Episode 55: The One for the Moms Who Are Doing Too Much (and Don't Know It Yet) with Katie Mleziva

Ever wonder if doing it all is actually doing you in? In this powerful conversation, we sit down with brand strategist, entrepreneur, and mom, Katie Mleziva, to explore the unseen load modern moms carry and the transformative identity shift that arrives with matrescence. Katie shares her journey from high-intensity corporate life to entrepreneurship, parenting two teens, navigating early motherhood with zero feedback loops, and learning to recognizing comments like “I don’t know how you do it all” as the unintentional red-flag moments they often are.

We talk about redefining productivity, healing from burnout, finding joy in the daily grind, and setting boundaries that protect both your family and your health. Katie also walks us through her incredible work helping natural food brands, plus her passion project Sunbeam Kids—a nonprofit making family volunteering accessible and meaningful.

As a brand strategist, Katie shares how families can borrow principles from branding to create a strong family culture. She explains choosing “brand pillars,” using visual cues, reinforcing values through small daily rhythms, and giving kids the confidence and autonomy to make good decisions. This segment is packed with practical, actionable ideas for moms wanting a more intentional, connected home life—especially those craving structure, clarity, and shared purpose.

This episode is especially impactful for moms craving growth, overwhelmed mothers, entrepreneur moms, moms-to-be preparing for identity shifts, and anyone seeking more alignment, rest, purpose, and confidence in motherhood.

A grounded, heartfelt, wisdom-packed conversation about slowing down, tuning in, and building a family culture that truly reflects your values.

Connect with Katie: 

Work: Real Food Brands | Sunbeam Kids

Podcast: Real Food Brands Podcast

Social: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

Links & Discount Codes:

8Sheep Organics: Click this link for 10% off your purchase!

Kindred Bravely: THEREALMOMHUB15 for 15% off!

Host & Show Info

Hosted by: Cally & Emily O’Leary

About the Hosts: We’re real moms and real sisters. We may look and sound alike, but our motherhood journeys are uniquely ours. We all do Motherhood differently, and thank goodness for that. Let’s learn and grow together.

Podcast Website: https://therealmomhub.com/

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Transcript

(...)

We're rolling it we are we sure are

well, I'm so excited because we have Katie Melissa with us today. Thanks for being here Katie.

Thank you for having me

Did you say that right? Oh, yeah, did I say your last

it was perfect?(...) Perfect

She's

heard she's listened to my podcast

But

she does so much more than that so Katie would you mind telling our listeners a little bit about You could choose a day in your life Hmm what kind of hats are you wearing?

Yeah, that's a that's a fun way to ask it. I am all over the place I tried I you know I mentioned to you guys that I like structure because I feel like things change so quickly and there's just so much going on I have a 14 and 16 year old and so it's really nice now that my 16 year old is driving that has Changed it's been a total game changer

But on a day-to-day basis I am Usually driving my daughter to school and then I work out I get to work

do brand strategy work for natural food companies

and Then I'll have a mix of calls do some strategy work

Sometimes new clients nice existing clients

Board work that I'm on and then I'll go pick up my daughter And so that is it's a challenge because it kind of cuts up the day like doing the driving but I heard a long time ago that That it gets a blessing having that time in the car with your kids because even like just to think about it is a good thing and I'm so glad that somebody said that to me because Once like my son is driving now and I don't see him as much and we don't have that Like you have to talk to me because we're stuck in the car together time. Yeah, the forced conversations Yeah, so I have a no phone in the car rule when they're just with me anyway And it doesn't always stick but I really like to have those kind of that conversation time so and then we usually go to sports

some sort of whether it's games or practices and Then we do it all the next day in some shape or form

(...)

It's a challenge some I will offer like last night I was editing my podcast until like 11 30 You know, it's it's so no I would like to But it's not it's not the way it works in practice

You remember, you know 16 years ago when you had your first baby Something that just shocked you or shook you to your core about becoming a mother

Yes, and the funny thing is the first thing that comes to my mind is that I thought while I was in maternity leave I would match up this like this Laundry basket of socks that was mismatched and I did I know this is so random, but I thought well I know it's very specific but that's what comes to my mind as an example of I thought I would have all of this time and like

The certain people in the office would be like basically like enjoy your vacation and I was like this is not a vacation I'm raising a human But I still thought I would at least have time to match up socks No

(...)

At the end of my maternity leave three months later There was still a basket of socks and I was like forget the socks. There is so much to do It

might

have survived a move I don't know

But the point being is like I think what shocked me is that how can this little tiny person sleep so much? And at the time not move around but yet like you're constantly Doing things and so I think I mean I had a hard time nursing and I was recovering from a c-section with him And I you know There was like some things that were a little bit harder maybe than some experiences not trying to compare just saying like When you're recovering from surgery that's just another added like six weeks or whatever

but I just think of like all of the pump washing and bottle washing and(...) Waking up and it's just like I don't know how I was

Don't know how it seemed. It seems so easy in hindsight, but it was so hard

(...)

That's exactly right I think

that's exactly right and I don't think at the time I knew to give myself credit or grace for that I just was used to going at this warp speed pace in everything I did and I think

I didn't know to

just let myself be with I think that's maybe a little bit of a regret that I had like just

it's hard to go from corporate like grinding to now you're just supposed to be calm at home with a Baby that you've never done this before and like yes, that's an interesting you saying that is making me think a little bit

And they're not giving you feedback and yeah, no you get no feedback.

There's no performance review. Yeah

(...)

I'm used to racking it

You give a very gentle intro you spent time in the corporate world for a while And when you say you work with natural food brands, you own your own Like you are the CEO of your company. So you are(...) Goal oriented achievement oriented and the thing that I didn't know when I You can't like use a checkbox method Right is literally like unloading the dishwasher. I would never think of that as an accomplishment Until you have your first baby and you're like that was that was what I did today

Rocky this

(...)

how long were you in corporate before having your first baby?

(...)

So well, that's a good question, so I

Graduated from college in 2001 and then Mason was born in 2009. So eight years So yeah So a good chunk of time and we had a move from Chicago to Milwaukee in that time and got married and like so There was some other changes

But

(...)

Both of the jobs were pretty I Meant my jobs both were like pretty high Intensity corporate kind of jobs, but then also my husband's was also so that was one reason why? Mason had a ton of ear infections and things as he was little and

Remember this was when we had two kids then but I remember the conversation like the exact day where they were sick and one of us had to stay home and it was like trying to figure out who had the The least amount of meetings, but they were all important meetings So it was like obviously we wanted to put our kids first, but also it was really stressful and I just remember having a little bit of a panic attack and then

Because I knew ultimately it fell on me, which is a three-hour conversation

(...)

Yeah,

yeah, so that's when that was like sort of the beginning of the end a little bit like we had been taught I'm have an entrepreneurial spirit and so this was not like a It was a sacrifice in some ways because to your point. I also did wanted like I really love

and professional growth and you know all of those things But I also was interested in being like this consulting Having my own business route. And so I was like, I'm not going to do that But I was just consulting having my own business route and so it was a natural progression kind of but

doesn't mean that was an easy decision necessarily

old were they kids when you switched

Yeah, they were about One and a half and four I think yes, they were still little

(...)

Different thing of like piecing together childcare and I wanted to like part of it was that I wanted to be with them more

I was just asked did you feel(...) Unprepared for that identity shift because Emily and I talked a lot about that. We're actually like developing a course about it Piece of metressence. It's just that identity shift and you can't prepare for it You can't know think that you could still keep doing or that you would still keep doing your corporate job or had you before having kids thought like maybe I Want to be home or you know, like was it a big shift for you?

(...) Yeah, that's such a good question because I

all of us I adore my kids, but I do I really like working like

I

don't know if it comes from my parents. My mom stayed home with us She worked a little bit like at the school library and stuff But my I think my dad grew up on a farm and then he was in the car business Which are two like lifestyles where you just don't sit down. You're just always going and I think that that(...) That was part of kind of the way I grew up that there's just always work to do so

(...)

So I thought that I would keep working

Like at a corporate job and so I think one of the hardest things I don't have very many regrets Like usually I make decisions confidently But one of the things that I tell my friends that I regret is that when I left it was Summertime and I could not just unwind myself enough to just be home with the kids and just like go play every day like I was so wound up from 12 or whatever years of corporate mindset and however long before that from school and like just always like driving that I just couldn't Let go and just be and I I do regret that like I wish we would have just I'm sure we had fun like

I just remember like worrying about starting my business instead of just playing

Okay, before then I mean I had I mean I was definitely working just for smaller companies Mmm, and I just remember when I decided to stay home more with Kieran it was probably six months in Kyle came home and he just looked at me and he's like(...) Man, some days like you're doing great, but I really think I was maybe cut out for this more than you are I was like we just saying known that From the beginning like if I was not bearing babies, this would be a different That isn't that interesting like I think it's it'll be a year since I've stepped out of the workforce and okay this month right now

(...)

And I think it's only been in the last few months where I'm like(...) playing(...) Every day with him easily Okay, so not alone Calendar my mental calendar is not stupid like I just it's the same experience

Yeah in hindsight like it's easy to say it's stupid But it's not it like it's not because that's just I guess the season we were in but I'm glad for you that you were able to Get there

right before number two

(...)

And the whole thing changes But good that's good

The time when it's hard for you to get up and off the floor, so I mean you're so pregnant That

is

cracking me up cuz you're like I played all day today, and it's because you just couldn't get up

(...)

I Always love to know just like the founder stories What is happening during that insane time when you quit something and you're trying to get something else off the ground

(...)

Does your business today look similar to how you thought it would back then

hmm

(...)

that's a good question too because

It's like maybe where I dreamed it would be but not exactly Like where I started so I started with a couple of clients like my corporate job was my first client Which was really nice like that was a really if anyone's doing this kind of move into consulting work That's a really nice way to do

But I was doing all sorts of different kinds of marketing like brand management and brand strategy is my background so that's where I was focused, but I was doing a lot of different things for a lot of different types of businesses, but I think it's probably about five years in I really wanted to focus on food because that's when my kids were getting older and I Was just I noticed especially with Mason what a difference different kind of foods made And for him dyes and sugar would really make him act different and so

just really like personally it's not like I'm a purist and judge anyone But I just really know that the food that we eat matters and so I wanted to help support those smaller More natural food companies and I have big food experience So I took those principles and then brought them to work with these smaller companies. So

where I'm going with that is that now I'm focused just on natural food businesses and farms I mean, I'll

I've worked with the meditation

(...)

Practitioner and like I will work with other people too It's just like when you know you hear like be focused and So my niche is really food businesses

But that focus has really helped I love that because it's still a big enough niche that there's enough people to work with but it helps me stay focused and on an area that I'm interested in and That really needs this kind of work because you know to compete with bigger brands So it does look different than I thought but when I say dreamed it's not necessarily revenue Like my I'm still figuring out business model things all of the time But in terms of the impact I am really excited when I we don't always stop and give ourselves I don't know how you guys feel about this But like I feel like we're just always going and then we don't always look back and say like wow, I really Like this is where I wanted to be or this is a board. I wanted to be on or these are the people I wanted to work with and(...) Then suddenly one day you're just like oh This is happening(...) Because this is the new reality And so that's that's the dream kind of part that I was talking about for me. Currently. It's more impact versus like

huge revenue goals, but

(...)

That's I mean that's a good point

Yeah,

thank you for saying that because it helps me like, you know I just said it like it's hard to celebrate sometimes like it just makes me have like a little

(...)

celebration

Good Were

you still working had you pivoted like were you working for yourself at that point either way you're working a lot Yes, another layer of like trying to mother so Can be really hard. I mean we're you know, I'm ten years behind you but I know food even now is tricky like There's totally where and it's really it can feel exhausting just like just feeding your family whole food It feels like a full-time job.

Oh, I agree

I'm just wondering how that all fit together and I played a role in your decision to shift your career Just like that food

piece.

Yeah huge Yeah, it really was because I mean now I think it's a good and a bad thing. There's the natural food world has exploded you know, there's so many options and The like natural and conventional food has started to overlap a little bit to the that which I think is great Like, you know Walmart has a natural or it has natural food options or you know Any standard grocery store does now which I think is good But I also get concerned about like the equivalent of greenwashing with healthy foods, too So, you know, like I'm not a nutritionist, but this is just one example Like there's I don't remember his name, but there's a guy on Instagram who will read he will redesign food packages and like

(...)

Pretend like like pull out the fact that it's multi-grain but it's because it's just got like corn and wheat and like whatever different grains But like so corn is a grain. Yeah, so things that are technically right, but he'll redesign it to show you like how it can be

of faux healthy and I find it fascinating

Yeah,

(...)

the right things at the right time But so anyway, that's an example of like even it's great that the category or like that this industry has exploded because there's more options For us and it makes it easier to find good food but in on the other hand, I almost think sometimes it's harder because there's all these things that have the branding of healthy, but then it's like well what what really is Healthy and that's why I guess I think it's a continuum and people make choices based on what their family needs I needed to be a little bit tighter for our family in terms of things like food dyes because I could literally see like a Different look would come across his face I know some people don't believe that it is true But it it just for him it was and then also often those things with dyes had sugar in and so it would just like literally like start spinning like a top and then I mean and then he does not he he started to make the connection as he got older Because he I think there's compounding factors like the bright lights from basketball and orange food died But anyway, then he started getting migraines from food dyes So it's just like an interesting, you know, how do you it's how it like evolves over time?

Oh, yeah, so our mom started food journaling when I was seven because of my insane my Really? So rather one or other sisters

(...)

Really

(...)

Interesting Yeah, well, it's scary as a parent you're saying I'm like, oh, yeah, I remember that for my childhood

gosh, I'm sorry that you've had that too

(...)

Well(...) That is really good to hear you say because I just hope I'm not I mean, maybe we all feel this way But I hope I'm I hope that they'll appreciate the like The thought I put behind all of this Because I also don't want to like I've always been really aware not to be too limiting and too Narrow because you know that as soon as they leave the house They're just gonna go and like gorge themselves at a friend's house or something, too So I always try to help them think about like her did when they were little too Like how do you feel or you know, does that make you feel? Faster or slower, you know, like it was to my son when it was like that was the most important thing Like are you fast?

(...) when he was little Just helping

them be aware of how they feel when they're I know Like as they're older than they they are pretty aware and I'm actually really proud of that And I still really I mean now that they're older I think about eating in a different way They're like I want them to make good choices For fueling their body and their athletics, but I also am like ultra aware of not being too rigid or structured about it because I don't want them to have you know unhealthy thoughts about food from the like not eating enough perspective, too, so It is sort of a stressful topic to me, honestly And maybe that's why maybe that's why on a day-to-day basis I try to just do my work to get more and more good options out there to make it easier for people I am

yeah

I'm talking to you and I'm like, okay I want to hear about all these people who have a spark or oh, yeah Passion or are doing cool things Do you is there a resource you already have where I can go and look and see like Oh Katie's really on board with XY and Z. I should go find them

I've just been so focused on the B2B side of things like working with these brands, but I wonder Either sharing if there's existing resources Or I could curate some sort of a list at least of those that I know and share it because like yeah I have an egg company out of O'Connell walk. They're an amazing farm And so you should buy those eggs Yeah, yeah,

had mentioned in an email exchange that it was a red flag for you when people said I don't know how you do it all

(...)

Yeah,

(...)

I mean it definitely wasn't a red flag at the time I always thought it was a compliment that I could get so much done and then I realized that Kind of in hindsight It's a red flag now that I'm doing too much that it's it's like I always took it as like oh, that's great You can get so much done. But back to that like what I was sharing earlier about like always go go go That when you never rest Like the first time I worked with a health coach She asked how I feel when I rest like it do I feel guilty or not? And I was like, I don't I can't even answer that cuz I don't rest like I just literally don't sit down and So I laugh a little bit saying that but it's like so unhealthy we need to let our brains rest and our bodies rest and I mean even if for nothing else like that's where some of our great ideas come from when we are letting ourselves rest and synthesize everything that we've been thinking about and So that is why now I think it's a red flag that if somebody says

Don't know how you do it all it would be that I think that either I seems scattered like I'm all over the place or That I just am doing so much that it's like Above and beyond what a normal person should I shouldn't say normal but like what maybe what some one person should be trying to or working to accomplish because it's it's not necessarily a compliment anymore to me because I did that for so long and I hit a wall and my health suffered and Then like it's too much like the stress of it We aren't made to be in constant fight-or-flight mode and when we even if it's all good things that we chose when we do too much of it, then

bodies at some point are gonna be like, okay timeout if you're not gonna rest. I'm going to help you

(...)

That's how I found out so that's why it's a red flag now, I think is that like it's a Being productive is good and Trying to do everything is not good. We have to be able to say No, not right now at least even if it's not a full-on no

(...)

Because every time we say yes to somebody else it I felt like in hindsight. It's then saying no to my family or myself

(...)

Transcription Pending

(...)

Transcription Pending

(...)

So when you're making that shift like you have some health struggles Is that what kind of kicked you into gear and made you limit? What you were doing or how did you kind of? Yeah,

(...)

I think that's a good question it definitely didn't happen overnight I think especially like we were talking about like you get so wound up of being like always go go go and then you're going with kids and whatever else you've got on your plate and

think I just really had to reassess like

Don't there's so much to unpack there but like a couple of things like not looking towards anybody else to Find happiness like thinking about this is gonna come from me Like even my relationship like my husband or my kids or my friends or like it has to start within you And so even when I was feeling like really crappy and trying to figure out what was going on with my health now in hindsight some of it might be pre-menopause stuff that was not like necessarily like there weren't necessarily answers for it other

Don't there wasn't like a medical answer for it exactly other than maybe pre-menopause but anyway, the point being that Like I had to start with me and I had to be like what do I want and stop serving? Everybody else all the time. Like obviously I'm not saying get rid of your responsibilities but just like at least sometimes thinking about what I needed I think that's where it started and Like one little thing is that I love going to the gym But I just wasn't even making time for the gym because everything else was the priority And I just decided that even though I felt like crap when I I would just go and do what I could and that Is actually one of the things that helped the most is when I just decided to Focus on what I could do versus what I couldn't do right then That really helped and that actually relates to the food to like focusing on what you can eat versus what you don't want to eat I think can really help

hopefully that

(...)

sparks an idea for someone that might be feeling a little stuck or Just like really thinking about you know What is in my control and what can I do as a first step to to focus on something that I need versus what everybody else needs Because it's really easy to say yes to everybody else Except we got to say yes to ourselves too

And his mom's I think I never realized that mom's just are conditioned Yeah, and(...) I think that that kind of(...) You stop seeing the barriers between you and other adults or it's sometimes I that's interesting because you just have so much practice Yes, let me serve your needs You're not fully developed yet. Yes. I'd love to do that for you Kind of just as this motion that(...) You can repeat elsewhere Currently

in my work, I'm like, yeah some adults that My toddler and I come home literally the other day I came home I'd like had a hard day at home went to do my job at night and I came home and Kevin is like my husband's your day and I was like toddlers all day(...) From when I woke up when I just got home at 8 p.m. It was toddlers and the age range was from

(...)

To like what probably So

(...)

This that brings up the point I was gonna say of like like

(...)

What is the word like showing behavior modeling behavior of like when I when we can say like I'll even Honestly, I just started doing this like maybe a year ago Because I hit a wall of being so irritated that they would think that I needed to do whatever they needed right away And so point being I was just like I'm working on the dishes I'll do that when I'm done or I've got one more meeting I'll do that next or like somehow showing that yes I hear you and I'm happy to help but I am I am going to finish what I'm doing first You know assuming it's something that can wait a little bit But maybe that is actually good because then that will model as our kids turn into your whoever you're talking about that you were with that work

(...)

They will then understand

(...)

There's times that I feel really guilty like When my kids around and I know they're happy and they're fed and they're playing outside and the Sun is shining and I'm trying to Finish up a task on my computer And I have had a lot of guilt recently with trying to multitask and do that But I am hoping that it is also good for them(...) To see that and I don't know. I mean my oldest is four so I don't know

(...)

It's gonna Happen that way or not, but it's good to hear you say that that's good modeling because I do think it is

I Think it is I there's two things that come to my mind when you say that is one is just a quick like This is more if there's a conversation going on But it could be if you're focused like I had heard and my daughter did this until she was like 10 Which now every now that she'll do it just as a joke and it it actually bugs me But she's like when you're talking like if they put their little hand on your hand to show like I need something and then You can put your hand on theirs to be like, okay I hear you but like I'm going to finish this conversation And so I kind of like that just like this little like it's like some like little secret language But also it is communicating like I need to finish this but I hear you and that you need something The other thing that I had heard that I really love is just like they really as they get older anyway They really only need your like super focus for let's just say like five minutes And then they want to run off and do something else anyway So I have really tried to think about that and take that and be like, okay Even now like when my kids get home from school, they don't necessarily want to spend a lot of time with me But I try to be really focused on giving them attention So they know I'm here if if or when they really need me like I'm Present versus like being on my phone or just checking email when they get home or just like I'll just really carve out that And literally it is usually just like five minutes and then they go off and do homework or whatever(...) So just in case it helps

(...)

Yes, totally Yeah, I think that's just a human a basic human yeah,

isn't that kind of sad that we have to make that a thing

We should

all do it I bet it will lead to good things

(...)

We're gonna do it I want to go back to

(...)

You're talking about having health issues Mm-hmm I want to know if there was a moment or a conversation or a person or an event that made you connect your own health or whatever's going on to Doing too much like to your lifestyle because that I don't know that everyone would have made that connection

(...)

Yeah, I think you know what and COVID was in there too, so it's just like this weird mix of like evolving and or like like the world evolving and my work evolving and Hitting 40 really definitely I mean I'm past that age now But I like that was then and like all these compounding factors. I think played a role so it's hard to say just one Thing made me realize it

think that part of it was actually now that now that I reflect a little bit I think part of it the key back to what you said earlier was sleep Because I've always been a person that needs a little bit more sleep I don't know how many times my mom threatened that I would never go to another sleep over again because I was such a bear when I got home

(...)

But I and I I think because of working and trying to you know do it all I would stay up so late every night and then especially during COVID when I was also a teacher suddenly and you know and(...) You know it was just like that my husband was working a ton too So I felt like we were very distant weirds it was just like a lot of things happening at one time and I think I realized the sleep part of it first because I was getting like five or six hours of sleep and I need a lot more than That and then I would wake up and feel like just like a fog was over me all the time And so I think that was probably the first clue whereas like I am Irritable I don't feel good. I'm achy like Just I think that was like the trigger that made me think I need to change something But I I don't know how to change it because I think I also felt kind of anxious about everything that was going on At the time with the world and like how do we even know how to navigate this?

(...)

No,

(...)

no, right everyone Yeah so I do think that sleep was like one of the and one of the big levers and I think in hindsight like when you think about food and sleep and water and moving your body and being in community with people like it's I'm not trying to make light of any of the health things that any of us work through but also like some of those Foundational pieces back to what we can control it just Like I feel like we over complicated sometimes too Like if we can go back to those and breathing to breathing is a big one if we can go back to the basics On some of this. I Just think there's a lot of power in that Yeah(...) In terms of what we can control today. Anyway, I Sure.

(...) Yeah

(...)

Um, you have talked about finding joy along the journey

(...) Yeah Well,

(...)

you're talking about your your kids you have some I don't know if you want to call them principles But like oh, yeah things that you talk about with your kids in terms of finding joy So I'm curious what that has looked like for you Yeah,

well part of it is just because there's so much negativity in the world and I feel like if If I can help our kids be a force for good that is a win of parenting right there although I'll say one quick thing on that is that sometimes when I'm crabby about like picking up socks or you know, Like whatever little things are and like I am being a jerk trying to make them into good little people

(...)

is

(...)

something's wrong so So that helps me reset sometimes But the idea of joy in the journey to me is really

(...)

like trying to focus on the More good than hard parts of each day. Like I will always even now I try I mean, it's a little different as their teenagers They don't necessarily want me to come into their room and like say good night the same way But I always try to end the day like in a good note Not to be fake or like cover up anything that might have been hard in the day But just so that as they lay their heads on their pillow, like they have this safe warm feeling that of being home And that they know like I don't there's just so much especially you know as they're older like with phones and social media and school and I just I think it's a whole different world than I grew up in and I just want them like to be able to breathe easy as they fall asleep and so I guess without like Sugar coating any of the challenging things that are in their lives or in the world I feel like if we focus on Some of the good things or or what we can learn along the way like okay You didn't make a certain team or you didn't play in a game or you know, but like There's things that we can learn from all of that like character building lessons So I really just try to I guess make sure that we're pulling out some of the good things in the day and Bring that top of mind again without like making it so like everything has to be all perfect I want them to come to me with things that are not great to and be able to talk about those

Yeah, so that's I just like that is kind of like a guiding light of join the journey and thinking about

(...)

Like as we were talking about family branding a little bit earlier I like the idea of

(...)

Giving some guideposts not like necessarily telling your kids exactly what they have to believe but giving some guidance to what is important in your family and so That kind of positive mindset to me is one of the things that I I want them to take away from like, you know In our family we look for the good things or you know, I think I mentioned I'll say everybody used to say with them and we still say it even though now they kind of roll their eyes a little bit but in the morning, you know kindness respect and always do your best with joy and so it's the kindness respect and always doing our best are kind of the things that I expect like I We we don't need to be rude or say jerky things like do they of course do I of course? But it's just still like if we don't put some of these parameters out there of what we want To guide our family in terms of values that are important

(...)

Like they'll just pick it up from the world around them and it might not be the things that you Want to focus on within your family?

(...) I can tell you as I Always say former teacher. I'm still teaching a little bit but not full time But I can tell the kids whose families have that Oh Interesting there's not very many of them and I can pick them out like even now I'm thinking about I have

(...)

Choir like an extracurricular choir I do that's a lot of kids whose parents are really involved and invested because they're driving their kid to this thing it's not a school and And it's a lot of really really great kids, but I can even pick out of those kids even seeing them once a week Just who really has that those guideposts and(...) Interesting

Do

it so even if they're like laughing and rolling their eyes right now You

need at least like one in every class

(...)

Many I really

(...)

Don't want to be negative. I think it's great to celebrate that because I just think we need we need more of that Well, that's good

I would like to know For me like with my young family. Yeah listeners if you are(...) If you could put your your branding hat on if you're talking to a family about building a family brand

(...)

Where would you have people start?

Yeah

(...)

think one of the first things that I would do and it's not the same order that I would say for my normal brand strategy work, but when you think about like we call them brand pillars, but just thinking about three things that(...)

would say like are the most important things that you would want your kids to take away And so like for me kindness respect and always doing your best or the things that rose to the top and then I Overlayed with joy because I it was like well, we don't want to you know Have life be a slog just because yeah, like this should be fun, too and so it could be like So I guess I'll just ask you if there's things that come to the top of your mind and this is different for all Of us, so I would say like there's first of all, there's no judgment or right or wrong answer But like for you, are there any like life philosophies or guiding principles or things that just come to mind right away that are super important to you

So many more than

(...)

Okay, you can just rattle off a few too

(...)

I Was gonna make you limit like I was gonna say you

(...)

You can brainstorm first and then we could pare down and I don't know how long you want to spend on this but We like

yeah I'm thinking like curiosity keeps coming to the top

hmm Love that

(...) Everything like your world people there's so much in that(...) Yeah ability comes next in everything and Then I'm just like okay, we're all over the place. There's community. There's like how are we operating?

(...)

And of course there's like there's the kindness kindness is huge and actually should be at the top I think I Love you too.

I'm like I'm gonna have five now

(...)

Adding curiosity. I mean curiosity is really good. And so is accountability.

Yeah(...) Which I think is similar to do your best I think it's just the word that kind of pops up for me and I think it's probably a really similar if not the same pillar

Well that yeah that could be So when you think about I mean and if someone has a partner that they are also You know working with my husband was not particularly interested in doing this exercise to be honest

(...)

That's cool I see and I think that that's great and he's

he's great It's just that like some people are into this and some aren't but I I truly believe it's so imp. Yeah So maybe I was too enthusiastic about it Only they were post-it notes

(...)

Let's write the stuff

(...)

So I would say though like you you you could collaborate to see like say you've set those first two you could say like Here's the kinds of things I've been thinking about and then you know, are there one or two more? I don't like to do more. I like things in threes because I think they're easy to remember I think your kids could even remember them then Anyway,

(...)

my point is you could you could write like a list of ten Between the two of you and then pare down to the top three and then I think you could also I like being able to have it So even though I really like your two words and we might have been saying the same thing with accountability I would recommend having it something in language where your kids could understand so that like Accountability and I mean or or you just teach them like it's okay for a two-year-old to know what accountability is like they can learn I think they know I do I think they know I think they know so much

(...)

Yeah

(...)

You tell them what it means

They throw around all the time I didn't teach elementary. Okay, don't I'd still have to like walk through the hallway So I'd say something stupid like were you using integrity? I really don't know what

(...)

Yes That

yeah, oh so I guess my point is that you can pair a meaning with any word like as they're learning language You can let them know what accountability means To you in your family like that you follow through on what you I mean, that's a long that's a mouthful for a two-year-old too but like you do what you say you're gonna do or Like something in their language, I guess is what I would recommend So if you're gonna have it in this like pretty I'm looking at this board and brush kind of like wall sign I have with a saying on

(...)

Or like if you guys have those painting places where you go and paint something on a board I don't know if those are popular for a while, but yeah(...) um So anyway, if you're gonna have it on a wall, maybe you have accountability But like in your day-to-day conversation Like I literally every day would say kindness respect and always do your best with joy And then we do a thumbs up at the end And so that's that's the part where they now roll their eyes because I still Do the thumbs up, but I think like you can make it fun and a little bit like so what if it's a little cheesy To your point they remember it then but choosing words

(...)

My my takeaway here is choosing words that they can understand or that you associate meaning with that even a little age they know What you mean and then you can reinforce that like if if they brought their I keep saying dishes But maybe this is maybe it's just hot in my mind But you know like they bring their plate over or something and then you say like oh that was really good accountability Or whatever words you want to use but you can reinforce when you're seeing it then what like that they're Supporting the things that you're saying are important Oh,

I like that too Yeah, I would say like that branding Background actually using like the psychology of like how to make that stick. Yeah.

Oh, that's good I only use my powers for good

(...)

Intentional yes, that's it but I guess you're right like even The vision like I was saying like having a sign on the wall. We don't have a sign on the wall I do have it written on a whiteboard, but(...) The idea of branding like visual brand there's the brand strategy side of things. That's more of like the the thinking and

Like the meaning behind it But then the visual brand is like logos and colors and things and so if you can put the visual brand of the words On the wall somewhere that does help reinforce The messages that you say verbally too because people learn in different ways like some people need examples some people need To hear it some people need visuals.

So I'm like i'm visual i'm liking this me too We have um, so my dad wrote out family ethos Really? Yeah. Oh, thanks Oh my

gosh, that's amazing a

priority of like where we are and then our mom(...) Would it has this I don't it's like almost like a tag line, but literally our college friends know it really

(...)

Anytime we walked out the door it was the year best self and make those places

(...) Like 11 p.m. And we'd be headed to the bar where you know, none of that is

Like I

have already made a poor choice like leaving the house at 11 a.m Yep

(...)

Oh my gosh, I love that. I um, I mean I told you be your best as part of mine, too. So always be your best.

That's amazing. I love your parents already. And no wonder you two are so great because that's That's I mean, I think that's really cool

But I think to your point like dad ethos like we all did it together. I remember I think I was in high school I think we were sitting there like okay, mark like fine I think it's great and beautiful and I love it, but it was so long that it's not like I can

(...)

Interesting Not that it's less important, but I just didn't write the same way like I think there's a lot to be said for Three words like especially for littles

(...) I think that's Really true. But also the con is like one thing part of part of my work is that the like where the strategy ends up is critically important but the conversation that gets to that point is very therapeutic and(...) Like helpful for people to work through their ideas and connect the dots. So like part of it for you Like the working through the ideas together whether you are all willing participants or not, but but the conversations like You heard all of that debate and conversation along the way and what was important even if it didn't make the cut so it's like that's so smart to engage you in the conversation because(...) Like even if like that that experience of doing that I feel like is so powerful And then having the ethos even just knowing it's there and then I like that your mom trimmed it down to something that was very actionable

(...)

First I think mom started Yeah, so what we're saying really is kind of like(...) If we're branding a family in a holistic way, it's kind of a more synthesized concise version of that

Yeah, yeah so I like that I mean you could have the long version and you could even have like Words bolded or you could have um, just the keywords pulled out onto some sort of a sign or something It's something it's sort of like i'm create i'm you know Like there's the whole brand strategy deck and then there's a brand strategy one-pager recap that can go on somebody's wall So it's sort of the equivalent like maybe you have a longer(...) verbose Ethos version and then there's also the like but what's the trigger that we remind ourselves how how we want to operate on a day-to-day Basis like when we're making choices like Even if you may have still made questionable choices as you left to go to the bars

(...)

It's still though like I bet that was ingrained in you somewhere like even if you kind of laughed about it It's still like

oh, yeah, and we were probably still like having some good conversation at the bar. I don't know

Yeah, there's good things that can come out of it Yeah

(...)

That's exactly we're planting seeds, right

(...)

Okay, i'm conscious of our time(...) What do we what did we miss we didn't talk about sunbeam kids?

Oh, I know I want to hear about that

We can we can talk a little bit about even if it just helps people think about volunteering with their kids Yeah,

can we put a bow on the family branding? Yeah um

(...)

I'm curious when you've created a solid family brand

(...)

What the ripple effects you would expect To be if we're thinking about like why does a business need a branding strategy? Yeah, like why is a branding strategy? Other than you know, knowing that it's going to live in your 22 year olds brain Yeah,

(...)

well I think like anything with parenting or most things I should say it doesn't happen overnight I do think that it takes time and the same with growing a brand and so I think Consistency is really important like beating that drum over and over and it doesn't mean you have to say things exactly at the same time But reinforcing when we know when people are doing things(...) How you want to operate like reinforcing that they've done something while that definitely helps. Um

(...)

So I I think the idea though of the outcome is that(...) Everyone's on the same page and so they know what the expectations are and this can evolve as your kids get older too, but um You as the adults know what you want to call out and model and you then as the kids They have a clear set of expectations too. So it's not like family rules But it's like we're trying to help them make decisions and and like plant the seeds that will help them make decisions on their own And so that's one of the biggest things that I would say is like The mindset and then the actual day-to-day decision making now again This is the ideal world that we want to help guide But again, if we aren't helping guide then there's a lot of influences out there that will help them make these decisions And so not that we're trying to like tell them exactly how they have to think But giving them the thought frameworks or like knowing that I think it gives them confidence too like knowing that they Can make decisions for themselves and that they've got this like bumpers like bumper bowling like they They know that they're playing within these parameters. They can have their own opinions and feelings and you know, we all get upset but

with this they

(...)

They know what's expected and then also they can help make their own decisions and I really do think it gives them confidence

(...) I'm thinking about that for myself like my husband and they are deciding whether or not to move houses(...) Would like drastically increase our mortgage because of the way things are right now And there's a lot of factors on play and it's just been so stressful So i'm like tonight I feel like we just need to hammer out our family brand And then just use that moving forward like this house popped up that I feel like we should go see whatever This

is the exact opposite of what you told me yesterday.

I know I think you have a conversation That's what i'm saying. Like it will give us confidence That

is true and it's like a litmus test a little bit because it's like Deciding what's important to you? Like do you want to be the house where everybody comes together? Like do you love hospitality and having people over and does this house like is this house a tool? To actually bring that value to life And and so i'm not saying you should or shouldn't obviously I don't have any details, but But But for that example if you guys decided that that was more important to you than vacations for example Or doing something else where you know investing in clothes or I don't know whatever it might be Um, then that could be like one of those things where you are literally living Your brand because you want to be able to have people over and like have everyone be their best self in your home or you know Whatever that may look like. That's a great example of how it helps you make decisions

All right, we've got homework

yeah, I yeah i'm very happy to talk either like with either one of you more about this I love it.

I really yeah, i'm feeling like it could be a thing.

I know i'm like do we Should we make a thing for people to use anyways,

but then i'm also like you've been working on saying no So don't feel like pressured from us, but also like

I also love to say yes

Also, we're having two babies

Well, that's true. That's true But this is actually this is important to me because part of the whole reason why I do the business that I do is also To help people feel the best their best so that they can make a positive difference in the world And so I don't really talk about that part of it much But that is ultimately like I would I feel like part of the reason that i'm here and my purpose is to help other people be their best

So this is like a direct line to be able to do that And so I

you guys might be the ones that would be great to collaborate to figure out like Some worksheets or something to help people work on

this I love it. Yeah, cool

you have a hard 3 p.m?

I don't

Cal you were starting sunbeam kids and then I totally don't have to do

it was let's think all right Okay, so we've talked about you paring down you trying to figure out like the things that are most important to you So you're doing your job. You're raising kids, but you also

(...)

Started what is this a non-profit and like Like I don't know if this ties into your work at all, but can you tell us about it's not meme kids What it is like what inspired you? How people can get connected

(...) Yeah, yeah(...) So volunteering and community service has always been really important to me even in high school um Like I got the good citizen award in high school and I just like I kind of laughed about it for a while because my sister my older sister was valedictorian or salutatorian and I I just

(...)

I'm glad you could laugh about it with me because now I feel like okay Well, the pieces have all fallen into place like this all makes so much sense It's just like part of who I am at the core. But yes, it is funny like

(...)

Thinking about salutatorian versus good citizen. I can't even say it without laughing I Mean there was only one I was the good citizen

Yes,

(...)

that is how I felt about it for many years and then I finally decided that like This is me and like this is great and it was part of what I was telling you earlier I think about like not having little sister energy and big sister energy like that I just it doesn't need to be about me versus her and we get along Amazing like I love my sister It's just that I think sometimes as a little sister you like grow up in your big sister's shadows And then also they do pave the way for a lot of things too. But um, long story short I have fully embraced my good citizen award now, and I wish I I wish I had it. I don't even have it um

so I've always been interested in community service and volunteering it's always been super important to me and then when I had kids and they were little and Our suburb is a little bit of a bubble like I wanted them to be able to understand Um, like that there's 10 minutes down the road. There is people with really great need and so, you know On one hand they are so lucky to be born into a life where they have plenty of food every day, for example But I again just I don't want them to feel bad about that I want them to recognize so that there's a lot of different family situations within a very close radius of us here in the mauki area, so um The other piece of that is that I was working full-time as we talked about earlier and I did not Want to then leave them even longer to go volunteer. And so(...) I was like, how can I solve both of these things with? um showing my kids that they can make a difference and and even at a really little age and making an impact in the community and so It was one of those things where like I had this idea for a long time and I didn't know if it should be a play group or an actual formal organization Um, I had talked to some moms at preschool about it and they all loved the idea But I just kind of sat on it because I did have plenty going on. But then I went to a retreat and um It was like this is a whole other conversation But it was like a light bulb just completely turned on and I got so inspired and then I did this spiritual gifts inventory and then

(...)

It was really cool. It was like if you like a personality test only it was like faith-based personality test. So it was super cool um And I do like all those personality tests Like I love learning about myself And so this one was just a really interesting angle And one of the things that came up was leadership and I was like it just kind of dawned on me like A lot of people are interested in this but nobody is taking the lead. So if it's going to happen, maybe it's you and so(...) I wrangled a few friends in a teacher and an attorney because I needed a board and I said it will not Take a ton of time I just kind of need to put your name down on paper to do the incorporation work and it did take a ton of time weird I still apologize

(...)

But um We play it we so this you know It's been 13 years and we are 12 years and we are still going strong There is a different president now, which is beautiful because she has become one of my best friends Her husband was on the board and then he said you should take over my spot and then she did and she's just like Amazing and I love her as a person and a person who like you trust with your baby Kind of like this organization was sort of my baby Um, but she's way better than I ever could have been so it's So good

(...)

Um, but we planned like I used to say two to three projects a month She now has it at like five or six projects a month to make it really easy to go I should have started with this basically what we do, but we um Make it easy to volunteer with your kids in the community. So all a range of topics everything from making lunches to you know(...) beach cleanups to serving dinner at st. Vincent de Paul to um Helping plant or pick in gardens that go to food pantries, uh helping serve at food pantries We like to be as hands-on as possible, but also keep it age appropriate and then we are totally neutral on politics and And religion and like we just want it to be a welcoming place for everybody Because some people do have churches that they can volunteer through some people don't and we just we want this to be a place for everybody Um, and no matter what your family looks like too, like we say volunteering for kids and families But everybody's family looks different too. So just a totally welcoming community Um of there's about 120 families that are members And so you just sign up when you want to participate There's also zero pressure with this because none of us need another thing in our lives that we feel guilty about um, so that is the(...) We we really like the goal again is just to to Give kids confidence that they can make a difference at a young age We ask for their participation as much as possible and then the parents are there also. This is not a drop-off thing at all Um because we want people, you know There's value in them spending time together volunteering as well and then they can overlay whatever messages they want when they go home

And then you know, obviously the obvious impact to the community as well the benefit To the organizations that we support

(...)

That's very cool. I'm on the website right now. Oh, yeah specific

No, it's really um all around the mawaki area. There's um, yeah, there's families from all different suburbs I lived in tosa when we started it. So there's a strong contingent of like wauwatosa and elm grove in brookfield, but there's people from all over The area which is really cool too because that's part of we you know, like getting people out to different areas of the city Uh is really fun, too

Is that something your kids like roll their eyes at now or is it just like so normal to them? I'm just curious.

Yeah, they know not to roll their eyes

(...)

No

(...)

Um, we used to say I it was not always easy I don't mean to sound like I have these like perfect kids either because like we used to sing this little light of mine at the um At the end of projects and like mason would sing Um hide it under a bushel. Yes And you just look at me like her

(...)

So it's like I mean you can you can plant the seeds and just hope they grow right

(...)

Um, yes The thing is though now they both do community service for school and I can tell like whether they will admit it or not I can tell that they feel really proud that they know how to navigate going to different places that might be uncomfortable for some kids And they yeah

(...)

It is. Yeah and they know how to plan projects and so um

(...)

Yeah, I think they I think they do value it

(...)

Yeah, actually when you're not practicing that stuff

(...)

Yeah for all of us this is but it's it's still worth it though. Yeah.

Yeah. I gotta I gotta get in on this

(...)

Yeah,

oh, yeah, that's right. You're local.

I'm literally right here Like I was looking at this this morning

that I picked up on

that Like that you'd said yeah, I was like, why didn't I look at this months ago when we were Well, that's

true how about oh we did we

(...)

Like going up on your toes instead of down(...) Oh well, yes, um joking aside once you're not as busy, um or sometimes like(...) First of all all ages are welcome. So babies are very welcome as well But like sometimes people will want things to do to get out and so like to still occupy your older Because you have an older child. Also, did I pick up? Yeah

(...)

and that's how old more was when I started(...) and Like it's it that's why I say like We give them we should give them so much credit like they are So smart they pick up on the fact that they're helping people

Yes, and he loves to help.

Oh, that's good Bringing us our water.

He picks up my shoes for me on the way out the door He likes to bring

me snacks. He'll like bring my kids things his cousins and they'll be like Why did you bring?(...) Because my kids are two and four

(...)

It's a good lesson like people don't know what your addition well, let's

(...)

That's a good point. Nora.(...) Nora with an m like yeah I have a Nora. Oh you do? Oh then that might be a little close if you're more nervous

(...)

Oh, that's cute though. Yeah, thanks.

Oh my goodness. Okay, so many good things man I have like some more questions I could ask you It's kind of fun when we end these conversations Wanting more.

Are you ready for a lightning round?

Yeah, let's do

Current favorite wellness item you bought from an instagram ad recently

(...) Oh my gosh, my kids Sure. I'm bad at lightning because I want to explain everything. I they like told me I had to be cut off from instagram ads

(...)

I have a list like literally a list of wellness items that I Could you use them? Yes.(...) Well most of them

(...)

What then I think you're doing great.

Yes. Thank you. Can I um I have an ionic foot bath that I absolutely adore Do you know what that is? It's yeah. Yep. So ionic foot bath and then I bought a shock team at which is one of those mats that you lay on that um really hurts, but it is supposed to help with lymphatic drainage and

(...)

And you're putting that on One of your favorite items so must be doing something.

(...) Yeah. Yes. It's I think it's good So those are two that I was really excited about recently

(...)

If you'd like my complete list, let me know

I'll get to that after my final list. I'd like to know right. I think for a lot of lists right now Best piece of advice that you would give to a new entrepreneur mom Um

it goes back to the(...) boundaries piece and sticking to your commitments to yourself(...) And your business and your family and just like really Being intentional about setting those

Otherwise the balance can get out of whack without you even noticing

Guilty pleasure TV show or podcast

I told my kids I would never admit this but i'll admit it anyway

(...)

That I do still watch The Bachelorette And every season i'm like i'm never wasting my time on this again And then I get sucked back in I don't know how Yeah, smart people do stupid things

sometimes I remember in

high school teen

One food item you always have in your pantry at all times

Well, there's a lot but I love siete lime chips Do you like those

(...)

finish the sentence. I wish more moms knew that

doing a really good job even on the days that you feel like you're not

(...)

Yeah

(...)

And um, what makes you feel beautiful

Um, I think working out like that sounds like an oxymoron, but it does.

Yeah

this has been so fun. Where can our listeners find you where can they connect with you?

well, uh, my instagram is at real food brands So if anybody else is interested in a list like you were talking about I would love to know that because it would help Bump it up to the top of my list. Like obviously this list would be free. It's just that

It's more it's more motivating for me to put out things that I know people are looking for and so I have heard it Several times so that would be one thing at real food brands on instagram. Otherwise, my website is realfoodbrands.com

(...)

And you can find me there and learn about(...) Brand strategy related topics if that's something I mean Just quickly even though I work with food businesses a lot of these topics Really do apply to different kinds of organizations and businesses. So The podcast might be helpful to people. Uh, it's called the food business marketing podcast for seo purposes But there's also a lot of just good branding tips on there for anybody who is part of an organization that might need to Differentiate themselves and figure out how to stand out

Yay, all right. Thank you. Thank you so much.

Well, thank you super fun. I can't wait to see you guys in person now

I can

also treat you to um a tex mex bowl at lifetime while you're here

(...)

It's a whole day

(...)

That'd be good. All right. It's good. Thank you so much.

(...)