The Surprising Thing That Happens When Moms Start Saying No

Hey Mama This episode is for the burnt out, overloaded mom who’s:

• Constantly saying “yes” even when she’s exhausted

• Feeling like an overwhelmed mom drowning in commitments

• Stuck in mom guilt every time she thinks about setting a boundary

• Wondering how other moms seem to “do it all”

• Giving everyone else her best while her own family gets the leftovers

Sound familiar? You’re not alone.

Today I’m sharing my story of saying yes to everything—PTO, Girl Scouts, school volunteering—until it pushed me to the edge. And the surprising thing that happened when I finally started saying no.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• How those tiny yeses secretly drain burnt out moms

• Why mom guilt isn’t a reliable GPS (and what to listen to instead)

• Simple ways to set boundaries without feeling like a “bad mom”

• How saying no can actually give you more peace, energy, and time with your kids

💡 Real talk: Your worth isn’t measured by how much you do for everyone else. It’s about showing up honestly for yourself and your family.

• Confident Mom Boot Camp: Learn the practical, doable steps to move from chaos and guilt into calm, confidence, and control. Click here to register.

• Join a Fireside Chat: A real-talk Zoom room for overloaded moms who need support. Save your spot.

• Get on the list: Be the first to hear about retreats, workshops, and behind-the-scenes updates. Sign up here.

📲 Text me! What’s the heaviest yes you’re carrying right now? What would it feel like to set it down? Send me a message at 315-351-2502.

EPISODE 43: How to Say Boundaries Clearly Without Guilt (And Finally Feel in Control) Hey Mama! 🚀 In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why your current "no's" are actually just invitations for more work

• The 3 C's of setting boundaries that actually stick

• How to protect your energy without feeling like a bad mom

• Exact scripts to shut down requests without spiraling

WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER:

• The difference between rules and boundaries

• Why over-explaining kills your power

• How to hold silence after setting a boundary

• Practical examples of boundary-setting in real mom life

QUICK WINS: ✓ One clear boundary sentence

✓ Stop apologizing for protecting your space

✓ Reclaim your time and energy

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Guilt Loop Workshop

In this workshop, we’re breaking down the sneaky cycle of mom guilt—the one that makes you feel like no matter what you do, it’s never enough. You’ll learn why guilt keeps showing up (even when you’re doing your best), how to spot it before it spirals, and a simple method to step out of the loop and back into calm.

This is a practical, real-talk reset for the woman who’s tired of carrying guilt like it’s her part-time job. You’ll walk away with tools you can use the next time guilt pops up—without adding more to your to-do list.

Register for Workshop click here

Join the next Fireside Chat—a real-talk Zoom room for entrepreneurial moms https://calendly.com/crystalc-ignitetorise/the-fire-circle

Get on the email list for first dibs on retreats, workshops & behind-the-scenes updates Sign up for my email list click here

The Confident Mom Bootcamp

You’ll learn the practical, doable steps to move from chaos and guilt into calm, confidence, and control.

Click here to register

TEXT "BOUNDARIES" to 315-351-2502 and tell me what you thought of this episode.

Ready to dive deeper? Join the Confident Mom Boot Camp!

How to Find Joy in the Middle of the Mess (Even When You Feel Behind)

Ever crawl into bed and think, “I was busy all day, but I got nothing done — and now I’m even more behind”? Yeah, mama. That’s the behind-feeling.

It’s the frozen chicken at 5 p.m. It’s the school app dinging like it’s your full-time job. It’s the laundry that multiplies while you sleep.

And it leaves you waiting for joy to finally show up someday — when the house is spotless, when the calendar clears, when the kids are older. But here’s the truth: joy isn’t hiding in someday. Joy is right here, in the middle of the mess.

In this episode, we’re talking about how joy yanks you out of behind-mode and drops you into the present — and how that shift is what makes you feel steady, confident, and actually in control.

Here’s what you’ll hear today:

• The real-life gas station pizza + “All Star” story that reminded me what presence feels like.

• Why “behind-mode” tricks you into waiting for joy at the finish line (and why it never works).

• The simple shift to start noticing joy in ordinary, messy little moments — and why saying it out loud matters.

• A sanity check (because yes, hiding in the bathroom with a cookie still counts as joy).

Insight Questions for You:

• Where are you living so far ahead in your head that you’re missing the joy right in front of you?

• Where have you been waiting for “someday” to finally let yourself feel happy?

Mama, joy is what shifts you from always behind → confidently in control. You don’t have to wait for the clean house, the quiet season, or the perfect day. Joy is already here, baked right into the chaos.

And if you’re ready to stop living in behind-mode and start practicing control-mode, come join me inside The Confident Mom Bootcamp. It’s where we stop chasing “someday” and start living steady, present, and confident — right now.

Until next time… remember, mama — you’re not behind. You’re already on the journey. And you’re more confidently in control than you think.

Guilt Loop Workshop

In this workshop, we’re breaking down the sneaky cycle of mom guilt—the one that makes you feel like no matter what you do, it’s never enough. You’ll learn why guilt keeps showing up (even when you’re doing your best), how to spot it before it spirals, and a simple method to step out of the loop and back into calm.

This is a practical, real-talk reset for the woman who’s tired of carrying guilt like it’s her part-time job. You’ll walk away with tools you can use the next time guilt pops up—without adding more to your to-do list.

Register for Workshop click here

Join the next Fireside Chat—a real-talk Zoom room for entrepreneurial moms https://calendly.com/crystalc-ignitetorise/the-fire-circle

Get on the email list for first dibs on retreats, workshops & behind-the-scenes updates Sign up for my email list click here

The Confident Mom Bootcamp

You’ll learn the practical, doable steps to move from chaos and guilt into calm, confidence, and control.

Click here to register

Do you ever finally get something done, like fold the laundry, show up on time, or cook dinner before 7, and instead of celebrating, you tell yourself, “Yeah, but that doesn’t count”?

Friend, that’s you erasing your wins. And every time you do it, you chip away at your confidence. No wonder you feel stuck “always behind.”

In today’s episode, I’m breaking down: • Why moms erase their wins without even realizing it • How this sneaky habit keeps you from building confidence • The simple shift to finally let your progress count

Confidence doesn’t come from doing it all. It comes from noticing what you already did. You’re not broken, you’re just human. And when you stop erasing your wins, you move from always behind to confidently in control.

Grab a notebook or just take a deep breath. This one’s going to feel like relief.

Ready to practice this confidence shift in real life? Join me inside The Confident Mom Bootcamp. You’ll learn the practical, doable steps to move from chaos and guilt into calm, confidence, and control.

And when you’re ready for even deeper transformation, my Chaos to Control one-on-one coaching program is waiting. But first, start with The Confident Mom Bootcamp.

Let’s stop erasing your wins, mama. You’re doing better than you think.

Links:

Guilt Loop Workshop

In this workshop, we’re breaking down the sneaky cycle of mom guilt—the one that makes you feel like no matter what you do, it’s never enough. You’ll learn why guilt keeps showing up (even when you’re doing your best), how to spot it before it spirals, and a simple method to step out of the loop and back into calm.

This is a practical, real-talk reset for the woman who’s tired of carrying guilt like it’s her part-time job. You’ll walk away with tools you can use the next time guilt pops up—without adding more to your to-do list.

Register for Workshop click here

Join the next Fireside Chat—a real-talk Zoom room for entrepreneurial moms https://calendly.com/crystalc-ignitetorise/the-fire-circle

Get on the email list for first dibs on retreats, workshops & behind-the-scenes updates Sign up for my email list click here

The Confident Mom Bootcamp

You’ll learn the practical, doable steps to move from chaos and guilt into calm, confidence, and control.

Click here to register

This one’s for you if you feel like you’re doing it all with zero backup. Maybe your parents are gone or too far away. Maybe your husband thinks childcare is your job. Maybe you’re actually single. Either way—you’ve been holding it all, and it’s exhausting. In this episode, I’ll show you how to find support—even when no one’s showing up—so you can stop white-knuckling motherhood and finally breathe. Come join the Facebook group so you don’t have to do this alone.

Book your FREE Mom Life: Real Talk call (30 min, no camera, no pressure) Let’s Talk Click here

Guilt Loop Workshop

In this workshop, we’re breaking down the sneaky cycle of mom guilt—the one that makes you feel like no matter what you do, it’s never enough. You’ll learn why guilt keeps showing up (even when you’re doing your best), how to spot it before it spirals, and a simple method to step out of the loop and back into calm.

This is a practical, real-talk reset for the woman who’s tired of carrying guilt like it’s her part-time job. You’ll walk away with tools you can use the next time guilt pops up—without adding more to your to-do list.

Register for Workshop click here

Join the next Fireside Chat—a real-talk Zoom room for entrepreneurial moms https://calendly.com/crystalc-ignitetorise/the-fire-circle

Get on the email list for first dibs on retreats, workshops & behind-the-scenes updates Sign up for my email list click here

Take the Retreat Survey—tell me what kind of space you’re craving Fill out survey here

You’ve held it all summer. The schedules, the snacks, the stress. And now that it’s quieter? You’re not relieved—you’re riddled with guilt.

This final episode in the Back-to-School Excuses Series dives into the hardest one yet: “Everyone’s counting on me—I don’t have time to fall apart.”

We’re talking about the pressure to hold it together… The shutdown your nervous system’s been begging for… And how to finally feel supported instead of just surviving.

You’ll hear:

• What guilt is really trying to protect you from
• How to tell if you’re in survival mode or supported
• Why falling apart might be the bravest thing you do this year

Book your FREE Mom Life: Real Talk call (30 min, no camera, no pressure) Let’s Talk Click here

Guilt Loop Workshop

In this workshop, we’re breaking down the sneaky cycle of mom guilt—the one that makes you feel like no matter what you do, it’s never enough. You’ll learn why guilt keeps showing up (even when you’re doing your best), how to spot it before it spirals, and a simple method to step out of the loop and back into calm.

This is a practical, real-talk reset for the woman who’s tired of carrying guilt like it’s her part-time job. You’ll walk away with tools you can use the next time guilt pops up—without adding more to your to-do list.

Register for Workshop click here

Join the next Fireside Chat—a real-talk Zoom room for entrepreneurial moms https://calendly.com/crystalc-ignitetorise/the-fire-circle

Get on the email list for first dibs on retreats, workshops & behind-the-scenes updates Sign up for my email list click here

If you’ve ever looked at your planner and thought, “I’ll figure it out after Labor Day,” this one’s for you.

We’re talking about flight mode—the back-to-school excuse that looks like procrastination, feels like avoidance, and keeps you stuck in fear.

You’re not broken. You’re not lazy. You’re protecting yourself.

Let’s talk about what’s really going on when starting feels scary—and how to take one small step back toward you.

Book your FREE Mom Life: Real Talk call (30 min, no camera, no pressure) Let’s Talk Click here

Guilt Loop Workshop

In this workshop, we’re breaking down the sneaky cycle of mom guilt—the one that makes you feel like no matter what you do, it’s never enough. You’ll learn why guilt keeps showing up (even when you’re doing your best), how to spot it before it spirals, and a simple method to step out of the loop and back into calm.

This is a practical, real-talk reset for the woman who’s tired of carrying guilt like it’s her part-time job. You’ll walk away with tools you can use the next time guilt pops up—without adding more to your to-do list.

Register for Workshop click here

Join the next Fireside Chat—a real-talk Zoom room for entrepreneurial moms https://calendly.com/crystalc-ignitetorise/the-fire-circle

Get on the email list for first dibs on retreats, workshops & behind-the-scenes updates Sign up for my email list click here

Take the Retreat Survey—tell me what kind of space you’re craving Fill out survey here

Are you constantly organizing, believing if you just get everything in order you'll finally feel calm?

This episode is for you if...

• You're constantly organizing but still feel unsettled
• Cleaning feels like your only form of control
• You're exhausted from trying to manage everyone else's world
• Your nervous system feels like it's always on high alert
• You're secretly eating chocolate in the pantry while "organizing"
• You suspect there's something deeper happening beyond your to-do lists
• You're ready to understand why you can't seem to feel calm, no matter how much you clean

Feeling: That low-key anxiety that hits when you're rage-cleaning and deep down know something bigger is going on.

In this Episode you will.

• Understand why you're stuck in survival mode
• Break the cycle of using organization to avoid your emotions
• Learn why peace isn't found in a perfectly labeled drawer
• Discover how your nervous system is actually begging for something deeper

Spicy Quotes Straight from the Episode:

• "Productivity doesn't equal peace"
• "Peace starts in your body, not in your organized bins"
• "You cannot organize your way to calm if your nervous system is still in survival mode"