New Modern Mom Podcast

There's a version of motherhood you've seen everywhere. The mom who has the enriching activities planned, the nutritious dinner on the table, the patient voice at the end of a long day. The one who never drops a ball. You're not her. Neither am I. Neither is Rebecca Michael, and she's one of just 300 people at the VP level of Google overseeing the Marketing for Google Search and Google Maps. What...

Hitha Palapu runs a pharma company, has written two books, speaks on global stages, and is raising two boys, and she'll be the first to tell you that's not the impressive part. The impressive part is knowing exactly which hyphens to own, which to pause, and when to walk away entirely. In this conversation, Hitha and Barbara go deep on what it really takes to build a full life as a working mom — th...

What does it actually look like to run three companies with a four-month-old at home, two preteens, and a full life? In this rerun episode of The New Modern Mom Podcast, Barbara Mighdoll sits down with Divya Gugnani, CEO and Co-Founder of Wander Beauty, Founder and CEO of 5 SENS, Founding Partner of Concept2Co, investor, entrepreneur, and mom of three, including a newborn baby. Divya shares an inc...

What if the real key to balancing leadership, motherhood, and personal fulfillment isn’t doing more, but showing up consistently for what matters most? In this rerun episode of The New Modern Mom Podcast, host Barbara Mighdoll revisits a powerful conversation from 2024 with Jeanelle Teves, Chief Commercial Officer of Bugaboo, on how she integrates corporate leadership frameworks into everyday fami...

What does it really take to hold a high-stakes leadership role without losing yourself (or your sanity) at home? In this rerun episode of The New Modern Mom Podcast , Barbara Mighdoll sits down with Kim Gebbia Chappell, Chief Brand Officer of Bobbie, to unpack the real, unfiltered mechanics of managing chaos across work and motherhood, not by “doing it all,” but by mastering the art of context swi...

Thinking about starting something new, but the plan feels messy, the timing isn’t perfect, and the pressure to “do it right” is keeping you stuck? In the final episode of The Toolkit Series from The New Modern Mom Podcast , host Barbara Mighdoll breaks down what actually moves ideas forward when life is full, time is limited, and perfectionism is loud. Barbara shares the behind-the-scenes story of...

What if your vision board wasn’t just a pretty collage you forgot about by February, but a high-level strategic roadmap you actually followed all year long? In this Toolkit Series episode of The New Modern Mom Podcast , Barbara Mighdoll pulls back the curtain on how she transitions from "big picture dreaming" to "tactical execution." Most of us are taught to set vague New Year’s resolutions that f...

What does it really look like to build wealth as a couple, especially when both partners already have demanding careers, limited bandwidth, and different risk tolerances? In this Toolkit Series episode of The New Modern Mom Podcast , host Barbara Mighdoll sits down with her husband, Jason Mighdoll, the CFO of both New Modern Mom and MNTStudio, for a candid conversation about how to diversify your...

Ever dreamed of spending the summer abroad but not sure if you should go with an organized program like Boundless Life or plan it all yourself with local camps? In this Toolkit Series episode of The New Modern Mom Podcast , host Barbara Mighdoll unpacks the two most common paths families consider: joining a structured cohort like Boundless Life or taking the DIY route by piecing together your own...

Ever feel like your days are packed but still don’t feel purposeful? Like you’re running on autopilot, but not in the ways that actually matter? This mini-episode of the New Modern Mom Podcast Toolkit Series is here to change that. Host, Barbara Mighdoll, introduces you to habit stacking, a simple yet powerful strategy for aligning your daily actions with the life you actually want. Instead of pil...

What if your dream of spending a summer in Europe, working remote while your kids are off at camp, wasn’t just a fantasy? In this episode, host Barbara Mighdoll, who has spent the past two summers in Europe with her family, is joined by NYC-based mom Maddy Novich (@CargoBikeMomma), who has spent the past six years sending her kids to summer camp across Europe while traveling as a family, working r...

What if hiring a house manager is the secret to finally feeling off duty at home? Feeling like you’re drowning in chores, constantly playing catch up, and carrying the invisible load of running your household? You’re not alone, and you’re not doing anything wrong. The truth is, most modern moms are doing the job of multiple people without the actual support. This episode is for the moms who feel l...

What if talking about money with your husband didn’t feel like a chore or a fight, but actually brought you closer? In this Toolkit Series episode, host Barbara Mighdoll is joined by her husband Jason Mighdoll for a down-to-earth, behind-the-scenes look at how they went from having totally different money styles to building a shared financial plan that works for both of them. They’re getting into...

If August feels more like survival mode than a fresh start, you're not alone. In this honest and actionable episode of The New Modern Mom Podcast: Toolkit Series, host Barbara Mighdoll reflects on the logistical chaos that caught her off guard last year: forgotten forms, last-minute lunch packing, zero time for herself, and a mental load that felt completely unmanageable. This year, she’s doing th...

Ever stared at an empty suitcase the night before a big international trip with your kids, wondering how on earth you’ll fit it all and not forget something essential? You’re not alone, and this episode is here to save you from the stress spiral. In this Toolkit Series episode from The New Modern Mom Podcast , host Barbara Mighdoll gets real about what it actually takes to pack smart for internati...

Spoiler alert: the secret to “doing it all” is actually doing less . High-achieving working moms have been conditioned to juggle a career, home life, and parenting with near perfection. But the truth? No one is doing it all, especially not alone. In this episode of the Toolkit Series from The New Modern Mom Podcast , we unpack the unspoken truth of how executive moms truly thrive: through strategi...

The pressure to be everything to everyone is real and exhausting. But what if just a few small changes could completely shift how you move through your day? I’m sharing 3 simple but powerful tools that are helping me find calm in the chaos and show up as my best self at work and at home. In this episode of our toolkit series, host Barbara Mighdoll shares three of the most powerful, actionable life...

Hiring an au pair completely changed how Barbara’s family functions, and in this episode, she’s sharing exactly how and why. Whether you’re a working parent looking for more flexible childcare, a dual-career couple juggling inconsistent schedules, or just curious about how the au pair system compares to traditional nannies, this is a must-listen. In this mini-episode of our Toolkit Series, host Ba...

No fluff—just the actual ways to use ChatGPT daily to save 20+ hours a week as a working mom. In this episode of The New Modern Mom Podcast , we’re diving into the everyday benefits of AI and how working parents can actually use it to reclaim time, reduce mental load, and bring more ease into their routines. Whether you’ve never touched ChatGPT or you’re already experimenting with AI tools, this e...

What if living your dream summer in Europe was more possible than you thought—with kids, a full-time job, and all? In this episode of our Toolkit Series , host Barbara Mighdoll shares exactly how she and her family lived in Portugal for nine weeks through Boundless Life—without pausing her career, disrupting her children’s routines, or completely blowing their budget. If you’ve ever fantasized abo...

Running your home like the powerhouse operation it needs to be takes more than shared calendars and crossed fingers — it takes intentional, consistent communication. That’s what we’re tackling in this Toolkit Series episode of The New Modern Mom Podcast. In this episode, Barbara Mighdoll dives deep into one of the most powerful tools in any working mom’s arsenal: the weekly partner meeting. It’s n...

What if the key to unlocking your next career opportunity isn't in your resume—but in your online presence?  On today’s bonus Toolkit Series episode, we’re diving deep into a powerful theme that sparked major interest in Season 1: personal brand building with Jeanelle Teves, Chief Commercial Officer of Bugaboo and mom of two, who’s redefining what executive leadership looks like in the digita...

I’m sitting down with Hitha Palepu—CEO, author, speaker, and dynamic mom of 2 boys—who embodies the multi-hyphenate lifestyle. Whether you're juggling a career, personal goals, or family life, Hitha’s journey offers insights on how to thrive in multiple roles without burning out. As the CEO of Rhoshan Pharmaceuticals and thought leader across multiple platforms, Hitha’s ability to lead, inspire, a...

On today’s episode, we’ve got a truly amazing guest, Divya Gugnani . She’s the CEO and Co-founder of Wander Beauty, CEO and Founder of 5 SENS, Founding Partner of Concept to Co, and—wait for it—a mom to two pre-teens AND a newborn. How does she do it all? You’re about to find out! Divya shares so many gems on everything from feeding her family to trusting your intuition, making the most of each da...

Ever wonder how power couples juggle big careers and busy family lives without losing their minds? In this episode of The New Modern Mom , we’re chatting with Erin Schaefer , the SVP of Publishing, Go-to-Market and Global Operations at Niantic, who gives us an inside look at how she and her husband, both high-powered execs, keep their home running smoothly while killing it at work. She gets real a...