Motherhood Makes Women Better Leaders: What the 2026 Maternal Strengths Report Reveals

Motherhood Makes Women Better Leaders: What the 2026 Maternal Strengths Report Reveals

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2158997/fan_mail/new] Download the maternal strengths report [https://www.motheredmedia.com/the-maternal-strengths-report] What if motherhood doesn’t make women less effective at work—but actually strengthens the skills that make them exceptional leaders? In this episode of the Steel Roses Podcast, we explore the findings from the 2026 Maternal Strengths Report and examine how working mothers rate their professional capabilities before and after having children. The results challenge the outdated belief that motherhood reduces a woman’s focus, ambition, productivity, or leadership potential. We break down the most significant skills mothers report developing, including time management, prioritization, communication, negotiation, conflict resolution, trust-building, and leadership. When time and energy are limited, working moms often become highly skilled at identifying what matters most, completing high-impact work, setting boundaries, and navigating competing demands. I also share a personal salary negotiation experience that changed the way I advocate for compensation, flexibility, and professional value. But if motherhood strengthens so many valuable workplace skills, why are mothers still viewed through a professional deficit lens? We discuss how workplace culture often confuses visibility with productivity, availability with leadership, and flexibility with a lack of commitment. We also explore practical ways employers can better support working mothers, retain experienced talent, strengthen leadership pipelines, and evaluate performance based on outcomes rather than hours spent in the office. This episode is for working moms, women leaders, managers, HR professionals, and anyone interested in maternal leadership, career development, workplace equity, flexible work, employee retention, and creating healthier workplace cultures. Subscribe to the Steel Roses Podcast, share this episode with a leader who needs to hear it, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2158997/support] Love this content? Check out our links below for more! Linktr.ee Content [https://linktr.ee/steelroseswomen] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/steelrosespodcast/] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@SteelRosesWomen] Jenny's LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-b-b1355433/]

ADHD in Women: Late Diagnosis, Medication Rules, and Real-Life Coping

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2158997/fan_mail/new] In this episode of Steel Roses Podcast, I’m sharing my adult ADHD diagnosis journey and what it felt like to connect the dots after my kids began the ADHD evaluation process for school support. We talk about what ADHD can look like in women, the gap between doing well in school and still struggling, and the coping strategies I used growing up, including flashcards, memorization tricks, and working twice as hard to keep up. I also get honest about the frustrating barriers to ADHD medication, including in-person appointment requirements, long drives, work conflicts, and the admin burden that can make treatment feel overwhelming before it even starts. Then I share what is helping me right now: short daily morning workouts with my husband. Keeping exercise to 20 minutes has made it sustainable, and I’m noticing better focus during the day while I continue to navigate hormones, weight gain, diet, and women’s health. If you are weighing ADHD medication, exercise, lifestyle changes, or a mix of supports, this episode is an honest look at building something that actually fits real life. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2158997/support] Love this content? Check out our links below for more! Linktr.ee Content [https://linktr.ee/steelroseswomen] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/steelrosespodcast/] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@SteelRosesWomen] Jenny's LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-b-b1355433/]

Working Mom Guilt: Missing School Moments and Carrying the Mental Load

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2158997/fan_mail/new] In this episode of Steel Roses Podcast, I’m sharing the working mom guilt that hit after I missed two important school moments for my kids in the span of two weeks. From a student council speech that never got written in time to missing my son on stage at Battle of the Books, these moments made me rethink what it really means to be present. We talk about the mental load of motherhood, ADHD, family schedules, work deadlines, school responsibilities, and the feeling that your brain has 100 browser tabs open at once. When you are carrying too much, something eventually drops. This conversation is about mom guilt, parenting mistakes, burnout, and learning when to close a few tabs so you can show up where it counts most. If you are a working mom trying to manage it all, this episode is your reminder that you are not alone. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2158997/support] Love this content? Check out our links below for more! Linktr.ee Content [https://linktr.ee/steelroseswomen] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/steelrosespodcast/] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@SteelRosesWomen] Jenny's LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-b-b1355433/]

The Working Mom Shuffle: Career, Kids, Mom Guilt, and Boundarie

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2158997/fan_mail/new] In this episode of Steel Roses Podcast, I hit record from my car and get a real-time reminder of working mom life when my daughter calls mid-recording. That moment leads into an honest conversation about mom guilt, career pressure, work-life balance, and the daily shuffle of trying to be present at home while still showing up professionally. I share what it looks like to travel from the Jersey Shore to New York for client meetings while keeping the family running, the pressure working moms feel to “choose,” and the guilt that comes with missing important moments. We also talk about practical ways to make it work, including boundaries, efficiency, family time, and returning to work after bedtime when needed. For every working mom navigating motherhood, career, burnout, and the mental load, this episode is your reminder: it is possible, and you are not alone. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2158997/support] Love this content? Check out our links below for more! Linktr.ee Content [https://linktr.ee/steelroseswomen] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/steelrosespodcast/] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@SteelRosesWomen] Jenny's LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-b-b1355433/]

Is Vaping Really 95% Safer Than Smoking? The Truth About Nicotine, Health Risks, and Harm Reduction

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2158997/fan_mail/new] The Easy Way to Quit Smoking [https://amzn.to/3Q3G16H] Is vaping really 95% safer than smoking cigarettes? That claim is everywhere, but what does it actually mean — and what is it leaving out? In this episode, we break down the viral “vaping is 95% safer than cigarettes” statistic, where it came from, and why it is often misunderstood as meaning vaping has only 5% of the risk. We talk about the difference between expert estimates, harm reduction messaging, and long-term health data — because when it comes to vaping, nicotine addiction, and your body, the fine print matters. We also look honestly at the harm reduction argument. For adults who smoke combustible cigarettes, switching completely to vaping may reduce exposure to many toxic chemicals created by burning tobacco. But dual use — vaping while still smoking — can limit or erase that benefit. And because vapes are easy to use, highly accessible, and often flavored, nicotine intake can increase quickly without people realizing it. This episode also explores the health risks of vaping beyond nicotine addiction. Vape aerosol is not just harmless water vapor. Nicotine can impact heart rate, blood pressure, sleep, mood, anxiety, and addiction pathways, and it is especially concerning for teens and young adults whose brains are still developing. We also discuss why health organizations like the CDC and American Heart Association continue to warn about possible cardiovascular, lung, and long-term health concerns linked to vaping. If you are vaping, trying to quit, or wondering whether vaping is actually safer than cigarettes, this episode offers a no-spin look at what we know, what we do not know yet, and what finally helped me quit. Subscribe for more honest health conversations, share this episode with someone who vapes, and leave a review with your take: should vaping ads be allowed to say “95% safer”? Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2158997/support] Love this content? Check out our links below for more! Linktr.ee Content [https://linktr.ee/steelroseswomen] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/steelrosespodcast/] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@SteelRosesWomen] Jenny's LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-b-b1355433/]