That Mom

About That Mom

ThatMom is for the working mom caught between ambition and motherhood — the one who's capable enough to do it all, and tired of being expected to. Each week, host Maria (MBA, JD) sits down with psychologists, therapists, coaches, and fellow high-achieving moms to unpack a simple truth: being capable of everything doesn't mean you should carry everything. Using The Capacity Method — audit what's working, reclaim what isn't, reinvest in what matters — ThatMom gives you permission, clarity, and real tools to stop optimizing for "effortless" and start building a life that actually fits. If you're ready to stop doing it all and start choosing what matters, you're in the right place.

Publisher

That Mom

Category

education · health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

13 Apr 2026

Latest episode

30 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

47 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   30 Sept 2026

   She Was Waking Up at 3:30 AM to "Get Ahead"-Here's What Actually Fixed It (ft. Rebecca Olson, Pt. 2)

   In Part 2 of my conversation with career coach Rebecca Olson, we get practical. We start with how to actually live by your priorities day to day — and why constantly second-guessing yourself is a red flag that they aren't clear yet. Rebecca shares the story of a client who kept waking up earlier and earlier to "get ahead," until she was regularly up at 3:30 AM, before finally realizing the toxic "if I can just get more done, then I'll take time for myself" thinking that was driving it. What We Cover: Why second-guessing your decisions is a sign your priorities and values aren't clear yet The client who was waking up at 3:30 AM trying to "get ahead" — and the toxic "if-then" thinking behind it People-pleasing: why it's more socialized into women, and how it shows up differently for confident men vs. women at work Rebecca's own daughter as the family "peacekeeper" — the strength of high EQ versus the risk of raising a people-pleaser Where the healthy version of a trait (caring, confidence) tips into the unhealthy, over-indexed version The "inside-out" approach: why internal mindset work only matters if it actually changes your calendar and your behavior The "thought adoption" tool: asking "how might that not be true?" to dismantle a story that isn't serving you Happiness vs. joy — and Rebecca's daily practice of finding a "delicious" moment (hers is strawberries) Rebecca's free Daily Kickstart practice and her "I am" statement exercise About the Guest: Rebecca Olson is a career and life coach who has spent the past decade helping career-focused, ambitious mothers build sustainable work-life balance without giving up on their goals. She's worked personally with hundreds of women, hosts the podcast Ambitious and Balanced Working Moms, and runs a 3-month group coaching program called Ambitious and Balanced. She teaches an "inside-out" approach — starting with mindset and values, then translating that clarity into real behavior change. Rebecca lives with her husband and two children. Links + Resources: Listen to Rebecca Olson: her podcast, Ambitious and Balanced Working Moms (https://www.rebeccaolsoncoaching.com/podcast) Learn More + Rebecca's Free resource: The Daily Kickstart (https://www.rebeccaolsoncoaching.com/) Follow ThatMom: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thatmomco/) Join the ThatMom Community: EMAIL (https://thatmom.kit.com/intentionalmom) Maria is most prepared for work and life with her monthly clothing subscription from Rent the Runway. Try it here with 50% off (https://www.renttherunway.com/shares/348658e8c64b418606e46da3bad0d763a38ededa-payPerSwap-publicLink-1780441571100?utm_source=web&utm_medium=referral_share&utm_campaign=rtr_referral_program) (referral link from which I may receive a benefit) If this episode resonated, share it with a mom who has been carrying too much for too long. And if you're enjoying these conversations, follow That Mom for more thoughtful discussions about motherhood, identity, ambition, happiness, emotional well-being, and building a life that feels aligned with what matters most.

2. 

   23 Sept 2026

   The Motherhood Identity Crisis Every Ambitious Mom Has. (ft. Rebecca Olson, Pt. 1)

   In Part 1 of my conversation with career coach Rebecca Olson, we get into the two things she hears most from the career-focused, ambitious moms she works with: the "can I have it all" work-life balance question, and what she calls the motherhood identity crisis — that jarring loss of self that hits high-achieving women when the drive and momentum of pre-kid life collides with the slow, rhythmic, anything-but-driven reality of motherhood. We dig into why "having it all" is really a question of perspective, not a universal truth — and why the more useful question isn't "is this possible?" but "what would a regret-free life look like for me?" Rebecca also shares a genuinely surprising stat from her coaching practice: roughly 80% of the women she walks through her process end up staying exactly where they are, career-wise — the shift isn't the job, it's that they've consciously re-chosen it instead of running on autopilot. What We Cover: The two things ambitious, career-focused moms come to Rebecca for most: "can I have it all," and the motherhood identity crisis Why new motherhood can feel like a jarring collision between a high-achiever's drive and the slow, rhythmic reality of caring for an infant Reframing "having it all": there's no universal truth, only the perspective that's actually useful to you Why believing your desired life is possible has to come before you can build it The better question than "is it possible": "what does a regret-free life look like for me?" The surprising stat: about 80% of Rebecca's clients end up staying in their current career — just consciously re-chosen, not run on autopilot Redefining success as a working mom: no longer one thing, but two — career and motherhood, both About the Guest: Rebecca Olson is a career and life coach who has spent the past decade helping career-focused, ambitious mothers build sustainable work-life balance without giving up on their goals. She's worked personally with hundreds of women, hosts the podcast Ambitious and Balanced Working Moms, and runs a 3-month group coaching program called Ambitious and Balanced. She teaches an "inside-out" approach — starting with mindset and values, then translating that clarity into real behavior change. Rebecca lives with her husband and two children. Links + Resources: Listen to Rebecca Olson: her podcast,Ambitious and Balanced Working Moms (https://www.rebeccaolsoncoaching.com/podcast) Learn More + Rebecca's Free resource: The Daily Kickstart (https://www.rebeccaolsoncoaching.com/) Follow ThatMom: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thatmomco/) Join the ThatMom Community: EMAIL (https://thatmom.kit.com/intentionalmom) Maria is most prepared for work and life with her monthly clothing subscription from Rent the Runway. Try it here with 50% off (https://www.renttherunway.com/shares/348658e8c64b418606e46da3bad0d763a38ededa-payPerSwap-publicLink-1780441571100?utm_source=web&utm_medium=referral_share&utm_campaign=rtr_referral_program) (referral link from which I may receive a benefit) If this episode resonated, share it with a mom who has been carrying too much for too long. And if you're enjoying these conversations, follow That Mom for more thoughtful discussions about motherhood, identity, ambition, happiness, emotional well-being, and building a life that feels aligned with what matters most.

3. 

   16 Sept 2026

   Parenting a Child With Complex Needs Is a Third Full-Time Job. (ft. Heather Laing, Pt. 2)

   In Part 1, Heather Laing shared what led to her son's crisis and the week she had to lay off 20 people the same night he was involuntarily committed. In Part 2, she shows us where that experience led her: building Complex Caregiver Solutions, a business created to close the exact gap in corporate support she couldn't find for herself. She built a calculator that shows employers what this gap is actually costing them: 5 to 10 lost hours a week per employee, and roughly 40% of parents like her leaving the workforce entirely, adding up to multi-million dollar losses at any company with 5,000+ employees. What We Cover: How Heather's HR background helped her spot the gap: real support exists for parental leave and aging-parent care, but almost nothing for parents of kids with complex needs The calculator she built to show employers what this is already costing them: 5-10 lost hours a week per employee, and about 40% of these parents leaving the workforce entirely Why that adds up to multi-millions in losses at any company with 5,000+ employees The "family-friendly" benefits that quietly don't work for families like hers: backup child care that can't take a child with autism, legal benefits that don't cover a special education attorney Paid caregiver leave: only 14 states and DC currently require it Why even a well-intentioned manager doesn't know how to ask "how are you doing?" The difference between an ERG that's really just a social club and one that brings in real resources: a pediatric psychiatrist, a neuropsychologist, an educational advocate Reframing the invisible workload: not a second full-time job, but a third — on top of career and parenting, navigating healthcare, insurance, pharmacology, and the school system Heather's advice for moms in this position: open up and share your story, even with just one person About the Guest: Heather Laing spent 20 years in HR and talent leadership, including roles at VMware, SanDisk, and Sonos, most recently as Head of People at a sales tech startup. After her younger son was diagnosed with autism and ADHD at three, she navigated years of escalating crises while balancing a demanding career — until she stepped away from corporate HR to found Complex Caregiver Solutions, helping Fortune 500 CHROs address the workforce-retention challenges of complex caregiving. Links + Resources: Connect with Heather Laing: LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-laing-02a5517/) Learn more about Heather's work: complexcaregiversolutions.com (http://complexcaregiversolutions.com) Follow ThatMom: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thatmomco/) Join the ThatMom Community: EMAIL (https://thatmom.kit.com/intentionalmom) If this episode resonated, share it with a mom who has been carrying too much for too long. And if you're enjoying these conversations, follow That Mom for more thoughtful discussions about motherhood, identity, ambition, happiness, emotional well-being, and building a life that feels aligned with what matters most.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

16 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

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Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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