You know that feeling when you say, “He helps.”

He does chores. He shows up. He’s not checked out.

And yet… you’re still exhausted.

If that’s you, you are not ungrateful. You are not asking for too much. And you are not broken.

In this episode, JoAnn sits down with comedian, actor, and author Jordan Carlos to talk about invisible work in marriage — what it really is, why “helping” still leaves one partner carrying the mental load, and what true responsibility sharing actually looks like in everyday family life.

Because the problem isn’t whether the dishes get done.

The problem is who is still managing the fact that they need to get done.

Jordan shares candidly about his own marriage, how COVID forced him to see the invisible labor his wife was carrying, and the mindset shift that moved him from “assistant” to actual partner.

This conversation is honest, funny, and practical — and it will help you rethink how responsibility lives in your home.

What We Cover in This Episode

1. What Invisible Work Really Is

Invisible work isn’t just chores. It’s tracking schedules, noticing when you’re low on toothpaste, remembering spirit days, and managing the emotional temperature of the house.

When one partner carries the mental load — even if the other “helps” — burnout and resentment quietly build.

2. Why “Helping” Keeps One Person in Charge

When someone helps, there is still a manager.

• Delegating
• Noticing
• Reminding
• Carrying responsibility if something falls through

Jordan talks about the moment he realized he was “redundant” in his own home — and how that realization changed everything.

3. The Resentment Signal

Resentment doesn’t show up overnight. It builds in the sighs, the tension, and the feeling of being alone in daily life.

Small shifts — like doing things without being asked — can dramatically lower that emotional temperature.

4. Responsibility Sharing vs. 50/50

What’s equal isn’t always fair. And what’s fair isn’t always equal.

True partnership isn’t about splitting every task down the middle. It’s about shared ownership. It’s about both adults seeing the home as theirs to steward.

Jordan shares how stepping into responsibility — not waiting for instructions — shifted his marriage in meaningful ways.

5. Why Self-Care Supports Partnership

When both partners take care of themselves, they show up better in the relationship.

Responsibility sharing doesn’t mean depletion. It means two adults who are capable, aware, and engaged.

Why This Episode Matters

So many overwhelmed moms feel guilty for wanting more support.

• “He does a lot already.”
• “I don’t want to nag.”
• “Maybe this is just marriage.”

But when invisible work stays invisible, emotional disconnection grows.

This episode gives language to what you may have been feeling for years. It also gives you a starting place — not to control your partner, but to shift how responsibility is shared in your home.

Partnership isn’t about doing more. It’s about no longer carrying it alone.

Resources Mentioned

• Chore Play: The Marriage Saving Magic of Getting Your Head Out of Your Ass by Jordan Carlos
• Jordan Carlos— comedian, actor, and writer (The Nightly Show, Black Mirror, Everything’s Trash)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You finally get everyone to bed. The house is quiet. No one is asking you for anything.

And instead of going to sleep… you stay up.

Maybe you scroll. Maybe you watch a show. Maybe you tackle that project that’s been swirling in your head all day. It feels like the only time that’s actually yours.

But the next morning? You’re exhausted. Snappier. Less patient. And wondering why everything feels so much harder.

In this episode, we’re talking about why you stay up too late — and what that lack of sleep is really doing to your emotional regulation, productivity, and mental health. Because this isn’t about being “bad at time management.” It’s about the very real tug-of-war happening inside you between rest and freedom.

And when you understand that conflict, you can finally stop sacrificing sleep just to feel like a person again.

In This Episode, We Cover:

• Why staying up late feels like the only time that belongs to you
• The connection between sleep and emotional regulation (and why you’re more triggered when you’re tired)
• How sleep impacts stress, patience, productivity, and long-term wellness
• The hidden “two parts” conflict between rest and personal freedom
• A simple negotiation exercise to help you stop fighting yourself at night
• Why treating rest as preventative care changes everything
• How your sleep environment can make or break your wind-down routine

Why This Matters

When you’re tired, everything hits harder. Small frustrations feel enormous. You react faster. You recover slower. That’s not a character flaw — that’s biology.

Sleep affects your mental health, your parenting, your relationships, your stress levels, and even your long-term brain health. And yet, so many moms sacrifice it because it feels like the only way to reclaim time for themselves.

You don’t have to choose between rest and freedom. With the right structure and awareness, you can have both.

Resources Mentioned:

ADHD Love on Instagram:

Get Your free ticket to the Happy Mom Summit

Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker PhD

No Guilt Mom Inner Circle

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How to Support Your LGBTQ Child Without Saying the Wrong Thing with Heather Hester

Supporting your LGBTQ child can feel terrifying—not because you don’t love them, but because you do, and you’re afraid of messing it up.

So many moms tell me the same thing: they want to be supportive, but they feel frozen. What if they say the wrong thing? What if they accidentally hurt their child? What if their child thinks they don’t truly accept them?

If that’s you, this episode is here to help.

In today’s conversation, I’m joined by Heather Hester, host of the podcast More Human, More Kind and author of Parenting with Pride. Heather helps parents move from fear into informed love—with clarity, compassion, and courage. Together, we talk about how to show up for your child even when you’re scared, without needing perfect words or performative allyship.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• The biggest fear that keeps supportive parents silent and why worrying about “saying the wrong thing” doesn’t mean you’re failing your child.
• The difference between being a supportive ally and a performative one, and how to show up in ways that actually feel authentic to you.
• Three mindset shifts that help you support your LGBTQ child with confidence:
  • Embracing being messy and imperfect
  • Understanding that it’s not your child’s job to teach you—it’s your responsibility to learn
  • Believing your child when they tell you who they are
• What to say when you don’t know what to say, including simple language you can return to when fear takes over.
• How fear shows up in your body and why recognizing your stress response helps you choose connection instead of panic.

Why This Episode Matters

Your child doesn’t need you to be perfect.

They need you to be present. They need you to be willing. And they need you to keep coming back—even when you stumble.

This episode is about letting go of the pressure to “get it right” and replacing it with something more powerful: connection, repair, and courage.

Resources Mentioned

• Heather's podcast More Human, More Kind
• Parenting with Pride by Heather Hester

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Work stress doesn’t stay neatly at work.

It follows you home. It shows up in the tone of your voice, the snap of your patience, and that feeling of being “on edge” even when nothing is technically wrong. If you’ve ever walked through the door already exhausted, replaying work conversations in your head while your kids need you now, this episode is for you.

In this conversation, I sit down with psychologist Guy Winch, author of Mind Over Grind: How to Break Free When Work Hijacks Your Life, to talk about why work stress hits moms so hard—and what actually helps. We go beyond “just relax” and get into the science of emotional health, burnout, and how stress quietly spills into parenting and family dynamics.

This episode is especially for moms who are high achievers, caregivers, and the emotional glue holding everything together—at work and at home.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why ruminating about work is actually unpaid overtime—and how it drains your patience at home
• How burnout moves in both directions, from work to parenting and back again
• The science behind why your body stays in “battle mode” long after the workday ends
• Simple, realistic transition rituals that help your brain shift from work mode to home mode
• Why taking time for yourself isn’t selfish—it’s protective for your emotional health
• How a parent’s stress affects the entire household, even when you think you’re hiding it
• What to do when you’re so burnt out that taking action feels impossible

Why this conversation matters

So many moms blame themselves for snapping, zoning out, or feeling disconnected at home—when the real issue is chronic stress and emotional overload. Guy explains why this isn’t a personal failure, but a nervous system problem that needs support, structure, and intention.

You’ll walk away with language to understand what’s happening inside you—and practical ways to stop work stress from hijacking your home life.

About today’s guest

Guy Winch is a psychologist and leading voice in emotional health. He brings science-backed tools to everyday struggles like burnout, rumination, and emotional exhaustion. His book, Mind Over Grind: How to Break Free When Work Hijacks Your Life, explores how modern work culture affects mental health—and what we can realistically do about it.

Resources Mentioned

Mind Over Grind: How to Break Free When Work Hijacks Your Life

Thank You To Our Sponsors

Cash App

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you’re co-parenting after separation or divorce, you’ve probably realized something no one really prepares you for:

The relationship doesn’t end… it just changes shape.

And suddenly, every text about pickup times, school forms, or “did you send the sweatshirt back?” feels emotionally loaded. Not because you’re arguing about sweatshirts—but because separation brings grief, fear, anger, and unfinished emotional business into everyday communication.

In this episode of the No Guilt Mom Podcast, I’m joined by Gabriella Pomare, family lawyer, award-winning author of The Collaborative Co-Parent, and co-parenting advocate. We talk about what actually works when communication breaks down—especially if your ex is difficult, high-conflict, or completely uncooperative.

Because co-parenting isn’t about being friends.
It’s about structure, boundaries, and emotional safety for your kids—without you carrying the entire emotional load.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

1) Why communication falls apart after separation (even when you both love your kids)

Gabriella describes separation as a “nervous system earthquake.” When you’re grieving the life you thought you’d have, messages don’t land neutrally anymore. Even something as small as “you’re running late” can feel like criticism, control, or a power struggle.

2) The difference between “moving on” and actually healing

You can look fine on the outside—working, dating, functioning—and still feel your body spike the moment your ex’s name shows up on your phone.

Healing is when you can respond instead of react, stop trying to win, and read a neutral message without creating a high-conflict story in your head.

3) What collaborative co-parenting really means (and what it doesn’t)

Collaborative co-parenting doesn’t mean you’re best friends or agree on everything.

It means consistently making decisions through a child-centered lens, with clear systems that reduce emotional volatility—especially in high-conflict situations. Often, that looks less emotional and more business-like.

4) Boundaries that actually work—and how to handle it when they’re crossed

Boundaries aren’t rules you force on your ex.
They’re commitments you make to yourself.

Gabriella explains how to stop engaging with emotional bait, rehashing the past, and escalating conversations—without creating more conflict.

5) A practical tool for high-conflict co-parenting: communication apps

If your ex sends long, hostile messages or constantly pulls you into conflict, Gabriella recommends using a co-parenting app like OurFamilyWizard to:

• keep communication child-focused
• reduce harassment and message flooding
• create clear boundaries and documentation
• shift communication from emotional to logistical

6) The 4 pillars of co-parent communication

Gabriella’s framework for reducing conflict:

Listen → Pause → Reflect → Respond

The hardest part? The pause.
Because when emotions are high, the instinct is to respond quickly and win. The pause is what breaks the cycle.

7) What kids need most to feel safe across two homes

Kids don’t need perfect parents.

They need predictability, stability, and emotional safety. When kids know what’s happening, who’s picking them up, and that they’re not responsible for adult emotions, they feel more secure—even across two households.

Quick Favor (It Helps More Moms Find This Parenting Support)

If this episode helped you feel less alone, would you take 30 seconds to leave a review for the No Guilt Mom Podcast? Reviews help other overwhelmed moms find this parenting support when they need it most.

Resources Mentioned

• Our Family Wizard co-parenting app
• Gabriella Pomare’s book: The Collaborative Co-Parent
• Join the No Guilt Mom Circle

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you’ve ever been told to “just stay calm” when your kids push every single button—and then felt a wave of mom guilt when you couldn’t—you are not alone.

So many overwhelmed moms think their big emotional reactions mean they’re failing at parenting. That they’re “too much,” “not patient enough,” or somehow broken. But here’s the truth I want you to hear right away:

Your reactions are not the problem. They’re information.

In this episode, we’re unpacking why staying calm in the moment often isn’t possible—and why that makes perfect sense. When you’re overloaded, exhausted, and carrying the emotional labor of your family, your nervous system is already at capacity. Of course small things feel big.

This conversation is about emotional intelligence, self-regulation, and emotional awareness—not as another thing to “do better,” but as a way to understand what’s actually happening underneath your reactions so you can respond with more compassion (for yourself first).

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why losing your temper isn’t a moral failure

Anger and frustration are signals that something you value has been crossed—not proof that you’re a bad mom.

• The five parts of emotional intelligence and how they work together

We break down self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills—and why emotional regulation doesn’t exist in a vacuum.

• How stress and overload shrink your capacity

When you’re running on fumes, your reactions aren’t about “that one moment”—they’re about everything that came before it.

• What emotional awareness looks like in real life

From noticing where emotions live in your body to naming them without judgment, this is about practical, usable parenting advice.

• How self-compassion reduces mom burnout and emotional reactivity

Self-criticism fuels emotional overload. Compassion helps interrupt the shame spiral so you can repair and reconnect.

Resources Shared

Join the No Guilt Mom Circle

No Guilt Mom Podcast Episode with Dr. Kristen Neff

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you’ve ever told yourself, “Other moms handle this better than I do,” this episode is for you.

So many moms feel overwhelmed—and then feel ashamed for feeling overwhelmed. Like if we were more organized, more disciplined, or better at self-care, we wouldn’t be so on edge all the time.

But what if overwhelm isn’t a personal failure?

In this episode of the No Guilt Mom Podcast, I’m joined by neuroscience-based coach Emelia Ferreira to talk about what actually happens to a woman’s brain during motherhood—and why telling yourself to “just calm down” doesn’t work. We unpack how motherhood rewires your brain for survival, how overwhelm becomes conditioned over time, and why so many traditional parenting and self-care strategies miss the mark for moms.

This conversation is validating, eye-opening, and deeply reassuring—especially if you’ve ever wondered what’s wrong with you.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

1. Why motherhood changes your brain—and why that’s not a bad thing

Your brain becomes more specialized and hypervigilant after having a baby. That constant mental load? It’s not a flaw. It’s your nervous system doing exactly what it was designed to do.

2. How overwhelm becomes “normal” for moms

Without the community support mothers once had, our brains stay stuck in survival mode—while parenting, working, managing households, and carrying emotional labor.

3. Why overwhelm isn’t a mindset problem

You can’t think your way out of something that’s physiological. This is why self-care alone and willpower-based parenting strategies often fall short.

4. The connection between guilt, shame, and mom overwhelm

That guilt you feel when you rest or step back? It’s wired into a protective system meant to keep your child safe—not a sign you’re doing motherhood wrong.

5. One small, realistic way to support your mom brain

Emelia shares a simple breath-and-body-based practice that helps override overwhelm without adding another thing to your to-do lis

Resources Mentioned

• Emilia Ferreira’s neuroscience-based guide
• Learn more about No Guilt Mom Circle—where overwhelmed moms get parenting support that reduces burnout, not adds to it

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you’ve ever felt like your kids’ struggles mean you’re failing as a mom, this episode is for you.

Somewhere along the way, parenting pressure landed squarely on moms’ shoulders—manage their emotions, fix their behavior, keep everyone happy—and it’s left so many overwhelmed moms exhausted, resentful, and burned out. And here’s the truth I want you to hear clearly: that pressure was placed in the wrong spot.

In this episode, I’m sharing why the best mom is a happy mom—not because kids should always be happy, but because you are the environment your kids grow in. When moms focus inward on what they need, instead of trying to fix everything around them, guilt starts to loosen its grip and relief takes its place.

This isn’t about adding more to your plate.

It’s about taking weight off.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

1. Why modern parenting advice quietly trains moms to ignore themselves

So much advice focuses on fixing kids instead of supporting moms—and that mindset is a fast track to mom burnout.

2. How rest became something moms feel they have to “earn”

If you struggle to relax because there’s always more to do, you’re not broken. You’ve been conditioned to believe rest is optional instead of necessary.

3. What actually changes when moms focus on their own happiness

When you stop chasing perfection and start honoring what you want, parenting doesn’t fall apart—it gets steadier.

4. Why resentment is information, not failure

That frustration you feel? It’s a signal that something needs to shift—not proof you’re a bad mom.

5. How modeling boundaries teaches kids lifelong emotional skills

When you advocate for your own needs, you’re showing your kids how to do the same someday.

Resources Mentioned

The Best Mom Is a Happy Mom (NEW book 🎉)

Available now on Amazon — Kindle version is 99¢ for a limited time.

No Guilt Mom Circle

A supportive community for moms who want less burnout and more balance (plus our upcoming book club!).

The Women 360

Networking organization for entrepreneur moms

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you’ve ever hung up the phone with your parents and felt instantly drained—like you just did a whole emotional shift—you’re not imagining it. For so many women, being a daughter isn’t just the visits, the calls, or the errands. It’s the invisible emotional labor: smoothing things over, managing tension, carrying worry, and trying to make sure everyone feels “okay.”

And when you’re also raising kids (especially teens), working, and trying to hold yourself together… that daughter role can quietly become another full-time job.

In this episode of the No Guilt Mom Podcast, I’m talking with Dr. Allison Alford—communication scholar, professor at Baylor University, and author of Good Daughtering—about why adult daughters carry so much guilt, how burnout builds over time, and how to set boundaries that protect your life without feeling like rejection.

Resources Mentioned

Pre-order Good Daughtering: The Work You’ve Always Done, the Credit You’ve Never Gotten, and How to Finally Feel Like Enough

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There’s a specific kind of self-doubt that hits differently—the kind that comes from your own child.

Maybe it’s an offhand comment. Maybe it’s eye-rolling. Maybe it’s them saying the thing you were already secretly afraid of. And suddenly, something you felt excited about feels shaky, embarrassing, or even selfish.

In today’s episode of the No Guilt Mom Podcast, I’m sharing a real-life coaching session with one of our Inner Circle members. You’ll hear what coaching actually sounds like and, more importantly, what happens when a mom is brave enough to try something new… and her child’s reaction triggers every old fear.

If you’ve ever felt afraid to put yourself out there, worried about being judged, or questioned your confidence as a mom, this episode is for you.

What We Talk About in This Episode

1. Why your child’s words can hit your deepest insecurities

When your child says what you were already thinking, it can feel like proof that your fears are true—even when they’re not.

2. How fear of embarrassment keeps moms stuck

We unpack how people pleasing, perfectionism, and fear of judgment show up when moms try something new.

3. The difference between being inexperienced and being incapable

Just because you’re new doesn’t mean you’re bad at it—and this distinction matters more than you think.

4. How confidence is built through connection, not perfection

You’ll hear how small moments of human connection can dissolve overthinking and self-doubt.

5. What happens when you model courage for your kids

Trying something scary doesn’t just change you—it shows your kids what self-trust looks like in real life.

Resources Shared

Join the No Guilt Mom Inner Circle

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you’ve been telling yourself lately, Why can’t I just stick with anything?—I want you to take a breath right now.

Because this episode is for the mom who is exhausted, overwhelmed, and quietly blaming herself for not following through… especially in January, when the pressure to do better feels relentless.

Here’s what I want you to hear clearly: this is not a motivation problem, and it’s not a willpower problem either.

If you’re dealing with mom burnout, the issue is almost always your environment—not your character.

In this episode, I break down why parenting motivation feels so hard right now, how willpower is getting unfairly blamed, and what actually helps moms move forward without more pressure or guilt.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why willpower fails moms—especially burned-out moms

  If discipline were the problem, you’d already have this figured out. You use willpower all day long for everyone else.

• How mom burnout drains your ability to “follow through”

  Emotional regulation, decision-making, interruptions—it all adds up, and your energy doesn’t magically replenish at night.

• The real reason habits stick (or don’t)

  Habits succeed when friction is low and fail when friction is high—and that has everything to do with your environment.

• How changing your environment creates parenting motivation

  Support, accountability, and fewer barriers matter more than pushing yourself harder.

• Why support works better than pressure

  Pressure says try harder. Support asks, What’s in your way—and how can we remove it?

Next Steps & Support

If this episode hit close to home and you’re realizing, Oh… I don’t need more willpower—I need more support, I want you to know you don’t have to do this alone.

💛 Join us inside the No Guilt Mom Circle

This is where moms get real parenting support, coaching, accountability, and connection—without shame or hustle culture.

Membership is just $19/month, and you can join anytime.

📩 DM me on Instagram

Come tell me what’s getting in your way right now. I truly mean this.

I’m at @noguiltmom, and I’d love to hear from you.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices