Advertise on podcast: Powermomma Podcast

The Brain You Want at 92 with Amy Suman What if one of the best things you could do for your future brain is move your body today? In this episode of Training for 92, I sit down with my longtime friend, educator and exercise scientist Amy Suman to talk about the connection between movement, brain health, strength and aging, and why the choices we make in midlife can matter decades from now. Amy and I have known each other since elementary school, but it was watching her father stay active, strong and engaged as he got older that helped inspire some of my own thinking about longevity. I don't just want to live a long life. I want to remain capable for as much of it as possible. We talk about how movement affects the brain, why strength training becomes increasingly important as we age, the changes women experience in midlife and menopause, and how exercise can support not only our physical health, but our mood, independence and ability to keep showing up for the people and lives we love. We also get personal about caregiving, raising kids, our complicated Gen X relationship with food and body image, and what it means to model a different approach to health for the next generation. Because Training for 92 isn't really about making it to 92. It's about what we want to still be able to do when we get there. What if a better measure of health and longevity is capability?

What does it mean to build a life you still want to be fully living decades from now? In the Season 4 premiere of The PowerMomma Podcast, Samantha Hoey Nelson introduces the idea behind "Training for 92," a personal framework for thinking differently about aging, strength, health, and the future. After a summer spent building new ideas, projects, and businesses, Sam realized there was one thing she hadn't been investing in with the same intensity: herself. Inspired by those who continue to create, lead, move, and participate fully in life well into their later years, she began asking a bigger question: If she's lucky enough to have another 30 or 40 years, who does she want to be when she gets there? This episode explores what it means to train not for a number on the scale, but for capability, independence, curiosity, strength, and the ability to keep showing up for the people and work that matter most. It's also the starting point for Season 4, with upcoming conversations about menopause, muscle, sleep, stress, mental health, nutrition, brain health, and what actually helps us live longer and live better. Aging is inevitable. Frailty is not. For Sam, the number is 92. The bigger question is: what are you training for?

*]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(--scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(--thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id= "request-6a604096-c090-83e8-8139-9034bcd6836e-7" data-turn-id-container= "request-6a604096-c090-83e8-8139-9034bcd6836e-7" data-testid= "conversation-turn-24" data-turn="assistant"> In this mid-summer Season 3 reflection, I pull up a chair with myself to look back at the conversations, lessons, and ideas that shaped The Kitchen Table Revolution. This season became about more than the podcast. It changed how I think about creativity, community, work, motherhood, and what it means to build the next thing before you can fully explain what that thing is. Apparently, that is how I spent my summer: making things, following ideas, and occasionally pretending there was a master plan. I'm revisiting what my guests brought to the table, what stayed with me after the microphones were turned off, and what I'm carrying forward into Season 4. The biggest lesson? We do not need to know every step before we begin. Sometimes we just need to find our people, pull up a chair, and trust that the next step will follow. Thank you to Amy, Tara, Haely, Ruthie, Fiona, Casey, Gayle, and Sara for making this such an honest, generous, and unforgettable season. Season 4 of The Powermomma Podcast begins September 15. Look forward to you pulling up a chair.

In this episode of The PowerMomma Podcast, Sam talks with Sarah Alaimo, a people strategy leader, entrepreneur, author, and mom, about confidence, leadership, motherhood, work, and the stories we carry with us. The conversation begins with shoes, but quickly becomes about much more than fashion. Sam and Sarah talk about the shoes women wear when they need to feel powerful, the shoes they wear while chasing kids, and the shoes they wore in professional spaces where they were trying to prove they belonged. Together, they explore how personal style can connect to identity, confidence, and the way women show up in the world. They also talk about why flexible work matters, and how leaders can build workplaces where people are allowed to be human. Sarah shares her perspective from two decades in people strategy, including what she has learned about mentorship, communication, recovery, workplace culture, and helping employees feel supported before things fall apart. She and Sam also discuss the pressure women face to be polished, professional, and endlessly capable, while often carrying invisible responsibilities at home. A major theme of the episode is learning to take up space without waiting for permission. Sarah talks about accepting compliments, saving the good feedback, and recognizing professional wins instead of brushing them off. Sam reflects on motherhood, entrepreneurship, ageism, autism advocacy, and building a life and business where she no longer has to shrink herself to fit someone else's version of success. By the end, the episode comes full circle. PowerMomma began with a pair of shoes on a hard day, and this conversation becomes a reminder that confidence is built one step at a time. Put your best foot forward, PowerMommas. Even if that foot is currently in a very practical mom sneaker.   Connect Connect with Sarah Alaimo: Find Sarah on LinkedIn: here Follow Sarah on Instagram: @sarahdalaimo Connect with Sam + Storytime: Join The Kitchen Table Revolution: here Connect with Sam on LinkedIn: here Follow Storytime LA on Instagram: @storytimela Follow PowerMomma on Instagram: @powermommapodcast Newsletter: Sign Up:  here

Show Notes: Ruthie Ackerman, The Mother Code In this episode of PowerMomma, Sam sits down with Ruthie Ackerman, author of The Mother Code and founder of the Ignite Writers Collective, for a rich conversation about motherhood, identity, family mythology, infertility, creativity, and the stories women inherit before they even know they are carrying them. Ruthie shares how her book grew out of a lifelong question about whether or not she wanted to become a mother, especially after growing up with complicated stories about abandonment, family history, and what motherhood was supposed to look like. Together, Sam and Ruthie talk about the pressure women feel to choose between motherhood and ambition, creativity and caregiving, selfhood and family, as if life were some neat little multiple-choice quiz written by the patriarchy.  This conversation moves through the uncertainty of motherhood, the emotional weight of infertility, thoughts on "having it all," and the power of rewriting the narratives we were handed. Ruthie also shares how motherhood deepened her creative voice rather than silencing it, and how her work through the Ignite Writers Collective helps women get their stories and books out into the world. In this episode, we talk about: Ruthie's book, The Mother Code Being "on the fence" about motherhood Family mythology and inherited stories The myth that motherhood has to be all or nothing Infertility, IVF, donor eggs, and becoming a mother later in life Motherhood as a radical act Creativity, writing, and finding your voice after becoming a mother Why women's stories matter The power of rewriting the narrative instead of living inside someone else's version This episode is for anyone who has ever wondered who they are allowed to become, especially after motherhood, grief, infertility, career shifts, family expectations, or one of those delightful life plot twists no one asked for. It is a conversation about questioning the old stories, telling the truth, and making room for a fuller, messier, more honest version of a good life. About Ruthie Ackerman Ruthie Ackerman is the author of The Mother Code and the founder of the Ignite Writers Collective, where she helps writers develop their ideas, books, essays, memoirs, and proposals. She is a developmental editor, writing teacher, and longtime journalist who is passionate about helping women figure out what they are trying to say and how to say it. Connect: Connect with Ruthie Ackerman: here LinkedIn: here Buy The Mother Code: here Learn more about Ignite Writers Collective: here Follow Ruthie on Instagram: here Connect with Sam + Storytime Join The Kitchen Table Revolution LinkedIn: Samantha Hoey Nelson Storytime LA Instagram: @storytimela Powermomma Instagram: @powermommapodcast Newsletter - Sign Up Here

In this episode of The PowerMomma Podcast, Sam sits down with Fiona McEntee, co-founder of Nouvie, a premium dealcoholized wine brand created for people who still want the ritual, the sparkle, and the grown-up glass without the sleep sabotage, sugar bomb, or next-day regret. Fiona's story starts in Dublin, where she grew up in a family of entrepreneurs, watching her mother build businesses, take risks, and model what it means to create something from scratch. After moving to the United States, Fiona built a successful immigration law firm in Chicago with her brother, working with clients across sports, entertainment, music, family immigration, and more. But during COVID, a wellness reset unexpectedly changed her relationship with alcohol and eventually sparked the idea for Nouvie. The quote that got me from this conversation was simple: "You're never going to wake up clear the next morning and wish you had been drinking." And honestly, that is the whole episode. This conversation gets into the real-life middle space so many women are living in right now: not necessarily sober, not anti-alcohol, but much more honest about how drinking affects sleep, anxiety, focus, hormones, parenting, and the ability to function like a semi-responsible adult in a house full of people who keep needing snacks. Sam and Fiona talk about wine culture, motherhood, menopause, ambition, entrepreneurship, the rise of low-alcohol and no-alcohol options, and why so many women are quietly rethinking what actually feels good now. This episode is not about labels. It is about choice. It is about intention. It is about keeping the ritual without paying for it the next morning. And sometimes the answer is: a beautiful glass of sparkling wine that does not ruin your sleep, your mood, or your next morning.  Here is a 10% discount code to give Nouvie a try - code is PowerMomma  https://www.drinknouvie.com/discount/PowerMomma   To Connect with Fiona + Nouvie https://www.drinknouvie.com/ LinkedIn: Fiona McEntee Nouvie Instagram: @drinknouvie   Connect with Sam + Storytime  Join The Kitchen Table Revolution LinkedIn: Samantha Hoey Nelson Storytime LA Instagram: @storytimela Powermomma Instagram: @powermommapodcast Newsletter - Sign Up Here

This week on The Powermomma Podcast, I'm talking with Gayle Walker about something so many women live every day but rarely stop to name: the invisible load of home. Gayle is the founder of Life Doula Inc., a retired Navy nurse, and a home management strategist who helps families build better systems of care and support. In this conversation, we talk about what happens when women are high-functioning everywhere else, but home is still expected to run on one person's mental tabs, emotional labor, and sheer willpower. We get into burnout, cognitive load, family values, dinner, laundry, kids helping at home, and why support is not weakness. It is strategy. One of my favorite takeaways from Gayle is this: just because you can do it all does not mean you should. That one hits. This is a conversation about building a life that actually supports the woman living it. And frankly, more of us need that. Gayle L. Walker is the Founder of Life Doula Inc. and a Chief Home Management Strategist who helps high-performing professionals scale their lives — not just their careers. With 25+ years of experience across military nursing, healthcare leadership, and family care, she teaches leaders how strategic household infrastructure increases capacity, reduces burnout, and strengthens relationships. Through her High-Performing Home framework, Gayle is leading a conversation about how the absence of leadership at home is quietly destabilizing modern success.   To Connect with Gayle
 Website - mylifedoula.com
 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaylelwalker/
 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@mylifedoula
 Care for Life in the Middle - https://vimeo.com/1043598658
 Why I do this work - https://vimeo.com/1153770739
 Witnessing a Care Crisis - https://vimeo.com/1153853046
 https://strengthonstages.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Gayle-Walker.pdf

 Connect with Sam + Storytime + Kitchen Table Revolution 
 The Kitchen Table Revolution: storytimela.com/kitchen-table 
 LinkedIn: Samantha Hoey Nelson 
 Storytime LA Instagram: @storytimela 
 Powermomma Instagram: @powermommapodcast  Newsletter - Sign Up Here

Episode Description: In this episode of the PowerMomma Podcast, Sam sits down with Casey for a rich conversation about women's leadership, purposeful growth, and what it really means to build a business that fits your values instead of someone else's definition of success. Casey shares her path from the travel industry and executive leadership into coaching and consulting for small business owners,  mostly women. Together, Sam and Casey talk about redefining power, building a business around the life you actually want, and why growth for growth's sake is a trap so many women are finally rejecting. They also explore the parallels between travel and leadership, from communication and contingency planning to cultural curiosity and courage. The conversation moves into sustainability, motherhood, reinvention, and the importance of finding your people and owning your niche. This is a thoughtful, honest conversation for women building something meaningful while also trying to live a full human life. In this episode, we talk about: Casey's path from travel leadership to executive coaching What travel teaches us about leadership, planning, and communication Why more women are redefining power, success, and ambition Building a business around values, not just status or money The difference between sustainable growth and growth for growth's sake Why so many women undervalue their time and underprice their work The challenge of trying to do too much at once How to get clearer on your niche and what makes your business different What it means to model courage and purpose for our kids Key Takeaways Power does not have to look hard-edged to be real A successful business should support your life, not consume it Sustainable growth starts with valuing your time properly Clarity around values and niche makes better decisions easier Women are allowed to lead as whole people, not edited-down versions of themselves Connect with Casey Website: www.caseyhanisko.com Newsletter: www.caseyhanisko.com/newsletter LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/caseyhanisko/ Connect with Sam + Storytime + Kitchen Table Revolution
 The Kitchen Table Revolution: storytimela.com/kitchen-table
 LinkedIn: Samantha Hoey Nelson Storytime LA Instagram: @storytimela
 Powermomma Podcast Instagram: @powermommapodcast

In this episode of The Powermomma Podcast, Sam takes it to the hill with Haely White, founder of For the Feels, a Los Angeles-based apparel brand built around humor, identity, visibility, and connection. Haely shares how her background in advertising and love of language evolved into a statement-wear brand designed to help people "wear your thoughts" and find their people. For the Feels is made in Los Angeles and centers on soft, premium pieces meant to spark recognition, conversation, and community. Sam and Haely talk about creative reinvention, entrepreneurship, queer visibility, motherhood, community, and the courage it takes to show up more fully as yourself. It's a conversation about building something bigger than a product, and using creativity as a way to connect, resist, heal, and bring more joy into the world.  Connect with Haely + For the Feels
 Website: https://forthefeels.co/ For the Feels 
Instagram: @forthefeelsco
 Haely's Instagram: @haelywhite Connect with Sam + Storytime + Kitchen Table Revolution
 The Kitchen Table Revolution: storytimela.com/kitchen-table
 LinkedIn: Samantha Hoey Nelson Storytime LA Instagram: @storytimela
 Powermomma Podcast Instagram: @powermommapodcast

In this episode of The Powermomma Podcast, Sam sits down with Tara Lietzow for an honest conversation about motherhood in the tween years and why this stage of parenting needs a lot more support. They talk about the emotional load of raising daughters, the shift from managing kids to coaching growing humans, and the idea of "tween leave" as a real and necessary form of support for parents. The conversation also explores leaving full-time corporate life, rebuilding work around family needs, navigating late ADHD diagnosis, and learning to let go of perfectionism. Sam and Tara also bond over books, creativity, and the pressure to constantly produce, ending with a powerful reminder that not every season is meant for pushing. Sometimes winter is supposed to be winter. A thoughtful, funny, and deeply relatable episode for moms navigating the messy middle years of parenting, work, and identity.     Links + Resources Alchemy Advising: https://www.alchemyadvising.co/ The Kitchen Table Revolution: https://www.storytimela.com/kitchen-table   Follow / Connect with Tara:
 https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-yeto-lietzow/ Follow / Connect with Sam: 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthahoeynelson/
 https://www.instagram.com/stories/samiam_hoey/

There comes a moment in every ambitious woman's life when she realizes the problem isn't her. It's the table. In this episode of The Powermomma Podcast, Sam Nelson sits down with Amy Nelson, founder of The Riveter, to talk about what happens when you stop trying to fit into systems that were never designed for you, and start building something better. Amy shares her journey from corporate litigator to founder, why she created The Riveter because it was something she needed, and what she learned in rooms full of power where not everyone gets listened to. Together, Sam and Amy get into the real stuff: the slow-burn breaking points, the "prove you belong" trap, why corporate America still isn't built for women, and how women create their own exit strategies. This one is a kitchen table conversation in the truest sense: honest, strategic, and full of "wait… YES" moments. In This Episode The difference between pulling up a chair and building your own table Amy's early lesson: you can walk into powerful rooms… but that doesn't mean you'll be heard Corporate America's design problem: women weren't included when the system was built The moment motherhood changes everything  Why community matters: finding women with a growth mindset when time and life are tight Share This Episode If… You've been working twice as hard for half the results You're "at the table" but somehow still invisible You're done proving you belong in places that don't deserve you. You're building something new while raising kids, caring for others, running a home Links + Resources The Riveter: https://www.theriveter.co/ The Kitchen Table Revolution: https://www.storytimela.com/kitchen-table   Follow / Connect with Amy:
 https://www.linkedin.com/in/amynelsonriveter/
 https://www.instagram.com/amy_k_nelson/ Follow / Connect with Sam: 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthahoeynelson/
 https://www.instagram.com/stories/samiam_hoey/
   If today's conversation sparked something in you, don't let it end here. Check out theriveter.co and explore the community Amy's building for women who are done waiting for permission.
There's always a chair at this table for you. Until next time, keep building what works for you.
 PowerMamas, peace out.

There's a table most women know by heart. It's the place where problems get named. Where decisions get talked through. Where someone finally says the thing everyone's been thinking. In this opening episode of Season 3 of the Powermomma Podcast, Sam Nelson introduces The Kitchen Table Revolution — a season about slowing down to sit at her kitchen table and talk.  Sam shares: The kitchen table legacy passed down from her family Her thoughts on the corporate "table" was never built for working mothers The jobs report that revealed why so many women are leaving the workforce The choice to work from her own kitchen table to build a career around her family How women can stop reacting and start deciding This episode introduces the core questions that will guide the entire season: Where am I standing instead of sitting down? What table am I trying to sit at that doesn't fit anymore? What's getting harder to tolerate? What's getting clearer? Who am I holding the chair for? Season 3 is about building a safer table for women to think, talk, and make decisions that move them forward If this episode resonated, here are a few ways to join me at  the table: — Sam   Pull up a chair.  🔗 Connect with me on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthahoeynelson/ 📝 Read more on Substack @samanthahoeynelson5 🌐 Visit my website www.storytimela.com ✉️ [email protected]

Holiday Episode: "The Gifts That Changed Everything"** In this final episode of 2025, Sam gets festive, reflective, and a little emotional as she unwraps the ten life-changing gifts that shaped her as a mom, creator, partner, and Powermomma. These aren't gifts you can order on Amazon. They're the kind that show up in the form of advice, questions, invitations, one-liners, and moments that reroute your entire life. Inside this episode: 🎁 The running advice that carried her through heartbreak and a half marathon 🎁 The Disney question that built her entire creative career 🎁 The Match.com message that led to an 8-hour date and a whole family 🎁 The power of one sentence: You're not a power bitch… you're a Powermomma 🎁 The autism mom who asked "How are you… really?" and changed everything 🎁 The meditation from Sam's sister that still guides her every morning 🎁 And the surprising "gifts" behind the Powermomma Podcast, Storytime, and Wonderkidz Plus: a first look at Season 3 — The Kitchen Table Revolution A season built around the real, unfiltered conversations women have where life actually happens: the kitchen table. It's heartfelt, it's messy, it's funny, it's real — the perfect close to a year that asked a lot from all of us. Wishing you a beautiful holiday, a much-needed reset, and a damn good New Year. See you in 2026, Powermommas.

Episode: THANKS (Part 2) – The Gratitude Aftermath Three days after Thanksgiving, I'm back with the second half of the "NO Thanks / Thanks" series. This isn't the fluffy gratitude list your therapist wants you to make. This is the real version: the car-in-the-wildfire, we-built-this-city, "we're-alive-and-that's-what-matters" kind of thanks. In this episode, I talk about: What I learned from a month of saying NO The day our family evacuated during the LA fires and found core gratitude in a car singalong Why everything after "we're alive and together" is just gravy What this first year of the Powermomma Podcast has taught me (including the messy, tech-broken episodes) Advocacy, autism, and turning our family story into something bigger for the community How to find real gratitude in a busy, noisy, burnout-prone life Simple questions to help you build your own "thanks" list going into the holidays If this episode hits home, share it with a friend who's crawling into December already exhausted. We've got this: strong NOs, true THANKS, and just enough holiday joy to keep us moving forward.

In this episode of the Powermomma Podcast, Sam kicks off her two-part "No Thank You" show, recorded on a hike at Runyon Canyon with her best friend of 28 years, newly-minted Dr. Helen Cunningham. Together, they dig into: What NO-vember is and why saying no before the holidays is survival, not drama The long, messy list of "No's": overscheduling, pointless meetings, comparison, self-doubt, multitasking, burnout & fake obligations The USC homecoming rain game: saying no to playing it safe, yes to taking chances and making core memories with their kids Choosing quiet, simple Thanksgiving over performative "big gathering" energy How to stop comparing yourself to other moms, podcasters, "perfect" people & instead learn from them Burnout red flags and real-life strategies: hikes, meditation, journaling, and stepping away before you crash This episode is the "NO" part of "No Thank You." Next up: the THANKS side of the story.