Working Parent Resource

Episode Summary: Working in an office space can bring up so many issues around communication, conflict, politics, not to mention just trying to move the ball forward on whatever you’re doing while working with a lot of different types of people. When we get along with our colleagues, things can operate smoothly. But today we’re diving into how to handle workplace conflict so you can better manage those sticky situations that come up for all of us from time to time. Our guest today, Melanie Beiler, is an expert in communication, but also works in human resources so she’s seen it all. We talk a lot about corporate environment in this episode but we also dive into what these issues look like on smaller teams or for entrepreneurs also. We cover it all. Melanie works in the human resources department at a healthcare facility as the director of Training and Professional Development. She holds her Masters of Education in Training and development and was an addictions therapist in her prior career. Melanie is also th

Episode Summary: Today’s episode is all about getting your kid’s stuff organized! I don’t know about you, but one of the biggest challenges my husband and I have is keeping all of our kid’s stuff in order. As soon as my older son was born, we immediately started accumulating kid gear: strollers, toys, clothes, books… the list is endless. And now that there are two of them, it’s multiplying exponentially. The conversation I have with my guest today, Susie Salinas, was so helpful in creating some structure in our home when it comes to our kid’s stuff. Susie Salinas is a mom of 3, military spouse, and owner of “Systems by Susie,” a business that helps busy moms develop long-term, easy-to-maintain solutions to keep their homes, their lives, and their kids organized and stress-free. She also has an online shop where she sells School Memory Boxes and other ready-made organizing solutions. Show Notes:  http://workingparentresource.com/52 Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode: Susie Salinas Website Susie Sa

Episode Summary: The topic we’re discussing today is one that can be a huge issue for working parents. But it can be sensitive and personal and often brings up plenty of shame and judgment, so I don’t think a lot of people don’t talk openly about it. It’s also something that can easily derail a healthy relationship if you and your spouse are having trouble in this area. Today I’m joined by certified sex therapist Lisa Katona to answer all of your questions about sex and working parenthood. With over a decade of experience in community mental health and private practice, Lisa Katona is thrilled to bring more sex positivity to the world. Lisa completed her Masters in Social Work from the University of Michigan and is a Certified Sex Therapist through the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists. She is also a trained couples therapist, in both Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and Gottman’s Couples Therapy. Lisa’s therapeutic focus is on sexual wellness with a sex-positive perspe

Episode Summary: Fifty episodes! I can’t believe it! I started this podcast a little over a year ago, on my birthday in January of 2017, and it’s been such an amazing experience. I have had such a great time interviewing amazing guests, sharing some of my thoughts about being a working parent, and generally just opening up an important conversation with you all. It’s been a great year, and I’m just getting started! So to celebrate this milestone, I thought we’d do something a little different today. I know some of you have been listening since the beginning, but I thought I’d sort of re-introduce myself to those of you who are new listeners. But I also wanted to add a little twist. So today I’m going to share some personal facts about my life that I never really talk about. I usually try to keep whatever stories I share with you super related to whatever topic we’re talking about, because I sort of feel indulgent just talking about myself for no reason. But I also really enjoy hearing back-stories and behind

Episode Summary: I’m so excited to welcome our guest today, Chris Ducker. Chris has been a business mentor for me for a couple of years now, and one of the biggest things that drew me to him was his candor about his experience with burnout many years ago. Obviously as a working mom I can relate to that situation well. But what really impressed me about Chris was his dedication to transform his life to be more healthy and congruent with this values. I love how he used this experience of complete burnout as a catalyst for change. I can relate to that experience as well, and at the core, that’s what the Working Parent Resource is all about. Chris Ducker is a serial entrepreneur, keynote speaker and author of the bestseller, Virtual Freedom as well as his new book that’s just been released, The Rise of the Youpreneur. Originally from the UK, Chris has lived in the Philippines for 15 years, where he hosts the annual Tropical Think Tank mastermind event and has founded several businesses, which combined house over

Episode Summary: We all know that time management is one of the most challenging aspects of being a working parent. Our guest today, Tonya Dalton of InkWELL Press, is a productivity expert, and she’s going to share with us a few gems about what REALLY works to save time as a busy parent. We can all get sidetracked so easily with the latest productivity app or time saving hack or even the coolest paper planner, and she cuts through the nonsense to give you exactly what you need to maximize your efficiency. Tonya Dalton is a productivity expert who started her first business in 2009 working out of her dining room juggling two small kids. By 2011, she had grown the business to the point where her husband could leave corporate America and come work with her. By combining her entrepreneurial spirit with his MBA and marketing experience, they were able to grow a small niche business quickly into something that could support their family. inkWELL Press launched in November of 2014 and has been able to rapidly grow i

Episode Summary: Fitness has been one of the hardest things for me to integrate back into my life as a new mom. Now with a 4 year old home with me two days a week and my little guy who’s with me all day everyday… it’s definitely not the easiest thing to prioritize. If you can relate to that at all, I think you’ll love today’s conversation with Erin Kendall, owner of Fit Mom Go. Erin is an expert at helping moms fit exercise and fitness into their already busy lives. She has some creative and practical tips for all of us, I think you’ll really like this one. Erin Kendall is an American Council on Exercise Certified Personal Trainer with 2 little toddlers at home. While juggling a household, two kids, three pets and maintaining a little sense of self she hopes to bring a ray of hope and sunshine to other busy moms through Fit Mom Go! Fitness for Moms is more than a few minutes of "me time." It's a lifestyle that we pass onto our children and radiate in everything we do. Erin has been a personal trainer since 20

Episode Summary: If you’ve been listening to this show for a while, you know I’m not a huge fan of productivity hacks and time saving tips. I think they can definitely serve a purpose in helping us streamline our lives, but I also think often those kinds of things lead to a more frantic lifestyle and can be a distraction from determining what we’re really trying to accomplish. In this episode I chat with Lisa Zarwtony about the underlying purpose of productivity, and I just love her inspiring take on a very common topic. Show Notes:  http://workingparentresource.com/46 Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode: Lisa Zawrotny Website Lisa Zawrotny Facebook Lisa Zawrotny Instagram The Deeper Purpose of Productivity by Lisa Zawrotny (Huffington Post article) 7 Things You Must Declutter First (Free Guide) 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management by Kevin Kruse The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy The Minimalists Podcast Minimalism Documentary Deliberate Life

Episode Summary: Our world is so fast-paced and noisy these days, it seems almost impossible to be in control of our lives as working parents. Many people just believe BALANCE is an impossible ideal, so they don't even try to work toward it anymore. They just put their head down and work harder and faster to get through the day. And a record number of people are suffering from burnout, anxiety and depression as a result. Just about everyone I talk to has a different combination of struggles as working parents, but here are some of the most common ones: Stress Burnout Overwhelm Frustration Resentment... these are all pretty much par for the course. Feeling like a failure because you aren't meeting all of your own or other people's expectations (which are totally unachievable, but you still hold yourself to these impossible standards). A marriage that feels distant or is even falling apart Feeling like a terrible parent because you don't spend much time with your kids, and when you do you're distracted and imp

Episode Summary:  We talk a lot about being good parents on this show, and today our guest Sam Munoz is sharing with us a really fun and different way to do that.  She’s passionate about using literature as a tool to enhance your connection with your kids and integrate your core family values into their upbringing.  We also dive into her own experience as a new mom and how she found security in using the lessons in the books she shares with her daughter.  She has a lot of practice tips for working parents in particular to make the most of our limited time with our kids using the books they read throughout their childhood.    Samantha is a mother, engineer, wife, bibliophile and life lover. Her multi-passionate personality has led her to a successful and fulfilling side hustle as a children's book blogger. Sam, who spends most days engaged in tickle fights, jumping on the bed and reading under a blanket fort with her daughter, has a passion for teaching parents how to create lasting and invaluable book collect

Episode Summary: Since we’re heading into the new year, I thought it would be a good time to talk about some of the things that are happening at the Working Parent Resource, both in my business but also with the podcast. A lot has been changing over the last few months, and I wanted to share it with you.  Show Notes:  http://workingparentresource.com/43 Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode: Deliberate Life Challenge Working Parent Resource Email List  Working Parent Resource Coffee Chat Working Parent Resource Website About the Working Parent Resource: The Working Parent Resource helps burned out working parents optimize their time, improve their relationships and escape survival mode for good. Sarah Argenal is the Founder and CEO of the Working Parent Resource and Host of the Working Parent Resource Podcast. She has her Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis on Marriage and Family Therapy and Adult Development and is a Certified Professional Coach with 20 years of experience in

Episode Summary: I had such a great conversation with our guest, Kate Turza today.  Kate and I just had a very real, very honest discussion about why it’s SO damn hard to ask for help these days, even when we feel like we’re drowning.  As working parents we have a ton on our plate, and it can feel like we’re expected to do everything ourselves and do it all well.  But that’s not how we’re meant to operate.  We’re SUPPOSED to have a tribe.  We’re supposed to rely on a village to get through it all.  And I’ll let you in on a little secret… if you try to do it all alone, you’re GOING to burnout.  We need help from time to time and the better you get at asking for that support, the more manageable (and enjoyable!) your life will be.  But these days we’re not as connected to our support systems the way we were in generations past. So we chat about how she as a postpartum doula helps new moms and dads manage those early days of parenthood in a healthy way that integrates who they are with who they are becoming.  We

Episode Summary: We talk about our kids’ sleep in passing, so it’s hard to get the full context of the struggles and realities of baby sleep over time.  So I’m just going to pull back the curtains and tell you everything that’s going on in our home. I’m going to share what I feel like I did wrong when it came to my boys’ sleep, and what ended up working for us as a family instead. I feel like it’s hard to get the complete story about baby sleep from other parents, so I just want to give you a full picture of my experience and what I’ve learned over the years. What worked for me may or may not fit for you, but I wanted people out there to know that there are other alternatives to sleep training if you’re struggling to get enough sleep yourself and aren’t sure if you want to sleep train your kids.  I had a different topic scheduled for today, but since Dr. Pam Douglas and I didn’t have a lot of time to talk about the practical things you could do if you’re struggling to get sleep as a parent whose child isn’t s

Episode Summary:  I’m really excited to welcome our guest today, Dr. Pam Douglas of the Possums Clinic in Australia.  Back in episode WPR023 which I recorded right after I had my second little boy, I talked a lot about infant sleep.  I shared that getting my older son, who’s 4 now, to sleep was one of the most stressful and difficult experiences of my life, and then I shared what I’m doing differently with our younger son, who’s four months old. Pam is an Australian General Practitioner and researcher who specializes in early life care. She is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Maternity Newborn and Families Research Collaboration, Griffith University. Pam is passionate about supporting new parents so that life with their baby is as enjoyable as possible. Over the past 20 years, she has developed the programs known as Neuroprotective Developmental Care, or the Possums Programs, which help with breastfeeding and feeds, sleep, baby's crying and fussing, and parental mood. These programs are delivered in

Episode Summary:  Today we’re going to chat with Michelle Gale, who I absolutely loved getting to know.  Michelle has such a wonderful way of breaking down some of the hardest parts of parenting and teaches us how to take those difficult moments so we can turn them into something beautiful.  As a recovering perfectionist, it’s really easy for me to fall into the trap of feeling like I need to do this whole parenting thing perfectly, and Michelle’s work is a great reminder that not only do we not need to be perfect at parenting, but we can look to those messy moments for some of the best lessons and opportunities to connect with our kids. Michelle Gale is a Mindfulness Teacher, Corporate Trainer, Executive Coach, Podcast Host, and author of the book “Mindful Parenting in a Messy World”. She is on a mission to support parents in staying meaningfully connected to themselves and their families, even as the demands and complexity of contemporary life and work are accelerated. She works in schools, communities, and

Episode Summary:  Stress and anxiety is prevalent among working parents, for good reason. We're juggling more and more everyday, often with less support than ever. If you're struggling to manage overwhelm and stress, this episode is for you. Ilyse Dobrow DiMarco, Ph.D. is a mother of two and a Clinical Psychologist based in Summit, NJ. She specializes in working with stressed and anxious parents and writes frequently about parental mental health. She received her B.A. from Yale University and her Ph.D. from Rutgers University and is a Diplomate of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. Her writing has been featured in Motherwell, Motherly, Scary Mommy, and PopSugar Moms, as well as on her own blog, DrCBTMom.com. Show Notes:  http://WorkingParentResource.com/38 Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode: Dr. Ilyse Dobrow DiMarco Website Dr. Ilyse Dobrow DiMarco Facebook Dr. Ilyse Dobrow DiMarco Twitter Dr. Ilyse Dobrow DiMarco LinkedIn The Worry Cure: Seven Steps to Stop Worry from Stopping You by Robert Leah

Episode Summary:  Today we have a very special guest with us.  Today I am going to interview my sister, Emily Jameson.  She’s a few years younger than I am, but she’s always been one of my parenting role models since she had four kids by the time I had my first.  She always has such a common sense advice for me, and she and I recently had a great conversation about technology as it relates to our kids, and I wanted to share that with you guys at home. Emily is also one of those people who is rocking working parenthood.  She has four kids who range in age from 4-12.  And her husband often has to travel for work, so she’s managing all of that on her own a lot of the time.  So that alone would be enough to make me fall apart by the end of the day.  But Emily also went back to school last year to become a nurse.  And then, on top of all of that, she gets up at 4:30 every, single morning to go to a Camp Gladiator fitness class.  I’ll have her share more about all of that, but seriously – my little sister is amazin

Episode Summary: We chat a lot about productivity and time management and boundaries and all sorts of other things that help with one of the biggest problems that working parents have: not having enough time.  And I love talking about this stuff because I know it really is one of the biggest struggles modern working families face – trying to fit everything into their busy lives.  And I have 20 years of experience in the project management field, so I’m happy to chat about this as much as I can. But I’ve spent over two decades completely immersed in studying the various elements of healthy committed relationships.  This is a topic that I’ve been obsessed with for most of my life.  I’ve read as many books as I could get my hands on.  I’ve had countless conversations with people who are genuinely happy in their relationships.  I even went to grad school to get my Master’s degree in this subject.  And it also seems to be an area that lends itself to either a lot of joy as a working parent if you and your partner

Episode Summary:  I’ve always been a creature of habit, so establishing a routine for my kids was never that difficult for me.  Plus as someone who has spent decades learning about child development, I knew going into parenthood that creating a routine for my kids would be an important part of building consistency and security for them.  But I know it’s not always easy for everyone to establish a routine for their kids, so I wanted to cover this topic in case you’re having a hard time.  Today’s guest shares with us her personal experience as a mom and how she’s been able to create an effective routine for her kids.  Erin Montgomery is the mom of a 6 year-old and a 4 year-old. She spent ten years working in fashion journalism, public relations, social media and styling, and now runs the social media marketing company, Piper Social Media. Show Notes:  http://WorkingParentResource.com/35 Resources & Links Mentioned in this Episode:  Erin Montgomery Website  Erin Montgomery Facebook Erin Montgomery Twitter Er

Episode Summary:  I’m going to start today’s episode by saying something that might make some of you angry.  But I need to share a little tough love with all of you working parents out there.  Here it is: If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your over-booked schedule, if you don’t have enough time, it’s for one reason and one reason only:  because you aren’t setting boundaries around your time.  You either don’t know how, or you aren’t comfortable, saying NO to other people. There are a hundred excuses I hear from working parents who are overwhelmed: I have too much on my plate. My husband doesn’t do anything around the house. I don’t have enough help. My job (or my boss) is super-demanding. My kids are still young and they need me. I’m the person people rely on to get things done. All of this is CODE for: “I haven’t learned how to set boundaries in my life.” Do extenuating circumstances arise?  Are there times that are busier than others?  Of course.  It’s life and sometimes things are going to be busier than