Multiple kids. A full-time career. A growing ministry.

When Debbie Simmons suddenly became a mom to five children overnight through adoption, she knew that surviving wasn't enough. Instead of letting the chaos take over, she built a simple system that gave every child a voice, created structure, and allowed her family to thrive—all while continuing to work full time.

In this episode of Women and Work, Debbie shares how overcoming unimaginable personal tragedy shaped her leadership, motherhood, and mission to help thousands of families heal through trauma counseling. From engineering to ministry, nonprofit leadership, and raising nine adopted children, her journey proves that structure, resilience, and purpose can coexist.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Raising five children while working full time

• Why family schedules reduce stress

• Leading through tragedy and trauma

• Building a successful nonprofit from scratch

• The Architecture of Trust

• Balancing leadership and motherhood

What's one system or routine that has made your family life easier?

Learn about building your own legacy at The Architecture of Trust: https://thedebbiesimmons.com/

Struggling to find the right child care? Get a video interview of your ideal nanny at https://www.momsub.com/child-care-options

#WomenAndWork #WorkingMoms #Leadership #Parenting #WomenInBusiness

Choosing between your career and your family shouldn't have to be the only option.

After becoming a mother, Marla Fronczak stepped away from a demanding career because she didn't realize flexible work arrangements were even possible. She reinvented herself as a real estate appraiser to gain more control over her schedule, overcame gender bias in a male-dominated industry, and eventually discovered a passion for serving older adults that led her to become CEO of AgeGuide.

In this episode of Women and Work, Marla shares how finding champions, embracing career pivots, and advocating for flexible workplaces helped her build a meaningful career without losing sight of what mattered most.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• Why she left her first career after becoming a mom

• Finding flexible work through entrepreneurship

• Facing discrimination as a woman in real estate appraisal

• The importance of mentors and career champions

• Reinventing your career at any stage of life

• Supporting working caregivers in today's workplace

• Why flexibility benefits both employers and employees

• Preparing for retirement while continuing to make an impact

What career decision ended up changing the direction of your life the most? Share your story in the comments.

Struggling to find the right child care? Get a video interview of your ideal nanny at https://www.momsub.com/child-care-options

#WomenAndWork #CareerGrowth #WorkingMoms #Leadership #CareerChange

Trying to live up to everyone else's expectations can lead you down a path that doesn't truly belong to you.

For Mariaelena Morales, years of striving for perfection were rooted in a childhood where she never felt like she was enough. That drive pushed her to achieve prestigious milestones and pour everything into her career, only to eventually face burnout and realize she had been living according to other people's expectations instead of her own.

Today, as the Founder of Mariaelena Marketing, she shares how emotional trauma, burnout, autism, and redefining family helped her reclaim her life and career on her own terms.

In this episode, Mariaelena discusses:

• Growing up feeling like nothing was ever good enough

• The pressure of perfectionism and achievement

• Experiencing career and personal burnout

• Receiving an autism diagnosis as an adult

• Building a chosen family and support system

• Learning to set boundaries and advocate for herself

• Leaving corporate life to launch her own business

How have other people's expectations influenced the choices you've made in your career or life?

Struggling to find the right child care? Get a video interview of your ideal nanny at https://www.momsub.com/child-care-options

#WomenAndWork #CareerGrowth #BurnoutRecovery #WomenInBusiness #PersonalGrowth

Building a successful career often means making choices you never expected—and sometimes, those choices shape your entire life.

For Jeanne Sparrow, a decades-long career in television and radio brought incredible opportunities, meaningful relationships, and personal fulfillment. But along the way, she realized that demanding careers often require unconscious choices about family, relationships, and what truly matters.

Instead of dwelling on what might have been, Jeanne learned to embrace the choices she made, remain authentic, and define success on her own terms.

In this episode of Women and Work, Jeanne shares how mentorship, sponsorship, curiosity, and fearless authenticity helped her build a lasting career in media.

Topics discussed:

• The hidden sacrifices behind demanding careers

• Mentors vs. sponsors—and why you need both

• How being coachable opens career doors

• Defining success on your own terms

• The challenge of balancing career, family, and personal dreams

• Why fearless authenticity matters in every stage of life

Have you ever looked back and wondered how your career choices shaped the life you have today?

Struggling to find the right child care? Get a video interview of your ideal nanny at https://www.momsub.com/child-care-options

#WomenAndWork #JeanneSparrow #FearlessAuthenticity #CareerGrowth #WomenInLeadership

Facing uncertainty can feel safer than stepping into a completely new chapter.

For Corinne Pierog, every major career transition required courage—from leaving a dismissive workplace, to raising two children as a single mother, building a consulting business, and eventually entering politics later in life.

After years of saying no to opportunities that felt intimidating, Corinne decided to walk through a door she had long been afraid to open. Running for state office taught her lessons about leadership, resilience, public service, and the impact one person can have on an entire community.

In this episode of Women and Work, Corinne shares how she navigated career pivots, motherhood, entrepreneurship, grief, and public leadership while staying true to her values:

• Overcoming bias as a young woman in the workplace

• Building confidence after difficult career experiences

• Raising children as a single mother

• Creating stability while balancing work and family

• Starting a consulting business later in life

• Learning to embrace career risks

• Running for political office for the first time

• Finding purpose through public service

• The importance of mentors and lifelong learning

• Why courage often comes after fear—not before it

What opportunity have you been hesitant to pursue because it feels outside your comfort zone?

Struggling to find the right child care? Get a video interview of your ideal nanny at https://www.momsub.com/child-care-options

#WomenAndWork #Leadership #WomenInBusiness #CareerGrowth #PublicService

Disclaimer: This episode is intended for audiences 18 years and older.

Balancing motherhood and a meaningful career is never easy — especially when building something deeply personal.

Kristen Miele, Founder of Sex Ed Reclaimed and a certified Community Health Educator, shares her journey from public health classrooms to launching a digital curriculum that helps parents navigate important conversations with their children.

After years of teaching and seeing the same gaps, she created practical tools for families, all while raising two young daughters.

Topics discussed:

• The real challenges of mom guilt and balancing business with family

• Starting a purpose-driven business in the parenting space

• The importance of open, age-appropriate conversations at home

• Overcoming personal discomfort to pursue impactful work

What does balancing purpose and family look like for you? Drop your thoughts below

Find age-appropriate sex education videos at https://www.sexedreclaimed.com/

Struggling to find the right child care? Get a video interview of your ideal nanny at https://www.momsub.com/child-care-options

#WomenAndWork #Mompreneur #ParentingTips #SexEdReclaimed #WorkingMomLife

Building a successful business, achieving financial freedom, and checking every box on the path to success should have felt like the finish line.

For Heather Simco, it wasn't.

After growing up in a difficult home, Heather pursued stability through teaching before helping build a thriving martial arts business with her husband. But behind the success was a battle with addiction, unresolved trauma, and the realization that external achievements couldn't heal internal struggles.

Everything changed when she hit rock bottom, got sober, and began rebuilding her life from the inside out.

Today, Heather helps women navigate transformation, wellness, recovery, and entrepreneurship through her coaching practice.

In this episode of Women and Work, Heather shares her remarkable journey from survival to self-discovery:

• Growing up in a difficult and unstable household

• Choosing security over passion early in life

• Building a successful martial arts business from scratch

• The hidden challenges that came with success

• Addiction, recovery, and finding sobriety

• Rebuilding identity after trauma and injury

• Entrepreneurship and creating a purpose-driven career

• Raising a daughter while building a business

• Why community is essential for personal growth

• Finding freedom through reinvention

How has a major life challenge reshaped the direction of your career or personal life?

If you want to transform in mental, physical, and spiritual ways, check out Heather’s Concierge Coaching at:

https://link.communicake.io/widget/form/LcdbEIlwhPc1Vz8LQxm3?am_id=diane8572

You can join Heather’s Sober Boss Babe Community at:

https://www.soberbossbabe.com/sbbcommunity?am_id=diane6312

Leave behind your toxic lifestyle behind by embarking on the Sober Boss Babe reset here:

https://soberbossbabe.com/sbbcourse?am_id=diane6761

Come together with other women in recovery at the Sober Boss Babe Retreat here:

https://www.soberbossbabe.com/sbbretreatoptin?am_id=diane1165

Struggling to find the right child care? Get a video interview of your ideal nanny at https://www.momsub.com/child-care-options

#WomenAndWork #SobrietyJourney #Entrepreneurship #PersonalGrowth #WomenInBusiness

Trying to “do it all” can sometimes mean saying no to the opportunity you worked your whole career for.

Jen Anderson spent nearly two decades building a successful career in fitness leadership while raising her family. After turning down a promotion when her children were young, she expected the opportunity would still be there when the timing was right. But when she was finally ready, the company chose someone else.

Instead of letting that setback define her, Jen used her years of leadership experience to reinvent herself as a business consultant and “Professional Wing Woman,” helping entrepreneurs grow with strategy, accountability, and business development support.

In this episode of Women and Work, Jen shares how motherhood shaped her career decisions, why timing matters more than titles, and how walking away from corporate life led her to build something even better:

• Turning down a promotion for family

• Being passed over later in your career

• Balancing leadership and motherhood

• Managing the mental load as working parents

• Transitioning from corporate to entrepreneurship

• Building a business through referrals and networking

• Finding confidence and using your voice

• Why some opportunities are meant for another season

Have you ever turned down an opportunity because it wasn’t the right season of life?

Struggling to find the right child care? Get a video interview of your ideal nanny at https://www.momsub.com/child-care-options

If you’re looking to get your business or your health in shape, check out https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-anderson-wingwoman/

#WomenAndWork #WorkingMoms #CareerGrowth #WomenInBusiness #Entrepreneurship