Why You Keep Checking to See If You're Doing Enough with Jess Ekstrom

If you've ever dealt with mom guilt and found yourself checking your phone to see if you're doing enough, wondering why you care so much what other people think, this episode is for you. New to No Guilt Mom? Start here: https://www.noguiltmom.com/podcast-2 JoAnn sits down with speaker, entrepreneur, and author Jess Ekstrom (founder of Mic Drop Workshop and author of Making It Without Losing It) for an honest conversation about external validation — including JoAnn's own confession about compulsively checking podcast analytics, and Jess's story of interviewing her great uncle Bernie Madoff about the roots of chasing approval. Together they unpack why other people's opinions matter less than we think, how to tell the difference between feedback worth keeping and feedback worth ignoring, and how moms can stop performing for an audience that isn't even watching. In this episode, you'll learn: Why chasing external validation kills creativity and motivation (and the "analytics detox" JoAnn is doing with her therapist) The story behind Jess's uncle Bernie Madoff and the childhood moment that taught him "admiration can be bought" Jess's "spotlight vs. lighthouse" framework for shifting from seeking approval to serving the people in front of you The three questions to ask before you let feedback affect you: is it a chorus, is it constructive, and does it have credibility Why the "bottom of the pile" doesn't exist, and how to stop waiting for permission to enjoy your life Resources mentioned in this episode: Making It Without Losing It by Jess Ekstrom Jess on Instagram Jess on LinkedIn Text HYPE to 704-228-9495 for Jess's weekly Monday motivational text The Happy Mom Reset (free class) No Guilt Mom Inner Circle More episodes of the No Guilt Mom Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices