When Mommy Grows Up
As moms, we love to inspire our kids to dream big dreams about who they’ll be as they grow up. But when is the last time you stopped to ask yourself, "Who am I going to be (next) as I grow up?" The When Mommy Grows Up Podcast is the motherhood and career podcast for moms who need help defining what success looks like to them as mid-career professionals and parents, along with the support they need to go after it. Hear real stories from real moms facing the same challenges you are. Finding flexible jobs, crafting a job you love, discovering your passions, crushing it at work, and getting kids off the bus! We’ll talk through it all. Hosts (and fellow mom) Becca Carnahan of Next Chapter Careers takes your questions and provides practical step-by-step advice to help you move forward. All served up with a virtual mom hug and lots of laughs! Send your stories and questions to podcast@nextchaptercareers.us. Interested in sharing your insights as a guest on our podcast? Share your story here: https://forms.gle/iefCf9PTTu7kQtpc7
Episodes
Career worries can feel urgent long before anything has actually happened. In this episode of When Mommy Grows Up, we explore what happens when we try to solve a future problem before we have enough information to make a decision.
Whether you’re considering a job search, wondering if an employer would hire you, questioning whether you’d succeed in a new role, or imagining that a promotion would upend your family life, it...
What happens when your comfortable routine starts to feel… uncomfortable?
In this episode of When Mommy Grows Up, Becca shares how saying yes to teaching a college class pushed her beyond sweatpants-and-slippers workdays, opened the door to a portfolio career, and created unexpected opportunities for growth.
Plus, there's a gentle nudge to listen to your inner itch and step outside your comfort zone.
Resources:
What if the career you want pays less than the job you have?
In this episode of When Mommy Grows Up, Becca shares five questions to help you evaluate the complete trade-off, including compensation, flexibility, family finances, future growth, and what the change could make possible.
Learn how to tell the difference between a strategic step back and undervaluing yourself so you can make your next career move with clarity a...
September is the real New Year for moms. Kids head back to school, schedules shift, and suddenly you might be wondering: Is it time for a change for me, too?
In this episode, we’re ditching the pressure to completely reinvent your career and focusing instead on a simple September reset. You’ll learn how to create a stop-doing list, set career intentions that actually fit your life, and identify your next right step towar...
I want to let you in on a secret.
The key to finding the right career isn't choosing the "perfect" job; it's knowing what you truly need from your work and your life.
In this episode of When Mommy Grows Up, we're sharing a lesson from the Align module of the Career Clarity Program all about defining your career and life criteria.
Learn how identifying your unique must-haves can help you evaluate opportunities, make confident car...
Have you ever noticed how easy it is to create a summer bucket list for your family, but how rarely we dream about what we want to experience in our careers?
In this episode of When Mommy Grows Up, we're flipping the script on career planning. Instead of asking, "What's my next job?" we're asking a more meaningful question:
"What do I want to experience before I retire?"
Whether you dream of leading a team, speaking at a conference, m...
Does the thought of networking make you want to hide in the bathroom... or skip the event altogether?
If you're an introvert (or just someone who dreads awkward small talk), this episode is for you.
In today's episode of When Mommy Grows Up, Becca shares why networking doesn't have to mean working the room, collecting business cards, or pretending to be the loudest person there. Instead, you'll learn how to build meaningful professio...
What if working parent life did not have to look the way we were told it should? In this episode of When Mommy Grows Up, I share a story from 10 years ago, when a quiet conversation with my mom planted a question that changed everything: Why?
That one question sparked a long path of reflection, creativity, hustle, and reinvention. From full-time work to a side business to a portfolio career built for flexibility, I’m talking a...
Whose opinions are shaping your biggest decisions, and do they really deserve a vote?
In this episode, Becca introduces the powerful coaching exercise, Voices in the Room, and shares the story of a mom who realized she had been living according to expectations she had never consciously chosen. Learn how to identify the voices influencing your choices, decide who belongs in your decision-making process, and strengthen trust in your o...
Returning to work after a career pause can feel overwhelming, especially when you're trying to figure out where to invest your time and money.
In this episode, career coach Becca Carnahan shares exactly what she would and wouldn't pay for if she were returning to the paid workforce today. From coaching and assessments to ChatGPT, LinkedIn, networking, resumes, and certifications, Becca breaks down which investments can help build cl...
The question "Is part-time work the answer?" comes up all the time for mid-career parents managing work and family needs. And in the summertime, while school is out, that question gets even louder. So let's talk about it!
In this episode of When Mommy Grows Up, we’re talking honestly about part-time work as an option: when it can be a lifeline, when it’s not the right fit, and how to thoughtfully evaluate whether it alig...
In this episode of When Mommy Grows Up, we’re taking a page from the world of gymnastics, where feedback is constant, specific, and unavoidable, and asking: what if we approached our careers the same way?
Because here’s the truth: most of us aren’t lacking feedback… we’re just not getting the kind that actually helps us grow.
Through the story of “Jenna,” a high-performing professional who f...
What if growing your career didn’t require more time, just a new perspective?
In this episode, we’re rethinking networking for real life. From soccer sidelines to dance studio waiting rooms, these everyday moments might be the most overlooked opportunity to build meaningful connections. Learn how simple curiosity, honest conversations, and small shifts in mindset can open unexpected doors without adding anything new to y...
Happy Mother's Day!
This week, as we celebrate YOU as a mom, the When Mommy Grows Up podcast is turning into an audiobook sneak peek one more time.
Chapter 4 of When Mommy Grows Up: Finding Career Clarity While Covered in Kids, Mother Knows Best, shares stories and laughs, but its main purpose in the book is to remind us that we’re the moms now, and we really do know what’s best for ourselves and our families.
Come s...
In this week's episode of When Mommy Grows Up, a small plastic duck carries a powerful message.
After Becca's daughter’s state gymnastics meet, where highs and disappointments lived side by side, one quiet moment stood out above all the rest. Long after the crowd thinned and the lights dimmed, one little girl stayed, cheering on the final athletes, even when no one was watching. What happened next was a simple act of recogniti...
If your job search has you feeling frustrated, exhausted, or questioning everything…you’re not alone.
This week on When Mommy Grows Up, we’re talking about what to do when it feels like you’ve tried everything and nothing is working.
Inside this episode, we’re diving into:
- Why the traditional job search approach might be failing you right now
- Creative, real-life ways to stand out (without burning out)
- ...
Struggling to update your LinkedIn? In this episode of When Mommy Grows Up, we walk through how to use ChatGPT to write a strong headline and About section, without losing your voice.
Learn the exact prompts to get started, why keywords matter, and how to edit your content so it sounds clear, confident, and like you.
If your profile has been sitting untouched, this is your sign to start!
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You are one click ...
This week on When Mommy Grows Up, we’re celebrating a very special milestone—my book When Mommy Grows Up: Finding Career Clarity While Covered in Kids is officially one year old! 🎉
The refreshed 2025 edition is the book I always envisioned—filled with new insights, deeper encouragement, and even more support for moms navigating career clarity in the middle of real life.
To celebrate this “book birthday,&rdquo...
If your resume has been sitting untouched for years and you don’t even know where to start…this episode is for you.
Today on When Mommy Grows Up, we’re doing a practical, step-by-step 15-minute resume audit designed especially for moms re-entering the workforce, pivoting careers, or updating a very outdated document.
We’ll cover:
- How to turn task-based bullet points into measurable impact
- How to stop minimi...
“You know what I love about you, Carnahans? You can take what should be a really stressful situation and turn it into a funny adventure.” – My mom
From airport sprints to the infamous Bat in the Basement Incident of 2017, I’ve learned that challenges are all about perspective. We can complain and blame… or we can focus on what we can control and what we learned.
That mindset matters a lot in job intervi...
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