Breakroom Mom

Episode 16: Leaving the LDS Church & Ditching the "Perfect Mom" Script with Audra Phelps

(00:00:00) Episode 16: Leaving the LDS Church & Ditching the "Perfect Mom" Script with Audra Phelps (00:00:05) Introducing Audra Phelps and Mama Audra (00:06:36) The Challenges of Leaving the LDS Church (00:07:41) The Impact of Purity Culture and Shame (00:13:08) The Struggle with Mental Health and Identity (00:22:20) Education and Career Transition (00:29:08) The Journey of Leaving the Church (00:39:00) Reparenting and Redefining Motherhood (00:44:52) Navigating Family Relationships After Leaving the Church (00:45:41) The Importance of Boundaries in Family Dynamics (00:46:41) Perspective-Taking and Reframing Triggers In this episode of Breakroom Mom, Julie sits down with Audra Phelps, founder of Mama Audra, to unpack the deeply emotional journey of leaving the LDS (Mormon) church and navigating life on the other side. With over 15 years of experience in international education and coaching, Audra now focuses her work on supporting ex-Mormon moms who are grappling with grief, identity loss, and intense mom guilt after a faith crisis. She opens up about her own "mom gut" moment, the sudden isolation of losing a tight-knit community overnight, and how she learned to trust her own parenting intuition without a religious rulebook telling her who to be.As Audra beautifully says: "You already left the church. I help you leave the woman it made you into." Tune in to hear: * The "Mom Gut" Moment: The exact turning point where Audra realized she had to leave the church for the sake of her children. * Deconstructing Perfectionism: How the "righteous mother" blueprint impacts maternal mental health and how to break free from it. * The Identity Vacuum: Navigating the overwhelming loneliness and sudden isolation of losing your social safety net. * Reparenting Yourself: Practical, daily steps to shed decades of religious guilt and shame. * Generational Healing: How to handle awkward or heavy collisions with believing extended family and grandparents. * Culture Shock "Firsts": Laughing through the chaos of experiencing mainstream culture (like ordering coffee or navigating free Sundays) for the first time as an adult. Whether you are navigating a high-demand religion exit yourself, rebuilding your identity from scratch, or simply trying to ditch societal perfectionism as a mother, Audra’s insights offer a powerful masterclass in rewriting your own rules. Connect with Audra Phelps & Mama Audra: * Website & Training: https://mamaaudra.com/training [https://mamaaudra.com/training] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mamaaudraofficial/ Connect with Julie & Breakroom Mom: * Instagram: @breakroommomsocial * Watch the Video Version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/uMpdC-jGcgU [https://youtu.be/uMpdC-jGcgU] If this conversation resonated with you, please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating and review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts—it helps other moms find our village in the breakroom!

Episode 15: Ditching the Nuclear Family - The NYC Mommune with Bernie Sinclaire

(00:00:00) Episode 15: Ditching the Nuclear Family - The NYC Mommune with Bernie Sinclaire (00:00:06) Welcome to Breakroom Mom (00:00:26) The Mommune: A Community of Mothers (00:01:15) Defining the Mommune (00:02:50) The Benefits of Sibling Bonding (00:04:27) Child Support Woes and Viral Dumplings (00:08:17) The Genesis of the Mommune (00:11:21) Navigating the Ask (00:17:20) A Day in the Life of the Mommune (00:25:25) Decorating the Barbie Dream House (00:29:48) Parenting in the Mommune What if the cure for modern motherhood burnout isn’t doing it all alone, but rewriting the rules of what a family looks like? In this episode of Breakroom Mom, Julie sits down with Bernie Sinclaire, co-founder of the viral NYC "Mommune." What started as a youthful college fantasy of a woman-centric "Barbie Dream House" became a necessary, life-saving blueprint when Bernie and her co-parent, Anabelle, found themselves drowning in the isolation of single motherhood. Bernie takes us behind the scenes of their shared Manhattan apartment to reveal how they manage the logistics, split the invisible mental load of raising three kids, and intentionally designed a permanent, woman-centric home. Tune in to hear: * The Emotional Turning Point: The raw moment Bernie asked Anabelle to move in, and how they overcame the initial hesitation. * Ditching the "Default Parent" Trap: How two mothers successfully divide daily logistics without anyone bearing the brunt of the mental load. * Redefining the Village: How outside co-parents, fathers, and grandparents seamlessly fit into the Mommune ecosystem. * Explaining it to the Kids: How Bernie talked to her 9-year-old son about their unconventional family structure, and the sibling-like bond the kids share today. * Mommune in the City: A sneak peek into the new platform Bernie is building to help women transition from online admiration to finding their own "Anabelle" in real life. If you’ve ever felt like you’re raising your kids in a silo, this episode is a beautiful masterclass in modern village-building. Connect with Bernie & Mommune in the City: * Instagram: @berniesinclaire * Website: https://www.mommuneinthecity.com/ Connect with Julie & Breakroom Mom: * Instagram: @breakroommomsocial If you loved this episode, please leave a 5-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify—it helps other moms find our village!

Episode 14: Reclaiming Your Identity, Surviving Mom Burnout & 2-Minute Self-Care Rituals with Jyoti Lohman

(00:00:00) Episode 14: Reclaiming Your Identity, Surviving Mom Burnout & 2-Minute Self-Care Rituals with Jyoti Lohman (00:00:05) Welcome to Breakroom Mom (00:00:15) The Beauty Way's Luxurious Body Oil (00:05:32) From Fashion to Motherhood: A Journey to Clean Beauty (00:09:54) Finding Balance as a Mom and Entrepreneur (00:13:19) The Power of Daily Mantras in Self-Care (00:18:29) The Shift to Full-Body Skincare (00:21:32) Fragrance-Free and Sensory Experiences (00:30:25) Parenting and Business: Finding the Right Balance (00:37:14) The Importance of Intuition in Business and Parenting (00:37:30) The Power of Gut Instinct in Decision-Making Are you feeling lost in the mental load of motherhood? In Episode 014 of the Breakroom Mom Podcast, we are giving you the ultimate permission slip to pause, vent, and reset. We sit down with Jyoti Lohman, the founder and CEO of The Beauty Way, a luxury, clean body care brand rooted in mindfulness and intentional self-care. After a successful 12-year career in upscale fashion and retail development—spanning trend forecasting in Paris to the fast-paced markets of LA—Jyoti stepped back to focus on motherhood. However, life as a stay-at-home mom sparked a deep need to reclaim her identity outside of just being "Mom." In this beautifully candid conversation, we unpack everything from handling grown-up tantrums and toddler meltdowns to trading commercialized, time-consuming "spa days" for realistic, 2-minute sacred grounding rituals. Jyoti shares the messy collisions of building a premium brand with kids underfoot, how she balances her "mom gut" with her business instincts, and the powerful generational lessons she’s passing down. Inside the Episode: * 🛑 Mom Tantrums: Julie and Jyoti share their own hilarious and raw recent breakdown moments. * 👩‍👦 Reclaiming Identity: Rediscovering who you are outside of your kids by building a purposeful passion project. * 🧘‍♀️ Micro-Rituals for Busy Moms: How to turn a simple 2-minute face wash into a pocket of peace before the kids find you in the bathroom. * 📈 Business vs. Motherhood: Navigating the steep learning curve of product formulation while surviving day-to-day parenting. * 🧠 Trusting Your Gut: How intuitive decision-making serves you in both retail scaling and gentle parenting. * 🔑 The Mom Cheat Code: Jyoti’s quick sanity-saving hack for overwhelming days. Connect with our Guest: * Explore the brand: https://www.thebeautywayco.com/ * Follow Jyoti on Instagram: @thebeautyway_co Join the Breakroom Mom Community: * ✨ Follow us on Instagram for daily resets: @breakroommomsocial [https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.instagram.com/breakroommomsocial] * 🎧 Hit follow, rate the show, and leave us a review on Spotify or iHeartRadio if this episode gave you the break you needed today!

Episode 13: Why "Doing It All" is a Lie - Redefining Childcare with Alison Rogers (The Coven Cary)

(00:00:00) Episode 13: Why "Doing It All" is a Lie - Redefining Childcare with Alison Rogers (The Coven Cary) (00:00:05) Welcome to Break Room with Mom (00:01:25) The Pollen and Parking Tantrums (00:04:29) From Struggle to Solution: The Birth of Blush Co-Working Space (00:08:02) The Coven Partnership: Expanding Horizons (00:14:12) Childcare: More Than Just Babysitting (00:18:40) A Community-Driven Co-Working Space (00:33:27) The Childcare Dilemma: A Systemic Issue (00:38:44) The Power of Community for Solopreneurs (00:39:07) The Power of Community for Solopreneurs (00:41:07) Decision Fatigue and the Value of Collaboration Does the "work-from-home" dream feel more like a constant juggle you're losing? In this episode of Breakroom Mom, Julie sits down with Alison Rogers, the visionary behind The Coven Cary (formerly Blush Cowork). Alison didn't just build a coworking space; she built a sanctuary for women and parents that integrates high-quality, Montessori-inspired childcare with professional ambition.We’re pulling back the curtain on: * The Psychology of Proximity: How having your child just 10 feet away—instead of across town—transforms a mother’s mental state and productivity. * Solving the Broken Model: Why childcare shouldn't just be "babysitting" and how Alison’s partnership with Hopscotch Labs provides an enriching environment for kids. * Ditching the Guilt: A direct message to the moms who feel like they "should" be able to do it all alone because they work from home. 🔗 Resources & Links: * Visit The Coven Cary: https://www.thecoven.com/cary * Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecoven.cary/ Member Note: Interested in a membership? Alison breaks down the pricing and the different ways The Coven makes community support accessible for every parent.

Episode 12: Navigating Neurodiversity & The "Mom Gut" with Dr. Kelly O'Laughlin

(00:00:00) Episode 12: Navigating Neurodiversity & The "Mom Gut" with Dr. Kelly O'Laughlin (00:00:05) Welcome to Breakroom Mom with Dr. Kelly (00:00:21) Dr. Kelly's Background and Expertise (00:01:59) Navigating Suspicions of Neurodevelopmental Issues (00:03:53) Key Terms in Autism and Neurodiversity (00:05:53) The Neuroaffirming Approach to Neurodiversity (00:07:32) Social Media and Self-Diagnosis in Neurodiversity (00:12:05) Creating a Sensory-Friendly Environment at Home (00:16:40) Managing Executive Dysfunction in Daily Life (00:32:55) Understanding and Responding to Meltdowns vs. Tantrums (00:40:17) Balancing Discipline and Affirmation for Neurodiverse Children (00:42:10) The "Permission Slip" every burnt-out mom needs Does your gut tell you that your child sees the world differently? In this episode, we’re joined by licensed pediatric psychologist Dr. Kelly O’Laughlin to bridge the gap between a mother’s intuition and a formal clinical diagnosis. With 15 years of experience in autism assessments, Dr. Kelly breaks down the "neuro-affirming" approach, helps us distinguish between sensory meltdowns and boundary-testing tantrums, and gives us permission to stop fighting the "neurotypical" script. If you are a high-performing mom trying to navigate the school system while protecting your own mental health, this "breakroom" session is for you.