Toni Gonzales has been in financial services for 30 years — and she did it as a new grad, a newlywed, a new mom, a single mom, and now a blended family matriarch with four thriving adult kids and a granddaughter. This episode is for every mom who's ever wondered if she has to choose between building a career and building a family. Toni is proof that the answer is no, and she'll show you exactly how she did it. From turning down a promotion that would've uprooted her family to calling out unconscious bias in real time, this episode is packed with great tips, real life and how you can show up to be the best version of you!

✨ The village is the strategy — not a nice-to-have

✨ Women are over-mentored and under-sponsored, know the difference

✨ Co-parenting with intention protects your kids and your career

✨ You can't be what you can't see — so show up, even before you feel ready

If you're a working mom, climbing in a male-dominated room, navigating co-parenting, building a blended family, or just trying to figure out how to be fully present at work AND at home — this one was made for you.

Toni Gonzales is a 30-year veteran of the financial services industry, currently a consultant with Simplicity DFG. She's a former national president of WIFS (Women in Insurance and Financial Services), a board leader and a mentor with the FinServ Foundation. She is a mom of four, a grandmother, and proof that you can build, lead , and still be present when it matters.

Instagram: @jessicaperez1123

LinkedIn
https://linkedin.com/in/jessica-perez-consulting

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/ToniGonzales

Instagram: @tonilgonzales

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AI, Blended Families & Building Without Burning Out

Lisa Mont-Ros is the Co-Founder and COO of Strategy Ninjas — an AI strategy and solutions company helping businesses implement artificial intelligence to reclaim their time and scale smarter. But before AI, Lisa built (accidentally) a 30-person, seven-figure transaction coordination company in the Pacific Northwest, scaled it, and sold it. Then she packed up her blended family of seven and moved to Arizona in under 60 days because of a Powerball ticket. (She did not win.) In this episode, Jessica and Lisa go deep on what it actually looks like to raise kids in a world full of screens, run a business with your spouse without losing your mind, and use AI as a tool instead of a threat — all while showing up as the mom you actually want to be. This one is real, funny, and packed with things you'll want to write down.

Key Takeaways

✨ AI isn't something to fear — it's a lever
✨ Protecting your kids from social media & platforms is a parenting decision, not a punishment.
✨ How they run a business together without it running their marriage

Who This Episode Is For

This episode is for the working mom who is curious about AI but doesn't know where to start. It's for the mom navigating blended family life and wondering if there's a blueprint. It's for the entrepreneur who built the business she dreamed of and still feels like she's dropping balls. And it's for anyone who has ever looked at their kids and thought — I need to do this differently. This is your episode.

Instagram
https://instagram.com/jessicaperez1123

LinkedIn
https://linkedin.com/in/jessica-perez-consulting

Instagram: @strategyninjas

LinkedIn: Lisa Mont-Ros

Website: strategyninjas.com

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Share This Episode

Tag Jessica and when you listen and share your biggest takeaway. #Beyondthebalance

Rachel Cameron doesn't just hold a big title, she's built every piece of it intentionally. In this conversation, we pull back the curtain on what it really looks like when a working mom is the primary breadwinner, her husband is the stay-at-home parent, and the whole system is built to let her show up fully at work AND at home. We talk about how she and her husband Chad made the decision to retire him from the workforce, what the transition actually looked like (spoiler: it wasn't seamless), and how they stay connected as a couple when life runs fast. We also get into her daily routine, how she protects her mornings, her conference-season wardrobe hack that is genuinely game-changing, and what she does to stay present as a mom even when she's on the road. This one is honest, practical, and packed with the kind of realness that reminds you — you can build a life that works on your terms.

✨ The right partner at home isn't a luxury — it's a strategy.

✨ Protect your mornings like your career depends on it — because it does.

✨ Presence is a practice, not a personality trait.

This episode is for the mom who is the engine of her household AND her career and is trying to figure out how to do both without burning out. It's for the woman who has a partner who could step up more and doesn't know how to have that conversation. It's for every working mom who feels guilty for wanting something just for herself — and needs permission to stop apologizing for it.

Instagram https://instagram.com/jessicaperez

LinkedIn https://linkedin.com/in/jessica-perez-consulting

LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-cameron/

If this episode resonated with you:

⭐ Follow the show

⭐ Leave a 5-star review

⭐ Share this episode with a mom who needs it

⭐ Tag Jessica when you listen and share your biggest takeaway. #Beyondthebalance