Women Making Moves

Audacity and Authenticity w/ Sandhya Sudhakar

Women Making Moves — Episode: Audacity and AuthenticityGuest: Sandhya Sudhakar — Certified Coach, Enneagram Practitioner, Speaker, Facilitator, Founder of Self At Work, and Host of the Working Your Way podcast.Host: Amy Pons — Founder of Unlock the Magic Coaching, Healing and Magic SchoolEpisode Summary: Amy sits down with Sandhya to explore what it means to show up authentically in the workplace and in life. They discuss the courage it takes to be direct, the tension between practicality and audacious dreaming, and how to navigate discomfort in a way that leads to real growth.Key Topics Discussed:Audacity as a guiding word — Sandhya shares why she chose "audacity" for 2026 and how she's learning to dream bigger and care less about others' perceptions.Directness vs. palatability — Both Amy and Sandhya reflect on being told to "achieve the same but be nicer," and the impossible double standard women face in the workplace.Self-abandonment and trade-offs — A nuanced conversation about when to walk away from misaligned work and when financial safety takes priority, and the long-term cost of forsaking yourself.The learning zone — Sandhya breaks down the comfort zone / learning zone / panic zone framework and how to discern good discomfort from harmful discomfort.Generational dynamics at work — How Boomers, Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha each play a role in reshaping workplace culture.Enneagram in teams — How Sandhya uses the Enneagram to help high-achieving leaders diagnose team dynamics and lead more effectively.Speaking up and truth-telling — Amy shares a personal story about confronting inappropriate behavior and the backlash that followed.Where to Find Sandhya:Website: selfatwork.comPodcast: Working Your Way (available on YouTube and all audio platforms)Where to Find Amy:Website: https://unlockthemagic.orgInstagramLinkedInClosing Thought: "Having less so I could do more — simplifying, and going much bigger with fewer things." — Sandhya Sudhakar

Compassion in Medicine w/ Dr. Tamara Beckford

S7 Ep7 — Dr. Tamara BeckfordWomen Making Moves PodcastHost: Amy Pons, Founder of Unlock the Magic Coaching, Healing and Magic SchoolGuest: Dr. Tamara Beckford — Board-certified emergency medicine physician, bestselling author, international speaker, and founder of Truly Balanced Wellness CareEpisode Summary: Amy sits down with Dr. Tamara Beckford to explore the intersection of traditional medicine, holistic healing, and the powerful journey women experience through perimenopause and menopause. They discuss reclaiming the magic of womanhood, honoring the body's natural cycles, the importance of slowing down, and building an intentional life beyond the "go, go, go" mentality.Topics Covered:3:23 Perimenopause — embracing the biological experience5:49 Slowing down & the "to-feel list"8:04 Sound baths, sacral womb healing & energy work10:00Healing beyond traditional medicine & the power of timeframes14:57 Heart disease as a silent killer in women18:26 Women pushing through pain & learned endurance21:43 Generational shame around menstruation & naming your womb25:04 Menopause as reemergence — wisdom, not decline30:00Writing your own story & challenging "I have to"33:22 Dr. Tamara's telemedicine practice & expanding to 4 states35:14 "Intentional outweighs impressive" — building a slower, richer life41:02 What patients truly want — time, compassion, listening44:00 Advice for finding the right care provider47:06 Closing remarks — fierce, ferocious, and forging the next pathKey Quotes:"How do you wanna feel?" — Amy on replacing the to-do list with a "to-feel list""Intentional outweighs impressive every single day." — Dr. Tamara Beckford"Our body sheds, prepares, and renews for the next phase — over and over." — Dr. TamaraWhere to Find Dr. Tamara Beckford:LinkedIn: Dr. Tamara BeckfordFacebook: Dr. Tamara BeckfordInstagram: Dr. Tamara BeckfordTikTok: @trulybalancedwcFeatured In: Fox 26, Forbes, Yahoo Finance, Voyage Houston, LinkedIn News, Rolling Out Magazine, Kevin MDBooks: Made For More, Made For More Too, Thriving After BurnoutPractice: Truly Balanced Wellness Care — concierge telemedicine for menopausal care, hormone balancing, and weight care (serving Texas, Michigan, Georgia, and Iowa)Where to Find Amy, Women Making Moves, and Unlock the Magic: LinkedIn: Amy Pons, Unlock the Magic, Magic School, Women Making MovesWebsite: https://unlockthemagic.org Instagram: Unlock the Magic and Women Making MovesTikTok: @chicagosfavewitchycoachPlease leave a rating and review on your favorite platform, thank you!

The Future of Working Motherhood w/ Alexa Starks

The Future of Working Motherhood: Flexibility, Ambition, and Real Support After Maternity LeaveAmy Pons hosts Alexa Starks, maternity leave coach and founder of Executive Moms, to discuss reshaping maternity leave and return-to-work experiences and the findings from Executive Moms’ Future of Working Motherhood 2026 report. They reflect on the need to deconstruct harmful workplace systems, the lack of support for mothers returning from leave, and how simple supports like mentorship can improve retention. Alexa shares key data: 40% of women leave their job within a year of returning from maternity leave, yet 97% would stay if truly supported; the report also found no “ambition gap,” with mothers reporting equal or greater ambition after having kids. A major takeaway was that flexible work design (remote/hybrid/part-time) mattered more than longer leave. Alexa also previews a TED Talk in Rotterdam and the launch of Mothered Magazine.01:09 Coaching and Paradigm Shift03:02 Aha Moments in Corporate05:22 Maternity Return Support Systems06:48 Report Findings and Retention Stats09:02 Ambition Gap Myth Debunked11:43 Burnout and Hands On Work13:54 Workplace Bullying and Boundaries15:20 Surprising Data on Flexibility16:56 Flexibility Tops Requests17:15 Ambition And The 97 Percent17:52 Survey Logistics And Reach18:34 Return To Office Pushback20:51 Why Leaders Cling To Control22:42 TED Talk And Moving Abroad25:04 Launching Mothered Magazine27:04 Super Bowl Holiday Hypocrisy28:46 Advice For The 97 And 4031:06 Where To Find The Report31:32 Feminine Strength ClosingFind the 2026 'Future of Working Motherhood' report along with key updates from Executive Moms here, and follow Alexa on LinkedIn and Instagram. Thank you for tuning in to Women Making Moves, be sure to rate and subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform and follow along on Instagram and Bluesky. Visit Amy at Unlock the Magic, and follow on Instagram and LinkedIn.Women Making Moves is for personal use only and general information purposes, the show host cannot guarantee the accuracy of any statements from guests or the sufficiency of the information. This show and host is not liable for any personal actions taken.

Working Today with Bipolar Disorder w/ Breana Grayson

What Stability Really Requires: Breana Grayson on Bipolar Disorder, Stigma, and Support at WorkAmy Pons hosts Women Making Moves and interviews writer Breana Grayson about living with bipolar disorder, what “stability really requires,” and the stigma and misunderstandings that still surround bipolar (“one of the ‘scary ones’”). Breana explains that medication is essential for her but not sufficient; stability also involves therapy, psychiatric care, consistent sleep, exercise, diet, and enjoyable practices like writing, guitar, and “therapy based kind of yoga,” and she defines stability as moving through life without derailing relationships or work. They discuss how menstrual cycles can affect symptoms, Breana’s use of cycle tracking and astrology to document patterns, and her diagnosis process at 25 through an intensive outpatient program after work and relationship difficulties. Brianna argues remote and flexible work are not favors but protect productivity, and she advocates proactive workplace support, education, and community so people don’t handle bipolar alone.00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro00:47 Stability and Root Chakra01:22 Bipolar Stability Routine02:22 Redefining Normal03:46 Yoga and Creative Coping04:33 Bipolar Stigma Myths05:46 Cycles Hormones Astrology08:51 Sharing Her Story at 2609:23 Diagnosis at 2510:32 Screening and Medication Risks11:58 Childhood Signs and School Support14:58 Remote Work as Accommodation17:51 Workplace Support Strategies20:37 Mental Health Across Generations25:21 Advice Find Community27:04 Where to Follow and Closing

It's Time to Choose the Children w/ Dr. Nelva Lee

Dr. Nelva Lee on School Choice, Vocational Pathways, and Housing Solutions in GeorgiaHost Amy Pons welcomes Dr. Nelva Lee—healthcare and academic leader, former board appointee, author, and Georgia Superintendent of Schools candidate—who discusses the bleak realities of healthcare and education and her focus on solutions. Lee describes Concrete Build Financing, a crypto company backed by real estate aimed at countering private equity’s rent hikes by converting commercial multifamily properties into rent-to-own condos to promote stability, equity, and dignity. In education, she advocates expanding Georgia’s Promise Scholarship Act so more families—including homeschool and private-school families—can access broader learning environments, and she proposes every student graduate with both a diploma and a trade certificate. She cites post-COVID learning gaps, top-heavy education budgets, low reading and math proficiency rates, and calls for basics like phonics, targeted resources, and holding back non-readers by second grade. She also critiques HOPE Scholarship “bait and switch,” urging lower maintenance requirements and a college “star system,” and encourages limiting news, cultivating hope, and volunteering.00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro01:13 Healthcare and Maternal Gaps02:59 Crypto Real Estate Housing Plan06:31 School Run and Voucher Expansion10:36 COVID Learning Loss and Resources15:25 Vocational Skills Over College22:21 Hope Scholarship Reform Ideas27:19 Hopeful Action and Volunteering31:59 Where to Find Dr Lee32:23 Final Thanks and Wrap UpFind all of Dr. Nelva's work on her website and follow along with her campaign!Thank you for tuning in to Women Making Moves, be sure to rate and subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform and follow along on Instagram and Bluesky. Visit Amy at Unlock the Magic, and follow on Instagram and LinkedIn.Women Making Moves is for personal use only and general information purposes, the show host cannot guarantee the accuracy of any statements from guests or the sufficiency of the information. This show and host is not liable for any personal actions taken.