Girls Night #306: How to Prepare Your Career for Motherhood with Jena Dunay

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Hey friend, welcome to Girls Night — a podcast for women who are figuring out what's next.  Whether you're focused on career, dating, getting married, having kids, or honestly just trying to figure out your life right now — this show gives you expert guidance and practical next steps to create a life you genuinely love, not one someone else thinks you should live. I'm Stephanie May Wilson — 9x author, TEDx speaker, and your host here at girls night and in each episode, we tackle the questions that keep so many of us up at 2 AM — like what to say when people ask invasive questions about your life choices, how to stop comparing your timeline to everyone else's, and most importantly, how to figure out what you actually want and what your next right step is to get there. As we’re trying to figure out our lives, you might find yourself running into some obstacles and wondering, “Is this normal?” Does everybody struggle with this or am I the only one?” Or maybe like me, you've had several friends receive ADHD diagnoses recently, and you're wondering,”What about me? Am I neurotypical? Or are there some things that are different and unique about my brain too?” Friend, in this episode you're going to hear from Greer Jones. Greer is the host of The Unfinished Idea podcast and a passionate advocate for neurodivergent families, helping others build lives that actually work for their unique brains.  I learned SO much from this conversation. I can’t wait for you to hear it.  Resources Mentioned: → "We Need to Talk" guide with scripts for 44 difficult conversations https://stephaniemaywilsonshop.com/products/we-need-to-talk-scripts-for-44-of-lifes-most-difficult-conversations → Love Your Single Life course for building confidence and navigating dating conversations https://stephaniemaywilson.com/SingleLife → Just Married course for newlyweds learning to navigate conflict and communication https://stephaniemaywilson.com/JustMarried → Becoming Mama course for advocating for yourself during pregnancy and early motherhood https://stephaniemaywilson.com/becomingmama → Create A Life You Love book https://stephaniemaywilson.com/create Connect with Girls Night: 🎧 New episodes every week: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/girls-night-with-stephanie-may-wilson/id1278993781 📱 Follow @SMayWilson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smaywilson/ 💌 Weekly newsletter with exclusive content https://stephaniemaywilson.com/email 🌐 Show notes and resources https://www.girlsnightpodcast.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you ever feel like everything on your to-do list is important? Like, genuinely important? And you want to do it all well, but you're also feeling completely overwhelmed and maybe a little burned out? If you just nodded your head, this episode is for you. I'm sitting down with my new friend Alexandra Kaval — who coaches ambitious women through exactly this struggle. And friends, this conversation is going to give you permission to think differently about your priorities and actually provide you with a roadmap for getting unstuck. We're talking about the big rocks method, why the things we get distracted by are never as important as the things we get distracted from - that's an Andy Stanley quote that will stick with you - and honestly, some pretty vulnerable stuff about how to rank the people in your life when you can't say yes to everyone. This is one of those conversations that's going to make you want to grab a notebook because Ali shares some really practical tools that you can start using today. So let's dive in. Resources Mentioned: → Join the email fam to receive instant access to our 15-minute coaching workshop → Apply for your complimentary clarity call for 1:1 coaching to live your most intentional, Christ-centered life both personally & professionally → Apply for Flourish - GSCC's Mastermind to grow your business, ground your faith, and cultivate community → "We Need to Talk" guide with scripts for 44 difficult conversations https://stephaniemaywilsonshop.com/products/we-need-to-talk-scripts-for-44-of-lifes-most-difficult-conversations → Love Your Single Life course for building confidence and navigating dating conversations https://stephaniemaywilson.com/SingleLife → Just Married course for newlyweds learning to navigate conflict and communication https://stephaniemaywilson.com/JustMarried → Becoming Mama course for advocating for yourself during pregnancy and early motherhood https://stephaniemaywilson.com/becomingmama → Create A Life You Love book https://stephaniemaywilson.com/create Connect with Girls Night: 🎧 New episodes every week: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/girls-night-with-stephanie-may-wilson/id1278993781 📱 Follow @SMayWilson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smaywilson/ 💌 Weekly newsletter with exclusive content https://stephaniemaywilson.com/email 🌐 Show notes and resources https://www.girlsnightpodcast.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever wonder how happy couples actually divide up household tasks without constant arguments? In this candid conversation, Stephanie sits down with her husband Carl to reveal the ONE thing that transformed their marriage: figuring out who does what around the house. After 11 years of marriage, they've cracked the code on avoiding resentment, eliminating daily arguments about chores, and creating a system that actually works. They share their real-life examples (including Carl's Marie Kondo folding methods vs. Stephanie's "bomb went off" approach), how they handle disagreements, and why clarity is the secret to feeling seen and appreciated. Whether you're newlyweds, engaged, or just tired of fighting about the dishwasher, this episode gives you practical tools to create your own system that works for YOUR relationship. What You'll Learn: How to inventory and assign household tasks fairly Why traditional gender roles don't have to dictate your marriage Real examples of how Carl and Stephanie divide everything from laundry to meal planning How to handle tasks you both hate (hint: outsourcing isn't just for the wealthy) The importance of acknowledging and appreciating each other's contributions Resources Mentioned: Fair Play by Eve Rodsky: [Book Link] Eve Rodsky's Girls Night Interview: [Episode Link] Just Married Course: stephaniemaywilson.com/justmarried Household Tasks Spreadsheet (available to Just Married and Becoming Mama students) Connect with Stephanie: Instagram: @SMayWilson Website: stephaniemaywilson.com Email: [email protected] If this episode helped you, please leave a quick rating and review - it makes such a difference in helping other couples find these conversations! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever rehearsed a difficult conversation perfectly in the shower but completely froze when it came time to actually have it? Maybe you're avoiding setting a boundary with a friend, dreading the "where is this relationship going?" talk, or putting off asking for help when you're overwhelmed. If you've ever lost sleep over conversations you know you need to have but keep putting off, this episode is for you. This episode is for you if you've ever felt like everyone else got a manual for how to navigate conflict while you're just winging it, caught yourself saying "yes" when you wanted to say "no" because you didn't know how to set boundaries, or worried that speaking up about your needs would damage your relationships instead of strengthening them. In this episode of Girls Night, Stephanie breaks down exactly how to prepare for and navigate life's most difficult conversations. You'll get word-for-word scripts, practical strategies, and the confidence to finally have those talks you've been avoiding. What You'll Learn: Why your Everything Era makes difficult conversations both more important and more challenging The six-step framework for preparing for any hard conversation (so you never freeze up again) When you need to speak up versus when to let things go (the key indicators that will save you from unnecessary conflict) What happens when we avoid these conversations (spoiler: we end up living smaller lives) Word-for-word scripts for three of the most common difficult conversations women face How to anticipate pushback and respond thoughtfully instead of defensively Why people-pleasers and highly sensitive people actually have an advantage in these conversations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we're tackling something I know so many of you are dealing with as we head into summer family gathering season. Have you ever been at a family event when someone - let's call her Aunt Sharon - starts asking those pointed questions that somehow manage to hit every single insecurity you've been trying not to think about? You know the ones: 'So, are you seeing anyone special?' followed immediately by 'You're not getting any younger, you know.' Or maybe it's 'When are you giving me some grandchildren?' or 'Are you still doing that little blog thing?' Cue the internal screaming, right? Today we're diving into what I call 'The Aunt Sharon Effect' - why these well-meaning questions feel like such a gut punch, and most importantly, how to handle them with grace while protecting your own heart and mind. We'll cover practical scripts you can actually use, mindset shifts that will change everything, and how to walk away from these conversations feeling empowered instead of deflated. Because here's what I've learned: the way we handle these moments says so much about how confidently we're walking in our own authority. And building that confidence? That's exactly what we're going to work on today. Let's dive in! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever scrolled through Instagram seeing friend groups on vacation together, celebrating everything as a unit, and genuinely wondered, "How do they all live in the same city? How did they find each other? And how can I find my people?" Maybe you've moved somewhere new and you're still making small talk with acquaintances months later. Or you're tired of being the one who always has to reach out first, scheduling friend dates 30 days in advance like business meetings. If you've ever felt like everyone else has their tight-knit friend group figured out while you're still searching for yours, you're not alone. In this episode of Girls Night, Stephanie sits down with entrepreneur and community builder Liz Forkin Bohannon to talk about how to build the kind of intentional community we're all craving — even when you're starting from scratch. What You'll Learn: Why most Americans have friendship completely backwards (and the mindset shift that changes everything) The four pillars of building lasting community that actually work in real life Why you need to commit to consistency BEFORE you feel connected (not the other way around) The "look for the losers" strategy that's more effective than trying to break into existing friend groups How Liz went from knowing zero people in Portland to living next door to her best friends The practical steps they took to buy property together and create intentional community How to have difficult conversations that deepen trust instead of damaging relationships The science behind why friendship is literally a matter of life and death (the data will shock you) You'll relate to this episode if you've ever: felt like everyone else has their friend group figured out while you're still searching, moved somewhere new and struggled to build meaningful connections beyond small talk, or wondered if deep adult friendships are actually possible outside of college. We cover everything from why Americans live in isolation to practical steps for building community, from the loneliness of moving to a new city to creating support systems that last through every life stage. Stephanie shares about living nine minutes from her best friend in Spain and how it's revolutionizing her perspective on proximity and friendship. Liz vulnerably walks through her journey from complete isolation growing up to now sharing property with multiple families in Portland, proving that intentional community isn't just a dream — it's totally doable. Resources Mentioned: → Love Your Single Life course for navigating singleness with confidence https://stephaniemaywilson.com/single... → Just Married course for newlyweds building strong foundations https://stephaniemaywilson.com/justma... → Becoming Mama course for intentional motherhood preparation https://stephaniemaywilson.com/becomi... → Help finding (and affording!) a great therapist https://stephaniemaywilson.com/counse... Connect with Girls Night: 🎧 New episodes every week https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 📱 Follow Stephanie on Instagram   / smaywilson   📱 Follow Liz on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lizbohannon/?hl=en 💌 Weekly newsletter with exclusive content https://stephaniemaywilson.com/email 🌐 Show notes and resources https://www.girlsnightpodcast.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey friend! Welcome to Girls Night — your home as you navigate your Everything Era. I'm Stephanie May Wilson, and if you've ever had to excuse yourself to cry in a bathroom at someone else's celebration, this episode is for you. You know the feeling, right? You're genuinely happy for your friend who just got engaged, promoted, or pregnant — but there's this other part that feels like each piece of good news for someone else somehow makes your own dreams less likely to come true. If you've ever wondered how to be happy for friends when you're struggling with jealousy of friends' success, you're absolutely not alone. Today, I'm giving you a complete survival kit for celebrating friends' success when you're still waiting for your own good news. We'll talk about navigating wedding jealousy when you're single, baby shower jealousy when you're trying to conceive, and promotion parties when you're job searching. But first, let me tell you about the day before my husband Carl proposed to me, when one of my good friends got engaged — and I completely broke down at an Italian restaurant. Because here's what I learned that changed everything: just because someone else got something before you doesn't mean they got it instead of you. Your story is still being written, and someone else's timeline doesn't determine yours. So grab your coffee, put in those earbuds, and let's dive in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Girls Night! This podcast is for every woman in her Everything Era — that wild decade where we're making the most significant decisions of our lives all at once. Whether you're second-guessing a career move, questioning a relationship decision, or wondering if you're making the right choices about your future — you're in the perfect place. Today's episode is especially close to my heart because it's about something I see constantly in our community: why we keep second-guessing our best decisions and how understanding your emotional patterns can help you stop letting fear masquerade as wisdom. I'm sharing the story of the night before my family moved to Spain — when I was lying in bed having a complete panic attack about a decision I knew was right — and the breakthrough that changed how I navigate decision-making anxiety forever. If you've ever made a thoughtful choice only to immediately start doubting yourself when things got uncomfortable, this episode will give you the tools to trust your decisions even when they feel scary. You'll learn to distinguish between "this feels hard because it's wrong" and "this feels hard because it's new." Let's dive in! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey friend! Welcome to Girls Night! I'm beyond thrilled to share today's episode with you because I’m talking with my very best friend, Kelsey Bennett. Kelsey and I both took the leap and relocated our families to Spain just 10 months ago, and I'm so excited to dive into what our experience has been like navigating this significant life change. In this conversation, we'll explore the highs and lows of our journey so far, how we navigated the decision-making process, and what's on the horizon for both of our families. Fair warning, there were tears shed in this episode, but for a good reason! If you’re in the midst of working through a big decision in your own life and need encouragement for what to do next, then this conversation is for you.  Okay, let’s jump into my conversation with Kelsey!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices