The Mami Collective

This week on The Mami Collective Podcast, I’m sitting down with Leslee Cohen—a lawyer, founder of All Rise Legal Counsel and mom of two who was told that getting to the top meant playing golf, joining a country club and spending more nights away from her kids. So she built her own firm instead. We talk about: What to do when becoming a mom changes the career you thought you wanted Why you don’t ha...

If you’re exhausted, foggy, overwhelmed or simply don’t feel like yourself after becoming a mom, you’ve probably been told it’s “just motherhood.” But when is it a normal adjustment and when is your body asking for more support? Paulina sits down with board-certified family medicine physician and new mom Dr. Monica Medrano to discuss: How to know when “mom exhaustion” may be something more Why wom...

What happens when the parenting expert loses her patience, too? Paulina sits down with licensed professional counselor, registered play therapist, school counselor, and mom of two Amanda McDonnell for an honest conversation about raising emotionally healthy kids, without expecting ourselves to be perfect parents. Amanda shares why repairing after we lose our temper matters more than never messing...

What do you do when your next chapter arrives before you feel emotionally, financially, professionally (or personally) ready for it? In this vulnerable solo episode, Paulina opens up about building one of the biggest things she’s ever created while navigating motherhood, her mom’s stage four cancer and an emotionally complicated season behind the scenes. She shares why readiness is overrated, how...

You don’t need a massive following, a perfect website or thousands of dollars for a publicist to start getting your brand noticed. In this episode, Paulina sits down with media strategist, former editor-in-chief and published author Suanny Garcia to break down how women and small-business owners can earn media coverage, build credibility and confidently position themselves as experts. In this conv...

What if AI could give you something every mom desperately needs: more time? In this episode, Paulina sits down with Martina Matthews, founder of Miss ChatGPT 101, to break down how busy moms can use AI to lighten their mental load, grow their businesses and create more breathing room in their lives without being tech experts or losing their personal voice. After nearly 20 years in corporate leader...

What happens when you grow up being the one everyone depends on—and then become a mother? In this episode, Paulina sits down with Kasia Starzyk-Tomlinson, a mom of three, full-time office manager, and the behind-the-scenes backbone of The Mami Collective. As the oldest daughter of immigrant parents, Kasha learned early how to translate, problem-solve, take responsibility, and keep everything movin...

Can we talk about the people who can't just let you be excited for five minutes? This episode was inspired by the most random interaction at IKEA. A woman recognized me from the radio, we had the sweetest conversation...and then someone else hit us with a comment that made me think,  "Huh...what was that about?" It sent me down a rabbit hole about the people who always seem to have something to sa...

What started as an intimate dinner for 20 moms became one of the smartest business moves I’ve made. In this solo episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes of The Mami Plug Dinner Series and I'm sharing how one small, intentional event became market research, a content engine, a natural opportunity for brand partnerships, and proof of concept for something much bigger. We’re talking about why bigge...

Fertility care often begins only after something goes wrong-but Dr. Roohi Jeelani believes women deserve answers long before they’re forced to struggle. In this episode, Dr. Roohi shares her deeply personal journey from being diagnosed with PCOS at 14 to becoming a fertility specialist, navigating infertility herself, and building the kind of patient-centered practice she once needed. We discuss w...

If you’ve ever stood in front of a closet full of clothes and still felt like you had absolutely nothing to wear, this episode is for you. Paulina sits down with style coach and mom of two Vany Hernandez to talk about why so many women lose touch with their personal style after motherhood-and how to find it again without changing everything overnight or spending a fortune. Vany explains how your w...

In this episode of The Mami Collective Podcast, Paulina sits down with Abbey, owner and director of Le Village Cowork Old Route 66, aka the woman who gave Paulina her time, sanity, and working-mom brain back. Abbey is a mom of twin boys, a photographer, a business owner, and a literal village-builder. After experiencing firsthand how hard it is to work, parent, create, and not completely spiral wh...

What would happen to your children if something unexpected happened to you? It's a question most parents don't want to think about—but one every family needs to prepare for. In this episode of  The Mami Collective Podcast , Paulina sits down with financial educator and entrepreneur  Viviana Cordon  to talk about the financial conversations every parent should be having-from life insurance and esta...

What happens when the dream job you've worked years for no longer feels like the right fit? This week, Paulina sits down with radio personality, podcast host, and mom of three (almost!), Brooke Taylor, for a heartfelt conversation about faith, motherhood, ambition, and the moments that completely change the direction of your life. From walking away from Radio Disney to building a beautiful family...

What happens when the career you've spent a decade building disappears overnight? In this episode, Paulina sits down with entrepreneur and mom of two  Angie Maciel , founder of  La Casa Playroom , Chicago's first bilingual play space for children and families. Angie shares the raw story of being laid off after nearly 11 years in corporate America, how motherhood forced her to rethink success, and...

Most moms think they're being held back by a lack of time, money, support, or opportunity. But what if the thing standing in your way is actually... you? In this episode, Paulina is serving a little tough love as she unpacks the hidden ways women keep themselves stuck. From overthinking and perfectionism to waiting for permission and wearing exhaustion like a badge of honor, she's calling out the...

This week on The Mami Collective Podcast, I sat down with  Courtney Claghorn , founder and CEO of Sugared + Bronzed, the beauty brand that started with a $1,000 investment and has grown into nearly 50 locations nationwide.  We talked about: • Building a business from her apartment with her boyfriend (now husband) • Growing a national brand without outside funding for nearly a decade • What entrepr...

This week on The Mami Collective Podcast, Paulina sits down with Airbnb owner and coach Sara Robinson for an honest conversation about career pivots, motherhood, entrepreneurship, and building a life that actually feels aligned. Sara shares how she went from working at iHeartRadio and feeling completely burnt out in radio to helping build a thriving Airbnb business with her husband- now managing 2...

Birthday girl energy was absolutely in the building for this one.  This week on The Mami Collective, your host Paulina sits down with her  name twin  — the iconic, magenta-haired Paulina Bachleda-Kubanska — and honestly, the universe knew what it was doing when it brought these two together. Paulina B. came to the United States from Poland at 16 with zero English and zero roadmap — and turned that...

In this episode, Paulina sits down with Kate Danielson, founder of Foster Progress and mom of four teenagers (two biological, one adopted, and one in legal guardianship) to break down what fostering  really  looks like from the inside. From the misconceptions Hollywood sells us, to navigating blended family dynamics, to what it truly takes to open your home and your heart, Kate holds nothing back....

You had a plan. A timeline. A vision. And then…life said  absolutely not girl. In this episode, Paulina breaks down how to actually pivot when things don’t go according to plan, without spiraling, forcing it, or starting over from scratch. This is your no-BS guide to: letting go of what didn’t work separating your vision from the path you thought it had to take making your next move (even when you...

What if the thing you’re already doing is the thing you’re supposed to build? This week on  The Mami Collective Podcast , Paulina sits down with  Karen Vega , the mom behind  Chicago Moms —a go-to platform for family-friendly things to do in Chicago and the suburbs. What started as simply sharing outings with her kids turned into a trusted resource thousands of moms now rely on. In this episode, K...

This week on  The Mami Collective , we’re getting real about motherhood, identity, and the pressure to be everything to everyone. I’m joined by author, creator, and mental health advocate Jyothi Chand (aka Mama Jotes), and we dive into what it actually looks like to navigate motherhood without losing yourself in the process. From growing up in an immigrant household where mental health wasn’t even...

In this episode of The Mami Collective, Paulina Roe sits down with Francesca (aka Francesca’s Nest) to talk about what motherhood  really  looks like behind the scenes. From working as a full-time pharmacist to becoming a content creator, Francesca opens up about the scary leap of leaving corporate, navigating postpartum anxiety, and redefining her identity as a mom. We dive into: What working mom...

In this episode, Paulina sits down with  Diana Arango , founder and CEO of Chef Post, to talk about one of the biggest hidden stressors in motherhood: figuring out what everyone is eating every single day. From the mental load of weeknight dinners to the pressure of feeding your family well while juggling work, kids, marriage, and everything else, this conversation gets real about why mealtime can...