Four anonymous confessions from real women (and a personal bonus from Leah herself) about the stuff that lives quietly in the back of your mind but rarely makes it out of your mouth. The mom who has started lying about her ambition because liking her work makes her feel like a bad mom. The one who broke down crying in the school pickup line because another mom looked put together and she had not felt like a person in so long she forgot what that felt like.

The woman who has been building something for months and it is not working the way she thought it would and she feels embarrassed and invisible and is not sure whether to keep going. And the one who cannot explain why she feels this way because nothing is technically wrong — she is just flat. Just blah. Just waiting to feel like things feel like something again.

No fixing. No silver linings forced on it. Just two women reading your words out loud and saying we hear you and you are not alone in this.

If you have been carrying something quietly, this one is for you.

Fill out your completely anonymous Messy Middle Confession HERE!

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Summer ended. Fall started. The calendar flipped and everyone around you seemed to shift into routine mode and you are standing there going — wait. I did not get the memo.

In this episode Leah and Katherine sit in the in-between. That specific feeling of being between seasons, between answers, between the version of yourself you were and the one you are becoming. Katherine tells the story of being at a wedding, running into old friends, getting asked the most normal question in the world — so what are you doing these days — and completely freezing. Because she is doing a lot of things and none of them feel finished enough or settled enough to say out loud as a clean answer yet.

She also brings in something from Jay Shetty's conversation with Oprah that completely stopped her in her tracks — about being in a season of not knowing and why that might not be a problem to fix but something to actually be in. And then there is the astrology — because right now the sky is literally in its own massive transition, with Uranus stationing retrograde, a Virgo new moon handing off its energy at the equinox, and multiple outer planets changing chapters all at once. The in-between is not just personal right now. It is collective. The sky is in it with you.

This episode is permission. Permission to be in the in-between without rushing through it. Permission to not have the answer. Permission to let the season reveal itself on its own timeline instead of yours.

Topics covered: seasonal transitions, fall astrology 2026, in between seasons, not knowing what you're doing, Virgo new moon, Uranus retrograde, Libra season, Jay Shetty Oprah podcast, identity, life transitions, permission to not have a plan, uncertainty, before we get it right podcast

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n 2020 Jen Buchheit was a stay-at-home mom trying to get through the days indoors with her daughter. She started making crafts. She started an Instagram account. She called it Studio Rosie. Today she has 1.3 million followers, a published book, and a platform built entirely around whimsical crafts made from stuff around the house.

But the more interesting story is everything in between. In this episode Jen talks about what building something this big actually looks like from the inside, how she navigates paid partnerships without losing the authenticity that made people fall in love with her in the first place, what a real Tuesday looks like when you are a stay-at-home mom running something a million people watch, and what she is still figuring out about balancing all of it.

She also talks about her passion for bringing more art to kids through schools and free community events, what making things with their hands actually gives children, and she gives us one craft every mom can do tonight with stuff already in the house.

This one is for every mom who has a creative idea sitting in their head and has not done anything with it yet. Jen started with glue and cardboard and her kitchen table. You already have what you need.

Topics covered: Studio Rosie, building a creative business, Instagram growth, influencer world honest, stay-at-home mom entrepreneur, kid crafts, The Big Book of Fantasy Kid Crafts, paid partnerships social media, creativity for kids, pandemic silver lining, mom and business owner, before we get it right podcast

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Rachael Stark has spent most of her adult life in public service. Nine years in the Army National Guard, public safety policy, reserve police work, law enforcement spouse. She got really good at showing up, staying capable, and keeping everything moving. She also got really good at functioning when she was not actually fine. And for a long time she did not know those were two different things.

In this episode Rachael talks about the identity crisis that came from leaving her role at the Medical Examiner's Office, what it is teaching her now as she prepares to transition out of the Army, and why people in high responsibility roles are often the last ones to admit when something is wrong. She also talks about sustaining a TBI a couple of years ago and how that forced her to look honestly at what she had been calling okay.

This is a conversation about identity, transitions, burnout, and what it actually means to know who you are when the role that defined you is no longer part of your everyday life. And it is for every woman who has ever kept everything moving on the outside while quietly wondering if she is actually okay on the inside.

Topics covered: identity and work, big life transitions, burnout in high performance roles, first responder wellness, military transition, functioning vs being okay, women and identity, losing a job that defined you, Rachael Stark Media, before we get it right podcast

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When Erin Fahs from La Forme Pilates tells us we need to have someone on the podcast, we listen. And she was right.

Yvette Pelikan is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Registered Play Therapist, ADHD Clinical Specialist, and has spent 23 years working with children, teens, and families in her private practice. She believes every child has the right to feel loved, safe, and heard — and she has dedicated her career to making that happen.

In this episode we talk about how she built her practice from the ground up, what children are actually trying to communicate through their behavior, what parents get wrong even when they're trying hard, and what play therapy really is. We also get deeply practical — what to say when your child is dysregulated, how to connect before you correct, what phrases are accidentally shutting your child down, and how to know when it's time to get professional support.

This one is for every mom who is doing her best and wondering if it's enough. Spoiler: Yvette has some really important things to say about that.

Topics covered: child therapy, play therapy, ADHD in children, executive functioning, emotional regulation kids, parenting tips, children's mental health, how to talk to kids about feelings, when to get therapy for your child, social work, private practice, mom podcast, parenting podcast

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Just put yourself out there. Simple, right? Not even a little bit. In this episode it is just Leah and Katherine getting honest about what putting yourself out there actually feels like from the inside. The embarrassment when something you worked hard on lands with almost nobody. The waiting for validation that does not come the way you expected. The wondering why people are not finding you yet. The gap between what you imagined and what actually happened.

Leah also gets into something she has been talking about more lately, the de-influencing side of starting a business. The stuff that does not make it into the highlight reel. The real timeline, the real uncertainty, and why she would rather you go in with your eyes open than sprint out of the gate because the internet made it look easy.

They also share six tangible takeaways for anyone who is thinking about putting themselves out there or who is already in that hard early phase and wondering if they should keep going.

And at the end they mean it when they say it: if you have an idea or you are building something and you want to talk to someone who has been through it and will be honest with you, reach out. They actually want to hear from you.

This one is for the woman who has been sitting on something. It is time.

Topics covered: putting yourself out there, starting a business, imposter syndrome, social media for small business, building an audience from zero, de-influencing entrepreneurship, validation and self worth, showing up before you are ready, women entrepreneurs, before we get it right podcast, starting a side hustle, mom entrepreneur

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In 2015, Ali Reff walked away from eight years in agency PR, including her dream client, her dream agency, and the position she had spent years working toward, and launched an online boutique from her bedroom in Chicago with 13 products. Today, Alice & Wonder is a full Chicago lifestyle brand with multiple storefronts, a children's boutique called Mini Wonder, original apparel lines, a warehouse operation, pop-ups, and collaborations with the Cubs, White Sox, and Blackhawks.

But before we even get into all of that, we have to tell you something. Katherine and I actually met because of Alice & Wonder. Katherine found Polished Prints through products Ali carried, reached out to Leah, and the rest is history. So Ali, without ever knowing it, is partially responsible for this podcast existing. Which felt like exactly the right way to start this conversation.

In this episode we talk about what it actually took to build something that looks this polished from the outside. The season when growth outpaced the systems behind it. What the pandemic broke and what it built. What nobody tells you about working with your spouse. How motherhood changed her ambition. What goes into landing a major sports team collaboration. And so many other tangible takeaways.

We also ask her the question we ask everyone: what is the current messy middle? Because even at this level, there still is one.

This one is for every woman who has ever wondered if walking away from something that looks good on paper to build something that feels right is worth the risk. Ali's answer is a resounding yes. And she shows you exactly what it costs.

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Check out Sustainable Haus HERE* and use code PODCAST10 for 10% off.

What if the secret to building a loyal business was talking customers out of buying things? Janette Filbert Spiezio is the founder of Sustainable Haus, one of America's largest independent refill and zero-waste retailers- and she built it on a radical idea: trust is more powerful than a sale.

After 30 years in corporate America, Janette walked away and built something completely on her own terms. In this episode she talks about why lasting change doesn't start with guilt or perfection, how to spot greenwashing, what one small product swap can actually do for your family and your community, and why the most overlooked business strategy is simply telling the truth.

She also shares her top practical starter swaps for moms who want to live more sustainably without overhauling their entire life: real, affordable, doable changes that actually stick.

If you've ever felt overwhelmed by sustainability, talked yourself out of trying, or just want to make smarter choices for your family without the guilt trip.. this one is for you.

*affiliate link above which means we may earn a small comission if you purchase through them- no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting us!

Topics covered: sustainable living for moms, non-toxic home products, zero waste beginner, plastic free swaps, greenwashing explained, refill stores, building a business after 40, women entrepreneurs, corporate to founder, consumer behavior, trust in business, Chris Voss lead with empathy, sustainable haus

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