Laura and Sarah celebrate back-to-school season with a discussion of all things school-related! They share their own kids' school stages and transitions, and Laura shares a little bit about what it is like to have a college senior (and driving teen with parking permit!). They discuss lunches, back to school shopping, activities, and more. In the Q&A, they discuss the question of when to (and when not to) plan around kids' activities. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Aug 13, 2024•44 min•Ep 367•Transcript available on Metacast In today's episode, Laura and Sarah open with the state of their own digital clutter. Then, Amanda joins Sarah to discuss all things digital decluttering as well as her very simple yet powerful method of brain dumping via Google Sheet. Some notes referenced: Cleaner Kit App for photo cleanup iPhone: swipe notifications --> options --> turn off Amanda's brain dump acronym: 5-step FOCUS Method: Finish It, Outsource It, Cut It, Uncomplicate It, Scooch It Where to find Amanda: Indigo Organizin...
Aug 06, 2024•51 min•Ep 366•Transcript available on Metacast Today's episode is all about designing your work week! Sarah was given some leeway to choose her clinical days for next year, sparking a whole discussion about strategies once might use to intentionally craft a weekly work rhythm. Laura and Sarah discuss choices that might be made when choosing a part-time schedule or a hybrid WFH/in-office schedule. Finally, they discuss the Ideal Week exercise and how it can be a valuable tool to help really demonstrate whether theoretical schedules and routin...
Jul 30, 2024•44 min•Ep 365•Transcript available on Metacast In today's episode, Laura and Sarah talk all about REST. They talk about the realities on rest and leisure time as well ways to really enjoy the downtime we do have. Then, they focus on the idea of trading off parenting duties so that (in two-parent homes) BOTH partners can enjoy some much-needed rest and rejuvenation. They discuss common challenges such as variations single parents might consider as well as resistance a partner might have. In the Q&A, a listener and mother of 4 writes in wo...
Jul 23, 2024•47 min•Ep 364•Transcript available on Metacast In today's episode, Laura and Sarah chat live, answering listener questions about a variety of topics! Topics include: - all about the podcast itself (the time it takes, division of labor, etc) - advice for returning to work part time - dream travel destinations - thoughts about future child care arrangements - ways to address loaded questions at work after mat leave return - where do all the episode / blog post / writing ideas come from! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jul 16, 2024•36 min•Ep 363•Transcript available on Metacast In today's episode, Sarah interviews Amy Laski of the Difference Lab., and they discuss the idea of intentional subtraction -- removing things rather than just shuffling priorities or succumbing to "cram-it-all-in syndrome". Sarah and Laura discuss their own thoughts on this concept, and then Amy joins Sarah to provide her in-depth perspective on this idea and how it can be applied in both personal and business settings. She also shares her career path and her current day-in-the-life with 3 twee...
Jul 09, 2024•38 min•Ep 362•Transcript available on Metacast In today's episode, Laura and Sarah open with a discussion of how much their own jobs have changed in the last decade. Then, Laura interviews Jessi Hempel, host of the Hello Monday Podcast on navigating work/life issues, and they also discuss how parenting roles and expectations might be different (or not!) in a two-mom or two-dad household. In the Q&A, Sarah and Laura provide tips for a listener looking for ideas on resetting or momentum planning after a big goal of accomplishment (like ach...
Jul 02, 2024•41 min•Ep 361•Transcript available on Metacast In their traditional midyear episode, Laura and Sarah share progress (or lack thereof, as it may apply!) on 2024 goals, halfway in. They discuss goals in the domains off work, relationships/family, and personal/self, as well as provide updates on daily habits + long term goals. In the Q&A, they address a common question as to where they KEEP all of these goals! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 25, 2024•43 min•Ep 360•Transcript available on Metacast In today's episode, Sarah and Laura tackle some common struggles, starting with BEDTIME. They discuss struggles and strategies in each category, including bathing suit shopping, summer uniforms, kids' summer assignments, screen time dilemmas, and more. In the Q&A, a listener already thinking about *next* academic year writes in asking about creating a "last minute school request" emergency kit. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jun 18, 2024•40 min•Ep 359•Transcript available on Metacast Sarah and Laura open today's episode discussing the ways that they keep their friendships (both near + far-flung) alive. Then, Laura interviews Anna Goldfarb, author of Modern Friendship (released just last week!) -- a practical look at how to make and strengthen friendships as an adult in the current very digital world. In the Q&A, Laura and Sarah answer respond to a question about how to best respond when close couple friends are getting a divorce. Additional wisdom from listeners who have...
Jun 11, 2024•38 min•Ep 358•Transcript available on Metacast In today's episode, Laura and Sarah do a deep analysis of some common myths about working parenthood, from "A stranger will raise your baby!" to "You'll never get any free time every again" to "I can't take on this leadership role, I have (insert # here) kids!" -- and many more. This episode goes out especially to anyone just beginning their parenting journey and wondering whether to believe the hype, but it's also valuable reflection for seasoned parents who continue to both enjoy work and life...
Jun 04, 2024•48 min•Ep 357•Transcript available on Metacast In today's episode, Sarah and Laura open with a discussion of teen parenting (mostly with Laura's experience so far!) and then Sarah interviews Ellen Galinsky, longtime researcher and author about all things related to teenhood, as inspired by Galinsky's recent book: The Breakthrough Years: A New Scientific Framework for Raising Thriving Teens. One thing that sets Galinsky apart is how positive she is about this phase of life. Of course there are challenges, but there are so many wonderful thing...
May 28, 2024•42 min•Ep 356•Transcript available on Metacast Today's episode is all about building career capital and raising your profile without working around the clock. Sarah and Laura discuss their own work hours, and then discuss strategies in 4 categories listed below: - Building a schedule that prioritizes space for the important - Minimizing other work and making life sustainable - Paying into career capital accounts - Be everyone's favorite to work with! In the Q&A, a listener asks how to tactfully get chattier coworkers to give her some spa...
May 21, 2024•41 min•Ep 355•Transcript available on Metacast In today's episode, Laura and Sarah open with some recent travel planning talk, and then delve into all things packing! They share thoughts on carry-on vs check, current luggage situations, packing processes, and include a discuss ion on packing cubes and the merits of unpacking at your destination. Then, they address some listener travel questions. Topics include managing selective eaters on international trips, ski school, and ideas for one parent traveling with her 3 + 5 year old. See omnystu...
May 14, 2024•42 min•Ep 354•Transcript available on Metacast Today's episode features Kathryn Valentine specializes in Gendered Negotiation, or how to negotiate successfully as a woman. Sarah and Laura chat about their feelings around negotiation, and then Kathryn joins Laura to discuss ways to negotiate successfully --including some strategies specifically for women, who have been shown to face different challenges in negotiation. In the Q&A, a listener writes in asking about kid/teen chores - how do you manage chore expectations if older kids are bu...
May 07, 2024•41 min•Ep 353•Transcript available on Metacast May is a packed month for most families but usually lots of the events are fun and positive ones! Laura and Sarah discuss strategies for enjoying (not just surviving) your May (and often early June, too!). Laura suggests a 3-part framework: don't get overwhelmed, find the right balance and manage your energy. Sarah and Laura chat about these strategies in depth and how they can be employed throughout and even before this full month. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Apr 30, 2024•37 min•Ep 352•Transcript available on Metacast In today's episode, Sarah interviews Laura Mae Martin, Google's productivity expert and author of Uptime: A Practical Guide to Personal Productivity and Well-Being, which was released earlier this month. They chat meetings, setting priorities, task & calendar management, family life, and more. In the Q&A, Laura and Sarah answer a listener wondering how to balance vacations with nuclear family with extended family requests. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Apr 23, 2024•45 min•Ep 351•Transcript available on Metacast In today's episode, Laura and Sarah discuss when they themselves became "financial grownups" and then expert guest Bobbi Rebell joins Laura to share ways we can encourage a mature approach to money matters even from a young age. In the Q&A, a listener wonders how Laura and Sarah keep track of their calendars without relying on a digital system (like Google or Apple Calendar). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 16, 2024•48 min•Ep 350•Transcript available on Metacast Today's episode is dedicated to celebrating and preserving the moments that make up our lives, from the cutest baby phases to big milestones -- all of these things enrich our lives and have the power to turn the fleeting present moment into a deeper and more lasting experience. Laura and Sarah talk about the ways they preserve family (and personal) memories, and discuss the value and role of celebrations and traditions in their own families. In the Q&A, a listener writes in asking for fresh ...
Apr 09, 2024•37 min•Ep 349•Transcript available on Metacast Laura and Sarah welcome Cal Newport to Best of Both Worlds to chat all things slow productivity and how Cal's stage of parenting influenced a lot of his current thinking around productivity, pacing, and getting things done. In the intro, Sarah and Laura discuss their own planning habits going back to childhood, and in the Q&A a listener writes in asking about how Laura and Sarah read blogs - do they browse through individual urls, or is there another way? Cal Newport's book Slow Productivity...
Apr 02, 2024•43 min•Ep 348•Transcript available on Metacast Today's episode features a fresh crop of mailbag questions! Topics include: split shift childcare handling the daily household chores with young kids different formats for kid activities how has work / productivity changed since COVID thoughts on digital calendar frames retirement plans? dealing with kids that have disparate sleep needs how to handle the tension between wanting to stay up with teens and having your own morning routine the next 5 years of BOBW! Thank you to all for submitting que...
Mar 26, 2024•37 min•Ep 347•Transcript available on Metacast In today's episode, Laura chats with author Emily P. Freeman about endings, and in particular determining how and when to leave a situation that no longer fits. Emily's new March 2024 release is How to Walk into a Room: The Art of Knowing When to Stay and When to Walk Away , available wherever books are sold. In the Q&A, Sarah and Laura discuss their experiences in coming back from recent injuries. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Mar 19, 2024•35 min•Ep 346•Transcript available on Metacast This episode is a departure from the usual topics + format, and is a chance to get to know Laura and Sarah just a little bit better as they share some very random things about themselves that (generally) have not been discussed on the podcast! From physical characteristics (flexibility + left-handedness) to Meyers-Briggs types to ideal superpower and much more - this is a fun conversational chat, recorded live together in Florida. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Mar 12, 2024•38 min•Ep 345•Transcript available on Metacast Dr. Meggie Smith is a reproductive endocrinologist at Nashville Fertility Center and she shares her journey to motherhood today, from freezing her eggs during fellowship to moving forward with a pregnancy as a solo parent. In the Q&A, a listener writes in asking for advice on handling 1st trimester fatigue and nausea -- with respect to work, exercise, and more -- when she hasn't shared yet about her pregnancy. Meggie's Planner Pad: https://sugarpaper.com/products/family-planning-pad?variant=...
Mar 05, 2024•48 min•Ep 344•Transcript available on Metacast Summer in February? No -- but also, yes! Summer episodes often come out in May, but those camp rosters often fill up by March, and summer childcare can be a major pain point for many working parents. Sarah and Laura have experienced this first hand, and so in today's they share strategies for figuring out the pieces of summer that are best planned well in advance of the summer heat. They talk childcare/camp, travel, fun for themselves, and more.. In the Q&A, a listener writes in asking about...
Feb 27, 2024•38 min•Ep 343•Transcript available on Metacast In today's episode, Laura and Sarah explore the concept of "Quality Time", one of Gary Chapman's 5 Love Languages. However, they don't limit the conversation to just partner quality time - they also discuss cultivating and deepening quality and connection time with kids and with themselves (with some side tangents about time with friends, too!). In the Q&A, a listener asks for details on Laura and Sarah's daily planning rituals. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Feb 20, 2024•39 min•Ep 342•Transcript available on Metacast Today's episode is about media consumption, from books to movies to music and of course social media too. Sarah and Laura chat about ways to enjoy media more, cultivating an awareness of the types of media we choose to consume, and different feelings about their own personal social media use habits. In the Q&A, a listener asks for tips helping her rising 6th grader plan and organize around schoolwork. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Feb 13, 2024•42 min•Ep 341•Transcript available on Metacast Sarah and Laura reflect back on jobs of the past (including the pretty distant past - remember video stores?) and then introduce an alliterative framework for loving your job more: Passion, People, Progress, and Pleasure. In the Q&A, Laura answers a listener question about her experiences in getting a family dog. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 06, 2024•41 min•Ep 340•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Sarah interviews Dr. Gillian Goddard, an NYC-based endocrinologist who will soon be launching a newsletter on navigating your health and hormones in the post-reproductive years. They discuss perimenopause and the late reproductive years, contraception at 40+, weight gain and perimenopause, estrogen + dementia, and more. In the Q&A, Laura and Sarah answer a listener query about charitable giving. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jan 30, 2024•44 min•Ep 339•Transcript available on Metacast Today's episode is all about morning routines, which is fitting since Sarah loves mornings and one of Laura's bestsellers is What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast! Sarah and Laura share their own AM routines in detail, from wakeup alarm to the start of the work day, plus variations on weekends and other scenarios. Then, they discuss some strategies for common morning challenges such as an early-waking baby, too little time for a workout, or super-early Zoom meetings. In the Q&A...
Jan 23, 2024•41 min•Ep 338•Transcript available on Metacast 
