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
Feeling foggy between the holidays and the new year? This episode is your reset.
In this solo episode, Becca shares a 3-step Career Reset for 2026, including simple, mom-friendly shifts to help you start the year with clarity and confidence, without pressure or burnout.
You’ll learn how to:
- Reclaim your wins from 2025
- Choose one guiding word or feeling for the year ahead
- Take one tiny January action that builds real mo...
In this episode of When Mommy Grows Up, Becca Carnahan is joined by leadership coach and Your Fourth Trimester founder Barbara Palmer for a candid conversation about career transitions, working parenthood, and building a life that actually fits.
They explore what real workplace flexibility looks like, how to assess company culture as a parent, and why returning to work after parental leave deserves more support. From ...
Are you accidentally leaving hundreds—or even thousands—of dollars on the table at work? 😬
In this episode of When Mommy Grows Up, Becca breaks down the often-overlooked world of professional development funds as a workplace benefit.
Uncover hidden “use it or lose it” money and use these simple steps for claiming what’s already yours. This episode is your no-fluff guide to investing in your career without spending a ...
In this episode of When Mommy Grows Up, Becca sits down with Michelle Keefe, co-founder of MomUp, to talk about what’s broken in hiring today and how caregivers can successfully re-enter or shift within the workforce.
Michelle shares the inspiration behind MomUp, the recruitment firm that elevates overlooked talent and connects it with forward-thinking small and mid-sized companies. She and Becca dig into why human-ce...
Feeling like your career just doesn’t fit your life anymore? You’re not alone—and there’s finally a simple way to get unstuck!
Becca is unveiling something big today, the Career Clarity Starter Kit, your new go-to guide for figuring out what you want in your career and how to get there. Hear what’s inside, why she created it, and how to get your hands on the Black Friday deal. This is your first step toward clarity, co...
We’ve all made mistakes as parents, professionals, or both. But what if you could skip some of the trial-and-error and go straight to the learning part?
In this episode of When Mommy Grows Up, Becca shares the story of Claire, a 39-year-old project manager and mom of two who hit a wall in her career and decided it was time for a change. Like so many of us, she dove head-first into her job search… and made a few common ...
What if the clarity you’re craving isn’t in another job board scroll or another article, but in 15 minutes of quiet?
In this episode, Becca shares how intentional boredom helped one mom (and herself!) move from overwhelm to career clarity.
You’ll learn why silence sparks new ideas, how the brain uses boredom to connect the dots, and simple ways to build “boredom windows” into real mom-life.
Sometimes doing nothing is ex...
What do you do when you realize you want to build a career in healthcare outside of the clinic?
In this episode, we sit down with Kaylee Johnson, a former Career Clarity Program member and inspiring success story, who has built a fulfilling career spanning neuro-occupational therapy, program design, women’s health entrepreneurship, AI-enabled HealthTech, and now FemTech operations.
Kaylee shares:
- The full landscape o...
We set goals for our careers, but have you ever set goals for parenthood?
In this episode, meet Amanda, a mom and rising corporate star, navigating the messy middle between career ambition and family life. Using the Mother’s Vision Exercise, she discovers how to define success on her own terms, balancing presence at home with professional fulfillment.
Amanda’s story shows that early motherhood-career chapters aren’t ab...
Feeling stuck in job search traffic? You’re not alone.
In this episode, Becca shares a real-life moment with her 10-year-old that perfectly captures what it’s like to navigate today’s crowded job market—and how to stand out when everyone’s trying to get home at the same time.
Tune in for encouragement, perspective, and details on her free Crafting Your Career Story workshop, designed to help you tell your story with c...
Join Becca and Marie as we chat with author and podcaster Heather Chauvin, who confronts societal expectations in her book Dying to Be a Good Mother. Heather shares her journey of listening to her inner voice and embracing her strength to redefine what it means to be a "good mother".
Heather encourages moms everywhere to embrace their true selves and learn how to establish boundaries, cultivate self-care a...
Stuck in a job that’s drained your confidence?
In this episode of When Mommy Grows Up, meet Shelby, a mom of two navigating a tough boss, a resume gap, and imposter syndrome. Learn the simple strategies that worked for Shelby to rebuild her confidence muscle and can help you start moving toward the career you deserve.
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You are one click away from boosting your career clarity and confid...
Feeling like the queen of logistics as a mom and professional, but a little disconnected from the YOU behind it all?
In this episode, Becca shares how joining a book club filled her cup and sparked the idea for the When Mommy Grows Up Book Club—a 4-week experience blending storytelling, connection, and career coaching for moms.
Tune in to learn how you can gain clarity, confidence, and community this October and learn...
Today we're celebrating both the exciting launch of Season 4 and our 100th episode!
Season 4 will be filled with...
- Career stories to help you navigate the next steps in your career
- Experts with advice to make your job search and working mom life easier
- Live coaching episodes to help you make a change in real time
- Parenting laughs that connect us all!
But with all this excitement of what is to come, we are ...
Thank you for joining us for the ride throughout Season 3!
As we head into summer, Becca and Marie share their personal highlights of the season and recommendations of episodes to pop back to over the next two months as you navigate a job search.
We'll also give you a sneak peek of what's to come for Season 4 including new guests and more live coaching!
Need support as you look ahead to your next chapter? The...
This week on When Mommy Grows Up, we’re joined by Sara Fay Egan—author of The Through Line, hospitality guru, and the queen of keeping it real. From luxury weddings to life’s unexpected curveballs, Sara Fay has built a career (and a life) full of twists, turns, and beautifully imperfect moments.
In this upbeat and inspiring conversation, Becca and Marie chat with Sara Fay about what it means to grow a business, a famil...
When our kids achieve a goal or make progress we are right there with them, cheering them on and celebrating, right? So why is it so much harder to celebrate our own wins?
Celebrating wins is a big part of the culture of the Career Clarity Program because Becca and Marie know how hard cheering ourselves on can be. We are hard on ourselves as moms and as professionals, plus a job search can be full of setbacks and frust...
What does it look like to transform unimaginable grief into a force for good?
This week on When Mommy Grows Up, we’re joined by Melissa Lafsky Saleh, mom, storyteller, entrepreneur, and advocate, whose journey will leave you inspired and in awe. Melissa opens up about her path from lawyer and journalist to co-creator of FairPlayAI, and how the heartbreaking loss of her child reshaped her purpose in both life and work.
...
Ready to give your LinkedIn a refresh but short on time? In this episode of When Mommy Grows Up, Becca and Marie break down exactly what you can do in just 30 minutes to make your profile pop and your presence shine.
We’re diving into quick, actionable tips to make LinkedIn work for you, including:
Updating your headline to boost searchability, using ChatGPT to draft a compelling About section, engag...
Attention teachers! Have you ever thought about how you could take your expertise and translate it into a new career path?
If so, meet Kelsey Cook, mom of four and former teacher who turned her education expertise into a thriving business.
After six years as a kindergarten teacher and then starting a preschool at home, Kelsey pivoted during the pandemic to create engaging educational boxes for toddlers and preschooler...
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