A Day In Her Life Episode 133: A Day In Her Life with Kyla Hanaway-Quinlan - COO at Feast & Fettle and Mom of Two between RI and DC
A Day In Her Life with Kyla Hanaway-Quinlan – Chaotic, Peopley, High Energy Days as a COO and Single Mom of Two
On today’s episode of A Day In Her Life, Ellie sits down with Kyla Hanaway-Quinlan, Chief Operating Officer and Head of People at Feast & Fettle, and single mom of two girls, ages 5 and 13. Kyla splits her life between Rhode Island and Washington DC and gets real about what it takes to lead a fast growing company while solo parenting in a high energy season.
She opens up about slow, coffee fueled mornings, packed meeting days, and why outsourcing laundry and dinner is the only way she stays present with her girls. She talks about embracing being not a morning person, protecting dinner and bedtime, and navigating late-thirties dating across two cities.
In this episode, we cover:
Two city, single mom logistics - How Kyla balances life between Rhode Island and DC, structures her week around meeting-heavy and deep-work days, and uses flights as protected, no-Wi-Fi reading time.
Work life balance in a 24/7 business - The two time blocks she guards at all costs, the very real 9 to 11 p.m. “mom catch up hour,” and how she manages boundaries when her operation never actually turns off.
Weeknight dinners without the chaos - What it’s like being both a leader and customer at Feast & Fettle, how her girls remix meals to their liking, and why cooking in DC has become her creative outlet.
Evenings, puzzles, and an overstimulated mom brain - Her realistic night routine, the end-of-day reset she swears by, and how puzzles, reading, and dry humor TV help her wind down.
From toxic restaurant culture to people first hospitality - How her early years in restaurants shaped her mission to build Feast & Fettle’s W2, benefits rich, people centered model.
Chores, acrylic nails, and outsourcing the things you hate - The brilliant deal she struck with her 13 year old, how she divides chores by age, and why laundry and bill-pay live permanently on autopilot.
Friendship and dating in your late thirties - Maintaining long-term friendships in a kid heavy season, giving herself permission for a “hobbit night,” and treating online dating in DC like a low pressure social experiment.
If you’re a working mom juggling leadership, caregiving, airports, group texts, and a never ending to do list, this episode will make you feel seen in the best way.
Follow Kyla:
Listen and Review
More A Day In Her Life
Looking for your next romance read? Look no further! This month at Pepper Books we've got your Celebrity/Normie Romances from One Pepper all the way to Five!
Episode Music - For Days - Tom Deis via Shutterstock