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
Oct 27, 2024
Oct 27, 2024
19 min
Hello Wonderful Mom! Are you feeling lost, anxious, or unsure about your life's direction or your next passion project? Do you want to take control of your future and identity while balancing your role as a mother?
In today's episode, I share the essentials of life planning from a mom life perspective, the best time to start your life plan (spoiler: it's now!), and how you can life-craft a roadmap for personal growth and success that aligns with your values and goals. You are going to find that this process will bring back some of your time wasted on less meaningful activities,
Timestamps:
(00:00): Teaser
(02:11): Knowing how the story ends
(04:37): What is life planning?
(06:20): Why is life planning important?
(07:33): When is the best time to create a life plan?
(08:10): Who needs a life plan?
(08:42): Where is the best place to create a life plan?
(09:59): How do you create a life plan?
(10:52): 1. Plan your vision
(11:25): 2. Plan your mission
(12:08): 3. List your top values
(13:58): 4. Identify your goals & decisions
(18:03): Re-cap
If you're ready to take control of your life's trajectory and create a future that excites you without ignoring family time, hit play and let's Solve for Mom!
Learn about the Chunk & Check method as a strategy for achieving your goals by working through a problem in reverse in EP 4: Working on a Home Project? Get it DONE While Focusing on Family Time [Part 2]
Start creating your mission statement as described in EP 5: Reset to Pursue Your Passion Work With Confidence
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Blog: Life Planning – How to Design & Achieve a Life That’s Right for You
E-mail me at hello@solveformom.com and your question could be the topic of an upcoming episode!
Visit www.solveformom.com
// Grow Your Individuality While Prioritizing Family Time //
Oct 20, 2024
Oct 20, 2024
21 min
Hello Accomplished Mom! Are you finding it hard to justify the time and money for your own self-growth? After all, you are a mom, so shouldn’t everything in your life revolve around your kids? Maybe society is confining you to a single label - “just a mom” - but the question is, are you putting that label on your identity too?
In today’s episode, I first confide in you about a callous comment that became a launchpad for my self-improvement journey as a mom. I explain why you first need to understand your values, purpose, and goals in order to build your self-worth. I teach how to get out of a scarcity mindset using a simple reframe. Then I share 10 low budget (and some time-saving) solutions for achieving personal growth!
Timestamps:
(00:00): Teaser
(01:43): Don’t label yourself as “just” a mom
(03:04): How much of your identity & self-worth depends on your career?
(03:51): Do you value yourself in your current role?
(04:26): Why you are worth the time or money for developing skills
(05:37): Reframing a “can’t”
(06:08): Be your best self so our kids can reach their fullest potential
(06:45): Part 1: Clearing your mind
(07:28): 1. Meditation
(08:34): 2. Move your body
(10:05): Part II: Involve friends & family
(10:09): 3. Learn by helping others
(10:31): 4. Ask questions during conversations
(11:17): Receive classes or experiences as a gift
(12:14): Part III: Free pre-made content
(13:39): 6. YouTube
(13:58): 7. Podcasts
(14:58): 8. Books
(16:21): 9. Online courses
(17:23): 10. Speakers / Lectures
(18:24): Re-cap
If you’re ready to ditch the excuses and kickstart your self-development, hit play and together can solve for Mom!
Tap +Follow (it’s free!). Leave me a rating & review (thank you!).
Become an SFM Insider to receive my weekly newsletter: https://solveformom.myflodesk.com/bpj5yvdu3q
E-mail me at hello@solveformom.com and your question could be the topic of an upcoming episode!
Visit www.solveformom.com
// Grow Your Individuality While Prioritizing Family Time //
Oct 13, 2024
Oct 13, 2024
14 min
Hello Skillful Mama!
Are you ready to start a new passion project? Do you get overwhelmed by too much information when you research your project? Is it confusing to determine what to look up and how?
Or maybe you are like me and you want to be armed with as much information as possible and all of a sudden you are in the weeds, far away from your initial project goal.
Your time is precious to you and to your family. In today’s episode, I share 4 tips on how to overcome information overwhelm and move on to starting your project and your beautiful day.
Timestamps:
(00:00): Introduction
(02:35): A unique approach to passion work in motherhood
(03:04): Tip #1 - Set a goal for the project
(03:45): Tip #2 - List big things you think you need ot know
(05:05): Examples of what to list
(05:46): Targeted searches
(07:22): Tip #3 - Know the reason before you start information-seeking
(09:12): Try this tongue twister :)
(09:24): Setting boundaries on exploratory searches
(11:43): Tip #4 - Select only relevant information for your current goal
(12:21): Re-cap
If you’re ready to obliterate information overwhelm, and start your passion work armed with the most useful information, hit play and together can solve for Mom!
EP 3: Working on a Home Project? Get it DONE While Focusing on Your Family [Part 1]
Tap +Follow (it’s free!). Leave me a rating & review (thank you!).
Become an SFM Insider to receive my weekly newsletter: https://solveformom.myflodesk.com/bpj5yvdu3q
E-mail me at hello@solveformom.com and your question could be the topic of an upcoming episode!
Visit www.solveformom.com
// Grow Your Individuality While Prioritizing Family Time //
Oct 6, 2024
Oct 6, 2024
19 min
Hello Wonderful Mom! Are you wondering how to pivot towards your passion projects? This might mean a complete reset from your current trajectory. But, don’t worry! In today’s episode, I share my strategies for how moms can plan their resets with confidence. You will learn about what it means to undergo a reset and the importance of building critical thinking and personal growth into your life, including when you are about to embark on some changes. True to form, I lay out granular detail with relatable examples, of what it looks like to implement these strategies.
Timestamps:
(00:00): Teaser
(01:27): Reset definition
(02:43): Resets can be empowering and lead to self-improvement
(03:45): Knowing your mission
(05:02): How to formulate your mission
(05:47): Identifying your passions
(06:41): Find your purpose
(08:48): Hypothetical example: Ambitious Amber
(09:45): Align your resets with your mission
(11:45): Pause here to do clarity work, then continue
(11:59): Resets require creativity
(15:46): Most resets are reversible or replaceable
(17:26): Re-cap
If you are ready to take charge of big decisions and start planning you next reset, hit play and together we can solve for Mom!
To learn more about how you can find purpose, listen to Busy yet Restless? 3 Ways to Find Purpose as a Mom
Tap +Follow (it’s free!). Leave me a rating & review (thank you!).
Become an SFM Insider to receive my weekly newsletter: https://solveformom.myflodesk.com/bpj5yvdu3q
E-mail me at hello@solveformom.com and your question could be the topic of an upcoming episode!
Blog: https://solveformom.com/2025/how-to-reset-your-life-to-pursue-your-passion-work-with-confidence/
Visit www.solveformom.com
// Grow Your Individuality While Prioritizing Family Time //
Sep 29, 2024
Sep 29, 2024
11 min
Welcome to Part 2 on how to stay on track with (and complete) home projects while you prioritize family time.
In today’s companion episode, we pick up right where we left off last week. I share 4 more strategies for avoiding 2 major pitfalls when planning home projects as a busy, family-centered mom.
Timestamps:
(00:00): Teaser
(01:10): Strategy #2: Time-blocking
(02:58): Strategy #3: Chunk & Check process (5 steps)
(05:29): Strategy #4: Family time as a reward
(06:43): Strategy #5: Involving family in the home project
(089:05): Re-cap
Remember, Strategy #1 was revealed in last week’s Part 1 episode. If you haven’t listened to Part 1 yet, go back and first listen to EP3: Working on a Home Project? My Strategy to Get it DONE While Focusing on Family Time [Part 1].
Tap +Follow (it’s free!). Leave me a rating & review (thank you!).
Become an SFM Insider to receive my weekly newsletter: https://solveformom.myflodesk.com/bpj5yvdu3q
E-mail me at hello@solveformom.com and your question could be the topic of an upcoming episode!
Visit www.solveformom.com
// Grow Your Individuality While Prioritizing Family Time //
Sep 22, 2024
Sep 22, 2024
13 min
Hello Ambitious Mom! What do home projects and passion projects have in common?
In today’s Part 1 episode, I share why home projects can be your next passion project and how to take the first steps using a Take Action Cycle. Before you jump into your next home project, you’ll want to know how to avoid getting off track and how to not drop any balls in your family life. You’ll get all of my solutions in Part 1 and in next week’s Part 2.
Timestamps:
(00:00): Teaser
(00:36): Part 2 is next week (EP 4)
(01:33): What is a passion project?
(03:04): Home projects can be passion projects
(03:34): Examples of home projects
(05:39): Home projects can evolve
(06:09): Stay on track & focus on family time
(06:53): Strategy #1: Take action
(08:25): Shifting from passive to active mode (5 steps)
(10:55): Re-cap of Strategy #1: Take Action cycle
(12:00): Wrap-up
Tap +Follow (it’s free!). Leave me a rating & review (thank you!).
Become an SFM Insider to receive my weekly newsletter: https://solveformom.myflodesk.com/bpj5yvdu3q
E-mail me at hello@solveformom.com and your question could be the topic of an upcoming episode!
Visit www.solveformom.com
// Grow Your Individuality While Prioritizing Family Time //
Sep 15, 2024
Sep 15, 2024
18 min
Hello Mama! How do you build a new skill as a busy mom? Is it even possible to continue personal growth as a mom?
Don’t worry! I’m not going to ask you to do EVEN MORE on top of all the things that you already do. Instead, I’m going to show you how - with some planning - you can learn new skills as PART OF the things you are already doing. In today’s episode, I explain why learning is important to you - even though you are a mom that takes on a lot of roles and responsibilities. I break down the elements of learning in the context of the realities of our mom lives (and family time), followed by 5 easy tactics for skill-building and self-improvement that you can implement seamlessly into your current daily rhythm.
Timestamps:
(00:00): Teaser
(01:38): Moms have many roles
(02:22): Importance of learning skills
(03:42): Features of learning skills
(06:19): 5 Tactics for skill-building
(07:43): 1. Skills bundling
(09:03): 2. Habit stacking
(11:27): 3. Practicing skills with your family
(12:27): 4. Mastering a skill by teaching it
(13:32): 5. Envisioning
(16:12): Re-cap
If you want some quick methods to learn new skills for your passion projects, hit play and together we can Solve for Mom!
Tap +Follow (it’s free!). Leave me a rating & review (thank you!).
Become an SFM Insider to receive my weekly newsletter: https://solveformom.myflodesk.com/bpj5yvdu3q
E-mail me at hello@solveformom.com and your question could be the topic of an upcoming episode!
Blog: 5 Ways Moms Can Learn a New Skill in 15 Minutes
Visit www.solveformom.com
// Grow Your Individuality While Prioritizing Family Time //
Sep 15, 2024
Sep 15, 2024
12 min
Hello Wonderful Mom! Strap on your seatbelts as we travel through time in pursuit of your purpose.
In today’s episode, I share how you, as a mom who is busy caring for your family and home, can to identify the main thing that drives how you spend your time, who you spend it with (e.g., family time), and where you spend it. I help you understand why you feel like your cup is empty despite being busy all of the time, what purpose is and why it’s important to you, and then offer my 3-pronged Timeline Framework for finding your purpose.
Timestamps:
(00:00): Teaser
(01:58): Busy yet restless
(02:32): Reason for discontentment
(04:04): What to do when restless
(04:25): What is purpose & why it’s important
(05:19): Weird analogy for recognizing when to find purpose
(06:01): Examining purpose
(06:37): Framework for finding purpose
(10:25): Re-cap
If you have been feeling aimless and restless despite being busy, hit play and together we can Solve for Mom!
Tap +Follow (it’s free!). Leave me a rating & review (thank you!).
Become an SFM Insider to receive my weekly newsletter: https://solveformom.myflodesk.com/bpj5yvdu3q
E-mail me at hello@solveformom.com and your question could be the topic of an upcoming episode!
Blog: 3 Powerful Ways to Find Purpose as a Mom Beyond the Daily Routine
Visit www.solveformom.com
// Grow Your Individuality While Prioritizing Family Time //