Science Careers for Moms | Women in STEM, Career Planning, Work-Life Balance, Decision Making, Career Goals

A career pause in STEM isn’t the problem. Your resume gap isn’t the problem. Motherhood isn’t the problem. The problem occurs during the job interview, when you offer up an unstructured explanation that sounds uncertain, apologetic, or defensive. This episode is for moms in STEM who want a calm, competent way to explain an employment gap in a cover letter and job interview—so you can nail your job...

STOP OVER-GIVING & UNDER-EARNING Women in STEM can earn more money—without sacrificing time or energy. If you’ve ever felt the “motherhood penalty” at work or wondered why you’re still underpaid even while over-delivering, this episode is your permission slip. Today’s guest is wealth consciousness advisor, Sarah Walton, and she breaks down why moms in demanding careers like STEM often under‑ea...

If you’re a scientist and have been Googling how to stop mom guilt, this episode is for you. You can stop feeling like you’re failing at work and home. You’ll learn how to treat guilt as data (not a verdict) and turn it into a simple Mom Guilt Prevention Plan—so you can make clear decisions, protect family time, and stay on track in your STEM career. Mom guilt spikes during STEM “ambition seasons....

Women in STEM work‑life balance advice breaks down for one reason: it was built for someone without your constraints. Yet every week can feel like a race—between meetings, pickups, bedtime, and the mental load… and you still end up at 10:30pm trying to “catch up,” feeling like you’re failing both. But what if the reason you’re stuck isn’t because you’re doing it wrong… but because the “helpful” ad...

Imposter syndrome in women in STEM can feel like a constant need to over-prepare, prove yourself, and still worry you’ll be “found out.” In today’s episode, I sit down with Dr. AJ Lauer, EdD—a STEM leadership and workplace inclusion expert—to help you tell the difference between a real skills gap and imposter phenomenon, and to give you a simple way to respond in the moment. Dr. Lauer teaches us h...

3 Self-Discovery Steps to Get Unstuck as a Scientist Mom Work Life balance after motherhood can feel impossible when you’re pulled in two directions—trying to be a good mom and a good scientist at the same time. If you’ve ever felt like you’re never fully enough in either role, this episode is your reset. In today’s episode, we’re getting honest about why so many moms in STEM feel stuck after moth...

Women in STEM: If you want to have both - a meaningful science career and a rooted family life —and you’re done feeling like you’re “failing at both”… this NEW SHOW is for you. This is a short welcome episode where I’m introducing the new podcast name and focus: Science Careers for Moms. If you’re a STEM-trained mom who wants to have both: a meaningful science career and a rooted family life (with...

Life Planning vs. Goal Setting Are you checking off goals but still thinking, "I'm constantly trying to juggle a million things at once, and I'm not doing any of them well"? Maybe you've hit milestones—passed exams, published papers, earned promotions—yet there's this quiet voice saying, "The things I want to be doing are not part of my life right now… I don't feel like myself." If life planning f...

Identity Shift for Women starts when you stop making decisions from an old version of yourself. If you’re a mom in STEM who’s successful on paper but disconnected inside, this episode will help you make clear decision-making choices without self-blame. Riana Malia is a board-certified neurosomatic practitioner and identity architect with 20+ years in personal development. She helps high-achieving...

Time management for working moms in STEM shouldn't feel this hard. You get everything done—code compiles, data collected, manuscript revised—but at home? There's no clear finish line. Just that nagging feeling you could always do one more thing. In today's episode, I'm breaking down a simple 4-part framework that will help you define "done" intentionally so you can stop overworking and start exper...

Work-life balance for working moms in STEM feels like constant juggling—lab deadlines, family responsibilities, career demands, and that nagging feeling you're failing at all of it. And somehow you're still supposed to pursue meaningful work and be present with your family? This episode is your clarity. I'm walking you through what "being aligned" really means for scientist moms—not the vague Inst...

For ambitious moms to turn intuition into a strategy for work-life balance Are you at a crossroads, wondering how to take the next right action to do what you want? If you’ve been stuck in analysis paralysis and overthinking every move, this episode explains how to make faster, more confident decisions at work and at home without burning out your brain. I’m joined by Leah Goldman, host of The Intu...

Being a working mom in science & tech isn't the problem. Your time management isn't the problem. The problem is that your disorganized calendar and context switching silently drains your energy and productivity throughout the day leaving you feeling overwhelmed and unbalanced in all your roles as a mom and a scientist. In this episode, I'm sharing how I went from a calendar packed with scatter...

A gut‑check on default career planning, purpose, and life vision High‑achieving PhD/STEM moms often stay in roles that no longer fit their life vision—driven by sunk costs, fear of wasting their PhD, and pressure to appear grateful. If you’ve ever thought, “I’ve already put in so many years in this job…I don’t want to waste my PhD,” this episode offers a career planning framework to find purpose,...

Decision-making for moms doesn't have to feel overwhelming. As a high-achieving mom in science, tech, or research, you've spent years building expertise—but when everything feels urgent at home and work, even the simplest choices can leave you second-guessing yourself. In this episode, I share 6 simple ways to pull data from your life (internally & externally) to make informed decisions, espec...

If you're feeling the urge to clarify your core values in the new year or are being pulled in multiple directions, this episode is for you. In this Figure It Out Friday episode, I answer the question: Are your core values as a mom and a STEM professional different from your career or family values? I’m not talking about creating rigid rules or fitting you into a box. This is about why misalignment...

Life planning strategies aren't just about organizing your calendar—they're about designing a life where your ambition and motherhood coexist without constant overwhelm. If you've ever felt like you're going through the motions without a clear roadmap…only to end each day wondering if you're making progress on what truly matters, this episode is for you. In today's episode of Achieve Your Ambitiou...

Your work-life balance isn't about doing less—it's about doing what matters most. But when "pushing through" becomes your default, when slowing down feels risky, and when guilt takes over, then burnout isn't far behind. In this episode, I'm sharing why slowing down with purpose is the most strategic move you can make as an ambitious mom. I'll walk you through the 4 C's that rest creates—Calm, Crea...

Is work-life balance really impossible for high-achieving moms? This milestone 100th episode reveals the truth: balance isn't a 50/50 split—it's about creating intentional systems, clear boundaries, and aligned decisions that let you show up fully in every role. After interviewing a dozen brilliant, high-achieving women—from productivity experts to PhD researchers to CEOs—a powerful consensus emer...

Are you a high-achieving mom feeling disconnected from your successful self? Struggling with decision fatigue and competing priorities while trying to balance career ambitions and motherhood? In today's episode, I explain what a life planning strategist does and how personalized life planning can help you feel like yourself again—with clarity, confidence, and a roadmap that actually works for your...

Your days are jam-packed with endless to-do lists and unfinished tasks—managing pickups, projects, and everyone else's schedules. And somehow you're still supposed to plan a career change? This episode is your reset. I'm walking you through the exact life planning tools I use to reclaim control of my day and make consistent progress toward the career I want without feeling like I'm constantly putt...

Do you ever feel like caring for your dog has become just another task on your endless to-do list? In today's bonus episode, I sit down with Tori Mistick aka “Martha Stewart of dogs”, a certified canine enrichment specialist and host of Dog Enrichment with Tori Mistick, to talk about how simple 5-minute dog rituals can become stress-relief systems that help you recharge and boost productivity. Mam...

Your resume gap isn't the problem. Your skills gap isn't the problem. Career change during motherhood isn't the problem. The problem is that you don't know which skills to prioritize or how to find time to develop them while managing family responsibilities. In this episode, I'm sharing how to transform skill development overwhelm into strategic career momentum. From identifying transferable skill...

Your struggle to find work-life balance during the holidays isn't about time—it's about losing sight of yourself in the chaos. If you feel disconnected from your passions while juggling family responsibilities, this episode reveals how to reclaim your identity without sacrificing family time. In this replay episode, I'm sharing three powerful ways the holidays can inspire self-discovery and help y...

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