S6EP5: From Foster Mom to Founder: Redefining Motherhood on Your Own Terms with Amy Vale
What does it look like to choose your own path to motherhood? In this powerful conversation, I sit down with Amy Vale – foster mom and founder of For the Cubs – to explore how motherhood comes in all different forms, and how you can deeply care about multiple things at the same time.
Amy's journey from marketing executive at Spotify and charity:water to creating Percy the weighted plush bear (named after her grandfather) will challenge everything you think you know about balancing entrepreneurship and motherhood. Her story of running out of product while prioritizing a foster baby's legal case stood out to me because it's a reminder that sometimes life demands that we choose one thing over the other – and that's okay.
Here's what I took away from Amy's story: there's no single "right" way to become a mom, be a mom, build a business, or create a meaningful life. And honestly? That's exactly the permission we all need to hear.
This episode is perfect for:
Working moms juggling multiple priorities
Anyone considering foster care or alternative family paths
Entrepreneurs building mission-driven businesses
Parents seeking permission to challenge societal expectations
Moms needing encouragement about taking leaps of faith
Anyone feeling guilty about prioritizing one important thing over another
In This Episode, You'll Discover:
🏠 The Reality of Foster Parenting:
Why foster care isn't about "foster to adopt" – it's about supporting family reunification
How Amy navigates being called "mommy" while respecting biological families
The truth about caring for children from trauma (spoiler: time and grace are everything)
What Amy learned from fostering 10 children over 2 years
💼 Entrepreneurship While Mothering:
The story behind Percy the weighted bear and the science of needing 8-12 hugs daily
How Amy's grandfather inspired both the name and design of her hero product
What happened when she ran out of inventory while solo parenting an infant
Why she chose self-funding over VC money to protect her mission
💪 Challenging Societal Expectations:
Amy's empowering approach to choosing foster care over biological children
How she handles inappropriate questions about fertility and family planning (this part gave me chills)
Her brilliant responses that protect other women struggling with infertility
Why betting on yourself is the ultimate leap of faith
🎯 Permission-Giving Wisdom:
"You can deeply care about multiple things at the same time"
"I wouldn't have done anything differently" – releasing mom guilt
"Anything truly worth having takes time"
The gym metaphor for building life skills (this resonated so much with me)
About Amy Vale:
Amy Vale is the founder of For the Cubs, a company providing quality essentials for young children while supporting kids in foster care through their nonprofit partner, One Simple Wish. After a decade in marketing with brands like Spotify and charity:water, Amy transitioned to entrepreneurship driven by her experience as a foster parent.
Her hero product, Percy – a weighted plush bear designed to mimic a hug – was named after her late grandfather and created after learning that humans need 8-12 hugs daily for emotional wellbeing. Amy continues fostering children while building her business, currently caring for her 10th foster child.
Connect with Amy:
Website: forthecubs.com
Instagram: @forthecubs
Get curious about:
What's one area of your life where you've been afraid to "bet on yourself"? How might Amy's story give you permission to trust your own path?
Love this episode? Please leave a review and share it with a mom friend who needs to hear Amy's story. Because here's what I know for sure: when we share diverse stories of motherhood, we all feel less alone in our journeys.
With gratitude,
Jocelyn
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts if this episode resonated with you - it helps other moms find exactly what they need to hear.
