This week on the Mama Work It Podcast, Marisa sits down with Ashley Wall, M.Ed., an award-winning author, publisher, educator, and mom of two whose mission is to empower families to build confidence, creativity, and resilience — one story at a time.

Ashley is the founder of MamaBear Books and the author of the bestselling children’s series The Day I Had, a picture-book collection that helps kids dream big, embrace imagination, and believe in themselves.

In this conversation, Ashley opens up about how a single idea during story time with her daughter turned into a publishing company and a movement that’s inspiring families across the world. She shares how entrepreneurship has shaped her own mindset and her children’s, how she integrates family and business, and how she models confidence, creativity, and courage in both motherhood and work.

If you’ve ever wondered how to include your kids in your creative or professional journey—or how to build resilience and belief from an early age—this episode will inspire you to start small and dream boldly.

💬 In This Episode, We Talk About:

• How Ashley’s publishing journey began with one powerful idea 💡
• The ripple effect entrepreneurship has on our kids’ mindset and confidence
• Simple ways to include your children in your work or business
• The real meaning of presence as a working mom
• How creativity builds resilience for both moms and kids
• Encouragement for moms pursuing their own dreams while raising dreamers

🔗 Connect with Ashley Wall & purchase books

• 🌐 Website: www.mamabearbooks.com
• 📚 The Day I Had book series: https://amzn.to/4sciNcF
• 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mamabear_books/
• 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamabearbooks/

🎧 Listen Now

Tune in on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at www.mamaworkit.com/podcast

Don't forget to subscribe to our weekly newsletter about juggling mom life, work life, wife life, fill in the blank life: www.mamaworkit.com

This episode is being sponsored by Cozy Earth. Go to cozyearth.com and use my code MAMA for up to 20% off. And if you get a Post-Purchase Survey, be sure to mention you heard about Cozy Earth right here on the Mama Work It Podcast!

In this inspiring episode of the Mama Work It Podcast, Marisa sits down with Dr. Michelle El Khoury, founder of Yogamazia, a maternal and children’s wellness education hub dedicated to supporting families through every stage of the parenting journey.

A former pharmaceutical executive turned maternal wellness leader, Dr. Michelle blends science and soul through her S.M.A.R.T. Journey to Parenting™ framework — empowering working moms to move beyond survival mode and into intentional, purpose-driven leadership at home and at work.

Together, Marisa and Dr. Michelle unpack the mindset shifts, practical strategies, and emotional tools that help working moms evolve through life’s biggest transitions — without sacrificing success, sanity, or self.

💬 In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Dr. Michelle’s personal journey from corporate leadership to maternal wellness advocate
• The #1 mindset shift working moms must make to go from surviving to thriving
• How presence can actually accelerate your goals (not slow you down!)
• The biggest trap ambitious women fall into during major life transitions
• What to do when you feel like you have to choose between career success and family connection
• How to strengthen your relationships through change — instead of losing them

💡 Key Takeaways

✨ Transformation in motherhood isn’t about becoming someone new — it’s about becoming more of yourself.
✨ Presence is the power that helps you achieve with purpose and peace.
✨ You don’t have to choose between professional success and personal fulfillment — you can embody both.

🔗 Connect with Dr. Michelle El Khoury

• 🌐 Website: https://www.yogamazia.com
• 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yogamazia
• 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleelkhoury

🎧 Listen Now

Tune in wherever you get your podcasts — Apple, Spotify, or at www.mamaworkit.com/podcast

This episode is being sponsored by Cozy Earth. Go to cozyearth.com and use my code MAMA for up to 20% off. And if you get a Post-Purchase Survey, be sure to mention you heard about Cozy Earth right here on the Mama Work It Podcast!

New year, fresh goals—but how do you actually follow through? In this episode of the Mama Work It Podcast, we’re diving into practical, realistic strategies for setting goals you can truly achieve. Marisa Lonic shares powerful tools, mindset shifts, and systems designed specifically for busy moms juggling work, life, and everything in between.

If you’ve ever set a goal in January only to abandon it by February, this episode is for you.

What We Cover in This Episode

✨ Why Goals Matter
Marisa explains why having goals is essential—not just for productivity, but for clarity, confidence, and personal fulfillment. Goals help us move intentionally instead of reacting to life’s demands.

🧠 Mindset & Belief: The Foundation of Achievement
Before any strategy works, you have to believe your goal is possible. We talk about how mindset, self-trust, and identity play a huge role in whether you follow through.

🎯 Practical Goal-Setting Strategies That Work
Marisa breaks down several proven tools you can mix and match:

• Word of the Year – choosing a single guiding word to anchor your decisions and energy
• SMART Goals – setting goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound
• WOOP Method – wish, outcome, obstacle, plan—how to anticipate challenges before they derail you
• Vision Boards – using visualization to keep goals top of mind
• Gamification – making progress fun, motivating, and rewarding instead of overwhelming

🤝 The Power of Accountability
Why having an accountability partner can dramatically increase your chances of success—and how to make it happen.

🛠 Turning Big Goals Into Sustainable Action
How to break goals down into small, doable steps that fit into real mom life (because perfection is not required).

This episode is perfect for you if:

• You’re setting goals for the new year and want them to actually stick
• You feel overwhelmed by traditional goal-setting advice
• You’re a working mom looking for realistic, flexible strategies
• You want structure and grace as you grow

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts—and don’t forget to subscribe to the Mama Work It Podcast so you never miss an episode designed to help you thrive in work, motherhood, and life.

Links from today’s episode:

Word to Your Mother Journal/Planner: https://amzn.to/4iHfHck

Time MOMagement book: https://amzn.to/4pOpi3i

B.J. Fogg’s TEDx Talk about habits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdKUJxjn-R8&t=14s

FREE Habit Accountability Tool: https://www.mamaworkit.com/free-habit-accountability

Subscribe to Mama Work It newsletter: www.mamaworkit.com

Happy New Year and keep on working it, mama!

This episode is being sponsored by Cozy Earth. Go to cozyearth.com and use my code MAMA for up to 20% off. And if you get a Post-Purchase Survey, be sure to mention you heard about Cozy Earth right here on the Mama Work It Podcast!