Motherhood Advantage

What happens when we stop viewing Motherhood as a liability and start recognizing it as an asset? In this episode, Dr. Laura Marie Rivera welcomes Anne Welsh, a fellow Mom of four, clinical psychologist, executive coach, and author of Ambitious Mother . In this eye-opening conversation, she challenges the assumption that parenting and professional ambition compete with one another. Instead, she ar...

What happens when a judge brings the wisdom of Motherhood to the bench? In this powerful conversation, Judge Sharonda Amamilo—Mother, military veteran, and the first person of color elected in her county—shares how Motherhood transformed her understanding of justice, leadership, and public service. Drawing from her experiences in the military, the legal profession, and the courtroom, she explains...

What if some of the most important leadership work in our society is happening in kitchens, carpools, living rooms, and bedtime routines—and hardly anyone recognizes it as leadership? In this deeply personal episode of Motherhood Advantage, Dr. Laura Marie Rivera sits down with her sister, Catherine Temkin, a publishing professional and Mother of three, to explore the often-invisible work of Mothe...

What if Motherhood wasn't viewed as an individual responsibility, but as a shared community commitment? In this episode of Motherhood Advantage , Dr. Laura Marie Rivera sits down with  Rayna Tabanera-Geras to explore how Indigenous perspectives on Motherhood, advocacy, and community challenge many of the assumptions embedded in mainstream parenting culture. Drawing from her tribal traditions and h...

What do Motherhood, leadership, logistics, and fashion have in common? In this episode of Motherhood Advantage , Dr. Laura Marie Rivera sits down with Ambika Singh , founder and CEO of Armoire, the Seattle-based clothing rental company transforming how women approach their wardrobes. As a Mother of two and a leader of a company managing hundreds of thousands of garments, Ambika offers a fascinatin...

Content Warning: This episode includes discussion of traumatic birth experiences, NICU hospitalization, maternal mortality, medical trauma, and pregnancy complications. In this powerful and deeply personal episode of Motherhood Advantage , Dr. Laura Marie Rivera speaks with doula, advocate, and maternal health leader Ana Rodney about the realities of Motherhood, leadership, and Black maternal heal...

In this deeply reflective and inspiring episode of Motherhood Advantage , Dr. Laura Marie Rivera sits down with storyteller, strategist, and founder Laura Nespoli for a conversation about Motherhood, identity, transformation, and the power of story. Laura shares the personal journey behind her debut book, Threads of Me and You , exploring how Motherhood and self-discovery led to transformation in...

This episode explores the profound transformation of Matrescence — the physical, emotional, psychological, and identity shift that happens when women become Mothers — and why so few people are talking about it. Rebecca Hogan, author of Me to We , shares how Motherhood reshaped her understanding of success, work, leadership, and self-worth, and how becoming a Mother ultimately led her to coaching,...

Most women are told that if they work hard enough, speak confidently enough, and lean in strategically enough, success will follow. But what if the barriers women face—especially Mothers—aren’t personal obstacles to overcome, but systemic penalties deeply embedded in our workplaces and culture? Stefanie O'Connell, author of The Ambition Penalty , unpacks the hidden costs women continue to pay for...

Motherhood is one of the most powerful and underrecognized leadership experiences on the planet—where resilience, intuition, and strategy are practiced daily in real time, often without ever being named. In this opening episode of Season 2, we continue our conversation with Dr. Carolyn Burroughs and go deeper into the emerging Intuitionship research , revealing how the lived experience of Motherho...

In this deeply personal season finale, Dr Laura Marie Rivera returns to where Motherhood Advantage first began—with the very first interview she ever recorded: a conversation with her own Mother, Carol Crosta. Carol is a mother of five, retired emergency room nurse, master problem-solver, and the embodiment of capable, compassionate leadership. Long before the research, podcast, and movement took...

In this powerful conversation,  Dr. Laura Marie Rivera  sits down with  Eve Rodsky ,  New York Times  bestselling author of  Fair Play  and  Unicorn Space , to explore the hidden systems shaping Motherhood, labor, and leadership. Together, they unpack: Why Motherhood is one of the most overlooked leadership training grounds How invisible labor impacts power at home and in the paid workplace The or...

In this episode, Heather A. Campbell—CEO, author of Good Is Amazing , and primary caregiver—explores a powerful idea: if we don’t have the language to name the work of Motherhood, we can’t fully value it. Drawing from her experience leading both at home and in the workplace, Heather reframes Motherhood as high-level management—requiring decision-making under pressure, emotional intelligence, and c...

What do professional kitchens and Motherhood have in common? Everything. In this episode, chef Andria Armas Harris breaks down the unseen systems that keep both worlds running—from written prep lists in commercial kitchens to the endless mental lists Mothers carry every day. The planning, the timing, the anticipation—none of it is accidental, and none of it is easy. Motherhood is leadership under...

Unlock the parallels between the leadership in Motherhood and the paid workplace—especially when facing life's unexpected challenges. Carmen Daniels Jones, a Mother of two, disability advocate, and former Obama appointee at the Department of Agriculture, shares her powerful journey navigating Motherhood with a wheelchair and leading diverse organizations to serve marginalized communities. Discover...

Amy Miner-Fletcher—executive leadership coach, Licensed Medical Health Counselor, and Mother of two—joins the conversation to explore the powerful intersection of Motherhood and leadership. Through her AMPLIFY framework, Amy reframes Motherhood not as a competing force to professional growth, but as a dynamic training ground for it. Together, we unpack the often-overlooked skills developed through...

What if the moments that make you question yourself as a Mother are actually the ones building your strength as a leader? In this episode of  Motherhood Advantage , Dr. Laura Marie Rivera sits down with Karen Sigalas to explore how the everyday realities of Motherhood—decision-making, emotional labor, constant adaptation—are quietly shaping confidence, influence, and resilience in the workplace. T...

What does Motherhood teach us about leadership—especially in times of loss and uncertainty? In this episode of Motherhood Advantage , Dr. Laura Marie Rivera speaks with nonprofit consultant and author Sherry Whitaker Budziak about Motherhood, leadership, and resilience. Sherry shares her experience balancing parenting, running a business, and navigating the loss of her husband, and how those exper...

Port Commissioners are elected officials, but often remain behind the scenes. In this episode, Toshiko Hasegawa brings that role—and her own story—fully into view. As the first woman of Asian descent elected to the Port of Seattle, Toshiko is helping shape the future of regional trade while expanding what leadership looks like in spaces historically dominated by white men. But this conversation mo...

Dr. Danielle Dowling shares her journey as a Mother and author of 'Good Girl, Bad Mom,' a memoir manifesto that addresses the challenges of Motherhood. She discusses the Motherhood fantasy, the burden of Motherhood, and the role of Mother. Additionally, she explores the leadership aspects of Motherhood and the collision of forces experienced by Mothers. The conversation delves into the concept of...

Join Dr. Laura Marie Rivera and Dr. Carolyn Burroughs as they explore the intersection of Motherhood and Leadership, uncovering the unique strengths mothers bring to the workplace and the gaps in traditional leadership theories. @MotherhoodAdvantage with Dr. Laura Marie Rivera