Work-Life Flow: Recent Episodes
Kerstin Kirchsteiger, PhD
How can I work and enjoy my family? What if I lost myself in motherhood for too long and don’t know who I am anymore? How to ask for what you need in your job? How do I get my partner involved in our family vision? The “Work-Life Flow” Podcast addresses all these questions. It covers work-life balance, emotional intelligence, resilience, positive parenting, homeschooling, 9 to 5 careers and even leadership training tools. Your host, Kerstin Kirchsteiger, PhD, is a Life and Leadership Coach for clients working in Biotech and Engineering, such as Thermo Fisher, Quidel and EDF Renewables. Guests will share their stories, struggles, decisions and AHA moments of life. Come prepared for tears of frustration as well as tears of joy, and walk away with tips & tools on how to create a work-life integration that works for you! Pour yourself your favorite beverage and come hang out with us!
**In today’s episode, my guest Liz O'Donnell shares how her becoming the primary caregiver to her parents made her realize the lack of support caregivers face in the corporate space. This is how her company Working Daughters came to life.
Liz debunks some of the myths regarding caregiving and shares her experience of how companies can properly support caregivers. Liz and I also talk about how to prepare yourself and your parents for future caregiving responsibilities.
My contribution as an Executive Coach for high-achieving Women is to help them reach their leadership goals while balancing career & family so that they can bring their best selves to all areas of life, guilt-free. Because as women rise through the ranks, their lived experiences will inform and influence a more inclusive culture. It’s about changing the work culture one leader at a time!**
In this news, I currently have 2 openings for coaching. Book a Strategy Call with me today and find out how I can help you move forward in your career and leadership journey.
What we’re talking about…
- That it is a 60:40 gender split of women to men taking care of their parents
- Why it is important to include caregiving benefits for eldercare in companies
- How caregiving increases emotional intelligence and professional skills
- That caregivers have to find a way to double down on self-care
- Why it is important to have conversations with your aging parents about their wishes regarding care
- That even if your parent(s) are in a care facility, you are still a caregiver
Liz on LinkedIn
Liz on FB
Liz on Instagram
In today’s episode, my guest Jenifer Sapel and I are talking about all things investing. We chat about the common misconception that women are not financially savvy and how that has come to be. Jennifer shares that statistically speaking women get better rates of return on investment than men but often feel less confident about it.
Listen in for some best practices in financial planning and how to have the often dreaded conversations about money with your partner/spouse.
What we’re talking about…
- How to become more confident with your financial decisions
- Why we should automate our investment accounts
- That we get to define what financial decisions are right for our families
- Statistically, women are the better investors
- Why our financial decisions are not static and can change over time
- That communication about financial goals is key to a healthy partnership
- How to make a financial decision that mirrors our values
- That we can adjust our investments depending on the season of life we’re in
- What to do when your partner/spouse is hesitant about investing
LINKS MENTIONEDJenifer's websiteJenifer on FBJenifer on LinkedIn
In today’s episode my guest Mychelle Fernandez shares how her experience as a working mom led her to start her non-profit called Working Moms Tribe. We chat about what changes moms need to see in the workplace aside from flexibility in order to feel well and be most productive. Mychelle and I explore reasons why moms often are the last ones to invest in themselves. Lastly, she shares how her V.I.B.E. framework can help working moms create a life they love.
Book a Strategy Call.
What we’re talking about…
- The importance of mental health initiatives and emotional intelligence in the workplace
- How employers can ensure their top talent stays with them
- The kind of support working moms are looking for
- That having a mom's village is key to being successful
- How to build your family team and get support at home
- Why moms still take on most of the mental load
Your social media handles: https://www.linkedin.com/company/workingmomstribe/
https://www.Instagram.com/workingmomstribe
https://www.Facebook.com/workingmomstribe
Welcome to the Work-Life Flow podcast with a short and sweet special episode for International Women’s Day and their motto #BreakTheBias.Book a Strategy call **As you know, this podcast has morphed and I like to say that it is part of my journey of finding who I can best serve. At the onset of the pandemic, I felt the urge to help parents create a family team and look at education through the lens of life. While my desire to serve and help was strong, I think moms were struggling so much to just get through the day, that my program felt like “another” thing to do on top of it all.
Just last week I had a client tell me that she felt like failing in life. She should be able to work, care for a high needs child and run the household. She said in tears “I see other moms do it and it makes me feel like a failure. I used to be very driven, but my child needs me so much and I don’t have extended family to help. I am burnt out.”
Lots of bias around the roles at home to be unearthed and cleared out.
While I still love to talk about family culture and believe that it is important to work-life integration, I had to ask myself where can I make the biggest impact? Who would benefit most from my coaching?
Through the pandemic nearly 2 million women have left, or shall I say had to leave, the workforce. With all the support networks suddenly shutting down, many of us had to choose between a job or taking care of our children or elderly parents. This has set us women back decades of efforts in #Diversity and #Inclusion.
Research published DeloitteGlobal’s report, Women @ Work: A Global Outlook identifies a number of actions that employers can take to make meaningful progress when it comes to gender equality. These include embedding a truly inclusive culture, enabling a better work-life balance by going beyond policies, demonstrating a visible and measurable leadership commitment and providing meaningful development opportunities.**
**“Meaningful and sustained change will only come when women experience ‘everyday’ inclusive workplaces—whether virtual or in-person—where statements on the importance of gender equality are backed up by meaningful actions, and where goals are set and progress is measured,” Emma Codd, Deloitte Global Inclusion Leader says.
For me it’s all coming full-circle now with the partnerships with Leader’s Lounge and Villyge. I also earned an executive coach certificate through the Center of Executive Coaching and am now working with high-achieving Women in STEM careers to reach their leadership goals while balancing career & family, so that they can bring their best selves to all areas of life, guilt-free.**
**Together we can change the work culture one leader at a time!
In this news, I currently have 5 openings for coaching. Book a Strategy call with me today and find out how I can help you move forward in your career and leadership journey. The link is in the show notes.
Now that women are slowly joining the workforce again, they are asking for more support, more flexibility, more dialogue and are rejecting the daily bias they face. Let’s all pay attention to what they need and offer proper support.
With this, let’s raise awareness to #BreakTheBias on International Women’s day!**
In today’s episode, my guest Stephanie Kessl and I chatted about the concept of Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences and how we can become more self-aware of ourselves. This concept can help us identify our strengths and open the way to personal and professional growth. Stephanie is the founder of a free online community called Best Vibes Village and a paid membership for those who would like to take a deeper dive into self-discovery and lifelong learning.
4 Must-Have Checklists for Kids, so They Can Get Ready on Their Own and Learn Executive Function Skills, While You Sit Back and Relax.
What we’re talking about…
- Why we need to shift towards a growth mindset
- The importance of values to guide our big (and small) decisions in life
- How to find joy in life
- Why connecting with a community-driven by curiosity is important to our growth
- That parents are the experts on their child(ren)
LINKS MENTIONEDBest Vibes Village WebsiteBest Vibes Village LinkedInBest Vibes Village Instagram
In today’s episode, my guest Angela Harders and I explore what happens when play is work or work is play.
Angela shares how she overcame the struggle of having to choose between being a great teacher and being the mom she wanted to be for her daughter. Her background in teaching made her question whether unschooling was possible, but she followed her daughter’s lead and started realizing that it was absolutely beautiful how her curiosity unfolded. This is what led her to form Peaceful Worldschoolers and an umbrella organization for families (PMA) who would like to homeschool with complete educational freedom.
Doing what she loves, she feels that her work is playing and work-life integration becomes effortless.4 Must-Have Checklists for Kids, so They Can Get Ready on Their Own and Learn Executive Function Skills, While You Sit Back and Relax.
What we’re talking about…
- Why unschooling is a natural consequence of positive parenting
- That our children are the masters of their learning and we are here to support them
- The power of purposefully sitting back and observing our children
- Why unschooling is a journey of trusting your child
- How to look for learning in their everyday activities
- That you can be an Unschooler and choose to go to school
- How Angela’s umbrella organization might be a way for you to homeschool, even if it’s not legally allowed in your state/country yet.
LINKS MENTIONEDPeaceful Worldschoolers WebsitePeaceful Worldschoolers YoutubePeaceful Worldschoolers InstagramPeaceful Worldschoolers Facebook
Off-Trail Learning Podcast: Kevin Currie-Knight on Self-Directed Education in College
In today’s episode, my guest Christelle Pillot and I discuss how being a multicultural family comes with its own set of challenges but also opens the doors to redefining your values and creating your family culture. She shares her journey leaving behind a career in Engineering to become a Life & Career Coach. Her experience having to gap different expectations from French colleagues and German clients fueled her interest in helping moms go back to work after child-rearing breaks. She helps working moms live in alignment, have a fulfilling career, and enjoy family time as well.4 Must-Have Checklists for Kids, so They Can Get Ready on Their Own and Learn Executive Function Skills, While You Sit Back and Relax.
What we’re talking about…
- How do we get to define what’s right for our families
- That motherhood levels our leadership competencies up
- Why we should have our spouses/husbands shadow our work at home
- That communication is key for work-life balance
- How we can become more accepting of others
- That it is ok to change your career later in life
- A tool to get your family to help
LINKS MENTIONEDChristelle Pillot Website
Christelle Pillot LinkedIn
Christelle Pillot Facebook
Christelle Pillot Instagram
And just like that we’re in 2022, wait we’re already halfway through the first month of the New Year! How did that happen?!?
…anyways, today I wanted to share a few updates about my work and the Work-Life flow podcast.
My hard work of showing up consistently and bringing real-life stories and experiences to you has gained me some incredible opportunities for collaborations. The first collaboration that I formed was with Kease International and I became a partner coach for their Leader’s Lounge membership. This means I have been preparing masterclasses for their members and offering coaching through their platform.
Then, towards the end of the year, I had been approached by Debi Yadegari (whom I had interviewed in WLF episode 14 about working parent’s diversity and inclusion needs) to become an Expert Coach for Villyge, an Employee Benefits Program.
I am really excited for both of these opportunities to make an impact on working parents’ lives. And if you think your company could benefit from either the Leader’s Lounge or Villyge’s program, please share about these women-led companies with your HR or DEI department. You can find links to them on my website.
I find this all very exciting and if you’ve been listening for a while, you know that one of my values is to be a lifelong learner, and as such, I decided to deepen my understanding of coaching and am currently enrolled to obtain my Executive Coach Certification. I’m in deep learning mode which may slow down my podcast output a little.
You might have heard or read about “the great resignation”. More employees are leaving companies than ever before in search of a better fit. Employees ask for more than just a good salary, they want to be part of something bigger, feel included, and do meaningful work. Right now companies are very eager to learn how to attract and keep top talent, they are open to negotiations never imagined possible before. For companies, it is high time to invest in more Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Training, but also to offer a wide range of support through employee benefit programs such as Villyge, or the Leader’s Lounge. I find this to be truly exciting and it is what I had been writing and talking about since the onset of the pandemic. This is good stuff! Positive change is happening. Now I am grateful to be able to shape a new corporate culture through my work and my collaborations.
What does this mean for the Work-Life Flow Podcast?
With me partnering more in the corporate space, this podcast will likely move away from homeschooling (although it is a topic I love) and offer more interviews with corporate leaders, and working moms rather than business owners. The tricky part about that is that it is way easier to get a guest who runs a business than a person who does not really benefit from appearing on a podcast….so bare with me as I create a guest list.
This means that the work-life flow podcast might be a little more eclectic for a while, as I want to understand the driving forces for working parents’ success, pitfalls, and well-being in the workplace and at home.
The first few interviews that I have planned are with women and men who had a break in their career due to starting a family.
With all this being said, let me know who you would like me to interview and what topics you would like to hear about. You can do this by joining my Work-Life Flow FB group, sending me a message on LinkedIn or on Instagram. I am always looking for a great guest or topic suggestions.
In today’s episode, Jennifer and I explore how to invite more music into your life even if you’ve never played an instrument. Her approach to music is all about self-care and connection-building moments by “strumming your soundtrack and serenading the world”. Her stories of professional caregivers learning songs that light up their patients, a little girl composing her own song, and many more are just beautiful reminders of letting go of perfection and playing music for fun.
We also talk about how we don’t have to become an expert in everything, but rather keep the love of learning new skills alive. So let’s be more playful in life!4 Must-Have Checklists for Kids to build Executive Function Skills and Set Them up for Success
What we’re talking about…
- That you can play music without reading sheet music
- What it looks like to model resilience to your child
- How you could invite more music into your life
- That music can be a form of self-care and meditation
- Why learning a song that is meaningful to you or your loved ones can be the greatest gift to give
- How you can create moments of connection through music
LINKS MENTIONED
Jennifer on Instagram
Jennifer on Youtube
Jennifer Bliss/ JBliss Guitar Studio
Kerstinkirchsteiger.com
In today’s episode, my guest Jessica Nagy and I explore the issue of isolation and lack of support in motherhood. She recognized that many moms feel like “solo moms” running the household and family on their own without spousal support. How the interpretation of scripture has led to moms trying to live up to an impossible standard, leaving them feeling that they are not enough. Jessica shares her vision of creating the proverbial village for moms with a network of women within 150 mi of each other in Canada and the continental US so that they could help each other with practical support.
Empower Your Kids with my 4 Visual Must-Have Checklists for KidsWhat we’re talking about…
* That we should seek out people who encourage and/or challenge us
* Why some moms are trying to keep up appearances
* How to build your support system
* That more moms are struggling than we think
* Why we might feel extremely lonely even in a room full of people.
* That there is a lot of moms who are unseen, misunderstood, or even censored in their marriages
LINKS MENTIONED
Jessica on FB
Jessica on Instagram
In today’s episode, my guest Katie Kimball and I explore our role to recognize when our kids are ready for new skills and then to offer opportunities to practice these new skills. We explore the concept of age-appropriate versus developmentally ready and how to recognize when your kids are a different new skill. We also talk about why the kitchen is a great place to start not only by teaching life skills that build confidence but also lead to healthier eating habits.
I share how her course has helped my family teach these kitchen skills and how you could outsource teaching cooking skills through her course if you’re not well versed in the kitchen yourself.
Lastly, we examine the importance of giving our children agency in their life and how to create these opportunities in our family life.
4 Must-Have Checklists so Your Kids can Get Ready on Their Own and Feel Empowered (While you Sit Back and Relax)
What we’re talking about…
- That having agency is the key determining factor whether or not a child will be happy (from The self-driven Child by Ned Johnson and William Stixrud Ph.D.)
- That only one third (⅓) of college students know how to boil an egg
- How kitchen skills build competence and confidence in children
- Why it is important to involve your kids in the kitchen
- How to create better-eating habits
- That time in the kitchen together builds memorable moments
- When not invite your kids into the kitchen
- Why curiosity in the kitchen leads to better eating habits
- That we parents have to observe when our kids are ready for new skills
LINKS MENTIONED
Free knife skills course
Homeschool curriculum
Kitchen Stewardship eBooks
Note: Please note that some of the links may be affiliate links. We only recommend tools, programs, or people that we absolutely love and trust. If you decide to purchase anything we recommend then we may receive a commission. Always know that the decision to buy something is always yours and we will heart your face no matter what.
In today’s episode, my guest Claire shares her view on the foundations of running a business. Interestingly, we concurred that even for our family life, we benefit immensely from declaring our vision and values. As Claire shares, it becomes our Northstar and we can measure whether or not our actions are bringing us closer or not. We also chat about intentional planning and how it can free us up for the holiday season.
Lastly, we talk about strategies for productivity and a better work-life balance.
4 Must-Have Checklists so Your Kids can Get Ready on Their Own and Feel Empowered (While you Sit Back and Relax)
What we’re talking about…
- Why you need to understand your mission, vision, and values
- That we need to be able to measure progress
- How boundaries can be opportunities
- The importance of self-awareness in business and life
- Why we should make our homeschool more meaningful
- How can we think outside the box, so there’s less friction happening
- Learning about self and how to be in the world that works for me
- How to choose a curriculum to match your vision
- Why it is important to support the strengths in neurodivergent people
- How egg timers can propel our productivity
LINKS MENTIONED
FREE Mission, Vision, & Values Workbook
Claire Crum Website
Claire Crum LinkedIn
In today’s episode, my guest Katy shares her journey to becoming debt-free and how she now helps families become sustainably debt-free. She explains that getting clear on a near-term and long-term vision for their finances is the first step to becoming debt-free. The next step would be to simplify your accounts and cards.
We explore how our money stories inform our financial decisions and how to recognize our spending habits so that we can create the money future we want. When working with families her focus is on open and honest communication. 4 Must-Have Checklists so Your Kids can Get Ready on Their Own and Feel Empowered (While you Sit Back and Relax)
What we’re talking about…
- Why paying off debt is not the main focus
- How to make sure on where your money goes
- That the major causes for being in debt in the US are student loans or medical bills
- That when one person in the relationship models new money-related behaviors it can inspire the partner/spouse
- What to do when you keep accumulation debt
- Why it is a good thing to simplify your finances
- How to make better buying decisions
LINKS MENTIONED
The Simplified Budget Facebook Group
Katy Instagram
Katy Facebook
Katy Website
In today’s episode, my guest Laura Froyen and I explore the world of positive parenting and self-compassion. The more we talked, the more parallels with emotional intelligence and leadership qualities we could identify.
We explored how we need to really let our emotions wash over ourselves, and not stuff them down. We also talked about how we need to stop beating ourselves up when we make a mistake and what to do when it happens.
We talked about how we need to let everyone in the family figure out their own relationship and avoid getting into the “triangle”. Laura shares how to remove ourselves from a triad when it happens and how to redirect to have your child and dad talk it out.4 Must-Have Checklists to Empower Your Kids to They Get Ready on Their Own, while You Sit Back and Relax
What we’re talking about…
- That we are deserving of kind and gentle treatment in of itself
- How to build resilient relationships
- That we need more self-compassion in our parenting
- Why the buttons our children push are really opportunities to connect with yourself and your healing
- How to get your partner to commit to positive parenting
- That we as parents can be each other's accountability partners
- How family visioning can help define daily actions to achieving our goals
LINKS MENTIONED
Laura Website
Laura Facebook
Laura Instagram
In today’s episode, my guest Nicole Lupushansky and I explore the world of respectful co-parenting after divorce and why it is important for the child’s overall well-being. In our conversation, we realized that even in ongoing partnerships or marriages, the same friction points can arise when two parents have a different view on parenting. We dive into why we need to learn to step back and let our children and their fathers build and define their own relationships.4 Must-Have Checklists for Kids to Get Ready on Their Own, So You Can Sit Back and Relax (and Your Kids Feel Empowered).
What we’re talking about…
- That we need to learn to let go of control over the other parent’s choices
- How to recognize when your child is struggling with mental health
- Why we need to strive for a healthy co-parenting relationship
- That criticizing the co-parent’s choices indirectly tell our children that part of them is not lovable
- How one person can improve an unhealthy co-parenting relationship and create a ripple effect
Nicole's Website
Nicole's FB group
Nicole on Instagram
Two Homes, One Happy Childhood Podcast
In today’s episode my guest Julie Bogart and I talk about the importance of getting to know your children and letting them explore their interests even if it doesn’t look like “learning”.
We chat about our roles as guides (leaders) and how to make their dreams a reality. In anything they do, we will be able to identify learning that’s happening if we dare to look.
Julie shares stories of her children’s vastly different interests and they have become her fondest memories of their childhood. Julie shares that when she needed time to grief her divorce, she needed to put homeschooling on pause and send her children back to school.
Take the Lead Bootcamp
4 Must-Have Checklists for kids so you can cross stress off your list (and empower your kids through life skills)
What we’re talking about…
- That writing doesn’t start on paper but in the mind
- That adaptive tools are not cheating
- Why we need to create the space to let our children explore and fail
- How to guide them through their learning and life
- Why the happiness of your child is an indicator or meaningful learning
- That homeschool is life and how we can help them figure out
- That it is ok to take a break when you feel that it is too much
- Why it is important to be vulnerable with your children
- How to support your children’s dreams even if money is tight
In today’s episode, Renee shares her story of how a skincare product she had created for dry skin grew into an online business that could retire her husband and support her family. Out of necessity, her husband took over homeschooling and soon realized that he liked to dive into projects with them that eventually led them to become specialists in these areas. This approach to fostering their interest and helping them identify marketable skills has led them to their new venture “Parent Their Passion” where they coach parents on the process of recognizing important skills in their children’s interest.Sit back and relax while the kids get ready on their own! With my 4 Must-Have Checklists for Your Kids (So they feel empowered and you feel calm)
What we’re talking about...
- Why listening to our kids is important for them to take risks
- That even interests that don’t look important to us can lead our children to find their passion
- How we parents can become our children’s guides and role models
- Why do we moms should work towards goals and let our kids into our world of work
- Renee challenges us to find real-world applications to our children’s interests
- Why we should say YES more
- How your children's seemingly irrelevant hobby can lead to finding their profession
For your discount on hard lotion by MadeOn click here
LINKS MENTIONED
MadeOn Skin Care Facebook
MadeOn Skin Care Store
Hardlotion Instagram
parenttheirpassion Instagram
Parent Their Passion Facebook
Parent Their Passion Website
In today’s episode, my guest Dr. Michelle Deering shares how we moms are daughters first. We explore relationship dynamics and patterns we could have learned from our moms and might be unintentionally teaching our daughters.4 Must-Have Checklists for Kids, so You Can Cross Stress off Your List (and They Feel Empowered)
What we’re talking about…
- That we are daughters first.
- What motherhood is supposed to look like
- Why we often fall into patterns unintentionally
- The relationship queues that influence our role as moms
- How parents are the leaders of the home and as such create the family culture
- The red flags in our mother-daughter relationship and when to seek support
- How burnout had her rethink work-life integration
LINKS MENTIONED
Mother Daughter Connections Facebook Group
Dr. Michelle Deering Facebook
Dr. Michelle Deering Instagram
Dr. Michelle Deering Website
In today’s episode, Candice and I are discussing all things bullying. We define what bullying is, explore the roots of bullying and its shocking effects. Candice is determined to stop the bullying culture by helping kids and teens with social-emotional skills and teaching leadership to them. And finally, she’s giving us some tools to stop bullying and intervene when we observe it happen.4 Must-Have Checklists for Kids, So you Can Cross Stress off Your List (and Empower Your Kids)
What we’re talking about…
- How to recognize bullying
- That bullying happens as early as elementary school
- Why do we need to keep a close eye on internet use with our kids
- The ARP of bullying - Is it aggressive, repetitive, and a power-imbalance?
- Why we never should engage with a bully
- How to resolve a situation when bullying is happening
LINKS MENTIONEDBullied Broken Redeemed Leadership
Candice on Instagram
In today’s episode let’s talk about how art can influence our mental health and wellbeing. Miriam, who grew up surrounded by art, shares how art has always fueled her. She shares her journey from feeling the need to express herself through art and how the energy and passion that she puts into her abstract paintings can elevate your home into a one-of-a-kind oasis, by raising the vibe in your home.4 Must-Have Checklists for Your Kids, so You can Cross Stress off Your List (And Empower your Kids)
What we’re talking about…
- How burnout brought Miriam to take up painting again
- That you are the first soul to take care of
- The Importance of self-care as a mother looking after a family
- The impact of arts in our home and mental well being
- That it is okay to spend money on things that will uplift you every single day
LINKS MENTIONED
Miriam Gitlin Website
Miriam Gitlin Palette Giveaway
Miriam Gitlin Instagram
Miriam Gitlin Facebook
In today's episode, I explore the topic of mental load in motherhood (also called motherload). I share my evolution on this topic and my thoughts about why we need to stop propagating the celebration of mental load in motherhood. I believe that we have it in us to change the dynamic and let go of being the"perfect mom" who does it all. If we can't do it for ourselves, let's at least do it for our children, so they can grow up in a more equitable society.
Main takeaways:
- Why do we need to view mental load posts critically
- That we have the power to change the dynamic
- How to share the load
- Why are we proud of having to bear an enormous mental load?
- How to change the narrative on social media
4 Must-Have Checklists for Kids, So You Can Sit Back and Relax While They Get Ready On Their Own and Learn Executive Function
LINKS MENTIONED
kerstinkirchsteiger.com
Kerstin on Instagram
Kerstin on Linkedin
Kerstin on Facebook
Kerstin on Twitter
In today’s episode, Amy Lockrin shares her journey from the corporate space to becoming an entrepreneur in search of a better work-life balance. Her drive to be more present with her family ignited her passion to help other entrepreneurs to build a business with strategy and create efficient systems to not enslave themselves to the continuous demands of running a business.
4 Must-Have Checklists for Kids so They can get Ready on Their Own and You Can Sit Back And Relax
Amy openly shares the challenges that having her kids home all day brought and how she and her husband navigated the distance learning period. Listen in to hear a refreshing take on what it means to bring systems not only into your business but also into your home.
What we’re talking about…
- What can systems do for you
- How systems and SOPs helped her kids with chores
- How she managed to integrate work-life balance after leaving a corporate job
- Why we should consider our family a team
- Tips on how to teach your kids to be responsible with their chores
LINKS MENTIONED
Amy Lockrin WebsiteAmy Lockrin InstagramAmy Lockrin Facebook
You flipped your lid. Now what?
Have you ever been in a situation where you felt so triggered that you said (or yelled) something you truly wished you hadn’t said? Right. It happens. You flipped your lid. Now you fall into the negative spiral thinking you damaged your kids, or how you’re not cut out to be a mom, or how you should have been able to control yourself better,...Now you’re feeling shameful.
I want you to know that you are not a bad mom because you sometimes yell at your kids, so let’s get that off the table. We flip your lids. It happens at times. And it tends to happen more often when we are spread thin when we do not have time to decompress and rest as much as we need. See how we’re coming full circle here?
In this episode I share:
- Why we lose it at times
- How to repair a relationship after a conflict
- That we have to pay attention to our energy levels
- Why the objective situation often is not the reason we lose it and what it is instead
- Research on apologies and why they are so difficult to muster
4 Must-Have Checklists for Kids, So You Can Sit Back and Relax While They Get Ready On Their Own and Learn Executive Function
LINKS MENTIONED
kerstinkirchsteiger.com
Kerstin on Instagram
Kerstin on Linkedin
Kerstin on Facebook
Kerstin on Twitter
In this episode, I share 4 areas in which you can increase your resilience and mental well-being at home and at work.
What we're talking about...
- Invite a mindset shift by focusing on what each member of the family can control.
- Honor the amount and type of self-care that is right for you.
- Difficult conversations - done right - can build more trust in a relationship.
- Consider how your environment affects your emotions.
4 Must-Have Checklists for Kids, So You Can Sit Back and Relax While They Get Ready On Their Own and Learn Executive Function
LINKS MENTIONED
kerstinkirchsteiger.com
Kerstin on Instagram
Kerstin on Linkedin
Kerstin on Facebook
Kerstin on Twitter
In today's episode, I share how timely my episode on how to actually handle a "heated" situation was. I was having a rough day and thanks to my self-awareness, I could see that I needed a break from my family and chores. I made an unconventional offer, opened up a beer, and proceeded to record this episode.
What we’re talking about…
- What self-awareness is and how to increase it
- Why emotional intelligence is tied to mental well-being
- How to respond rather than react in situations where you feel triggered
- Why speaking our thoughts is important for modeling this skill
4 Must-Have Checklists for Kids, So You Can Sit Back and Relax While They Get Ready On Their Own and Learn Executive Function
LINKS MENTIONED
kerstinkirchsteiger.com
Kerstin on Instagram
Kerstin on Linkedin
Kerstin on Facebook
Kerstin on Twitter
In this episode, I am exploring the connection between our emotions and our mental well-being. As I had been preparing a talk for an online summit about mental well-being I had to make my case for why I think Emotional Intelligence is the basis for mental well-being. The more aware we can become of our emotions in certain situations, the better we will learn to mitigate difficult situations and learn to respond rather than have a knee-jerk reaction. The better we know ourselves, the better we can find ways to increase our well-being.
Get my Freebie, the 4 Must-Have Checklists for Kids, so You can Sit Back and Relax While They Get Ready on Their Own.
What we're talking about...
- How our brain and body processes emotions
- Why we can't escape our emotions
- The effect of emotions on our, decisions, behavior, and performance
- How to increase our emotional intelligence
- A practice to heighten your self-awareness and exploration of your triggers
LINKS MENTIONED
kerstinkirchsteiger.com
Kerstin on Instagram
Kerstin on Linkedin
Kerstin on Facebook
Kerstin on Twitter
Today's episode is all about the magic that happens when we let go of control. Karla shares how she started out with school-like homeschooling, but when she added three more kids she decided to focus on creating a safe space for the blended family. This is what ultimately led her to unschooling and to discover who her children really are (as she says).
Even if you're skeptical of unschooling, go, give it a listen as Karla shares so much wisdom about leading a life with purpose.
Check out the Take the Lead Bootcamp where homeschooling moms create their family vision and explore their self-leadership so they can inspire their kids!
or get my Freebie, the 4 Must-Have Checklists for Kids, so You can Sit Back and Relax while They Get Ready on Their Own.
What we're talking about...
- How letting go of control can open up the space for self-discovery
- Why we should focus on the way we show up
- That our priorities can shift from day to day or even moment to moment
- How to be fully present with your children or even yourself
- That we all should strive to find work that lights us up (or parts of it at least)
- Why following our curiosities is the most powerful decision we can make
You can find Karla:
Karla's webiste
FB- Karla and the Sensational Six
Instagram- Karla and the Sensational 6
YouTube- Karla and the Sensational Six
Today’s episode is all about trauma and our response to it. Christa helps us understand the difference between big T and little t trauma and why we should never discount a traumatic experience. She shares what TRE is and why it helps resolve trauma. We explore why attachment parenting could actually be bad for moms and what to do instead. Lastly, Christa shares her key steps to creating a work-life integration that works for her.4 Must-Have Checklists for Kids so They can get Ready on Their Own and You Can Sit Back And Relax
What we’re talking about…
- Why we have to stop being martyrs and start leading a fulfilling life
- The faulty premise of attachment parenting
- How important it is to work through trauma
- What TRE is and how it helps
- Why we should never belittle our little t traumas
- That we need to lean on support even if it’s a paid position
LINKS MENTIONED
Christa'a Website
Christa's FB group
Christa on Instagram
In today’s episode, Chris shares how he created a program for dads who want to live fatherhood with more presence. He noticed that many dads wanted to feel more connected and be more involved in the preparation for the baby's arrival. We explore why dads often feel left behind throughout pregnancy and the early years and what to do about it.
4 Must-Have Checklists for Your Kids, so You Can Sit Back and Relax While They are Getting Ready
What we’re talking about…
- How the partners can be the emotional buffer and bring a sense of calm
- Why we need to talk about changes in intimacy once a baby is born
- Dad’s intuition and how to access it
- It the importance of tuning into your partner and remind them to take a break
- Why we first have to become aware of our limiting beliefs before we can make a shift
- Why children are our mirrors and how they actually help us grow.
LINKS MENTIONEDA Dads Presense WebsiteA Dads Presence FacebookChris Hanlon Instagram
In today's episode I share a story from our family life, where I could de-escalate a situation, that earlier on would have led me to become all "mother-bear", through tapping into empathy.
As a Life- and Leadership coach I focus on how emotional intelligence can help us change corporate culture to be more human, but also how to create family cultures where each individual can thrive. This story was a great lesson for myself about the power of empathy, self-awareness and awareness of others.
Have you encountered a situation you could "save" by tapping into your emotional intelligence? I'd love to hear about then over on Instagram @kerstin_kirchsteiger
Today’s episode is all about how Jen transformed her family from overwhelmed, hot mess, trying to do it all family to a well oiled machine, where everyone knows what to do and when to do it by stepping into a leadership mindset. It is her CEO approach to life as a whole that has helped her harness the power of systems to become more present with her family and business, even in times where her husband wasn't fully supportive of her business.
Sit back and relax while the kids get ready on their own! With my 4 Must-Have Checklists for Your Kids (So they feel empowered and you feel calm)
What we’re talking about…
- That your work-life integration doesn’t have to look like anyone else's.
- How to build your business even when you don’t have your partner’s support.
- Why we should build on our (and our family member’s) personality types and strengths.
- How being intentional with the tasks you take on can be beneficial not only for business but also in life.
- Jen’s approach to finding your business idea from the inside out.
- How to leverage systems to run your home like a well oiled machine.
LINKS MENTIONED
Jen's Website
Homeschool CEO on Instagram
In today’s episode Mary and I explore how working moms can step into their power through energy work. We look at the most common limiting beliefs that moms have internalized. We talk about how we can shed the conditioning and negative self-talk when we start to pay more attention to it and create more self-awareness. Mary shares what the turning point was for leaving her corporate career behind.
What we’re talking about…
- How rituals can be more helpful than routines
- That multitasking is the enemy of executive attention
- Why striving for work-life integration might be more beneficial than striving for separation
- The importance of setting boundaries with your employer
- The root cause of limiting beliefs and how to let go of them
- Why self-awareness is the first step for change
- That we hold the power over our choices and our lives
- That communication is key to work-life integration
4 Must-Have Checklists for Your Kids, so You Can Sit Back and Relax While They are Getting Ready
LINKS MENTIONEDMary on InstagramMary's website
In today’s episode, my guest Amber shares her journey to homeschooling and how her husband is a partner in every aspect of life. In her business coaching, Amber helps high-achieving moms find the tools, habits, and systems so that they are functioning at their best selves. She shares how she is building her dream life one step at a time without forgetting to savor the present moment, by asking this question: “What habits does it take today in order to get to this future self?“
4 Must-Have Checklists for your Kids, so You Can Cross Stress Off Your List
What we’re talking about…
- Work-life balance as a homeschooling mom with two businesses
- How to use self-reflection to notice your energy state and learn what brings you more energy or what zaps your energy.
- Easy ways to recharge your battery in one minute
- How to create a regular family adventure to connect to nature and spark learning
- How to structure your workload so you can unplug for the rest of the day
- Amber’s communication strategy makes sure everyone is on the same page
- The importance of setting expectations about availability
- Why you should visualize the future version of yourself
- What habits does it take today in order to get to this future self?
LINKS MENTIONED
Amber's Website
Amber's Biohacking Freebie
Amber's Book: No Brainer
Amber on Instagram
Today’s episode is a conversation about how Molly discovered that the pattern of the Hero’s Journey can help her understand the flow of life. She shares how this pattern has helped her recognize that each of our journeys is vastly different in details, but all have common elements. This recognition has helped her not only with homeschooling her seven children but also in her own life. She shares her tactic of how to choose when to embark on a Hero’s Journey or when not to.
4 Must-Have Checklists for Kids (so They can Get Ready on Their Own, while You Sit Back and Relax)
What we’re talking about…
- What the Hero’s Journey is and how to recognize it in your life
- How to use the Hero’s Journey to teach adaptability and resilience
- That our kids learn from what we do, not what we say
- The importance of getting your family to work towards a common goal
- How Molly slowly incorporate more self-care
- Why we should look at life as a process rather than a singular event
- The importance of giving choices to our kids
- Why we should protect our children’s time instead of filling it with activities
LINKS MENTIONED
Molly's website
Molly's FB Page
Building Heroes FB group
Today’s episode is all about Kim’s journey from employee to stay-at-home mom and how she created Enterprising Homeschool Moms. She shares her 4 pillars to becoming an enterprising homeschool mom, whether you know what you want out of life already or are still searching. How to get your family on board with helping with household chores, build their life skills and create time for your business.
If you’re new to homeschooling and want to build a career for yourself don’t miss this episode!
What we’re talking about…
- What to consider if you want to homeschool and start a business
- What to look for in your next career and how to take the next step
- How to recognize that we do have a gift to share with this world
- Why being an entrepreneur and homeschooling go so well together
- When freelancing might be the right option to get started
- Why it is important to invest time to build a support community
4 Must-Have Checklists for Kids (So They get Ready on their Own, and You can Sit Back and Relax)
LINKS MENTIONED
Kim's website
Kim on Instagram
In today’s episode, I share our path to homeschooling and the short and long-term benefits we saw in our children as well as our family dynamic. Coming from Austria, where homeschooling is strictly regulated, and not very common, I had never thought of homeschooling my kids.
When my daughter hit 2.5 years I was ready to send her to preschool, so I could resume my career, but she wasn’t. Simultaneously, my son’s love of learning started to wane. So we took the plunge into a new lifestyle and all it had to offer.
Let me know your thoughts on Instagram!
4 Must-Have Checklists for Kids (So They get Ready on their Own, and You can Sit Back and Relax)
What we’re talking about…
- Why remote schooling is not homeschooling
- When homeschooling might be the right fit for you
- How I noticed signs of anxiety in my daughter
- What Deschooling is and how powerful it can be
- Why I see homeschooling as a lifestyle choice not only an educational choice
- How homeschooling brought us closer together as a family
- How liberating it is to “just” be yourself not only for the children
- The power of catering to their strengths and helping them with their challenges
- How to set the tone for your family culture
LINKS MENTIONED
kerstinkirchsteiger.com
Kerstin on Instagram
Kerstin on Linkedin
Kerstin on Facebook
Kerstin on Twitter
Today’s episode is about how to take out the stress of getting dressed with a simplified wardrobe. Kim is on a mission to help moms feel at their best by dressing true to their style. Oftentimes we feel frustrated with what to wear and how to dress. She walks us through the basic pieces of a capsule wardrobe and how to build it. Her approach is to reduce your wardrobe to pieces you love and make your eyes glow!
What we’re talking about…
- The concept of a capsule wardrobe and its key pieces
- How to dress your body type and find your style
- How to start the process toward your simplified wardrobe without giving up style
- The concept of basic pieces and color and how to add patterns or accent colors
- Why one capsule might not be enough for you and how to build your wardrobe
- How having a streamlined wardrobe helps reduce the time for getting ready every day
- What good a capsule wardrobe can do for you
4 Must-Have Checklists for Your Kids so You Can Sit Back and Relax (While They get Ready on Their Own)
LINKS MENTIONED
Kim Hancher WebsiteKim Hancher on InstagramKim Hancher on Facebook
In today’s episode in honor of International Women’s Day 2021, and my guest Dr. Christine Spadafor, take a look at what her Leadership journey has looked like. She has often been the only woman in the room and had to learn how to present herself so her ideas would be heard. As she shares, it took a conscious effort for her to work on her language, posture, and position in meetings over the years. Christine shares that she's torn about quota for board members who fill such a position might be regarded as a token and not a valued member of the board and what community expectations could do instead.
We had to address the horrible effect the pandemic has had on women's careers with more than 2 million women leaving the workforce due to the pandemic's impact on the child and elderly care systems.
#IWD #ChooseToChallenge4 Must-Have Checklists for Your Kids so You Can Sit Back and Relax (While They get Ready on Their Own)
What we’re talking about…
- That there is power in taking the long road, our journey doesn’t have to be the shortest distance between two points
- That we have to consciously break through socialization patterns that don’t serve us
- Why we should always look for mentors and how to approach one
- How important it is to listen to feedback
- How others in our life might see our path more clearly
- That the way you position yourself for meetings has an influence on your impact
- How to show up dynamically and fill the space if you’re the only woman in the boardroom
- An approach to a diverse and inclusive board that is more powerful than the quota
LINKS MENTIONED
Christine Spadafor on LinkedInChristine Spadafor on TwitterChristine Spadafor website
Today’s episode is a call to action to create a lifestyle you love. Angie shares her journey from being the main breadwinner on a 9-5 job for her family to an entrepreneur with freedom and flexibility of the schedule. She tells us how she got from feeling like she was missing out on her kid’s lives to creating a more intentional life. 4 Must-Have Checklists for Your Kids so You Can Sit Back and Relax (While They get Ready on Their Own)
What we’re talking about…
- That finding what you want to do in life sometimes takes time
- The power of questioning the way we do things
- How accountability can help you reach your goals
- How to combat the feeling of overwhelm with a new project
- The unconventional approach to work-life balance
- How goals help you stay focussed and set healthy boundaries
LINKS MENTIONED
Accountability Buddy for Hire website
Accountability Buddy for Hire Instagram
Pretty Sure We Can Do Better Membership
In today’s episode with Tiffany Clarke, we talk about how important it is to embrace the person you are right now and take decisions from a place of possibility. Tiffany urges us to listen to our small voice and make it part of our life. She shares how she leads her family taking into account the different personalities of each family member, their changing needs, and that they make decisions to find the best solution for the time they are in. 4 Must-Have Checklists for Your Kids so You Can Sit Back and Relax (While They get Ready on Their Own) What we’re talking about…
- Why we need to learn to embrace who we are and learn to love ourselves
- How branding sessions can help small businesses stand out with their individuality
- Why starting a business is like having a baby
- The beauty of being present with women in their moment of empowerment
- How homeschooling can support entrepreneurship, especially if you’re working evening hours
- The importance of creating a support system to reach work-life balance
- Why work-life integration can be tricky to reach with entrepreneurship
- That we make a conscious decision what we put our time and energy into
- How the pandemic impacted the homeschool community and work time
- Why homeschooling lends itself to honor different personalities and learning styles
- Expect your partner to chip in and take on responsibilities
- That respecting someone comes with expecting them to do things
Today’s episode is a deep-dive into the journey from “Mom-nesia”, as Tracy calls it, to reconstructing your true self. Tracy shares her FAB framework she uses to help moms rediscover themselves and live richer lives and surprisingly it touches on a lot of leadership concepts.
We also explored the possibility that our societal expectations and schooling might be the reason why we don’t know who we are until we start peeling back these layers and are brave enough to become who we were meant to be.
4 Must-Have Checklists for Your Kids so You Can Sit Back and Relax (While They get Ready on Their Own)
What we’re talking about…
- Why we have to start with self-awareness first.
- How being authentic and true to yourself is important in leading a life you love.
- Tracy’s FAB framework - Focus, Align and Become.
- Why knowing your vision, your why is the key step to reaching your goals.
- Aligning your thoughts and actions with your core values and who you wish to become.
- How using the word “shifting” can help reframe our state of mind from helpless to powerful.
- How we could use our future selves to be our inner mentors.
- Why most vision boards fail and what to focus on instead.
- Knowing and setting boundaries around work is key for Tracy’s Work-Life Flow
- That her family decides together and has a chore-chart to run the household more efficiently.
- Tracy and her husband plan their calendar every six months, to make sure to get the most important things on the calendar.
LINKS MENTIONEDTracy's Website
Tracy on Facebook
Tracy on Instagram
Today I wanted to share part of my journey to becoming who I am today. Here, I want to focus on some key moments that helped me find my voice and I hope they’ll inspire you to embrace your transformation.
I learned that through losing myself in motherhood, I created the space to truly find myself. And I wish the same for you: Embrace the change. Take time to truly heal. Approach the new YOU with curiosity. And when you BECOME YOUR true self, celebrate every minute of it.
I learned in prenatal yoga that every one of us has a story and we can learn from each other. So, please share your story, you never know who needed to hear it. If you feel like sharing your story, you can tag me on Instagram @kerstin_kirchsteiger or DM or email me. I am here to humbly listen.4 Must-Have Checklists for Your Kids so You Can Sit Back and Relax (While They get Ready on Their Own)
What I want you to take away from this episode is that:
- We all have our stories and sharing them can empower others
- The right time is when we feel it to be the right time.
- The power of reconnecting to our intuition.
- I am grateful for everything I went through.
- We need to learn to recognize trauma and take time to heal.
- I learned that I am stronger than I thought.
- Sometimes speaking up for someone else leads us to speak up for ourselves.
- How to embrace the transformation.
- How not having family nearby helped me find my parenting style and myself.
- That asking for help is a sign of strength.
- That boundaries are healthy and necessary.
Today’s episode is all about how to find fierce friends, nurture these relationships and create more work-life integration in doing so. Emily shares her thoughts on what true friendship means, and how to find these meaningful friendships we all crave. She shares how she has built up a village of friends from scratch through two trans-country moves and gives some great advice for how to strike up the first conversation with a stranger to creating an opportunity for connection without coming off creepy.
4 Must-Have Checklists for Your Kids so You Can Sit Back and Relax (While They get Ready on Their Own)
What we’re talking about…
- That we all yearn for more connection, but our mindset stops us from reaching out.
- The importance of modeling healthy relationships to our kids.
- How to start a conversation that leads to low-pressure opportunities for repeat encounters.
- Emily shares some scripts for conversation starters.
- That planning and scheduling a meet-up could be what holds us back from creating more opportunities for friend-time.
- How “automating” repeat meet-ups help keep the friendship alive, much like the concept of “Stammtisch”.
- The importance of creating low-barrier opportunities for new friendships to grow.
- Emily shares her “open door” approach to Wednesday family dinners.
- Examples of how introverts can recharge after reaching out to new friends.
- Why it might be harder for extroverts to create deeper, lasting relationships and how to balance that out.
- How Emily and her husband create “morning-meeting/dates” to plan their work-life balance, goals, and direction as a family.
- That it is ok to have a different friend “pockets”.
LINKS MENTIONEDThe Connected Mom Life Website
The Connected Mom Life Instagram
Today’s episode is all about how we moms can make sure to not lose ourselves with the onset of motherhood. Elle shares her coaching approach to creating a meaningful and fulfilled life without short-changing yourself in the process. We chat about how important it is to feel whole and to make space for the person we were before kids in order to integrate that into the new season of life.
4 Must-Have Checklists for Your Kids so You Can Sit Back and Relax (While They get Ready on Their Own)
What we’re talking about…
- How our expectations set us up for disappointment.
- What a manifesto is and how to use it to set a strong foundation.
- That the idea of motherhood currently is focused too heavily on the kids and why we need to shift that focus to the mom.
- Why Elle thinks we’re selling ourselves short if we don’t step into our leadership state at home.
- That a true leader is aware of who he/she is and realizes the potential they are surrounded by.
- Why we should not be afraid of other’s opinions at work.
LINKS MENTIONEDThe Simplified Mom Method
Elle Starr Smith Website
Elle Starr Smith on Instagram
Elle Starr Smith on Facebook
When Mom Rise Facebook Group
The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts, Gary Chapman
Today’s episode is about the opportunity to create your own schedule with virtual assistant offerings, be it to support your business or start your own. Bai-Leigh shares helpful strategies to define clear boundaries around work-life balance. She shares how our mindset can make or break a business and calls on our courage to seek the uncomfortable if we seek personal and/or business growth.4 Must-Have Checklists for Your Kids so You Can Sit Back and Relax (While They get Ready on Their Own) What we’re talking about...
- Why you should not wait until you feel ready, and what to do instead.
- How Bai-Leighs experience growing up led her to hire moms for her business to support their work-life integration.
- Who VA work could be a great fit for.
- How to get started and grow in the virtual assistant (VA) sector.
- Why having a vision for your life is the best tool to get back on track with work-life balance.
LINKS MENTIONEDValley Virtual Assistance
Valley Virtual Academy
Bai-Leigh on Instagram
Bai-Leigh on Facebook
Today’s episode is a call to all companies to create an inclusive work environment so working parents can be professionally accomplished rather than feel overlooked and undervalued. Debi shares her story about her return to work after her first child was born. The pushback and discrimination she faced made her become an active agent in working parents right through the creation of Villyge.
The biggest takeaway from this is that lifting up 50% of your workforce will have an incredibly positive effect on your company. It will create a company culture where everyone feels welcome to follow their dreams, may it be marathon running, fulfilling their dream, being a parent and happy employees will always be willing to go the extra mile. Debi shares that employers should approach working parent’s adjustments as an investment into the company rather than mere compliance in D&I.
4 Must-Have Checklists for Your Kids so You Can Sit Back and Relax (While They get Ready on Their Own)
What we’re talking about...
- How to support working parents better, so they can bring their full potential to work.
- Debi’s start as Lactation Counselor and Consultant.
- A happier employee has an increase in productivity up to 12-15% experts have calculated.
- The importance of setting up standards and objective criteria for evaluating the performance of working parents
- Setting up a system creates a culture of support for all employees
- In any company, we work in teams, and the teams are only as strong as the weakest link. By taking care of 50% of your workforce you’ll automatically create an environment of support for all your employees.
- How to role model proper work-life boundaries to your kids
- If you’re not client-facing, you may choose your work hours.
- I set goals and make sure these goals are accomplished.
- How Debi uses a shared calendar with her kids to make sure they knew her availability or to add their needed time slots.
- The necessity for conversations with her teenage kids about work-life balance with remote schooling during the pandemic.
LINKS MENTIONEDVillyge Website
Villyge Twitter
Villyge Instagram
Villyge Facebook
Villyge LinkedIn
Debi Yadegari LinkedIn
For the New Year, I wanted to bring on a special guest, he’s our first man on the show and a huge ally to women who want to bring their whole selves to work without sacrificing family. I had heard Kyle speak about the 4 day work week and wanted to explore this more in regards to more flexible work culture, but our conversation was so much more. We talk about what it really means to be an authentic leader, we talk about leaning into uncertainty and creating and living the life you crave.
I was blessed to have had the opportunity to interview Kyle and am honored to share his story with you.
4 Must-Have Checklists for Your Kids so You Can Sit Back and Relax (While They get Ready on Their Own)
What we’re talking about...
- What the driving force behind Kyle’s change of company culture was
- How we could see who leaders really were by looking at their choices and actions during the pandemic
- Why employees should play the trump card and choose who to work for
- Lessons he learned from his Extreme Sports and applied to his life as an individual and his organization
- Kyle shares how the pandemic has changed and impacted his wife’s professional goals
- That even under the most extreme circumstances we always have the power to choose
- The one question to ask yourself as a business owner when hiring people
LINKS MENTIONEDLegacy On Purpose Podcast
Legacy On Purpose Website
Legacy On Purpose Instagram
Legacy On Purpose FacebookThe I AM Journal
In this last episode before the new year, I wanted to share my view on Emotional Intelligence and Leadership training for individuals who are not necessarily considered leaders in their job. They may or may not yet have climbed the ranks.
Looking back at this year, a lot of us have had the opportunity to turn inside and redefine our values. Here’s to a happy and healthy 2021 and to crushing your personal and professional goal in the new year!Insta @kerstin_kirchsteiger4 Must-Have Checklists for Your Kids so You Can Sit Back and Relax (While They get Ready on Their Own)A few days back I did some research on whether it would be appealing to working moms to be considered the leader of their home.
And the backlash was unexpected and enormous. Comments were: “I am already the leader at work. I want my home to feel nurturing”, “I am done leading after a full day of work”, “My partner and I work together, no-one leads”.
This made me think. What does being a leader mean to them? Why do they have such a negative connotation with leadership? So I started to google the term “leader”
And then I turned inside. Why do we have such a negative connotation with leadership? Is it because most of us have grown up in a system where the teachers, the authorities, the parents held a power position over us most of our lives?
Is it because schools have taught us to obey and follow rules, rather than foster independent thinking and valuing collaboration, where knowledge was more important than curiosity or exploration, where taking risks was punished?
Do these experiences of powerlessness get triggered when I say “become the leader of your home”? Maybe that mom couldn’t fathom that they wish to be “nurturing in your home” is absolutely possible while being a leader. Maybe it is a lack of good leadership we experienced in our lives.
The question remains, how do we shift what leadership means to us?
A thought that crossed my mind was that we have to move from “power over” to “power with”.
One of my core beliefs in my business manifesto is: “Being a mom is the most difficult, yet rewarding leadership position you’ll ever have.”
What does leadership mean to me? This is the definition I came up with:
Leader: A person who recognizes the potential of others and inspires them to reach it by recognizing people’s strengths and helping them develop skills. Always looking to grow in their own development. Questioning the status quo, breaking out of the mold, creative thinker and self-directed learner. Making confident decisions and taking responsibility for all of the results they create in their life.
What if I told you that this is my definition of an emotionally intelligent leader? Does it make more sense now when I say we should be leaders in our own homes? Is the shift from “power over” to “power with” clear enough?
A shift from authoritarian parenting where obedience is key and punishment is a go-to to authoritative parenting, where relationships are valued and the rules are firm, kind, and clear.
It also doesn’t exclude co-parenting or co-leading with your partner. On the contrary, it would be a model where the parents and children work together as a team. Where the parents would lead the team in a way that everyone gets a voice at the table (in an age-appropriate way).
Read more
“The Leadership Flag” blog post
For the holiday season, I wanted to bring some calm and joy. This is why today’s episode is all about how to integrate small acts of self-care into your life.
We chat about how Bridget has navigated the challenges of the pandemic; the shift in work-life flow it brought for her family as well as the inception of her new program “Self-Care Small Bites”. We chat about our refusal to propagate martyrdom as a badge of honor for moms if we want our kids to grow up in a more equal society. Listen until the end and enjoy a guided “self-care small bite”.
We also discuss how we make it a point to show our kids that we moms have passions. That we are people who need to take care of ourselves before caring for others. Bridget shares about using yoga techniques in her classroom creating a much kinder atmosphere. She also shares about her supportive husband helping her navigate work-life balance while she is busy doing a range of projects.
4 Must-Have Checklists for Your Kids so You Can Sit Back and Relax (While They get Ready on Their Own)
What we’re talking about...
- The immediate positive transformations she saw in her students when she introduced yoga in her classroom.
- How her supportive partner helps her navigate work-life integration while doing different projects.
- That homeschooling brings a lot of flexibility but certainly looked very different during the pandemic lockdown.
- The challenges of homeschooling during this pandemic when kids are at home and both parents work from home.
- What is “self-care small bite” is all about and how can it help you as a mom.
- That you have to give the best to yourself to be able to give the best to your family.
- That there are many types of meditation, not only sitting still in silence.
- Meditation is about centering and focusing on what you need at that moment and not holding on to what you don’t need.
- Delegating will help you achieve your work-life balance.
- You don’t have to feel less like a mom if you are passing duties to your husband.
- That social equality starts at home.
- It is important for our kids to see that we are passionate, that we love what we do.
- The importance of experiencing a mindful activity that will put you back into the moment before you move on with your day.
LINKS MENTIONEDSurvivetothrivemamas Website
Survivetothrivemamas Instagram
Survivetothrivemamas Facebook
In this episode, we explore mom guilt and how to come to terms with wanting to be more than “just” a mom. Jessica shares how starting to work for her husband’s marketing department opened a whole new world of exploring new interests. She rediscovered herself after having lost a bit of her identity to motherhood. She shares how her coaching framework can help her clients take the next step to self-fulfillment.
4 Must-Have Checklists for Your Kids so You Can Sit Back and Relax (While They get Ready on Their Own)
What I want you to take away from this episode is that you need to jump in order to fly - Make time to rediscover yourself, because self-realization is what ultimately will let you shed the guilt and be the mom you always wanted to be. My guest's keys to finding work-life integration are establishing boundaries with her kids, so she can be more present when it’s family time and has turned her passion into her work.Get your Free Guide to setting Boundaries
What we’re talking about...
- That you shouldn’t feel inhibited by what others might think of you and your choices
- Why we moms can let go of guilt when looking at self-care as a way of taking care of others.
- How wanting to express yourself through your work is a form of self-care.
- How living your life to the fullest can benefit the family as a whole.
- That you have to jump in order to fly
- Why setting boundaries is key to being present.
- That you should have a bunch of babysitters on speed dial
- Not feeling yourself
LINKS MENTIONEDJessica’s website
Jesicca on Instagram
Today’s episode is a call to all companies to create a safe work environment for their employees, to invite dialogue, and offer to understand. It is also a call to employees to speak up and share their needs so companies can offer support and create relevant programs for their employees.
We’re getting really vulnerable about what it means to bring your whole and authentic self to work. We talk about the impact the pandemic has had on our mental health. Brace yourself for a very vulnerable and authentic conversation that hopefully opens the doors to more meaningful conversations and our minds to possibilities not yet thought of.
4 Must-Have Checklists for Your Kids so You Can Sit Back and Relax (While They get Ready on Their Own)
Lauren shared her perspective on how “Toss the Headshot” has sparked deep, meaningful conversations about work culture. She urges us to question our beliefs about appearances and focus on the skills and value we bring to the company.
And more importantly, she offers a hopeful view into the future of corporate company culture.
Get your Free Guide to setting Boundaries
What we’re talking about...
- How an introspective moment about her identity turned into a viral post on LinkedIn.
- Why we should question our beliefs about appearances and focus on the skills and value you bring to the company.
- Why now it is more important than ever to ask your employer what you need, so they can offer programs, adjustments, and flexibility and meet you where you’re at.
- We are challenging the perception of how we have to behave on LinkedIn or at work in general.
- Opened up so many deeper conversations and sparked important dialogue about the rules for professionalism.
- How her post created a space for conversations about biases and how we make sure to make equitable decisions.
- Why connecting to your co-workers and managers on a deeper level could be extremely powerful and liberating.
- How being vulnerable creates a connection in the workplace: be it showing yourself without make-up, or sharing our struggles with our “new normal”.
- We talk about getting help if you struggle with your mental health, there is no one that’s not been touched by this pandemic.
- Workplaces need to be a safe place, where our teammates have our back.
- Lauren shares how she had to switch from her preferred method of work-life separation to work-life integration during the pandemic.
- How she set boundaries by blocking off time on the shared work calendar for pick-up times.
LINKS MENTIONEDTosstheheadshot.com
Lauren’s LinkedIn
In this episode, we talk about how we can pursue our dreams and passions all the while being a mom. Anissa shares that living her values and giving her kids a voice in setting their family up for success. Her kids get to experience their mom’s passion and a dad who’s involved in every part of family life.
When Anissa decided to go back to school her family had to make major adjustments. She shares with us that she prefers rhythm over hard set schedules, but with her going back to school she needed to adjust to an external schedule with deadlines.
4 Must-Have Checklists for Your Kids so You Can Sit Back and Relax (While They get Ready on Their Own)
To make all the moving parts fit, her family uses shared calendars, so everyone is in the know of what needs to happen. The use of an appointment scheduling app
where she can choose what days to offer availability to her clients, helped her be more present in family time. Her husband, who is working evening shifts, is a true co-parent. He is involved in every aspect of childrearing, as well as homeschooling them.
With the flexibility of homeschooling and Anissa’s Doula work, they created their “Weekends” in the middle of the week to be able to interact as a family, because of her husband’s weekend shifts. She also shares how her extended family is a key piece to making her career choice a reality in the case of birth when her husband is working as well. Get your Free Guide to setting BoundariesWhat we’re talking about...
- How being clear on your values gives you direction and perspective and helps remind yourself that this part is not forever.
- How important it is to have an involved co-parent in every aspect of life..
- Why her back-to-school schedule with strict deadlines made their work-life balance more challenging.
- Why we should not assume all the responsibilities are on us and how to offer opportunities to get involved to our partners.
- How using three calendars and a scheduling app helps Anissa with being present on her off days.
- Anissa’s preference for rhythm rather than schedule and why going back to school has been challenging.
- That with our family vision in mind, we can be more compassionate with ourselves and others.
- That it is important to consciously carve out time for what is important to you.
- Why with kids home all day, it’s important to weigh off expenses and benefits of office space.
LINKS MENTIONEDAnnissa’s Little Star Birth Services Instagram
Annisa’s Facebook
doulaanissa.com
In today’s episode, we take a deep dive into self-care and self-awareness. We talk about why moms find it difficult to justify self-care and how it really is a sign of valuing yourself. Kristen shares her expertise on how to listen to and interpret our body’s signals through a guided meditation in order to let go of the trauma and be living in the present moment. She also walks us through how to find purpose in the smaller, menial tasks of life by looking at the bigger picture.
4 Must-Have Checklists for Your Kids so You Can Sit Back and Relax (While They get Ready on Their Own) What we’re talking about...
- That self-care is really an investment and a way of valuing yourself
- That Yoga is so much more than a workout and doing some poses if you bring that piece of mindfulness to it.
- That our body talks to us and how to listen to it.
- How mindfulness can help with letting go of the spiral of self-judgment and criticism
- That feeling stuck has something to do with not being in the future projection where we want to be.
- The mind can be muddled with, but not the body.
- That all it takes sometimes is ONE breath for you to reset.
LINKS MENTIONEDKristen’s Thrive Program
Kristen’s Embodied Living on Instagram
Kristen’s Single Moms Professionals FB group
Kristen’s Single Mom Professionals on Instagram
Kristen’s Every Day Sutras on Instagram
Today’s episode is all about my approach to finding a work-life integration that’s right for you and your family. I think in terms of these 3 Pillars: the first pillar is YOU, the second YOUR FAMILY, and the third YOUR WORK. When trying to reach work-life integration these play into each other, as they are the biggest moving parts. Depending on the season one might have a higher priority than the other.
Most approaches to work-life balance talk about setting priorities and time management. And while these are definitely skills that help you become more efficient, I believe that the key to unlocking work-life integration is to leverage your leadership and communication skills. By showing up as a leader, with a clear vision and values you can inspire the people around you to achieve their highest potential. My preferred leadership style is using your emotional intelligence to create better relationships because empathy and compassion will create belonging and result in better communication.
10 Easy, Screen-Free Hacks To Keep Kids Entertained
(1) YOU - You create a Vision for yourself and your life. In this step, it’s important to turn inside and think about what is important to you, your values so to speak. What are your professional goals? What do you envision as family time? What qualities do you want your children to exhibit as adults? Where do you see your relationship with your partner in 3, 5,10 years? My approach is to look at your real-life circumstances (your work, be it part-time, full-time, or self-employed, your income, your expenses), then integrate your values and take your vision to start building out a process to get you moving towards your vision.
(2) Your family - I want you to think about them as your team and leverage their strengths. Chores can be seen as teamwork and free up some of your time to spend with your children. So they can see the direct effect their help has on my ability to be with them.
(3) Your Work - What is your professional goal? Income goal? Do you need to be working full-time? Would flexible hours be an option? Remote working?
What we’re talking about...
- Why I believe that work-life balance is more about thriving relationships (yourself, your family, and work) and less about time-management.
- What questions to ask yourself when defining your values and achieving work-life integration in the process.
- That as a mom is the most difficult leadership position you'll ever have.
- Why increasing your Emotional Intelligence will benefit you not only at work but also in life.
- That once you get clear on your values there is generally enough money for the things that you need and value.
- How Emotional Intelligence training is beneficial in finding the strength to ask for support.
- The importance of investing in Emotional Intelligence training for companies that want to emerge strongly from this crisis.
LINKS MENTIONEDwww.kerstinkirchsteiger.comWork-Life Flow FB Group
www.myworklifeflow.comInstagram, LinkedIn , Facebook, Twitter4 Must-Have Checklists for Your Kids so You Can Sit Back and Relax (While They get Ready on Their Own)
Today’s episode is all about money, budgeting and Rachel’s approach to work-life flow is a strict separation of the two, so she can be fully present wherever she is. She shares that, since starting her own business, these limits were a bit more challenging to set. When she discovered the power of time blocking, she started using it not only for work time, but also for easing the mental load when it comes to household chores, and school work.
Rachel is a fierce proponent of taking care of your finances, by creating a budget around your family values, so you can live stress-free and be really present with your family. She also shares how creating a “motivational budget” makes it feel less constrictive.Get your Intentional Budget Planner here
What we’re talking about...
- How the time blocking method has helped Rachel ease the mental load of playing multiple roles and being present with her kids.
- How financial stress impacts your mental health and can cloud your family time
- How you can get a grip on your finances with the 3 step process and the 2-sided coin approach.
- The power of defining a why for your financial journey.
- Trusting that your decisions are right for your family
- (Track, Review, Decide)
- The numbers don’t lie. Are your choices aligned with your values? Watch your expenses in detail for a couple of months
- Defining your Why - Financial journey can be very emotional and painful.
LINKS MENTIONEDRachel’s website
Rachel’s Single Moms Financial Fitting Room FB group4 Must-Have Checklists for Your Kids so You Can Sit Back and Relax (While They get Ready on Their Own)
Today we’re talking about “Why getting clear on your priorities is a must if you’re multi-passionate. We talk about how nothing is constant and depending on the season you're in, your priorities might change. We explore why spending money on your own growth should be seen as an investment and learning alongside your kids can be their best motivator in life. We also talk about how communication is key when it comes to assessing your family member’s needs but also when talking to your employer. And lastly, how blocking off time in your calendar and turning off notifications set the tone for quality time.
Get your 10 Easy, Screen-Free Hacks to keeping your kids entertained while you work here
What we’re talking about...
- Where your priorities lie for the season.
- Open conversations about work with family and the importance of feeling fulfilled professionally
- Support from spouse what each of them has to be contributing to balance both careers
- How assessing needs trying to fit everyone’s needs into a day/week will make
- Nothing is ever permanent.
- Creating stronger family relationships through doing chores together
- How we can inspire our kids by showing them that we learn new things /important it is to model the love of learning
- How Sarah learned a lesson in balance by picking up a camera
- How to go after what you want in life while balancing career and motherhood
- The importance of honest conversations with your employer about adjustments.
- Time blocking on work-calendar for family time, remote schooling time.
LINKS MENTIONEDSarah’s Bad to the Bowl Food Blog
Follow Sarah on Instagram , FB, Pinterest or Twitter4 Must-Have Checklists for Your Kids so You Can Sit Back and Relax (While They get Ready on Their Own)
In this first episode, I share my story about why I created the Work-Life Flow Podcast.
What I’ve learned through my training and my experience, is that once you stop “doing it all”, and start asking for what you need you will feel empowered. You will find yourself again. Does my family have it all figured out yet?
No, the kids grow and change, our needs as adults change, and with it come new challenges. But I know, with the tools that I have learned we'll figure this out as a family. And I want the same for you. I want to take you on this journey to finding yourself and making your family's vision a reality.
4 Must-Have Checklists for Your Kids so You Can Sit Back and Relax (While They get Ready on Their Own)
I want to help you find your work-life balance so that you can accomplish your professional goals, reach financial independence, and enjoy fulfilling family life. What we’re talking about...
- The journey motherhood has taken me on.
- That through sharing our stories we can connect more deeply
- How mom guilt seems to get in our way of making self-care a priority
- That women are still not being paid the same for the equivalent work
- Why fighting for equality for women is important within and outside the home
- How to view this pandemic as the catalyst to change for a better tomorrow
- A call to speak up, and voice your needs to your partner, manager and representatives
- That it is on us to create the society of tomorrow and build our villages.
LINKS MENTIONED
Get your freebie here
Find out more about what I do here
Work-Life Flow FB group
Kerstin K Leadership Consulting FB page
Me on Instagram
Get my 10 Easy, Screen-Free Hacks to keeping kids entertained here
Today’s episode is all about how the Work-Life Flow pendulum swings and how to adjust course, one step at a time. Pilar shares how she went all-in with homeschooling first, then focused on her business, and now realized that the next step to work on is to increase self-care.
We talk about how important it is to create trusting relationships with your family members in order to achieve a work-life integration that fits your family. Pilar shares tools and tips on how to tackle homeschooling for first-timers. She also takes the pressure off for first-timers by reminding us that no decision is final, we can take it year by year and correct our course. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did!
4 Must-Have Checklists for Your Kids so You Can Sit Back and Relax (While They get Ready on Their Own)
What we’re talking about...
- The Work-Life Flow pendulum swings and how to adjust course
- The importance of connection and relationships in your quest towards work-life integration
- The freedom and flexibility of homeschooling and how it might be the right fit
- How we have to let our kids take ownership of their education
- How slowing down can be the biggest gift to rediscovering ourselves.
- Why we can’t expect our children to learn much when they are surrounded by fear
- That no decision is final, we can take it year by year and correct our course.
LINKS MENTIONEDGet your Montessori Timeline, a "curriculum to guide you on your Montessori Journey
Pilar’s website
Pilar on Instagram
Second Plane Montessori: The Elementary YearsGet my 10 Easy, Screen-Free Hacks to keeping kids entertained on www.myworklifeflow.com
Today’s episode is all about knowing that you are the designer of your life. You will learn that defining your core values is not only necessary for letting go of mom guilt, but also makes setting appropriate boundaries easy peasy, and helps free up time for the things that matter to you most.
We also talk about how we manipulate ourselves into believing we're stuck and what it takes to get unstuck. Brenda talks about how, once emotionally triggered, we filter everything through that emotion and can’t see the big picture, let alone see possible solutions. She also shares NLP tools to change from being “at effect” of your life to being in charge of it. 4 Must-Have Checklists for Your Kids so You Can Sit Back and Relax (While They get Ready on Their Own)
What we’re talking about...
- Why releasing the idea of balance is the first step of reaching your work-life flow
- How defining core values helps with setting boundaries and will free up time
- How eliminating a school district’s agenda and schedule can help you create more quality family time.
- Why our mood is a filter of our reality and how to break out of the negative reinforcement
- That is communication, we are responsible for the answers we get and how to communicate more clearly.
- How Brenda’s journey of finding healing turned into her new career
LINKS MENTIONEDBrenda’s website
Brenda on Instagram
Brenda on FB
Brenda on TikTok
Get my setting boundaries guide on www.myworklifeflow.com