Have you ever been told that work-life balance for women in STEM is a myth?
Do you want a meaningful science career and a rooted family life —but you worry that you’re “failing at both”?
Are you running low on time, energy, and sleep, trying to keep up with grant deadlines, conferences, and kids?
Do you wonder if negotiating career shifts, flexible jobs, STEM-adjacent roles, or maternity leave is proof you’re not a serious scientist?
Welcome to Science Careers for Moms — a TOP 2.5% GLOBALLY RANKED PODCAST for women in STEM who want a career path where they can thrive in science without sacrificing their family or personal wellbeing.
Hi! I’m Anokhi Kapasi, a PhD researcher and mom of two boys. I created this show because I know what it is like to feel torn between being a serious scientist and a present mom —and to realize that “trying harder” is not a strategy.
This show is different because it integrates career and life planning strategies designed specifically for science-minded moms in a work culture that was not built for caregivers. Every episode blends interviews with other scientists who have been where you are and career planning deep-dives where you will learn the answer to questions like:
🎯 Are there decision-making frameworks to help me navigate pivots, return-to-work, academia vs. industry…or to even know what the “next right move” is?
🎯 How do I set career goals that allow me to stay ambitious, connect with my family, and feel like myself again?
🎯 Is work–life balance for working moms in STEM actually possible, and what does it look like in practice?
🎯 Can I stay in science & tech without burnout, guilt, or losing sight of myself?
STEM-trained moms, I’ll teach you how to make confident career decisions that align with your whole life —not just professional development.
🎧 FOLLOW this show and never choose between being a good mom or a good scientist again!
🗣️ GUEST INTEREST FORM: https://calendly.com/anokhi-solveformom/guests-on-solve-for-mom
📩 QUESTIONS: hello@solveformom.com
🌐 VISIT: www.SolveForMom.com for more resources & information
Episodes
Friday Aug 15, 2025
Friday Aug 15, 2025
Hello Ambitious Mom!
Are you drowning in information but struggling to make it stick? Do you capture interesting ideas from podcasts, books, or meetings only to forget them when you actually need them? Perhaps you've tried taking notes during conversations but ended up unable to stay present in the moment?
As ambitious moms, we're constantly building our knowledge base, driven by our deep desire for personal growth and self-improvement. Yet the information overload we experience can make it difficult to capture and hold onto valuable knowledge.
In today's episode, I'm sharing how to transform your cluttered notes into a knowledge base that works for your busy mom life. You'll learn effective note-taking strategies that allow you to be present in the moment while still building your knowledge base for future use.
This episode is packed with practical solutions to help you maintain your intellectual identity while efficiently managing your precious time. Whether you're juggling corporate responsibilities with family life or simply want to reclaim mental space, these techniques will help you process information more effectively.
If you're ready to turn your cluttered notes into useful learning, hit play and together we can Achieve Your Ambitious Mom Life!
Episode Highlights
- (0:00): Listener question about taking notes
- (2:45): 📌 Ask me your question
- (3:15): Introduction to information processing challenges for busy moms
- (6:46): Versatile note-taking strategies for different situations
- (13:38): Building a personalized knowledge hub that works for you
- (15:31): Different knowledge management approaches (Second Brain, Atomic Notes, Zettelkasten)
- (18:56): Features of knowledge bases
- (21:30): How to actually apply what you learn
- (23:16): 📌 Get the twice monthly newsletter
- (23:44): Wrap-up & Recap
Links Mentioned in Episode:
⏮️ EP 62: How to Create an Information Management System for High-Achieving Moms [Community Question]
Free Resources
💌 Become an SFM Insider for FREE weekly tips, tools, and exclusives
✍🏻 The go-to blog for ambitious moms
📱Free Life Planning Quiz
Book your Free Exploratory call 📞 with Anokhi now!
📝 Free Template - Personal Code of Conduct
🌐 Visit solveformom.com for more information
// Create Balance Through Effective Knowledge Management //
Let's Connect!
👍🏽 Tap +Follow and never miss an episode. Leave me a 🤩 rating & review—your support helps other moms find the show!
➡️ Tag @solveformom on LinkedIn and Pinterest
// Life Planning Tools for Moms Who Want to Make a Difference //
Monday Aug 11, 2025
Monday Aug 11, 2025
Hello Wonderful Mom!
Are you're feeling out of touch or uncertain about your next professional step? If you’ve been a stay-at-home mom or had a career pause and now find yourself saying, "I've had time off from paid work and now I'm considering my options for going back," then you’ll want to hear today’s episode.
Many of us who have faced a major decision about going back to work have had to do so without much guidance. That’s why in today's episode, I share three powerful strategies to help you move forward with confidence so you can bridge the gap between your stay-at-home mom experience and your next career chapter. These practical power moves will transform your career pause into a strategic advantage, allowing you to create work that truly aligns with your life as a mom while showcasing all the valuable skills you've gained along the way.
This is a show about career planning after a pause that will help you reframe your SAHM experience into transferable skills, determine your ideal job parameters, and align your next professional role with your broader life vision.
If you're ready to find the perfect job that aligns with your mom life, hit play and together we can Achieve Your Ambitious Mom Life!
Episode Highlights
- (0:00): Teaser
- (2:18): Listener review
- (3:07): The career confidence gap many moms face after time away
- (8:49): Power Move #1: Identify your transferrable skills
- (12:49): Power Move #2: Select your job parameters
- (17:02): Power Move #3: Use your Life Plan to define your role
- (17:27): Create your Life Plan - 📞 Free Exploratory call
- (18:30): How to implement these strategies starting today
- (20:00): Recap
Links Mentioned in Episode:
🎯 Book your Free Exploratory call with Anokhi to create your custom life plan
➡️ Tag @solveformom on LinkedIn and Pinterest
Free Resources
💌 Become an SFM Insider for FREE weekly tips, tools, and exclusives
✍🏻 The go-to blog for ambitious moms
📱Free Life Planning Quiz
📝 Free Template - Personal Code of Conduct
🌐 Visit solveformom.com for more information
Let's Connect!
👍🏽 Tap +Follow and never miss an episode. Leave me a 🤩 rating & review—your support helps other moms find the show!
❓Questions? Leave me a message
// Life Planning Tools for Moms Who Want to Make a Difference //
Sunday Jun 29, 2025
Sunday Jun 29, 2025
Hello Goal-driven Mama!
Do you often feel like you don't have time for fitness? Are you torn between taking care of your family and yourself? Have you tried intense workout programs only to abandon them when life gets hectic?
So many high-achieving moms struggle with the same challenge – including me! We want to prioritize health without sacrificing precious family time.
In today's episode, I talk with Rachel DeSonier, a registered dietitian, certified personal trainer, and mom of 5 who specializes in helping women build confidence through simple, effective strength training routines. Rachel shares practical advice for moms who want to get stronger and feel better without spending hours at the gym.
Our conversation is full of topics that I was surprised to find were related to fitness:
- How to deprioritize
- Honesty & purpose
- Black & white thinking
- Being a steward of your body
- Boundaries
- Building huts
- Emotional eating
If you're ready to find a no-guilt, sustainable system to fitness that fits into your busy mom life, hit play and together we can Achieve Your Ambitious Mom Life!
Selected Quotable Moments
"I think that a really great way to have fantastic fitness - whether you need weight loss, you're wanting to get strong, or your wish to be more functional as you age - is to really start small and be really strategic with what you choose to implement.”
"The mindset shift that I take is making sure that what we say aligns with what our schedule goes to."
"All exercise is, is communicating what sort of adaptation you want your body to develop. Strength training signals to your body that we need bigger muscles to move this load next time."
Episode Highlights
- (0:00): Teaser
- (2:31): Greeting
- (4:09): Rachel shares the exciting trend of moms focusing on fitness for long-term health
- (6:02): Why the all-or-nothing approach fails most women and what to do instead
- (11:06): A mindset shift to prioritizing healthy habits & modeling for your family
- (12:48): Life planning is a simple system for aligning your core values
- (15:49): How to start small with strategic fitness implementations & adapting to challenges to build confidence and mental resilience
- (19:30): How strength training can be more time-efficient than other workouts
- (20:13): A holistic approach to health includes nutrition & meal planning to support strength training
- (21:20): How to tackle overwhelm related to individualized health goals
- (23:48): Wrap-up & Rachel's plan to create impact
Rachel’s Links Mentioned:
- 🎧 Podcast: Effective Weight Loss for Moms
- FB Group: Strength Training for Moms
- IG: @effectivefitnessforwomen
- 🏋️♀️ Downloadable freebie: No Fear Weight Room Tour
Connect with Anokhi:
👍🏽 Tap +Follow and never miss an episode. Leave me a 🤩 rating & review—your support helps other moms find the show!
💌 Become an SFM Insider for FREE weekly tips, tools, and exclusives
🎯 Balanced Mom Coaching Program
📱 Solve for Mom group on LinkedIn
❓ Questions? Email me at hello@solveformom.com
// Optimize Daily Decisions By Aligning Your Time to Your Values //
Friday May 23, 2025
Friday May 23, 2025
Hello Amazing Mama!
Do you keep saying "someday" to your dreams? Are you putting your personal goals on the back burner while helping everyone else with theirs? If you're tired of waiting for the "perfect moment" that never seems to come, you’ll want to listen in on today’s mini-episode!
Since "someday" isn't a real date on your calendar, I share why planning for a vague “later” can only get you so far and how it's actually stealing from your identity. I drop some truth bombs about the real reasons we procrastinate on our personal goals. I also provide practical strategies to take action without waiting to feel “ready.”
If you’re ready to transform those dreams into reality, hit play and together we can solve for Mom!
Episode Highlights
- (0:00): Introduction and exciting news about our new Friday mini-episodes
- (1:54): Understanding why we put our dreams on hold
- (2:26): Why the "one day" strategy doesn't work
- (2:37): 1. Overwhelm
- (3:06): 2. Perfectionism
- (3:53): 3. Fear & uncertainty
- (4:17): 4. Imposter syndrome
- (4:32): Sign-up for the free newsletter
- (4:50): 5. Procrastination
- (5:21): How to take action without waiting to feel "ready"
- (9:05): 🎯 Strategy sessions with Anokhi (start with a free exploratory call)
Resources Mentioned:
📞 Complimentary Exploratory Call
💌 Become an SFM Insider for FREE weekly tips, tools, and exclusives
Let’s Connect!
👍🏽 Tap +Follow and never miss an episode. Leave me a 🤩 rating & review—your support helps other moms find the show!
📱 Solve for Mom group on LinkedIn
❓ Questions? Email me at hello@solveformom.com
// Work-life balance for ambitious moms through purposeful planning //
Friday May 09, 2025
Friday May 09, 2025
Hello Amazing Mom!
Are you feeling stuck in a cycle of negative self-talk? Do you catch yourself saying "I'm too..." or "I'm not enough" more often than you'd like? Many moms struggle with balancing their external responsibilities while their internal dialogue remains unbalanced.
In today’s special Mother’s Day Bonus episode, I share a powerful mindset shift about balance that goes beyond just managing your schedule. Learn how your thoughts shape your actions and discover practical tips for rewiring your neural connections with more empowering messages.
If you're ready to transform your internal dialogue and create more balance in your life, hit play and together we can solve for Mom!
Episode Highlights
- (0:00): Teaser
- (0:59): Empowering thoughts to envision a balanced life
- (2:14): Feeling calm with a balanced mindset
- (4:11): Meaningful thoughts to improve mental well-being
- (5:25): How to re-balance rigid thinking
- (4:50): Subscribe to the SFM Newsletter
Resources Mentioned:
💌 Become an SFM Insider for FREE twice monthly tips, tools, and exclusives
📖 ”How to be a Healthy Gamer” by Alok Kanojia
Let’s Connect!
👍🏽 Tap +Follow and never miss an episode. Leave me a 🤩 rating & review—your support helps other moms find the show!
🎯 Balanced Mom Coaching Program
📱 Solve for Mom group on LinkedIn
❓ Questions? Email me at hello@solveformom.com
// Find Time By Aligning Daily Decisions to Your Values //
Sunday Apr 20, 2025
Sunday Apr 20, 2025
Hello Ambitious Mama!
Are you rushing through your days, feeling like you're just surviving instead of truly living? Maybe you've lost sight of what brings you joy amidst the constant demands of motherhood. Do you ever look at your life and think, "Is this all there is?"
I hear you. I know firsthand how it feels to have everything look perfect on paper - the loving family, the successful career - yet still feel like something's missing. I wanted to know that each day I was improving the quality of my family’s life and making an impact in my world, but instead I felt stuck with obligations and mundane tasks. Everything changed when I stopped waiting for life to happen and started intentionally designing it.
In today's episode, I'm sharing 5 essential strategies to help you to live a high-quality. If you’re ready to get back into the driver’s seat and set the quality standards in your life, hit play and together we can solve for Mom!
Episode Highlights
- (0:00): Teaser
- (2:39): SFM listener shout-out
- (6:31): Defining what a high quality of life is in mom life terms
- (8:16): 1. Freedom is the foundation of a high-quality life
- (11:03) 2. Reconnect with activities that light you up
- (15:15) 3. Make an impact through purposeful living
- (16:22) 4. Set standards that elevate your daily experience
- (18:30) 5. Experience the transformative power of slowing down
- (20:41): Re-cap
- (21:33): 🎯 Private coaching - create a high-quality mom life
Resources Mentioned:
⏮️ The relationship between planning and freedom
⏮️ A guide to rediscovering your passion and purpose as a mom
⏮️ Implementing minimalism to create peace in your mom life
Let’s Connect!
👍🏽 Tap +Follow and never miss an episode. Leave me a 🤩 rating & review—your support helps other moms find the show!
💌 Become an SFM Insider for FREE weekly tips, tools, and exclusives
📱 Solve for Mom group on LinkedIn
❓ Questions? Email me at hello@solveformom.com
// Science-based life planning to excel while prioritizing family time //
Sunday Mar 30, 2025
Sunday Mar 30, 2025
Hello Awesome Mom!
Do you sometimes look in the mirror and barely recognize the woman staring back at you? Maybe you're so consumed by daily mom duties that you can't remember what lit that spark inside you. Or perhaps you're caught in that endless cycle of diaper changes, meal prep, and bedtime routines, feeling more like a robot going through the motions than the vibrant person you know you can be.
In today's episode, we explore how to reconnect with your dreams and prioritize your individuality. This episode is especially for you if you're struggling to balance nurturing your family while reclaiming time for your own growth and joy.
Your past achievements are still part of your story - those talents and capabilities didn't disappear when you became a mother. I talk about how to overcome imposter syndrome, engage in self-discovery, and align your goals to your time & energy. I explain how life planning can be your personalized roadmap that helps you set goals with your deepest values. Creating goals isn't about adding more to your plate - it's about making intentional choices that honor both your role as a mom and your individual dreams.
If you’re ready to to get a proven path to reconnecting with that ambitious, hopeful part of yourself that’s been waiting to emerge, hit play and together we can Solve for Mom!
Episode Highlights
- (0:00): Teaser
- (03:01): Listener review
- (03:54): The difficulty moms face in setting meaningful goals
- (05: 10): Identity crisis in high-achieving moms
- (05:10): 1. Imposter syndrome - Your past achievements are part of your story
- (05:10): 2. Self-discovery - Reconnect with yourself
- (14:28): 3. Life planning - Finding your true dream
- (16:38): Free Life Planning Quiz
- (16:56): 4. Master your time
- (18:38): 5. Following your dreams using the Goal Journey Framework
- (20:35): Re-cap
Resources Mentioned:
🎯 Balanced Mom Coaching Program: Ready to rediscover what makes you YOU?
📝 Can life planning help you achieve your dreams? Take my Free Quiz
⏮️ 5 Mindset Secrets to Mastering Personal Growth Goals in Your Mom Life (Think Chemistry)
📖 Why moms are stepping down from work
Let’s Connect!
👍🏽 Tap +Follow and never miss an episode. Leave me a 🤩 rating & review—your support helps other moms find the show!
💌 Become an SFM Insider for FREE weekly tips, tools, and exclusives
📱 Solve for Mom group on LinkedIn
❓ Questions? Email me at hello@solveformom.com
// Science-based life planning to excel while prioritizing family time //
Sunday Mar 23, 2025
Sunday Mar 23, 2025
Hello Amazing Mama!
Imagine waking up knowing exactly what you need to do, how much time it will take, and having a clear path to get it all done. Planning is essential to simplify our overwhelming responsibilities and hectic schedules.
Do you find that it’s hard to create plans that work for your specific rhythm? Why don’t traditional planning methods work well for busy moms? If your day is in constant fluctuation - whether it be waves tiredness, unpredictable schedules, or too many moving parts - then you’ll want to listen in on how you can make any plan work for you!
In today's episode, I share 5 essential optimizations that can transform how you approach planning as a busy mom. I'll break down my clear method for customizing my plans to work with our chaotic mom lives.
If you’re ready to level up your planning game, hit play and together we can solve for Mom!
Episode Highlights
- (0:00) Teaser
- (02:48) The overwhelm of scattered days and lost productivity
- (04:19) Balanced Mom Coaching
- (07:10) Optimization #1: Planning for the Outcome
- (08:50) Optimization #2: Information Management
- (11:52) Optimization #3: Incorporating Your Environment
- (14:21) Optimization #4: Your Specific Time Needs
- (16:38) Optimization #5: Energy Considerations
- (19:30): Re-cap
Resources Mentioned:
🎯 Balanced Mom Coaching Program
EP 10: Why Planning is the Key to Time Freedom for Moms
EP 4: Working on a Home Project? Get it DONE While Focusing on Family Time [Part 2]
📖 Planning is a predictor of lower stress
Let’s Connect!
👍🏽 Tap +Follow and never miss an episode. Leave me a 🤩 rating & review—your support helps other moms find the show!
💌 Become an SFM Insider for FREE weekly tips, tools, and exclusives
📱 Connect on LinkedIn
❓ Questions? Email me at hello@solveformom.com
// Science-based life planning to excel while prioritizing family time //