Latest / Mama Making Podcast / Paulina Roe | The Mami Collective: Building a Community Where Ambitious Moms Don't Have to Choose

Transcript

Paulina Roe | The Mami Collective: Building a Community Where Ambitious Moms Don't Have to Choose · Mama Making Podcast

0:10
SPEAKER_01: Hello and welcome to the Mama Making Podcast, where we share stories of moms making impact in their own lives and in the world around them.
0:18
SPEAKER_01: I'm Jessica, and each week I sit down with women who are building businesses, leading communities, shaping culture, and redefining what success looks like inside of motherhood.
0:28
SPEAKER_01: Because motherhood does not have to stop your ambition, it can transform it.
0:32
SPEAKER_01: Now let's get into it.
0:39
SPEAKER_01: Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Mama Making podcast.
0:42
SPEAKER_01: I'm your host, Jessica.
0:43
SPEAKER_01: If you're new, welcome.
0:44
SPEAKER_01: If you're not new, then welcome back.
0:45
SPEAKER_01: Today I am so excited to have Paulina Rowe on the podcast.
0:49
SPEAKER_01: She is a media and radio personality podcast host and founder of the Mommy Collective, a community-driven platform redefining what modern motherhood looks like.
0:58
SPEAKER_01: Known for her bold, unfiltered voice, she creates spaces online and in real life where women can connect, be seen, and grow without apology.
1:06
SPEAKER_01: The Mommy Collective empowers women to build the life they want without asking for permission.
1:11
SPEAKER_01: Thank you, Paulina.
1:12
SPEAKER_01: I'm so excited to have you.
1:13
SPEAKER_00: Thank you for having me.
1:14
SPEAKER_00: This is pretty cool.
1:15
SPEAKER_00: I like being on this side.
1:16
SPEAKER_00: So this is awesome.
1:18
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
1:18
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
1:19
SPEAKER_01: So tell my listeners who you are, where you're from, whatever you're comfortable sharing.
1:23
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
1:23
SPEAKER_00: So yeah, I'm Paulina.
1:25
SPEAKER_00: I am a radio uh personality.
1:27
SPEAKER_00: So I have been on the radio here in Chicago for like 10 years.
1:31
SPEAKER_00: I'm on the Fred show and we are syndicated as well for the past two years.
1:35
SPEAKER_00: So I'm in a bunch of cities now, which is really cool.
1:38
SPEAKER_00: Um, so I'm a radio girly at heart um from Chicago, the southwest side, like right by Midway Airport.
1:44
SPEAKER_00: I could probably throw a rock at the airport.
1:46
SPEAKER_00: Like that's how close I am.
1:47
SPEAKER_00: So it's been pretty cool to like do radio here in my city.
1:51
SPEAKER_00: This is kind of like where I started, all that good stuff.
1:54
SPEAKER_00: And I'm a mom of one, probably one and done.
1:58
SPEAKER_00: That's where I'm at mentally, to be honest, um, of a beautiful daughter.
2:02
SPEAKER_00: She is like literally everything to me, and she's changed my life in like the best way ever.
2:06
SPEAKER_00: Um, but yes, I'm founder of the Mommy Collective, um, which is a platform for ambitious moms to really, you know, get control of their identity, finances, mental health.
2:16
SPEAKER_00: I mean, you think of it, anything you can think of moms, right?
2:19
SPEAKER_00: Like, I just want to always make sure that I'm encouraging moms to take care of themselves and to prioritize themselves in any way, you know, that fits their life.
2:27
SPEAKER_00: Because there's not one size all, you know, fits for moms.
2:30
SPEAKER_00: Like everyone's life is so different and unique and designed, like in this really cool way.
2:35
SPEAKER_00: But I just feel like my job as a new mom too is to just remind moms that they're that girl.
2:40
SPEAKER_00: So yeah, that's kind of the me in a nutshell.
2:44
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I love this.
2:45
SPEAKER_01: I love the idea of like motherhood changes everything.
2:49
SPEAKER_01: And it's so whether you're prepared for it or not, totally rocks you once that baby comes.
2:54
SPEAKER_01: And like you, you're just broken open.
2:56
SPEAKER_01: And I love that you're like taking this, what could be like super anxious new mom energy and channeling it into like, let's do this together.
3:05
SPEAKER_01: We're new people, let's explore this.
3:07
SPEAKER_01: Before we get into the mommy collective, I would love to know how you got into radio.
3:12
SPEAKER_01: What is what was your path?
3:14
SPEAKER_01: How did you know this is where you wanted to go?
3:16
SPEAKER_00: It's so interesting because I always felt like I was gonna do something in broadcast, right?
3:22
SPEAKER_00: I just didn't know what that was.
3:23
SPEAKER_00: And I'm not even kidding.
3:25
SPEAKER_00: I think in like eighth grade, they had us do like career day or something.
3:29
SPEAKER_00: We had to like perform, it was weird now that I think about it, but it was like perform like career day or something, like go in front of the class and like be what you're gonna be.
3:35
SPEAKER_00: And I remember being like a talk show host, and I was just like, yeah, it was me and this other girl.
3:40
SPEAKER_00: And it's crazy because I am like such a uh fan and just believer of manifestation.
3:44
SPEAKER_00: So like I'm like, oh, did I manifest this?
3:46
SPEAKER_00: But then yeah, so that was like eighth grade, and I was like, okay, I'm gonna do something with that.
3:50
SPEAKER_00: And then I remember when I was younger than that, actually, I would like take cassette tapes and I would talk over them on like I had like a radio and I would talk over them and like hear myself back.
3:59
SPEAKER_00: I don't, I don't, I just remember doing that too.
4:01
SPEAKER_00: And I was like, oh, maybe I'm gonna talk on the radio or TV.
4:04
SPEAKER_00: And when I got to high school, we had like a little TV station in the mornings or whatever.
4:08
SPEAKER_00: I did that for like I think a year or two.
4:10
SPEAKER_00: And like that was fun.
4:11
SPEAKER_00: And then I went to college and I was working like full-time at the park district, and like I was uh, I was like going to school full time.
4:20
SPEAKER_00: I was at UIC, and I was like, well, in high school, I was always doing like a hundred things.
4:24
SPEAKER_00: I was in plays, volleyball, after school matters.
4:27
SPEAKER_00: I was doing something.
4:28
SPEAKER_00: So I'm like, well, I want to do that in college, like have something for me that's not associated with like school, right?
4:33
SPEAKER_00: The academic side, and then also like associated with like work necessarily.
4:38
SPEAKER_00: So I did UIC radio because they were looking for bloggers, and I was like, Well, I'm an English major, I'll write whatever.
4:45
SPEAKER_00: Cool.
4:45
SPEAKER_00: So I did that.
4:46
SPEAKER_00: Then I started kind of just growing with them, and then I started doing um like the on-air side, and I became program director in my senior year, and they like flew us out to New York, which was really cool.
4:59
SPEAKER_00: And we got to like go to this like panel for college radio kids and see like the big guys talk and stuff.
5:05
SPEAKER_00: It was really cool, and I was like, I think this is what I want to do.
5:09
SPEAKER_00: So I kind of just went that route, and I'm really happy that I did, you know.
5:14
SPEAKER_00: And then um, my last year of college too, I was interning at B96, which is technically my competitor today.
5:20
SPEAKER_00: So it's so funny.
5:21
SPEAKER_00: And I just learned a lot, you know, and I was like really soaking in the radio stuff, and I'm like, I think I like this, and you know, full transparency, it's changed.
5:29
SPEAKER_00: Well, it's changed so much in you know, every decade, I would say like 50 years ago.
5:33
SPEAKER_00: I clearly wasn't doing it 50 years ago, but it's just changed so much.
5:36
SPEAKER_00: And then seeing it change, like I've been there for almost 10 years, seeing it change from like when I started to today is crazy too.
5:44
SPEAKER_00: But that's always just been sort of like my passion, my calling.
5:47
SPEAKER_00: I always say like radio is my tree, my root, right?
5:51
SPEAKER_00: And then the branches is like everything else that I am and that I do.
5:55
SPEAKER_00: So it's pretty cool.
5:56
SPEAKER_00: And that's kind of how I started and how I'm kind of here.
5:59
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I love that.
6:00
SPEAKER_01: And I think us as like Chicago girls, we got the the best case scenario in terms of like talk show hosting.
6:08
SPEAKER_01: Like we had Oprah, it was like the mecca of TV, like talk show TV.
6:14
SPEAKER_01: So I love that like you had this vision of what you wanted it to look like.
6:18
SPEAKER_01: Maybe it looked a little bit different, but you had an idea, you were able to see yourself in in in those women.
6:25
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
6:26
SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah.
6:26
SPEAKER_00: I feel like there's just so many that I admired back in the day.
6:30
SPEAKER_00: And like I admire today too, you know, and seeing, you know, like obviously everyone knows, like, you know, Oprah, right?
6:36
SPEAKER_00: And Ricky Lake and everything, like those were like the OGs that I would come home to like watch when I was a kid and I wasn't supposed to.
6:42
SPEAKER_00: I was also watching like Jerry Springer, you know, stuff like that.
6:44
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
6:44
SPEAKER_00: Which I probably shouldn't have, but I just was always so fascinated.
6:48
SPEAKER_00: I'm like, this is cool.
6:49
SPEAKER_00: So yeah.
6:50
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I like it.
6:51
SPEAKER_01: That's so awesome.
6:52
SPEAKER_01: So tell me what prompted your podcast.
6:56
SPEAKER_01: Obviously, you're doing radio formally, but then what made you decide you wanted to do something different on the side?
7:03
SPEAKER_00: So it's so funny because I started a podcast.
7:06
SPEAKER_00: I always say it was before podcasts were like a hotness.
7:09
SPEAKER_00: Now, did I invent podcasts?
7:11
SPEAKER_00: No.
7:12
SPEAKER_00: But I feel like I kind of did it.
7:14
SPEAKER_00: I kind of did this, I would say 2018.
7:16
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it was 2018.
7:18
SPEAKER_00: That was already like two years in at iHeart here in Chicago.
7:21
SPEAKER_00: At that time, it was the Fred and Angie show too.
7:22
SPEAKER_00: So I was there and podcasts were like kind of a thing.
7:25
SPEAKER_00: I mean, they were absolutely a thing, but they just weren't, I would say, like obviously as big and cool as they are today.
7:30
SPEAKER_00: And I remember like I was hearing a podcast, and I think the person in the podcast was like, you know, you should start one if this is like your thing.
7:37
SPEAKER_00: And I was like, this is naturally my thing.
7:39
SPEAKER_00: Like I do radio, like this is, you know, a really big part of it.
7:43
SPEAKER_00: And little did I know though, like now it is a huge part of it, right?
7:47
SPEAKER_00: Like podcasts, a podcast is podcasting is so dope because there's just so there's so much to it, right?
7:53
SPEAKER_00: And there's just so many options and so many people doing it.
7:56
SPEAKER_00: I think it's cool.
7:56
SPEAKER_00: Like people say it's oversaturated.
7:58
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I mean, anything could be the bread aisle that I go to at Jewel is oversaturated, right?
8:02
SPEAKER_00: It's just truth.
8:03
SPEAKER_00: Like, that's just the truth.
8:04
SPEAKER_00: Like, if I go get bread, I'm like overwhelmed bread.
8:06
SPEAKER_00: So, like, I I'd say that goes for anything.
8:08
SPEAKER_00: That's just my opinion.
8:08
SPEAKER_00: But I love it.
8:09
SPEAKER_00: I love people, I love seeing people tap into their creativity.
8:12
SPEAKER_00: So when I created mine, it was 2018, and at that time, I was looking for a podcast to listen to.
8:18
SPEAKER_00: I was taking the train from downtown back to Midway, and I was like, I kind of want something that I want to listen to, something that maybe talks to me, a millennial, right?
8:28
SPEAKER_00: In their hustle era, like I'm new in radio, I'm back in Chicago, like because I left Chicago for like a year and a half, and I worked at iHeart Los Angeles.
8:37
SPEAKER_00: I wasn't on air.
8:38
SPEAKER_00: I wasn't, I was getting into the production side when I left.
8:43
SPEAKER_00: And I was learning a lot though, but I started in promotions, right?
8:46
SPEAKER_00: That's like one thing about radio in a lot of industries, is like ES starts somewhere.
8:49
SPEAKER_00: So that was me.
8:50
SPEAKER_00: I was driving a van around.
8:51
SPEAKER_00: I lived in LA for like a year and a half, babysitting, nanning on the side, you name it.
8:55
SPEAKER_00: I was doing it and doing radio like part-time, but low-key was full-time because I was just loving it and I was there all the time, just learning and soaking it all in.
9:04
SPEAKER_00: So, what I'm saying though is uh, yeah, so back to the podcast stuff.
9:08
SPEAKER_00: So I was like on the train and I was like, I'm in my hustle era, like I wanna listen to something that is gonna motivate me, maybe other millennials who are kind of doing what I'm doing, but I couldn't find it because again, this is 2018, right?
9:21
SPEAKER_00: So today it's 2026.
9:22
SPEAKER_00: Like I would find that in two seconds.
9:24
SPEAKER_00: But at that time I didn't.
9:26
SPEAKER_00: So I was like, maybe I'll just start my own.
9:28
SPEAKER_00: So it was called unentitled because I used to hate, hate, hate, hate when people said that millennials were entitled.
9:36
SPEAKER_00: Because I have never in my heart or soul felt that because I was like, what are you talking about?
9:41
SPEAKER_00: Like I literally move across the country, like I move back home, like I'm hustling.
9:45
SPEAKER_00: Like I've never felt that again.
9:47
SPEAKER_00: That was just my like hot theory, right?
9:49
SPEAKER_00: And I would interview people and it started local, and then I started getting people from like all over the country, which was cool because of stuff like this, right?
9:56
SPEAKER_00: Like we're using a system called Riverside, right?
9:59
SPEAKER_00: I I didn't use Riverside, I don't know if it was around at the time, but like, you know, Zoom, even, but like I was able to, if somebody was in town, it was cool to like invite them in, right?
10:07
SPEAKER_00: And get them on the podcast.
10:09
SPEAKER_00: Um, I think I had like a Love is Blind season one guy on there.
10:12
SPEAKER_00: Like it was really cool to have people just like come to the studio at that time.
10:15
SPEAKER_00: And they were like millennials who I felt were like doing cool things.
10:18
SPEAKER_00: So I was like, you know what?
10:19
SPEAKER_00: Let's start this pod.
10:20
SPEAKER_00: I did that for like three years straight, like almost four years.
10:23
SPEAKER_00: I even had like Jack Daniels sponsor, shout out to Jack Daniels, come back, I miss you.
10:27
SPEAKER_00: So like that was always like so fun.
10:29
SPEAKER_00: And then COVID hit.
10:31
SPEAKER_00: I know, COVID hit, life hit.
10:33
SPEAKER_00: I got like in COVID, I got into a serious relationship, engaged, married now.
10:38
SPEAKER_00: So like life kind of started happening, and the podcast sort of went like on a hiatus, but never really came back.
10:45
SPEAKER_00: So then when I when I got pregnant and stuff, that was when even just like the mommy collective just birthed because I was like, I want to create something that brings moms together, but not exactly like a mom group, because that wasn't where my mind was focused.
11:00
SPEAKER_00: It was just like more of like a mom community resource.
11:04
SPEAKER_00: Like, I'm a connector by like nature.
11:06
SPEAKER_00: I just love connecting people.
11:07
SPEAKER_00: It really does get my jollies jolly.
11:09
SPEAKER_00: I'm just like, I love it.
11:10
SPEAKER_00: Like I want to make everyone just like know each other.
11:12
SPEAKER_00: So I was like, well, how do I do this, right?
11:14
SPEAKER_00: Like, how do I bring this to life?
11:15
SPEAKER_00: And then the podcast, I was like, let's flip this.
11:18
SPEAKER_00: We haven't been on recording episodes for like three years now.
11:21
SPEAKER_00: Let's flip this and let's do mommy collective podcasts, right?
11:25
SPEAKER_00: Because mommy collective exists as a whole.
11:26
SPEAKER_00: But I was like, let's put a podcast element, it only makes sense.
11:29
SPEAKER_00: And like I'm a mom, I want to talk to other moms, like I want to know how moms are doing it.
11:34
SPEAKER_00: So that's kind of where the idea came from, and like why I chose the podcast route for mommy collective too, because I was like, Well, I love connecting people, I love sharing voices.
11:44
SPEAKER_00: So I just kind of did that, and now I'm just able to chat with moms from all walks of life.
11:50
SPEAKER_00: But I think the one thing that we all have in common, even if our kids are like older or younger, you know, and and there's so much to it, too.
11:56
SPEAKER_00: I've interviewed moms from just like again, all stages and all kinds of situations, right?
12:02
SPEAKER_00: But being able to talk to them, the the like really the way that we relate was really through ambition, right?
12:10
SPEAKER_00: And like wanting to always better ourselves and like be more, you know, like mom, I I can say proudly and fairly, and I think you would agree too, Jessica.
12:19
SPEAKER_00: Like, mom is our number one title.
12:21
SPEAKER_00: It is the proudest title we wear, but there's just so much more to us, you know.
12:25
SPEAKER_00: Like, I didn't like my placenta, like I didn't like go away with it, you know.
12:29
SPEAKER_00: Like, I'm still here and I still want to do so much and stuff, and it's cool, like that I get to do it with my daughter now.
12:35
SPEAKER_00: So, like, it's been cool to talk to moms and stuff.
12:38
SPEAKER_00: It's been really fun.
13:17
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I love what you're saying about like back in the day in the 2018s, podcasting wasn't as huge as it is now.
13:24
SPEAKER_01: And I love that you built the podcast you were looking for at the time and then did that again in a completely new phase.
13:33
SPEAKER_01: And that's what I love about podcasting.
13:35
SPEAKER_01: You there's a podcast for everybody.
13:37
SPEAKER_01: Like the topic might be great, but you not might not vibe with the host, then you just find another one.
13:42
SPEAKER_01: And that's what I love about like connecting people and meeting different walks of life and kind of seeing how it all evolves.
13:51
SPEAKER_01: I also started this podcast before I became a mom and took a hiatus before starting again.
13:57
SPEAKER_01: And it completely opens up a different world.
14:01
SPEAKER_01: I would love to talk more about once you became a mom, how did that change everything for you?
14:08
SPEAKER_01: Work, your identity, the podcast, what things you were looking forward to doing in terms of that ambitious energy.
14:17
SPEAKER_01: Tell me everything.
14:18
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
14:19
SPEAKER_00: Um, I feel like it changed everything and it also elevated everything, if that makes sense.
14:26
SPEAKER_00: Like I felt, I'm gonna be so transparent, but like I felt like I was nervous in the beginning because, and this is just again full transparency.
14:36
SPEAKER_00: This is not saying anything about moms in general.
14:38
SPEAKER_00: It's just like the moms that I was around.
14:40
SPEAKER_00: Let's just say like people that had kids prior to me.
14:44
SPEAKER_00: I felt always like really nervous that I would fall into a certain not a trap, but I felt like I would fall into just uh something that wasn't like for me, right?
14:54
SPEAKER_00: I saw moms and and these were moms that I knew, and I knew them prior to motherhood.
14:59
SPEAKER_00: And I just felt like a lot of moms weren't as fulfilled as let's just say, like I would want to be.
15:06
SPEAKER_00: And I say that because I'm like, hmm, like I felt like a lot of misdirected anger towards other people, especially child, child-free people.
15:17
SPEAKER_00: And like that's one thing about me is like you're never gonna like talk-ish about child-free people and say, oh, they have so much time on their hands and they have this and the luxury.
15:25
SPEAKER_00: It's like you don't know people's situations, you don't know people go through every day.
15:28
SPEAKER_00: I just wrote a whole post about this and that whole newsletter about this.
15:32
SPEAKER_00: Like, I had a like come to Jesus moment where like I had to realize that, but I felt like at that time, like I was I was the child-free person.
15:41
SPEAKER_00: And I was like, okay, maybe I'm just not relating because I don't have a kid, but truth be told, I'm just like, you gotta give grace, right?
15:48
SPEAKER_00: Where grace is due.
15:49
SPEAKER_00: So my whole thing was like, okay, the way that I see it, and again, no shade, no tea.
15:54
SPEAKER_00: This is just how I saw it at the time.
15:56
SPEAKER_00: I'm being honest.
15:57
SPEAKER_00: I felt like their whole identity was motherhood.
16:01
SPEAKER_00: That is beautiful.
16:03
SPEAKER_00: However, I felt like there, there was misdirected maybe anger because you become a mom, let's be real.
16:11
SPEAKER_00: Like things change.
16:12
SPEAKER_00: At the end of the day, you can have the best husband in the world, and I sure do, but I'm still the primary parent.
16:17
SPEAKER_00: Like I'm still, I'm still the number one, you know, kid falls comes to me.
16:22
SPEAKER_00: I'm with the kid, I'm with my daughter, you know, all day long.
16:25
SPEAKER_00: Like it's it truly is, you know.
16:27
SPEAKER_00: And I felt like a lot of times, like from what I saw, like, you know, prior to motherhood, I was like, I don't want to fall into that, right?
16:35
SPEAKER_00: I I was nervous, I'm not gonna lie, because not that these moms didn't look happy, the ones that I was around, because I do feel like they were truly happy.
16:41
SPEAKER_00: I mean, they were blissful in motherhood, and I love that.
16:45
SPEAKER_00: But I just felt like, okay, there's something perhaps maybe missing.
16:49
SPEAKER_00: And like, how could you blame them, right?
16:50
SPEAKER_00: They gave up their jobs, their identities, they sacrificed all of that, right?
16:56
SPEAKER_00: To be a 24-7 present, or I'm not gonna say present because we're all present moms, but to be like, you know, just um fully just focused on on one thing, and let's just say that's motherhood, right?
17:06
SPEAKER_00: And they're their babies.
17:08
SPEAKER_00: And I was like, that is that is amazing and that is beautiful, but I was being really honest with myself too.
17:13
SPEAKER_00: And I was like, I don't know if that's going to be my route when and if this day comes, right?
17:19
SPEAKER_00: So when I became a mom, um, I really wanted to make sure that I prioritized myself and I'm gonna be real too, because when I'm not fulfilled or happy, I think everyone around me suffers.
17:31
SPEAKER_00: And like I could admit that.
17:33
SPEAKER_00: One thing about me is like I am very like self-what's the word, like self-aware.
17:36
SPEAKER_00: So I'm just like, you know, people might be like, oh, you're too blunt, but I'm like, no, I'm just really self-aware.
17:41
SPEAKER_00: Like I know that people are gonna suffer.
17:43
SPEAKER_00: And like, if I bring a child into this world, she's not gonna see like a bad side of me because I'm not happy or fulfilled, or I feel like I gave up on something, right?
17:52
SPEAKER_00: Now, did I give up certain things?
17:54
SPEAKER_00: I think you have to as a mom.
17:55
SPEAKER_00: Like, let's be real.
17:56
SPEAKER_00: Like, yeah, I can't just like grab my keys and walk out the door and say, see ya.
18:00
SPEAKER_00: Like, that's no.
18:01
SPEAKER_00: But what I'm saying is, like, I always said that I'm going to maintain parts of my life and not because like I, you know, I'm so superior.
18:10
SPEAKER_00: No, I just again know what works for me.
18:12
SPEAKER_00: And then the beginning of our in of our interview, I was like telling you, like, do what works for you and your family, right?
18:17
SPEAKER_00: Like, like, like no one's journey is the same.
18:20
SPEAKER_00: And I always feel like just because I do a hundred different things and I wear a hundred different hats, like right, I mommy collective and I'm doing the podcast, right?
18:30
SPEAKER_00: I I work full-time in radio, I do like side TV stuff, I write for like Business Insider here and there and other publications.
18:35
SPEAKER_00: Like, I do all these things, but that's because like I'm choosing to do that, and like that's my route, and that's not gonna be Jessica's route.
18:42
SPEAKER_00: You know what I'm saying?
18:43
SPEAKER_00: So it's like perfectly okay.
18:45
SPEAKER_00: So for me, I was like, well, I know what fulfills me and makes me a better mom.
18:49
SPEAKER_00: I think that's also why, truthfully, I've had a really, really great postpartum experience.
18:54
SPEAKER_00: Like, thankfully, I didn't suffer through like depression.
18:56
SPEAKER_00: I mean, did I have anxiety?
18:57
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I was born anxious, like probably.
18:59
SPEAKER_00: But I was also nervous about those parts, right?
19:02
SPEAKER_00: The anxiety, the depression, like any anything that was um potentially, you know, going to come with postpartum.
19:07
SPEAKER_00: I was really nervous about that.
19:08
SPEAKER_00: But I do, I do attribute, like, you know, still, still making sure that I like took care of like parts of myself in that way.
19:15
SPEAKER_00: My husband was great, so I do give him him credit.
19:18
SPEAKER_00: My mother-in-law and my mother were angels from above.
19:21
SPEAKER_00: And like I I do have a village, and like I'm such a big advocate for villages, right?
19:25
SPEAKER_00: Like I'm at my daughter's school right now, that's a co-working space.
19:28
SPEAKER_00: I'm in love with this place.
19:29
SPEAKER_00: Like I'm in love with this place completely.
19:31
SPEAKER_00: They are my villa.
19:32
SPEAKER_00: Like, I'm telling you, like, I am a girl that will lean on the village, you know.
19:36
SPEAKER_00: So, like for me, I I felt like again, this is what works for me.
19:41
SPEAKER_00: And I thought it was really important.
19:42
SPEAKER_00: And then I remember, if I could share a story really quick, when I was nine months pregnant, I was about to give birth, I had a friend tell me and I don't think she meant harm, but I was also like, okay, very interesting wording.
19:56
SPEAKER_00: She also has a child, and her kid, I think at that time was two.
19:59
SPEAKER_00: And you know, she told me, I just, you know, I told my my fiance the other day, I wish I was as selfish as Paulina.
20:07
SPEAKER_00: And I really didn't know how to take that.
20:09
SPEAKER_00: I mean, because I was like, well, that's not a great word to call another to be mom, you know, when I'm about to give birth, you know, in like two weeks.
20:18
SPEAKER_00: I just felt like maybe that wasn't the right wording, but right?
20:21
SPEAKER_00: I'm like, that wasn't the greatest wording.
20:23
SPEAKER_00: And you know, she she did apologize and say that's not how she meant it and stuff.
20:26
SPEAKER_00: And I'm like, okay, you know, that's fair.
20:28
SPEAKER_00: But I I took that and I actually do roll with it a lot, even to this day.
20:32
SPEAKER_00: I'm two years now postpartum, but I feel like being selfish has turned me into like a great mother.
20:40
SPEAKER_00: Like I truly feel like I am enjoying motherhood, and like obviously moments are hard, like it is very hard, but I feel like I'm truly enjoying it, and maybe I do give credit to my selfishness because I always make sure that like I prioritize myself too.
20:54
SPEAKER_00: My daughter is fed, bathed, she has, you know, her friends, she goes to school, she is well loved by everyone in the family, my friends, this and that.
21:02
SPEAKER_00: I put her in activities, I go with her, but I still take a shower, I still eat, I still run a business, I still go out with my friends.
21:09
SPEAKER_00: Like, I feel like I'm giving my daughter a great life and kind of myself too, you know, because you gotta fill your own cup, man.
21:14
SPEAKER_00: Like it's what I always say.
21:16
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
21:17
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
21:17
SPEAKER_01: And I'm totally resonating with the the idea of knowing what you need prior to having kids because I did not, I had this idea of like I was gonna go in and be the same person that I was and just had a baby on my hip.
21:33
SPEAKER_01: And that was so not, it's so not the case for most any mom.
21:37
SPEAKER_01: So that was like totally, like, totally rocked me that I was like, wait a second, like I'm someone totally different now.
21:45
SPEAKER_01: Like what used to just roll off my back is like anxiety provoking for me and like I don't know who I am.
21:51
SPEAKER_01: I love being a mom, but like I feel like I needed more and had this I this idea of what it was gonna look like.
21:59
SPEAKER_01: And I do think that that part of that um having a realistic expectation of what was about to happen was a detriment to me and not being able to really prioritize myself.
22:10
SPEAKER_01: Um, and like you said, I have the best husband in the world.
22:13
SPEAKER_01: He is so supportive, he's so involved.
22:16
SPEAKER_01: But even with that said, like I had to find it in me what was interesting and exciting to me and what would fill me up.
22:22
SPEAKER_01: And for me, that was podcasting, that was having a job, that was now building a business.
22:29
SPEAKER_01: And many of those things I wouldn't have probably pursued prior to having kids or thought that that was what was going to fulfill me.
22:36
SPEAKER_01: So I imagine.
22:37
SPEAKER_01: Imagine it all kind of happened the way it did for a reason, but there definitely is something to do agree that selfishness isn't the best word to use, but that self-awareness and being able to prioritize yourself think can um one, I would love to destigmatize moms putting themselves in a position of priority.
22:58
SPEAKER_01: We're always gonna make sure our kids are taken care of, we're always gonna love our kids, we're gonna make sure whatever needs to get done gets done, but we are always putting ourselves on the back burner.
23:08
SPEAKER_01: And that's kind of what I love about the collective that you're creating.
23:11
SPEAKER_01: Not only is it for ambitious moms who are like on the go, on the hustle, it's also like creating this nurturing feminine community to really like rat rally around each other.
23:24
SPEAKER_01: I'd love to know more about how you decided that you wanted to create this collective and what went into deciding what the focuses were gonna be.
23:33
SPEAKER_00: For sure.
23:34
SPEAKER_00: It's interesting because like when I first started, mind you, I have like zero business experience and like creating a space like this like should have probably felt more natural, but it was like a little difficult because I was like, I just want all the moms.
23:45
SPEAKER_00: And of course, we are for all the moms.
23:47
SPEAKER_00: Like, there is no like, I mean, all mothers, hello.
23:50
SPEAKER_00: Like, I I hello.
23:52
SPEAKER_00: At the end of the day, like the baseline is like we are all moms.
23:55
SPEAKER_00: Um, but I feel like the mission and just even like the way that like we connect and do things has changed and in a great way, meaning we've evolved.
24:02
SPEAKER_00: Like, we we get back to your question in a second, but like I just want to say, like, I see the evol the way that it's it's evolved just by I'll give an example, like our dinner.
24:10
SPEAKER_00: So we have a dinner series, we have six dinners a year.
24:13
SPEAKER_00: We already had two of them.
24:14
SPEAKER_00: At both of these dinners, we've had we had women that are not even mothers.
24:18
SPEAKER_00: That was like, damn, we have evolved.
24:19
SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
24:20
SPEAKER_00: I felt like they felt connected to the mission still.
24:23
SPEAKER_00: They were like business owners or just really dope women.
24:26
SPEAKER_00: And this one girl said, I'm not a mom, but I'm a mommy, and it was so cute.
24:29
SPEAKER_00: And I was like, Yes, like you get it, honey.
24:32
SPEAKER_00: And like one day she might become a mom.
24:34
SPEAKER_00: Like, that's on her goal, you know.
24:35
SPEAKER_00: She wants, she, that's her vision board.
24:37
SPEAKER_00: Like, she wants to be a mother one day.
24:38
SPEAKER_00: So it's cool that she's already like immersed with like the moms that have a lot in common with her and like the ones that like want to support her and her business today.
24:45
SPEAKER_00: It's just so cool.
24:46
SPEAKER_00: So with the mommy collective, like we've evolved because in the beginning, I didn't really know what we were.
24:52
SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna be so honest.
24:53
SPEAKER_00: Like, my friend, I I do give big credits to my friend, my best friend Jonathan and his partner Patrick.
24:57
SPEAKER_00: They are marketing gurus.
24:59
SPEAKER_00: So they like I am not.
25:01
SPEAKER_00: So they came in and like really helped me to structure the hell out of it.
25:04
SPEAKER_00: But in the beginning, I just was like, oh, we'll just throw brunches and parties and stuff.
25:08
SPEAKER_00: And like I learned so quick that like it's a little more than that because, like, A, yes, like what's the mission?
25:13
SPEAKER_00: Who are we connecting?
25:14
SPEAKER_00: What are we doing?
25:15
SPEAKER_00: And you know, in the beginning, I was just like, Yeah, moms need like a day out or a night out, like we're gonna connect moms, and we do that.
25:21
SPEAKER_00: But I also was like, but it's also like deeper than that, right?
25:24
SPEAKER_00: So, like, where can we connect and stuff?
25:26
SPEAKER_00: So I created the podcast sort of came first because that was the most natural.
25:31
SPEAKER_00: And then through the website, I mean, we just grew so much.
25:35
SPEAKER_00: And like we have um a directory now.
25:38
SPEAKER_00: So like when you join the directory, like you get first you get listed on the website, which is the coolest thing, right?
25:43
SPEAKER_00: And then you also are a part of a because I have a public newsletter that goes out twice a week for mommy collective, and then I have a private newsletter, and in that newsletter, I I get like super like connective, right?
25:56
SPEAKER_00: So like I do, I do um uh what is it called?
26:00
SPEAKER_00: Grants.
26:00
SPEAKER_00: I put so twice a month, it's it's bi weekly.
26:02
SPEAKER_00: I give you guys like a shit ton of grands, and then I give you guys access to like media opportunities, right?
26:09
SPEAKER_00: For business owners or thought leaders who wanna, you know, grow their business or grow their brand.
26:14
SPEAKER_00: I'm like, well, you know, ABC is looking for this, or like pitch came out, like go go talk to this person.
26:20
SPEAKER_00: And we've had success stories, right?
26:22
SPEAKER_00: Like we had my girl, she runs Brio Skin, B-R, no, B R I O, yes.
26:28
SPEAKER_00: She runs Brio Skin and she's on the directory, and she got featured.
26:31
SPEAKER_00: I think her latest one was back in December for Christmas.
26:34
SPEAKER_00: It was an article that was a pitch that was looking for like the article was a Yahoo article, and it was like a hundred things to get the girl who has everything this this Christmas.
26:44
SPEAKER_00: It was really cute.
26:45
SPEAKER_00: And she got featured on it, and I was like, that's amazing from the opportunity.
26:50
SPEAKER_00: I know there's been a couple of them, and I really need to sit down and organize these because I'm like, I gotta like shout them out and make sure everybody knows about this.
26:56
SPEAKER_00: But it was so cool.
26:57
SPEAKER_00: And she got featured in one more.
26:58
SPEAKER_00: I have to go check it out.
27:00
SPEAKER_00: And then on Get Griefy magazine, she's on our directory and she's in Chicago, and she uh got featured for Grief Awareness Week because she unfortunately lost her mom when she was, I want to say, very postpartum.
27:13
SPEAKER_00: She had two kiddos.
27:14
SPEAKER_00: Um, so she talks about that very openly.
27:17
SPEAKER_00: And I mean, she's such a badass.
27:18
SPEAKER_00: I love her, and she's a military spouse, but she did lose her mom, so she talks about that and parenting while grief, you know, being, you know, going through grief, I should say.
27:26
SPEAKER_00: And she got featured on WGN for one of our local shows, and she got to go on and talk about it.
27:32
SPEAKER_00: So again, like these were this was me living in my mission of just like connecting people to the opportunities, right?
27:38
SPEAKER_00: Like, I'm the connector, like you're the one that's gonna do the work and pitch yourself and get yourself out there, but I'm gonna I'm gonna put these opportunities in front of your face.
27:45
SPEAKER_00: So that's kind of what I do with that, and like any events that come up and stuff, or any any like inside stuff that I find, I'm like put it in the newsletter, send it to you guys, and and and that's been a really good way for people to grow and connect.
27:56
SPEAKER_00: And then, like I said, like the dinners came that that's new this year.
27:59
SPEAKER_00: We have six of them this year.
28:00
SPEAKER_00: Last year in October, we had our first summit, um, which I'm doing annually.
28:04
SPEAKER_00: So we're back in October, October 1st.
28:07
SPEAKER_00: And the summit is just where moms again come together.
28:10
SPEAKER_00: We've got like two rooms.
28:12
SPEAKER_00: We've got the panel room where the actual event takes place, but two hours before that, we've got the party room.
28:17
SPEAKER_00: That was a blast last year.
28:18
SPEAKER_00: We had food, we had desserts, we had um free booze.
28:21
SPEAKER_00: I mean, the best margaritas I've ever had, I think.
28:23
SPEAKER_00: And we had like a DJ.
28:25
SPEAKER_00: Um Verizon actually was able to hook up.
28:27
SPEAKER_00: Oh, it was amazing.
28:28
SPEAKER_00: Verizon was able to hook us up and give us uh money for a grant.
28:32
SPEAKER_00: So we were able to grant one mom a uh$2,500 grant for her business to make kind of get her elevated a little bit.
28:39
SPEAKER_00: So that was really cool to see.
28:41
SPEAKER_00: And I'm like obsessed with the grant winner, too, because she's a mom who left her job um to become uh she went to HVAC school.
28:49
SPEAKER_00: So she does HVAC, which is already incredible.
28:51
SPEAKER_00: She's a woman in HVAC, which okay, tell me isn't the coolest thing in the world.
28:55
SPEAKER_00: Like, think about it, Jessica.
28:56
SPEAKER_00: Like you are home with your kid, your HIV goes out, and you have to call someone.
29:01
SPEAKER_00: Brilliant girl.
29:02
SPEAKER_00: And like they're so hard to find.
29:04
SPEAKER_00: So I was like, I'm obsessed with you.
29:05
SPEAKER_00: Like, that's awesome.
29:06
SPEAKER_00: So she won, and that was like the coolest thing.
29:08
SPEAKER_00: So, like, I feel like we just really do a lot, right?
29:12
SPEAKER_00: And it's just elevated, and I'm so excited to see like where else it goes and stuff.
29:15
SPEAKER_00: But um, I mean, we've gotten featured in Forbes, we've gotten featured in Business Insider.
29:20
SPEAKER_00: We've been writing, I've been writing a lot like about you know, Mommy Collective and sort of like how I'm able to do this and radio and everything.
29:26
SPEAKER_00: And it's just been like so cool to see it just grow.
29:29
SPEAKER_00: Um, so yeah, that's kind of where we're at right now.
29:32
SPEAKER_00: And and it's again so new to me.
29:34
SPEAKER_00: So I'm always like, y'all need to give me grace.
29:36
SPEAKER_00: Okay, I'm learning too.
29:38
SPEAKER_00: But it's been really cool to do, and it's just awesome.
29:42
SPEAKER_00: I love it.
29:43
SPEAKER_01: Tell me where you want it to go.
29:47
SPEAKER_01: Like, what is your big dream?
29:48
SPEAKER_01: What do you, where do you see it all going?
29:50
SPEAKER_00: I personally would love, and I'm gonna put this out into existence because I don't think I ever said this out loud, but I want it to go nationwide.
29:58
SPEAKER_00: I mean worldwide for being honest, but I would love to become one of the biggest summits in the country for moms, right?
30:06
SPEAKER_00: I know like there's a ton of summits, and I love that.
30:08
SPEAKER_00: And I feel like I want the mission to keep evolving, right?
30:12
SPEAKER_00: Because we're not just for like business moms.
30:15
SPEAKER_00: I know sometimes it feels like we kind of go that way because I now I'm in the business space and like I do media though, so it's kind of like, well, you know, what do you do?
30:23
SPEAKER_00: But I also feel like we've got everyone, we've got realtors and teachers, and we have stay-at-home moms who are down with the mommy collective because again, like we're for everyone.
30:33
SPEAKER_00: Like you are a mother, and at the end of the day, like you're that girl, right?
30:36
SPEAKER_00: Like you've got that ambition in you.
30:38
SPEAKER_00: So it's like, and I know you do.
30:40
SPEAKER_00: I know you do.
30:40
SPEAKER_00: So, like, that's why I'm I want to be able to like reach everyone.
30:44
SPEAKER_00: And I feel like we we definitely can reach that.
30:47
SPEAKER_00: You know, I want to be nationwide.
30:49
SPEAKER_00: Like when I always say, like, where do I want to go?
30:51
SPEAKER_00: Right when I was little, oh, I want to be Oprah.
30:53
SPEAKER_00: I want to be this person, I want to be that person.
30:56
SPEAKER_00: I would love to get on a level that's as big as like, I don't know if you follow them, but I really like create and cultivate.
31:02
SPEAKER_00: Like they speak to women in business and they have an annual summit that's always very large.
31:07
SPEAKER_00: I think I might go this year.
31:08
SPEAKER_00: It's in Los Angeles in September.
31:10
SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna try to go.
31:11
SPEAKER_00: I think it's dope, right?
31:13
SPEAKER_00: And I want to be at that level, you know, I want to be able to grow it where it's like this annual summit and people fly in, they come see us.
31:19
SPEAKER_00: Like this year, we're gonna have a keynote speaker, we're gonna fly her in.
31:22
SPEAKER_00: We had one last year, but she wasn't keynote.
31:24
SPEAKER_00: She was on the panel, but she's from New York.
31:26
SPEAKER_00: I love her.
31:26
SPEAKER_00: Her name is Leah Higgins.
31:27
SPEAKER_00: Um, she left Big Law to become a like a content creator, and she's like, she's, I would say like a stay-at-home mom content creator, but she, I mean, the girl's so busy, she's a writer too now, so like she's killing it.
31:39
SPEAKER_00: And it's just so cool to see.
31:40
SPEAKER_00: And like I want that for mommy collective.
31:44
SPEAKER_00: I want more opportunities.
31:46
SPEAKER_00: I want to give more money to moms to, you know, create their brands or businesses, um, to get their ideas or projects off the ground, even if it's not like a for-profit.
31:54
SPEAKER_00: Like, I want to be able to help you because at the end of the day, like this costs money.
31:58
SPEAKER_00: Um, and I want to be able to keep connecting moms in like all types of ways.
32:02
SPEAKER_00: You know, I love referring people.
32:04
SPEAKER_00: So that's like my one thing.
32:05
SPEAKER_00: It's like I love to put people on.
32:06
SPEAKER_00: So I want to keep doing that and I want to just keep growing.
32:10
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
32:10
SPEAKER_01: And I love the authenticity that just comes along with wanting to simply connect people.
32:16
SPEAKER_01: And I I love the work that you're doing to pair people together and and like you said, put people on to like new and exciting sponsors or companies that they align with, whatever it might be.
32:29
SPEAKER_01: I love that there's women in the group who are stay-at-home moms.
32:32
SPEAKER_01: That is a job, and they should have the community around them.
32:36
SPEAKER_01: Yes, it is.
32:38
SPEAKER_01: I just love everything you're doing in taking moms from each area of life, whatever industry you're in, whatever it looks like for you to create this community.
32:50
SPEAKER_01: I think, like you said in the beginning, as millennials, I think we're all highly ambitious.
32:55
SPEAKER_01: And wherever life takes us, I feel like we should have the opportunity to kind of harness what's available for us.
33:02
SPEAKER_01: And I feel like that's really what you're doing with this incredible group of women that I'm confident will will continue to grow.
33:09
SPEAKER_00: You and I love everything that you're doing too.
33:11
SPEAKER_00: You should be like extremely proud of yourself.
33:12
SPEAKER_00: I didn't even ask you how old is your baby?
33:15
SPEAKER_01: Uh he's three now.
33:16
SPEAKER_01: Not much of a baby, but yeah, he's three, he'll be four and we're in the trenches.
33:21
SPEAKER_01: I love it.
33:21
SPEAKER_01: Yes, yes, we sure are.
33:23
SPEAKER_01: So tell me what is coming up for the mommy collective.
33:26
SPEAKER_01: What things do you guys have in the works for the rest of the year?
33:29
SPEAKER_01: This will come out um early summer.
33:31
SPEAKER_01: What's going on?
33:32
SPEAKER_00: Yes, thank you for asking.
33:33
SPEAKER_00: So we are we are out here.
33:36
SPEAKER_00: So on Instagram, you know, mommy collective.
33:38
SPEAKER_00: Don't go to the mommy collective because that's another girl that I discovered.
33:41
SPEAKER_00: And I'm like, oh, that's not because I I had it for a while.
33:44
SPEAKER_00: I posted like, oh, it's not me.
33:46
SPEAKER_00: I love her.
33:46
SPEAKER_00: She's cute, she's sweet, she has her own group, but it's mine is mommy collective.
33:50
SPEAKER_00: We are um, you know, the podcast is still podcasting.
33:53
SPEAKER_00: So, you know, tune in, listen.
33:56
SPEAKER_00: If you want to be on it, pitch yourself.
33:57
SPEAKER_00: Like I do read those and I definitely try to get to everybody.
34:00
SPEAKER_00: So, you know, contact me.
34:01
SPEAKER_00: Um, but we have that, and then we have our dinners.
34:03
SPEAKER_00: So we've uh we have six of them this year, and we have six six dinners.
34:07
SPEAKER_00: We had two that happened already.
34:09
SPEAKER_00: So we have them, you know, May, July, and then so forth and so on.
34:13
SPEAKER_00: So if you can make it out to those, we're in Chicago.
34:16
SPEAKER_00: Um, those are so fun.
34:17
SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, I keep the tickets a little bit on the lower end because I just really want everyone to come out.
34:22
SPEAKER_00: I and I always say like I know for a mom to come out on a weeknight and come out and do something for herself is a big deal.
34:28
SPEAKER_00: So I want to make sure it's worth your while.
34:30
SPEAKER_00: So that's why I also like make sure that like everyone in the room is connecting.
34:34
SPEAKER_00: You know, everyone leaves with not only, not only like I new ideas and fresh um, you know, thoughts and just you know, things that they uh get excited about, but I think people leave with like genuine connections and I love seeing that.
34:46
SPEAKER_00: Like my tax girl comes to all of them and she always leaves with new people.
34:51
SPEAKER_00: Love her.
34:51
SPEAKER_00: We love Jackie Montoya.
34:52
SPEAKER_00: So, like, because I don't know business taxes girl at Jackie.
34:55
SPEAKER_00: I mean, Jessica, I don't know.
34:56
SPEAKER_00: I don't know business taxes, but she does, and that's why I love her.
34:58
SPEAKER_00: So she helps me.
34:59
SPEAKER_00: Um again, I'm learning, guys.
35:01
SPEAKER_00: So, you know, we do that, and then the annual summit is October 1st.
35:05
SPEAKER_00: So tickets are on sale, themommycollective.com.
35:08
SPEAKER_00: Um, we would love to see you guys there.
35:10
SPEAKER_00: Again, it's a good time, it's definitely a night out.
35:13
SPEAKER_00: It's a Thursday night.
35:14
SPEAKER_00: Um, but like again, you leave inspired, you will leave excited about what's to come for you and your stuff, and then you leave with like just a good time and good connections.
35:23
SPEAKER_00: So those are things we have going on.
35:25
SPEAKER_00: My newsletter goes out twice a week.
35:27
SPEAKER_00: So definitely sign up at themommycollective.com.
35:30
SPEAKER_00: And yeah, you can follow me too.
35:31
SPEAKER_00: Um Paulina Rowe on Instagram.
35:33
SPEAKER_00: So yeah, that's kind of where we're at.
35:35
SPEAKER_01: Awesome.
35:36
SPEAKER_01: Well, this has been so incredible.
35:37
SPEAKER_01: I have loved chatting with you.
35:39
SPEAKER_01: I could chat for a couple hours if if we could, but it was so great to have you.
35:43
SPEAKER_01: Thank you for being here.
35:44
SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for having me.
35:45
SPEAKER_00: We're the best.
35:47
SPEAKER_01: If this conversation resonated with you, I'd love for you to follow the podcast wherever you listen and share it with another mom building something meaningful.
35:55
SPEAKER_01: If you want deeper behind the scenes reflections that I don't share anywhere else, join my email list at the Mama Making Podcast.com.
36:03
SPEAKER_01: Thank you for being here, and I'll see you next time.