Let's Be Real: Mama Journeys

Brian Dixon, a Colorado-based adventurer, author, and speaker, joined us to talk about something many women feel but can't always name: when something is "off" with the man they love. For 20 years, Dixon lived a successful life on paper, but underneath, he had drifted out of alignment. After a painful divorce and a life-changing wake-up call, he faced a truth many men avoid: he hadn't failed, he had drifted. At 50, he chose a different path. He reconnected with himself, chased a dream, and flew a paraglider solo off Lookout Mountain at 52, proving the fire wasn't gone, just buried. Today, Dixon speaks openly about what happens when men realign: more presence, more honesty, and deeper connection. His message is simple: Wake up. Realign. Move forward. You can find him at GoWithDixon.com.

In this unique and thought-provoking episode of Let's Be Real Mama Journeys, Nikki sits down with Taj Simrit, joining from Greece, to bring a rare and powerful perspective on parenthood, personal growth, and healing. Taj shares his deeply personal journey from corporate life and fatherhood to divorce, loss, and ultimately, transformation. Through years of travel, self-reflection, and spiritual practice, he opens up about the mistakes he made as a partner and parent, and the intentional work it took to rebuild himself from the inside out. This conversation explores themes of forgiveness, accountability, and the long road to self-awareness. Taj speaks candidly about repairing his relationship with his son, learning to let go of ego, and the importance of taking responsibility for your life, no matter your past. While this episode steps outside the traditional motherhood lens, it offers something incredibly valuable: a reminder that growth is always possible, healing takes time, and it is never too late to become a better version of yourself. This is a conversation about perspective, redemption, and the power of doing the inner work. Come ready to reflect, rethink, and see parenting and life through a different lens. You can find his book and more information about his travels at tajsimrit.com

In this deeply moving episode of Let's Be Real Mama Journeys, Nikki sits down with Cindy Eich, a mom of four, grandmother, and author of Love Goes Further, to share a story that will stay with you long after the episode ends. Cindy opens up about her journey through motherhood, from becoming a young mom and navigating life without a built-in village, to experiencing the joy of raising a busy, sports-filled family. But her story takes a profound turn as she shares the unimaginable moment her daughter Kendall was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. What follows is a powerful testament to resilience, love, and living with intention. Cindy shares how Kendall chose to focus on life, setting a goal to visit all 50 states, and how that purpose transformed not only her journey, but the entire family's perspective. Through humor, connection, and unwavering determination, Kendall showed what it truly means to create a meaningful life, even in the face of the unimaginable. This episode is about grief, but more importantly, it is about love that endures, perspective that shifts everything, and the reminder that even when life doesn't go as planned, it can still be deeply beautiful. You will laugh, cry, and walk away seeing motherhood, and life, through a more meaningful lens. You can find her at lovegoesfurther.org

In this episode of Let's Be Real: Mama Journeys, Nikki sits down with Lori Taggart, a longtime banker, Harley rider, mom of four, and proud "Gigi" to nine grandchildren, for a conversation that feels like sitting down with someone who just gets it. From raising kids far from home as a military spouse to navigating motherhood without a built in support system, Lori shares what it really looked like behind the scenes. The loneliness, the pressure, the moments of wondering if she was doing it right, and the beautiful, unexpected ways community showed up when she needed it most. This episode is a powerful reminder that motherhood was never meant to be done alone. Lori talks about finding support in unlikely places, learning how to accept help, and even creating systems of support for other moms when she saw a need. You'll also hear honest reflections on parenting through every stage, from raising little ones while feeling completely overwhelmed, to letting go as your kids become adults and realizing you can't fix everything for them anymore. And maybe most importantly, this conversation gently reminds us that no mom has it all figured out. There is no perfect way to do this. There is only your way, your kids, and the willingness to keep showing up and learning along the way. If you've ever questioned yourself as a mom, felt alone in the process, or needed permission to let go of perfection, this episode is for you.

Dr. Dean Rudoy is a clinical psychologist, author and educator. He is an advocate for lived experience and how we can share stories to help others in learning from other people's experiences and also the lessons we have learned. Children are all created with a gift. Unfortunately, oftentimes those gifts aren't always expressed and that's because their wings were folded in due to the expectations around them (sometimes that's intentional and sometimes it's not). Gender roles determine what they are "allowed" to do, say and how they act. For example, boys at the age of 4 boys are told that they need to "man up" and "big boys don't cry." So to please the big people in their lives, whom they love, they will usually comply and suppress their feelings. Girls are told that "girls don't climb trees." Compliance is often the barrier to true growth. A Star Wars quote says "Your focus determines your reality." Dr. Dean says that couldn' t be more true. He often tells families that being outside is the best way to ground yourself. Everything in nature is exactly what it's meant to be with no need to be anything else. Dr. Dean believes that not only does it take a village to rise a child but it takes a child to raise a village. Giving children attention, affection and admiration and acceptance (as is), as well as listening to them are the best parenting advice he can give. Good enough parenting is a concept that's also important. Dr. Dean believes you should give yourself a break and know that parenting is a constant changing adventure that you will never perfect. Adults need to pause and listen to children because they are truly here to help us remember our beginning. Being listened to and remembered is what we all truly want in life. Before we speak or act, think, "what will this further." You can find Dr. Dean and his infinite wisdom at Deanrudoy.com and you can find his book and other information. He also has a youtube channel found at (9) Dean Rudoy - YouTube

Stella Falkner is a 2-time founder who believes in maternal mental health and the wellness that support can change and save lives. Her experience of being a first time mom compounded with experiencing trauma, she experienced mental health challenges that made her determined to help other moms. She was fortunate to be able to attend a mental health program for moms that changed the course of her recovery journey. She credits the program and the moms who were there with saving her life. Most motherhood support programs only support the first 12 months of postpartum but we know that mothers need support before and well beyond that timeline. She believes (as do we) that expecting moms to find the help they need on their own is unrealistic and without someone who noticed something wasn't right (through texts) she wouldn't have gotten the help she needed. Her biggest challenge changes from year to year but in the beginning it was figuring out how to work full-time without missing any of the special moments. Being present is a challenge for working moms (as well as SAHM's) and sometimes that challenge is overwhelming. Her biggest supporter is her husband and although it wasn't always perfect, it has been a working relationship and has improved throughout the last four years. His emotional support has been life changing for her. Dads go through PPD as well and not talked about. Her favorite mama moments are when her 4 year old is a special gentleman who wants mama to "sparkle." Her worst mama moment was when her 1 and ½ year old was dabbing the tears away trying to make her feel better. That moment made her think that she may have "ruined" him but to flip that script and realize that she was raising a very empathetic child who wanted to make his mama feel better. She wishes she would have been more aware of the toxicity of social media and motherhood. Her amazing app is called DOWA and can be found on the app store. GREAT resource for mamas! Check it out.

Terry Iverson is a dad of 3 who has worked in the manufacturing sector for over 45 years. His career has focused on mentoring younger people. In 2012 he started a new organization called ChampionNow. This organization is meant to teach kids and parents that the perception of manufacturing in our country has become very skewed and is very important in our country. Going into student debt can really derail and delay success for a young person. He believes that moms have a phenomenal influence on their children and knowing the other options that are out there, can help steer their children in different ways. In 1980, when Terry started, computers were just starting to change the way that things are done. As a bored student, he attended college and after 6 years he quit because theory wasn't what interested him. He believes in skills, education and degrees but they don't always fit every person. Thinking outside the box is important because we still need a hands-on workforce and that could be YOUR kiddo! Keep options open because every child has a different set of skills and goals. There are so many people who earn a degree and never use it in their profession. What is the return on education? Keep that in mind when directing or encouraging your kids. You can find his books, Finding America's Greatest Champion, and Inspiring Champions in Advanced Manufacturing. You can find them on Amazon and his website championnow.org

Chris Livezey is an author, speaker and mindset coach. He is also a real estate investor. He was born and raised in the Philadelphia area but now lives in Florida. Back in 1999 he set the goal to be a motivational speaker and took the path to be an investor so he can go out and change lives. His dream to be a motivational speaker started all because he was pigeonholed into a place where his teachers saw him as a behavior issue. He was diagnosed with a lot of different things that removed him from the regular classroom and this made him a victim of other people's beliefs. This led him to getting into trouble at an early age. In 9th grade he read See You At the Top by Zig Ziggler. This changed his whole life. Being told over and over that he "couldn't" do things programmed him to not be able to do things. Our environment programs into our subconscious mind and can reject others ideas. There are many instances where people were told they will never walk and 6 months later they walk out of the hospital. Your mind works in mysterious ways and we have the ability to accept or deny what we want or don't want for our own lives. People become a victim of their environmental heredity. As a mom, help your kids find their interests, talents and encourage them that they can overcome their weaknesses. Whatever you are looking at and listening to seeps into your unconscious mind and through our conscious mind we can realign. As soon as you tie emotions to what's going on around you, that's when it creates a vibrational state. His book is called The Shortcut to Magnificent. You can find his book on Amazon and on his website at chrislivezey.com You can find our Podcast on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gTKJ9WwE Apple: https://lnkd.in/gfcrreYg Or on our website: https://lnkd.in/gy5hf6hz