What if the life you planned doesn’t unfold the way you imagined — but something equally powerful emerges in its place?

In this episode of The Mama Making Podcast, I sit down with author, speaker, and founder of Cheri’s Choice, Cheri Bergeron, to talk about infertility, IVF after 40, egg donation, and ultimately choosing solo motherhood.

Cheri shares her journey from building a successful career in Silicon Valley to realizing that the timeline she assumed she had for motherhood wasn’t guaranteed. We talk about the emotional weight of fertility treatments, the decision to use an egg donor, grieving the traditional two-parent fairy tale, and the strength it takes to build a family on your own terms.

We also discuss the legal challenges Cheri faced when outdated laws collided with modern reproductive technology — and how her fight reshaped her understanding of autonomy and empowerment.

This episode is for any woman navigating infertility, reconsidering her timeline, or redefining what family can look like.

Main Topics Covered

• Career-first identity and delayed motherhood
• Fertility awareness and the realities of aging
• The emotional impact of IVF
• Choosing egg donation
• Becoming a single mother by choice
• Letting go of the traditional family narrative
• Legal challenges surrounding assisted reproductive technology
• Redefining empowerment through reproductive planning

Resources Mentioned

• Book: Mission Motherhood by Cheri Bergeron
• Cheri’s Choice nonprofit

How to Connect with Cheri

Website: https://cheribergeron.com
Nonprofit: https://cherieschoice.com
Instagram: @cheribergeron
LinkedIn: Cheri Bergeron

This episode is sponsored by Collabs Creative - a digital marketing company supporting makers, creatives, and small business owners with all things digital and design.

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What if success didn’t mean more — but meant peace?

In this episode of The Mama Making Podcast, Jessica sits down with Kate Scholtes — founder of Your Behind-the-Scenes BFF — to talk about building businesses that support motherhood instead of competing with it.

Kate shares her journey from classroom teacher to network marketing to virtual assistant mentor — and how becoming a mom completely reshaped what ambition, alignment, and success look like for her.

They unpack:

• Letting go of hustle culture
• The evolution of identity through motherhood
• Setting real client boundaries
• Social media and “forced authenticity”
• The power of permission — to pivot, to change your mind, to redefine the dream

If you’ve ever felt like your goals shifted after becoming a mom — or wondered if it’s okay to want something different than you used to — this conversation will feel like a deep exhale.

Main Topics Covered

• Leaving teaching and starting in network marketing
• Becoming a mom and experiencing a complete identity shift
• Alignment vs. hustle culture
• Moving from accolades to peace as a success metric
• Building a VA business during pregnancy
• Setting client boundaries that protect family life
• Social media burnout + intentional stepping away
• “Forced authenticity” vs. real authenticity
• The flexibility myth in entrepreneurship
• Giving yourself permission to pivot
• Why changing your mind isn’t failure

Resources & Links Mentioned

• Course: Beginner to Booked VA

How to Connect with Kate

• Instagram: @yourbffkate
• Podcast: The Virtual Assistant School Podcast
• Website: https://yourbtsbff.com

This episode is sponsored by Collabs Creative - a digital marketing company supporting makers, creatives, and small business owners with all things digital and design.

Follow The Mama Making Podcast on socials on Instagram and Facebook!
Share and subscribe to the podcast: click this link
Watch on YouTube: Click here!

What happens when the career you worked your entire life for suddenly disappears — right in the middle of pregnancy?

In this episode of The Mama Making Podcast, Jessica sits down with email marketing strategist and mom of two Allison Hardy to talk about building a multi-six-figure business that actually supports motherhood — not one that drains it.

Allison shares her journey from college art professor to accidental entrepreneur, how postpartum depression forced her to rethink hustle culture, and why creating systems that work in the background changed everything. Together, they unpack identity shifts, redefining balance, getting your time back, and what it looks like to build a business that moves with the seasons of motherhood.

This is a grounded, honest conversation about letting go of pressure, honoring energy, and building something sustainable — in business and at home.

Main Topics Covered

• Losing a “dream career” and rebuilding identity after motherhood
• Entrepreneurship out of necessity vs. intention
• Postpartum depression and creating systems that reduce stress
• Selling daily without constant launching
• Email funnels as nervous-system support
• Why balance isn’t real — and what works instead
• Getting time back through systems at home and in business
• Teaching kids about work, leadership, and flexibility
• Modeling entrepreneurship through everyday life
• The power of not giving up when things feel messy

Resources Mentioned

• Email funnels & automated email marketing
• Lead magnets and evergreen content systems
• Collaborations, bundles, and private podcast series
• Pinterest, podcasting, and ads as long-term lead drivers
• AI tools for business systems (and kid-friendly creativity!)

How to Connect with Allison Hardy

• Website: https://www.allisonhardy.com
• Membership: Emails That Sell
• Podcast: Email Empires

This episode is sponsored by Collabs Creative - a digital marketing company supporting makers, creatives, and small business owners with all things digital and design.

Follow The Mama Making Podcast on socials on Instagram and Facebook!
Share and subscribe to the podcast: click this link
Watch on YouTube: Click here!