Hey Doc,

If you’ve ever looked into the au pair program and wondered, “Okay but… how much does it actually cost?” — this is for you.

This episode was inspired by a client who asked me directly what she’d really be signing up for financially. And when I say there’s nuance? Whew. There’s nuance.

The au pair program can be more cost-effective than a nanny, but only if you understand what you’re actually paying for and how to make it work for your family.

Yes, it can be more affordable. The flexibility is unmatched. The cultural exchange is a beautiful benefit for both your kids and your home.

In this episode, I walk you through:

• A full breakdown of the real costs — required and optional
• How program structures differ between agencies
• What to absolutely know before you offer more than the stipend
• The subtle traps that can cost you way more than money (👀)
• How to avoid common mistakes that lead to frustration… or rematch

I also share how we’ve structured our own au pair experience to support our values, our lifestyle, and our kids.

Key Takeaways:

• Hosting an au pair will cost you at least $20K/year, but most spend closer to $25K–$35K (or more).
• Some perks sound generous, but can cause friction later if not clearly defined from the start.
• Even with the extras, an au pair is often still more cost-effective than a nanny — especially if you're using close to the full 45 hours of coverage.

This episode isn’t about convincing you to choose one path or another. It’s about clarity. Because the more you know, the more empowered your decision will be to make the right choice for your family.

🎧 New to the au pair program? Listen now and bookmark this episode!

What did you think of the episode, doc? Let me know!

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If you are going through a transition -- becoming a parent, leaving a job, figuring out how manage it all, schedule a free coaching session.

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Hey Doc,

This episode is about the reason I created ✨The Connected Motherhood Experience✨ — a space specifically for Black physician moms.

It came out of years of being in rooms, reading books, and trying to apply lessons that were never written for me. Most of the popular resources in the personal and professional development world weren’t created with women like us in mind. The frameworks often reflect lives with different levels of privilege, support, and responsibility.

And too often, the burden falls on us to translate.

To fit our reality into someone else’s formula. To ignore what doesn’t apply and pretend the rest is enough. To carry the weight of being the only one in the room.

In this episode, I talk about what that’s looked like in my own journey, and how it shaped the kind of space I knew I needed to create for others.

✨The C.M.E.✨ isn’t an afterthought.

It’s not a branding angle.

It’s an intentional space built around the lived experiences of Black physician moms — with room for difference, without the need for explanation.

Inside this episode I talk about:

• What it feels like to grow in spaces that weren’t built for you
• The emotional and cognitive labor of translating frameworks that don’t reflect your life
• Why representation isn’t just “nice to have” in coaching, it’s necessary
• The vision behind ✨The Connected Motherhood Experience✨ and what makes it different

What did you think of the episode, doc? Let me know!

Subscribe to ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube

Connect with me: Website | Instagram | Facebook

Join my Email list to get tips on navigating motherhood in the medical field.

If you are going through a transition -- becoming a parent, leaving a job, figuring out how manage it all, schedule a free coaching session.

Free Coaching Session with Dr. Toya

Hey Doc,

This one’s different.

In format and in focus.

In this episode, I’m sharing excerpts from a book that reshaped the way I think about boundaries.

It’s called Boundaries After a Pathological Relationship by Adelyn Birch.

Yes, it’s about toxic romantic relationships... but when I read it, it felt like it captured everything I’ve experienced while in medicine.

The way we’ve been trained to tolerate mistreatment, to deny our needs, to believe we can’t leave... It’s the very definition of a dysfunctional relationship.

And most of us are still in it.

You’ll hear some of the most soul-shaking passages from the book and I’ll unpack them through the lens of physician motherhood. Because boundaries aren’t just about saying no. They’re about reclaiming your time, your worth, and your right to want more.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why confrontation isn’t a character flaw, and what it actually signals
• The radical idea that your wants and needs are legitimate (yes, even as a doctor, even as a mom)
• How medicine gaslights physicians into forgetting their power — and how to take it back
• A list of your basic human rights in relationships that will stop you in your tracks

If you’ve ever felt stuck, dismissed, or just deeply tired this conversation is for you.

Not to fix it all.

But to remind you that your truth matters.

And you don’t need permission to honor it.

🎧 Tap play. Then send this to another physician mom who’s been silently questioning everything.

What did you think of the episode, doc? Let me know!

Subscribe to ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

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Join my Email list to get tips on navigating motherhood in the medical field.

If you are going through a transition -- becoming a parent, leaving a job, figuring out how manage it all, schedule a free coaching session.

Free Coaching Session with Dr. Toya

Hey Doc,

You’ve made the decision to leave. Now what?

In Part 2 of this powerful two-part series on how to leave your job with an empowered exit, I walk you through what happens after the decision is made:

Giving notice. Navigating conversations. Protecting your reputation. Gathering what’s yours.

We cover:

✔️ How to actually submit your resignation (without drama or delay)

✔️ What to say and what not to say to leadership and colleagues

✔️ What to collect before you lose access (case logs, reviews, profiles & more)

✔️ How to ensure patients are cared for, without taking on guilt that isn’t yours

✔️ Why the emotional aftermath of leaving matters more than you think

✔️ And how to celebrate the transition — even if it still stings a little

Because even when you know you’re doing the right thing, walking away can still be hard. And you deserve support through the entire journey.

Listen in and save this one for whenever you need it.

Get The Empowered Exit Checklist here!
Your clear and practical guide to navigating a smooth job exit.

What did you think of the episode, doc? Let me know!

Subscribe to ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube

Connect with me: Website | Instagram | Facebook

Join my Email list to get tips on navigating motherhood in the medical field.

If you are going through a transition -- becoming a parent, leaving a job, figuring out how manage it all, schedule a free coaching session.

Free Coaching Session with Dr. Toya

Hey Doc,

Let’s talk about how to actually leave your job.

If you’re burnt out, disrespected, or just ready for more alignment, you’ve probably heard the fear-driven advice: “Don’t burn bridges.” But let’s be honest, that advice often keeps us stuck in situations that chip away at our confidence and well-being.

In Part 1 of this two-part series, I break down the real reasons why so many physician moms hesitate to leave toxic work environments, and what we’re actually afraid of. I share my own story of walking away and why that decision, though scary, was deeply freeing.

I walk you through the mindset shifts and logistical prep you need before giving notice. We’re talking contracts, conversations, credentialing, money, and most importantly, the self-trust to know you’ll be okay because:

You don’t need another job lined up to walk away from a toxic one. You need a plan. You need self-trust. And you need the courage to honor yourself — even if it shakes your whole identity.

This episode is for you if you’ve ever thought: I want to burn the whole place down... but I’m scared to light the match.

🎧 Tap play and start preparing your empowered exit.

Get The Empowered Exit Checklist here!
Your clear and practical guide to navigating a smooth job exit.

What did you think of the episode, doc? Let me know!

Subscribe to ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube

Connect with me: Website | Instagram | Facebook

Join my Email list to get tips on navigating motherhood in the medical field.

If you are going through a transition -- becoming a parent, leaving a job, figuring out how manage it all, schedule a free coaching session.

Free Coaching Session with Dr. Toya

Hey Doc,

We were taught to equate strength with staying, enduring, proving ourselves.

But sometimes the most courageous, grounded, resilient thing you can do… is leave.

Leave the job.

Leave the school.

Leave the situation that is breaking you down in the name of proving your strength.

This episode was inspired by a homeschool thread, but it’s not about curriculum or education. It’s about the lie we’ve been sold, as physician moms and high achievers, that resilience must be earned through trauma. That pushing through toxic environments is some badge of honor. That peace must be postponed until we’ve “made it” or proven we can survive the fire.

I'm here to offer a different truth:

You don’t need to stay and suffer to be strong.

Whether you’re navigating burnout, dealing with a toxic workplace, or watching your child struggle in an unhealthy school system, I want you to know this:

Leaving doesn’t make you weak.

Opting out is not failure.

Walking away is the work.

Inside this episode:

• The myth that trauma builds resilience and why we need to unlearn it
• What homeschooling taught me about agency and peace
• Why toxic work environments aren’t training grounds, they’re danger zones
• A permission slip to choose yourself and never meet the version of you on the other side of unnecessary pain

If you've been waiting for a sign to put down the struggle and reclaim your peace, this is it.

🎧 Tune into this episode of ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ and share it with a fellow doc who needs this reminder: You don’t have to prove anything. Peace is reason enough.

What did you think of the episode, doc? Let me know!

Subscribe to ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube

Connect with me: Website | Instagram | Facebook

Join my Email list to get tips on navigating motherhood in the medical field.

If you are going through a transition -- becoming a parent, leaving a job, figuring out how manage it all, schedule a free coaching session.

Free Coaching Session with Dr. Toya

Hey Doc,

What would you do if life gave you a second chance?

In this episode, I sit with Dr. Verniese Moore, a board-certified family medicine physician, a wife, a mom of two, and the CEO of the luxury handbag brand Vie Lorie, who shares her life in the most raw and beautiful way.

She takes us back to Gate B3 in LaGuardia Airport, where she fell to the floor as she learned she was cancer-free, surrounded by strangers who celebrated for her. That moment shaped everything she’s built since.

Dr. Verniese open up about:

• The shame she once carried about her diagnosis, and how sharing her story became her greatest source of connection.
• The love story that grew out of her vulnerability and how her husband’s grounded response deepened their bond
• Navigating two C-sections, and the fears that linger when you’ve lived through the unexpected.
• Why she started her luxury handbag line, Vie Lorie, not just for the love of design, but to create something rooted in empowerment and legacy.

This conversation is more than a story of survival. It’s about love, faith, motherhood, and the quiet daily choices to toward the life you actually want.

Listen in, and let this episode spark the courage to take your own next step.

-

Dr. Verniese Lorielle Moore is a board-certified family medicine physician who was born and raised in NY and currently lives in Haymarket, VA with her husband and two children. She is the CEO and Founder of the luxury handbag brand, VIE LORIE that recently launched on February 1st, 2025.

As a physician and visionary designer, Dr. Moore transformed her victory over stage 3 lymphoma into an embodiment of elegance and strength through handbags. Each VIE LORIE creation transcends the conventional bounds of luxury accessories, becoming instead an artful testament to the human spirit and a celebration of life and victory, reflecting an unwavering commitment to quality and purposeful design.

Verniese's mission is to empower women through elegant handbags that blend sophistication, beauty, and meaningful substance. She understands that a handbag is not just an accessory; it's a partner in daily triumphs and a silent confidant in moments of contemplation. Whether it’s through handbags, physical health, or spiritual development, Verniese takes great pleasure in encouraging, motivating, and pushing women to their next level in life.

For more information about Dr. Verniese, you can visit her website and connect with her on

What did you think of the episode, doc? Let me know!

Subscribe to ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube

Connect with me: Website | Instagram | Facebook

Join my Email list to get tips on navigating motherhood in the medical field.

If you are going through a transition -- becoming a parent, leaving a job, figuring out how manage it all, schedule a free coaching session.

Free Coaching Session with Dr. Toya

Hey Doc,

This episode was sparked by a late-night convo with my husband about our current au pair (who’s on her way out) and turned into a full reflection on introversion, identity, and what it means to actually honor who we are, even when the world tells us we’re too much, or not enough.

I’m sharing something personal about how my personality has always been “a lot” for people, especially in medicine, especially in residency, and especially as a Black woman. I talk about what that has looked like with our au pairs over the years and how I’ve been tempted to shapeshift in my own house just to make other people more comfortable. (Spoiler: I won’t be doing that.)

And more importantly, I talk about what it means to raise children who know that their natural way of being is not something that needs to be “fixed.”

If you’ve ever felt like your quiet presence gets misread, or that in a world where extroverts are favored you’re seen as unapproachable or “too serious,” I see you, and this one is for you.

Key Takeaways:

• Introversion isn’t a flaw, even when the world tries to tell us it is
• Residency is not just hard because of the workload, it’s often traumatizing because of the lack of support and understanding
• Our kids deserve to be supported, not pushed to be something they’re not
• The tools we needed then are the tools we can give now: safety, self-trust, and communication

New episode of ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ is out now. Listen on your favorite platform.

What did you think of the episode, doc? Let me know!

Subscribe to ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube

Connect with me: Website | Instagram | Facebook

Join my Email list to get tips on navigating motherhood in the medical field.

If you are going through a transition -- becoming a parent, leaving a job, figuring out how manage it all, schedule a free coaching session.

Free Coaching Session with Dr. Toya