Science Careers for Moms | Women in STEM, Work-Life Balance, Career Goals, Career Planning, Decision Making

EP 116: How To Pursue Career Goals in Science Without Mom Guilt | Work Life Balance Tips

If you’re a scientist and have been Googling how to stop mom guilt, this episode is for you.

You can stop feeling like you’re failing at work and home.

You’ll learn how to treat guilt as data (not a verdict) and turn it into a simple Mom Guilt Prevention Plan—so you can make clear decisions, protect family time, and stay on track in your STEM career.

Mom guilt spikes during STEM “ambition seasons.”

Grant deadlines. Paper revisions. Conference travel. Promotion cycles.

And suddenly it feels like you have to choose between: good mom vs good scientist.

This episode gives you a work-life balance framework that works inside real constraints—so you can keep moving forward without the guilt spiral.

These strategies won’t just help you “feel better.” They’ll help you:

• Preempt predictable cycles of high scientific workload with a prevention plan
• Reduce decision fatigue with clear standards (“what done looks like”)
• Teach you how to prioritize tasks and create a system of support at home & work
• Stay connected at home while you’re in a high-stakes work week

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MOM GUILT AS A WORKING MOM IN STEM - QUOTES

• “That's when it feels like you're starting to have to choose between being a good mom and making sure that people still see you as a legitimate scientist.”
• “But what if the guilt isn't more proof that you're actually doing something wrong, which is how it feels, right? What if that guilt is actually data?”

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EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• (0:00): Mom guilt spikes during “ambition seasons”
• (2:23): The bad mom / bad scientist spiral
• (6:52): Why STEM careers create predictable “ambition seasons” (deadlines, publications, travel for work)
• (10:17): Guilt is data you can use to make better decisions
• (13:24): Build your Mom Guilt Prevention Plan that works for women in STEM + Example (Planning a grant submission)
• (18:20): Using a Focus Funnel
• (23:27): Next step: Next step + resources

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NEXT STEP

➡️ Download the 2-Minute Reset for Scientist Moms and keep it handy for the week your plan starts collapsing → https://solveformom.com/reality-check

👍🏽 If this is your season, tap +Follow so you don’t miss future episodes

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KEEP LEARNING ON THIS TOPIC

• Time management & Focus Funnel  – ⏮️ EP 46: Challenging Schedule? 3 Simple Plans to Win Back Your Day | Time Management Tips for Ambitious Moms (Podcast)
• STEM culture thinking creating the mom vs. scientist trap – 📖 Work life balance for women in STEM: 6 myths (Blog)

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HELPING MOMS IN STEM

👩🏻‍🔬 Know a scientist/engineer/data/health-tech mom who’s in a deadline season? Send this episode to them.

🙋🏻‍♀️  Q&A: Record your science career-for-moms question in one click. I'll answer it on the show. Let me know if you want a shout-out!

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STAY CONNECTED

🤩 If this episode helped, please leave a review—it helps more women in STEM find this show in search.

💌 Grab my free Sci-Mom Says newsletter

🎙️Interested in a guest interview on Science Careers for Moms? → Apply Here

📫 E-mail hello@solveformom.com

🔬Connect with me on LinkedIn as a fellow PhD researcher & scientific consultant

🌐 Visit solveformom.com for more information and FREE resources

EP 115: Women in STEM: 6 Work‑Life Balance Traps Disguised as “Helpful” Advice

Women in STEM work‑life balance advice breaks down for one reason: it was built for someone without your constraints.

Yet every week can feel like a race—between meetings, pickups, bedtime, and the mental load… and you still end up at 10:30pm trying to “catch up,” feeling like you’re failing both.

But what if the reason you’re stuck isn’t because you’re doing it wrong… but because the “helpful” advice is based on myths that quietly push you into overcommitment and self‑blame?

In today’s episode, I’m walking you through 6 work‑life balance traps disguised as good advice—so you can make career decisions that protect your credibility and your family time, without burning out.

These are the exact reframes I use with high‑achieving moms in STEM—each one designed to bring clarity, sustainable systems, and a week that actually holds.

Let’s get into it.

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EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• (0:00): Teaser
• (2:26): Listener shout out
• (3:23): Why most “work‑life balance advice” collapses for moms in STEM
• (5:39): 6 false narratives that become invisible rules that narrow your options and decisions:
  • (6:10): Work-life balance
  • (8:06): STEM work culture
  • (10:49): Being called to both, career & motherhood
  • (13:56): Career stability
  • (16:01): Academia
  • (19:20): Credibility
• (21:49): Free companion resource: the 2‑Minute Reality Check + reset + AI prompt

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WHO THIS IS FOR

This is for you if you’re a high‑achieving mom in STEM who wants to stay ambitious—without sacrificing your health, your home, or your identity.

If you’ve ever thought: “moms still get punished at work for being the default caregiver”… you’re not imagining it.

And if it feels like “the whole system still assumes you can't be both a hands‑on parent and a serious professional”—this episode will help you stop personalizing a structural problem and start designing around real constraints.

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NEXT STEP

➡️ Download the Myth‑Buster Cheat Sheet and keep it handy for the week your plan starts collapsing.

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WORK-LIFE BALANCE MYTHS - QUOTABLE MOMENTS

• “It's actually the balance advice that you're being told up until now that's failing you.”
• “False narratives about work-life balance narrow your thinking because they prevent you from fully examining what all of your options are.”
• “Having clear boundaries protects your credibility more than over availability does”

KEEP LEARNING ON THIS TOPIC

• ⏮️ Work-life balance myth keeping moms in STEM stuck (Podcast)
• ⏮️ Personalized work-life balance for high-achieving moms (Podcast)
• Flexible job work arrangements - ⏮️ Part 1 and ⏮️ Part 2 (Podcast)

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HELPING MOMS IN STEM

🤩 If this episode helped, please leave a review—it helps more women in STEM find this show in search.

🙋🏻‍♀️  Q&A: Record your science career-for-moms question in one click. I'll answer it on the show. Let me know if you want a shout-out!

~

STAY CONNECTED

👍🏽 Tap +Follow and never miss an episode

💌 Grab my free Sci-Mom Says newsletter

🎙️Interested in a guest interview on Science Careers for Moms? → Apply Here

📫 E-mail hello@solveformom.com

🔬Connect with me on LinkedIn as a fellow PhD researcher & scientific consultant

EP 113: How to Get Unstuck as a Scientist When Motherhood Changes Everything | Life Planning 101

3 Self-Discovery Steps to Get Unstuck as a Scientist Mom

Work Life balance after motherhood can feel impossible when you’re pulled in two directions—trying to be a good mom and a good scientist at the same time. If you’ve ever felt like you’re never fully enough in either role, this episode is your reset.

In today’s episode, we’re getting honest about why so many moms in STEM feel stuck after motherhood changes everything…and the simple life planning and self-discovery framework that helps you choose a new identity, shift your beliefs, and finally take aligned action.

Hit play to learn how to feel like a whole, integrated woman (not split between “career you” and “mom you”).

Episode Highlights

• (0:00) The “stuck in a rut” feeling (and why it’s common for moms in science & tech)
• (2:38) The real problem: trying to force an old identity into a new life context
• (6:20) The 3-step solution to designing the identity you want
• (23:17) What changes when you choose to be your best self

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RESOURCES IN THIS EPISODE

• Personal Code of Conduct (Free Download): https://solveformom.com/personal-code
• 📚 ”Grit” by Angela Duckworth
• Identity Timeline Framework: https://solveformom.com/2025/3-powerful-ways-to-find-purpose-as-a-mom-beyond-the-daily-routine/

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HOW TO GET UNSTUCK - SHAREABLE QUOTES

• “So much changes once we become moms - and yet we still look at ourselves, expect from ourselves, and perform as if we are the same person we were before becoming moms.”
• “You're being pulled in so many different directions, and you're trying to have it all without a clear plan.”
• “Your identity drives your beliefs, your beliefs drive your actions, and your actions create your results.”

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WRITE A REVIEW

Learned something new? Leave a 🤩 rating & review—your words help other women in STEM choose this show!

 

MORE WAYS TO CONNECT

💌 Sci-Mom Says newsletter: https://solveformom.com/insider

🙋🏻‍♀️ Share your Mom-in-STEM story → https://calendly.com/anokhi-solveformom/guests-on-solve-for-mom

🔬Connect with me as a fellow biomedical researcher & consultant: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anokhikapasi/ 

 

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🌐 Visit solveformom.com for more information and FREE resources

📫 E-mail hello@solveformom.com

EP 112: Science Careers for Moms - TRAILER

Women in STEM: If you want to have both - a meaningful science career and a rooted family life —and you’re done feeling like you’re “failing at both”… this NEW SHOW is for you.

This is a short welcome episode where I’m introducing the new podcast name and focus: Science Careers for Moms.

If you’re a STEM-trained mom who wants to have both: a meaningful science career and a rooted family life (without burning out, second-guessing, or trying to do it all), you’re in the right place.

After listening, you’ll know:

• If this show is for you and what to do next
• The 3 outcomes you can expect from the show: STEM career planning clarity, Decision-making frameworks, and Systems to support work life balance
• How this show creates instant community with women in STEM who share insider stories and experts who offer solutions supporting scientist moms

You don’t need the perfect routine or more willpower—but you do need a framework that fits real constraints of a demanding career and realities of mom life…like maternity leave, childcare logistics when you travel to conferences, sick kid weeks, and grant review deadlines.

Let this show be your key to escaping the cultural trap that forces women in STEM to choose, so you can build a clear path to whole-life success.

 

SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW

👍🏽 Add Science Careers for Moms to your playlist

 

MOMS IN STEM - SHAREABLE QUOTES

• “The culture of science wasn’t built for caregivers.”
• “You should never have to choose between being a good mom and being a good scientist.”
• “Here’s what I learned: ‘trying harder’ can’t be your only strategy. That just leads to burnout, guilt, and living a very fragmented life.”

 

KEEP LEARNING ON THIS TOPIC

• What work-life balance is (& is not) – ⏮️ EP 108: Work-Life Balance Question: What Does “Being Aligned” Really Mean as a Scientist Mom? (Podcast)
• Career-life integration flips the script – ⏮️ EP 111: Design Your Life, Then Set Your Career Goals: Purpose-Driven Personal Growth for Moms in STEM (Podcast)

 

MORE WAYS TO CONNECT

💌 Sci-Mom Says newsletter: https://solveformom.com/insider

🙋🏻‍♀️ Want to be a guest → https://calendly.com/anokhi-solveformom/guests-on-solve-for-mom

🔬Connect with me on my personal LinkedIn as a fellow scientific researcher & consultant.

 

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🌐 Visit solveformom.com for more information and FREE resources

📫 E-mail hello@solveformom.com

EP 111: Design Your Life, Then Set Your Career Goals: Purpose-Driven Personal Growth for Moms in STEM

Life Planning vs. Goal Setting

Are you checking off goals but still thinking, "I'm constantly trying to juggle a million things at once, and I'm not doing any of them well"? Maybe you've hit milestones—passed exams, published papers, earned promotions—yet there's this quiet voice saying, "The things I want to be doing are not part of my life right now… I don't feel like myself."

If life planning for moms sounds like just another productivity hack, think again. This episode reveals why goal setting alone keeps high-achieving STEM moms stuck in the binary choice between career and family—and how designing your life, then setting your goals, creates the integrated, purposeful path you've been missing.

In today's episode, I share the critical difference between life planning and goal setting, why your pre-motherhood identity (intellectual rigor, contribution, mastery) doesn't have to conflict with the mom you want to be, and a simple three-step experiment to anchor your personal growth in a holistic life vision instead of random achievement.

This episode is for professionally-trained moms in science, tech, or PhD research who are tired of work-life balance feeling like a myth and purpose-driven personal growth feeling disconnected from daily reality.

You'll gain:

• Clarity on why your achievements don't restore your sense of identity
• A practical framework (Vision → Goals → Daily Decisions) that honors both ambition and caregiving
• A low-pressure mini-vision exercise you can start this week
• Permission to stop adding random goals and start designing a life where all parts of you finally fit together

If you're ready to move from randomly pursuing goals to a purposeful plan that actually feels like you, hit play so you can achieve your ambitious mom life!

→→→ I've created a free Alignment Audit specifically for moms in STEM who want to stop setting random goals and feeling disconnected and out of alignment to instead designing a life that actually fits who you are and who you’re becoming.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• (0:00): Why goal-setting might be keeping you stuck
• (2:15): New listener welcome!
• (3:00): How life planning honors both ambition and caregiving for STEM moms
• (4:50): Why goals in isolation leave high-achievers feeling disconnected
• (8:17): Life Planning vs. Goal Setting
• (12:48): Vision snapshot, Goals, Calendar
• (21:30): Wrap-Up & share your vision-driven goals

GOAL SETTING FOR WORKING MOMS - QUOTABLE MOMENTS

• "The main problem isn't that you don't have enough goals, it's that your goals aren't anchored to a clear integrated vision of your life."
• "Life planning connects where you are right now in life to that bigger vision and when you set goals, they become those concrete steps in your roadmap."
• "When you design your life first, your goals will finally have somewhere meaningful to land and that's when you're really creating a path for you to achieve your ambitious mom life."

KEEP LEARNING ON THIS TOPIC

• Converting your life plan into a personal development playbook - ⏮️ EP 24: Want to Be the Best Version of You? Must-Have Personal Growth Plan for Moms! (Podcast)
• Checklist to implement your life plan – ⏮️ EP 32: Your Ideas Are Not “Just a Hobby”: Life Planning Systems to Turn Your Purpose into Real Progress (Podcast)
• Getting intentional with your day – ⏮️ EP 65: Stop Living on Autopilot - Prioritize Your Life With Values-Driven Decision Making (Podcast)

I CAN’T WAIT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Leave me a 🤩 rating & review—your support helps other scientist moms find the show! (Scroll down the page > Click on ‘Write a Review’ in purple)

🙋🏻‍♀️ Question, episode idea, or feedback? Record a message in just one click!

💌 Grab my newsletter for twice-monthly tips, tools, and exclusives—so you can build a life that honors both your ambitions and your family

📫 E-mail hello@solveformom.com

FOLLOW ME

👍🏽 Tap +Follow and never miss an episode.

🌐 Visit solveformom.com for more information and FREE resources

➡️ Follow @solveformom on LinkedIn for life planning strategies that help you envision, plan, and take action on your big ideas while prioritizing family time.

🔬Connect with me on my personal LinkedIn as a fellow PhD researcher & scientific consultant.

📍Follow Solve for Mom on Pinterest for daily tips for moms in STEM to find balance one micro-step at a time.

EP 109: The Hidden Time Management Problem Sabotaging Work‑Life Balance for Moms in STEM

Time management for working moms in STEM shouldn't feel this hard. You get everything done—code compiles, data collected, manuscript revised—but at home? There's no clear finish line. Just that nagging feeling you could always do one more thing.

In today's episode, I'm breaking down a simple 4-part framework that will help you define "done" intentionally so you can stop overworking and start experiencing real balance. This isn't about lowering your standards—it's about reallocating excellence to the places that truly need it. This is about reclaiming closure at the end of your day without guilt, and creating space for rest, presence with your kids, and pursuing your big ideas.

Here's the truth: As a mom in STEM myself, I personally struggle with never feeling like I can move on from a task. I've also seen how defining "done" transforms everything for high-achieving moms who bring workplace perfectionism home.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why your STEM training makes "done" so hard at home – The mismatch between objective work standards and subjective home tasks creates paralysis (3:15)
• The 4-part framework for defining "done" – Purpose, good-enough outcome, "done for now," and shutdown rituals (12:30)
• How to reallocate excellence strategically – Stop applying research-grade standards to laundry and redirect that energy where it matters (9:45)

If you've been feeling exhausted but never caught up, constantly adding "one more thing," or struggling to feel like your day is actually complete, this episode will show you exactly where to start.

xoxo, Anokhi

PERFECTIONISM IN MOTHERHOOD - QUOTES

• "The finish line keeps moving, and your brain never gets to cross it."
• "You're going to be able to define done and reclaim your time and your energy for your dreams and not just for things that you feel are your duty or your obligations."

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• (0:00): Teaser
• (2:21): Ask me a question
• (2:49): Never feeling "done" at home
• (3:59): Work spills over into home life
• (5:06): There’s always one more thing to do
• (5:41): Over-engineering tasks
• (7:00): Why this problem surfaces for moms in science, tech, and phD research
• (11:39): Boundaries as a time management strategy
• (14:15): 4-step framework for defining “done”
• (24:37): Wrap-up & this week’s experiment

MORE ON TIME MANAGEMENT FOR WORKING MOMS

• Eliminate context-switching → ⏮️ EP 107: Fast Calendar Clean-Up to Remove 10% This Week (Podcast)
• Create time freedom → ⏮️ EP 71: Never Enough Time? 4 Time Management Rules That Multiply Your Time | Life Planning Skills for Ambitious Moms (Podcast)
• Uncover why you feel fragmented as a mom & scientist - 📞 Schedule an Alignment Audit and take your first step towards feeling whole again (Free Call)

I CAN’T WAIT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

🙋🏻‍♀️ Question, episode idea, or feedback? Record a message in just one click!

Leave me a 🤩 rating & review—your support helps other moms find the show!

💌 Grab my newsletter for twice-monthly tips, tools, and exclusives—so you can build a life that honors both your ambitions and your family

📫 E-mail hello@solveformom.com

FOLLOW ME

👍🏽 Tap +Follow and never miss an episode.

🌐 Visit solveformom.com for more information and FREE resources

➡️ Follow @solveformom on LinkedIn for life planning strategies that help you envision, plan, and take action on your big ideas while prioritizing family time.

🔬Connect with me on my personal LinkedIn as a fellow PhD researcher & scientific consultant.

📍Follow Solve for Mom on Pinterest for daily tips for moms in STEM to find balance one micro-step at a time.

EP 108: Work-Life Balance Question: What Does “Being Aligned” Really Mean as a Scientist Mom?

Work-life balance for working moms in STEM feels like constant juggling—lab deadlines, family responsibilities, career demands, and that nagging feeling you're failing at all of it.

And somehow you're still supposed to pursue meaningful work and be present with your family?

This episode is your clarity.

I'm walking you through what "being aligned" really means for scientist moms—not the vague Instagram version, but the concrete kind where your values, vision, and daily decisions all point in the same direction.

From the car tire metaphor that explains misalignment to three real-world examples you'll recognize (connection & family, meaningful work, health & wellbeing), these are the insights that will help you feel like yourself again, stop fighting against yourself, and actually create a life where career and motherhood fit together.

This episode is for you if:

• You feel unbalanced in your roles as a mom and a scientist
• You feel disconnected and lost from the successful side of yourself
• Your calendar is 100% work and logistics (but family connection matters most to you)
• You're tired of feeling like being a "good worker" and a "good mom" are incompatible

By the end of this episode, you'll understand that alignment isn't something you "get" once—it's a process you design through intentional life planning.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• (0:00): Teaser
• (1:54): Listener Review – "Enjoying this"
• (2:37): Living as a misaligned mom
• (4:37): What does "being aligned" really mean?
• (5:34): Signs you're in vs. out of alignment
• (7:03): Example 1 – Family time
• (9:09): Example 2 – Personal development
• (10:47): Example 3 – Health & wellbeing
• (12:02): Why alignment matters for STEM moms & how to get into alignment
• (14:06): Life planning as the tool for sustained alignment
• (15:44): Wrap-up

WANT TO GO DEEPER ON ALIGNMENT?

• Clarify your core values – ⏮️ EP 103: Are Core Values Different From Career or Family Values? (Podcast)
• Aligning your career with your values - ⏮️ EP 105: Guided Journaling Exercise for Career Clarity (Podcast)
• Life planning framework - 📖 Life Planning – How to Design & Achieve a Life That’s Right for You (Blog)
• Design a life where your STEM career and motherhood finally fit together - 📞 Turn your ideal life into your real life with the Designed Life Method (Get Started for Free)

I CAN’T WAIT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

🙋🏻‍♀️ Question, episode idea, or feedback? Record a message in just one click!

Leave me a 🤩 rating & review—your support helps other moms find the show!

💌 Grab my newsletter for twice-monthly tips, tools, and exclusives—so you can build a life that honors both your ambitions and your family

📫 E-mail hello@solveformom.com

FOLLOW ME

👍🏽 Tap +Follow and never miss an episode.

🌐 Visit solveformom.com for more information and FREE resources

➡️ Follow @solveformom on LinkedIn for life planning strategies that help you envision, plan, and take action on your big ideas while prioritizing family time.

🔬Connect with me on my personal LinkedIn as a fellow PhD researcher & scientific consultant.

📍Follow Solve for Mom on Pinterest for daily tips for moms in STEM to find balance one micro-step at a time.

EP 107: Confident Decision Making for Ambitious Moms | Unlocking Intuition for Aligned Leadership [CEO: Leah Goldman]

For ambitious moms to turn intuition into a strategy for work-life balance

Are you at a crossroads, wondering how to take the next right action to do what you want?

If you’ve been stuck in analysis paralysis and overthinking every move, this episode explains how to make faster, more confident decisions at work and at home without burning out your brain.

I’m joined by Leah Goldman, host of The Intuition Strategist podcast and creator of Corporate Tarot Cards®, who helps ambitious leaders to use “invisible data” to make aligned moves in career, home, and long‑term life design.

Whether you’re already a high‑achieving mom in STEM overwhelmed by how to make the change you want, Leah is here to demystify how to integrate intuition with logic so decisions feel grounded and right.

In this episode, we tackle why you’re stuck in analysis paralysis, how to tell the difference between intuition vs fear and bias, and what you can do right now to move from overthinking into aligned action towards your values, ambitions, and motherhood.

// Design a life where your STEM career and motherhood finally fit together. Turn your ideal life into your real life with the Designed Life Method. //

LEADERSHIP IN MOTHERHOOD - QUOTABLE MOMENTS

• “A leader is somebody who makes a decision that other people can act on and follow.”
• “Your intuition is your own internal algorithm that is taking in data and information that, yes, of course, is the analytical data and the perspectives.”
• “Intuition without action is a daydream or a fantasy. It's the action that makes it real.”

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• (0:00): Teaser
• (2:08): Subscribe and never miss an episode
• (3:38): Why moms are leaders
• (8:29): What intuition strategy is and how it can help ambitious moms
• (12:41): Leah’s pivot from engineer and consultant using “invisible data”
• (22:48): How action and reflection create clarity
• (24:24): Decision-making tool: VIEW Framework
• (26:53): What is Intuition? (clearly defined)
• (31:42): How to tell the difference between intuition vs fear, bias, and wishful thinking
• (34:23): How to make the right choice with “human AI”
• (36:37): Using “What if?” instead of “should” to escape either‑or thinking and find alternatives
• (38:57): Redefining work‑life balance as being dynamic instead of a static, impossible ideal
• (41:43): Wrap-up & Leah’s info

LEAH’S LINKS

• Podcast: The Intuition Strategist
• Free Downloadable - VIEW Framework Workbook
• Website: https://intuitionstrategist.com
• IG: @LeahIntuition
• Leah’s LinkedIn
• The book that Leah mentioned: Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

KEEP LEARNING ON THIS TOPIC

• Data‑driven decision‑making for moms – ⏮️ EP 104: Decision Making for Moms: 6 Data‑Driven Ways to Prioritize Choices When Everything Feels Important (Podcast)
• Translate decisions into a life plan – ⏮️ EP 66: How Ambitious Moms Can Use Life Planning to Prioritize Work‑Life Balance (Podcast)
• Ready to pivot? - 📖 How to Reset Your Life to Pursue Your Passion Work With Confidence (Blog)

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

🙋🏻‍♀️ Question, episode idea, or feedback? Record a message in just one click!

Leave me a 🤩 rating & review—your support helps other moms find the show!

💌 Grab my newsletter for twice-monthly tips, tools, and exclusives—so you can build a life that honors both your ambitions and your family

📫 E-mail hello@solveformom.com

FOLLOW

👍🏽 Tap +Follow and never miss an episode.

🌐 Visit solveformom.com for more information and FREE resources

➡️ Follow @solveformom on LinkedIn for life planning strategies that help you envision, plan, and take action on your big ideas while prioritizing family time.

🔬Connect with me on my personal LinkedIn as a fellow PhD researcher & scientific consultant.

📍Follow Solve for Mom on Pinterest for daily tips for moms in STEM to find balance one micro-step at a time.