Shameless Leadership

I sat down to write notes before recording this episode at least 14 times.  Each time I could not find a starting point. Or an ending point.   So, I decided to just hit record. With no notes.   In this episode I share my relationship with my dad with you. For the last 10 years, it was complicated and confusing. It was a relationship that never had closure, but ultimately has peace.  Since his pass...

Tanya Sheckley is Founder and President of UP Academy, an elementary lab school that values innovation, empathy, and strength and incorporates a unique neuro-development program for children with physical disabilities. Tanya’s vision and mission show it’s possible to celebrate differences, change what’s broken in the American education system and that all children can receive a rigorous, well-roun...

I spent three days last week in a Trauma-Informed Practice Intensive for Coaches and Leaders. One of the things we kept coming back to over the course of these three days was making sure we, as coaches, are creating spaces that allow our clients a strong sense of agency.     As we dug into this from various angles and examined it through the lens of trauma, I got more and more curious and started...

Asha Frost (she/her) is an Indigenous Medicine Woman and a member of the Chippewas of Nawash First Nation. She is from the Crane Clan, the totem of leadership, and believes in holding space from vision and heart. As an energy healer, homeopath, and mentor, Asha has guided thousands of people through profound and lasting transformation.   Impacted by generational trauma and colonization, Asha has b...

I’m training for my first triathlon in 18 years. It has definitely been a little daunting getting back into tri training. As I’ve been hopping in the water, onto my bike, and into my running shoes, I’ve been giving a lot of thought to the grit, fortitude, and tenacity it takes for us to get to any start lines in our lives.   When we cross a finish line, there is often a decent amount of fanfare. P...

Christina Roulund is the founder of Size: Happy, a movement focused on helping women on their journey to self-love heal from and rebel against the unattainable standards that society inflicts on them, and instead... embrace their own unique beauty.   After suffering from Breast Implant Illness, Christina went through explant surgery and experienced nearly complete healing from the multitude of sym...

You are not powerless.   I know motherhood, and heck, the state of the world, will try to make you feel differently on any given day.   It is easy to let outside circumstances dictate how you feel, how you show up, and what you think is possible in any given moment.   But, what if YOU could dictate how you feel, how you show up, and what you think is possible in any given moment? Today, I’m sharin...

Kimberly Didrikson is the founder of Learning Motherhood, a consulting agency and online community platform that helps women return to work after having a baby from feeling overwhelmed with motherhood and career to thriving in navigating the changes that occur when becoming a mother and also pursuing a career. Kimberly spent 15 years growing her career at a Fortune 100 company and as a director ma...

Born and raised in Detroit, Penny Decree began her career in construction management working on many of the commercial projects that dot the city’s downtown skyline. After deciding to start a family and giving birth to two boys, Penny wanted to make sure her sons saw themselves and were affirmed early on in the literature they read. She knew championing them and teaching them how to empower themse...

Amanda Kingsley is a Certified Life Coach and Doula, and the host of the Speaking Light Into Abortion podcast. After her own unanticipated abortion as a mother of three, she recognized the need for a wider conversation around mental health and the complex emotional landscape of life after abortion. She reminds her audience that it’s okay to feel all the feelings after abortion and that we can hono...

Let your rage be your fuel.   The rage I have carried over the last 6+ or so years has fueled so much of my work. But rage is not a long-term plan.   If you want to show up in advocacy, allyship, and activism you need more than rage. Rage will only take you so far. I want your rage to fuel you - it can be the gas that allows you to keep your foot on the pedal. But, I also want you to be able to su...

Amy Shlosberg, Ph. D , is an Associate Professor of Criminology and Department Chair at Fairleigh Dickinson University where she teaches courses on Wrongful Conviction, Offender Reentry and Reintegration, Race and Crime, Penology, Comparative Justice Systems, Data Analysis and Research Methods. Her primary research focuses on miscarriages of justice, the negative implications of incarceration and...

Every time I’ve surveyed you all over the last 6 years, you have shared with me that overwhelm is one of your biggest struggles.     I HEAR YOU.     It seems no matter the season of life, if you are parenting, you are overwhelmed. Whether it’s the challenge of the constant caregiving logistics, that challenge of the state of the world, the challenge of holding emotional space for your children, or...

Former litigator Shari Leid currently operates An Imperfectly Perfect Life, LLC, a professional mindset coaching business serving clients who are in those tricky middle age years, helping them create the life of their dreams. She is the author of the Friendship Flow transformational book series, which includes The 50/50 Friendship Flow: Life Lessons From and For My Girlfriends and Make Your Mess Y...

As I’ve worked with moms over the last 19 (!!) years, I’ve noticed how quickly society sells us short. And how often we, in turn, sell ourselves short.   I want to invite you to cross more finish lines - BUT - not by working more or working harder. I want you to cross more finish lines, reach more goals, and live more of your dreams by simply owning and honoring who you are, where you’ve been and...

Jessica Sinarski is a highly sought-after therapist, speaker, and change-maker. Extensive post-graduate training and 15+ years as a clinician and educator led her to create the resource and training platform–BraveBrains. She makes brain science practical, helping parents and professionals become healers for hurting children. She is the author of the award-winning Riley the Brave series, Hello, Ang...

I have spent the last year co-chairing the Parent Association at Vinnie’s school. I have learned so much from this experience. I’ve stretched myself in new ways and humbled myself more than once. I’ve made incredible new friends and led in ways I never saw coming.   You may recall many occasions in which I encouraged moms to “Get off the PTA! Stop volunteering so much!” So, yes, I feel like a bit...

As a speaker, teacher, podcast host and author, Miranda Anderson provides tools and inspiration for women to live a creative, adventurous, and intentional life. Starting out as a lifestyle blogger in 2007, Miranda now offers thousands of weekly listeners of the Live Free Creative podcast something new to think about, feel and DO as they move toward living the life of their dreams. In 2018, she pub...

Fear is a beast. Don’t get me wrong, fear can be functional. It can protect us from great harm. But, it can also hold us back from taking action. It can paralyze our heads and our hearts. It can prevent us from dreaming, doing, and becoming.   There are some very real reasons to carry fear right now. That will continue to be the case. So, how will you learn to navigate fear and all the internal an...

Piers Kowalski is an average father of two with a not so average story.   Born and raised in Colorado, Piers lived and worked on the west coast for 11 years before moving back to Colorado with his wife. He started building a career in his dream field of performance psychology, his wife went back to school for nursing, and they had two children. They seemed to be living a typical life. But at the a...

How do you get people to do what you want them to do? How do you help people make decisions that will benefit them? How do you help people see the potential they have to be leaders, culture shifters, and culture shapers? How do you move people to action? This might sound daunting, I know. But here’s the thing… You are already doing this in your parenting. You help your children make decisions. You...

Sonora Jha is the author of the memoir How to Raise a Feminist Son and the novel Foreign. After a career as a journalist covering crime, politics, and culture in India and Singapore, she moved to the United States to earn a Ph. D. in media and public affairs. Sonora’s op-eds, essays, and public appearances have featured in the New York Times, on BBC, and elsewhere. She is a professor of journalism...

Madeline Reeves is the founder & CEO of Fearless Foundry, a creative consultancy that supports ambitious humans in building branding, marketing, and business development strategies that allow them to make a meaningful impact in the world. Madeline is an outspoken force for promoting equity, collaboration, and community in business and she spends her time working with clients, creating content, hos...

Luvvie Ajayi Jones is a two-time New York Times bestselling author, sought-after speaker, and podcast host who thrives at the intersection of humor, media, and justice. Her critically acclaimed books Professional Troublemaker: The Fear-Fighter Manual (2021) and I’m Judging You: The Do-Better Manual (2016) were instant bestsellers and established her as a literary force with a powerful pen. Her new...

For a few years now I have walked you all through building Summer Bucket Lists. I love that a number of you have taken on this tradition with your families. It is such a fun and meaningful tradition.   When I told Vinnie I was going to record an episode on Summer Bucket Lists, he lit up. “Mom, it’s time to make ours!!” I asked him if he had any advice for all the Shameless Moms who are getting rea...