89. [Re-Air] Layer by Layer: Solo Motherhood, Parental Leave, and Choosing a Human-Centered Life with Nicole Lenzen

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In this throwback episode, Ashley sits down with Nicole Lenzen—a solo mom by choice, former wedding dress designer, tech consultant, and now a coach specializing in parental leave transitions. Nicole shares her unique journey through multiple career paths, a major health wake-up call, and the decision to become a solo parent. After navigating an overwhelming return-to-work experience post-leave, she pivoted into coaching to help others through similar transitions.

The conversation explores:

• Why Nicole chose solo motherhood and how her medical diagnosis shaped that decision
• Her nonlinear career—from Silicon Valley to couture bridal design to corporate consulting
• The messiness and mismanagement of parental leave policies in the U.S
• How chronic stress manifests physically—and how that led to Nicole’s shift toward a values-aligned life
• Creating human-centered systems within corporate culture
• Her current work helping both individuals and companies navigate parental leave with empathy and structure

This episode is filled with powerful reflections on identity, intergenerational trauma, and how corporate systems often fail parents—especially mothers. Nicole and Ashley talk honestly about the emotional and logistical load of parenthood, lack of support in the workplace, and how change is slowly being pushed forward by people who are no longer willing to “stick their head in the blender” and pretend it’s normal.

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