Wifemotherleader Podcast

In this week's episode, I interview Bianca Baader of Haus Pixie Organizing and Staging.  My confession is that while I was always organized in school (and now at work), I was/am messy at home (mainly clothes and papers).  It's now limited to my own bedroom and not the rest of our house, but it's still a struggle for me.   Then, if you throw 1) kids, 2) a tendency to hold on to things too long (think pack-rat, not a hoarder) and 3) a Boston-sized apartment you'll appreciate my challenges!    So, a bit over a year ago, I hired Bianca to help me get my sh&t together before starting my new job.   It was a great experience!  I remember Bianca helping me to determine what I needed to get rid of without judgment, but with some tough questions and push-back again my instinct to hold onto things I didn't need or use.  And, what took things over the top for me is that we actually took the items to the Goodwill for donation.   My husband and I had done some closet cleaning (thanks Maria Kondo) prior to hiring her an

Mother's Day is a wonderful day, but it can also be emotionally exhausting. Whether you are just thinking about becoming a mom or you are deep in the struggle, I wanted to share just a few words of encouragement today. My hope for you is to be encouraged when you feel like your not enough, joyful when you are sad and frustrated, hopeful when you feel exhausted and cherished even when the "thank yous" seem non-existent. You are doing your best. You are not alone. As you go through your week, please remember: Mothers still have to mother on Mother's Day! Even with all the celebration, there are people still counting on you, still asking you for things and still expecting you to meet their needs. Tomorrow is just Monday, so what are you doing the rest of the days to make parenting sustainable? Motherhood is a sacred role, but it doesn’t have to be your everything. In fact, it shouldn’t be. You have purpose and value outside of being a mother. Women who don’t have children have purpose and value and if you didn’t

This week’s podcast gives you a behind the scenes on how I am progressing on my 2019 goals. I decided to open up and “grade” myself. I don’t think that you have to do it this way, but I know myself well enough that looking at a grade or performance will motivate me, especially for the goals where I am not progressing as fast as I would like. I am committing to doing this process every 90 days, although I probably won’t podcast about it every time. I set goals in multiple areas of life--spiritual, financial, health, marriage, parenting, personal development, and relationships. I am going to review every area on this episode but will keep it brief.   

Most of the time spent parenting focuses on our kids and what they need to do or learn or how they need to behave and respond to life. Today's guest challenges that idea. Ruth Freeman, a parenting coaching at Peace at Home Parenting and licensed social worker with over 3 decades of experience working with parents and kids, says that parents need to spend more time on their own thoughts and behaviors. How we raise our kids is a direct product of our own upbringing, fears, expectations, and societal norms

Today's podcast focuses on some specific ways that you can translate self-love into your daily life. Remember, self-care is really self- love in action. So, consistent self-care is what you do because you have self-love. 6 Ways that you can put self-love into action: One Hour Per Week of "Think Time."  Say No Speak Up (especially at work) Use some everyday hacks to free up time  Invest time in something you care about / a hobby Extended time away (not just a few hours)

In today's episode, Donielle gets personal and talks about self-love, including her own personal journey from perfectionism and negative self-talk to a place of deep peace and joy. In this episode, you'll learn: How self-love is different from self care  Why self-love requires you to talk differently How self-love demands that you advocate for yourself How self-love teaches you to forgive yourself Why self-love matters to you, your marriage, and your kids

In part 2, Donielle continues her conversation with Caroline about how she built her business with three young daughters and a supportive husband. Listen as she talks about supporting other moms, asking for help, and being flexible as you try to build your career and family!

Donielle interviews Caroline Johnson of Belly Rebuild to talk about abdominal separation, also known as diastasis recti. Learn about how this common post-pregnancy injury can be healed non-surgically.

Donielle shares key lessons she learned on the journey from being a working outside the home mom to an at-home mom for four years and then rejoining the workplace. You'll learn practical tips on how to maintain your network, return to work with confidence, think differently about the skills you learn managing your household, why no one can have it all, and why you should pick work that matters to you.

This is the final episode in this series where I share key lessons from 12 years of marriage.  Lessons 4-12 weren't necessarily in a particular order, but 1-3 are.  These are the 3 most important lessons that I have shaped our marriage.    These are what have made the most difference and what I would tell an engaged or newly married couple if I only had a few minutes to share some advice.  In this episode, I focus on the following lessons:  Lesson 3: Teamwork makes the dream work Lesson 2: Pray together daily Lesson 1: God must be at the center

In this 4-part series, Donielle shares her top 12 lessons from 12 years of marriage to her husband, Cullen. Listen in as she shares thoughtful, genuine and actionable advice to help you build a great marriage. Whether you're engaged, a newlywed or a marriage veteran, you'll find something that can help you in this series. This part 3, she focuses on lessons 4-6, including: Lesson 6: Like is a feeling.  Love is an action.  Lesson 5: It will be the things you don’t plan for that determine the success of your relationship Lesson 4: Great sex is a by-product of a great marriage (not the other way around) Questions or feedback? Email Donielle at donielle@wifemotherleader.com

In this 4-part series, Donielle shares her top 12 lessons from 12 years of marriage to her husband, Cullen. Listen in as she shares thoughtful, genuine and actionable advice to help you build a great marriage. Whether you're engaged, a newlywed or a marriage veteran, you'll find something that can help you in this series. This part 2, she focuses on lessons 7-9, including: Lesson 9: You have to advocate for yourself. Lesson 8: Kids are a gift from God, but shouldn’t be the center of your entire world Lesson 7: My interests are my interests and so are yours Questions or feedback? Email Donielle at donielle@wifemotherleader.com

In this 4-part series, Donielle shares her top 12 lessons from 12 years of marriage to her husband, Cullen. Listen in as she shares thoughtful, genuine and actionable advice to help you build a great marriage. Whether you're engaged, a newlywed or a marriage veteran, you'll find something that can help you in this series. This episode focuses on lessons 10-12, including: 12. Change yourself, don't change your spouse 11. Being vulnerable helps you be understood 10. Cheerleading is a skill you must learn Questions or feedback? Email Donielle at donielle@wifemotherleader.com

What do you do when you can't juggle all the balls you have in the air? Have you ever stopped to take a pause? If you did, did you guilt yourself the entire time because you "weren't living up to your potential"? Join Donielle as she un-pauses the WifeMotherLeader podcast. In this episode, she will challenge you to lower your expectations and how that can free to to actually achieve what you really want.  

Did you have a plan for your marriage? Do you wish that you and your husband had some important conversations before you said I do? In today's episode, Paula Holt, a marriage educator shares great insight for women who are committed to building a strong marriage, resilient kids, and a great career. Her advice is spot on for women facing the everyday pressures of family life and wondering if they can make it all work. Some of the things we discuss during the interview: How an episode of the Oprah show focused on post-wedding letdown inspired Paula to learn everything she could about marriage and ultimately become a marriage educator The advice Paula would give to women who are dating The advice Paula would give to engaged and recently married women What do you do when you want to shift the balance between the “mother” role and the marriage and leader roles? What books every couple should read

For the past few episodes we have been focused on the marriage relationship. That’s on purpose because it is so important to your other roles. Today, I wanted to ask what seems like an simple question: Do you make each other better?Does your husband make you better? Do You make him better? Now you could easily just answer yes, no, or I don’t know. But I think a deeper dive into the question can provide some real gems about your marriage relationship.

Consistent date nights are a great way to build a strong, healthy marriage. Dating your spouse is different, yet just as important as before marriage. This episode is going to focus on the benefits of a consistent date night and the key things you should do to make date-night a success!

In Episode #10, we explore 5 specific things you should NOT do when you have a disagreement with your husband. Learn how to "fight fair" and resolve issues like grown-ups!

In Episode #9, we teach you how to focus on your priority roles so that you can experience major progress in a short period of time! Also, learn the key lessons that Donielle will share about successful "focused intensity" periods.

In this episode, we focus on practical ways to prioritize your roles so that you can achieve success in the areas most important for you. Donielle shares how she is currently prioritizing her roles, how she addresses conflict, and how she is planning for the shift in priorities that will come in just a few weeks!