Dr. Angela E. Lauria is the founder of The Author Incubator™ and creator of the Difference Process™ for writing a book that matters. In 2018, The Author Incubator was ranked #275 on the Inc. 500 fastest-growing companies and #87 on Entrepreneur Magazine’s Entrepreneur 360. Angela won the Stevie Award’s Coach/Mentor of the Year Award and her program, The Author’s Way, was named Coaching Program of the Year and she was named by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the top 10 most inspiring entrepreneurs to watch – one of only 2 women.  I’ve seen Angela’s work online for years as we’ve circled each other around various mutual friends. For a while now I’ve had a sense that she could be a really great guest for the show. Then, about a year ago I started noticing how she was showing up differently online. She talked really openly about her autism diagnosis at age 39. She was writing incredible posts about how she experiences the world as a person with autism. I have learned so much from her. So, I finally reached out to ask her to come join us in the SMA. I am so grateful she said yes. This is an incredible conversation.  Listen in to hear Angela share: What led to her autism diagnosis at the age of 39 How her diagnosis allowed her to feel like she could finally start her life and her career  What masking is and how people with various neurodivergences mask in order to fit into the world How she learned to set boundaries to self-regulate in a world that's not designed for people with autism Why labeling autism or any neurodivergence or a person with disabilities or differences as a person with superpowers is inappropriate and leads to “inspiration porn” How the brain of a person with autism differs from an the brain of an allistic (non-autistic) person in terms of how the brain integrates information What self-care might look like for a person with autism - and how it looks very different than self-care for allistic people Links mentioned: Work with Angela: Differencepress.com Book: It. Goes. So. Fast: The Year of No Do Overs by Mary Louise Kelly Angela’s Podcast: The Autistic Culture Podcast  Angela’s Personal FB FB/IG/TikTok/LinkedIn: @differencepress We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I knew stepping into September I was taking a big inhale that I wouldn’t be able to release until October 28th.   Over the last 2 months, things I have been working toward and dreaming of for years finally came to life. Things that used to feel big, hard and so scary felt more full of ease than ever before. Other things fell in my lap that proved harder than I imagined, but I was able to meet them head-on with a decent amount of confidence and grace.  As I have started to exhale, it’s been really interesting, even fun, to step back and see what is more true for me now than it was 2 months ago. As I processed my insights, I realized so much of what I have noted about what’s becoming more true for me is also what I’m hearing many clients say is also becoming more true for them. So, I decided to share this all with you because I sense some of these things are becoming more true for you. And, I don’t want you to miss the opportunity to make note of the magic. We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Omi Bell is a multi-talented computer scientist, business strategist, and serial entrepreneur. She also has a background in performance, K-12 Education, and IP Strategy. Her innovative approach to creating access to social and financial capital has earned her recognition as a leading voice in the industry, as well as praise from prominent figures such as Robert F. Smith and Daymond John. As the founder of and CEO of Black Girl Ventures, Omi has made it her mission to provide resources and support to underrepresented entrepreneurs. Under Omi’s leadership, Black Girl Ventures has funded over 300 women founders representing about $10MM in revenue, creating over 3,000 jobs for the US economy and raising $5M in financial and social capital. Her impact extends beyond her organization, as she continues to be an advocate for social justice and equity in the business world. Listen in to hear Omi share: How women disassociate from their bodies over the course of their life and how hard it is to get out of your head and back in your body later in life The mental shift for moms from “what do we need?” in earlier stages of motherhood vs “what do I need?” in later stages of motherhood How being a 17-year-old mom laid the foundation for her to become the founder and CEO of Black Girl Ventures How she went from renting out her living room as an Airbnb to make money to becoming a female founder who funds other black-owned companies How she used the “template” of megachurches to build her business around community (without being culty) The responsibility of owning and USING your creativity to show up in the world, as well as permission to step into your creativity by just dipping your toe in the water as a first step Links mentioned: Get Omi’s Book: Originate, Motivate, Innovate: 7 Steps for Building a Billion Dollar Network Connect with Omi: omisworld.com Omi on IG/Threads: @omibell Connect with Black Girl Ventures: blackgirlventures.org Black Girl Ventures on IG We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What we expect motherhood to look like (snuggles, rainbows, and roses!) vs what motherhood actually looks like (chaos, crying, and pure exhaustion) can be pretty jarring. There are these moments of pure joy that we could have never imagined and then - alllll the other moments. Often not pure joy…  There are a number of factors that contribute to our joy depletion over time as we rear our brood. Everything from trying to conform to social norms to sinking deep into the comparison trap, to massive daily overwhelm, and complete loss of our sense of self.  Today we will talk through 5 mindset resets that will amplify your joy in motherhood. These 5 mindsets center YOU, not your child(ren). My hope is that they allow you to stand apart from your child(ren) in order to find yourself amidst the chaos.   Book mentioned Joy Is My Justice by Tanmeet Sethi  We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kristal DeSantis is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional with specializations in sex therapy, couples, and men's mental health issues. She is the creator of the STRONG Relationship Therapy Model of trauma-informed attachment-based couples therapy. She is joining us in the SMA today to talk about boys' mental health, the importance of healthy masculinity, and the impact of seeing healthy relationships on children's mental, emotional, and relational well-being. This was an incredibly powerful and critical conversation about teen boys and mental health. Please listen and share with the moms of boys in your life.   Listen in to hear Kristal share: How the socialization of male masculinity impacts boys’ mental health How our current tropes of masculinity are harmful to young boys Positive coping mechanisms for teen boys to reduce stress and build resilience The significance of validating your child as a human with inherent worth - not worth they have to earn The 4 Positions of Conversation that can positively impact parent/child communication Tips on how we can reduce the stigma around mental illness and help teen boys feel more comfortable talking about their struggles and seeking help Why we are seeing staggering rates to suicide in boys Links mentioned: Connect with Kristal: www.strong.love Get Kristal’s Book: STRONG: A Relationship Field Guide for the Modern Man Kristal on Twitter Kristal on IG Kristal on Threads Kristal on FB Kristal on TikTok We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shame is integrated into our society in all sorts of explicit and subtle ways. Sometimes we can see it right away and call it out. Other times, we quietly internalize it, not realizing that it’s undermining our self-worth while building up our protective armor to the point that our truest gifts can no longer shine through.  Some of us were raised by parents who used shame as a weapon.   Some of us have bosses who use shame as a weapon.   Some of us have been taught, mentored, or coached by leaders who use shame as a weapon. When we have models and mentors who use shame as a form of control, power, or manipulation, sometimes we don’t know any better than to do the same thing ourselves once we have the opportunity to yield some control or power over others.   In this episode, we will explore how shame does the opposite of what the shamer wants it to do while breaking our spirit in the process; how shame, even subtle shame, destroys the trust and integrity of a relationship; and 5 approaches you can use instead of shame to build healthy relationships while co-creating solutions that strength rather than undermine our bonds with one another.  We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Natalie Silverstein, MPH is an author, speaker, consultant, nonprofit founder, and passionate advocate for family and youth service. Her first book, Simple Acts: The Busy Family’s Guide to Giving Back, was published in 2019 and was named one of the Top Books for Parents Who Want to Raise Kind Kids by HuffPost. Her second book, Simple Acts: The Busy Teen’s Guide to Making a Difference was published in July 2022. She is the host of the award-winning podcast, Simple Acts, Big Impact: Celebrating Teen Changemakers.  I got so much out of this conversation with Natalie. I love her philosophy that the best way to feel more hopeful about the world, while also adding meaning to our own lives, is to be of service to others. She is also brilliant at involving teens in this mission by offering manageable, actionable steps to help them start being of service in their communities. Listen in to hear Natalie share: How she found her passion for writing and serving her community in a massive way at age 50 Her belief is that our current generation of youth are huge leaders in service and contributions to communities How raising kids who engage in service work creates grounded and grateful kids The health data on volunteering - how it gives “helpers high” and contributes to physical & emotional health, as well as increases life expectancy How volunteering in the community decreases a teen's chances of engaging in risky behaviors Creative ways to get younger kids engaged in service to others How to engage teens and tweens in service work that is rewarding and meaningful to them - and guided by their strengths, gifts, and passions How having kids being of service brings deep meaning and joy to their lives Links mentioned: Join my October Retreat for Women Entrepreneurs: Influence & Ignite: Be the CEO and Thought Leader You Were Born to Be: shamelessmom.com/bizretreat Free Guide: Simple Acts: A Busy Teen’s Guide to Making A Difference  Natalie’s 2024 Simple Acts Day by Day Planner Book: Simple Acts: The Busy Family’s Guide to Giving Back Book: Simple Acts: The Busy Teen’s Guide to Making a Difference Podcast: Simple Acts, Big Impacts: Celebrating Teen Changemakers Natalie on IG We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s easy to conflate being new at something with being BAD at something. The first time I went skiing I was not good at it. So, I deemed myself a bad skier. When I had to speak in front of the class in high school, I would shake uncontrollably and black out. I wouldn’t remember anything I said as I walked back to my seat in a full sweat. So, I deemed myself a bad public speaker. Perhaps your child is like this too. Tries soccer once. Doesn’t score a goal. Retires from soccer. Cause - “I’m so bad at soccer, Mom!”  If you look back over the course of your life, I bet you could see patterns where you tried new things and were pretty darn bad at them. How often did you give yourself the grace to note, “Here I am learning something new. Look at me learning!”   I was at an event recently where someone announced she was an awful public speaker, yet every time she spoke the most  beautiful, thoughtful, perfect melody of words came out of her mouth.   Sometimes when something is new to us, we immediately assume we are bad at it.   Sometimes when something is uncomfortable or scary, we immediately assume we are bad at it.  Sometimes when something brings up a lot of sensation (shaking, sweating, nausea, blacking out!) we immediately assume we are bad at it.  But, what if learning, discomfort, and sensation are the direct path to becoming great at something??? In this episode, I offer you 4 invitations to carry with you for those moments when you’re about to try something new, or you’re feeling terrified of doing something that makes you feel ridiculously uncomfortable, or you find yourself standing in a pool of your own sweat as you blackout while beautiful words come pouring out of your mouth.  Link mentioned: Join my October Retreat for Women Entrepreneurs: Influence & Ignite: Be the CEO and Thought Leader You Were Born to Be: shamelessmom.com/bizretreat We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ophira Eisenberg is a standup comedian, writer, and the host of the new comedy podcast Parenting Is A Joke with iHeart Radio and Pretty Good Friends. She also hosted NPR’s Ask Me Another, where she interviewed hundreds of celebrities including Sir Patrick Harris, Rosie Perez, Yo-Yo Ma, Awkwafina, Roxanne Gay, Nick Kroll, Chelsea Handle, and more. She’s appeared multiple times on CBS’s The Late Late Show, Comedy Central, HBO, The New York Festival and is a regular host and teller on The Moth Radio Hour. Her stories are included in three of The Moth’s best-selling collections, including the most recent: How To Tell A Story: The Essential Guide to Memorable Storytelling from The Moth. Her memoir, Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy was optioned for a television series, and her new comedy special, Plant- Based Jokes is streaming on YouTube. Her solo show, Leaving A Mark: A Comedy About Scars, recently made its Off-Broadway review to rave reviews and won the Women in the Arts & Media Award for Solo Show Scripts. Ophira came back to the SMA for a second time because I adore her, and so she and I could talk very irreverently about motherhood - again. This time we also discussed what it means to be an “aging” woman or mother in your industry - the good, the bad, the ugly.   Listen in to hear Ophira share: Her journey as a stand-up comedian working evenings in NYC who was also a mom and having no other moms around her living that lifestyle What inspired her podcast, Parenting is a Joke What it's like to be working in comedy as a mom in her 50’s vs her 20’s & 30’s The contrast of what is universally experienced for men, vs women comics How she prepares herself to be confident on stage - even if she feels like she’s faking The tenacity and resilience she has navigated having been in comedy for decades in an industry that requires constant reinvention Links mentioned: Join my October Retreat for Women Entrepreneurs: Influence & Ignite: Be the CEO and Thought Leader You Were Born to Be: shamelessmom.com/bizretreat Connect with Ophira: https://www.ophiraeisenberg.com/ Ophira’s Podcast: Parenting is a Joke Ophira on IG/Twitter/FB/TikTok: @ophirae We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I know what it’s like to just not. Just not try the new sport. Just not sign up for the art class. Just not join the group of people whom I assume are smarter than me.  Just not take that professional leap. Just not attend the event with people who seem to have it all figured out.  Just not chase a dream.  Just not admit I really want something. Just not believe I’m worth it. I’m curious if you ever get a case of the Just Nots? Perhaps this happens to you when you think something miiiight be kinda cool, but then you decide it feels too risky, too scary, or too vulnerable. You start to make up a bunch of reasons that it’s just not the right time. Just not the right fit for you.  Just not the next right step. And you end up Just Not doing the damn thing.   And then, you find yourself sad, mad, disappointed, full of regret, maybe feeling some shame, and likely making promises about how next time you Just Will.  In this episode I talk through what the Just Nots look like and how they can impact your life. Then, we dig into the Just Wills - the fun stuff - where all sorts of magic happens.   It’s ok if you’re typically a Just Not kinda person. But, I think (hope) this episode nudges you to be a little bit more of a Just Will person.   Link mentioned: Join my October Retreat for Women Entrepreneurs: Influence & Ignite: Be the CEO and Thought Leader You Were Born to Be: shamelessmom.com/bizretreat We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices