WORK SMARTER.

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Consistency, Batching, and Productivity: Why I Take An August Sabbatical

A few years ago, when we first had children, my husband talked to his workplace about parental leave. He knew that while he’d like to be home during the first few weeks during and after the birth, he was also interested in being able to be around with his kids while they grew up. So, the summer after our first kid was born, he shifted his schedule to work from 8am to 4pm. From there, he advocated for taking a four-week leave every summer to spend time with his kids. We’re not taking a full sabbatical this year because of the pandemic, but we will still push pause on a few things where we can.

Navigating Hard Conversations — Episode #159 with Sharon Stolt

Think of a difficult conversation that you are in the middle of, or one that you’ve recently had. Maybe it’s onboarding a new team member, or working with a client. Maybe it’s with your partner or your spouse, and you’re trying to negotiate all those logistics of parenting. Maybe it’s with the grandparents, your kids, your boss, a colleague—whoever it is, I am sure that you have had the experience of how challenging it can be to go through a hard conversation. Today on the podcast, we get to have Sharon Stolt join us to teach us what to do and how to start the art of having challenging and uncomfortable conversations.

Two Attorneys, Two Kids, And Pregnant In A Pandemic — Episode #158 with Caitlin Boland Aarab

You all have been asking to hear how other moms and small business owners are navigating the pandemic right now. I’ve been interviewing working parents about how they’ve been affected by the pandemic. Today we take a look at Caitlin Boland Aarab: she and her husband are both attorneys, and they own their own law firm in Great Falls, Montana. They have two kids at home and she’s pregnant with their third kid. When everything shut down, the kids were sent home from school—but the courts weren’t closed. Work was still in session.

Recess: 5 Minute Resets For Sanity and Calm — Episode #154

One of the hardest things for me is finding a way back to myself amidst the clawing of children, the demands of home, the projects at work, and the to-do lists piled extra high. You know the days—when doing anything longer than 15 minutes seems impossible. Here’s a free series of short, five-minute guided audio meditations for everyone who wants them. No catch.

Stuck? Overwhelmed? Getting Out Of A Rut — Episode #156

How do you push the reset button—that ability to feel like you’ve had a fresh cup of coffee, a good night of sleep, and you’re ready to go at work? While we’re all clawing at sanity and sobbing quietly into our fourteenth cup of coffee, it’s really hard to find the capacity to work and keep your head above water right now. Today’s episode is for anyone trying to find a semblance of sanity amidst all of this. If you’re stuck, feeling overwhelmed, feeling like you’re in a rut—here are a few things that are working for me.

Maybe You Don’t Have To Work Harder Right Now

For many of you, there isn’t anything we can control, push, or organize to change the world around us. It’s maddening, but it also has an upside: we can release the pent-up energy of wanting things to change and trust that things will change, eventually, at some point. Sometimes, releasing the pressure of having to do something can release us to find tiny moments of joy—or at least contentment—inside of the space we’re in.

Catch Your Breath: Taking A Minute To Breathe Together — Episode #147

If you’re feeling heightened levels of stress, anxiety, or worry, this episode is for you. I’ve recorded a short breathing practice that can help calm anxiety and reduce stress even if you only have a couple of minutes. These are unprecedented times and while this won’t solve everything, this might give you a moment of reprieve if you’re feeling the heaviness of everything right now.

I Only Have 4 Hours of Childcare—Am I Doing Enough On My Business?

It’s hard enough being a working mom—or a working parent—by the end of the day I’m usually hiding in an unmade bed somewhere, scarfing cookies while watching terribly trashy television like The Bachelor or The Voice and trying to find a quiet moment to myself. After 14 hours on non-stop duty from 5:00am until 7:30pm, my resilience and my willpower are depleted. But here’s why it’s important to not compare yourself to others around you as a new parent or a working mom.

Coronavirus: A Working Parent’s Prep Guide To Staying Safe and Sane During COVID-19

I’ve been talking a lot with friends and community members about what to do to prepare, whether or not we should be worried, and how best to deal with the coming disruptions that will likely happen to our daily life across both family and business. I wanted to take the time to share what I would do and how I’m preparing for the next three to nine months, especially if you’re pregnant, giving birth, or a parent with small kids at home.

Should You Take That Online Course? How To Sign Up For The Right Courses (And Get Your Money’s Worth) — Episode #144

When it comes to online courses, it seems that we can learn anything these days through the power of the internet. But what courses should you take, and what do you do if you suffer buyer’s remorse? Here’s how I think about what to learn, when to invest in a course, and when to skip it. Also, my two cents on why it’s okay to only do a fraction of the course curriculum. If you learned what you came for, you got what you needed!

10 Conversation Starters To Dive Deeper When We Talk About the Challenges of Being A Working Parent

If you can, bring a group of people together for a dinner or a virtual hangout to talk about the challenges facing working parents. Here are the ways we gather together in community at Startup Pregnant, plus ten conversation starters to use for your own deep-dive. Use them to gather people together. Have everyone share what comes up for them. Sometimes sharing your story is the shift you need to make the next month a whole lot better.

Open House Q/A Call: A Replay Of Our Facebook Live Event — Episode #141

Last week, we hosted an Open House in our Facebook Group all about the upcoming Wise Women’s Council. I was joined by Michelle Florendo, one of our coaches for this year’s group of women. We chat about The Wise Women’s Council, the impact it has, the reason she joined for two years in a row (and why she’s back for a third). Together, we answered common questions people have about the program and the process. 

Why We All Need A Space To Speak Honestly—About All Of It

I was chatting on Twitter with a VC at First Round and he had a lot of great points that made me rethink how I explain the value proposition of my projects and products. Unpacking it all here in a blog post in case it’s useful to you to see my thought process. When we describe products, don’t just describe what it is—talk about what it’s for, and why. 

Career Twists and Turns: Unconventional Career Paths — Episode #134

When your career takes a sudden twist, what do you do? Today we tell two stories around career pivots: Brea, who found herself pregnant and unemployed—so she started a consulting practice while in her third trimester. And Tara, who left the work world to raise kids and then, eight years later, wanted to return to work. How did they do it? Here’s what it looked like.

Short and Sweet — Episode #131

What happens when three weeks go by and you make no progress? I’m a little nervous to share because I feel like I haven’t made any significant strides yet. But I’ll still account for what I have done, and why the space has been useful (even if I don’t have anything to show for it yet).

Join Us At Our First-Ever Startup Pregnant Weekend Retreat

Want to join us at the sandy beaches of St Pete’s Beach in Florida? This January, we’re convening our first-ever Startup Pregnant retreat weekend for women entrepreneurs and female founders. If you’ve been craving meeting more business owners and working women navigating parenting and business, read on.

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