Real talk for moms balancing family, career, and big dreams...without losing themselves in the chaos.
This episode marks the beginning of a brand new season of Struggle & Strength: Moms Balancing It All with Nikki.
This is not just about motherhood anymore. This is about identity, ownership, and the quiet pull toward something more.
In this episode, Nikki shares why this podcast is evolving to support moms who feel called to build, create, and reclaim parts of themselves that have been buried under responsibility, expectations,...
One year ago, I pressed record for the first time and almost talked myself out of it.
I wondered who would listen. I questioned whether my voice mattered. I debated adding one more thing to an already full life.
And yet, here we are one year, 52 episodes, and thousands of downloads later.
This anniversary episode is a reflection on how Struggle & Strength: Moms Balancing It All with Nikki began, how it evolved, and what this jo...
For years, I couldn’t quite put my finger on it but now I finally understand why our family struggles in big systems.
We are not a fan of big organizations. And it has nothing to do with size… it has everything to do with being seen and valued.
From schools to sports, we have learned that our kids thrive in smaller environments where they are known, valued, and intentionally developed not treated like a number. Watching my daughter...
We say we “lost our purpose.” We say we “lost our passion.” But what does that really mean?
This week, after a conversation with my son’s friend’s mom, something hit me hard: Most moms cannot answer a simple question…
If you had two hours completely to yourself what would you do?
Not for your kids. Not for your spouse. Not for your job. Not for your house.
For YOU.
The truth is, most of us cannot answer because we have spent so lon...
Why do high-achieving moms give everything they have… and still feel invisible?
This week, I talked to several pharmacist moms who are brilliant, talented, educated, and experienced yet feel undervalued, unfulfilled, and stuck. And the truth is: they are not alone.
In this episode, we are diving into: 💛 Why moms burn out even when they love their families 💛 Why high-achieving women lose their sense of purpose 💛 Why we feel guilt...
Why do moms keep saying yes… even when we are exhausted? Even when we know we do not have time? Even when it means more late nights and more chaos?
This week, one tiny yes spiraled into a full-on heat press marathon...numbers, logos, sponsor patches, everything. My husband was frustrated. I was overwhelmed. And yet… the end result surprised me.
One grateful coach. An unexpected business opportunity. And a six-year-old girl running ...
This episode starts with a Target run that turned into one of the most emotional moments of my entire motherhood journey.
My kids, without being asked, reminded, or nudged, asked if they could go buy Thanksgiving gifts for each other… with their own money.
My middle son even pulled out his birthday gift card and said he’d split it evenly so everyone could pick something for each other.
And in that moment, standing in the middle of ...
This week, I returned to my alma mater, Purdue University, for the College of Pharmacy Advisory Council meetings and something incredible happened.
When I shared my story of helping pharmacist moms create side hustles to earn extra income and rediscover their purpose, something shifted.
Several women came up to me afterward and said, “That’s exactly how I feel.” “I want that too.”
These conversations reminded me of the exact moment...
Around this time last year, I did something that changed my life.
I got on a plane, left my family at home, and went to my first-ever live event The It’s Her Turn Summit by Cathy Heller.
It was the first time I had truly put myself first. I didn’t know anyone there. I didn’t know what to expect. But what I found was transformation...the kind that only happens when you take a leap of faith and choose you.
That weekend, I stood in a ...
When I left Purdue University in 2006, I vowed I’d never go back.
Not because I didn’t love it...my six years there gave me some of the best memories of my life but because the way it ended left me heartbroken. I wanted to forget it all and start fresh. So I did.
But sometimes, God has a way of bringing you right back to the place you thought you’d left behind… not to relive the pain, but to rewrite the story.
In this episode of St...
It’s the question every parent hears at least once a weekend: “So… how many games do you have today?”
And honestly? I never know how to answer.
Between three kids, five soccer games, two tennis matches, diving practice, and coaching toddler soccer it’s a full-time job just keeping track of who’s playing where.
This weekend alone, we had seven games, two practices, and about a hundred snack breaks in between. 😅
In this episode of S...
Have you ever hit a point where you just wanted to quit...on everything? The business. The activities. The endless to-do list.
Last week, I was there. I prayed and asked God, “Am I even supposed to be doing all this?”
And then… He answered.
That same afternoon, my daughter walked into my office holding a huge bouquet of roses and tulips...my favorites. It was from one of my clients, completely unexpected, with a note thanking me fo...
Being a mom, wife, and entrepreneur sometimes feels like juggling flaming torches while riding a unicycle—blindfolded. 🔥 You’re balancing work, kids, business, relationships, and trying to keep it all from crashing down.
And lately? I’ve been there...deep in the exhaustion, wondering, “Is it even worth it?”
In this episode of Struggle & Strength: Moms Balancing It All with Nikki, I’m opening up about what it feels like to be p...
If you’ve ever felt like you’re constantly fighting for your kids at school, on the field, or in the classroom...you’re not imagining it.
This year alone, I’ve had to step in when:
A teacher marked an assignment as missing even though it was fully completed.
A soccer coach skipped the very skills and agility training we signed up for.
My youngest was stuck sitting next to disruptive kids in a class with no control.
At my kids’ tennis practice this week, I heard something unfold that hit me right in the heart.
One coach complimented a mom’s daughter, calling her a future rock star. Amazing, right? But another mom walked away upset because her daughter didn’t get the same praise. She felt like her child was just as good, maybe even better, and she couldn’t understand why nothing was said about her.
It made me realize just how often we, as moms,...
Growing up, I never felt good enough. My mom never told me she loved me, and I often felt like her love was conditional...tied to whether or not I met her expectations. I promised myself I’d never repeat that pattern with my kids.
And yet… here I am, realizing that in different ways, I’m still passing down the weight of expectations.
In this episode of Struggle & Strength: Moms Balancing It All with Nikki, I open up about the s...
Have you ever thought about starting a side hustle or business of your own but stopped because you didn’t know what to sell or how to begin?
That’s exactly why Russell Brunson (the creator of ClickFunnels) launched OfferLab and it’s one of the best opportunities I’ve ever seen for moms who want to start something of their own without the overwhelm.
Here’s why:
It’s free to join (for now!)
You don’t need your own product or ...
Four weeks. Four states. Countless memories… and two very exhausted parents.
From California for my daughter’s national diving competition, to Missouri for my dad’s 80th, to New York for my high school reunion, and finally Florida for the grand opening of Universal Studios Epic...we did it all.
And here’s the truth: we did it all for the kids… while putting our sanity on the line in the process. Because let’s be real family vacatio...
This summer was packed with travel, memories, and chaos and as much as I loved it, I have to admit… I felt a huge sense of relief when my kids went back to school.
And then? The mom guilt hit.
If you’ve ever felt torn between loving every moment with your kids and craving the structure that school and routines bring, this episode is for you. I’m sharing the behind-the-scenes of our summer travels, the guilt that comes with wanting ...
I’m in good shape. I eat clean. I run most days. I have a four-pack on top and toned obliques… but no matter what I do, the stubborn C-section pouch below my belly button won’t budge.
And I know I’m not the only mom dealing with the mom pooch after pregnancy and C-sections.
In this episode of Struggle & Strength: Moms Balancing It All with Nikki, I’m opening up about my personal post-C-section recovery journey...how three back-...
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Burden is a documentary series that takes listeners into the hidden places where justice is done (and undone). It dives deep into the lives of heroes and villains. And it focuses a spotlight on those who triumph even when the odds are against them. Season 5 - The Burden: Death & Deceit in Alliance On April Fools Day 1999, 26-year-old Yvonne Layne was found murdered in her Alliance, Ohio home. David Thorne, her ex-boyfriend and father of one of her children, was instantly a suspect. Another young man admitted to the murder, and David breathed a sigh of relief, until the confessed murderer fingered David; “He paid me to do it.” David was sentenced to life without parole. Two decades later, Pulitzer winner and podcast host, Maggie Freleng (Bone Valley Season 3: Graves County, Wrongful Conviction, Suave) launched a “live” investigation into David's conviction alongside Jason Baldwin (himself wrongfully convicted as a member of the West Memphis Three). Maggie had come to believe that the entire investigation of David was botched by the tiny local police department, or worse, covered up the real killer. Was Maggie correct? Was David’s claim of innocence credible? In Death and Deceit in Alliance, Maggie recounts the case that launched her career, and ultimately, “broke” her.” The results will shock the listener and reduce Maggie to tears and self-doubt. This is not your typical wrongful conviction story. In fact, it turns the genre on its head. It asks the question: What if our champions are foolish? Season 4 - The Burden: Get the Money and Run “Trying to murder my father, this was the thing that put me on the path.” That’s Joe Loya and that path was bank robbery. Bank, bank, bank, bank, bank. In season 4 of The Burden: Get the Money and Run, we hear from Joe who was once the most prolific bank robber in Southern California, and beyond. He used disguises, body doubles, proxies. He leaped over counters, grabbed the money and ran. Even as the FBI was closing in. It was a showdown between a daring bank robber, and a patient FBI agent. Joe was no ordinary bank robber. He was bright, articulate, charismatic, and driven by a dark rage that he summoned up at will. In seven episodes, Joe tells all: the what, the how… and the why. Including why he tried to murder his father. Season 3 - The Burden: Avenger Miriam Lewin is one of Argentina’s leading journalists today. At 19 years old, she was kidnapped off the streets of Buenos Aires for her political activism and thrown into a concentration camp. Thousands of her fellow inmates were executed, tossed alive from a cargo plane into the ocean. Miriam, along with a handful of others, will survive the camp. Then as a journalist, she will wage a decades long campaign to bring her tormentors to justice. Avenger is about one woman’s triumphant battle against unbelievable odds to survive torture, claim justice for the crimes done against her and others like her, and change the future of her country. Season 2 - The Burden: Empire on Blood Empire on Blood is set in the Bronx, NY, in the early 90s, when two young drug dealers ruled an intersection known as “The Corner on Blood.” The boss, Calvin Buari, lived large. He and a protege swore they would build an empire on blood. Then the relationship frayed and the protege accused Calvin of a double homicide which he claimed he didn’t do. But did he? Award-winning journalist Steve Fishman spent seven years to answer that question. This is the story of one man’s last chance to overturn his life sentence. He may prevail, but someone’s gotta pay. The Burden: Empire on Blood is the director’s cut of the true crime classic which reached #1 on the charts when it was first released half a dozen years ago. Season 1 - The Burden In the 1990s, Detective Louis N. Scarcella was legendary. In a city overrun by violent crime, he cracked the toughest cases and put away the worst criminals. “The Hulk” was his nickname. Then the story changed. Scarcella ran into a group of convicted murderers who all say they are innocent. They turned themselves into jailhouse-lawyers and in prison founded a lway firm. When they realized Scarcella helped put many of them away, they set their sights on taking him down. And with the help of a NY Times reporter they have a chance. For years, Scarcella insisted he did nothing wrong. But that’s all he’d say. Until we tracked Scarcella to a sauna in a Russian bathhouse, where he started to talk..and talk and talk. “The guilty have gone free,” he whispered. And then agreed to take us into the belly of the beast. Welcome to The Burden.
"SmartLess" with Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, & Will Arnett is a podcast that connects and unites people from all walks of life to learn about shared experiences through thoughtful dialogue and organic hilarity. A nice surprise: in each episode of SmartLess, one of the hosts reveals his mystery guest to the other two. What ensues is a genuinely improvised and authentic conversation filled with laughter and newfound knowledge to feed the SmartLess mind. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of SmartLess ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!