Ambitious and Balanced Working Moms
Episodes
Practical tools to manage insecurity (with Melissa Hucal)
20 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of the podcast, I talk with my client Melissa about how she learned to handle her inner voice of self-doubt. We discuss simple to...
Default Parent Resentment
13 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode of the podcast, I dive into the topic of being the "default parent"—the one who primarily manages our child's basic needs and...
How to end the "shoulding" (with Marilen Abbago)
06 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast, we delve into overcoming the burden of 'shoulding'—that nagging feeling of always having to meet certain expectation...
Navigating travel expectations at work
29 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's not easy to travel for work particularly if you have young kids at home. There’s lots of feelings of guilt, sadness, likely anxiety. There’s ...
Listener question and answer - feeling undervalued
22 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In today's podcast episode, I tackle the challenging topics that resonate deeply with many of you. I delve into listeners questions on the struggles o...
Listener question and answer - falling back into old habits
15 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, we are doing a listener question and answer. We are diving into questions that you submitted via email or social media. Today, we ...
Everything to everyone all at once (with Kim Nguyen)
08 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I sit down with Kim, my coaching client to talk about managing a successful career and being a devoted mom. We dive into how society ...
Stop rushing
01 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” or “Come on, come on, come on!” these are familiar phrases when rushing through daily life, particularly...
The 75/25 rule (stop wasting time overpreparing)
25 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I introduce the "75/25 rule," where you make it a goal to ONLY be 75% ready for meetings, presentations, or talks with clients, instea...
The real story behind mom guilt
18 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Most women don’t quite understand what is at the heart of mom guilt. They’ll say they feel guilty for working or for sending their kids to daycare...
7 strategies to prevent burnout
11 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As an ambitious working mom, burnout and exhaustion come easily. Your brain is hardwired to want to do more and achieve more, it’s part of who you a...
Be available or present (but you can't be both)
04 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Most ambitious women have a core value of “being available” that they're almost ashamed to admit. It's like a value that they don't want to value....
The pivot moment
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The pivot moment is the moment you realize you’re about to say yes to something you don’t want to, or you’re feeling anxious about an upcoming p...
Being raised by a stay-at-home mom
19 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What happens if you were raised by a stay-at-home mom (and that is not what you have chosen to do) or the way you see other working mom’s balance li...
Leaps of faith – my personal journey as a working mom
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
11 years ago, when I was pregnant with my daughter, I felt like I was in the middle of an identity crisis. I didn’t know who I was or what I wanted ...
What to do when you fail at your goals
05 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Motivation becomes almost non-existent by February for new year’s resolutions and goals. If you are like many working moms, you probably want a “r...
Sex after kids (with Danielle Savory)
29 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If there’s one thing that gets completely de-prioritized by every mom I know, it’s SEX. Look, I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to just...
Advancing your career in 2024 with Stacy Mayer
22 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What’s it going to take to get promoted and advance your career in 2024? I asked this question to executive coach and promotion strategist, Stacy Ma...
Select an effective word-of-the-year in 3 steps
15 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I’ve been selecting a word of the year for the past 20 years, so I know a thing or two about not just how to select a word but how to make it an eff...
The #1 mindset for 2024 and 5 things to expect when cultivating it
08 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The #1 mindset to help you get unstuck and meet all your goals this year is: I can figure it out. This one thought, as you learn to cultivate it, will...
The motherhood identity crisis (rebroadcast)
01 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The motherhood identity crisis is the internal questioning that happens after you start having kids. “Who am I?” and “What do I want?” are fun...
Love your current life (rebroadcast)
25 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The fastest way to get to the balanced and fulfilling working mom life you desire is to love your current working mom life. When you need something to...
The best end-of-year practice
18 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As the year ends, your brain is seeking closure for the things that have taken place and is ready to reset for the year ahead. In today’s podcast I ...
Coaching vs. therapy
11 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Coaching or therapy? This is a question that comes up for women that are trying to decide what kind of help they need. When should you hire a coach in...
Holiday mistake #6: Not scheduling times for rest and fun
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There are 6 common mistakes that create stress and overwhelm for working moms during the holiday season. During this mini-series I will cover each mis...
Holiday mistake #5: Not having a plan for when things get off track
04 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There are 6 common mistakes that create stress and overwhelm for working moms during the holiday season. During this mini-series I will cover each mis...
Holiday mistake #4: Not expecting big emotions
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There are 6 common mistakes that create stress and overwhelm for working moms during the holiday season. During this mini-series I will cover each mis...
Holiday mistake #3: Not deciding when to be OFF work
27 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There are 6 common mistakes that create stress and overwhelm for working moms during the holiday season. During this mini-series I will cover each mis...
Holiday mistake #2: Not creating a specific plan
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There are 6 common mistakes that create stress and overwhelm for working moms during the holiday season. During this mini-series I will cover each mis...
Holiday mistake #1: Not defining success
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There are 6 common mistakes that create stress and overwhelm for working moms during the holiday season. During this mini-series I will cover each mis...
7 ways to redirect your “not enough” thoughts
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone has “not enough” thoughts. These are the thoughts that sound like, “you’re not doing enough”, “you’re not good enough” or “...
Buffering Emotions
06 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When you do something other than the thing that you know you need to be doing you are buffering. Buffering is when you avoid your priorities, commitme...
The long term results of coaching (with Nicole Anderson)
30 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
My client, Nicole, shares the long-term results that she has experienced from coaching. Nicole started working with me almost 3 years ago and on today...
Stop saying “This shouldn’t be hard”
23 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Nobody promised ease in life. Nobody said being a working mom, a parent, a partner, finding work-life balance, getting a fulfilling job or putting up ...
Listener question and answer (part 1)
16 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On today’s episode I am answering 3 listener questions: How do you and your ambitious spouse BOTH make strides in your careers at the same time with...
Prioritizing your marriage (with Dr. Chavonne Perotte)
09 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to start moving your marriage up the priority list (even if your spouse does not)? To answer this question, I invited life and marri...
5 reasons to not wait
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You don’t have to wait until you are burnt-out or so terribly unhappy to make a change. If you want to change jobs, go after a promotion or change y...
How to let go of how others feel
25 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“I don’t know how to make him happy. “I don't want her to cry.” “I need to make sure she understands.” “I don’t want them to feel disa...
Feeling your feelings (with Dr. Skylar Clark)
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Feelings are meant to be felt - this was a new concept for Dr. Skylar Clark. Just over a year ago she moved her family of 6 from one coast to the othe...
The endless to do list
11 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You get to decide what you want to think about your to do list. You could decide to think “I’m behind” or “I’m not getting enough done”, w...
How to feel certain
04 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s very uncomfortable for your brain to be in uncertainty. To not know. To be unclear on the answer. To not be sure that something is right. When ...
The “do something luxurious” challenge
28 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Last week I challenged my client, Lindsay, to do something luxurious. Something that felt a little excessive (maybe even a little irresponsible). As a...
Thoughts about your future (part 4)
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There are 4 things you need to believe about yourself and your future if you want to meet your goals as an ambitious working mom. Your goals, the thin...
Thoughts about yourself as a mom (part 3)
14 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Believing “I am doing it right” and “I’m giving them enough” are two essential beliefs for ambitious and balanced working moms. You need to ...
Thoughts about your work (part 2)
07 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If your internal dialogue about yourself and your work is primarily negative, meaning your thoughts tend to skew toward: I’m not good enough, I shou...
Thoughts about your marriage (part 1)
31 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today we are starting a 4-part series focused on the thoughts you have about yourself. Your thoughts play an important role in creating the ambitious ...
Defining a metric of success
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How do you define success and how do you measure it? If success is based on your achievements, then it will always have you striving to do more. If it...
4 tools to calm down your brain (with Cathy Sullivan) rebroadcast
17 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As a working mom your brain is likely always "on". You are constantly thinking about the things that need to get accomplished and the decisions that n...
From self-doubt to confident (with Ana Marfil)
10 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What you believe about yourself, your confidence, effects everything that you do. Your level of confidence effects how you feel about your work, how y...
Live a regret-free life
03 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A life without regret means that every day you are living with intention and presence. It means you know what you want in your life and are you going ...
Stay-at-home mom envy
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Do you ever wish you could be a stay-at-home mom? Or maybe you don’t wish to be home with your kids ALL the time, but you just wish you could work l...
Scheduling in (and keeping) time for you and your priorities
19 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Scheduling in (and keeping) time for just you and you priorities is difficult. There never feels like enough time, you don’t want anyone to be disap...
How to unplug during a vacation in 3 steps
12 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Are you committed to being completely offline during your vacations? Because here’s what I can guarantee, being offline and actually giving your bra...
Balancing ambition with feeling enough (with Misty Dykema)
05 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In order to balance life as an ambitious person, you must learn to feel “enough” no matter how much you do or what anyone else thinks. Enoughness ...
The quickest way to practice feeling happy
29 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Working moms often say, “I have everything I want, but I don’t feel happy”. What I have found is that higher achievers have patterned into thems...
8 must-have beliefs to unlock balance
22 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There are 8 core beliefs that will unlock your ability to feel balanced. No matter how much you accomplish, no matter how much time you spend with you...
Caring for yourself on a hard day
15 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hard days happen. It’s something that we have to accept as human beings. But hard days don’t have to derail you. You can still be productive, effi...
Shifting your mindset (with Meredith McCay)
08 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Can you really create balance with only changing your mindset? For most working moms, it feels like a lot more needs to shift other than your thoughts...
3 strategies to increase productivity
01 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Many ambitious women think, “If I could just get a little more done, then I could feel calmer and more present.” It feels like the solution to fee...
Is "having it all" a myth?
24 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For many working moms “having it all” feels like an impossible promise where a meaningful career and life as a mom somehow feel balanced. The prob...
Handling last minute requests in 4 steps
17 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You’re ready to walk out of your office and then…a last-minute request comes in. What do you? Do you leave anyway and risk letting people down or ...
Don't lower your standard
10 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You don’t need to lower your standards in order to create work-life balance and you don’t need to settle for B+ work. Instead you need to repriori...
Why you should value achievement and recognition
03 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Achievement, success, and recognition are all values that many women don’t like to admit are important to them. But the problem is not that these va...
The mindset that makes your goals inevitable
27 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hope is a requirement if you’re going to reach your goals as a working mom. When you feel fueled with hope you are able to problem solve, troublesho...
Unleashing pleasure (with Danielle Savory)
20 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Letting your body experience good emotions like joy, success and pleasure does not come naturally, in fact, it takes practice. In today’s episode, s...
3 reasons you don’t ask for help and how to overcome them
13 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Letting your body experience good emotions like joy, success and pleasure does not come naturally, in fact, it takes practice. In today’s episode, s...
Stop trying to make your kids happy
06 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s OK for your kids to be unhappy. It’s OK for them to cry uncontrollably when you leave them. Your kids are allowed to feel whatever they want ...
Separating your identity from your job with Erin Bowald (rebroadcast)
27 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Erin is on the executive leadership team at a marketing firm and through coaching went from feeling burnt out and overwhelmed as a working mom to feel...
Advocating for yourself
20 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Advocating for yourself is a skill. It is something that you can learn and practice. Advocating for yourself creates confidence, motivation and helps ...
Let's celebrate!
13 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Why is celebrating so hard for ambitious women? In today’s episode, I discuss my personal challenges with celebrating but why it is so important to ...
How to quickly get out of “default mode”
06 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever caught yourself scrolling when you should be laser focused on a project? Or checking email while also playing a game with your kids? Or ...
7 effective self-care practices
30 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Self-care can often feel like a little break from the daily grind. But effective self-care that has you feeling rested and filled up for long periods ...
Making powerful money decisions (with Nicole Stork-Hestad)
23 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Most of us use the filter “can I afford it?” when making money decisions which leaves us feeling powerless when it comes to buying the life we wan...
5 must-have mindsets that create balance
16 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On today’s episode I am sharing 5 must-have mindsets if you want to create a life that feels balanced because a life a life that feels balanced star...
Have to vs want to (rebroadcast)
09 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A balanced life is a life of WANT-to. It’s a life that feels purposeful, motivating, fun and even easy. An unbalanced life is a life of HAVE-to. It’...
Guarantee your 2023 goals in 6 steps
02 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The most common time to set goals is at the beginning of a new year. But yet, almost 25% will quit on their goals before the end of January. I don’t...
The secret to prioritizing yourself (rebroadcast)
26 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
No one would argue that self-care is an important part of staying sane as working moms and yet for many women it is extremely hard to do. We just simp...
The home-to-work transition
19 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today on the podcast I’m sharing exactly what you need to do in the first 15 minutes of your workday to be the most productive and effective with yo...
#1 tool to get out of negative thoughts and emotions
12 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There is a purging tool I use that helps me let go of negative thoughts and emotions. It helps bring perspective and makes me feel lighter when life f...
Becoming a confident decision maker (with Amanda Yan)
05 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Amanda wanted to make more confident decisions. She is a working mom of 2 and was passionate about her job but she had an overactive brain that consta...
What to do if you are not in a family friendly job
28 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you feel held back or stuck in your career because you are a mom and you are not in a family friendly company, you have 3 options: stay, fight or l...
Love your current life
21 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The fastest way to get to the balanced and fulfilling working mom life you desire is to love your current working mom life. When you need something to...
Persistance vs. obstinance
14 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
At some point in your journey to having a fulfilling and balanced working mom life, you are going to feel stuck. You are going to know what you need t...
Time management is not the problem
07 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Most working moms think time-management is the key to work-life balance. If you could just learn how to achieve more in less time, then you won’t fe...
How to not fail when pursuing your dream (with Sara Federschmidt)
31 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sara is following her dream! After being out of veterinarian school for just one year, she will be opening her own clinic. But this dream may never ha...
Get back on track in 2 minutes or less
24 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What do you do when you realize you are doing the very thing you don’t want to do? For example, you are distracted on your phone when with your kids...
Advancing your career as a working mom (with Stacy Mayer)
17 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today on the podcast, I interview Stacy Mayer, an executive coach and promotion strategist, on what it takes to advance your career as a working mom. ...
The motherhood identity crisis
10 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The motherhood identity crisis is the internal questioning that happens after you start having kids. “Who am I?” and “What do I want?” are fun...
The truth about needing to get one more thing done
03 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hyper-doing is the overwhelming need to get one more thing done. Hyper-doing is one of the three most common overworking behaviors that cause working ...
The truth about perfectionism
26 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Perfectionism is at the root of many time-sucking imbalanced behaviors like indecision, overpreparing, and seeking validation. And it would be hard fo...
The truth about people pleasing
19 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
People pleasing is a behavior that prevents women from experiencing work-life balance. It causes them to say yes to too many things, to not delegate, ...
Stop thinking “it’s not working”
12 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When you think “it’s not working, I’m failing, this shouldn’t be happening…” how does that make you feel? Not good, right? Thinking “it’...
How to spend money on yourself
05 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When deciding to spend money on yourself it’s not really about affordability, the money is almost always there, instead it’s about feeling comfort...
5 things to make change easier
29 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Both big and little changes can cause lots of anxiety and stress, but there are 5 specific things you can do to make change easier. In today’s podca...
4 simple steps to end the Sunday Scaries
22 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Sunday Scaries are an experience most working moms have on Sunday afternoons when their brain unintentionally starts thinking about work the next ...
Why you shouldn’t listen to your gut
15 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Your gut is not always the best guide when making decisions. Your gut wants you to feel safe and comfortable, which is not always the goal. An ambitio...
Cultivating the belief “I am worthy”
08 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today on the podcast I am celebrating my 40th Birthday! And to honor the past decade of my life, I want to share one belief that I worked on throughou...
Give yourself permission
01 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you are not experiencing the happy and balanced life that you want as a working mom, it’s not because it doesn’t exist. It’s not because “l...
It's ok to say NO
25 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We hear our kids start using the word “NO” around the age of two. It’s an act of control, testing limits and they know it’s going to get a rea...
A must-do 5 minute morning practice
18 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The thoughts you have about yourself are the ones that impact you the most. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, it matters what YOU think. In...