What happens when everything you thought you were prepared for falls apart in an instant?

In this powerful episode of Stop. Drop. & R.O.L.E., host Jen Caceres sits down with Valerie Probstfeld—pediatric nurse practitioner, author, podcaster, and mother—for a deeply human conversation about pausing, perspective, and choosing love over fear.

Valerie shares her transformative story of becoming a mother after her newborn was rushed to the NICU - an experience that shattered her expectations, exposed deep emotional patterns, and sparked a lifelong commitment to mindfulness, self-reflection, and intentional response over reaction.

Together, Jen and Valerie explore:

• The difference between reacting vs. responding
• How the brain’s amygdala and prefrontal cortex shape our behavior
• Why the “angry face” shows up in parenting and leadership
• How mindfulness, gratitude, and body language change communication
• What Viktor Frankl’s “space between stimulus and response” means in real life
• The overlap between parenting, leadership, and team culture
• Why perfection is an illusion—and growth lives in imperfection
• How slowing down can create freedom, clarity, and connection

Valerie also discusses her book, To Mom Is to Love: Pioneering a New Kind of Motherhood, which blends neuroscience, lived experience, and practical tools to help parents—and leaders—lengthen the pause, regulate emotions, and lead with compassion.

While rooted in motherhood, this conversation resonates far beyond parenting, offering insight for anyone navigating relationships, leadership, identity shifts, or personal growth.

This episode is a must-listen for:

• Parents and caregivers
• Leaders and managers
• Coaches, educators, and healthcare professionals
• Anyone working on emotional regulation, mindfulness, or personal development
• Anyone learning how to pause, reflect, and respond with intention

🎧 Listen in to discover how slowing down isn’t weakness—it’s leadership.

In this episode of Stop. Drop. & R.O.L.E,, we dive deep into one of the most essential and underestimated leadership skills: Intentional Listening. If you want to lead with clarity, build trust, strengthen communication, and coach your team more effectively, this episode gives you the practical framework to do it.

You’ll learn how to:

• STOP and become fully present in conversations

• DROP the stories, assumptions, and biases that distort what you hear (or miss)

• REFLECT on the listening habits that may be holding you back

• OBSERVE your body language, attention, and presence

• LISTEN with your head, heart, and gut — not just your ears

• EVOLVE into a stronger, more intentional communicator and leader

We explore real examples from work and home, the dangers of "multitasking", why leaders often listen to respond instead of listen to understand, and how intentional listening improves trust, coaching, team dynamics, and decision-making.

If you’re in leadership, management or any role where people rely on you (including being a parent, spouse or friend, too) — this episode will challenge how you show up and how you communicate.

Small shifts in listening can create massive changes in relationships and results!

Do you dread networking and/or meeting new people?

Always feel like there's too much competition or awkwardness at networking events?

You’re not alone.

In this episode of Stop. Drop. & R.O.L.E., host Jen Cáceres shares how she overcame her fears and anxiety around networking.

Whether you're and introvert or extrovert, sometimes networking just doesn't feel natural and feels more like a chore where you have to perform.

Listen in to manage networking anxiety, overcome comparing yourself to others, and shift from competition to authentic connection using the R.O.L.E. Method: Reflect, Observe, Listen, and Evolve.

✨ What You’ll Learn:

How to identify emotional triggers tied to competition

Practical reflection tools to calm anxiety before events

Ways to lean into collaboration instead of competition

A mindset re-frame that turns networking and meeting new people into opportunities - not nightmares