There’s a funny thing that happens when you turn something you love into a business: at some point, you can get so busy running the business that you forget why you wanted to do it in the first place. Suddenly, the thing that once sparked your creativity becomes a never-ending parade of to-do lists, deadlines, decisions, emails, invoices, and approximately 47 things you meant to do yesterday. Add motherhood to the mix, and now you’re also keeping a tiny human alive, negotiati

Asian, Mediterranean, and Caribbean flavors for diabetes, high blood pressure, and MS support Let’s be honest: when someone says “health-supportive diet,” most people imagine a sad plate of steamed broccoli staring back at them like it also regrets being there. Good news: it doesn’t have to be that way. This two-week dinner plan borrows bold flavors from Asian, Mediterranean, and Caribbean cuisines to create meals that are satisfying, colorful, and supportive of overall heal

The conversation about neurodiversity is becoming more significant every day. Neurodiversity highlights the natural differences in how our brains work. This perspective challenges the conventional idea of what is "normal." One of the key groups in this dialogue includes individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Embracing neurodiversity not only makes our communities more inclusive but also brings significant benefits

Pencils, paper, books, bulletin boards, tissues, snacks, storage bins, supplies for students who don't have any…the list grows right along with the school year. The good news? There are a lot more free resources for teachers than most people realize. Some are completely free. Others are free with an account, require you to verify you're a teacher, or depend on where you live and teach. So before you spend your own money, check out this list. Thank you for all you do! 🏷️ How

Having kids is expensive. Diapers, books, school supplies, activities, sports, clothes, technology, birthday parties…the list seems to grow right along with them. The good news? There are a lot more free resources for children than most parents realize. Some are completely free. Others are samples, rewards, downloadable activities, free events, educational programs, or services available to families who meet certain requirements. So before you spend money, check this list. 🏷

Haven of Knightdale - (Photo taken by Stacey Motley) If you're raising a family in North Carolina, there are more free and low-cost resources available than you might realize. And we're not just talking about coloring pages. Depending on your family's needs, location and eligibility, you may be able to find free books, diapers, food assistance, health care, educational programs, museum activities, library programs, parenting support, pregnancy resources and more. Here's where

Planning for a baby can get expensive before the baby even arrives. There are appointments, prenatal vitamins, baby gear, diapers, bottles, feeding supplies, clothes, classes and approximately 4,000 tiny things you didn't know existed until you started preparing for a baby. Before you buy everything you see on a baby registry checklist, bookmark these resources. Some are completely free. Others provide samples, coupons, classes, support or assistance if you meet certain requi

September is Suicide Prevention Month. In October, we somehow pack in Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness, Breast Cancer Awareness, and Domestic Violence Awareness — three heavy months colliding at once, like someone scheduled all the hard conversations for the same quarter and called it efficient. And then, right on cue, the holidays show up. Pumpkin spice barely finishes its run before we're being told this is "the most wonderful time of the year." Hallmark starts filming i

Protecting Your Mental Wellbeing During Career Transitions For many of us, work is about much more than a paycheck. It's how we provide for ourselves and our families. It's how we contribute. It's how we build community. It's often where we find purpose, identity, and a sense of accomplishment. So when a job ends—whether through a layoff, restructuring, or an unexpected career transition—the loss can feel deeply personal. But employment status and human worth are not the same

Healing Is More Than Survival: A Trauma-Informed Series on Mental Wellbeing Mental wellbeing is health. Yet too often, conversations about mental wellbeing begin only after someone is overwhelmed—after stress has become chronic, after burnout has taken hold, or after life feels more difficult to navigate than it needs to. What if we started those conversations earlier? What if caring for our mental wellbeing became as routine as scheduling an annual physical, taking a lunch b

A Trauma-Informed Wellbeing Series Mental wellbeing is health. Yet too often, conversations about mental health begin only after someone reaches a breaking point: after burnout, after anxiety becomes overwhelming, after grief becomes isolating, or after a crisis emerges. This series invites us to begin those conversations sooner. With July being National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, I decided to kick things off this month. I will explore mental wellbeing through a

You don’t need fancy products to put together a solid self-care routine—your kitchen and bathroom probably already have most of what you need. Here are some simple, effective DIY recipes you can try: 1. Honey + Oat Face Mask (Soothing & Hydrating) Good for: dry or sensitive skin Ingredients: 1 tbsp honey 1 tbsp finely ground oats (blend if needed) A splash of warm water or milk How to use: Mix into a paste, apply to your face, leave for 10–15 minutes, then rinse gently. Why i

Over the past year, I’ve noticed a pattern I can’t ignore. Highly qualified candidates getting rejected before they ever get a chance to speak. No conversation. No screening call. Just a generic rejection email. At first, it didn’t make sense. But the more I see it, the clearer it becomes: It’s not a talent problem. It’s a filtering problem. Applicant Tracking Systems are designed for efficiency, but they’re not designed for nuance. They don’t understand impact. They don’t re

Reflections from a former Global HR Leader In elite professional services firms, we like to believe two things at once: We hire only the most capable adults in the room. If they struggle, it is a resilience issue. As someone who served as a Global HR Manager at an elite law firm, I can say with affection and evidence: the human nervous system does not care about your GPA, your clerkship, or your partnership track. If you are a manager or even a director in a global firm—Big F

Elite employers do not struggle to recruit brilliance. You attract it by brand gravity alone. The problem is not intake. It is conversion. Somewhere between high-potential hire and senior leader, your talent pipeline thins. Not because your people lack capacity—but because the environment quietly selects for endurance over evolution. If you want to develop leaders instead of leavers, you must confront an uncomfortable truth: many high-performing cultures are optimized for out

Ah, high-performance culture. It’s that magical place where productivity is king, expectations are sky-high, and every team meeting feels like a scene from Mission: Impossible . Leaders are expected to operate at their peak — the most productive, most decisive, and, let’s be honest, the most perfect version of themselves all the time . But here’s the thing: even in a high-performance culture, leaders are human. And humans, no matter how capable, sometimes need a little accou

Trauma can deeply affect a child's development, behavior, and emotional well-being. When parents understand trauma and its impact, they can create a supportive environment that helps children heal and grow. Trauma-informed parenting is about recognizing the signs of trauma and responding with empathy, patience, and care. This approach changes how parents interact with their children, focusing on safety, trust, and connection. What Trauma-Informed Parenting Means Trauma-inform

You know how sometimes, when you’re cruising through life, you hit a point where you think, “Wait, is this really where I want to be?” For executives, this moment is often the quiet realization that maybe, just maybe, it’s time to climb down from that corporate mountain peak and see what’s happening on the ground level. And no, it’s not because some fortune-teller on LinkedIn is sending you cryptic messages (although, let's be honest, that's fun too). It's usually more like

In recent years, the role of doulas in childbirth has gained significant recognition for their emotional, physical, and informational support. Whether you're a first-time parent or preparing for another child, hiring a doula can offer numerous benefits during your pregnancy, labor, and postpartum period. Below, we explore the key advantages of having a doula based on the insights from Including Inclusion . What is a Doula? A doula is a trained professional who provides contin

Looking for free things to do in Raleigh? Explore 35 museums, parks, trails, and local events you can enjoy in Raleigh, NC without spending a dime. If you think exploring a city has to be expensive, Raleigh is here to prove otherwise. The City of Oaks is packed with free museums, scenic lakes, miles of greenway trails, and community events happening almost every week. In fact, Raleigh is often called the “Smithsonian of the South” thanks to its incredible lineup of museums t