
Making it to...raising Jess Ekstrom with Jess's Mom, Laurie Ekstrom
From Making It with Jess Ekstrom by Jess Ekstrom
May 5, 2026 · 54 min · Season 6 · Episode 7
About this episode
Jess Ekstrom interviews her mother, Laurie Ekstrom, exploring themes of motherhood and personal growth.
Have you ever realized that the person who shaped you most never once thought of themselves as remarkable? Have you ever sat down with someone you've known your whole life — and learned something that changed everything? This episode is a little different. Today's guest isn't a founder or a bestselling author or a keynote speaker. She's something harder to find and harder to hold onto. She's Laurie Ekstrom — Jess's mom, Lala to the grandkids, and the woman who quietly, consistently made it possible for everyone around her to go for it. Jess recorded this episode to celebrate the launch of her book, Making It Without Losing It , because Laurie is — in so many ways — what that book is about: finding peace in the present while still believing in something bigger. This conversation is warm, funny, unfiltered, and at times, genuinely surprising. There's a Waffle House run at midnight. There's a confession about being unplanned. There's the story of a FLaurieda beach, a shared earbud, and a wedding song played during the darkest financial chapter of their family's life. And there's a two-minute message to Jack and Ellie — Jess's kids — that might be the most honest parenting advice in…
People in this episode
Host: Jess Ekstrom
Guest: Laurie Ekstrom
Topics covered
- motherhood
- personal growth
- family dynamics
- entrepreneurship
- life lessons
Keywords
- mother
- entrepreneurship
- family
- life lessons
- personal growth
- Waffle House
- parenting advice
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Making It Without Losing It
More episodes of Making It with Jess Ekstrom
- My live book signing at Argent, hosted by Meggie Palmer · June 2, 2026 · 47 min
- Making it to a Linkedin Top Voice with Selena Rezvani · May 19, 2026 · 37 min
- The Best Place We Ever Stayed · April 28, 2026 · 11 min
- The Power Pause: Why Stepping Back Might Be the Most Ambitious Thing You Ever Do · April 21, 2026 · 40 min
- From the Locker Room to Oprah's List: How Cookie Society Built a Cult Following on Grit, Data, and Really Good Cookies · April 7, 2026 · 45 min
- The Power of Four Words: "Have a Nice Life" · March 31, 2026 · 11 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Making It with Jess Ekstrom podcast page.