The Juggleverse - Moms Balance It All

Send us Fan MailWe explore how intentional design in calendars, careers, and company culture can replace vague promotion games with clear, fair systems. Khatija shares her company's, called Moxy data on mentorship gaps, microaggressions, and flexible work, plus a job-sharing pilot that became permanent.• opaque promotion and sponsorship norms holding women back• four calendars and Sunday review for mental load control• pitch authenticity turning a kid-crash into client trust• Moxy’s anonymous data on mentorship, fairness, flexibility• Table Talk prompts creating manager aha moments• measuring confidence shifts and long-term retention• designing and scaling job sharing with outcome focus• reframing balance as intentional design with time blocks• reflection map for what works, fails, and must changeWe encourage every listener to visit itsmoxy.com to explore Moxy's resources, submit your own workplace experiences to help close equity gaps and access tabletalk questions for sparking conversations with managers or teams.Whether auditing your current role, preparing a job share pitch, or refining your calendar systems, take one step this week towards intentional alignment.Your insights could shape the next behavior change solution for workplacesJoin the conversation on our social media, find handles and links in the episode's description below.Share your takeaways, tag a colleague navigating similar challenges, and subscribe to The Juggleverse on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify for more professional insights.Support the showHost: Edit Kerekes, former diplomat, senior strategic advisor, mom of two.  Follow us on social media:▶️🔴 YouTube📸 Instagram🟦 Facebook🟢 Spotify🎙️ PodcastSupport the show

Send us Fan MailPeriod pain shouldn’t be a performance test, and silence shouldn’t be the policy. We sit down with Céline Ventalon, the French founder behind EMER, to unpack how luxury period underwear, honest education, and cultural empathy can turn a private struggle into practical power. From her 17 years in Asia-Pacific marketing to building a women’s health brand rooted in French craftsmanship and Vietnam’s maker spirit, Céline explains why trust—not fabric specs—decides whether people switch, and how small habits can unlock big change.We dig into the underreported risks behind some disposable products and the shocking scale of waste: tens of thousands of items per person over a lifetime, with pads and tampons among top global plastic pollutants. Céline walks us through the real economics of period care, showing how multi-year underwear pays back quickly, reduces trash, and removes the mid-meeting scramble. She shares the most common barriers—washing anxiety, habit inertia, and fear of leaks—and offers practical, step-by-step ways to trial new options without stress.Education threads the whole conversation. We talk about bringing boys and fathers into the room, running pro bono workshops in schools and companies, and using cycle literacy to fuel performance. If elite athletes can tailor training to phases and win championships, why can’t managers plan work with the same intelligence? The goal isn’t to make women “like men,” but to manage with facts, reduce stigma, and build teams that run on trust. Along the way, Celine opens up about juggling three kids and a startup, choosing care over scale, and learning when to reroute instead of forcing locked doors.If you’ve ever felt the pinch of taboo at work, the confusion of conflicting health info, or the guilt of plastic waste, this conversation offers clarity, tools, and hope. Listen, share with a friend, and join us in normalizing smart, sustainable period care. If the story resonates, subscribe, rate, and leave a review—your support helps more listeners find their way to this conversation.Check Émer’s website:www.shopemer.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/emerbyceline/And Céline on Linkedinhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/celineventalon/Support the showHost: Edit Kerekes, former diplomat, senior strategic advisor, mom of two.  Follow us on social media:▶️🔴 YouTube📸 Instagram🟦 Facebook🟢 Spotify🎙️ PodcastSupport the show

Send us Fan MailWe explore how women can use strength, smart nutrition, and data to protect energy and health through menstruation, pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause. Amanda Lim shares practical steps, from protein targets to creatine and bloodwork, to make the juggle lighter and more resilient.• Defining metabolic health with VO2 max, grip strength and body composition• Female physiology differences and their impact on muscle and bone• Teenage fueling, LEA risks and food-first guidance• Preconception habits, partner support and resilience• Pregnancy energy demands, lifting safely and protein targets• Postpartum recovery, pelvic floor function and core strength• Protein vs resistance training for long-term health• Annual bloodwork, micronutrients and testing over guessing• Creatine monohydrate use, dosing and benefits• Small wins, behavior change and escaping diet culture• Boundaries to protect energy and sustain training• Using AI to personalize coaching and communicationListeners, take that first step, one strength workout today to spark real change.Check out, follow and subscribe to Amanda and Jasmine's channel on Instagram @coachamandalim, The Forties Formula podcast on YouTube. Reach out the LIFT ClinicThe book of Amanda: Motherhood, Rebuilt (coming soon)Catch our previous episodes on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple PodcastsHit subscribe and share your juggle wins or even failures in the comments. Support the showHost: Edit Kerekes, former diplomat, senior strategic advisor, mom of two.  Follow us on social media:▶️🔴 YouTube📸 Instagram🟦 Facebook🟢 Spotify🎙️ PodcastSupport the show

Send us Fan MailWe explore the honest tension between ambition and family, and why dropping the “have it all” myth creates real freedom. Sarah shares how vulnerability, culture, and faith shape her path, postpartum, and becoming visibly Muslim.• accepting limits to build a livable rhythm• the 6 a.m. logistics behind polished work• vulnerability as strength, not oversharing• Crazy Cat’s empathy circles and community impact• motherhood’s identity shift, grief and guilt coexisting• asking for help early and often• culture versus faith in expectations of mothers• quiet ambition and presence as success• choosing hijab, self-acceptance, and visibility• conversation starter: what is your crazyTag us on Instagram at the Juggleverse with your recalibration moment, subscribe to fuel or top 25% rise together, share this with one woman, healing in silence, and carry Sarah's wisdom into your weekMore about Crazycat here: https://www.hellocrazycat.comOn social: https://www.instagram.com/hellocrazycat/ More about Sarah here.Nusantara Women Conversations podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2DwHnh2OUxItsv5EJVeo0A?si=5a211c978c9a41cdAn understanding of why Sarah started it: https://www.instagram.com/p/CazeYMIh4Gy/?img_index=1 Sara is also in fund raising:https://www.instagram.com/palestinianscholarship.sg/This initiative has been endorsed by Singapore’s Prime Minister, Lawrence Wong:https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/over-200000-raised-for-full-ride-scholarship-for-palestinian-students Support the showHost: Edit Kerekes, former diplomat, senior strategic advisor, mom of two.  Follow us on social media:▶️🔴 YouTube📸 Instagram🟦 Facebook🟢 Spotify🎙️ PodcastSupport the show

Send us Fan MailWhat if the antidote to overwhelm is not balance, but clarity? We sit down with Julia Gormand - fintech commercial strategist, yoga teacher, investor, and mom in a blended, globe‑trotting family - to unpack how she turns chaos into flow with a few simple habits and fierce boundaries. From boardrooms to forest trails, Julia shows how breath, writing, and intention can reset your day, your leadership, and your sense of control.Julia shares the non‑negotiables that anchor her: a short asana practice, meditation, and three handwritten pages that clear mental fog and spark solutions. We dig into the moment she ditched the likability trap to lead with authenticity, the coaching that helped dismantle a polished image, and the eight‑count breathing reset she uses before negotiations and big meetings. At home, sacred dinner and bedtime routines protect space for laughter, hard questions, and the kind of conversations that raise independent thinkers.Purpose lives at the center of her work with AMLACAS, the platform tackling online sexual exploitation of children by tracing and preventing suspect transactions. She explains how banking expertise becomes a force for good, and why mission work requires real teams and permission to ask for help. Julia also takes us to South Africa’s Drakensberg, where an expedition taught her to surrender control, dissolve ego, and define success as a team: start eleven, finish eleven. The field lessons map back to career and family - prepare well, breathe deeply, let go, and take the next right step.If you’re a multi‑passionate leader, a parent carving room for what matters, or someone craving a sturdier daily rhythm, this conversation offers practical tools and a mindset shift. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway - what intention will you choose for today?Support the showHost: Edit Kerekes, former diplomat, senior strategic advisor, mom of two.  Follow us on social media:▶️🔴 YouTube📸 Instagram🟦 Facebook🟢 Spotify🎙️ PodcastSupport the show

Send us Fan MailA craving can change a life. Maribel Colmenares left a rising corporate path, crossed the world for love, and found herself in Singapore missing the foods that feel like home: tamales, pozole, moles, the masa-first dishes that rarely make global menus. What started as a kitchen project with her visiting mom became a WhatsApp group, then a web shop, then pop-ups that quietly proved a case. The insight was simple but powerful: if locals could learn the feel of masa through familiar fillings, they’d be ready to meet tamales as Mexicans know them.We walk through the real work behind that leap - navigating allergies in a seafood city, learning petrochemical sales on the fly, and later, confronting grief when her mother passed and her father fell ill. Corporate timelines couldn’t bend, so she made a choice: quit, be with family, and finally test the tamales concept at scale. A bar offered lunch hours, demand spiked, and a larger kitchen came through a restaurateur who believed in the product. The brand found its heartbeat in a name: Mami’s Tamales, honoring the woman who built her palate and her grit.From there, the vision widened without losing its core. She balanced authenticity with accessibility, standardized handmade food by weight, and trained staff to educate guests without preaching. Purpose became the engine when passion ran low. And the dining room transformed into a hub: Lunch and Learn for founders, Spanish o’clock for language lovers, trivia and singles nights for anyone tired of swipes and ready for eye contact. The goal now is regional - Bangkok, Shanghai, Seoul - built on a simple standard: we’re only as good as our last service.If stories of reinvention, cultural translation, and purpose-led hospitality light you up, press play, subscribe, and leave a review with your own grief-to-gold moment. And if you’ve tried tamales before, tell us your favorite filling—we’re listening.Check out Maribel's restaurant and her social platforms:Instagram: @mamistamalesFacebook: @Mami's Tamales Singapore On LinkedIn Support the showHost: Edit Kerekes, former diplomat, senior strategic advisor, mom of two.  Follow us on social media:▶️🔴 YouTube📸 Instagram🟦 Facebook🟢 Spotify🎙️ PodcastSupport the show

Send us Fan MailThe pressure to “do it all” can be loud. We invited Dr. Damini Chawla - dentist, keynote speaker, communication coach, and mom of two - to turn down the noise with one skill that changes everything: speaking human. From a whirlwind day that jumps from school crafts to emceeing a stadium crowd, to the quiet inner work that makes it possible, Damini shows how clarity, presence, and vulnerability can steady the juggle.We dive into her HUMΑN framework - hearing deeply, understanding context, moderating self-talk and responses, authenticity, and needs recognition - and put it to work in the places that matter most. In the dental chair, it means building psychological safety for anxious patients with active listening, clear plans, and genuine care. At home, it becomes validation before correction, calm repair after conflict, and boundaries kids understand. At work, it’s leadership that trades posturing for trust, reduces friction, and turns conflict into growth.Damini opens up about the pivot from a traditional career path to a communication-focused mission rooted in lived experience across India, Beijing, Australia, Hong Kong, and Singapore. We unpack millennial perfectionism and people pleasing, the art of saying no without burning bridges, the role of strong support systems, and why “done is good enough” can be a life-giving mantra. Expect practical scripts, honest reflections about guilt and tradeoffs, and humane strategies for self-care that don’t require a personality transplant - just better boundaries and a clearer purpose.If you’re ready to soften the inner critic, lead with more empathy, and teach your kids how to repair and reconnect, this conversation is for you. Listen, share with a friend who needs it, and subscribe so you never miss a moment that helps you speak a little more human.www.speakinghumanbook.comwww.drdamini.comSupport the showHost: Edit Kerekes, former diplomat, senior strategic advisor, mom of two.  Follow us on social media:▶️🔴 YouTube📸 Instagram🟦 Facebook🟢 Spotify🎙️ PodcastSupport the show

Send us Fan MailWhat if the quickest way to change a room is to walk through it like a lion? That’s Priyanka’ Bhattacharya quiet superpower as a mother of premature twins living with cerebral palsy - an everyday practice of confidence that turns stares into smiles and replaces awkwardness with warmth.We sit down with Priyanka to unpack the mindset behind her family’s joy. She takes us from NICU shock to high-intensity parenting, where every milestone feels like a gold medal and the details - sleep, nutrition, therapy, and rest - matter more than timelines. She shares the simple tools she uses to reset on hard days, from a five-minute cry to an audiobook chapter that flips her energy. We talk about making disability part of mainstream parenting, not a siloed topic reserved for diagnosis pages. Her phrase “progress is a Prada” becomes a lens: celebrate real wins, fit them to the child, and stop competing with age charts.Priyanka’s path winds through advertising, Bollywood management, and fine art, and it informs how she faces the public square. At the airport, on sidewalks, at therapy centers - she meets questions with grace, humor, and a steady belief that people want to be kind; they just don’t always know how. We dig into practical support: why strangers’ genuine smiles matter, how friends can show up consistently without taking a no personally, and how to build a village that sustains mental energy as much as time. She opens up about caregiver guilt, dreams of creating a learning space for children with CVI, and the daily choice to define success as shared laughter at home.If you’re a parent, caregiver, educator, or ally, this conversation offers grounded inspiration and real-life tactics for resilience, inclusion, and joy. Subscribe, share with someone who needs this, and leave a review with one mindset you’re ready to practice today.Check out Priyanka's Instagram page here! Support the showHost: Edit Kerekes, former diplomat, senior strategic advisor, mom of two.  Follow us on social media:▶️🔴 YouTube📸 Instagram🟦 Facebook🟢 Spotify🎙️ PodcastSupport the show

Send us Fan MailWhat if home isn’t a place on a map but the person who falls asleep in your arms? That’s the thread we pull as Alla Kamenskaya joins me to share how a decade-plus of living across Russia, the USA, the Maldives, Switzerland, China, and Singapore gave way to a new season shaped by a toddler, resilience, and a redefined career path.We get honest about the gap between preparation and reality. Alla arrived at motherhood with checklists, courses, and a can-do mindset—and still found herself stunned by postpartum emotions, mom brain, and the slow, painful grind of a month of breastfeeding challenges. You’ll hear how she navigated the noise of well-meaning advice, chose what to keep, and learned to trust her instincts when nothing seemed to fit the handbook. The eventual breakthrough became more than a feeding milestone; it was a lesson in surrender, patience, and self-compassion.From there, we talk community and identity. As an expat, Alla intentionally built networks—expat meetups, Russian-speaking groups, and mom circles that trade tips without judgment. She shares how hard it was to let others help, what finally shifted, and why reclaiming me time through tennis changed her mood, confidence, and outlook. Along the way, we explore stress relief that works in real life, the surprising joy of bedtime smiles after a stormy day, and how to balance ambition with presence when your industry expects long hours.If you’re navigating a career pause, early parenthood, or a move far from home, this conversation offers practical steps and a gentle reminder: ask for help early, curate kind communities, protect your energy, and define success on your terms. Subscribe for more stories that blend candor, culture, and courage—and share this episode with someone who could use a little hope today.Support the showHost: Edit Kerekes, former diplomat, senior strategic advisor, mom of two.  Follow us on social media:▶️🔴 YouTube📸 Instagram🟦 Facebook🟢 Spotify🎙️ PodcastSupport the show

Send us Fan MailWhat if the fastest path to a calmer home and a stronger team is as simple as dropping ego and training your attention? That’s the heartbeat of our conversation with strategic leader and solo mother Daphne Lim, whose life philosophy turns chaos into rhythm through clear boundaries, mindful resets, and a bias for elegant solutions.We dig into Daphne’s career pivots—from primary school teacher to managed services leader to steering a listed company through post-bankruptcy growth—unpacking how she standardizes complex work, aligns teams with transparent flows, and makes tough decisions without turning people into problems. You’ll hear how the Oceanus Ambassador program solved cross-department miscommunication, why standardizing deliverables doubled profits and cut overtime, and how choosing unpopular but necessary calls can be the most compassionate move for everyone involved.On the home front, Daphne shares a refreshingly practical approach to parenting a teenager: grant freedom with responsibility, praise the ordinary good moments, and keep kindness non-negotiable. She talks about solo motherhood, staying present during hard transitions, and the weekly and daily resets — like cycling home or baking — that help her leave work at work and show up fully as a mom. Mindfulness isn’t a mood; it’s mental training that lets you notice ego, release control, and return to solving the real problem in front of you.If you’re craving simpler decisions, fewer fires, and a way to live today like you won’t need to change everything tomorrow, this conversation will meet you where you are. Follow the show, share this with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway so we can learn from you too.Support the showHost: Edit Kerekes, former diplomat, senior strategic advisor, mom of two.  Follow us on social media:▶️🔴 YouTube📸 Instagram🟦 Facebook🟢 Spotify🎙️ PodcastSupport the show

Send us Fan MailWhat if the life you want is hiding inside the choices you keep postponing? We sit down with Suzie Bacon — a mom to two, international school teacher, and dedicated triathlete in Singapore — to trace a journey that began with a single volunteer shift and grew into a new career, a global race start line, and a calmer mind.We follow the leap from the GB to Singapore, where safety, community, and the simple gift of a pool downstairs made space for reinvention. Suzie shares how a temporary classroom role became a teaching qualification and a calling, and how triathlon transformed from “maybe I could” into a World Championship experience in Lake Taupo. Along the way, she opens up about the funny, messy moments—like a very ill-timed car podcast—and the serious ones: plantar fasciitis, rebuilding from near-zero, and learning to let consistency beat ego. Her mindset tools are practical and portable: break big tasks into small intervals, build systems that protect your time, and use her favorite mantra—be the pond—to hold emotions without being swept away.This conversation is for anyone balancing parenting, career change, and personal goals. We explore the logistics of two athletes in one household, carving intentional time with kids, and starting a triathlon CCA at school to give more girls a joyful first start line. Suzie’s core belief shines through: you can start late, go slow, and still go far. Whether your “hard thing” is a report deadline or a humid tempo run, the same habits work—plan ahead, keep it simple, and show up.Press play for a story that blends growth mindset, injury comebacks, and the everyday discipline that turns dreams into routines. If this spoke to you, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs encouragement, and leave a quick review to help more listeners find us. What passion are you ready to start this week?Support the showHost: Edit Kerekes, former diplomat, senior strategic advisor, mom of two.  Follow us on social media:▶️🔴 YouTube📸 Instagram🟦 Facebook🟢 Spotify🎙️ PodcastSupport the show

Send us Fan MailThe “supermom” cape looks shiny until it weighs a ton. We sit down with Shaily Gupta — powerhouse HR leader, executive coach, and mom—to unpack why chasing perfection drains our energy, dims our joy, and keeps us from seeing the help already around us. Her stories cut through the noise: the bold career pivot from engineering to HR, the dinner-table debate that flipped a “strawberry generation” stereotype, and the simple family rule that transformed summers into core memories.What stands out is how small shifts change everything. When relentless travel and meticulous planning left her burned out, a friend asked, “What if you drop the ball?” She tried it—and watched a father–daughter bond bloom without her orchestration. That insight fuels a practical framework: treat life as seasons. Sometimes you choose a stable job to protect family bandwidth; other times you lean into a career sprint. Shelly’s own courageous ask led to a flexible month-in-Singapore setup, helping her scale a company while gaining more presence at home. It’s proof that honest communication and clear proposals can unlock manager support.We also dig into parenting without control. Kids learn in the wild: swimming, skating, confidence, and resilience often appear when we step back. Support the safety net; don’t build a cage. Shaily shares why mothers should stop grading themselves against impossible standards, how to turn guilt into choices and iterations, and why coaching family is a boundary she won’t cross—mentoring when asked and referring to independent coaches instead. Now, with her daughter grown, she’s channeling fresh ambition into teaching HR leadership, executive coaching, and exploring HR tech and AI.If you’re tired of tightrope walking between ambition and home, this conversation gives you tools to rebalance with intention: ask for what you need, share the load, and let some balls drop so the right ones can stay in the air. Subscribe, share with a friend who’s juggling too, and leave a review to tell us the first “ball” you’re ready to drop.Follow Shaily's work on LinkedinSupport the showHost: Edit Kerekes, former diplomat, senior strategic advisor, mom of two.  Follow us on social media:▶️🔴 YouTube📸 Instagram🟦 Facebook🟢 Spotify🎙️ PodcastSupport the show

Send us Fan Mail"We can do it all" might be the biggest myth facing working mothers today. Between deadlines that won't budge and children who need you right when the office does too, the elusive work-life balance often feels like chasing a mirage. But what if the secret isn't in perfecting the juggle, but in having the courage to ask for help?Sharon Yee, a powerhouse in wealth management and mother of two teenage competitive fencers, pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to build a fulfilling career while raising children and giving back to the community. With refreshing candor, she challenges the "supermom" ideal that keeps so many women exhausted and guilt-ridden. "It doesn't make you less of a super mom by asking for help," she shares, offering a perspective that feels like permission to breathe.Throughout our conversation, Sharon reveals how her definition of success transformed through motherhood. Moving beyond material measures, she now finds victory in raising children who contribute positively to society and in creating quality connections rather than counting hours spent together. Her insights on supporting her sons' fencing careers illuminate how sports build resilience and emotional intelligence—skills she admits her teenagers sometimes handle better than she does.Perhaps most touching is Sharon's work with ARC Children's Center, serving young cancer patients unable to attend mainstream schools due to compromised immunity. Her personal connection to childhood cancer has fueled her passion to create environments where these vulnerable children can thrive despite their diagnoses, addressing not just their physical needs but the often-overlooked childhood depression that can accompany serious illness.Whether you're balancing board meetings with soccer practice or simply trying to find five minutes for yourself, this episode offers practical wisdom for redefining success on your own terms. Share your own juggling act with us in the comments or on social media—we're building a community where every story matters and no one has to balance alone.Support the showHost: Edit Kerekes, former diplomat, senior strategic advisor, mom of two.  Follow us on social media:▶️🔴 YouTube📸 Instagram🟦 Facebook🟢 Spotify🎙️ PodcastSupport the show

Send us Fan MailWhat does it truly look like to raise a child where three languages and cultures converge? Cynthia, a Taiwanese-born Google engineering program manager living in Singapore with her Hungarian husband, offers a captivating glimpse into her multilingual, multicultural family life.Wearing what she calls "multiple hats" throughout her day, Cynthia Wei navigates early morning global work meetings, acts as a "human snooze alarm" for her four-year-old daughter, and maintains family connections spanning three continents. Her household is a beautiful linguistic tapestry where Mandarin and Hungarian become "secret languages" between parent and child, occasionally leading to hilarious misunderstandings—like when her husband accidentally shouted "Happy New Year" in Mandarin instead of "Happy Birthday" to her 95-year-old grandmother.Beyond the daily cultural juggling act, Cynthia's story takes a profound turn as she reveals her harrowing medical emergency just days after childbirth. A ruptured colon led to life-threatening infection, emergency surgery, and weeks in the hospital separated from her newborn. This experience fundamentally transformed her perspective: "Being alive is not a given," she reflects, explaining how this awareness helps her navigate parenthood's frustrations with deeper gratitude.The family's commitment to lifelong learning stands out as they make it a point to learn something new together every year—from Cynthia learning to ski at 42 to studying Hungarian grammar. This approach models resilience for their daughter while creating meaningful family bonds. They've also built a rich support network in Singapore, particularly valuing the unexpected parent friendships formed during COVID lockdowns that began with socially distanced picnics.Whether you're raising multilingual children, balancing a demanding career with parenthood, or simply interested in how families create meaning across cultural boundaries, Cynthia's story offers wisdom, humor, and a refreshing perspective on embracing life's beautiful complexity. Support the showHost: Edit Kerekes, former diplomat, senior strategic advisor, mom of two.  Follow us on social media:▶️🔴 YouTube📸 Instagram🟦 Facebook🟢 Spotify🎙️ PodcastSupport the show