Welcome to Season 7 of the Mom Force Podcast: A Return to Our Roots

The Beginning of a Movement

When we launched the Mom Force Podcast in 2019, we didn't know it would become what it is today. But looking back, the seeds were planted long before that first episode aired.

It all started at Chatbooks in 2014 with our customer support team—a group of passionate moms who wanted flexible, part-time work so they could stay home with their families. These women weren't just employees; they were our customers. They understood our mission to connect and strengthen families, and they brought that understanding to every interaction. They were women helping women, and that became the heartbeat of everything we do.

From Facebook Group to Podcast

As our support team grew, we created a Facebook community for like-minded moms. What started as a small group quickly blossomed into something special. I watched women cheer each other on, swap advice, crowdsource answers to life's hardest questions, and lift each other up. It became crystal clear: together as women and mothers, we are stronger. We can absolutely be a force for good.

Fast forward to 2019. I was sitting in a Chatbooks board meeting when one of our board members, Gavin, looked right at me and said, "You need to start a podcast." I knew instantly what it had to be called: the Mom Force Podcast.

Here's where another beautiful "women supporting women" moment happened: I reached out to Monica Packer, host of the Progress Podcast, and asked if she'd coach me through launching. She said yes. Within weeks, we had our first episode ready to go—complete with a theme song written by my oldest daughter, a singer-songwriter.

How We Started

That first season, my four sisters joined me as co-hosts. Between the five of us, we have 31 kids and were raised in a family of 12, so we had plenty to talk about. We tackled the real, nitty-gritty parts of mom life in what we called "Mom Force Quickies"—15-minute episodes packed with substance but respectful of everyone's time.

As life got busier for my sisters and for me (podcasting isn't my full-time job at Chatbooks), the show evolved. By season three, I was mostly doing one-on-one interviews. Six seasons in, we've had incredible guests and amazing conversations. I especially love our "Enter the Chat" episodes, where we tackle real questions from our Mom Force Facebook community.

What We've Learned

What I've loved most about this podcast is the storytelling, the connection through vulnerability, and hearing other moms' wins and fails. Most importantly, it's remembering that there is no one right way to do this mom job.

What's Coming in Season 7

As we thought about season seven, I felt pulled back to our roots. Here's what you can expect:

Incredible Guests: We have Ashley Rose Reeves, Kate Kennedy from the Be There in Five podcast, and yes—Catherine Schwarzenegger Pratt (married to Chris Pratt). But these episodes will feel less like interviews and more like conversations with your girlfriend or sister.

My Sisters Are Back: You asked for them, and they're coming back. We've missed them, and we have so many family stories to reminisce on and laugh about.

New Perspectives: My daughters will be joining me to give that cross-generational perspective I love. We'll also tackle some of the challenges we're facing as moms and show that there are so many different ways to handle them.

Shorter, Punchier Episodes: I'm committing to keeping episodes under 30 minutes, packed with juicy stories, real-life advice, and hopefully lots of laughter. Because honestly, if you can't laugh, you're going to cry.

A Vulnerable Moment

To give you a taste of what's to come, I want to share something I've kept in the vault for about 15 years—a story that perfectly captures the messy reality of motherhood.

There was a season when I was all in on being "all natural." I was grinding wheat, baking bread, making green smoothies with young Thai coconuts I'd crack open with a machete. I was determined to stop buying snacks at Publix and make everything from scratch.

One day, I tried a new granola bar recipe with a dozen ingredients. As I was cutting the last bars, I noticed something odd—little black things I didn't remember adding. I looked at the recipe again. No flax seeds listed. Then I looked at the bucket of oats I'd used, and I saw something moving. Something alive.

I had a choice: dump them all in the trash or... leave them there.

Growing up in a frugal household, "waste not, want not" is deep in my DNA. Plus, cultures around the world eat bugs for protein, right? So I left them on the plate.

Sure enough, my kids came home and ate every single one. They never knew.

Children, if you're listening: I'm sorry. But look, it didn't hurt you. You're doing great. And who knows? Maybe it actually helped somehow. (Okay, I'm probably rationalizing, but that's me being vulnerable with you.)

Join Us

This is what I hope to hear more of on the Mom Force Podcast—real stories, real struggles, real laughter. My sisters will open up. My guests will open up. And I'll keep opening up too.

Here's my invitation to you: Join us every other week for new episodes. Invite your friends to listen. Let's keep the conversation going on Instagram @Chatbooks and @VanessaQuigley.

I'm dying to hear your juicy stories too. Thanks for being here. I can't wait for everything we have coming this season.

Until next time.