RERUN: The Good Enough Mother [Rebecca Michael, VP of Marketing at Google]

RERUN: The Good Enough Mother [Rebecca Michael, VP of Marketing at Google]

There's a version of motherhood you've seen everywhere. The mom who has the enriching activities planned, the nutritious dinner on the table, the patient voice at the end of a long day. The one who never drops a ball. You're not her. Neither am I. Neither is Rebecca Michael, and she's one of just 300 people at the VP level of Google overseeing the Marketing for Google Search and Google Maps. What Rebecca is, is a Good Enough Mother. And it turns out, that's exactly what our kids actually need. My guest and close friend this week is one of the most thoughtful women I’ve talked to about the quiet pressure working moms carry to be perfect in every role, all the time. This conversation gave me permission to exhale, and I think it will do the same for you. In this episode, you'll learn: * Why "good enough" isn't a compromise, it's the scientifically backed parenting approach that actually raises more resilient kids * How Rebecca navigated IVF while leading a major team at Google, what she disclosed, what she protected, and why * The identity work she did before becoming a mom that every woman considering motherhood needs to hear * How two full-time executive parents divide household labor so clearly that neither one is silently keeping score * Why Rebecca's morning routine looks nothing like what productivity culture tells you it should and why it works * The "Rebecca Week" reset she takes every year: what it is, how she structures it, and why she tells her whole team about it * The insight her psychotherapist father gave her during pregnancy that became her parenting north star * How working from home vs. in-office changes the default parent dynamic in ways most couples never talk about openly If you've spent any energy trying to be everything to everyone, this episode is your permission slip to let that go. Subscribe to The New Modern Mom Podcast so you never miss a conversation about work-life fulfillment for ambitious working moms. This episode is perfect for moms searching for: good enough mother · working mom guilt · how to stop being a perfect mom · IVF while working · navigating IVF at work · working mom identity · default parent in dual career household · executive mom · how to divide household labor · working mom morning routine · reset week for working moms · Donald Winnicott good enough mother · Google executive mom · work life balance for working moms · how to not lose yourself in motherhood · ambitious mom podcast Follow Rebecca on * On LinkedIn here [https://www.linkedin.com/in/remichael/] Follow Barbara: * On Instagram here [https://www.instagram.com/newmodernmom/?hl=en] * On LinkedIn here [https://www.linkedin.com/in/hithapalepu] * On Substack here [https://hitha.substack.com/] About New Modern Mom: You know the dream of having it all – a thriving career, an active social life, present time with your kids, and adventures in travel. But how the F can we actually do it all? Host Barbara Mighdoll chats with other working mom executives on the raw truth behind their support systems, self-identity shifts, productivity, infertility and pregnancy loss, mom guilt, partner dynamics, childcare and even imposter syndrome. We’re exploring how these incredible women are translating their professional superpowers into their personal lives. Because we believe you can have it all, you just cannot do it all. Together, we’re building the playbook for the new modern mom.

RERUN: Multi-Hyphenate Mindset [Hitha Palepu, CEO, Author & Speaker]

Hitha Palapu runs a pharma company, has written two books, speaks on global stages, and is raising two boys, and she'll be the first to tell you that's not the impressive part. The impressive part is knowing exactly which hyphens to own, which to pause, and when to walk away entirely. In this conversation, Hitha and Barbara go deep on what it really takes to build a full life as a working mom — the morning routines, household systems, time management strategies, and honest trade-offs that make ambition sustainable without burning out. What you’ll learn: 🎭 What it actually means to be a multi-hyphenate and why Hitha says most women already are one 🌅 How to structure a morning routine that protects your most important priorities 🤝 The Fair Play system for dividing household tasks with your partner and how to adapt it when life shifts 💬 Why weekly marriage meetings work (and how to run one that's half business standup, half emotional check-in) 💆‍♀️ Hitha's Gentle Wednesdays practice and why a midweek reset makes you perform better Thursday through Friday ⌛The Magic 20 List: a low-stakes way to start any creative project and know when to quit 🚀 How to build a thought leadership presence online that you can actually sustain 📚When to close a chapter, and why that's a multi-hyphenate skill, not a failure If you're an ambitious working mom who's ever felt like you have to choose between your career and your presence, this episode is your permission slip to stop choosing. This episode is perfect for moms searching for: how to do it all as a working mom · multi-hyphenate career · working mom morning routine · Fair Play Eve Rodsky · how to split chores with your partner · weekly marriage meeting · time management for working moms · how to start a creative project with no time · Gentle Wednesdays · thought leadership for moms · how to build a personal brand as a working mom · multi-passionate career women · work life balance for moms · ambitious mom podcast · how to stop doing everything yourself Resources & Links Mentioned * Fair Play by Eve Rodsky [https://amzn.to/4axFHUz] * Full Focus Planner (Michael Hyatt) [https://amzn.to/3Q6aqkU] * Forest App (focus timer) [https://forestapp.cc/] * How to Pack [https://amzn.to/43X9uSZ] by Hitha Palapu [https://amzn.to/43X9uSZ] * We're Speaking: The Life Lessons of Kamala Harris [https://amzn.to/43pfljY] by Hitha Palapu [https://amzn.to/43pfljY] * FreshDirect [https://www.freshdirect.com/?srsltid=AfmBOooX3VGkeHKyLnaTuRTSejcITdAkHdxo3F1XWHDkXFlNDVY_sjZw] / Methodology meal delivery [https://www.gomethodology.com/] Follow Hitha on * On Instagram here [https://www.instagram.com/hithapalepu/?hl=en] * On LinkedIn here [https://www.linkedin.com/in/erintschaefer/] * On Substack here [https://substack.com/@newmodernmom] Follow Barbara: * On Instagram here [https://www.instagram.com/newmodernmom/?hl=en] * On LinkedIn here [https://www.linkedin.com/in/hithapalepu] * On Substack here [https://hitha.substack.com/] About New Modern Mom: You know the dream of having it all – a thriving career, an active social life, present time with your kids, and adventures in travel. But how the F can we actually do it all? Host Barbara Mighdoll chats with other working mom executives on the raw truth behind their support systems, self-identity shifts, productivity, infertility and pregnancy loss, mom guilt, partner dynamics, childcare and even imposter syndrome. We’re exploring how these incredible women are translating their professional superpowers into their personal lives. Because we believe you can have it all, you just cannot do it all. Together, we’re building the playbook for the new modern mom.

RERUN: Intuition is a Strategy [Divya Gugnani, Wander Beauty & 5 SENS]

What does it actually look like to run three companies with a four-month-old at home, two preteens, and a full life? In this rerun episode of The New Modern Mom Podcast, Barbara Mighdoll sits down with Divya Gugnani, CEO and Co-Founder of Wander Beauty, Founder and CEO of 5 SENS, Founding Partner of Concept2Co, investor, entrepreneur, and mom of three, including a newborn baby. Divya shares an incredibly honest look at what life actually looks like behind the scenes while managing multiple companies, raising children with a large age gap, navigating postpartum life, and building systems that allow her to stay present both at work and at home. What makes this episode especially powerful is Divya's refreshing transparency. She doesn't pretend balance is effortless, nor does she glamorize hustle culture. Instead, she walks through the practical systems, mindset shifts, and routines that help her manage a life with constant context switching from structured scheduling and intentional delegation to redefining support systems after a spontaneous move from New York to Miami. Throughout the conversation, Divya emphasizes that success is not about doing everything yourself. It's about understanding what only you can do, learning to ask for help, and focusing your energy where it matters most. Barbara and Divya also dive into the emotional realities of ambition and motherhood, including mom guilt, postpartum work decisions, raising independent children, and learning how to trust your intuition when making major life or career changes. Divya shares thoughtful advice for women considering entrepreneurship, building confidence over time, and marketing themselves more effectively in professional settings. For ambitious moms navigating career growth, leadership, family life, and personal fulfillment all at once, this episode offers both tactical guidance and emotional reassurance. It's a conversation about building a life that feels aligned, even during the busiest seasons. In This Episode, You'll Hear: 🌴 Why Divya moved her family from New York to Miami and how the transition helped her reset her priorities around family, health, and wellness 🗓️ How Divya structures her schedule, manages time intentionally, and balances multiple companies alongside motherhood 🥗 Her practical approach to meal planning, family nutrition, reducing processed foods, and building healthy habits for her children 🤱 Honest reflections on postpartum life, maternity leave, entrepreneurship, and navigating work with a newborn at home 💡 Why intuition, resilience, delegation, and a "no zero days" mindset have become essential tools in both Divya's career and personal life Divya's perspective is a reminder that fulfillment doesn't come from perfectly balancing every role at once. It comes from creating systems that support you, investing in yourself consistently, and learning how to focus on what matters most in each season of life. About Divya Gugnani: Divya Gugnani is a five-time CEO, co-founder, investor, and mother of three. She began her career in investment banking at Goldman Sachs, earned her MBA from Harvard Business School, and has spent 20+ years building, launching, and scaling consumer brands. She is the CEO and co-founder of Wander Beauty, founder and CEO of 5 SENS, and a founding partner at venture capital group Concept2Co. She lives in Miami with her husband, two preteens, and a newborn. Follow Divya: * On Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dGugnani/here [https://www.instagram.com/dGugnani/] * On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/divya-gugnani-6ba98/here [https://www.linkedin.com/in/divya-gugnani-6ba98/] This Episode Is Perfect For Moms Searching For: → Practical systems for balancing entrepreneurship, leadership, and motherhood → Time management strategies that actually work during demanding seasons of life → Honest conversations about postpartum life and returning to work after having a baby → Better ways to delegate, build support systems, and reduce mental load → Wellness, nutrition, and healthy routines for busy families → Advice on transitioning from corporate careers into entrepreneurship → Encouragement to trust your intuition when making major life decisions → A realistic perspective on ambition, resilience, and asking for help About The New Modern Mom Podcast: You know the dream of having it all – a thriving career, an active social life, present time with your kids, and adventures in travel. But how the F can we actually do it all? Host Barbara Mighdoll chats with other working mom executives on the raw truth behind their support systems, self-identity shifts, productivity, infertility and pregnancy loss, mom guilt, partner dynamics, childcare and even imposter syndrome. We’re exploring how these incredible women are translating their professional superpowers into their personal lives. Because we believe you can have it all, you just cannot do it all. Together, we’re building the playbook for the new modern mom. Connect With Barbara: * On Instagram https://www.instagram.com/newmodernmomhere [https://www.instagram.com/newmodernmom] * On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbaramighdoll/here [https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbaramighdoll/] * Subscribe to the newsletter: Newsletter.NewModernMom.com If this conversation gave you something to take home, please subscribe, leave a five-star review, and share it with the ambitious mom in your life who needs to hear this. Every review helps more working moms find this show.

RERUN: The Power of Consistency [Jeanelle Teves, CCO of Bugaboo]

What if the real key to balancing leadership, motherhood, and personal fulfillment isn’t doing more, but showing up consistently for what matters most? In this rerun episode of The New Modern Mom Podcast, host Barbara Mighdoll revisits a powerful conversation from 2024 with Jeanelle Teves, Chief Commercial Officer of Bugaboo, on how she integrates corporate leadership frameworks into everyday family life. Jeanelle offers a rare look at what it actually takes to lead at a high level while raising young children, without chasing perfection or burning out in the process. This episode stands out for its practicality. Jeanelle shares the exact systems, routines, and mental models she uses to manage her energy, prioritize effectively, and stay present both at work and at home. From early-morning rituals to quarterly family planning, she demonstrates how small, intentional actions, done consistently, compound into meaningful progress. Her approach reframes balance as something you build through structure, communication, and support, not something you stumble into. For ambitious moms who are capable, driven, and often stretched thin, this conversation offers grounded guidance and immediately usable tools. Jeanelle’s insights bridge the gap between corporate success and modern motherhood, proving that clarity, consistency, and community can coexist with growth. In this episode, listeners will hear: 🌅 How Jeanelle structures her mornings to protect personal time, build resilience, and start each day grounded before her kids wake up 📅 Why quarterly planning works for family life, and how business tools like goal-setting and weekly reviews reduce household friction 🎯 A practical decision-making framework for prioritizing what matters most and staying present during family time 🤝 How to build a real support system, from dividing household labor to creating a trusted community of parents in similar stages 🔄 Why consistency is the real superpower, and how small, repeatable actions drive long-term success in both career and motherhood Jeanelle’s journey is a reminder that fulfillment doesn’t come from doing everything, it comes from doing the right things, over and over again, with intention. This episode is packed with moments worth pausing, rewinding, and taking notes on. This episode is perfect for moms searching for: → Practical ways to lead a demanding career while raising young children → A realistic approach to work-life integration (beyond the myth of balance) → Insight and perspective from a C-suite executive navigating motherhood → Systems and routines that reduce mental load at home and at work → Reassurance that consistency matters more than perfection → Thoughtful guidance on making career decisions as a parent → A path to sustained ambition without burnout or self-sacrifice If you’ve ever felt like you’re constantly switching roles, executive, caregiver, partner, human, this conversation will remind you that your ability to adapt isn’t a weakness. It’s a skill. And when harnessed intentionally, it can become your greatest strength. Follow Barbara Mighdoll: * On Instagram here [https://www.instagram.com/newmodernmom] * Subscribe to Barbara’s newsletter here [https://newsletter.newmodernmom.com/] Follow Janelle: * On LinkedIn here [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanelleteves] * On Instagram here [https://www.instagram.com/jeanelleteves/?hl=en] About New Modern Mom: You know the dream of having it all – a thriving career, an active social life, present time with your kids, and adventures in travel. But how the F can we actually do it all? Host Barbara Mighdoll chats with other working mom executives on the raw truth behind their support systems, self-identity shifts, productivity, infertility and pregnancy loss, mom guilt, partner dynamics, childcare and even imposter syndrome. We’re exploring how these incredible women are translating their professional superpowers into their personal lives. Because we believe you can have it all, you just cannot do it all. Together, we’re building the playbook for the new modern mom.

RERUN - Chief Brand Officer of Bobbie on the Art of Context Switching at Work and Home

What does it really take to hold a high-stakes leadership role without losing yourself (or your sanity) at home? In this rerun episode of The New Modern Mom Podcast, Barbara Mighdoll sits down with Kim Gebbia Chappell, Chief Brand Officer of Bobbie, to unpack the real, unfiltered mechanics of managing chaos across work and motherhood, not by “doing it all,” but by mastering the art of context switching. Kim’s career path is anything but linear: from news reporter to tech, to joining Bobbie in its earliest days (literally in the CEO’s basement), all while becoming a mom of three kids under six. In this conversation, Kim shares how she’s learned to shift gears, mentally, emotionally, and operationally, dozens of times a day. This episode isn’t about balance as a buzzword. It’s about systems, mindset shifts, and permission, permission to ask for what you need, to build support around you, to stop pretending you can do everything, and to redefine success in a season of life that demands flexibility. Kim offers candid insights into advocacy at work, building sustainable home systems, taking career risks as a mom, and letting go of perfection in favor of what actually matters. If you’re navigating a demanding career while raising young kids or simply feeling stretched across too many roles this episode will leave you feeling seen, validated, and equipped with practical ways to move through the chaos with more intention. What you’ll learn in this episode: 🧠 The power of context switching — How Kim applies the same mental agility she uses in executive leadership to show up for her kids, her partner, and herself throughout the day. 🏗 Building systems that support working motherhood — From childcare “bench strength” to mental-load relief, Kim shares the infrastructure that makes her life sustainable. 🍼 Advocating for yourself at work as a mom — The formative moment that changed how Kim asked for what she needed — and why motherhood often turns women into powerful advocates. 🚀 Taking career risks with young kids — Why Kim walked away from stability to join a startup, how she trusted her gut, and what she believes about risk, reward, and fulfillment. ✨ Letting go of ‘doing it all’ — A mindset shift around perfection, priorities, and redefining success in seasons where capacity is limited but impact is still high. This episode is perfect for moms searching for: → How to manage a demanding career with young kids → Real talk on work-life integration (not balance) → Leadership lessons from a C-suite working mom → Systems to reduce mental load at home → Permission to stop trying to do everything perfectly → How to take smart career risks as a parent → Navigating motherhood without losing ambition If you’ve ever felt like you’re constantly switching roles, executive, caregiver, partner, human, this conversation will remind you that your ability to adapt isn’t a weakness. It’s a skill. And when harnessed intentionally, it can become your greatest strength. Follow Barbara Mighdoll: 1. On Instagram here [https://www.instagram.com/newmodernmom] 2. Subscribe to Barbara’s newsletter here [https://newsletter.newmodernmom.com/] Follow Kim: 1. On LinkedIn here [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-chappell-3599415/] 2. On Instagram here [https://www.instagram.com/kimgchappy/] About New Modern Mom: You know the dream of having it all – a thriving career, an active social life, present time with your kids, and adventures in travel. But how the F can we actually do it all? Host Barbara Mighdoll chats with other working mom executives on the raw truth behind their support systems, self-identity shifts, productivity, infertility and pregnancy loss, mom guilt, partner dynamics, childcare and even imposter syndrome. We’re exploring how these incredible women are translating their professional superpowers into their personal lives. Because we believe you can have it all, you just cannot do it all. Together, we’re building the playbook for the new modern mom.