Blended Family Podcast
Blended Family Podcast
Melissa Brown
The Blended Family Podcast is a weekly show with a strong focus on strategies and methods to help your family thrive. Blended Families face many difficulties and challenges which can sometimes drive families apart. The goal of this podcast is is to help your family grow together through these challenges and create the peaceful and loving home you desire. Your host, Melissa, understands these struggles because she has a blended family of her own. When you listen to this podcast, you will see that the family life you have always dreamed of is completely attainable!
Sudshare, with returning guest, Mort Fertel
melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   Mort Fertel is a serial entrepreneur who started his first business at 18 years old. He has a private equity portfolio that consists of SudShare, 2 other businesses, and real estate holdings. He graduated from the Wharton School of Business, and, during a short time when he thought he might be a corporate guy, worked on Wall Street for Bankers Trust Company. Mort is also an author, creator of the first online relationship renewal system (2004), and the subject of Back from the Brink, a documentary written and directed by Toroes Thomas. Now a grandfather, success for Mort means making a difference. And SudShare makes a difference by allowing customers to enjoy life and Sudsters (washers) to have their own work-from-home business. Mort loves working with his family to revolutionize the laundry business. Mort was on this show back on episode #228, when he was discussing his book Marriage Fitness, so if you haven’t heard that one check out that episode too. In this episode, he’s here to talk about his new company Sudshare. Personal story of Sudshare and how it came to be What it was like to create a family business Tips for families who want to create a business together How Sudshare works What Sudshare costs and how it compares to other laundry services Business opportunity for Sudsters Where Sudshare is operating How to get started with Sudshare And much more! Connect with Mort Website   Connect with me Join the Private Facebook Group Connect with me on Facebook Schedule an interview or coaching session HERE Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com Send me a voicemail at Speakpipe Visit the website at www.blendedfamilypodcast.com Sign up for my monthly newsletter Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes   Affiliate   Living the Good Life Naturally To receive discount, use promo code BLENDED                  
Aug 9, 2021
31 min
Joe Pomeroy-Expert at helping business minded men become the best family men they can be!
melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com Joe Pomeroy knows how to translate business principles into family success. Joe gained a deep knowledge of business while helping build an 8-figure company and earning his MBA. More importantly, Joe discovered how to utilize those hard-earned skills to save his marriage and his family. He went from his wife walking out the door, to having a confident, committed, and connected relationship, and now he is committed to helping other dads and husbands learn how to use those principles to be more confident in their role.  As a bestselling author and Family Leadership Coach, Joe helps business-minded men discover the new way to become the husbands and dads they once promised to be. His mantra has become: “Save the Family, Save the World.” His personal story Why businessmen become the best family men Why families and blended families should be treated like a business  How to translate business principles into family success Why some men lack confidence and how they can build it How to identify generational patterns and how to eradicate them How a partner can best support a man in his journey to greatness Joe’s 3D family framework Joe’s best advice And much more!   Connect with Joe Website Facebook LinkedIn Instagram   Connect with me Join the Private Facebook Group Connect with me on Facebook Schedule an interview or coaching session HERE Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com Send me a voicemail at Speakpipe Visit the website at www.blendedfamilypodcast.com Sign up for my monthly newsletter Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes   Affiliate   Living the Good Life Naturally To receive discount, use promo code BLENDED                  
Aug 2, 2021
57 min
Debbie Ausburn, author of the book Raising Other People's Children
melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   Debbie Ausburn is the author of the book Raising Other People’s Children and has spent more than 40 years working with children who've experienced trauma. Her many roles include social worker, group home parent, foster parent, and stepparent. Along with parenting seven foster, adopted, and stepchildren, Debbie has served as a criminal prosecutor, volunteer, and Board member with nonprofit organizations. She is now an attorney in private practice, counseling and defending youth-serving organizations. She says, “I make my living as a lawyer, but what I do is take care of other people’s children." Debbie’s personal story How fostering children and blended families are similar Tips on building new relationships and forming trust Helping children through trauma Sibling rivalry Advice for stepparents learning their place Helping children who have an absent parent Dealing with attitude and backtalk Debbie’s best lessons learned Her book, Raising Other People’s Children Debbie’s final advice/word of encouragement for listeners  And much more!   Connect with Debbie Website Twitter LinkedIn Instagram Buy the book HERE   Connect with me Join the Private Facebook Group Connect with me on Facebook Schedule an interview or coaching session HERE Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com Send me a voicemail at Speakpipe Visit the website at www.blendedfamilypodcast.com Sign up for my monthly newsletter Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes   Affiliate   Living the Good Life Naturally To receive discount, use promo code BLENDED                  
Jul 26, 2021
50 min
Are you feeling your feelings?
melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   We all have feelings, and they are there to help us. Most of us do not know how to work with our feelings, and instead we push them down and suppress them for various reasons. This is quite common in the blended family.  It’s important that we learn to recognize and process our feelings and emotions so that they do not get trapped in the body.    My personal journey with feelings Why feelings are important How thoughts and feelings are connected Why we ignore feelings and what that does to the body My 4 step process that I made for you to help you RISE above those negative feelings  The emotional scale and how to climb it Tips for self care Tips for expressing feelings and emotions Tips for loved ones Connect with me Join the Private Facebook Group Connect with me on Facebook Schedule an interview or coaching session HERE Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com Send me a voicemail at Speakpipe Visit the website at www.blendedfamilypodcast.com Sign up for my monthly newsletter Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes   Affiliate   Living the Good Life Naturally To receive discount, use promo code BLENDED                  
Jul 19, 2021
35 min
Gray Divorce, with Carol Hughes and Bruce Fredenburg
melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   Carol Hughes, PhD, LMFT, holds her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology and her master’s degree in Counseling Psychology, achieving both summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa honors. She is also a two-time Fulbright Scholar. Carol served for ten years as an Associate Professor of Human Services at Saddleback College. In her practice in Laguna Hills, CA, as a California licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and family-focused divorce professional, for more than thirty years, she has assisted hundreds of divorcing families, as a therapist, child and co-parenting specialist, divorce coach, and mediator.   Bruce Fredenburg, MS, LMFT, has been a California licensed Marriage and Family Therapist for more than 30 years and is Board Certified in Clinical Hypnosis. He was a college instructor in Human Services at Saddleback College and at the National Medical Review School in Southern California. He also created and taught parenting classes for adoptive and foster parents. He is trained and experienced in chronic pain management, trauma, addictions, mediation, and collaborative divorce. In his practice in Laguna Hills, CA, Bruce helps families as a therapist, divorce coach, co-parenting specialist, and mediator.   The topic of this show is Gray Divorce, or divorce that takes place after the age of 50, after the children are typically grown. In this interview we discuss   Bruce and Carols personal stories What is gray divorce, and why it's becoming more prevalent Why not many people are talking about this trend What gray divorce looks like and how it differs from earlier on divorces How adult children are affected by their parents late divorce What parents can do to make the transition easier on their adult children How a couple going through a gray divorce can move forward without fear  Their book, Home will never be the same again: a guide for adult children of gray divorce And much more!   Connect with Bruce Website (Orange County Divorce coach) Website (Psychology Today) Facebook Linkedin Instagram   Connect with Carol Website (Dr. Carol Hughes) Website (Divorce Peacemaking) Facebook LinkedIn Instagram Buy the Book HERE Connect with me Join the Private Facebook Group Connect with me on Facebook Schedule an interview or coaching session HERE Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com Send me a voicemail at Speakpipe Visit the website at www.blendedfamilypodcast.com Sign up for my monthly newsletter Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes   Affiliate   Living the Good Life Naturally To receive discount, use promo code BLENDED                  
Jul 12, 2021
45 min
Post COVID stressors, and how they affect our children, with Dr. Regine Muradian
melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   Dr. Regine Muradian is a licensed clinical psychologist, children’s author, speaker, consultant, and mental health advocate. In her clinical practice, Dr. Muradian works with children, adolescents, and adults who present with a wide range of emotional stressors. She specializes in Anxiety and is a Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional (CCATP), ADHD, Depression, Eating Disorders/Body Image, and Executive Functioning Training. Dr. Muradian is also a specialist in Psychological and Neuropsychological Assessments. She has extensive medical experience and expertise.  Dr. Muradian is fluent in 5 languages and incorporates her multicultural background with her clients. Lastly, Dr. Muradian is a published children’s author. Her first book, Franky and the Worry Bees was released during the pandemic as she found children and teens were having a difficult time connecting and staying motivated over distance learning. She has two more books as part of her Franky series coming out in 2021 titled, Franky and His Homeschool Adventures and Franky and His Special Talent. Dr. Muradian knows how to keep your child motivated and help parents create positive change in their lives. In this interview we discuss    Her personal story What children and teenagers are facing coming out of COVID What some of the post covid type stressors are that might affect our kids, and how we can help them overcome those  Signs your child is having trouble acclimating to post COVID life How to help our children move forward past fear What the long term psychological effects of COVID are, and how to minimize them Anxiety and how COVID ties into that Determining whether post COVID behaviors are normal or if they require special attention Resistance to mental health help, and how to manage if a child is resistant Her program for mental health training for teachers Tips on getting kids to a positive mindset And much more!   Connect with Regine Website Twitter Instagram   Connect with me Join the Private Facebook Group Connect with me on Facebook Schedule an interview or coaching session HERE Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com Send me a voicemail at Speakpipe Visit the website at www.blendedfamilypodcast.com Sign up for my monthly newsletter Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes   Affiliate   Living the Good Life Naturally To receive discount, use promo code BLENDED                  
Jul 5, 2021
48 min
How to make your multi cultural blended family work!
melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   When two families come together, there are always differences in structure, tradition, discipline, and family values. Many blended families also experience cultural differences, where two families from entirely different cultures come together. This can present many challenges to a blended family, yet there are always benefits if we choose to seek them out. In this show, you’ll learn about what some of these cultural differences are, as well as how to use them to help your blended family grow closer together! In this interview we will discuss   What a multicultural blended family is Different types of multicultural blended families Serious issues that should be addressed before blending Challenges multicultural families face Tips to make things easier And much more! Connect with me Join the Private Facebook Group Connect with me on Facebook Schedule an interview or coaching session HERE Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com Send me a voicemail at Speakpipe Visit the website at www.blendedfamilypodcast.com Sign up for my monthly newsletter Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes   Affiliate   Living the Good Life Naturally To receive discount, use promo code BLENDED                  
Jun 28, 2021
35 min
Moving Past Trauma into Peace, with expert Jolyn Armstrong
melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   When her son was arrested, Jolyn Armstrong discovered that even an idyllic life can be turned upside down in an instant by catastrophe. That’s why she launched Grapevine Mindware, a counseling and coaching program aimed at helping you end the pain, find peace, and get your life back after a personal catastrophe. Jolyn’s mission is to help everyone achieve peace and joy regardless of outside circumstances.   Her personal story Grapevine Mindware’s origins and who it’s for How we can find our way out of darkness How to find peace in the eye of the storm How trauma can lead to loneliness, how to overcome that How we can protect our mental health during a crisis Tips on how to move through trauma How to live a great life after a crisis How to achieve peace And much more!   Connect with Jolyn Website LinkedIn Facebook Instagram Special page for my Blended listeners   Connect with me Join the Private Facebook Group Connect with me on Facebook Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com Send me a voicemail at Speakpipe Visit the website at www.blendedfamilypodcast.com Sign up for my monthly newsletter Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes   Schedule an interview, coaching session, or financial review here Take my money quiz here to see how financially literate you are!   Affiliates Nacho Kids Program  To receive a special discount, use promo code BFP   Living the Good Life Naturally To receive discount, use promo code BLENDED                  
Jun 21, 2021
41 min
Resiliency and conflict resolution, with expert Kristin MacDermott
melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   Kristin MacDermott is a licensed marriage and family therapist with a decade of research in resilience. Her resilience-training programs have been validated in four studies with researchers from the Duke Clinical Research Institute, published in peer-reviewed journals, and proven to improve key mental health and resilience outcomes, including anxiety, depression, distress, self-efficacy, and PTSD. Kristin has designed resilience-training programs for some of the highest-performing people on the planet, including Navy SEALS and the LAPD. Her programs have been used in more than 20 hospitals across the country, including at the Duke Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Health. She has also designed programs for schools, corporations, non-profits, and mentors who support at-risk kids. Kristin is the author of It Takes Two Minutes to Shift Your Mindset and Build Resilience, a book that breaks resilience down into bite-size skills you can apply to your life immediately. She has recently launched two online courses for parents, one called Resilience-Based Parenting and the other called Parenting Through Divorce. She has a private practice in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida where she lives with her husband of 28 years and her three children. In this interview we discuss Her personal story Why conflict resolution and resiliency work well together The MacDermott Method, Kristin’s unique practice Conflict between co parents and tips on managing it Why it’s important to get your own needs met How to stay calm in conflict Teaching our children conflict resolution Kristin’s offerings And much more! Connect with Kristin Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter Just for Blended Listeners!   Connect with me Join the Private Facebook Group Connect with me on Facebook Schedule an interview or coaching session HERE Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com Send me a voicemail at Speakpipe Visit the website at www.blendedfamilypodcast.com Sign up for my monthly newsletter Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes   Affiliate   Living the Good Life Naturally To receive discount, use promo code BLENDED                  
Jun 7, 2021
42 min
How to live a BOLD life when your family doesn't look like the norm, with Jessica Frew
melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   Jessica Frew is a wife, ex-wife, mom, stepmom, and BOLD action taker. She has a successful podcast called “Husband in Law” that she records with her husband, Matt, and her ex-husband, Steve. Together they are sharing their stories of love, marriage, coming out, divorce, remarriage and co-parenting to help others know they are not alone. They also co-own The BOLD Logic,  a company devoted to helping people go from living in an “I should” mindset to taking BOLD action towards keeping and reclaiming their sense of self.  Jessica is a firm believer that by knowing and understanding what it is you really want in life you can BOLDly create a life you love, no matter what your circumstances. In this interview we discuss Her personal story Her blended family and unique dynamics How her ex coming out affected the kids and family How they co parent together  What she has learned Her podcast, Husband in Law Her company, Bold Logic And much more!   Connect with Jessica Website Instagram Facebook Download your FREE workbook HERE Connect with me Join the Private Facebook Group Connect with me on Facebook Schedule an interview or coaching session HERE Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com Send me a voicemail at Speakpipe Visit the website at www.blendedfamilypodcast.com Sign up for my monthly newsletter Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes   Affiliate   Living the Good Life Naturally To receive discount, use promo code BLENDED                      
May 17, 2021
40 min
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