Today’s episode is a really exciting one, but a little different! I hosted an in-person coffee date at my local coworking space, The Hivery, so instead of two co-hosts, we have a round table today. I’m with 7 other Mama CEOs talking about community, our Mama Advantages and what I’ve learned so far from hosting this podcast. I can’t wait for you to listen in and be part of our Mama Advantage community!

Mama Advantage Moments from this episode:

• Our Mama Advantage is the disconnect between the voices we hear externally and what we know internally to be true: we can be a successful business owner and a wonderful mother at the same time.
• I share the amazing lessons I’ve learned from my new book obsession, You’re A Badass at Making Money.
• We talk about the concept of “pruning”: how it affects a mom’s brain and the scientific benefits of it.
• When we become a mom, we all have at least one moment of “I can’t do this,” and then we do. This translates amazingly into being a business owner.
• It is scientifically proven that a mother can get more done in a shorter period of time than a man or a woman who is not a mother
• We talk about what the “truth” is: our truth is what we believe to be true, and we are bombarded with information telling us we are “less than” as mothers

I open up the floor to find out what resonated with my coffee date guests:

• We want to believe we actually have an advantage as a mother, but it’s so easy to get lost in the self doubt. Hearing the research reinforces what we believe.
• Self-doubt is something to push up against, not something to give into.
• Alicia shares her frustration and anger that we can all relate to about why we’re shut down as mothers when we truly can be a better package.
• We discuss how the Mama Advantage can be a difficult topic to bring up: Michelle shares how the talking about the advantage of motherhood can be perceived as a put down to those who can’t be or aren’t mothers—and why it’s still so important to discuss.
• Catherine explores how the corporate culture may not be ready to receive our Mama Advantage, so being able to step out of that culture and develop something that works for us is so exciting.
• Amy explores how we can start to break down barriers of a corporate world that isn’t ready for The Mama Advantage.
• The idea of motherhood as an advantage can cross over in so many ways with a lot of feminist beliefs and discussions; Lily helps us dive into this connection.
• As moms, we have so much to do that we have to structure our time well, which allows us to get more done.
• Because we are so used to nurturing, we aren’t used to asking for and supporting each other around this public discourse; Michelle shares her thoughts on asking for and giving support.
• We can re-frame “The Mama Advantage” to include everyone, a lot of the things we normalize as a mother can be normalized as being a human; Deb shares more about this

My guests share what their Mama Advantages are:

• Becoming a mom has helped us develop even further our compassion and understanding for others.
• Our ability to listen and let everything else fall away is something we use as a mother and teaches us to be so present in our business.
• Even before we were moms, we seemed to have a nurturing connection and this has been strengthened by motherhood and becoming an entrepreneur.
• “The thing is never the thing” and being able to sit with it and discover what’s really the issue is something we learn as a mother and use completely in our businesses.
• Being intentional about how we live our lives and how we want our kids to see us translates well into our business and how we run it
• Choice and empathy are two words that resonate with us as mothers and also as business owners.
• Becoming a mother can ground us: everything is going so fast and we have to appreciate what’s actually happening in the moment because it passes so quickly.

RATE AND REVIEW THE MAMA ADVANTAGE HERE

SUBSCRIBE TO THE MAMA ADVANTAGE PODCAST HERE

Links:

The Hivery

You Are a Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth by Jen Sincero

Deb’s site

Alicia’s site

Michelle’s site

Lily’s site

Maria’s site