It’s Season Four of the Mother’s Quest Podcast! At time of recording we’re on the threshold of spring, a season of new growth and fresh opportunities.
Around this time, three years ago, I was visited by two birds trapped in my house, and letting them out became a sign for me to slay my self-doubt and choose into living what I now call my E.P.I.C. life.
I could never have imagined that day, that three years later, I’d be releasing my 58th podcast episode, building community with over 600 members from across the world in our Facebook group, and welcoming the fourth cohort of incredible women into my Mother’s Quest Circle experience.
In this first episode of Season Four, I’m honored to host returning guest Katherine Wintsch, releasing this conversation during the week she’s launching her first book, “Slay Like a Mother: How to Destroy What’s Holding You Back So You Can Live the Life You Want.”
One of my very first interviews when I launched the podcast, Katherine’s episode has become a favorite for so many mothers who resonated with her journey from self-loathing to self-love and the premise of her TEDx talk, encouraging us to take off our masks as mothers and release the myth of perfection.
Katherine’s truth-telling and insightful research on modern motherhood has been featured by The Today Show, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Fast Company, and she regularly writes about the topic of modern motherhood for Working Mother magazine and now on the Slay Like a Mother platform.
As CEO of the company she founded, The Mom Complex, she dedicates her life to making the lives of mothers easier, working with companies like Johnson and Johnson and Unilever to help develop better products and services for mothers. With the debut of her book, Slay Like a Mother, she’s on a mission to help mothers around the world destroy what’s holding them back, the dragon of self-doubt, so they can live the life they want.
I think you’ll find a lot to light your way, as Katherine and I delve deep into how she conquered her self-doubt and practiced the dance between hard work and letting go in order to get her book published, persevering through 23 rejections in the six year process. She shares highlights of some of her favorite practices and perspective shifts from the book along all the E.P.I.C. guideposts. And then Katherine gives us an important challenge to raise our own awareness and challenge our negative thought patterns. A simple, though not easy shift, that can make a tremendous difference.
For me, the idea that I would forever defeat my dragon didn’t feel likely. But, inspired by Katherine’s metaphor, and something one of my clients shared recently, I’m holding a visual picture of my dragon as a baby one, strapped into the car seat in the back of the car, far from the wheel and the ability to derail my course as I travel the road of my E.P.I.C. life this season. What picture do you want to hold of your dragon? I hope you’ll join us in the Mother’s Quest community and share your thoughts.
Much appreciation,
P.S. Check out the announcements below and pay this forward to a friend who may be interested.
This Episode is Dedicated by Brooke Markevicius:
Brooke Markevicius is the Founder and CEO of MOMentum Marketplace and host of the podcast, MOMentum Radio. MOMentum is a marketplace of goods and services powered by moms and is on a mission to get moms paid so they can lead a flexible life. You can learn more and join our beta by going to the link
below.
www.MOMentumMarket.io
www.MOMentumMarketplace.io/podcast
www.Twitter.com/momentumpod
www.instagram.com/momentummarket
In This Episode We Talk About:
- The epic journey to publishing her book, Slay Like A Mother. What inspired her to write it and the story behind its publishing.
- The Dragon of self-doubt, your worries gone wild, and how it can become a beast that eats you up if you don’t break free.
- The Cherokee “Two Wolves” metaphor/analogy and how you starve and weaken your Dragon through feeding yourself with self-love.
- How to think of a recurring negative voice as nothing but an echo and the power of speaking back to it.
- The perspective that development happens in spirals and not in a straight line.
- Katherine’s mindful bedtime routine with her children and what her son has said about her upcoming appearance on the Today Show
- Acknowledging structural and systemic barriers to happiness and the distinction between struggle and suffering
- How being overly busy is an amnesia for an empty life
- Putting yourself first on the calendar and how Katherine sets color-coded recurring meetings for yourself
- Finding the guides and the importance of asking for help.
- Katherine’s specific challenge for us, that I hope you’ll say yes to also, to catch ourselves in the act of speaking negatively to ourselves. Practice saying “That’s not true!” to that voice
- The negative voice as a shadow behind us. All it needs is our awareness to shine a light and make that shadow dissipate.
- Lessons Katherine and I both learned since our last conversation 2 years ago.
Resources Mentioned:
- Katherine’s Book – Slay Like a Mother: How to Destroy What’s Holding You Back So You Can Live the Life You Want
- Mother’s Quest Podcast Episode 2 with Katherine
- Umasking Motherhood (Katherine’s TEDxRVA talk)
- Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
- The Mom Complex
- Katherine’s blog post that tells the story of the Cherokee story of the Two Wolves
- Ep 55: From Grief to Advocacy and a Circle of Mothers with Trayvon Martin’s Mother Sybrina Fulton
Learn More About Katherine Wintsch:
Katherine dedicates her life to making the lives of mothers easier. In her role as founder and CEO of The Mom Complex, she works alongside companies such as Walmart, Johnson & Johnson, Chobani and Unilever to help develop better products and services for mothers. And as author of the personal empowerment book, Slay Like a Mother, she’s helping mothers around the world destroy what’s holding them back so they can live the life they want.
Katherine’s sought-after research on modern motherhood has been featured by The Today Show, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Fast Company, and she regularly writes about the topic of modern motherhood for Working Mother magazine and on the Slay Like a Mother platform.
In 2016, Katherine was named Advertising Women of New York’s “Working Mother of the Year,” an award given to women who have achieved outstanding business results while also serving as strong role models at work, at home, and within their communities.
www.momcomplex.com
www.slaylikeamother.com
www.katherinewintsch.com
www.facebook.com/SlayLikeaMother
www.instagram.com/slaylikeamother
Announcements:
Mother’s Quest Circle
Applications Close Tomorrow, March 22!!
If you’re on a quest to live an E.P.I.C. life, on the threshold of a new chapter, but feeling uncertain or challenged by the path ahead, and want to be in community on your journey, the Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle may be the source of connection you’re looking for.
The Mother’s Quest Circle provides inspiration, coaching and community for an intimate group of no more than 8 women who are ready to say “yes” to:
Reflect together, in a community of like-minded mothers, on what matters most
To consciously live their version (not someone else’s) of an E.P.I.C. life
To take bold action toward one of the E.P.I.C. life guideposts before the end of the sessions
To hold space for sharing, coaching, and championing one another
If you’re looking to create big shifts in your life or impact in 2019, the Circle is a great way to make an investment in yourself and what matters most to you. Apply here.
Special 45 Minute Clarity Coaching Sessions…in honor of Ryan’s birthday and my 15 years of motherhood!!
Ever worked with a life coach? It’s a bit like this video with Cookie Monster above
Not really, but if you’d like to get a “taste” of what it’s like to have a coach holding space for you and championing you on your quest, I’ve set up special rates if you book in the month of March, to celebrate the month my first son was born and I became a mother.
For $90, bring any question or intention you want to explore to a 45 minute coaching session. We’ll get you to clarity about what you want, why it matters, and one key action step together. We can also explore future possibilities for working together if that’s something you seek.
Reply to this email if you’re interested and I’ll reach out to get you a spot on the calendar.
Holding five spots at this rate, so don’t delay if this is calling to you.
Spark Your E.P.I.C. Year
Anyone else not have your year start the way you hoped?
A month ago, I declared February the new January and facilitated a Mother’s Quest Workshop/Virtual Milestone Hike experience to help us all start again.
Using photos from my favorite local hike, I took a small group on a virtual journey to:
Reflect on our last chapter (as we ascend)
Decide what we want to release (using an image of a big bad bonfire!) and what we want to carry forward
Then, set intentions along the E.P.I.C. guideposts for our new chapter.
There’s a special planning sheet we created to guide you and help you document the whole process.
Truthfully, we can start fresh any time we choose.
If you decide you want to reset and begin again, today, this afternoon or this weekend, using this experience and worksheet to support you. Just sign up here.
Punta de Gloria Resort
Seven years ago, I found my first individual coaching client in Lisa Valerio, mindful mother to an autistic son. Learn more about how our work together sparked Lisa’s epic creation of a resort in the Philippines and why she’s signed up for the next cohort of the Mother’s Quest Circle. Read 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:
Brooke Markevicius
Democracy Clothing
Michael Skolnik
Helgi Maki
Kari Azuma
Tamara Sobomehin
Katie Krimitsos
Carrie Caulfield Arick
Rachel Rosen
Chandra Brooks
Jen Simon
Monisha Vasa
Celia Ward-Wallace
Vanessa Couto
Desiree Adaway
Rachel Steinman
Katie Hanus
Denise Barreto
Sage B. Hobbs
Samantha Nolan-Smith
Jody Smith
Emily Cretella
Collette Flanagan
Titilayo Tinubu Ali
Carly Magnus Hurt
Lizzy Russinko
Suzanne Brown
Mara Berns Langer
Mallory Schlabach
Katharine Earhart
Jessica Kupferman
Jen Jenkins Dohner
Genese Harris
Tonya Rineer
Liane Louie-Badua
Cristin Downs
Erin Kendall
Niko Osoteo
Erik Newton
Claire Fry
Divya Silbermann
Rachel Winter
Caren and Debbie Lieberman
Cameron Miranda
Fran and David Lieberman
Debbie and Alan Goore
The Sustainable Living Podcast
Support the Podcast
If you’d like to make a contribution to Mother’s Quest to support Season Three of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution.
If you would like to “dedicate” an upcoming episode to a special mother in your life, email me at julie@mothersquest.com
Mother’s Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.
Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).
Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/
Welcome to this special bonus episode of The Mother’s Quest Podcast, an interview I had on my friend Anne Ferguson’s podcast – MamaFuel.
In this conversation, Anne turns the tables on me, as she asks how the epic guideposts showed up in my life. I’m delighted to share this episode with you and use this as an opportunity to share some announcements and invitations for getting involved with Mother’s Quest in the new year.
I hope you enjoy this conversation I had on Anne’s Podcast. I’m excited to be back in a few short weeks with the start of a new incredible season of conversations! Until then, seize the day, love your people, and honor your gifts.
Much appreciation,
P.S. Be sure to check out the announcements below, including the news that TODAY is the last day to contribute to the GoFundMe campaign to support Trayvon Martin’s mother Sybrina Fulton’s Circle of Mothers. Hope you’ll join us!
Show Notes from MamaFuel the Podcast
From Anne Ferguson:
OOOOhhh am I excited to share THIS ONE! My guest this week is Julie Neale, founder of the amazing Mother’s Quest podcast, coach and mama of two exceptional and amazing boys. She’s a sparkling soul whose podcast gave me the courage to start hosting these MamaFuel conversations.
Julie and I cover a lot of ground, from raising differently-wired kids to discovering your strengths and the support you have in community. I turn the tables on Julie and ask her to walk us through the guideposts that she follows in her own life and asks all of her guests to talk about – I really valued the insight into how Julie is living her E.P.I.C. life, sparked to the max with joy and delight at leading other mothers in discovering their version of epic living.
Julie spoke movingly about her interview with Sybrina Fulton, whose son Trayvon died as a result of racial profiling and gun violence. Julie and her community are supporting Sybrina’s incredibly important initiative “Circle of Mothers” which allows mothers who have lost their children to gun violence to gather and heal in community.
If you’d like to help send some of these grieving mothers to Sybrina’s retreat, click this link: www.mothersquest.com/circleofmothers. Every contribution helps. Julie’s hoping that her community will be able to raise $15,000 and they’re two-thirds of the way there. I’d love our community to help her get to her goal.
Please click on the following link to hear Julie’s conversation with Sybrina Fulton and to find out more about their fundraising activities: http://mothersquest.com/ep55-sybrinafulton/
This is where you can listen to Julie’s episode with her son Ryan: http://mothersquest.com/ep-18-yolo-you-only-live-once-and-other-milestone-reflections-with-ryan-neale/
Julie’s conversation with Kristina Kuzmić is here: http://mothersquest.com/ep-11-flawed-with-truth-bomb-mom-kristina-kuzmic/
Listen to her conversation with Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin is here: http://mothersquest.com/ep-24-elizabeth-cronise-mclaughlin/
And to her chat with Debbie Reber of TILT Parenting here: http://mothersquest.com/ep26-debbie-reber/
In this episode we also mentioned Jonathan Fields and his Good Life Project quite a few times. Jonathan was our common link and his Camp Good Life Project is where Julie and I met in real life.
Jonathan is the creator of so much goodness that I can’t encourage you enough to go to his page and drink it all in. Go: you’ll be so glad you did.
Here’s where you can learn about Jonathan’s work and discover his incredible (and my all-time favourite) podcast: https://www.goodlifeproject.com and here’s where you can take your own Sparketype test: https://www.goodlifeproject.com/sparketest/ and start thinking and having conversations about what really sparks you.
Announcements:
Celebrate Int’l Women’s Day with a Contribution for Sybrina Fulton & her Circle of Mothers GoFundMe Closes TODAY!!!
Today, on International Women’s Day, join us in contributing to the GoFundMe campaign to support an amazing woman, Trayvon Martin’s mother Sybrina MsCandy Fulton, and her Circle of Mothers healing retreat.
Already, it’s been amazing to see so many of you listen to the episode with Sybrina, contribute to the campaign, and invite others to do so too.
With your support, we have raised over $10,000 of our $15,000 goal.
I want to close the campaign out so that we can get the funds dispersed to the Trayvon Martin Foundation in time to help 10 mothers attend the healing retreat, for mothers who have lost a child to gun violence, this May.
I hope you’ll listen if you haven’t and then take a look at the campaign and contribute in an amount meaningful to you. You can also help us spread the word. It would mean so much to mothers who are grieving if we can hit the goal and help them get to the event.
Your donation is tax-deductible. Contribute here 
https://www.gofundme.com/mq-circleofmoms
Listen to the episode here
This intimate conversation with Sybrina Fulton, over a year in the making, was a unique opportunity to delve into her own journey, how the E.P.I.C. guideposts show up in her life and in her activism, and to hear her powerful call to action to invest in mothers, by reaching out to mothers grieving in our own communities and by contributing to her “Circle of Mothers,” a labor of love that came to her in her dreams. Listen here – http://mothersquest.com/ep55-sybrinafulton/
Spark Your E.P.I.C. Year
Anyone else not have your year start the way you hoped?
A few weeks ago, I declared February the new January and facilitated a Mother’s Quest Workshop/Virtual Milestone Hike experience to help us all start again.
Using photos from my favorite local hike, I took a small group on a journey to:
Reflect on our last chapter (as we ascend)
Decide what we want to release (using an image of a big bad bonfire!) and what we want to carry forward
Then, set intentions along the E.P.I.C. guideposts for our new chapter.
There’s a special planning sheet we created to guide you and help you document the whole process.
Truthfully, we can start fresh any time we choose.
If you decide you want to reset and begin again, today, this afternoon or this weekend, using this experience and worksheet to support you, reply to this email and I”ll get it to you.
Mother’s Quest Circle
APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR MARCH 2019!!
If you’re on a quest to live an E.P.I.C. life, on the threshold of a new chapter, but you’ve been feeling challenged by the path ahead, and want to be in community on your journey, the Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle may be the source of connection you’re looking for.
The Mother’s Quest Circle provides inspiration, coaching and community for an intimate group of no more than 8 women who are ready to say “yes” to:
Reflect together, in a community of like-minded mothers, on what matters most
To consciously live their version (not someone else’s) of an E.P.I.C. life
To take bold action toward one of the E.P.I.C. life guideposts before the end of the sessions
To hold space for sharing, coaching, and championing one another
If you’re looking to create big shifts in your life or impact in 2019, the Circle is a great way to make an investment in yourself and what matters most to you. Apply here.
Watch out for Season Four
Season Four is right around the corner! Until then, I invite you to subscribe if you haven’t already to catch up on any episodes you’ve missed. And would love to see you in the private Mothers’ Quest Facebook Group where we will continue to build community and connection. Visitwww.mothersquest.com/community to join.
Acknowledgements:
A big THANK YOU to our “patrons” for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial and/or in-kind support:
Democracy Clothing
Michael Skolnik
Helgi Maki
Kari Azuma
Tamara Sobomehin
Katie Krimitsos
Carrie Caulfield Arick
Rachel Rosen
Chandra Brooks
Jen Simon
Monisha Vasa
Celia Ward-Wallace
Vanessa Couto
Desiree Adaway
Rachel Steinman
Katie Hanus
Denise Barreto
Sage B. Hobbs
Samantha Nolan-Smith
Jody Smith
Emily Cretella
Collette Flanagan
Titilayo Tinubu Ali
Carly Magnus Hurt
Lizzy Russinko
Suzanne Brown
Mara Berns Langer
Mallory Schlabach
Katharine Earhart
Jessica Kupferman
Jen Jenkins Dohner
Genese Harris
Tonya Rineer
Liane Louie-Badua
Cristin Downs
Erin Kendall
Niko Osoteo
Erik Newton
Claire Fry
Divya Silbermann
Rachel Winter
Caren and Debbie Lieberman
Cameron Miranda
Fran and David Lieberman
Debbie and Alan Goore
The Sustainable Living Podcast
Support the Podcast
If you’d like to make a contribution to Mother’s Quest to support Season Three of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution.
If you would like to “dedicate” an upcoming episode to a special mother in your life, email me at julie@mothersquest.com
Mother’s Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.
Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. 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/