How to break the cycle of relational trauma Today I'm talking to Abbey Williams, LSW about estrangements and healing to break the cycle of generational trauma. Abbey spoke at our recent Stepmom Summit (the Summit is over but you can still access the presentations for a few more days with an Ultimate Access Pass) About Abbey: Abbey is a Trauma Therapist + Estrangement Expert, Founder of You, The Mother, Coach, Co-Founder of The Estrangement Project, Co-Founder of The Parenting with...

What happens when you realize you're in a high-conflict situation? All too often, stepmoms get into their stepfamily only to realize their spouse's ex is way more high-conflict than they realized or that there is some pretty nasty parental alienation happening. That's exactly what happened to Maarit Miller and we're talking all about her experience and how it led her to start coaching others through similar situations. Maarit spoke at our recent Stepmom Summit (the Summit is over but you can...

Does High Conflict Coparenting Ever Get Better? That's what we're talking about in today's episode with CEO and co-founder of the High Conflict Institute, Megan Hunter, another "three-peat" guest (Episode 27 and Episode 59) and speaker at this year's Stepmom Summit (which is coming up April 25-28th - you can get on the waitlist for doors to open HERE).  Megan will give us a bit of a preview of what she and Bill Eddy will discuss when they appear together at the Summit in a few weeks - and,...

Is it possible to stepmom without losing yourself? That's what we're talking about in today's episode with relationship crisis coach Jessica Frew - a "three-peat" guest (Episode 29 and Episode 65) and speaker at this year's Stepmom Summit (which is coming up April 25-28th - you can get on the waitlist for doors to open HERE). And spoiler alert, Jessica has some great advice. About Jessica: Jessica Frew is a wife, ex-wife, mom, stepmom, and BOLD action taker. She has a successful podcast...

Let's Get Comfortable . . . In Your Own Skin. Today's episode is about getting more comfortable in your own skin. Specifically as it relates to your partner’s ex and comparing yourself to her. This is something that I hear ALL THE TIME from stepmoms. And it can take various forms.  It can be overt, like wondering if your spouse thinks she’s prettier or smarter than you.  But it can also be sneaky and lead to even more insecurities, like when you wonder why your partner married her to begin...

Are you a people pleaser? If so, this episode is for YOU. Our guest today has been here before, back on episode 61. And she recently published her first book, The People Pleaser’s Guide to Coparenting Well.  About Mikki: Mikki Gardner is a Certified Life and Conscious Parenting Coach, a mom, a speaker, host of the Co-Parenting with Confidence Podcast, and author of the People Pleaser’s Guide to Co-Parenting Well. Mikki’s personal struggles with divorce motivated her to become a “better mom”...

In today's episode, I'm answering your questions! I put out a call before the holidays for questions and boy, did you respond! I'm so excited to tackle these and hope today is just the first of many Q&A episodes.  Today's question is from Lauren, who wants to know if feeling like an outsider ever really gets better and how she can cope with it. If you've got a question you'd like me to answer, head HERE and ask away!  Links Mentioned In Today's Episode Submit a question to be answered...

Today I'm talking to another veteran stepfamily coach, Amelia Lane, all about how to get "okay" with it when you realize your expectations do not line up with your stepfamily reality.  Amelia has been a guest expert inside the Stepfamily Circle membership, which you can learn more about HERE. And she's got some great insights for you - no matter what stage of stepmom life you're in! About Amelia Amelia Lane is a Certified Stepparent Coach and the co-founder of The Art of Blended Chaos,...

Today I'm talking to a veteran stepfamily coach and one of last year's Stepmom Summit speakers, Mindy Kyle. We are talking about how it feels when you realize you've gone from dating to the deep end of stepfamily life and feel like you are barely staying afloat.  Mindy has a wealth of experience in that very subject and some great insights for stepmoms who might be struggling right now. About Mindy Mindy Kyle is no stranger to the struggles that often come with the title of stepmom. She...

In this episode, I’m talking to a rockstar in the influencer marketing world, but one who also happens to be a stepmom and has one of the best relationships with her stepchildren’s mom that I’ve ever seen. Sarah Boyd and I actually met sitting next to each other at a dinner hosted by a mutual friend, Susie Moore, in Miami. And the more I talked to her about her family life and what a rockstar she is, the more I thought, I’ve got to have her on the podcast! The mom of Sarah's stepkids is...

It's a brand new year and we're back with all new episodes! Today, we’re talking about the new beginnings that come with a new year. To include word of the year. And resolutions. We’re talking about the differences between stepfamily life and first-family life and why they matter.   AND I’m going to fill you in on some big and exciting changes I’ve got going on for you.  The first one - and the biggest - is that This Custom Life has officially merged with Stepfamily Magazine! We have...

Today I'm talking to Beth McDonough, my partner in Stepfamily Magazine, which includes the Stepmom Summit, the Stepfamily Circle Membership, and our upcoming Stepmom Retreat (we still have one spot for you if you're looking for a getaway!). In this episode, you'll get a sneak peek into how we work, as we shoot the breeze talking about all the things - especially what we'd go back and tell our younger selves as new stepmoms. About Beth: Beth McDonough is a badass stepmom coach and happens...

I am so excited about today’s guest. She is a family friend of my husband Craig’s and has become a friend and mentor of mine. She happens to also be a stepmom and a Kickass one at that. This post contains affiliate links. For more about what that means, click here. Gay Gaddis is an entrepreneur, author, artist, and trailblazer. She’s the founder of T3, one of the largest woman-owned independent advertising agencies in the U.S., which she led for over 30 years. She’s a popular speaker on...

In case no one told you, stepmom life can be really tough (duh, right?). But I’ve got your back in today's bonus mini-episode. I’m excited to tell you about this free bootcamp I’m doing NEXT WEEK. This is something I’ve wanted to do for a while and the time finally felt right, so I hope you’re excited too.  I'll be helping you uncover:  The 3 Steps that have helped stepmoms around the world understand their role in order to let go of the guilt, frustration, or shame that comes with being a...

Today’s topic is one I haven’t talked much about before: stepmom infertility and the challenges around being a childless stepmom. Many stepmoms struggle with infertility and how to cope with being childless. I've spent a lot of time thinking about this over the years. And if I’m being honest, a lot of time trying to understand it all for myself. And coaching myself around my obstacles and mindsets, too.  Childless stepmoms can be childless by choice or by circumstance. Either way, it can be...

Stepfamily finances and the issues around them are some of the most important but least talked about (at least in advance) landmines that must be navigated in a new blended family. When I met my husband, Craig, we talked about all kinds of things when we were planning to marry and move in together. But you know what we didn’t talk about? Stepfamily finances. We did sit down right around when we got engaged to go through each of our assets and debts. And we talked about our philosophy around...

Dear stepmom, please know you are not alone when you’re overwhelmed by big life changes. Whether you've got kids moving away to school, you have a new job, or you're just changing in your season of life, transitions can be tricky for everyone - but especially when you factor in stepfamily dynamics. This episode is all about how to get through those life changes. And I'll walk you through a couple of recent life transitions I experienced this summer and how I dealt with them.   Are you...

Michelle Dempsey-Multack likes to say that her mission in life is to help her clients ensure their children have a co-parenting experience they won’t need to recover from. And as a child of divorce who experienced a fairly terrible coparenting dynamic, I so appreciate having her out in the world.  About Michelle: Michelle Dempsey-Multack is a Certified Divorce and Co-Parenting Specialist, bestselling author, educator for divorce coaches, and top 1% podcaster known for her ability to inspire...

Last week, we talked about new stepmoms - This week, I'm chatting with one of the OG stepmom coaches, Barb Goldberg, about how to stepmom through life’s transitions. I’ve known Barb, aka the "evil stepmother," for several years. She's an accomplished writer, executive, and coach, and has been one of our most popular speakers at The Stepmom Summit every year. And when I was out in Arizona in May with Beth McDonough, we got to finally meet Barb in person and enjoy a wonderful dinner.  We...

If you're a new stepmom (or even a not-so-new stepmom) who has struggled, today's guest will speak to you.   Because I'm talking to a stepmom coach about how to find your footing. My guest this week is Bee Chatman, a stepmom coach and Operations Manager at the Naja Hall Coaching Agency who helps her stepfamily clients with all the things. About Bee: Bee is an experienced coach and serves as Operations Manager at The Naja Hall Coaching Agency. With 6 years of dedication in the field of...

If you've ever felt like you've gotten lost in your relationship or your stepfamily, today's conversation will resonate with you. My guest is relationship crisis coach, Jessica Frew. Jessica is an expert at helping her clients deal with betrayal - recognizing it and coming back from it, all while making sure to keep their sense of self.  About Jessica: Jessica Frew is a wife, ex-wife, mom, stepmom, and BOLD action taker. She has a successful podcast called “Husband in Law” that she records...

Today’s guest is one of my favorite stepmom coaches. She's seen it all and her down-to-earth (and sometimes blunt, but in the best possible way) advice is always spot-on. And regardless of what you may be struggling with in your stepmom life, you'll get great advice from Anita in this episode. About Anita:  As a step-child, divorced mother, and step-mother Anita has been part of a step-family for most of her life. This gives her important insight into the varied and complex dynamics at play...

Today's guest is truly "radical." If you haven't listened to her podcast, you've probably seen her relatable, raw, and often funny stepmom posts on Instagram. It's a delight to get to chat with Christina Nelson of Radical Stepmoms about all the things. And Christina gives us a preview of her talk at the Stepmom Summit, the free 3-day event I host for stepmoms, which is THIS WEEK! If you haven't heard me talk about the summit, it's a live, online (did I mention free?) event for stepmoms....

Today we're kicking ass and taking names. Just kidding (kind of) - I'm actually having a discussion with one of the OG's in the online stepmom space, Jamie Scrimgeour, host of The Kickass Stepmom podcast. I always enjoy a chat with Jamie and we are talking about all. the. things.  Jamie is also a speaker at our third annual Stepmom Summit next week. The Stepmom Summit will feature presentations, live panels, and coaching with 25 of the world's top stepfamily experts. You can grab your FREE...