Ep. 131: The Simple Question That Changed My Summers Artwork

When Mommy Grows Up

As moms, we love to inspire our kids to dream big dreams about who they’ll be as they grow up. But when is the last time you stopped to ask yourself, "Who am I going to be (next) as I grow up?"

The When Mommy Grows Up Podcast is the motherhood and career podcast for moms who need help defining what success looks like to them as mid-career professionals and parents, along with the support they need to go after it.

Hear real stories from real moms facing the same challenges you are. Finding flexible jobs, crafting a job you love, discovering your passions, crushing it at work, and getting kids off the bus! We’ll talk through it all.

Hosts (and fellow mom) Becca Carnahan of Next Chapter Careers takes your questions and provides practical step-by-step advice to help you move forward. All served up with a virtual mom hug and lots of laughs!

Send your stories and questions to podcast@nextchaptercareers.us.

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When Mommy Grows Up

Ep. 131: The Simple Question That Changed My Summers

June 23, 2026

0:00 | 11:04

What if working parent life did not have to look the way we were told it should? In this episode of When Mommy Grows Up, I share a story from 10 years ago, when a quiet conversation with my mom planted a question that changed everything: Why?

That one question sparked a long path of reflection, creativity, hustle, and reinvention. From full-time work to a side business to a portfolio career built for flexibility, I’m talking about what it can look like to build a professional life that supports your family, your values, and the seasons you are in.

This episode is a reminder that there is no one right way to do work and motherhood. With clarity, imagination, and some hard work in the right season, it is possible to create something that gives you both purpose and room to breathe. And in this season, that means summer belongs to the kids.

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