Advertise on podcast: Motherhood Merged

Ok, maybe not at attack but a definitely a vent session from a working parent tasked with organizing the summer calendar. Why is it so hard? Many working adults don't get a summer break. And one big challenge is understanding the options available for summer care and summer activities for kids. I'm a fairly organized individual and I find it highly frustrating to coordinate schedules and opt-in to the right camps and activities when we need them. Tune in to hear my personal experiences as the summer coordinator of our house. I also share my plea to camp programs and providers to take some of these issues into consideration. If you want my money, you need to get it together and help a momma out. For more information about this episode and the partners mentioned in it, visit erinkraebber.com/podcast. Erin Kraebber is a small business owner and marketing strategist for local businesses and service providers. Find Erin on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ErinKraebberBrandSolutions/ Find Erin on Instagram: @erin_kraebber

If there was a book called rest for dummies, I would buy it.   There is a lot to be said about this "plugged-in" and "hustle" culture we are living in. There are a lot of distractions in this digital world, and always something (or someone) needing attention.  Part of my own personal development journey over the last few years has been focused on mindset. On identifying areas where I am unconsciously preventing myself from reaching a goal or even just blocking myself from moving forward in a particular area. Rest is one of those areas. I've come a long way but I can trace this resistance to the idea of rest back to a few myths I've been led to believe.  Tune in as I bust some common myths about the idea of rest and why it needs to be a higher priority than many of us give. For more information about this episode and the partners mentioned in it, visit erinkraebber.com/podcast. Erin Kraebber is a small business owner and marketing strategist for local businesses and service providers. Find Erin on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ErinKraebberBrandSolutions/ Find Erin on Instagram: @erin_kraebber

Fact: We are the first generation of parents to navigate school lockdown drills with our children. School safety is a heavy topic and one that's hard to know how to talk about or who to talk about it with.  Since my oldest daughter's kindergarten experience, my focus has been on how to support my children through their fears of these lockdown drills. I'm sharing my experience and how we have shifted our mindset with the intent to prepare, not scare. Plus four action items you can do today to feel more secure in your role as a supportive parent. For more information about this episode and the partners mentioned in it, visit erinkraebber.com/podcast. Erin Kraebber is a small business owner and marketing strategist for local businesses and service providers. Find Erin on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ErinKraebberBrandSolutions/ Find Erin on Instagram: @erin_kraebber

Family photography is an art, but commercial and brand photography is for storytelling. This episode will give you a peek behind the curtain of brand photography. Kassady Gibson is the owner of Focus Creative where she has worked with over 300 brands to build out not just their photography but their growth strategy with high-quality visual content that tells a story. Kassady shares a lot of great tips from knowing when to hire a photographer to what to do with the photos when you get them. Some key takeaways from this conversation: Update your photos every 6 months to keep your look fresh across all of the platformsBuild your brand story with your photographerTake art direction and feedback from the photographer, allow them space to let their vision come to life for youThe highest levels of engagement will come when you have a plan for the contentDon't be afraid of tools like canva and later for your content creation and planningFollow Kassady @FocusFairhope and visit Focus Creative online to pick up her free download to help you get started with brand photography. For more information about this episode and the partners mentioned in it, visit erinkraebber.com/podcast. Erin Kraebber is a marketing strategist for local businesses and service providers and local business owner herself. Find Erin on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ErinKraebberBrandSolutions/ Find Erin on Instagram: @erin_kraebber

I have one word for this month: frazzled. The end of the school year, extracurriculars ramp up, and work projects all come to head every May. Motherhood always has a lot to manage but there are some times of the year that are more mentally draining than others. If you are feeling the same, for whatever reason at the moment, this episode is the quick 5-minute pep talk you need. It's your reminder that you are doing a great job even when you feel like you are falling behind or failing or your house is a disaster.  For more information about this episode and the partners mentioned in it, visit erinkraebber.com/podcast. Erin Kraebber is a marketing strategist for local businesses and service providers and a small business owner. Find Erin on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ErinKraebberBrandSolutions/ Find Erin on Instagram: @erin_kraebber

Sales is more than a transaction, its a process in which you serve as a guide for the customer. Amanda is the host of the Imperfectly Ambitious podcast and creator of that same community built to help women in all areas of business do things differently.  Amanda and I talk about the sales mindset and how to sell is to be of service at the end of the day. Selling is about people and emotions and she really shares a lot of great insights into the human behavior of buying and selling.  A few great takeaways from this episode: Understanding people is a critical component of being great at salesDetach from the outcome, a no doesnt speak to you as a personSuccess will come wen you believe in the transformationPurchase decisions are driven by emotions so speak to them oftenCreate, don't wait for an opportunity to take the next stepFollow Amanda on Instagram @ImperfectlyAmbitious or click here for her home online. For more information about this episode and the partners mentioned in it, visit erinkraebber.com/podcast. Erin Kraebber is a marketing strategist for local businesses and service providers and a small business owner herself. Find Erin on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ErinKraebberBrandSolutions/ Find Erin on Instagram: @erin_kraebber

Planning a child's birthday party can be quite the process. As the parent, you have to learn the skills needed to plan the perfect party that fits perfectly with everyone's schedule and includes every child from their daycare, preschool, or classroom. Or do you? Were all navigating these choppy waters of trying to give our kids the best birthday experience that doesn't hurt any feelings or leave anyone out. But I'm telling you,  it would be a lot easier if we adjusted our expectations as fellow parents to be okay with the fact that not every kid needs to be invited to the party.  You want to go big? Do it up. Don't want any fiesta? That's good too because a birthday party is about the birthday child. Now I'm not promoting exclusivity but I do have 8 reasons why your kid might not get an invite, and none of them should be taken personally.   For more information about this episode and the partners mentioned in it, visit erinkraebber.com/podcast. Erin Kraebber is a marketing strategist for local businesses and service providers. Find Erin on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ErinKraebberBrandSolutions/ Find Erin on Instagram: @erin_kraebber

Any Lizzo fans here? Her newest single sums up where I am in my entrepreneurship journey. I've been fielding a lot of questions about my recent career change and how I got started down the path of opening a brick-and-mortar retail business. It might appear from the outside to happen overnight but in my mind, I'm singing with Lizzo. Because it's about damn time.  This journey started in January of 2021 and now I am here, 16 months later putting the finishing touches on a million details so I can open doors and start making sales.  I can point to a few key steps I took that really allowed my business plan to come together. Join me as I dive into three elements I think are universal check box items for starting a business: research, funding, and connections.  For more information about this episode and the partners mentioned in it, visit erinkraebber.com/podcast. Erin Kraebber is a marketing strategist for local businesses and service providers. Find Erin on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ErinKraebberBrandSolutions/ Find Erin on Instagram: @erin_kraebber I do not own the rights to the music performed by Lizzo

Raise your hand if, like me, you are a bit of a skeptic by nature. I've put in a lot of time along my personal and professional development journey including books, podcasts, and online courses. Absorbing all the info but not always believing in the practical use or application of some of the teachings. I avoid the "woo" as much as possible. But...over the last two weeks, I've really started to notice how much higher my vibration has become and how many good things that type of energy truly attracts.  Energy doesn't mean happy, smiling faces like I once thought. It's a whole thing that I had to feel to believe. The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon helped me finally recognize that I've become a more energetic match for the work and life I'm creating. And why it really does matter. For more information about this episode and the partners mentioned in it, visit erinkraebber.com/podcast. Erin Kraebber is a marketing strategist for local businesses and service providers. Find Erin on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ErinKraebberBrandSolutions/ Find Erin on Instagram: @erin_kraebber

Have you ever been the mom who forgot to have their child wear PJs on the class pajama day? I think (I hope) that we have all been there and been scolded by our children for making them feel left out. #momfail As the mom, I receive all of the emails and information from the classrooms. The dress-up days, the supply needs, the field trips, and more. It's a lot to manage for one child and even crazier with multiple kids' schedules to sort. When schools leave dads out of the communications or opportunities to engage with the kids, it makes moms feel an extreme amount of pressure and dads feel uninvited. I want my husband to be in the loop so he can share the load. And even more, my girls want their dad to participate in the fun things happening at school. It is highly likely a dad or any other involved caretaker may do things differently than a mom. But different isn't bad, it's just different. I'm advocating for no "mom things" and "dad things" in the classroom, just things for involved and supportive caregivers. For more information about this episode and the partners mentioned in it, visit erinkraebber.com/podcast. Erin Kraebber is a marketing strategist for local businesses and service providers. Find Erin on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ErinKraebberBrandSolutions/ Find Erin on Instagram: @erin_kraebber

It's easy to get caught up in the downside of having to travel for business. If you are like me and haven't been doing as much travel as you did pre-pandemic, you might feel a little rusty.  All the prep and planning to get the family ready to be mom-less is a pain. But I have realized over the years that there are some definite perks to being out of town on your own. Tune in for my top five things to enjoy about business travel. For more information about this episode and the partners mentioned in it, visit erinkraebber.com/podcast. Erin Kraebber is a marketing strategist for local businesses and service providers. Find Erin on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ErinKraebberBrandSolutions/ Find Erin on Instagram: @erin_kraebber

Let me introduce you to The Nutrition Professor.  Timaree Hagenburger is a nutritionist, professor, cooking show host, wife, mother, and cookbook author. She loves to educate and inspire people to harness the power of nutrition and wellness practices.  Timaree shares her tips for fueling your body for productivty and the inspiration behind her cookbook and membership program called the Foodie Bar Way.  Timaree's enthusiasm for bringing you food that loves you back is contagious. And her approach to real nutrition for the whole family is designed to fit even the busiest of lifestyles.  Connect with Timaree to learn more about The Foodie Bar Way. For more information about this episode and the partners mentioned in it, visit erinkraebber.com/podcast. Erin Kraebber is a marketing strategist for local businesses and service providers. Find Erin on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ErinKraebberBrandSolutions/ Find Erin on Instagram: @erin_kraebber