October 20, 2025 • 8 mins
We open with a packed weekend and a candid look at what balance really means when a career doesn’t fit into nine to five. We share practical ways to set timelines, accept imperfection, and rebuild routines after a busy season without guilt.
• difference between a job and a career for mothers
• kids’ honest read on parental stress and pride
• grace as a tool for imperfect days
• planning a day around tradeoffs that fit values
• communicating time-bound busy seasons at home
• leaning on a strong team to make work meaningful
• realistic meals and shortcuts that protect sanity
• rebalancing health basics like water, sleep, movement
• returning from crunch time with small, steady habits
• encouragement for women working, studying, and parenting
Keep at it, keep up with it, and I will catch you on the next one
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Good evening, everyone.
Welcome to Still Roses Podcast.
This podcast was created forwomen by women to elevate
women's voices.
I hope everyone had a wonderfulweekend.
I had a really good weekend.
It was just very busy.
And I've noticed that like weweren't like this before.
We as in my family and I, butfor some reason, almost every
weekend now there's some kind ofan event or some kind of an
(00:22):
activity.
And I'm absolutely 100% lookingforward to the next weekend that
there's nothing happening.
Although for the next twoweekends, I do not foresee that.
So now I'm just kind of waitingit out.
I've been thinking about topicsfor the podcast over the past
week.
I wasn't able to record lastweek.
So first and foremost, what I'dlike to talk about is work-life
(00:43):
balance.
You know, it's it's somethingI've talked about here a bunch
of times, many times, probably alot more times than I realize.
But there is a, there is adefinitely a fine line that you
have to walk in order to doeverything you need to do in a
day or everything you want to doin a day.
Need to and want to is verydifferent things, right?
So it becomes more complex whenum you're a working mom.
(01:06):
And when you have a career, notjust when you're a working mom,
but also when you have a career.
So it's a little bit differentin my eyes, in my opinion.
Having a job, you know, is onething.
You clock in, you clock out, youwere just there to get that job
done.
You go home, you kind of leaveeverything there.
It's a little bit different whenyou're transitioning from, oh, I
have a job to I have aprofession, I have a career, I'm
(01:27):
trying to maintain that careerwhile also having a family and
being a wife, all the goodstuff, right?
So it gets really hectic and itgets very complex.
I will say my stepdaughter quiteoften has said she does not want
to have anything to do withhaving a career in a profession
the way that I have one becauseshe sees the breakdown parts.
She sees a lot of the ugly andthe bad, where I am overwhelmed
(01:51):
or, you know, for whateverreason, like just have off, like
just bad, bad situations.
She's also seen how her siblingsreact to the fact that I do have
a career and a profession that Icare very much about.
It is very difficult.
It is one of the most difficultthings I've ever had to do, but
it's also something that I'mincredibly proud of.
And so when I talk to you aboutthis today, it's really coming
(02:11):
from a place of what do I do totry to manage the lunacy.
So there's a couple things upfront, you guys know how I feel
about giving yourself grace.
You are not, you have to acceptyou're not gonna get every
single thing done every singlething, every single time.
It's not gonna happen.
You have to accept that.
The moment that you acceptimperfection, the weight will
(02:33):
lift off your shoulders.
You don't need to get to everysingle task every single day, or
you can get to partial tasks.
And I'll give you an exampletoday.
I had to get laundry folded, butI also wanted to go on a hike
with my kids and I wanted to dosome cooking for the week or
just some like food.
Like I like to cook on theweekends.
That's my thing.
That's what I like to do.
So I quite literally scheduledmy day.
I got to go and see the sunrisewith one of my kids.
(02:54):
I came back and made breakfast.
I spent the whole morningcooking in the kitchen, just
making different recipes that Ihad wanted to try out.
And then um around lunchtime, Ihad told everyone, I'm like, I'm
gonna go for a hike.
Whoever wants to come, pleasedo.
I packed up some sandwiches, offwe all went.
Whole family goes and packs inthe car.
Now, my husband on the side waslike, no, well, why don't we do
this?
Why don't we do that?
Maybe we should clean out thebackyard, this and the next
(03:15):
thing.
I was like, look, I already havemy agenda for the day.
And it has to do laundry.
Now, the reason why I'm bringingup the day currently that I just
went through is because I wantto give you a representation of
balance.
I really wanted to record someepisodes today.
Last week I didn't get to it.
I was just too overwhelmed withother things.
I had to prioritize myprofessional day job over the
podcast.
That is gonna happen.
(03:35):
And I have to accept that.
I can't get depressed aboutthat.
But on that note, I wanted tomake sure I prioritized the
podcast today.
So do you see what I mean withthe balance?
Now, the other part here ismaybe you're not gonna get
everything done the way youthink you're going to.
I still have laundry to fold,but I did spend about an hour
and a half folding laundry andputting things away and trying
to, you know, get things done.
But I had to accept the factthat I'm not gonna get it all
done today.
(03:56):
Not if I want to do anythingelse.
So it's that little balance.
Now, when you pull that intoyour week, that work-life
balance becomes really skewed.
Now, for me as a professional,my job does not adhere to the
nine to five quite often.
You know, I work with people indifferent time zones.
I get tapped at different times.
If I have something urgent thatI'm working on, I am gonna
prioritize that and work intothe evening.
(04:17):
It is what it is.
It doesn't happen often, but afew times a year, there are
things that happen that youcan't avoid and you have to
really double-time it.
And I've basically just made itknown to my family, like when
these things are coming or whenit's happening, it's only a
couple more days or it's onlytwo more days.
I give them a definitivetimeline because I don't want
them to think it's like this allthe time.
So for the most recent spurt ofbusyness, I had to really pull
(04:40):
back on my evenings with mykids.
It was really hard for me to dothat.
I made sure homework was done,but in terms of hanging out with
them, in terms of just playinggames with them, reading with
them, like the little, littlethings that I've been trying to
do this fall, I didn't get to doit the last two weeks.
That was really tough on me.
That really, that was tough.
I was able to do it, you know,as soon as I was done with the
(05:01):
busyness, but that was hard.
It was a hard thing to do.
And, you know, I do make surethat everybody understands,
like, I don't love it, but I dolove it kind of thing.
And it was very funny.
Most recently, my kids were homeand they heard me getting all
worked up with my colleagues.
We're all getting worked upabout something.
When I hung up, my son said he'slike, you know, I think you
really get mad at your job.
Like you really get madsometimes, but I think you like
(05:23):
it.
And it's such an interestingobservation from a nine-year-old
because I do.
I really enjoy my job.
And part of that is because ofthe fabulous people that I get
to work with.
I have been very, very blessedthis time around with a team of
people that is so extraordinary.
I would go to battle with them.
They are an extraordinary groupof women.
(05:45):
Extraordinary.
Like, and anyone who knows mewould know that if I'm saying
that, then this must be one hellof a team because I do not give
compliments lightly.
Um, I'm definitely not one ofthose people, but that actually
helps me to also prioritizethings because I want to make
sure I'm showing up for thepeople that I work with as well.
But that balance element.
So I'm also a woman who, yes, Ihave a career, but I like to
(06:07):
make sure I have dinner and Ican make food for my family
every single night.
Is it always homemade?
No, it's not.
Do I have to cut some corners?
Yes, I do.
But I'm able to fit it in.
Now there's nights where we haveto order.
I've had a couple of crazyweeks, like I mentioned.
We've ordered out a lot morethan I care to admit.
That's that balance.
The work-life balance that I'mreferring to is not, oh, make
sure you clock out at fiveo'clock and you don't even think
(06:29):
about work again.
That's not real, that's notreality for me.
And I think that's not realityfor a lot of people, especially
for those of us who are workingfrom home now.
Clocking out at the end of theday is not always the end of the
day.
Like that's not, that's reallynot how it works.
So it's maintaining somesemblance of I'm able to
prioritize my job on certaindays, but then I have to make
sure I make time for my family,my kids, my exercise, my health,
(06:49):
like whatever else you need toprioritize in your life, that's
the balance element.
So if you have to, for a fewweeks, really kick butt at your
job or or wherever, thenunderstand, but then you have to
come back around.
You do have to balance back out.
I just realized yesterday that Iwas going from drinking 60
ounces of water a day down tolike, I don't know, 20, if that.
(07:10):
I'm like in bad shape because Ihaven't been drinking water.
And it occurred to me todaybecause I started getting a
migraine.
I was like, oh my God, I'vestopped drinking water.
I need to get on that.
So it's really everyone, it'sjust maintaining a, okay, you
know what?
I have to get myself back to it.
I need to get back to myexercises.
I need to get myself back intoeverything because it's okay to
have to depart for a littlewhile mentally because you need
(07:30):
to take care of other things.
But then it's important to alsolift your head up out of the
sand and understand, like, youcan come back and then you can
just figure out how to do itbetter next time if you need to
do.
But sometimes you don't.
Sometimes this is the reality.
And you just have to make itwork for you and what's best for
you and your family or yourpartner.
So on that note, I will let yougo.
If you are going through it, Iknow some women that I know,
(07:51):
some mothers that I know areworking and going to school full
time and, you know, making thatmom and wife life happen.
It is a heavy load to bear, butit is something that's possible.
So keep at it, keep up with it,and I will catch you on the next
one.
Take care.
Good evening, everyone.
Welcome to Still Roses Podcast.
This podcast was created forwomen by women to elevate
women's voices.
I hope everyone had a wonderfulweekend.
I had a really good weekend.
It was just very busy.
And I've noticed that like weweren't like this before.
We as in my family and I, butfor some reason, almost every
weekend now there's some kind ofan event or some kind of an
(00:22):
activity.
And I'm absolutely 100% lookingforward to the next weekend that
there's nothing happening.
Although for the next twoweekends, I do not foresee that.
So now I'm just kind of waitingit out.
I've been thinking about topicsfor the podcast over the past
week.
I wasn't able to record lastweek.
So first and foremost, what I'dlike to talk about is work-life
(00:43):
balance.
You know, it's it's somethingI've talked about here a bunch
of times, many times, probably alot more times than I realize.
But there is a, there is adefinitely a fine line that you
have to walk in order to doeverything you need to do in a
day or everything you want to doin a day.
Need to and want to is verydifferent things, right?
So it becomes more complex whenum you're a working mom.
(01:06):
And when you have a career, notjust when you're a working mom,
but also when you have a career.
So it's a little bit differentin my eyes, in my opinion.
Having a job, you know, is onething.
You clock in, you clock out, youwere just there to get that job
done.
You go home, you kind of leaveeverything there.
It's a little bit different whenyou're transitioning from, oh, I
have a job to I have aprofession, I have a career, I'm
(01:27):
trying to maintain that careerwhile also having a family and
being a wife, all the goodstuff, right?
So it gets really hectic and itgets very complex.
I will say my stepdaughter quiteoften has said she does not want
to have anything to do withhaving a career in a profession
the way that I have one becauseshe sees the breakdown parts.
She sees a lot of the ugly andthe bad, where I am overwhelmed
(01:51):
or, you know, for whateverreason, like just have off, like
just bad, bad situations.
She's also seen how her siblingsreact to the fact that I do have
a career and a profession that Icare very much about.
It is very difficult.
It is one of the most difficultthings I've ever had to do, but
it's also something that I'mincredibly proud of.
And so when I talk to you aboutthis today, it's really coming
(02:11):
from a place of what do I do totry to manage the lunacy.
So there's a couple things upfront, you guys know how I feel
about giving yourself grace.
You are not, you have to acceptyou're not gonna get every
single thing done every singlething, every single time.
It's not gonna happen.
You have to accept that.
The moment that you acceptimperfection, the weight will
(02:33):
lift off your shoulders.
You don't need to get to everysingle task every single day, or
you can get to partial tasks.
And I'll give you an exampletoday.
I had to get laundry folded, butI also wanted to go on a hike
with my kids and I wanted to dosome cooking for the week or
just some like food.
Like I like to cook on theweekends.
That's my thing.
That's what I like to do.
So I quite literally scheduledmy day.
I got to go and see the sunrisewith one of my kids.
(02:54):
I came back and made breakfast.
I spent the whole morningcooking in the kitchen, just
making different recipes that Ihad wanted to try out.
And then um around lunchtime, Ihad told everyone, I'm like, I'm
gonna go for a hike.
Whoever wants to come, pleasedo.
I packed up some sandwiches, offwe all went.
Whole family goes and packs inthe car.
Now, my husband on the side waslike, no, well, why don't we do
this?
Why don't we do that?
Maybe we should clean out thebackyard, this and the next
(03:15):
thing.
I was like, look, I already havemy agenda for the day.
And it has to do laundry.
Now, the reason why I'm bringingup the day currently that I just
went through is because I wantto give you a representation of
balance.
I really wanted to record someepisodes today.
Last week I didn't get to it.
I was just too overwhelmed withother things.
I had to prioritize myprofessional day job over the
podcast.
That is gonna happen.
(03:35):
And I have to accept that.
I can't get depressed aboutthat.
But on that note, I wanted tomake sure I prioritized the
podcast today.
So do you see what I mean withthe balance?
Now, the other part here ismaybe you're not gonna get
everything done the way youthink you're going to.
I still have laundry to fold,but I did spend about an hour
and a half folding laundry andputting things away and trying
to, you know, get things done.
But I had to accept the factthat I'm not gonna get it all
done today.
(03:56):
Not if I want to do anythingelse.
So it's that little balance.
Now, when you pull that intoyour week, that work-life
balance becomes really skewed.
Now, for me as a professional,my job does not adhere to the
nine to five quite often.
You know, I work with people indifferent time zones.
I get tapped at different times.
If I have something urgent thatI'm working on, I am gonna
prioritize that and work intothe evening.
(04:17):
It is what it is.
It doesn't happen often, but afew times a year, there are
things that happen that youcan't avoid and you have to
really double-time it.
And I've basically just made itknown to my family, like when
these things are coming or whenit's happening, it's only a
couple more days or it's onlytwo more days.
I give them a definitivetimeline because I don't want
them to think it's like this allthe time.
So for the most recent spurt ofbusyness, I had to really pull
(04:40):
back on my evenings with mykids.
It was really hard for me to dothat.
I made sure homework was done,but in terms of hanging out with
them, in terms of just playinggames with them, reading with
them, like the little, littlethings that I've been trying to
do this fall, I didn't get to doit the last two weeks.
That was really tough on me.
That really, that was tough.
I was able to do it, you know,as soon as I was done with the
(05:01):
busyness, but that was hard.
It was a hard thing to do.
And, you know, I do make surethat everybody understands,
like, I don't love it, but I dolove it kind of thing.
And it was very funny.
Most recently, my kids were homeand they heard me getting all
worked up with my colleagues.
We're all getting worked upabout something.
When I hung up, my son said he'slike, you know, I think you
really get mad at your job.
Like you really get madsometimes, but I think you like
(05:23):
it.
And it's such an interestingobservation from a nine-year-old
because I do.
I really enjoy my job.
And part of that is because ofthe fabulous people that I get
to work with.
I have been very, very blessedthis time around with a team of
people that is so extraordinary.
I would go to battle with them.
They are an extraordinary groupof women.
(05:45):
Extraordinary.
Like, and anyone who knows mewould know that if I'm saying
that, then this must be one hellof a team because I do not give
compliments lightly.
Um, I'm definitely not one ofthose people, but that actually
helps me to also prioritizethings because I want to make
sure I'm showing up for thepeople that I work with as well.
But that balance element.
So I'm also a woman who, yes, Ihave a career, but I like to
(06:07):
make sure I have dinner and Ican make food for my family
every single night.
Is it always homemade?
No, it's not.
Do I have to cut some corners?
Yes, I do.
But I'm able to fit it in.
Now there's nights where we haveto order.
I've had a couple of crazyweeks, like I mentioned.
We've ordered out a lot morethan I care to admit.
That's that balance.
The work-life balance that I'mreferring to is not, oh, make
sure you clock out at fiveo'clock and you don't even think
(06:29):
about work again.
That's not real, that's notreality for me.
And I think that's not realityfor a lot of people, especially
for those of us who are workingfrom home now.
Clocking out at the end of theday is not always the end of the
day.
Like that's not, that's reallynot how it works.
So it's maintaining somesemblance of I'm able to
prioritize my job on certaindays, but then I have to make
sure I make time for my family,my kids, my exercise, my health,
(06:49):
like whatever else you need toprioritize in your life, that's
the balance element.
So if you have to, for a fewweeks, really kick butt at your
job or or wherever, thenunderstand, but then you have to
come back around.
You do have to balance back out.
I just realized yesterday that Iwas going from drinking 60
ounces of water a day down tolike, I don't know, 20, if that.
(07:10):
I'm like in bad shape because Ihaven't been drinking water.
And it occurred to me todaybecause I started getting a
migraine.
I was like, oh my God, I'vestopped drinking water.
I need to get on that.
So it's really everyone, it'sjust maintaining a, okay, you
know what?
I have to get myself back to it.
I need to get back to myexercises.
I need to get myself back intoeverything because it's okay to
have to depart for a littlewhile mentally because you need
(07:30):
to take care of other things.
But then it's important to alsolift your head up out of the
sand and understand, like, youcan come back and then you can
just figure out how to do itbetter next time if you need to
do.
But sometimes you don't.
Sometimes this is the reality.
And you just have to make itwork for you and what's best for
you and your family or yourpartner.
So on that note, I will let yougo.
If you are going through it, Iknow some women that I know,
(07:51):
some mothers that I know areworking and going to school full
time and, you know, making thatmom and wife life happen.
It is a heavy load to bear, butit is something that's possible.
So keep at it, keep up with it,and I will catch you on the next
one.
Take care.
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