Let's Be Real - Mama Journeys - Episode 94 W/Michelle Kostner

Michelle is a mom of 2 living in Arvada, Colorado and works with companies to help them with their expansion plans. She is a member of YANA's Board of Directors and has been an amazing asset to our program. She started her parenting journey later in life and had her son at the age of 40. She was a corporate climber so starting at the age of 40 was a little rough. She had 2 small kiddos for the global pandemic! She made some changes to her career in that time and switched lanes in her work/life balance. After leaving a work trip early because her first born was sick, she learned really quickly that her kids always come first. The pivotal moments in motherhood really makes you stop and think about how you will continue the life and career she built. With no family in Colorado, her support came from her mom who lives in Michigan but she came and spent 2 weeks/month in the first year! Both kids were 3 weeks early into the world, so her c-sections were a bit scary and it was both her best and worst mama moments. As a career focused mom, she wishes she would have known that chaos is normal. Trying to control it all is impossible and she has learned patience and how to roll with it and GIVE YOURSELF GRACE!  It's ok to not be ok. We do our best and that's what our kiddos will remember!