Whether you are a new mother or a third-time momma, there is often tension and guilt that comes with returning to the workplace. The desire of wanting to be with your child can create fiction with the desire to return to your work as it was pre-motherhood.  If you’re guided by the narrative that all working moms are stressed mothers (especially after we have dealt with a pandemic and the subsesquent “Great Resignation”), take a deep breath, know there is hope and this episode may be just what you need to start considering new possibilities.  Today’s guest, Dr. Hilary Berger is the Founder of Work Like a Mother. She is a career counselor and Board Certified Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor who helps mothers with career planning and strategies for life after motherhood.  “The work that I've designed is very intentionally designed to integrate small, attainable, realistic initiatives that rebuild confidence and give women a pathway back into the world that they want to be part of.”   - Dr. Hilary Berger  Key points discussed for working mothers:  Feeling shut down, like you’ve lost your identity and confidence is normal, and you are not alone  Having children doesn’t mean not thriving and reaching career goals  There are strategies you can implement to start the healing process to begin a new normal Career relevance is not a guilty desire. You can have flexibility and options while raising your children  But the corporate landscape, culture and society do still need to change. Working moms still have struggles that corporate America is not fully prepared to deal with. While some companies make the effort to accommodate working mothers, the realities, opportunities, and standards across the board are not where they need to be for true equity.  According to AAUW, mothers are 40% more likely than fathers to report that child care issues negatively affect their careers. And an astounding 96% of dads with jobs work full time in comparison to only 78% of mothers.  Being a mother is beautiful and rewarding, and it doesn’t mean choosing your children over your career. It also doesn’t make feeling like you’ve lost yourself, your career and your passions an acceptable way of life.  Connect with Dr. Hilary Berger:  Website  Instagram   Connect with Nancy:  NancySheed.com  

The visual appeal of your business is of the highest importance to your success. Branding and logo design are certainly part of your visual story, but they’re not all of it. When it comes to visual assets or visual content, good graphic design can take small brands to big brands.  Kim Barron, a 20+ year graphic design professional, art director, and owner of New Leaf Graphic Design, explains what good design is and why it matters to even the smallest and newest of businesses.  Why Graphic Design Matters to Your Business:  It’s the way your business communicates with your potential customers  It’s what people say about your brand when you’re not around It’s visual and creative and beautiful, and also intentional and impactful It’s able to adapt to the changing and growing needs of your business  “I help my clients to communicate their messages to their constituents in a graphic way.” -Kim Barron  Growing her graphic design business has been an interesting and sometimes circuitous journey for Kim and it’s also been enjoyable and rewarding. Starting with an agency and eventually creating her own company, Kim also helped HAYVN launch with its very distinct and engaging branding and graphic design and has found several clients at Hayvn as well.  Connect with Kim Barron:  Website  Connect with Nancy:  NancySheed.com  

Have you considered telling your story, sharing your lessons, or putting your knowledge into a book that will give you even more recognition? These days there are so many options to publishing a book.  “The good news is that with growth and technological breakthroughs, not only can we publish our own books, but we can make all the decisions…” -Amanda Miller  However, the journey to becoming a published author can be anything but straightforward. Enter Amanda Miller, a self-publishing consultant with My Word Publishing. She helps people get the confidence, strategy, and roadmap they need to publish their book.  Unpacking the complicated world of publishing:  Amanda explains the differences between self-publishing versus traditional publishing How the oversimplification of the self-publishing process works against authors Differences between self-publishing versus hybrid publishing versus subsidy publishing Why book marketing is more complicated than most writers think Amanda reveals red flags of publishers you might want to steer clear of Learn the vital parts of publishing and key players every author will want to get published  The key to setting yourself up for success is being aware of all the people involved and the traps you need to watch out for. If you are interested in self-publishing, Amanda offers free 30-minute consultations if you’d like more information.  And she is not helping authors, she helps organize and lead a wonderful HAYVN group of young professionals called HYPE (HAYVN Young Professionals and Entrepreneurs).  Connect with Amanda Miller:  Website   Linkedin   Email: Amanda@mywordpublishing.com   Connect with Nancy:  NancySheed.com  

Small business owners suffer many of the same pains and fail for many of the same reasons. Poor marketing, unfocused business strategy and planning, lack of research and lack of direction on what to prioritize are just a few reasons why.   “Set the right goals at the right time, and set them in the right priority” -Lisa Corrado  One of the most effective ways to increase your chances of success is to have the right goals that inform what you execute on and when. Coach Lisa Corrado is a friend of HAYVN who works with entrepreneurs and small business owners to help implement the strategies and systems they need to achieve the bigger vision.  “Better Than Ever” Goal Setting Strategies & Considerations from Lisa Corrado:  Ask yourself the right questions and don’t let yourself off the hook.  Planning for pitfalls is the secret weapon everyone needs. Know that your end result may not be what you truly want and it’s okay to pivot. Set the right priorities and focus on fewer priorities to 10x your effectiveness. Know who you want to be in the vision of what you want to achieve.  “It's a lot easier to do successful and effective goal setting, if there's a process to follow” -Lisa Corrado  Doing less to achieve more is something we all may struggle with, but Lisa makes it very clear that it is critical to your success. When you start to feel overwhelmed and overcome by the size of the projects ahead of you, Lisa’s mantra “What am I doing now and what am I doing next?” can certainly keep you grounded and save your sanity.  Connect with Lisa Corrado:  Website  Instagram  Connect with Nancy:  NancySheed.com  

Taking an idea and creating a concept that you think can solve problems for others is an exciting and honorable dream to go after. Developing a product to take to market can be overwhelming for even the most seasoned entrepreneurs and businesses.   “It takes a wise man to learn from his mistakes, but an even wiser man to learn from others” -Zen Proverb  In this episode, Hayley Segar, founder and creator of onewith swimwear, reveals the experiences, the lessons, and skills it took for her to create comfortable swimwear that “fits just like your favorite seamless undergarments.”  Key points Hayley shares from idea to product development and launch:  Exposure to the market you desire is important to your success Seek others with complementary skills to speed up the process Building a company while creating a product gets really intense Optimize support and resources along the way Sometimes your high points can quickly become the biggest stress point  “I cannot convey enough how launching a product, and a brand is the hardest thing I've ever done in my entire life.” -Hayley Segar  Hayley is an active member of the HAYVN community that brings so much to the table and contributes in multiple ways. She discovered HAYVN through her interest in the HAYVN Hatch while seeking opportunities to practice her product pitch and became a natural fit into the culture. She is now a part of the Launch Accelerator Cohort and is continuing to grow her swimwear brand, onewith.  Connect with Hayley Segar:  Website  Instagram  TikTok  Pinterest  Connect with Nancy:  NancySheed.com  

In the entrepreneurial journey to building a business, there are always more challenges than you ever anticipate. Seeing the overall picture, and having an effective route mapped out that will take you from idea to success is difficult when you’ve never built a business before.   Business mentors may be the entrepreneur's most valuable ally. Successful business owners like Pat Duncan have proven success, and have experienced building and solving problems, are the kind of mentors you’d be lucky to have.  Pat built her company from nothing and sold it for a profit, as many business owners hope to do. She is now a SCORE Volunteer helping other business owners and startups grow the business they dream of.  A few lessons Pat shares about growing a successful business:  When it doesn’t work the way you want, be flexible  Talk to a lot of people  Don’t quit your job  Don’t hire friends  Review the numbers weekly  “Whatever we can learn, we have learned in our careers, we can help other people start or grow their own small businesses. “ -Pat Duncan  Pat explains the benefits offered by working with a SCORE Volunteer. Face-to-face meetings are part of mentorship that cannot be replaced. Whether on Zoom, in a cafe, or in a library, working with a mentor has benefits that will propel your business and success in ways you cannot imagine.  Connect with Pat Duncan:  Website  Connect with Nancy:  NancySheed.com  

Managing personal finances is crucial and when not handled properly can lead to debt, unexpected expenses, and overspending. For people who don’t have time or are overwhelmed they can get help.   Becca Feeley is the Business Development Manager for Financial Sense, a daily money management company that helps with everything financial from cash flow tracking to paying bills. Becca reveals the history of how her mother came to start her their financial business.  Whether you’ve been looking for household finance strategy and help because you’re short on time or because it’s boring you to pieces, daily money management professionals like Becca and her mom are the ideal solutions.  If you’re looking to gain confidence around how you are handling your personal finances, then Becca Feeley and Financial Sense offer free resources.  Key points discussed with Becca:  The type of clients Financial Sense attracts  What is daily money management   How to get started with a financial services company  Ways she was able to thrive as a small business  Becca is super approachable and is also a valued part of the HAYVN community. Like many, she is a mom who wanted more time for her family. Leaving an unfulfilling corporate life for a service-based small business is the entrepreneurial path that started with her mother and now continues with her. Financial Sense is their labor of love together.  Connect with Becca Feeley:  Website  Email   Connect with Nancy:  NancySheed.com  

The phrase, “find a need, fill a need” is a common staple in the entrepreneurial world for those looking to make a difference.   When founder and serial entrepreneur, Sarah Spear, found out how isolating her world became being the mother of a child with special needs, she discovered the need for parents to have support and a better way to share knowledge with one another. Empowered Together is the community she created to solve issues that she herself was experiencing.  1 in 5 households are caring for children with special needs (source)  Sarah’s online community is about providing support to parents experiencing the same struggles and telling them what she wishes she knew early on.   “Research demonstrates that kids with special needs have superior outcomes when the parents are receiving services at the same time.” - Sarah Spear  Key Points Discussed with Sarah:  Parents need a psychologically safe space to feel supported  Experimenting with iterative business models leads to success Introducing conversation around hard topics is necessary HAYVN’S community of female entrepreneurs has been powerful  Sarah is looking for relationships and introductions to centers that serve special needs populations and would love to hear from you.  Connect with Sarah Spear:  Website  Instagram  Facebook  Connect with Nancy:  NancySheed.com  

Storytelling has always been a powerful tool for communication - whether it’s for entertainment, sharing news, or selling products and services. With video - storytelling can truly and more easily come to life. Emmy award winning journalist Kendra Farn has been telling stories on for nearly 25 years.  From her days as a news reporter to her current role as the owner of P Garyn Productions, a video production company she knows the value that video brings to making an impact. Key insights from Kendra on video production: What makes a good story to begin with Video production process from messaging to production How she started her own company and found career/home balance Kendra is enthusiastic about the current technology that simplifies video production and the social media platforms that allow everyone access to share a message and story with the world. “Social media is free, F-R-E-E!  [...] it is free advertising, and you're reaching countless eyeballs!” - Kendra Farn The current social media trends serving up the perfect bite-size video vehicle now delivers not just a story, but an effective message that encourages engagement and action. Kendra’s HAYVN Journey:  Kendra’s journey with HAYVN started from speaking with Felicia back when HAYVN was just a concept. She came on board to help with HAYVN’s GoFundMe video that helped bring the HAYVN community to life. Kendra plays a huge part as the MC of the HAYVN Hatch and loves to witness, support, and be a fan of the amazing people in the community.  Connect with Kendra Farn: Website P Garyn Productions Connect with Nancy: NancySheed.com

Feeling stressed, angry, frustrated, or anxious nearly every day doesn’t have to be the standard of living for most people. But that means practicing a self-care routine shouldn’t be viewed as a luxury, but rather a necessity for you to be at your best self.   Over 75% of healthcare visits in the U.S. are connected to stress  Maria Allen, LMT know this all too well. She struggled with a high stress acting career as well as a running injury that eventually led her to her first yoga class. Fast forward years later, and Maria is now a massage therapist and the founder of Real & Powerful, where she helps people live with more ease and joy through movement, calm, relaxation, and breathing techniques.  Key Highlights to Connecting Mind and Body:  Releasing your physical body can have a profound impact on your mind  Connection is powerful with breathing, meditation, and movement  Living in the present connects you to joy and inner peace  Following cues from the universe can lead to a Real & Powerful life  “As I practiced yoga and received massages, I discovered that making time for releasing built-up tightness in my physical body almost always caused a similar letting go of persistent, exhausting mental tension. ” - Maria Allen  Releasing pinned up tension within our body is not just a physical relief, but it’s also a mental relief, something much needed for those dealing with high levels of stress. Maria shares how she went from seeking physical relief to finding an inner peace, joy, and a level of self-awareness that she’s been able to share with others.  It’s important to remember that stress affects us in so many way and managing that stress takes on many forms between mind, body, and spirit. Maria’s been able to find more creative ways to help people connect with themselves and with nature. Her practices have allowed her to bring mental health awareness, visualization and meditation, breathing techniques into one existence. Follow her and discover more ways to a path of joyful living.   Connect with Maria Allen:  Website  Instagram  Connect with Nancy:  NancySheed.com