Shameless Leadership

In the last 3 months, we have had the opportunity to postpone, pivot, and repurpose nearly every aspect of our lives - over and over again. It has been hard, heavy, confusing, and disorienting to say the least. But 12 weeks in, I’d say we have begun to master these shifts. We are able to take a critical look at the opportunities in front of us each day and assess: “Is this a time to postpone, pivot, or repurpose.”I know these decisions are becoming more clear for me, as I make them over and over. I’m able to make them with increased ease and confidence. Today, I’ll share how I’m discerning when to postpone vs pivot vs repurpose. I’ll use a few recent family and business examples, the biggest and most scary (and most successful) being the massive shift to repurpose Shameless Mom Con 2020 to the Shameless Mom Con Collective. Links mentioned:Grab my free 15 Minute Manifest Morning Routine Thank you to our sponsor: Thrive: Start thriving and help women in need today by going to ThriveCausemetics.com/shameless and use code shameless for 15% off your first purchase!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nancy Jane Smith, MSEd., LPC is a licensed professional counselor and trainer. She graduated with her BA in Psychology from Miami University and earned Masters of Science degrees in both Counseling and Higher Education from the University of Dayton.With 13 years in private practice and more than 20 years working as a counselor and coach, Nancy has established herself as an expert in High Functioning Anxiety. Combining her years of research, countless hours working with clients, and first-hand experience in her own life, Nancy developed the Happier Approach, a three-step system to help you motivate yourself, accomplish your goals, and be kind to yourself. Really, it is possible!Nancy is the creator and host of The Happier Approach podcast and has written three books on living happier, most notably The Happier Approach: Be Kind to Yourself, Feel Happier and Still Accomplish Your Goals.Listen in to hear Nancy Jane share: What high functioning anxiety is and why is it harmful and insidious Signs of chronic anxiety and high functioning anxiety Why positivity thinking and gratitude can be be harmful to people with high functioning anxiety Why people with HFA need different rules around checking social media, email, news, etc How you can treat and manage high functioning anxiety How to identify your Monger, your BFF and your Biggest Fan in order to manage your anxiety Links mentioned: Connect and work with Nancy: Live-Happier.com Podcast: The Happier Approach Facebook: @NancyJaneSmith Instagram: @nancyjane_livehappier The Happier Approach Book Thank you to our sponsors: Kosmatology: Kosmatology has a great offer for our listeners: for any first-time purchasers, you receive 15% off. To get 15% off your first order, go to Kosmatology.com​ and use code shameless at checkout.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I’m wondering how many of you, like me, saw the beginning of this pandemic as similar to a series of snow days or a long weekend? Perhaps you let typical habits and routines go in order to hunker down with late-night TV binging, extra treats, lotsa wine, little movement, and a bit of disregard for what really fuels your body.Perhaps as you got deeper into this weird and unsettling season of life, you had less and less time to yourself. You stopped doing restorative activities that allowed you to have moments to yourself to think and breath - probably because there was no way to actually be alone. We are now months into this season of life and many of us are suffering because we have let go of the habits that truly serve us: fueling our bodies well, moving our bodies to process stress, and resting/restoring when we need time and space to ourselves. Listen in to hear how you can get your body back into a groove that supports the energy you want to carry each day - and gifts you the space you need to keep your head above water. Links mentioned:Get my free 15 Minute Manifest Morning Routine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Renae is a Shameless Mom of 3, an occupational therapist, and an advocate for moms who desire more grace, space, and rest within their lives. She has found strength beyond her own to navigate life's struggles...multiple miscarriages, life with 3 kids, working mom life, stay at home mom life, and a husband with a brain tumor and seizures. She’s the founder of the Rising Moms Club, a community for moms who are ready to RISE ABOVE the chaos and overwhelm of life and busy days, and trade exhaustion and the never ending to do list for a life with more JOY!  She is also the host of the annual More than Mom Summit, The Great Clutter Clear Out Challenge, and the podcast Rising Moms Podcast.  Listen in to hear Renae share: How she navigated her husband’s cancer diagnosis and care with 3 kids under 5 years Why more “stuff” for your kids is not making them more healthy or more happy How shedding physical items helps you declutter your mental health How to get your kids on board and engaged in decluttering Her Rise Above Framework to decluttering and overcoming overwhelm The 4 steps to her Rise Above Framework How to create rhythm around your menstrual cycle and why this rhythm can be so beneficial The foundational element needed to say no without guilt Links mentioned: Connect with Renae Renae on IG Rising Moms on FB Free 5 Steps to Declutter Thank you to our sponsors: Ooak Dental: Purchase at Amazon.com available NOW. com: To save 30% off a Care.com Premium membership, visit Care.com/SHAMELESSMOM   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Last week, I got an email from a Shameless Mom that started with, “I'm A Badass Mom Who Is So Scared To Shine.”This mama went on to share, “I'm scared of owning my badass part of me. I'm scared what people will think of me if I get too big. I'm scared of being so successful that I am seen. I have never put these thoughts out there but they are there, bubbling at the surface…”I’m in conversations with moms who are afraid to shine on the regular. This is so common. And here’s the problem…. THE WORLD NEEDS YOU TO SHINE. When you shine, we all win. When you hide and shrink, we all lose.Listen in to hear my love note to this mama and all of you who are afraid to shine right now. You are not alone. I GOT YOU.Thank you to our sponsors: Kosmatology: Kosmatology has a great offer for our listeners: for any first-time purchasers, you receive 15% off. To get 15% off your first order, go to Kosmatology.com​ and use code shameless at checkout.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Abbi Perets wants moms to know they don’t have to choose between kids and career. She’s the coach and mentor moms turn to when they want to break into freelance writing and earn great money from home, on their own terms.Abbi combines nearly 20 years of experience freelancing for some of the world’s biggest companies with firsthand knowledge of having five kids of her own — including one with special needs. She understands the unique challenges moms face every day and has created programs specifically tailored to meet those challenges and empower moms all over the world to have it all.Listen in to hear Abbi share: Why she moved from Pennsylvania to Israel to join the Israeli army at age 18 What prompted her to start freelance writing and how it saved her when her son had cancer How moms can get started in freelance writing What kinds of experience/expertise you need (and don’t need) to get started as a freelance writer The importance niching down and specializing in specific content areas as a writer How to believe in yourself and your ability when you’re doing something new Why she has no qualms about running her business and selling her services during COVID-19 Links mentioned:Connect with Abbi: Successful Freelance MomGet Abbi’s free course: How to Be a Freelance WriterInstagram: Abbi PeretsFB Group: Writing Mom ConferenceFB Page: Successful Freelance MomThank you to our sponsor: Built Bar: Built Bar is offering my listeners 20% off your first purchase! Go to Builtbar.com and enter promo code SHAMELESS at checkout to receive 20% off your first order!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Building confidence is like writing a book or running a marathon - you do it one action step, one word, one block at a time. It's not a one-and-done process. It's a lifetime of practice. A lifetime of choosing courage - often tiny acts of courage. In 2019 I did two of the most courageous things I've ever done: I hosted the first Shameless Mom Con. This was such a big and overwhelming task to take on. But I knew if I could pull it off it would be life changing for my attendees and for me. I learned how to ski. I know this might sound silly to classify as a massive act of courage, but for a girl who is terrified of speed and momentum and heights (read: chairlifts), this was a big deal. I was only able to take on these acts of courage because I am constantly working on building my confidence - especially around things that are hard or uncomfortable for me.I have practices that I engage in daily that allow me to step into my confidence #everydamnday. These are small things that do not take a lot of time but have big impact in my ability to keep my confidence high, especially in trying times. Right now we are in trying times - the likes of which we have never seen before. If there has ever been a time to cultivate confidence and remind ourselves just how much power innately exists inside of us, it is now. Often, cultivating confidence comes from tiny action steps repeated over and over that lead us to take on bigger goals (starting a business, running a marathon, creating and sharing our art, learning a new skill, taking on a new leadership role.) Listen in to learn 5 tiny action steps you can take each day that take mere minutes but have deep impact in your ability to cultivate the confidence you need to make it through trying times - perhaps even thrive through trying times.Links mentioned:Learn about my Tenacious Mamas Business & Leadership Mastermind: shamelessmom.com/tenacious   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Omolara Thomas Uwemedimo is a Shameless Mom and a board certified pediatrician of over 15 years and an academic faculty member for over a decade, providing coaching and mentorship programs for physicians of color. She is also the CEO of Strong Children Wellness, an innovative telemedicine practice that addresses both unmet health and social needs for families in New York and the founder of Melanin, Medicine & Motherhood, an organization focused on empowering and supporting the personal & professional development of Black women physicians, especially mothers, to achieve their vision and build their capacity to support other women of color.Her career has been defined by a passion for social justice, an advocate, a professor & researcher committed to ensuring all mothers and children, no matter their race, income, or background have an equal right to thrive. She has worked as a global physician in NYC, Boston, and in 12 countries across sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. Dr. Uwemedimo is a national speaker to both physician and community audiences in the fields of overcoming implicit bias and racism in healthcare settings, inclusion, and equity for women physicians in healthcare and health equity for marginalized children and families, including those from immigrant and Black communities. She has been featured in several media outlets including Essence.com, Newsweek, Reuters, NPR, and CNN Espanol.Listen in to hear Omolara share: Her experience being a physician in New York during COVID-19 Why she made the professional shift to serve female doctors of color The importance of vulnerability, community, and confidence as the antidote to burnout Why she decided to create a community specifically for women physicians of color Links mentioned: Connect with Dr. Omolara Check out the MPOWERED Collective Melanin Medicine Motherhood Podcast Omolara on Instagram Melanin Medicine Motherhood Facebook Group Omolara on Twitter Thank you to our sponsors: Built Bar: Built Bar is offering my listeners 20% off your first purchase! Go to Builtbar.com and enter promo code SHAMELESS at checkout to receive 20% off your first order!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Leadership is typically a series of imperfect action steps. Leaders tumble, fall, and crash just like anyone else.But when a leader tumbles, falls or crashes, there is an audience watching to see how they will stand back up, pick up the pieces, and put things back together. When a leader crashes and harm is done to others in the wake of their errors, people watch even more closely. When harm is done, trust is eroded. Trust is broken between the leader and anyone who was harmed, obviously. But trust is also broken between the leader and anyone who is watching if the bystanders don’t see the leader take active steps to rebuild trust with those who were harmed. Those harmed hope to be held. Those watching hope to see the leader offer protection to those hurting. This is how everyone can recover and heal and know that they are in a safe community.Positive leadership looks like owning your mistakes and owning when you’ve caused harm without providing excuses or placing blame on others.Positive leadership looks like having uncomfortable conversations publicly.Positive leadership looks like recognizing your blind spots and committing to active and ongoing learning so you can see them more fully.Positive leadership looks like inviting feedback when you have caused harm and engaging in conversation with those who are hurting.Positive leadership looks like protecting people in your community from abuse and trauma.Positive leadership looks like pushing pause on the day-to-day parts of your work to rebuild trust where you have broken trust.We are all leaders - whether you are leading families, PTAs, soccer teams or companies. You are a leader.You are going to screw up. You will crash. You will cause harm.How will you rebuild trust after you cause harm?Listen in to learn how leaders can do better when they cause harm, especially as it pertains to race and protecting people of color in your community. This episode is inspired by a leader who recently crashed and then opted not to protect those harmed. A community became fractured and the erosion of trust was massive. This example is a powerful example of how leaders, especially white leaders, need to do so much better. Women of color to follow on Instagram (follow these women, buy their books, listen to their podcasts, and support their work): Austen Channing Brown Rachel Cargle Layla Saad Rebekah Borucki Ijeoma Oluo Elizabeth Dialto Books: Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla Saad This Will Be My Undoing by Morgan Jerkins How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X Kendi So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo I’m Still Here: Black Dignity In A World Made For Whiteness by Austen Channing Brown White Fragility by Robin Diangelo   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Meagan Francis is a mom of five kids ages 11 - 22, author, writer, and co-host of The Mom Hour podcast. She regularly speaks and coaches women and moms on building sane and satisfying lives, embracing creativity, and reinventing their careers.Meagan has been momming for her entire adulthood, having her first child in her early twenties. She has been writing, blogging, and reinventing herself online for 15 years. She has learned a lot of lessons along the way. Her energy is infectious and her perspectives are so refreshing. Listen in to hear Meagan share: How current times are taking us back to Newbornland How she’s finding and creating joy in unpredictable times How she went from blogging to podcasting (and whether you should start a blog or a podcast!) How moms can find happiness and satisfaction in spite of the media telling us that motherhood is hard, overwhelming, and frustrating Why she is actively opting out and rejecting the current COVID climate around homeschooling The value of embracing constant reinvention Links mentioned: Connect with Meagan and The Mom Hour Podcast Learn about Meagan’s other podcasts The Mom Hour on IG Meagan on IG Thank you to our sponsors: Kosmatology: Kosmatology has a great offer for our listeners: for any first-time purchasers, you receive 15% off. To get 15% off your first order, go to Kosmatology.com​ and use code shameless at checkout.  StoryWorth: Get started right away without the need for shipping by going to StoryWorth.com/shameless. You’ll get $10 off your first purchase!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices