Zen(ish) Mommy

Susan Stutzel believes Saying Yes to Something is Saying No to Something else, so Choose wisely

November 23, 2021 Jessica Gershman Season 3 Episode 12
Zen(ish) Mommy
Susan Stutzel believes Saying Yes to Something is Saying No to Something else, so Choose wisely
Show Notes

Today’s guest is a leadership coach who is passionate about freeing professional women from self-sabotaging their goals to help them find purpose and balance. Susan Stutzel is here today to help us set realistic expectations and redefine what it means to be a good mom, and we kick off our conversation by emphasizing that unconditional love is the basis of good parenting. We also highlight the importance of showing up as your best self all the way through because “more is caught than taught.” Susan tells us why modeling behavior and intentionality are the most important pieces of the parenting puzzle, whether you’re a stay home parent or building a career. She defines balance as understanding the rhythms of your life, applying flexibility, and noticing what works for you, and we talk about recognizing your strengths, communicating and asking for help as the key to co-parenting, and the power of asking for help! We also touch on the shift in priorities that the pandemic has sparked and explore the practice of asking what you can say no to as a way to put your kids first and be all in with your ‘yes’. We hope you join us to hear all this and more today! 

Key Points From This Episode:


  • How Susan defines being a good mom: unconditional love and showing up as your best self. 
  • The importance of the modeling behavior piece of parenting. 
  • Why intentionality is more important than distinguishing between staying home and working.
  • What realistic expectations look like: choosing your priorities and shifting your focus.
  • Balance as understanding the rhythms of your life and noticing what works with flexibility.
  • Recognizing your strengths, communicating, and asking for help as the key to co-parenting.
  • The power of asking kids for help with household chores as a benefit to them (and you)!
  • Why it is constructive to establish your priorities in order to return to that baseline.
  • How we got to the place of overcommitting our children: wanting to give your child every opportunity in a world where so much is available.
  • What COVID made us realize about being overcommitted and how unnecessary that is.
  • Asking what you can say no to as a way to put your kids first and be all in with your ‘yes’.
  • What dinnertime looks like at Susan’s home: just her and her husband, all the kids, guests stepping into meal times, takeout, and homemade meals.


Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:


Susan Stutzel

Susan Stutzel on LinkedIn

Susan Stutzel on Facebook

The Zen Mommy

Mom, Slow Down!

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