AND/BOTH Podcast - Real Conversations, Shared Experiences, and the Community You've Been Missing

In this episode of the AND/BOTH podcast, Ashley sits down with Mary D’Agostino, mother of five, grandmother of seven, intuitive healer, and author—to explore the evolving identity of motherhood across decades. As the show’s first grandmother guest, Mary brings a grounded, wisdom-filled perspective to the conversation, touching on everything from teen pregnancy and single motherhood to building a l...

In this first-ever collaborative roundtable with the PG-ish Podcast, Ashley Blackington and Erin Holland welcome powerhouse thought leaders Jess Ringgenberg (Elixir Coaching) and Leslie Forde (Mom’s Hierarchy of Needs) to unpack the real, raw, and research-backed realities of modern motherhood, caregiving, and careers. From burnout to benefits nobody knows how to access, and the persistent myth th...

In this honest conversation, Ashley is joined by Katie Schlott—a product innovation leader, writer, and mother—who opens up about her sudden entry into the world of caregiving when her mother became disabled just months before the pandemic. With young children at home and a demanding career, Katie found herself navigating a crash course in elder care, disability systems, Medicaid, power of attorne...

In this powerful episode of the AND/BOTH Podcast, Dr. Ashley Blackington welcomes Katie Kristofic, founder of The Carefullist and host of the Carefullist Podcast . Katie shares her deeply personal journey through caregiving after her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, ultimately inspiring her to build a resource hub and community for family caregivers. With more than 20 years of experi...

In this episode, Ashley Blackington welcomes Leslie Forde, founder and CEO of Mom’s Hierarchy of Needs and upcoming author of Repair With Self-Care: Your Guide to the Mom’s Hierarchy of Needs . With humor, honesty, and deep research-backed insight, Leslie unpacks the complex emotional and logistical layers of caregiving, particularly motherhood, in a post-pandemic world. She discusses how societal...

In this week’s episode of The In Both Podcast , host Dr. Ashley welcomes journalist and twin mom Zara Hanawalt, whose bylines include Vogue , Cosmopolitan , Parents , The New York Times for Kids , and more. Zara’s work dives deep into the intersections of motherhood, culture, and women’s health—especially in a post-pandemic world where millions of moms were forced to reckon with impossible expecta...

In this episode of The And Both Podcast , Dr. Ashley welcomes Dr. Noor Ali , a Bangladeshi-American medical doctor turned health insurance consultant, community builder, and beverage brand co-founder. Dr. Ali shares her remarkable journey from immigrating to the U.S. at age five to becoming a surgeon abroad—and later pivoting her career after facing insurmountable red tape while trying to transfer...

In this episode of The And Both Podcast , Ashley sits down with the incredible Sangheetha Parthasarathy—a Harvard and MIT alum, birth worker, and now nervous system coach. Sanha’s career journey took her from major consulting firms like Oracle and Accenture to co-founding a nonprofit focused on birth advocacy and eventually building her own body of work around somatic trauma healing and nervous sy...

In this episode, Ashley is joined by Suzie Driscoll, a pediatric occupational therapist and founder of Tiny and Mighty Therapy, specializing in infant feeding. Together, they reflect on becoming first-time moms during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and how those experiences shaped their parenting, careers, and personal growth. Suzie shares her journey from working at Seattle Children’s Ho...

In this episode, we're sitting down with Ellen Hockley—a seasoned entrepreneur, mom of two, and caregiver—to explore what it truly looks like to build and grow businesses while managing life’s most demanding roles. Ellen shares her journey from founding a sustainable event planning company in NYC, to launching a maternity activewear brand during the pandemic, and most recently, starting her consul...

In this episode of The And Both Podcast , Laura Bull, founder of The Brand Management Company and author of From Individual to Empire , joins us for an insightful conversation on personal branding, motherhood, and how identity evolves over time. Laura shares her journey from becoming one of the youngest executives at Sony Music—working with stars like Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley—to launching...

In this episode, we chat with Jillian McCloskey, founder of Momcations.co, a travel company specializing in vacations just for moms. Jillian shares how her first solo trip to Iceland transformed her as a mother and inspired her to create a business that helps other moms take guilt-free, stress-free getaways—whether it's a solo trip, a retreat with other moms, or a quick weekend escape. In this con...

In this episode Ashley sits down with Erika Hanafin, the former CEO of Hey Mama , a massive networking community for entrepreneurial moms. Erika shares her insights on balancing business growth with motherhood, the unique strengths moms bring to entrepreneurship, and how to build confidence in both roles. With five successful acquisitions under her belt, she discusses her journey, the power of com...

This episode features a conversation with Heather Chauvin, a leadership coach who helps successful women live, work, and parent on their own terms—with courage and authenticity. Heather’s journey took a dramatic turn in 2013 when a stage 4 cancer diagnosis forced her to reevaluate everything she had been taught about motherhood, success, and sacrifice. Since then, she has been on a mission to chal...

In this episode with Natasha Golinsky, a business coach dedicated to helping solopreneur moms build teams, reclaim their time, and work fewer hours while maintaining a full-time income. As a mother of three and an entrepreneur, Natasha understands the overwhelming challenge of balancing business, family, and personal time without burnout. We dive deep into the myths of motherhood and business, why...

In this episode, I sit down with Marnie Madras, the founder and CEO of Rumbly, a modern motherhood brand redefining the pregnancy experience. Marnie shares her journey from a corporate and startup career to becoming a postpartum doula and entrepreneur, all while balancing life as a mom of four. We talk about the challenges of pregnancy, the societal expectations placed on moms, and how Rumbly is h...

In this episode, I chat with Mari Parker, a mom, entrepreneur, and the President & COO of Bouldr. We dive into the experience of pregnancy and motherhood at different life stages, the lessons learned from raising multiple children, and the balance between identity, career, and caregiving. Mari shares her insights on parenting with perspective, navigating change, and the importance of prioritiz...

In this episode, we talk with Allison Prieur, a mom of three and a nonprofit professional with over 20 years of experience in the sector. We dive into the gender and racial disparities in nonprofit work, how passion-driven labor is often undervalued, and the financial instability that so many nonprofit workers face. Allison shares how becoming a mom changed her perspective on the sector and led he...

In this episode Ashley and Katie Huey explore the intersection of grief, leadership, and parenting. Katie shares her personal journey through grief after losing her father and how it has shaped her work in leadership development. They discuss the complexities of navigating grief in both personal and professional settings, especially in the wake of the pandemic. The conversation delves into the imp...

In this episode, we chat with Jessica Murray, founder of Empower, shares her journey from corporate success to building a business that aligns with her values as a mother and entrepreneur. Jessica reflects on the identity shift motherhood brings and how it impacts career choices, offering actionable insights for moms navigating similar transitions. What you’ll learn in this episode: The emotional...

In this episode, we chat with Monique Hutcherson Benoit, a dynamic leader in retail and a mom of four, shares her remarkable journey from chemical engineering to retail strategy at Ulta Beauty, where she champions BIPOC-owned brands. Monique discusses the importance of embracing pivots, balancing career aspirations with motherhood, and the challenges of managing a large family while navigating lif...

In this episode, Caitlin Wells, founder of Upwell Strategies, shares her journey of leaving a corporate job at the start of the pandemic to build a business focused on helping small business owners—especially moms—streamline their operations with effective systems and automations. Caitlin talks about the delicate balance of growing her company while navigating new motherhood, the challenges of fin...

In today's episode, we chat with Jessica Freeman from Jess Creatives as she shares her journey of building a successful business while balancing motherhood. Jess discusses how she grew her web design and SEO business, transitioned from a traditional job to entrepreneurship, and navigates the challenges of being a mom and business owner. She highlights the importance of prioritizing tasks, setting...

In this episode, Valerie Polunas, founder of Flowing River Conflict Solutions, LLC, shares her journey into conflict management and how she helps individuals, couples, and organizations navigate conflict with confidence. Valerie discusses her background in education, her passion for teaching communication and conflict resolution skills, and the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship as a mom....

What happens when you build your career in a caregiving profession, only to realize after becoming a mother that the system was never built to support you? This week, I sit down with Sarah Blair , a pediatric occupational therapist and mom, to talk about navigating motherhood in healthcare—a field dominated by women yet undervalued in so many ways. In this conversation: The realities of working in...