Shows / About Progress
About Progress
All the self-help extremes out there seem designed for perfect robots. But what if progress doesn’t require perfection? Welcome to your gentle self-development hub: About Progress, a podcast and community devoted to progress made practical. Join host and coach, Monica Packer, and her special guests to get the hug AND kick in the pants you need to do something and grow in ways that stick.
Episodes
- About Progress
AP 826: Remember When: 2025
This episode is part of Remember When — a special monthly series leading up to our 10th anniversary this November. I take us back through 2025: the year I…
- About Progress
AP 825: How to Dress (and Care For) Yourself on a Bad Body Image Day || with Jordana Edelstein
What if you don't have to love your body to feel good in it? In this episode, I sit down with body image and food relationship coach Jordana Edelstein to talk…
- About Progress
Comparing Yourself to Everyone? Try This Self-Compassion Reset || H&K with Crystalee Beck
Ever feel like everyone else is on a rocket ship while you’re pedaling a tricycle? Crystalee Beck, founder of Comma Copywriters and The Mama Ladder, shares how…
- About Progress
AP 824: I found Mistakes in My Book: Why Not Trying is the Biggest Mistake of All || Growth Spurt
In this Growth Spurt, I share a moment from narrating my audiobook for Sticky Habits when I spotted small errors that survived countless rounds of editing…
- About Progress
AP 823: Why You Keep Reaching for Your Phone (and What to Do Instead) || with Ruby Ryba
How many times have you caught yourself scrolling and immediately thought, "Oh no, I did it again. I seriously need more self-control"? I've done this too. We…
- About Progress
Self-Compassion for the Hustle Habit || H&K with Jessica Hottel
Ever wonder why you feel like you have to hustle for everything, or why one critical comment can undo a whole good day? In this clip, Jessica Hottel gets…
- About Progress
AP 822: You Can Never “Make Time” for Everything Good and Worthy || Growth Spurt
After months of interviews for my book Sticky Habits, one question kept coming up: "How do you make time for self-care habits?" And it stopped me in my tracks…
- About Progress
AP 821: Think You’re Bad at Decorating? How to Find Your Design Style and Create a Home You Love || with Dani Watson
Have you ever looked around your home and thought, "I'm just bad at this"? I've been there too — wrong-size rugs, bad paint colors, the works. In this episode…
- About Progress
How to Turn Your Passion Into Your Life's Work (Start Small, Think Big) || H&K with Tina Anderson
Somewhere between the to-do lists and the school pickups, a lot of us lose track of the thing that used to light us up. In this clip, Just Thrive founder Tina…
- About Progress
AP 820: Surviving the biggest professional month ever, launching Sticky Habits, hosting the More for Moms conference, leaning into piano for calm, and confronting whether the podcast can continue || Messy Middle October 2026
This monthly series features an episode sharing my recent highs and lows, how my habits are going, a Do Something List update, plus what I'm loving lately and…
- About Progress
Finding an Identity Outside of 'Mom' || Special Bonus
If you’ve looked in the mirror and seen nothing behind your eyes—not postpartum, not exhaustion, but the quiet disappearance of you —you're not alone. In this…
- About Progress
More Mini-Moments: HOBBIES
It’s More Mini Moments from More for Moms, where we honor some of the most stand-out moments from our speaker sessions. Catch up on some gems you missed…
- About Progress
More Mini-Moments: HOME
It’s More Mini Moments from More for Moms, where we honor some of the most stand-out moments from our speaker sessions. Catch up on some gems you missed…
- About Progress
SURPRISE! More Mini-Moments: HAPPINESS
It’s More Mini Moments from More for Moms, where we honor some of the most stand-out moments from our speaker sessions. Catch up on some gems you missed…
- About Progress
More Mini-Moments: HABITS
It’s More Mini Moments from More for Moms, where we honor some of the most stand-out moments from our speaker sessions. Catch up on some gems you missed…
- About Progress
More Mini-Moments: HEALTH
It’s More Mini Moments from More for Moms, where we honor some of the most stand-out moments from our speaker sessions. Catch up on some gems you missed…
About ProgressJulie Allen: "Your Guide to Thrifting: Spend Less, Find More + Have Fun With Your Style"
What if one surprising thing that's quietly draining you is your shopping cart? As a style influencer, Julie Rose Allen had packages arriving in numbers so…
About ProgressCasey von Stein (Miss Freddy): "Easy Digital Scrapbooking 101: How to Actually USE Your Photos"
(Short note: we recorded this session prior to securing our sponsors for the conference. All references to them were organic.) You have thousands of photos on…
About ProgressSpecial Bonus with Rachel Nielson: "The Simplest Shift to Find the Magic in Your Motherhood"
What if the secret to loving motherhood isn't enjoying every minute, but recognizing the small, golden moments that make motherhood feel magical? Rachel…
About ProgressAmber Brueseke: "Your Body Isn't Broken . . . Perimenopause Just Changed the Workout Rules"
You're doing the same workouts, eating the same way, but suddenly nothing is working. Your body composition is shifting, you're more tired, and you're…
About ProgressSpecial Bonus with Lori Atwood: Your Happiness is the Key to Your Wallet: Sustainable Habits for Financial Security
What if the secret to fixing your finances isn't another budget spreadsheet—it's your happiness? In this episode, financial expert and founder of Fearless…
About ProgressCatherine Price: "How to Break up with Your Phone (So Your Kids Can, Too)"
You're not addicted to your phone; you're being manipulated. Catherine Price, author of How to Break Up With Your Phone and The Awesome Generation, joins the…
- About Progress
Welcome to the More for Moms Conference!
A warm welcome to the More for Moms Conference! Listen to learn why this conference exists and what to expect. Thank you for being here! UPGRADE to the…
About ProgressMoment for More: Day One
Start the day with Monica and a "Moment for More," where she shares why that day's pillar matters for moms, and introduces the content from the day's rundown…
About ProgressSpecial Bonus with Vanessa Quigley: "3 Practices for Busy Moms to Love the Life They're Living"
She had a degree in opera, a dream of performing on international stages, but then suddenly--five kids under her roof. One day, a familiar aria came on the car…
About ProgressNina Spears: "Still Feel 'Postpartum?' How to Heal—even Long After the Baby Comes"
You know that voice that says, "I should be over this by now"? Nina Spears has worked with over 800 families as a birthing and postpartum doula, and she has a…
About ProgressCatie Borland: "How to Be a Better Friend (and Find Friends, Too!)"
If you've ever thought "making friends as a mom shouldn't be this hard," or feel like you're the only one struggling with friends, this conversation is for…
About ProgressNikki Harmon: "How to Feel Less Alone in Your Marriage: Why You've Drifted Apart + Ways to Come Back Together"
Do you feel lonely in your marriage? Marriage and family therapist, Nikki Harmon, explains how loneliness typically creeps into a partnership not through one…
About ProgressChrissi Harris: "Midlife Momhood: Why 40+ Is Your Time to Find—and Be—Yourself"
If you've ever lain awake wondering if your best years are behind you, Chrissi Harris, host of Found at 40, joins the More for Moms Conference to flip that…
About ProgressJoAnn Crohn: "Drop the Mom Guilt: Why YOUR Happiness Deserves a Spot on the List, Too"
"Just stop feeling guilty." If only it were that easy. In this episode, JoAnn Crohn, founder of No Guilt Mom and author of The Best Mom Is a Happy Mom, breaks…
- About Progress
What to do When You Have Given so Much Away, You Have Nothing Left to Give || with Nicole Walters
When was the last time you bought yourself a new bra? Or made your own dentist appointment as quickly as you make your kids'? In this clip, Nicole Walters gets…
- About Progress
AP 818: Remember When: 2024 || The Make-or-Break Year
In this episode, I open the 2024 time capsule — my "make it or break it" year for the podcast. I revisit a world of elections, the Paris Olympics, and "very…
About ProgressAP 817: How to Stop Letting Other People’s Opinions Hold You Back, While Still Caring About Them || with Sharon McMahon
Have you ever been made to feel like you're too much and not enough at the same time? Sharon McMahon is back to talk about the women throughout history who…
- About Progress
You're Not Just a Mom in Sweatpants, You're Still You || H&K with Jenny Eversole
We don't always clock it, but the things sitting in our closet can quietly shape how we feel about ourselves — especially in seasons when everything else feels…
- About Progress
AP 816: The Cover Design Journey for Sticky Habits || From My Original Vision to the End Product, How I Got the Book Cover of My Dreams
Today I'm taking you behind the scenes of the wild but wonderful journey to the Sticky Habits book cover—from my very first DIY mock-up to the unexpected title…
About ProgressAP 815: Do You Feel Worthy? How to Build True Self-Esteem in a Self-Obsessed World || with Dr. Marisa G. Franco
A year or two ago, I did a whole deep dive on positive thinking—and while we all know the importance of believing in ourselves, science actually shows that if…
- About Progress
Why You Can't Stop Being Busy || H&K with Patrice Washington
Patrice Washington opens up about a truth so many of us recognize but rarely say out loud: her busyness was never really about productivity — it was about…
- About Progress
AP 814: About Progress LIVE || From Podcast to Page, Celebrate 10 Years of About Progress with a Special Live Podcast Recording
I can't believe it — we recorded a live episode of About Progress, and you're invited to join us for the whole thing. My friend Julie Rose, an NPR journalist…
- About Progress
AP 813: How I’m Feeling the Day Before My Book is Published || + Why Writing This Book Felt Personal and What I Hope it Changes in the Self-Help Industry at Large
In this episode I'm getting real with you the day before my book Sticky Habits officially publishes. This isn't a heavily outlined or scripted episode — it's a…
- About Progress
What If Getting Hit in the Face Is Part of the Process? || H&K with Heather Chauvin
Heather Chauvin has a metaphor for change that's going to stick with you: double dutch. You're standing outside the ropes, terrified of getting smacked, but…
- About Progress
AP 812: Navigating back-to-school transitions, book launch preparations, Supporters Club garden party highlights, rekindling hobbies, and confronting personal lows || Messy Middle September 2026
This monthly series features an episode sharing my recent highs and lows, how my habits are going, a Do Something List update, plus what I'm loving lately and…
About ProgressAP 811: Stop Doing it All: How to Get Your Kids to Help, Without Nagging || with Sam Kelly
If you've ever felt like you're the only one who notices what needs to be done in your home—and you're tired of carrying that invisible weight—this episode is…
- About Progress
Finding Belonging Through Deeper Connection || H&K with Jasmine Bradshaw
If you've ever walked into a room and felt like you just don't fit — this one's for you. In this clip, Jasmine Bradshaw shares something that completely…
- About Progress
AP 810: Remember When: 2023 || Newborn Struggles, Joy Amid Hardship, and Fighting for the Podcast's Future
I'm opening the 2023 time capsule — the year I had a newborn who wouldn't sleep, a body that wouldn't cooperate, and a podcast that hit a wall. I called it my…
About ProgressA Surprising Truth About People-Pleasing + How to Stop Without Feeling Guilty || with Michelle Gauthier
I'm sitting down with life coach Michelle Gauthier to unpack people-pleasing — that thing so many of us do disguised as just being nice. Michelle drops a…
- About Progress
From Fear & Anger to Lasting Change || H&K with Brooke Snow
Brooke Snow gets real about the moment everything fell apart — and the moment that changed everything. After a near-death experience following childbirth…
- About Progress
AP 808: The Book That Almost Didn’t Happen: How Sticky Habits Became a Book | Behind the Scenes, Part 2
I'm taking you behind the scenes of how my book, "Sticky Habits," came to life. It's a journey that almost didn't happen, rooted in my personal struggle with…
- About Progress
AP 807: The Hidden Need Behind Emotional Eating, Scrolling, and Other Numbing Habits + How to Help || Coaching Call with Alise
In this episode, I sat down with Elise Kirk to explore her journey with emotional eating, a coping mechanism that reveals more about deeper unmet needs than a…
- About Progress
Redefining Organization: Practical, Not Perfect || H&K with Tracy McCubbin
If you've ever called yourself lazy or a bad housekeeper for having a messy junk drawer, this one's for you. Tracy McCubbin, professional organizer and…
- About Progress
AP 806: The Book That Almost Didn’t Happen: How Sticky Habits Became a Book | Behind the Scenes, Part 1
I'm taking you behind the scenes of how my book, "Sticky Habits," came to life. It's a journey that almost didn't happen, rooted in my personal struggle with…
About ProgressAP 805: A Tribute to Carol Lynn Pearson || Her Shared Lessons on Love, Acceptance, and the Divinity in Us All
In this tribute episode of "About Progress," I honor the legacy of my dear friend Carol Lynn Pearson. Her life spanned 86 years, during which she was a…
- About Progress
The Painful Truth About Regrets, Told Through a Broken Finger || H&K with Monica Packer
Monica Packer opens up about a regret that's still a little raw — literally. After falling down the stairs at 33 weeks pregnant, breaking her finger not once…
- About Progress
AP 804: Embracing play production chaos, 40th birthday milestones, NYC sightseeing, audiobook triumph, family health stressors, and commemorating a special friend || Messy Middle August 2026
This monthly series features an episode sharing my recent highs and lows, how my habits are going, a Do Something List update, plus what I'm loving lately and…
About ProgressAP 803: The Messy Middle of Dreams || 6 Lessons on Staying on the Path When Progress Feels Impossible
I don't know about you, but I've spent way too many years thinking that if something felt hard, I must be on the wrong path. Turns out I was dead wrong — and…
- About Progress
Why Hustle Culture Is Making You Productive in the Wrong Ways || H&K with Jess Massey
If you've ever laid your head down at night feeling like nothing was ever enough, this one's for you. Jess Massey gets real about her own hustle culture rock…
- About Progress
AP 802: Remember When: 2022 || Health Scares, Big-Name Interviews, and Podcasting Through Hard Times
In this month's Remember When episode, I take a deep dive into the unforgettable year of 2022. Amidst global headlines I navigated personal challenges…
About ProgressAP 801: The Martyr Mom Trap: How Knowing Your Core Values Sets You Free as a Mother|| with Rachel Nielson
In this episode, I chat with Rachel Nielson about the all-too-familiar feeling of being a 'martyr mom' and how it can leave us feeling drained and…
- About Progress
Why Organizing Isn't About Being Perfect || H&K with Mika Perry
If you've ever felt like your home (or your life) has to look Pinterest-perfect to count as "organized," this one's for you. Mika Perry breaks down why…
About ProgressAP 800: The Busy Mom's Guide to Reading More: Audiobooks, Book Clubs & 5 Beginner Picks || with Meagan Briggs
In this episode I chat with Meagan Briggs, who shares her remarkable journey from reading occasionally to devouring over 150 books a year. Our conversation…
- About Progress
You Are the Common Denominator: Why Self-Care Isn't Selfish || H&K with Geomyra Pollard
If you're a mom who always ends up last on your own list, this one's for you. Jamira Pollard breaks down why putting yourself first isn't selfish — it's the…