61: From Recovery to Reinvention: After Getting Sober | Women and Work

61: From Recovery to Reinvention: After Getting Sober | Women and Work

Building a successful business, achieving financial freedom, and checking every box on the path to success should have felt like the finish line. For Heather Simco, it wasn't. After growing up in a difficult home, Heather pursued stability through teaching before helping build a thriving martial arts business with her husband. But behind the success was a battle with addiction, unresolved trauma, and the realization that external achievements couldn't heal internal struggles. Everything changed when she hit rock bottom, got sober, and began rebuilding her life from the inside out. Today, Heather helps women navigate transformation, wellness, recovery, and entrepreneurship through her coaching practice. In this episode of Women and Work, Heather shares her remarkable journey from survival to self-discovery: • Growing up in a difficult and unstable household • Choosing security over passion early in life • Building a successful martial arts business from scratch • The hidden challenges that came with success • Addiction, recovery, and finding sobriety • Rebuilding identity after trauma and injury • Entrepreneurship and creating a purpose-driven career • Raising a daughter while building a business • Why community is essential for personal growth • Finding freedom through reinvention How has a major life challenge reshaped the direction of your career or personal life? If you want to transform in mental, physical, and spiritual ways, check out Heather’s Concierge Coaching at:  https://link.communicake.io/widget/form/LcdbEIlwhPc1Vz8LQxm3?am_id=diane8572 You can join Heather’s Sober Boss Babe Community at:  https://www.soberbossbabe.com/sbbcommunity?am_id=diane6312 Leave behind your toxic lifestyle behind by embarking on the Sober Boss Babe reset here: https://soberbossbabe.com/sbbcourse?am_id=diane6761 Come together with other women in recovery at the Sober Boss Babe Retreat here: https://www.soberbossbabe.com/sbbretreatoptin?am_id=diane1165 Struggling to find the right child care? Get a video interview of your ideal nanny at https://www.momsub.com/child-care-options #WomenAndWork #SobrietyJourney #Entrepreneurship #PersonalGrowth #WomenInBusiness Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2469592/support]

60: Passing On A Promotion When It’s The Wrong Season Of Life | Women and Work

Trying to “do it all” can sometimes mean saying no to the opportunity you worked your whole career for. Jen Anderson spent nearly two decades building a successful career in fitness leadership while raising her family. After turning down a promotion when her children were young, she expected the opportunity would still be there when the timing was right. But when she was finally ready, the company chose someone else. Instead of letting that setback define her, Jen used her years of leadership experience to reinvent herself as a business consultant and “Professional Wing Woman,” helping entrepreneurs grow with strategy, accountability, and business development support. In this episode of Women and Work, Jen shares how motherhood shaped her career decisions, why timing matters more than titles, and how walking away from corporate life led her to build something even better:  • Turning down a promotion for family • Being passed over later in your career • Balancing leadership and motherhood • Managing the mental load as working parents • Transitioning from corporate to entrepreneurship • Building a business through referrals and networking • Finding confidence and using your voice • Why some opportunities are meant for another season Have you ever turned down an opportunity because it wasn’t the right season of life? Struggling to find the right child care? Get a video interview of your ideal nanny at https://www.momsub.com/child-care-options If you’re looking to get your business or your health in shape, check out https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-anderson-wingwoman/ #WomenAndWork #WorkingMoms #CareerGrowth #WomenInBusiness #Entrepreneurship Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2469592/support]

59: Embracing Change After Trauma | Women and Work

Facing death as a child changes the way you see fear, uncertainty, and opportunity. After surviving two heart attacks by age 10 and being told she had less than six months to live, Hanna Bauer learned from her mother and grandmother how to keep moving forward even when the future felt terrifyingly uncertain. That experience shaped the way she approached leadership, motherhood, business, and major life transitions — from navigating career disruption to rebuilding after divorce while raising five children. Now, as Faculty at Maxwell Leadership and Founder of HEARTnomics Coaching, Hanna helps others understand that growth often begins in the moments we fear the most. In this episode of Women and Work, Hanna shares: • How childhood trauma shaped her leadership mindset • Why uncertainty can become a source of strength • The reality of balancing career growth and motherhood • Lessons from rebuilding life after divorce • How embracing change creates transformation How has a difficult season in your life changed the way you approach uncertainty today? Struggling to find the right child care? Get a video interview of your ideal nanny at https://www.momsub.com/child-care-options #WomenAtWork #Resilience #LeadershipDevelopment #WorkingMoms #PersonalGrowth Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2469592/support]

58: When Having Kids Leads To Career Trade-offs | Women and Work

After becoming a mom, Amy Jackson realized that the career path she once said “yes” to so easily suddenly came with impossible tradeoffs. From painful work trips and mom guilt to constantly changing childcare plans, Amy shares how motherhood reshaped the way she approached ambition, leadership, and success. Instead of walking away from her career, she built a fully remote, family-friendly PR agency that allows women to thrive at work without sacrificing their families. In this episode, Amy opens up about: • The emotional toll of work travel as a mom  • Why flexibility mattered more than climbing the corporate ladder  • How she transitioned from executive leadership to entrepreneurship  • The burnout that came with scaling a business  • Why community, mentors, and support systems matter so much for working moms  Amy’s story is a reminder that success doesn’t have to look the same in every season of life. What’s one sacrifice or adjustment motherhood has made you rethink in your career? Struggling to find the right child care? Get a video interview of your ideal nanny at https://www.momsub.com/child-care-options If you want your innovative company to be featured in major media, check out https://www.talesplash.com/. #WomenAndWork #WorkingMoms #WomenInBusiness #Entrepreneurship #MomLife Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2469592/support]

57: Owning Your Nonlinear Career | Women and Work

You build a successful career, work with top executives, and then… take a pause. For DeeDee Fisher, that pause wasn’t a setback—it was part of the story. Now a consultant to C-suite leaders through her company Discover Response, DeeDee has spent over 30 years helping executives communicate more effectively. From developing curriculum for Fortune-level clients to leading in the nutraceutical industry and serving as Chief of Staff, her career has evolved across industries and roles. But what makes her journey stand out? She openly highlights her four years as a stay-at-home parent on LinkedIn—challenging the idea that career breaks should be hidden. This episode is a powerful reminder that success doesn’t have to follow a straight line. How do you view career pauses or pivots in your own journey? Struggling to find the right child care? Get a video interview of your ideal nanny at https://www.momsub.com/child-care-options To learn how Compassion, Process, and Learning empowers individuals and teams to navigate challenges, check out https://discoverresponse.com/ #WomenAndWork #Leadership #CareerGrowth #WomenInBusiness #NonlinearCareer Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2469592/support]