Thinking about starting something new, but the plan feels messy, the timing isn’t perfect, and the pressure to “do it right” is keeping you stuck?

In the final episode of The Toolkit Series from The New Modern Mom Podcast, host Barbara Mighdoll breaks down what actually moves ideas forward when life is full, time is limited, and perfectionism is loud.

Barbara shares the behind-the-scenes story of how she acquired her first fitness studio, launched a media brand, and built a business plan in real time… all without waiting for everything to be clear or perfect.

If you’re in a season of considering a business idea, experimenting with a passion project, or building something meaningful while juggling family and work, this episode breaks down what to do next.

You’ll learn why execution matters more than ideas, and how to build a business plan that evolves with you.

In this episode, listeners will learn:

🚀 How to create clarity through action

Why progress comes from motion, not overplanning, and how to build confidence as you go.

🛠️ How to execute with a flexible business plan

A practical, 5-step system to shrink your idea, start small, and build early traction.

🧠 How to start before you feel ready

Shift your mindset, quiet perfectionism, and take action using skills you already have.

Barbara reframes perfectionism as a hidden form of procrastination, and shows why execution matters more than ideas. Because clarity doesn’t show up before you begin. It shows up when you do.

This episode is perfect for moms searching for:

→ Tools to overcome perfectionism and overthinking

→ How to actually move ideas forward in small, manageable steps

→ Mindset shifts that support action, confidence, and consistency

→ How to start a business or side project before feeling “ready”

→ Why execution matters more than having the perfect idea

→ Encouragement to start imperfectly and learn as you go

Follow Barbara Mighdoll:

1. On Instagram here
2. Subscribe to Barbara’s newsletter here

About New Modern Mom: You know the dream of having it all – a thriving career, an active social life, present time with your kids, and adventures in travel. But how the F can we actually do it all? Host Barbara Mighdoll chats with other working mom executives on the raw truth behind their support systems, self-identity shifts, productivity, infertility and pregnancy loss, mom guilt, partner dynamics, childcare and even imposter syndrome. We’re exploring how these incredible women are translating their professional superpowers into their personal lives. Because we believe you can have it all, you just cannot do it all. Together, we’re building the playbook for the new modern mom.

The New Modern Mom Podcast is produced by Barbara Mighdoll, Ali Alquiza, and Em Roberts.

What if your vision board wasn’t just a pretty collage you forgot about by February, but a high-level strategic roadmap you actually followed all year long?

In this Toolkit Series episode of The New Modern Mom Podcast, Barbara Mighdoll pulls back the curtain on how she transitions from "big picture dreaming" to "tactical execution." Most of us are taught to set vague New Year’s resolutions that fade by Q2, but as an ex-tech exec and mom of two, Barbara knows that structure creates freedom.

If you’ve ever felt like life is just "happening" to you, this episode is your invitation to take the wheel. Barbara shares the exact framework she uses during her Annual Personal Offsite, a ritual she started during a major career transition and now relies on to cut through the noise, avoid shiny-object syndrome, and make intentional decisions as a working mom and entrepreneur.

From the reflective questions that unlock real insight to the planning framework that turns vision into execution, this episode gives you the tools to plan your year with purpose.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by goal-setting, unsure where to focus your energy, or stuck repeating the same resolutions year after year, this episode will help you step back, zoom out, and design a year that actually feels aligned and doable.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

🧠 Strategic Vision Boarding: Forget the aesthetics. Learn how to use a vision board as a strategic tool to define your true priorities across career, motherhood, and personal fulfillment.

📝 The Internal Audit (9 Powerful Questions): Barbara walks you through the reflective questions she uses to identify energy drains, celebrate wins, and clarify what actually matters before the calendar turns.

🏔 How to Run a "Personal Offsite": Why you need to get out of your house (and your head) to do deep-thinking work, plus how to structure your time for maximum insight.

🎯 The Annual Operating Plan Framework: A step-by-step breakdown of how to set results, habits, and "why" statements across Barbara’s 6 pillars: Family, Health, Self-Discovery, Career, Relationships, and Finances.

📆 Accountability That Works: How to lead your life like a CEO using Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) and calendar systems that make your goals feel doable, not daunting.

This episode is perfect for moms searching for:

→ How to build a vision board for 2026

→ A realistic annual planning framework designed for working moms

→ An alternative to New Year’s resolutions that actually holds up past January

→ A more grounded, intentional way to step into 2026

→ Goal setting for ambitious women

→ How to run a personal planning offsite

→ Intentional life design for working parents

Follow Barbara Mighdoll:

1. On Instagram here
2. Subscribe to Barbara’s newsletter here

About New Modern Mom: You know the dream of having it all – a thriving career, an active social life, present time with your kids, and adventures in travel. But how the F can we actually do it all? Host Barbara Mighdoll chats with other working mom executives on the raw truth behind their support systems, self-identity shifts, productivity, infertility and pregnancy loss, mom guilt, partner dynamics, childcare and even imposter syndrome. We’re exploring how these incredible women are translating their professional superpowers into their...

What does it really look like to build wealth as a couple, especially when both partners already have demanding careers, limited bandwidth, and different risk tolerances?

In this Toolkit Series episode of The New Modern Mom Podcast, host Barbara Mighdoll sits down with her husband, Jason Mighdoll, the CFO of both New Modern Mom and MNTStudio, for a candid conversation about how to diversify your income and invest intentionally as a team. Together, they unpack what it takes to move from talking about money to taking action and how to find investment strategies that fit your lifestyle.

Barbara and Jason have lived this conversation, from early “money dates” to real-world experiments with stocks, real estate, and eventually acquiring a business together. They pull back the curtain on the decisions, trade-offs, and lessons that helped them build a portfolio that reflects both their financial goals and their shared passions.

Whether you’re in the “what’s next?” phase of your money journey or trying to align with your partner on the next smart move, this episode will help you figure out how to diversify with purpose and make financial growth a family strategy, not just a solo mission.

What you’ll learn:

💡 How to identify your income mix and risk tolerance – Why the first step in any couple’s investment plan is understanding disposable income, expenses, and comfort with risk before deciding where to invest.

💼 Different ways to diversify your income – From side gigs and freelancing to passive investments, real-estate strategies, and small-business ownership, Barbara and Jason break down each option by effort, risk, and reward.

🏠 The realities of “passive” investing – Lessons from owning an Airbnb in Tahoe, including the myth of true passivity, how to vet property managers, and what it actually takes to manage a profitable rental.

🏋️‍♀️ Turning passion into profit – How acquiring their first Pilates studio reshaped their view of “active investments,” the importance of finding complementary skills with your partner, and the questions to ask before buying a business.

🧰 Your second Money Date toolkit – The step-by-step framework to move from planning to action: assessing your safety net, defining roles (CFO vs COO of the household), researching opportunities, and educating each other before investing.

Resources:

• BiggerPockets - A podcast that features candid interviews with real estate investors, data-driven market insights, and actionable strategies to help you build wealth through property investing.
• The Real Estate Guys Radio Show - A podcast that offers expert interviews and data-driven strategy for building wealth through real-estate investing.
• BizBuySell - The leading online marketplace to research, buy, or sell small businesses with detailed financial listings and valuation data.

This episode is perfect for moms searching for:

→ How to start investing as a couple without feeling overwhelmed

→ Marriage and money conversations that actually work in real life

→ Creating a family investment strategy that fits your lifestyle and bandwidth

→ What to talk about on a money date so it leads to action, not just ideas

→ How to diversify your income streams beyond your 9–5

→ Building generational wealth with your spouse, even if you...