The Goal Digger Podcast | Top Business and Marketing Podcast for Creatives, Entrepreneurs, and Women in Business

939: A Conversation With My Mom About Time, Motherhood, and What Gets Passed Down

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Dec 15, 2025

In this heartfelt discussion, a mother and daughter delve into the nuances of motherhood and personal identity. They reflect on the rapid passage of time and the importance of nurturing curiosity in children. Generational differences emerge as they explore the impact of technology on relationships. Sue shares her experiences with gender roles and the evolving challenges mothers face today, from community safety to personal well-being. Their conversation is a profound reminder of the wisdom passed down through generations.

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ANECDOTE

Creating Opportunities For Curiosity

Sue created hands-on opportunities for Jenna's curious interests, like arranging a vet job shadow and finding ways to fund gymnastics tuition.
Those childhood permissions made Jenna comfortable exploring many career pivots later in life.

ADVICE

Ask Directly, Accept The Answer

Ask for opportunities directly and accept constructive yes-or-no answers instead of assuming barriers.
Sue encouraged curiosity: if someone says no, you are no worse off for asking.

INSIGHT

Harmful Omissions Versus Helpful Honesty

Parents often carry choices to shield kids from stress but honesty about realities can build resilience and financial literacy.
Sue regrets not saving more but values the learning her children gained from varied financial seasons.

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Every time my mom comes on the show, you ask me to bring her back. You want her wisdom and her perspective, the way she sees straight through to what actually matters… and today, we’re giving the people what they want!

My mom, Sue Shelerud, is intelligent, fierce, persuasive, empathetic, and deeply respected. Over the years, she built her impact face to face in classrooms and living rooms and hospital hallways. She shaped people and held space and asked the hard questions that made them think differently.

I realized that as I've gotten older, we need collectively to learn from women like her, the ones who led in different ways than we do, the ones whose platform looked different, but whose influence was undeniable. The ones who remind us that impact isn't about how loud you are, it's about how deeply you show up.

So today we're talking about motherhood and identity, about the differences between her generation and mine, about what it means to be a safe space for people, about what gets passed down when you lead with presence and not performance. This powerful conversation is for me, it's for my daughters, it's for anyone trying to learn from the women who came before us, the ones who did things differently, and the ones whose power showed up in ways we're only now learning to name.

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Goal Digger Show Notes: https://jennakutcherblog.com/motherhood-generational-wisdom-conversation-with-my-mom

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