Working Moms Redefined

What does it actually mean to raise a leader? Not just a high achiever, but a thoughtful, capable, emotionally grounded human? In this episode, I sit down with therapist Penni Ippensen, who brings decades of experience working with families and the perspective of a working mom who raised three daughters of her own. Together, we explore how everyday moments at home shape leadership, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence, often more than we realize.

In this conversation, we talk about:

What qualities truly matter when raising leaders and critical thinkers

How moms can model confidence and healthy decision-making, even when they feel unsure

Balancing guidance with allowing kids to form their own opinions

Simple ways to encourage curiosity, conversation, and emotional awareness at home

What emotional skills are most important to teach early

We also dive into sibling relationships, including:

What’s normal conflict versus what deserves closer attention

Teaching kids how to disagree respectfully and repair after conflict

Helping siblings build connection even with very different personalities

Avoiding comparison, competition, and “scorekeeping” between kids

Penni also shares wisdom from hindsight, what mattered less than she thought when her girls were young, and what she now sees as foundational. This episode is for moms who care deeply, feel the weight of raising kids well, and need reassurance that leadership is built in small, imperfect moments, not constant perfection.

Connect with Penni

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/penni.ippensen

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PenniIppensenTherapy/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/penni-ippensen-279a2749/

  Connect with Denise of Working Moms Redefined:  

Catch full episodes and subscribe to The Working Moms Redefined Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WorkingMomsRedefined  

Click here for the 9 Minutes a Day for a Lifetime of Connection Masterclass!  
  

Listen to The Working Moms Redefined Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio and Amazon Music. New episodes drop every Thursday!  
  

Follow Denise on Socials & visit the Working Moms Redefined website:  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workingmomsredefined2025/  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/workingmomsredefineddenisetallcott  

Website: https://www.workingmomsredefined.com  

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This week on Working Moms Redefined, Denise shares a reflection on decision-making, mom guilt and the weight of choosing when there is no perfect answer. What happens when two important roles collide, when your child needs you and your work needs you, and you are forced to decide anyway?

Denise takes listeners inside a day that began at 4:40 a.m. with her seven-year-old son waking up in pain and ended with her standing in front of a room full of people leading training while coordinating care, calls and emotions from miles away. Through this story, she explores the leadership lesson that has stayed with her the most: indecision breaks trust more than making the “wrong” decision ever could.

In this episode, Denise unpacks what it looks like to make decisions based on the information you have in the moment, even when doubt creeps in later. She talks honestly about mom guilt, self-questioning and the quiet inner dialogue that tells us we should have done more, stayed longer or chosen differently. She also reflects on the power of being supported by people and workplaces that allow us to show up as whole humans, not only as professionals.

This conversation is a reminder that you are allowed to choose, trust yourself and move forward without replaying every scenario over and over in your head. You are not failing because you question your choices. You are leading, parenting and living in real life. If you have ever wrestled with guilt after making a hard decision, this episode will meet you right where you are and remind you that choosing something is often better than choosing nothing at all.

Connect with Denise of Working Moms Redefined:  

Catch full episodes and subscribe to The Working Moms Redefined Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WorkingMomsRedefined  

Click here for the 9 Minutes a Day for a Lifetime of Connection Masterclass!  
  Listen to The Working Moms Redefined Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio and Amazon Music. New episodes drop every Thursday!  

Follow Denise on Socials & visit the Working Moms Redefined website:  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workingmomsredefined2025/  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/workingmomsredefineddenisetallcott  

Website: https://www.workingmomsredefined.com  

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@denisetallcottleadership

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/working-moms-redefined

Leadership doesn’t stop when the workday ends — and for many working moms, it often feels heavier than ever.

In this episode of Working Moms Redefined, Denise sits down with Jamie Hansen, founder of Alloy Solutions, Maxwell Leadership–certified coach, and longtime counselor-turned-leadership developer, to explore what it truly means to lead with confidence, connection, and purpose.

Together, they unpack the concept of redemptive leadership — a way of leading rooted in self-awareness, restoration, and relationship rather than perfection or pressure. Jamie shares why high achievers often struggle with self-criticism, how “connection before correction” transforms leadership at work and at home, and why repair is often more powerful than getting it right the first time.

This conversation bridges leadership and motherhood, offering practical insight for women who are leading teams, families, and themselves — often all at once.

If you’ve ever felt the weight of responsibility, questioned your influence, or wondered if there’s a healthier way to lead without burning out, this episode will leave you feeling grounded, encouraged, and reminded that leadership doesn’t require flawlessness — it requires presence.

Purchase your ticket to attend Leadership Redefined LIVE in Quincy, IL: https://www.denisetallcottleadership.com/Leadership-redefined-livedenise

 Connect with Jamie

Alloy Solutions Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alloy_solutions/

Alloy Solutions Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alloysolutions

Jamie’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamie.hansen.3344

Website: https://www.alloystrong.com/team

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/alloy-solutions/

X: https://x.com/alloy_solutions

Connect with Denise of Working Moms Redefined:  
Catch full episodes and subscribe to The Working Moms Redefined Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WorkingMomsRedefined  

Click here for the 9 Minutes a Day for a Lifetime of Connection Masterclass!  
 
Listen to The Working Moms Redefined Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio and Amazon Music. New episodes drop every Thursday!  

Follow Denise on Socials & visit the Working Moms Redefined website:  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workingmomsredefined2025/  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/workingmomsredefineddenisetallcott  

Website: https://www.workingmomsredefined.com  

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/working-moms-redefined/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@denisetallcottleadership

What if the mess doesn’t mean you’re failing but that you’re fully living?

In this episode of Working Moms Redefined, Denise sits down with Kim Kupiecki, author of The Beautiful Mess, speaker, corporate leader, and mom, for an honest, grounding conversation about perfection, pressure, and grace in working motherhood.

Together, they explore why high-achieving women struggle so deeply with giving themselves grace, how the “everyone else has it figured out” lie keeps moms stuck, and what it really looks like to own your value, both at work and at home.

This conversation isn’t about doing more, fixing yourself, or chasing balance. It’s about releasing unrealistic expectations, redefining success, and learning how to show up with intention even when life feels messy.

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, behind, or quietly questioning whether you’re doing enough, this episode is a reminder that you don’t need perfection to be a great mom, a strong leader, or a whole person.

Because the mess doesn’t disqualify you; it’s part of the story.

Connect with Kim

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimkupiecki

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimkupiecki

Website: https://kimkupiecki.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-beautiful-mess/about/

Kim’s Book:  https://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Mess-Kimberly-Kupiecki/dp/1634896475/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3RA8CARM38KM&keywords=the+beautiful+mess+kimberly&qid=1704835686&s=books&sprefix=the+beautiful+mess+%2Cstripbooks%2C128&sr=1-4

Connect with Denise of Working Moms Redefined:  

Catch full episodes and subscribe to The Working Moms Redefined Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WorkingMomsRedefined  

Click here for the 9 Minutes a Day for a Lifetime of Connection Masterclass!  
  Listen to The Working Moms Redefined Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio and Amazon Music. New episodes drop every Thursday!  

Follow Denise on Socials & visit the Working Moms Redefined website:  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workingmomsredefined2025/  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/workingmomsredefineddenisetallcott  

Website: https://www.workingmomsredefined.com

This week on Working Moms Redefined, Denise is sharing reflections from a recent live conversation she hosted for the Nutrition HQ community about motivation, discipline, and what it really looks like to keep showing up for ourselves. At the start of a new year, motivation can feel hopeful and exciting. We make plans, set goals, and imagine how good it will feel to finally follow through. But as Denise gently reminds us, motivation is fleeting and that doesn’t mean anything is wrong with you. It just means you’re human.

In this episode, Denise talks about the shift from waiting to feel motivated to choosing discipline as an act of self-leadership. Not rigid, all-or-nothing discipline, but the kind rooted in care, intention, and trust in yourself. The kind that carries you forward on the days when life is full, energy is low, and no one else is cheering you on.

This conversation is a reminder that you don’t need to overhaul your life or have it all figured out. You need to keep taking small, aligned steps toward the things that matter to you. You are allowed to lead yourself with compassion, grace, and consistency. If you’ve ever felt discouraged because your motivation faded or wondered why you keep starting over, this episode is for you. You are not behind, and you are more capable than you realize.

Connect with Denise of Working Moms Redefined:  

Catch full episodes and subscribe to The Working Moms Redefined Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WorkingMomsRedefined  

Click here for the 9 Minutes a Day for a Lifetime of Connection Masterclass!  
  Listen to The Working Moms Redefined Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio and Amazon Music. New episodes drop every Thursday!  

Follow Denise on Socials & visit the Working Moms Redefined website:  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workingmomsredefined2025/  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/workingmomsredefineddenisetallcott  

Website: https://www.workingmomsredefined.com  

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@denisetallcottleadership

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/working-moms-redefined