Mojo Mom Podcast with Renee Trudeau and The Mother's Guide to Self-Renewal

This week I continue my podcast conversations with Courageous Parents, Confident Kids book contributors, talking to Renee Trudeau about the absolutely essential need for mothers to practice self-care. Renee knows that it's not always easy to practice self care--we each live that challenge every day, and Renee provides a warm and wise voice to help support and guide us. What I love most about Renee's work is that she is committed to helping each woman unlock her own potential and talents, and showing us how to work together with other women to bring out the best in each of us.

Listen in to this week's show:



Renee Trudeau has written extensively about self-care in her book "The Mother's Guide to Self-Renewal," and her training that teaches women how to form and facilitate their own Personal Renewal Groups. Podcast host Amy Tiemann has also written about self-care as a core principle in "Mojo Mom: Nurturing Your Self While Raising a Family." So these two have a lot to talk about!

Listen in to find out why mothers in particular have a hard time claiming their own self care as a top priority, why it's really important to learn how to do so, and how to get started. Then make sure you register on MojoMom.com to reserve a free digital download of the new book that is a collaboration between Amy, Renee, and 12 other experts, "Courageous Parents, Confident Kids--Letting Go So You Both Can Grow."

Sign up now and we'll send you a free digital download of the new book when it's released on April 19, 2010.

Mojo Mom Podcast with Balancing Professionals career expert Kella Hatcher

I'm continuing my series of Mojo Mom Podcast conversations with Courageous Parents, Confident Kids contributors, this week speaking with Kella Hatcher of Balancing Professionals consulting. Kella, collaborating with her business partner Maryanne Perrin, contributed a chapter on "Tools for Career Reinvention" to our new book.

Listen to the podcast now:



This week Mojo Mom is talking career strategies with Kella Hatcher, who along with Maryanne Perrin is a principal in Balancing Professionals consulting, advocating or a flexible, strategic, sustainable workplace. Kella and Maryanne have also contributed a chapter on career development to the new anthology that Amy Tiemann is editing, "Courageous Parents, Confident Kids -- Letting Go So You Both Can Grow."

Kella and Amy talk about strategies for lifelong career development, on-ramping, putting your best foot forward and getting your confidence back as you craft your own path, which may go "off-road" rather than follow a career ladder. Fortunately, these days more workers are advocating for alternative, flexible work, and that will benefit both Moms and Dads. Workplace change is coming, and we are the pioneers!

Get a digital download of our new book for free! Sign up on www.MojoMom.com

Mojo Mom Podcast with "Switch" co-author Dan Heath

Don't you love the feeling of having just the right book come into your life at just the right time? That's how I feel about the new book Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard. Reading Switch helped me understand with more clarity what my anthology contributors and I are trying to accomplish with our new collaboration Courageous Parents, Confident Kids. There has been a lot written to motivate people to give their kids more freedom and responsibility. Now with Courageous Parents, Confident Kids. we are adding to that conversation by providing toolbox of skills to help parents and families reach that goal.

I highly recommend Switch for anyone who is involved in leadership or change--and that would include all parents! The new book, which is the Heath Brothers' follow up to their bestseller Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, has just come out this week, and Switch has already rocketed up the bestseller list on Amazon.com. So it is a real pleasure to welcome Switch author Dan Heath to The Mojo Mom Podcast this week.

Listen to the podcast now:



The Mojo Mom Podcast is all about providing parents with valuable information that applies to all aspects of life. Parents are leaders and change agents. So this week Amy Tiemann welcomes Dan Heath back to the podcast to talk about his brand-new bestseller co-authored with Chip Heath, "Swtich: How to Change Things When Change is Hard."

Whether you are a PTA volunteer, community organizer, or CEO, "Switch" will change the way you look at change. In this interview, Dan explains the guiding metaphor of "Switch" and inspiring examples of people creating big change in difficult situations.

Listen in, check out the Heath Brothers' website for more information, and read Amy Tiemann's full review of "Switch."

Mojo Mom Podcast with PunditMom, Joanne Bamberger

This week on The Mojo Mom Podcast I get to talk with PunditMom herself, Joanne Bamberger. Joanne raises a political voice for mothers through several platforms across the blogosphere, on outlets including her own PunditMom blog, with her Mothers of Intention feature, MOMocrats, blog talk radio, and BlogHer. Joanne was also selected to be a member of the inaugural class of the Progressive Women's Voices program offered by the Women's Media Center.

And, I am very proud that Joanne has joined my latest project, as one of our team of Courageous Parents, Confident Kids anthology contributors.

So I hope you'll listen in to this week's Mojo Mom Podcast, which is part book discussion; and then gets into our personal opinions and a bit of group therapy for (currently) discouraged Democrats trying to get our mojo back.

Listen to the podcast now:



Amy Tiemann continues her series of interviews with "Courageous Parents, Confident Kids" anthology contributors, this week by talking politics with Joanne Bamberger, creator of PunditMom blog.

In Joanne's book chapter, she talks about what it means for parents to connect with their political voices, and proclaim their opinions, often using blogs as an outlet. Here Joanne and Amy get right into it, sharing their own opinions about their frustrations with the Democratic Party, politics, and the seeming inability to get anything done, even when one party has the Presidency and majorities in the House and Senate.

Hear what's on Amy and Joanne's minds, and then feel free post a comment here to let us know what is on yours!

Mojo Mom Podcast with Equally Shared Parenting

When Marc and Amy Vachon married and started a family, they could not have predicted that their personal commitment to each other to act as equal parenting partners would contribute to a growing social movement. But it has grown into a movement that Marc and Amy cover through their blog and their new book, Equally Shared Parenting. On this week's Mojo Mom Podcast, the Vachons stop by to talk about their co-parenting strategies and the benefits--for both Moms and Dads--of developing an egalitarian parenting partnership.

Equally Shared Parenting is one of the books I was most looking forward to reading in 2010, and the Marc and Amy did a great job with it. They build on their personal experience, interview other families, and draw on sociological research to show other families how they can move toward an more equally-shared parenting style.

I have learned a lot from Amy and Marc, and I hope you'll listen in to our conversation on this week's episode of The Mojo Mom Podcast.

Listen to the podcast now:

Mojo Mom Podcast and Kidpower -- Skills for Safety and Independence

I am having a great time talking with my Courageous Parenting contributors on The Mojo Mom Podcast. We'll be mixing things up in this series, not doing all of the Courageous Parenting interviews back-to-back, but I hope to have everyone on before the book comes out. We are just putting the final manuscript to bed, so this is a big week, hooray!

I always love talking with my colleague and mentor, Irene van der Zande about the personal safety skills she teachers as the co-founder of Kidpower. Her training is amazing--I am doing my best to tell everyone about Kidpower, and I teach classes in the Triangle area as the Center Director of Kidpower North Carolina. I taught four Kidpower classes myself this week, which was a wonderful opportunity to get into action with kids in my community, after doing six intensive days of instructor training in Santa Cruz, California earlier this month.

So I encourage you to listen to the podcast, check out the international organization's web site, and consider getting real-life Kidpower training.

Listen to the podcast now:



Here is the description of this week's show, Courageous Parenting Series: Mojo Mom and Kidpower

How can parents teach their kids to be independent and safe? Kidpower personal safety skills are designed to do just that, for people of all ages. Listen in and learn how to "co-pilot" your kids (without becoming a "helicopter parent") as they take their first steps out of the nest.

You can register to get a free electronic download of Courageous Parenting when it is released in Spring 2010 by signing up on MojoMom.com.

Mojo Mom Podcast with Linda Criddle and Internet Safety

The Mojo Mom Podcast is back with new shows for 2010! We had a longer hiatus than I expected because of the intensity of editing Courageous Parenting. We're almost done with that now and ready to ramp back up on my blog, podcast, and a renovation of MojoMom.com. More on that to come, but for now, let's take a look at this week's new podcast.

Mojo Mom Podcast's Courageous Parenting series: Mojo Mom and Internet Safety Expert Linda Criddle

Listen to the podcast now:



I am starting our the podcast season by continuing my series of interviews with contributors to the new Courageous Parenting anthology that I am editing. I will interweave interviews with anthology contributors some weeks, mixed in with other authors, newsmakers, and kindred spirits on other shows.

This week on the podcast, I talk with internet safety expert Linda Criddle, founder of the site iLookBothWays.com. I talk about a number of situations that feel difficult or helpless for me as a parent. Linda shares practical safety strategies and fosters a sense of empowerment in the way that parents think about the internet.

Special pre-publication offer: Get more of Linda Criddle's advice by signing up on MojoMom.com to receive a free electronic download of "Courageous Parenting" when it is released this spring.

Mojo Mom Podcast will return in the New Year

This week we are rocking and rolling with the final edits of the new Courageous Parenting anthology, and I am putting the finishing touches on the parts that I have to write.

So, I am not doing too much blogging right now...but I am writing behind the scenes!

I have also had to take a break from podcasting for a few weeks, but the plan is to come back with new shows on Fridays in the New Year.

You'll give me January 1 off, right? Look for a new episode of The Mojo Mom Podcast to post online on Friday, January 7th.

Thanks for reading and listening!

Find out what the fuss is all about by signing up now to receive the new book free when it comes out! Sign up now on the MojoMom.com home page to receive a free e-book of the new Courageous Parenting anthology when it is released in March 2010. You'll receive a PDF file that you can read on any computer, or print out. No dedicated e-reader is required.

Mojo Mom Podcast with Melissa Stanton

I hope you'll listen in to this week's new episode of The Mojo Mom Podcast with my guest Melissa Stanton:




Mojo Mom continues her series of interviews with contributors to the upcoming new anthology she's editing, "Courageous Parenting." This week Amy Tiemann talks to Melissa Stanton, author of "The Stay-at-Home Survival Guide" about The Courage to Become Your Own Parenting "Expert."

You can learn even more about Melissa's work by visiting her websites, StayAtHomeSurvivalGuide.com and the Real Life Support for Moms blog.

...and, I hope you will sign up on the www.MojoMom.com home page to receive a free e-book of the new Courageous Parenting anthology when it comes out in early 2010!

Mojo Mom Podcast, Positive Parenting Solutions and Courageous Parenting

It's been a very busy week so I haven't blogged, but I did get a new Mojo Mom Podcast ready for you. It's a good one -- Positive Parenting Solutions founder Amy McCready and I had a lot to talk about, and we really got into the heart of several key positive discipline strategies.

I hope you'll listen in:



This week Amy Tiemann continues her series of conversations with "Courageous Parenting" anthology contributors, talking to Amy McCready, founder of Positive Parenting Solutions.

Amy McCready's training gives parents valuable tools that prevent behavior problems from arising in the first place, as well as teaching parents strategies to respond constructively and effectively when problems do arise.

Today Amy and Amy delve into the substance behind the recent headline, "For Some Parents, Shouting is the New Spanking," and talk about the themes of personal belonging and significance, why this is important to kids, and how to develop these qualities within your family.

Sign up on MojoMom.com to receive a free e-book edition of "Courageous Parenting" when it is released in March 2010.

Mojo Mom Podcast, TheMotherhood.com and Courageous Parenting

This week I am kicking off a series of Mojo Mom Podcast interviews with my Courageous Parenting anthology contributors. The goal of this book is to give parents the skills and strategies they need to raise independent kids, with courage and confidence rather than worry and fear.

On the podcast we can have further conversations about Courageous Parenting. The angles explored by each author are so different that there is plenty to say! Check in next week for the announcement of the final list of contributing authors.

So listen in to this week's Mojo Mom Podcast with Cooper Munroe and Emily McKhann, founders of TheMotherhood.com, the most intelligent, creative and friendly social networking site for Moms:



On The Mojo Mom Podcast, this week Mojo Mom is joined by the founders of the social networking site for Moms, TheMotherhood.com, Cooper Munroe and Emily McKhann. This dynamic duo returns to the podcast to talk about how community support can empower us all to be more courageous, and how they plan to transform a chat we had about Courageous Parnting at TheMotherhood into a chapter for the new book.

You can register to receive a free e-book copy of "Courageous Parenting" by signing up to receive the MojoMom.com newsletter and Party Kit, so stop by and sign up today!

Mojo Mom Podcast and Remodeling Motherhood

We're experimenting with a new show format on The Mojo Mom Podcast, focusing on one segment to give us more time for our expert guest interviews.

I am excited about this week's show. My guest Kristin Maschka has written an important new book that explains the big picture of motherhood in our current society, illuminating the structural level, as well as the ways we can improve our lives on an individual level.

Listen to the podcast now:



This week's Mojo Mom Podcast guest Kristin Maschka is a great person to help kick off this new format, because Mojo Mom and Kristin sure have a lot to talk about. Kristin is a past president of the national advocacy group Mothers & More, a successful businessperson, and the author of the new book "This Is Not How I Thought It Would Be: Remodeling Motherhood to Get the Lives We Want Today."

So tune in to learn how you can put more energy into all the facets of your identity, and find out how Mothers & More helped Amy Tiemann take a step forward on the path that eventually led her to write "Mojo Mom: Nurturing Your Self While Raising a Family."

You can learn more about Kristin Maschka's work and sign up to receive her free "remodeling tools" at RemodelingMotherhood.com

Mojo Mom Podcast will return next Friday with Remodeling Motherhood

I'm back from my two-week break, which I truly needed. And yes, I did recharge my mental and physical batteries.

Just wanted to let you know that The Mojo Mom Podcast will return next Friday, and we have a great guest lined up. I know I'll have a lot to talk about with Kristin Maschka, past president of Mothers & More, and author of the brand-new book This is Not How I Thought It Would Be: Remodeling Motherhood to Get the Lives We Want Today.

So I'll be talking with Kristin next week. In the meantime I encourage you to visit Kristin's Remodeling Motherhood site. She has a lot of great free tools to share with you.

Mojo Mom Podcast with The Curse of the Good Girl

This week I had the pleasure of welcoming Rachel Simmons to The Mojo Mom Podcast. You've probably heard about Rachel's work with girls and her previous book, Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls, and now she has a brand-new book, The Curse of the Good Girl: Raising Authentic Girls with Courage and Confidence. I highly recommend her work, especially if you have a daughter; but even if you don't, Rachel's insights shed interesting light on adult female interactions. And if you have sons, it can be helpful to understand what is going on behind the scenes in girl culture, too.

Listen to the podcast now:



Amy and Patty talk about upcoming developments in Amy's work as Mojo Mom, which will be more fully announced in October.

Then Mojo Mom interviews Rachel Simmons, a respected author, educator and coach who helps girls develop their authentic selves. Rachel's new book is "The Curse of the Good Girl," which fascinated Amy as a guide to helping young women develop, and a reminder that grown-up women may still have some relationship skills to learn, especially when it comes to dealing with conflict.

Mojo Mom Podcast with Michele Borba's Big Book of Parenting Solutions

This week I am excited to welcome Dr. Michele Borba to The Mojo Mom Podcast to discuss a wide range of parenting issues, as she introduces her latest parenting resource, The Big Book of Parenting Solutions. You've probably seen Dr. Borba on one of her many Today Show segments. I really appreciate her thoughtful, experienced, research-based approach to child-rearing and developing parent leadership. My favorite book of her previous works is 12 Simple Secrets Real Moms Know.

Listen to the podcast now:



Amy has been writing on her Mojo Mom Blog about the range of experiences students should have before they get to college. She and Patty Ayers talk about the important balance between exploration and knowing where you are going.

Then Mojo Mom welcomes leading parenting expert Dr. Michele Borba to the podcast. Michele Borba is the author of 23 books and a regular contributor to The Today Show. Her latest release is "The Big Book of Parenting Solutions: 101 Answers to Your Everyday Challenges and Wildest Worries." This encylopedic guide is organized by topic to give parents the specific solutions they need to address a wide range of issues for kids ages 3 to 13.

The Mojo Mom Podcast returns with NurtureShock

It's hard to believe that we're kicking off the fifth season of The Mojo Mom Podcast. It's been such a rewarding project and I am happy it's time to start the new season. This fall we have some big changes and a great guest lineup developing.

Listen to the podcast now:


On this week's show:

We wish a fond farewell to co-host Sheryl Grant who is starting grad school full time. Amy welcomes her new co-host Patty Ayers. Amy and Patty have worked together behind the scenes for many years and are excited to talk about current issues together on the podcast. In this episode they talk about Patty's empty-nester move to Mexico (you can see photos on Patty's blog) and then discuss the controversy that erupted this week about a breastfeeding mother who was fired by the Totes/Isotoner corporation for taking "unauthorized" breaks to pump her milk.

Then Mojo Mom talks to Po Bronson, co-author of NurtureShock: New Thinking about Children. In this important new book, Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman bring to light new scientific findings that can change the way we view child development.

I am really excited about NurtureShock. You can read my full review. The book has reactivated the curious scientist in me. As Po Bronson says on his NurtureShock website, "The central premise of this book is that many of modern society’s strategies for nurturing children are in fact backfiring – because key twists in the science have been overlooked." It's this new lens that interests me most, beyond any specific findings, which will of course keep evolving. I want to see us sharpen our ability to pick parenting strategies that work, based on a willingness to question conventional wisdom and take new findings into account--as well as relying on our own parental common sense and confidence that we know our children. I look forward to the ongoing conversation that will be sparked by NurtureShock.

Mojo Mom Podcast with Ms. Mindbody

It's a time of transition at The Mojo Mom Podcast. My co-host Sheryl Grant has decided it's time for her to move on, but The Mojo Mom Podcast will continue with a new co-host. Stay tuned for details...we may take a break over the summer but we'll be back.

Our co-host segment is a little longer than usual this week, as Sheryl and I wrapped up our time together. I hope you will listen in to this week's show with guest Kate Hanley, aka "Ms. Mindbody".

Listen to the podcast now:



Amy and Sheryl talk about radical self-care and the times it rises to the level of self-preservation. Sheryl has decided to take a break from almost all of her responsibilities outside of her family and her job. That means this week is Sheryl's final episode of The Mojo Mom Podcast. Amy sends out her appreciation for four seasons together, more than 60 shows.


Then Mojo Mom talks to Ms. Mindbody, Kate Hanley. Kate is a yoga instructor and author of "The Anywhere, Anytime Chill Guide: 77 Simple Strategies for Serenity." She shares stress reduction strategies on her website, MsMindBody.com, and talks about her own experience learning to care for herself in a new way, as a new Mom.

Mojo Mom Podcast with The New Global Student

I've really enjoyed getting to know Maya Frost, and I highly recommend her book The New Global Student for all parents, whether or not you are already thinking about giving your child an international educational experience.

Maya is my guest this week on The Mojo Mom Podcast, and I hope you'll listen in.

Listen to the podcast now:



The Mojo Mom Podcast goes global this week. First, Amy checks in with guest co-host Patty Ayers, about Patty's ongoing adventures as an empty-nest North Carolina Mom turned global citizen living in Mexico. Patty is a web designer who has untethered herself from her desk to create a business as a virtual assistant that will allow her to work anywhere in the world.

The Mojo Mom interviews Maya Frost, author of the book "The New Global Student: Skip the SAT, Save Thousands on Tuition, and Get a Truly International Education." Maya addresses the WHYs and HOWs of creating an international opportunity for your children or whole family. Maya speaks from experience. She and her husband moved from Portland, Oregon to Mexico and then Argentina with their four teenage daughters.

Mojo Mom Podcast will return next week with The New Global Student

My podcast co-host Sheryl and I decided to declare this to be our chill-out week. We needed a break: she has just graduated with her Masters' degree from UNC, and I have completed my book publication/publicity sprint. It's Memorial Day weekend and we're going to relax! But we do have next week's show lined up. The Mojo Mom Podcast will return Friday, May 29 with our guest Maya Frost, author of the terrific book The New Global Student.

Maya presents dozens of innovative ideas about international education: how to do it authentically, safely, effectively, and even save money in the process. I highly recommend her book. It's an important read for parents of younger students as well as those reaching high school. I am glad to be learning this several years before we have to make these decisions.

As someone who climbed the prescribed academic ladder all the way to my Ph. D., and then got in touch with my entrepreneurial spirit and sense of independence, I wish I had learned about these options years ago. I think every student would benefit from a step away from the traditional path, to get perspective about the world, and really think about the path they are crafting for themselves. Students should actively make choices rather than follow a default path to success--because in real life, we really do have to be prepared to make our own way and create opportunities, rather than waiting for someone else to present them to us.

One of my favorite quotes by Anna Quindlen reads:

I read and walked for miles at night along the beach . . . searching endlessly for someone wonderful who would step out of the darkness and change my life. It never crossed my mind that that person could be me.

A global education and experience can help us reach the next level, to feel empowered and capable of taking charge of our lives.

Book release recovery, friends, Mom-in-Chief on The Huffington Post

I've had a tough week. I am grateful that it's all working out, but it's been a tough eleven days. My daughter got sick the day before Mother's Day, and she was getting well but then started to go downhill again. All this started with poison ivy--on her face--which got infected and ended up being treated with two kinds of antibiotics and strong steroids. I was just glad that after three doctor's visits we got on the path that led to her getting better. It was nerve-wracking to see her wake up after five days on antibiotics with her face so blotchy and swollen that her eyelid was halfway shut. Any time antibiotics are involved, and especially when they don't work the first time, I get a little panicked. But we managed to get her better and even had a little bit of fun over the weekend. She was hyper and hungry from taking the steroids, so she baked two batches of cookies and made blueberry pancakes. (She's quite the cook for someone who is not quite ten yet!) She's finally back to herself again.

So I was very grateful when Jamie Woolf checked on me at just the moment when I needed a friend, and a writer friend at that. Jamie is the author of Mom-in-Chief, a terrific book about leadership and parenting which came out in February--I am sorry I didn't know about it in time to include it in the new Mojo Mom. Jamie and I had known each other slightly before, but we really connected when we spent time together in Berkeley in January, after each of our books had gone to press.

Jamie has a new piece out on The Huffington Post, "Female Bullying or Just Another Attack Against Successful Women," pushing back against recent "trend" pieces looking at women's workplace infighting. When we talked about it today, Jamie's perspective on this topic reminded me of how I feel about "the Mommy Wars," that these conflicts are more symptoms of our workplace challenges, rather than a direct cause. I can say from experience that working together with other women toward common goals is much more fun and effective than in-fighting, and it's sad that fighting is what gets the media's attention. (And yes, I was on The Today Show two years ago for a segment about "The Mommy Wars," but I stand by what I said when I got there.)

Since Jamie's book came out two months before mine, she's been a great sounding board about the emotional roller-coaster of the publishing process. I've observed that publishing a book can make one feel pretty neurotic. You work so hard, pour your heart out, and when you put your book out to the world it's like putting yourself out there. Your job then becomes getting the whole world to love you!

Yikes, time to recenter and remember why I wrote Mojo Mom, that it's about helping Moms one woman at a time and not just obsessing over Amazon.com rankings. The book release has been a fantastic experience, and I am trying to keep perspective. Tomorrow I am taking the whole day off and whisking away my friend and Mojo Mom Podcast co-host Sheryl for a rare and well-deserved spa day. I may blog again before then, but in any case, on Thursday I'll share any new insights that arise from our trip.