Lighten Your Load Podcast with Melissa Miller

If you're feeling overwhelmed and anxious trying to balance work and family, despite exhausting efforts to plan and organize with no success, then you are not alone! Introducing Valerie Recore, a Productivity Coach on a mission to help working mothers find balance and control in their lives. As a mother and entrepreneur, Valerie knows firsthand the struggles of managing work, family, and self-...

“Ask for help and build your support network to help you manage the stresses of being a caregiver and mompreneur.” - Rebekah Lara My special guest this week is Rebekah Lara a tenacious mompreneur with a diverse professional background. She is a fellow mompreneur and published author and found herself in a challenging situation when her special needs children developed some complicated health issue...

"Focus first on you, you need to figure out what makes you tick and how you process and how you cope so you can then know how to set those boundaries." - Kristina Lucia Andrews Kristina Lucia Andrews is passionate about using creative arts to help adults and children with trauma and challenging experiences. Discover how Christina's work can help you move through your pain and struggl...

In this episode, you will be able to: Enhance your communication skills in caregiving and marital relationships. Harness professional and communal resources for caregiver assistance. Foster personal growth and entrepreneurial spirit through caregiving experiences. Cultivate a supportive network to counter caregiver seclusion. Cherish individuality and sidestep comparisons in caregiving journeys. M...

Erin Kay, a devoted Christian mom and life coach, found herself at a low point in her life when her marriage and health started falling apart. In the midst of her struggles, she realized that her self-care routine wasn't sufficient and she needed to make some changes to better care for her physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Erin discovered the importance of adapting her self-ca...

Are you feeling overwhelmed trying to juggle caregiving, entrepreneurship, and self-care? You've likely been told to 'just work harder', but without the tools and strategies to achieve balance, it can seem like an impossible task. Join us for this episode to discover how to reclaim control and reclaim your life. "You have to be open to the very differences because it is always bet...

"Transform your health and avoid injury with Megan Ehrlich's proven strategies for lasting pain relief!" You will learn proven strategies for lasting pain relief from Megan Ehrlich to transform your health and avoid injury. Megan Ehrlich is a licensed physical therapist and pain relief coach. She has five years of experience in the healthcare industry and has a unique understanding o...

Rishawn Dindai is the co-founder of a website that helps caregivers get resources to manage their self-care and feel supported in their caregiving journey. He has also been a caregiver himself, having cared for his grandfather with dementia and other chronic illnesses for most of his adult life. Rashawn Dindai cared for his grandfather with multiple chronic illnesses.  He had to learn to be c...

When Christine Hortsman, an author, mom, and entrepreneur finds herself battling motherhood and chronic illness, she must find a way to prepare for the unexpected and build a support system to advocate for her family in order to overcome the central conflict.  "Preparing and planning and setting yourself up for success is not to overwhelm or cause stress, it's actually to decrease stress." - Chris...

In this episode of the Caregiver Coffee Chat podcast, Marjie Hadad, a mother, and expert in PR parenting strategies shares her unique journey of motherhood and how to use repetition and self-care to empower children and help them thrive with life skills.  Marjie Hadad is an author, speaker, and mother of three grown children. She has 30 years of experience in public relations and is on a miss...

"Framing it all as a season is one thing that's been particularly life challenging for me, I think can take a lot of the pressure off many people, right?"-Suzanne Culberg  "Learn why it's time to stop sacrificing your own health and well-being to please others with Suzanne Culberg's revolutionary "no-martyr, no-maid" approach!  "Framing it all as a season is one that's particularly chall...

When Michelle Ikem, an empowerment coach and holistic healer, faces her own struggles with anxiety, depression, and stress, she encourages busy stay-at-home moms and spousal caregivers to prioritize spiritual wellness and intentionally surrender control to God, empowering them to break free from self-sabotage and discover the life they were meant to live. "We don't like our spouses to be sick. We...

Miriam Safla, a transformational coach, discovers her lifelong 'caregiver role' is actually a generational pattern, compelling her to forgive her past and embrace her power to live true to her purpose and passions. "When you forgive, you open your heart more and more and more to the love and the light that is there already." - Miriam Safla Miriam Safla is a busy mom and wife, and a mompreneur who...

Rediscovering your identity and reconnecting with yourself is essential to being the best mom, wife, and caregiver you can be. "It can't be all about your kids."-Jenna Hodge "We can't fill from an empty cup. We really can't. And if we don't have a full cup, we can't nurture our marriage, take care of our children, serve our clients, and produce helpful resources. It is very important that you put...

"It's not fun, and sometimes it literally hurts to be a mom, but there is no shame in that. Do whatever you need to do and prioritize yourself - you can't fill an empty cup."  Lauren Rose is a busy wife, mother, and entrepreneur.  She began dealing with chronic illness began back when she was just eight years old dealing with depression and anxiety and well into her teens, 20s, and 30s h...

In this bonus podcast episode, Heidy De La Cruz confronts the challenge of redefining her identity as a daughter of Christ, wife, mother, and online entrepreneur, and offers her insight on how to intentionally nurture relationships and practice self-care for lasting success.  "You are more than just being a mom, online entrepreneur, your identity as being a certain crafter. You are so much mo...

In this episode of the Caregiver Coffee Chat Podcast, I sit down with Claire and Amaranthia, are mother-daughter co-founders of sistacreativesrising.com which is their business for helping marginalized Black Women heal from their experiences of childhood and domestic abuse or bullying through art. Claire's Story: In one week in March 2022, days after launching Sista Creatives Rising with her daugh...

After experiencing burnout and overwhelming stress, Jen Rafferty courageously embarks on a journey to reclaim her identity, vowing to help other women do the same and find a sustainable balance between their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.  "It's okay to say that I need a moment. It's okay to take a time out. If you have a moment where you're about to blow your stack, i...

When Sadie Tichelaar, a life coach and advocate for self-connection, joins Melissa on her Caregiver Coffee Chat podcast to discuss spiritual connection, she encourages listeners to prioritize themselves and create boundaries to prevent the vicious cycle of burnout. Sadie Tichelaar is a life coach who helps women build self-connection and create a way to take up more space with intention. She share...

As a caregiver for an addicted spouse, Tully Rose must walk the line of enabling and helping them recover in order to save their relationship and themselves.  "The reason why I decided to tell my story is that, well, thankfully I'm not the first one to tell my story on a platform. There's many that came before me on social media, other places on the web who are able to show me that telling yo...

As an ambitious Christian mom, remember to focus on your why, be intentional with your time, and take care of yourself. Here's what I cover with Heidy De La Cruz in this episode: 1. The importance of taking care of oneself, both physically and mentally, in order to avoid burnout 2. The importance of being intentional with one's time, in order to find a healthy balance 3. The importance of spending...

Cindy Vallone is a doTerra expert and advocate who shares her story of using essential oils as a natural alternative for self-care. "Self-care is non-negotiable. We have to take care of ourselves, especially if we're being called to care for others." Cindy Vallone is a mum of two, a voice and video coach, and a dōTERRA essential oils expert and advocate. She first learned about essential oils six...

In today’s episode, I sit down with Gillian Astarita who is a full-time Stay At Home Mom of two and a mompreneur who’s passionate about helping moms find their identity again after they become Stay At Home Moms by: •leaving the mom guilt behind •figuring out daily what works best for them in how they prioritize their self-care and meet their family's needs •planning ahead so they're set up for suc...

In today's episode of the Caregiver Coffee Chat Podcast, I chat with Annie McDonnell who is a licensed Acupuncturist and trained in Chinese medicine. Annie has had her own experiences with stress and grief related to end-of-life care for her parents as well as hospice care for her pets. Annie's really passionate about helping people holistically heal and maintain self-care through the practice of...

In today’s episode of the Caregiver Coffee Chat Podcast, I chatted with Dr. Jackie Kickish who is a Licensed Professional Therapist and trained in pre/post natal corrective exercises. Jackie has her journey of struggling to find a healthy balance in healthy balance postpartum in recovering from her pregnancy and birth. Dr. Kickish gives amazing insight into educating us on symptoms we should be ta...