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Ep. 50: Why High-Achieving Moms Feel Stuck — And How to Finally Move Forward
12 Plays23 days ago
You're not lazy. You're not behind. You're not broken.
You're between chapters — and there's a massive difference.
In this episode of Mommas Who Lead, Laura Caroffino gets honest about the one feeling that keeps purpose-driven women paralyzed: that quiet, nagging sense that everyone else is moving forward while you're standing still.
If you've been waiting to feel ready, waiting for the right time, or waiting for someone to finally tell you "it's your turn" — this episode is going to hit home.
You'll discover:
- The real reason high-achieving moms get stuck in seasons of transition
- Why waiting for permission is quietly stealing your purpose
- The difference between clarity and certainty — and why you've been confusing the two
- Why you don't need a perfect plan to move forward — you just need a direction
Plus, Laura introduces her free Reinvention Quiz — built specifically for women who are ready for their next chapter but don't know where to start.
🎯 Take the free quiz: legacybuilderssuite.com/reinventionquiz
www.lauracaroffino.com
If last week's episode about her daughter's graduation got you in your feelings — this one is the follow-up you didn't know you needed. Your next chapter is already written. It's time to turn the page.
Mommas Who Lead is the podcast for faith-driven moms, mompreneurs, and women leaders who know they're made for more. Hosted by Laura Caroffino — former DoD contractor, 7-figure entrepreneur, mom of five, and military spouse.
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Transcript
Impactful Conversation: Feeling Stuck
00:00:00
Speaker
Can I be honest with you for a second? You know, I was talking to a woman last week. Brilliant. She's capable, extremely faithful. And she said something that really stopped me and made me really think. And that was she said, Laura, I don't know if I'm stuck or if I'm just waiting. But either way, I feel like I'm standing still while everyone else is moving forward. And I thought, how many of you are feeling that exact moment?
00:00:27
Speaker
thing right now. I know I have been there and it is hard. You're just like frozen and it's not that you're lazy. You're not behind. You're not broken. You're just in between chapters and that is a massive difference. So today I want to talk about what that actually means and more importantly what to do about it.
Podcast Introduction: Mamas Who Lead
00:00:54
Speaker
Welcome to Mamas Who Lead, podcast where the essence of motherhood meets the spirit of leadership. I'm Laura Carrafino, former Department of Defense contractor, now full-time network marketer, coach, and a mom to five incredible children.
00:01:09
Speaker
Alongside being a proud military spouse, I've journeyed through the highs and lows of transitioning from a structured career to building a flourishing business from the ground up, all while navigating the beautiful chaos of family life.
00:01:23
Speaker
In this podcast, we dive into the stories of women who exemplify resilience, leadership, and the unyielding power of motherhood. From insightful conversations with top income earners and network marketing to heart to heart discussions with leaders who are reshaping industries.
00:01:40
Speaker
Mamas Who Lead is here to inspire, educate, and empower you to weave leadership into the fabric of your everyday life. Whether you're at the beginning of your leadership journey or looking to pivot your career or seeking ways to balance your professional growth with family life, this is the place for you. Together, we'll explore the strategies, challenges, and triumphs of women who lead with purpose, passion, and a little bit of mom magic.
Navigating Transitions: Caterpillar Transformation
00:02:06
Speaker
So grab your headphones and let's embark on this journey together. Welcome to Mamas Who Lead.
00:02:15
Speaker
Here's what nobody tells you about being high achieving woman in a season of transition. And let's say i have been through some seasons lately and maybe it resonates with you too what I'm about to say. You know, that stuck feeling, doesn't mean like something is wrong with you.
00:02:36
Speaker
Believe me. I thought that for such a long time, like what the heck is wrong with me? Why can't I move forward? It actually, and what I'm about to say is going to really surprise you. And it is, it actually means that something is right.
00:02:52
Speaker
Yeah, I'm sure you didn't think I was going to say that, right? But like, really think about it. And i want to talk, i want to use this kind of analogy here. our Caterpillar doesn't struggle in the cocoon because it's failing.
00:03:07
Speaker
It struggles because it's literally becoming something it has never been before. but Okay, light bulbs going off right now. That's when I started thinking, I'm like, oh my goodness, this is so true.
00:03:22
Speaker
You know, when you are in this transition period, you are, you're changing just like the caterpillar. So, and you're becoming something you've never been before. Or you're, you know, you're reminding yourself what you you've done in the past, but you're becoming so much better.
00:03:40
Speaker
Right. And that process is uncomfortable. It's disorienting. it can feel like it feel like nothing is really happening when in fact it actually is because everything is happening, you know, and I've been in that cocoon. More than once, unfortunately. But, you know, like when I what i left my career as a Department of Defense contractor, I didn't just, I didn't walk confident confidently into entrepreneurship. i stumbled. I did so many things
00:04:12
Speaker
wrong. But I think those those wrong choices that I did along the way, it taught me lessons. You know, i started, you know, I questioned everything then. and And I wondered if I had made, you know, a big mistake. And yeah and what I know now that I desperately wish I had known back then is that that discomfort of transition is not a stop sign.
00:04:39
Speaker
It's really a green light in disguise.
Self-Permission to Pursue Your Calling
00:04:42
Speaker
So I wanna walk you through three things that keep a lot of women stuck between these chapters and the shift that kinda changes everything for you. So number one is you're waiting for permission. That is never coming.
00:04:57
Speaker
And that is a big one because so many women that I've coached and worked with are waiting. Waiting until the kids are older. Waiting until the finances are more stable. Which that's a funny one because you really want to go into entrepreneurship or you know, you launch the business that you've been thinking and dreaming about to help with your finances, right?
00:05:20
Speaker
So if you wait until they're ready and stable, you'll never get there. so You're also waiting until you feel ready. And let me remind you, because that will never, ever, ever be the case. You'll never be ready.
00:05:36
Speaker
And waiting. And then you're also waiting until someone tells them, yes, it's your turn now.
00:05:45
Speaker
But I'm going to tell you something that changed my life. No one. I repeat, no one is coming to give you permission to become who God made you to be.
00:05:58
Speaker
That permission, the permission you were waiting for, it lives inside of you. It was placed there on purpose. And every day you wait for someone else to hand it to you is a day your calling sits unopened like a gift on a shelf.
00:06:13
Speaker
And you don't need more time. You just need to flat out make a decision. It's that simple. Just make the decision.
Action Leads to Clarity
00:06:24
Speaker
Okay, number two, you've confused clarity with certainty. I've gotten that wrong too before. And I hear this all the time. I just need to figure it all out first and then I'll start. And believe me, that that has kept me stuck for so long too. But I'm going to remind you, clarity doesn't come before movement. Clarity comes through the movement. And that's something I had to figure out because I couldn't every day on my...
00:06:52
Speaker
but like who I was speaking to, my brand, I thought, you know, which brand does help with, you know, the colors and all of that when that comes into alignment, but that's not necessarily the bigger picture of your brand, right?
00:07:08
Speaker
And it didn't become clarity for me until I actually started taking movement on what I was doing and what I wanted to work on. So you will not think your way into your next chapter. You will not plan your way there either. And that's a big mistake because a lot of people are like, well, I'm just planning, you know, planning to do this, planning to do that, and but never, ever, ever taking action. You have to take that one step. Even...
00:07:35
Speaker
in, even an imper imperfection, imperfective one, can't talk today, and let that path reveal itself as you walk, as you walk. So, and faith works that same way, right? You don't see the whole staircase, if you will, you just take that next step, just having faith. And so the women that i see transform the fastest are not the ones that make the perfect plan. Believe me, there is bumps in the road. There are They are the ones, though, who get so clear on their direction and then move, even when it's messy, even when it's scary, even when they don't have all the answers yet.
00:08:14
Speaker
So you just have to take that one step. Number three is you don't actually know what chapter you're stepping into.
Facing Uncertainty: Finding Specific Clarity
00:08:22
Speaker
And that, oh my goodness, that is actually a real problem.
00:08:26
Speaker
And this is where most women get stuck really the longest. Not because they lack drive, not because they lack faith, but because they genuinely don't know what their next chapter is supposed to look like.
00:08:39
Speaker
And when you don't know where you're going, every direction feels wrong, right? You're just like spinning in circles and like, what am I doing? And this is why I am so, so, so passionate about helping women get specific clarity. Not just a vague sense of, uh, yeah, I want more, but a real grounded understanding of who you are at your core, what you're actually built for, and what has been holding you back, and what your next bold move looks like. Because when you have...
00:09:08
Speaker
that everything shifts, the overwhelming quiets, the direction becomes clear, and you stop standing. still, you know? So here's what I want you to take away from today. You are not stuck. You are not behind. You are not too late. You are between chapters. And that is one of the most powerful places a woman can be.
00:09:34
Speaker
If she knows how to use it, that is. So the question is, do you know what your next chapter actually looks like?
Introducing the Reinvention Quiz
00:09:42
Speaker
Because if you don't, I made something for you. It's called the Reinvention Quiz, and it is specifically designed for women in the season, women who are ready for more but need a starting point, women who are done waiting but don't know which direction to move in first. Does that sound like you?
00:10:03
Speaker
and um And in just a few minutes, this quiz will help you identify exactly where you are in your reinvention journey. and what exactly is keeping you stuck, and what your next mute move should be.
00:10:17
Speaker
So it is free, it is fast, literally it's like seven questions, I promise you, it's not this long lengthy thing. and it might be most the most important thing you do for yourself this next week. So I want you to go right now and take it, it's at LegacyBuildersSuite.com slash Reinvention Quiz.
00:10:39
Speaker
One more time, it's Legacy Builders with an S, slash reinvention quiz.
00:10:56
Speaker
And when you get your results, I want to hear from you. Screenshot it, tag me, DM me on Instagram, and let's talk about what came up for you because your next chapter is already written. You just have to be brave enough to turn the page.
00:11:12
Speaker
I love you. i believe in you. and in the interim, keep leading, keep growing, and keep believing in what is possible. And I'll see you on the next episode a Mamas Who Lead.
Applying Insights: Continuing the Leadership Journey
00:11:26
Speaker
You've been listening to Mamas Who Lead with Laura Carafino. Thank you for joining us on this journey today. Each episode, each story, and every piece of advice we share is a step towards building a community of empowered, resilient, and inspiring mama leaders, just like you.
00:11:45
Speaker
Remember leadership isn't just about the title or the workplace. It's about how we navigate our lives, uplift those around us and pave the way for future generations. As we close today's episode, I encourage you to carry forward the insights and inspiration you've gained.
00:12:01
Speaker
Apply them to your life, share them with your tribe, and continue to lead with heart and purpose. For more empowering stories, strategies, and support, make sure you subscribe to Mamas Who Lead on your favorite podcast platform. And don't forget to follow us on social media for behind-the-scenes content.
00:12:18
Speaker
community discussions, and much more. Until we meet again, keep embracing your unique journey of leadership and motherhood. You are capable, you are powerful, and you are exactly where you're meant to be.
00:12:31
Speaker
Lead on mamas.