53. What Does New Year, New You Even Mean?

If you've ever felt like you've gotten lost in your relationship or your stepfamily, today's conversation will resonate with you. My guest is relationship crisis coach, Jessica Frew. Jessica is an expert at helping her clients deal with betrayal - recognizing it and coming back from it, all while making sure to keep their sense of self.  About Jessica: Jessica Frew is a wife, ex-wife, mom, stepmom, and BOLD action taker. She has a successful podcast called “Husband in Law” that she records with her husband, Matt, and her ex-husband, Steve. Together they are sharing their stories of love, marriage, coming out, divorce, remarriage and co-parenting to help others know they are not alone. She owns The BOLD Logic, a company devoted to helping people figure out the “What NOW?!” after betrayal or having a partner come out. Jessica is a firm believer that by knowing and understanding what it is you really want in life you can BOLDly create a life you love, no matter what your circumstances. Jessica was once again a popular speaker at this year's Stepmom Summit. [and by the way, if you missed the Stepmom Summit last month, you can still grab an all-access pass HERE].  You can find Jessica: On Instagram: @heyjessicafrew On her podcast, husband-in-law On her website: theboldlogic.com Are you enjoying The Stepmom Diaries? If so, please consider rating and reviewing the show. It will help me reach more stepmoms just like you so they can get MORE out of stepmom life! It’s super easy – all you have to do is click HERE and scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “write a review.” Then just let me know what you like best!

Today’s guest is one of my favorite stepmom coaches. She's seen it all and her down-to-earth (and sometimes blunt, but in the best possible way) advice is always spot-on. And regardless of what you may be struggling with in your stepmom life, you'll get great advice from Anita in this episode. About Anita:  As a step-child, divorced mother, and step-mother Anita has been part of a step-family for most of her life. This gives her important insight into the varied and complex dynamics at play within step- and divorced families and brings her personal experience and years of mentoring along with graduate and post-graduate qualifications in psychology to her work. As a survivor of childhood trauma she understands the additional challenges being a trauma survivor adds to the step-family dynamic. Feelings of entitlement, not belonging, and negativity from other parties within the dynamic can all be triggering for trauma survivors. Having experienced a very high conflict custody situation and pathogenic parenting, Anita is well versed in how to maintain relationships with children who are experiencing pressure to reject the targeted parent and family. Anita operates from a narrative therapy perspective, believing that the stories we tell ourselves, the stories that are told about us, and the stories of those we interact with, are all key in determining how happy our relationships are. Anita is always one of our most popular speakers at the Stepmom Summit and this year was no exception. [and by the way, if you missed the Stepmom Summit last month, you can still grab an all-access pass HERE]. And Anita is the founder of the Institute of stepfamily dynamics. Anita was also the co-founder of Stepfamily Magazine, which Beth McDonough and I acquired from her last year.  You can find Anita: On Instagram: @stepfamilydynamics On her website: step-familydynamics.com  Are you enjoying The Stepmom Diaries? If so, please consider rating and reviewing the show. It will help me reach more stepmoms just like you so they can get MORE out of stepmom life! It’s super easy – all you have to do is click HERE and scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “write a review.” Then just let me know what you like best!

Today's guest is truly "radical." If you haven't listened to her podcast, you've probably seen her relatable, raw, and often funny stepmom posts on Instagram. It's a delight to get to chat with Christina Nelson of Radical Stepmoms about all the things. And Christina gives us a preview of her talk at the Stepmom Summit, the free 3-day event I host for stepmoms, which is THIS WEEK! If you haven't heard me talk about the summit, it's a live, online (did I mention free?) event for stepmoms. We've got 25 of the world's top experts in stepfamily issues talking about all. the. things. You'll walk away with actionable tips and advice that will help your stepmom life - today. Grab your free spot HERE.  About Christina:  Christina Nelson is a clinical social worker and therapist in Seattle, Washington. As a stepmom, mom and wife, she created the Radical Stepmoms Podcast and is committed to sharing the raw stepmom experience, letting others know they aren’t alone. Christina creates a space to support stepmoms and their partners, assisting them in getting unstuck and building the love and life they desire. You can find her:  On Instagram: @radicalstepmomspodcast On her website: radicalstepmomspodcast.com

Today we're kicking ass and taking names. Just kidding (kind of) - I'm actually having a discussion with one of the OG's in the online stepmom space, Jamie Scrimgeour, host of The Kickass Stepmom podcast. I always enjoy a chat with Jamie and we are talking about all. the. things.  Jamie is also a speaker at our third annual Stepmom Summit next week. The Stepmom Summit will feature presentations, live panels, and coaching with 25 of the world's top stepfamily experts. You can grab your FREE ticket to hear her speak HERE!  About Jamie: Jamie is wife, stepmom, and mom to four kids ranging in age from 8 to 20. When she first became a stepmom, she quickly realized that she was in over her head. Disappointed in the type of support available for stepmoms, she decided to create the type of support she was looking for. Now, Jamie is a top charting podcast host, digital creator and Life Coach with a Specialization in Stepfamily Dynamics and the internet's go to for stepmom support. Jamie’s loyal community of followers see her as the go to for parenting, lifestyle and personal growth content. Through her podcast, The KICK-ASS Stepmom Podcast and membership, The Exclusive Stepmom Community, Jamie’s goal is to inspire women to live their own version of a KICK-ASS Life, while bringing them along as she creates her own. Jamie is a Certified life Coach with a specialization in Stepfamily Dynamics. She has a BA Honors in Psychology, a post grad in Social Service Work, and prior to starting her digital platform, she enjoyed a career in Child Protection. Where You Can Find Jamie:  Her website: www.jamiescrimgeour.com Her podcast: www.jamiescrimgeour.com/podcast On Instagram and Facebook   At the 2023 Stepmom Summit - grab your ticket HERE! Are you enjoying The Stepmom Diaries? If so, please consider rating and reviewing the show. It will help me reach more stepmoms just like you so they can get MORE out of stepmom life! It’s super easy – all you have to do is click HERE and scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “write a review.” Then just let me know what you like best!

I’ve had some amazing podcast guests the last few months, and have even more coming up in the next few months - but I thought I’d take a beat and record a quick bonus episode for you to talk about some of the things going on in my world and some things I’ve been working on for you. It can be hard to find resources that apply to your specific stepmom situation. I've got access to so many resources that are helpful for stepmoms, so I wanted to highlight just a few that are coming up that you might enjoy. And the great part is that they range in price from free to kind of pricey so there are options no matter where you are in your journey and what is realistic for you.  Links Mentioned In This Episode The Stepmom Summit - happening April 20-22 with more than 25 of the top stepfamily experts in the world providing actionable tools and advice on every stepmom topic you can imagine. You can get your FREE ticket HERE. The Stepfamily Circle - a monthly membership that gives you regular access to group coaching, top experts, and resources to help you no matter what stage of stepfamily life you're in. Doors will re-open during the summit for the first time this year. You can get a free trial when you upgrade your summit ticket, or you can keep an eye out on my Insta April 20-22 for more info. The Stepmom Retreat - coming up in the fall, we'll take a small group of stepmoms to southern Utah for 3 days of wellness, fellowship, and coaching. It's going to be magical - you can learn more hop on the waitlist HERE so that you're the first to know when we open registration. Are you enjoying The Stepmom Diaries? If so, please consider rating and reviewing the show. It will help me reach more stepmoms just like you so they can get MORE out of stepmom life! It’s super easy – all you have to do is click HERE and scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “write a review.” Then just let me know what you like best!

Last episode, we had a great chat with Katie Davie about coparenting - and it's such an important topic, we're continuing the discussion this week. Coparenting, both in your household and with your partner's ex, can be loaded with stress. Today's guest, stepmom Mikki Gardner, talks about what "conscious parenting" is and how you can be more intentional in your relationship with your spouse - and their ex.  About Mikki Mikki Gardner is the host of the Co-Parenting With Confidence Podcast and a mom of 3 (her son and 2 bonus sons). After learning how to navigate life post divorce and using it as a catalyst to her own transformation, Mikki now helps moms move past the divorce drama to become calm, confident co-parents, even without their ex's participation.   Mikki has built a wonderful relationship with her ex’s new partner and created a blended family where they can vacation together and raise happy children. She is on a mission to help women navigate the emotional and practical difficulties of divorce and co-parenting while creating an intentional, joy and an ease-filled life after divorce.   Mikki has offered my listeners a free masterclass on conscious coparenting, which you can find HERE.    You Can Find Mikki on Instagram and on her website.    Are you enjoying The Stepmom Diaries? If so, please consider rating and reviewing the show. It will help me reach more stepmoms just like you so they can get MORE out of stepmom life! It’s super easy – all you have to do is click HERE and scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “write a review.” Then just let me know what you like best!

Supporting your spouse as they coparent with their ex can be one of the hardest parts of stepmom life. Today's guest, Katie Davie, has found a way to help coparents that doesn’t require the high conflict coparent to even be a part of the process. She founded Coparenting Peacefully in 2021, where she helps coparents, biological parents, and stepparents become the best versions of themselves - and protect their peace.  Katie has an undergraduate degree in psychology, has studied at the High Conflict Institute, and is a certified coach. Her ebook, Your Guide To Coparenting With Boundaries is available online - and you can access it HERE.  Katie also offers The Big Book of Boundaries and Scripts: 200+ scripts, which comes with advice around specific boundary areas, examples, and enforcements. You can access it HERE. You Can Find Katie on her website HERE and follow her on Instagram.  Are you enjoying The Stepmom Diaries? If so, please consider rating and reviewing the show. It will help me reach more stepmoms just like you so they can get MORE out of stepmom life! It’s super easy – all you have to do is click HERE and scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “write a review.” Then just let me know what you like best!

Have you ever wished stepmom life could just be easier? This week’s guest is going to tell us how you can “let it be easy.”  A few weeks ago in Episode 56, I got to chat with one of my business mentors, Amy Porterfield, about her stepmom life and this week I'm talking to one of my other business mentors (and really one of my favorite people around), Susie Moore, who's got some amazing lessons around mindset.  Susie grew up living on welfare in a variety of women’s shelters, often on the run from her abusive, alcoholic, drug-addicted father. Getting approval from others - because she picked the right jeans or got the right haircut - gave her the illusion of safety and love, but she quickly realized those were “approval traps’ and began watching and studying what truly self-assured people were like. She started work as a receptionist, worked her way up to being a top sales director at a Silicon Valley startup, and today, Susie Moore is a life coach and advice columnist for some of the world’s biggest media outlets. Her work has been featured on the Today show, Oprah, Business Insider, CNN, Forbes, Time Inc, Entrepreneur, Marie Claire, and the Huffington Post. Her insights have been shared by celebrities and thought leaders including Arianna Huffington, Paulo Coelho, Kris Jenner, and Sara Blakely.  Her first book What if It Does Work Out? was named by Entrepreneur as one of the 8 Business Books Entrepreneurs Must Read to Dominate Their Industry and her second book, Stop Checking Your Likes debuted as an Amazon bestseller in April 2020. Her most recent book, Let It Be Easy: Simple Ways To Stop Stressing And Start Living, was published in 2021. And of course, Susie has been a mentor of mine for a few years now and I just adore her. She is like a ball of sunshine everywhere she goes - and it’s not because she lives in Miami. Her motto, to always "let it be easy" has given her the best outlook on life, which is what we're talking about in this episode.  Susie lives in Miami with her husband Heath and Yorkshire Terrier, Coconut.  You Can Find Susie on her website HERE and follow her on Instagram HERE.  Are you enjoying The Stepmom Diaries? If so, please consider rating and reviewing the show. It will help me reach more stepmoms just like you so they can get MORE out of stepmom life! It’s super easy – all you have to do is click HERE and scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “write a review.” Then just let me know what you like best!

In this episode, I'm bringing back my guest from Episode 27, Megan Hunter, to talk about high-conflict relationships. This is a topic that just can't be discussed enough and as CEO of the High Conflict Institute, Megan's expertise is unmatched.  About Megan: Megan Hunter, MBA, is co-founder and CEO of the High Conflict Institute and founder/publisher at Unhooked Books. Megan is a keynote speaker and trainer on high-conflict interactions and disputes, and conflict influencing. She is the author of several books and serves on several boards throughout her career. She is a mom of 3, stepmom of 5, nana of 4, and wife of the world's best husband. Resources Mentioned In This Episode The Stepmom Diaries Episode 27, A Conversation With Megan Hunter, CEO of the High Conflict Institute The Stepmom Summit - we're hosting our third annual Stepmom Summit next month and could not be more thrilled that Megan will return as a speaker. You can grab a spot on the waitlist HERE!  The BIFF Response® Template - Megan has provided a great free template to my listeners that will help you formulate a "BIFF" response when you're dealing with a high-conflict personality. You can download it HERE. Megan has written a number of helpful books related to high-conflict personalities, relationships, and coparenting. You can find them, and others, HERE.   Did you like this episode? If so, please consider rating and reviewing the show. It will help me reach more stepmoms just like you so they can get MORE out of stepmom life! It's super easy - all you have to do is click HERE and scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select "write a review." Then just let me know what you like best!

In this episode, we’re talking about something we haven’t tackled yet: relationships and marriage after 60. Settling down in your later years presents totally different blended family issues than what you face in your younger or midlife years.  There are 73 million people over the age of sixty in the United States, or twenty-two percent of the total population – and that number is only growing. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, by 2050, the number of people aged sixty-five to eighty-nine will double, while the number of Americans over the age of ninety is expected to quadruple. And while much has been written about the economic needs and impacts of this aging population, there's not much out there about the emotional lives of the age group.  My husband’s parents are in this demographic and they both got remarried the same summer we did. They had been divorced 16 years. And they both remarried the most wonderful people. I really hit the inlaw jackpot - and I’m not just saying that because they might listen to this!  But getting married after sixty - and in their case in their seventies - presented totally different blended family issues than what I faced when I married their son. They all had lived very full lives before they married. And they all had adult children - and while that certainly makes some things easier, it can present other issues that just weren’t top of mind for me and Craig. Which is what we're talking about in this episode. My guest, Nan Bauer-Maglin, is Professor Emerita at the City University of New York. She has published eight collections (six with coeditors) on topics such as stepfamilies, retirement, feminism, death, dying and choice, and older parenting. Her latest book is Gray Love: Stories About Dating and New Relationships After 60. In Gray Love, Nan and her co-editor, Daniel E. Hood, have compiled a series of essays that provide a fascinating first-hand glimpse into the love lives of older Americans as they face the twilight of their lives. Did you like this episode? If so, please consider rating and reviewing the show. It will help me reach more stepmoms just like you so they can get MORE out of stepmom life! It's super easy - all you have to do is click HERE and scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select "write a review." Then just let me know what you like best!