Work Hard Mom Harder

In this episode, I share a recent experience loaded with lessons.  I had been carrying a decision around for 2 years, putting off pulling the trigger because of a long-held belief about something else. Find out what letting go did for me. Then, accept the challenge and try for yourself.

Today's riff is brought to you by my morning workout and the soundtrack is the DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince -  "Summertime."  You'll get it when you listen. An old interview with Will Smith popped into my LinkedIn feed and motivated me today. I'm sharing that motivation with you, along with two specific challenges to help you live as the person you want to become every single day.

Are you feeling like 2020 in its entirety is MEH? Waiting for "normal" to return, or another circumstance to change before you start living life again? I've been fighting it for months now. In today's episode we talk about what it looks like to live life to the fullest. Spoiler alert: it isn't all sunshine and rainbows. If you want to experience more joy in your life, through a global pandemic and...

What my first attempt at real fundraising taught me about life, community, family, and goal-setting.

Meet Elena Harris.  Elena is a summer intern at my business, Erica Walter Writes. She is also a rockstar budding entrepreneur and a go-getter like nobody I've met before at such a young age. Her unique perspective on life and business will be a breath of fresh air for listeners who might need to be reminded that - self-care is hard to prioritize, even when you don't have kids - decluttering your h...

Now if you don't struggle with people-pleasing, this episode is not for you. But if you are like most of the working parents I know, you often sacrifice your needs for the needs of others. In this episode, Maddox teaches us a lesson in how to tap into our inner toddler to say no to the things that don't serve us and say YES to ourselves and our goals. 

I've been thinking a lot about stories over the past few days. The idea has been following me around worse than a pair of cute shoes I clicked on ONE TIME on Instagram. In today's episode, you'll hear why stories are resonating so much for me right now, and find some powerful ways to look at your own life story through an author's lens. None of us get to choose how many pages the story will have....

Today's guest is an inspiration to me and countless others for her selfless "gamer-ness" and uplifting participation in the lives of those she loves. My sister, Nikki Sharp, has been mentioned on countless episodes and today we get a chance to look back on her almost-first-year of parenting. What life looks like with New Human on board, how work has been impacted, and how she is finding ways to be...

Children's fiction has some powerful lessons to share, y'all. Today, I'm sharing how a children's book gave my 6-year-old the courage to face the fireman pole at the playground. Discover the reason you are letting fear control you, and how to overcome it, in this week's episode.   Awakening by Vlad Gluschenko | https://soundcloud.com/vgl9 Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative...

This is a special episode for many reasons, but the most important reason is that I'm kicking off an entire month of celebrating our firstborn. Hudson would have been 8 years old this July. Normally, the summer brings with it a sense of impending doom as I gear up to feel all the feels. This year, I'm choosing to focus on joy and on giving back. If you are looking for ways to spread hope in times...

There is a powerful movement going on in the world right now. In today's episode, you'll learn how my teenage acting and piano playing career taught me an invaluable skill that we all could afford to employ today. The ability to tear apart and examine our own interpretations and invite the interpretations of others in order to uncover beautiful, richer melodies and meanings. And as always, I exten...

I've been feeling stuck lately. And I haven't been proud of my resulting effort. I've relied on my ability to "wing it" and in the process, I haven't pushed myself to excellence. Jim Collins wrote that "Good is the enemy of Great" and the philosopher Voltaire wrote "the perfect is the enemy of the good." In this episode, you'll hear a few examples of how these two somewhat contradictory phrases ar...

A running analogy in a podcast? How absolutely unique! In today's episode I share with you a mountain run focused on a dirt road. What if we could look up, and see the views, instead of looking down to try and avoid breaking an ankle? Maybe you in the future has a different perspective on right now than you do. Maybe he or she is shouting back at you to look up. Do it. Slow down so you can look up...

It isn't useful to tell somebody to do their best. I've found in my experience that most of the time, this phrase gets trotted out when the person on the receiving end is already discouraged or frustrated. Nowadays I'm trying a different phrase, both with my son as he works through his schoolwork at home and with myself as I continue to navigate life and all of its challenges. You wanna be your be...

My son has been doing a LOT of wishing lately. It has kind of gotten on my nerves. Here's why: Wishing sounds an awful lot like WHINING. Part of the issue is that what we are wishing for seems out of our control. So, what I've been trying to do with Anson is ask him questions to put the control back in his hands. Why do you WISH that - what is it you really want? What is the problem you are actual...

I treat birthdays like new year's resolution time. I do reflection, I like to come up with some goals, up my Strong Habits game, etc. This year, my birthday is happening during a pandemic. In this episode I riff on the significance of my 37th year of life, and have a huge epiphany while I'm talking.  I finish with a challenge (as I usually do). Join me in making this the best year ever. 

Now more than ever, this lesson is important.  There has never been a time more upended or unsettling as this. We are having to get dirty every single day in order to survive! Why not use the opportunity to thrive? Here's how to get dirty like a toddler. Get dirty like Maddox! Focus on the joy of jumping in. Enlist others in your mess-making. Love the process of cleaning up. Get dirty like Maddox;...

My guest for this episode is an expert on having a childlike perspective, because... he's a child! Anson, my six-year-old, shares his take on coronavirus, how it is impacting him in his day-to-day life, and gives listeners some sound advice to help us all get through this challenge.

This is a peptalk, and some tough love, some REAL TALK and honestly probably exactly what I WOULD NEED TO HEAR IF I WASN'T THE ONE SAYING IT. Listen to discover 1. how being the "cheering parent" elevates your day and the day of those around you. 2. how limiting your exposure to the "freaked out parents" will serve you both now and in the long run. 3. a new word that I just made up (Give-up-itude)...

With many state governments issuing "stay at home" mandates (including mine), I am taking this opportunity to riff on  ESSENTIALS. What business is actually essential? What activities are essential for ALL businesses to have a chance at sustainability as we come out of this unprecedented global crisis? What the actual ESSENTIALS are for many of us human beings. Take the time to listen, but if you...

While we all are grappling in different ways with the local and global impacts of COVID-19, I am sharing a few things that are helping me stay sane, productive, and positive. Take it one day at a time - tap into a childlike perspective to find the fun in the situation. Be kind to yourself, but don't use this as an excuse not to do your work and make an impact.  You CHOOSE. You can choose your pers...

Two stories from the last week that help to illustrate the importance of being SOLUTIONS-ORIENTED. My kids problem-solve so naturally and guilelessly and bravely. As adults, we don't do that as much. How do we channel the essence of kids' problem-solving skills as grown-ups without being nonsensical? 1 - Stop discounting the first idea that you have. It's the spark that could become a much bigger...

What happens when you watch a movie 25 times in a one-week span? If you are me, you search for deeper meanings and larger life applications in the film. These are the business lessons I am taking from the newest Disney movie, Frozen 2. WARNING: My vocals cannot compare with Idina Menzel or Kristen Bell. Lesson #1. You do not need to have special powers. Lesson #2. Do the next right thing. Lesson #...

Three lessons from Dry February 1. Be clear about what might trip you up, and make a choice in advance about how you want to handle it. 2. I don't need alcohol to have fun!  3. When treats are the norm, they no longer serve their purpose. Expounding on these topics as I'm learning about myself through a Dry, er, MISTY, February.

If you have kids, you know that when they get a little off schedule, they can turn into little a-holes. Same goes for me.  Today I riff on the importance of a schedule, how to tell you might need a little reset, and why this discipline ultimately creates major freedom.