Raising the Next Gen Podcast

In this episode, Sonia welcomes Kimberly Snider, a strategic leadership coach and team builder, for an engaging conversation about raising resilient children. They discuss mindset management during unexpected challenges like airline strikes, the power of maintaining optimism, and how family travel teaches valuable life lessons. Kimberly shares insights from raising two sporty teenagers, exploring how competitive sports build character, teach sportsmanship, and help kids navigate disappointment. The conversation touches on emotional milestones like sending a child to university, the importance of acknowledging "this is the first time I've done this," and how parents and children learn together through life's adventures. Kimberly also reflects on a recent family trip to the Netherlands, where her teenagers discovered their Dutch heritage and contributed as capable young adults navigating European cities. --- About Kimberly Snider Kimberly Snyder is a dynamic team builder, strategic leadership coach, and consultant who creates space for strategic thinking so leaders can accomplish audacious goals without burnout, overwhelm, or mediocrity. She is also the host of the Overflow podcast, which has over 100 episodes. Tune in to the Overflow podcast, and following Kimberly on Instagram @IAmKimberlySnider. Learn more about her work on her website. --- Did you like this episode? Remember to review, follow and share! Receive weekly parenting tips and reflections, and don’t miss an episode by signing up to my newsletter, Next Gen Connection.

Sonia is joined by Yetty Williams on Raising the Next Gen for a conversation about raising digitally savvy kids. As a digital parenting coach and social entrepreneur who helps families navigate raising children in a highly connected world, Yetty is passionate about supporting parents to parent intentionally in the digital age. Yetty introduces the idea of parents as the “first algorithm,” shaping how kids interpret the online world through values, conversation, and connection at home. The discussion explores screen time fears, healthy tech habits, building trust so kids feel safe coming back to parents, why quality connection matters more than constant control and so much more. — Yetty Williams is a digital parenting coach, award winning social entrepreneur, European Mentoring and Coaching Council accredited life coach, and mom of two teenagers. She is the founder of Lagos Mums, Nigeria's first and most influential online parenting community. For over a decade, she has built thriving communities on a global scale, reaching over one point five million people each month. Yetty is the author of Digital Savvy Parenting: What the World Urgently Needs, and creator of the Digital Parenting Archetype framework. She holds an MBA from Yale and a Digital Media marketing certificate from Cambridge, and has been recognized by the Lagos State Government for her contributions to women and girls. She regularly partners with global brands, leads family focused conferences and mentors through the United Kingdom's Government Help to Grow programme. Yetty's work proves that strong communities, online and offline are essential to raising whole and well-rounded humans. Learn more about Yetty on Instagram @lagosmums, LinkedIn and her website. — Resources Complete Yetty’s free digital parenting archetype quiz to help you learn what parenting style you have and support your child’s digital journey. You can also sign up for her Substack newsletter and get a copy of Yetty’s book, Digital Savvy Parenting: What the World Urgently Needs. — Did you like this episode? Remember to leave a review and hit that follow button so you never miss an episode!

In this episode of Raising the Next Gen, Sonia is joined by educator and children’s author Krishana Johnson-James for a heartfelt conversation about confidence, creativity, and helping kids embrace challenges. Krishana shares how her lifelong love of writing and teaching led to her books Planting a Song and There’s No One Just Like Me. They explore how stories can help children navigate performance anxiety, build positive self-talk, and develop a growth mindset. Krishana reflects on her own experiences with music, fear, and resilience, and offers practical insights for parents on supporting confidence through conversation, practice, and celebrating effort over perfection. -- Krishana Johnson-James is a teacher and author dedicated to nurturing young minds. With over twenty years of experience in the classroom, she has seen firsthand the incredible power of teaching growth mindset and how it can transform children's confidence and resilience. Krishana wrote Planting a Song to encourage young readers to embrace challenges and celebrate their unique journeys. She is also the author of the book, There’s No One Just Like Me! Krishana loves helping people work on creative goals and finding ways to document and share their stories in a creative way. She especially enjoys putting a spotlight on inspiring people and groups who are making a positive change in the world around them. Follow and connect with Krishana on Instagram @plantingourstories @theresnoonejustlikeme and her website, where you will also find her book and learning resources mentioned in the podcast. -- Did you like this episode? Remember to leave a review and hit that follow button so you never miss an episode!

In this episode of Raising the Next Gen, Sonia chats with psychologist Clarissa Ee to explore how becoming parents impacts connection, communication, and conflict between partners. They discuss why relationship satisfaction often declines after kids and how misalignment between parents affects the whole family. The episode also highlights how the way parents handle conflict becomes a powerful model for their children. Teamwork between couples is emphasized, and you’ll hear practical tools for managing defensiveness, pausing heated arguments, repairing after missteps, and communicating needs without blame. -- Clarissa Ee is a mom of two, a psychologist, and a speaker from Ontario, Canada. Her heart for serving couples comes from the transformation she experienced in her marriage through tools learned from professional training, having personally struggled with fertility challenges and postpartum anxiety, she is passionate about supporting couples who are building their family and navigating parenthood. Clarissa feels grateful to have supported couples over the past decade through therapy and workshops, and looks forward to helping more couples break generational cycles and build healthier relationships. Follow and connect with Clarissa on Instagram @renew.your.relationship, LinkedIn and her website. -- Did you like this episode? Remember to leave a review and hit that follow button so you never miss an episode!

In this episode of Raising the Next Gen, Sonia sits down with holistic wellness specialist, trauma coach, and Reiki Master Preeti Kapoor for an honest conversation about Preeti’s deeply personal journey which was sparked by a heartbreaking question from her young son: “Mom, will you ever be happy again?” Together, Sonia and Preeti explore what it really takes to connect with teens in a digitally distracted world, why safety matters more than perfection, and how parents’ emotional regulation shapes the entire household. This episode offers practical insights on moving from reacting to responding, releasing guilt and shame, and modelling calm for our kids. -- Preeti turned her own healing journey into a mission to help others thrive. With 20 years as a Reiki Master and 15 years in global HR, she understands both the corporate climb and the soul's calling. She's that friend who's been through it all - burnout, transformation, and rebirth. These experiences taught her life's most powerful lesson: within each of us lies the innate power to heal. As a Past Life Regression therapist, trauma coach, and intuitive guide, she helps leaders move from surviving to thriving. Her healing programs create safe spaces where women, (both professional and stay-at-home) drop the mask and reclaim their power. She bridges spirituality with modern psychiatry, guiding clients to break through negative patterns and release deep-rooted pain. As a holistic wellness specialist, she shares transformative knowledge that unveils the mind-body connection, helping people move beyond limiting beliefs into joy and self-acceptance. Follow and connect with Preeti on Instagram @healinwithin and her website. -- Did you like this episode? Remember to leave a review and hit that follow button so you never miss an episode!

In this episode of Raising the Next Gen, I welcome Irina Cazazaeva, a Hollywood nutrition and mindset coach, to explore how personalized nutrition and daily habits can help families thrive physically, mentally, and emotionally. Irina shares her science-based approach to eating for your unique body chemistry, from balancing hormones to preventing inflammation, and how even “healthy” foods can sometimes do more harm than good. We discuss both wins and struggles, from helping tweens eat better without nagging to tackling posture, screen fatigue, and energy crashes. Irina also opens up about her daughter’s food sensitivities, the surprising discoveries from DNA testing, and how they’re learning to navigate gluten-free living together. --- Working with Hollywood actors as a nutrition and mindset coach, Irina Cazazaeva creates science-based, personalized strategies that fit seamlessly into busy lives - helping clients boost energy, shed excess weight, slow down ageing with minimal efforts by aligning nutrition and lifestyle with individual body chemistry. She believes that even "healthy" foods can cause inflammation if they are not right for your body, leading to deficiencies that impact cellular renewal and long-term health. By optimizing nutrient intake, hormonal balance, detox pathways, and more, her clients eliminate cravings, feel energized, and achieve their ideal weight-without restrictive diets. Irina gives them the tools to live longer, look younger, and feel happier through sustainable lifestyle changes. With a university degree and training in nutrition, naturopathy, neuroscience, cooking with superfoods, TCM, Irina is a lifelong learner committed to help others thrive. Follow and connect with Irina on Instagram @hollywoodbodymethod, YouTube and her website. --- Resources: Irina's bestselling book Hollywood Body Method: Practical Steps for a Sustainable, Healthy Lifestyle to Look Younger and Feel Your Best Irina's Lemon Protein Gummy recipe Easy Protein Snacks For Active Kids And Parents --- Did you like this episode? Remember to leave a review and hit that follow button so you never miss an episode!

In this episode of Raising the Next Gen, I sit down with leadership coach and author Leisse Wilcox to talk about how everyday family rituals—especially shared meals—can shape emotionally aware, resilient, and confident kids. We explore why family dinners matter more than ever in the age of AI, how to make space for connection amid busy schedules, and how to approach uncomfortable but essential conversations with teens. Leisse shares her perspective as both a mom of three and a leadership expert on why slowing down, creating white space, and prioritizing human connection at the table can help kids develop the communication and confidence skills they’ll need for life. --- Leisse Wilcox transforms leadership by helping you become the leader everyone wants to work with. An expert in behavioral change, resilience, and high-performance leadership, she’s known as “the Secret Weapon of the C-Suite” and “the Marie Kondo of Your Unconscious.” She helps leaders clear mental clutter, navigate change, and future-proof their leadership for long-term success. A Forbes contributor and trusted by brands like TD, AGF, Aviva, and Entrepreneur, Leisse empowers leaders to create human-centered workplaces where people thrive. As an award-winning speaker, certified Leadership, Executive, and Organizational Development Coach, cancer survivor, and twice-bestselling mental health author, she champions mental well-being, confident communication, and courageous leadership. When she’s not lighting up the stage, the page, or the internet, you’ll find Leisse road-tripping for tacos with her husband, listening to Taylor Swift with her three daughters, or binge-watching HBO with her dog. Follow and connect with Leisse on Instagram ⁠@leissewilcox⁠ and ⁠LinkedIn⁠. Find out about her work on her ⁠website⁠, and see here speaking ⁠here⁠ and ⁠here⁠. --- Did you like this episode? Remember to leave a review and hit that follow button so you never miss an episode!