. She’s received tremendous recognition for her accomplishments, including being honored by the Anti-Defamation League, serving as a panelist with Magic Johnson on an Urban Economic Forum hosted by the Obama White House, and currently leading as the President of Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) Los Angeles Chapter.

Kalika is from more humble beginnings. She came from a big family born in the Philippines in the time of Martial Law that then moved to a low income community in Hawaii. Growing up, she had strong influences from her mother who is a teacher and her father who is an entrepreneur. Along with her husband, she now imparts these family influences or “Ohana” and a focus on “Core Values”  to her two daughters, 10 and 8 years old.

She's currently starting a company with her daughters, prompted by a school project, called Conscious Kids, a mindfulness resource for children. Believing that children have eyes all around and a unique perspective, she engages her daughters in defining the core values of their business and encourages them to explore their creativity.

Her current mission, through her branded commerce start-up, Orange and Bergamot, is to help 1 million businesses succeed and in turn create 1 million jobs by developing amazing brands. She shares about what helps her achieve ambitious goals like these while being present for her family: reaching out to others, being part of a tribe, being willing to ask for help, and developing “Keystone Habits,” like meditation.

Ultimately, she believes that the destination is the journey, and that the purpose of her life is to find joy and happiness while serving others.

We covered a lot of ground in this interview and I felt like I filled my E.P.I.C. Life Toolkit with powerful strategies: to focus on values, develop keystone habits, and consciously choose a life of service. I left the conversation inspired by Kalika to pursue our entrepreneurial dreams and empower other women to do the same, all while being a present and intentional parent.

This Week’s "Opportunity for Growth":
Embrace meditation as a “Keystone Habit” and see how it can change your life

Topics discussed in this episode:

• How Kalika's Relationship with her Mom grew stronger as she had kids of her own
• The Core Values in Kalika’s home and her businesses
• Conscious Kids, a company she is starting with her children, that gives them an opportunity to explore their core values and creativity
• Her bold mission to help 1 million businesses succeed
• The problem of women feeling guilty for wanting to positively make an impact and not being willing to promote themselves
• “Keystone Habits” that lead to other essential habits
• Kalika’s love of reading and learning and the books she thinks will most help us live our E.P.I.C. lives
• Look at life as a whole map or journey, and don’t judge it by days

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Consciouskidsco.com
• Entrepreneurs' Organization
• Citrus Studios
• Dr. Marshall Goldsmith
• Simon Sinek TED Talk on the Golden Circle
• Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It by Christopher Voss and Tahl Raz
• Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People by Vanessa Van Edwards
• Mavens Media Group
• Podcast Movement 
• She Podcasts Facebook Group
• Transcendental Meditation
• Oprah & Deepak’s Meditation Series
• Calm: Meditation App
• Vedic Meditation
• Unplug Meditation
• Meditation Short Courses at UCLA

Announcements

If you haven’t yet visited the website, head over to www.mothersquest.com to explore some of the ways you can get more connected. At the site, you can sign up for our email list (to get show notes delivered to your inbox and our new “Mothers on a Quest” features), click the link to join the Facebook group and press record to leave a voice message for me.

You can also explore the new coaching offerings, sign up for a complimentary discovery session, and download the FREE Live Your E.P.I.C. Life Planning and Reflection Sheets.

Guided Meditation and Q & A in the Mother's Quest Facebook Group
Look out for our upcoming Facebook Live guest, Kari Azuma of the Conscious Mother's Coalition, who will lead a Guided Meditation and Q & A in the Mother's Quest Facebook Group on the evening of Thursday, July 6th. This would be a great opportunity for practicing meditation as a keystone habit. Make sure to sign up to join the Facebook Group, if you're not yet a member, to get reminders and access.

Clarity Coaching (1.5 hr): E.P.I.C. Life Reflection and Strategy Session 

I’m particularly excited to invite you to participate in a signature clarity coaching offering called an E.P.I.C. Life Reflection and Strategy Session. If you’ve loved the interviews on the podcast and imagined what your own responses might be to my questions, this offering will give you that opportunity to go deep about the way in which the E.P.I.C. guideposts are showing up in your life, explore what you want more or less of in your life, and commit to key action steps.

We’ll record our conversation for you to listen to again and I’ll follow up by email to provide some accountability so you know you have a coach in your corner paying attention and cheering you on. Visit the work with me page at mothersquest.com to learn more and sign up.

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:

• Liane Louie-Badua, who provided this week’s dedication
• 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
• Sustainable Living Podcast

If you'd like to make a contribution to Mother's Quest to support Season Two of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution http://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. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/