16: From Yes Girl to Sure Girl - Katie Sands on Motherhood, Boundaries, and Being Real Online

In this episode, I’m joined by Katie Sands - content creator, style expert, lifestyle influencers, and now, a mom.  It’s such a real and honest conversation about how motherhood reshaped her identity both online and off. Katie opens up about her IVF journey, the spiral of postpartum anxiety and OCD, and how even well-meaning messages from followers sent her into overwhelm during those early days. We also talk about something we both initially planned to do: not share our kids online. Spoiler: It’s the real reason this podcast was created. I’ve been rethinking -  and yearning for -  a different way to share my motherhood journey and my guidance  that feels more respectful of my girls, especially as they get older. We talk about: Katie’s journey in her career, the pros and cons of working for herself especially now that she is a mom.  Katie’s experience with IVF and how she feels and supports others close to her going through it.  Katie’s unexpected experience of Post Partum Anxiety and how sharing on social media contributed to that.  The complicated decision and process  to hire a nanny -  and the emotional layers behind it - especially as this was recorded the day before  she left her baby for the first time to be able to fully focus on being a sister for her brother’s wedding.The constant “do we bring the baby or not?” tug-of-war How relationships are tested when you have babies at the same time as others but you make very different choices And Katie’s transformation from always saying “yes” to learning how to say “no.” (she’s officially a JOMO girl!) We talked about the slippery slope of “Keeping up with the Jones’s” that often comes raising a family in NYC.   Key Takeaways: We don’t know what motherhood will bring until we’re in it , and that’s part of the magic of it. We learn, we grow, we mature and we set boundaries. Sharing vulnerably online can be grounding for both us as creators and our  communities.It’s how we feel so connected to our followers. This is the reason we went from “I won’t share my kids” to “I have to share them” and how we are still on the journey to finding that real longer term plan on this topic.  Boundaries aren’t limitations -  they’re signs of growth and alignment. Every mother’s path is different, and comparison only distracts us. I hope this conversation meets you wherever you are on your motherhood journey :) f you’ve felt the pressure to be everything to everyone - online and off - this conversation is a reminder that you’re not alone, and that redefining what motherhood looks like for you is not only allowed… it’s meant to be. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices