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Sam Kelly spent a year teaching her husband how to notice what needed doing around the house. Then, one Friday night, mid chore list, she realized she was teaching her kids to rely on her for all the noticing too. That moment became Notice and Do, an Instagram post that went viral and is now her new book. In this episode, Dana and Sam dig into why the noticing is the most exhausting part of the mental load, why doing everything for your kids isn't the only way to love them, and the simple 10-minute walk that gets the whole family seeing what needs to happen. You'll hear: The red Magic Marker moment that started Notice and Do Why the mental load is "a thousand tiny open tabs," and what it feels like when even small ones get lifted What Sam says to the "yeah, but I don't mind doing it" moms Empowered care: the toothbrush picture that changes how you see doing things for your kids The sixth grader who told his mom, "it's just doing the mental load" The noticing walk: exactly how to start this week, even if you're rolling your eyes right now Why sharing the load isn't about moms doing nothing, it's about choosing where your capacity goes This is for every mom who's tired of being the only one in the house who sees what needs doing. Mentioned in this episode: Notice and Do by Sam Kelly: https://link.amazon/B02To3BCE Little Cycle-Breakers audio course: hellosamkelly.com/littlecyclebreakers Mental Load Man: hellosamkelly.com/mental-load-man Sam's website: hellosamkelly.com Sam on Instagram: @samkelly_world BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community Raising Your Business: bossmom.com/join

Kiana Danial came to the U.S. at 26, landed a finance job, and got fired within a year. Fifteen years later, she's built a $21 million net worth while raising her daughter, saving her marriage from the brink of divorce, and going through IVF, all without burning out. In this episode, Dana and Kiana dig into why so many moms feel guilty for wanting to be wealthy, what money actually buys a mom (spoiler: it's not stuff), and the triple compounding system Kiana built by studying what self-made millionaires really do. You'll hear: Why money only amplifies who you already are, and how Kiana put down the guilt about wanting it How financial freedom took Kiana's marriage from the brink of divorce to a real partnership Why Kiana hasn't cooked in three years, and why her daughter still calls her the best mommy ever The triple compounding system: three investments (you, your income extensions, external assets) and three actions (generate, automate, accelerate) The book Kiana wrote while breastfeeding that still pays her six figures a year Why your gut feeling is a legitimate part of investing How both Kiana and Dana bring their kids into their businesses and money conversations This is for any mom who's ever felt like wanting more money makes her a worse mom. Heads up: a little language in this one, so headphones on if little ears are nearby. Mentioned in this episode: Kiana's free Triple Compounding roadmap: bossmom.com/kiana Triple Compounding For Dummies: Amazon Invest Diva: investdiva.com Kiana on Instagram: @investdiva Kiana on TikTok: @kianadanial BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community BossMom: bossmom.com

For almost 12 years, BossMom decided what Dana said out loud. Now she's separating her own identity from the brand she built, and for the next 90 days she's going all in on building something new. Not a personal brand. A belonging brand. In this solo episode, Dana walks through exactly where she's starting from (a community that went from nearly 80,000 to about 2,000 after a year of stepping back for her family), the plan she's using to rebuild, and why the world is asking for something different than it used to. You'll hear: Why Dana is separating her personal identity from BossMom after almost 12 years The two decisions you have to make before building any personal brand Why Instagram is for testing and email is where your thinking lives How "becoming micro famous in someone else's space" still works The three content buckets: authority, rally cry, and what you're building What a belonging brand is, and why the goal is no longer for people to like you Dana's 90-day goals, said out loud This is for any mom with way more potential than her current reality shows, who's ready to stop hiding behind her business and start showing up as herself. Mentioned in this episode: Get Dana's 90-day plan: DM "PLAN" to Dana Malstaff on Instagram BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community BossMom Momentum: com: https://community.boss-mom.com/boss-mom-momentum

Kristen Damery is a conservative Oklahoma mom of teenagers, a pelvic floor physical therapist who once swore she'd never work "down there," and the founder of Lava, a sexual wellness brand. On paper, that sounds like a list of contradictions. In this episode, Dana and Kristen unpack why it's actually the opposite: every piece of her story is the reason she built this business. It started with one embarrassing postpartum moment and grew into a belief she couldn't stop talking about. Women shouldn't be ashamed of their bodies, marriages deserve to stay alive, and moms deserve to feel good. Heads up: a few strong words, so headphones on if little ones are nearby. You'll hear: How Kristen went from "I'm not going anywhere near that region" to pelvic floor PT after her own postpartum moment Why her conservative values and her sexual wellness company aren't in conflict How shame keeps women from talking to their own doctors, and what to do instead Why a small-town PT decided to launch a physical product to reach more women Why moms can't feel pleasure in survival mode, and how confidence starts to compound The "I'm a 10" story Kristen says she's going to start sharing with her patients Mentor, not martyr: why our kids need to see us take care of ourselves and our marriages Kristen's message to every mom: leaking, heaviness, and pain are common, but they are not normal This is for every mom building a business around a belief, especially one that doesn't fit the box people expect her to fit in. Mentioned in this episode: Lava by Kristen Damery: mylavalube.com (also on Amazon) Kristen on Instagram and TikTok: @mylavalube BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community

Why do so many moms open their closets and not recognize the woman who bought any of it? In this episode, Amy (founder of StyleMethod® and host of The StyleMethod® Podcast) opens up about losing her own "style soul" for two years after becoming a mom, and the two of them dig into why finding your style after kids is really about finding yourself again. You'll hear: How a celebrity stylist lost her style after moving, going virtual, and becoming a mom (and what finally brought her back) The shoulders-back test for knowing if an outfit is right for you Amy's rule for bad days: wear the opposite of how you feel Why there's no such thing as "dressing for your age" Style adjectives: the three-word filter for your closet, your shopping, and your mornings How to build your wardrobe like a house so every version of you has something to wear Amy's story of becoming a solo mom by choice, and why "there still needed to be an Amy" This is for every mom who has opened her closet and not recognized the woman who bought any of it. Mentioned in this episode: Amy's free Style Adjective Quiz: stylemethod.myflodesk.com/styleadjectivequiz Amy's virtual styling services: stylemethodco.com/virtual-styling-services StyleMethod on Instagram: @stylemethodco BossMom community (free): bossmom.com/community BossMom+: bossmom.com/join

Victoria Sivrais and Beth Mazza have known each other for 20 years. Beth was Victoria's boss, then her mentor, then her business partner, and together they've built and sold two companies that advised S&P 500 leaders. Now they're building a third, and releasing a book, Entrepreneur Like a Mother, that turns every mistake they made into a framework so you don't have to make the same ones. Dana sits down with them to talk about the "kitchen cabinet" every mom building a business needs (your cheerleaders, connectors, and compensators), the Mommy Mayhem Matrix for picking the right business model for the life you actually want, and why fear looks completely different on two women who've built the exact same success. You'll hear: Why women starting businesses outnumbered men for the first time in 2025, and what that means for you The kitchen cabinet framework: cheerleaders, connectors, and compensators The Mommy Mayhem Matrix, and how to figure out the business model that actually fits your life Why one of them feels zero fear and the other had to write down her own accomplishments to believe she belonged Near-bankruptcy, a lawsuit the week before giving birth to twins, and cash-advancing payroll during COVID What their kids actually remember about watching them build This is for any mom building a business who's ever felt like she's doing it completely alone. Mentioned in this episode: Entrepreneur Like a Mother (Wiley, out September 22nd) Victoria and Beth on Instagram: @femalemavericks BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community Raising Your Business: bossmom.com/join

If moms stopped spending money tomorrow, the entire economy would collapse. We make up 68% of it. That's real power. So why does that power just feel like weight, the self-doubt, the impostor syndrome, the sense that you're the only one who can hold this household together? Dana sat with that question after recording this episode, and it's exactly why she brought back Dr. Lisa Woodruff, one of her very first podcast guests, nine years ago. Lisa's back now with a PhD to back up everything she already knew. This conversation covers a lot: why Lisa went back for a PhD just to be believed, what ADHD and executive function actually mean (and why the label matters less than the systems), the CEO/manager/employee framework for running your home so power stops feeling like a solo burden, the self-care definition nobody had written down until Lisa did, and the story of the first time in her adult life, at 54, that she told her own kids no. You'll hear: Why moms drive 68% of the economy, and why that power just feels like weight when you're carrying it alone The real reason Lisa got a PhD (it wasn't about the system, it was about being believed) ADHD as a spectrum of eight executive functions, not a yes-or-no label The CEO / manager / employee framework for your household The self-care definition Lisa had to write herself because it didn't exist Why her dissertation found housework might never have been gendered at all The first time in 54 years she told her kids no, just because she wanted to Mentioned in this episode: Lisa's book, Escaping Quicksand, and the Sunday Basket: Organize365.com Lisa on Instagram: @organize365 BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community BossMom+: bossmom.com/join

Dana is doing more right now than she has in a long time. More in her business, more with her kids, more in her relationship. And somehow, she feels more expansive, not less. In this solo episode, she breaks down exactly what shifted over the last six months that let her hold more without falling apart doing it, and why capacity was never actually about time. This one gets personal. Dana talks about the "two balls in the air" belief that ran her life for years, the moment she finally forgave old versions of herself, and a hard conversation with her partner that unlocked something she didn't expect. You'll hear: Why capacity is about patience and honesty, not time or energy The "two balls in the air" belief that kept Dana small for years What actually happened when she stopped being mad at her old self Why saying your needs out loud changes how doing feels, not just what gets done The walk exercise Dana uses to picture a future she can't quite picture in numbers What real capacity feels like when life is still hard and stressful This is for any mom who feels like she can only hold two things at once, and is tired of believing that's the ceiling. Mentioned in this episode: BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community BossMom+: bossmom.com/join

Katie Read is back, and this time the two of them fell straight into a conversation about something bigger than marketing: are we the last generation of moms who doesn't know who we are without doing? It started with a newsletter Katie sent about the future of work, and by the time they hit record they were deep into what happens to a mom's identity once AI starts doing the "doing" for her — plus the wild stat that kicked it all off: kids today are projected to have 25 jobs in their lifetime. This one covers a lot of ground: the death of the career ladder, why motherhood has always been an identity catalyst (and why AI is about to do the same thing to everyone else), the difference between real safety and familiar discomfort, and why exploration itself might be the smartest business model available to you right now. You'll hear: Why kids having 25 jobs in a lifetime is actually good news, not a crisis The Starbucks story that explains why job titles were never really our identity How motherhood has always forced identity exploration, and why AI is now doing that to everyone The "chapters, not a ladder" reframe for thinking about your own career Why the real obstacle to change is safety, not money How Dana separated her personal identity from her business brands using AI Why the money (and the purpose) is on the other side of being embarrassed If you've ever wondered who you are underneath the job title, the launch, or the to-do list, this episode is for you. Mentioned in this episode: Katie Read's site + free instant diagnostic: KatieRead.com Katie's buyer psychology work + free instant diagnostic: BuyerPsych.com Boss Mom Community (free): bossmom.com/community Boss Mom Plus: bossmom.com/join

This one's real, raw, and honest — the kind of conversation you'll want to relisten to with a notebook. Dana sits down with Amanda Goetz — two-time founder, four-time CMO, divorced mom of three, and author of the debut book Toxic Grit: How to Have It All and Actually Love What You Have — to talk about the mindset work, the boundaries, and the money story she had to consciously rewrite to stop feeling so disconnected from herself. They get into subconscious mindset work, why "having it all" was never actually the problem, why Amanda doesn't want her kids around on her birthday, and the "character theory" framework at the heart of her book — the idea that you're not one person trying to find balance, you're several people who each need their turn. Heads up: there are a couple of juicy words in this one, so headphones on if you've got little ones nearby. You'll hear: The lemon exercise that shows exactly how your brain builds the future you keep rehearsing The piece of paper Amanda burned that changed her relationship — a few weeks later Why the word "you" was the real problem in "you can't have it all" Character theory: how to stop trying to align every version of yourself and start giving each one hierarchy instead The "transition sequences" that help you actually switch between your CEO self, your mom self, and everyone in between Why wanting a birthday or a Mother's Day without your kids doesn't make you a bad mom The generational money scripts both Dana and Amanda had to unlearn This is for any mom who's doing all the things and still feels a little disconnected from herself underneath it. Mentioned in this episode: Amanda's book, Toxic Grit: How to Have It All and Actually Love What You Have https://www.toxicgrit.com/ Amanda's newsletter, Life's a Game https://amandagoetz.kit.com/posts Boss Mom Community (free): bossmom.com/community Boss Mom Plus: bossmom.com/join

Brenna McGowan is back, and this one is not a launch strategy episode. It's the conversation she said she's never had publicly. Brenna started her business at 40, after more than a decade as a stay-at-home mom, because she needed an extra $500 a month. Eight years later, with her kids grown and gone or nearly gone, she had a realization that stopped her cold: thank God she started when she did. Not for the money. For who she gets to be now that the house is quiet. Dana and Brenna get into the guilt moms carry for wanting something of their own, the middle space nobody has named where you're still doing all the mom things and working eight hour days anyway, and why the advice to "charge your worth" may have done more damage to moms than almost anything else in the online business world. You'll hear: The empty nest realization that reframes every hour you've spent feeling guilty about your business Why the lead-up to a hard season is often worse than the season itself, and how to spot the story you've been handed Brenna's actual origin story: $500 a month, an electric bill, and zero qualifications "I was my own paid intern" and why that mindset builds real confidence Why "charge your worth" is bad advice, and what to charge instead The big-launch model and why it structurally breaks moms How to stay unattached from the outcome without stopping caring The unglamorous work that becomes your intellectual property This one's for any mom who's wondered whether wanting more makes her selfish, or whether it's too late to start. Mentioned in this episode: Brenna's site and Pre-Launch Plan Program: brennamcgowan.co Behind the Launch: behindthelaunch.co Brenna on Instagram: @brennamcgowanco Behind the Launch Facebook group: join here Brenna's launch calendar tool (BossMom affiliate link): brennamcgowan.co/bossmom-calendar BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community BossMom+: bossmom.com/join

The internet has started calling it the messy middle: that stretch where you don't want a 9-to-5 away from your kids, but you also want something of your own that makes you feel like a whole person. In this solo episode, Dana argues that the name is doing real damage, and then goes somewhere unexpected with it. At her son's middle school orientation, Dana heard that kids move through three stages: understanding the family dynamic, then finding their community, then working out who they want to independently be. Moms move through the exact same three stages. Nobody names ours. And instead of an institution built around it, we get shame. If you've been walking around convinced you're behind, this episode gives you a different word for where you actually are. You'll hear: Why the term "messy middle" is doing more damage than we realize, and why renaming it isn't the fix The belief → thought → action → result chain, and why the work has to start at belief The ten tabs reframe (three are making money, three are making your family healthier, three are you) Why shame is not a launching position, and what it's quietly costing you "Mothers are the neck," and the buying power moms consistently refuse to own Why losing your identity after a baby is supposed to happen The three stages every mom moves through, and why almost everyone is in stage two grading herself against stage three Why you can't skip stage two, and what happens when you try This is for any mom who feels behind, scattered, or like she should have figured herself out by now. Mentioned in this episode: BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community — also searchable as "BossMom" in the App Store BossMom+: bossmom.com/join Email Dana: [email protected] Becoming Boss Mom (the book Dana is currently shopping to traditional publishers)

I read Dr. Gertrude Lyons' book Rewrite the Mother Code and immediately wanted to get everyone in a room and talk about it. She's a maternal identity expert with a doctorate, nearly three decades of coaching, and a worldview that breaks motherhood wide open: motherhood isn't a role, it's a creative force. It shows up in your business, your relationships, your dreams, and most importantly in how you mother yourself. In this conversation we get into why almost every mom loses herself at some point (including the ones with degrees in this exact subject), why self-doubt is the number one obstacle moms name, and what it takes to actually come back. You'll hear: Why you're already mothering, whether or not you have children The catalysts that reliably knock moms off track, and why drifting is the assignment rather than the failure Where the erosion of self-trust actually comes from, and how we got cut off from our own intuition The $100 answer that fixed my daughter's year of stomach pain after a doctor said girls are just dramatic Why the truth is an act of kindness, and how "keeping the peace" costs us more than we realize The say-no assignment, and why not explaining yourself is the hard part "He knows he's enough and I know I'm not too much," and why so many moms think they have to earn the right to just be The conversation my thirteen-year-old started with me, and what it proved about doing the inner work This is for any mom who has quietly wondered where she went, and whether it's too late to go get herself. Mentioned in this episode: Dr. Gertrude Lyons' book and site: drgertrudelyons.com 2027 self-mothering retreats (Mexico, Ireland, Malta, Chicago): drgertrudelyons.com/retreats2027 TEDx talk, Rewrite the Mother Code: youtube.com/watch?v=NZ9ZF8JKIDY Instagram: @drgertrudelyons Substack: gertrudelyons.substack.com BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community BossMom+: bossmom.com/join

Chandler Bolt has been a friend of the show for years, and this conversation felt like it. He also doesn't have kids yet, which makes it kind of funny that this turned into one of the more honest conversations we've had about the gap between the story we tell (on stage, in a book, online) and the story we actually live behind closed doors. Dana and Chandler get into walking the walk, why authenticity beats polish every time, modeling instead of martyring yourself for your kids, and why the people closest to you deserve the mic, even when the truth stings. Plus: Dana and Chandler are teaming up for a free live training on July 29th, and you'll want to be there. You'll hear: Why what you do behind closed doors matters more than what you post How to reverse engineer what you actually want in your business before you chase another goal Why authenticity beats polish every time The "model, don't martyr" philosophy for ambition and motherhood Why seasons of parenting (and business) are allowed to change your priorities Chandler's honest story about losing, then finding, his authenticity Why the people closest to you deserve the mic, even when the truth stings Mentioned in this episode: Free training with Dana and Chandler, July 29th at 2pm PT / 5pm ET: selfpublishing.com/dana Chandler's company: selfpublishing.com Book a call with Chandler's team: selfpublishing.com/bossmom Boss Mom Community (free): bossmom.com/community Boss Mom+: bossmom.com/join

This week Dana sits down with Em Connors of The Creative Bodega for an honest, no-filter conversation about comparison, confidence, and money mindset, sparked by watching a creator go from unknown to multimillionaire almost overnight. Dana and Em both had a rough week of unfollowing, re-following, and wondering what was wrong with their own pace. This episode is the debrief. They get into why "new" isn't always what it looks like, why 90% of the block women feel in business comes down to self-doubt (not strategy), why launches were never built for the seasonal reality of a mom's life, and the money trauma both Dana and Em inherited from their own dads, and how to finally paint your own truck. You'll hear: Why comparing your business to someone's overnight win is comparing yourself to a story you don't have the full data on The real math behind viral launch reviews (it's not what you think) Why self-doubt, not strategy, is the number one block for most women building a business The "bravery isn't in a safe community, it's on the internet" reframe Em's "paint your truck" money mindset story Why launches aren't built for moms, and how to protect your own season anyway This is a must-listen for any mom who's had a hard week of scrolling lately. Mentioned in this episode: The Creative Bodega: thecreativebodega.com The Content Coven: thecreativebodega.com/the-content-coven Em on Instagram: @the.creative.bodega Boss Mom Community (free): bossmom.com/community Boss Mom Plus: bossmom.com/join