Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The Boss Mom Podcast

Victoria Sivrais and Beth Mazza have known each other for 20 years. Beth was Victoria's boss, then her mentor, then her business partner, and together they've built and sold two companies that advised S&P 500 leaders. Now they're building a third, and releasing a book, Entrepreneur Like a Mother, that turns every mistake they made into a framework so you don't have to make the same ones.

Dana sits down with them to talk about the "kitchen cabinet" every mom building a business needs (your cheerleaders, connectors, and compensators), the Mommy Mayhem Matrix for picking the right business model for the life you actually want, and why fear looks completely different on two women who've built the exact same success.

You'll hear:

• Why women starting businesses outnumbered men for the first time in 2025, and what that means for you
• The kitchen cabinet framework: cheerleaders, connectors, and compensators
• The Mommy Mayhem Matrix, and how to figure out the business model that actually fits your life
• Why one of them feels zero fear and the other had to write down her own accomplishments to believe she belonged
• Near-bankruptcy, a lawsuit the week before giving birth to twins, and cash-advancing payroll during COVID
• What their kids actually remember about watching them build

This is for any mom building a business who's ever felt like she's doing it completely alone.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Entrepreneur Like a Mother (Wiley, out September 22nd)
• Victoria and Beth on Instagram: @femalemavericks
• BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community
• Raising Your Business: bossmom.com/join

If moms stopped spending money tomorrow, the entire economy would collapse. We make up 68% of it. That's real power. So why does that power just feel like weight, the self-doubt, the impostor syndrome, the sense that you're the only one who can hold this household together? Dana sat with that question after recording this episode, and it's exactly why she brought back Dr. Lisa Woodruff, one of her very first podcast guests, nine years ago. Lisa's back now with a PhD to back up everything she already knew.

This conversation covers a lot: why Lisa went back for a PhD just to be believed, what ADHD and executive function actually mean (and why the label matters less than the systems), the CEO/manager/employee framework for running your home so power stops feeling like a solo burden, the self-care definition nobody had written down until Lisa did, and the story of the first time in her adult life, at 54, that she told her own kids no.

You'll hear:

• Why moms drive 68% of the economy, and why that power just feels like weight when you're carrying it alone
• The real reason Lisa got a PhD (it wasn't about the system, it was about being believed)
• ADHD as a spectrum of eight executive functions, not a yes-or-no label
• The CEO / manager / employee framework for your household
• The self-care definition Lisa had to write herself because it didn't exist
• Why her dissertation found housework might never have been gendered at all
• The first time in 54 years she told her kids no, just because she wanted to

Mentioned in this episode:

• Lisa's book, Escaping Quicksand, and the Sunday Basket: Organize365.com
• Lisa on Instagram: @organize365
• BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community
• BossMom+: bossmom.com/join

Dana is doing more right now than she has in a long time. More in her business, more with her kids, more in her relationship. And somehow, she feels more expansive, not less. In this solo episode, she breaks down exactly what shifted over the last six months that let her hold more without falling apart doing it, and why capacity was never actually about time.

This one gets personal. Dana talks about the "two balls in the air" belief that ran her life for years, the moment she finally forgave old versions of herself, and a hard conversation with her partner that unlocked something she didn't expect.

You'll hear:

• Why capacity is about patience and honesty, not time or energy
• The "two balls in the air" belief that kept Dana small for years
• What actually happened when she stopped being mad at her old self
• Why saying your needs out loud changes how doing feels, not just what gets done
• The walk exercise Dana uses to picture a future she can't quite picture in numbers
• What real capacity feels like when life is still hard and stressful

This is for any mom who feels like she can only hold two things at once, and is tired of believing that's the ceiling.

Mentioned in this episode:

• BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community
• BossMom+: bossmom.com/join

Katie Read is back, and this time the two of them fell straight into a conversation about something bigger than marketing: are we the last generation of moms who doesn't know who we are without doing? It started with a newsletter Katie sent about the future of work, and by the time they hit record they were deep into what happens to a mom's identity once AI starts doing the "doing" for her — plus the wild stat that kicked it all off: kids today are projected to have 25 jobs in their lifetime.

This one covers a lot of ground: the death of the career ladder, why motherhood has always been an identity catalyst (and why AI is about to do the same thing to everyone else), the difference between real safety and familiar discomfort, and why exploration itself might be the smartest business model available to you right now.

You'll hear:

• Why kids having 25 jobs in a lifetime is actually good news, not a crisis
• The Starbucks story that explains why job titles were never really our identity
• How motherhood has always forced identity exploration, and why AI is now doing that to everyone
• The "chapters, not a ladder" reframe for thinking about your own career
• Why the real obstacle to change is safety, not money
• How Dana separated her personal identity from her business brands using AI
• Why the money (and the purpose) is on the other side of being embarrassed

If you've ever wondered who you are underneath the job title, the launch, or the to-do list, this episode is for you.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Katie Read's site + free instant diagnostic: KatieRead.com
• Katie's buyer psychology work + free instant diagnostic: BuyerPsych.com
• Boss Mom Community (free): bossmom.com/community
• Boss Mom Plus: bossmom.com/join

This one's real, raw, and honest — the kind of conversation you'll want to relisten to with a notebook. Dana sits down with Amanda Goetz — two-time founder, four-time CMO, divorced mom of three, and author of the debut book Toxic Grit: How to Have It All and Actually Love What You Have — to talk about the mindset work, the boundaries, and the money story she had to consciously rewrite to stop feeling so disconnected from herself.

They get into subconscious mindset work, why "having it all" was never actually the problem, why Amanda doesn't want her kids around on her birthday, and the "character theory" framework at the heart of her book — the idea that you're not one person trying to find balance, you're several people who each need their turn.

Heads up: there are a couple of juicy words in this one, so headphones on if you've got little ones nearby.

You'll hear:

• The lemon exercise that shows exactly how your brain builds the future you keep rehearsing
• The piece of paper Amanda burned that changed her relationship — a few weeks later
• Why the word "you" was the real problem in "you can't have it all"
• Character theory: how to stop trying to align every version of yourself and start giving each one hierarchy instead
• The "transition sequences" that help you actually switch between your CEO self, your mom self, and everyone in between
• Why wanting a birthday or a Mother's Day without your kids doesn't make you a bad mom
• The generational money scripts both Dana and Amanda had to unlearn

This is for any mom who's doing all the things and still feels a little disconnected from herself underneath it.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Amanda's book, Toxic Grit: How to Have It All and Actually Love What You Have https://www.toxicgrit.com/
• Amanda's newsletter, Life's a Game https://amandagoetz.kit.com/posts
• Boss Mom Community (free): bossmom.com/community
• Boss Mom Plus: bossmom.com/join

Brenna McGowan is back, and this one is not a launch strategy episode. It's the conversation she said she's never had publicly.

Brenna started her business at 40, after more than a decade as a stay-at-home mom, because she needed an extra $500 a month. Eight years later, with her kids grown and gone or nearly gone, she had a realization that stopped her cold: thank God she started when she did. Not for the money. For who she gets to be now that the house is quiet.

Dana and Brenna get into the guilt moms carry for wanting something of their own, the middle space nobody has named where you're still doing all the mom things and working eight hour days anyway, and why the advice to "charge your worth" may have done more damage to moms than almost anything else in the online business world.

You'll hear:

• The empty nest realization that reframes every hour you've spent feeling guilty about your business
• Why the lead-up to a hard season is often worse than the season itself, and how to spot the story you've been handed
• Brenna's actual origin story: $500 a month, an electric bill, and zero qualifications
• "I was my own paid intern" and why that mindset builds real confidence
• Why "charge your worth" is bad advice, and what to charge instead
• The big-launch model and why it structurally breaks moms
• How to stay unattached from the outcome without stopping caring
• The unglamorous work that becomes your intellectual property

This one's for any mom who's wondered whether wanting more makes her selfish, or whether it's too late to start.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Brenna's site and Pre-Launch Plan Program: brennamcgowan.co
• Behind the Launch: behindthelaunch.co
• Brenna on Instagram: @brennamcgowanco
• Behind the Launch Facebook group: join here
• Brenna's launch calendar tool (BossMom affiliate link): brennamcgowan.co/bossmom-calendar
• BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community
• BossMom+: bossmom.com/join

• The internet has started calling it the messy middle: that stretch where you don't want a 9-to-5 away from your kids, but you also want something of your own that makes you feel like a whole person. In this solo episode, Dana argues that the name is doing real damage, and then goes somewhere unexpected with it.

  At her son's middle school orientation, Dana heard that kids move through three stages: understanding the family dynamic, then finding their community, then working out who they want to independently be. Moms move through the exact same three stages. Nobody names ours. And instead of an institution built around it, we get shame.

  If you've been walking around convinced you're behind, this episode gives you a different word for where you actually are.

  You'll hear:

  • Why the term "messy middle" is doing more damage than we realize, and why renaming it isn't the fix
  • The belief → thought → action → result chain, and why the work has to start at belief
  • The ten tabs reframe (three are making money, three are making your family healthier, three are you)
  • Why shame is not a launching position, and what it's quietly costing you
  • "Mothers are the neck," and the buying power moms consistently refuse to own
  • Why losing your identity after a baby is supposed to happen
  • The three stages every mom moves through, and why almost everyone is in stage two grading herself against stage three
  • Why you can't skip stage two, and what happens when you try

  This is for any mom who feels behind, scattered, or like she should have figured herself out by now.

  Mentioned in this episode:

  • BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community — also searchable as "BossMom" in the App Store
  • BossMom+: bossmom.com/join
  • Email Dana: dana@bossmom.com
  • Becoming Boss Mom (the book Dana is currently shopping to traditional publishers)

I read Dr. Gertrude Lyons' book Rewrite the Mother Code and immediately wanted to get everyone in a room and talk about it. She's a maternal identity expert with a doctorate, nearly three decades of coaching, and a worldview that breaks motherhood wide open: motherhood isn't a role, it's a creative force. It shows up in your business, your relationships, your dreams, and most importantly in how you mother yourself.

In this conversation we get into why almost every mom loses herself at some point (including the ones with degrees in this exact subject), why self-doubt is the number one obstacle moms name, and what it takes to actually come back.

You'll hear:

• Why you're already mothering, whether or not you have children
• The catalysts that reliably knock moms off track, and why drifting is the assignment rather than the failure
• Where the erosion of self-trust actually comes from, and how we got cut off from our own intuition
• The $100 answer that fixed my daughter's year of stomach pain after a doctor said girls are just dramatic
• Why the truth is an act of kindness, and how "keeping the peace" costs us more than we realize
• The say-no assignment, and why not explaining yourself is the hard part
• "He knows he's enough and I know I'm not too much," and why so many moms think they have to earn the right to just be
• The conversation my thirteen-year-old started with me, and what it proved about doing the inner work

This is for any mom who has quietly wondered where she went, and whether it's too late to go get herself.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Dr. Gertrude Lyons' book and site: drgertrudelyons.com
• 2027 self-mothering retreats (Mexico, Ireland, Malta, Chicago): drgertrudelyons.com/retreats2027
• TEDx talk, Rewrite the Mother Code: youtube.com/watch?v=NZ9ZF8JKIDY
• Instagram: @drgertrudelyons
• Substack: gertrudelyons.substack.com
• BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community
• BossMom+: bossmom.com/join

• Chandler Bolt has been a friend of the show for years, and this conversation felt like it. He also doesn't have kids yet, which makes it kind of funny that this turned into one of the more honest conversations we've had about the gap between the story we tell (on stage, in a book, online) and the story we actually live behind closed doors. Dana and Chandler get into walking the walk, why authenticity beats polish every time, modeling instead of martyring yourself for your kids, and why the people closest to you deserve the mic, even when the truth stings.

  Plus: Dana and Chandler are teaming up for a free live training on July 29th, and you'll want to be there.

  You'll hear:

  • Why what you do behind closed doors matters more than what you post
  • How to reverse engineer what you actually want in your business before you chase another goal
  • Why authenticity beats polish every time
  • The "model, don't martyr" philosophy for ambition and motherhood
  • Why seasons of parenting (and business) are allowed to change your priorities
  • Chandler's honest story about losing, then finding, his authenticity
  • Why the people closest to you deserve the mic, even when the truth stings

  Mentioned in this episode:

  • Free training with Dana and Chandler, July 29th at 2pm PT / 5pm ET: selfpublishing.com/dana
  • Chandler's company: selfpublishing.com
  • Book a call with Chandler's team: selfpublishing.com/bossmom
  • Boss Mom Community (free): bossmom.com/community
  • Boss Mom+: bossmom.com/join

This week Dana sits down with Em Connors of The Creative Bodega for an honest, no-filter conversation about comparison, confidence, and money mindset, sparked by watching a creator go from unknown to multimillionaire almost overnight. Dana and Em both had a rough week of unfollowing, re-following, and wondering what was wrong with their own pace. This episode is the debrief.

They get into why "new" isn't always what it looks like, why 90% of the block women feel in business comes down to self-doubt (not strategy), why launches were never built for the seasonal reality of a mom's life, and the money trauma both Dana and Em inherited from their own dads, and how to finally paint your own truck.

You'll hear:

• Why comparing your business to someone's overnight win is comparing yourself to a story you don't have the full data on
• The real math behind viral launch reviews (it's not what you think)
• Why self-doubt, not strategy, is the number one block for most women building a business
• The "bravery isn't in a safe community, it's on the internet" reframe
• Em's "paint your truck" money mindset story
• Why launches aren't built for moms, and how to protect your own season anyway

This is a must-listen for any mom who's had a hard week of scrolling lately.

Mentioned in this episode:

• The Creative Bodega: thecreativebodega.com
• The Content Coven: thecreativebodega.com/the-content-coven
• Em on Instagram: @the.creative.bodega
• Boss Mom Community (free): bossmom.com/community
• Boss Mom Plus: bossmom.com/join

Daniella Devine did all the things. The degree, the second degree, the big deputy director job. Then she had a baby and hit the quiet, spiraling question so many of us know: this is not it. In this episode we go deep on what actually comes next.

Daniella is a third-generation business owner, a business buyer, and a commercial real estate agent who now acquires and grows Main Street businesses, all while raising young kids. We talk about the dull ache of discontentment that shows up in early motherhood, why working harder will quietly deplete you, and the reframe that finally lets a business grow. We get into the "no one's coming" reality of being the hunter, gatherer, and caregiver all at once, how to build a support system so you stop asking one person to be your savior, and how to know which person to call when you need a shoulder versus the hard truth. Plus the seasons nobody warns you about, and why the small moments (yes, including the popcorn game) are the whole point.

Find Daniella on Instagram @thedanielladevine and at thedanielladevine.com.

Come build your business differently inside the free BossMom Community at bossmom.com/community, with networking events, mindset workshops, daily mindset audios, and a dedicated app off social. When you are ready to level up with the right marketing plan and the implementation support to hit your financial goals, join us in BossMom+ at bossmom.com/join.

What does getting a fast pass at Universal Studios have to do with building a business? More than you'd think. This week Dana sits down with Presilah Nunez Davis, founder of The Finer Points, a coaching practice built at the intersection of performance psychology, neuroscience, and modern etiquette. Presilah spent over a decade as a working actor before motherhood shifted her focus, and she now teaches the exact skills, presence, eye contact, recovering from mistakes gracefully, that separate the person who commands a room from the person who shrinks in it. This conversation will change how you think about what you're teaching your kids, and what you never got taught yourself.

You'll hear:

• Why "etiquette" is really just the hyper-awareness of the feelings of others
• The 2 a.m. Instagram scroll that turned into an entire business
• Why Dana teaches her kids to "ask for the ketchup," and what that has to do with pricing your work
• The "know your zero" framework for understanding your own natural presence
• The acting class critique that reframed everything Presilah teaches about perfectionism
• Why "the fourth grader is king" and imperfection is what actually builds connection
• Five simple ways to start building confidence in your kids today

This is for any mom who wants her kids (and honestly, herself) to walk into a room and stay in it.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Presilah on Instagram: instagram.com/presilah
• The Finer Points: discoverthefinerpoints.com
• BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community
• BossMom+: bossmom.com/join

Paige Connell went from zero kids to four kids in under three years — foster care, adoption, two biological pregnancies, and a baby born during COVID while her husband, a blue-collar first responder, never worked a single day from home. What happened next is a story about the mental load of motherhood that every mom in a partnership needs to hear.

This isn't a conversation about chores. It's about the assumptions that build up without anyone saying a word, the resentment that follows, and the real conversations that change things. Paige didn't do her husband's laundry. He cooks dinner most nights. People have feelings about both of those things online. What actually matters is the system underneath, and how they built it.

You'll hear:

• Why the mental load snowballs without anyone intending it to
• The laundry rule Paige's mother-in-law gave her years ago (and why it's actually about resentment, not laundry)
• Why defensiveness is normal, and what matters is what happens after
• The "third option" between sucking it up and leaving
• What to do when you're growing and your partner isn't
• How to build a division of labor based on strengths instead of assumptions
• What it actually looks like on the other side of two years of hard conversations

This one is for any mom who is carrying more than her share and doesn't quite know how to start the conversation.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Paige on Instagram: @sheisapaigeturner
• Paige's website: shesapaigeturner.com 
• Paige's Substack (Lessons Learned): substack.com
• BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community
• BossMom+: bossmom.com/join

Laura Jennings was a college professor with a master's degree, doing everything she'd been taught to do — until her daughter was born and she realized the life she'd built didn't fit the mom she was becoming. Five months after discovering virtual assistance, she'd replaced her teaching salary. Two years later, she'd tripled it. Her daughter never spent a day in daycare.

In this episode, Dana and Laura get into exactly how moms can become virtual assistants using skills they already have — and why right now is one of the best possible moments to start.

You'll hear:

• Why "too good to be true" is just a stage, and how to stack evidence until it becomes your new normal
• The ladder of believability: how imposter syndrome fades when you take action instead of waiting to feel ready
• Why "I'll work with anyone" is the wrong starting point — and how to find clients you actually enjoy working with
• The AI question answered honestly: what VAs can use it for, and why it's not replacing them
• The identity shift that nobody warns moms about — and why the flexible income path is one of the few structures that actually honors it
• What moms with 10 to 20 hours a week need to know about the current market for contract work

This one is practical, personal, and full of permission for moms who've been sitting on the edge of making a move.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Laura's free "Get Started as a VA" masterclass: laurajtraining.com/masterclass-registration-guest-podcast
• Laura on Instagram: @hey.lauranicole
• Laura on Threads: @hey.lauranicole
• Your Virtual Assistant Coach podcast: Apple Podcasts
• BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community
• BossMom+ ($197/year): bossmom.com/join

This week is an interview, and it's one of my favorites in a long time. I sit down with Keira Brinton, founder of JOA Publishing and known as The People's Publisher, a single mom of five who built a multi-million-dollar company in three years by merging deep faith with serious strategy. Keira is high energy in the exact way I am, so the two of us together will get you fired up. But she also gets vulnerable in a way I did not see coming.

The big idea: trusting your intuition is not woo, it's the fastest path to action. When you stop avoiding the thing you're scared of, your business can move at the speed of light.

You'll hear:

• The "face your dragon" story, and how Keira unblocked nine months of stuck in two weeks
• Why whatever you feel inside shows up in your outer world
• An honest, tender conversation about friendship, loneliness, and outgrowing people as you grow
• Why books are the one thing that lasts, and why real leaders need to write now
• Keira's "ask, listen, do" method and how to actually hear the answer
• Why moms are wired to stop receiving, and how to get it back
• Why you can say yes before you're qualified, and act before it's perfect

This is a must-listen for any mom building a business who's felt stuck, scattered, or behind despite doing all the right things.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Keira's Mini Book Activator Course ($197): go.keirabrinton.com/minibookactivator
• Keira on Instagram: instagram.com/keirabrinton
• BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community
• BossMom+ ($197/year): bossmom.com/join

This week isn't a how-to, it's a heart-to-heart. Dana sits down with meditation teacher Katy Rexing to talk about the midlife awakening for moms: that wobbly, something's-off, where-did-I-go season so many of us hit in our late 30s and 40s. If you've been quietly wondering whether something is wrong with you lately, this is the episode that tells you the truth. Nothing is wrong with you. You're right on schedule.

Katy rebuilt her entire life from the inside out after years of "perfecting perfection" led her straight into panic attacks she couldn't name. Dana shares her own panic attack on a bridge and the traumaversary behind it. Together they get into why this unraveling is by design, and how to meet it with peace instead of fear.

You'll hear:

• Why almost every woman hits a wall around 40, and what "I am done being at war with you" really means
• Why a panic attack is your body crying to be heard, not a sign you're broken
• The case that this midlife awakening is by design, and why you shouldn't try to dodge it
• Why you can't "just love yourself" yet, and the step almost everyone skips
• How to stop riding the roller coaster of likes, gold stars, and outside validation
• Dana and Katy's friendly debate on whether every mom should have a business
• Why this is the most supported, least lonely time in history to do this inner work

This is a must-listen for any mom who's felt scattered, behind, or like she's quietly falling apart for no reason. You're not. You're right on time.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Katy Rexing's website + WithIn podcast: katyrexing.com
• Katy on Instagram (comment PRACTICE for her starter meditation toolkit): @katyrexing
• BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community — where moms get help clarifying goals and building the focus skills to hit them
• BossMom+ ($197/year): bossmom.com/join — the right marketing plan + implementation support for your business

This week isn't an interview, it's a real, ranty discussion. Dana sits down with Jaclyn Orent, co-founder and frequency architect of the Cultural Catalyst Network, to break down one of the most important truths every mom needs to hear right now: you cannot out-strategy what you're feeling. No morning routine, no new funnel, no productivity hack is going to fix what's actually a frequency problem. And there's nearly 60 years of consciousness, change, and scaling science to back it up.

If you've ever felt scattered, behind, "off," or like you're working as hard as you can without it adding up — this is the episode that flips it.

You'll hear:

• Why the rise and fall of empires happens every 80 years, and what that means for moms right now
• The science of resonance and why moms are the natural cultural catalysts of this era
• The "good enough economy" and why your voice is more valuable than ever
• Dr. David Hawkins' scale of consciousness and the critical threshold of 200
• The three-step "let go" practice that actually works (and why most affirmations don't)
• The difference between self-sacrifice and true sacrifice
• Why your kids cannot be your purpose (and what to do instead)

This is a must-listen for any mom who's felt the pull toward something bigger and didn't have the language for it.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Jaclyn's free Science-Backed Secrets to Catalyzing Culture Masterclass: culturalcontribution.com/masterclass
• Jaclyn on Instagram: @culturalcatalystnetwork
• Jaclyn on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jaclynorent
• BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community
• BossMom+: bossmom.com/join

If you've ever resented your own schedule, this episode is for you. In this solo, Dana gets vulnerable and shares the one skill that changed her business, her motherhood, and her experience of life more than any strategy ever has. It's not a productivity hack. It's not a morning routine. It's the simple, life-altering practice of recognizing when you've drifted, and coming back to focus.

Recorded as Dana's last episode before turning 45, this is a reflective, honest look at the inner work that actually moved her business, the chiropractor analogy that reframed how she sits in discomfort, and the one line she says to herself that has replaced every affirmation she's ever tried.

If you've ever felt scattered, behind, or like your kids are the reason you can't get anything done, this is the episode that flips that.

You'll hear:

• The one skill every mom should build before any other (and why it matters more than any tool)
• Why your kids probably aren't the actual distraction, and what is
• The chiropractor analogy for sitting in the discomfort of growth
• The inner work that finally moved Dana's business forward (it wasn't strategy)
• Dana's "I would never sabotage someone I love" line that replaces every affirmation
• Why being cringe, quirky, and fully yourself is the whole point
• The 5-step focus practice you can start today

This is for any mom who feels behind, scattered, or like she's working as hard as she can without it adding up.

Mentioned in this episode:

• BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community — where moms get help figuring out their goals and building the focus skills to actually hit them
• BossMom+ ($197/year): bossmom.com/join — the right marketing plan + implementation support for your business

This week, Dana sits down with Irin Rubin, founder and CEO of MamaZen, a mental wellness app for mothers. Irin's story is one a lot of moms will recognize: a difficult first delivery, severe colic, hospitalization, PTSD in the second pregnancy, and the slow realization that the high-speed train of motherhood didn't have stops. What she discovered next changed everything: nervous system regulation isn't another thing to add to your overwhelm. It's the thing that makes the rest of your life feel possible.

If you've ever felt like the world keeps telling you to "just slow down," "just give yourself permission," or "just take a bath," and none of it actually helps, this episode is for you.

You'll hear:

• Why the answer to overwhelm is never "do more" (and what actually works)
• The science of fight-or-flight and why most moms live there by default
• Irin's "math story" with her daughter, and how self-talk literally changes outcomes
• Why your kids hear every word you say (including how you talk to yourself)
• The line Irin uses to filter unsolicited advice without conflict
• Why saying no gets easier (not harder) once your nervous system is regulated
• How regulating your nervous system creates generational change for your kids

This is a must-listen for any mom who's tired of being told the answer is more self-care, more scheduling, more permission. The real answer is quieter, deeper, and works.

Mentioned in this episode:

• MamaZen app (free 7-day trial, iOS and Android): mamazen.com
• Book: MamaZen: The Parenting Method on Amazon
• Irin on Instagram | Facebook | TikTok
• Boss Mom Community (free): bossmom.com/community

This week is different. It's not an interview, it's a real, ranty discussion. Dana sits down with buyer psychology expert Katie Read to break down something every mom growing a business needs to hear: right now is one of the easiest times in a decade to grow a business as a mom. Big companies are hunting small audiences. AI just made your voice the most valuable thing you own. And the rules for how you build, sell, and show up have completely changed in your favor.

If you've ever felt behind, too small, or like you needed a bigger platform before you "really" started, this episode is going to flip that.

You'll hear:

• Why "the fourth grader is king" and why being two steps ahead is enough
• The "good enough economy" and why it's coming for regurgitation businesses
• The scars vs. wounds framework for vulnerability that builds authority (not pity)
• Why newsletters are roaring back, and why your messy human voice is gold right now
• How to use AI for structure without letting it steal your voice
• First principles thinking: why the old "video module + Facebook group" model is breaking
• The two (and only two) things you should actually be using AI for in your business

This is a must-listen for any mom running an online business. 

Mentioned in this episode:

• Katie's free AI prompts for buyer psychology: buyerpsych.com/freeprompts
• Katie's Incubator program (rebuild your offer for the 2026 buyer): incubator.katieread.com
• Katie's main site: BuyerPsych.com
• Boss Mom Community (free): bossmom.com/community
• Boss Mom Plus: bossmom.com/join

The world is swirling my beautiful BossMom! AI, shifting buyer behavior, businesses opening and closing overnight. So what should mom entrepreneurs actually focus on right now? In this episode, Dana gets real about the difference between hustling (good!) and hustle culture (not so much), why AI is the crockpot of our generation, and exactly how she's using ChatGPT and Claude to run her life and scale Boss Mom, without burning out.

You'll hear:

• Why "slow down" isn't always the right advice (and what to do instead)
• How Dana uses ChatGPT as her personal assistant, and her midnight therapist
• The three things Claude does better than anything else for mom entrepreneurs
• The "last 10%" problem that's keeping most moms invisible
• Why nano communities are quietly winning (and why that's incredible news for you)

Plus a vulnerable behind-the-scenes story about a midnight spiral, a partner conversation, and how AI helped Dana reset before bed.

Whether you're scaling a business, juggling clients, or just trying to figure out what to do with all the AI noise, this episode will give you a clearer, more permission-filled path forward.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Boss Mom Community (free): bossmom.com/community
• Boss Mom Plus ($197/year): bossmom.com/join
• Nurture to Convert Messaging Strategist Certification: bossmom.com/ntccert

Dana invited Katie Reed onto the show after reading just one of her emails — and this conversation did not disappoint. Katie is a Forbes-featured buyer psychologist and AI strategist who spent 20 years as a psychotherapist before turning her expertise toward why people buy (and why they don't). In this episode, Dana and Katie dig into the Castle Guard Framework — four core psychological guards that run every purchase decision — and why traditional objection-handling actually makes things worse. They also get into the "husband objection," how to use AI to understand your buyers at a deep level, and why your customers aren't objecting at all — they're protecting themselves.

What We Cover

• IntroWhy Dana invited Katie on after just one email — and what that says about great messaging
• MindsetScars vs. wounds: the difference between vulnerability that builds connection and vulnerability that invites pity
• FrameworkBuyers don't object — they guard. The psychology behind why your sales tactics may be making things worse
• Guard 1Drive — emotional motivation, urgency, and whether someone has the energy to actually do something
• Guard 2Identity — current vs. aspirational identity, belonging vs. uniqueness, and why moms tend to nail this one
• Guard 3Risk — financial, functional, social, and self-blame risk (and why a money-back guarantee isn't enough)
• Guard 4Pattern — the most overlooked guard: daily habits, status quo bias, and how disruption stops people cold
• TacticsSupporting the defense: the therapy technique that works just as well in sales calls
• Real TalkThe "talk to my husband" objection — and Dana's conversion-boosting trick for handling it with integrity
• AIUsing AI to understand your buyers at scale — and Katie's "fetch" prompt trick for auditing your sales page
• BonusKids, entrepreneurship, and why we should stop making our children wait to create value

Key Takeaways

• Buyers guard — they don't object. Meeting them where they are relaxes the guard; fighting it tightens it.
• Every purchase runs four internal scans: Drive, Identity, Risk, and Pattern. Your messaging needs to address all four.
• "Time and money" are almost never the real objection — they're surface-level stand-ins for something deeper in one of the four guards.
• Supporting the defense (a therapy technique) is one of the most powerful sales tools you're not using.
• AI is your best tool for understanding buyer psychology at scale — use it on your transcripts, reviews, and sales calls.
• Share from scars, not wounds. Your audience shouldn't have to be your therapist.

Resources + Links

Katie is dropping a free resource with 10 prompts to help you understand the psychology of your specific buyers. Join her email list to get it plus a new AI prompt every week.

• Katie's main site (Castle Guard Framework)buyerpsych.com
• Katie's consulting & speakingkatieread.com
• Join the Boss Mom Community (free)bossmom.com/community
• Upgrade to Boss Mom Plus — $197/yearbossmom.com/join

Dana met Amanda Northcutt at a Circle event and was immediately struck by how Amanda showed up — traveling, exploring, fully in visionary mode while her business ran without her. In this conversation, Amanda shares how she got there: from a health crash at 26 that forced her to reinvent her career, to building Level Up Creators into a team of 20 that constructs real, scalable businesses for thought leaders. Along the way, Dana and Amanda dig into the identity work that holds so many of us back, why experts are actually becoming more valuable in the age of AI, and the five things every recurring revenue business must have.

What We Cover:

• IntroHow Dana met Amanda and why she was the most valuable person in the room
• BackgroundAmanda's journey from workaholic to 20-hr weeks to founding Level Up Creators
• MindsetPlaying small even after big success — and how to peel off everyone else's expectations
• IdentityWhy we link growth with losing ourselves (and how to flip that script)
• FrameworkThe 5 things every successful recurring revenue business must have
• AI + ExpertsWhy the age of AI is actually the best time to be an expert — the HEARR framework
• Wrap-upMoney, bad people, and why growth is the most loving thing you can do for yourself

Connect with Amanda:

• Connect with Amanda on LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/northcuttamanda
• Level Up Creatorsmrraccelerator.com
• Email amanda@welevelupcreators.com
• LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/northcuttamanda

BossMom is the leading voice and resource for moms building businesses. We know you're not here to choose between being an amazing parent or running a successful business—you're here to build a life that makes room for both. Find more resources, support, and community right here → https://bossmom.com

• Join the Boss Mom Community (free)bossmom.com/community
• Upgrade to Boss Mom Plus — $197/yearbossmom.com/join

In this episode, Dana unpacks something so many moms in business quietly carry: self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and the feeling that maybe success just isn't meant for them.

But what if that's not actually the problem?

What if the real issue is that success feels unsafe?

Dana shares why moms often reject abundance without even realizing it, the hidden "mom math" that keeps women small, and the belief systems that make success feel like a threat to motherhood, relationships, identity, and worth.

Inside this episode, she explores:

• why moms aren't usually afraid of failure
• the real reason success can feel scary
• the 3 beliefs that keep moms playing small
• why abundance doesn't make you a bad person
• how your business can model self-worth and emotional honesty for your kids
• what it means to stop rejecting the life you actually want

If you've ever felt torn between wanting more and feeling guilty for wanting it, this episode is for you.

✨ Join the free Boss Mom community:
bossmom.com/community

✨ Explore Boss Mom Plus:
bossmom.com/join

In this episode, Dana sits down with Wendy Snyder to talk about her new book, Fresh Start Your Family: Powerful Parenting to Restore Peace in Your Home, and the deeper truth behind raising strong-willed kids.

This conversation goes far beyond parenting tactics. Dana and Wendy unpack the connection between shame, perfectionism, nervous system regulation, emotional literacy, and the invisible burden so many moms carry when they feel responsible for fixing everything.

They talk about why the traits we're taught to tone down in ourselves and our kids are often the very things that make us powerful, resilient, and uniquely suited for the lives we're meant to live.

In this episode, they discuss:

• why strong-willed kids are not a problem to solve

• how shame gets passed down through parenting systems

• the connection between perfectionism and control

• why play, curiosity, and emotional honesty matter so much

• how to help kids learn peaceful conflict resolution

• what moms can let go of so they stop carrying the weight of everything

Connect with Wendy:

Book: Fresh Start Your Family — FreshStartFamilyOnline.com/pre-order

Podcast: Fresh Start Family Show

Instagram: @freshstartwendy

Free Strong-Willed Kids Learning Bundle: FreshStartFamilyOnline.com/secrets

I tried something a little different… and honestly, it blew my mind.

I uploaded my thoughts about going all in on my business into NotebookLM and had it turn everything into a podcast episode—hosted by two AI personalities who broke down my belief system in real time.

What they uncovered?

Way deeper than I expected.

In this episode, we explore:

• why moms in business aren't actually stuck because of strategy
• the emotional blocks behind visibility and growth
• the concept of the "exposure tax" and why success can feel scary
• why stepping back isn't failure—it might be exactly what you need
• how to know what you're truly "all in" on (and what you're not)

This conversation is raw, insightful, and honestly… a little wild.

If you've ever felt torn between wanting more and being afraid of what that might require, this episode is for you.

✨ Join the Boss Mom community:

BossmomJoin the BossMom Community & App for free

✨ Explore Boss Mom Plus (our membership with tools, support, and guidance):

BossmomBossMomPlus

Stop Letting My Title Cost Me Clients: Focus on Frameworks, Not Labels

In this episode, I explain how what I call myself—my title and even my business name—can actually confuse the market and keep me from getting the clients I want and building consistent income. After coaching thousands of women, I've seen that trying to be clever with a unique title backfires, so I need to stop making my title creative and instead focus on the framework I use to take someone from a problem to a transformation. I also share how titles can get tangled with my identity, especially as a mom whose sense of self keeps evolving, so I shouldn't pin my identity to a label. Finally, I challenge the old idea that I need a perfect business card or bio, and I invite listeners to email me or join the Boss Mom community to keep the conversation going.

00:00 Titles That Repel Clients

00:20 Welcome to Boss Mom

00:44 Stop Being Clever

01:39 Sell a Framework

02:45 Titles and Identity Traps

03:40 Lead With Results

04:49 Ditch the Business Card

05:44 Bios and Relationship Building

06:20 Framework Sweet Spot

06:43 Next Steps and Wrap Up

At BossMom, we're normalizing the conversations that help you grow a business while raising a family.

In this episode, Dana gets real about something nobody tells you when you start your own business: nobody is coming to promote you. You're both the employee stuck in the trenches AND the CEO who decides promotions—so why are you still waiting for someone to tap you on the shoulder and tell you you're ready for the next level?

Dana breaks down the three specific things keeping mom entrepreneurs stuck in the same role, making the same money, and doing the same work without any exit strategy in sight. She explains why you need both a promotion plan AND a retirement plan for your business (and no, not the 401k kind—she's talking about how you actually get out of the content game, the service-providing game, the doing-all-the-things game).

From why you don't even realize a promotion is what you need, to how the Messaging Map Strategist Certification teaches you to sell before you master the skill (because confidence comes from talking about it, not waiting until you feel "ready"), this episode will shift how you see your trajectory. Plus, Dana shares why giving yourself a promotion isn't just good for your business—it's good for your kids to witness. Because model, don't martyr, always.

BossMom is your go-to home base for content, support, and community designed specifically for moms growing businesses → https://bossmom.com

📝 Check out the full article that pairs with this episode: →https://bossmom.com/sales-marketing/promotion/ 

📚 Want more conversations like this? Browse our full library of articles: → https://boss-mom.com/articles

🛠 Looking for the best tools, tips, and resources every BossMom needs in life and business? → https://boss-mom.com/resources

💬 Ready to go deeper with us? When you know that community and connection aren't just nice-to-haves, but the strategy that helps you thrive—come join us inside BossMom+. 

It's our private networking community built just for moms growing businesses—because you shouldn't have to do this alone.

✨ Why nobody is coming to promote you (and why that's actually good news once you accept it)

✨ The three specific things keeping you stuck in the same role making the same money

✨ Why you need both a promotion plan AND a retirement plan for your business

✨ How to identify what systems you'd be promoting yourself for (hint: you probably don't even know what you're good at yet)

✨ Why the Messaging Map Strategist Certification teaches you to sell BEFORE you master the skill

✨ The difference between "I don't have the skills" and "I don't have the confidence" (and which one is really holding you back)

✨ Why giving yourself a promotion is actually good for your kids to witness

Ready to move from service provider to strategist? The Messaging Map Strategist Certification is designed specifically for moms who are done trading time for money and ready to step into strategic, leveraged work that pays what you're actually worth. Check out https://go.nurturetoconvert.com/ntc-mapping-cert-sales-page to learn how you can give yourself the promotion you've been waiting for.

Success doesn't come from doing more—it comes from doing what matters and making it easier to stay consistent. That's why tools like FutureMe GPT and Nurture to Convert AI were created: to help you take action, simplify your messaging, and grow your business without the overwhelm.

Your audience is ready for you. Now it's about showing up in a way that works for you. Check out bossmom.com/futureme and nurturetoconvert.ai to see how much lighter business can feel.

Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes!

BossMom is the leading voice and resource for moms building businesses. We know you're not here to choose between being an amazing parent or running a successful business—you're here to build a life that makes room for both. Find more resources, support, and community right here → https://bossmom.com

Elevate the routines you live in. Head to cozyearth.com and use code BOSSMOM for up to 20% off. And if you get a Post-Purchase Survey, be sure to mention you heard about Cozy Earth right here!

Dana is obsessed with their Classic Cuddle Blanket. It feels like a weighted blanket and is so amazing she got a second one because her daughter kept stealing hers.

At BossMom, we're normalizing the conversations that help you grow a business while raising a family.

In this episode, Dana sits down with Annalie Bloomfield, author of Unapologetic: Unshackle Your Shame, Reclaim Your Power, for a refreshingly honest conversation about something nobody warned us about: friendship breakups in our 40s. They dive into why so many women are experiencing major friendship shifts right now, the difference between boundaries (exhausting) and raising your standards (empowering), and why your kids watching you pursue your dreams isn't selfish—it's the opposite of self-sacrifice.

Annalie shares her powerful reframe: stop trying to set boundaries and start raising your standards. When you elevate what you're willing to accept for yourself, people naturally rise to meet you there—or they don't, and that's okay too. Dana introduces the concept of "unlimited capacity" versus the scarcity mindset that tells us we can't handle noise, chaos, or complications. They both agree: when you're in the right spaces with the right people, you discover you actually have infinite capacity for connection.

From "paint your truck first" (Dana's reminder never to self-sacrifice like her birth father did) to "model, don't martyr" (the mantra every mom entrepreneur needs), this conversation will make you rethink everything you've been told about being a "good mom" and a "good friend." Plus, they explore why micro-communities and "communities of understanding" are the future—because sometimes you need different people for different parts of your life, and that's not only okay, it's healthy.

BossMom is your go-to home base for content, support, and community designed specifically for moms growing businesses → https://bossmom.com

📝 Check out the full article that pairs with this episode: → https://bossmom.com/boss-mom-podcast/friendship-breakups

📚 Want more conversations like this? Browse our full library of articles: → https://boss-mom.com/articles

🛠 Looking for the best tools, tips, and resources every BossMom needs in life and business? → https://boss-mom.com/resources

💬 Ready to go deeper with us? When you know that community and connection aren't just nice-to-haves, but the strategy that helps you thrive—come join us inside BossMom+. 

It's our private networking community built just for moms growing businesses—because you shouldn't have to do this alone.

✨ Why friendship breakups are happening to so many women right now (and what the Fire Horse year has to do with it)

✨ The powerful difference between setting boundaries (exhausting) and raising your standards (empowering)

✨ How to shift from "I can't handle this" to "I have unlimited capacity for the right things"

✨ Why emotional honesty with your kids is the most important skill you can model

✨ What "communities of understanding" are and why they're the future of connection

✨ Why self-sacrifice doesn't make you a better mom—it just makes you depleted

✨ How to curate connections with discernment instead of obligation

Success doesn't come from doing more—it comes from doing what matters and making it easier to stay consistent. That's why tools like FutureMe GPT and Nurture to Convert AI were created: to help you take action, simplify your messaging, and grow your business without the overwhelm.

Your audience is ready for you. Now it's about showing up in a way that works for you. Check out bossmom.com/futureme and nurturetoconvert.ai to see how much lighter business can feel.

Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes!

At BossMom, we're normalizing the conversations that help you grow a business while raising a family.

In this episode, Dana tackles one of the most controversial beliefs she holds: your children should not be your purpose. Before you close this tab, hear her out—because this distinction might be the most liberating thing you hear all year.

Dana opens up about why believing your kids are your only purpose actually burdens them with the weight of your unfulfilled dreams. She shares a heated debate she had at a Circle event where someone completely misunderstood what she meant, and breaks down the critical difference between "my kids ARE my purpose" versus "my kids GIVE ME purpose." One creates guilt, shame, and disconnection. The other creates fuel, integration, and a reciprocal relationship where you empower each other.

From her five-year-old daughter's problem-solving at a pumpkin patch ("Mom, get your computer and make money while we're in the bouncy house!") to why she believes modeling beats martyring every single time, Dana challenges everything you've been told about what it means to be a "good mom." The real lesson? When you pursue your dreams openly and involve your kids in age-appropriate ways, you don't create disconnection—you create a team. And your kids learn more from watching you build something meaningful than from you sacrificing silently and resenting it later.

BossMom is your go-to home base for content, support, and community designed specifically for moms growing businesses → https://bossmom.com

📝 Check out the full article that pairs with this episode: → https://bossmom.com/boss-mom-podcast/purpose/

📚 Want more conversations like this? Browse our full library of articles: → https://boss-mom.com/articles

🛠 Looking for the best tools, tips, and resources every BossMom needs in life and business? → https://boss-mom.com/resources

💬 Ready to go deeper with us? When you know that community and connection aren't just nice-to-haves, but the strategy that helps you thrive—come join us inside BossMom+. → 

It's our private networking community built just for moms growing businesses—because you shouldn't have to do this alone.

✨ Why "your kids are your purpose" is actually burdensome to your children (and what to believe instead)

✨ The game-changing difference between kids BEING your purpose vs. kids GIVING you purpose

✨ Why modeling beats martyring every time—and what that actually looks like in practice

✨ How to involve your kids in your work in age-appropriate ways (from toddlers to teens)

✨ The disconnection trap: why shame and isolation around your ambitions harm your relationships more than the ambitions themselves

✨ Dana's "model, don't martyr" philosophy and why your kids need to see you pursue your dreams

Success doesn't come from doing more—it comes from doing what matters and making it easier to stay consistent. That's why tools like FutureMe GPT and Nurture to Convert AI were created: to help you take action, simplify your messaging, and grow your business without the overwhelm.

Your audience is ready for you. Now it's about showing up in a way that works for you. Check out bossmom.com/futureme and nurturetoconvert.ai to see how much lighter business can feel.

Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes!

BossMom is the leading voice and resource for moms building businesses. We know you're not here to choose between being an amazing parent or running a successful business—you're here to build a life that makes room for both. Find more resources, support, and community right here → https://bossmom.com

Elevate the routines you live in. Head to cozyearth.com and use code BOSSMOM for up to 20% off. And if you get a Post-Purchase Survey, be sure to mention you heard about Cozy Earth right here!

Dana is obsessed with their Cuddle Blanket. It feels like a weighted blanket and is so amazing she got a second one because her daughter kept stealing hers.

At BossMom, we're normalizing the conversations that help you grow a business while raising a family.

In this episode, Dana sits down with therapist and author Elijah Weinstein to talk about the quiet drift that happens in marriages when kids enter the picture. From unspoken expectations and the myth of empathy to practical tools like the import/export list and full communication, he shares honest and actionable lessons on how to stop growing apart and start showing up for each other again. You don't need a perfect marriage to start strengthening it, you just need the willingness to say the hard things out loud and give your partner the full picture instead of expecting them to connect dots you never drew.

Elijah's book, From I Do to We Do, is available starting March 17, 2026. Find it and all the links at eliweinsteinlcsw.com, or connect with him on Instagram at @eliweinstein.lcsw.

This episode is brought to you by Cozy Earth.

Elevate the routines you live in. Head to cozyearth.com and use code BOSSMOM for up to 20% off. And if you get a Post-Purchase Survey, be sure to mention you heard about Cozy Earth right here!

Dana is obsessed with their Cuddle Blanket. It feels like a weighted blanket and is so amazing she got a second one because her daughter kept stealing hers.

At BossMom, we're normalizing the conversations that help you grow a business while raising a family.

In this episode, Dana opens up about the constant struggle moms face when deciding where to put their energy and time. From choosing to cuddle her sick kids all week to flying to Arizona for a mastermind event, she shares the raw truth that being busy isn't the same as being effective. She breaks down why every strategy "works" but most of us are stuck because we lack clarity on what we're actually building. The real lesson? You can't delegate, scale, or find freedom without absolute clarity on who you're serving and why. You don't need more time management tips, you need to get brutally honest about where you're wasting energy on busy work instead of building something that actually gives you the freedom to choose the cuddles when it matters most.

Explore More Resources from BossMom
BossMom is your go-to home base for content, support, and community designed specifically for moms growing businesses → https://bossmom.com

At BossMom, we're normalizing the conversations that help you grow a business while raising a family.

In this episode, Dana opens up about the internal war every mom faces between the woman she was before kids and the mother she's become. From feeling guilty about wanting more to recognizing how that inner turmoil affects your kids, she shares why saying things out loud and knowing what you actually want are the only two things that will stop the cycle of overwhelm and mom guilt. You don't need to sacrifice your dreams to be a good mom, you just need to stop fighting yourself and start voicing what you really want in a space where other moms actually get it.

Explore More Resources from BossMom
BossMom is your go-to home base for content, support, and community designed specifically for moms growing businesses → https://bossmom.com

At BossMom, we're normalizing the conversations that help you grow a business while raising a family.

In this article, Dana reveals the primary reason moms struggle to hit their goals: isolation. Despite being constantly surrounded by people, moms are silently battling guilt, self-doubt, and internal conflict about whether they're making the right choices. She introduces a powerful framework (Speak, Find, See, Hope, Reflect, Achieve) that breaks the cycle of isolation and cures mom guilt by getting you to say things out loud, find your circles of understanding, and realize you're not alone in your struggles. From learning how to receive without constantly proving your worth to understanding that wanting more doesn't make you selfish, Dana shows you how clarity and freedom come from breaking the silence. You don't need to have it all figured out, you just need to stop isolating yourself and start saying the things you've been keeping silent.

What You'll Learn in This Article:

✨ Why isolation (not lack of hustle) is the real reason you're not hitting your goals
✨ The difference between guilt and shame, and why mom guilt has become such a huge issue for our generation
✨ How to break the isolation cycle with a proven framework: Speak, Find, See, Hope, Reflect, Achieve
✨ Why saying things out loud in the right circles is the key to curing mom guilt
✨ How to learn to receive support, love, and money without constantly proving your worth

At BossMom, we're normalizing the conversations that help you grow a business while raising a family.

In this episode, Dana gets vulnerable about something most mom entrepreneurs hide: starting over. After stepping back from Boss Mom to navigate grief, family changes, and rebuilding herself, Dana shares why the shame around starting over is keeping us stuck—and how breaking that silence changed everything. She reveals why Silicon Valley celebrates rebuilding every five years while moms treat it like failure, what isolation actually does to your business and creativity, and how stepping away doesn't mean you failed—it means you're human. With major entrepreneurs like Amy Porterfield and Jenna Kutcher publicly stepping back from parts of their businesses, Dana makes the case for why we need to normalize the start-stop cycle for moms and show our kids what real resilience looks like.

Explore More Resources from BossMom

BossMom is your go-to home base for content, support, and community designed specifically for moms growing businesses → https://bossmom.com

📝 Check out the full article that pairs with this episode: → https://bossmom.com/mindset/starting-over/

📚 Want more conversations like this? Browse our full library of articles: → https://boss-mom.com/articles

🛠 Looking for the best tools, tips, and resources every BossMom needs in life and business? → https://boss-mom.com/resources

💬 Ready to go deeper with us? When you know that community and connection aren't just nice-to-haves, but the strategy that helps you thrive—come join us inside BossMom+. → 

It's our private networking community built just for moms growing businesses—because you shouldn't have to do this alone.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

✨ Why stepping back from your business doesn't make you a failure—it makes you human

✨ How breaking the silence about struggling changed Dana's entire trajectory in 6 months

✨ What isolation actually does to your creativity, motivation, and ability to sell

✨ Why Silicon Valley celebrates rebuilding while moms hide it in shame

✨ The real power moms have when we stop isolating and start showing our resilience

✨ How to have the conversation that will break you out of stuck mode and into hope

Success doesn't come from doing more—it comes from doing what matters and making it easier to stay consistent. That's why tools like FutureMe GPT and Nurture to Convert AI were created: to help you take action, simplify your messaging, and grow your business without the overwhelm.

Your audience is ready for you. Now it's about showing up in a way that works for you. Check out bossmom.com/futureme and nurturetoconvert.ai to see how much lighter business can feel.

Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes!

About BossMom:

BossMom is the leading voice and resource for moms building businesses. We know you're not here to choose between being an amazing parent or running a successful business—you're here to build a life that makes room for both. Find more resources, support, and community right here → https://bossmom.com

At BossMom, we're normalizing the conversations that help you grow a business while raising a family.

In this episode, Dana sits down with Lauren Falesnik, founder of GILi Guise, a kids' clothing brand born from a simple mom problem: finding jeans her toddler would actually wear. Lauren shares how she went from stay-at-home mom to entrepreneur without sacrificing her presence with her kids, proving that you don't have to choose between motherhood and building something meaningful. From sourcing denim in her basement to launching a thriving business in 2024, Lauren gets honest about the tears, the late nights, and the conversations she had to have with her kids about Mommy's work. She reveals how she manages routine, guilt, and growth while expecting baby number three, and why moms already have every skill they need to build a business. You don't need the perfect time or a flawless plan, you just need to solve a problem you care about and trust that you'll figure it out along the way.

✨ Why there's never a "perfect time" to start a business as a mom and how to just make it work
✨ How to integrate work and motherhood without choosing one over the other
✨ The real conversations you need to have with your kids about Mommy's work (and why they're easier than you think)
✨ Why routine is your secret weapon for managing business and family without losing your mind
✨ How moms already have every operational skill needed to run a successful business (and why corporate doesn't recognize it)
✨ What to do when you're afraid of failure and how to lean on community instead of going it alone

At BossMom, we're normalizing the conversations that help you grow a business while raising a family.

In this episode, Dana breaks down the five non-negotiables for moms building sustainable businesses. From understanding why isolation kills momentum to getting brutally honest about whether you need money now, are monetizing your healing, or want impact and visibility, each reason requires a completely different strategy. She explains why traditional time management fails moms, introduces the three internal parts (Mom, Woman, Voice) fighting for your attention, and reveals why messy, authentic marketing is now your biggest competitive advantage. You don't need more time or fewer responsibilities to succeed, you just need to stop building like someone without kids and start creating a business that fits your actual life.

Explore More Resources from BossMom
BossMom is your go-to home base for content, support, and community designed specifically for moms growing businesses → https://bossmom.com

What You'll Learn in This Episode:
✨ Why building your business in isolation is killing your momentum and the three types of people you actually need
✨ The three real reasons moms build businesses and why using the wrong strategy for your reason keeps you stuck
✨ Why traditional time management doesn't work for moms and the 10-minute framework that does
✨ The three parts of yourself (Mom, Woman, Voice) at war inside you and how to stop the internal conflict
✨ Why messy, unpolished marketing is now your biggest advantage and how to use it to build real connection

At BossMom, we're normalizing the conversations that help you grow a business while raising a family.

In this episode, Dana opens up about the challenge of receiving love and support as a mom—and why we're often the ones standing in our own way. From realizing she never asked for her own Christmas stocking to understanding that people can't read our minds the way we read theirs, she shares the raw and honest truth about mom resentment, over-giving, and the guilt that comes with doing it all in silence. She explains how knowing what you want, identifying where you get resentful, and actually asking for help can transform your relationships and your boundaries. You don't need to do it all alone to be a good mom—you just need the courage to tell the people who love you how they can show up for you.

At BossMom, we're normalizing the conversations that help you grow a business while raising a family.

Dana sits down with Leah Remillet to tackle the guilt and hesitation that stops moms from pursuing their business dreams. From the gender gap in confidence (men apply for jobs at 60% qualified, women wait for 100%) to the damaging cultural myth that good mothers must sacrifice everything, Leah shares why that persistent business idea on your heart isn't accidental, it found you because you're meant to act on it. She reveals the truth about successful mom entrepreneurs: they don't do everything alone, they build systems that create freedom, and they bring their kids into the journey instead of hiding their ambitions. You don't need perfect credentials or the ideal setup to start building a business, you just need to stop waiting for permission that will never come and take action before that dream finds someone else who will.

Connect with Lea:
Instagram: @leahremillet

Facebook: Leah Remillet

At BossMom, we're normalizing the conversations that help you grow a business while raising a family.

In this episode, Dana breaks down the critical difference between sharing that builds your business and sharing that kills sales. She explores the concept of wounds versus scars—why sharing too soon can make customers back away, and how waiting for the lessons to crystallize creates content that converts. From her own experience with grief tanking her revenue to learning when vulnerability becomes a powerful teaching tool, Dana gives you the framework to know exactly what to share online and when to share it.

✨ The relatability factor: what makes content connect versus what pushes people away 
✨ Wounds vs. scars: the critical framework that determines if your vulnerability builds or tanks sales
✨ Why "monetizing your healing" sabotages your business (and what to do instead)
✨ The two questions to ask before sharing anything online
✨ How to know when shame has transformed into a lesson worth teaching
✨ Why your audience isn't the same as your inner circle (and why that matters)

At BossMom, we're normalizing the conversations that help you grow a business while raising a family.

In this episode, Dana sits down with Dr. Shannon Irvine to explore why your brain actively works against your business growth—and how to rewire it. From hitting invisible revenue ceilings to the "I'll just do it myself" trap that keeps mom entrepreneurs stuck, Shannon shares the neuroscience behind why all your strategies aren't working. She reveals how limiting beliefs programmed in childhood create subconscious patterns that sabotage success, and walks through her proven 67-day framework for building new neural pathways that make scaling, delegating, and wealth feel safe. You don't need more hustle or willpower—you need to understand how your brain works and intentionally rewire it for the success you're building.

✨ Why your brain perceives growth as a threat—and how that creates invisible revenue ceilings

✨ The neuroscience behind procrastination, perfectionism, and the "I'll just do it myself" trap

✨ How childhood programming creates limiting beliefs that sabotage your success (without you even knowing it)

✨ Why you can't out-hustle your subconscious patterns—and what actually works instead

✨ Dr. Shannon's 67-day framework for rewiring your brain to make scaling, delegating, and wealth feel safe

✨ How to shift your identity from "doer" to "leader" so you can finally scale beyond your personal capacity

✨ Why skepticism is the only thing standing between you and your next level

At BossMom, we're normalizing the conversations that help you grow a business while raising a family.

In this episode, Dana addresses the spiral every mom entrepreneur knows too well: when your brain has 80,000 tabs open and everything feels equally important. She reveals how we condition everyone around us to need us, making it impossible to prioritize effectively. Dana introduces the FEE test and ROI framework to help you distinguish between being busy and being productive, shares why not all time with your kids has the same value (and why that's okay), and explains the three-step process to pull yourself back when you're overwhelmed. From the guilt of wasted time to the reality of managing multiple "babies" in your business, she gets honest about what it takes to stop spiraling. You don't need a perfect system—you just need clarity on what actually moves the needle.

At BossMom, we're normalizing the conversations that help you grow a business while raising a family.

Dana and Krista get real about why starting a business might be the smartest parenting move you'll ever make—not just for the income, but for the life skills your kids absorb by watching you. They discuss breaking rules vs. following them, teaching autonomy through example, and why hiding your struggles from your kids means they miss the entire lesson. Krista shares how her 16-year-old daughter Bri landed her first job after watching her mom fearlessly approach local business owners, and Dana explains why she believes 100% of moms should have a business—even if it's small, seasonal, or just brings in vacation money. This is an empowering, slightly ranty conversation for any mom who wants to raise kids who question the status quo and create their own path.

Want to surround yourself with moms who think differently and stop feeling like you're the only one?

https://bossmom.com/futureme

Explore More Resources from BossMom
BossMom is your go-to home base for content, support, and community designed specifically for moms growing businesses → bossmom.com

📝 Check out the full article that pairs with this episode:

https://bossmom.com/articles

At BossMom, we're normalizing the conversations that help you grow a business while raising a family.

A woman in a flowing gown and heels carefully straps on knee pads, positions herself at the top of a staircase, and deliberately throws herself down the stairs. It sounds absurd. Maybe even reckless. But when you understand why Michelle Lang does this—and what it represents—it becomes one of the most honest conversations about motherhood you'll ever encounter.

After 12 years away from her career as a professional stunt performer, Lang has returned to throwing herself off buildings, getting hit by cars, and tumbling down staircases. But this isn't just about revisiting old skills. It's about what happens when mothers finally get enough mental space to ask themselves a devastating question: "Who am I if I'm not just someone's mom?"

At BossMom, we're normalizing the conversations that help you grow a business while raising a family.

In this episode, Dana sits down with Amanda Goetz, a two-time founder, four-time CMO, and single mom of three, to discuss the lessons from her journey of burnout to balance. Amanda shares how her debut book Toxic Grit came to life, stemming from her own cathartic process of healing after a tough few years. From learning to compartmentalize her roles as a mom, entrepreneur, and partner, to realizing the importance of focusing on what you want, Amanda's insights are a game-changer. She opens up about how embracing complexity and letting go of the pressure to be perfect can lead to a more fulfilling and intentional life. Tune in to hear how Amanda's journey can help you redefine success and create a life where you don't just survive, but actually love what you have.

At BossMom, we're normalizing the conversations that help you grow a business while raising a family.

In this episode, Dana sits down with Cynthia Garcia—an unstoppable entrepreneur, four-time founder, and the powerhouse creator behind the SELF-Made Movement. Cynthia is on a mission to help women embrace aging with confidence, rewrite the stories we've been told about getting older, and build empires while doing it.

From growing up in poverty to launching Rewritten, a beauty brand that's redefining what aging beautifully means, Cynthia shares how self-reinvention, clarity, and inner confidence have shaped every chapter of her journey. This episode is more than inspiring—it's a wake-up call to every woman ready to own her power at any age.

You'll walk away with tangible steps to rewrite your story, show up as your future self today, and embrace the movement → momentum → velocity mindset that creates unstoppable growth.

BossMom is your go-to home base for content, support, and community designed specifically for moms growing businesses → https://bossmom.com

📝 Check out the full article that pairs with this episode:
→ https://bossmom.com/cynthia-garcia

📚 Want more conversations like this?
Browse our full library of articles → https://bossmom.com/articles

🛠 Looking for the best tools, tips, and resources every BossMom needs in life and business?
→ https://bossmom.com/resources

Ready to go deeper with us?
When you know that community and connection aren't just nice-to-haves, but the strategy that helps you thrive—come join us inside BossMom+ → https://bossmom.com/bossmomplus

It's our private networking community built just for moms growing businesses—because you shouldn't have to do this alone.

✨ Why aging isn't about fading—it's about accumulating power, wisdom, and resilience.
✨ How to rewrite your life story and create the future you want.
✨ Why confidence starts within and radiates outward.
✨ Cynthia's daily habits for feeling vibrant, energized, and beautiful from the inside out.
✨ The mindset shift that creates movement → momentum → velocity in both business and life.

Success doesn't come from doing more—it comes from doing what matters and making it easier to stay consistent. That's why tools like FutureMe GPT and Nurture to Convert AI were created: to help you simplify your message, take action, and grow your business without the overwhelm.

Your audience is ready for you. Now it's about showing up in a way that works for you.

Check out bossmom.com/futureme and nurturetoconvert.ai to see how much lighter business can feel.

Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes!

BossMom is the leading voice and resource for moms building businesses. We know you're not here to choose between being an amazing parent or running a successful business—you're here to build a life that makes room for both.

Find more resources, support, and community right here → https://bossmom.com/bossmomplus

Connect with Cynthia Garcia here:

rewrittenbeauty

https://www.cynthiagarcia.com/

In this episode, Dana shares the unexpected lesson that came from a nearly empty networking event and how it revealed two hidden habits keeping most mom entrepreneurs stuck: deferring their dreams and doing everything themselves.

She dives deep into the mindset behind why moms say "it's just easier if I do it," how that belief quietly sabotages our growth, and what to do instead. You'll learn Dana's favorite framework—Start, Stop, Continue, Delegate—and how to finally start building the support, systems, and future you've been dreaming about.

If you've ever caught yourself thinking "I'll focus on that later," this episode is your wake-up call that your future dictates today.

BossMom is your go-to home base for content, support, and community designed specifically for moms growing businesses → https://bossmom.com

📝 Check out the full article that pairs with this episode:
→ https://bossmom.com/mindset/your-future-dictates-today

📚 Want more conversations like this? Browse our full library of articles:
→ https://boss-mom.com/articles

🛠 Looking for the best tools, tips, and resources every BossMom needs in life and business?
→ https://boss-mom.com/resources

💬 Ready to go deeper with us?
When you know that community and connection aren't just nice-to-haves, but the strategy that helps you thrive—come join us inside BossMom+.
→ https://bossmom.com/join

It's our private networking community built just for moms growing businesses—because you shouldn't have to do this alone.

• The two hidden mindset traps that keep mom entrepreneurs small

• Why saying "I don't want that" often means "I'm afraid of that"

• How the belief that "it's easier if I do it" leads to burnout

• Why your future dictates today (and how to start living that way)

• The power of the Start–Stop–Continue–Delegate method for clarity and growth

• How community and delegation create freedom—not overwhelm

At the end of the day, you don't have to earn the right to dream big. You just have to decide that your future is worth leading from—today.

If you've been carrying it all on your own, this episode will remind you that doing it alone isn't strength—it's survival. And you were made for more than that.

Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes!

BossMom is the leading voice and resource for moms building businesses. We know you're not here to choose between being an amazing parent or running a successful business—you're here to build a life that makes room for both.

Find more resources, support, and community right here → https://bossmom.com

Rewrite Your Money Story: Feminine Energy, Survival Mode & Wealth for Moms (with Shamina Taylor)
Boss Mom founder Dana Malstaff sits down with bestselling author and mentor Shamina Taylor to rewire how moms think about wealth. You'll learn why so many women get stuck in survival mode, how wounded masculine energy blocks receiving, and the exact mindset + nervous-system shifts that move you from "just enough" to abundance. We also talk tangible business patterns, underpricing, over-delivering, chasing clients, and how to plug the money leaks, raise your receiving ceiling, and make wealth feel safe.

Connect with Shamina here:

Get the Quantum Woman

In this episode of the Boss Mom Podcast, Dana sits down with faith-based life coach and mom of seven, Hannah Keeley, to talk about what's really happening inside the mom brain—and how understanding it can completely transform your life, your home, and your business.

Hannah shares her powerful story of hitting rock bottom, hearing God's call to simply "fold the laundry," and discovering that small, faithful steps can lead to massive change. Together, they dive into how to stop fighting your mom brain and start working with it, so you can finally feel peace, purpose, and possibility again.

If you've ever felt like you're spinning your wheels, craving calm but living in chaos, this conversation is your reminder: you're not broken, mama. You're becoming.

Explore More Resources from BossMom

BossMom is your go-to home base for content, support, and community designed specifically for moms growing businesses → https://bossmom.com

📝 Check out the full article that pairs with this episode:
→ https://bossmom.com/motherhood/the-mom-brain-reset-small-shifts-that-create-big-change-with-hannah-keeley/

📚 Want more conversations like this? Browse our full library of articles:
→ https://boss-mom.com/articles

🛠 Looking for the best tools, tips, and resources every BossMom needs in life and business?
→ https://boss-mom.com/resources

💬 Ready to go deeper with us? When you know that community and connection aren't just nice-to-haves, but the strategy that helps you thrive—come join us inside BossMom+.
→ https://bossmom.com/join

It's our private networking community built just for moms growing businesses—because you shouldn't have to do this alone.

• What "mom brain" really is and why it's not a flaw.

• How to work with your mom brain instead of against it.

• The power of small, faithful actions. How one simple instruction, "fold the laundry", sparked an entire life transformation and why small steps lead to big change.

• Why resistance kills creativity (and how to reopen it).

• How faith and mindset work together to create lasting transformation.

If this episode spoke to you if you felt seen, encouraged, or simply reminded that you're not alone in this journey, then you'll love Hannah's upcoming Moms Arise Virtual Event, happening November 13–15.

It's a three-day online experience designed to help you rethink your thoughts, reframe your fears, and reset your mom brain with faith and purpose. You'll walk away not just inspired, but equipped with practical tools to create the life you want to live as a mom, entrepreneur, and woman of faith.

And don't forget to connect with Hannah Keeley on Instagram @hannahkeeley, she personally responds to messages and loves hearing from real moms doing the work.

Connect with Wendy here:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/HannahKeeley
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hannahkeeleyfriends
X: https://x.com/hannahkeeley
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thehannahkeeley

Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes!

About BossMom:
BossMom is the leading voice and resource for moms building businesses. We know you're not here to choose between being an amazing parent or running a successful business—you're here to build a life that makes room for both. Find more resources, support, and community right here → https://bossmom.com

Here at BossMom, we know the best breakthroughs don't come from pretending everything's fine. They come when we're honest about the fear, the overwhelm, and the spirals of anxiety that so many of us carry while raising kids and building businesses.

In this episode, Dana sits down with Zen Cryar DeBrucke, creator of the Fear-Free Human Movement and founder of the Recreating You Game. Zen shares her work on the Internal Guidance System (IGS), a built-in compass we all have that helps us detect when our thoughts are leading us off track, and how to shift toward ones that open us up to alignment, peace, and possibility.

Together, they explore what it looks like to move past fear-based thinking, how to recognize the signals in your body that show you the truth, and why learning to pivot into "opening" thoughts can be the key to lasting emotional freedom.

If you've ever wondered how to stop the late-night worry spiral, how to respond to life's chaos with more clarity, or how to live and lead from a place of abundance instead of fear, this conversation will leave you inspired, grounded, and ready to trust the guidance system you already carry inside.

Explore More Resources from BossMom

BossMom is your go-to home base for content, support, and community designed specifically for moms growing businesses → https://bossmom.com

📝 Check out the full article that pairs with this episode:
→ https://bossmom.com/motherhood/unlocking-emotional-freedom-and-abundant-living-with-zen-cryar-debrucke/

📚 Want more conversations like this? Browse our full library of articles:
→ https://boss-mom.com/articles

🛠 Looking for the best tools, tips, and resources every BossMom needs in life and business?
→ https://boss-mom.com/resources

💬 Ready to go deeper with us? When you know that community and connection aren't just nice-to-haves, but the strategy that helps you thrive—come join us inside BossMom+.
→ https://bossmom.com/join

It's our private networking community built just for moms growing businesses—because you shouldn't have to do this alone.

• What the Internal Guidance System really is and how it differs from intuition and emotions.

• The difference between opening and closing thoughts, and how to feel the signals in your own body.

• Why emotional freedom matters and how it changes the way you parent, partner, and run your business.

• The truth about guilt vs. remorse and why one keeps you stuck while the other sets you free.

• Practical ways to use your IGS daily, from handling kid interruptions to making big business decisions.

This episode is a reminder that you don't have to be ruled by fear, anxiety, or overwhelm. You already have the tools inside you to find calm, clarity, and courage. Zen's work with the Internal Guidance System shows us that emotional freedom isn't just possible, it's the foundation for living a more abundant, aligned life. Be sure to check out Zen's Recreating You Game, a five-day practice designed to help you experience your IGS in action and start living with more ease right away.

You were never meant to just survive the chaos, you were meant to thrive. The guidance you've been searching for has been within you all along, and when you learn to trust it, freedom and abundance can become your everyday reality.

Connect with Wendy here:
Podcast: https://freshstartfamilyonline.com/show/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/freshstartfamily
Instagram: @freshstartwendy  or https://www.instagram.com/freshstartwendy/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-snyder-freshstartonline

Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes!

About BossMom:
BossMom is the leading voice and resource for moms building businesses. We know you're not here to choose between being an amazing parent or running a successful business—you're here to build a life that makes room for both. Find more resources, support, and community right here → https://bossmom.com