CEO Mama Newsletter: 10th Edition

Hey ,

Lindsay here. You know those weeks where life decides to throw everything at you? Like, not just one or two things…everything.

Last Tuesday, I got home from our CEO Mama Mastermind retreat in Austin with Natalie — which, by the way, is one of my favorite things in the world. I was buzzing with ideas, feeling inspired, and ready to get back to my family and my dialed in work-from-home routine. 

Spoiler alert: that did not happen.

Thirty minutes after I walked through the door, my phone buzzed. It was my nanny:

“Wesley just threw up at Jiu Jitsu. We’re heading home.”

Oh, jeez. Norovirus had been making its rounds in our area, and I’d hoped it would miss us, but here we were. 

In that moment, part of me was grateful I made it home in time to help him while he was sick, and part of me immediately felt the heaviness of the sleepless night ahead and the inevitable disruption to my already packed week.

Cue the immediate pivot — from working mom mode to mom-who-holds-the-bucket mode. And let me tell you, the hits kept coming.

• My husband was leaving the next morning for a 10-day work trip. 

• Contractors were scheduled to be in and out of the house that next day. 

• I had 2 days full of calls and meetings on my calendar (and I wanted to work!) 

• My Slack, text, and email inboxes were already overflowing after being offline at the retreat the week before.

And let's not forget the ticking time bomb of who was next to get sick. Would it be my other son? Me? The nanny I count on for help as a work-from-home mama whose spouse is traveling? (Spoiler alert - it was her, which meant no childcare on Friday either 🫠)

Oh, and had I even drank a single sip of water that day?! 

So, there I was—reassuring my sad little guy, covering the couch in towels, and doing the mental math on how this was going to impact the rest of the week.

Was I tired? Yes. Overwhelmed? Absolutely. But here’s the thing—I didn’t fall apart. I took a breath, rubbed my son’s back, and handled it. Because that’s what we do.

The Mental Load of Motherhood During Chaos

This is one of those “if you know you know” parts of motherhood — the mental gymnastics of adapting when something unexpected happens. 

When sickness strikes, the mental load quadruples. We’re constantly managing not just the physical tasks but the invisible weight of thinking ahead, preparing for the next need, and holding space for everyone’s emotions (and there is nothing like a stomach bug to stir up everyone’s emotions 🤪). 

But here’s the truth: I’m a nervous system ninja at this point. 

Sleepless nights, puke buckets, and a calendar full of meetings? Barely phases me. 

Not because it’s easy — but because I’ve built resilience. And whether you recognize it or not, I know you have too.

How to Handle It With (Mostly) Grace

When life gets chaotic, these are things I do – time and time again – to keep my nervous system calm, grounded, and able to handle whatever is unfolding: 

1. Find Micro Moments of Control: I can’t control the stomach flu, but I can throw on a cozy sweatshirt, light a candle, and sip a cup of tea in the moments between the messes. Tiny comforts matter.
   

2. Simplify Everything: Frozen pizza for dinner? Done. Skipping the laundry? Yep. I ruthlessly cut anything non-essential when the mental load increases.
   

3. Clear My Calendar: I never hesitate to cancel or reschedule prior obligations when life takes an unexpected turn. People get it.
   

4. Pause and Breathe: Before reacting to the next thing, I pause for three deep breaths. Sounds simple, but it resets everything.
   

5. Mentally Prepare for Likely Outcomes: This week, I accepted that my other son (or I) might get sick. Simply preparing mentally lowers the anxiety if it happens.

You Don’t Have to Be Strong to be Calm

I want to be clear though - handling it all doesn’t mean being strong 100% of the time. I still get overwhelmed, I still get frustrated and exasperated, I still complain about not sleeping + solo parenting, but I move through it because I know how to. 

This is the reality of ambitious motherhood: leading teams, running businesses, showing up for family, all while emptying the dreaded puke bucket every 30 minutes all night long. 

The hard days feel endless when you're in them, but they pass faster than we realize. Like a storm rolling in, they can feel heavy and overwhelming — but they always clear. And when they do, you're still standing. Stronger, more resilient, and more capable than you thought.

So if you’re in the thick of it right now, remember: You are built for this. You can handle hard things. And this moment? It’s just that — a moment.

You’ve got this, Mama.

This past Wednesday, we hosted the very first call for our CEO Mama Membership, and it was SO good. From the moment the call began, you could feel the connection, support, and energy that makes this membership so special.

If you’d like to learn more + apply for the membership, go ahead and complete your application right here. We can’t wait to connect with you. 🤍

With love,

Lindsay