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Our SOF warriors, or Special Operations Forces, are never really home.  They are either deployed or in training for 9 months out of the year. As a spouse, you have to figure out how to connect through the distance and build your community where you are.  -KaLea Lehman

As a military spouse, this week’s guest understands what the words “service” and “sacrifice” really mean.   Meet KaLea Lehman, Executive Director and Founder of the Military Special Operations Family Collaborative www.msofc.org, a non-profit dedicated to strengthening and supporting the families of our nation’s most elite warriors.  She is also the co-author of The Warrior’s Table, a powerful cookbook and storytelling project created by a group of special operations wives who call themselves “The Cast Iron Crew.”   Designed to share recipes and stories about their military service, The Warrior’s Table is a beautiful testimony to the strong women who wrote it.  The mother of seven, including a special needs child, KaLea wishes that Americans truly understood the toll this level of military service and training takes on these warriors.  “The dirty little secret is:  there is no stop. There is no break.  There is no taking a knee, only hard-charging, all the time.  It’s constant stress.”  Under her guidance, the Military Special Operations Family Collaborative has identified 8 SOF Pitfalls and 8 Checkpoints.  What’s one of the most powerful ways for these brave men and their families to connect and heal?  Sharing a meal and conversation around the family dinner table.   For a 25-minute story full of devotion, love, service, purpose, and pride in America, just hit that download button.  #militaryfamilies #SpecialOperations#womeninspiringwomen 

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Let’s transform the classroom into a place where mistake-making is an opportunity to learn and children feel a sense of connection, value, and belonging. -Noel Foy aka Neuro Noel

Meet neuroeducator, anxiety/executive function coach, and author, Noel Foy. She travels the country, sharing her skill set with children, parents, and teachers. Today, in any given classroom, about 30% of students are neurodiverse. “There are many brains in these classrooms, says Noel, including children with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and mental health issues. Teachers are overwhelmed, and that’s where I come in.” Her latest book, 15-minute focus, provides brief counseling techniques that work, accompanied by downloadable resources, with a focus on executive function. www.neuronoel.com. What is executive function? In her book, Noel explains that EF involves the highest aspects of brain function, including the ability to organize, prioritize, and manage daily life. The fact is, underdeveloped EF skills can derail a child. In this interview, Neuro Noel discusses the built-in distractions our children encounter throughout the day—phones, social media, and screens —and suggests that play is a great way to develop executive function. Creating games without an adult doing the thinking for you is the key to helping a child experience conflict resolution, resiliency, creativity, and memory. Neuro Noel’s advice for all of us? “Be mindful. Talk less and listen more. Take a moment to pause and reset so that your thinking brain, not your emotional brain, is running the show.” For 25 minutes of coaching from a neuroeducator, just hit that download button. #neurodiversity #children #executivefunction #education #womeninspiringwomen #thestorybehindhersuccess

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There’s a stigma around the word “underwear”. You don’t talk about it until you don’t have it. -Catherine Maloy

This week’s guest is a mom who saw a simple need for children in crisis and made it her mission to do something about it. Catherine Maloy is the Founder & Executive Director of a non-profit called Cocotree Kids www.cocotreekids.org. Let’s all agree: underwear is not glamorous, but it is fundamental. Without it, children may feel shamed, vulnerable, and excluded. Conceived during the pandemic and launched as a neighborhood clothing drive, Cocotree Kids has established 30 partnerships with hospitals, shelters, and schools, distributing 430,000 pairs of new underwear to 60,000 children throughout Massachusetts. “Underwear is an essential human need,” says Catherine. We want to give children in crisis the dignity, hope, comfort, and confidence they need to succeed, despite their circumstances.“ Originally from Miami, Florida, Catherine was raised in a home where philanthropic acts of service connected family to community. A 14-year veteran of Deloitte with a focus on Consulting and Human Resources, Catherine offers this advice: “Be a part of something bigger than yourself. Success is something you are supposed to be proud of.” For 20 minutes of empathy and innovation, just hit that download button. #children #non-profit #crisis #community