Meet two 30-something working moms, former colleagues turned best friends, who are navigating the rollercoaster of life after being laid off. From the highs of welcoming new babies to the lows of job rejections, from hustling in contract work to managing the chaos of everyday motherhood, we're here to share it all. Join us as we laugh, cry, and keep it real about the challenges of finding new opportunities, balancing it all, and redefining what success looks like. This is a podcast for moms who get it—because we’re all in this together.
Work in Progress: Spotting Job Scams with Career Coach Cristin Downs
This week on Work in Progress: Mom’s Edition, Jessie and Sarah welcome back their first repeat guest, career coach Cristin Downs. Cristin works with career changers, layoff rebounders, leaders, and new managers, and she’s someone both Jessie and Sarah leaned on during their own job searches.
In today’s job market, job scams are everywhere. But how do you actually spot them?
Cristin joins us to break down the growing rise of fake job postings and recruiting scams, why job seekers, especially those navigating layoffs or career transitions, can be particularly vulnerable, and the red flags everyone should know before hitting “apply.”
We talk about:
How common job scams really are right now
The most frequent types of scams targeting job seekers
Warning signs hidden in job postings and recruiter outreach
Practical ways to verify whether a job is legitimate
How busy parents job searching at night (or between kid chaos) can stay safe without slowing down their momentum
Cristin also shares an empowering mindset shift for navigating today’s challenging job market.
And of course, we wrap things up with our weekly segment Kids Chaos, because parenting doesn’t pause just because you’re trying to land your next role.
If you’re currently job hunting, pivoting careers, or just want to protect yourself in an increasingly complicated job market, this episode is a must-listen.
18 Feb 2026
Postpartum Layoff and Career Shock in the Fourth Trimester
This week on Work in Progress: Mom’s Edition, we’re joined by communications professional Erin Kelly (https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinskelly/) to talk about what happens when maternity leave takes an unexpected turn.
What should have been a season of bonding and adjusting to life with a newborn became something else entirely: a layoff. In this episode, Erin shares what it was like to receive that news during the most vulnerable stage of early motherhood — and how it impacted her identity as both a professional and a mom.
We talk about:
The moment she found out and what went through her mind
How postpartum emotions collided with job loss
The mental load of caring for a newborn while processing uncertainty
The realities of childcare, finances, and redefining timelines
What support actually helps (and what doesn’t)
What employers need to better understand about layoffs during maternity leave
Erin also shares the unexpected clarity that came from disruption, her LinkedIn challenge, and a relatable dose of kids chaos to remind us that even in the hardest seasons, there’s still humor to be found.
If you’ve ever questioned your identity outside of your job, faced uncertainty during maternity leave, or tried to rebuild while running on no sleep — this conversation is for you.
You’re not alone. And like always, we’re figuring it out together. 💛
5 Feb 2026
When Kids Are Home: Sick Days, Snow Days & Trying to Get Anything Done
WELCOME to another episode of Work in Progress: Mom’s Edition! We’re Jessie & Sarah, and this week, we’re officially back, shooting the shit, catching up, and easing back into podcasting like it’s our first day after winter break.Like everything else in mom life, this episode is… delayed. Think of it as our podcast having a 2-hour delay, just like school did every single day this week (looking at you, Clive 👀❄️).We’re talking about surviving sick season, snow days, and the absolute chaos of trying to work, job hunt, or be productive when your kids are home nonstop. From constant interruptions to the mental load of holding it all together, this one is a very real look at parenting in survival mode.Before we dive in, we check in on how we’re actually doing, and of course, we wrap it up with Kids Chaos, because there’s always a story when everyone’s home all week.If your routine has been blown up by snow, sickness, or school delays… same. You’re not alone, and we’re glad you’re here.
Who has been a guest on Work in Progress: Moms Edition
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Dr Samantha Fazio Semar
Kristy Kilduff
Kerrie Carden
Cristin Downs
Allie McQuaid
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.9 / 5
14 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
8 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 45 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
70
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
51
Contact Work in Progress: Moms Edition
Guest appearances
Books guests
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