Dear Younger Me Part #1

What would you say to the younger version of yourself? In this episode of the Rise & BUILD Podcast, Kendra sits down with Leanne Taylor for an honest conversation about motherhood, career changes, faith, family, and the unexpected turns life can take.

Leanne reflects on her worries as a young mom and the challenge of balancing motherhood with a career. After the Oklahoma City bombing deeply impacted her, she began reevaluating her priorities, choosing to make more time for her daughter and God opened a door for her to continue her career while being a present mom!

She also shares about navigating divorce, remarriage, and blending a family, while trusting her faith as the foundation through each transition.

Leanne opens up about another life-changing season—being diagnosed with breast cancer at just 41. She shares the physical and emotional challenges of treatment and the difficulty of explaining cancer to her young children. Through every season, Leanne has learned that life doesn't always go according to plan—and that's okay!

Give Yourself Grace

One of the biggest reminders from their conversation is that moms are care of everyone else BUT THEY NEED CARE TOO! You don't have to do everything. Make space for yourself, let your spouse help carry the load, and give yourself grace when things don't get done.

Sometimes the laundry can wait. Sometimes the toys don't need to be picked up. Sometimes you simply need a few quiet minutes to read, rest, or breathe. As Kendra and Leanne remind us, you can't pour from an empty pitcher. Motherhood is full of pivots, unexpected challenges, and changing fears. But you don't have to know exactly how everything will work out.

Keep moving forward. Keep loving your family. And keep trusting God with the next step!

🎙️ Listen to the full conversation with Leanne on the Rise & BUILD Podcast, and tune in for Part 2 as Kendra and Leanne continue talking about the fears we carry as moms and how those fears change throughout motherhood.