S6EP11: How Do I Trust Myself to Take a Leap of Faith as a Mom? (featuring Carissa Kerrisey)
This episode features Carissa Kerrissey, a former educator and certified career coach, who shares how she built the courage to leave a nearly 20-year education career while raising three daughters. If you're a mom feeling stuck between staying safe and following your intuition, Carissa reveals the exact reframe that helped her push through fear: asking "What's the worst thing that could happen?" You'll learn how to build resiliency through rest, why saying no isn't selfish, and how centering your own well-being actually allows you to better serve your family and community.
Key Takeaways
The fear-dissolving question: When facing a scary decision, ask yourself "What's the worst thing that could happen?" to put fear into perspective and realize the outcome is rarely catastrophic
Resiliency is a muscle you can build: Develop your capacity to tolerate discomfort through the seven types of rest—physical, mental, emotional, social, sensory, creative, and spiritual
Saying no is not selfish: Creating boundaries is how you love yourself and others; it's the foundation for sustaining yourself as both a mother and a professional
Centering yourself centers others: Nothing is well unless you are well—your own well-being is the foundation that allows you to show up for your family and work
The journey is the destination: There is no final arrival point in motherhood or career; embrace the evolution and live in the present moment
In This Episode, You'll Discover:
Why Do Moms Struggle to Trust Their Intuition?
Carissa shares her experience of feeling a deep calling to move to the Pacific Northwest without a job, without knowing anyone, and with an 8-year-old daughter. She explains how society conditions mothers to prioritize safety and others' opinions over their own inner knowing, and how she learned to reconnect with that "Spidey sense" every mom has.
How Do You Build Courage When You're Terrified to Make a Change?
Learn Carissa's personal practice of asking "What's the worst thing that could happen?" and why this simple reframe lessens fear without making it disappear entirely. She shares why courage isn't the absence of fear—it's feeling the fear and doing it anyway.
What Is Resiliency and How Do You Build It as a Busy Mom?
Carissa breaks down resiliency as "the ability to tolerate discomfort" and explains how it's a muscle you develop, just like mindfulness. She introduces the seven types of rest and why engaging in play, nature, creativity, and connection are not "extra" tasks but essential capacity-building practices.
Why Do Educator Moms Feel So Much Guilt?
If you're a mom who's also a teacher, this section is for you. Carissa discusses the double layer of guilt that comes from both motherhood and education—two roles built on the expectation of endless giving. She offers a powerful reframe: you're not being selfish by setting boundaries; you're modeling the behavior you want your children to inherit.
How Do You Know When It's Time to Leave a Stable Job?
Carissa shares the terrifying reality of leaving education with $100,000 in student loans, being the primary health insurance provider for her family, and having zero business experience. She reveals what gave her the courage to walk away from a $150,000 job offer and how she coped with the fear of the unknown.
What Does It Mean That "Centering Yourself Is Centering Others"?
This powerful concept challenges the martyrdom narrative many moms carry. Carissa explains why your well-being isn't separate from your family's well-being—it's the foundation of it. When you center your own wellness, you're actually building a healthier ecosystem for everyone around you.
About Carissa Kerrissey
Carissa Kerrissey is a certified career coach, consultant, and speaker who helps burned-out teachers break free from exhaustion and rediscover their purpose to create more balanced lives. After nearly two decades in educational leadership, she founded Future Forward Careers and created The Teacher Drop Out Academy, a movement that empowers educators to reclaim their energy, leverage their skills, and build sustainable, fulfilling careers that make an impact without starting over or sacrificing themselves.
Connect with Carissa:
LinkedIn: Carissa Kerrissey
Website: futureforwardcareers.com
Instagram: @teacherdropoutacademy
Resources Mentioned in This Episode
Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers
Jeff Warren's "Learn to Meditate in 30 Days" on the Calm app
The Seven Types of Rest framework
Frozen 2 - "Into the Unknown" (the calling/intuition song)
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Connect with Host Jocelyn Auyeung:
Website: www.jocelynauyeung.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jocelynauyeungcoach/
Substack: https://substack.com/@leadfromyourheart
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Resources to Make Your MOM Life Easier ✨
Learning with Kelsey
You know that moment when you're looking at your toddler and wondering, "Am I doing enough to prepare them for school?"
Here's what I love about Learning with Kelsey: Kelsey gets it because she's lived it. As a former teacher AND a mom, she understands what kids actually need to thrive in kindergarten AND how overwhelming it feels trying to figure it all out as a parent.
Each month, you get beautifully curated boxes with hands-on activities that make learning genuinely fun (not stressful). The truth is, it's not really about the activities at all - it's about giving us confidence that we're nurturing our children's growth in exactly the right way.
Get curious about what intentional, joyful learning could look like in your home: https://rstr.co/learning-with-kelsey/5062
Plan to Eat
Let's be real - that 4 PM "what's for dinner?" panic is so real. (The one where you're standing in Target trying to remember what's in your fridge while your kids are asking for goldfish for the third time? Yeah, that one. 😅)
Here's what I'm learning about meal planning: it's not really about perfect Pinterest-worthy meals at all. It's about reclaiming your peace of mind and getting back precious time with your family.
Plan to Eat has been a total game-changer for our family - you can organize recipes, automatically generate shopping lists, and plan your week's meals in minutes.
The truth is, when we take care of this one thing, it creates space for what matters most: being present with our families instead of stressed about dinner every single night.
Get 20% off your first year: plantoeat.com/ref/empoweredmom
