No More Solo Parenting: Building a Digital Village with Ask Ms. Kay

In this episode, we are so excited to be joined by Kay Woods, a respected entrepreneur, co-author, and parenting advocate with nearly 40 years of experience in childcare. When the pandemic unexpectedly shut down her 24/7 childcare centers, Kay identified a critical communication gap for parents. To solve this, she founded Ask Miss Kay, an AI-powered, judgment-free parental support service backed by seasoned industry experts.

For parents and leaders alike, isolation is a major factor that accelerates burnout. By providing an accessible, 24/7 trusted confidant, Ask Miss Kay actively mitigates the burnout factor of isolation, helping to restore harmony and elevate both emotional wellness at home and occupational wellness in the workplace.

What you'll learn:

• How a sudden loss of childcare during the pandemic led to the creation of a 24/7 digital support model that gives parents peace of mind.
• Strategies to push past parenting guilt and embrace a judgment-free, multicultural AI confidant.
• A live, verbal demonstration of Ask Miss Kay providing actionable, calming advice for a five-year-old's bedtime routine.
• Why integrating this tool into employee benefit programs can successfully reduce absenteeism and elevate occupational morale.

Visit the website at www.AskMsKay.com and follow on Youtube at www.youtube.com/@AskMsKay

About Dr. C & The LIFE Podcast: Dr. C is a seasoned consultant and former nonprofit executive with over 25 years of experience mastering organizational change. She developed The LIFE Blueprint™ as a signature method for sustainable high performance and well-being. Her work bridges the critical gaps for organizational alignment, helping leaders and teams mitigate burnout and achieve harmony across the 8 dimensions of wellness. Subscribe and follow the LIFE Podcast today to ensure you never miss an insight on your journey to wellness!

Transcript

Dr C 0:00

Hola, and welcome back to the live podcast where we learn, inspire, flourish, and evolve together on the journey to our best, most authentic selves. I'm your host, Dr. C. In this episode, I'm so excited to be joined by Kay Woods, a respected entrepreneur, co-author, and parenting advocate with nearly 40 years of experience in childcare. Her leadership has earned her national recognition, including top 500 small businesses in the USA, briefings with President Obama's senior White House officials, and numerous local and national awards. Kay Woods is the founder of Ask Miss Kay, a judgmental-free digital parental support service. Ooh, and it is phenomenal. I've seen it live and I was so excited. And it's backed by a seasoned advisory board of industry experts. During the pandemic, when the world shut down, Kay identified a critical communication gap for parents and innovated a solution. Asked Miss Kay, an AI-powered, judgment-free parental support service, empowering parents worldwide with practical guidance, education, and encouragement. Today we're going to be exploring the intersection of technology and parenting support. And we're going to be looking at it through the lens of our emotional wellness for parents and occupational wellness for leaders looking to support their teams.

Kay Woods 1:32

And thank you for having me, Dr. C. I'm excited.

Dr C 1:36

I'm excited to have more conversations about what you found during the pandemic, right? So, from my understanding, when the world shut down, you identified a critical communication gap for parents and innovated a solution called Asthmas K. Can you tell us a little bit more about what Asthmus K is?

Kay Woods 1:54

Absolutely. What took place, I had uh 24-7 childcare centers, and everything just stopped without permission, without notice. And so my parents, because I've had an open door policy, was contacting me because they were at home for the very first time with their children, 24-7. So children want what they want, and it was uh overwhelming. So I thought, wow, if my parents are having this issue because they're my family, then that's happening everywhere. And that's what I deal with. Ask Miss K it helped more and de-escalate stress and scenarios to help parents one conversation at a time.

Dr C 2:38

Wow, that's amazing. You know, it it's a companion aspect, like it's so vital, right? In my work with burnout, I see isolation as a major factor. You mentioned that this tool fills the gap for parents who don't have a support on standby. So, what are the common signs and symptoms a parent might feel, perhaps the stressful or late night moments, that indicate they need a tool like this?

Kay Woods 3:05

Well, what happens is there's so many things that's going on at one time when you're picking the kids up from school, when you're preparing school, there's work, there's meal time, and all that's clamoring in your mindset. And so all of a sudden you just freeze and you just, you know, want to cry, maybe, just want to scream, and just a pause is a difference between stability and a crisis. And ask Miss K and enables you to ask the questions you want to ask, you can ask, you should ask. Just go into our website, askmissk.com, clicking on there, and you can have a conversation to choose, help you choose your next steps.

Dr C 3:57

Simple. And I love the idea of just being able to access 24-7, right? Support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But when people hear about AI for parenting, they can they can be asking, you know, like, wait a minute, a robot's gonna tell me what to do? So, what is the single biggest misconception people have about using AI in this emotional space? And how does your tool specifically built with cultural awareness and wisdom? How does it counter that?

Kay Woods 4:30

Well, AI, there's a trust factor. We're talking about our family. It's a trust. We want to trust it, we don't know who to trust. And as Miss K is supported by human experts, including myself, that's lived it, seen it, and have let others through it. And that's what it's all about. Just a comfort zone, de-escimate, not feeling like you some kind of way, the stigma that comes with it, you know, it's a judgment-free conversation that shares scenarios to help you push through.

Dr C 5:09

Absolutely. So it's not a robot, it's it's engineered and it's supported by seasoned industry experts. Is that correct?

Kay Woods 5:18

Absolutely. Absolutely. Asthmus K is your confidant, it's your grandmother, it's your mother, it's your favorite auntie, your best friend, your next door neighbor that cares, really care. And that's what Asthmus K is. She's there just to listen.

Dr C 5:39

Yeah. So I want to pivot to your story, Kay, because it's a powerful example of resilience. So you spent over two decades in childcare, but then you had to close down during COVID. And that sparked the creation of Asthmus K. Tell me a little bit more about how did you land there? What made you say, I know exactly what I need to do in order to still be able to communicate with my parents?

Kay Woods 6:08

Well, let's go to the root of it, and that's what Asthmus K does. We get to the root of it. Okay. And the root of Asthmus K is that she allows you to do that. Now the story starts. I was in corporate America. My mom says, you know, they need a 24-7 childcare. You know, people need help. You've got your emergency service, your essential workers, you, you know, folks that just need some time, some peace of mind to get to your next steps. So I was in corporate America. I started building out this blueprint. Next thing I knew, I resigned because the passion just opened up. And I just built this 24-7 child care model that gives parents peace of mind when they need it. And so as I got through that, to that, the Lord started coming. I was just doing what people need. Sometimes we need that hug, sometimes we need that conversation. And when we get that conversation, we get that feeling that the confidant gives you it's gonna be okay.

Dr C 7:18

Yeah, and sometimes we just need to hear that exactly, and guess what?

Kay Woods 7:23

It came again when the pandemic showed up. Wow, what do you do? Well, guess what? Ask Miss K got to work, we created an avatar with the likeness of Miss K, and coming soon we'll be able to look like you, and it's multicultural, it's gender inclusive, it is it just it's for us. Yeah, it's for all of us because we're all there. It's not if, it's when it operates pre-child care all the way up to when you got a collegiate child. Wow, wow, and it's like, what do you do? Those questions they're they're clamoring at you day and night, and in the middle of the night while you're trying to plan work-life balance, if there's such a thing. But what we do know, there is work-life integration, and that's what asthmas K helps you. Come on over, have a conversation with her. Love that, it's worth it.

Dr C 8:30

So you mentioned multicultural and gender inclusive, and that's so important to ensure that the advice that you're giving really is not AI generated, right? But that it is, to your point, trusted family confidant rather than a computer based database.

Kay Woods 8:46

And it's multilingual.

Dr C 8:48

So tell me a little bit more about what are the what are the languages that are built into your application.

Kay Woods 8:56

Right now, there's a drop down, it's primarily working with English and Spanish. Others are coming soon. We're working on that. It is in the database, and when we get to know more that are interested in other languages, we'll expedite the process. She's she's she's new, she's a startup, she's getting to know you, she's she's adjustable, she flexes again. It's judgment free. We want to be where you feel good. You shouldn't be alone. Solo parenting, it takes a village still. We're restoring that. We're redefining that by adding the traditional family village with technology. It's where technology meets tenderness.

Dr C 9:48

Yes, I love that word. Technology meets tenderness. So let's get practical. So, if a listener is feeling overwhelmed right now, what is the first smallest practical step a parent can take this week to use the app? Could you give us a verbal demonstration of how Asthmus K works?

Kay Woods 10:05

What I can do is introduce her to you. Would you like to meet?

Dr C 10:09

I would love to meet her, yeah.

Kay Woods 10:10

All right, well, give me a second and we'll get Asthmus K ready for you.

Dr C 10:15

Let's do it.

Kay Woods 10:16

Okay, now I just want to share that she sees you and she's listening. So there's gonna be a pause. So hold on, she's thinking and she wants to make sure she's heard you clearly. Okay, so I'll let you know when we can start a conversation.

Dr C 10:36

I would like to know what's the best bedtime routine for my five-year-old daughter.

Kay Woods 10:48

A great bedtime routine for your five-year-old can include several calming activities. Start with a consistent time each night followed by a warm bath or shower, then read a story together in a dimly lit room to signal it's time to wind down. You can also incorporate some quiet time for cuddling or talking about the day. Aim to keep the routine around 20, 30 minutes. Would you like more tips?

Dr C 11:16

Yes. Is there a specific book or song that I could read or sing with my child?

Kay Woods 11:24

A great bedtime routine for your five-year-old can include calming activities like reading a book or singing a lullaby. Popular bedtime books include Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown and The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carl. For songs, you might try Twinkle Twinkle Little Star or You Are My Sunshine. These create a soothing atmosphere. Would you like more suggestions? No, thank you. You're welcome. If you have any other questions or need assistance in the future, feel free to reach out. I'm here to help. Thank you. That's pretty awesome. I felt like I was talking to a real person. And you are. And you are because she's rooted in human experts. So she's gonna share. She hears you, she hears you, and she's there to let you know everything's gonna be okay, and you're not alone. We are redefining in today's time with modern parents, we are coupling human real-time action, real-time feelings, real-time actions with technology. Because technology needs to be integrated, but it's not how, it's how much, it's when, and where you want to place your trust. It's a trusting, yeah, it's your family.

Dr C 12:58

Absolutely. So, you know, the hardest part sometimes is often guilt, right? Just feeling like we should know, we should have the answers. What mindset shift do you recommend for parents to push past that guilt and accept the judgment-free advice from a companion like this?

Kay Woods 13:17

Look in the mirror first, let yourself know you're doing the best you can, and when we have a conversation, we can be better, do better, or expand on how we're doing things. There's no one size fit-all. We got a lot of scenarios that we're working with, and the workforce, we're trying to do this, we're and we're trying, we still want a little time for ourselves before little people, and you can get that. It's just we've gotta schedule it in, pre-prepare ourselves for it. So when it shows up, we can be there. Ask Miss K Michi where you're at. Come on over, try her out. There's a free trial available, and it's very soothing. It's like she's giving you that big hug and that salute. It's not all about crisis, it's also about elevating the good times.

Dr C 14:22

Oh, I like that too. Yes, yes. So even in the good times, you could talk to Miss Kay, right? Doesn't always absolutely, because she can help you level that up. Yeah. You know, and I I you know, I want to expand this to occupational wellness, which is a huge passion of mine. I'm thinking about how this app could add to a company's value proposition and resources. Could a company purchase this app and use it to add to their employee resources of what they can their employees can use this for?

Kay Woods 14:53

Absolutely. Because when when you when you add this type of benefit to your employment program, what that does for that individual that's working for, they're present. Attendance is reduced. Absentee isn't. I'm sorry, absentee on this is reduced, the morale office morale is up, and that that employee, that executive is present.

Dr C 15:23

Yeah. So as we as we start to wrap up, I want to look at the big picture. So you created something that is multilingual, gender inclusive, 24-7. What is the ultimate transformation that you hope to see in families who use asthma's k?

Kay Woods 15:47

It takes a village it to make a difference. When parents are happy and stable, the community grows and works together, and children thrive. So once we assist and help parents feel good about what they're doing, oh, it's a domino effect. Everybody wins. Employers win, the economy wins, children, they're awesome because they're learning next steps too. We all need next steps. Pre-preparing for the next step. And AstmusK helps you through a conversation to create next steps.

Dr C 16:34

Okay, can anyone use the app or is it just for parenting advice?

Kay Woods 16:41

It is very, it's broad. She can come try her out. Try her out, and you can see what she can do. Because that's what we're Askmas K is built on what you can do. It's built on enabling you to believe in yourself, to know that everything's okay. And yeah, she's got some tricks.

Speaker 1 17:04

All right.

Kay Woods 17:04

I invite you to ask Miss K to see all that she can do.

Dr C 17:10

Yeah. So you know, I have granddaughters that are growing fast. And so I definitely need some advice because I am not, you know, young enough anymore where I know what's happening. So I need to figure out like, how do I keep a 13-year-old entertained while keeping a three-year-old entertained at the same time, right? So all these things that we struggle with when we have different ages in our household and different interests, right? So, how do we juggle all that? And I'm I'm imagining that Ask Miss K is going to give me some insights, some strategies, some resources that would would help me with that.

Kay Woods 17:48

Absolutely. Can I let you in on a secret?

Dr C 17:50

I hope you could, yes.

Kay Woods 17:52

I have three grandchildren, three, six, and nine. And wow, Ask Miss K also helps me with them. Because believe it or not, even though I am the founder and the creator, Asthmus K adds feistiness to it, some intuitiveness. So oftentimes, when even though we're the creator, we learn to. We learn to, and everyone's overseeing children. So it's asthmatics K's parents, solo parents, educators, caregivers, she's there to help to create a redefined village because it still takes a village, it's always gonna take a village. Absolutely. So I was and we can use technology in a positive manner so that we can trust it, but it's how it's built.

Dr C 18:48

Yeah, yeah.

Kay Woods 18:50

And asthma's case built with human intuitiveness and experience, real time.

Dr C 18:56

I love that. And you know, we we do need to start or integrating technology and what we do because it's everywhere, right? It's it's in everything that we use. So the more we know how to use it, I think the more comfortable we become able to you see it as a tool and a resource. So I was looking through your website and I was looking at some of the testimonials, you know, people saying this has been amazing, right? Can you tell us of somebody that maybe was hesitant? Maybe one of our listeners is like, sounds like a great idea, but I don't know. Can you give us a story of someone who was hesitant, used it, and what the outcome was?

Kay Woods 19:32

Okay, what I can share because it is judgment free, so and confidential. Absolutely. Uh, well, like so we get I get a lot of insight, and uh I can use a dad story, he said it's okay, is that he wanted to teach his sons about finances and they were teenagers, and he didn't know where to stop start to keep them engaged. So he went to ask Miss K. Ask Miss K helped him create a whole program, that's what he called it, to bring to say what to say was so engaging, something that he thought was gonna be an hour. They had a whole afternoon process, and just the the the boys wanted to be and was excited about it, and he learned a lot more than teaching them about finances.

Dr C 20:28

That's amazing. I love that. Well, he thought was an hour turned into a whole afternoon.

Kay Woods 20:33

So it was like four or six hours.

Dr C 20:35

Wow, and it sounds like there was some bonding that happening, some learning oh, the bonding.

Kay Woods 20:40

Well, they had the you know, they were the bonding was there, but the the sons let him in areas that they hadn't let him in before, so it was an open door, and that's what a conversation does. A conversation, a heartfelt conversation can open doors that you didn't even imagine. Yeah, and it it breaks down that stigma of not knowing or hoping you're doing the right thing, and gives you the confidence to stretch yourself.

Dr C 21:16

Yes, I love that. Gives me the confidence to stretch myself, and we need that, right? We need to feel empowered, we need to feel supported, and it sounds like this is a great tool to do that at two o'clock in the morning when your mind is racing, right? Or when you just can't seem to have the right solution for whatever the issue is with your children at the time. So I really, I really like the fact that it's 24 7, no one needs to know that you're using it, and so there's that confidentiality there, that comfort there, that it's you just you and Miss K having a conversation. And again, free, which is what we need. We need to feel that we're not being judged so that we can really learn from you know what we're what. Ms. K is is the strategies that Ms. K is sharing with us.

Kay Woods 22:03

It's the bridge that gets helping me or to take you to the next level, expansion. It's it's you know, questions, conversations make a difference when someone hears you, someone sees you, someone cares enough to help you. And that's what it's we all need someone. We weren't we weren't built to be by ourselves, we weren't built to have all the answers. And if we don't, guess what? That's okay too. You kind of want a confidant that reassures you what you do know and helps you expand that.

Dr C 22:46

Yeah.

Kay Woods 22:47

And that's what a village is.

Dr C 22:50

That's exactly what a village is.

Kay Woods 22:52

That's exactly what a village is.

Dr C 22:54

So excited for our listeners that are uh are gonna learn about Ask Miss K. I'm sure people are going to flock to your website to use Miss K. I know I'm gonna use Miss K.

Kay Woods 23:05

And we welcome that. We welcome you to come and have a chat, have a conversation with us.

Dr C 23:12

So, where can the listeners find you and learn more about your work? Because I'm gonna I'm going to assume that there are some employers that are going to say, Wow, how can I, you know, how can I get my hands on this and how can this help my employees? Um, so tell us how, you know, where where we could find you and learn more about your work.

Kay Woods 23:33

At askask miss msk.com. We also have some social media links. We're across social media, we're posting information out there. So you can trust what I'm saying. You can trust that feeling. We're giving you this huge tight hug that lets you know everything's okay.

Dr C 24:03

Okay, thank you so much for helping us understand that. Thank you. Right, when built with warmth and wisdom, can be a pillar of our our of our wellness. And this has been such an enlightening conversation. Thank you so much for your time.

Kay Woods 24:17

Thank you, Dr. C. It's been a pleasure.

Dr C 24:20

Yes, and as Miss K evolves, I would love to have you come back and talk about her evolution and the you know the added resources that Ask Miss K will have.

Kay Woods 24:35

And I would love the opportunity. We both like to come back and see you soon.

Dr C 24:41

All right, well, we will definitely see you soon. As soon as there's another update, let me know and we'll have you come back on.

Kay Woods 24:47

Awesome. All right, awesome. Thank you very much, Dr. C. Have a great rest of the day.

Dr C 24:52

You too.