3 with Bri - Married Working Mom

Season 1 of 3 with Bri comes to a close with a reflection on what this space has truly been about—not just the topics, but the life lived inside all of them. In this episode, Bri revisits the “pearls” from the season—what it means to love people in real, daily ways, to carry both visible and invisible responsibilities, and to remain steady in full and demanding seasons. From marriage and motherhoo...

Spring can be beautiful and brutal in the same week—and grief can feel the same way. In this episode, I share a personal reflection on losing my dad and how grief has continued to move through my life in different seasons. I talk about missing not just who he was to me, but who he would have been to my husband and children. This conversation is about holding both grief and hope at the same time—wi...

Why do two people do the exact same thing for completely different reasons? In this episode, I’m sharing one of the tools that has helped me better understand myself, my relationships, and even my work as an educator and mom: the Enneagram. This isn’t just about personality. The Enneagram helps uncover the deeper motivations behind our behavior — why we respond the way we do, what drives us, and h...

This episode is a quiet reminder of why the teaching profession still matters. In today’s conversation, I sit down with Hailey—an elementary education major in her final semester before student teaching. I’ve had the privilege of knowing her as a student, and now we get to talk as two educators at different points in the journey. We talk about: What led her back to teaching after considering other...

What if the energy you bring into a room is shaping everything more than your words ever could? In this episode of 3 with Bri , I’m reflecting on a full week—from bringing home a new puppy to sending my pre-service teachers into their practicum experience—and the powerful reminder that energy is always being read. Whether it’s a puppy learning your cues or students responding to your presence, the...

Community has been a defining thread throughout my life. From growing up in a rural community… to the people who showed up when my father died… to the colleagues who helped me survive my first years of teaching… I’ve seen again and again that we were never meant to carry life alone. In this episode, I reflect on the power of community—both the people down the hall and the people across the country...

In this episode of 3 with Bri , I’m speaking directly to educators—and to mothers, because many of us are both. After spending time with a room full of passionate teachers—from student teachers to 20-year veterans—I was reminded of the heavy load educators are carrying right now. The weight is real. The expectations are high. And too often, when teachers ask for help, it’s not for themselves—it’s...

This is the final episode in our three-part conversation with Dr. Siri Erickson, certified menopause doula and founder of The Compassion Way. In Part 3, we move beyond symptoms and into meaning. What does it really mean when a woman says, “I feel like I’m losing myself”? For one woman, it’s brain fog affecting her work. For another, it’s sleep collapse. For another, it’s athletic performance shift...

In Part 2 of our series with certified menopause doula Dr. Siri Erickson, we move from awareness to advocacy. Why are we still whispering about menopause? Why does it feel loud in our algorithms but quiet in real life? And how do you walk into a doctor’s office prepared instead of dismissed? Together, Bri and Dr. Erickson unpack: The cultural shame around aging and why menopause still feels taboo...

What if the changes you’re feeling aren’t a sign that something is wrong — but evidence that your body is moving through a powerful transition? In this first episode of our special series, Bri sits down with certified menopause doula Dr. Siri Erickson to begin an honest, illuminating conversation about perimenopause, menopause, and the support women deserve but often don’t receive. With a doctorat...

In seasons when the world feels unsettled, many of us are carrying more than we can name. The headlines are heavy. The work of mothering, partnering, and showing up doesn’t slow down—it presses closer. In today’s episode of 3 with Bri , I offer a story instead of solutions. The story of Miep Gies, an ordinary working woman who lived through extraordinary danger during World War II—and whose quiet,...

January has a way of feeling like five days packed into one—and 2026 is already asking more of us than we can hold. In this episode of 3 with Bri , I’m sharing three grounding reflections for the married, working mom who feels stretched thin and overloaded. We talk about: ​Asking the simple but powerful question: How am I taking care of myself? ​Letting go of “everything” and choosing the somethin...

Some lessons don’t come from lectures—they come from lived moments. In this episode, Bri shares a family story that instantly became part of their “story catalogue”: a real-life moment that reminded them why dignity, humanity, and good customer service still matter. What began as a simple Christmas errand turned into a powerful contrast between being dismissed and being respected—all witnessed thr...

A new year often brings fresh hope—blank calendars, a little more daylight, and the feeling that maybe this season can be lighter. But for married working moms, teachers, and students alike, the work doesn’t pause just because the calendar flips. In this episode, Bri reflects on the realities of midyear school life—as a mom of three active kids, a teacher of preservice educators, and a partner jug...

In Episode 21 of 3 with Bri , Bri reflects on how grief never truly ends—it ebbs, flows, and sometimes arrives unexpectedly, especially during the holidays. Christmas, with its deep roots in tradition, can bring both warmth and heartbreak as memories of loved ones and long-held rituals resurface. Bri shares vivid memories of her childhood Christmas Eve traditions—multi-generational gatherings, Swe...

In Part 2 of her conversation with Dr. Mary Westby, Bri dives deeper into what it really looks like to stay in a demanding profession while raising a young child and caring for aging parents. Mary, an athletic trainer and director of a master’s program in athletic training, speaks candidly about the pressures working moms face in non–family-friendly fields—and why so many talented women are pushed...

In this episode of 3 with Bri , Bri sits down with Dr. Mary Westby, Program Director of the Athletic Training Master’s Program at Gustavus Adolphus College, for an honest and thoughtful conversation about leadership, adaptability, and motherhood. Mary reflects on her 17-year journey at Gustavus—from clinical athletic trainer to faculty leader—and the many moments where stepping into “the next size...

In this solo episode of 3 with Bri , Bri reflects on comparison—especially how it sneaks in during the holiday season—and offers a steady reframe built on grace, empathy, and lived experience. Drawing from her work with young adults, her midlife season as a married working mom, and her own journey through grief and growth, Bri unpacks the idea that everyone gets their hard . Not all hardships look...

In this episode, Bri goes off the cuff to reflect on a week that was unexpectedly full—but surprisingly aligned. Between advising appointments, classroom observations, designing a crime scene–themed math experience, managing kids’ activities, and holding down the fort while her husband traveled, it was a packed stretch of days. Yet somehow, it felt meaningful instead of overwhelming. Bri unpacks w...

This week on 3 with Bri , we’re diving into what it really feels like to be a married, working mom — the kind with eight arms doing eight different things… and one of them is always on standby for the unexpected. Bri shares her “octopus mom” theory: seven arms multitasking like pros, and that eighth arm scrambling to handle the sick kid, forgotten instrument, physical forms, last-minute errands, a...

In this episode of 3 with Bri , we’re joined by registered dietitian and busy mom of three, April Graff , author of Uncomplicate Your Plate . April has spent 17 years helping families make smart, realistic food choices—without guilt, overwhelm, or perfection. We talk about the chaos of feeding a family while juggling sports schedules, full-time work, and the emotional weight of “what’s for dinner?...

In this episode, Bri sits down with her older (and shorter, as she lovingly notes) sister Britta for an honest conversation about staying connected in the middle of marriage, parenting, work, and real life. They talk about what it looks like to maintain sisterhood across distance, how they show up for each other when life feels full, and the small, practical ways they stay woven into each other&#3...

Some friendships feel like family — especially when they cross generations. In this episode, Bri reflects on the lifelong gift of intergenerational friendships — from childhood “old lady friends” like Edna and Eda to her 70-ish year old mentor who has become one of her dearest friends. She shares stories of how these relationships shaped her, what she’s learned from women decades older, and why we...

What happens when two twin moms sit down for coffee and conversation? Double the laughter, double the honesty, and a whole lot of memories. In this episode, Bri invites her longtime friend Kelly — a fellow twin mom, former teacher, and photographer — to talk about what makes the Mom of Multiples (MoM) connection so unique. They share how they met through a local twin mom group, how that sisterhood...

In this heartwarming episode of 3 with Bri , Bri invites her 11-year-old twins, Mollie and Will, to share what it’s really like starting middle school. From navigating new classrooms and changing friend groups to finding courage in the lunchroom, they open up about the challenges—and surprises—of this big transition. You’ll hear honest middle school wisdom, laughter, and even a quote from Gandhi a...