Blended Family Podcast

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   Mort Fertel is a serial entrepreneur who started his first business at 18 years old. He has a private equity portfolio that consists of SudShare, 2 other businesses, and real estate holdings. He graduated from the Wharton School of Business, and, during a short time when he thought he might be a corporate guy, worked on Wall Street for Bankers Trust Company. Mort is also an author, creator of the first online relationship renewal system (2004), and the subject of Back from the Brink, a documentary written and directed by Toroes Thomas. Now a grandfather, success for Mort means making a difference. And SudShare makes a difference by allowing customers to enjoy life and Sudsters (washers) to have their own work-from-home business. Mort loves working with his family to revolutionize the laundry business. Mort was on this show back on episode #228, when he was discussing his book Marriage Fitness, so if you haven’t heard that one check out that episo

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com Joe Pomeroy knows how to translate business principles into family success. Joe gained a deep knowledge of business while helping build an 8-figure company and earning his MBA. More importantly, Joe discovered how to utilize those hard-earned skills to save his marriage and his family. He went from his wife walking out the door, to having a confident, committed, and connected relationship, and now he is committed to helping other dads and husbands learn how to use those principles to be more confident in their role.  As a bestselling author and Family Leadership Coach, Joe helps business-minded men discover the new way to become the husbands and dads they once promised to be. His mantra has become: “Save the Family, Save the World.” His personal story Why businessmen become the best family men Why families and blended families should be treated like a business  How to translate business principles into family success Why some men lack confidence a

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   Debbie Ausburn is the author of the book Raising Other People’s Children and has spent more than 40 years working with children who've experienced trauma. Her many roles include social worker, group home parent, foster parent, and stepparent. Along with parenting seven foster, adopted, and stepchildren, Debbie has served as a criminal prosecutor, volunteer, and Board member with nonprofit organizations. She is now an attorney in private practice, counseling and defending youth-serving organizations. She says, “I make my living as a lawyer, but what I do is take care of other people’s children." Debbie’s personal story How fostering children and blended families are similar Tips on building new relationships and forming trust Helping children through trauma Sibling rivalry Advice for stepparents learning their place Helping children who have an absent parent Dealing with attitude and backtalk Debbie’s best lessons learned Her book, Raising Other

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   We all have feelings, and they are there to help us. Most of us do not know how to work with our feelings, and instead we push them down and suppress them for various reasons. This is quite common in the blended family.  It’s important that we learn to recognize and process our feelings and emotions so that they do not get trapped in the body.    My personal journey with feelings Why feelings are important How thoughts and feelings are connected Why we ignore feelings and what that does to the body My 4 step process that I made for you to help you RISE above those negative feelings  The emotional scale and how to climb it Tips for self care Tips for expressing feelings and emotions Tips for loved ones Connect with me Join the Private Facebook Group Connect with me on Facebook Schedule an interview or coaching session HERE Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com Send me a voicemail at Speakpipe Visit the website at www

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   Carol Hughes, PhD, LMFT, holds her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology and her master’s degree in Counseling Psychology, achieving both summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa honors. She is also a two-time Fulbright Scholar. Carol served for ten years as an Associate Professor of Human Services at Saddleback College. In her practice in Laguna Hills, CA, as a California licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and family-focused divorce professional, for more than thirty years, she has assisted hundreds of divorcing families, as a therapist, child and co-parenting specialist, divorce coach, and mediator.   Bruce Fredenburg, MS, LMFT, has been a California licensed Marriage and Family Therapist for more than 30 years and is Board Certified in Clinical Hypnosis. He was a college instructor in Human Services at Saddleback College and at the National Medical Review School in Southern California. He also created and taught parenting classes for adoptive a

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   Dr. Regine Muradian is a licensed clinical psychologist, children’s author, speaker, consultant, and mental health advocate. In her clinical practice, Dr. Muradian works with children, adolescents, and adults who present with a wide range of emotional stressors. She specializes in Anxiety and is a Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional (CCATP), ADHD, Depression, Eating Disorders/Body Image, and Executive Functioning Training. Dr. Muradian is also a specialist in Psychological and Neuropsychological Assessments. She has extensive medical experience and expertise.  Dr. Muradian is fluent in 5 languages and incorporates her multicultural background with her clients. Lastly, Dr. Muradian is a published children’s author. Her first book, Franky and the Worry Bees was released during the pandemic as she found children and teens were having a difficult time connecting and staying motivated over distance learning. She has two more books as par

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   When two families come together, there are always differences in structure, tradition, discipline, and family values. Many blended families also experience cultural differences, where two families from entirely different cultures come together. This can present many challenges to a blended family, yet there are always benefits if we choose to seek them out. In this show, you’ll learn about what some of these cultural differences are, as well as how to use them to help your blended family grow closer together! In this interview we will discuss   What a multicultural blended family is Different types of multicultural blended families Serious issues that should be addressed before blending Challenges multicultural families face Tips to make things easier And much more! Connect with me Join the Private Facebook Group Connect with me on Facebook Schedule an interview or coaching session HERE Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodca

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   When her son was arrested, Jolyn Armstrong discovered that even an idyllic life can be turned upside down in an instant by catastrophe. That’s why she launched Grapevine Mindware, a counseling and coaching program aimed at helping you end the pain, find peace, and get your life back after a personal catastrophe. Jolyn’s mission is to help everyone achieve peace and joy regardless of outside circumstances.   Her personal story Grapevine Mindware’s origins and who it’s for How we can find our way out of darkness How to find peace in the eye of the storm How trauma can lead to loneliness, how to overcome that How we can protect our mental health during a crisis Tips on how to move through trauma How to live a great life after a crisis How to achieve peace And much more!   Connect with Jolyn Website LinkedIn Facebook Instagram Special page for my Blended listeners   Connect with me Join the Private Facebook Group Connect with me on Facebook Send

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   Kristin MacDermott is a licensed marriage and family therapist with a decade of research in resilience. Her resilience-training programs have been validated in four studies with researchers from the Duke Clinical Research Institute, published in peer-reviewed journals, and proven to improve key mental health and resilience outcomes, including anxiety, depression, distress, self-efficacy, and PTSD. Kristin has designed resilience-training programs for some of the highest-performing people on the planet, including Navy SEALS and the LAPD. Her programs have been used in more than 20 hospitals across the country, including at the Duke Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Health. She has also designed programs for schools, corporations, non-profits, and mentors who support at-risk kids. Kristin is the author of It Takes Two Minutes to Shift Your Mindset and Build Resilience, a book that breaks resilience down into bite-size skills you can a

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   Jessica Frew is a wife, ex-wife, mom, stepmom, and BOLD action taker. She has a successful podcast called “Husband in Law” that she records with her husband, Matt, and her ex-husband, Steve. Together they are sharing their stories of love, marriage, coming out, divorce, remarriage and co-parenting to help others know they are not alone. They also co-own The BOLD Logic,  a company devoted to helping people go from living in an “I should” mindset to taking BOLD action towards keeping and reclaiming their sense of self.  Jessica is a firm believer that by knowing and understanding what it is you really want in life you can BOLDly create a life you love, no matter what your circumstances. In this interview we discuss Her personal story Her blended family and unique dynamics How her ex coming out affected the kids and family How they co parent together  What she has learned Her podcast, Husband in Law Her company, Bold Logic And much m

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   This is a Q and A show about me! After years of podcasting, I realize I do not share much personal information about me, so I asked the listeners to send in some questions. I hope this show helps you get to know me better! Here are some of the questions I answer! Do I come from a blended family and what was my upbringing like? What are some of my favorite things? What is something people would be surprised to know about me?  What are my blended family regrets?  What can I not live without? What would my dream vacation be?  What is my relationship like with my ex and Shawn's ex? Did you and Shawn ever come close to breaking up? and more! Connect with me Join the Private Facebook Group Connect with me on Facebook Schedule an interview or coaching session HERE Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com Send me a voicemail at Speakpipe Visit the website at www.blendedfamilypodcast.com Sign up for my monthly newsletter Listen a

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com    

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   In this solo show, I'm going to talk about how to manage major parental differences in your coparenting relationship. I’ll start by reading a very important COVID question from a listener, as our current events are having a major effect on blended families everywhere. Then I’ll share tips on how to manage your differences and come to a solution in the best way possible! In this episode I will discuss Some announcments A listener question about co parents and COVID My message to blended families struggling with COVID Tips on moving past co parenting decisions and more! Connect with me Join the Private Facebook Group Connect with me on Facebook Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com Send me a voicemail at Speakpipe Visit the website at www.blendedfamilypodcast.com Sign up for my monthly newsletter Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes   Schedule an interview or coaching session here!   Affiliate   Living the Good Life Natural

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   Elise Buie, Esq. is a passionate, creative, problem-solving family law attorney who creates solutions, not obstacles. After evacuating her hometown of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina and surviving a divorce, Elise landed in Seattle and founded her law firm. Elise's practice involves all aspects of family law, guided by a collaborative philosophy and her deep understanding of complex parenting issues. Elise opened her firm during a period of personal adversity. Now in a period of global adversity, Elise's firm has experienced its most significant growth yet, which she attributes primarily to her driving force and mantra: "I can do it."   Her personal story and why she got into law Collaborative law, and why it’s beneficial How to parent like CEO’s Best ways of communication How to overcome parental differences How to set proper boundaries Why stepparents need to stay in their lane Her Maximum Mom Podcast And much much more!   Connect with E

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   KIM BOWEN is a licensed professional counselor who offers relationship therapy through her company, The Marriage Place. Her blogs and newsletters have been featured in various publications and she is the author of the book, The Love, Joy, Peace Workbook: A Couple's Bible Study. She just relaunched her book Marriage Rescue: Triage Toolkit. Her mission is to help couples build stronger, healthier and happier relationships. She has been married to her husband, John, for 30 years. In this interview we discuss Her personal story and why she chose this work Why women typically file for divorce more than men Why Kim has a pro marriage approach How to separate kids and other marital stressors from the relationship The power of one theory Tools to keep a marriage strong How does one come to a decision on whether or not to end a marriage and what questions should one be asking themselves if they are stuck Her relaunched book- The Marriage Rescue, Triage T

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   "Biddy Bedtime Stories" is the internet's only sitcom style podcast for kids, pure and simple. There's nothing else like it. The humor is tailored for both the kids and the grownups. Think of it as a joint spinoff of "Mr. Rogers" and "The Office" with a hint of Bugs Bunny thrown in for good measure. David is a 10 year veteran podcaster with his family focused "Biddy Stories" podcast. He hails from Minnesota and is an elementary school music teacher, a choir director, a husband and a father to 3 outstanding children. His podcast mission is to help families understand that “If you go to sleep laughing, you’ll wake up smiling.” His personal story Why he created Biddy Bedtime Stories How teaching has influenced his work Changes he has seen in children over the last 25 years Why humor is so important for children Why Biddy stories are great for bedtime How Biddy Stories is different from other kid focused podcasts How kids and their parents respond t

Rosa Garcia is a loving mom to 7 children, yes you heard right, 7 kids, 5 bio and 2 stepchildren! Not only does she dedicate her time to her multi cultural family, but she is also the host on the Mi Familia Ensamblada Podcast which in English means My Blended family. The goal of her podcast is to help blended families in the Spanish speaking community by sharing her personal stories, what she has learned in the process of becoming a blended family, the resources that have been of help to her, interviews with experts, listeners stories and much more. In this episode we discuss Her personal story Her family’s unique start during COVID How she learned to homeschool 7 kids  What it’s like blending a family with two different cultures Some challenges she faces with her blended family Some things her blended family does very well Her podcast, Mi Familia Ensamblada Her special message to listeners, both in English and Spanish And much more! Connect with Rosa Website Facebook Apple Podcast Stitcher Spotify   My g

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   This is part 2 of a 2 part series on the teenagers perspective in the blended family.    Brad Jaffe is a licensed therapist in south Florida who works with young adults struggling with mood, anxiety and personality disorders, as well as dysfunctional families. Brad believes that treatment involves not just the "identified patient," but the entire family. In addition to his private practice, he is on the corporate therapist for one of the leading e-commerce companies in the country and is an adjunct professor of clinical practice at Florida Atlantic University. He holds degrees from the University of Florida and Columbia University and studied at the American Institute for Psychoanalysis. If he has free time, he enjoys cycling, traveling and trying to train his Wheaten Terrier puppy, Gracie. In this episode, Brad and I will speak directly to your teenager in order to help them with the unique challenges they face in the blended family.  My intr

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   This is part 1 of a 2 part series on the teenagers perspective in the blended family.    Brad Jaffe is a licensed therapist in south Florida who works with young adults struggling with mood, anxiety and personality disorders, as well as dysfunctional families. Brad believes that treatment involves not just the "identified patient," but the entire family. In addition to his private practice, he is on the corporate therapist for one of the leading e-commerce companies in the country and is an adjunct professor of clinical practice at Florida Atlantic University. He holds degrees from the University of Florida and Columbia University and studied at the American Institute for Psychoanalysis. If he has free time, he enjoys cycling, traveling and trying to train his Wheaten Terrier puppy, Gracie. In this episode, Brad will help us to understand the teenage perspective, and the unique challenges they face in the blended family. Some topics discussed are

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com www.blendedfamilypodcast.com   Blended families are challenging! Developing some healthy habits early on can help your blended family grow in great ways. There are also some very unhealthy habits that blended families adopt that have an adverse effect on the blended family growth. Unfortunately, the unhealthy habits are often the ones that stick, and many do not realize this until excess damage has been done. In this show we will explore some of these negative habits so that you can become aware of them, and take steps to change them! Here’s what not to do! Keeping a yours vs mine mentality Using the children as messengers  Telling the kids too much  Treating the kids unfairly  Working against the other bio or stepparent Dishonesty and keeping secrets Lack of communication and or understanding one another's needs Not establishing proper structure/boundaries  Not being consistent  Connect with me Join the Private Facebook Group Connect with me on Facebook Send questions