Shameless Leadership

Katie Krimitsos is the creator of the Women’s Meditation Network, a collection of 20 guided meditation podcasts that help listeners feel calmer, sleep easier, release anxiety, and consciously create their lives. Her meditations have been listened to over 140 million times by women all around the world. She’s a writer at heart, has a soft spot for animals, adores her Greek hubby, loves a good margarita, and treasures the job of raising her two girls.Katie has become a dear friend as we have navigated podcasting and entrepreneurship together. She has been a guest on the SMA multiple times. Our conversations are always fire and magic. We were video messaging back and forth recently about our childhoods and parenting and it got deep fast. After a bit, we both said, “We really should record this conversation!” So, here it is…  Listen in to hear Katie share: The red flags that alert you to the fact that you're disconnected from your sense of self Why it can be so difficult to answer the question, “What do I want?” How we are personally and professionally impacted by what our parents modeled throughout our childhood The power of recognizing what was missing from your childhood - even if your childhood was really great How to unpack your childhood a bit to acknowledge what you might need to release Easily accessible tools that can help you begin to listen inward Permission to not know what you want and how to start connecting to what you want Links mentioned: Find all of Katie’s Meditation Podcasts on Apple Podcasts:  Womens Meditation Network  Connect with Katie or WMN resources: womensmeditationnetwork.com Meditation for Moms: I See You, Mama with Sara Dean We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsorInterested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Women often find themselves grappling with a complex and sometimes sticky relationship with self-trust. From a young age, we are subtly conditioned to doubt our own instincts and inner knowing. This societal conditioning seeps into our subconscious, creating a disconnect from our innate self-trust and inner knowing that persists throughout our lives.The erosion of self-trust often sets off a cascade of detrimental effects on our well-being. We find ourselves trapped in internal feedback loops that echo with damaging self-talk:“I’m not good enough.”“I’m not worthy of success or love.”“I must not be trying hard enough.”"Everyone else seems to have it all figured out, why can't I?"“No one really cares about what I think or feel.”These thoughts become our default narrative, undermining our confidence and distorting our perceptions of reality. The cycle perpetuates, reinforcing the belief that we are inherently flawed or inadequate.Do any of these sentiments resonate with you?In this episode, I aim to guide you through a common dysfunctional feedback loop, shedding light on its mechanisms and implications. Then I will walk you through a more healthy and productive feedback loop—one rooted in self-compassion, empowerment, and trust.My hope is that by unraveling the patterns of self-doubt and negative social narratives, you can begin to reclaim your inherent self-trust and rewrite the script of your self-narrative, allowing you to embrace your worthiness and reshape the way you perceive yourself and your capabilities.Link mentioned:SMA Ep 391: Why Moms Lack Self-Trust https://shamelessmom.com/episode/why-moms-lack-self-trust/ We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsorInterested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As a busy mom, time becomes your most precious resource, but it often feels like there's never enough. Effective time management is crucial for achieving your goals and avoiding the overwhelm that comes with motherhood.There are some simple strategies that you can put in place immediately to help you protect your time and energy. Additionally, I want to provide you with some mindset resets around time management that will help you see time and how you use it in new ways.  In this episode, we'll explore practical strategies to help you reclaim your time and find a sense of balance amidst the chaos of family life. From reevaluating your schedule to embracing the concept of unscheduling, you'll discover how to create more mental space and carve out time for self-care and pursuing your dreams.By gaining a few new time management skills, you'll build the confidence you need to make the most of your time and create a life that aligns with your priorities. Whether you're craving more time for yourself, more quality time with your family, or wanting to pursue a big goal, this episode offers actionable tips to help you navigate the challenges of being a busy mom while still making room for what truly matters.Links mentioned: SMA Ep 105: 7 Secrets To Slow Down & Simplify  SMA Ep 397: 4 Time Management Mindset Shifts For Moms We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsorInterested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The title of this episode might have some of you judging me. I get it. Before you judge, hear me out… A few years ago, I listened to the book FINISH by Jon Acuff. Then, I read the hard copy. Then, I chose the book for the book club inside our SMA membership community. I loved (and still love) this book. The book is all about how to finish the things you start. One of Jon’s tools in finishing your top priority goals or action items is to simultaneously “choose what to bomb”. Sometimes, if you need to get the big, important things done you have to let yourself completely fail in other areas.  As I find myself in this season of working full time while, navigating month 11 of my husband’s unemployment, being a grad school student, and intense parenting (friends… nobody warned me about 11!), I’m having to choose to bomb some things. And, being a social butterfly is one of them. I am saying no to things I really want to do with people I really want to spend time with because this is the only way to protect my time and sanity. It’s hard to set and hold these boundaries, but it’s really necessary in this season of life.  In this episode, I talk through how to choose what to bomb when life is a lot and something’s got to give. I also talk you through how to bomb things in a way that doesn’t make you feel like you’re being a horrible person. I know the truth is that I’m a very good friend - even if I’m not the greatest friend right now. I’m guessing the same is true for you. Link mentioned:Book: FINISH by Jon AcuffWe love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsorInterested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hi Perfectionist Friend,I SEE you. I know you. Sometimes, I am you.You likely find yourself often feeling stuck. You’re tightly holding onto dreams, but unable to take steps toward them. You feel the weight of chronic decision fatigue as you try to determine what the next “best” or “right” step is. So you find yourself waiting. Waiting until the time and conditions are juuuust right. Yet, somehow that time never comes.I know you want more - but with less worry, nervousness, and anxiety.  I see you worrying about what others might think if you flop.I see you anxiously stuffing your dreams into deep hiding places because you think you might fail.Perhaps you desire perfection so deeply you cannot make a decision or take any action because… FEAR.Perhaps you spend inordinate amounts of mental energy on a decision because you think making the wrong decision could ruin everything.One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned in motherhood and entrepreneurship is that perfect sucks. In fact, perfect stops me in my tracks and keeps me stuck for far too long. And, imperfect action is ridiculously liberating.We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsorInterested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Melissa Bond is a narrative journalist, poet, and matriarch of Salt Lake City’s Slam Scene. The Salt Lake Tribune and the New York Post have both done features on Bond's book Blood Orange Night, her memoir about becoming dependent upon and then withdrawing from Benzodiazepines. Blood Orange Night was published by Simon & Schuster in June 2022 and was selected by the New York Times as one of the best audiobooks of 2022. Bond has been featured on PBS Story in the Public Square, Radio West, the podcasts Risk!, Endeavors, Psychology Unplugged, The New York Times Podcasts, RadioWest and Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books.Listen in to hear Melissa share: How a very common medical prescription for insomnia led to full physical dependence on benzodiazepines that led to her rapid physical and mental downward spiral How she was able to begin to put together the pieces around her unforeseen medication dependence after narrowly escaping harming herself and her daughter in a fall Her discovery that her myriad of strange physical and mental health symptoms were actually her going through medication withdrawal every single day Her decision to confront the doctor who massively overprescribed benzodiazepines to her How the Benzo Harmed Community relates differently to common terminology around addiction  How the “shadow of shame” impacts people’s recoveries from substance use, substance dependence, and substance abuse Her advice to moms who are mentally or physically suffering with the demands of motherhood and how they can get help from medical professionals in the most safe and trusting way Links mentioned: Connect with Melissa: www.melissaabond.com Melissa’s Book: Blood Orange Night Melissa on Instagram Melissa on Facebook We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsorInterested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mom guilt is one of my favorite topics. Mom guilt is familiar to most if not all moms. However, very few moms consider where this constant guilt and the accompanying feelings of inadequacy come from.  In this Greatest Hits episode, I talk about mom guilt as a social construct in which women are indoctrinated to think they should feel bad for ever prioritizing themselves, their identity, their careers, or their happiness over their kids.You know how I know this is true?? Because I know the following:Dads are not asked, “How do you do it all? How do you juggle your career with your family?Dads are not asked, “Don’t you feel bad when you have to travel for work and you don’t get to see your kids for 3 days?”Dads don’t have to internalize messages like, “I don’t know how you work so much. I would feel so bad not being at my kid’s games/practices/plays/recitals.”When dads consider taking up new hobbies/activities they don’t automatically think, “That would be awesome, but I would feel so bad taking that time away from my family.”Women are indoctrinated to feel like subpar moms if they prioritize their careers, self-care, or their sanity over their family's needs. Men are encouraged to prioritize their careers and hobbies over their family's needs - “Climb that corporate ladder!” “You gotta start golfing with us, man!” “Meet us every Saturday for pick-up basketball!”I am inviting you to take a look at the guilt you carry. Guilt of any kind is not productive. It keeps us stuck. It holds us back. It does not serve any positive purpose. So, if you’re spending time stuck in mom guilt, you’re wasting time and energy that could be used for so many other positive things in your life.  In this episode, I talk about how we can flip this social construct on its head to protect our energy, gifts, and rights to rest (yes, you will rest more when you stop feeling so damn guilty.) If you’re ready to reject mom guilt, this episode is for you! Links mentioned:Book: Drop The Ball by Tiffany Dufu We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsorInterested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alyson Baber is a mom, wife, and tenured sales leader with experience in both startups and major public enterprises. Her background spans chemical engineering, medical device and capital equipment field sales, tech sales, and advisory roles. Currently, Alyson serves as the VP of Commercial Sales at Outreach. Previously, she held roles as the Head of Sales at Melio and helped Zoom scale from $50M to $4B in revenue. Prior to that, she led new business and expansion sales at SendGrid (now Twilio) and various startup teams within Intuit.Alyson has a passion for leadership, problem-solving, data analytics, and creating clarity and process from chaos. Because she can't say no to a good challenge, she's been an advisor for multiple startups and is an LP at Stage2 Capital.Alyson lives in Colorado with her husband, two children, and a puppy named Baxter (yes, from Anchorman). In her free time, she enjoys taking advantage of all things Colorado, traveling, having a creative outlet through multiple art mediums, and attempting to learn to ski well past the level of her comfort.Listen in to hear Alyson share: How healing her eating disorder in her teens and twenties shaped who she is today as a woman and leader How her eating disorder was a coping mechanism for stress, anxiety, uncertainty, and ambiguity  How she got affordable and effective eating disorder help in a surprising place - ultimately allowing her to be in recovery for 15 years now How her recovery impacts how she shows up in personal relationships and leads in professional spaces Her and her husband’s winning decision for him to stay home as their kids’ primary caregiver while she pursues executive leadership roles How she is consciously building her own leadership brand What a leadership brand can look like for highly effective leaders How she navigates her desire to be respected vs being liked Link mentioned:Connect with Alyson on LinkedInWe love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsorInterested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How are you at holding space for tension? The discomfort of tension in our lives can make us rush through a trying moment to get out of discomfort as quickly as possible.  What would change for you if you could embrace discomfort and sit in it for a minute?In this Greatest Hits episode, I talk about an interview with Oprah and Steven Pressfield for SuperSoul Sunday. They were talking about resistance - and that resistance MUST exist in all opportunities that provide growth, evolution, and magic.  Steven said, “Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the life unlived within us. Between the two stands Resistance.” Wow, if that doesn’t speak to my soul.I see so many Shameless Moms working to hold space for tension and practicing embracing the resistance. It is in these spaces that some of life’s most powerful lessons and moments come to exist. It is profound and life-altering.  And I see Shameless Moms who feel the resistance and take it as a sign that something is not meant to be. Mama…. NO.  I want you to lean into the resistance. See it. Embrace it. Own it. Walk through it. It will change you - in all the BEST ways.  Listen in to hear me share the 3 phases of holding tension that will allow you to walk through resistance, find your power, and declare a magical VICTORY on the other side. We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsorInterested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The day you became a mom you were catapulted into a new leadership role with no training and dire consequences if you couldn’t rise to the occasion. For months, you stumbled, fumbled, and slowly figured this new leadership role out. You learned new skills, you learned how to take care of those you were leading, and you advocated for those in your care at every turn. You felt protective in a way you have never felt protective before. You knew it was on you to figure this out quickly. And, you did it.  Over the last couple of years, as I’ve had conversations with women in new leadership roles, I‘ve heard over and over about how hard it is to step into a new leadership role with little or no training. It’s overwhelming, disorienting, and exhausting. There are so many things to figure out - some inconsequential and some largely consequential. In many instances, folks who were once your peers are now the people you have to give hard feedback to. You have this sense that all eyes are on you - and maybe, just maybe, some folks would be happy to see you fail. So, there is no room for mistakes. And, it seems, no room to give yourself grace.  As I stepped into community leadership roles over the last few years, I was excited to give back, make a difference, and have a voice. But having a voice feels scary AF when you go to open your mouth for the first time in front of a new audience. How can you instill quickly build trust and demonstrate integrity? How can you solicit support while sharing new ideas and opinions?  Most opportunities to lead come too fast. You feel ill-prepared. You question if you are the right person or the right “fit” for the job. You are. You’ve been here before. You’ve figured it out. And, you’re sure as hell going to figure it out this time too. In this episode, I talk through why owning the title of leader might feel conflicting to you, 3 key responsibilities in any leadership role, and what to do when you find yourself in a leadership role that you don’t feel totally prepared for.  We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsorInterested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices