Welcome to this very special Father's Day edition of the Mother’s Quest Podcast!

In honor of Father’s Day, I’m so excited to bring you this conversation with a friend, former colleague, mindful father to two children, and a champion for underserved youth in Los Angeles --someone who I admire deeply-- Tony Brown.  

Tony Brown is the Executive Director of Heart of Los Angeles, also known as HOLA, where he has touched the lives of thousands of children, helping to break the cycle of poverty, and replacing it with opportunity.

We met when we were both just out of college, working together at HOLA, where we instantly became friends and felt we were part of a family. In a nurturing environment that really does feel like family, HOLA provides underserved youth near downtown LA with exceptional programs in academics, arts, and athletics, empowering them to develop their potential, pursue their education, and strengthen their communities.

Tony has served as the executive director at HOLA since 2007 and has spearheaded incredible growth in the number of youth served, new buildings to house the programs, and relationships with world-class partners.

HOLA collaborates with the Los Angeles Philharmonic to furnish instruments and music instruction, with performances at major venues across California and abroad. Leading museums link HOLA with professional artists and exhibit student works, Bard College graduate students provide academic and music support, and the Los Angeles Lakers partner in sports programs.

For this work, Tony has received tremendous recognition, including a $200,000 James Irvine Foundation Leadership Innovation Award, accolades from the Center for Non-Profit Management and in 2014, he was featured as a TEDx Speaker.

In this episode, Tony shares how growing up in the 70’s, in a community without other black families, shaped his character and helped him develop tremendous patience and understanding.

He tells us how his mother challenged him, pushed him to become independent at an early age, and to become his best. And how he feels he’s on a quest himself to make the world a better place than how he found it, not only through his work at HOLA, but through expanding the understanding and world-view of his two young children.

We also talk about how difficult it is to sustain oneself amid the emotional and challenging work as an Executive Director and youth developer. And, how he learned the importance of literally “jumping back in the pool” to start playing water polo again, to relieve stress and reconnect with an essential part of himself he had begun to lose.

It was so wonderful to get a Dad’s perspective on the podcast and to see how the same E.P.I.C. guideposts resonate for fathers as well.  

I left our conversation inspired by how Tony brings a sense of patience, that he’s cultivated his whole life, to give young people at HOLA opportunities, the importance of “jumping back in the pool” to return to our true selves and the things that make us who we are, holding a big vision, and how we can do more together when we work in partnership.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Growing up in the 70’s as the only black family in a white neighborhood

• Teaching his children philanthropy, being mindful of the environment, and to always think about how to make the world a better place not just for themselves but especially for others

• How HOLA gives youth opportunities to find their best selves and find their passion and some E.P.I.C. snapshot moments with young people that have come full circle

• Acknowledging that the work will always be there and the importance of giving yourself the time and outlets to turn it all off

• Recognizing that as parents we should not be “orbiting” around our children, but guiding them and giving them responsibility and independence while they follow our lead.

• How we can do so much more when we work toward our big visions together.

• The power of partnerships and Tony’s challenge to us to reach into the community to create enriching after school opportunities for children who would otherwise not have access.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Heart of Los Angeles - HOLA provides underserved youth with exceptional programs in academics, arts and athletics within a nurturing environment, empowering them to develop their potential, pursue their education and strengthen their communities.

• Tony’s TEDx Talk: Putting Back What We Stripped Out

• Budget Philanthropist - The blog of 12 and 13 year old brothers Andrew and Jack Greff where they show that all that’s required is a love of humankind and a desire to improve the welfare of others to be a philanthropist.

• Mother’s Quest Podcast Episode #08 - Empathy, Acts of Kindness and Climbing Mountains with Erika Greff

• PACE Place - support for individuals and families as they reach their developmental potential.

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

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:

• Cristin Downs of the Notable Woman Podcast, who provided this week’s dedication

• Erin Kendall of Fit Mom Go

• Niko Osoteo

• Erik Newton

• 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

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

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Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

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

Hello and welcome to this episode #20 and the first in Season Two of the Mother’s Quest Podcast! 

This week’s guest, Kathleen Shannon, embodies the qualities of an independent, hard-working feminist. She also has this incredible generosity and openness and has impacted so many women, including myself, by sharing her experiences as a mother and an entrepreneur. 
 
Kathleen is the co-founder of Braid Creative & Consulting and the co-host of one of my favorites, the Being Boss podcast for creative entrepreneurs. Through her work at Braid Creative and Being Boss she has helped thousands of creative entrepreneurs from all over the world authentically brand and position themselves as creative experts, cultivate confidence in their business, and blend more of who they are into the work they do.

When she's not podcasting, writing a book, or shaping her next newsletter she's hanging with her husband Jeremy and their toddler Fox. 
 
In this episode, Kathleen reflects on the impact her mother’s total adoration and acceptance had on her, giving her the freedom to be herself along with the secure foundation to be creative and explore.
 
We talk about the challenges of motherhood, the profound experience of her home birth, the sleep deprivation she experienced in her first year, and the tough decisions she’s had to make to build her businesses and be fully present for her son
 
She also shares how she’s learned to ask for help. Her fiercely independent attitude made it difficult for her to get support from her network. But learning to lean on her support network allows her to make a passionate & purposeful impact beyond her son and in turn allowed her son to learn to love other people and experience opportunities that she alone can’t provide him.
 
Kathleen also shares how she invests in herself by prioritizing her health, creating white space, and owning her schedule. And, she gives us two challenges, the first to reach out to someone to care for our child and the second to spend some time with our calendars, designing our ideal week and noticing the gap between the ideal and the real. 

I loved connecting personally with Kathleen and left the conversation enriched by the spectrum between surrender and control, security and freedom and a sense of excitement for re-designing my time to allow for the full range of both. 
 
Topics discussed in this episode:

• Kathleen’s unusual and early first memory
• How freedom within the context of security allowed Kathleen’s creativity to thrive
• Kathleen's experience giving birth to Fox, which she says felt like seeing God, made her more connected to herself, and is the coolest thing she's ever done
• The impact of sleep deprivation and the importance of asking for help
• We don't have to be present for our kids 24/7 but we should be fully present in the moments that have the most meaning
• A recent example where Kathleen realized she’s really making the difference she wants to make
• Creating balance, white space, community, and the impact of one on one conversations
• The conflict of creating comfort and stability for Kathleen’s child while being creative and adventurous
• How putting relationships first and business second is what makes partnerships thrive
• Connecting the dots between being a mother and being a boss

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Being Boss Podcast
• Braid Creative
• Being Boss ClubHouse
• Being Boss and Being Mom Podcast Episode #8
• The Hero's Journey
• Attachment Parenting
• A Portrait of the Artist As a Young Mom - Is domestic life the enemy of creative work?
• Acuity Scheduling
• Google Calendar
• Mother’s Quest Episode #12: Breaking Bread and Building Bridges with Saadia Ahmed
• Kathleen's Crafting Your Ideal Day Worksheet
• FREE E.P.I.C. Planning, Reflection and Craft Your Ideal Week Printable

Announcements

If you haven’t yet visited the website, head over to 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 new weekly round-ups of "gems" I'm finding on my quest), 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 discovery session, and 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:

• Erin Kendall of Fit Mom Go, who provided this week's dedication
• Niko Osoteo
• Erik Newton
• 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

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 special Mother’s Day episode of the Mother’s Quest Podcast!

I originally envisioned this episode as a season one finale, with highlights from every episode of season one, but it ended up taking shape differently (even better in my opinion!) and became what will be an ongoing series that we’re calling “E.P.I.C. Guideposts.”

Living an E.P.I.C. life has become a guiding framework for Mother’s Quest. So often as mothers, we invest so much of ourselves in our children and their dreams, that we let our own fade to the background. 

My mission with Mother’s Quest is to become the hero of my journey and the author of my story while providing inspiration, coaching and community to help you do the same. 

EPIC captures this idea of creating a life filled with the things that matter most. It’s also an acronym mnemonic for the guideposts that I believe help us live such a life while we’re raising our children. 

So, for this episode, we decided to highlight moments from season one, selected from some of our listeners, that connect to each of the four guideposts. You’ll hear what was special about the moment from the voice of one of our listeners and then hear the piece itself. 

E.P.I.C. Guideposts in this Mother’s Day Episode 

ENGAGED - You are mindfully engaged with your children and family
Sunit Suchdev shares her reflection on my special episode with my son, Ep 18: YOLO (You Only Live Once) and other Milestone Reflections with Ryan Neale. In this episode, Ryan reflects 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.

PASSIONATE - You are passionate & purposeful, making a difference beyond your family
Wendy Reina called in on the powerful impact that Ep 16: Rising Up with Paola Mendoza had on her. In this clip, Paola shares how her passion as a filmmaker and activist led to her role in creating the Women’s March and how she teaches her son the responsibility of using your privilege to help others. 

INVESTED - You are invested in yourself
Lena Ayala-Velasquez shares her reflection on Ep 14: Breaking the Mold and Finding your Worth with Amanda Steinberg on the importance of taking risks and how the “cost” of taking a risk may actually be lower than the cost of not investing in ourselves. 

CONNECTED - You are connected to a strong support network so you are in community on the journey
Saadia Ahmed, one of our previous guests, highlighted her connection to Ep 07: Living Out Loud with Jenjii Hysten which highlights the importance of forging connections with one another based on our common humanity. I also share how this episode set in motion a series of events which were transformative for my whole family and led to an incredible E.P.I.C. life snapshot for Jenjii’s family and my own.

If you’re new to the podcast, this episode will be a great introduction to Mother’s Quest and will hopefully spark you to go and listen to the 18 episodes that are waiting for you. 

And if you followed along the whole time, this episode should be a helpful reminder of some of the amazing moments and lessons.

I'd love for you to visit the website at www.mothersquest.com to explore new coaching offerings, blog posts and more. Read below for announcements about all the ways you can get and stay connected!

Looking forward to a fantastic Season Two with you beginning on June 1st. Happy Mother’s Day!

xoxo,

P.S. Please help us spread the word and reach more mothers with these conversations by pressing send on this email and/or sharing our posts on social media

Announcements

If you haven’t yet visited the website, head over to 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 new weekly round-ups of "gems" I'm finding on my quest), 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 discovery session, and download the FREE Live Your E.P.I.C. Life Planning and Reflection Sheets 

Acknowledgements

Heart-felt appreciation for the women who shared their reflections on the E.P.I.C. Guidepost episodes - Sunit Suchdev, Wendy Reina,  Lena Ayala-Velasquez, and Saadia Ahmed.

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:

• Niko & Rigette Osoteo of Bear Beat Productions
• Erik Newton
• 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

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/

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Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E),Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

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

I’m so honored and excited to bring you this Episode #18 of the Mother’s Quest Podcast with a very special guest, my own son Ryan Neale.

One of the great lessons I’ve learned is the importance of marking milestones and honoring endings so that you can thoughtfully open a new chapter.

As Ryan approaches his bar mitzvah in April, 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

• Erik’s takeaway: “Parenting is an opportunity to be vulnerable in a way that is unprecedented.”

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:

 I hope this conversation sparked something that will inspire you to mark a milestone in your E.P.I.C. life. If you live in the bay area and want to participate in a group milestone hike I will be leading this spring or if you want to sign up for a coaching session so I can help you mark a milestone wherever you are, send an email to julie@mothersquest.com and put milestone in the subject heading.

The season is coming to a close and will start up again in May. Please make sure you’ve subscribed, signed up for email updates at mothersquest.com and joined the Facebook group so we can keep in touch and you’ll get notified when the next episode comes out.

Be Part of the Finale!!

I’ve extended the deadline for your submissions to be featured in the finale through April 6th and will release the finale later in April.

So, if you haven’t yet called in, and there is a moment from the season that made a difference for you, please go to mothersquest.com, look for the purple phone icon, and leave me a message with your name, favorite moment from the podcast and how that moment impacted you. I would love to include your voice in the season finale.

Let's Stay in Touch

If you haven’t yet visited the website, I want to invite you to head over to 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 have show notes delivered to your inbox, click the link to join the Facebook group and press record to leave a voice message for me.

Finally, I invite you to schedule a free 15 minute planning session where I can help you bring more intention to your life using the Live Your E.P.I.C. Life Planning and Reflection Sheets which you can download for FREE at www.mothersquest.com/reflectionsheets. Email me at julie@mothersquest.com to set a time.

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:

• Erik Newton and The Together Show Podcast who dedicated this week’s episode of the podcast
• 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

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Want to join the patrons above and help support more meaningful conversations such as these? Visit the Mother’s Quest Patreon Page to become a regular patron or visit this link www.mothersquest.com/be-a-supporter to make a one-time donation.

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 bring you this conversation with Danielle Dutton, acclaimed Margaret the First author, whose own mother instilled an appreciation for reading and education early in her life. Danielle and I spent many family holidays together growing up because our mothers have been life-long friends. But, it’s been years since I’ve spoken with Danielle and it was such a joy to hear about the E.P.I.C life she is living.

Danielle is the author of three books, most recently Margaret the First, based on the life of Margaret Cavendish, a 17th century Duchess who wrote and published poems, plays and other works during a time when “being a writer” was not an option for most women. 

In addition to being an author herself, Danielle also co-founded, with her husband, the independent press called Dorothy, a publishing project. The press came from her own desire to create more space for innovative works by female authors. It is named for her great aunt, a librarian who drove a bookmobile through the backroads of Southern California, delivering books to underserved desert communities. 

Born and raised in California, Danielle now lives in Missouri, where she teaches in the writing program at Washington University in St. Louis and enjoys time with her husband and eight year old son, both writers themselves.

Danielle and I talked about the small steps she took along the way in her life, from working in a book store in England to taking a writing class and then applying for her MFA on a whim, that brought her to where she is today.

She shares with honesty how she has moved through depression and anxiety and how she has become a kinder person since becoming a mother to her son, who she says is hilarious and her favorite person in the world.  

We also discuss the importance of a mindful daily practice. How Buddhist meditation has begun to transform the way she thinks about herself, helping her to go down the “right roads” in her thoughts. And she shares how the books she has authored came from both a mindset of patience and a commitment to daily writing.

I found Danielle to be totally delightful and was inspired by her honesty, her sincerity and this way in which she comes across at the same time relatable and brilliant.

I hope you will join me in exploring the resources she shared in Buddhist meditation and also in following through on her challenge to read more, read books we wouldn’t normally read, and make time and space for a writing project of our own to emerge. 

Topics discussed in this episode:

• The impact Danielle’s mother had on her life and on her own journey as a mother 
• The unique gifts her great aunt, a librarian, sent her as a child that planted seeds for Dorothy, the feminist press Danielle co-created
• Danielle’s struggle with anxiety and depression and how mindfulness and meditation has helped her
• The various, but significant, shifts that Danielle has experienced to get to where she is today
• How her son is her favorite person and how becoming a mother has changed her
• The need Danielle saw in the cultural conversation of including more women writers and their voices in the literary world 
• Neuroplasticity, the brain’s capacity to change and adapt
• How her press became part of Danielle’s support network and why a community of self is also important

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Dorothy, a publishing project - Danielle’s press
• Danielle’s book, Margaret the First: A Novel
• The Wallcreeper by Nell Zink
• On Being with Krista Tippett, a podcast
• Tara Brach, a psychologist and proponent of Buddhist meditation
• Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life’s Most Important Skill by Matthieu Ricard
• Modeh Ani Morning Prayer/Song (version by my cantor Elena Jagoda) that I sing each day after a short morning meditation
• A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf

Announcements:

If you haven’t yet visited the website, I want to invite you to head over to 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 have show notes delivered to your inbox, click the link to join the Facebook group and press record to leave a voice message for me.

Help me Create the Finale!! - I would love to hear your favorite moments from the podcast and how what you're learning impacts your E.P.I.C. life. I plan to highlight those moments from the different episodes, and your voices, in the season finale coming in early April. So do head over to mothersquest.com by March 31st and use the voice message tool to tell me who you are, your favorite moment, and the impact it's had on you.

Finally, I invite you to schedule a free 15 minute planning session where I can help you bring more intention to your life using the Live Your E.P.I.C. Life Planning and Reflection Sheets which you can download for FREE at www.mothersquest.com/reflectionsheets. Email me at julie@mothersquest.com to set a time.

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:

• Claire Fry who dedicated this week’s episode of the podcast
• 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

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Want to join the patrons above and help support more meaningful conversations such as these? Visit the Mother’s Quest Patreon Page to become a regular patron or visit this link www.mothersquest.com/be-a-supporter to make a one-time donation.

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

The value of putting yourself in someone else’s perspective, with compassion, is something that this week’s guest, filmmaker and activist Paola Mendoza, consciously creates through her storytelling.

And, boldly moving forward through difficult times is something Paola talks passionately about-- as she reflects on how she moved from feelings of failure after the election and rose up, channelling those emotions into a passionate co-creation of the Women’s March--what became the largest world-wide gathering in history.

In addition to being a key organizer and the Artistic Director of the Women’s March on Washington, Paola is an acclaimed actress, director, screenwriter, and author.

She was recently named one of Filmmaker Magazine 25 New Faces of Independent Film for her body of work which includes Refinery 29, BROKEN TAIL LIGHT, FREE LIKE THE BIRDS, and Z for ZENDAYA. She made her narrative directorial debut with the film she wrote, starred in and co-directed about her mother, Entre Nos, which had its world premiere at Tribeca Film Festival and was awarded Honorable Mention.

Entre Nos told the deeply personal story of Paola, her brother, and her mother’s journey as immigrants to the United States from Colombia and the challenges they experienced. It went on to win over twenty awards at film festivals from around the world and ultimately became the novel, The Ones Who Don’t Stay.

Paola shares about the impact her mother had on her, what it was like to tell her mother’s story, the role of art in building compassion, and what it means to step into activism from a place of love, and the things you stand for, but also for what you boldly stand against.

We spent time talking about moving past fear, sacrificing your privilege, and teaching your children to do the same in order to help others.

These were things Paola powerfully demonstrated just two days after we recorded this interview, when she was arrested for civil disobedience at the Day Without a Woman strike in New York City.

Paola is a strong force but also has a softness about her, which comes through as she talks about her relationship with her four year old son, Mateo, how time with him is part of her self-care, and how they spend what they call “Adventure Fridays” together. I heard about her solid partnership with fellow activist, entrepreneur and storyteller Michael Skolnik and about the E.P.I.C. snapshot moment Michael captured of Paola taking in all she created the day of the Women’s March in D.C.

Looking back, I’m amazed that Paola was so present during her conversation with me given what she was in the midst of organizing just days later. I could tell she did so because she wanted me and those listening to know how important it is to take action based on our beliefs, that activism takes many shades and forms, and that with privilege comes tremendous responsibility to participate in our political system and stand for social justice.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• The profound impact her mother had on Paola’s life, and what it was like to tell her mother’s courageous story as an immigrant to the U.S., in her film Entre Nos

• Paola’s way of connecting with her son through “Adventure Fridays”

• The role of art and activism in growing compassion in other people

• The importance of emphasizing both what you stand for and also what you stand against

• With privilege comes responsibility, and how Paola hopes to teach her son to sacrifice his privilege to help other people

• Ultimately, it's not about falling or failing, it’s about how you rise up and how Paola’s metaphor of “running a relay” sustains her activism

• Paola’s challenge to us to “participate”…to get involved in a local issue and attend a town hall meeting during the next congressional recess.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Entre Nos,  Paola stars in this film (which she also wrote and directed) based on her family’s experiences of coming to the United States from Colombia

• The Ones Who Don’t Stay, Paola’s novel which came from the film Entre Nos

• This article where Paola talks about the Women’s March being about what we are for

• Ep 06: Healthy and Happy with Dr. Elisa Song where we talk about "special time" with our children

• The Women’s March

• Unity Principles of the Women’s March

• A Day Without a Woman

• A Quote by Audre Lorde: “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” More About Audre Lorde & Audre Lorde’s Work

• Indivisible, a website by former Congressional staffers who reveal best practices for making Congress listen

• Focus on our Goodness: A Framework for my Activism Inspired by my Four-year Old

• My recent solocast where I talk about wanting to step more into activism and why I reached out to Paola here

Announcements

If you haven’t yet visited the website, I want to invite you to head over to 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 have show notes delivered to your inbox, click the link to join the Facebook group and press record to leave a voice message for me.

Help me Create the Finale!! - I would love to hear which are your favorite moments from the podcast and how what you are hearing and learning is impacting your E.P.I.C. life. I plan to highlight those moments from the different episodes, and your voices, in the season finale coming in early April. So do head over to mothersquest.com and use the voice message tool to tell me who you are, your favorite moment, and the impact it has had on you. 

Finally, I invite you to schedule a free 15 minute planning session where I can help you bring more intention to your life using the Live Your E.P.I.C. Life Planning and Reflection Sheets which you can download for FREE at www.mothersquest.com/reflectionsheets. Email me at julie@mothersquest.com to set a time. 

A big THANK YOU to our “patrons” for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial support:

• Divya Silbermann who dedicated this week’s episode
• Rachel Winter
• Caren and Debbie Lieberman
• Cameron Miranda
• Fran and David Lieberman
• Debbie and Alan Goore
• Jenise and Marianne of the Sustainable Living Podcast

Want to join the patrons above and help support more meaningful conversations such as these? Visit the Mother’s Quest Patreon Page to become a regular patron or visit this link www.mothersquest.com/be-a-supporter to make a one-time donation.

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 #15 with you-- a conversation with Karen Baker, a mentor of mine who played a pivotal role in connecting me to a career of service.

It’s not surprising because connecting people to service is Karen’s super power. Karen has been making matches her whole life, but she currently brings this gift to her role as the Chief Service Officer of CaliforniaVolunteers, where she serves under Governor Brown. Karen has 20 years of innovative leadership in all facets of the service and volunteering sector, including local and national non-profits and federal agencies. In 2008, she was appointed by Former California Governor Schwarzenegger to serve as the first-in-the-nation state cabinet Secretary of Service and Volunteering.

Karen is also an amazing mom to 2 children, Ella and Christopher, both adopted at birth by Karen and her husband. In our conversation, we talk about the ways in which Karen’s parents and seven siblings inspired her to be of service to others, how she brings that service to her work at CaliforniaVolunteers, and how she has learned to put needs out there and watch as a community rises up to meet them, most recently experienced as Karen led efforts to respond to the Oroville Dam disaster.

We also talk about her experience parenting children with ADHD and Oppositional Defiant Disorder, how she using a morning playlist and thoughtful nighttime ritual in between the “madness in the middle,” to ground herself and her children, and how she is learning to take time and find new ways to invest in herself and her relationships. 

It was a total joy for me to reconnect with my mentor Karen and I left the conversation so appreciative of the work she does in my state of California, reminded of the importance of using our superpowers to benefit others, and inspired to engage my own children in service. I hope you too find this conversation an inspiration to uncover and channel your family’s superpowers to create a service legacy.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• How Karen used her superpower, helping people find their vocation and passion, to set me on my career path after college
• The lesson Karen’s civically-minded parents imparted to her and her siblings of the duty  to people who have no one else to support them
• Book-ending your day between the “madness in the middle” with a  morning playlist and a thoughtful question before bedtime
• Moving from isolation to community when raising children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
• The power of putting your needs out there and having faith that the right people will come into your work and life to fill those needs
• Living a life of service and utilizing your superpowers to give and receive positive energy and find solutions
• Karen’s recent E.P.I.C. life moment when she was called by to respond to the Oroville Dam disaster and saw a community rise up to meet the needs

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Heart of Los Angeles Youth, the incredible organization that Karen connected me to that set me on my career path after college.
• CaliforniaVolunteers - addresses state and community challenges by investing in high impact service solutions, while leveraging public, private, and nonprofit partnerships and resources.
• AmeriCorps - provides thousands of Americans of all ages, abilities and backgrounds with intensive full- and part-time opportunities to serve their communities and build the capacity of grassroots organizations to meet local environmental, educational, public safety, or other human needs. http://www.californiavolunteers.org/index.php/AmeriCorps/
• Being Boss Podcast - Episode 79 - The Chalkboard Method
• Mother’s Quest Podcast - Episode 14 with Amanda Steinberg of the DailyWorth
• E.P.I.C. Life Planning and Reflection Sheets to help you start recording weekly intentions and daily gratitude.
• Democracy jeans, the E.P.I.C. jeans, created by my very own sister, that Karen Baker and I were both wearing when we sat down to do our interview

Announcements

If you haven’t yet visited the website, I want to invite you to head over to 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 have show notes delivered to your inbox, click the link to join the Facebook group and press record to leave a voice message for me.

I would love to hear which are your favorite moments from the podcast and how what you are hearing and learning is impacting your E.P.I.C. life. I plan to highlight those moments from the different episodes, and your voices, in the season finale coming in early April. So do head over to mothersquest.com and use the voice message tool to help me create an amazing season finale.

Finally, I invite you to schedule a free 15 minute planning session where I can help you bring more intention to your life using the Live Your E.P.I.C. Life Planning and Reflection Sheets which you can download for FREE at www.mothersquest.com/reflectionsheets.

A big THANK YOU to our “patrons” for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial support:

• Rachel Winter
• Caren and Debbie Lieberman
• Cameron Miranda
• Fran and David Lieberman
• Debbie and Alan Goore
• Jenise and Marianne of the Sustainable Living Podcast

Want to join the patrons above and help support more meaningful conversations such as these? Visit the Mother’s Quest Patreon Page to become a regular patron or visit this link www.mothersquest.com/be-a-supporter to make a one-time donation.

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 #14, the first interview in the extended season of the Mother’s Quest Podcast. Starting with today’s interview of Amanda Steinberg, I'm excited to bring you six more episodes to light our way to an E.P.I.C. life.

I reached out to Amanda because I am ready to re-write my money story and she was uniquely qualified to guide me. Amanda is the Founder and CEO of DailyWorth.com and just published a book titled “WORTH IT: Your Life, Your Money, Your Terms”.

This past summer, Amanda was chosen as one of Oprah Winfrey’s SuperSoul 100 and recently was named to Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business – all for good reason: she has revolutionized the relationship between women and their finances.

Amanda empowers women to explore the equation between their self-worth and their net-worth and to resist the conventions that keep us from viewing money as a source of personal power.

In our interview, with her new book as a back-drop, Amanda shares candidly about the ways her mother shaped her relationship with money, how after a divorce she re-built her life and re-wrote her money story when she found herself in debt and under the weight of a mortgage she couldn’t sustain, and how founding the Daily Worth and now Worth FM is breaking the mold by bringing information and resources about money to women in unique ways.

Amanda and I talk candidly about how her book, and a spreadsheet she shared in her Facebook group, inspired me to sit down with my husband, for the first time in our 20 year marriage, to understand our finances and determine our net worth, the number Amanda talks about as mattering most.

Amanda’s honesty, humor and ability to make a conversation about money and investing in ourselves accessible has already shifted my life. I hope you too will be inspired by Amanda to break your own molds, find your worth, and re-define your relationship with money.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Breaking the mold of societal norms for women and mothers
• The gift of sharing our mistakes and imperfections with our children
• How Amanda invites her children into discussions about money and shows them, through her example, how money can be used as an engine for change
• Redefining women’s relationship with money through a metaphor of roots and wings.
• How you can identify your “money type” and how the Worth FM platform will customize advice based on your type
• The benefit of playing video games for experiencing failure as something that will happen again and again
• The importance of taking risks and how the “cost” of taking a risk may actually be lower than the cost of not.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• This article referencing the Harvard study which outlined that love and household chores are among the most important things to provide your children for their success.
• DailyWorth - Helping women earn more, save more, and spend smarter.
• The DailyWorth Newsletter - sign up here.
• WORTH IT: Your Life, Your Money, Your Terms by Amanda Steinberg.
• Worth It Facebook Group you can join after purchase of the book.
• MoneyType™ Assessment - Reveals your unique perspective when it comes to money. Your MoneyType™ Report will give you insights into how you think about and manage money.
• WorthFM - a savings and investment platform designed to guide you step-by-step.
• One Light Global - An organization that helps create global peace through providing direct humanitarian aid to people in crisis, assisting them in establishing successful new lives, helping them heal from the devastation of war and trauma, and establishing platforms for peace and collaboration between groups in conflict.

A big THANK YOU to our “patrons” for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial support:

• Rachel Winter, who provided a "dedication" to Felicity Huffman in today's episode
• Caren and Debbie Lieberman
• Cameron Miranda
• Fran and David Lieberman
• Debbie and Alan Goore
• Jenise and Marianne of the Sustainable Living Podcast

Announcements:

Much gratitude for everyone who spread the news of my extended season to help reach more moms with these conversations by supporting the ThunderClap Campaign.

I invite you to schedule a free 15 minute planning session where I can help you bring more intention to your life using the Live Your E.P.I.C. Life Planning and Reflection Sheets which you can download for FREE at www.mothersquest.com/reflectionsheets. Click here to schedule a call.

I am filled with excitement and gratitude as I bring you this Episode #13, a solocast. It is an opportunity for me to reflect on the milestone of completing the first twelve episodes I set out to record when I launched the podcast, the common themes and lessons I have found among them, and the ways in which my life has been enriched as a result.

I open with honesty about the challenge I had recording this solocast and how and why I decided to bring you an unedited second version, one in which I didn’t worry about flaws or strive for perfection.

I also share a dedication with you to a woman whose words have been an anchor for me the last few months, Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés. I let you in on some areas in my life where I am feeling challenged and how I carefully selected topics and guests in the extended season, another six episodes, to support me in these areas.

Finally, I let you know about a few ways you can lend your support, through spreading the news of the extended season utilizing my Thunderclap campaign or by helping me create the finale, calling in with your favorite moments and the ways in which they have impacted you.

In this episode I share:

• How coaching from Episode #9 guest Amber Lilyestrom and a visit to Dr. Angela Wu helped me record a second version of the solocast with more ease
• Highlights of a “Letter to a Young Activist” and other words from Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés, that have been an anchor for me
• The three P’s I have seen weave through all the podcast episodes, the Power of Perspective, the Power of Metaphor and the Power of Connection
• My desire to grow in how I approach money, become a better activist, nurture my creativity, and make quality time for my children... and how that influenced the next six episodes.
• Some background on the confirmed guests: Daily Worth CEO Amanda Steinberg, Karen Baker of California Volunteers, Paola Mendoza, Creative Director of the Women’s March, Danielle Dutton, author of Margaret the First and founder of the Dorothy Project, and my very own son, in honor of his milestone birthday.
• My plans for the season finale and how you can bring your perspective and voice to it

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Do Not Lose Heart; We were made For These Times by  Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés
• Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés website - www.clarissapinkolaestes.com
• Focus on our Goodness: A Framework for my Activism Inspired by my Four-year Old posted on the Mother’s Quest blog in January 2017
• The She Podcasts Facebook Group
• Dr. Angela C. Wu’s Healing Center
• The First Season of the Mother’s Quest Podcast
• • Ep 00: Planting Seeds for Mother’s Quest – An Introduction
  • Ep 01: The Spiritual Mindset of Abundance with Navjit Kandola
  • Ep 02: Unmasking Motherhood with Katherine Wintsch
  • Ep 03: Cultivating a Healthy Family with Michelle Ratcliffe
  • Ep 04: Taking Center Stage as a Go Girl! with Lynn Johnson and Allison Kenny
  • Ep 05: Live your E.P.I.C. Life to Help Your Children Thrive
  • Ep 06: Healthy and Happy with Dr. Elisa Song
  • Ep 07: Living Out Loud with Jenjii Hysten
  • Ep 08: Empathy, Acts of Kindness and Climbing Mountains with Erika Greff
  • Ep 09: The Soul-Fueled Truth with Amber Lilyestrom
  • Ep 10: Choosing Gratitude and Glitter with Nancy Netherland
  • Ep 11: “Flawed” with Truth Bomb Mom Kristina Kuzmic
  • Ep 12: Breaking Bread and Building Bridges with Saadia Ahmed

A big THANK YOU to our "patrons" for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial support:

• Caren and Debbie Lieberman
• Cameron Miranda
• Fran and David Lieberman
• Debbie and Alan Goore
• Jenise and Marianne of the Sustainable Living Podcast

Announcements:

As you know, I will be extending the season for six more episodes! And if you would be open to spreading the news of my extended season, sign-up today for my ThunderClap Campaign. With your help, the day the extended season launches on March 2nd, there can be a thunderous announcement on social media to help reach more moms with these conversations.    

Still available for download is the Live Your E.P.I.C. Life Planning and Reflection Sheets to help us record our weekly intentions using the E.P.I.C. Framework and reflect at the end of each day on that one positive thing we want to focus on. You can get the free download at mothersquest.com/reflectionsheets.

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Want to join the patrons above and help support more meaningful conversations such as these? Visit the Mother’s Quest Patreon Page to become a regular patron or visit this link www.mothersquest.com/be-a-supporter to make a one-time donation.

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

In Episode #12, I am honored to share this enlightening conversation with Saadia Ahmed, who I reached out to after the recent executive order on immigration to find out how I could become an ally to the Muslim community.

Saadia and her husband live in Los Gatos, California with their two children. She is a talented Financial Advisor serving high-level women professionals and entrepreneurs, couples and families. She is actively engaged in her local community, is a member of Watermark, and is passionate about issues and opportunities in the areas of education and empowerment of women.

She is also a bridge builder, and in this episode, she shares that after 9/11, she became heavily involved in outreach for her community and proactively pursued inter-faith dialogue as a way to find common ground with others.  

We talk about some of the stereotypes held about Muslim women, how she has stepped into and developed leadership among the women in her community, and our mutual desire to reach out beyond our bubble, with curiosity, to better understand people with different beliefs.

Saadia and I have decided to become partners in this effort and plan to “break bread” together with other women to build understanding. This is the challenge we offer to you as well.  I hope you leave this conversation, as I did, inspired to learn more about the people around us, and the shared values that we all hold dear, no matter how different we may seem.  

Topics discussed in this episode:

• The importance of building bridges of communication with our children and with those who are different from us.
• Saadia’s move to the U.S. because of religious persecution in Pakistan.
• The recent executive order on travel and immigration and how to become an ally to the Muslim community
• Celebrating diversity through faith and reaching out to build bridges through “breaking bread.”
• The importance of the examples we set for our children and of honoring our children’s individuality and views

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• The Awakened Family by Shefali Tsabary
• The True Islam Campaign - where you can explore eleven truths about Islam and sign up to become a Muslim Ally
• My blog post “Focus on Our Goodness” where I reflected on moving from negativity into action after the immigration ban
• Unbubble to get connected online to people with differing viewpoints

A big THANK YOU to our "patrons" for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial support:

• Caren and Debbie Lieberman who dedicated this week’s episode to our mother Fran Lieberman
• Cameron Miranda
• Fran and David Lieberman
• Debbie and Alan Goore
• Jenise and Marianne of the Sustainable Living Podcast

Announcements:

This episode #12 marks an important milestone. It is the number of episodes I set out to complete in my first season. I didn’t know what to expect when I started out on this podcasting path, but it has been all I hoped for and more.

So much more that I did decide to extend the first season another 6 episodes to take us through to April. The next episode will be another solocast and an opportunity for me to reflect on common themes from the first twelve episodes and some of the ways in which these interviews have enriched my life. And, I will give you a preview of the interviews ahead, so make sure to listen in on that episode for all the details.

And, if you would be open to spreading the news of my extended season, stay tuned for a link to my ThunderClap campaign. With your help, the day the extended season launches, there can be a thunderous announcement on social media to help reach more moms with these conversations.    

Finally, I heard from so many of you that you loved last week’s episode with Kristina Kuzmik, the Truth Bomb Mom and that you, like me, are up for her positivity challenge. I created the Live Your E.P.I.C. Life Planning and Reflection Sheets to help us record our weekly intentions using the EPIC Framework and reflect at the end of each day on that one positive thing we want to focus on. You can get the free download at mothersquest.com/reflectionsheets.

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Want to join the patrons above and help support more meaningful conversations such as these? Visit the Mother’s Quest Patreon Page to become a regular patron or visit this link www.mothersquest.com/be-a-supporter to make a one-time donation. If you would like to "dedicate" an upcoming episode, email me at julie@mothersquest.com

I am excited to share this vulnerable conversation with the Truth Bomb Mom, Kristina Kuzmic. Energetic, funny, and honest, Kristina has an in-your-face perspective on issues of parenting and life in general. She has become a Youtube sensation with her “mom-centric” videos about raising children and juggling all of life’s challenges, with over 200 million views across media outlets and websites worldwide.

Kristina and her husband currently live in Southern California, where her most important, rewarding, and exhausting careers include being a sanitation engineer, chef, chauffeur, and conflict resolution guru for her three (mostly satisfied) clients – her children.

In this episode, we talk about Kristina’s experience growing up in America, shaped by an escape from war-torn Croatia. She shares how on a whim, she went from being a divorced mother on food stamps to winning a cooking show on Oprah’s OWN Network in 2011.  How her satirical YouTube video, “4 Reasons Women Should NEVER Breastfeed in Public,” went viral and why Kristina believes it is her community that is responsible for her reaching a half a million followers.

We get honest and emotional about our flaws and insecurities but also our impact and the power of sharing these with our children. Finally, we reflect on our shared experience of losing a baby in utero and how for both of us, focusing on just one positive thing on that day shifted our perspective and changed everything.

I hope you leave this conversation, as I did, inspired to keep turning the pages in the chapter of your E.P.I.C.life, staying true to your mission, owning your flaws, and paying attention to one positive thing every day. I was so grateful for this time with Kristina and I know you will be too.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• How growing up in war-torn Croatia and her subsequent immigration to the U.S. impacted her life
• How her mother influenced her parenting by striking a healthy balance between enforcing rules and fostering joy  
• Why she named her company “Flawed” and how she has let go of perfection
• Her journey from Oprah to YouTube
• The importance of community and of women who champion each other  
• How to turn down the volume on our inner critics
• What my son said to me that Kristina says she will never forget

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Kristina’s viral video: 4 Reasons Women Should Never Breastfeed in Public (a sarcastic take on the arguments against breastfeeding)
• Visit Kristina on YouTube: www.youtube.com/stickycook
• Visit Kristina on Facebook: www.facebook.com/KristinaKuzmic
• Mother’s Quest Theory of Change
• Previous Mother’s Quest Episodes Mentioned: Ep 09: The Soul-Fueled Truth with Amber Lilyestrom and Ep 00: Planting Seeds for Mother’s Quest – An Introduction
• Elizabeth Gilbert’s book Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
• Kristina’s Positivity Challenge - and sign up here to download the free "E.P.I.C. Life Planning and Reflection Sheet" and start capturing your gratitude daily.

A big THANK YOU to our "patrons" for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial support: 

• Cameron Miranda - who provided a "dedication" for this episode
• Fran and David Lieberman
• Debbie and Alan Goore
• Jenise and Marianne of the Sustainable Living Podcast

Would you like to dedicate a podcast episode to a special mother in your life? Leave me a note here and I will get back to you with all the details!

Do you enjoy this podcast and want to support more meaningful conversations such as these? Visit the Mother’s Quest Patreon Page to become a regular patron or visit this link - www.mothersquest.com/be-a-supporter to make a one-time donation.

I am thrilled to share this heartwarming conversation with Nancy Netherland, a healthcare advocate and a self-proclaimed mom-ologist with on-the-mom training in infectious disease, hepatology, rheumatology, gastrointestinology, and glitterology.

Nancy is also a healer and an artist.  She is a mom to two mermaids ages 9 and 10 and works as a writer and data strategist for non-profit and safety-net healthcare entities. In the past five years, she has helped secure over $100-million in grant funding, influenced international policy, and provided research for publications and speeches presented before the UN, WHO and the US Congress.

In our conversation, we explore 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. She shares how she and her girls cultivate generosity and pay that generosity forward through something they created called “gratitools.” And, we talk about how she has developed relationships with other parents of sick children, despite their vastly differing viewpoints, a message deeply needed during today’s divided times.

I was moved to tears by Nancy and how she consciously chooses gratitude to ensure she and her children experience joy and laughter in the midst of adversity. I hope you will join me in saying yes to Nancy’s challenge... to find the magic not only in the everyday, but especially in the midst of something hard.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• How her 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
• Her 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

A big THANK YOU to our first "patrons" for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial support: 

• Fran and David Lieberman - who provided a "dedication" for this episode
• Cameron Miranda
• Debbie and Alan Goore
• Jenise and Marianne of the Sustainable Living Podcast

Do you enjoy this podcast and want to support more meaningful conversations such as these? Visit the Mother’s Quest Patreon Page to become a regular patron or visit this link - www.mothersquest.com/be-a-supporter to make a one-time donation.

In this interview, I am excited to share a deeply personal and reflective conversation with Amber Lilyestrom, a transformational branding and business strategist, writer, speaker and host of The Soul Fueled CEO Podcast. Amber has also been a coach and champion for me as I’ve created Mother’s Quest and leads a community of soul-fueled CEO’s that has become an important source of support.

From the moment she answers my first question, you will experience how Amber brings this combination of simultaneous vulnerability and crystal clarity. She brings those gifts along with her own trial and error experiences as an entrepreneur and mother to help visionaries, leaders and what she calls “disruptivators” turn their passions into heart-centered brands and thriving businesses.

It was the birth of her daughter, and becoming a mother, that caused her to proactively design her life and business after working for 10 years in collegiate athletics marketing for her alma mater, the University of New Hampshire. And, it is her desire to seize life, new experiences and new opportunities that led her to become Mrs. New Hampshire 2016.

In our conversation, Amber shares how speaking our truth allows us to live joy-filled lives. She opens up about her traumatic experience as a childhood survivor of sexual abuse, how that event shaped her relationship with her mother, and how it also shaped her own journey in motherhood and business.

I loved hearing about how Amber lives her E.P.I.C life by coming home to herself and therefore coming home to the ones she loves. I left the conversation grounded and ready to let go of judgment, to live my truth and to design my life.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• How Amber’s entrepreneurial mother influenced her life
• The profound importance of speaking your truth and how Amber is helping other survivors of childhood sexual abuse through sharing hers
• How Amber's near-death experience during the birth of her daughter inspired her to live her life differently
• Having the courage to have hard conversations
• Helping women “come home” to themselves
• Letting go of judgment and pursuing something for the fun of it
• The Law of Attraction
• Weaving intentional actions for yourself into your life in order to be your best self

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Emerging Women’s Power Circles, where I connected with a circle of champions and supporters during the time I was launching Mother’s Quest http://www.emergingwomen.com/power-circles/
• Amber’s interview on The Mighty Mommies Show Podcast with Whitney Lang:http://www.whitneylang.com/podcast-blog/2017/1/7/heart-centered-momming-with-amber-lilyestrom where she shares the full story of the birth of her daughter
• Amber’s podcast, The Soul-Fueled CEO
• The Soul Fueled CEO™ Academy
• Amber’s website to sign up for email updates and find her social media handles www.amberlilyestrom.com
• Haven New Hampshire, an organization supporting men, women, and children affected by domestic and sexual violence: http://havennh.org/
• Abraham Hicks

Do you enjoy this podcast and want to support more meaningful conversations such as these? Visit the Mother’s Quest Patreon Page to become a regular patron or visit this link - www.mothersquest.com/be-a-supporter to make a one-time donation.

In this interview, I am excited to share a thoughtful and honest conversation with wife, mother, freelance television anchor/reporter, volunteer for philanthropic causes and entrepreneur, Erika Greff.

Erika lives in the heart of New York City with her husband and two sons, ages 13 and 12. I came to know her over the summer, when we were both grieving for the loss of our mutual friend, Leslie Fischer. Erika and I talk about how her boys comforted her the day of Leslie’s funeral and wanted to take positive action in Leslie’s honor that day.

In our conversation, she shares the ways in which she and her husband have encouraged her sons to focus on empathy, gratitude and daily acts of service, which her sons document on a website they created called budgetphilanthropist.com.

We also discuss how Erika has found herself at a career crossroads, after 18 years as an on-air correspondent for PBS’s Nightly Business Report. And, how freelance journalism has given her an opportunity to engage herself and her boys in conscious decision-making about the projects she pursues.

She gets honest about her new entrepreneurial passion, a media company to inform children about the news in their world. And she shares how she perseveres through frustration to find the path to her vision, even going mountain-climbing with her boys to symbolically face the fear of failure in her new venture.

I hope you get inspired, as I did, about consciously instilling the values of kindness, empathy and acts of service in your children. And that you realize you are not alone if you too are struggling to make a new vision become real.  

I feel enriched by the generosity Erika so freely shares and excited to explore the resources she recommended to become a “financial grownup” and to cultivate daily kindness in my children. I am grateful she and I have connected and I know our friend Leslie would be too.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• How Erika’s parents taught her that self-esteem is about the things you do, not the things you have
• The way Erika’s children practice and document daily acts of kindness
• Driving in the car and bedtime as great opportunities to connect with your children
• Involving your children in decision-making about your own life and career
• The challenges of pursuing a new venture and working through fear of failure
• The concept of a favor bank – help other people and they will help you in return

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• The Budget Philanthropist – the website where Erika’s son’s chronicle their acts of kindness.
• The specific blog post where Erika’s children reflect on how they supported their mother the day of Leslie’s funeral 
• How to Be a Financial Grownup by Bobbi Rebell
• Random Acts of Kindness – Become a RAKtivist
• Episode 00 of the Mother’s Quest Podcast where I reflect on the Mother’s Quest Mantra inspired by Leslie

Do you enjoy this podcast and want to support more meaningful conversations such as these? Visit the Mother’s Quest Patreon Page to become a regular patron or visit this link - www.mothersquest.com/be-a-supporter to make a one-time donation.

In Episode #7 of the Mother’s Quest Podcast, I am honored to bring you this intimate, inspired conversation with Jenjii Hysten, a mother, coach, and community leader who I deeply admire.

I have known Jenjii for almost a decade now, through my connection with her husband Franklin. But in recent months, Jenjii’s raw and vulnerable sharing about what it is like to be the mother of two black boys and fear for their safety, caused me to move past my worry of saying or doing the wrong thing and reach out to her in a whole different way.

Our honest conversation about the ways in which we’ve stepped out of our comfort zones to live out loud and forge connections with one another based on our common humanity, as mothers of sons, was one of the most powerful moments I have had yet on the Mother’s Quest Podcast.  

Jenjii is an advocate, teacher, student, facilitator and a voice for the voiceless. She was born in Los Angeles but says that Oakland raised her. She studied Interdisciplinary-Studies with an emphasis on Urban/Economic Development at UC Berkeley, holds a CompassPoint Executive Director certificate and is an ordained minister.

In her early 20s, she worked with the Children's Defense Fund for a program called Freedom School and says it saved her life. This is where she learned the beauty of Servant Leadership, which is one of her core values. As the Founder of SOS, Saving Our Sisters Saving our Selves, over the course of 10 years, she served hundreds of girls throughout the Bay Area. In her 20+ years working, Jenjii has served as a Program Director, Executive Director, Dean of Students, Curriculum Designer, started New Life Ministries with her husband Franklin, and is currently the Co-founder and CEO of Hysten Consulting, LLC.

I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did. I was struck by the concept of rhythm, and how it can manifest in our lives, our children, our bodies, our communities, and perhaps most importantly, our collective humanity. I hope you will leave the conversation, as I did, inspired to think about the ways in which you can find your rhythm and live out loud in your own E.P.I.C. life.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Being on a quest to “live out loud” and what that means for your life
• How our kids show us who they are through their words, actions, dreams, and challenges
• The importance of passion and purpose
• Being a servant leader and in turn, raising them as well
• How Jenjii’s own battle with diabetes saved her and taught her about following her body’s rhythm and the importance of sleep, exercise, food and stress reduction
• My visit to Jenjii and Franklin’s church and how humanity connects us regardless of class, race or religion

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• The Mother’s Quest Founder’s Circle at mothersquest.com/about
• The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by His Holiness, the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu
• The Safe, Natural, Whole-Body Approach to Managing Your Glucose Levels and Losing Weight by Dr. Don Colbert
• Hysten Consulting and Jenjii Hysten on Facebook
• New Life Ministries

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Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, engaging mindfully with their children (E), passionately and purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), investing in themselves (I), and connecting to a strong support network (C).

Learn More at www.mothersquest.com

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

In this episode, I was honored to have a conversation with my children’s holistic pediatrician Dr. Elisa Song, founder of Whole Family Wellness, creator of the online resource Healthy Kids Happy Kids and an amazing mother to her daughter and son.

If you tuned into Episode 5, you know Elisa gave me permission to replay her interview of me from her Thriving Child Summit, where we talked about my motherhood journey with my older son, how Elisa became a key part of the puzzle to help him thrive, and what led me to create Mother’s Quest. In this interview, I got to turn the tables and learn about the influences that shaped Elisa and how she approaches living an E.P.I.C. life.

Elisa is a board-certified, Stanford-, NYU-, and UCSF-trained holistic pediatrician. In 2005, she forged a daring path, by going out on her own and founding Whole Family Wellness, an integrative pediatric practice in Belmont, CA – one of the first and most highly regarded holistic pediatric practices in the country. She’s also a lecturer for the Center for Education and Development in Clinical Homeopathy (CEDH), Academy for Pain Research, Institute for Functional Medicine, and Holistic Pediatric Association, among others.

Through Whole Family Wellness, and now with her online resource Healthy Kids Happy Kids, Elisa helps thousands of parents, like me, get to the root causes of health concerns for our children. And, she helps us understand how to heal them from the inside out, utilizing conventional pediatrics along with functional medicine, holistic nutrition, homeopathy, acupuncture, herbal medicine, and essential oils.

In this conversation, Elisa and I talk about how the legacy of brave women in her life, making courageous choices, impacted her and her sisters and set them all on a path to become healers and helpers. Her grandmother and mother, who both came to America from Korea, instilled independence, strength, and “grit” in her, which she relied on to follow her passion in integrative medicine. We also talk about connected parenting, the importance of scheduling special time with our children, and the need to prioritize our own health and well-being, something Elisa and I admit we both need to focus more on.

I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did. Elisa is such an inspiration and source of wisdom and healing for my family. I am thrilled to share her with you.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• How my own “growth mindset” was challenged when Elisa and I lost the recording of our first interview
• The legacy of strong, independent women in Elisa’s life and how it impacted her journey
• Parenting by connection and scheduling in “special time”
• Finding time for silence, including in your own mind
• True healing, not just putting a bandaid on children’s symptoms
• Eudaimonia, which is a Greek word meaning happiness and human flourishing

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• The article which references Stanford researcher Carol Dwek’s work on growth mindset vs. fixed mindset and an article directly from Carol Dweck
• Healthy Kids Happy Kids, Elisa’s online resource
• The Thriving Child Summit, an online conference for parents who want to learn how to help their children THRIVE!
• Hand in Hand Parenting and the special link to Patty Wipfler’s interview from the Thrive Summit
• Mindshare Summit
• Episode 5 of the Mother’s Quest Podcast where Elisa interviewed me, www.mothersquest.com/podcast

This week, I am taking a break from podcasting for the holidays, so thought I would take this opportunity to bring you a previously recorded interview that was done of me by Dr. Elisa Song for her Thriving Child Summit. Elisa is my children’s pediatrician and the founder of Healthy Kids, Happy Kids, an online resource for pediatric holistic health which hosted the Summit.

The conversation was an opportunity for me to reflect on my own experience as a parent, especially when we faced developmental delays and health challenges with my older son, how my experience leading a process called “reflection” inspired me to focus my coaching practice on mothers, and the inspiration and plans for Mother’s Quest in the months before the podcast launch.  

I hope you will enjoy getting to learn a little more about me and my journey as a mother, and how moments of pause and reflection contribute to me living my E.P.I.C. life and helping my children to thrive. I think you will also enjoy hearing from Dr. Elisa Song and I look forward to bringing you my interview with her in the first week of the Mother’s Quest Podcast in 2017.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• How my work leading a process called “reflection” with youth developers and educators inspired me to work with moms and found Mother’s Quest
• The process I pursued to champion and heal my son that could be a guide for any parent facing challenges with their children.
• The ways in which I utilize my coaching skills in parenting my children
• The myth of the “perfect” mom

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• The Thriving Child Summit

• The Mother’s Quest Podcast - listen and subscribe on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mothers-quest-the-podcast/id1180233121?mt=2

• The Mother’s Quest Facebook group - join at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

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Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, engaging mindfully with their children (E), passionately and purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), investing in themselves (I), and connecting to a strong support network (C).

Learn More at www.mothersquest.com

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

In this episode, I’m honored to have a conversation with two amazing mothers to their 8 year old daughter, Oakland-based life and business partners Lynn Johnson and Allison Kenny.

They are the co-founders of Spotlight: Girls, which celebrates and activates girls and women through multi-media learning experiences and products. Through their Go Girls! summer camps, after-school, and school break programs, elementary and middle school girls build social/emotional skills through acting, music, media, dance and visual arts activities.

Lynn, the CEO of Spotlight: Girls, has over 25 years experience as a teaching artist working in diverse communities all over the United States.  She is a sought-after facilitator and speaker and serves on the National Advisory Board of Teaching Artists Guild and the Board of Directors of the How Kids Learn Foundation.

Allison is a writer, blogger, and actor.  She is the author of Starring Celia - a chapter book about a 4th grade girl who goes from being bullied to becoming a Go Girl! and Go Squirrel! - a series of coloring books aimed at teaching young readers complex social/emotional lessons through social stories. In her own words, Allison shares the “adventures of their queer, multi-racial, adoptive family” on her blog RaisingaGoGirl.com.

In this conversation, Lynn and Allison talk about how their mothers, each in different ways, instilled the value of community that influenced the creation of Spotlight: Girls. We explore how they are making a difference beyond their family by igniting a Compassion Revolution with their programs, inspiring belief in the power of girls and women to be changemakers in the world, to take center stage in their lives, and to make brave and bold choices. And how the Go Girls! 5 point Culture Code, like the Mother’s Quest E.P.I.C. framework, provides a powerful guide that Lynn, Allison and their daughter have fully integrated into their lives.

I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did. I was struck by how powerful a metaphor theater and the arts can be for how to live your live. I hope you will leave the conversation, as I did, inspired to think about the ways in which you can “take center stage” to live a Go Girl! and E.P.I.C. life.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• The importance of community and how Lynn and Allison’s mothers both instilled this value
• How Lynn and Allison’s vision of making interesting art sparked the beginning of their business and family life
• How the election results impacted them and how they started to heal by following one of the Go Girls’ teachings of going fully into your feelings
• How Lynn and Allison bring mindful, therapeutic parenting and social play to their daughter
• How the Go Girl’s! 5 point Culture Code can help us and our children to take center stage in our lives and see confidence as a verb
• How parents should care for themselves the same way they care for their children

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Lynn and Allison’s business, Spotlight: Girl, http://www.spotlightgirls.com
• Allison’s blog, Raising a Go Girl, http://www.raisingagogirl.com  and the specific blog post she mentions http://www.raisingagogirl.com/if-i-took-care-of-myself-like-i-took-care-of-my-daughter/
• The Go Girls! 5 point Culture Code, http://gogirlscamp.com/methodology/
• Go Girls! Camp, http://www.gogirls.com
• The Art of Raising Peaceful & Powerful Girls, http://go.spotlightgirls.com/raising-peaceful-and-powerful-girls-free-e-book

The Mother’s Quest Facebook group - join http://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest

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Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, engaging mindfully with their children (E), passionately and purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), investing in themselves (I), and connecting to a strong support network (C).

Learn More at www.mothersquest.com

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

In this episode, I’m excited to be reunited with an old friend and former colleague, Rootopia founder Michelle Ratcliffe. Michelle is a farm to family specialist, who aims to help mothers raise happy, healthy kids and help our nation’s farmers prosper. She is a mom to two boys, and lives on a 4-acre farm near Portland, Oregon.

As a first-generation American who struggled in school, digging in the earth and growing food grounded Michelle and turned her onto academics. Over the past 20 years, she’s been researching ways to get more local healthy foods on our plates and advocating for policy changes that would do that. Michelle earned her doctorate in Agriculture, Food and the Environment from Tufts University with research focused on the impacts of school gardening on adolescents. Her research into school gardening was vital to the gardening and childhood obesity efforts of First Lady Michelle Obama, which led to Michelle’s recent visit to the White House to celebrate the White House Kitchen Garden Dedication.

In this conversation, Michelle and I talk about the transformative experience we had creating a community garden with young people over 15 years ago and how the honesty of Michelle’s students course-corrected her to the meaningful career path she is on today. Michelle shares the importance of being rooted in her family and their health, as well as the importance of community and civic-mindedness. And, we explore stepping forward with faith on your path, taking the next right step, even when you don’t yet know exactly where it will take you.

During this holiday season, I hope this episode will inspire you to get more grounded with your family by saying no to over-scheduling and yes to cooking, eating and spending quality time with your children.

Looking to make an end of the year donation? Consider Alternatives in Action, the non-profit youth development organization celebrating 20 years of service, where Michelle and Julie worked together. www.alternativesinaction.org

Topics discussed in this episode:

• The importance of being present and intentional in your family’s life
• Don’t try to do too much and be “scheduled out” - rest and recuperation is important for your health.
• Aligning priorities with reality and investing deeply in your values
• Letting go of your ego and sense of self that is wrapped in work
• Creating an environment where magical moments can happen.
• Having the faith to create before knowing how it will all turn out

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Michelle’s website, Rootopia - http://rootopia.com/
• The Mother’s Quest Circles (launching in January, 2017; sign up for the email list at www.mothersquest.com to get announcements or join the Facebook group www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest)
• Alternatives in Action, a non-profit that believes in the power and promise of young people in our community, and is also where Julie and Michelle met and worked together -https://www.alternativesinaction.org/
• Michelle's story of faith reclaiming her barn  http://rootopia.com/reclaiming-our-barn/
• Oprah Winfrey interview in which she talks about taking the next right step, and that there are no mistakes -https://youtu.be/dGgb1PwH7mo  The full hour-long interview is here: https://youtu.be/6DlrqeWrczs
• Roasted Roots and Leaves recipe from Rootopia -http://rootopia.com/roasted-root-vegetables-and-kale/

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Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, engaging mindfully with their children (E), passionately and purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), investing in themselves (I), and connecting to a strong support network (C).

Learn More at www.mothersquest.com

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

On this episode of Mother’s Quest, I had an opportunity to talk with an amazing mother, entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, and blogger, named Katherine Wintsch about bringing authenticity into our lives as women and mothers.

Katherine is a nationally recognized expert on the topic of modern motherhood. As the founder and CEO of The Mom Complex, she advises major corporations on what mothers really need in order to create better products and services that make mothers lives easier. She writes about the highs and lows of motherhood in her blog, In All Honesty. Her TEDx talk titled, Unmasking Motherhood, uses spoken word to deliver a powerful call to action to mothers, and inspired me to let down my own mask, to be vulnerable and honest, through the creation of Mother’s Quest.

In our conversation, Katherine shares how she learned to let go of people-pleasing and mommy guilt, and instead got curious, learned to love herself and designed a life that fulfills her. We talk about the power of revealing the truth about motherhood and that it’s absolutely OK to not be OK and to not have all the answers.

I hope her story will inspire you to let down your own mask and help you step more fully into your own authentic, E.P.I.C. life.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Katherine’s path of taking control of her own life and self-worth
• How an innocent question from her husband led Katherine on a year-long journey of curiosity and self-exploration, in order to align her inner truth with her outer pursuits
• The connection between living an authentic life that allows her to feel excitement about her work, and the impact it has on her children
• Unmasking motherhood and changing the conversation about how moms talk about their lives
• You can’t have it all until you define what “all” means for yourself

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• The Mom Complex - http://momcomplex.com/
• Unmasking Motherhood - Katherine's TEDx-RVA talk - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGIuSNks3DA
• Katherine's blog: In All Honesty - http://katherinewintsch.com/
• Finding Your Own North Star, by Martha Beck (exercise on life enhancing activity vs. life depleting activity) 
• The concept of defining success in your life first, and only then can you define success in your career - Devon Green from Fogdog Coaching & Consulting - http://www.fogdogcoaching.com/

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

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

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

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

Topics discussed in this episode:

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

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert 
• Theory of Change: http://www.mothersquest.com
• The late Wayne Dyer: drwaynedyer.com
• The Good Life Project podcast: http://www.goodlifeproject.com/radio/
• Jonathan Fields: jonathanfields.com

Acknowledgements:

I would like to use this introductory episode as an opportunity to thank some of the key people, most of whom are also mothers on their own quest, several of whom donated or discounted their services, to help make this podcast possible.

The podcast production team at Radcasters (Karly, Jo and Neil) - http://www.radcasters.com

Mia Sutton, Podcast Coordinator 

Meghan Lewis, Podcast Episode Art

Priscila Najar, composer of the podcast music

Jayleen Magill, Virtual Assistant

The team at Flight Design Co. (Ariana, Katrina, Matt) who created the podcast art http://www.flightdesign.co/branding/

Paula Jenkins http://www.jumpstartyourjoy.com for a podcasting class that jumpstarted it all

Claire Frye of http://www.loudandclaire.com for the generous use of her studio and generous coaching

My first interviewees: Navjit Kandola, Katherine Wintsch, and Michelle Ratcliffe

Chris, Ryan and Jacob Neale, my family foundation

Fran and David Lieberman, my own extraordinary mother and father

And so many other dear family members, friends, coaches and more who provided inspiration and support all along the way.