Mom Founder Imagination Hub

If there's one thing busy moms have in common, it would be that there are so many things to do with so little time. Most of us don't have a few hours a day that we can spend on self-care. Many moms are knowledgeable about the fundamentals of their careers, but then the idea of wellness always takes a backseat. It's time that we rethink the things that are really important to us as we work our way...

In this episode, you will hear about my messy journey to writing my nonfiction book. You will also catch two other stories that could only be told by moms. I really do believe that mommying while writing a book presents a certain special kind of messiness. This is also why in this episode, I go on to invite you to an online mom writers' community that I'd love to lead. If writing is lonely....moth...

If you're a working mom looking to write a book one day, just know that there are going to be crazy and messy days. But they don't have to be those kinds of days if you don't allow them. You need to set boundaries to keep that sanity in you and you also have to learn how to leverage your network because that's where you will find those rare gems. In today's episode, author and speaker Fran Hauser...

This solo episode is for a mom contemplating or getting ready for NaNoWriMo. It's divided into three parts. I want to share with you a little background into why I am going in this direction with my podcast Unimaginable Wellness the podcast for moms writing nonfiction, then I'll share my personal NaNoWriMo epic fail as a mom who had to make massive adjustments due to unforeseen circumstances, and...

Let's talk about how you can find your purpose, BESIDES being a mom, I have three steps for you in this week's podcast and this week I am calling for 50 moms from 50 US states to become my beta readers in exchange for your name in my book credits. Send me a DM on Instagram @melissallarena with the word BETA if you want to join me as an early reader of my non-fiction book for moms who want to say g...

Did you ever hear your name during Romper Room? Do you remember that 80s TV show when the host would look through a mirror and say a bunch of names? Well, I may have said your name during this podcast episode. Listen for it. Also exciting about this episode is that I read a snippet of my book for moms who want their imagination, playful, and all-around fun selves back. In this podcast episode, I a...

In this week's episode, you are about to go behind the scenes of my podcast relaunch journey. I want to reveal my personal reasons for pivoting from entrepreneurship to wellness. Today, I will invite you to be part of my creative process. I'll ask you to send me your thoughts on 3 important questions. My aim is to ensure the next iteration of this podcast will be valuable and part of your weekly r...

Thank you for listening to this episode from my archives. Stay tuned for a refreshed podcast theme, new guests, and even artwork soon! Send me a DM on Instagram @melissallarena - I would love to hear your thoughts on this "best of episode." Joe Williams is a former NRL player, professional boxer, and turned mental health advocate, who's bringing The Enemy Within workshops to various communities. T...

Thank you for listening to this episode from my archives. Stay tuned for a refreshed podcast theme, new guests, and even artwork soon! Send me a DM on Instagram @melissallarena - I would love to hear your thoughts on this "best of episode." Are you looking to lose weight? Let's talk about this top New Year's resolution, which is the desire to lose weight or increase exercise or just improve our ov...

Thank you for listening to this episode from my archives. Stay tuned for a refreshed podcast theme, new guests, and even artwork soon! Send me a DM on Instagram @melissallarena - I would love to hear your thoughts on this "best of episode." Are you tired? It's a silly question, right? This is the episode that can change the quality of your life because this is for you if you are tired all the time...

Thank you for listening to this episode from my archives. Stay tuned for a refreshed podcast theme, new guests, and even artwork soon! Send me a DM on Instagram @melissallarena - I would love to hear your thoughts on this "best of episode." Originally from a small rural town in Georgia, Phaidra Knight, for nearly 18 years, traveled the globe as a professional rugby player, establishing herself as...

A lot of moms have a lot on their plates right now and sometimes, it can feel like things are a little out of control especially during this back to school season. How do we navigate this wild adventure of life called motherhood and still be able to find some humor amidst the craziness of it all? And how do we juggle the demands motherhood brings and our responsibilities in business? For whatever...

Do you have a book inside of you that's just waiting for you to put out? As for Alex Kiester, writing has been her childhood dream. And although life has a way to deviate her from it at times, she still finds herself coming back to her first love.  Here's a little background about Alex. After graduating from Rhodes College with a degree in creative writing, Alex worked as a copyeditor for the Jour...

Are you thinking about making a big change in your life? Maybe you want to shift careers, or perhaps relocate to a different part of the world. Whatever that change looks like for you, today's guest, Mike Lewis, shares these four phases of what he calls, "the jump curve," that people go through as they pursue change. Mike is a member of the Sustainable Finance Group at Goldman Sachs, where he focu...

Have you ever wanted to do something in your life but you just never had the courage to do it? Maybe you've pursued your passion to become a doctor or a pharmacist, or a lawyer because you wanted to do good in the world. But then you ended up working in an organization that's got its own set of ideas you don't necessarily align with.  Lorin Martin used to work as a pharmacist at CVS. For her, real...

When was the last time you went out for a hike in the mountains, walked on the ocean, or just experienced nature? Being outdoors can do wonders. So, get your hiking boots or your surfboard ready because you definitely would want to head out after hearing this episode.  Born and raised in Austin, Texas, USA, Matthew Guthrie grew up exploring its greenbelts (i.e. woods) and parks. His passion for th...

Imagine being an illustrator with a studio in Sydney right next to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Australia, who gets to use their talent to give people a good laugh at the silliness of life?  This week's guest is Max Mendez and his artistry is behind the Squidinki brand.  Squidinki is a unique brand founded by Max Mendez and Kerry Findlay. With degrees in Industrial and Interior design respect...

What could be possible for moms who want to launch their own businesses and reawaken their imagination? A life consumed by making gooey chocolate that's for one. Hear how this chocolatier (and mom), Rebecca Knights, navigated business over the course of 20-plus years, from working for BBC to doing a no sugar campaign with Sarah Wilson, and to even being hired to put together a chocolate event for...

This conversation is perfect for new or aspiring entrepreneurs. What if you are new to self-employment and you want to put together a beta offer? What's the key to having massive clarity on what you want to sell? Who might you want to ask to be your first clients? What if you could uplevel your skills to more deeply serve every one of those clients and get more money for your time? How do you hand...

These days, the thought of entrepreneurship for our kids as a viable career option doesn't sound completely foreign or nuts. It may sound risky or unstable and less conventional than becoming a doctor, lawyer, engineer, or accountant – but it's an option that is increasingly getting popular, especially since the advent of the internet. Do you think you have an aspiring entrepreneur in your home? W...

Joe Williams is a former NRL player, professional boxer, and turned mental health advocate, who's bringing The Enemy Within workshops to various communities. The Enemy Within is built on its five pillars of values: love, care, respect, humility, and compassion.  Joe is known for his committed work within the community mental health and suicide prevention sectors. During our conversation, Joe menti...

Are you on a spiritual journey right now? Chances are, if you are in your 30s or 40s, you have been on a spiritual journey of some sort, and maybe you still are going through the motions of it.  As for me, my spiritual journey started here in Australia due to the "at-home time" I had during the pandemic so I had the space to dig deep. As for many of us, it caused us to pause and reevaluate our pur...

How can pausing or neglecting your hobbies as a busy mom lead to feeling like you've lost an essential connection to yourself? In this episode, you'll uncover what it takes to be an artist and a single mom, especially during those early childhood years. Hear whether it's worth it to give up on your dreams, your artistry, or your own self. Also, learn about cost-effective and less time-consuming me...

Lisa Messenger has lived a full range of entrepreneurial emotions – the ups and downs over the course of being in business for over 21 years.  In this episode, Lisa covered quite a bit, including the idea of finding your purpose, knowing why you're going into business, how to fail fast, and how to assemble and work with a team even if you can't pay them at first, and finally, the numbers that matt...

What does it take to earn back the trust of not just anyone, but your kids?  In this week's episode, I invited Tim Taylor as he shares how he tried to earn the trust of his daughter back.  He also shares how fathers can create space for their daughters so that they can open up with their dads. He particularly talks about how not to rob daughters of the experience of having to go through difficult...