Mother's Quest Podcast

In honor of this month of Mother's Day, and the Mother's Quest Manifesto Challenge I launched in the Facebook Group, I'm excited to continue sharing episodes each Thursday that can inspire you to claim your motherhood and life journey on your terms. This "encore episode" with The Truth Bomb Mom Kristina Kuzmic, where she talks about the importance of embracing our flaws and creating a family mission statement, has become a favorite. Along with the reflective prompts and live guest videos in the Mother's Quest Facebook Group, I hope this episode will also provide some inspiration and permission for you to create your #oneminutemommanifesto, a declaration of how you want to journey through motherhood and life. If you haven't yet followed along with the Manifesto Challenge, it's not too late. All the video replays and instructions are waiting for you as a "unit" in the Mother's Quest Facebook Group. We'd love to have you come over and join us!  And...if you create and share your #oneminutemommanifesto on social media before the end of May, we'll enter you into a drawing for some incredible classes and resources from amazing members of the Mother's Quest community.  Whether it's new to you, or you'll be listening for a second time, I hope you enjoy this encore episode with Kristina Kuzmic. And that you'll take us up on the challenge to create and share your #oneminutemommanifesto!  Much appreciation, P.S. Know someone who would love this conversation? Click forward now to pay this forward to a friend who may be interested. I am excited to share this vulnerable conversation with the Truth Bomb Mom, Kristina Kuzmic. Energetic, funny, and honest, Kristina has an in-your-face perspective on issues of parenting and life in general. She has become a Youtube sensation with her “mom-centric” videos about raising children and juggling all of life’s challenges, with over 200 million views across media outlets and websites worldwide. Kristina and her husband currently live in Southern California, where her most important, rewarding, and exhausting careers include being a sanitation engineer, chef, chauffeur, and conflict resolution guru for her three (mostly satisfied) clients – her children. In this episode, we talk about Kristina’s experience growing up in America, shaped by an escape from war-torn Croatia. She shares how on a whim, she went from being a divorced mother on food stamps to winning a cooking show on Oprah’s OWN Network in 2011.  How her satirical YouTube video, “4 Reasons Women Should NEVER Breastfeed in Public,” went viral and why Kristina believes it is her community that is responsible for her reaching a half a million followers. We get honest and emotional about our flaws and insecurities but also our impact and the power of sharing these with our children. Finally, we reflect on our shared experience of losing a baby in utero and how for both of us, focusing on just one positive thing on that day shifted our perspective and changed everything. I hope you leave this conversation, as I did, inspired to keep turning the pages in the chapter of your E.P.I.C.life, staying true to your mission, owning your flaws, and paying attention to one positive thing every day. I was so grateful for this time with Kristina and I know you will be too. In This Episode We Talk About: How growing up in war-torn Croatia and her subsequent immigration to the U.S. impacted her life How her mother influenced her parenting by striking a healthy balance between enforcing rules and fostering joy Why she named her company “Flawed” and how she has let go of perfection Her journey from Oprah to YouTube The importance of community and of women who champion each other How to turn down the volume on our inner critics What my son said to me that Kristina says she will never forget Resources and Topics Mentioned: Kristina’s viral video: 4 Reasons Women Should Never Breastfeed in Public (a sarcastic take on the arguments against breastfeeding) Visit Kristina on YouTube: www.youtube.com/stickycook Visit Kristina on Facebook: www.facebook.com/KristinaKuzmic Mother’s Quest Theory of Change Previous Mother’s Quest Episodes Mentioned: Ep 09: The Soul-Fueled Truth with Amber Lilyestrom and Ep 00: Planting Seeds for Mother’s Quest – An Introduction Elizabeth Gilbert’s book Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear Kristina’s Positivity Challenge – and sign up here to download the free “E.P.I.C. Life Planning and Reflection Sheet” and start capturing your gratitude daily. Announcements: Join the Manifesto Challenge In honor of Mother’s Day, I kicked off a five day Mother’s Quest Manifesto Challenge in the private Facebook group. More about the inspiration behind the challenge in my episode with Graeme Seabrook. Each day, I shared a reflective prompt to help you claim the next chapter in your life and hosted a different mother, who shared their stories and their #oneminutemommanifesto for inspiration.  All of these resources are still in the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group, so it's never too late to come on over and participate.  Spark Your E.P.I.C. Year Anyone else feel like they need a spring reset to their year?  A few months ago, we declared February the new January and facilitated a Mother's Quest Workshop/Virtual Milestone Hike experience to help us all start again. Using photos from my favorite local hike, I took a small group on a virtual journey to: ✨Reflect on our last chapter (as we ascend)  ✨Decide what we want to release (using an image of a big bad bonfire!) and what we want to carry forward ✨Then, set intentions along the E.P.I.C. guideposts for our new chapter.  There’s a special planning sheet we created to guide you and help you document the whole process.  🌟Truthfully, we can start fresh any time we choose.🌟 If you decide you want to reset and begin again, today, this afternoon or this weekend, using this experience and worksheet to support you. Just sign up here. Spark Your E.P.I.C. Life or 90 Minute Clarity Coaching Session If you're feeling a desire to press "pause" on the busyness and reflect on your vision for this year, what's working and what needs to shift, and what key guidepost would help you move forward more intentionally, I'd love to support you with a one-on-one 90-minute clarity coaching session. If you are interested in the Spark Your E.P.I.C. Life Series or another way of working with me, please send an email to julie@mothersquest.com for a complimentary 30 minute discovery session. Acknowledgments: A big THANK YOU to our “patrons” for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial and/or in-kind support: Lindsay Pera Julie Castro Abrams Alexia Vernon Brooke Markevicius Democracy Clothing Michael Skolnik Helgi Maki Kari Azuma Tamara Sobomehin Katie Krimitsos Carrie Caulfield Arick Rachel Rosen Chandra Brooks Jen Simon Monisha Vasa Celia Ward-Wallace Vanessa Couto Desiree Adaway Rachel Steinman Katie Hanus Denise Barreto  Sage B. Hobbs  Samantha Nolan-Smith Jody Smith Emily Cretella Collette Flanagan Titilayo Tinubu Ali  Carly Magnus Hurt Lizzy Russinko  Suzanne Brown Mara Berns Langer Mallory Schlabach  Katharine Earhart Jessica Kupferman Jen Jenkins Dohner Genese Harris Tonya Rineer Liane Louie-Badua Cristin Downs  Erin Kendall  Niko Osoteo  Erik Newton  Claire Fry Divya Silbermann Rachel Winter Caren and Debbie Lieberman Cameron Miranda Fran and David Lieberman Debbie and Alan Goore The Sustainable Living Podcast Support the Podcast If you’d like to make a contribution to Mother’s Quest to support Season Three of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution. If you would like to “dedicate” an upcoming episode to a special mother in your life, email me at julie@mothersquest.com Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

In honor of Mother’s Day, I’m releasing episodes each week in the month of May that I will think will help us pause from the busyness and prioritize and invest in ourselves. I found a powerful guide for this purpose in Elena Lipson, someone I met through another mentor and coach of mine, Lindsay Pera, who beautifully dedicated this episode. As a retreat leader, speaker, writer, coach and podcaster, Elena inspires women to redefine the hustle in exchange for creating a life they love with what she calls the Feminine Metrics of success: Pleasure, Play, Ease, Grace and Trusting Your Own Pace. In this conversation, we explore Elena’s journey from a life that began in Russia to one based today in the fresh air of the Pacific Northwest with her husband of over 19 years and their teenage son Miles.  The best adjective I could think of to describe this conversation is “juicy” filled with so much goodness, insights, and examples for how to connect to our bodies, speak our desires, and lean into presence and inquiry instead of assumption... with ourselves, our children and our partners.  In fact, toward the end of the conversation, we begin to explore how we can keep the “pilot light” burning in our romantic relationships, so if you’re listening with children around, you may want to put in some earbuds.  I left this conversation recommitted to building presence in my life, with greater awareness of the importance of body, heart, gut, and brain alignment, and excited to explore Elena’s challenge to us to get in touch with what we really want and then to ask for it. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did and that it sparks a shift in you, as it did me, to claim our self-care and speak our desires.  Much appreciation, P.S. As you'll hear in the episode, Elena agreed to share more on the topic of "Movement and Pleasure" through a presentation in the Mother's Quest Facebook Group. Check out the resources below to get access to that recorded session with Elena! P.S.S.Know someone who would love this conversation? Click forward now to pay this forward to a friend who may be interested. This Episode is Dedicated by: Lindsay Pera Lindsay's corporate career encompasses management consulting, financial services, and technology. She began her career as an analyst in Accenture’s technology strategy practice and then transitioned to a $2 billion insurance company to help drive pivotal IT transformation.  In 2004 she left Silicon Valley and moved with her family to a beautiful multi-generational homestead on the Central Coast of California. Lindsay wants to live in a world where appreciation flows freely, kids play outdoors and lemons are in season year round. As a Mystic mama, tech entrepreneur and intuitive strategist she's a sought after contributor and motivator on all topics health, wealth and transformation. When she is not extolling the virtues of “Sacred Commerce” or “Resonance” based business, you can find her knocking almonds and generally getting her gratitude on. Lindsay's new paradigm business community, The Mystic’s Society, is a safe haven for entrepreneurs weaving magic into their *work* in the world. It is her passion to direct resources into the hands of entrepreneurs, creatives, and world changers. Find out more about Lindsay's private consulting at Lindsaypera.com, access resources at  www.fullcirclewellnesstools.com or join in the magic at the MysticSociety.com. Learn more about the Simply Sacred Co. and The Sacred CEO Retreat, a collaborative venture between Lindsay, Elena, and their partner Celia Ward-Wallace at the links below:  www.thesacredceo.com The Simply Sacred Co. Facebook The Sacred CEO Retreat on November 9-13, 2019 In This Episode We Talk About: Claiming your voice and speaking your truth and desires The “Rubberband moments” that move us out of the present moment into the past or future and cut off the golden opportunities that arrive when we’re present Key lessons that Elena learned engaging with her son while she was homeschooling him Elena’s “Magic Morning Practice,” for which she has an upcoming challenge, to align your head, heart, and gut with what you want to do in all areas of your life Our bodies as our navigational compass and how it affects the decisions we make How movement and particularly Zumba helps Elena feel connected and energized Realizing that we’re not here to change anyone else but we’re here to evolve ourselves physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually My story of using movement, presence, inquiry and releasing expectation to help my son during a challenging moment How we can all start to listen to our own inner landscape The power of presence and pleasure to keep our “pilot light” burning in our romantic relationships Resources and Topics Mentioned: Elena Lipson's website Meditations & Musings with Elena Lipson Episode 8: Prioritize your pleasure Episode 67: Pleasure is your birthright and the G-spot is a myth Elizabeth Gilbert article on leaning into curiosity instead of passion Episode where I shared about my Elizabeth Gilbert experience Episode with my podcast guest Julie Lythcott-Haims where I promised to explore the impact of peri-menopause and menopause on intimacy with our partners. This Week’s Challenge:  Elena invites us to find the “hidden secret” right in front of us, by getting present with what we really want and asking for it. I added a commitment to making a list of what those things are.  Learn More About Elena: As a retreat leader, speaker, writer, coach and podcaster, Elena loves to work with busy women and inspire them to redefine the hustle in exchange for creating a life they love with the Feminine Metrics of success: Pleasure, Play, Ease, Grace and Trusting Your Own Pace. Through her speaking, writing, retreats, and online programs, Elena wants to help busy women drop the hurry mindest and become the #1 asset in life, business, and the bedroom. Elena Lipson has lived in Russia, NYC, California and today happily enjoys the green trees and fresh air of the Pacific Northwest with her husband over 19 years and their son Miles. Signature Offerings include: The Divine Self-Care Circle, 66 Sacred Rituals, and most recently, The Meditations & Musings Podcast Sign up for Elena's 5 Day Magic Morning Makeover - starts May 18th.  You can find Elena’s writing in Tiny Buddha, Huffington Post, Business Rocks Magazine, Business Heroine Magazine, and Coco Eco Magazine. www.elenalipson.com Announcements: Join the Manifesto Challenge In honor of Mother’s Day, I kicked off a five day Mother’s Quest Manifesto Challenge in the private Facebook group. More about the inspiration behind the challenge in my episode with Graeme Seabrook. Each day, I’ll share a reflective prompt to help you claim the next chapter in your life and I’ll host a different mother, including Graeme, who will share their stories and their #oneminutemommanifesto for inspiration.  Join us live in the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group, from May 13th to the 17th. But, the prompts and replays will remain forever so it's never too late to come on over and participate.  Watch the Replay of Movement, Motherhood, and the Power of Pleasure Click here to access the replay Spark Your E.P.I.C. Year Anyone else feel like they need a spring reset to their year?  A few months ago, we declared February the new January and facilitated a Mother's Quest Workshop/Virtual Milestone Hike experience to help us all start again. Using photos from my favorite local hike, I took a small group on a virtual journey to: ✨Reflect on our last chapter (as we ascend)  ✨Decide what we want to release (using an image of a big bad bonfire!) and what we want to carry forward ✨Then, set intentions along the E.P.I.C. guideposts for our new chapter.  There’s a special planning sheet we created to guide you and help you document the whole process.  🌟Truthfully, we can start fresh any time we choose.🌟 If you decide you want to reset and begin again, today, this afternoon or this weekend, using this experience and worksheet to support you. Just sign up here. Join me on my #100dayproject Journey I’m doing Lindsay Jean Thomson’s #100dayproject and decided to record 100 stories about the making of Mother’s Quest on my Mother’s Quest Bite-sized Reflections on Living an E.P.I.C. Life Podcast (an unedited sister podcast to my interview show.) Releasing perfectionism, I realized a few days in, these 100 episodes won't be consecutive, but I'll get to 100 still! There are almost a dozen recorded now and I'd love for you to tune in! Follow Mother’s Quest on Anchor and join the #100dayproject! Acknowledgments: A big THANK YOU to our “patrons” for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial and/or in-kind support: Lindsay Pera Julie Castro Abrams Alexia Vernon Brooke Markevicius Democracy Clothing Michael Skolnik Helgi Maki Kari Azuma Tamara Sobomehin Katie Krimitsos Carrie Caulfield Arick Rachel Rosen Chandra Brooks Jen Simon Monisha Vasa Celia Ward-Wallace Vanessa Couto Desiree Adaway Rachel Steinman Katie Hanus Denise Barreto  Sage B. Hobbs  Samantha Nolan-Smith Jody Smith Emily Cretella Collette Flanagan Titilayo Tinubu Ali  Carly Magnus Hurt Lizzy Russinko  Suzanne Brown Mara Berns Langer Mallory Schlabach  Katharine Earhart Jessica Kupferman Jen Jenkins Dohner Genese Harris Tonya Rineer Liane Louie-Badua Cristin Downs  Erin Kendall  Niko Osoteo  Erik Newton  Claire Fry Divya Silbermann Rachel Winter Caren and Debbie Lieberman Cameron Miranda Fran and David Lieberman Debbie and Alan Goore The Sustainable Living Podcast Support the Podcast If you’d like to make a contribution to Mother’s Quest to support Season Three of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution. If you would like to “dedicate” an upcoming episode to a special mother in your life, email me at julie@mothersquest.com Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

In honor of Mother’s Day 2019, I wanted to share this episode on the feed again with my sister Caren Lettiere, founder of Democracy Clothing, along with an updated discount code, 20Romy, to purchase Democracy jeans at 20% off (on Amazon.com) through May 24th. I also wanted to share an amazing update about the events that unfolded after we released this episode.  As you’ll hear in this conversation as it unfolds, Caren and I realized more and more how much our missions are aligned, but manifested in different ways. Caren helps empower women, many of them mothers, by helping them look and feel good on the outside and I empower mothers by helping them get clear and connected to their voice, their vision and their values on the inside.  We decided we wanted to work together and Caren brought me on to help Democracy with their brand messaging and to find ways to deepen their social impact. Because I was invited while recording an episode with Trayvon Martin’s mother, Sybrina Fulton, to be an ambassador at her Circle of Mothers healing retreat, I had this idea that Caren could come too and gift the mothers, who were all grieving the loss of a child to gun violence, with her Democracy jeans.  The weekend for the mothers was nothing short of transformative. That we anticipated. But, what surprised us was was that something like jeans, which might have been experienced as trivial, was in the words of many of these mothers "life-changing." After witnessing this, we wanted to support more of you with the 20% coupon to purchase the jeans, so you can look good, feel good and have the confidence to do good in Democracy jeans. As we did in the original episode, we’d also love to hear from you. Share your photos with the Mother’s Quest and Democracy Clothing hashtags and let us know about your “Democracy in Action” stories are unfolding.  Sending love to all the mothers, and those who mother, especially those who may be healing from the loss of a loved one.  Thinking of you on Mother’s Day!  Much appreciation, P.S. Know someone who would love this conversation? Click forward now to pay this forward to a friend who may be interested. Ep 56: Embrace Your Shape and Evolve Your Life with Democracy Clothing’s President Caren Lettiere Caren, ten years older than me and like a second mother in many ways, has been a guide, mentor and inspiration to me my whole life. She’s an ambitious, talented leader in the fashion industry and has managed to grow a $70 million dollar brand, Democracy Clothing, alongside a 27 year marriage and raising two of the loveliest young adults I know, my niece and nephew Nicole and Josh. After graduating from UCLA with a degree in political science, she took a different course and embarked on a career path in fashion, beginning in sales for a company called Rampage, and ultimately landing at Kellwood. There, she first filled a gap she noticed her daughter had for jeans and developed a brand to meet it called Jolt/Rewind. Soon after, she recognized an even greater underserved customer in the market, a dynamic, modern, multitasking mother like herself who loves fashion but got busy with life. Devoted to this ageless woman and aware that she doesn’t want to put an expiration date on her vitality, but could benefit from a little “engineering” when it comes to jeans, Caren launched Democracy Clothing. I loved this conversation with my sister and learned so much myself about how she grew the brand from her side hustle into the tremendously successful venture it is today. Family, magic, a positive mindset and a willingness to grow and evolve in community are just a few of the themes we explore in this episode. We cover everything from the important role that Caren’s husband David played in supporting her career to how they both championed their son Josh last year, when he received a cancer diagnosis and moved forward with his own positivity through three rounds of chemo and a clean bill of health. Caren also shares openly about her own health challenges and all the ways she has built community, at home and at work, to help her thrive. Finally, Caren gives us a special challenge. She asks us to follow and apply the 4 Pillars of Democracy Clothing:  to embrace who you are, enhance what you’ve got, elevate your taste level and evolve your personal style, in order to live a more whole and confident life. If this calls to you, we encourage you to purchase a pair, wear them with confidence doing something that really matters to you, and then take a photo and share your story with us on Instagram using the hashtags #democracyclothing and #mothersquest. We look forward to seeing and hearing your stories (then sharing them on Democracy’s Instastories) and learning about all the ways you are “rocking your walk,” as Caren likes to say… in your E.P.I.C. life. This Episode is Dedicated by: The team at Democracy, represented by Director of Sales Judy Owens. Democracy is a denim-based casual lifestyle brand devoted to the woman who grew up with fashion, but then got busy with life. Founded in 2010, on the principle of “Curve Equality,” which acknowledges that all shapes are not created equal, Democracy’s designers set out to create a jean that that would maximize a woman’s shape by fusing together, style, comfort and technology. Sales inquiries: democracy.sales@kellwood.com www.democracyclothing.com www.facebook.com/democracyjeans www.twitter.com/democracyjeans www.instagram.com/democracyclothing In This Episode We Talk About: The BuzzFeed Article that sparked this episode and revealed Mother’s Quest community member Nancy Netherland’s story of wearing Democracy jeans from Capital Hill to her daughter’s hospital bedside 3 Things Caren learned from our mother, growing up as a 60’s child Caren’s path to living an E.P.I.C. life through pursuing her love of fashion Moments that make me and Caren cry as she reflects on the impact of our mother and father and her husband on her life How Democracy Clothing started out as Caren’s side hustle, the unique woman who inspired the brand, and how her work family helped it succeed The one thing Caren always knew she was on a quest for Keys to honoring your kids as they become more independent Caren’s son Josh’s experience battling testicular cancer last year and how she and her husband David honored his choices What Caren’s Dr. told her she could NOT do if she wanted to avoid diabetes, how she reclaimed her health, and the special way she starts her mornings alongside her daughter Nicole The Four Pillars of Democracy Clothing and a special challenge and discount for the Mother’s Quest Community  Resources and Topics Mentioned: Democracy Clothing (Wit & Wisdom) Featured on BuzzFeed Kellwood Ep 10: Choosing Gratitude and Glitter with Nancy Netherland, who inspired this episode with her own powerful story of wearing Democracy jeans. What is Your Jean Story? – Video with Caren Explaining Her Jeans Democracy Clothing Ep 55: From Grief to Advocacy and a Circle of Mothers with Trayvon Martin’s Mother Sybrina Fulton Other Episodes with My Family Members: Ep 43: Love of Family and Pursuing our Fate ~A Father’s Day Special~ with David Lieberman EP34: Season Two Finale: The Power of Friendship and a 50 Year-Old Book Club with Fran Lieberman and Sandy Klasky Ep 18: YOLO (You Only Live Once) and other Milestone Reflectionswith Ryan Neale This Week’s Challenge: For this week’s challenge, Caren encourages us to take a moment and recognize that you are an extraordinary and dynamic woman. Learn to give yourself space to appreciate who you are and how you got to where you are now. Caren also asks us to follow and apply the 4 Pillars of Democracy to:  embrace who you are, enhance what you’ve got, elevate your taste level and evolve your personal style, in order to feel good about yourself and live a more whole and confident life. There’s also a special offer…if you want to explore those pillars in a pair of Democracy jeans yourself, here is the updated discount code, 20Romy, to purchase Democracy jeans at 20% off on Amazon.com through May 24th. We encourage you to purchase a pair, wear them with confidence doing something that really matters, and then take a photo and share your story with us using the hashtags #democracyclothing and #mothersquest. We look forward to seeing and hearing your stories and learning about all the ways you are “rocking your walk,” as Caren says…in your E.P.I.C. life. *Don’t forget to put #DemocracyClothing #MothersQuest as you share your Jeans story on Instagram and have an opportunity to have yours shared on Democracy’s Instastories. The code can be redeemed on multiple units of Democracy but only on one order per person. Code is valid through May 24th, 2019 or until supplies last. Learn More About Caren Lettierre: Caren is the founder and President of Democracy Clothing, the brand that she passionately created and launched in 2010 for Kellwood. After graduating from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in political science, Caren embarked on her non-traditional career path into fashion. She began in sales, launching the Rampage Clothing brand and their modern missy sub-brand CDC. After this, she embarked on her quest to fill the void in fashion for the dynamic, modern, multitasking woman. Through her empathetic lens, she embraces women of all shapes and sizes and is committed to providing them with the foundation and confidence as they pursue their E.P.I.C. life. Caren’s proudest accomplishment is the fulfilling family life that she built along the way with David, her husband of 27 years and their amazing kids Nicole and Josh. LinkedIn Announcements: Join the Manifesto Challenge Graeme and I have a vision one day for the creation and sharing of one million of these manifestos on social media using the hashtag #oneminutemommanifesto. Join us in the private Mother’s Quest Facebook Group, from May 13th to the 17th. Each day, I’ll share a reflective prompt to help you claim the next chapter in your life and I’ll host a different mother, including Graeme, who will share their stories and their #oneminutemommanifestos for inspiration.  Spark Your E.P.I.C. Year Anyone else feel like they need a spring reset to their year?  A few months ago, we declared February the new January and facilitated a Mother's Quest Workshop/Virtual Milestone Hike experience to help us all start again. Using photos from my favorite local hike, I took a small group on a virtual journey to: ✨Reflect on our last chapter (as we ascend)  ✨Decide what we want to release (using an image of a big bad bonfire!) and what we want to carry forward ✨Then, set intentions along the E.P.I.C. guideposts for our new chapter.  There’s a special planning sheet we created to guide you and help you document the whole process.  🌟Truthfully, we can start fresh any time we choose.🌟 If you decide you want to reset and begin again, today, this afternoon or this weekend, using this experience and worksheet to support you. Just sign up here. Join me on my #100dayproject Journey I’m doing Lindsay Jean Thomson’s #100dayproject and decided to record 100 stories about the making of Mother’s Quest on my Mother’s Quest Bite-sized Reflections on Living an E.P.I.C. Life Podcast (an unedited sister podcast to my interview show.) Releasing perfectionism, I realized a few days in, these 100 episodes won't be consecutive, but I'll get to 100 still! There are almost a dozen recorded now and I'd love for you to tune in! Follow Mother’s Quest on Anchor and join the #100dayproject! Acknowledgements: A big THANK YOU to our “patrons” for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial and/or in-kind support: Julie Castro Abrams Alexia Vernon Brooke Markevicius Democracy Clothing Michael Skolnik Helgi Maki Kari Azuma Tamara Sobomehin Katie Krimitsos Carrie Caulfield Arick Rachel Rosen Chandra Brooks Jen Simon Monisha Vasa Celia Ward-Wallace Vanessa Couto Desiree Adaway Rachel Steinman Katie Hanus Denise Barreto  Sage B. Hobbs  Samantha Nolan-Smith Jody Smith Emily Cretella Collette Flanagan Titilayo Tinubu Ali  Carly Magnus Hurt Lizzy Russinko  Suzanne Brown Mara Berns Langer Mallory Schlabach  Katharine Earhart Jessica Kupferman Jen Jenkins Dohner Genese Harris Tonya Rineer Liane Louie-Badua Cristin Downs  Erin Kendall  Niko Osoteo  Erik Newton  Claire Fry Divya Silbermann Rachel Winter Caren and Debbie Lieberman Cameron Miranda Fran and David Lieberman Debbie and Alan Goore The Sustainable Living Podcast Support the Podcast If you’d like to make a contribution to Mother’s Quest to support Season Three of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution. If you would like to “dedicate” an upcoming episode to a special mother in your life, email me at julie@mothersquest.com Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

“We need these manifestos. We need each other. And we need each other’s stories.”  — Graeme Seabrook In honor of Mother’s Day 2019, I wanted to re-release this episode I recorded a year ago with Graeme Seabrooke of The Mom Center, Self-Care Squad and recently launched podcast, Your Mom Friend. I so appreciated this conversation and the invitation Graeme and I co-created for you called the #oneminutemommanifesto. Graeme and I are all about helping mothers claim their lives and realized we each had crafted our own manifestos that were instrumental in reclaiming ours. For her it was her Mother’s Bill of Rights which you’ll hear us talk more about, and for me, it’s The E.P.I.C. Life framework that’s become the foundation of all things Mother’s Quest. We also realize that a manifesto doesn’t have to be long or time-consuming to create, but can be something you can declare in as little as one minute.  Graeme and I have a vision one day for the creation and sharing of one million of these on social media using the hashtag #oneminutemommanifesto. This year, to support you in creating your own, I’m facilitating a Manifesto Challenge in the private Mother’s Quest Facebook Group, from May 13th to the 17th. You can join the group by visiting www.mothersquest.com/community.  Each day, I’ll share a reflective prompt to help you claim the next chapter in your life and I’ll host a different mother, including Graeme, who will share their stories and their #oneminutemommanifestos for inspiration.  I hope you’ll say “yes” to this challenge and creating your own #oneminutemommanifesto as a Mother’s Day gift to yourself. You must be a priority in your own life. And, this is an opportunity to claim it and declare it. Because as you’ll hear Graeme say in our conversation, “We need these manifestos. We need each other. And we need each other’s stories.” Have an amazing Mother’s Day!  Much appreciation, P.S. Check out the announcement below to join us for the #oneminutemommanifesto Challenge in the Facebook Group in honor of Mother's Day. P.S.S. Know someone who would love this conversation? Click forward now to pay this forward to a friend who may be interested. This Episode is Dedicated by: Desiree Adaway of the Adaway Group. Sign up for four weeks of reflection, discussion, and sisterhood through Desiree’s upcoming Sister Summer – a 4-week writing intensive. And learn to become a force for freedom –for your liberation and the liberation of others through the Freedom School. In This Episode You'll Hear About: The experiences that shaped Graeme’s childhood and conception of motherhood, including her observations of her own mother’s experience parenting, the many times her family moved, and how her home and heart landed in Charleston. Graeme’s honest retelling of the challenging early months of motherhood where she remembers holding her precious baby and feeling like there was a wall between them. The E.P.I.C. spark moment that came when she shared her story online, received an outpouring of messages from other mothers going through the same experiences of emotional pain, depression, and anxiety and realized she needed to do something about it. -Graeme’s “true truths” and the concept from her current favorite author, Octavia Butler, about God. It’s so powerful and a metaphor for the reciprocal relationship between parents and their children. Graeme’s description of the Ten Articles in the Mother’s Bill of Rights, how she champions and helps mothers reclaim themselves through this framework and the support she offers in her Mom Center. Graeme’s E.P.I.C. Snapshot moment which revealed reflections on the legacy of our matriarchs, the mothers we claim for ourselves, and how we can become the ancestor we aspire to now. A description of our co-created #OneMinuteMomManifesto challenge. Resources Mentioned: Postpartum Support Charleston and their annual MomsRun Graeme’s favorite books by Octavia Butler: Parable of the Sower andParable of the Talents You can visit Graeme’s website, The Problem with Motherhood. You can also follow Graeme on Twitter, or view her profile on Linked In. Graeme’s Mother’s Bill of Rights The piece Graeme wrote about her ancestors Lauren Rosenfeld, the mentor/teacher Graeme mentions in her E.P.I.C. snapshot moment Episode 7: Living Out Loud with Jenjii Hysten Episode 27: Courageous Conversations about Race with Nicole Lee This Week’s Challenge "Revisited":  Graeme and I have a vision one day for the creation and sharing of one million of these manifestos on social media using the hashtag #oneminutemommanifesto. Join us in the private Mother’s Quest Facebook Group, from May 13th to the 17th. Each day, I’ll share a reflective prompt to help you claim the next chapter in your life and I’ll host a different mother, including Graeme, who will share their stories and their #oneminutemommanifestos for inspiration.  Hope to see you there!  Announcements: Spark Your E.P.I.C. Year   Anyone else feel like they need a spring reset to their year?  A few months ago, we declared February the new January and facilitated a Mother's Quest Workshop/Virtual Milestone Hike experience to help us all start again. Using photos from my favorite local hike, I took a small group on a virtual journey to: ✨Reflect on our last chapter (as we ascend)  ✨Decide what we want to release (using an image of a big bad bonfire!) and what we want to carry forward ✨Then, set intentions along the E.P.I.C. guideposts for our new chapter.  There’s a special planning sheet we created to guide you and help you document the whole process.  🌟Truthfully, we can start fresh any time we choose.🌟 If you decide you want to reset and begin again, today, this afternoon or this weekend, using this experience and worksheet to support you. Just sign up here. Join me on my #100dayproject Journey   I’m doing Lindsay Jean Thomson’s #100dayproject and decided to record 100 stories about the making of Mother’s Quest on my Mother’s Quest Bite-sized Reflections on Living an E.P.I.C. Life Podcast (an unedited sister podcast to my interview show.) Releasing perfectionism, I realized a few days in, these 100 episodes won't be consecutive, but I'll get to 100 still! There are almost a dozen recorded now and I'd love for you to tune in! Follow Mother’s Quest on Anchor and join the #100dayproject! Acknowledgments: A big THANK YOU to our “patrons” for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial and/or in-kind support: Julie Castro Abrams Alexia Vernon Brooke Markevicius Democracy Clothing Michael Skolnik Helgi Maki Kari Azuma Tamara Sobomehin Katie Krimitsos Carrie Caulfield Arick Rachel Rosen Chandra Brooks Jen Simon Monisha Vasa Celia Ward-Wallace Vanessa Couto Desiree Adaway Rachel Steinman Katie Hanus Denise Barreto  Sage B. Hobbs  Samantha Nolan-Smith Jody Smith Emily Cretella Collette Flanagan Titilayo Tinubu Ali  Carly Magnus Hurt Lizzy Russinko  Suzanne Brown Mara Berns Langer Mallory Schlabach  Katharine Earhart Jessica Kupferman Jen Jenkins Dohner Genese Harris Tonya Rineer Liane Louie-Badua Cristin Downs  Erin Kendall  Niko Osoteo  Erik Newton  Claire Fry Divya Silbermann Rachel Winter Caren and Debbie Lieberman Cameron Miranda Fran and David Lieberman Debbie and Alan Goore The Sustainable Living Podcast Support the Podcast If you’d like to make a contribution to Mother’s Quest to support Season Three of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution. If you would like to “dedicate” an upcoming episode to a special mother in your life, email me at julie@mothersquest.com Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

I’m so excited to bring you this conversation with someone who has quite literally welcomed me into her home to learn, refresh, and connect with other women... accomplished entrepreneur, social justice advocate, sought after speaker, and a community builder at heart, Anne Devereux-Mills. Capping a 25-year career as one of the most influential women in the advertising industry, in 2012 Anne founded Parlay House, a now international salon-style gathering of over 4,000 women who meet to pull each other forward through a combination of shared experiences, meaningful content, and peer-to-peer connections.  In addition, alongside raising her two daughters as a single mother, becoming a sponsor to a young woman from Cambodia and then a stepmother to two stepsons,  Anne has achieved some remarkable things.  She’s been a mentor for SHE-CAN, an organization supporting and grooming the next generation of female world leaders coming from post-genocide countries, and served as the director of Stanford University's Healthy Body Image Programs. She was the Executive Director of The Return, an Emmy-nominated documentary about the experience of people returning to society post-incarceration. And she and her husband were the lead sponsors of California’s Proposition 36, which restored fairness in sentencing to the State’s excessive Three Strikes Law. At the heart of it all has been a deep abiding belief in authentic, non-transactional relationships, social justice, and the power of women to women connections. I felt Anne’s generosity, perspective, and wisdom throughout our conversation and found so many of the lessons Anne has learned resonating for me, from discerning where our presence is most needed with our children, to learning to release perfectionism.  Synchronistically, so many things I'm grappling with in my life, Anne shined light on in this conversation. I was reminded that small acts can have meaningful cascades of impact, that we can hold a vision for an epic life rooted in connection and what really matters, not in having it all exactly right or at exactly the same time. And I gained a heightened awareness and appreciation for “Inflection points,” those times in our lives when we’re called to change our course or as Anne says “the moment after what was but before what will be.”  I hope you’ll enjoy this conversation as much as I did and leave feeling more empowered to build authentic connections, stay patient during your “inflection points” and take your own first small acts toward meaningful impact.  Much appreciation, P.S. Check out the announcement below to join us for the #oneminutemommanifesto Challenge in the Facebook Group in honor of Mother's Day. P.S.S. Know someone who would love this conversation? Click forward now to pay this forward to a friend who may be interested. This Episode is Dedicated by Julie Castro Abrams: Julie is the CEO and Chair of How Women Lead, a network of over 10,000 top executive women working together to disrupt the antiquated and unequal systems impacting women. In 2018 they successfully drove legislation requiring that California Public Companies to have up to 3 women on their boards. Through grants to women and girls organizations and a forthcoming disruptive angel fund, How Women Lead brings women together to have an impact and have fun. How Women Lead leverages its network to propel Women Leaders for the World: political and social justice leaders, as well as entrepreneurs who are courageously tackling our most important global issues through a year-long fellowship. Julie is an experienced CEO and director, and as a consultant, she works with non-profit leaders to create high-performance boards, brands that inspire action, and productive, multicultural teams. She's also a small business expert, active angel investor, and advisor to startups. She currently sits on the board of many non-profit organizations, including Women’s Funding Network. Learn more about her and her work: How Women Lead How Women Give Upcoming Events In This Episode We Talk About: How Anne’s parents planted seeds of freedom and experimentation in her life in unusual ways Living an E.P.I.C. life does not mean living a perfect life The “spark moment,” after Anne received a cancer diagnosis, that caused her to change her life forever How things have changed for Anne over the last decade, since her "inflection point" at the age of 50  The need for connection and intimately authentic conversations that led to the creation of Parlay House and how it has grown now to over 4,000 members in four different cities, including London. Paying attention to where your presence is most needed with your children and safeguarding that time Anne’s unique impact:  from helping to advocate for reform of California’s Three Strikes Law to building schools for children in Uganda The power of bringing together women who represent a diverse set of life experiences How Anne invests in herself by letting go of “shoulds” and indulging in what’s soothing and comforting to her, like a daily bath. The power of small actions that can create a cascade Building a community that isn’t based on obligation, judgment or transactional obligations but on authentic connection and giving of self. Anne’s description of “Inflection points,” those moments when you’re ready for a shift. It’s the time “after what was and before what will be.” Resources For This Episode: Anne Devereux-Mills Website Parlay House Website The Aspen Institute Programs Forbes Article about Anne and Parlay House Episode on the podcast with Sybrina Fulton Article from Martha Beck about what happens when a caterpillar becomes a butterfly    Anne’s Social Media: Instagram Twitter Facebook Parlay House Social Media: Instagram Twitter Facebook This Week’s Challenge:  Anne challenges us to be thoughtful about the small actions that come naturally for us and to extend that to another person in a way that doesn't have a high financial cost to us or take a lot of our time. When we find that thing that’s part of our essence, that comes with ease, doing it in small actions will not only make us feel good, we’ll also help the person we’re supporting feel empowered. And that’s one of the most important things we could do for ourselves and others. You can also follow along on regular email prompts by joining Anne’s One Small Thing email list and share what you discover and do to help others with using the hashtag #onesmallthing. Learn More About Anne Devereux-Mills: Anne Devereux-Mills is sought-after speaker, author, and advocate for women, particularly on the subject of how to create a powerful cycle of personal growth, empowerment, and advancement. Anne’s mission is to share what she has learned through her own experience: recognize one's own strengths and skills – and use them to help other women, creating an outward moving circle of positive change, and, in the process, empowering yourself. Capping a 25-year career as one of the most influential women in the advertising industry, in 2012 Anne founded of Parlay House, a now international salon-style gathering of over 4,000 women who meet to pull each other forward through a combination of shared experiences, meaningful content, and peer-to-peer connections. She has been a mentor for SHE-CAN, an organization supporting and grooming the next generation of female world leaders coming from post-genocide countries, and served as the director of Stanford University's Healthy Body Image Programs. She was the Executive Director of The Return, an Emmy-nominated documentary about the experience of people returning to society post-incarceration. She and her husband were the lead sponsors of California’s Proposition 36, which restored fairness in sentencing to the State’s excessive Three Strikes Law. Announcements: #oneminutemommanifesto In honor of Mother’s Day, I’ll be releasing either a newly recorded or classic episode each Thursday. The week of May 13th, I’m leading a Mother’s Quest #oneminutemommanifesto Challenge in the private Facebook Group to help you claim how you want to journey through motherhood and life. I’ll share reflective prompts each morning that will help you get clear and connected to your E.P.I.C. life, and we’ll be joined by inspiring members of the Mother’s Quest Community who’ll share their #oneminutemommanifestos live in the group to get your creative juices flowing. I have a vision one day for the creation of a million #oneminutemommanifestos and am excited to start working toward that big vision with small actions this month. Spark Your E.P.I.C. Year Anyone else feel like they need a spring reset to their year?  A few months ago, we declared February the new January and facilitated a Mother's Quest Workshop/Virtual Milestone Hike experience to help us all start again. Using photos from my favorite local hike, I took a small group on a virtual journey to: ✨Reflect on our last chapter (as we ascend)  ✨Decide what we want to release (using an image of a big bad bonfire!) and what we want to carry forward ✨Then, set intentions along the E.P.I.C. guideposts for our new chapter.  There’s a special planning sheet we created to guide you and help you document the whole process.  🌟Truthfully, we can start fresh any time we choose.🌟 If you decide you want to reset and begin again, today, this afternoon or this weekend, using this experience and worksheet to support you. Just sign up here. Join me on my #100dayproject Journey I’m doing Lindsay Jean Thomson’s #100dayproject and decided to record 100 stories about the making of Mother’s Quest on my Mother’s Quest Bite-sized Reflections on Living an E.P.I.C. Life Podcast (an unedited sister podcast to my interview show.) Releasing perfectionism, I realized a few days in, these 100 episodes won't be consecutive, but I'll get to 100 still! There are almost a dozen recorded now and I'd love for you to tune in! Follow Mother’s Quest on Anchor and join the #100dayproject! Acknowledgments: A big THANK YOU to our “patrons” for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial and/or in-kind support: Julie Castro Abrams Alexia Vernon Brooke Markevicius Democracy Clothing Michael Skolnik Helgi Maki Kari Azuma Tamara Sobomehin Katie Krimitsos Carrie Caulfield Arick Rachel Rosen Chandra Brooks Jen Simon Monisha Vasa Celia Ward-Wallace Vanessa Couto Desiree Adaway Rachel Steinman Katie Hanus Denise Barreto  Sage B. Hobbs  Samantha Nolan-Smith Jody Smith Emily Cretella Collette Flanagan Titilayo Tinubu Ali  Carly Magnus Hurt Lizzy Russinko  Suzanne Brown Mara Berns Langer Mallory Schlabach  Katharine Earhart Jessica Kupferman Jen Jenkins Dohner Genese Harris Tonya Rineer Liane Louie-Badua Cristin Downs  Erin Kendall  Niko Osoteo  Erik Newton  Claire Fry Divya Silbermann Rachel Winter Caren and Debbie Lieberman Cameron Miranda Fran and David Lieberman Debbie and Alan Goore The Sustainable Living Podcast Support the Podcast If you’d like to make a contribution to Mother’s Quest to support Season Three of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution. If you would like to “dedicate” an upcoming episode to a special mother in your life, email me at julie@mothersquest.com Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

“Each of us has that innate ability to attain and maintain our own optimal health” - the real healer lies within. — Avanti Kumar Singh I’m honored to bring this second episode of the fourth season of The Mother’s Quest Podcast with Avanti Kumar Singh, a physician, teacher and guide with a unique ability to open our minds and help us find the healer within through Ayurvedic medicine. The inspiration for this episode with Avanti came during a car ride last August from Camp GLP (Good Life Project) to the Newark airport with two friends I attended the weekend experience with, Lizzy Russinko and Judy Blank Zinnato.   We were exchanging notes about our favorite workshops from the weekend and all the lessons we learned, when Lizzy shared the life-changing wisdom she gained from hearing Avanti present. Judy and I were both so sorry we had missed it, and I vowed in that moment to do my best to connect with Avanti and to share her wisdom with you. The conversation, eight months in the making, did not disappoint! I loved the journey we explored together, from the impact of Avanti’s own mother and the Indian traditions that shaped her healthy childhood to her health crisis while studying to be an emergency physician and how that created a spark moment that brought her back to her roots and Ayurveda. Touching on each E.P.I.C guidepost, Avanti shares how Ayurveda can become a powerful lens for living a healthy, reflective life, one where we open our minds, and tap into our own ability to provide counter-balance to the things that are troubling us and support our own healing. Within that frame, we touched on so many topics, from Ayurveda and parenting to menopause, intermittent fasting and how to support our children as they transition to college and beyond. Avanti gives us a challenge to explore our daily routines, identify any trouble spots and then apply the teachings of Ayurveda to craft our own remedies. And after we finished recording, Avanti offered to share an even deeper exploration of Ayurvedic principles, give us a chance to ask her questions, and share what we’ve uncovered about our daily routines through a Master Class that we’ll be offering on April 30th. Sign up for email updates at mothersquest.com and join the facebook group and you’ll be notified on the date and time so you can join us. This conversation is just the beginning for how we can tap into the power of Ayurveda in our own healing. I’m feeling so grateful to start along this path with Avanti as our guide. Much appreciation,  P.S. Check out the announcements below and pay this forward to a friend who may be interested. This Episode is Dedicated by Alexia Vernon: Alexia Vernon Empowerment, LLC is a family-led business, founded by Alexia Vernon in 2007, and co-run with her partner in business and in life, Stephen Oliveira. Branded a “Moxie Maven” by President Obama’s White House Office of Public Engagement for her unique and effective approach to empowering women’s professional success, Alexia is the author of Step into Your Moxie: Amplify Your Voice Visibility, and Influence in the World. A sought-after speaker, coach, consultant and media contributor, Alexia is the creator and leader of multiple speaker training programs and has delivered transformational keynotes and corporate trainings for Fortune 500 companies and professional associations, spoken at the United Nations, delivered a TEDx talk on the future of feminism, and been featured by media including CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Inc., and Women’s Health. A former biologist and environmental justice organizer with vast experience leading environmental consulting projects and teams, Stephen oversees client care, speaker bookings, corporate engagements, live training events and retreats. Grab Alexia's 9 Mistakes Coaches, Consultants, and Experts Make as Speakers (and How to Avoid Them) here Know more about her: Alexia Vernon Spotlight Speakers Salon w/ Alexia Vernon (Facebook Group) TwitterInstagram Connect with her through Social Media: YouTube LinkedIn In This Episode We Talk About: Avanti’s return as an adult to the Indian roots she grew up with and that positively shaped her health Principles and the “golden rule” of Ayurveda, a form of traditional medicine that originated from Indian culture, ayur meaning “life” andveda meaning “knowledge”. Avanti’s health crisis during medical school and how that set her on an unexpected path The “qualities” that exist in all of nature and how Ayurveda uses them to promote wellness The power of looking for answers within and how Avanti cultivates this in her children through her parenting and in her students through her teaching An “epic snapshot moment” of Avanti’s as she witnessed medical students’ minds open to the possibility of traditional medicineapproaches Avanti's daily routine and how we can integrate it into our lives, the power of a menu of options for a morning routine, and the importance of an evening routine to set yourself up well for your morning The Counterbalance Solution Avanti has created and the 3 Areas of Remedy: daily routine, diet and tools of Yoga Ayurvedic perspective about peri-menopause and menopause and some counterbalance approaches for it What Avanti has to say about intermittent fasting An invitation for us to examine our own daily routines and identify remedies to counterbalance challenging aspects of our day and the challenge Avanti said “yes” to related to her daughter transitioning to college next year Resources Mentioned: Avanti’s Course: The Counterbalance Solution: Self-Heal through Ayurveda  Avanti Kumar Singh Website Self-Healing Starter Kit Learn More About Avanti Kumar Singh: Avanti Kumar-Singh is a physician who, after medical training in emergency medicine, began a journey to find her joy again- and to help people truly heal. Realizing that you can “quit your job but you can’t quit your calling”, Avanti set out to discover what really makes people healthy and what predisposes them to illness. She is now on a mission to evolve the conversation and to create a movement in which medical professionals reclaim the “art” of medicine and become heart-centered, healing catalysts that practice true medicine and support self-healing in their patients. Over the 20 years of her training, study and research, Avanti has shared her expertise with Fortune 500 companies, elite undergraduate and graduate institutions and at prestigious industry and medical conferences. She has also been featured in the Huffington Post and was a member ofupwave.com’s review board—Turner media’s former health and wellness entertainment brand. Avanti is currently the co-lead facilitator of the Faculty Scholars Program in Integrative Healthcare at the OSHER Center for Integrative Medicine at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago. Avanti holds a BA in Art History from the University of Chicago and an MD from Rush University College of Medicine. She is also a certified plant-based professional and a certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT). Avanti lives in Chicago with her husband and two children. Her first book, Ayurveda for Everyone, will be published in late 2019. Reach Avanti through her social media accounts: Instagram LinkedInFacebook or you can email her here. Announcements: Mother’s Quest Circle One Spot Left!! If you’re on a quest to live an E.P.I.C. life, on the threshold of a new chapter, but feeling uncertain or challenged by the path ahead, and want to be in community on your journey, the Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle may be the source of connection you’re looking for. The Mother’s Quest Circle provides inspiration, coaching and community for an intimate group of no more than 8 women who are ready to say “yes” to: ✨Reflect together, in a community of like-minded mothers, on what matters most ✨To consciously live their version (not someone else's) of an E.P.I.C. life ✨To take bold action toward one of the E.P.I.C. life guideposts before the end of the sessions ✨To hold space for sharing, coaching, and championing one another  If you're looking to create big shifts in your life or impact in 2019, the Circle is a great way to make an investment in yourself and what matters most to you. Apply here. Spark Your E.P.I.C. Year Anyone else not have your year start the way you hoped?  A month ago, I declared February the new January and facilitated a Mother's Quest Workshop/Virtual Milestone Hike experience to help us all start again. Using photos from my favorite local hike, I took a small group on a virtual journey to: ✨Reflect on our last chapter (as we ascend)  ✨Decide what we want to release (using an image of a big bad bonfire!) and what we want to carry forward ✨Then, set intentions along the E.P.I.C. guideposts for our new chapter.  There’s a special planning sheet we created to guide you and help you document the whole process.  🌟Truthfully, we can start fresh any time we choose.🌟 If you decide you want to reset and begin again, today, this afternoon or this weekend, using this experience and worksheet to support you. Just sign up here. Join me on my #100dayproject Journey I’m doing Lindsay Jean Thomson’s #100dayproject and decided to record 100 stories about the making of Mother’s Quest on my Mother’s Quest Bite-sized Reflections on Living an E.P.I.C. Life Podcast (an unedited sister podcast to my interview show.) Follow Mother's Quest on Anchor and join the #100dayproject! Acknowledgements: A big THANK YOU to our “patrons” for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial and/or in-kind support: Alexia Vernon Brooke Markevicius Democracy Clothing Michael Skolnik Helgi Maki Kari Azuma Tamara Sobomehin Katie Krimitsos Carrie Caulfield Arick Rachel Rosen Chandra Brooks Jen Simon Monisha Vasa Celia Ward-Wallace Vanessa Couto Desiree Adaway Rachel Steinman Katie Hanus Denise Barreto  Sage B. Hobbs  Samantha Nolan-Smith Jody Smith Emily Cretella Collette Flanagan Titilayo Tinubu Ali  Carly Magnus Hurt Lizzy Russinko  Suzanne Brown Mara Berns Langer Mallory Schlabach  Katharine Earhart Jessica Kupferman Jen Jenkins Dohner Genese Harris Tonya Rineer Liane Louie-Badua Cristin Downs  Erin Kendall  Niko Osoteo  Erik Newton  Claire Fry Divya Silbermann Rachel Winter Caren and Debbie Lieberman Cameron Miranda Fran and David Lieberman Debbie and Alan Goore The Sustainable Living Podcast Support the Podcast If you’d like to make a contribution to Mother’s Quest to support Season Three of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution. If you would like to “dedicate” an upcoming episode to a special mother in your life, email me at julie@mothersquest.com Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/  

It’s Season Four of the Mother’s Quest Podcast! At time of recording we’re on the threshold of spring, a season of new growth and fresh opportunities. Around this time,  three years ago, I was visited by two birds trapped in my house, and letting them out became a sign for me to slay my self-doubt and choose into living what I now call my E.P.I.C. life. I could never have imagined that day, that three years later, I’d be releasing my 58th podcast episode, building community with over 600 members from across the world in our Facebook group, and welcoming the fourth cohort of incredible women into my Mother’s Quest Circle experience. In this first episode of Season Four, I’m honored to host returning guest Katherine Wintsch, releasing this conversation during the week she’s launching her first book, “Slay Like a Mother: How to Destroy What’s Holding You Back So You Can Live the Life You Want.” One of my very first interviews when I launched the podcast, Katherine’s episode has become a favorite for so many mothers who resonated with her journey from self-loathing to self-love and the premise of her TEDx talk, encouraging us to take off our masks as mothers and release the myth of perfection. Katherine’s truth-telling and insightful research on modern motherhood has been featured by The Today Show, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Fast Company, and she regularly writes about the topic of modern motherhood for Working Mother magazine and now on the Slay Like a Mother platform. As CEO of the company she founded, The Mom Complex, she dedicates her life to making the lives of mothers easier, working with companies like Johnson and Johnson and Unilever to help develop better products and services for mothers. With the debut of her book, Slay Like a Mother, she’s on a mission to help mothers around the world destroy what’s holding them back, the dragon of self-doubt, so they can live the life they want. I think you’ll find a lot to light your way, as Katherine and I delve deep into how she conquered her self-doubt and practiced the dance between hard work and letting go in order to get her book published, persevering through 23 rejections in the six year process. She shares highlights of some of her favorite practices and perspective shifts from the book along all the E.P.I.C. guideposts. And then Katherine gives us an important challenge to raise our own awareness and challenge our negative thought patterns. A simple, though not easy shift, that can make a tremendous difference. For me, the idea that I would forever defeat my dragon didn’t feel likely. But, inspired by Katherine’s metaphor, and something one of my clients shared recently, I’m holding a visual picture of my dragon as a baby one, strapped into the car seat in the back of the car, far from the wheel and the ability to derail my course as I travel the road of my E.P.I.C. life this season. What picture do you want to hold of your dragon?  I hope you’ll join us in the Mother’s Quest community and share your thoughts. Much appreciation, P.S. Check out the announcements below and pay this forward to a friend who may be interested. This Episode is Dedicated by Brooke Markevicius: Brooke Markevicius is the Founder and CEO of MOMentum Marketplace and host of the podcast, MOMentum Radio.  MOMentum is a marketplace of goods  and services powered by moms and is on a mission to get moms paid so they can lead a flexible life. You can learn more and join our beta by going to the link below. www.MOMentumMarket.io www.MOMentumMarketplace.io/podcast  www.Twitter.com/momentumpod www.instagram.com/momentummarket In This Episode We Talk About: The epic journey to publishing her book, Slay Like A Mother. What inspired her to write it and the story behind its publishing. The Dragon of self-doubt, your worries gone wild, and how it can become a beast that eats you up if you don’t break free. The Cherokee “Two Wolves” metaphor/analogy and how you starve and weaken your Dragon through feeding yourself with self-love. How to think of a recurring negative voice as nothing but an echo and the power of speaking back to it. The perspective that development happens in spirals and not in a straight line. Katherine’s mindful bedtime routine with her children and what her son has said about her upcoming appearance on the Today Show Acknowledging structural and systemic barriers to happiness and the distinction between struggle and suffering How being overly busy is an amnesia for an empty life Putting yourself first on the calendar and how Katherine sets color-coded recurring meetings for yourself Finding the guides and the importance of asking for help. Katherine’s specific challenge for us, that I hope you’ll say yes to also, to catch ourselves in the act of speaking negatively to ourselves. Practice saying “That’s not true!” to that voice The negative voice as a shadow behind us. All it needs is our awareness to shine a light and make that shadow dissipate. Lessons Katherine and I both learned since our last conversation 2 years ago. Resources Mentioned: Katherine’s Book – Slay Like a Mother: How to Destroy What’s Holding You Back So You Can Live the Life You Want Mother’s Quest Podcast Episode 2 with Katherine Umasking Motherhood (Katherine’s TEDxRVA talk) Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert The Mom Complex Katherine’s blog post that tells the story of the Cherokee story of the Two Wolves Ep 55: From Grief to Advocacy and a Circle of Mothers with Trayvon Martin’s Mother Sybrina Fulton Learn More About Katherine Wintsch: Katherine dedicates her life to making the lives of mothers easier. In her role as founder and CEO of The Mom Complex, she works alongside companies such as Walmart, Johnson & Johnson, Chobani and Unilever to help develop better products and services for mothers. And as author of the personal empowerment book, Slay Like a Mother, she’s helping mothers around the world destroy what’s holding them back so they can live the life they want. Katherine’s sought-after research on modern motherhood has been featured by The Today Show, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Fast Company, and she regularly writes about the topic of modern motherhood for Working Mother magazine and on the Slay Like a Mother platform. In 2016, Katherine was named Advertising Women of New York’s “Working Mother of the Year,” an award given to women who have achieved outstanding business results while also serving as strong role models at work, at home, and within their communities. www.momcomplex.com www.slaylikeamother.com www.katherinewintsch.com www.facebook.com/SlayLikeaMother www.instagram.com/slaylikeamother Announcements: Mother’s Quest Circle Applications Close Tomorrow, March 22!! If you’re on a quest to live an E.P.I.C. life, on the threshold of a new chapter, but feeling uncertain or challenged by the path ahead, and want to be in community on your journey, the Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle may be the source of connection you’re looking for. The Mother’s Quest Circle provides inspiration, coaching and community for an intimate group of no more than 8 women who are ready to say “yes” to: Reflect together, in a community of like-minded mothers, on what matters most To consciously live their version (not someone else’s) of an E.P.I.C. life To take bold action toward one of the E.P.I.C. life guideposts before the end of the sessions To hold space for sharing, coaching, and championing one another If you’re looking to create big shifts in your life or impact in 2019, the Circle is a great way to make an investment in yourself and what matters most to you. Apply here. Special 45 Minute Clarity Coaching Sessions…in honor of Ryan’s birthday and my 15 years of motherhood!! Ever worked with a life coach? It’s a bit like this video with Cookie Monster above  Not really, but if you’d like to get a “taste” of what it’s like to have a coach holding space for you and championing you on your quest, I’ve set up special rates if you book in the month of March, to celebrate the month my first son was born and I became a mother. For $90, bring any question or intention you want to explore to a 45 minute coaching session. We’ll get you to clarity about what you want, why it matters, and one key action step together. We can also explore future possibilities for working together if that’s something you seek. Reply to this email if you’re interested and I’ll reach out to get you a spot on the calendar. Holding five spots at this rate, so don’t delay if this is calling to you. Spark Your E.P.I.C. Year Anyone else not have your year start the way you hoped? A month ago, I declared February the new January and facilitated a Mother’s Quest Workshop/Virtual Milestone Hike experience to help us all start again. Using photos from my favorite local hike, I took a small group on a virtual journey to: Reflect on our last chapter (as we ascend) Decide what we want to release (using an image of a big bad bonfire!) and what we want to carry forward Then, set intentions along the E.P.I.C. guideposts for our new chapter. There’s a special planning sheet we created to guide you and help you document the whole process. Truthfully, we can start fresh any time we choose. If you decide you want to reset and begin again, today, this afternoon or this weekend, using this experience and worksheet to support you. Just sign up here. Punta de Gloria Resort Seven years ago, I found my first individual coaching client in Lisa Valerio, mindful mother to an autistic son. Learn more about how our work together sparked Lisa’s epic creation of a resort in the Philippines and why she’s signed up for the next cohort of the Mother’s Quest Circle. Read here. Acknowledgements: A big THANK YOU to our “patrons” for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial and/or in-kind support: Brooke Markevicius Democracy Clothing Michael Skolnik Helgi Maki Kari Azuma Tamara Sobomehin Katie Krimitsos Carrie Caulfield Arick Rachel Rosen Chandra Brooks Jen Simon Monisha Vasa Celia Ward-Wallace Vanessa Couto Desiree Adaway Rachel Steinman Katie Hanus Denise Barreto Sage B. Hobbs Samantha Nolan-Smith Jody Smith Emily Cretella Collette Flanagan Titilayo Tinubu Ali Carly Magnus Hurt Lizzy Russinko Suzanne Brown Mara Berns Langer Mallory Schlabach Katharine Earhart Jessica Kupferman Jen Jenkins Dohner Genese Harris Tonya Rineer Liane Louie-Badua Cristin Downs Erin Kendall Niko Osoteo Erik Newton Claire Fry Divya Silbermann Rachel Winter Caren and Debbie Lieberman Cameron Miranda Fran and David Lieberman Debbie and Alan Goore The Sustainable Living Podcast Support the Podcast If you’d like to make a contribution to Mother’s Quest to support Season Three of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution. If you would like to “dedicate” an upcoming episode to a special mother in your life, email me at julie@mothersquest.com Mother’s Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

Welcome to this special bonus episode of The Mother’s Quest Podcast, an interview I had on my friend Anne Ferguson’s podcast – MamaFuel. In this conversation, Anne turns the tables on me, as she asks how the epic guideposts showed up in my life. I’m delighted to share this episode with you and use this as an opportunity to share some announcements and invitations for getting involved with Mother’s Quest in the new year.    I hope you enjoy this conversation I had on Anne’s Podcast.  I’m excited to be back in a few short weeks with the start of a new incredible season of conversations! Until then, seize the day, love your people, and honor your gifts. Much appreciation,  P.S. Be sure to check out the announcements below, including the news that TODAY is the last day to contribute to the GoFundMe campaign to support Trayvon Martin’s mother Sybrina Fulton’s Circle of Mothers. Hope you’ll join us! Show Notes from MamaFuel the Podcast From Anne Ferguson: OOOOhhh am I excited to share THIS ONE! My guest this week is Julie Neale, founder of the amazing Mother’s Quest podcast, coach and mama of two exceptional and amazing boys. She’s a sparkling soul whose podcast gave me the courage to start hosting these MamaFuel conversations. Julie and I cover a lot of ground, from raising differently-wired kids to discovering your strengths and the support you have in community. I turn the tables on Julie and ask her to walk us through the guideposts that she follows in her own life and asks all of her guests to talk about – I really valued the insight into how Julie is living her E.P.I.C. life, sparked to the max with joy and delight at leading other mothers in discovering their version of epic living.   Julie spoke movingly about her interview with Sybrina Fulton, whose son Trayvon died as a result of racial profiling and gun violence. Julie and her community are supporting Sybrina’s incredibly important initiative “Circle of Mothers” which allows mothers who have lost their children to gun violence to gather and heal in community. If you’d like to help send some of these grieving mothers to Sybrina’s retreat, click this link: www.mothersquest.com/circleofmothers. Every contribution helps. Julie’s hoping that her community will be able to raise $15,000 and they’re two-thirds of the way there. I’d love our community to help her get to her goal. Please click on the following link to hear Julie’s conversation with Sybrina Fulton and to find out more about their fundraising activities: http://mothersquest.com/ep55-sybrinafulton/ This is where you can listen to Julie’s episode with her son Ryan: http://mothersquest.com/ep-18-yolo-you-only-live-once-and-other-milestone-reflections-with-ryan-neale/ Julie’s conversation with Kristina Kuzmić is here: http://mothersquest.com/ep-11-flawed-with-truth-bomb-mom-kristina-kuzmic/ Listen to her conversation with Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin is here: http://mothersquest.com/ep-24-elizabeth-cronise-mclaughlin/ And to her chat with Debbie Reber of TILT Parenting here: http://mothersquest.com/ep26-debbie-reber/ In this episode we also mentioned Jonathan Fields and his Good Life Project quite a few times. Jonathan was our common link and his Camp Good Life Project is where Julie and I met in real life. Jonathan is the creator of so much goodness that I can’t encourage you enough to go to his page and drink it all in. Go: you’ll be so glad you did. Here’s where you can learn about Jonathan’s work and discover his incredible (and my all-time favourite) podcast: https://www.goodlifeproject.com and here’s where you can take your own Sparketype test: https://www.goodlifeproject.com/sparketest/ and start thinking and having conversations about what really sparks you. Announcements: Celebrate Int’l Women’s Day with a Contribution for Sybrina Fulton & her Circle of Mothers GoFundMe Closes TODAY!!! Today, on International Women’s Day, join us in contributing to the GoFundMe campaign to support an amazing woman, Trayvon Martin’s mother Sybrina MsCandy Fulton, and her Circle of Mothers healing retreat.  Already, it’s been amazing to see so many of you listen to the episode with Sybrina, contribute to the campaign, and invite others to do so too. With your support, we have raised over $10,000 of our $15,000 goal. I want to close the campaign out so that we can get the funds dispersed to the Trayvon Martin Foundation in time to help 10 mothers attend the healing retreat, for mothers who have lost a child to gun violence, this May. I hope you’ll listen if you haven’t and then take a look at the campaign and contribute in an amount meaningful to you. You can also help us spread the word. It would mean so much to mothers who are grieving if we can hit the goal and help them get to the event. Your donation is tax-deductible. Contribute here   https://www.gofundme.com/mq-circleofmoms Listen to the episode here  This intimate conversation with Sybrina Fulton, over a year in the making, was a unique opportunity to delve into her own journey, how the E.P.I.C. guideposts show up in her life and in her activism, and to hear her powerful call to action to invest in mothers, by reaching out to mothers grieving in our own communities and by contributing to her “Circle of Mothers,” a labor of love that came to her in her dreams. Listen here – http://mothersquest.com/ep55-sybrinafulton/ Spark Your E.P.I.C. Year Anyone else not have your year start the way you hoped?  A few weeks ago, I declared February the new January and facilitated a Mother’s Quest Workshop/Virtual Milestone Hike experience to help us all start again. Using photos from my favorite local hike, I took a small group on a journey to: Reflect on our last chapter (as we ascend)  Decide what we want to release (using an image of a big bad bonfire!) and what we want to carry forward Then, set intentions along the E.P.I.C. guideposts for our new chapter.  There’s a special planning sheet we created to guide you and help you document the whole process.  Truthfully, we can start fresh any time we choose. If you decide you want to reset and begin again, today, this afternoon or this weekend, using this experience and worksheet to support you, reply to this email and I”ll get it to you. Mother’s Quest Circle APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR MARCH 2019!! If you’re on a quest to live an E.P.I.C. life, on the threshold of a new chapter, but you’ve been feeling challenged by the path ahead, and want to be in community on your journey, the Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle may be the source of connection you’re looking for. The Mother’s Quest Circle provides inspiration, coaching and community for an intimate group of no more than 8 women who are ready to say “yes” to: Reflect together, in a community of like-minded mothers, on what matters most To consciously live their version (not someone else’s) of an E.P.I.C. life To take bold action toward one of the E.P.I.C. life guideposts before the end of the sessions To hold space for sharing, coaching, and championing one another  If you’re looking to create big shifts in your life or impact in 2019, the Circle is a great way to make an investment in yourself and what matters most to you. Apply here. Watch out for Season Four Season Four is right around the corner! Until then, I invite you to subscribe if you haven’t already to catch up on any episodes you’ve missed. And would love to see you in the private Mothers’ Quest Facebook Group where we will continue to build community and connection. Visitwww.mothersquest.com/community to join. Acknowledgements: A big THANK YOU to our “patrons” for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial and/or in-kind support: Democracy Clothing Michael Skolnik Helgi Maki Kari Azuma Tamara Sobomehin Katie Krimitsos Carrie Caulfield Arick Rachel Rosen Chandra Brooks Jen Simon Monisha Vasa Celia Ward-Wallace Vanessa Couto Desiree Adaway Rachel Steinman Katie Hanus Denise Barreto  Sage B. Hobbs  Samantha Nolan-Smith Jody Smith Emily Cretella Collette Flanagan Titilayo Tinubu Ali  Carly Magnus Hurt Lizzy Russinko  Suzanne Brown Mara Berns Langer Mallory Schlabach  Katharine Earhart Jessica Kupferman Jen Jenkins Dohner Genese Harris Tonya Rineer Liane Louie-Badua Cristin Downs  Erin Kendall  Niko Osoteo  Erik Newton  Claire Fry Divya Silbermann Rachel Winter Caren and Debbie Lieberman Cameron Miranda Fran and David Lieberman Debbie and Alan Goore The Sustainable Living Podcast Support the Podcast If you’d like to make a contribution to Mother’s Quest to support Season Three of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution. If you would like to “dedicate” an upcoming episode to a special mother in your life, email me at julie@mothersquest.com   Mother’s Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

I’m thrilled to share this special finale episode of the Mother’s Quest podcast with my very own sister, Caren Lettiere. Caren, ten years older than me and like a second mother in many ways, has been a guide, mentor and inspiration to me my whole life. She’s an ambitious, talented leader in the fashion industry and has managed to grow a $70 million dollar brand, Democracy Clothing, alongside a 27 year marriage and raising two of the loveliest young adults I know, my niece and nephew Nicole and Josh. After graduating from UCLA with a degree in political science, she took a different course and embarked on a career path in fashion, beginning in sales for a company called Rampage, and ultimately landing at Kellwood. There, she first filled a gap she noticed her daughter had for jeans and developed a brand to meet it called Jolt/Rewind. Soon after, she recognized an even greater underserved customer in the market, a dynamic, modern, multitasking mother like herself who loves fashion but got busy with life. Devoted to this ageless woman and aware that she doesn’t want to put an expiration date on her vitality, but could benefit from a little “engineering” when it comes to jeans, Caren launched Democracy Clothing. I loved this conversation with my sister and learned so much myself about how she grew the brand from her side hustle into the tremendously successful venture it is today. Family, magic, a positive mindset and a willingness to grow and evolve in community are just a few of the themes we explore in this episode. We cover everything from the important role that Caren’s husband David played in supporting her career to how they both championed their son Josh last year, when he received a cancer diagnosis and moved forward with his own positivity through three rounds of chemo and a clean bill of health. Caren also shares openly about her own health challenges and all the ways she has built community, at home and at work, to help her thrive. Finally, Caren gives us a special challenge. She asks us to follow and apply the 4 Pillars of Democracy Clothing:  to embrace who you are, enhance what you’ve got, elevate your taste level and evolve your personal style, in order to live a more whole and confident life. There’s also a special offer just for us…if you want to explore those pillars in a pair of Democracy jeans yourself, she’s offering a special 10% discount code, 10DEMOCRACY, that you can use on Amazon.com through January 13th. If this calls to you, we encourage you to purchase a pair, wear them with confidence doing something that really matters to you, and then take a photo and share your story with us on Instagram using the hashtags #democracyclothing and #mothersquest. We look forward to seeing and hearing your stories (then sharing them on Democracy’s Instastories) and learning about all the ways you are “rocking your walk,” as Caren likes to say… in your E.P.I.C. life. Much appreciation, P.S. Know someone who you think would appreciate this special episode? Click forward and share this conversation! This Episode is Dedicated by: The team at Democracy, represented by Director of Sales Judy Owens. Democracy is a denim-based casual lifestyle brand devoted to the woman who grew up with fashion, but then got busy with life. Founded in 2010, on the principle of “Curve Equality,” which acknowledges that all shapes are not created equal, Democracy’s designers set out to create a jean that that would maximize a woman’s shape by fusing together, style, comfort and technology. Sales inquiries: democracy.sales@kellwood.com www.democracyclothing.com www.facebook.com/democracyjeans www.twitter.com/democracyjeans www.instagram.com/democracyclothing In This Episode We Talk About: The BuzzFeed Article that sparked this episode and revealed Mother’s Quest community member Nancy Netherland’s story of wearing Democracy jeans from Capital Hill to her daughter’s hospital bedside 3 Things Caren learned from our mother, growing up as a 60’s child Caren’s path to living an E.P.I.C. life through pursuing her love of fashion Moments that make me and Caren cry as she reflects on the impact of our mother and father and her husband on her life How Democracy Clothing started out as Caren’s side hustle, the unique woman who inspired the brand, and how her work family helped it succeed The one thing Caren always knew she was on a quest for Keys to honoring your kids as they become more independent Caren’s son Josh’s experience battling testicular cancer last year and how she and her husband David honored his choices What Caren’s Dr. told her she could NOT do if she wanted to avoid diabetes, how she reclaimed her health, and the special way she starts her mornings alongside her daughter Nicole The Four Pillars of Democracy Clothing and a special challenge and discount for the Mother’s Quest Community  Resources and Topics Mentioned: Democracy Clothing (Wit & Wisdom) Featured on BuzzFeed Kellwood Ep 10: Choosing Gratitude and Glitter with Nancy Netherland, who inspired this episode with her own powerful story of wearing Democracy jeans. What is Your Jean Story? – Video with Caren Explaining Her Jeans Democracy Clothing Other Episodes with My Family Members: Ep 43: Love of Family and Pursuing our Fate ~A Father’s Day Special~ with David Lieberman EP34: Season Two Finale: The Power of Friendship and a 50 Year-Old Book Club with Fran Lieberman and Sandy Klasky Ep 18: YOLO (You Only Live Once) and other Milestone Reflectionswith Ryan Neale This Week’s Challenge: For this week’s challenge, Caren encourages us to take a moment and recognize that you are an extraordinary and dynamic woman. Learn to give yourself space to appreciate who you are and how you got to where you are now. Caren also asks us to follow and apply the 4 Pillars of Democracy to:  embrace who you are, enhance what you’ve got, elevate your taste level and evolve your personal style, in order to feel good about yourself and live a more whole and confident life. There’s also a special offer…if you want to explore those pillars in a pair of Democracy jeans yourself, she’s offering a special 10% discount code, 10DEMOCRACY, that you can use on Amazon.com through January 13th. We encourage you to purchase a pair, wear them with confidence doing something that really matters, and then take a photo and share your story with us using the hashtags #democracyclothing and #mothersquest. We look forward to seeing and hearing your stories and learning about all the ways you are “rocking your walk,” as Caren says…in your E.P.I.C. life. *Don’t forget to put #DemocracyClothing #MothersQuest as you share your Jeans story on Instagram and have an opportunity to have yours shared on Democracy’s Instastories. The code can be redeemed on multiple units of Democracy but only on one order per person. Code is valid through 1/13/19 or until supplies last. Learn More About Caren Lettierre: Caren is the founder and President of Democracy Clothing, the brand that she passionately created and launched in 2010 for Kellwood. After graduating from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in political science, Caren embarked on her non-traditional career path into fashion. She began in sales, launching the Rampage Clothing brand and their modern missy sub-brand CDC. After this, she embarked on her quest to fill the void in fashion for the dynamic, modern, multitasking woman. Through her empathetic lens, she embraces women of all shapes and sizes and is committed to providing them with the foundation and confidence as they pursue their E.P.I.C. life. Caren’s proudest accomplishment is the fulfilling family life that she built along the way with David, her husband of 27 years and their amazing kids Nicole and Josh. LinkedIn Announcements: Support the Circle of Mothers GoFundMe Campaign As of December of 2018, 644 children and 2,729 teens have been killed by gun violence in the US this year. If you feel  pain at the loss of so many young lives full of promise, imagine the devastating grief experienced by the mothers they’ve left behind. On May 16, 2014, Sybrina embarked on a powerful call to action to support and invest in mothers, by reaching out to mothers grieving in our communities. The Circle of Mothers, an annual retreat for women who have lost a child to senseless gun violence, was born.  It costs $1,500 to sponsor a mother who would otherwise not be able to participate in Circle of Mothers. Activist Michael Skolnik and I have pledged the first $3,000 of this $15,000 campaign, 2 toward our goal of 10 women we hope to send.  I pray that one day we won’t need The Circle of Mothers, because we’ve brought an end to gun violence in the US and no more mothers will have to grieve the theft of their children’s lives.   Until then, I hope you’ll open your hearts and minds to Sybrina’s story, lift up grieving mothers who seek healing, and invest in them to lead the way forward. Support the Campaign Women Podcasters in Solidarity Tragically, I have now lost count of the number of mass shootings have taken place just in the time since the Women Podcasters in Solidarity selected “gun safety” as the issue we want to shine a light on this season. Grateful to partner with Cristin Marie and Elsie Escobar on bringing this season of the Initiative to life. It is my deepest hope that through the power of podcasting, the episodes we will record, the conversations we will share with our listeners, and the dollars we will collectively raise toward gun safety causes, will save lives. Please take a look at Cristin’s post here and say “yes” to the Initiative yourself or help spread the word to reach other podcasters who would want to join. Mother’s Quest Circle APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR FEBRUARY 2019!! If you’re on a quest to live an E.P.I.C. life, but you’ve been feeling challenged, isolated, or unsure of the path ahead, the Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle may be the source of connection you’re looking for. The Mother’s Quest Circle provides inspiration, coaching and community for an intimate group of no more than 8 women who are ready to say “yes” to: Reflect together, in a community of like-minded mothers, on what matters most To consciously live their version (not someone else’s) of an E.P.I.C. life To take bold action toward one of the E.P.I.C. life guideposts before the end of the sessions To hold space for sharing, coaching, and championing one another so we are “in community” on our journey If you’re looking to start the year strong, the Circle is a great way to make an investment in yourself and what matters most to you. Apply here to add your name to the wait list.  Watch out for Season Four This is the last episode of Season Three of the Mother’s Quest Podcast. I’ll be taking some time off from podcasting during the holidays and start of the new year but will be back in February with an incredible Season Four. Until then, I invite you to subscribe if you haven’t already to catch up on any episodes you’ve missed. And would love to see you in the private Mothers’ Quest Facebook Group where we will continue to build community and connection. Visit www.mothersquest.com/community to join. Acknowledgements: A big THANK YOU to our “patrons” for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial and/or in-kind support: Democracy Clothing Michael Skolnik Helgi Maki Kari Azuma Tamara Sobomehin Katie Krimitsos Carrie Caulfield Arick Rachel Rosen Chandra Brooks Jen Simon Monisha Vasa Celia Ward-Wallace Vanessa Couto Desiree Adaway Rachel Steinman Katie Hanus Denise Barreto  Sage B. Hobbs  Samantha Nolan-Smith Jody Smith Emily Cretella Collette Flanagan Titilayo Tinubu Ali  Carly Magnus Hurt Lizzy Russinko  Suzanne Brown Mara Berns Langer Mallory Schlabach  Katharine Earhart Jessica Kupferman Jen Jenkins Dohner Genese Harris Tonya Rineer Liane Louie-Badua Cristin Downs  Erin Kendall  Niko Osoteo  Erik Newton  Claire Fry Divya Silbermann Rachel Winter Caren and Debbie Lieberman Cameron Miranda Fran and David Lieberman Debbie and Alan Goore The Sustainable Living Podcast Support the Podcast If you’d like to make a contribution to Mother’s Quest to support Season Three of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution. If you would like to “dedicate” an upcoming episode to a special mother in your life, email me at julie@mothersquest.com   Mother’s Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

I’m honored to bring this special episode of the Mother’s Quest Podcast to you with mother, activist, writer, co-founder of the Trayvon Martin Foundation and an inspiration to so many, Sybrina Fulton.  The episode is the last in a series I’ve recorded for the Women Podcasters in Solidarity Initiative on the subject of gun safety and the intersectional impact of gun violence on our communities.  Unfortunately, Sybrina deeply knows the grief that comes in the wake of gun violence. But, after the deadly 2012 shooting of her beloved son, Trayvon Benjamin Martin, she felt compelled to rise up, literally pushing herself to get out of her bed, becoming the voice for her son and embarking on a journey to bring awareness to senseless gun violence and racial profiling.   In 2016, Sybrina rallied to the forefront at the Democratic National Convention with a group of African American trailblazing women, connected by tragedy, who became known as “Mothers of the Movement” for the “Black Lives Matter” Movement the death of their children sparked.  She didn’t stop there. In 2017, Sybrina co-authored her first book, Rest in Power, The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin, a memoir recounting the death of her son, which became the subject of a docu-series that debuted this year, Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story, produced by hip-hop mogul Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter. This intimate conversation, over a year in the making, was a unique opportunity to delve into Sybrina’s own journey, how the E.P.I.C. guideposts show up in her life and in her activism, and to hear her powerful call to action to invest in mothers, by reaching out to mothers grieving in our own communities and by contributing to her “Circle of Mothers,” a labor of love that came to her in her dreams.  I’m grateful to activist Michael Skolnik, who dedicated this episode, for connecting me to Sybrina and for inviting us to spread this conversation far and wide and direct resources to help mothers turn their grief into healing and advocacy, following Sybrina’s powerful example.  Michael and I have each pledged the first $3,000 to the campaign, each of us $1500 to sponsor a different mother to attend Circle of Mothers. I hope you’ll open your hearts and minds to Sybrina’s story, visit mothersquest.com/circleofmothers and join us in contributing to her mission.  Much appreciation,  P.S. Know someone who you think would appreciate this special episode? Push forward and share this conversation! This Episode is Dedicated by: Michael Skolnik Michael Skolnik was recently profiled in the NY Times and identified as “the man you go to if you want to leverage the power of celebrity and the reach of digital media to soften the ground for social change.” But, besides all of that, he is most proud to be the father of Mateo Ali, a rambunctious five year old.  He is the co-founder and partner of The Soze Agency, a social impact agency that partners with companies, non-profits, foundations and movements to create campaigns that uplift compassion, authenticity and equity. He is a respected leader in the new social justice movement, and has helped ignite conversations around America’s relationship with race, the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown and Eric Garner, and the Obama and Trump presidencies. He is a prolific voice on social media with more than 350,000 followers, and a regular commentator on outlets such as CNN, MSNBC and Fox News. Michael serves on the Board of Directors for Rock The Vote, The Trayvon Martin Foundation, Policy Link, The Gathering For Justice and The Young Partners Board of The Public Theater. Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter The Soze Agency Learn more about Michael Skolnik: https://about.me/michaelskolnik   In This Episode We Talk About: What Sybrina wishes everyone would know about approaching a conversation with a mother who has lost a child. My 14 year old son’s question to Sybrina about what it feels like when your calling and the powerful work you’re doing is sparked by a tremendous loss. Why we need systemic and cultural change, and more awareness-raising conversations, to keep young people of color safe from racial profiling. The tragic death of Chinedu Okobi, an unarmed young black man who was tasered to death by San Mateo County deputies, just 20 minutes from my own home. The importance for grieving mothers to remember the things that they used to love and what Sybrina’s joyful outlet is The Circle of Mothers and how the idea to create it came to Sybrina in a dream. Sybrina’s challenge for all of us to open our hearts and to reach out to mothers, across differences, who have lost their child to let them know we care. Why investing in mothers is the most powerful lever to impact gun control.   Resources and Topics Mentioned: Trayvon Martin Foundation Circle of Mothers Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin Remembrance Weekend: Peace Walk on February 9th followed by the Remembrance Gala on February 10th Article from CNN about Chinedu Okobi - Facebook executive says unreleased video calls into question police account of brother’s death GoFundMe for Circle of Mothers Women Podcasters in Solidarity website Other Mother’s Quest Episodes in This Series on Gun Safety:  Ep 37: Generations Rising for Gun Safety with Gloria Pan Ep 54: Superheroes, Fighting Patriarchy, and Courageously Defeating Gun Violence with Ladd Everitt And in Last Year’s Series on Anti-Racism and Police Accountability: Ep 27: Courageous Conversations about Race with Nicole Lee EP31: Brave Spaces and Solidarity with “Rad Women” Author Kate Schatz EP33: Beyond the Trauma: Legacy, Compassion and Change with Mothers Against Police Brutality Co-Founder Sara Mokuria   This Week’s Challenge: For this week’s challenge, Sybrina asks us to reach out to a mother who has lost a child and be a support to them. Take them out, let them know you are here, organize something for a group. Let them know that they are not alone.  You can also show your support, and invest in the healing of mothers who can lead the way forward, by contributing directly to the GoFundMe campaign and sponsor mothers to attend this year’s Circle of Mothers event. We have a goal to raise $15,000 and send 10 mothers, at $1,500 per person, who wouldn’t otherwise be able to attend.  CLICK HERE  Learn More About Sybrina Fulton: After the death of her beloved son, Trayvon Benjamin Martin, in February 2012, Sybrina Fulton was charged with a new mission. A desire to transform family tragedy into social change allowed her to establish the Trayvon Martin Foundation in March 2012. As Fulton traverses the globe, she passionately embarks on a journey designed to bring awareness to senseless gun violence and serves as an advocate to families, the catalyst for her dream project, the “Circle of Mothers.” Winning the national support of president-elect Hillary Clinton, Fulton rallied to the forefront in 2016 at the Democratic National Convention with a cadre of African American trailblazing women known as “Mothers of the Movement.” The women, connected by tragedy, are the inspiration behind the “Black Lives Matter.” In 2017, Fulton co-authored her first book, Rest in Power, The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin, a memoir recounting the death of her son, and the subject of a six-part docuseries, Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story, produced by hip-hop mogul Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter for Paramount Network and BET (July 2018). Bestowed with many distinguished awards, Sybrina Fulton has represented the United States at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss racial discrimination; the National Urban League, Black Lives Matter, Rainbow PUSH Coalition, The Triumph Awards (2016), Essence Festival & Conference (2017, 2018), and was selected as the White House’s guest of honor for the unveiling of former President Barak Obama’s initiative, “My Brother’s Keeper.” Fulton is also one of the 2018 recipients of VH1’s Trailblazer Honor Award. A Miami native and graduate of Florida Memorial University, Sybrina Fulton, along with her son, Jahvaris, are on a mission to build better, safer communities. She is a proud member of the Miami Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the Metropolitan Dade County Section of the National Council of Negro Women, Inc. She created the Circle of Mothers as a way to empower women. The purpose of the Circle of Mothers is to bring together mothers who have lost children or family members to senseless gun violence for the purpose of healing, empowerment, and fellowship towards the larger aim of community building.  Connect with Sybrina at: Facebook Twitter Instagram www.circleofmothers.org www.trayvonmartinfoundation.org   Announcements: Support the Circle of Mothers GoFundMe Campaign As of December of 2018, 644 children and 2,729 teens have been killed by gun violence in the US this year. If you feel  pain at the loss of so many young lives full of promise, imagine the devastating grief experienced by the mothers they’ve left behind. On May 16, 2014, Sybrina embarked on a powerful call to action to support and invest in mothers, by reaching out to mothers grieving in our communities. The Circle of Mothers, an annual retreat for women who have lost a child to senseless gun violence, was born.  It costs $1,500 to sponsor a mother who would otherwise not be able to participate in Circle of Mothers. Activist Michael Skolnik and I have pledged the first $3,000 of this $15,000 campaign, 2 toward our goal of 10 women we hope to send.  I pray that one day we won’t need The Circle of Mothers, because we’ve brought an end to gun violence in the US and no more mothers will have to grieve the theft of their children’s lives.   Until then, I hope you’ll open your hearts and minds to Sybrina’s story, lift up grieving mothers who seek healing, and invest in them to lead the way forward. Support the Campaign Women Podcasters in Solidarity Tragically, I have now lost count of the number of mass shootings have taken place just in the time since the Women Podcasters in Solidarity selected “gun safety” as the issue we want to shine a light on this season. Grateful to partner with Cristin Marie and Elsie Escobar on bringing this season of the Initiative to life. It is my deepest hope that through the power of podcasting, the episodes we will record, the conversations we will share with our listeners, and the dollars we will collectively raise toward gun safety causes, will save lives. Please take a look at Cristin’s post here and say “yes” to the Initiative yourself or help spread the word to reach other podcasters who would want to join. Mother’s Quest Circle If you’re on a quest to live an E.P.I.C. life, but you’ve been feeling challenged, isolated, or unsure of the path ahead, the Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle may be the source of connection you’re looking for. The Mother’s Quest Circle provides inspiration, coaching and community for an intimate group of no more than 8 women who are ready to say “yes” to: Reflect together, in a community of like-minded mothers, on what matters most To consciously live their version (not someone else’s) of an E.P.I.C. life To take bold action toward one of the E.P.I.C. life guideposts before the end of the sessions To hold space for sharing, coaching, and championing one another so we are “in community” on our journey If you’re looking to start the year strong, the Circle is a great way to make an investment in yourself and what matters most to you. Apply here to add your name to the wait list. Learn More Acknowledgements: A big THANK YOU to our “patrons” for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial and/or in-kind support: Michael Skolnik Helgi Maki Kari Azuma Tamara Sobomehin Katie Krimitsos Carrie Caulfield Arick Rachel Rosen Chandra Brooks Jen Simon Monisha Vasa Celia Ward-Wallace Vanessa Couto Desiree Adaway Rachel Steinman Katie Hanus Denise Barreto  Sage B. Hobbs  Samantha Nolan-Smith Jody Smith Emily Cretella Collette Flanagan Titilayo Tinubu Ali  Carly Magnus Hurt Lizzy Russinko  Suzanne Brown Mara Berns Langer Mallory Schlabach  Katharine Earhart Jessica Kupferman Jen Jenkins Dohner Genese Harris Tonya Rineer Liane Louie-Badua Cristin Downs  Erin Kendall  Niko Osoteo  Erik Newton  Claire Fry Divya Silbermann Rachel Winter Caren and Debbie Lieberman Cameron Miranda Fran and David Lieberman Debbie and Alan Goore The Sustainable Living Podcast Support the Podcast If you’d like to make a contribution to Mother’s Quest to support Season Three of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution. If you would like to “dedicate” an upcoming episode to a special mother in your life, email me at julie@mothersquest.com   — Mother’s Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/