Free to Be Mindful Podcast | Helping Professional Moms Find Calm in a Busy World
The Free to Be Mindful Podcast with Licensed Therapist and Latina Mom Coach Vanessa De Jesus Guzman helps professional moms find calm in a busy world.
Each episode blends mindful living strategies, mental health insights, and REAL TALK - grounded in culture and inspired by everyday life - to help you stress less, live with intention, and feel more like yourself... without hours of meditation.
Tune in for practical tools and relatable heartfelt stories that help you slow down, recharge, and show up as your best self.
Episodes
289 episodes
The Mom Guilt Holiday Sandwich | The Anti-Overwhelm Holiday Series
In this episode of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, Vanessa De Jesus Guzman unpacks the guilt moms silently carry during the holiday season - especially the cultural guilt, emotional pressure, and endless “I shoulds” that make this time of year ...
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Season 7
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Episode 288
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15:13
The Myth of the Perfect Holiday Mom | The Anti-Overwhelm Holiday Series
Every scroll, every sparkle, every “perfect” photo tells us that holiday joy means having it all together. But what if the real magic of the season isn’t found in doing more, it’s found in being present?In this installm...
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Season 7
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Episode 287
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13:15
Why Moms ARE the Holiday Season | The Anti-Overwhelm Holiday Series
In this first episode of The Anti-Overwhelm Holiday Series, host Vanessa De Jesus Guzman, licensed therapist and mom coach, pulls back the tinsel to talk about the truth many won’t say out loud: moms don’t get a holiday season...
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Season 7
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Episode 286
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18:40
Behind the Strong Mom Mask
Halloween may come once a year, but for many moms, the masks don’t come off when October ends. In this heartfelt episode, Licensed Therapist and Mom Coach Vanessa De Jesus Guzman explores the invisible emotional masks high-achieving mothers wea...
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Season 7
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Episode 285
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16:39
Boudoir Photography for Self-Love, Empowerment and Healing
In this powerful and inspiring episode of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, Vanessa De Jesus Guzman sits down with Chicago-based boudoir photographer Liz Hansen to explore how boudoir photography can become more than just beautiful photo...
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Season 7
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Episode 284
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25:15
Breaking Free from Autopilot: Simple Ways to Reconnect and Protect Your Mental Health
Ever reach the end of the day and realize you barely lived it? You checked all the boxes - lunches packed, emails sent, bedtime done - but somehow, it feels like you weren’t really there.In honor of World Mental Health Da...
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Season 7
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Episode 283
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14:45
Mindful Kitchen: Teaching Kids Life Skills, Gratitude and Reducing Food Waste
What if your kitchen could be more than a place to cook? In this episode of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, Licensed Therapist and Mom Coach Vanessa De Jesus Guzman speaks with Janet Iri, founder of My Mindful Kitchen and crea...
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Season 7
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Episode 282
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27:58
From Funk to Fresh Start: Support Before the Crisis
Ever snap at your kids because they asked what’s for dinner… while you were literally cooking dinner? You’re not alone — and it doesn’t mean you’re falling apart. It means you’re human.In this episode of the Free to Be Mindful Podcas...
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Season 7
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Episode 281
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17:43
Getting Older, Getting Yourself Back: Aging with Intention
Birthdays have a way of sneaking up on us. When we were kids, it was all about cake, candles, and balloons. As adults - especially as moms — they can start to feel like just another date on the calendar, squeezed between school emails, soccer g...
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Season 7
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Episode 280
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15:04
From Mental Load to Mental Space: A Mom’s Guide to Letting Go of the Overwhelm
Discover how to lighten the mom mental load, reduce overwhelm, and create real mental space. In this episode of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, learn practical tips to manage cognitive and emotional labor so you can rest without guilt and show ...
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Season 7
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Episode 279
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12:34
Postpartum to Professional: Matrescence, Mom Brain, and Identity
Motherhood changes everything - your brain, your identity, and the way you move through the world. In this episode of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, Vanessa welcomes Jeanne Clevenger, licensed clinical psychologist and mom of four, to...
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Season 7
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Episode 278
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34:47
From Summer Chaos to Mom Calm | Back-to-School Mindfulness Tips
Summer’s over… and somehow we’re already juggling new schedules, endless forms, school supply lists, and those rushed morning routines. For some moms, it feels like a sigh of relief. For others, the chaos is just beginning.In this season...
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Season 7
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Episode 277
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12:01
More Than a Podcast: 20 Guests, One Powerful Season
This season was filled with powerful stories, inspiring guests, and real-life moments that reminded us: this is more than a podcast... it’s a movement.In this heartfelt finale of Season 6, Vanessa reflects on the highs and the lessons, s...
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Season 6
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Episode 276
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13:04
Discovering Your Life's Mission with Malaysia Harrell
What if you didn’t have to wait for a breakdown or life crisis to start living with purpose? In this episode, Vanessa is joined by Malaysia Harrell, a spiritual transformation coach, licensed psychotherapist, veteran, and speaker. Malaysia shar...
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Season 6
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Episode 275
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43:00
Why Slowing Down Feels So Hard (and why you need to do it anyway!)
In this heartfelt winddown of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, Vanessa invites us to explore the very thing so many of us struggle with: rest. Through personal stories, cultural reflections, and gentle guidance, she helps us un...
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Season 6
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Episode 274
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13:10
Keeping it Simple: Skin Care & Mom Life with Dr. Mary Alice Mina
In this episode of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, Vanessa is joined by dermatologist and mom Dr. Mary Alice Mina to talk about how our skin changes over time—and why taking care of it doesn’t have to be complicated. They break down what really...
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Season 6
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Episode 273
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37:06
What Does it Really Mean to Be Rich?
In this thoughtful episode of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, Vanessa invites you to explore what it really means to be rich, beyond bank accounts and material success. Through reflections on celebrity insights and everyday ex...
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Season 6
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Episode 272
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12:19
Journey to the Self with Dr. Nichelle Bowes
In this episode of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, Vanessa De Jesus Guzman talks with Dr. Nichelle Bowes, a leadership coach, mental fitness expert, and speaker. After a life-changing bike accident, Dr. Bowes began helping high-achieving women,...
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Season 6
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Episode 271
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40:47
A Dream to a Movement: Celebrating 6 Years of Free to Be Mindful
In this special anniversary episode, Vanessa De Jesus Guzman — licensed therapist, speaker, and host of the Free to Be Mindful podcast — reflects on six years of growth, resilience, and purpose.What began as a part-time dream ha...
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Season 6
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Episode 270
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21:35
Ditching “Busy” to Raise Confident Girls with Traci Peterson
In this episode, Vanessa is joined by Traci Peterson—nurse practitioner, entrepreneur, and founder of Woman Lessons, a movement designed to help mothers and daughters build confidence and connection.They explore how busyness can become ...
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Season 6
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Episode 269
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40:47
Expectation vs. Reality: What No One Tells You About Becoming a Mom
EPISODE DESCRIPTION: Before becoming a mom, many of us carry a picture in our minds—a version of motherhood built from childhood dreams, cultural narratives, and curated social media posts. But what happens when real life doesn’t mat...
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Season 6
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Episode 268
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12:30
Self-Prioritization is the New Balance with Lacey Newman
In this episode of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, host Vanessa had such a meaningful conversation with Lacey Newman—a powerhouse speaker, coach, and top real estate team leader based out of Nashville. Lacey is a high-performing entrepreneur wh...
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Season 6
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Episode 267
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38:08
Resting or Resisting: The Fine Line Between Boundaries & Avoidance
In this episode of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, Vanessa De Jesus Guzman, therapist, mom, and speaker, dives into a conversation that’s equal parts real talk and reflection: the blurry line between rest and avoidance
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Season 6
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Episode 266
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16:02
Running a Business while Raising a Family with Angel Hepp
In this episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Angel Hepp—fellow mom of two, golden doodle lover, and co-founder of Meet Salt Collective, a creative marketing agency that helps businesses connect through powerful storytelling. We talked a...
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Season 6
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Episode 265
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43:30
Embrace the Journey, Not the Timeline
Life has a funny way of making us feel like we’re always racing against some invisible clock — like if we don’t meet certain milestones by a certain age, we’ve somehow failed. But what if we’ve been measuring progress all wrong?In this e...
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Season 6
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Episode 264
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16:40