Podcasts about mother's quest

In a short span of time, Maria Kefalas' husband, father and father-in-law were all diagnosed with life limiting cancer. But none of them knew that would not be the worst thing they would face. Her 2 year old daughter's diagnosis with MLD, an incurable and universally fatal illness, would take her grief to an even deeper place. And facing life with a dying child and husband would seem, at first, impossible. Over time, though, Maria found her way to her own meaning and purpose and learned what would help her to face everything that was coming. In the process, she also helped many other families she would meet facing these same unimaginable losses.

Hallie Twomey asked friends on social media if they would scatter some of her son's ashes during their travels. The request went viral, with people releasing CJ's ashes around the world and his mother finding a vast community of support and suicide prevention advocacy.

A few weeks ago, I had the honor of recording a powerful episode with the co-host of the While Black Podcast, Darius Hicks. In addition to releasing that conversation here, Darius shared it on the While Black Podcast feed and since then, over 10,000 people have tuned in. If you haven’t heard it yet, I encourage you to add it to the top of your playlist. As an exchange, I asked Darius if I could share an episode from the While Black Podcast with the Mother’s Quest community. When he said yes, I knew which episode I wanted to share...in fact it was the one that inspired me to invite Darius on. Recorded after the lynching of Ahmaud Arbery, it features the reflections of four successful and driven Black men speaking honestly about how they were doing in the aftermath. They get candid about their mortality, their ability to trust this country, and what they would tell white america given complete access. In the last 7 minutes of my conversation with Darius, 7 minutes I truly think every American citizen should listen to, he tells us about the thoughts and emotions he has experienced as a Black man before and after the death of George Floyd. He reveals his fear that the solidarity and push for change may subside. By listening to this episode, I hope your understanding will expand a little more and that you will stay committed to listening and to advocating, to help ensure that Darius’ worst fear does not come true, that the last few weeks are not merely a moment in time but truly a movement for Black Lives. So here it is, While Black on the Mother’s Quest Podcast titled “Ahmaud Arbery Is All of Us - Can I Live?”   Much appreciation, P.S. Know someone who would love this conversation? Pay this forward to a friend who may be interested. Show Notes from While Black Podcast The lynching of Ahmaud Arbery is taking its mental toll on black america and specifically black men. On this episode you hear from 4 successful and driven black men speaking honestly about how they are doing today. They get candid about their mortality, their ability to trust this country, and what they would tell white america given complete access. We are in mental distress and while we are strong, capable, and intelligent we also need help so that TOGETHER we can correct the wrongs in this system....or perhaps replace the system itself. Please share this important episode and make sure to check on the black men in your life....We are not ok! Don't forget to get social with While Black IG: WHILE_BLACK; TWITTER @whileblackpc; FB @whileblackpodcast or email: whileblackpodcast@gmail.com   Follow While Black on Social Media Facebook: @whileblackpodcast Instagram: @while_black Twitter: @Whileblackpc Podcasters for Justice Recommended Efforts for Contribution: Black Visions Collective Campaign Zero Black Lives Matter Minneapolis NAACP Branch Sign-up at Color of Change to be notified of more opportunities to take action Mother's Quest also encourages you to consider: Mothers Against Police Brutality  Trayvon Martin Foundation's Circle of Mothers Announcements: Join us in the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group   At the time I’m releasing this episode, during the COVID-19 global pandemic, so many of us are seeking ways to connect with one another, even while needing to stay physically apart. If you identify with being a mother on a quest and you’re not yet a member of the free private Mother’s Quest Facebook Group, I invite you to join us for opportunities to learn together, to share what we have to offer one another and where we need support, and to find ways to make meaning of all we’re going through right now. Visit www.motherquest.com/community to join and I’d be honored to welcome you in.  Season Five of the Mother’s Podcast is Under Way! - Help us Spread the Word   If you enjoy the Mother’s Quest Podcast, we’d love your support in sharing this or another favorite episode with a mother you think would appreciate it too!  Another way to help spread the word is to leave a review at Apple Podcasts. Instructions for leaving a review are here: How to leave a rating or review for a podcast from your iPhone or iPad On your iOS mobile device, launch Apple's Podcast app. Tap the Search tab in the lower right corner of the screen. Enter the name of the podcast you want to rate or review. ... Tap the Reviews tab, then tap “Write a Review” at the bottom of the screen. Acknowledgments: A big THANK YOU to our “patrons” for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial and/or in-kind support: Herve ClermontSamantha ArsenaultVickie Giambra Casey O'Roarty of Joyful Courage Kathie Moehlig or TransFamily Support Services Anne Ferguson of MamaFuel On the Move and etsuko Kubo Kate Amoo-Gottfried Nicole Lee Olivia Parr-Rud "Vince" of the While Black Podcast Sara Brannin-Mooser Lindsay Pera Julie Castro Abrams Alexia Vernon Brooke Markevicius Democracy Clothing Michael Skolnik Helgi Maki Kari Azuma Tamara Sobomehin Katie Krimitsos Carrie Caulfield Arick Rachel Rosen Chandra Brooks Jen Simon Monisha Vasa Celia Ward-Wallace Vanessa Couto Desiree Adaway Rachel Steinman Katie Hanus Denise Barreto  Sage B. Hobbs  Samantha Nolan-Smith Jody Smith Emily Cretella Collette Flanagan Titilayo Tinubu Ali  Carly Magnus Hurt Lizzy Russinko  Suzanne Brown Mara Berns Langer Mallory Schlabach  Katharine Earhart Jessica Kupferman Jen Jenkins Dohner Genese Harris Tonya Rineer Liane Louie-Badua Cristin Downs  Erin Kendall  Niko Osoteo  Erik Newton  Claire Fry Divya Silbermann Rachel Winter Caren and Debbie Lieberman Cameron Miranda Fran and David Lieberman Debbie and Alan Goore The Sustainable Living Podcast Samantha Arsenault Support the Podcast If you’d like to make a contribution to Mother’s Quest to support Season Four of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution. If you would like to “dedicate” an upcoming episode to a special mother in your life, email me at julie@mothersquest.com --- Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

Hey While Black - This special episode is actually an episode of the Mothers Quest Podcast featuring me (Vince) as a guest.  Julie and I discussed the importance of allyship and partnership as we try to create a world that is better for us as black people. I'm sharing this because its a conversation that you will understand and honestly one that many of you have had recently as new people enter black spaces to learn from our perspective. I hope you enjoy and benefit from it.  Lastly, Julie at Mothers Quest does a great job of delving into topics that you may find both interesting and beneficial. Plus a slightly different perspective can be a good thing when it's delivered with care.  I recommend that you visit her site and take a listen. Find The Mothers Quest Apple Podcast page here and her website here

I’m honored to share this special Father’s Day Episode with a devoted father, successful entrepreneur and fellow podcaster who has become a friend, Darius Hicks. Known as “Vince” on the acclaimed While Black Podcast, Darius channels his rage at the injustices Black people experience in our country by focusing it on empowering, educating, and inspiring African Americans to go and grow. While Black tells stories by, from, and for African Americans and pairs those stories with expert and credible guests who can communicate wisdom and success strategies to help the Black listeners achieve, accomplish, and overcome. In this conversation, Darius had me riveted, inspired and often in tears as we explored his epic life quest, his transformative moments as a father, how his work through While Black is meeting this moment and movement in our country, and the unique role that mothers, fathers and our younger generation all have to play in making change. To honor this episode, I want to share a statement of shared commitment from an effort called Podcasters for Justice that aligns with so much of the messages Darius and I explore here together: “We are podcasters united to condemn the tragic murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and many many others at the hands of police. This is a continuation of the systemic racism pervasive in our country since its inception and we are committed to standing against racism in all its forms. We believe that to be silent is to be complicit. We believe that Black lives matter. We believe that Black lives are more important than property. We believe that we have a responsibility to use our platforms to speak out against this injustice whenever and wherever we are witness to it. In creating digital media we have built audiences that return week after week to hear our voices and we will use our voices to speak against anti-blackness and police brutality.” I invite you to join me in donating to one of the efforts that Podcasters for Justice identified which you can find below in the show notes, to listen to and amplify this episode with Darius, and to follow each of Darius' powerful calls to action, stepping into kinetic partnership that will move us forward and help us all get free, together. Much appreciation, P.S. Know someone who would love this conversation? Pay this forward to a friend who may be interested. This Episode is Dedicated by: Herve Clermont  Herve Clermont is an actor, voice over artist, Host, and was a National brand ambassador for Remy Martin for over 8 years. He discovered his passion for acting at Georgetown University, where he was in school as a pre-med major, and needed to fulfill electives.  He is the son of a proud Haitian Doctor and nurse, he always joked he “could play one.” He began his professional acting career in 2000 with a contract Role on One Life To Live, and has co-starred and guest starred on various prime time shows: Law & Order, CSI Miami, Cane, 24, Criminal Minds, Scandal, Guys with Kids, New Girl, The Mick, NCIS, NCIS LA, Dice, Veronica Mars, Mr Iglesias, and many others.  Herve has been recurring on John Singleton’s Snowfall the last 3 seasons, before landing a series cast member on Tyler Perry’s Ruthless. His voice-over career includes announcing at celebrity fund-raisers, branding and promotional videos, industrials and promotional TV and radio commercials, including ones for Beyonce, an international Jazz festival, and currently is the voice behind Cintas and on camera.  Herve’s hosting experience includes live events with BMW, VH-l, Harmon/ Kardon and Remy Martin. He has also worked on a pilot in front of the camera as a Studio host in the entertainment industry, interviewing celebrities and keeping the audience up-to-date with the latest entertainment news. Visit The J.E. Clermont Foundation Hope for the Children of Haiti for more about the Foundation that furthers Herve’s father’s legacy Instagram @Plantinghopela - to learn about Herve’s wife’s venture that creates beautiful plants with contributions supporting the Foundation in Haiti and charitable efforts in LA.   Connect with Herve: Instagram @hervec19 In This Episode We Talk About: The universal language and common connection among mothers of all races and how Darius and I both believe mothers will be critical to making change  Darius' quest to be authentically who he is as a 6'4, 300-pound dark-skinned Black man. How he has struggled to stand tall and shine while also consciously shrinking because people's first reaction to him is fear   The question about fatherhood Darius asks himself all the time..."How do I raise fearless children when I am a fearful parent?”  A heartbreaking but powerful "epic snapshot moment" with his son that made Darius realize his words were getting through to him and that his son would be part of making change How those committed to anti-racism and new to this can begin and the reason why Darius seeks “partnership” over saviorism or "help" The three-fold challenge Darius gave us, including the specific movies that Darius thinks we should all watch to shift our understanding and perspective How we all need each other to get free  This Week's Challenge: Darius gave us a threefold challenge: 1) There is bias inside all of us. We all have it. Try our very best to recognize when our unconscious bias fires. Try to pay attention every time we see or meet a Black person...if our initial intent is to walk in the other direction, stop for a moment and ask yourself why?  2) Meet someone new and be the first one to say hello and to really see the humanity in them. 3) Be more intentional in our actions and in whatever media we digest so that we are aware of what’s really happening and what others are really going through. Specifically, watch the movies American Son, 13th, and When They See Us (all linked below.)  Learn More About Darius Hicks Darius has always displayed an entrepreneurial and activist spirit. Since his youth he has dedicated his time to those around him in hopes of bettering them while he better himself. It began by volunteering as a camp counselor from middle school through high school, and grew via mentorship and tutoring in college all the way to his membership role in the 100 Black Men and as an advocate for African Americans through his work on the While Black Podcast. Vince believes wholeheartedly the James Baldwin quote “To be Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be a rage almost all the time”. However, he chooses to channel that rage into a place that allows him to change the narrative on black folks while he helps to empower those same black folks. Earning his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from Southern University A&M in Baton Rouge LA (1999) and his MBA from Queens University in Charlotte NC (2005), Vince has gained valuable experience in multiple industries. He has excelled in multiple industries and enjoyed a career spanning 20+ years with opportunities in Engineering, Consumer packaged goods, Corporate retail giants, and now the Social/tech industry. In addition, he is a successful entrepreneur and founder of Aveo Big and Tall Golf Apparel which rose to become the #1 big and tall golf apparel offering in Golfsmith stores and was distributed nationally and internationally via various outlets including but not limited to Dicks Sporting Good, GolfSmith, and Golf Galaxy. He has since sold the rights to the Aveo name and divested from the company. However, he has altered his focus by aligning his passions with his promise and ensuring his time is invested accordingly as he focuses on improving the black world and the global community through and with black people. His latest endeavor is laser focused on impacting and improving the people around him. Specifically, he is the creator and co-host of the While Black Podcast a podcast focused on empowering, educating, and inspiring African Americans to go and grow. While Black tells stories by, from, and for African Americans and pairs those stories with expert and credible guests who can communicate wisdom and success strategies helping us to achieve, accomplish, and overcome. Follow While Black on Social Media Facebook: @whileblackpodcast Instagram: @while_black Twitter: @Whileblackpc Resources Mentioned: While Black Podcast Ahmaud Arbery Is All of Us - Can I Live?  American Son|Netflix When They See Us|Netflix 13TH|Netflix Ep 07: Living Out Loud with Jenjii Hysten Revisited: Beyond the Trauma: Legacy, Compassion and Change with Mothers Against Police Brutality Co-Founder Sara Mokuria Ep 55: From Grief to Advocacy and a Circle of Mothers with Trayvon Martin’s Mother Sybrina Fulton Desiree Adaway and Diversity is an Asset  Podcast Movement Podcasters for Justice Recommended Efforts for Contribution: Black Visions Collective Campaign Zero Black Lives Matter Minneapolis NAACP Branch Sign-up at Color of Change to be notified of more opportunities to take action Mother's Quest also encourages you to consider: Mothers Against Police Brutality  Trayvon Martin Foundation's Circle of Mothers Announcements: Join us in the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group   At the time I’m releasing this episode, during the COVID-19 global pandemic, so many of us are seeking ways to connect with one another, even while needing to stay physically apart. If you identify with being a mother on a quest and you’re not yet a member of the free private Mother’s Quest Facebook Group, I invite you to join us for opportunities to learn together, to share what we have to offer one another and where we need support, and to find ways to make meaning of all we’re going through right now. Visit www.motherquest.com/community to join and I’d be honored to welcome you in.  Season Five of the Mother’s Podcast is Under Way! - Help us Spread the Word   If you enjoy the Mother’s Quest Podcast, we’d love your support in sharing this or another favorite episode with a mother you think would appreciate it too!  Another way to help spread the word is to leave a review at Apple Podcasts. Instructions for leaving a review are here: How to leave a rating or review for a podcast from your iPhone or iPad On your iOS mobile device, launch Apple's Podcast app. Tap the Search tab in the lower right corner of the screen. Enter the name of the podcast you want to rate or review. ... Tap the Reviews tab, then tap “Write a Review” at the bottom of the screen. Acknowledgments: A big THANK YOU to our “patrons” for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial and/or in-kind support: Herve ClermontSamantha ArsenaultVickie Giambra Casey O'Roarty of Joyful Courage Kathie Moehlig or TransFamily Support Services Anne Ferguson of MamaFuel On the Move and etsuko Kubo Kate Amoo-Gottfried Nicole Lee Olivia Parr-Rud "Vince" of the While Black Podcast Sara Brannin-Mooser Lindsay Pera Julie Castro Abrams Alexia Vernon Brooke Markevicius Democracy Clothing Michael Skolnik Helgi Maki Kari Azuma Tamara Sobomehin Katie Krimitsos Carrie Caulfield Arick Rachel Rosen Chandra Brooks Jen Simon Monisha Vasa Celia Ward-Wallace Vanessa Couto Desiree Adaway Rachel Steinman Katie Hanus Denise Barreto  Sage B. Hobbs  Samantha Nolan-Smith Jody Smith Emily Cretella Collette Flanagan Titilayo Tinubu Ali  Carly Magnus Hurt Lizzy Russinko  Suzanne Brown Mara Berns Langer Mallory Schlabach  Katharine Earhart Jessica Kupferman Jen Jenkins Dohner Genese Harris Tonya Rineer Liane Louie-Badua Cristin Downs  Erin Kendall  Niko Osoteo  Erik Newton  Claire Fry Divya Silbermann Rachel Winter Caren and Debbie Lieberman Cameron Miranda Fran and David Lieberman Debbie and Alan Goore The Sustainable Living Podcast Samantha Arsenault Support the Podcast If you’d like to make a contribution to Mother’s Quest to support Season Four of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution. If you would like to “dedicate” an upcoming episode to a special mother in your life, email me at julie@mothersquest.com --- Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

I’m honored to share today's episode, a conversation three years in the making with Rachel Macy Stafford, that arrives during remarkably challenging times, just as we need Rachel’s wisdom most. Rachel is a writer with one goal: to help people choose love as much as humanly possible. A New York Times bestselling author, her latest book is Live Love Now: Relieve the Pressure and Find Real Connection with Our Kids. She’s also the New York Times bestselling author of Hands Free Mama, Hands Free Life, and Only Love Today; a certified special education teacher with a Master’s Degree in education; an in-demand speaker featured on CNN, Good Morning America, Global News, TIME.com, FoxNews.com, as well as in hundreds of other online and print publications and a beloved blogger who inspires millions in her weekly blog posts at HandsFreeMama.com and through her supportive Facebook community, The Hands Free Revolution. Like so many of her followers, I stumbled upon Rachel’s work years ago, and her writing immediately became a light on my path to more fully live my purpose. I'm so grateful that I had this time to talk with Rachel, to explore the threads of presence and authenticity that weave through so much of her journey, to understand that facing our truths is just the beginning of unexpected invitations, and to remember what’s possible for our children to live a present-filled, purpose-filled life when we step forward to do that first.  This conversation with Rachel and her beautiful new book, which I hope you will get and savor as I have been doing, will make you want to show up for yourself and your children in profound new ways and to embody her underlying message, to Live Love Now. Much appreciation, P.S. Know someone who would love this conversation? Pay this forward to a friend who may be interested.   This Episode is Dedicated by Samantha Arsenault Samantha Arsenault Livingstone is an Olympic gold medalist, high-performance consultant, mental health educator, speaker, and entrepreneur – and she’s a mother of four and recovering perfectionist. Samantha holds a master's degree in education and spent six years teaching high school science and coaching swimming. After a near-death experience with her then 12- month old daughter, Samantha knew it was time to pay forward all she's learned about achievement, emotional resilience, rising from failure, and finding happiness. In 2016, Samantha founded Livingstone High Performance in response to the mental health crisis impacting adolescents across the globe, specifically those in the athletic arena. LHP provides pillars of support to organizations, teams, and individuals to elevate mental health and improve performance, and build a more empowered village. In addition to private and group coaching, Samantha offers online courses and consults with teams and organizations on athlete wellness initiatives, leadership, strategic planning, rising skills, and developing high-performance cultures. She is a certified instructor of Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement and Mental Health First Aid. Samantha is an engaging public speaker who has more than 19 years of experience, which includes her TEDx Talk: The Weight of Gold: An Olympian’s Path to Recovery. She’s been featured as a keynote speaker, expert panelist, workshop facilitator, and seminar leader. She’s worked with high-school, collegiate, and professional athletes in a group and 1:1 setting; school districts; athletic departments; coaching organizations; women in business groups; wellness entrepreneurs; and national governing bodies, most notably, USA Swimming. Samantha and her husband, Rob, live in the Berkshires with their four girls. To learn more about her offerings, go over to www.samanthalivingstone.com. To learn more about her offerings, go over to www.samantha livingstone.com. You can join Samantha’s FREE 5-Day I AM CHALLENGE at www.samanthalivingstone.com/i-am-challenge   Facebook @slivingstonewellness Instagram @slivingstn Linkedin @sarsenaultlivingstone   In This Episode We Talk About: The way Rachel's mother gave her the gift of “presence” even when she couldn't be physically present.   Rachel's quest for purpose and the legacy she wants to leave How reflecting on the question "How do I do it all?" on a run one day became the "spark moment" that pushed Rachel to choose herself What Rachel means by her connection to her "dreamer girl" Why facing the truth is really just the beginning What it means when Rachel says to her children "I want to love you by your book."  Hands-Free Mama as a way of being The pressure and insecurity of online life and how screentime distraction becomes the biggest obstacle to living purpose-filled The 3 roles that will allow us to walk beside our kids Finding your place of refuge and helping your kids find theirs How we can "find our people" by doing the things our heart calls us to do The tear-filled pledge I made to Rachel, reading from a promise in her book on p.57  This Week's Challenge: For this week’s challenge, Rachel encourages us to think about any hurtful comments, criticism, consciously and unconsciously, that we’ve been carrying around that’s holding us back from truly fulfilling our purpose. Reflect on it and slowly turn that pain into purpose.   Learn More About Rachel Macy Stafford   Rachel Macy Stafford is the New York Times bestselling author of Hands Free Mama, Hands Free Life, and Only Love Today. Her fourth book, Live Love Now, releases in April 2020. Rachel is a certified special education teacher who helps people overcome distraction and perfection to live better and love more. Rachel's work has been featured on CNN, Good Morning America, Global News, TIME.com, FoxNews.com, as well as in hundreds of other online and print publications. Her blog (www.handsfreemama.com) currently averages one million visitors a month. Rachel loves taking long walks, baking, and volunteering with homeless cats and nursing home residents. Rachel lives in the South with her husband and two daughters who inspire her daily. Follow Rachel on Social Media HandsFreeMama.com Facebook: @TheHandsFreeRevolution         Instagram: @HandsFreeRevolution Twitter: @HandsFreeMama   Resources Mentioned: Live Love Now: Relieve the Pressure and Find Real Connection with Our Kids by Rachel Macy Stafford Hands Free Mama: A Guide to Putting Down the Phone, Burning the To-Do List, and Letting Go of Perfection to Grasp What Really Matters! By Rachel Macy Stafford What’s Wonderful About a Phone-Conquering, Heart-Led Teen? Find Out For Yourself Being a Mess Becomes a Comfort, Not a Curse, In Just One Ask iGen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids are Growing Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood by Dr. Jean M. Twenge Announcements: Honoring George Floyd By Stepping Into Empathy And Action I want to acknowledge the pain and horror so many of us are feeling at the killing of another black man by a police officer, in the death of George Floyd. Rachel’s gift is to invite us to be present and purposeful in our lives and that same presence and purpose calls us now to take that pain and turn it into deeper understanding and action. To support that, in the show notes, I’m including a link to an episode I recorded a few years ago with the co-founder of Mother’s Against Police Brutality Sara Mokuria, and to a set of Anti-Racism resources that Rachel shared in a post, she wrote today. Also in that post, Rachel offered these words from her new book Live Love Now, that I invite us to sit with, along with a few moments of silence, to honor George Floyd, and so many other men like him. "What if we responded to the injustices inflicted on human lives with empathy and action rather than defensiveness or apathy? What if we lived as if we truly believed it’s not 'your back' or 'my back,' but 'our back'?"   Resources Mentioned in the Opening Call to Action in Honor of George Floyd:  Ep33: Beyond the Trauma: Legacy, Compassion and Change with Mother’s Against Police Brutality Co-Founder Sara Mokuria Anti-Racism Resources   The Mother's Quest Manifesto Challenge is technically over, but the Reflection Journal, live videos, and reflective prompts are all still waiting for you in the Mother's Quest Facebook Group. Follow along at your own pace by registering here: www.mothersquest.com/manifestochallenge and coming on over to the private group here.    If you enjoy the Mother’s Quest Podcast, we’d love your support in sharing this or another favorite episode with a mother you think would appreciate it too!  Another way to help spread the word is to leave a review at Apple Podcasts. Instructions for leaving a review are here: How to leave a rating or review for a podcast from your iPhone or iPad On your iOS mobile device, launch Apple's Podcast app. Tap the Search tab in the lower right corner of the screen. Enter the name of the podcast you want to rate or review. ... Tap the Reviews tab, then tap “Write a Review” at the bottom of the screen.   Acknowledgments: A big THANK YOU to our “patrons” for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial and/or in-kind support: Vickie Giambra Casey O'Roarty of Joyful Courage Kathie Moehlig or TransFamily Support Services Anne Ferguson of MamaFuel On the Move and etsuko Kubo Kate Amoo-Gottfried Nicole Lee Olivia Parr-Rud "Vince" of the While Black Podcast Sara Brannin-Mooser Lindsay Pera Julie Castro Abrams Alexia Vernon Brooke Markevicius Democracy Clothing Michael Skolnik Helgi Maki Kari Azuma Tamara Sobomehin Katie Krimitsos Carrie Caulfield Arick Rachel Rosen Chandra Brooks Jen Simon Monisha Vasa Celia Ward-Wallace Vanessa Couto Desiree Adaway Rachel Steinman Katie Hanus Denise Barreto  Sage B. Hobbs  Samantha Nolan-Smith Jody Smith Emily Cretella Collette Flanagan Titilayo Tinubu Ali  Carly Magnus Hurt Lizzy Russinko  Suzanne Brown Mara Berns Langer Mallory Schlabach  Katharine Earhart Jessica Kupferman Jen Jenkins Dohner Genese Harris Tonya Rineer Liane Louie-Badua Cristin Downs  Erin Kendall  Niko Osoteo  Erik Newton  Claire Fry Divya Silbermann Rachel Winter Caren and Debbie Lieberman Cameron Miranda Fran and David Lieberman Debbie and Alan Goore The Sustainable Living Podcast Samantha Arsenault Support the Podcast If you’d like to make a contribution to Mother’s Quest to support Season Four of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution. If you would like to “dedicate” an upcoming episode to a special mother in your life, email me at julie@mothersquest.com --- Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/  

In the 9th episode of Season 2, your host JD Horror is joined by Adrienne Miranda, whose son Joseph Miranda was tragically killed on July 20th, 2006. Was it a bizarre work place accident, or something more sinister? Join us as we shed a light on the untimely death of this young man and the police corruption and cover up that followed. (J. Miranda, Baltimore, MD)If you like what you hear here on True Crime Horror Story please subscribe and give us a 5 star review. You can also think about joining our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/truecrimehs and then stay tuned after this show on Patreon for the True Crime Horror Story Aftershow w/ Dom & JD as well as early access to Ad free episodes and exclusive bonus content available only on Patreon.This episode features an interview with Adrienne Miranda, research by Lana McCall, Music by Mechanical Ghost and The Quiet Type, and Artwork by Nuclear Heat Graphics. Sources for this episode’s cases are available in the credits section of our website.Has violent crime impacted you or someone close to you? Send us your story at truecrimehorrorstory@gmail.comTrue Crime Horror Story. Sometimes Truth is more brutal than fiction.http://www.truecrimehorrorstory.comhttp://www.patreon.com/truecrimehs

On today's episode, I'm interviewing Julie Neale with Mother's Quest. Julie, a life and leadership coach, is on a mission to provide inspiration, coaching and community for mothers on a journey to create an E.P.I.C. Life. In this session, you'll hear examples from Julie's life and how she courageously reclaimed her own experience of motherhood to create a powerful movement for moms. Julie will also share about her upcoming #oneminutemommanifesto challenge and how we can join her community to participate in seven days of courageous and inspiring conversations and actionable tools to envision our own motherhood manifesto. >> At 1:54, Julie says "Courage is not the absence of fear, but it is standing in your fear and continuing to move forward anyway." She goes on the explain her experience as a child. You can also check out the episode she references on the Mother's Quest podcast episode 49. >> At 5:24, Julie explains how she felt like she lost herself to motherhood and how she committed to living her EPIC life. >> At 9:30, Julie defined E.P.I.C. meaning: {EPIC = Engaged, Purposeful, Invested, Connected} >> At 21:40, we discuss her CHOOSE framework and she aligns her story for the first time publicly. >> At 26:00, Julie introduces the roots of the #oneminutemommanifesto movement and invites us all into her upcoming 7 day challenge starting on Mother's Day. You can find more information on the Mother's Quest episode 61: Reclaiming Ourselves in Motherhood: Revisited with Graeme Seabrook. I'm so excited for you to listen to Julie's wise and kind words of support! LINKS: Follow Julie on Instagram: @mothersquest and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MothersQuest/ You can visit Julie's website at http://mothersquest.com/community Follow Jessica on Instagram: @livesofcourage If you heard a ton of great information listening to Julie today, I'd love to hear all about it! Take a screenshot and post it to your Instagram Stories with your biggest takeaways and tag me, @livesofcourage!

Julie Neale is a life and leadership coach, community builder, writer, and mom to two high energy boys who challenge her to grow into her best self. Motherhood transformed her and set her on a course to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Now, as the founder of Mother’s Quest, Julie is also on a mission to use her gifts to help moms live theirs. Join Julie's Mother's Quest Manifesto Challenge at Mothersquest.com/community You can listen to Julie's Mother's Quest Podcast episode on how you can support children at the border at MothersQuest.com/72/ Website: www.mothersquest.com facebook.com/mothersquest instagram.com/mothersquestpod Women Podcasters in Solidarity: www.womenpodcastersinsolidarity.com Julie Neale is on a mission to live a truly E.P.I.C. life and, through her example, inspire her children to do the same. Her “for-purpose” venture, Mother’s Quest, provides inspiration, coaching, and relationship-building so that mothers, and those who work with young people, can connect to support and resources, fulfill their unique purpose, and live their E.P.I.C. lives. After a 20-year career as a leader in youth-serving non-profit organizations, Julie turned her focus to coaching, training at the Coaches Training Institute, and facilitating a process known as “reflection” for youth development professionals. Through this and her parenting experience, she realized that mothers need an opportunity to reflect on their own growth, dreams, and plans and created Mother’s Quest to champion them. With calm and care, Julie taps into her own curiosity and intuition, to help her clients slow down from the busyness of life and work, reflect on what matters, clarify a future vision, and move into action. Julie writes about the transformative experience of parenting in her own life at mothersquest.com and in the Mother’s Quest Facebook community. She hosts the Mother’s Quest Podcast, which launched in December 2016 and recently released its 59th episode in season four that began in April 2019. She brings the same curiosity and presence she taps into with her coaching clients to empowering conversations with her podcast guests. In the fall of 2017, Julie founded the Women Podcasters in Solidarity Initiative, to raise awareness and dollars for social justice issues through the power of podcasting. The first season focused on anti-racism and police accountability. The episodes of those who contributed, including three from Mother’s Quest, can be found at www.womenpodcastersinsolidarity.com. A fall 2018 season focused on gun safety culminated with an episode with Sybrina Fulton. Julie received her Masters in City Planning, Community Development from UC Berkeley, and a BA in Communication Studies from UCLA, where she met her husband. She currently lives with her husband and two boys in the San Francisco Bay Area. When she’s not wrestling with her first-grader or driving her teen to basketball practice, you can find her squeezing in ten minutes of yoga and meditation (believing something is better than nothing!) and staying up way too late to watch Handmaid’s Tale and Super Soul Sunday. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/whenwomenspeak/support

Why is Gwyneth Paltrow and Goop so polarizing? We’ll hear two very different opinions about the brand. Plus, one of Goop Guides go-to healers is here in the Forty Thrive studio. Not only do we discuss the brand new Goop Lab on Netflix (spoiler: I share my own opinion on episodes 1-3), but we dive deeper into what’s really happening when we claim to be supporting each other as women.  Plus, my big, fat mess up. I totally call myself out. If you are part of our free and private community, I’m sure you saw the post recently about Gwyneth Paltrow’s new Netflix show, Goop Lab. The website's been in existence for over a decade but the Netflix show just launched and is definitely getting people talking. I asked a simple question, “How do you feel about group in three words or less?“  • Overpriced vagina candle • Snake oil con woman • Vile elitist pseudoscience  These were just a few of the comments that were flowing in soon after posting. But not everyone was hopping on the anti-Goop bandwagon. There were actually plenty of women who shared quite positive opinions.  • Optimizing your life • Interesting, relevant, refreshing  One woman shared, "She's innovative and pushing the envelope, whether you agree with her or not." Dr. Suzanne Gilberg Lenz, OB/Gyn and Advocate for Women's Integrative Health, weighs in, calling Goop "a wolf in sheep's clothing." Guest:  Stacey Justis, professional intuitive tarot card reader and energy healer. She is also is certified in Hypnotherapy, past life regression, EFT and Reiki. Goop Guide​ calls her “Refreshingly laid-back and smart, equal parts straight-up psychic and intuitive life coach.” Stacey helps private clients and groups connect with spirit through her energy work and collaborates with them to guide them to their own personal power and supports truly transformative healing. She provides insight as well as practical tools to achieve goals. She is a conduit for the journey of self-discovery and delivers messages, helps heal emotional wounds and fears, and even unlocks reasons for unexplained physical pain. Stacey is devoted to empowering her clients to create the lives they’ve always wanted and realize their true purpose and potential. Thriver of the Week!  Julie Neale, founder / host of A Mother's Quest podcast and community.  My 40's have been a time in my life that I like to refer to as my mid-life renaissance. My life is far from perfect, but I'm seizing the opportunity to embrace who I am, share my voice, and have an impact in ways that I did not until this stage of my life.  Congratulations, Julie!  To be considered for Thriver of the Week, click here.   

In the midst of what feels like a whirlwind in my home and family life, it's a pleasure for me to share this encore episode with mindfulness educator, corporate trainer, podcast host and author of “Mindful Parenting in a Messy World,” Michelle Gale. I have a 7-year-old birthday party coming up for my little guy, Jacob on Saturday, my parents have just arrived from Los Angeles, we're still integrating our brand new puppy into our home, and things are just feeling, like - a lot. This is true for so many of us at this time of year as we're helping our kids settle into their new school schedule and environment, tackling homework, and all the things. I remembered that I had this conversation with Michael Gale on the podcast this time last year when we were in a similar flurry and knew I could really benefit from listening again. I always like to share the goodness...and thought this encore episode might help light your way too  this fall season!  A few other announcements: **Stay tuned for a brand new episode with my dear friend, new mother, and incredible philanthropist Pia Infante next week. **And would love for you to join us in the Mother's Quest Facebook group where I'll be making announcements about a Spark Your E.P.I.C. Year workshop in early October to help us reflect on the chapter behind us and set intentions for the new school year. www.mothersquest.com/community to join  Until then, I hope that you enjoy this conversation with Micheal Gale, either for the first time or listening to it again as an encore! And that you find some equanimity and calm in the storm this fall season.  Much appreciation, P.S. Know someone who would love this conversation? Click forward now to pay this forward to a friend who may be interested. Ep 51: Equanimity & The Calm In the Storm with Mindful Parent Michelle Gale This conversation, rooted in how to bring more equanimity to our lives–finding our center of calm in the storm–came to me just when I needed it most, during a start to my fall season marked by big school transitions for my children, travel away from home, and supporting my family after my father’s bypass heart surgery.  In the midst of all of that, it was such a gift to have this time with Michelle, whose journey brought her from working in technology startups like Twitter to a deep dive in mindfulness training. Michelle draws on that training today as an advisor to organizations like Wisdom 2.0, in trainings with corporations like Disney and Google, for summits and workshops for parents that she organizes, and as a parent with her own two boys at home.  An awareness of our impact in the day to day, through being a mindful parent, is something that Michelle embodies in her own parenting, in the appreciation she describes for her own mother, a single parent who adopted Michelle at the age of four months old, and in the ways that she makes mindfulness relatable and accessible to those she teaches.  I learned so much from Michelle in the time we spent together, about answering our own calls for life-long learning, about slowing down, raising our awareness and making the implicit explicit, of the importance of bringing compassion, especially during times of transition, and how to draw on our experience as mothers as a source of learning and transformation.   When we began, I asked Michelle to lead us through a Three Breath Practice which I heard her share about on Deborah Reber’s TILT Parenting Podcast. The practice became the bookends for this episode, the opening that allowed us each to make intentions for our time together, and the challenge that Michelle invites us to integrate into our lives.  As you listen to this episode, I invite you to slow down by taking your own three breaths with us, tap into Michelle’s intention for finding “equanimity,” your center in the midst of chaos, and open yourself to Michelle’s wisdom. If you do, I’m certain you’ll find more of your calm in the storm and connect more fully to your own mindful parenting in a messy world. In This Episode We Talk About: The Three Breath Practice and how I’ve begun using it to help me make better decisions about how to use my time. The concept of “equanimity” and the importance of creating awareness and space for our discomfort so that we can come back to our center. Michelle’s appreciation for  “Attachment Theory” through the lens of her own experience being adopted at the age of four months. Also the realization that she doesn’t have a newborn photo and how that drove her inquiry about who was mothering her before she was adopted. Michelle’s journey to mindfulness and how she roots her practice in the day to day experience of mothering, especially in the challenging moments, like when our children can’t fall asleep alone or when they struggle with homework. Michelle’s ritual before sitting down to do creative work that she has introduced to her children as well before they do homework. Michelle’s passion for changing the landscape of how corporations think about supporting parents and the E.P.I.C. snapshot moment that happened for Michelle during a training at Macy’s. How her experience in circle and community enabled Michelle to call more of that connection into her life and more about the tools she uses to “call in”. How Michelle is bringing her mindfulness practices to her health, especially as she navigates the transition to menopause and the hormonal swings and changes that come with it. Resources and Topics Mentioned: Tilt Parenting Podcast: Michelle Gale on the Power of Mindful Parenting in a Messy World The Sweet Spot: How to Accomplish More by Doing Less by Christine Carter Jonathan Field’s Good Life Project Community where Michelle and I first connected Wisdom 2.0 This Week’s Challenge: Michelle encourages us to find a place in our life where we can consciously use the 3 Breaths Practice that she modeled in the episode. The practice includes: Focusing on your breath coming in and out Letting your body relax; and, Asking yourself, what’s really important and what really matters?  By noticing an area of our lives that needs more consciousness (like reaching for our phone for distraction for instance) and using this practice, we can invite more intentionality, awareness, connection, and equanimity into our lives. Learn More About Michelle: Michelle Gale is the podcast host and author of the book “Mindful Parenting in a Messy World”,  a mindfulness teacher, executive coach and a corporate trainer. She works in corporations, schools and communities teaching and speaking to fellow parents about mindful parenting.   Michelle’s Website Facebook Twitter Michelle’s Mindful Parenting Resource List Announcements: Spark Your E.P.I.C. Year Anyone else feel like they need a reset to their year?  Earlier this year, we declared February the new January and facilitated a Mother’s Quest Workshop/Virtual Milestone Hike experience to help us all start again. Using photos from my favorite local hike, I took a small group on a virtual journey to: Reflect on our last chapter (as we ascend)  Decide what we want to release (using an image of a big bad bonfire!) and what we want to carry forward Then, set intentions along the E.P.I.C. guideposts for our new chapter.  If you decide you want to reset and begin again, we will be doing another round of the Spark Your E.P.I.C. Year Workshop this October. Join the Community Mother’s Quest Q & A with Ashia Ray We've set aside October 3rd from noon to 1 pm for a Mother’s Quest Q & A with Ashia. To register to join us, follow the link here or join us in the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group to find announcements. Click mothersquest.com/comunity to join. To participate in the call, we invite you to join Raising Luminaries as a patron at a level that calls to you.  Want More Reflection in Your Life? Book A Discovery Call Some key themes that emerge from all my conversations, is the power of reflection and the power of being seen. These are elements that I bring, not only to every podcast interview, but to my one-one-one coaching and Mother’s Quest Circle facilitation. If you’re seeking more space for pause and reflection in your life, I encourage you to reach out to me for a discovery call to learn how we might work together.  Visit mothersquest.as.me/discoverysession to schedule a time to talk. Click here to book a discovery call  Acknowledgments: A big THANK YOU to our “patrons” for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial and/or in-kind support: Kate Amoo-Gottfried Nicole Lee Olivia Parr-Rud "Vince" of the While Black Podcast Sara Brannin-Mooser Lindsay Pera Julie Castro Abrams Alexia Vernon Brooke Markevicius Democracy Clothing Michael Skolnik Helgi Maki Kari Azuma Tamara Sobomehin Katie Krimitsos Carrie Caulfield Arick Rachel Rosen Chandra Brooks Jen Simon Monisha Vasa Celia Ward-Wallace Vanessa Couto Desiree Adaway Rachel Steinman Katie Hanus Denise Barreto  Sage B. Hobbs  Samantha Nolan-Smith Jody Smith Emily Cretella Collette Flanagan Titilayo Tinubu Ali  Carly Magnus Hurt Lizzy Russinko  Suzanne Brown Mara Berns Langer Mallory Schlabach  Katharine Earhart Jessica Kupferman Jen Jenkins Dohner Genese Harris Tonya Rineer Liane Louie-Badua Cristin Downs  Erin Kendall  Niko Osoteo  Erik Newton  Claire Fry Divya Silbermann Rachel Winter Caren and Debbie Lieberman Cameron Miranda Fran and David Lieberman Debbie and Alan Goore The Sustainable Living Podcast Support the Podcast If you’d like to make a contribution to Mother’s Quest to support Season Three of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution. If you would like to “dedicate” an upcoming episode to a special mother in your life, email me at julie@mothersquest.com Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

In honor of this month of Mother's Day, and the Mother's Quest Manifesto Challenge I launched in the Facebook Group, I'm excited to continue sharing episodes each Thursday that can inspire you to claim your motherhood and life journey on your terms. This "encore episode" with The Truth Bomb Mom Kristina Kuzmic, where she talks about the importance of embracing our flaws and creating a family mission statement, has become a favorite. Along with the reflective prompts and live guest videos in the Mother's Quest Facebook Group, I hope this episode will also provide some inspiration and permission for you to create your #oneminutemommanifesto, a declaration of how you want to journey through motherhood and life. If you haven't yet followed along with the Manifesto Challenge, it's not too late. All the video replays and instructions are waiting for you as a "unit" in the Mother's Quest Facebook Group. We'd love to have you come over and join us!  And...if you create and share your #oneminutemommanifesto on social media before the end of May, we'll enter you into a drawing for some incredible classes and resources from amazing members of the Mother's Quest community.  Whether it's new to you, or you'll be listening for a second time, I hope you enjoy this encore episode with Kristina Kuzmic. And that you'll take us up on the challenge to create and share your #oneminutemommanifesto!  Much appreciation, P.S. Know someone who would love this conversation? Click forward now to pay this forward to a friend who may be interested. I am excited to share this vulnerable conversation with the Truth Bomb Mom, Kristina Kuzmic. Energetic, funny, and honest, Kristina has an in-your-face perspective on issues of parenting and life in general. She has become a Youtube sensation with her “mom-centric” videos about raising children and juggling all of life’s challenges, with over 200 million views across media outlets and websites worldwide. Kristina and her husband currently live in Southern California, where her most important, rewarding, and exhausting careers include being a sanitation engineer, chef, chauffeur, and conflict resolution guru for her three (mostly satisfied) clients – her children. In this episode, we talk about Kristina’s experience growing up in America, shaped by an escape from war-torn Croatia. She shares how on a whim, she went from being a divorced mother on food stamps to winning a cooking show on Oprah’s OWN Network in 2011.  How her satirical YouTube video, “4 Reasons Women Should NEVER Breastfeed in Public,” went viral and why Kristina believes it is her community that is responsible for her reaching a half a million followers. We get honest and emotional about our flaws and insecurities but also our impact and the power of sharing these with our children. Finally, we reflect on our shared experience of losing a baby in utero and how for both of us, focusing on just one positive thing on that day shifted our perspective and changed everything. I hope you leave this conversation, as I did, inspired to keep turning the pages in the chapter of your E.P.I.C.life, staying true to your mission, owning your flaws, and paying attention to one positive thing every day. I was so grateful for this time with Kristina and I know you will be too. In This Episode We Talk About: How growing up in war-torn Croatia and her subsequent immigration to the U.S. impacted her life How her mother influenced her parenting by striking a healthy balance between enforcing rules and fostering joy Why she named her company “Flawed” and how she has let go of perfection Her journey from Oprah to YouTube The importance of community and of women who champion each other How to turn down the volume on our inner critics What my son said to me that Kristina says she will never forget Resources and Topics Mentioned: Kristina’s viral video: 4 Reasons Women Should Never Breastfeed in Public (a sarcastic take on the arguments against breastfeeding) Visit Kristina on YouTube: www.youtube.com/stickycook Visit Kristina on Facebook: www.facebook.com/KristinaKuzmic Mother’s Quest Theory of Change Previous Mother’s Quest Episodes Mentioned: Ep 09: The Soul-Fueled Truth with Amber Lilyestrom and Ep 00: Planting Seeds for Mother’s Quest – An Introduction Elizabeth Gilbert’s book Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear Kristina’s Positivity Challenge – and sign up here to download the free “E.P.I.C. Life Planning and Reflection Sheet” and start capturing your gratitude daily. Announcements: Join the Manifesto Challenge In honor of Mother’s Day, I kicked off a five day Mother’s Quest Manifesto Challenge in the private Facebook group. More about the inspiration behind the challenge in my episode with Graeme Seabrook. Each day, I shared a reflective prompt to help you claim the next chapter in your life and hosted a different mother, who shared their stories and their #oneminutemommanifesto for inspiration.  All of these resources are still in the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group, so it's never too late to come on over and participate.  Spark Your E.P.I.C. Year Anyone else feel like they need a spring reset to their year?  A few months ago, we declared February the new January and facilitated a Mother's Quest Workshop/Virtual Milestone Hike experience to help us all start again. Using photos from my favorite local hike, I took a small group on a virtual journey to: ✨Reflect on our last chapter (as we ascend)  ✨Decide what we want to release (using an image of a big bad bonfire!) and what we want to carry forward ✨Then, set intentions along the E.P.I.C. guideposts for our new chapter.  There’s a special planning sheet we created to guide you and help you document the whole process. 

Join the Joyful Courage Tribe in our community Facebook group - Live and Love with Joyful Courage.  Raising our children while growing ourselves... ::::   Today’s guest is Mother's Quest founder, Julie Neale. Julie honors both the meaning and the mess of life and parenthood and believes our children and youth challenge us to grow into our best selves. She is on a mission to live a truly epic life and through her example inspire her children to do the same her for purpose.   Her for-purpose venture Mother's Quest provides inspiration, coaching, and community so that mothers and those who work with young people can connect to support and resources, fulfill their unique purpose and live their epic lives. After a 20 year career as a leader in youth-serving nonprofit organizations, Julie turned her focus to coaching training at the Coaches Training Institute and facilitating a process known as Reflection for youth development professionals. Through this and her parenting experience, she realized that mothers and those who mother need an opportunity to reflect on their own growth, dreams, and plans, and created Mother's Quest to champion them with common care .   She masterfully taps into her own curiosity and intuition to help her clients slow down from the business of life and work, reflect on what matters, clarify a future vision and move into action. In the fall of 2017, she founded the Women Podcasters in Solidarity initiative to raise awareness and dollars for social justice issues through the power of podcasting. The first season focused on anti-racism and police accountability. We're going to talk more about that initiative on today's show. When she's not wrestling with her kindergartner or driving her team to basketball practice, you can find her squeezing in 10 minutes of yoga and meditation, believing something is better than nothing and staying up way too late to watch a double hitter of Handmaid's Tale and Super Soul Sunday. Join us!   "It's the discomfort, I think, is when we know we're really on to something.” “It really starts with like one step, one conversation and everything flows from there if you stay committed to the process.” “Just say, ‘I'm not going to forget that this matters.’” “Perfection is really a tool of white supremacy.” “Even if you start with just one conversation, one relationship that you build or that you extend yourself out to on a cause that matters to you, that is a really powerful place to start with incredible ripple effect possible.”   What you’ll hear in this episode: The importance of the modeling of continuing to grow and evolve as a human when that's the expectation we have of young people The value of holding a growth mindset around conversations about race Resources to learn about having conversations about race with our kids What is the Women Podcasters In Solidarity Initiative Giving our boys permission to cry and have emotion The power of conversation to create change Lessons learned from social justice activism How ego gets in the way of relationships Moving from transactional relationships to authentic connection   What does Joyful Courage mean to you? Well, do you know Sage Hobbs? She's another amazing woman podcaster. She has a podcast called Naked Conversations and she interviewed me and we talk about some of these issues as well. She started with, "what does it mean to be brave or what is courage?" and I think at the time I remembered saying "It's like, you know, standing, I don't know if it was standing but standing for what matters to you. And you might have fear but moving through it anyways from a place of love." And what I'm appreciating about this question about joyful courage is, taking action and standing for the things that matter, even if you might be feeling afraid and you do it anyway from a place of love. Along the way you also find joy. There have been so many moments where I've been cheering, you know, I'm thinking about some women in my community who have been sharing the posts about the Circle of Mother's campaign. And every time I see one more mother reach out to her community, one at a time, donations of $20 or $30, I am filled with joy. There is a joyfulness about, you know, seeing again, the seeds of what you've been planting growing in the ways that you hoped.   Resources: Slay Like a Mother book The Mask of Motherhood Ted Talk Nicole Lee episode on Mother’s Quest podcast So You Want to Talk About Race -  Ijeoma Oiuo womenpodcastersinsolidarity.com Ep 37: Generations Rising for Gun Safety with Gloria Pan Ep 07: Living Out Loud with Jenjii Hysten Ep 48: Lessons Learned Since Episode 24: Intersectionality and the Age of the New Heroine with Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin Moms Rising Ep 54: Superheroes, Fighting Patriarchy, and Courageously Defeating Gun Violence with Ladd Everitt One Pulse for America Masterminds and Wingmen - Rosalind Wiseman Ep 55: From Grief to Advocacy and a Circle of Mothers with Trayvon Martin’s Mother Sybrina Fulton The Trayvon Martin Foundation Circle of Mothers retreat Lucy McBath’s Story Mothers Against Police Brutality EP33: Beyond the Trauma: Legacy, Compassion and Change with Mothers Against Police Brutality Co-Founder Sara Mokuria EP27: On Living an E.P.I.C. Life with Julie Neale Ep 49: A Conversation About Courage with Sage Hobbs and Julie Neale   Where to find Julie: Mothersquest.com Mother's Quest Podcast Mother's Quest Facebook group Mother's Quest business page Mother’s Quest Instagram Julie@mothersquest.com   :::::   Joyful Courage: Calming the drama and taking control of your parenting journey   This book is all about how to show up as a Joyful Courage parent so that you have better access to the tools you need in hot parenting moments – tools that are helpful and maintain connection with your child.   THE BOOK IS READY FOR YOU TO BUY– Go to www.joyfulcourage.com/book   The best way to stay up to date on the book news is to join my newsletter list, if you haven’t already.  Sign up at www.joyfulcourage.com/join   Thank you to everyone that has been so encouraging on this journey!!!  I appreciate you!!!!   ::::: Be a Subscriber Make sure to SUBSCRIBE to the Joyful Courage Podcast on Apple Podcast to get the latest shows STRAIGHT to your device!!  AND PLEASE rate and review the Joyful Courage Parenting Podcast to help me spread the show to an ever-larger audience!! CLICK HERE to watch a video that shows up how to subscribe with your iPhone!  

Miraculous Healing: Did I do enough? How one mother's quest turned into award-winning, best-selling books and miraculous healing!  Welcome Back Charlene Costanzo!  www.CharleneCostanzo.com AND it will mean the world to me when you hit subscribe for my podcast Live Well Long so you grab every opportunity to hear  the life-enhancing, life-changing messages we share with the world! (also please hit 'share' to share this with your friends in social media, facebook, twitter, emails...  You can reach me at alex@avhcoaching.com or @CoachAlexVanHorn

Today I have an incredible wisdom-packed episode for you and, no, that wisdom is not coming from me. That wisdom is coming from four dynamic, super smart, successful women leaders who have created podcasts in the niche of parenting and podcasts for moms. Now wait! If you are not a mom or you are not podcasting about parenting or being a mom that does not mean you should not listen to this episode. You should totally listen because I am not either of those two things and I learned so much from what these women have to share about marketing, niching around purpose, and positioning with their shows, and about something that they pretty much have to be masters of --TIME MANAGEMENT! This episode was inspired by my interview with Julie Neal of Mother's Quest podcast, episode 36, which you can find here. In the meantime, listen now to hear more from... Erica Blocker from Moms with Dreams Jen McLellan from Plus Mommy Debbie Reber from Tilt Parenting and Casey O'Roarty of Joyful Courage Parenting and pop over to http://bit.ly/podenvy039 for the full show notes and links to connect with today's guests. PODCAST ANGEL (this is how you can support Podcast Envy and get support in return!) Whether you want to launch, grow, or get some support with your show in 2019, I have something for you. Launch Pod Envy (intimate group of podcast newbies doing it together with my help!) VIP Circle (mastermind group of podcasters growing influence, gaining momentum and defining success on our terms) Editing & Production Services from The Creative Impostor Studios HELP ME WITH MY PODCAST! Tired of trying to do it alone? Click here to schedule a call with me to find out how we can work together (and whether it's a match made in Podcast Heaven!) Nov 2018 - Dec 2018 only! Get a FREE MONTH of podcast hosting with my FAVE host: Libsyn! Once you have a few episodes ready to go and want to submit to Apple, Spotify, Google, Stitcher... set up your account at Libsyn.com an enter promo code: envy to get a free month and inspire them to send me a little thank you check to help support Podcast Envy!   Holiday BONUS for Email Subscribers Don't get left out! Get on the list (and get a free podcast strategy mini-guide): http://www.thecreativeimpostor.com/5questions   Get featured on Podcast Envy You're invited to be part of a year-end gratitude experiment!  Send me a short audio clip (3min or less) with a story and/or post on Instagram about how you appreciate making or listening to podcasts using #podcastgratitude. Be sure to tag me @andreaklunder so I see it! To share the audio clip, share your file via Dropbox or Google Drive to andrea@infuselife.net by 12/15/18   Connect with Andrea My favorite hashtags #podcastenvy #podcastboss #podcastgratitude Email or Voice (send me a question to answer on the show!) Facebook Group The Creative Impostor Facebook Page @andreaklunder.creative Instagram: @andreaklunder Oh HEY! I'm on LinkedIn now... dropping pro podcasting tips, insights, and stories. Connect with me there and let me know you're a Podcast Envy listener.

I’m honored to share this episode of the Mother’s Quest Podcast, the second in a series I’m recording for the Women Podcasters in Solidarity Initiative on the subject of gun safety and the intersectional impact of gun violence on our communities. As the mother of two boys, I was interested in having a conversation with an expert on this subject who’s also a man and a father and I’m so grateful to have found one willing to go deep and be vulnerable in gun prevention advocate Ladd Everitt.   Ladd has been involved in this movement since 1993, when his life changed forever after a man boarded a rush hour train on the Long Island Railroad and opened fire with a handgun, killing six and wounding 19. This train was the one Ladd took regularly and he realized that it easily could have been him killed that day.   That moment sparked Ladd to attend the Million Mom March in 2000 in Washington DC, where despite the fact that he was a single man with no children, he found himself stepping into leadership for a local chapter and working alongside mothers for gun safety.   More than two decades later, he has become a father himself, and is still deeply committed to this work. After 10 years as a strategic communications and social media specialist with the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, Ladd took the position he holds today as Director of One Pulse for America, a gun violence prevention group established after the Florida Pulse Nightclub shooting by acclaimed actor/LGBTQ rights activist George Takei.    Ladd brought honesty and clarity to the conversation as we traced his E.P.I.C. life journey, from growing up as a young boy influenced by Marvel comics, to stepping into his own powers as a caring father and a decades long gun control advocate.   I appreciated Ladd’s humility as he expressed how the trauma of doing this work has impacted him, his own growing pains as he’s learning about and confronting racism and patriarchy, and the importance of giving the microphone and following the lead of young people, who he says are the emotional and cultural leaders of the movement today.     Ladd leaves us with hopefulness about the possibility for real change after the mid-term elections along with a challenge to hold our elected officials accountable, beginning with a specific request of Nancy Pelosi to focus on new and bold, not watered down, gun policy changes.  I was inspired by the example in Ladd of a white male leader, connected to his emotions, doing meaningful work, and looking for ways to share his privilege and influence with voices that should have more representation in the movement. Ladd and I both left the conversation feeling enriched by the opportunity to talk through complex issues. I’m excited to invite you in to listen with us and then move into action for gun safety alongside us.  Much appreciation,  Julie Neale P.S. Know someone who you think would appreciate this episode? Push forward and share this conversation! This Episode is Dedicated by: Helgi Maki Helgi dedicated this episode to all mothers affected by cycles of gun violence, who witness and deal with its aftermath for generations, especially the mothers affected by the terrorist attack in Pittsburgh, in the anti-Semitic hate crime shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue on Saturday, October 27, 2018. They deserve our heartfelt, meaningful support in the wake of life altering gun violence.  Helgi is a lawyer and the founder of traumainformedlaw.org - an initiative to help justice professionals and communities reduce the impact of  trauma and violence on public health.  You can learn more about her work at the links below. The Trauma-Informed Law Project Trauma-Informed Law On Twitter Tree of Life Congregation In This Episode We Talk About: How Marvel creator Stan Lee influenced Ladd’s own development and the ways that Stan’s depiction of women and people of color changed over time The tragic event that became a wake-up call and sparked Ladd’s passion for working toward gun safety. Ladd’s first experience working toward gun control after the Million Mom March How young people are the emotional and cultural leaders of the gun control movement now and Ladd’s fear that they may start listening to adults The vicarious trauma and harassment that those on the frontlines of gun advocacy work experience The exploration of toxic masculinity in the movie “The Mask You Live In” and why Ladd believes it’s crucial to teach boys that crying is a healthy way to express their emotions The importance of fighting back against stigmatization of the mentally ill Ladd’s experience being arrested, along with Michael Skolnik and other male activists, while protesting on behalf of women during the Kavanaugh hearings The Universal Background Check and why is it important. The book on Ladd’s desk when we conducted our interview that he’s reading to help him learn how to confront racism and white fragility His Challenge for all of us to hold our newly elected officials accountable for bold gun policy   Resources and Topics Mentioned: Women Podcasters in Solidarity Million Mom March Writer Jena Schwartz’s daughter’s post about her experience with a school lockdown. White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism by Robin DiAngelo LA Times Op Ed The Mask You Live In One Pulse for America FB page "Challenge" Action Alert EP31: Brave Spaces and Solidarity with “Rad Women” Author Kate Schatz This Week’s Challenge: For this week’s challenge, Ladd challenges us to focus on what he believes is the most important issue related to gun safety: to get serious about disarming violent people in our country. Ladd asks us to follow through on his One Pulse America Action Alert: To Tell Presumptive Speaker Pelosi to Make Assault Weapons Ban a Priority Follow the links below for more information: https://www.onepulseforamerica.com/action-alert/tell-presumptive-speaker-pelosi-to-make-assault-weapons-ban-a-priority/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/1779750855570640/ And read Ladd’s recent OpEd in the LA Times on this subject Learn More About Ladd Everitt: Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Other websites: https://medium.com/@LaddEveritt Announcements: Women Podcasters in Solidarity I want to let you know about a special end of the year campaign as part of the Women Podcasters in Solidarity Initiative to raise money for the mothers, caretakers and activists on the frontlines of gun violence prevention. To make sure you get notified about the campaign, sign up for email updates at www.mothersquest.com and follow the Mother’s Quest page on Facebook. You can also reach out to me at julie@mothersquest.com if you’d like to be one of the first to “seed” the fund with your contribution.  Tragically, I have now lost count of the number of mass shootings have taken place just in the time since the Women Podcasters in Solidarity selected "gun safety" as the issue we want to shine a light on this season. Grateful to partner with Cristin Marie and Elsie Escobar on bringing this season of the Initiative to life. It is my deepest hope that through the power of podcasting, the episodes we will record, the conversations we will share with our listeners, and the dollars we will collectively raise toward gun safety causes, will save lives. Please take a look at Cristin's post here and say "yes" to the Initiative yourself or help spread the word to reach other podcasters who would want to join. Mother’s Quest Circle If you’re on a quest to live an E.P.I.C. life, but you’ve been feeling challenged, isolated, or unsure of the path ahead, the Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle may be the source of connection you’re looking for. The Mother’s Quest Circle provides inspiration, coaching and community for an intimate group of no more than 8 women who are ready to say “yes” to: ✨Reflect together, in a community of like-minded mothers, on what matters most ✨To consciously live their version (not someone else's) of an E.P.I.C. life ✨To take bold action toward one of the E.P.I.C. life guideposts before the end of the sessions ✨To hold space for sharing, coaching, and championing one another so we are “in community” on our journey If you're looking to start the year strong, the Circle is a great way to make an investment in yourself and what matters most to you. Apply here to add your name to the wait list.  Acknowledgements: A big THANK YOU to our “patrons” for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial and/or in-kind support: Helgi Maki Kari Azuma Tamara Sobomehin Katie Krimitsos Carrie Caulfield Arick Rachel Rosen Chandra Brooks Jen Simon Monisha Vasa Celia Ward-Wallace Vanessa Couto Desiree Adaway Rachel Steinman Katie Hanus Denise Barreto  Sage B. Hobbs  Samantha Nolan-Smith Jody Smith Emily Cretella Collette Flanagan Titilayo Tinubu Ali  Carly Magnus Hurt Lizzy Russinko  Suzanne Brown Mara Berns Langer Mallory Schlabach  Katharine Earhart Jessica Kupferman Jen Jenkins Dohner Genese Harris Tonya Rineer Liane Louie-Badua Cristin Downs  Erin Kendall  Niko Osoteo  Erik Newton  Claire Fry Divya Silbermann Rachel Winter Caren and Debbie Lieberman Cameron Miranda Fran and David Lieberman Debbie and Alan Goore The Sustainable Living Podcast Support the Podcast If you’d like to make a contribution to Mother’s Quest to support Season Three of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution. If you would like to “dedicate” an upcoming episode to a special mother in your life, email me at julie@mothersquest.com -- Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

A "for purpose" venture to support mothers sparks a social solidarity movement. I met Julie Neale a couple years ago at Podcast Movement and we became instant friends. Julie pulled me on board for this ambitious heartfelt initiative she founded that year called Women Podcasters in Solidarity -- a collective of women podcasters who have made a pledge to build awareness and funds for social justice through their podcasting platforms. This is a twice-yearly, ongoing initiative with the first focus being on Anti-Racism and the Movement for Black Lives, and the second on Gun Safety with an Intersectional Lens (you can join now for the new season here). In this episode, we talk about social justice, gun violence, the origin story of Mother's Quest, how Julie produces her podcast, and finding joyful moments. A devoted mom on a mission to create a meaningful life for herself alongside and integrated with her role as mother, she supports other mom's to live what she calls an E.P.I.C. life. Find out what that stands for and get listening recommendations at bit.ly/podenvy036.   Get featured on Podcast Envy You're invited to be part of a year-end gratitude experiment!  Send me a short audio clip (3min or less) with a story and/or post on Instagram about how you appreciate making or listening to podcasts using #podcastgratitude. Be sure to tag me @andreaklunder so I see it! To share the audio clip, share your file via Dropbox or Google Drive to andrea@infuselife.net by 11/20/18 Featured Podcast Angel CURRENT PODCASTERS! I'm looking for you IF... you are wanting to connect with other podcasters in a constructive, supportive way you are happily podcasting along but feel like there's something you're missing you want to grow your show in meaningful ways to make more of an impact VIP Circle launching January 2019. Sign up by December 21, 2018: http://bit.ly/podenvycircle PODCASTERS TO BE! I'm looking for you IF... you are planning to launch your podcast in 2019 you want to shortcut your learning curve and get it out sooner than later you value having your show sound and look professional from the beginning so you can grow from a solid foundation Podcast Envy Launch Pod starts January 2019. Sign up by December 21, 2018: http://bit.ly/launchpodenvy Connect with Julie Mother's Quest Women Podcasters in Solidarity Facebook @MothersQuest Instagram @MothersQuestPod Connect with Andrea My favorite hashtags #podcastenvy #podcastboss Email or Voice (send me a question to answer on the show!) Facebook Group The Creative Impostor Facebook Page @andreaklunder.creative Instagram: @andreaklunder Oh HEY! I'm on LinkedIn now... dropping pro podcasting tips, insights, and stories. Connect with me there and let me know you're a Podcast Envy listener.

We are welcoming back the 5-Day Mussar Yoga Challenge, which officially kicks off today. This is in line with my podcast episode with Edie Raphael last year on Mussar and this season of renewal. Come along for five daily prompts in the Mussar Yoga Challenge at the Mother's Quest Facebook Group. Mussar is an ancient Jewish practice that invites us to contemplate, journal on, talk in community about... a character trait in our lives, for a specific period of time, in this case 5 days.  I'm fascinated that the "middah" we picked last year, "order" is also the issue I identified to work on without fully realizing it.  Have you heard of Mussar before or did you participate in the challenge last year? What do you think about it? Do you have your own rituals or practices for reflection and renewal this time of year? Listen and learn more in my podcast episode with Edie if you want to go deeper. PLUS Would love to support you in a one-on-one 90 minute Clarity Session if you want to go deeper. Special rate through Sept. 19th. You can book your session here https://mothersquest.as.me/FallClaritySessionSpecial Ep 28: Mussar Yoga for Reflection and Renewal with Edie Raphael Brotman Hello and welcome to the Mother’s Quest Podcast that I’m bringing to you at the start of the Jewish New Year. The holiday kicks off a ten day period, known as the Days of Awe, between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the day of Atonement.   This time of year, regardless of your religious faith, is a season of reflection and renewal, as our children get settled into a new school year and the leaves begin to change color. I wanted to take advantage of this time to turn inward and create an opportunity for change not only for myself but also for members of the Mother’s Quest Community. I decided to reach out to mindful mother, Edie Rafael Brotman, author of the book “Mussar Yoga,” to learn from her how she approaches self-improvement through blending the ancient Jewish practice of Mussar and the ancient Eastern practice of Yoga. Edie’s book was a trusted resource in a Mussar class I took a few years ago. I was enthralled by the process and know that the experience planted seeds for Mother’s Quest. So, when I reached out to Edie to see if she’d share her approach on the podcast and then lead a 5 day challenge in the Facebook Group and she said “yes,” I was thrilled.  Edie is a workplace consultant and coach for a business consulting firm called Rewire Inc that leverages emotional intelligence, mindfulness and communication. She has her PhD in Sociology and was an adjunct professor at UVA, Case Western Reserve University and Towson University. She’s also a highly trained yoga instructor, was named one of Baltimore’s favorite yoga teachers in Baltimore Magazine’s “Best of Baltimore” and co-founded Off the Grid Yoga and Camping Retreats. In this episode, Edie orients us to Mussar in which character traits, known in Hebrew as “middot,” are the centerpiece of the practice. Edie and I explore her E.P.I.C. life story, how she came to mindfulness and Mussar, and how reflecting on middot in her life has enriched her and her relationships. Edie also shares how her mother influenced her independence. And how her mother’s untimely death jump-started Edie’s journey to discover Mussar and connect it to Yoga as a bridge to connect Jewish spirituality and her love for physical activity. I appreciated so much about this conversation with Edie, especially the deep dive into the history of Mussar practice, and how she came to this connection between self-improvement, spirituality and the physical body.  I’m so excited to continue the exploration of all of these things, and hope you’ll decide to come along too as we challenge ourselves together during this season of reflection and renewal. In This Episode We Talk About: Why the fall is the perfect time to undertake a Mussar Yoga Challenge How I first learned about Edie and her Mussar Yoga Book The path of renewal Edie’s mother took in her career, how that impacted her, and how her mother’s passing brought her to Mussar The power of mindfulness and daily meditation to become more conscious and aware of emotions as they arise Mussar as a way of rewiring your brain so it is in alignment with universal precepts The origins of Mussar and the people who pioneered the teachings The traditional way to practice Mussar, utilizing self-reflection on one character trait at a time on a continuum, and how Edie blends it powerfully with Yoga The connection between body and spiritual growth Resources Mentioned: Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur – Jewish new year holidays Mussar Yoga: Blending an Ancient Jewish Spiritual Practice with Yoga to Transform Body and Soul What is Mussar? Mussar Institute Rabbi Israel Salanter The Path of the Upright Ben Franklin Circles This Week’s Challenge: Join the Mother's Quest Facebook Group and do the 5-Day Mussar Yoga Challenge at www.mothersquest.com/community Announcements: ARE YOU…  Hopeful that the new school year will be a positive, powerful experience for your child?  Thinking about how best to set your children up for success?  Wondering what new practices you can build into your life and theirs to help make that possible?  Getting lost in all the paperwork and volunteer requests and want to ground yourself in what’s most important?  Ready to focus fully on YOU and YOUR life now that your kids will be in school? If you’re feeling a similar desire to press “pause” on the busyness as I did and reflect on your vision for this year, what’s working and what needs to shift, and what key guidepost would help you move forward more intentionally, I’d love to support you with a 90 minute clarity coaching session. You’ll leave with:   Clarity about what matters most to you in your future vision for this year  Reflection on what beliefs/ways of being you want to leave behind and what lessons you want to carry forward  Commitment toward one E.P.I.C. Guidepost and key action(s) that will help you and your children move forward intentionally ✨Fall Special Clarity Coaching Session ✨ A 90 minute session for the price of a 60 minute session Book By September 19th Say “yes” if this is calling to you. It’s an investment in yourself and your children.  $198 Just click the link below by Sept 19th to schedule a time at this special rate. https://mothersquest.as.me/FallClaritySessionSpecial Whether I have the opportunity to support you now or not, I wish you and yours a sweet and meaningful beginning to this new season.  Support the Podcast If you’d like to make a contribution to Mother’s Quest to support Season Three of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution. If you would like to “dedicate” an upcoming episode to a special mother in your life, email me at julie@mothersquest.com   --- Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

Ever wondered what it would be like to talk to someone who lives in the public eye? Today you've got ringside (or earbud-side) seats for my conversation with Kristina Kuzmić (also previously known as The Truth Bomb Mom). She's a truth-teller, a BS-buster, a mama of three and an internet sensation whose mission is to support mamas.  We talk about how important it is to change your perspective so you can improve your life; making the most of your circumstances, no matter how challenging; finding your passion by finding what you hate or makes you sad and fixing THAT; mama shaming (don't do it); how a supported mama is a better mama, and so much more. Kristina is refreshingly real, funny and totally transparent about her journey from deep depression and a life juggling two jobs while raising two kids alone on food stamps to the life she's now living and sharing for us all to see. So many parents find inspiration in Kristina's videos. If you're being introduced to Kristina for the first time, you're in for a treat. And if you've been following her for a while, buckle up... this is a great extra glimpse into someone so many of us have come to know and love. You can find Kristina:On her YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQA1BP64hgYBVi3cHcKyG7AOn her Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/KristinaKuzmic/I also mentioned another great podcast where Kristina chatted with Julie Neale of Mother's Quest. Check it out here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/mothers-quest-the-podcast/id1180233121?mt=2 

Dottie Laster has a flair for transforming bondage into freedom – both in an artistic and physical sense. For 15 years Laster has tirelessly worked to free victims of human trafficking in America. Her career as an artist started in 2013 shortly after she helped a mother and her children escape their trafficker. The rescued children displayed a desire to paint, so Laster bought art supplies from an art school that was closing and sat down with them to create a picture. With their encouragement, Laster continued to paint and soon began selling her artwork and jewelry. She has sinced branched out to photography, especially flowers. She has created a book of her photos titles Flowers of Love. http://dottielaster.com Jane Lillian Vance is internationally known for creating oil paintings with brilliant detail and vivid, painstaking iconography, from Tibetan Buddhism and the folk arts of the Himalayas, as well as from rural Zambia, in her current thirty Africa Series paintings about medicine and hope. In February, 2017 she and Gil Harrington co-authored Morgan Harrington: Murdered and Dead for Good, A Mother's Quest to Find a Serial Killer and Healing, about the murder of her student, the eventual capture of serial killer Jesse Matthew, and the work to build a world-wide positive legacy for Morgan. Vance serves as Vice President of the national non-profit foundation formed to alert young women to sexual predatory danger, Help Save the Next Girl. http://www.janevance.com/ Host website: http://donnagore.com

Julie Neale is a total sweetheart.  She started her business and podcast Mother’s Quest in 2016 so she could talk about and support fellow moms who were looking for a more EPIC life...as she was on her own quest.     During this LIVE COACHING SESSION, we do a deep dive into how Julie can do a better job of monetizing her podcast and community.  She’s aware she’s at the beginning phases of this (at the time of this recording, she had just brought on her first paying private clients!) and is prepared for a year of experimentation, but feels like there’s something she’s not seeing.   So, I walk her through a few specific exercises that help her get clear about WHAT she has to offer that provides value to her mothers and HOW she can translate that into helping her create a financial goal she has for December 1, 2018!   PS: it’s worth noting here that Julie has one of the BEST and most TOUCHING ways she monetizes her podcast!!!  It’s called a dedication and it’s brilliant!   There are a few tools I’ve used for many of my private coaching clients that I discuss here with Julie and one of them is the Decision-Making Matrix, which I am making available to you, totally FREE.   Get the Decision Making Matrix here → http://bizwomenrock.com/decision   The final conclusion we come to is this: she already has everything she needs to GO! :)   Check out more about Julie here → http://mothersquest.com/ These LIVE COACHING SESSIONS are here so you can get deep insight into business issues, ideas and challenges that we all face as we create strategies, solutions and action plans that you can benefit from!  It's also a great way to see just how transformative it can be to allow another qualified person into your business so you can save time, money and energy that you would normally take figuring it out on your own!  We're in this together!   If you are interested in private coaching and strategy, then let’s talk!  You can set up a 15 Minute Match Session to see if we’re a perfect match! ;) http://bizwomenrock.com/workwithkatie/

Listen by clicking above, on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, or your preferred app. What rules do you live by? Did you create them, or did someone else? Julie Neale of Mother's Quest has made her own EPIC guideposts and she checks in with them often, to see if she's traveling on a course true to herself and her values. We talked about those pillars she uses in her life and how we can all create our own - if we want. To find out more about Julie and what she does, her EPIC life, and her podcast, go to www.MothersQuest.com.  To order a copy of my first book, Hypatia Academy, which we talked about on the show, you can get a paperback or ebook version, go to http://bit.ly/HypatiaAcademy. Are you planning a bar or bat mitzvah or know someone who is? Download the bestselling book The Out-of-the-Box Bat Mitzvah: A Guide to Creating a Meaningful Milestone for free from www.OutoftheboxJudaism.com. If you’d like to hear more about the joining the adult bat mitzvah experience, contact me at Esther@OutoftheBoxJudaism.com and we’ll schedule a time to talk on the phone. The music on this episode comes from the song Adon Olam by Rabbi Cantor Robbi Sherwin, from the album: Aish Hakodesh, available where all awesome Jewish music is sold: OySongs.com For more information or to get in touch, visit me at www.OutoftheBoxJudaism.com or connect on Facebook.

Debbie talks with Julie Neale talks about her journey as mother to two differently-wired boys and how she's supporting mothers in living an E.P.I.C. life through Mother's Quest. For more information, visit http://www.tiltparenting.com/session75

Join Julie and Michelle as they discuss the importance and sacredness of mother’s connecting to their purpose. We also discuss how Julie’s quest has brought her closer to social justice work and you can listen in to her podcast with Nicole Lee about Courageous Conversation about Race here. During our conversation she also mentioned a podcast she recorded with her son Ryan and you can listen to that here. Mother’s Quest Founder, Julie Neale honors both the magic and the mess of parenthood and believes our children challenge us to grow into our best selves. She is on a mission to live a truly E.P.I.C. life and, through her example, inspire her children to do the same. Her “for-purpose” venture, Mother’s Quest, provides inspiration, coaching and community so other mothers can live their E.P.I.C. lives.  

Welcome to this episode #26 of the Mother’s Quest Podcast, “Surrender and Embracing Difference” with TiLT Parenting for Differently-Wired Kids founder Debbie Reber. This conversation about seeing diversity as an asset, valuing and embracing difference, couldn’t come at a better time. Debbie Reber is the founder of TiLT, an online destination aimed at helping parents raising differently-wired kids do so from a place of confidence, connection, and peace. She’s also host of the TiLT Parenting Podcast, a life coach, speaker and a New York Times bestselling author of books aimed at raising self-esteem for young girls. Before becoming a writer, Debbie worked in children’s television, for a relief and development organization and at UNICEF. Despite this long list of accomplishments, perhaps the greatest thing Debbie has done is become parent, advocate, homeschooler and champion for her own son Asher who is 13, has Aspergers, ADHD and is profoundly gifted. After years of struggle with Asher, Debbie and her husband took a leap of faith in 2013, moving from the U.S. to Amsterdam where she stepped into her own hero’s journey to acceptance, surrender, and presence. In the process, she and Asher have come to an exceptional place, and share their lessons learned, wisdom and real life experiences to make sure other parents of differently-wired kids don’t have to journey alone. Debbie and I had an amazing conversation, about faith, personal transformation through parenting and how to live an E.P.I.C. life of alignment. Debbie invites us to question hidden beliefs about neurodiversity, explore the judgements we make about children who are “differently-wired” and invite us to become more compassionate as a result. She’s also invited us to take her TILT 7 day challenge to support ourselves to gently shift our awareness. This conversation was a year in the making and it was really powerful for me. I was reminded about the gifts our children bring us, even when they don’t come in the ways that we expected and it renewed my commitment to show up fully for my own children, embracing their differences and surrendering to the knowledge that life is a journey and not a destination. Special Message for All of Us I want to note that I bring this episode to you at a unique moment. At the time of this recording, the nation has endured tragedy and division in the wake of events at Charlottesville, fueled by hatred and fear about our differences. Days later, the universe provided us with awareness that we are bound together by something bigger than ourselves as people everywhere took in the total solar eclipse with awe. The definition of eclipse means to darken and block out the light. We eclipse the light and love, and our common humanity, when we fail to recognize, understand, and celebrate our differences, whether that difference comes from the way our brains think in the case of differently-wired kids, the color of our skin, or the religion we follow. But, as Debbie so eloquently describes in our conversation, when we can see diversity as an asset and embrace difference, everything changes. When I noticed that Miki DeVivo, another mom raising differently-wired kids, was launching her beautiful book of poetry this week, “The Naming of Real Things,” I asked if she would choose a piece for me to share as a lead into what felt like a sacred conversation with Debbie, as a prayer and invitation for all of us, during this challenging time, to move from darkness into more light, love and compassion for one another. Here it is... From Miki DeVivo’s  new book of poetry, the Naming of Real Things (shared with permission) Love More Love more fully. Let your love fill in all the cracks Like Japanese gold. Raise your heart To your lips and drink till you are full. Love more widely. Let your love widen beyond all the borders Inflicted by man. Raise your arms To the sky in blessings spread wide. Love more deeply. Let your love deepen beneath the surface Of skin and kin and the way we each choose to worship. Raise your eyes To see the raw humanity standing before you, pain and wisdom so deep. Love more fiercely. Let your love rage like fire and do not be silent. Raise your voice To power again and again, unflinching and fierce. Love more wildly. Let your love wild like flowers blanketing a meadow in the spring. Raise your feet To dance among the blossoms, growing wild. Love more warmly. Let your love warm the icicles of contempt that pierce your heart. Raise your glass To the fountain of hope until your cup runneth over, sweet and warm. Love more freely. Let your love free from the small box you were told would keep it safe. Raise your hands To pick the locks and set yourself free. This Week’s Challenge: Question and explore your beliefs about neurodiversity. Raise your awareness and step into more compassion with Debbie’s 7 Day Challenge. Topics discussed in this episode: How Debbie and I have connected as mothers of differently-wired boys, since Jonathan Fields and Harmony Eichsteadt, of The Good Life Project, made an introduction between us a year ago. How Debbie wrestled with an Evangelical Christian faith upbringing, the questions she explored about her own spirituality, and how she came to believe there is something greater that connects us all. The right turn Debbie’s career took from empowering young girls to championing her own “differently-wired” son and then building a community to support parents to champion their own. The unexpected gifts that raising Asher has brought to Debbie and her life and the key that helped her shift into acceptance. How Debbie followed her intuition and changed everything for the better, to make a big leap of faith, move to Amsterdam, and begin homeschooling Asher. Nature is Debbie’s church and how lacing up their shoes for long walks outside provides Debbie and Asher opportunity for deep connection. Debbie’s new book, coming out in spring 2018, to help parents of differently-wired kids realize they are not alone. How Debbie’s “self-interest” helps her prioritize creating space and time for herself. The quote from Shakepeare Debbie’s son Asher shared, on his podcast episode, as he reflected on the importance of risk and leaps of faith required in order to grow. Resources mentioned in this episode: Miki DeVivo’s book “The Naming of Real Things” The Good Life Project Episode 53 of The TILT Parenting Podcast: Debbie and Asher’s TiLT Parenting One-Year Anniversary Special where Asher talks about his sleep-away camp experience Episode 18 of the Mother’s Quest Podcast: YOLO (You Only Live Once) and other Milestone Reflections with my son Ryan Neale which Debbie and Asher listened to together TILT Parenting and the TILT Parenting Manifesto Debbie’s Differently Wired 7-Day Challenge TiLT Community Facebook Page Quote Asher used after his reflection on his sleep-away camp experience “Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.” -William Shakespeare Announcements Women Podcasters in Solidarity In this week after the events that took place in Charlottesville, I’m even more committed to a quest I’ve been on to understand the roots of racism and bigotry, how it still shows up today, and how I can become a better ally and advocate to fight against it. I’m raising awareness for myself, and inviting you to do the same, through a special podcast episode coming out in September. If you want to listen to that episode, be sure to subscribe to the podcast and sign up for email updates at mothersquest.com. And if you are a women podcaster yourself, I’d love for you to make the pledge to use the power of your platform for this cause. You can learn more and join the initiative by signing up at mothersquest.com/solidarity. Q and A with Debbie Reber Join us on September 1st, Friday at 10:30 AM PST for a Q and A in the Mother's Quest Facebook Group with Debbie to continue our conversation and check in on the challenge. Click this link to join the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group and get invited to the event. Visit the Website If you haven’t yet visited the website, head over to www.mothersquest.com to explore some of the ways you can get more connected. At the site, you can sign up for our email list (to get show notes delivered to your inbox and our new “Mothers on a Quest” features), click the link to join the Facebook group and press record to leave a voice message for me. You can also download the FREE Live Your E.P.I.C. Life Planning and Reflection Sheets. Sign up! – Free 30 minute Discovery Session I’m rolling out my new coaching offerings and having great conversations with women who are ready to live a more E.P.I.C. life and interested in coaching. If you’ve had a spark moment setting you on a new path or are at a crossroads but feel unsure, guilty or overwhelmed, I’d love to talk with you about how working with me could help light the way, get you clear about what you want, shift your mindset from fear to faith, and get you moving into action. I’ve been there, I’m still on the journey myself, and I’d love to bring all I’ve learned from a decade of coaching, 13 years of motherhood and all the lessons from my podcast guests to support you. Send me an email at julie@mothersquest.com or sign up for a free discovery call by clicking this link if you’re interested in learning more. Acknowledgements A big THANK YOU to our “patrons” for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial and/or in-kind support: Katharine Earhart of Alesco Advisors Jessica Kupferman of She Podcasts Resistance Artist Jen Jenkins Dohner Genese Harris Tonya Rineer, founder of The Profit Party Liane Louie-Badua Cristin Downs of the Notable Woman Podcast Erin Kendall of Fit Mom Go Niko Osoteo of Bear Beat Productions Erik Newton of The Together Show Claire Fry Divya Silbermann Rachel Winter Caren and Debbie Lieberman Cameron Miranda Fran and David Lieberman Debbie and Alan Goore Jenise and Marianne of the Sustainable Living Podcast Support the Podcast If you’d like to make a contribution to Mother’s Quest to support Season Two of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution http://mothersquest.com/be-a-supporter/ If you would like to “dedicate” an upcoming episode to a special mother in your life, email me at julie@mothersquest.com --- Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/  

If you asked her, Rita Likins Brady would tell you there is only one thing missing in her life: the baby she gave away 51 years ago. We spoke with her as she shared her story of her journey to locate her son. We also welcomed Catholic Charities Director, Stacey Pajak and Adoption Specialist Monica Mounger to give us an inside look at the process of locating a child. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How do you want to greet your child in the morning? Tune into this bite-sized reflection on how making time for myself this morning changed how I greeted my son.

Ep 1 - Mother's Quest on Anchor: Planning Our Schedule w/our Children

Hello and welcome to this Episode #24 of the Mother’s Quest Podcast. I’m so honored to bring you this important and powerful conversation today with Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin, who through her daily Resistance Lives on Facebook, guides thousands of us with a voice of reason and optimism during the twists and turns of today’s political landscape.  Known as a “celebrated career coach” and “fearless entrepreneur” Elizabeth, a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University with a J.D. from George Washington University Law School, transitioned from a fifteen year career as a Wall Street securities litigator and trial lawyer to found The Gaia Project for Women’s Leadership. The organization offers virtual and live programming that cultivates leaders from the ground up to to grow what they call “New Paradigm Women’s Leadership.” Elizabeth is also a mindful mother. No matter how full her life gets leading women around the globe or fighting for our democracy, she prioritizes bringing presence and focus to her two children, both under the age of 5. In this episode, we talk about how Elizabeth grew up in a very progressive community and had a strong intuition she would make a massive difference in the world. She attended her first protest when she was just 15 years old and now she’s leading a new awakening in activism - one that challenges her over 20,000 followers, of which I am one, to take daily political action, to truly listen to one another and to others with differing perspectives, and move forward as intersectional feminists, shoulder to shoulder.  We also talk about the new heroine's journey where the heroine brings back the lessons learned along the way, her words of wisdom for me as I set out to raise awareness and create space for uncomfortable but important conversations about race, how we can “bear witness” for those who have different experiences than our own, and Elizabeth’s challenge to all of us to use our voice for change.  We packed so much depth and wisdom in this conversation, including the first ever lightning round exploration of the E.P.I.C. Guideposts. I look forward to hearing about the ways in which this episode will inspire you and invite you to join the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group to share with us and participate in a special Q & A on Thursday, August 3rd at 11:30 am PST with activist, leadership specialist, and former NAACP Vice President Chandra Brooks.  I left this conversation feeling more inspired than ever myself to step up and into the role of the New Heroine during these times. Moved by my experience with Elizabeth, I commit to daily political action, to stretch myself to have brave conversations and use my voice for change, to truly listen to others, and to consciously cultivate this Mother’s Quest community I’m growing.  This Week’s Challenge: Elizabeth asks us to think of ways we can stretch ourselves, outside of our comfort zone, to use our voice for good. And believe that we can change the world by making a difference even in one person's life.  Topics discussed in this episode: Elizabeth’s unique upbringing in progressive New Hope, Pennsylvania where 50% of the population was gay and there was a strong counter-culture.  The necessity of letting go of our anger, being willing to listen, and leading from a place of healing to hold a vision for and create the holistic society we seek. The feminine energy and ongoing cyclical nature of the New Heroine’s Journey. The massive acceleration of purpose and mission brought about by our current political situation. Intersectionality within the Resistance and how women with privilege need to investigate our own internal biases so we can create a culture where everyone is safe regardless of our race, gender, sexual orientation or immigration status. Feedback for me on an initiative I’m exploring to raise awareness and funds for Black Lives Matter; the importance of listening and “bearing witness” for communities who have different experiences than ours. The profound moment of reconciliation at the Gaia Lead Conference that had everyone in tears. The importance of consciously cultivating the businesses, work-places and communities that represent all of us and how even the smallest gestures of reaching out can really make a difference. A lightning round version of how the E.P.I.C. guideposts are showing up in Elizabeth’s life and the lessons she’s learning along her heroic journey.  Resources mentioned in this episode: Gaia Women Lead Website RISE (Resist, Inspire, Speak, Empower): An Activist/Leader Bootcamp starting Oct. 15th to help us use our voice for change  #ResistanceLive Elizabeth's Speaking Tour Information & Tickets The Heroine's Journey Council on American-Islamic Relations The video I sent to Elizabeth before our podcast interview - Black parents explain to their kids how to deal with police The post that explains what happened when I committed to starting Mother’s Quest Two Trapped Birds: Opening the Door for Mother’s Quest Episode with Jenjii Hysten where we talk about her emotional Facebook live which first called me to "bear witness" regarding Black Lives Matter  Ep 07: Living Out Loud with Jenjii Hysten Episode with Women’s March Organizer Paola Mendoza Ep 16: Rising Up with Paola Mendoza  Episode with Kathleen Shannon where we discuss blocking our time Ep 20: On Being Mom and Being Boss with Kathleen Shannon  Sally Yates, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Siskind - women who are new heroines in their own ways Announcements Q & A on Activism and Intersectionality - Let’s continue this conversation inspired by Elizabeth’s episode with a Q & A in the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group with activist, former NAACP Vice President and leadership specialist Chandra Brooks , Thursday, August 3rd at 11:30 am PST. Click link to join the group.  Visit the Website - If you haven’t yet visited the website, head over to www.mothersquest.com to explore some of the ways you can get more connected. At the site, you can sign up for our email list (to get show notes delivered to your inbox and our new “Mothers on a Quest” features), click the link to join the Facebook group and press record to leave a voice message for me. You can also download the FREE Live Your E.P.I.C. Life Planning and Reflection Sheets. Sign up! - Free 30 minute Discovery Session I’m rolling out my new coaching offerings and having great conversations with women who are ready to live a more E.P.I.C. life and interested in coaching. If you’ve had a spark moment setting you on a new path or are at a crossroads but feel unsure, guilty or overwhelmed, I’d love to talk with you about how working with me could help light the way, get you clear about what you want, shift your mindset from fear to faith, and get you moving into action. I’ve been there, I’m still on the journey myself, and I’d love to bring all I’ve learned from a decade of coaching, 13 years of motherhood and all the lessons from my podcast guests to support you. Send me an email at julie@mothersquest.com or sign up for a free discovery call by clicking this link if you’re interested in learning more. Acknowledgements A big THANK YOU to our “patrons” for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial and/or in-kind support: Resistance Artist Jen Jenkins Dohner (you can find her work here, proceeds of which are all donated to specific causes), who provided this week’s dedication to her mother Ginger Jenkins Genese Harris Tonya Rineer, founder of The Profit Party Liane Louie-Badua Cristin Downs of the Notable Woman Podcast Erin Kendall of Fit Mom Go Niko Osoteo of Bear Beat Productions Erik Newton of The Together Show Claire Fry Divya Silbermann Rachel Winter Caren and Debbie Lieberman Cameron Miranda Fran and David Lieberman Debbie and Alan Goore Jenise and Marianne of the Sustainable Living Podcast --- Support the Podcast If you’d like to make a contribution to Mother’s Quest to support Season Two of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution http://mothersquest.com/be-a-supporter/ If you would like to “dedicate” an upcoming episode to a special mother in your life, email me at julie@mothersquest.com --- Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

I’m excited to share this episode #22 with Kalika Yap, a serial entrepreneur, inventor, intentional mother, and business leader. She’s received tremendous recognition for her accomplishments, including being honored by the Anti-Defamation League, serving as a panelist with Magic Johnson on an Urban Economic Forum hosted by the Obama White House, and currently leading as the President of Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) Los Angeles Chapter. Kalika is from more humble beginnings. She came from a big family born in the Philippines in the time of Martial Law that then moved to a low income community in Hawaii. Growing up, she had strong influences from her mother who is a teacher and her father who is an entrepreneur. Along with her husband, she now imparts these family influences or “Ohana” and a focus on “Core Values”  to her two daughters, 10 and 8 years old. She's currently starting a company with her daughters, prompted by a school project, called Conscious Kids, a mindfulness resource for children. Believing that children have eyes all around and a unique perspective, she engages her daughters in defining the core values of their business and encourages them to explore their creativity. Her current mission, through her branded commerce start-up, Orange and Bergamot, is to help 1 million businesses succeed and in turn create 1 million jobs by developing amazing brands. She shares about what helps her achieve ambitious goals like these while being present for her family: reaching out to others, being part of a tribe, being willing to ask for help, and developing “Keystone Habits,” like meditation. Ultimately, she believes that the destination is the journey, and that the purpose of her life is to find joy and happiness while serving others. We covered a lot of ground in this interview and I felt like I filled my E.P.I.C. Life Toolkit with powerful strategies: to focus on values, develop keystone habits, and consciously choose a life of service. I left the conversation inspired by Kalika to pursue our entrepreneurial dreams and empower other women to do the same, all while being a present and intentional parent. This Week’s "Opportunity for Growth": Embrace meditation as a “Keystone Habit” and see how it can change your life Topics discussed in this episode: How Kalika's Relationship with her Mom grew stronger as she had kids of her own The Core Values in Kalika’s home and her businesses Conscious Kids, a company she is starting with her children, that gives them an opportunity to explore their core values and creativity Her bold mission to help 1 million businesses succeed The problem of women feeling guilty for wanting to positively make an impact and not being willing to promote themselves “Keystone Habits” that lead to other essential habits Kalika’s love of reading and learning and the books she thinks will most help us live our E.P.I.C. lives Look at life as a whole map or journey, and don’t judge it by days Resources mentioned in this episode: Consciouskidsco.com Entrepreneurs' Organization Citrus Studios Dr. Marshall Goldsmith Simon Sinek TED Talk on the Golden Circle Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It by Christopher Voss and Tahl Raz Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People by Vanessa Van Edwards Mavens Media Group Podcast Movement  She Podcasts Facebook Group Transcendental Meditation Oprah & Deepak’s Meditation Series Calm: Meditation App Vedic Meditation Unplug Meditation Meditation Short Courses at UCLA Announcements If you haven’t yet visited the website, head over to www.mothersquest.com to explore some of the ways you can get more connected. At the site, you can sign up for our email list (to get show notes delivered to your inbox and our new “Mothers on a Quest” features), click the link to join the Facebook group and press record to leave a voice message for me. You can also explore the new coaching offerings, sign up for a complimentary discovery session, and download the FREE Live Your E.P.I.C. Life Planning and Reflection Sheets. Guided Meditation and Q & A in the Mother's Quest Facebook Group Look out for our upcoming Facebook Live guest, Kari Azuma of the Conscious Mother's Coalition, who will lead a Guided Meditation and Q & A in the Mother's Quest Facebook Group on the evening of Thursday, July 6th. This would be a great opportunity for practicing meditation as a keystone habit. Make sure to sign up to join the Facebook Group, if you're not yet a member, to get reminders and access. Clarity Coaching (1.5 hr): E.P.I.C. Life Reflection and Strategy Session  I’m particularly excited to invite you to participate in a signature clarity coaching offering called an E.P.I.C. Life Reflection and Strategy Session. If you’ve loved the interviews on the podcast and imagined what your own responses might be to my questions, this offering will give you that opportunity to go deep about the way in which the E.P.I.C. guideposts are showing up in your life, explore what you want more or less of in your life, and commit to key action steps. We’ll record our conversation for you to listen to again and I’ll follow up by email to provide some accountability so you know you have a coach in your corner paying attention and cheering you on. Visit the work with me page at mothersquest.com to learn more and sign up. Acknowledgements A big THANK YOU to our “patrons” for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial and/or in-kind support: Liane Louie-Badua, who provided this week’s dedication Cristin Downs Erin Kendall Niko Osoteo Erik Newton Claire Fry Divya Silbermann Rachel Winter Caren and Debbie Lieberman Cameron Miranda Fran and David Lieberman Debbie and Alan Goore Sustainable Living Podcast If you'd like to make a contribution to Mother's Quest to support Season Two of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution http://mothersquest.com/be-a-supporter/ If you would like to "dedicate" an upcoming episode to a special mother in your life, email me at julie@mothersquest.com Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

Welcome to this very special Father's Day edition of the Mother’s Quest Podcast! In honor of Father’s Day, I’m so excited to bring you this conversation with a friend, former colleague, mindful father to two children, and a champion for underserved youth in Los Angeles --someone who I admire deeply-- Tony Brown.   Tony Brown is the Executive Director of Heart of Los Angeles, also known as HOLA, where he has touched the lives of thousands of children, helping to break the cycle of poverty, and replacing it with opportunity. We met when we were both just out of college, working together at HOLA, where we instantly became friends and felt we were part of a family. In a nurturing environment that really does feel like family, HOLA provides underserved youth near downtown LA with exceptional programs in academics, arts, and athletics, empowering them to develop their potential, pursue their education, and strengthen their communities. Tony has served as the executive director at HOLA since 2007 and has spearheaded incredible growth in the number of youth served, new buildings to house the programs, and relationships with world-class partners. HOLA collaborates with the Los Angeles Philharmonic to furnish instruments and music instruction, with performances at major venues across California and abroad. Leading museums link HOLA with professional artists and exhibit student works, Bard College graduate students provide academic and music support, and the Los Angeles Lakers partner in sports programs. For this work, Tony has received tremendous recognition, including a $200,000 James Irvine Foundation Leadership Innovation Award, accolades from the Center for Non-Profit Management and in 2014, he was featured as a TEDx Speaker. In this episode, Tony shares how growing up in the 70’s, in a community without other black families, shaped his character and helped him develop tremendous patience and understanding. He tells us how his mother challenged him, pushed him to become independent at an early age, and to become his best. And how he feels he’s on a quest himself to make the world a better place than how he found it, not only through his work at HOLA, but through expanding the understanding and world-view of his two young children. We also talk about how difficult it is to sustain oneself amid the emotional and challenging work as an Executive Director and youth developer. And, how he learned the importance of literally “jumping back in the pool” to start playing water polo again, to relieve stress and reconnect with an essential part of himself he had begun to lose. It was so wonderful to get a Dad’s perspective on the podcast and to see how the same E.P.I.C. guideposts resonate for fathers as well.   I left our conversation inspired by how Tony brings a sense of patience, that he’s cultivated his whole life, to give young people at HOLA opportunities, the importance of “jumping back in the pool” to return to our true selves and the things that make us who we are, holding a big vision, and how we can do more together when we work in partnership. Topics discussed in this episode: Growing up in the 70’s as the only black family in a white neighborhood Teaching his children philanthropy, being mindful of the environment, and to always think about how to make the world a better place not just for themselves but especially for others How HOLA gives youth opportunities to find their best selves and find their passion and some E.P.I.C. snapshot moments with young people that have come full circle Acknowledging that the work will always be there and the importance of giving yourself the time and outlets to turn it all off Recognizing that as parents we should not be “orbiting” around our children, but guiding them and giving them responsibility and independence while they follow our lead. How we can do so much more when we work toward our big visions together. The power of partnerships and Tony’s challenge to us to reach into the community to create enriching after school opportunities for children who would otherwise not have access. Resources mentioned in this episode: Heart of Los Angeles - HOLA provides underserved youth with exceptional programs in academics, arts and athletics within a nurturing environment, empowering them to develop their potential, pursue their education and strengthen their communities. Tony’s TEDx Talk: Putting Back What We Stripped Out Budget Philanthropist - The blog of 12 and 13 year old brothers Andrew and Jack Greff where they show that all that’s required is a love of humankind and a desire to improve the welfare of others to be a philanthropist. Mother’s Quest Podcast Episode #08 - Empathy, Acts of Kindness and Climbing Mountains with Erika Greff PACE Place - support for individuals and families as they reach their developmental potential. Announcements If you haven’t yet visited the website, head over to www.mothersquest.com to explore some of the ways you can get more connected. At the site, you can sign up for our email list (to get show notes delivered to your inbox and our new “Mothers on a Quest” features), click the link to join the Facebook group and press record to leave a voice message for me. You can also explore the new coaching offerings, sign up for a complimentary discovery session, and download the FREE Live Your E.P.I.C. Life Planning and Reflection Sheets Clarity Coaching (1.5 hr): E.P.I.C. Life Reflection and Strategy Session  I’m particularly excited to invite you to participate in a signature clarity coaching offering called an E.P.I.C. Life Reflection and Strategy Session. If you’ve loved the interviews on the podcast and imagined what your own responses might be to my questions, this offering will give you that opportunity to go deep about the way in which the E.P.I.C. guideposts are showing up in your life, explore what you want more or less of in your life, and commit to key action steps. We’ll record our conversation for you to listen to again and I’ll follow up by email to provide some accountability so you know you have a coach in your corner paying attention and cheering you on. Visit the work with me page at mothersquest.com to learn more and sign up. Acknowledgements A big THANK YOU to our “patrons” for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial and/or in-kind support: Cristin Downs of the Notable Woman Podcast, who provided this week’s dedication Erin Kendall of Fit Mom Go Niko Osoteo Erik Newton Claire Fry Divya Silbermann Rachel Winter Caren and Debbie Lieberman Cameron Miranda Fran and David Lieberman Debbie and Alan Goore Jenise and Marianne of the Sustainable Living Podcast If you'd like to make a contribution to Mother's Quest to support Season Two of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution http://mothersquest.com/be-a-supporter/ If you would like to "dedicate" an upcoming episode to a special mother in your life, email me at julie@mothersquest.com --- Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

Hello and welcome to this episode #20 and the first in Season Two of the Mother’s Quest Podcast!  This week’s guest, Kathleen Shannon, embodies the qualities of an independent, hard-working feminist. She also has this incredible generosity and openness and has impacted so many women, including myself, by sharing her experiences as a mother and an entrepreneur.    Kathleen is the co-founder of Braid Creative & Consulting and the co-host of one of my favorites, the Being Boss podcast for creative entrepreneurs. Through her work at Braid Creative and Being Boss she has helped thousands of creative entrepreneurs from all over the world authentically brand and position themselves as creative experts, cultivate confidence in their business, and blend more of who they are into the work they do. When she's not podcasting, writing a book, or shaping her next newsletter she's hanging with her husband Jeremy and their toddler Fox.    In this episode, Kathleen reflects on the impact her mother’s total adoration and acceptance had on her, giving her the freedom to be herself along with the secure foundation to be creative and explore.   We talk about the challenges of motherhood, the profound experience of her home birth, the sleep deprivation she experienced in her first year, and the tough decisions she’s had to make to build her businesses and be fully present for her son   She also shares how she’s learned to ask for help. Her fiercely independent attitude made it difficult for her to get support from her network. But learning to lean on her support network allows her to make a passionate & purposeful impact beyond her son and in turn allowed her son to learn to love other people and experience opportunities that she alone can’t provide him.   Kathleen also shares how she invests in herself by prioritizing her health, creating white space, and owning her schedule. And, she gives us two challenges, the first to reach out to someone to care for our child and the second to spend some time with our calendars, designing our ideal week and noticing the gap between the ideal and the real.  I loved connecting personally with Kathleen and left the conversation enriched by the spectrum between surrender and control, security and freedom and a sense of excitement for re-designing my time to allow for the full range of both.    Topics discussed in this episode: Kathleen’s unusual and early first memory How freedom within the context of security allowed Kathleen’s creativity to thrive Kathleen's experience giving birth to Fox, which she says felt like seeing God, made her more connected to herself, and is the coolest thing she's ever done The impact of sleep deprivation and the importance of asking for help We don't have to be present for our kids 24/7 but we should be fully present in the moments that have the most meaning A recent example where Kathleen realized she’s really making the difference she wants to make Creating balance, white space, community, and the impact of one on one conversations The conflict of creating comfort and stability for Kathleen’s child while being creative and adventurous How putting relationships first and business second is what makes partnerships thrive Connecting the dots between being a mother and being a boss Resources mentioned in this episode: Being Boss Podcast Braid Creative Being Boss ClubHouse Being Boss and Being Mom Podcast Episode #8 The Hero's Journey Attachment Parenting A Portrait of the Artist As a Young Mom - Is domestic life the enemy of creative work? Acuity Scheduling Google Calendar Mother’s Quest Episode #12: Breaking Bread and Building Bridges with Saadia Ahmed Kathleen's Crafting Your Ideal Day Worksheet FREE E.P.I.C. Planning, Reflection and Craft Your Ideal Week Printable Announcements If you haven’t yet visited the website, head over to mothersquest.com to explore some of the ways you can get more connected. At the site, you can sign up for our email list (to get show notes delivered to your inbox and new weekly round-ups of "gems" I'm finding on my quest), click the link to join the Facebook group and press record to leave a voice message for me. You can also explore the new coaching offerings, sign up for a discovery session, and download the FREE Live Your E.P.I.C. Life Planning and Reflection Sheets  Acknowledgements A big THANK YOU to our “patrons” for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial and/or in-kind support: Erin Kendall of Fit Mom Go, who provided this week's dedication Niko Osoteo Erik Newton Claire Fry Divya Silbermann Rachel Winter Caren and Debbie Lieberman Cameron Miranda Fran and David Lieberman Debbie and Alan Goore Jenise and Marianne of the Sustainable Living Podcast If you'd like to make a contribution to Mother's Quest to support Season Two of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution http://mothersquest.com/be-a-supporter/ If you would like to "dedicate" an upcoming episode to a special mother in your life, email me at julie@mothersquest.com Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

I’m excited to share this special Mother’s Day episode of the Mother’s Quest Podcast! I originally envisioned this episode as a season one finale, with highlights from every episode of season one, but it ended up taking shape differently (even better in my opinion!) and became what will be an ongoing series that we’re calling “E.P.I.C. Guideposts.” Living an E.P.I.C. life has become a guiding framework for Mother’s Quest. So often as mothers, we invest so much of ourselves in our children and their dreams, that we let our own fade to the background.  My mission with Mother’s Quest is to become the hero of my journey and the author of my story while providing inspiration, coaching and community to help you do the same.  EPIC captures this idea of creating a life filled with the things that matter most. It’s also an acronym mnemonic for the guideposts that I believe help us live such a life while we’re raising our children.  So, for this episode, we decided to highlight moments from season one, selected from some of our listeners, that connect to each of the four guideposts. You’ll hear what was special about the moment from the voice of one of our listeners and then hear the piece itself.  E.P.I.C. Guideposts in this Mother’s Day Episode  ENGAGED - You are mindfully engaged with your children and family Sunit Suchdev shares her reflection on my special episode with my son, Ep 18: YOLO (You Only Live Once) and other Milestone Reflections with Ryan Neale. In this episode, Ryan reflects back that in being “a little selfish” in creating Mother’s Quest I’ve given him so much more than if I only focused on my children. PASSIONATE - You are passionate & purposeful, making a difference beyond your family Wendy Reina called in on the powerful impact that Ep 16: Rising Up with Paola Mendoza had on her. In this clip, Paola shares how her passion as a filmmaker and activist led to her role in creating the Women’s March and how she teaches her son the responsibility of using your privilege to help others.  INVESTED - You are invested in yourself Lena Ayala-Velasquez shares her reflection on Ep 14: Breaking the Mold and Finding your Worth with Amanda Steinberg on the importance of taking risks and how the “cost” of taking a risk may actually be lower than the cost of not investing in ourselves.  CONNECTED - You are connected to a strong support network so you are in community on the journey Saadia Ahmed, one of our previous guests, highlighted her connection to Ep 07: Living Out Loud with Jenjii Hysten which highlights the importance of forging connections with one another based on our common humanity. I also share how this episode set in motion a series of events which were transformative for my whole family and led to an incredible E.P.I.C. life snapshot for Jenjii’s family and my own. If you’re new to the podcast, this episode will be a great introduction to Mother’s Quest and will hopefully spark you to go and listen to the 18 episodes that are waiting for you.  And if you followed along the whole time, this episode should be a helpful reminder of some of the amazing moments and lessons. I'd love for you to visit the website at www.mothersquest.com to explore new coaching offerings, blog posts and more. Read below for announcements about all the ways you can get and stay connected! Looking forward to a fantastic Season Two with you beginning on June 1st. Happy Mother’s Day! xoxo, P.S. Please help us spread the word and reach more mothers with these conversations by pressing send on this email and/or sharing our posts on social media Announcements If you haven’t yet visited the website, head over to mothersquest.com to explore some of the ways you can get more connected. At the site, you can sign up for our email list (to get show notes delivered to your inbox and new weekly round-ups of "gems" I'm finding on my quest), click the link to join the Facebook group and press record to leave a voice message for me. You can also explore the new coaching offerings, sign up for a discovery session, and download the FREE Live Your E.P.I.C. Life Planning and Reflection Sheets  Acknowledgements Heart-felt appreciation for the women who shared their reflections on the E.P.I.C. Guidepost episodes - Sunit Suchdev, Wendy Reina,  Lena Ayala-Velasquez, and Saadia Ahmed. A big THANK YOU to our “patrons” for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial and/or in-kind support: Niko & Rigette Osoteo of Bear Beat Productions Erik Newton Claire Fry Divya Silbermann Rachel Winter Caren and Debbie Lieberman Cameron Miranda Fran and David Lieberman Debbie and Alan Goore Jenise and Marianne of the Sustainable Living Podcast If you'd like to make a contribution to Mother's Quest to support Season Two of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution http://mothersquest.com/be-a-supporter/   --- Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E),Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

This week, I am taking a break from podcasting for the holidays, so thought I would take this opportunity to bring you a previously recorded interview that was done of me by Dr. Elisa Song for her Thriving Child Summit. Elisa is my children’s pediatrician and the founder of Healthy Kids, Happy Kids, an online resource for pediatric holistic health which hosted the Summit. The conversation was an opportunity for me to reflect on my own experience as a parent, especially when we faced developmental delays and health challenges with my older son, how my experience leading a process called “reflection” inspired me to focus my coaching practice on mothers, and the inspiration and plans for Mother’s Quest in the months before the podcast launch.   I hope you will enjoy getting to learn a little more about me and my journey as a mother, and how moments of pause and reflection contribute to me living my E.P.I.C. life and helping my children to thrive. I think you will also enjoy hearing from Dr. Elisa Song and I look forward to bringing you my interview with her in the first week of the Mother’s Quest Podcast in 2017. Topics discussed in this episode: How my work leading a process called “reflection” with youth developers and educators inspired me to work with moms and found Mother’s Quest The process I pursued to champion and heal my son that could be a guide for any parent facing challenges with their children. The ways in which I utilize my coaching skills in parenting my children The myth of the “perfect” mom Resources mentioned in this episode: The Thriving Child Summit The Mother’s Quest Podcast - listen and subscribe on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mothers-quest-the-podcast/id1180233121?mt=2 The Mother’s Quest Facebook group - join at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/   --- Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, engaging mindfully with their children (E), passionately and purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), investing in themselves (I), and connecting to a strong support network (C). Learn More at www.mothersquest.com Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

In this episode, I’m honored to have a conversation with two amazing mothers to their 8 year old daughter, Oakland-based life and business partners Lynn Johnson and Allison Kenny. They are the co-founders of Spotlight: Girls, which celebrates and activates girls and women through multi-media learning experiences and products. Through their Go Girls! summer camps, after-school, and school break programs, elementary and middle school girls build social/emotional skills through acting, music, media, dance and visual arts activities. Lynn, the CEO of Spotlight: Girls, has over 25 years experience as a teaching artist working in diverse communities all over the United States.  She is a sought-after facilitator and speaker and serves on the National Advisory Board of Teaching Artists Guild and the Board of Directors of the How Kids Learn Foundation. Allison is a writer, blogger, and actor.  She is the author of Starring Celia - a chapter book about a 4th grade girl who goes from being bullied to becoming a Go Girl! and Go Squirrel! - a series of coloring books aimed at teaching young readers complex social/emotional lessons through social stories. In her own words, Allison shares the “adventures of their queer, multi-racial, adoptive family” on her blog RaisingaGoGirl.com. In this conversation, Lynn and Allison talk about how their mothers, each in different ways, instilled the value of community that influenced the creation of Spotlight: Girls. We explore how they are making a difference beyond their family by igniting a Compassion Revolution with their programs, inspiring belief in the power of girls and women to be changemakers in the world, to take center stage in their lives, and to make brave and bold choices. And how the Go Girls! 5 point Culture Code, like the Mother’s Quest E.P.I.C. framework, provides a powerful guide that Lynn, Allison and their daughter have fully integrated into their lives. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did. I was struck by how powerful a metaphor theater and the arts can be for how to live your live. I hope you will leave the conversation, as I did, inspired to think about the ways in which you can “take center stage” to live a Go Girl! and E.P.I.C. life. Topics discussed in this episode: The importance of community and how Lynn and Allison’s mothers both instilled this value How Lynn and Allison’s vision of making interesting art sparked the beginning of their business and family life How the election results impacted them and how they started to heal by following one of the Go Girls’ teachings of going fully into your feelings How Lynn and Allison bring mindful, therapeutic parenting and social play to their daughter How the Go Girl’s! 5 point Culture Code can help us and our children to take center stage in our lives and see confidence as a verb How parents should care for themselves the same way they care for their children Resources mentioned in this episode: Lynn and Allison’s business, Spotlight: Girl, http://www.spotlightgirls.com Allison’s blog, Raising a Go Girl, http://www.raisingagogirl.com  and the specific blog post she mentions http://www.raisingagogirl.com/if-i-took-care-of-myself-like-i-took-care-of-my-daughter/ The Go Girls! 5 point Culture Code, http://gogirlscamp.com/methodology/ Go Girls! Camp, http://www.gogirls.com The Art of Raising Peaceful & Powerful Girls, http://go.spotlightgirls.com/raising-peaceful-and-powerful-girls-free-e-book The Mother’s Quest Facebook group - join http://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest   --- Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, engaging mindfully with their children (E), passionately and purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), investing in themselves (I), and connecting to a strong support network (C). Learn More at www.mothersquest.com Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

In this episode, I’m excited to be reunited with an old friend and former colleague, Rootopia founder Michelle Ratcliffe. Michelle is a farm to family specialist, who aims to help mothers raise happy, healthy kids and help our nation’s farmers prosper. She is a mom to two boys, and lives on a 4-acre farm near Portland, Oregon. As a first-generation American who struggled in school, digging in the earth and growing food grounded Michelle and turned her onto academics. Over the past 20 years, she’s been researching ways to get more local healthy foods on our plates and advocating for policy changes that would do that. Michelle earned her doctorate in Agriculture, Food and the Environment from Tufts University with research focused on the impacts of school gardening on adolescents. Her research into school gardening was vital to the gardening and childhood obesity efforts of First Lady Michelle Obama, which led to Michelle’s recent visit to the White House to celebrate the White House Kitchen Garden Dedication. In this conversation, Michelle and I talk about the transformative experience we had creating a community garden with young people over 15 years ago and how the honesty of Michelle’s students course-corrected her to the meaningful career path she is on today. Michelle shares the importance of being rooted in her family and their health, as well as the importance of community and civic-mindedness. And, we explore stepping forward with faith on your path, taking the next right step, even when you don’t yet know exactly where it will take you. During this holiday season, I hope this episode will inspire you to get more grounded with your family by saying no to over-scheduling and yes to cooking, eating and spending quality time with your children. Looking to make an end of the year donation? Consider Alternatives in Action, the non-profit youth development organization celebrating 20 years of service, where Michelle and Julie worked together. www.alternativesinaction.org Topics discussed in this episode: The importance of being present and intentional in your family’s life Don’t try to do too much and be “scheduled out” - rest and recuperation is important for your health. Aligning priorities with reality and investing deeply in your values Letting go of your ego and sense of self that is wrapped in work Creating an environment where magical moments can happen. Having the faith to create before knowing how it will all turn out Resources mentioned in this episode: Michelle’s website, Rootopia - http://rootopia.com/ The Mother’s Quest Circles (launching in January, 2017; sign up for the email list at www.mothersquest.com to get announcements or join the Facebook group www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest) Alternatives in Action, a non-profit that believes in the power and promise of young people in our community, and is also where Julie and Michelle met and worked together -https://www.alternativesinaction.org/ Michelle's story of faith reclaiming her barn  http://rootopia.com/reclaiming-our-barn/ Oprah Winfrey interview in which she talks about taking the next right step, and that there are no mistakes -https://youtu.be/dGgb1PwH7mo  The full hour-long interview is here: https://youtu.be/6DlrqeWrczs Roasted Roots and Leaves recipe from Rootopia -http://rootopia.com/roasted-root-vegetables-and-kale/   --- Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, engaging mindfully with their children (E), passionately and purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), investing in themselves (I), and connecting to a strong support network (C). Learn More at www.mothersquest.com Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

When Karen Aiach’s daughter was diagnosed with Sanfilippo Syndrome A, a rare neurodegenerative disease, she and her husband established a nonprofit to fund research. Eventually, as the work progressed, they launched Lysogene, a biotechnology company focused on gene therapy. We spoke to Aiach, CEO of Lysogene, about Sanfilippo Syndrome A, why the focus on gene therapy, and the progress the company has made to date.