94. Smooth Talking: Improving Communication, One Step At A Time
The Stepmom Diaries Podcast
Stepfamily Communication Is Complicated. But Does It Have To Be? In this episode, we go back to a topic that comes up over and over again with the stepfamilies I work with: communication. We'll talk about why communication is so much more challenging in a stepfamily than in a first family, and a few things you can do to improve it. And I've got a freebie for you to help with your communication. will give you the exact words to use when you're trying to talk about some of these tricky stepfamily topics. For additional support, join me in Alexandria, VA January 24-25th for - it will be a...
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93. What DOES Work In Stepfamilies, According To Research
The Stepmom Diaries Podcast
What Do We Know About What DOES Work In Stepfamilies? In this episode, I'm joined by one of the preeminent stepfamily scholars in the world, Larry Ganong, Ph.D., who is out with a new book, called What Works In Stepfamilies: Creating And Maintaining Satisfying And Effective Relationships. He also happens to sit on the Stepfamily Solutions advisory board and if you've attended any of our past Stepmom Summits, you'll remember him as one of our speakers. The two coauthors of What Works In Stepfamilies are his wife, Marilyn Coleman, Ed.D., who is a celebrated researcher with an...
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92. Stepfamily Resilience in Crisis: Addressing the Emotional Toll of War
The Stepmom Diaries Podcast
How Does The Daily Trauma of War Impact Stepfamilies? The trauma inflicted on stepfamilies is an aspect of war not often considered - but has a very real impact. In this episode, we are talking with Sigal Kaplan, a family counselor in Israel specializing in blended families. Sigal has done groundbreaking and captivating work around the impact of the ongoing war on Israeli stepfamilies. About Sigal: Sigal Kaplan is a family counselor specialist who works with stepfamilies, as well as families dealing with divorce. She teaches a course at Kibbutzim College for counselors and educators about...
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91. What Happens When You Retake Control Of Your Stepmom Story
The Stepmom Diaries Podcast
What Happens When You Stop Caring So Much About Your Expectations? In this episode, we welcome back our old friend and amazing stepmom and life coach, Naja Hall. Naja and I always have fun catching up - and then we have a great discussion about her journey to finally become "unbothered" and what happens when you can finally get there. About Naja: Naja is the founder of VIPStepmom and Blended and Black. As a Certified Coach and Educator, she understands that the family is THE MOST influential entity of human development, and her work centers around helping individuals, couples,...
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90. Is Stepfamily Coaching For You?
The Stepmom Diaries Podcast
What Is Stepfamily Coaching, And Can It Help You? Today we're going to talk a bit about coaching. What it is, how it can help stepfamilies, and how to find a good coach. I was actually a coach skeptic for a long time, but I'll tell you how my mind was changed. And if you’re interested in paying it forward and becoming a coach, or even if you're just a little “coach-curious” I’ll let you know that the doors are open this week to the . Links Mentioned In Today's Episode If you're interested in giving back to other stepfamilies as a stepfamily coach, the doors are open for our...
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89. Breaking Free From Stepmom Guilt
The Stepmom Diaries Podcast
Stepmom Guilt Is Just The Symptom I don’t know about you, but when I became a stepmom, I put a huge amount of pressure on myself. To be clear, I put a lot of pressure on myself in general, but it got worse when I became a stepmom. Because even if you aren't the type who puts pressure on themselves already, you'll start to when you marry or parter with someone who has kids. So in this episode, I'm chatting about something that I have struggled with for a long time, and I thought it might resonate with you. And that’s stepmom guilt. We'll talk about what it is and a few things you can...
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88. It's Back-To-School Time. Are You Ready?
The Stepmom Diaries Podcast
Back-To-School Isn't Always What It Seems It’s back-to-school time, which always leaves me with mixed emotions. On one hand, it can feel GREAT to get the kids back on the bus and out of the house all day every day. But on the other, the school year brings its own nuttiness with themed days, sports and other activities starting, and packed schedules. So what's the best way to cope as a stepmom and look for your own fresh start? That's what this quickie episode is all about. Links Mentioned In Today's Episode If you're interested in giving back to other stepfamilies as a stepfamily...
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87. When blended DOES mean happily ever after, with Catt Sadler and Sarah Boyd
The Stepmom Diaries Podcast
Can You Actually Have It All In A Stepfamily? Today I'm sharing an interview I did for this year's Stepmom Summit because it's the kind of story that we don't get to hear enough of as stepmoms: a stepmom and mom who not only get along, but are real-life friends, work together, and have made co-parenting virtually seamless for their kids. I'm talking with Emmy Award-winning journalist Catt Sadler and Digital Dept. CEO Sarah Boyd. These women are each superstars professionally, and both vowed to put the kids in the stepfamily first. It's a wonderful story of how the dynamics can come together in...
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86. Coming Back From Stepfamily Tragedy
The Stepmom Diaries Podcast
Navigating Stepfamily Life After Tragedy Strikes Today we are taking on a tough, but important, topic: picking yourself (and your stepfamily) back up after your worst nightmare comes to life. I'm talking to stepmom and grief expert Krista St-Germain, who moved through unthinkable tragedy to learn how to thrive again. She's got an inspiring outlook and some amazing insights for stepfamilies who may be dealing with grief. About Krista: Krista St-Germain is a Master Certified Life Coach, Post-Traumatic Growth and grief expert, widow, mom and host of The Widowed Mom Podcast. When her husband was...
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85. Learning How To Stepmom One Lesson At A Time
The Stepmom Diaries Podcast
A rockstar journalist navigates stepmom life in real time Today I'm talking to Jamie Yuccas, Emmy-Award-winning journalist - and stepmom. I first met Jamie a few months ago when she reached out to cover The Stepmom Summit for . I enjoyed chatting with her so much I knew we had to have her on the podcast! About Jamie: Jamie Yuccas is a CBS News correspondent known for her coverage of high-profile stories, including the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, the wildfires across the Western United States, and the social justice protests following the murder of George Floyd. She is a co-anchor for...
info_outlineI 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 women’s leadership, company culture, and entrepreneurship, and wrote the book Cowgirl Power: How to Kick Ass in Business & Life.
She's a contributor to Forbes and founded Women Who Mean Business, a women’s development program that she co-teaches at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas.
Gay has received numerous awards including the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award by the University of Texas, 2021 Hall of Fame Award by the McCombs School of Business, the Liz Carpenter Lifetime Achievement Award, Fast Company’s Top 25 Women Business
Builders, Inc. Magazine’s Top 10 Entrepreneurs of the Year and C200’s Luminary Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence.
Gay is also an amazing artist and her bold and vibrant paintings have been shown in a number of prestigious galleries around the country including New York City and Santa Fe. Texas Monthly magazine named Gay as one of “10 Artists to Collect Now.” Gay and her husband own and operate the historic Double Heart Ranch in the Texas Hill Country, home to Gay’s private art studio and gallery, Fossil Ridge.
You can snag a copy of Gay's book HERE, and you can find Gay:
LinkedIn: GayGaddis
Instagram: @GayGaddis
Facebook: @Gay.Gaddis
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