The Boss Mom Podcast

For almost 12 years, BossMom decided what Dana said out loud. Now she's separating her own identity from the brand she built, and for the next 90 days she's going all in on building something new. Not a personal brand. A belonging brand. In this solo episode, Dana walks through exactly where she's starting from (a community that went from nearly 80,000 to about 2,000 after a year of stepping back for her family), the plan she's using to rebuild, and why the world is asking for something different than it used to. You'll hear: Why Dana is separating her personal identity from BossMom after almost 12 years The two decisions you have to make before building any personal brand Why Instagram is for testing and email is where your thinking lives How "becoming micro famous in someone else's space" still works The three content buckets: authority, rally cry, and what you're building What a belonging brand is, and why the goal is no longer for people to like you Dana's 90-day goals, said out loud This is for any mom with way more potential than her current reality shows, who's ready to stop hiding behind her business and start showing up as herself. Mentioned in this episode: Get Dana's 90-day plan: DM "PLAN" to Dana Malstaff on Instagram BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community BossMom Momentum: com: https://community.boss-mom.com/boss-mom-momentum

Kristen Damery is a conservative Oklahoma mom of teenagers, a pelvic floor physical therapist who once swore she'd never work "down there," and the founder of Lava, a sexual wellness brand. On paper, that sounds like a list of contradictions. In this episode, Dana and Kristen unpack why it's actually the opposite: every piece of her story is the reason she built this business. It started with one embarrassing postpartum moment and grew into a belief she couldn't stop talking about. Women shouldn't be ashamed of their bodies, marriages deserve to stay alive, and moms deserve to feel good. Heads up: a few strong words, so headphones on if little ones are nearby. You'll hear: How Kristen went from "I'm not going anywhere near that region" to pelvic floor PT after her own postpartum moment Why her conservative values and her sexual wellness company aren't in conflict How shame keeps women from talking to their own doctors, and what to do instead Why a small-town PT decided to launch a physical product to reach more women Why moms can't feel pleasure in survival mode, and how confidence starts to compound The "I'm a 10" story Kristen says she's going to start sharing with her patients Mentor, not martyr: why our kids need to see us take care of ourselves and our marriages Kristen's message to every mom: leaking, heaviness, and pain are common, but they are not normal This is for every mom building a business around a belief, especially one that doesn't fit the box people expect her to fit in. Mentioned in this episode: Lava by Kristen Damery: mylavalube.com (also on Amazon) Kristen on Instagram and TikTok: @mylavalube BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community

Why do so many moms open their closets and not recognize the woman who bought any of it? In this episode, Amy (founder of StyleMethod® and host of The StyleMethod® Podcast) opens up about losing her own "style soul" for two years after becoming a mom, and the two of them dig into why finding your style after kids is really about finding yourself again. You'll hear: How a celebrity stylist lost her style after moving, going virtual, and becoming a mom (and what finally brought her back) The shoulders-back test for knowing if an outfit is right for you Amy's rule for bad days: wear the opposite of how you feel Why there's no such thing as "dressing for your age" Style adjectives: the three-word filter for your closet, your shopping, and your mornings How to build your wardrobe like a house so every version of you has something to wear Amy's story of becoming a solo mom by choice, and why "there still needed to be an Amy" This is for every mom who has opened her closet and not recognized the woman who bought any of it. Mentioned in this episode: Amy's free Style Adjective Quiz: stylemethod.myflodesk.com/styleadjectivequiz Amy's virtual styling services: stylemethodco.com/virtual-styling-services StyleMethod on Instagram: @stylemethodco BossMom community (free): bossmom.com/community BossMom+: bossmom.com/join

Victoria Sivrais and Beth Mazza have known each other for 20 years. Beth was Victoria's boss, then her mentor, then her business partner, and together they've built and sold two companies that advised S&P 500 leaders. Now they're building a third, and releasing a book, Entrepreneur Like a Mother, that turns every mistake they made into a framework so you don't have to make the same ones. Dana sits down with them to talk about the "kitchen cabinet" every mom building a business needs (your cheerleaders, connectors, and compensators), the Mommy Mayhem Matrix for picking the right business model for the life you actually want, and why fear looks completely different on two women who've built the exact same success. You'll hear: Why women starting businesses outnumbered men for the first time in 2025, and what that means for you The kitchen cabinet framework: cheerleaders, connectors, and compensators The Mommy Mayhem Matrix, and how to figure out the business model that actually fits your life Why one of them feels zero fear and the other had to write down her own accomplishments to believe she belonged Near-bankruptcy, a lawsuit the week before giving birth to twins, and cash-advancing payroll during COVID What their kids actually remember about watching them build This is for any mom building a business who's ever felt like she's doing it completely alone. Mentioned in this episode: Entrepreneur Like a Mother (Wiley, out September 22nd) Victoria and Beth on Instagram: @femalemavericks BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community Raising Your Business: bossmom.com/join

If moms stopped spending money tomorrow, the entire economy would collapse. We make up 68% of it. That's real power. So why does that power just feel like weight, the self-doubt, the impostor syndrome, the sense that you're the only one who can hold this household together? Dana sat with that question after recording this episode, and it's exactly why she brought back Dr. Lisa Woodruff, one of her very first podcast guests, nine years ago. Lisa's back now with a PhD to back up everything she already knew. This conversation covers a lot: why Lisa went back for a PhD just to be believed, what ADHD and executive function actually mean (and why the label matters less than the systems), the CEO/manager/employee framework for running your home so power stops feeling like a solo burden, the self-care definition nobody had written down until Lisa did, and the story of the first time in her adult life, at 54, that she told her own kids no. You'll hear: Why moms drive 68% of the economy, and why that power just feels like weight when you're carrying it alone The real reason Lisa got a PhD (it wasn't about the system, it was about being believed) ADHD as a spectrum of eight executive functions, not a yes-or-no label The CEO / manager / employee framework for your household The self-care definition Lisa had to write herself because it didn't exist Why her dissertation found housework might never have been gendered at all The first time in 54 years she told her kids no, just because she wanted to Mentioned in this episode: Lisa's book, Escaping Quicksand, and the Sunday Basket: Organize365.com Lisa on Instagram: @organize365 BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community BossMom+: bossmom.com/join

Dana is doing more right now than she has in a long time. More in her business, more with her kids, more in her relationship. And somehow, she feels more expansive, not less. In this solo episode, she breaks down exactly what shifted over the last six months that let her hold more without falling apart doing it, and why capacity was never actually about time. This one gets personal. Dana talks about the "two balls in the air" belief that ran her life for years, the moment she finally forgave old versions of herself, and a hard conversation with her partner that unlocked something she didn't expect. You'll hear: Why capacity is about patience and honesty, not time or energy The "two balls in the air" belief that kept Dana small for years What actually happened when she stopped being mad at her old self Why saying your needs out loud changes how doing feels, not just what gets done The walk exercise Dana uses to picture a future she can't quite picture in numbers What real capacity feels like when life is still hard and stressful This is for any mom who feels like she can only hold two things at once, and is tired of believing that's the ceiling. Mentioned in this episode: BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community BossMom+: bossmom.com/join

Katie Read is back, and this time the two of them fell straight into a conversation about something bigger than marketing: are we the last generation of moms who doesn't know who we are without doing? It started with a newsletter Katie sent about the future of work, and by the time they hit record they were deep into what happens to a mom's identity once AI starts doing the "doing" for her — plus the wild stat that kicked it all off: kids today are projected to have 25 jobs in their lifetime. This one covers a lot of ground: the death of the career ladder, why motherhood has always been an identity catalyst (and why AI is about to do the same thing to everyone else), the difference between real safety and familiar discomfort, and why exploration itself might be the smartest business model available to you right now. You'll hear: Why kids having 25 jobs in a lifetime is actually good news, not a crisis The Starbucks story that explains why job titles were never really our identity How motherhood has always forced identity exploration, and why AI is now doing that to everyone The "chapters, not a ladder" reframe for thinking about your own career Why the real obstacle to change is safety, not money How Dana separated her personal identity from her business brands using AI Why the money (and the purpose) is on the other side of being embarrassed If you've ever wondered who you are underneath the job title, the launch, or the to-do list, this episode is for you. Mentioned in this episode: Katie Read's site + free instant diagnostic: KatieRead.com Katie's buyer psychology work + free instant diagnostic: BuyerPsych.com Boss Mom Community (free): bossmom.com/community Boss Mom Plus: bossmom.com/join

This one's real, raw, and honest — the kind of conversation you'll want to relisten to with a notebook. Dana sits down with Amanda Goetz — two-time founder, four-time CMO, divorced mom of three, and author of the debut book Toxic Grit: How to Have It All and Actually Love What You Have — to talk about the mindset work, the boundaries, and the money story she had to consciously rewrite to stop feeling so disconnected from herself. They get into subconscious mindset work, why "having it all" was never actually the problem, why Amanda doesn't want her kids around on her birthday, and the "character theory" framework at the heart of her book — the idea that you're not one person trying to find balance, you're several people who each need their turn. Heads up: there are a couple of juicy words in this one, so headphones on if you've got little ones nearby. You'll hear: The lemon exercise that shows exactly how your brain builds the future you keep rehearsing The piece of paper Amanda burned that changed her relationship — a few weeks later Why the word "you" was the real problem in "you can't have it all" Character theory: how to stop trying to align every version of yourself and start giving each one hierarchy instead The "transition sequences" that help you actually switch between your CEO self, your mom self, and everyone in between Why wanting a birthday or a Mother's Day without your kids doesn't make you a bad mom The generational money scripts both Dana and Amanda had to unlearn This is for any mom who's doing all the things and still feels a little disconnected from herself underneath it. Mentioned in this episode: Amanda's book, Toxic Grit: How to Have It All and Actually Love What You Have https://www.toxicgrit.com/ Amanda's newsletter, Life's a Game https://amandagoetz.kit.com/posts Boss Mom Community (free): bossmom.com/community Boss Mom Plus: bossmom.com/join

Brenna McGowan is back, and this one is not a launch strategy episode. It's the conversation she said she's never had publicly. Brenna started her business at 40, after more than a decade as a stay-at-home mom, because she needed an extra $500 a month. Eight years later, with her kids grown and gone or nearly gone, she had a realization that stopped her cold: thank God she started when she did. Not for the money. For who she gets to be now that the house is quiet. Dana and Brenna get into the guilt moms carry for wanting something of their own, the middle space nobody has named where you're still doing all the mom things and working eight hour days anyway, and why the advice to "charge your worth" may have done more damage to moms than almost anything else in the online business world. You'll hear: The empty nest realization that reframes every hour you've spent feeling guilty about your business Why the lead-up to a hard season is often worse than the season itself, and how to spot the story you've been handed Brenna's actual origin story: $500 a month, an electric bill, and zero qualifications "I was my own paid intern" and why that mindset builds real confidence Why "charge your worth" is bad advice, and what to charge instead The big-launch model and why it structurally breaks moms How to stay unattached from the outcome without stopping caring The unglamorous work that becomes your intellectual property This one's for any mom who's wondered whether wanting more makes her selfish, or whether it's too late to start. Mentioned in this episode: Brenna's site and Pre-Launch Plan Program: brennamcgowan.co Behind the Launch: behindthelaunch.co Brenna on Instagram: @brennamcgowanco Behind the Launch Facebook group: join here Brenna's launch calendar tool (BossMom affiliate link): brennamcgowan.co/bossmom-calendar BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community BossMom+: bossmom.com/join

The internet has started calling it the messy middle: that stretch where you don't want a 9-to-5 away from your kids, but you also want something of your own that makes you feel like a whole person. In this solo episode, Dana argues that the name is doing real damage, and then goes somewhere unexpected with it. At her son's middle school orientation, Dana heard that kids move through three stages: understanding the family dynamic, then finding their community, then working out who they want to independently be. Moms move through the exact same three stages. Nobody names ours. And instead of an institution built around it, we get shame. If you've been walking around convinced you're behind, this episode gives you a different word for where you actually are. You'll hear: Why the term "messy middle" is doing more damage than we realize, and why renaming it isn't the fix The belief → thought → action → result chain, and why the work has to start at belief The ten tabs reframe (three are making money, three are making your family healthier, three are you) Why shame is not a launching position, and what it's quietly costing you "Mothers are the neck," and the buying power moms consistently refuse to own Why losing your identity after a baby is supposed to happen The three stages every mom moves through, and why almost everyone is in stage two grading herself against stage three Why you can't skip stage two, and what happens when you try This is for any mom who feels behind, scattered, or like she should have figured herself out by now. Mentioned in this episode: BossMom Community (free): bossmom.com/community — also searchable as "BossMom" in the App Store BossMom+: bossmom.com/join Email Dana: [email protected] Becoming Boss Mom (the book Dana is currently shopping to traditional publishers)