Women of Fort Mill Podcast | Women in Business, Women Entrepreneurs, Small Business · Kellie Hoover and Leah Williams

Navigating the Guilt Trip: A Conversation on Mom Guilt

August 20, 2025·29 min·2 clips

Kelly tearfully recalls missing her daughter's first steps while at a pharmaceutical meeting in Las Vegas.

Kelly Hoover and Leah Williams co-host this episode, focusing on the universal experience of mom guilt for working mothers. Kelly is a wellness coach and mother of two teenagers, while Leah is a financial planner and mother of a toddler. They explore how guilt manifests across different parenting stages and its connection to career choices. Kelly vividly recalls missing her daughter's first steps while at a pharmaceutical meeting in Las Vegas, an event that still brings her to tears. She describes shifting her guilt from missing school events to prioritizing one-on-one time, like her weekly 30-minute activities with each daughter. Leah discusses her early struggle of prioritizing career achievements over motherhood after her son Calvin was born. She now intentionally blocks evenings and weekends as dedicated family time to combat guilt. A key insight is Kelly's strategy of asking her children what matters most to them, rather than assuming they want her at school functions. Leah highlights how social media comparisons can be reframed from negative self-judgment into positive inspiration. Kelly advocates for involving children in family decisions, like holding reset meetings before major schedule changes, to mitigate guilt during career transitions. The hosts agree that self-awareness is critical for managing guilt, acknowledging it as a common but manageable feeling. Leah notes that guilt can sometimes be a productive signal of personal depletion or a need to reevaluate priorities. They emphasize that every mother's journey is unique, making direct comparisons unfair and unhelpful. The tone is conversational, supportive, and deeply personal, featuring relatable anecdotes and mutual encouragement. The style is an honest dialogue between two friends sharing their vulnerabilities and learned strategies. Working mothers at any stage, especially those juggling entrepreneurship or career ambitions, will find validation and practical advice in this episode. Listeners seeking a perfectly polished, clinical discussion on parenting may find the raw, personal confessions less appealing.

As heard by us

A plainspoken look at guilt, presence, and the cost of trying to be everywhere.

This episode centers mom guilt and keeps it tied to the practical arithmetic of work and home that gives it force. Kelly's memory of missing her daughter's first step while she was in Las Vegas for a pharmaceutical meeting lands with real emotional weight, and Leah answers it…

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Why you'd press play

You need a gentle reset if mom guilt is crowding out the fact that you are trying to protect your family time and your sanity.

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