Sustainable CEO Mom: Productivity, Automation, AI and Marketing Strategies for Female Entrepreneurs + Service Providers (Formerly Moms Make Money Podcast)

Hosted by Jenny Suneson | Business Mentor and Visibility Strategist for Moms

Business Entrepreneurship Marketing Kids Family Parenting

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145

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Oct 2026

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About the show

Are you a mom who is looking to build a profitable service- based business in part time hours? Then you've come to the right place. Many moms feel like we need to sacrifice our careers for our children but I wholeheartedly believe that we can have a thriving business and family at the same time. In this podcast, we’re going to be diving into the ins and outs of running a business as a mom in part time hours including how to get visible without relying on social media, how to generate consistent leads in your service-based business, how to use automations to get more time back, and so much more. This podcast will answer questions such as: - How do I start a business as a mom? - How can I run my business with my children at home? - How can I grow my business without relying on social media? - How can I meet my income goals in part time hours? - How can I thrive in business as a service provider? - and many more! If you're ready to grow a profitable service-based business in 20 hours a week or less, then join us every Wednesday for new episodes of the Sustainable CEO Mom (formerly Moms Make Money Podcast) where you can expect simple and sustainable business, marketing, automation, and AI strategies for mom entrepreneurs.

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60 recent

November 4, 2026Episode 14415 min

144. The Year I Almost Quit

Send us Fan Mail There was a year I almost quit my business. Not the “rage clean the kitchen after a bad week” kind of quit. I mean actually applying for corporate jobs on Indeed. I was pregnant with my second baby, chasing a three-year-old, and staring at a client list with exactly two names on it. And the one thought on repeat in my head was, “Everyone else is thriving. It must be me.” Spoiler: it wasn’t me, and if you’re in that season right now, it probably isn’t you either. In this episode I’m sharing the story of the year I almost walked away, what was actually going wrong (hint: my business was standing on one leg), and the simple three-question check that tells you whether your “I want to quit” feeling means walk away or rebuild. Because those are two very different things, and most of us can’t tell them apart. What you’ll learn: Why wanting to quit isn’t a verdict. It’s a signal that your business setup isn’t working, not that you aren’t How a one-service, one-client-type, one-revenue-stream business can drop from a full roster to two clients without you doing anything “wrong” The 3 doors you face at the I-want-to-quit wall (quit, push through, or redesign), and why “push through” is the trap The 3 questions that show you which door is yours, including the one that exposes whether you have any margin at all How the year I almost quit became the year The Sustainable CEO Mom (and this podcast!) was born Your one-question assignment for this week: if your biggest client or income source disappeared tomorrow, what happens? Resources mentioned: Free 20-Hour Working Blueprint: momsmakemoneycollective.com/blueprint Next week’s episode: You Don’t Have a Discipline Problem, You Have a Design Problem The MOMentum Hub is a free community for mom entrepreneurs who want clarity, consistency, and momentum without burnout. Inside, you’ll find weekly momentum resets, short audios you can actually finish, simple prompts, and supportive conversations that fit real life. Join for free and build momentum one focused week at a time. Connect with Us: Instagram Website

October 28, 2026Episode 1435 min

143. How I Decide What Gets Cut From My Business Every Quarter

Send us Fan Mail Every quarter, I sit down with everything my business is doing (offers, content, systems, commitments) and ask one question: what needs to go? Not what should I add. What needs to go . Because businesses rarely fail from doing too little. They get bloated from doing too much, until your business turns into a museum of every decision you’ve ever made instead of a reflection of where you’re actually headed. In this quick episode, I’m walking you through the exact three questions I run everything through, and why Q4 is the most important quarter to do it. We’re also getting real about why cutting things is so hard. Spoiler: it’s not a logic problem. It’s guilt over time already spent, fear of admitting you were wrong, and sometimes a thing that’s tangled up with how you see yourself as a business owner. If you’ve been holding onto something that’s quietly draining your capacity, this one’s your permission slip. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why I run a “what needs to go” audit every quarter (and why Q4 matters most) How businesses get bloated with offers and commitments that made sense in a past season The 3 questions I use to decide what stays and what goes: Does this still serve where my business is going, or was it right for a past season? Is this costing more than it’s returning in time, energy, and mental load, not just money? If I were starting from scratch today, would I add this back? How the “starting from scratch” question cuts through sunk cost thinking fast The emotional side of cutting: guilt, fear, and identity Why resistance is usually a sign you’re making the right call, not the wrong one Resources mentioned: Take the CEO Mom Blueprint quiz: https://momsmakemoneycollective.com/ceo-mom-blueprint/ The MOMentum Hub is a free community for mom entrepreneurs who want clarity, consistency, and momentum without burnout. Inside, you’ll find weekly momentum resets, short audios you can actually finish, simple prompts, and supportive conversations that fit real life. Join for free and build momentum one focused week at a time. Connect with Us: Instagram Website

October 21, 2026Episode 1425 min

142. The Real Reason Your To-Do List Never Gets Shorter

Send us Fan Mail How many things on your to-do list right now were also on it a month ago? If the honest answer is “more than a few,” this one’s for you. And no, it’s not because you’re bad at time management. In this episode, I’m breaking down the two sneaky habits that keep your list growing every single week, even when you’re only working 20 hours on a good week. Spoiler: it’s not a time problem, it’s a filtering problem. You’re adding without subtracting, and you’re letting urgent tasks cut in line ahead of the important ones. Together, those two patterns mean your list never shrinks and the work that actually moves your business forward keeps sinking to the bottom. The good news? Two small shifts can fix it, and you can start using them this week. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why your to-do list is playing a game where the only rule is “add” How treating urgent like important quietly pushes your real priorities to next week (again) Why these two habits are extra dangerous together The “one in, one out” rule that keeps your list from growing out of control Why you should name your one important thing before you open email or Slack How to protect the work that won’t fight for your attention Resources mentioned: Grab the CEO Mom Blueprint: momsmakemoneycollective.com/quiz The MOMentum Hub is a free community for mom entrepreneurs who want clarity, consistency, and momentum without burnout. Inside, you’ll find weekly momentum resets, short audios you can actually finish, simple prompts, and supportive conversations that fit real life. Join for free and build momentum one focused week at a time. Connect with Us: Instagram Website

October 14, 2026Episode 1415 min

141. The Planning Mistake That's Costing You Your Q4

Send us Fan Mail It’s the second week of October and most business owners are mapping out Q4 like it’s a normal 13 weeks: same output goals, same launch cadence, same “I’ll just push through” energy they’ve had all year. Then Thanksgiving week hits, December disappears into school concerts and holiday shopping and suddenly you’re three weeks behind on a plan that was never realistic to begin with. In this episode, I’m breaking down the one Q4 planning mistake that leaves so many moms totally depleted by the end of the year (and why it sneakily feels like ambition). Instead of asking “what do I want to accomplish this quarter?”, you’ll learn to ask a better question: given my real capacity, what’s actually worth protecting? In this episode, you’ll learn: Why planning Q4 like it’s Q2 sets you up for a December scramble The real reasons everyone’s capacity drops in Q4 (your clients, your kids, and your energy) How to map your low-capacity weeks first and plan around them, not through them Why picking ONE priority beats juggling three to five this quarter How to batch in October so late-November and December content is already done The question to ask before you finalize your plan: “Am I planning for the quarter I actually have, or the one I wish I had?” How CEO Moms who plan this way get to be present for the holidays instead of keeping a laptop open in the other room Mentioned in this episode: The CEO Mom Blueprint, my free guide to figuring out where to focus first >> https://www.momsmakemoneycollective.com/ceo-mom-blueprint/ The MOMentum Hub is a free community for mom entrepreneurs who want clarity, consistency, and momentum without burnout. Inside, you’ll find weekly momentum resets, short audios you can actually finish, simple prompts, and supportive conversations that fit real life. Join for free and build momentum one focused week at a time. Connect with Us: Instagram Website

October 7, 2026Episode 1405 min

140. The Story You're Telling Yourself About Why You Can't Grow

Send us Fan Mail Quick game. How many of these have you said out loud, or thought quietly at 11 PM while scrolling a competitor's Instagram? "I need more hours." "I have to do everything myself." "I'm not ready yet." "Growth means sacrificing my family time." If you went four for four, you're in very good company. These stories keep moms stuck because they sound like wisdom and responsibility. Today I'm calling out all four and giving you the reframe for each one. You'll walk away knowing: Why growth is a design problem, not a time problem Why control isn't the same as quality, and what holding on really costs you Why "ready" is a feeling, not a checkpoint, and it shows up after you act Why growth vs. family time is a false trade-off, and what lasting businesses are built on instead I'm also sharing where each of these got me, including saying yes to growth in the middle of postpartum. They're stories, not facts. And the business on the other side of letting one go is closer than you think. Find your next step at https://momsmakemoneycollective.com/ceo-mom-blueprint/ The MOMentum Hub is a free community for mom entrepreneurs who want clarity, consistency, and momentum without burnout. Inside, you’ll find weekly momentum resets, short audios you can actually finish, simple prompts, and supportive conversations that fit real life. Join for free and build momentum one focused week at a time. Connect with Us: Instagram Website

September 30, 2026Episode 1395 min

139. The Idea I Almost Talked Myself Out Of

Send us Fan Mail I almost didn't do it. In this quick, honest episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on the imposter syndrome that nearly stopped me from building the Moms Made for More Summit, my new event for moms who want more for themselves beyond motherhood. It's outside my usual lane, and that "who are you to do this?" voice showed up disguised as totally reasonable strategy. If you're sitting on an idea, offer, or pivot you keep talking yourself out of, this one's for you. In this episode, you'll hear: Why imposter syndrome disguises itself as logical, "reasonable" business decisions The excuses I had lined up (and why they sounded so convincing) The one question that flipped my decision from "Am I qualified?" to "Am I going to let fear write the ending to my year?" Why the decision got simpler, even though it didn't get easier What it means to choose the bold thing over the safe thing before 2026 wraps up A first look at the Moms Made for More Summit and how to get on the waitlist Links mentioned: Join the Moms Made for More Summit waitlist: https://www.momsmadeformoresummit.com Tell me about the idea you almost talked yourself out of: DM me on Instagram @jenny.suneson The MOMentum Hub is a free community for mom entrepreneurs who want clarity, consistency, and momentum without burnout. Inside, you’ll find weekly momentum resets, short audios you can actually finish, simple prompts, and supportive conversations that fit real life. Join for free and build momentum one focused week at a time. Connect with Us: Instagram Website

September 23, 2026Episode 13811 min

138. The Holiday-Proof Business: 4 Systems to Set Up Before November

Send us Fan Mail Your business doesn't fall apart in December, it falls apart in October. You just don't feel it until you're answering client emails from your mother-in-law's kitchen while something burns in the oven. Every January we tell ourselves the same lie: "I just need to be more disciplined next year." Nope. You need to be less necessary. In this episode, Jenny breaks down the four systems (not habits, not mindset shifts) to build before November so your business keeps breathing while you're not touching it: The Revenue Runway — one thing that sells without a conversation, so money can come in while you're asleep The Buffer — the FAQ, out of office, and heads-up email that stop your inbox from running your holidays The Content Cushion — staying visible in December without staying online, so January doesn't start cold The Re-Entry Ramp — making your January decisions in October while you still have the energy and the data to make them well This one's for the service-based CEO Mom who wants an actual break this year, not a slightly-more-efficient version of working through it. Ready to build these instead of just nodding along? The CEO Mom Q4 Reset Cohort is open now at momsmakemoneycollective.com/q4-reset/ The MOMentum Hub is a free community for mom entrepreneurs who want clarity, consistency, and momentum without burnout. Inside, you’ll find weekly momentum resets, short audios you can actually finish, simple prompts, and supportive conversations that fit real life. Join for free and build momentum one focused week at a time. Connect with Us: Instagram Website

September 16, 2026Episode 13711 min

137. Behind the Scenes: How I'm Planning My Own Q4 in 20 Hours a Week

Send us Fan Mail Most Q4 plans don't fail because you got lazy in November. They fail because the plan was mathematically impossible in October. In this behind-the-scenes episode, I walk through my actual Q4 planning session, including the moment I realized I had mentally committed to 300 hours of plans with only 160 hours to spend. Instead of starting with goals, I started with my calendar and it changed everything I said yes to. I break down the exact 4-step framework I used to build a Q4 plan I actually believe I will finish: Count — how to find your real working hours (hint: it's way fewer than you think) Cut — the one question that makes prioritizing painless, even when everything feels important Commit — why picking one revenue driver beats juggling three Cushion — the counterintuitive reason you should never plan to 100% capacity Plus, why she moved her book launch to spring 2027, what "maintenance mode" actually means for a podcast, and why a smaller plan you finish beats a bigger plan you abandon by week six. If this episode makes you want to open your calendar right now, good. That's the whole point. Want to go deeper? Grab the free CEO Mom Q4 Reset private podcast series at q4reset.com and build your own Q4 plan in a week. The MOMentum Hub is a free community for mom entrepreneurs who want clarity, consistency, and momentum without burnout. Inside, you’ll find weekly momentum resets, short audios you can actually finish, simple prompts, and supportive conversations that fit real life. Join for free and build momentum one focused week at a time. Connect with Us: Instagram Website

September 9, 2026Episode 13612 min

136. What 90 Days of Focus Actually Changes

Send us Fan Mail You didn't fail your last 90-day goal because you lack discipline. You failed it because you tried to be five kinds of ambitious at once and five priorities split across a 20-hour work week means each one gets about four hours. That's not a launch. That's not a nurture sequence. That's not anything. In this episode, we break down why your quarterly plans keep falling apart and it's not a you problem. It's a design problem. I walk through the real math on why concentrating your hours on one thing beats spreading them across five, gives you full permission to drop what isn't working and maps out exactly what changes month by month once you commit to a single 90-day focus (including the rough part in month one nobody warns you about). In this episode: Why 20% progress on five things equals zero progress on anything The real math: 65 focused hours on one project vs. 13 hours each on five Why "I'll find the time" is a wish, not a plan Your permission slip to drop the platform, pause the offer, and stop polishing what already works The month-by-month breakdown of what actually happens when you focus The one question to ask yourself this week to lock in your Q4 focus Free resource: The CEO Mom Q4 Reset private podcast series at https://www.q4reset.com The MOMentum Hub is a free community for mom entrepreneurs who want clarity, consistency, and momentum without burnout. Inside, you’ll find weekly momentum resets, short audios you can actually finish, simple prompts, and supportive conversations that fit real life. Join for free and build momentum one focused week at a time. Connect with Us: Instagram Website

September 2, 2026Episode 13511 min

135. The Q4 Trap: Why Most CEO Moms Lose the Last Quarter Before It Even Starts

Send us Fan Mail By the time you sit down on October 1st with your fresh planner and your very ambitious color-coded plan, Q4 is already over. Not literally — structurally. The moms who have a great fourth quarter didn't have more discipline than you. They made a handful of decisions in August and September that you're about to make in November, when it's far too late for those decisions to do anything. This isn't a "get more disciplined for the last stretch" episode. It's a design problem, not a discipline problem and Jenny walks through the four Q4 traps that stack on top of each other every year, plus the three moves that fix all four in about 90 minutes this week. In this episode: Why September is actually the first month of Q4 and what happens to your revenue when you don't treat it that way The capacity math that turns 13 weeks into 8 (Halloween, Thanksgiving, winter break, and the flu week you don't get to schedule) Why year-end revenue panic is the most expensive revenue there is, and the better question to ask instead How to front-load your quarter so December stops feeling like a failure and starts feeling like the reward The Count → Cut → Commit process to build a Q4 plan against your real capacity, not the fantasy version Eight good weeks spent on the right thing will do more for your business than 13 frantic ones. Let's design this Q4 instead of surviving it. Grab free access to the CEO Mom Q4 Reset private podcast series at q4reset.com. The MOMentum Hub is a free community for mom entrepreneurs who want clarity, consistency, and momentum without burnout. Inside, you’ll find weekly momentum resets, short audios you can actually finish, simple prompts, and supportive conversations that fit real life. Join for free and build momentum one focused week at a time. Connect with Us: Instagram Website