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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In This Episode We Talk About:

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

Resources Mentioned:

• Making the World a Better Place, One Leader at a Time with Rachel Rosen
• The Power of Healing in Community with Sera Snyder
• This is Not the Life I ordered
• Planting Seeds for Mother’s Quest
• Courageous Conversations about Race with Nicole Lee
• Intersectionality and the Age of the New Heroine with Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin
• Living Out Loud with Jenjii Hysten
• The blog post about the two birds
• Women Podcasters in Solidarity

This Episode is Dedicated by:

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

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

Learn more about Rachel:

• www.rachelvrosen.com
• www.spark4leadership.com
• www.spark4community.com
• On Facebook SPARK For Community and SPARK Leadership​
• On Instagram @spark4community, @spark4leadership &@sparkapcommUNITY
• Rachel’s Crowdfunding Campaign​

Learn More About Sage:

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

This Week’s Challenge:

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

Announcements:

Fall Clarity Session Special

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

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

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

Acknowledgements:

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

• Rachel Rosen
• Chandra Brooks
• Jen Simon
• Monisha Vasa
• Celia Ward-Wallace
• Vanessa Couto
• Desiree Adaway
• Rachel Steinman
• Katie Hanus
• Denise Barreto
• Sage B. Hobbs
• Samantha Nolan-Smith
• Jody Smith
• Emily Cretella
• Collette Flanagan
• Titilayo Tinubu Ali
• Carly Magnus Hurt
• Lizzy Russinko
• Suzanne Brown
• Mara Berns Langer
• Mallory Schlabach
• Katharine Earhart
• Jessica Kupferman
• Jen Jenkins Dohner
• Genese Harris
• Tonya Rineer
• Liane Louie-Badua
• Cristin Downs
• Erin Kendall
• Niko Osoteo
• Erik Newton
• Claire Fry
• Divya Silbermann
• Rachel Winter
• Caren and Debbie Lieberman
• Cameron Miranda
• Fran and David Lieberman
• Debbie and Alan Goore
• The Sustainable Living Podcast

Support the Podcast

If you’d like to make a contribution to Mother’s Quest to support Season Three of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution.

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

—

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

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. 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/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

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

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert http://www.elizabethgilbert.com/
• 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

Announcements:

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

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

Spark Your E.P.I.C. Life

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read Here

Reflection on the Mother’s Quest Podcast Milestone

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

Acknowledgements:

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

• Jen Simon
• Monisha Vasa
• Celia Ward-Wallace
• Vanessa Couto
• Desiree Adaway
• Rachel Steinman
• Katie Hanus
• Denise Barreto
• Sage B. Hobbs
• Samantha Nolan-Smith
• Jody Smith
• Emily Cretella
• Collette Flanagan
• Titilayo Tinubu Ali
• Carly Magnus Hurt
• Lizzy Russinko
• Suzanne Brown
• Mara Berns Langer
• Mallory Schlabach
• Katharine Earhart
• Jessica Kupferman
• Jen Jenkins Dohner
• Genese Harris
• Tonya Rineer
• Liane Louie-Badua
• Cristin Downs
• Erin Kendall
• Niko Osoteo
• Erik Newton
• Claire Fry
• Divya Silbermann
• Rachel Winter
• Caren and Debbie Lieberman
• Cameron Miranda
• Fran and David Lieberman
• Debbie and Alan Goore
• The Sustainable Living Podcast

Support the Podcast

If you’d like to make a contribution to Mother’s Quest to support Season Three of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution.

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

—

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

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. 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/