Chasing Brighter Podcast: Choosing Real Over Perfect

Super Woman Diaries #17: Sleeping In, Sending Kids Off, and Letting Go of the Plan

Jessica and Kelly are back for another real-life check-in, and summer is officially on the horizon. In this episode, they get into all of it: the exhausting reality of trying to figure out what to do with your tween when camp is impossible to get into, the surprisingly calm approach Jessica is taking to sending Gabby off to Centre College, the dorm prep rabbit hole (sheets, storage units, and yes, whether lofts are still a thing), kids learning to drive, and why both of them are just ready to breathe. If you are in the thick of the school-to-summer transition and you need someone to tell you that "we'll figure it out" is a perfectly valid plan, this one is for you. In This Episode: The tween and teen summer gap: what do you do with kids who are too old for camp and too young for a job? Kelly gets real about camp competition in Chicago and why she is done fighting for it. Gabby's heading to Centre College in Kentucky this fall, and Jessica is taking a refreshingly low-key approach to dorm prep -- no stress, no Amazon cart yet, just waiting until she gets there and knows what she actually needs. Roommate connections, Facebook parent groups, storage units, and the unexpected sisterhood of moms who have already been through it. Wes and Dominic are both in the permit stage, and Jessica and Kelly talk about the real freedom (and the real fear) of handing the wheel to your teenager. Why summer feels like an exhale: no homework, no lunch packing, no schedule checking. Just slower mornings and fewer mental tabs open. A little preview of what is coming this month on Chasing Brighter -- June is all about joy and intentional living, and these two are ready for it. Connect With Us: Website: chasingbrighter.com Instagram: @chasingbrighter Superwoman Diaries, Chasing Brighter podcast, summer with kids, tween summer activities, summer camp alternatives, middle schooler summer, college dorm prep, sending your kid to college, freshman dorm packing list, Centre College, college roommate, storage unit college hack, teen driver, learning to drive teenager, summer mental load, summer exhale, intentional living summer, joy and intentional living, summer for moms, real life mom podcast, women's lifestyle podcast, motherhood podcast, work life balance summer, college transition mom, letting go of the plan, parenting teens, parenting tweens

Still Figuring It Out

No frameworks, no formulas — just two sisters getting real. In this May wrap-up episode, Jessica and Kelly close out the month by doing what they do best: being honest. They share the moments they slid back into old patterns (Jessica with achievement pressure, Kelly with people-pleasing), talk about parenting through milestones, and remind us that noticing the pattern is the work. This one might just be one of their favorites — and it might become one of yours too. In This Episode Jessica opens up about a surprising emotional moment with her high school senior, Gabby, and catches herself sliding back into achievement-based pressure — the exact pattern she's been unpacking all season. Kelly shares her own version: people-pleasing still shows up, even when you know better. Together, they explore what it actually looks like when two people who talk about growth for a living still have to do the messy, daily work of it. They also leave you with three things you can actually use when you catch yourself sliding back: 1. Name it without judgment. Simply say, "I'm in that old pattern right now." You don't have to fix it immediately. 2. Get curious, not critical. Instead of asking why am I doing this again?, ask what is this part of me needing right now? 3. Choose one small thing that's genuinely yours. Not productive, not for anyone else — just one small act of being the person you're becoming. Brighter Moves This Week 🌿 Kelly's Move: Write down a few words that describe who you are becoming — not who you were, not who you plan to be, but who you are moving toward right now. Keep them somewhere you'll actually see them. 🌿 Jessica's Move: Do one thing this week that is purely about curiosity. Not ambition, not productivity — just something you're genuinely interested in. One hour. One small yes to yourself. Free Resource Mentioned The Real Over Perfect Weekly Check-In — 5 questions, 5 minutes, once a week. Grab it free when you sign up for the newsletter at chasingbrighter.com [http://chasingbrighter.com/] or chasingbrighter.com/newsletter [http://chasingbrighter.com/newsletter]. Looking Ahead — June After the deep identity work of April and May, June is intentionally lighter. Think joy, romanticizing your real life, and intentional living. Kelly and Jessica are calling it a deep breath — and they can't wait to take it with you. Connect With Us Find us at chasingbrighter.com [http://chasingbrighter.com/] | Newsletter sign-up, blog, and more Follow us on all socials: @chasingbrighter Chasing Brighter podcast, still figuring it out, sliding back into old patterns, identity work, people pleasing, achievement worthiness, parenting a high schooler, high school senior, launching your kids, self-worth, healing is not linear, personal growth podcast for women, real over perfect, shortening the loop, getting curious not critical, women's podcast, midlife identity, growth mindset, choosing yourself, May wrap-up, intentional living, romanticizing your life, self-awareness, inner work, women who are still growing

Super Woman Diaries #16: Maycember, State Champs, and the Sports Money Grab

It's officially Maycember — that stretch of late May where schedules implode, school events multiply, and someone always ends up puking on your air mattress. Jess and Kelly are back for another Superwoman Diaries check-in, and this one covers it all: Dominic's history-making baseball state championship (and the impromptu team party that followed), Gio's fifth grade promotion week chaos, Kelly's solo mom trip to Utah for Beck's soccer tournament, and a very real conversation about youth sports culture — who it's really for, when travel ball makes sense, and why 4U baseball tournaments might be the sign we've all lost the plot. This is the honest, unfiltered version of what this season actually looks like for two moms in the thick of it. What You'll Hear: * Why "Maycember" is a real phenomenon and how Jessica is surviving it * Dominic's baseball team making school history — the first-ever state championship in baseball * The school parade, the bleach-blonde hair tradition, and how 21 high schoolers ended up in Jessica's backyard * Giovanni's fifth grade promotion week (and the stomach bug that derailed everything first) * Kelly's trip to Utah for Beckett's soccer tournament — what was great, what wasn't worth the money * The youth sports money grab conversation: travel ball, tournament culture, and a 4U baseball team in Texas * When travel actually makes sense vs. when it's just expensive stress * Rec ball vs. club ball — what both sisters have learned and why values matter more than the scoreboard * Why a team that loves each other wins games — and what Dominic's championship season proved Free Download The Real Over Perfect Weekly Check-In — Five questions to come back to every single week. Check in with who you actually are right now, not who you think you should be or who everyone else needs you to be. Screenshot it, save it, and make it part of your Sunday routine. Free when you sign up for the newsletter. Get it here: chasingbrighter.com/newsletter [https://www.chasingbrighter.com/newsletter] Connect With Us Website: chasingbrighter.com [https://www.chasingbrighter.com] Instagram & TikTok: @ChasingBrighter [https://www.instagram.com/chasingbrighter] Newsletter: chasingbrighter.com/newsletter [https://www.chasingbrighter.com/newsletter] Maycember, end of school year chaos, youth sports mom, travel ball, club baseball, club soccer, sports tournament travel, youth sports money grab, state championship baseball, high school baseball, Superwoman Diaries, chasing brighter podcast, mom life, busy mom, kid sports, sports burnout, rec ball vs club ball, youth athlete, sports parenting, fifth grade promotion, high school senior, baseball team party, tournament travel tips, values-based parenting, women supporting women, honest mom podcast

Having It All Is A Myth

This week, Kelly and Jessica blow up the "having it all" story — where it came from, why it keeps getting a makeover, and what they actually think. From the career-and-family narratives of the 1980s to today's softer language of "intentional living" and "alignment," the pressure for women to thrive in every area of life simultaneously is still very much alive. Jessica and Kelly unpack why this framework is both a myth and a trap — and what a richer, more honest version of a full life actually looks like.   What We Cover in This Episode * Where the "having it all" phrase came from and how it has evolved over decades * Why the new language of intentional living and alignment can feel just as suffocating * Shonda Rhimes' honest take on thriving at work while feeling like you're failing at home — and why that's not actually failure * Jessica's personal story of dreams in seasons: pausing, pivoting, and building at different times in her life * Why a good life doesn't have to be a simultaneous one — it can be sequential * How comparison triggers the "something is missing" feeling — and what to do when you catch it * The reframe: happiness is a choice, not a result of the right circumstances * Kelly's real-time comparison spiral at a baseball game and how she worked through it * This week's Brighter Moves: naming the "everything standard" and asking what season you're actually in This Week's Brighter Moves Kelly's Move: Notice a moment this week where you're measuring your life against an invisible "everything" standard. Just name it out loud to yourself: "I'm comparing my life to an everything list right now." That awareness alone is more useful than any strategy.   Jessica's Move: Ask yourself: what season am I in right now — not the ideal life, but this season? What does this season actually call for? Give yourself permission to let that be enough. And if you find yourself waiting to be happy until things are more arranged, try choosing it today instead. Do one small thing today that's just for you — not earned, just a moment to choose happy.   Free Download This Month Grab the Real Over Perfect Weekly Check-In — five questions, five minutes, once a week. It's free when you sign up for the newsletter at chasingbrighter.com/newsletter [https://chasingbrighter.com/newsletter].   Coming Up Next Week We're closing out May with our Still Figuring It Out segment. Kelly and Jessica both share something real about sliding back into old roles, old patterns, and old versions of themselves they thought they'd outgrown — and how they keep moving forward anyway. Don't miss it.   Connect With Us Website: chasingbrighter.com [https://chasingbrighter.com] Newsletter: chasingbrighter.com/newsletter [https://chasingbrighter.com/newsletter] Instagram & TikTok: @ChasingBrighter YouTube: @ChasingBrighter Blog: chasingbrighter.com/blog [https://chasingbrighter.com/blog] having it all myth, having it all as a woman, women and work-life balance, intentional living, comparison and social media, happiness is a choice, life in seasons, sequential success, Shonda Rhimes Year of Yes, Chasing Brighter podcast, Kelly and Jessica, midlife women podcast, women's podcast, identity expectations, real over perfect, chasing brighter season 5, work life balance myth, comparison trap, brighter moves, present parenting, women entrepreneurs, choosing joy, seasonal living

Super Woman Diaries #15: New Spaces, AI Tools, Take Your Kid to Work Day, and What's for Dinner?

This week, Jess and Kelly are keeping it real — catching up on new studio setups, a deep dive into AI tools (Claude vs. ChatGPT, anyone?), Take Your Child to Work Day, navigating loss while hosting family, and the eternal question: what's for dinner? It's a full-life conversation about the juggle, the joy, and everything in between. What We Talk About in This Episode * Studio refresh — both Jess and Kelly redesigned their workspaces and why environment matters more than we think * AI tool breakdown — how Kelly used Claude to redesign her room (and why it worked better than ChatGPT), plus Jess and Kelly's honest take on when to use which AI * Take Your Child to Work Day — Jess brought Gio to her therapy practice, complete with a Claude-generated workbook, a case study, and a dress code * Why letting your kids see you work matters — modeling a career and identity beyond parenthood * Kelly's father-in-law passed away — navigating grief, hosting family, and finding grace in the hard moments * The Four Agreements and letting go of managing other people's behavior * Meal planning (or the lack thereof) — crock pot meals, Costco runs, frozen shortcuts, and why defrosting things is the bane of our existence * Kelly's birthday wish: a full week off from dinner duty * The May Freebie — the Real Over Perfect Weekly Check-In is available now! Free Download Mentioned in This Episode The Real Over Perfect Weekly Check-In — Five questions to come back to every single week. Check in with who you actually are right now, not who you think you should be or who everyone else needs you to be. Screenshot it, save it, and make it part of your Sunday routine. Free when you sign up for the newsletter. Get it here: chasingbrighter.com/newsletter [https://www.chasingbrighter.com/newsletter] Connect With Us Website: chasingbrighter.com [https://www.chasingbrighter.com] Instagram & TikTok: @ChasingBrighter [https://www.instagram.com/chasingbrighter] Newsletter: chasingbrighter.com/newsletter [https://www.chasingbrighter.com/newsletter] Chasing Brighter podcast, Super Woman Diaries, Jessica Colarco, women podcast, real over perfect, May podcast episodes, identity and expectations, AI tools for women, Claude AI, ChatGPT, AI home design, workspace refresh, home office redesign, take your child to work day, modeling work for kids, children and career, women and identity, grief and family, loss and hosting, navigating death in the family, the four agreements, not taking things personally, meal planning for busy moms, crock pot meals, family dinner ideas, weekly meal prep, Costco meals, frozen meal shortcuts, cooking for a big family, women juggling everything, motherhood and career, birthday week off cooking, weekly check-in, real over perfect weekly check-in, free wellness download, women's lifestyle podcast, chasingbrighter.com