Ever had a neighbor become part of your village?

This week I’m sitting down with Melissa — one of my favorite humans, former across-the-street neighbor, and the teacher-mom who helped raise my kids during our cul-de-sac years.

Melissa recently did something incredibly brave: she moved her family out of state, left the only community she’s ever known, and started teaching in a completely new school system.

In this conversation we talk about:

• What actually happens when you move your family to a new state

• Teaching 4th & 5th graders in 2025 — the emotions, the tech, the expectations

• Why kids today struggle with focus, grit, and problem-solving

• The hidden emotional labor teachers carry

• Parenting styles, classroom culture, and what teachers wish parents knew

• How mom friendships become lifelines — especially during COVID-era motherhood

• Cowboy romance books, Amazon “potato shoes,” and the art of driveway therapy.

If you’ve ever lost your village, rebuilt your village, or wished you had one — this episode will feel like a warm cup of coffee on the driveway.

🎙️ Listen, share, and tag a teacher-mom who would love this.

Episode Description

Hey friends! This episode is a really special one because I'm sitting down with one of my best friends, Casey Calkins—the person who literally talked me out of the classroom and into tech, and who has been cheering on this podcast since it was just a scribble in my notes app.

If you're a high-achieving, spreadsheet-loving, "I can handle it" working mom who's running on fumes, this one's for you.

Casey spent 20 years in sales at companies like Salesforce, leading teams and crushing it on paper. But behind the scenes, her body was waving every red flag: chronic migraines that looked like strokes, a collapse at lunch with her parents, a heart defect, and what turned out to be a cerebellar stroke.

In This Conversation, We Talk About:

• What burnout really looks like for ambitious women (beyond "I'm tired")
• How COVID, remote work, and little kids created the perfect storm for chronic stress
• The identity crisis that came with taking a leave of absence
• The resentment she felt towards her own body
• Small, unsexy things that helped her heal: walks, boundaries, fiction, creativity, asking for help
• Why she left corporate to start C2IT Partners, coaching leaders to build healthier team cultures

If you've ever wondered "Is it really this bad? Or am I just not enough?"—you need to hear this. You are not weak. Your nervous system is just tired.

Note: This episode is longer than usual because I couldn't cut anything out. Grab your coffee (or sleepy time tea), maybe some banana bread, and let's dive in.

Resources Mentioned:

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily & Amelia Nagoski

Unlocking Us® episode: "Burnout and How to Complete the Stress Cycle"

The 5 Types of Wealth by Sahil Bloom

After-School Banana Bread by Joanna Gaines Get the cookbook here! View the recipe

Connect with Casey Calkins:

Website: C2IT Partners

LinkedIn: Casey Calkins

Instagram: @c2itpartners

Connect With Me:

Instagram: @wannagrabcoffeepod

Trigger Warning: This episode discusses health crises and the physical effects of chronic stress.

On this episode of Wanna Grab Coffee? we’re talking PTO. You know, that “benefit” that somehow turned into Paid Time Off for Sick Kids, School Chaos, and Everyone Else’s Emergencies Except Yours. Working moms, this one is for us.

If you’ve ever tried to be emotionally available on the first or last day of school while secretly checking Slack in the pickup line… same. And if you’ve ever wondered why taking a single PTO day feels harder than your actual job… also same.

In this episode, we’re breaking down how to reclaim PTO as part of your earned compensation, not a guilty treat. You’ll learn how to use PTO as a tool for intentional life design- not just for fevers, field trips, and last-minute crises — but for mental health, emotional availability, and showing up for your kids when it matters most.

We get into:

☕️ The invisible emotional load of school transitions ☕️ Why presence > perfection (and definitely > inbox zero)

☕️ How to set boundaries with your team + manager

☕️ Tactical ways to unplug without spiraling

☕️ How PTO supports burnout recovery, parenting, and career longevity

☕️ What it looks like to design a life that works for your family, not just your job

This is real talk for working moms juggling career pressure, mom guilt, emotional labor, and the constant mental load. If you’re trying to balance motherhood and ambition without losing your sanity, this episode will give you both the truth bombs and the tools.

Grab your coffee, shut down your Slack, and let’s talk about the PTO you deserve — and how it can change the way you show up for your family and yourself.