Work Hard Mom Harder

This weekend, a dream I've had since 2019 came to life and inspired me to finally do the work, get off the fence, and revive this podcast.  Listen to discover the miracles that can happen when a few people come together to make something happen, the miracles I'm excited to see happen this year, and to leave inspired to take MASSIVE action towards making your own dreams come true. The Work Hard Mom Harder podcast is back! 

Any business leader you listen to will encourage you to take a look at your yearly goals at the halfway point. And I will tell you to do so as well. But in this episode I'm getting REAL honest about how the year has gone so far, and how I'm choosing to tackle the last half of 2022. If you're looking at your year and feeling like it is all going by way too fast, and feeling overwhelmed with how much you need to do in order to hit your goals… this one's for you.

This year, Hudson would have been 10. July is the month we celebrate her life and give back to an important organization, and today's episode outlines some of the ways you can get involved if you'd like to. But if you're new to the podcast, or new to our story, perhaps today's most important lesson is this: Feel the feels.  You can be happy and sad about the same thing, at the same time. Oh, and a lot can happen in a decade. Take a listen.

We're celebrating my FOUR YEAR Business-versary today and on this episode of the podcast, I'm sharing some of the most important lessons I've learned so far. There are surprising parallels between parenting and being a business owner. But in all the day to day hustle, it's easy to lose sight of the vastness of potential we have in not only our careers but in our personal lives as well. Businesses change the world. And I'm so excited to see how ours changes the world in the next four years and beyond! Reflect with me in today's episode!

Today's episode shares a parenting lesson AND a marketing lesson and it's the same lesson. Curious? Listen to learn how my diva Three-nager reminded me of one of the most important lessons in marketing, and get challenged to apply this lesson in your own business as well.

Today's episode is inspired by my daughter, Maddox, and dedicated to all the humans out there trying to dig for a deeper level of effort and impact.

Learn how watching my son struggle with some new skills has me thinking about my own business initiatives differently. Then, hear four ways you can adjust your current defaults when it comes to growing your email list. I want your small business to have as much leverage as possible, and this episode is all about simple ways to push yourself outside the comfort zone to do just that!

In today's episode a share a correlation between clusterfeeding my infant and batchworking in my business. Might sound weird, but I promise there are nuggets of gold in this episode that will help you unlock more productivity in your days, get more of your best work done, and hopefully start sleeping like a baby. 

This is not the podcast episode I had planned for today but it is the podcast I need to share: the call to action?? You need to make a highlight reel  

Find out why I've been quiet for the better part of a year, and what to expect in the episodes to come!

It's on my heart to share this thought with you today. Mom relationships can be complicated, but the odds that YOU exist, or that your kids are the little humans that they are ... that's just a factual miracle. Treat yourself as such today. Treat yourself as such EVERY day.  Love yourself like the miracle that you are, because you're doing awesome, mama.

In this live riff I share the simple marketing philosophy that I teach my clients and students that is starting to have really positive impacts on my personal life as well. Today I'm breaking down: One goal - one measurable As you listen, make a note of the application in business, and make the commitment to trying it out in your next product launch, social media post, or interaction with your clients and team. But also, start thinking about how this concept of "designing for outcomes" applies in your personal life. From how you show up for your workout to how you interact with your mother-in-law, you're going to start seeing how this can apply in just about any area of your life, with fantastic results.  

I'm turning 38 in a few weeks, so I decided to make a bucket list of 37 things to do before my next birthday. I'm still knocking items off the list, but the process of creating the list taught me a few important lessons that I'm sharing with you today. Listen to discover the four lessons making a "37 before 38" bucket list taught me, and how these apply when designing a life you absolutely love to live.

We've all probably done it at least once ... with our kid, or with a pet perhaps. The countdown. "Get back here right now." No response. "1... 2..." and there's usually a scramble between 2 and 3 where action occurs. It's a powerful motivator and highly effective in my household.  Today I riff on how I've been using the power of the countdown to get things done in my business (in some cases for better, and in others for worse). And I ponder, without success, how I might be able to leverage this power for getting more results in my personal life.  Listen to find motivation and a practical mind hack for leveraging this power to get results.

I've been watching all three of our kids learning new skills the past few weeks, while simultaneously learning some new skills (or dusting some off) myself. There are some striking differences between how kids and adults learn.  I'm working hard to apply these lessons in my life. Listen to hear: how my daughter practicing handwriting laid a roadmap for me to do something entirely new for my business.  how my two-year-old walking down the stairs reminds me that one try is never enough how my son's love of dinosaurs has him making tremendous strides in the reading and writing department  And then, be sure to listen to the end and take the challenge. How will you learn like a kid in the next week?

Taking my four-year-old shopping for new school clothes reminded me of some important life lessons that only a four-year-old can embody. 1. Caring less about fit / flattery / function and more about what lights you up. 2. Including others in your joy. 3. Joy is reason enough. 4. Care a little less about what you think other people should see. Listen. Share. Apply. Live your best life.

Working parents are among the scrappiest people on the planet. In today's episode you'll learn my favorite free (or next-to-free) tools to help me run a business and stay sane as a parent. I'm sharing my go-to resources that you can use to grow your business or manage things at home. I'm also sharing my favorite time-management hack to get me really great results, both at work and with my kiddos. And as you would expect, I talk a lot about the importance of making it fun.

Meet Kathryn Witherington, the Executive Director of the Downtown Walla Walla Foundation who is a catalytic player in my local community and an inspiring figure no matter where you are. In today's episode you'll hear Kathryn's thoughts on the transformative power of an enthusiastic "Yes!" We also discuss ways to empower our kids to be problem solvers even at a young age, commiserate on kids in the workplace, and generally map out how parents are going to change the world. You'll want to listen in.

What would you say if I told you that my 13-year-old black lab taught me one of the most important lessons of 2021 so far? In today's episode I riff on the most powerful thing you can do to make the world a more positive place, and to amplify that positivity over the negativity that seems to be spreading at global pandemic speed. 

This is an interview with my good friend Ashley Johnson. She is a good sport in the first order, a generous and thoughtful friend, a terrific mom, and an inspiring professional.  She & her husband moved across the country with a tiny brand new baby. She serves our community and our veterans in her role as a pharmacist at the VA. Did I mention she has three-year-old twin boys, too? Yea, she's pretty rad. In this episode, we cover a lot of ground, from time management to working from home, the surprise of having twins, showing appreciation for the people who help and so much more.

Instead of a typical end-of-year mashup of all the best episodes of the podcast, I decided to bring on years of wisdom - 6 and 4 years, to be exact - to share their thoughts on the year that everybody thought sucked. If you choose to look back at the year that just wrapped up, find one or two bright spots and move on. Look to 2021 and find a few things you're excited for, and focus on those things.  Let's keep it simple in 2021. It's more than an act of survival... it's a wonderful way to thrive, too.

After a week of being AS CAREFUL AS I HAVE BEEN THIS ENTIRE PANDEMIC, I got the covid.  I'm lucky, though. I have a very mild case, very few other people in my life were exposed, and by a Christmas miracle I should be able to come out of isolation just in time to celebrate Christmas with my family. Here are 5 lessons I've learned through this experience, complete with ideas for how you can apply them yourself (even if you don't get the C-1-niner).

In this episode, I share a recent experience loaded with lessons.  I had been carrying a decision around for 2 years, putting off pulling the trigger because of a long-held belief about something else. Find out what letting go did for me. Then, accept the challenge and try for yourself.

Today's riff is brought to you by my morning workout and the soundtrack is the DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince -  "Summertime."  You'll get it when you listen. An old interview with Will Smith popped into my LinkedIn feed and motivated me today. I'm sharing that motivation with you, along with two specific challenges to help you live as the person you want to become every single day.

Are you feeling like 2020 in its entirety is MEH? Waiting for "normal" to return, or another circumstance to change before you start living life again? I've been fighting it for months now. In today's episode we talk about what it looks like to live life to the fullest. Spoiler alert: it isn't all sunshine and rainbows. If you want to experience more joy in your life, through a global pandemic and beyond,  this episode is a must-listen.

What my first attempt at real fundraising taught me about life, community, family, and goal-setting.

Meet Elena Harris.  Elena is a summer intern at my business, Erica Walter Writes. She is also a rockstar budding entrepreneur and a go-getter like nobody I've met before at such a young age. Her unique perspective on life and business will be a breath of fresh air for listeners who might need to be reminded that - self-care is hard to prioritize, even when you don't have kids - decluttering your home and your mind will pay off in big ways - taking initiative is actually the LEAST risky thing you can do   

Now if you don’t struggle with people-pleasing, this episode is not for you. But if you are like most of the working parents I know, you often sacrifice your needs for the needs of others. In this episode, Maddox teaches us a lesson in how to tap into our inner toddler to say no to the things that don't serve us and say YES to ourselves and our goals. 

I've been thinking a lot about stories over the past few days. The idea has been following me around worse than a pair of cute shoes I clicked on ONE TIME on Instagram. In today's episode, you'll hear why stories are resonating so much for me right now, and find some powerful ways to look at your own life story through an author's lens. None of us get to choose how many pages the story will have. But with every new page, we have an opportunity to choose where to take the story next. And Hudson's short life is proof that it doesn't need to be a long story to be a powerful, life-changing one.

Today's guest is an inspiration to me and countless others for her selfless "gamer-ness" and uplifting participation in the lives of those she loves. My sister, Nikki Sharp, has been mentioned on countless episodes and today we get a chance to look back on her almost-first-year of parenting. What life looks like with New Human on board, how work has been impacted, and how she is finding ways to be true to herself, her partner, her son, and her work through it all. You'll leave challenged, inspired, and clued in to the fact that Nikki and I definitely grew up together. 

Children's fiction has some powerful lessons to share, y'all. Today, I'm sharing how a children's book gave my 6-year-old the courage to face the fireman pole at the playground. Discover the reason you are letting fear control you, and how to overcome it, in this week's episode.   Awakening by Vlad Gluschenko | https://soundcloud.com/vgl9 Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

This is a special episode for many reasons, but the most important reason is that I'm kicking off an entire month of celebrating our firstborn. Hudson would have been 8 years old this July. Normally, the summer brings with it a sense of impending doom as I gear up to feel all the feels. This year, I'm choosing to focus on joy and on giving back. If you are looking for ways to spread hope in times of darkness, this episode is a great place to start.

There is a powerful movement going on in the world right now. In today's episode, you'll learn how my teenage acting and piano playing career taught me an invaluable skill that we all could afford to employ today. The ability to tear apart and examine our own interpretations and invite the interpretations of others in order to uncover beautiful, richer melodies and meanings. And as always, I extend a challenge to listeners to examine their own interpretations as we all participate in meaningful change.

I've been feeling stuck lately. And I haven't been proud of my resulting effort. I've relied on my ability to "wing it" and in the process, I haven't pushed myself to excellence. Jim Collins wrote that "Good is the enemy of Great" and the philosopher Voltaire wrote "the perfect is the enemy of the good." In this episode, you'll hear a few examples of how these two somewhat contradictory phrases are living out in my own life, from my old competitive piano-playing days to teaching Anson how to read. And you'll be challenged to look for areas where you're either not starting, or you're not pushing.  If you've been feeling stuck lately, this episode is for you.

A running analogy in a podcast? How absolutely unique! In today's episode I share with you a mountain run focused on a dirt road. What if we could look up, and see the views, instead of looking down to try and avoid breaking an ankle? Maybe you in the future has a different perspective on right now than you do. Maybe he or she is shouting back at you to look up. Do it. Slow down so you can look up. What you are in right now has beauty in it but you HAVE TO LOOK UP.

It isn't useful to tell somebody to do their best. I've found in my experience that most of the time, this phrase gets trotted out when the person on the receiving end is already discouraged or frustrated. Nowadays I'm trying a different phrase, both with my son as he works through his schoolwork at home and with myself as I continue to navigate life and all of its challenges. You wanna be your best self? Stop it with 'Do your best' and try this instead.    

My son has been doing a LOT of wishing lately. It has kind of gotten on my nerves. Here's why: Wishing sounds an awful lot like WHINING. Part of the issue is that what we are wishing for seems out of our control. So, what I’ve been trying to do with Anson is ask him questions to put the control back in his hands. Why do you WISH that - what is it you really want? What is the problem you are actually trying to solve? Why do you want to solve it. And what do you control about the current situation? If he can sort through some of the answers with me, I find there is usually something we DO control hidden under the seemingly unattainable problem. And then, we can take action. What would happen if we had the self-awareness to do the same thing with our Wishes?  In the last episode, I made the Commitment to take action whenever I’m about to whine. Well, in this episode we'll make it practical. What to do when wishing sounds like whining.

I treat birthdays like new year's resolution time. I do reflection, I like to come up with some goals, up my Strong Habits game, etc. This year, my birthday is happening during a pandemic. In this episode I riff on the significance of my 37th year of life, and have a huge epiphany while I'm talking.  I finish with a challenge (as I usually do). Join me in making this the best year ever. 

Now more than ever, this lesson is important.  There has never been a time more upended or unsettling as this. We are having to get dirty every single day in order to survive! Why not use the opportunity to thrive? Here's how to get dirty like a toddler. Get dirty like Maddox! Focus on the joy of jumping in. Enlist others in your mess-making. Love the process of cleaning up. Get dirty like Maddox; you can always take a bath.

My guest for this episode is an expert on having a childlike perspective, because... he's a child! Anson, my six-year-old, shares his take on coronavirus, how it is impacting him in his day-to-day life, and gives listeners some sound advice to help us all get through this challenge.

This is a peptalk, and some tough love, some REAL TALK and honestly probably exactly what I WOULD NEED TO HEAR IF I WASN'T THE ONE SAYING IT. Listen to discover 1. how being the "cheering parent" elevates your day and the day of those around you. 2. how limiting your exposure to the "freaked out parents" will serve you both now and in the long run. 3. a new word that I just made up (Give-up-itude) Whatever you're going through right now, whether it's the toughest part of this worldwide pandemic or a personal hardship or any number of tragedies that life serves up: It is what you make it. And you get to choose. Always.

With many state governments issuing "stay at home" mandates (including mine), I am taking this opportunity to riff on  ESSENTIALS. What business is actually essential? What activities are essential for ALL businesses to have a chance at sustainability as we come out of this unprecedented global crisis? What the actual ESSENTIALS are for many of us human beings. Take the time to listen, but if you don't PLEASE take 15 minutes to journal and explore how THIS CURRENT PANDEMIC could be the best thing that ever happened to you. it's essential.

While we all are grappling in different ways with the local and global impacts of COVID-19, I am sharing a few things that are helping me stay sane, productive, and positive. Take it one day at a time - tap into a childlike perspective to find the fun in the situation. Be kind to yourself, but don't use this as an excuse not to do your work and make an impact.  You CHOOSE. You can choose your perspective, your silver lining. If you're looking for some hope, and a little pep-talk, this is the podcast episode you need to listen to right now. 

Two stories from the last week that help to illustrate the importance of being SOLUTIONS-ORIENTED. My kids problem-solve so naturally and guilelessly and bravely. As adults, we don't do that as much. How do we channel the essence of kids' problem-solving skills as grown-ups without being nonsensical? 1 - Stop discounting the first idea that you have. It's the spark that could become a much bigger idea. 2 - Be braver about sharing your ideas for solutions, instead of keeping them to yourself until they're "right" enough. Explore these ideas for how we all operate in today's contentious world to bring solutions to the table and forge new connections!

What happens when you watch a movie 25 times in a one-week span? If you are me, you search for deeper meanings and larger life applications in the film. These are the business lessons I am taking from the newest Disney movie, Frozen 2. WARNING: My vocals cannot compare with Idina Menzel or Kristen Bell. Lesson #1. You do not need to have special powers. Lesson #2. Do the next right thing. Lesson #3. You are the one you’ve been waiting for.   We all are bigger heroes than we give ourselves credit for, but we need to step into our own powers and live fully as ourselves to make the impact we are born to make.

Three lessons from Dry February 1. Be clear about what might trip you up, and make a choice in advance about how you want to handle it. 2. I don't need alcohol to have fun!  3. When treats are the norm, they no longer serve their purpose. Expounding on these topics as I'm learning about myself through a Dry, er, MISTY, February.

If you have kids, you know that when they get a little off schedule, they can turn into little a-holes. Same goes for me.  Today I riff on the importance of a schedule, how to tell you might need a little reset, and why this discipline ultimately creates major freedom.

If you've ever thrown a kid's birthday party, you know it is a stressful, but rewarding, experience. And if you've ever started a business, you're aware that the process is equally stressful (but hopefully also rewarding). In today's episode, I highlight the similarities between the two, along with the most important lessons I've learned doing both.

If you have ever eaten a meal with a toddler, this interaction will probably sound all-too-familiar: “You want a cookie? You can have a cookie if you eat your carrots!" I had that battle with my daughter this weekend, and I got so frustrated with her. All she had to do was take three bites of her sandwich to get a piece of gum.  As I contemplated the ridiculous fact that Maddox could have already had her gum if she hadn't been dilly dallying so long, I realized that I do this myself. I have a reward I'm after, goals I'm shooting for, and there are decisions I hesitate to make, or don't make, or put lower on my priorities, because those decisions are uncomfortable or weird or out of my comfort zone or I just don't want to do them, really. In this episode, I get super personal with you and share how my lunchtime negotiation with my daughter ended up making me decide to give up alcohol for a month.

In this episode, I dive a little deeper into time management strategies that I employ regularly (or in times of crisis). From a deeper dive on the "Newborn Pomodoro Method" to employing a ten-minute timer for certain chores and tasks with your kids, this episode will give you some practical tools to help you get the most out of your most precious non-renewable resource: Your Time!

Does the thought of failing hold you back from making progress towards your goals?   A sledding misadventure with my kids turned into sledding (and probably LIFE) success this past week and taught me an important lesson in how to take swift and creative action towards my goals.    Introducing The School of Maddox. As life affords me the inspiration and opportunity, I'll be sharing the specific lessons my fiery, fierce, fearless redheaded daughter is teaching me (along with practical ways I'm applying the lessons).    Today's episode will teach you how to fail like a toddler (which is a lot more like success than it might sound).