Why "Just Ask for Help" Is Terrible Advice (and What to Do Instead)

Europe with Kids: Here's the Details Nobody Posts on Instagram

We just got back from 10 days in Europe with our three kids under 11, and I am spilling everything: the real cost, the real planning process, and what it actually looks like to move a family of five through two countries where nobody speaks your language and the coffee shops sometimes don't open until 1pm. If you've been dreaming about a trip like this but have been telling yourself it's too expensive, too complicated, or that your kids are too young, this episode is going to change how you think about it. I break down how the cost compared to our Disney trip (the answer genuinely surprised me), how I planned three cities in under a year with help from one very smart resource, and what I would do completely differently next time. The trip was exhausting, occasionally chaotic, and absolutely worth every bit of it. Episode Highlights * Why we kept getting "must be nice" reactions * How a European family trip compares in cost to Disney * The family of 5 hotel problem in Europe and how we solved it in every city * Why I booked a one-hour call with a Paris-based trip planner and why it was the best money I spent * The mindset I went in with that saved the trip from falling apart * What it really looks like when someone in your family of 5 is having a moment, all day, every day * The grace I gave my husband (and myself) when things didn't go the way we planned * What I'd do differently on a long trip next time * What we're taking home from the trip and what we're happily leaving in Europe * Why I'd book another big family trip tomorrow Resource Mentioned: The Petit Guide [https://www.instagram.com/the.petit.guide/] (follow Zoe for family-friendly Paris trip recs!) Connect with Lauren: · Instagram: @itslaurenmora [https://www.instagram.com/itslaurenmora] · Website itslaurenmora.com [https://itslaurenmora.com/]

Making Networking Events Worth the Babysitter

You have zero energy left, the babysitter has been arranged, and you are already negotiating with yourself about whether you actually have to go. Whether it's a professional conference, a work happy hour, or a retreat you signed up for with the best intentions, showing up to events when you're already running on empty is genuinely hard. Lauren gets it, and she still goes anyway. In this episode, she's sharing the one simple shift that changed how she approaches every event she walks into, whether she wants to be there or not. It's not a strategy; it's an energy. And it takes about 30 seconds to set before you walk through the door. Episode Highlights: * Why moms are so quick to opt out of events, even ones they were excited about * The post-COVID hangover affecting our social lives more than we realize * Why networking feels so exhausting (and what's actually making it that way) * The single intention Lauren sets before every event instead of a list of goals * How dropping the "needy energy" changes the entire experience * The retreat Lauren attended and what showing up with this mindset actually gave her * What she does the morning after an event to lock in what she got from it * Why in-person community matters more right now than ever Connect with Lauren: Join the weekly newsletter [https://affd23d9.sibforms.com/serve/MUIFAA-4axd9A2aMymaRqBKnQtWEbJDylTpUtuwLZQzW-2kC_qvGAXcCZWzonE75MfHOK6GXfe0F89lEUE4LLoc2MW3K74j5gUVQboXc9RuOETYmW9dSUm1l0rTR80fHWaQTLZVX9AnXY2cdWUPF3-T4UKJy8k-gvn5I3Eyr8vzE5B85lnWCZpy5CeMYDLEibSfIh2VUnzyBRODN] Instagram: @itslaurenmora [https://www.instagram.com/itslaurenmora] Website itslaurenmora.com [https://itslaurenmora.com/]

Working Mom Summer: A Behind The Scenes Look

If you've ever gone into summer feeling genuinely excited about all the fun you're going to have, all the things you're going to do, and all the projects you're finally going to tackle, and then reality hit you like a truck somewhere around the second week of June…this episode is for you. The truth is that summer looks really different when you still have a job to go to. Working mom summer comes with shorter days for camps vs school, multiple drop-offs and pick-ups, vacation prep that makes the weeks before you leave absolutely brutal, and a side of guilt that nobody asked for. It's a lot. This episode is about going into summer with a plan so that it doesn't just happen to you. Because your kids deserve to look back on this summer and remember something, and so do you. * The honest difference between working mom summer and moms who have more flexibility * Why the guilt hits even when you're happy to be working * Why the camps deserve more credit than we give them * What you actually want summer to feel like, for your kids and for yourself * The macro calendar review to do before summer starts * Why time blocking in summer might be the short-term solution to having more fun * The pre-vacation crunch reframe that makes the hard weeks feel worth it * Why your summer bucket list needs a calendar appointment * How communicating your summer plan to your kids changes everything Connect with Lauren: · Instagram: @itslaurenmora [https://www.instagram.com/itslaurenmora] · Website itslaurenmora.com [https://itslaurenmora.com/]

The Podcast Makeover Is HERE + The Story Behind It

The RME makeover is officially here, and Lauren is getting into the real reason she did it. This episode is a behind-the-scenes look at the ownership decision-making that drove the whole thing, and why this way of thinking applies to way more than just having a business. Show Highlights: * The RME podcast makeover is live! * Nothing was broken. So why did she do it anyway? * What happens when you build a business in pieces and never step back to look at the whole picture * Working IN the business vs. working ON the business, and why that distinction matters * The CEO move: making a decision before anyone else notices there's a problem * Why "not broken" is not the bar * You are the CEO of your business, your home, and your life. You get to decide how direction you're heading. Connect with Lauren: Join my mailing list [https://affd23d9.sibforms.com/serve/MUIFAA-4axd9A2aMymaRqBKnQtWEbJDylTpUtuwLZQzW-2kC_qvGAXcCZWzonE75MfHOK6GXfe0F89lEUE4LLoc2MW3K74j5gUVQboXc9RuOETYmW9dSUm1l0rTR80fHWaQTLZVX9AnXY2cdWUPF3-T4UKJy8k-gvn5I3Eyr8vzE5B85lnWCZpy5CeMYDLEibSfIh2VUnzyBRODN] Instagram: @itslaurenmora [https://www.instagram.com/itslaurenmora] Website itslaurenmora.com [https://itslaurenmora.com/]

How to Have a Mother's Day You Actually Love

It's the week before Mother's Day, and if you're being honest, the day is already starting to feel like one more thing to manage. This episode is for the mom who has already handled everyone else's Mother's Day gifts, has already coordinated the plans for that day, and is deep in the chaos of May on top of it all. Lauren gets into why the day so rarely lives up to what we picture, where that expectation even comes from, and four specific things to do before Sunday to actually shape how the day goes. Episode Highlights: * Why Mother's Day lands in the worst possible month for moms * The reality that a lot of us manage everyone else's Mother's Day for the family * The gap between what we picture and what actually happens that day * The permission problem: why so many of us wait to be given the green light to rest * Tell your husband exactly what you want: not a hint, a specific ask * How to talk through Sunday's schedule so there's a window that's actually yours * Moving your Sunday to-do list earlier so the day doesn't feel like any other weekend * Why the best gift you can give yourself isn't on Mother's Day at all Connect with Lauren: Instagram: @itslaurenmora [https://www.instagram.com/itslaurenmora] Website itslaurenmora.com [https://itslaurenmora.com/]