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Parenthood didn’t just change our guest’s calendar; it rewired her relationship with work. Kaleana Quibell spent years inside Bay Area benefits, rolling out wellness, mental health, and family programs for marquee tech companies. Then two kids, an eight-minute delivery room sprint, and a parade of sick days revealed what the slide decks missed: policies don’t parent; people do. She chose a different path—part-time caregiving, part-time consulting, and a new platform, Both And, that maps real options for working families.

We dig into the practical moves that make flexibility real. Kaleana explains why to set up an LLC before you “need” it, why a simple website and scope template save hours, and how to quote your first “pick your brain” call without flinching. We unpack health insurance for independents, state leave programs, and the growing set of platforms bundling coverage with invoicing. If benefits have kept you tethered to a job that no longer fits, this is your permission slip—and your playbook—to build a safety net outside the org chart.

Care gets reimagined, too. Instead of outsourcing the moments that matter, Kaleana shows how to offload everything else: a mother’s helper for two hours, a retired neighbor for errands, targeted help for laundry or car seats. That patchwork approach turns invisible labor visible, lowers stress, and catches the inevitable surprises—school closures, coughs, and last‑minute travel—without blowing up your week. We also confront culture head-on: how “above and beyond” rewards availability over outcomes, how moms are judged on extras, and why consulting can flip the power dynamic to pay for results.

By the end, you’ll have a clearer map for stay, shift, or step away: negotiating part-time or IC roles, keeping a toe in your craft, and measuring success by time, health, and presence—not just salary. Ready to design a career that fits your family and your ambition? Listen, share with a friend who needs options, and subscribe for more real‑world playbooks. Then tell us: what’s the first lever you’ll pull to reclaim your time?

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The cracks in the system aren’t hairline—they’re chasms you feel every school morning and late-night Slack. We sit down with filmmaker and producer Melissa Panzer (WABE’s The Work Behind the Work) to unpack why so many women who could be leading are instead leaving, and what it would take to make work and family actually coexist without breaking us.

Melissa traces her path from ESPN’s storytelling culture to a decade documenting the labor market, then into the frontline of pandemic-era motherhood. She interviewed 200 moms and kept hearing the same theme: corporate structures weren’t made for two demanding careers and kids, and the nine-to-five still assumes a spouse in the shadows. We explore universal design—solve for moms and you lower friction for everyone—and why Fair Play-style rebalancing at home fails without top-down policy that respects soccer drop-offs as much as sales calls.

We go there on return-to-office mandates, the quiet exodus from leadership, and the real economics behind “flexibility.” The conversation pulls apart social media’s romanticized stay-at-home aesthetic and how MLMs exploit a genuine desire for income and independence. We examine the childcare math that eats entire salaries, the public vs private school squeeze, aftercare lotteries, and what kids actually learn from what we model—who uses the broom, who makes lunch, who gets to rest. Melissa shares how research changed her marriage: loosening control, letting help in, and learning kids do just fine when care is shared, even if the sandwiches look different.

This is a candid, data-aware, and deeply human look at work, caregiving, and the small wins that keep us going—the bedtime finally won, the book finally read, the moment a child says, I did it, and we whisper back, so did I. If this conversation moves you, subscribe, share with a friend who needs the solidarity, and leave a review with the one policy change you think would move the needle. We’re listening.

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Website: https://www.doyouwantthetruthpod.com

Connect with Sam:

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Zara Hanawalt https://www.linkedin.com/in/zara-hanawalt/

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What if your child isn’t “difficult” — just wired differently?

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Jessie Stern, assistant professor of psychology at Pomona College and co-author of Beyond Difficult, to break down what attachment theory really means, how child temperament works, and why so much parenting advice oversimplifies complex human behavior.

We talk about secure, anxious, avoidant, and disorganized attachment styles — what they are, what they aren’t, and why they’re not permanent labels. Dr. Stern explains how attachment forms through early relationships, how it can change over time, and why attachment styles are adaptive strategies, not diagnoses.

We also explore why children are often born with distinct temperaments, including sensitivity and emotional reactivity, and how parents can respond without shame or self-blame. This conversation is especially helpful for parents raising highly sensitive kids or navigating emotional regulation when both parent and child are overwhelmed.

This episode covers:

• The science behind attachment theory and parenting
• Why temperament is largely innate — and how environment shapes outcomes
• Emotional regulation strategies for parents and kids
• The neuroscience of “mom brain” and parenthood
• Why attachment parenting trends don’t always reflect attachment research
• How community and support impact parenting and mental health

A must-listen for parents, caregivers, educators, and anyone interested in child development, attachment, and evidence-based parenting.

We hope you enjoy the episode!

Guest: Dr. Jessie Stern, PhD
Assistant Professor of Psychology, Pomona College
Co-author of Beyond Difficult: An Attachment-Based Guide to Dealing with Challenging People
Instagram: @drjessiestern | @australianpsychologist

Topics Covered:

• Attachment theory explained (secure, anxious, avoidant, disorganized)
• Nature vs. nurture in child behavior
• Sensitive children and emotional regulation
• Parenting without shame or labels
• Brain changes in parenthood
• Why community matters more than perfection

Support the show

Website: https://www.doyouwantthetruthpod.com

Connect with Sam:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/samanthastrom

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@samanthastorms

Connect with Zara:

Zara Hanawalt https://www.linkedin.com/in/zara-hanawalt/

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@zarahanawalt

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/zarahanawalt/