Working Moms Redefined

Politics can feel complicated enough as adults. Then your child comes home repeating something they heard at school, sees something online, or asks a question about an election and suddenly you're trying to figure out: How much do I explain? How much is too much? And how do I teach my kids what I believe without teaching them that everyone who believes differently is wrong?

In this episode, Denise sits down with political scientist and fellow parent Dr. AJ Simmons, Research Director at the University of Illinois Springfield's Center for State Policy and Leadership and host of Crashing the Political Party, for a conversation about parenting in a politically divided world.

And this isn't a conversation about telling you what to believe politically. It's about how we raise kids who are curious, thoughtful, informed, and capable of forming their own opinions.

Together, Denise and AJ talk about:

Age-appropriate ways to explain elections, government, and politics to kids

The danger of teaching children to view politics through a simple “good people versus bad people” lens

Why relationships with people who think differently can be valuable for kids

What to do when political conversations with family or friends get heated

How to raise curious kids when the world around them can feel incredibly divided

AJ also brings the perspective of a dad raising four curious kids of his own, which makes this conversation about much more than political science. It's about what happens when politics enters our homes, our relationships, and the questions our kids are asking. We don't have to give our children every answer. Maybe one of the most important things we can give them is the ability to ask good questions, listen to people they disagree with, think critically, and eventually decide what they believe for themselves.

Link to Election Cake Recipe: https://hylandhouse.org/at-home-activities/bake-a-historical-election-cake/
Connect with AJ

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/ajsimmons1987/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ajsimmons1987

Crashing the Political Party: Crashing The Political Party | Podcast on Spotify

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Space-Time-J-Simmons-ebook/dp/B0FW3YQB6Y/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=MJBP32V8JVYD&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.PKgTta0gipcKel6zyyHq3Q.8VrpQnNPa-zaYYrO6PAB61QzY61xBLQEZn1DAgI2UxM&dib_tag=se&keywords=aj+simmons+space+and+time&qid=1760663758&sprefix=aj+simmons+space+and+time%2Caps%2C92&sr=8-1&dplnkId=4ad5a480-8c54-40e6-9e6a-e2cd3f5e862e&nodl=1 

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!  

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

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Between activities, academics, technology, milestones, and all the things we’re told our kids should be doing, it can feel like raising healthy, confident kids has become incredibly complicated. But what if some of the things our kids need most are actually much simpler?

In this episode, Denise talks with Amy Peters, CEO of Quincy Children’s Museum, to talk about the power of play, connection, socialization, and everyday interaction in helping our kids grow.

Together, they talk about:

What Amy is seeing kids and families need most right now

Why play is doing far more developmental work than parents may realize

How play builds confidence, communication, problem-solving, and emotional resilience

What healthy socialization actually looks like and why it won't look the same for every child

How to support quieter kids or children who have a harder time socially

Why unstructured play still matters alongside sports, activities, and busy family schedules

How to navigate screens while still making room for real-world interaction

Why the early years of brain development matter without turning that knowledge into more pressure for parents

How simple things like talking, reading, playing, and doing life together support our kids in meaningful ways

This conversation is a reminder for working moms that helping our kids thrive doesn't have to mean adding more to the calendar or creating Pinterest-worthy childhoods. Sometimes what they need most is room to play, opportunities to figure things out, people who engage with them, and parents who are present for the ordinary moments. Because play isn't “just play.” Our kids are learning how to navigate the world through it.
Connect with Amy

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

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/amy.peters.965928

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/amypetersquincy/

Follow the Quincy Children’s Museum

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

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

Website: https://www.quincychildrensmuseum.org/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/quincychildrensmuseum/posts/

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/posts/?feedView=all

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

Can motherhood actually make you a better leader?

For years, many women have been told they have to separate their personal and professional lives to succeed. But what if the very skills you're developing as a mom, emotional intelligence, resilience, adaptability, and decision-making are exactly what make you an exceptional leader?

In this episode, Denise sits down with Beth Goff-McMillan, CEO of SKG and mom of two, for an honest conversation about leadership, motherhood, and redefining success. Beth shares how raising a family strengthened her ability to lead, navigate uncertainty, and build an authentic leadership style in a traditionally male-dominated industry.

Together, they discuss:

Why motherhood can make you a stronger leader—not despite being a mom, but because of it

How to manage the invisible mental load at work and home

The leadership value of emotional labor and emotional intelligence

Building confidence without feeling like you have to lead like everyone else

Mentoring the next generation of female leaders

How Beth's definition of success has evolved throughout her career

The perspective shift that came with turning 50

Encouragement for working moms who constantly feel pulled between their careers and their families

Whether you're leading a company, a classroom, a team, or your family, this episode is a reminder that leadership isn't about having all the answers—it's about showing up with courage, authenticity, and a willingness to keep growing.

Because some of the most valuable leadership lessons aren't learned in the boardroom...
they're learned around the dinner table.

Connect with Beth Goff-McMillan

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

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

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/beth-goff-mcmillan/

Website: https://skgtexas.com/about/team-bio-beth-goff-mcmillan/

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/posts/?feedView=all

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

You love your kids deeply. You’re responsible, capable, and doing everything you can to hold life together. So why does motherhood still feel so heavy sometimes?

In this episode, I sit down with Amber Pecoraro, certified life and leadership coach, founder of B’joyed Coaching, and author of Escape the Motherhood Matrix, to talk about the invisible web of guilt, overwhelm, pressure, and “never-enoughness” that so many modern moms are quietly carrying. 

Amber shares her own journey as a high-achieving woman balancing leadership, motherhood, and success on the outside while feeling exhausted and disconnected on the inside. Together, we unpack what she calls the “Motherhood Matrix”, and why so many women don’t even realize they’re trapped in it.

In this conversation, we explore:

The hidden beliefs and expectations keeping women stuck in overwhelm

Why pushing harder stops working long-term

Signs a woman has lost connection with herself beyond motherhood and achievement

The difference between leading from obligation versus alignment

How redefining success can create more freedom, energy, and peace

Practical ways women can begin reconnecting with themselves again

This episode is for the mom who feels like she’s constantly giving, constantly doing, and still wondering why she feels so far from herself. Because maybe the answer isn’t becoming more. Maybe it’s finally allowing yourself to come back to who you already are.


**MAKE SURE TO USE HER BJOYED.COACHING Instagram handle and not her podcast account. Thanks!


Connect with Amber

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/bjoyed.coaching?igsh=MWI1ajk0MGZ5OWRkcg%3D%3D Direct Message Amber on Instagram @bjoyed.coaching and she will send you two free resources: 1. Quiz: Are you stuck in the Motherhood Matrix?  2. Overstimulated Mom Reset to integrate the 4 P's framework (without adding more to your to-do list)

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/amber.pecoraro.3

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/amber-pecoraro-bjoyed/

Website: https://www.bjoyed.com/

Purchase Escape the Motherhood Matrix:

United States: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GXLF7ZL6   

Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0GXLF7ZL6



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/posts/?feedView=all

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

We’ve missed you! Working Moms Redefined is back for Season 2.5, and before we jump into everything ahead, Denise is taking a minute to look back. Because this summer was full.

There were lake trips and Mexico, softball and baseball, Thursdays when Sydney babysat, more iPad time than maybe originally planned, and apparently, a decision that the Tallcotts need goats. But somewhere in the middle of all of it, Denise did something that hasn’t always come naturally: she slowed down.

In this solo episode, Denise shares an honest look at their summer: what worked, what absolutely did not, the moments she wants to remember, and the things she wants to do differently moving forward.

She talks about:

What happened when the family loosened some of its normal routines

Letting the kids have iPad time without turning it into a motherhood guilt spiral

Teaching kids that they don't need to constantly ask for the next thing

The trips, sports, ordinary days, and unexpected highlights that made up their summer

Why slowing down became one of the most important parts of the season

Looking honestly at both the really good moments and the hard ones

Why reflection matters before we immediately move on to the next season

And Denise has a challenge for you: pull out your calendar and actually look back. Look at where you went. What you did. What made you laugh. What exhausted you. What worked for your family. What didn't. What you survived. What you loved. And maybe even what you want to leave behind.

As working moms, we're really good at looking ahead to the next practice, meeting, school event, deadline, or season. But sometimes we need to stop long enough to recognize the life we've already been living. Season 2.5 starts there: not with doing more, but with noticing more.



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/posts/?feedView=all

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