Ambitious and Balanced Working Moms

Hosted by Rebecca Olson

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Episodes

282

Latest episode

Jun 2026

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About the show

This is a show for working moms who want to balance their ambitious career goals with their life as a mom. Being a career driven woman is hard and confusing after having kids but each week, Certified Professional Life Coach Rebecca Olson will share bite-size stories, tips and strategies to help you regain your confidence, make decisions you trust and create a positive mindset that supports the ambitious life you want to live. Drawing on seven years of coaching ambitious working mom in finding work/life balance as well as her own journey as the breadwinner of a family of 4, Rebecca will teach you how to be both successful at work and present with your family. If you never want to choose between your career and being a great mom, you’ll find the answers and support right here. Learn more at rebeccaolsoncoaching.com.

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60 recent

June 15, 202649 min

There's Gotta Be Another Way: One Mom's Journey Out of Overwhelm (with Tania Deshpande)

For years, Tania believed success meant grinding harder, working longer, and constantly proving her worth. As a working mom in Silicon Valley, she was exhausted, overwhelmed, and stuck in a cycle of perfectionism, guilt, and never feeling like she was doing enough. In this conversation, she shares the mindset shifts, practical tools, and surprising breakthroughs that helped her create a completely different way of living, one where ambition and balance can actually coexist. If you've ever wondered whether there has to be a better way than constantly running on empty, this episode is for you. In this episode, we unpack: Why high-achieving women often tie their worth to productivity The hidden mindset patterns fueling burnout and overwhelm How redefining success changes everything The four types of time every working mom needs Practical tools for overcoming guilt, perfectionism, and negative self-talk Work with me: Ambitious & Balanced: www.rebeccaolsoncoaching.com/ambitiousandbalanced Book a Work-Life Balance Strategy Call: www.rebeccaolsoncoaching.com/ambitiousandbalanced-call Book Your Mental Load Reset Call Here (with free Quiz!): www.ambitiousandbalanced.com/strategy

June 8, 202616 min

Working mom guilt is keeping you stuck (and here’s what to do about it)

What if the guilt you've been carrying as a working mom isn't proof that you're failing... but a signal that you're unclear on what matters most? In this episode, I challenge the idea that mom guilt is just part of the job description and share why guilt often points to a lack of clarity around priorities, balance, and success. Through real client stories and practical examples, you'll learn how defining what truly matters to you can reduce guilt, increase confidence, and help you feel more in control of your life as a working mom. In this episode, we unpack: Why mom guilt is often a clarity problem, not a parenting problem The hidden connection between guilt and your beliefs about "having it all" How defining your version of balance changes daily decision-making Allison's story of moving from chronic guilt to confidence and calm Practical ways to feel empowered instead of constantly second-guessing yourself Work with me:Ambitious & Balanced: www.rebeccaolsoncoaching.com/ambitiousandbalanced Book a Work-Life Balance Strategy Call: www.rebeccaolsoncoaching.com/ambitiousandbalanced-call Book Your Mental Load Reset Call Here (with free Quiz!): www.ambitiousandbalanced.com/strategy Links and References:Listen to Kelly’s story: www.rebeccaolsoncoaching.com/279 Listen to Allison’s story:www.rebeccaolsoncoaching.com/280

June 1, 202640 min

A Working Mom’s Breakthrough About Work-Life Balance (with Allison Costelow)

My client Allison shares the moment she realized she’d been living by expectations she never consciously chose, and how redefining balance on her own terms changed everything. In this conversation, we talk about the pressure ambitious working moms carry, the invisible mental load, the myth of the “magic button,” and the surprisingly simple shifts that finally helped her feel calmer, more present, and back in control of her life.In this episode, we unpack: Why “work-life balance” feels impossible when you never define what it actually means to you The hidden expectations ambitious moms are unconsciously trying to live up to How small planning tools created more calm, presence, and control The mindset shift that helped Allison stop feeling like a slave to her schedule Why investing in yourself isn’t selfish — it’s necessary for real change Work with me: Ambitious & Balanced: www.rebeccaolsoncoaching.com/ambitiousandbalanced Book a Work-Life Balance Strategy Call: www.rebeccaolsoncoaching.com/ambitiousandbalanced-call Book your Mental Load Reset Call here (with free Quiz!): www.ambitiousandbalanced.com/strategy

May 25, 202641 min

Forever Balance: The Principles Behind Sustainable Work-Life Balance (with Kelly Maher)

What if balance actually lasted? In this episode, I talk with my client Kelly, who once believed a promotion would cost her everything at home. Now she’s doing both—leading at work and feeling present with her kids—and the shift wasn’t doing more or lowering her standards. It was learning how to think differently. We break down “forever balance” and why most women feel like they’re starting over every time life gets busy. In this episode, we unpack: What “forever balance” actually means (and why most women never experience it) Why balance isn’t about doing less or lowering expectations The power of clarity—what really matters vs. what you’ve been told should matter How to stop living reactively and start making intentional decisions The simple daily practices that make balance sustainableWork with me: Ambitious & Balanced: www.rebeccaolsoncoaching.com/ambitiousandbalanced Book your Break Free From Stress Strategy Call (with free Quiz!): www.ambitiousandbalanced.com/break-free-from-stress

May 18, 202618 min

Working Mom Burnout: Why Summer Is the Breaking Point (And How to Stop It Before It Starts)

Summer can feel like a pressure cooker for working moms. The camps, the childcare scramble, the disrupted routines, the pressure to make magical memories, the guilt of being behind at work while also feeling like you’re not fully present at home — it’s a lot. In this conversation, I’m sharing the real reason so many ambitious working moms burn out during the summer months and the one shift that helps you stop running yourself into the ground trying to do it all.In this episode, we unpack:Why summer creates a unique kind of burnout for working momsThe mental load behind camps, childcare, and “making memories”Why balance is not a destination — it’s an active practiceThe hidden danger of treating your own needs like an afterthoughtHow to reclaim control over your time, priorities, and energy this summerWork with me:Ambitious & Balanced:www.rebeccaolsoncoaching.com/ambitiousandbalancedBook your Break Free From Stress Strategy Call (with free Quiz!): www.ambitiousandbalanced.com/break-free-from-stressReferenced podcast episode on “If, Then Commitments”:https://youtu.be/Ib7LjGFtybM?si=XxYQ238eonZ1dJ5F

May 11, 202621 min

Work-Life Balance in the Middle of Uncertainty: Navigating AI Job Loss as a Working Mom

What happens when the career you worked so hard to build suddenly feels uncertain? In this episode, I’m talking about the fear, overwhelm, and identity spiral so many working moms are experiencing right now as AI rapidly changes industries and job security. But instead of teaching you how to “hold on tighter,” I’m walking you through how to stay grounded, calm, and strategic in the middle of uncertainty. I share my own experience leaving the safety of a paycheck to start my coaching business, the mindset shift that changed everything for me, and the exact three things you actually can control when life feels wildly unpredictable. In this episode, we unpack:Why uncertainty itself is not what creates overwhelm How AI disruption is uniquely impacting women in leadership and tech The dangerous trap of trying to control the uncontrollable The 3 things you always have control over in uncertain seasons Practical tools to regulate your nervous system and stay grounded Work with me:Ambitious & Balanced: www.rebeccaolsoncoaching.com/ambitiousandbalanced Book your Break Free From Stress Strategy Call (with free Quiz!): www.ambitiousandbalanced.com/break-free-from-stress Download the free Daily Kickstart: www.ambitiousandbalanced.com/daily-kickstart

May 4, 202619 min

Why You're Not Procrastinating (And What's Actually Holding You Back)

You’re not procrastinating… you’re protecting something.In this episode, I walk you through the difference between procrastination and resistance, and how what feels like avoidance is actually your brain protecting your identity. Once you understand that, everything shifts. I’ll show you how to move through that resistance without waiting for confidence and how to finally take action on the things that matter most. In this episode, we unpack: The real difference between procrastination and resistance Why resistance shows up when your identity feels at risk The truth about confidence (and why you don’t need it to act) Alternative “fuel sources” to move forward—like purpose, anger, love, and community The power of a simple 5% move to break through the resistance wall Work with me: Ambitious & Balanced: www.rebeccaolsoncoaching.com/ambitiousandbalanced Book your Break Free From Stress Strategy Call (with free Quiz!): www.ambitiousandbalanced.com/break-free-from-stress

April 27, 202623 min

Feeling Guilty for Loving Your Job? A Must-Listen for Working Moms

You love your job… and feel guilty about it? Let’s talk about that. I recorded this episode years ago, but after so many recent conversations with working moms, I realized this truth hasn’t changed: sometimes the guilt isn’t about leaving your kids…it’s about loving your work. In this episode, I unpack why that doesn’t make you a bad mom, what’s really driving that guilt, and how to start thinking differently so you can actually enjoy both your career and your life at home - without constantly second-guessing yourself. In this episode, we unpack: Why guilt isn’t about time—it’s about what you believe is “right” or “wrong” The difference between traditional mom guilt and guilt from enjoying your career Why work often feels more rewarding (and why that’s completely normal) Four powerful reasons it’s okay to love your job—even more than motherhood sometimes Practical mindset shifts and journaling exercises to release guilt for good Work with me: Ambitious & Balanced: www.rebeccaolsoncoaching.com/ambitiousandbalanced Download the Daily Kickstart: www.ambitiousandbalanced.com/daily-kickstart References: Listen to Freedom from mom-guilt in 3 steps: www.rebeccaolsoncoaching.com/16 Study ref: https://www.techtimes.com/articles/64911/20150704/working-moms-now-more-socially-acceptable-says-study.htm

April 20, 202614 min

Still Overwhelmed as a Working Mom? Why It’s Not Getting Easier (And What to Do Instead)

I’ve been thinking a lot about those seasons in motherhood and work where things just feel hard… longer than you expected. In this episode, I’m sharing why the belief that “it’ll get easier later” is actually what’s keeping you stuck, and how shifting out of that waiting mindset can completely change how you show up today. This is one of those perspective shifts that sounds simple, but once you see it, you can’t unsee it. In this episode, we unpack:The hidden trap of “if-then” thinking that keeps you stuck Why waiting for the next season steals your sense of control The one powerful question that instantly shifts you into action Real client examples of choosing agency instead of waiting How to create balance now—not later Work with me:Learn More About Ambitious & Balanced: www.rebeccaolsoncoaching.com/ambitiousandbalanced Book your FREE Work-Life Balance Strategy Call: www.rebeccaolsoncoaching.com/ambitiousandbalanced-call {Free Download} The Daily Kickstart: www.ambitiousandbalanced.com/daily-kickstart

April 13, 202643 min

How to Stop People Pleasing as a Working Mom (with Michelle Gauthier)

Have you ever said yes… and instantly felt that pit in your stomach? In this conversation, I sit down with Michelle Gauthier to unpack how people pleasing quietly fuels overwhelm, steals your time, and keeps you stuck in a cycle of overcommitment. We get real about why ambitious women default to yes, how it impacts your success, and the simple “love and fit” tool that helps you finally make decisions that actually align with the life you want. If you’ve been feeling stretched thin, this one will hit home.In this episode, we unpack:Why people pleasing is at the root of overwhelm for so many working momsThe hidden cost of saying yes when you actually mean noA simple 2-question “love and fit” test to make aligned decisionsWhy saying no actually leads to more success, trust, and confidenceHow to stop over-apologizing and communicate with clarity and intentionWork with me:Ambitious & Balanced: www.rebeccaolsoncoaching.com/ambitiousandbalancedBook your Break Free From Stress Strategy Call (with free Quiz!): www.ambitiousandbalanced.com/break-free-from-stressConnect with Michelle:Freebie: Why Are You Feeling Overwhelmed Quiz: www.michellegauthier.com/home-1Instagram: www.instagram.com/michellegauthiercoachingPodcast: www.michellegauthier.com/podcast