Work Hard Mom Harder

If you've ever thrown a kid's birthday party, you know it is a stressful, but rewarding, experience. And if you've ever started a business, you're aware that the process is equally stressful (but hopefully also rewarding). In today's episode, I highlight the similarities between the two, along with the most important lessons I've learned doing both.

If you have ever eaten a meal with a toddler, this interaction will probably sound all-too-familiar: "You want a cookie? You can have a cookie if you eat your carrots!" I had that battle with my daughter this weekend, and I got so frustrated with her. All she had to do was take three bites of her sandwich to get a piece of gum.  As I contemplated the ridiculous fact that Maddox could have already...

In this episode, I dive a little deeper into time management strategies that I employ regularly (or in times of crisis). From a deeper dive on the "Newborn Pomodoro Method" to employing a ten-minute timer for certain chores and tasks with your kids, this episode will give you some practical tools to help you get the most out of your most precious non-renewable resource: Your Time!

Does the thought of failing hold you back from making progress towards your goals?   A sledding misadventure with my kids turned into sledding (and probably LIFE) success this past week and taught me an important lesson in how to take swift and creative action towards my goals.    Introducing The School of Maddox. As life affords me the inspiration and opportunity, I'll be sharing the specific les...

You aren't afraid of failure. What you're really afraid of is the next level of fear... what people will think when you fail, or worse, what you will think of yourself. In today's episode, I share my biggest personal fear, that I only told my husband about yesterday. I've been working on this fear actively for almost two years, and even told strangers on the Internet all about it. Yet here we are....

Anybody else lie when their pediatrician asks how much screentime the kids have every day? I'm afraid I opted for honesty at Maddox's three-year checkup, and the pediatrician was justifiably concerned with my answer. His words? "Screentime is slowly crushing our children's souls." He wasn't overtly judge-y about it. But then again, he raised his kids when we didn't have a supercomputer in our pock...

Today I'm sharing the process I am going to use to keep my New Year's Resolutions in 2020. If you have consistently fizzled out on your New Year's Resolutions, and if you want the "Roarin' 20s" to be your best decade ever, this is the episode for you! I'm sharing the three things I'm committing to in 2020 and a powerful hack for you to borrow to ensure that you're living in alignment with your val...

I just got back from two days in Disneyland, and of course there was a life lesson to be learned from my toddlers! It was a DELIGHT to see that park through the eyes of my children. You often hear that phrase: see the world through the eyes of a child. But today I wanted to take a different angle on that theme. I think if we want to change our reality, we need to get out of touch with it a little...

Your kids are a mirror, shining back on you what's important to you through the actions they notice and the words they repeat. My son's embodiment of Santa has me thinking hard about what gift my kids think I want. Because of the way I act and the words I use, my son was pretty sure that I would want some "office work" for Christmas this year. I'm not all that mad about it, and I'll explain why in...

My husband said these words to me a few months ago, and he was profoundly correct. This episode is about asking for help; not just knowing you need to (you do, by the way), but actually making it a practice, planning for help, and receiving it (guilt-free) when it is offered. As the holidays loom, I know I personally am feeling overwhelmed. If you're in the same boat, this episode will give you so...

Have you dreamed of traveling the world, but then, life intervened? In this insightful and inspiring interview, Kaleigh Vrapi shares her experience traveling the entire United States and 28 countries with her husband and three kids. She also talks about seeking balance, acting in alignment with your values, and quality over quantity with both work effort and family effort. The biggest takeaway fro...

On the Monday before Thanksgiving, I wanted to take a moment to share some thoughts on gratitude.  Gratitude practices are all the rage, and with good reason: When you know you have to record moments of gratitude at the end of your day, you will likely be more on the lookout for moments to be grateful for. However, I personally haven't found this level of reflection very useful. This makes me feel...

Personal and professional development gurus LOVE to use the analogy of toddlers learning to walk. And I love it. I take inspiration from it. But I also have a unique perspective because I HAD TO LEARN TO WALK AS A GROWN-UP. Learning to walk as a grown-up is not the same as learning to walk as a toddler. The stakes are much higher. When you fall, you will fall further. Falling further might result...

I just got back from my longest stretch away from my husband and kids: Five days for a business conference in South Carolina. But one of the biggest lessons from the conference was one I was reminded of even before I left. I squeezed as much intensity and intention into the 24 hours prior to my departure as I possibly could. I did my best to savor every little moment because I knew how much my hea...

The first installment of "Erica Riffs" - where I literally go off-script, no editing or outline, and just share a quick bite-sized nugget of learning that I'm jamming on. Today's topic: Streaks. I'm talking about breaking a streak that was really important to me, and what I'm doing to keep a streak alive that is equally (if not more so) important.  

Meet Dr. Sarah Winslow, a family practice doctor, and mother of three. In her career, Dr. Winslow is on the front lines with people during many pivotal stages of life: births, deaths, illness, and everything in between. At home, she has three kids roughly two years apart in age, with the youngest still in diapers. I think it is safe to say that Dr. Winslow has to be "on" A LOT. In this interview,...

Work-Life Balance. It's become a buzz word (and frankly, a buzz kill) for most of grown-up society and especially for moms. We all want to feel less "pulled in a million directions" but don't always know how to accomplish this unicorn-of-a-feat. In this episode, I share my personal definition of work-life balance and tell you how to put it into practice for yourself. We'll also briefly tackle prod...

Have you ever opened your mouth to give somebody advice and thought, "This is probably the advice I should be taking"? Have you ever witnessed a playground injustice? Many of us are quick to advocate for others, yet fail to stand up for ourselves in similar situations. In today's episode, I share the second lesson I've learned in my journey: Go to bat for yourself the way you do for your kids. You...

Have you ever been faced with a choice and felt like no matter what you choose, you're giving something up? Have you ever had a problem to solve without a rule book to help you solve it? Do you sometimes avoid a conversation, situation, or task because you dread the outcome? Today in the podcast, I break down the Three Imagination Questions that I use to help me see possibility in everything. I sh...

In this episode, I get to interview a social worker, CrossFit gym owner, and my sister, Nikki Sharp. She shares how being curious has impacted her life, relationships, and career. From the ins and outs of "Pursuing Parenthood" with her wife, Erika ("Nikki's Erika") to asking questions of her team to asking questions in doctor's appointments, you'll hear many fantastic examples that you can apply t...

Where would you be in your career (shoot, or in your life in general) if you didn't take "no" for an answer? In today's episode, I share the misadventures of a very rough night of sleep and what a toddler has to teach us all about persistence. Take a listen, have a laugh, and then accept my challenge: When was the last time you tried something more than a few times without success? 

Karly Almon is a strength and conditioning specialist AND fitness model. She's also a single mom raising two little boys. In this interview, you'll hear Karly share her journey of starting over as a single mom in her 30s. From asking for and accepting help, to actively looking for the tiny victories in every day that add up to the big wins, Karly shares GOLDEN wisdom in a candid, authentic way tha...

What can having tiny humans teach you about running a successful business? Curious about the backstory behind Work Hard Mom Harder? It's more than a clever hashtag; in fact, it has become my personal motto and pushed me to incredible new heights in both my life and my professional development.