This episode of The EMBER Project Podcast is both a year in review and a look ahead to what it truly takes to build something meaningful.

I reflect on a year of extraordinary growth for EMBER, from a packed first fundraiser and community-wide support to real, tangible impact for young mothers. I also share the personal cost behind the scenes, losing the job that represented her security and identity, selling the home she worked two jobs to afford, and navigating depression while continuing to lead.

This conversation challenges the idea that leaders must always be strong, reminding us that winners get tired, heroes stumble, and course correction is not failure, it is growth. I celebrate what was accomplished, including mobilizing volunteers, providing educational resources that helped a young mom graduate on time, and cast a bold vision for 2026 with plans for childcare support and the future IGNITE Campus.

This is an honest conversation about leadership without perfection, resilience without pretending, and how community turns sparks into steady flames.

In this episode of The EMBER Project Podcast, I’m joined once again by my friend Ra’Cole Taltoan, CEO of Rockbrook Business Services, LLC, accountant, nonprofit strategist, and community advocate, for an honest conversation about holiday debt, tax refunds, and financial recovery.

The holidays may be over, but for many families the stress lingers. January has a way of bringing everything into focus, credit card balances, tight bank accounts, and the quiet fear that shows up when you start wondering how you’re going to recover from it all.

Ra’Cole and I talk openly about why so many families slide into holiday debt, not because they are irresponsible, but because of love mixed with limited options. We discuss guilt, comparison, emotional spending, and the pressure mothers feel to create meaningful memories for their children even when money is already stretched thin.

This conversation is grounded in lived experience. We share stories from our own lives about relying on tax refunds to catch up on bills, paying utilities ahead when possible, and learning financial survival strategies out of necessity. Ra’Cole introduces the idea of quiet fear, that constant background worry so many parents carry, especially after Christmas.

We also talk through practical questions that come up every year, where to start when money is already tight, how to recover from holiday debt without making things worse, how to think about tax refunds, and how to balance paying down debt with building a small safety net. Throughout the episode, we return to the importance of letting go of guilt, understanding what kids really remember, and making small, sustainable choices that support both financial and emotional well being.

If you’re listening and feeling overwhelmed, behind, or ashamed about your finances, I want you to hear this clearly. You are not bad with money. You are not failing your children. You are doing the best you can in a system that was not built to support mothers, especially young mothers.

Recovery does not require perfection. It requires honesty, support, and one small step at a time.

About My Guest

Ra’Cole Taltoan is the CEO of Rockbrook Business Services, LLC. She is an accountant, nonprofit strategist, and community advocate whose work focuses on financial healing, stability, and systems for women and young mothers.

Learn more about Ra’Cole and her work at

https://www.rockbrookbusinessservices.com

About The EMBER Project

The EMBER Project is a nonprofit dedicated to supporting early mothers through mentorship, education, career development, and financial empowerment. We believe early motherhood should never define the limits of a woman’s future, and that when mothers rise, families rise. Learn more about our work at www.TheEMBERProject.org

The holidays are supposed to be joyful… but for so many early mothers, they are heavy, overwhelming, and emotionally draining. In this powerful two-part conversation, Susan explores the truth behind holiday burnout with both a mental health expert and a young mother living it in real time.

First, clinical mental health counselor Nicki breaks down what really happens to our bodies and minds during the holiday season — the guilt, the comparison, the emotional load, the pressure to “look like a good mom,” and how stress slowly becomes burnout. She explains emotional, physical, and mental burnout in clear, accessible language, and gives simple tools for grounding, rest, and resetting when the season feels too heavy.

Then, a mother of five and a brand-new grandmother, shares her vulnerable story of reaching out for help this Christmas because finances were tight and expectations felt overwhelming. She opens up about embarrassment, guilt, the mental toll of financial strain, breaking traditions, and what it felt like when people stepped up to support her family. Her honesty reminds all of us that asking for help is an act of strength, not shame.

Together, these conversations shine light on both sides of holiday burnout — the psychology behind it, and the lived experience of mothers who are doing the best they can with what they have.

If you’ve ever felt like the holidays demanded more than you could give, this episode will remind you:You are not alone.You are not failing.
And support exists for you.