The Working Mother Experience

Today on the podcast, we connect with Cayla Robinson, mother of two boys, advocate for the more vulnerable, medical parent and artist.What has sat with me since our conversation is Cayla's ruthless honesty. Throughout our conversation, Cayla gently but firmly corrected my misinterpretations - she ensures you (our dear listener) know she sits with guilt, that she has made mistakes, and has experienced immense personal growth through this unexpected journey.Cayla's piece is a beautiful, but dark moonlit lake with mountains in the background. While beautiful, the story behind this place is rich and immensely symbolic for the journey she has been forced to move through. I'm so grateful our paths collided at Camp Kindle, where I met Cayla at a retreat weekend for mothers at different stages of their child's cancer journey. As soon as I met Cayla, saw her piece, and experienced her honest smile, I knew there was something very special about her. You will too...enjoy.

The Working Mother Experience closes its virtual gallery doors at the end of April (or possibly May) this year. After five years, we have decided it's time to close this chapter, giving space to other creative ideas and opportunities. On the podcast, Morgan, WME Founder talks about the decision, ways to get involved and submit a piece of art before it's too late, and a light reflection on the transformative nature of this project. To celebrate this close, we have a few unique calls to action and ways to get involved: Be part of our Worldwide Evening of Mothers & Art - Host a paint evening with friends on Feb 13, 2026. If this night doesn't work, you can host another night and submit the art before March 31, 2026. You create the space, friends bring the supplies, we send the guide. Be part of our Time Capsule, a curated book showcasing the motherhood journey from 2021-2026. Submit your art by March 31 to be included.Be part of our Final Exhibition. All art submitted to the Time Capsule will be included in our closing exhibition, date to be confirmed, located in Calgary, AB.For other ways to get involved or for details on submitting your art, email us at [email protected]. Be part of the art!

Meet Kinia Romanowska, powerhouse entrepreneur, mother of three, founder. I left my conversation with Kinia uplifted and refocused on what matters, hearing her advice exactly at the time I needed to hear it. Kinia runs and owns the company, Pros & Babes, helping professional STEM mothers find work / home synergy (not balance), helping them to find career, wealth and family abundance and alignment. She has successfully grown her business to a full-time career, employing staff to help her make the magic happen. In our conversation, Kinia reminds listeners (and me) about the importance of our language. That using phrases like "the motherhood penalty" shifts our focus to the negative vs the incredible wonder and joy of being able to work and mother. She reminds us that "we get to do this" and that not so long ago, this wasn't an option for most women. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Any time with Kinia is time well spent and I'm so grateful she does what she does, supporting other women to reach their full potential in all facets of life. https://www.prosandbabes.com/

My conversation with Karemi was so fascinating, we had to do it in two parts - one conversation wasn't enough. Karemi shares her journey as a mother of four, former delivery nurse, the transition to homeschooling and how beneficial it has been for her family, and her connection to nature through her garden. Karemi also dives into her experience supporting one of her children and family navigate cancer and, her own recent journey with cancer. I was struck by Karemi's grace, and her thoughtful, humble reflections. She seems to take everything in stride, moving like water through the endless twists and turns of life. Perhaps it is the intentionality behind her decisions that help enable this mindset and fluidity, the trust that she and her husband are making the right choices to best support their family. Thank you, Karemi, for sharing your wisdom with us and inspiring others to consider their choices and perhaps, become more intentional in their thoughts, energetics and actions. 

Today on the podcast we meet Kirsten Eeuwes, Engineer, Creative, Mother & Artist. What struck me about Kirsten is her unrelenting, yet calm commitment to making intentional choices everyday related to her parenting and working to maximize her energy and wellbeing. Kirsten highlights the importance of her mindset which guides how and when she checks her phone, how she manages her calendar and all the structural shifts she has made to best support her work, family and herself.Kirsten speaks to her use of water colours for her painting and "not being perfect", allowing the colours to blend and merge, a perfect parallel to working and parenting. She shares openly about leaving the dirty dishes if the tradeoff means more sleep and better energy and alignment the next day, something we could all benefit from once and a while!There are so many nuggets of wisdom in this short conversation - I am so grateful to have learned from Kirsten; I walked away inspired and infused to better manage my mindset and the structure of my days to better optimize my energy levels. Thank you, Kirsten!

Meet Tiffany Faught- an incredibly thoughtful, honest and soulful mother of three. I was struck by Tiffany's ability to lean into the incredibly awful while simultaneously remaining grounded and authentically connected to the present moment. And connected to the present moment she must be for Tiffany is the firefighter for her family as they move through a never-ending blaze of medical facilities, practitioners and treatments. Her young son has cancer and treatments will continue for another few years. My path crossed with Tiffany at the Kick Ass Mothers Retreat, hosted in at the incredible Camp Kindle just outside of Calgary. This retreat, geared towards mothers who have children moving through cancer or who have lost children to cancer, offers mothers a moment to relax, unwind, paint, drum, walk and rest. When Tiffany shared her piece at the workshop, a forest fire, shivers ran down my spine. I was deeply moved by the piece and the story Tiffany had to share, hoping that one day to better understand how one still has the hope that regrowth after the fire will come. Thank you, Tiffany, for sharing a piece of your soul, for highlighting the losses that come with a diagnosis, and not always the losses you expect, and the profound impact it has had on you and your family. I am so grateful for this conversation and your willingness to have it.  

In this episode we meet Nathalie Rasmussen, a woman who wears many hats - sustainability expert, lecturer, lawyer, mother and artist. We were honoured to have Nathalie as our guest speaker at our first international Vernissage in Copenhagen, Denmark. She spoke about her journey finding part-time work in a full-time country; working and mothering is less a question and more an expectation in Denmark (and they have the systemic support to make it happen). On the podcast, Nathalie expands on her experience, sharing that while difficult to make part-time palatable, she thankfully found an employer willing to try a different model. From what we can tell, Nathalie has always been a strong advocate for what she believes in and this arrangement is no different - it enables Nathalie to balance home and work the way she wants to.She shares about the sacredness of those early days, how you are one heart with that little being, so small, precious and perfect. It was a beautiful discussion about a truly transformative period of her life (and the lives of all mothers, we have no doubt).  I hope you enjoy the discussion as much as we did - thank you, Nathalie, for all you have done to help WME move international. 

Meet Nekolina Lau, and listen to her and (sometimes) host, Angela, talk about using values to guide us, why we all experience imposter syndrome and how to get over it, mothering, creating art, and her published works!We hope you enjoy. 

Meet Arwen, a 9-year old girl who is a sister to a younger brother and sister, lover of highland dance and piano, and daughter of our founder, Morgan. In this conversation between mother and daughter, they discuss what it's like to be a kid, an older sister and a daughter to a career-minded mother. No holds barred. Arwen shares many nuggets of wisdom - what it feels like when her parents are on their cell phones, how she feels when her mom is occupied on her work computer and she simply wants a hug, and how to start a daily pen pal relationship with your child. We couldn't think of a more fitting way to celebrate Mother's Day in Canada, showcasing the love, silliness and extraordinary bond between a mother and child. 

Do you set an annual word? Resolutions? Well, we do! And today on the podcast, we are sharing the words that will guide us through 2025 (well, we hope they will). We talk about the wins and words of 2024 and what we are excited about in 2025 both personally, professionally and in regards to this amazing project. Please join us and have a few laughs, reflect and perhaps, feel inspired to generate your own word to guide you in 2025. 

In this episode we connect with Juli Rohl, an entrepreneurial, creative, and brilliant human being and mother. Juli created her piece in October 2023 at our first exhibit and live workshop, but it wasn't until now that she felt ready to share more about her piece, what it means (hint - fertility), and what's unfolded for her since. To being ready isn't just about sharing readiness to speak to her art, but about Juli's entrepreneurial journey, her pregnancy and parenting journey. Juli is an intensely deep thinker and shares exceptional insights about herself and the experience of living that will unquestionably resonate with our listeners. It's always such a pleasure spending time with Juli. From book club to dream analysis to partnering together on work projects, I always enjoyed time with Juli. We hope you enjoy!Check out Juli here --> https://www.linkedin.com/in/juli-rohl/?originalSubdomain=ca

Meet Dr. Rose Asgharzadeh, an inspiring, thoughtful and incredibly deep thinker. Rose is an Assistant Professor at Mount Royal University, a mother of a university student, and recent newcomer to Canada from Iran. Rose shares about her Iranian heritage through her art, describing how the symbol of the mandala aligns so beautifully with the experience of being a working mother. She describes her experience of creating the colours we see in the piece and how their creation is yet another parallel with motherhood. Rose believes that motherhood is about GROWTH - she shares a beautiful acrostic poem describing her beliefs of motherhood to inspires other mothers as they move through their journey. Personally, we love 'W', where Rose encourages mothers to 'Water their own garden'. She reminds us that we only have 24 hours in a day and "how important it is to plan for it, every single hour."We hope you enjoy this podcast as much as we did. Thank you, Rose. https://www.mtroyal.ca/ProgramsCourses/FacultiesSchoolsCentres/Business/FacultyStaff/RoseAsgharzadeh.htm

In this rambling episode, Morgan, The Working Mother Experience Founder & Executive Director, shares why she believes the work the WME team is doing matters.Over the last three years, WME has collected 125 original pieces of art painted by mothers around the world. It has hosted corporate workshops, exhibits, created a calendar for purchase, and more recently, initiated the Pay It Forward series to support mothers who may need support accessing paint materials, time and support to create their own unique art piece. And while there has been great momentum, Morgan believes it critical to always ask "why does what we do matter?" From expressing and reframing one's experience to creating community, Morgan shares her view on why art matters to mothers (and everyone). We hope you enjoy!If you want to get more involved, send us a note at [email protected]. 

Today on the podcast we meet Chiara Bello, an Italian jewelry maker and artist, entrepreneur, mother and artist. A ray of sunshine, a creative maven, and honest sparring partner, we hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did. Acquainted through my cousin who lives and works in northern Italy, Chiara quickly submitted her art, "My PJ Lifestyle," a whimsical family portrait of her family doing something she loves, relaxing and enjoying pyjama time. She talks about the need to blend and flex between all the roles and personas we have, the need to bring work and family time together. Chiara shares her professional journey, living abroad in the UK and Switzerland and the differences in culture and approach to gender roles. Now back in Italy, Chiara is the owner and creative genius between Chic Pig, her renowned jewelry business (you must check out Chiara's creations using the link below), working to integrate motherhood and entrepreneurship as best she can. We are so grateful to feature Chiara's art online and in our 2025 calendar. And we cannot wait to meet Chiara (fingers crossed) at our upcoming gallery exhibit in Sweden, May 2025. Thank you, Chiara!Check out Chic Pig --> https://chicpig.com/ 

To mark our 50th podcast, the WME leadership team takes moment to reflect on our milestone moments, the themes that are resonating with us and where we are headed. From calendars, to non-profit status, to reaching our halfway mark for art submissions, we share what's getting us excited. And we talk about "who's caring for the mothers" - a critical and often under-looked task, a task we take very seriously as a team both for one another and the women we serve. We want our working mothers to feel seen, heard, valued and honoured for the endless work they do. Join us for a celebratory, thoughtful and fun session! And thank you again for your ongoing support to our beloved cause. 

Meet Amanda Robertson, engineer, dancer, mother, and artist. Amanda participated in one of The Working Mother Experience's virtual workshops through the organization Pros and Babes (https://www.prosandbabes.com/), creating a beautiful piece of original art in community with women that she has grown to know and call her community over the last 6 years. Amanda reminds us of the beauty of motherhood; of growing a human and the majesty of surrendering to your child as they grow and develop their sense of self and autonomy. She shares her morning routine, including her writing prompts that she uses to regularly check in with herself to ensure she's optimally functioning and moving through each day. Amanda's intentionality, creativity, and honesty are inspiring, reminding us of so many beautiful moments as mothers and the need to ensure we remain connected to our creative selves. And that we need to pick the things that matter!Thank you, Amanda, for your artistry, time and passion. It was such a pleasure!

In this episode we speak with Angie Alexander about her experience as the main breadwinner for her family, stay at home fathers, and how we will most certainly make mistakes as working mothers and human beings. Angie also shares the trials and tribulations of navigating teenagerhood and how she is embracing a new stage with her daughters as they enter adulthood. We can't say this phase sounds any easier; perhaps even harder and more complex than toddlerhood. An Engineer and more recently a professional leadership coach, Angie takes a humble, gracious and kind-hearted approach to life and living. She has much wisdom to share both personally and professionally - we hope you enjoy this discussion as much as we did. 

Meet Melissa Kober Meier, an energizing, bright, and entrepreneurial spirit who found a solution for a constant frustration and challenge for women working in the field - NeverNude coveralls.While we recorded this before Melissa had launched her business, she is now fully operational and in revenue-generation mode. On the podcast, Melissa talks about the journey of moving from ideation to design to launch and everything in between. An engineer by training, Melissa is expanding her comfort zone, moving from stable, steady and predictable to expansive, uncertain and unpredictable. Thank you to Melissa for sharing your beautiful art piece and its story and we are so excited to see where you take your new business - congratulations!Check out NeverNude --> https://mekomisolutions.com/

Meet the amazing Angela Anderson, Communications Director for The Working Mother Experience, ultra runner, adventure-woman, senior leader and momma. We talk about having children 12 years apart and how Angela has evolved as a parent - she's more chill, and yet, less tolerant of toys and Lego in her house (she doesn't want to go through getting rid of all the toys again; any parent will relate).We talk about the parallel of hiking in the mountains to parenting - how we move through waves, the highs and the lows of both journeys, the frustration and pain to the extraordinary joys and spiritual connection. Angela speaks to creating two pieces and how her paintings have evolved over time; she encourages all contributors and artists to revisit their art piece.   We hope you enjoy this beautiful conversation with Angela.

Today on the podcast we connect with the incredible Cedna Todorovic, a Calgary-based portrait photographer. But Cedna is so much more than a photographer, she captures the majesty of the person, their history and their desires in just one pose. We cannot express how special this woman is. Cedna talks about taking the leap from Oil and Gas, where she was never able to truly express and be the person she is today. While running her own business is exhausting, and incredibly more demanding than her previous role, she shares the meaning is so much greater. Any time spent with Cedna is time will spent. She is brilliant, humble, creative, and authentic. We hope you enjoy!https://www.cednaportraitstories.com/ 

Today on the podcast we meet Sarah Fowler, a tech industry mom who is raising her daughter in an idyllic mountain town. We talk about living away from family, traveling with and without kids, the importance of solo trips, and how it really helps to have a village of supporters to raise our littles.

On the podcast we connect with the incredible Katherine Sinex, a deep thinker, an engineer with a passion for human behaviour and training in psychology, a negotiator (listen to the podcast for more on this exciting element of Katherine), creative, and so much more. We travel back in time to Katherine's work in New Orleans navigating long days, commutes as a dual-income family with a young baby and no family support. We delve into our own "supposed tos" as parents - what we think we should be doing that we aren’t really in alignment with - and how we navigate ourselves through those decisions. Katherine shares about her art, the white space and its meaning and how she's navigating a very big decision she and her husband made for their family and son. We cover many themes, moments and ideas and are so excited to finally share this conversation with the world. We hope you enjoy!Check out WinSETT where Katherine works and leads --> https://winsett.ca/

Today on the podcast, we meet Julie Hawco, a community-minded change agent who wants better for working mothers and families. Julie is the founder of The Stem Moms Project, an initiative that started out to better understand why STEM women are leaving the workplace (amongst many other things) and what workplaces could do differently to offer better support and resources. While she published the report just last year, she was surprised at the secondary outcomes of this work - the participants' insatiable desire for community. Julie talks about how this work has shaped her goals for 2024, shifting from outcomes-based to experience-based, how we must be rigorous in our check-ins to ensure we are doing the work that fulfills us (to ensure we are overachieving in the right direction), and so much more. Julie drops knowledge bomb after knowledge bomb in this interview. Thank you, Julie, for sharing your story and for all the work you are doing to support other working mothers. https://stemmomsproject.com/

Today on the podcast, we meet Julie Hawco, a community-minded change agent who wants better for working mothers and families. Julie is the founder of The Stem Moms Project, an initiative that started out to better understand why STEM women are leaving the workplace (amongst many other things) and what workplaces could do differently to offer better support and resources. While she published the report just last year, she was surprised at the secondary outcomes of this work - the participants' insatiable desire for community. Julie talks about how this work has shaped her goals for 2024, shifting from outcomes based to experience based, how we must be rigorous in our check-ins to ensure we are doing the work that fulfills us (to ensure we are over achieving in the right direction), and so much more. Julie drops knowledge bomb after knowledge bomb in this interview. Thank you, Julie, for sharing your story and for all the work you are doing to support other working mothers. https://stemmomsproject.com/

Amanda, Angela and Morgan, The Working Mother Experience executive team in Canada, celebrate the successes of 2023 and share what they're excited about in 2024. This is both a personal and professional sharing session where they touch on their words for 2024, why they selected them and how they are sitting with them. They reflect on the wins of 2023 for themselves and The Working Mother Experience and their hopes and aspirations for 2024. The list is long, highlighting they have so much to be grateful for. But it isn't all unicorns and rainbows, they get honest about the challenges they faced in 2023 and what they are working through to ensure they continue to evolve and move through their challenges in an intentional way.While they missed their Swedish Amanda, they know the WME fan-base will hear from her more this year as the team gears up for their Art Exhibit in Sweden at the end of September (if you haven't bought your tickets, you better do so soon!). What's your word for 2024?

Today on the podcast we meet Erin Smith and Saphina Waters, co-founders of The Debut Collective, an organization dedicated to supporting working mothers thrive after having children and returning to the workplace. They offer a variety of unique programs and services to help mothers connect with and celebrate their new identity - we highly recommend you check them out!We discuss that each return to work can be different; different emotions, different return structures, and different experiences depending on the workplace and the people supporting that return. We discuss how each mother wants something different and the importance of the leader in supporting this journey, as best they and the organization can. We discuss the process of creating art and how each of us arrives at our art piece in different ways; Erin didn't know where her piece was going, but she trusted the process and understood the story after it was painted. Saphina is still on her painting journey as she scours her house for the unfinished piece (to be fair she moved while in the process of painting). We celebrate that each of us moves through this painting journey in their own unique way, much like motherhood. We cover so much ground in this discussion from our unique experiences to motherhood, return to work, painting journey and the general experience of existing in this world as a working parent. Thank you, Erin and Saphina, for your support and willingness to share your story through art. Check them out --> https://thedebutco.com/

Today on the podcast we hear from the ever-inspiring Amanda Lapadat. Amanda and Morgan, the Working Mother Experience Founder, have known eachother for a long time, close to 23 years. Amanda and Morgan went to the same highschool in Guelph, ON; however, Morgan thinks she remembers Amanda a lot better than Amanda remembers her.Amanda, now a Canadian expat residing in Sweden with her husband and two children, has taken on the role of International Director for The Working Mother Experience in addition to all the other amazing hats she wears. Recently appointed a lecturer at XX university, Amanda is also the  owner of Splat Fabriken, a splatter studio pop-up in Malmo, Sweden, a international trade professional who is starting up a business with other professionals in her area to bring more international business to Sweden, she is never short of ideas or activities. Interestingly, Amanda took a step back from the 9-5 working life just over a year ago and in doing so has allowed her creative spirit to shine. On the podcast she openly shares this journey and how it's benefited her in so many ways as a creative and mother. We are so grateful to have Amanda on our team. Her passion, ideas, and energy are infectious and help our team to see things in new ways. We can't wait to see where Amanda takes The Working Mother Experience in Sweden and beyond. 

Meredith Hendriks is a force of resilience and strength. Knowing Meredith for close to a decade, I've had the vantage point of seeing her move through adversity, accidents, setbacks and many personal challenges that would have made most crumble. In this raw interview, Meredith opens up about these moments and how she has persevered despite them. A teacher by training, Meredith has taken two years off work due to an injury and ongoing challenges associated with a concussion. As she shares, you can't keep pushing through a concussion, sometimes you must simply rest and heal. A single mother of a teenager with significant medical challenges, challenges that have been present since birth, Meredith opens up about the magnitude of this journey and the depths of her pain and guilt. Meredith shares there is still a sliver of hope on the other side of this lake of blood and shit. She shares that she has lost site of that a few times over her journey, but today, is firmly footed on this earth and is working to best support her child and herself. I can't say thank you enough to Meredith for her raw vulnerability and willingness to share a piece of her soul on this podcast. For listeners, this is not an easy discussion with reference to major medical procedures on an infant, thoughts of suicide and major trauma. Thank you, Meredith, you are truly an inspiration and I'm grateful to know you. 

In this episode, we connect with Amelia Larson, Clinical Social Worker, entrepreneur, working mother, former foster parent and artist.Using the analogy of the "Window of Tolerance", Amelia helps us to understand how, when, and why our respective and metaphorical windows start to get tighter and tighter, letting little to no breeze through. She helps us to understand that when this happens, we teeter on the edge of burnout and illness for we need fresh air, movement and light to flourish. Further, Amelia shares that she believes mothers to be too zoomed in, often focusing only on getting the task done to move to the next and that will benefit from zooming out, taking a broader, more holistic picture. She gives practical tips on how to explore and address this. Amelia's art showcases a technique she often uses with clients, asking them to allow the pen or paintbrush to move across the page as it desires, with no focus or destination in mind. She discusses the benefits of this approach and the curious findings when one starts to explore the meanderings of their brush after they finish. We hope you enjoy this podcast as much as we did! A huge shoutout of appreciation to Amelia for just saying 'yes' and signing up for our first exhibit and workshop event on October 19. 

Today on the podcast we meet the incredibly creative, insightful and kind Margaret Dahlberg, known in Calgary as Ms. Tweetie. Margaret is a local celebrity amongst children who enjoy her Music in Nature program or private music lessons AND is an internally recognized composer and musical performer. We are so lucky to be able to showcase one of her original compositions in our virtual gallery. Margaret opens up about her original music, Mountaintop, a composition she created to parallel the experience of being a working mother. She likens the experience and feeling of working motherhood to that feeling one gets at the end of a hard hike - elation with a side of calm and fatigue. Yet, as we look out from the summit, we know there are many more summits we will make; that the summiting will cease to end. We dive into the lessons she has learned as a music teacher and mother; observing parents and children delight in the power of sound, returning to and relaxing in their own bodies. As a mother with children out of the home, Margaret shares what it is like to navigate the highs and lows, the lows being much bigger, yet less frequent with older children and how she always chose to trust her kids, even when she knew they were lying. We know you'll love connecting with Margaret as much as we did. She's brilliant, funny, humble and honest. And if you live in Calgary, we highly recommend you connect with her for lessons as an adult or child and to spend time with her doing music in nature. Check Margaret out --> https://margaretdahlberg.com/

In this mini debrief, our founder, Morgan, shares some incredibly exciting updates for The Working Mother Experience; that's right, we are going international with our first team member living abroad and hosting our inaugural art exhibit this fall in Calgary, AB. Welcome, Amanda Lapadat to our growing team; we can't wait to see where you take us. To help inspire other creative works to showcase at the live exhibit, Morgan provides some prompts to help move through any inner barriers to accessing your inner wisdom and creative spirit. After two years of leading this initiative, Morgan is well acquainted with the artistic journey and the time it takes for artists to move from ideation to creation. We will share more on the exhibit soon, but please save the date for October 19 for our live event, exhibition and workshop. 

Today on the podcast we connect with Karen Davis, high-school math teacher, mind-blowing crafter, dog-lover, mother and so much more.Karen shares her journey creating her art piece, her feelings of uncertainty using a template and her cricut machine, and her feelings about the piece and where she hangs it. We are so grateful to Karen her submission enables The Working Mother Experience to showcase a new art medium to our growing community to inspire a new avenue for expression. We delve into parenting as a means of getting to know our child vs. forming them into the child we want them to be, and how you find the right balance of both. We express our gratitude to individuals who help us to see ourselves in new ways and come to a place of deeper acceptance of our new identities as working mothers. And we acknowledge how we are different parents from when we started our parenting journeys, whether we want to admit it or not. Karen closes with a profound statement about parenting for the long run and how she is not raising a child, but helping to form an adult in whatever direction she takes that in. Thank you, Karen, for your beautiful art, your wisdom and willingness to inspire other working mothers to share a piece of their journey. 

Today on the podcast we connect with Emma Pimm, artist, working mother and one of the first participants in The Working Mother Experience's newest offerings, the  Unleashing Your Inner Creative workplace art session. Emma talks about her unique art piece featuring her as a bobblehead, pulled by her children from the dark into the light. As a bobblehead, she explains, she finds it so easy to 'bobble' one from one direction to the next, to be pulled from her centre so easily, and how it takes so much more time to recalibrate and rebalance. She talks about the chaos of expectations and the motherhood curse (or blessing) of developing a new type of attention deficit disorder. We go on to explore the 'how' of finding our centre and for Emma, that often involves intentionally just staring out the window and watching the birds. We end with a call to action to our listeners, asking each of you to spend time finding how you re-centre, and perhaps, even trying a good ol' window stare and checking in with how you feel afterwards. Thank you, Emma, for your honesty, courage and creative light. It was such a pleasure connecting with you and learning more about your art. If you are interested in submitting a piece of original art to The Working Mother Experience please visit www.workingmotherexperience.ca for details!

Theresa Maxwell, a former lawyer now professional figurative artist, mother of three daughters, and community volunteer shares her story on the podcast, intermingling a variety of lessons learned and nuggets of gold for our listeners. As a professional artist, Theresa deeply understands and accepts that the artistic process takes time. She encourages listeners and future artistic contributors to The Working Mother Experience to "give [themselves] permission to take [their] time". She likens the creative and artistic process to parenting, "children can get so frustrated when it isn't perfect...they don't want to do it anymore...[having art be] perfect immediately is so unrealistic". She encourages listeners to coach themselves like they do their children when they don't get something right on the first (or fourth) try. Want more of these amazing insights? You'll just have to listen to uncover all the other lessons and hidden gems in this delightful conversation. Thank you, Theresa, for giving us the gift of your time and sharing a few tips and tricks to encourage aspiring artists to pick up their crayon, pencil, or brush. And of course, for your beautiful piece of art (circular piece of art depicting a young girl deep in thought on workingmotherexperience.ca) 

The Working Mother Experience team is proud to celebrate its third International Women's Day together! In celebration of this day, we virtually connected to discuss the Tallest Poppy Syndrome study findings - what we thought, our own experience as tall poppies, and our call to action to men and women to help lift others up versus tear them down. We delve into discerning the difference between criticism and feedback, what it means to "too much" or "too ambitious", how we participate in our own criticism or deprecation, and attempt to understand and unpack how men might handle criticism. We talk about the impact or threat of disconnection from the 'herd' or community to potentially or even partially explain why women may feel the pain of criticism more acutely than we assume our male counterparts do. We end with a call to action; asking everyone to give at least one genuine kudos to anyone in their life. We do believe that a rising tide does lift all boats and that while it may be more tiring to go high when someone goes low, that there is incredible power within us to shine and lift others up, even when it's hard. Celebrate International Women's Day with us, enjoy a good laugh with us on the podcast (we make everything fun), and let your inner goodness and magnificence shine through on this special day. Tall Poppy Syndrome Study https://www.womenofinfluence.ca/tps/

So, "who picks up your dish?" Or perhaps a more irreverent question, "who picks up your underwear?" In this short confession session with WME Founder, Morgan Craig-Broadwith, we explore these poignant and profound questions. As working mothers (and all of us are working mothers), The Working Mother Experience team is curious to know who, if anyone, picks up after you? While we assume you are likely the designated 'picker upper' in your household, maybe you and your partner have figured out a different approach? We want to understand how you balance it all as a team and how you get the kids involved in supporting the household. It can be somewhat exhausting to be the air traffic controller of the house. Sharing the load, but also sharing your tips and tricks with our listeners is welcome and encouraged. Email us at [email protected] OR connect with us on LinkedIn. 

Today on the podcast, we connect with Alexis MacKenzie, a successful marketing entrepreneur, professor and of course, working mother and artist. We delve into Alexis' decision to exit the corporate grind and kick-start her own business. She openly shares her secret sauce to creating a thriving business  - leading with her values and curating her clients, working with those that lead with kindness. Alexis shares how critical the attribute of tenderness is in early parenting and that if we work in toxic, aggressive environments, tenderness can be hard to come by.  We also explore the importance of openness and being ready, that doors will open if and when you're ready to receive the help. And of course, we explore why she landed on painting fried eggs and how they represent what it means to work and mother. As always, I loved my time speaking with Alexis. We always find so many ways to connect from x-country skiing to our kids to deeply exploring what it means to work and mother. Thank you, Alexis, for sharing a small piece of your soul on the podcast.  

It's been a while since The Working Mother Experience team had a moment to simply connect, reflect and dissect (not frogs, articles). We have to say, we are very excited for what 2023 holds for us personally, professionally and for the growth we foresee in The Working Mother Experience. A huge shoutout to all the incredible working mothers who have submitted a piece of original art and those in the process of creating; we are so grateful for our amazing and growing community.  In this episode, we dig into a variety of topics ranging from adult gymnastics (yes, it's a thing), our current career updates and our views on a recent Harvard Business Review article entitled, "How Our Careers Affect Our Children". Interestingly, but perhaps not interestingly, male and female parents need different things from their workplaces and roles; but perhaps not the things you might immediately suspect.We tap into many themes related to resourcefulness, authority, and the idea that we may be becoming too available for our kids. Let us know what your thoughts are - we always love hearing from our listeners. Article --> https://hbr.org/2018/11/how-our-careers-affect-our-children  

Today on the podcast we connect with Tamie Murphy, HR professional, actress, artist, mother and step-mother and so much more. Tamie is a long-time friend of The Working Mother Experience's Founder, Morgan Craig-Broadwith, having met almost a decade ago when they worked together in oil and gas. Tamie shares her inspiration for her original submission, a water colour from a magazine she was perusing. Sitting down with her daughter, she took the time to create something original, imbuing her own unique perspective on the piece. She talks about the experience of creating and realizing how much she needed this time to create, sit and simply be. We hope you enjoy! Please visit www.workingmotherexperience.ca to see Tamie's beautiful blue abstract submission - you may need to move through the gallery to find it! 

In this raw confession session, Working Mother Experience's Founder, Morgan Craig-Broadwith shares a piece of her experience balancing the culmination of her Executive MBA, kids and a newborn. To be clear, this is not an angry anti-man rant; in fact, Morgan strongly detests those type of rants as they serve no purpose except alienating and othering. Yet, in this relatively short confession session she highlights the importance of acknowledgment, of reaching out to your male or female colleagues, schoolmates or friends who are the primary caregivers to acknowledge what they are managing and experiencing. In doing so, it may help others be truly honest about how they're doing; even better, it might make them feel appreciated and honoured. No, nothing revolutionary, but something near and dear to her heart given some recent experiences over the last few months of a new mother of three. We all have an opportunity to reach out to those we care about, to acknowledge their experience and give them space to be frank about how bloody hard it can be raising a small human and balancing other demands. 

Juggling a communications career, parenting, launching a business, and discussing whether ‘balance’ is real.In this episode, Angela chats with Dominique, a ferociously ambitious mother, communication professional, certified yogi, and now as of her parental leave, a business owner of a gorgeous skin care line.See Dominique’s beautiful art inspired by fall in Gatineau Park, Ottawa and of course, motherhood, on workingmotherexperience.caAnd check out her skin care brand at dewberryface.com

Today on the podcast we re-connect with Pam Cooper, two-time contributing artist. Her most recent submission, the Mama Bear, is featured on our online gallery.Pam shares openly about the symbolism of the mama bear, the need to want to protect her young but also herself, but also that primal "RAWR" that exists within her (and we believe all mothers). We talk about the ferocity needed to balance both home and career and whether she would share any advice with her younger mother self (oh you need to listen to find out whether she has any!).We are so grateful to our listeners and artists. Consider sharing your own story --> www.workingmotherexperience.ca. 

It's been a while listeners! We've missed you and are excited to re-establish a more regular podcasting frequency. In this episode, The Working Mother Experience Founder, Morgan Craig-Broadwith, shares her thoughts on how we define working mothers, the critical importance of tending the hearth, and the impact of how we define 'labour' in the home on our well-being.Tune in for some potentially thought-provoking and contentious opinions on this episode. Share your thoughts with us. And consider painting your experience of what it means to work and mother. For more information, check out www.workingmotherexperience.ca. 

In this episode we talk to Georgia, who recently moved home to Australia from Canada. We get into the real contrast of mountain life to city life, full time working parenting to being a PhD student, and the very complex layers of the popular Australian preschool show, Bluey, which happens to be set in Georgia’s hometown and now the city she returns to after living nine years in Canada.We hope you enjoy! Check out Georgia's art on www.workingmotherexperience.ca. Articles exploring the cultural significance of Bluey:https://www.vulture.com/2021/05/bluey-best-kids-tv-show.htmlhttps://www.fatherly.com/entertainment/bluey-season3-perfect-kids-show-parents-backlash

On today’s podcast we are talking all things pregnancy. Our 3 guests are multifaceted woman with big goals and we dive into how they  navigate 3 different pregnancy and work scenarios.Amanda Wagner shares hear journey as an entrepreneur and her choices around when to share her pregnancy with her clients. IG: @theamandawagnerKate McKenzie speaks about looking for a job while pregnant and how she is helping clients succeed while she protects her mental health and prepares for the arrival of her second child.IG: @kathryn.mcKenzieMorgan Craig-Broadwith steps away from the interview seat and shares her ups and downs with her 3rd pregnancy, working full time and completing her Executive MBA. Listen in to hear the wisdom and woes of navigating pregnancy as an ambitious woman.

Today on the podcast, I have the special treat of interviewing my momma, Linda Craig. An avid community champion, supporter of the arts, and nature enthusiast, Linda shares openly about her transition from stay-at-home-mothering to working and mothering to becoming an empty nester to retiree. We talk about the pressures of working and mothering in the 80s relative to today, the need to carve out your own identity, the importance of taking dedicated time away for yourself (preferably in nature with birds), and the importance of sangas and laughters (you need to listen to the end to get knowledge download).  Plus, you'll enjoy a few unexpected guests throughout the session. With great love and appreciation, thank you, momma, for sharing a small piece of who you are and contributing a beautiful piece of art. I hope you (listeners) enjoy listening as much as I loved interviewing and editing. 

Join us on the podcast and reconnect with the incredible Sarah Lerner, Entrepreneur, CFA, MBA, yoga teacher, mother of 5, artist and now poet. Yes, she's amazing. In her incredible poem, Sarah gets vulnerable as she shares her journey breaking away from the corporate machine and deciding to put her family first. As we tend to do, our conversation meanders all over the place, but it hones in on the central themes of being honest, showing who you are, and doing what you're intended to do in this one life. Join me for tears, laughs and honest, raw conversation with one my favourite people. Working Mother Experience is so excited to be showcasing poetry as a new medium for expression. We can't wait to see where we go. 

Happy International Women's Day! Today on the podcast we showcase three of our artists, Asha Prasad, Devon Moody-Graham and Mariane Heroux who honestly share what it means to be a working mother in India, the US and Canada. In this special interview, we delve into the changing tides in relation to being a working mother in our respective countries, our own day-to-day experience and how its unique, and what we think women can do more of. International Women's Day 2022 is not only about #breakingthebias, in Canada this year's theme is about Women Inspiring Women. We are so inspired by what our podcast guests and past contributors have managed to accomplish since we last connected (can we say opening a new business, expanding their online teaching and launching a new fashion line?) and have no doubt they will inspire you and many other women around them. We hope you enjoy this short and sweet interview with some incredible women who continue to expand the definition of what is possible and showcase to their children, friends, colleagues, and our growing listeners that working mothers are limitless. 

So this may be the third time I'm writing this write-up...you can only imagine the peace I'm feeling right now....anyways....This podcast celebrates The Working Mother Experience's one-year launch anniversary (yes, we've been cooking for one year already) with some really kick-ass announcements: We're looking swanky with an official logo and brand courtesy of the amazing Graham Langbroek Design located in Calgary, AB. They did rad job capturing our essence and we hope you love it as much as we do. It's all thanks to....Our newest team member, Amanda Langbroek who has signed on as Artistic Director. You can expect to see this creative, curly-haired beauty to start leading some evening art classes in our near future! We are celebrating International Women's Day this year with an international podcast featuring past contributors from India, US and Canada!  Make sure you tune in the week of March 8th.We hope you enjoy this podcast as much as we did creating it. A HUGE thank you to our past contributors, our growing listener base and all of you who are in the midst of painting your creative expression of what it means to work and mother. You are helping to make our dreams a reality! With love, The Working Mother Experience Team 

Meet Devon Moody-Graham: entrepreneur, fashion-designer, world-traveller, mother of a big blended beautiful family, St. Louis, Missouri resident, lover of Paris and artist. In this episode we dig into Devon's ancestry and the duty she feels to understand and honour her past by creating the best possible future for her children. Devon shares the inspirations that have contributed to her success and drive - her mother, father, and Josephine Baker, an American-born French entertainer and civil rights activist. Devon, CEO of CEOMom Empire shares the joys and challenges of running multiple businesses and how she's become ever more successful by learning to stay in her lane.  She used to do everything for everyone and quickly realized that's a ticket to exhaustion. Lastly, we dig into the importance of faith and taking care of yourself and how it has carried her through the challenging times.Join us for a delightful and insightful discussion with our first-ever entrepreneur and vision-board artist.