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In this behind-the-scenes solo episode, Ashley offers a much-needed update and peek into what’s happening on and off the mic. From wrapping up Season 7 and kicking off Season 8 with a brand-new roundtable series, to pressing pause on summer recording and launching a care logistics platform years in the making—this episode is full of transitions, clarity, and new beginnings. Ashley also shares the personal “why” behind Dovetail, her care coordination tool built from years of experience as an OT and caregiver advocate.

What you’ll learn:

• Why Season 8 is already shaping up to be the biggest yet
• The story behind the new Roundtable Series (and how it came to be)
• What summer looks like when you’re running a business and parenting
• Why the podcast recording calendar is going dark until September
• A peek into Ashley’s changing season of life—with all kids headed to school
• The origin story of Dovetail, a care logistics platform built for family caregivers
• How Ashley’s work as an occupational therapist shaped the platform’s mission
• Why care planning needs to start before crisis mode hits
• The demographic time bomb facing the caregiving system
• How Dovetail aims to make caregiving more collaborative, connected, and sustainable

Connect with Ashley:

Website: https://dovetaildesigns.co

Podcast website: https://www.andbothpodcast.com/

AND/BOTH Community: https://www.andbothpodcast.com/andboth-community

Dovetail® App: https://airtable.com/appn6w6IWipJYIuA3/pagZys7UnECzM46iJ/form

Social:

Instagram: @dovetailapp

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dovetaildesigns.co

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyblackington/

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In this first-ever collaborative roundtable with the PG-ish Podcast, Ashley Blackington and Erin Holland welcome powerhouse thought leaders Jess Ringgenberg (Elixir Coaching) and Leslie Forde (Mom’s Hierarchy of Needs) to unpack the real, raw, and research-backed realities of modern motherhood, caregiving, and careers. From burnout to benefits nobody knows how to access, and the persistent myth that moms are “fine,” this episode sheds light on the data, the lived experiences, and the quiet crisis facing working mothers. The group discusses everything from middle motherhood to the “default parent” dilemma, sandwich caregiving, workplace policy reform, and why empathy alone isn’t enough—we need systems change, and we need it now.

What you’ll learn:

• Why burnout is often the catalyst for career shifts among moms
• The data behind declining support for mothers post-pandemic
• How workplace benefits are often underutilized or misunderstood
• What “default parent syndrome” looks like at home and at work
• The invisible mental load of caregiving—across generations
• Why culture change needs to be systemic, not dependent on “one good manager”
• How caregiving impacts mental health and long-term career trajectories
• Key takeaways from Leslie’s ongoing longitudinal study and Jess’s organizational research
• The urgent need for care-conscious leadership training
• Actionable ways employers can build real infrastructure around caregiving

Questions answered in this episode:

• Why are so many mothers still burned out—five years after the pandemic began?
• What is the actual ROI for companies who invest in supporting caregivers?
• What does “modern motherhood” really look like—and why do our systems ignore it?
• How do we stop relying on individual leaders and start building systemic change?
• What small, daily self-care steps can truly make a difference for overwhelmed moms?
• What’s the difference between feeling supported and being supported at work?
• Why do mothers leave traditional careers, and what does that mean for talent retention?
• What should workplace benefits look like across different caregiving phases?
• Why are we still afraid to talk about caregiving and burnout at work?
• What do sandwich caregivers need—and why are they often left out of the conversation?

Connect with Erin:

• Website: https://www.pgishparenting.com
• Instagram: @pgishparenting
• PG ish podcast

Connect with Jess:

• Website: elixircoaching.com
• Instagram: @jess.elixr.modernmotherhood
• LinkedIn: Jess Ringgenberg

Connect with Leslie:

• Website: momshierarchyofneeds.com
• Research Study Participation: Join here
• LinkedIn: Leslie...

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In this honest conversation, Ashley is joined by Katie Schlott—a product innovation leader, writer, and mother—who opens up about her sudden entry into the world of caregiving when her mother became disabled just months before the pandemic. With young children at home and a demanding career, Katie found herself navigating a crash course in elder care, disability systems, Medicaid, power of attorney, and emotional survival.

Together, Ashley and Katie unpack the often-invisible labor of the “sandwich generation,” the logistical overwhelm that goes unnoticed, and how community, preparation, and reframing can make caregiving feel a little less lonely. If you’ve ever felt buried by caregiving or wondered how to prepare before crisis hits—this episode is for you.

What you’ll learn:

• What it means to be part of the “sandwich generation”
• How sudden caregiving reshapes your identity, time, and priorities
• The emotional toll and systemic failings of caregiving in the U.S.
• Why caregiving conversations are so hard—and so necessary
• How to organize care logistics with simple but powerful tools
• What “living in secret” as a caregiver looks like and why it’s harmful
• How to prepare your family now (even if it feels awkward)
• The importance of mental health support and redefining self-care

Questions Answered in This Episode:

• What does caregiving look like when it hits suddenly?
• Why is there such a silence around aging, caregiving, and death?
• How do you navigate systems like Medicaid and long-term care as a beginner?
• What’s the emotional impact of being a caregiver and a parent?
• How can we better support working caregivers—at home and at work?
• What tools and habits can ease the caregiving load day to day?

Connect with Katie Schlott:

• LinkedIn: Katie Schlott
• Fast Company Articles: Author Profile

Connect with Ashley:

Website: https://dovetaildesigns.co

Podcast website: https://www.andbothpodcast.com/

AND/BOTH Community: https://www.andbothpodcast.com/andboth-community

Dovetail® App: https://airtable.com/appn6w6IWipJYIuA3/pagZys7UnECzM46iJ/form

Social:

Instagram: @dovetailapp

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dovetaildesigns.co

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyblackington/

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In this powerful episode of the AND/BOTH Podcast, Dr. Ashley Blackington welcomes Katie Kristofic, founder of The Carefullist and host of the Carefullist Podcast. Katie shares her deeply personal journey through caregiving after her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, ultimately inspiring her to build a resource hub and community for family caregivers. With more than 20 years of experience in strategic marketing and communications, Katie has leveraged her professional background and personal story to create a space that addresses the overlooked and under-discussed aspects of caregiving. From sandwich generation stress to financial planning pitfalls and the emotional toll of long-term care, this conversation offers both insight and hope for caregivers navigating similar paths.

What you'll learn:

• How Katie's caregiving experience shaped the creation of The Carefullist
• Why long-term care planning is critical—and so often misunderstood
• The realities and emotional challenges of sandwich (and club sandwich) caregiving
• Insights on the Medicare five-year lookback and financial pitfalls to avoid
• How context and environment impact dementia progression
• The importance of humor, community, and resource-sharing for caregiver sustainability
• Why caregiving is often invisible labor—and how The Carefullist is working to change that

Questions answered in this episode:

• What sparked the creation of The Carefullist and the Carefullist Podcast?
• What is the sandwich generation—and how does Katie define “club sandwich” caregiving?
• What does long-term care planning really entail?
• Why are most families unprepared for the financial realities of aging and dementia?
• What are the unseen emotional costs of caregiving?
• How can caregivers carve out time for themselves in the midst of overwhelm?
• Why does Katie say the system is "designed for you to fail"?
• What are some practical, emotionally intelligent ways to approach driving and dementia?
• How can we reframe caregiving from a project management lens to a human connection?

Connect with Katie Kristofic:

• Website: www.carefullist.com
• Instagram: @carefullist
• YouTube: The Carefullist Podcast
• LinkedIn: Katie Kristofic

Connect with Ashley:

Website: https://dovetaildesigns.co

Podcast website: https://www.andbothpodcast.com/

AND/BOTH Community: https://www.andbothpodcast.com/andboth-community

Dovetail® App: https://airtable.com/appn6w6IWipJYIuA3/pagZys7UnECzM46iJ/form

Social:

Instagram: @dovetailapp

Facebook:

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In this episode, Ashley Blackington welcomes Leslie Forde, founder and CEO of Mom’s Hierarchy of Needs and upcoming author of Repair With Self-Care: Your Guide to the Mom’s Hierarchy of Needs. With humor, honesty, and deep research-backed insight, Leslie unpacks the complex emotional and logistical layers of caregiving, particularly motherhood, in a post-pandemic world. She discusses how societal expectations, personal habits, and systemic structures collide—and what we can do about it. From redefining self-care to advocating for policy change and workplace flexibility, this is a must-listen for anyone navigating care, career, and their own mental health.

What you'll learn:

• The origin and evolution of Mom’s Hierarchy of Needs
• How Leslie’s research is changing the conversation around parental burnout
• Why self-care isn’t optional—and how to reclaim it
• The intersection of public policy, workplace culture, and maternal well-being
• What the pandemic revealed about caregiving and equity
• Actionable ways moms can “vote with their wallets” for change
• How organizations can retain working parents and caregivers
• The critical role of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) in supporting caregiver wellbeing
• Why women’s mental and physical health are directly impacted by invisible labor
• The long and short game strategies for changing the systems that hold moms back

Questions answered in this episode:

• What is the Mom’s Hierarchy of Needs, and how did it begin?
• Why do moms struggle to care for themselves—and how can that change?
• How has the pandemic reshaped caregiving and work?
• What long-term solutions exist for systemic inequities in care and labor?
• Why is self-care a “ministry” for Leslie?
• How can moms find clarity on what actually matters in their day-to-day?
• What is the role of employers in creating family-friendly workplaces?
• What’s the danger of society “returning to normal” post-pandemic?
• How can mothers advocate for change through spending power?
• What’s in Leslie’s upcoming book, Repair With Self-Care?

Connect with Leslie Forde:

• Website: https://momshierarchyofneeds.com
• Book (Pre-order): Repair With Self-Care: Your Guide to the Mom’s Hierarchy of Needs (available wherever books are sold
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslieforde/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momshierarchy

Connect with Ashley:

Website: https://dovetaildesigns.co

Podcast website: https://www.andbothpodcast.com/

AND/BOTH Community: https://www.andbothpodcast.com/andboth-community

Dovetail® App: https://airtable.com/appn6w6IWipJYIuA3/pagZys7UnECzM46iJ/form

Social:

Instagram:

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In this week’s episode of The In Both Podcast, host Dr. Ashley welcomes journalist and twin mom Zara Hanawalt, whose bylines include Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Parents, The New York Times for Kids, and more. Zara’s work dives deep into the intersections of motherhood, culture, and women’s health—especially in a post-pandemic world where millions of moms were forced to reckon with impossible expectations and invisible labor.

In this candid, thoughtful, and at times hilarious conversation, Ashley and Zara explore what it was like parenting toddlers during lockdown, why remote work offered a glimpse of something more sustainable, and how the culture has since regressed—leaving moms to quietly pick up the pieces. From putting the grocery cart back with four kids in tow to viral trad-wife aesthetics, this conversation peels back the layers on the “have it all” myth and asks: why are moms the only ones being asked to bend?

Whether you’re a stay-at-home parent, working mom, freelance warrior, or somewhere in between, this episode is full of validation, insight, and a reminder that no one is doing it wrong—it’s just that the system wasn’t built to support any of us.

You'll learn:

• How the pandemic reshaped parenting roles—and revealed deep systemic flaws
• Why freelance work can be a survival tactic for moms, not just a “girl boss” dream
• The emotional and logistical toll of caregiving without support
• How return-to-office culture is erasing hard-won flexibility for families
• The difference between advocating for mothers and simply “complaining”
• Why stay-at-home parenting is labor, even if it’s unpaid
• The role of social media in promoting extreme (and unrealistic) portrayals of motherhood
• How gender bias shows up in everyday parenting expectations
• What needs to change culturally and politically to better support mothers
• That taking care of yourself doesn’t have to look a certain way—quiet moments count too

Connect with Zara:

Website: www.zaraalt.com

Instagram: @zaraalt

TikTok: @zaraalt

Connect with Ashley:

Website: https://dovetaildesigns.co

Podcast website: https://www.andbothpodcast.com/

AND/BOTH Community: https://www.andbothpodcast.com/andboth-community

Dovetail® App: https://airtable.com/appn6w6IWipJYIuA3/pagZys7UnECzM46iJ/form

Social:

Instagram: @dovetailapp

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dovetaildesigns.co

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyblackington/

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In this episode of The And Both Podcast, Dr. Ashley welcomes Dr. Noor Ali, a Bangladeshi-American medical doctor turned health insurance consultant, community builder, and beverage brand co-founder. Dr. Ali shares her remarkable journey from immigrating to the U.S. at age five to becoming a surgeon abroad—and later pivoting her career after facing insurmountable red tape while trying to transfer her medical credentials back to the U.S.

You'll learn:

• How to navigate major life and career pivots with resilience and intention
• The surprising health insurance options available to entrepreneurs (and why benefits shouldn't hold you back)
• Why motherhood and business ownership don’t have to be at odds—and how Dr. Ali structures her week to honor both
• What it means to be a multi-passionate entrepreneur and how to build sustainably across different business models
• How Dr. Ali defines boundaries, self-care, and visibility in her personal and professional life

Questions Answered:

• What happens when your medical degree isn't recognized in the U.S., and how do you pivot after that?
• How can women safely and confidently leave corporate jobs without losing access to quality health insurance?
• What does it look like to create highly curated, impact-driven in-person networking experiences for women?
• How do you stay focused and productive while running multiple businesses and raising small kids?
• Why is honoring white space in your calendar and building slow, sustainable businesses critical?

Connect with Ashley:

Website: https://dovetaildesigns.co

Podcast website: https://www.andbothpodcast.com/

AND/BOTH Community: https://www.andbothpodcast.com/andboth-community

Dovetail® App: https://airtable.com/appn6w6IWipJYIuA3/pagZys7UnECzM46iJ/form

Social:

Instagram: @dovetailapp

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dovetaildesigns.co

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyblackington/

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In this episode of The And Both Podcast, Ashley sits down with the incredible Sangheetha Parthasarathy—a Harvard and MIT alum, birth worker, and now nervous system coach. Sanha’s career journey took her from major consulting firms like Oracle and Accenture to co-founding a nonprofit focused on birth advocacy and eventually building her own body of work around somatic trauma healing and nervous system regulation.

Ashley and Sangheetha covered a lot in this conversation, including:

• What it feels like to live in limbo as an immigrant (she's immigrated twice and repatriated once)
• How immigration, perfectionism, attachment, and motherhood intersect
• How Sangheetha found healing and purpose through birth and postpartum experiences
• The connection between somatic work, nervous system regulation, and career pivots
• Why slowing down can feel really uncomfortable for high-achieving women—and what to do about it

This conversation got REAL. Ashley and Sangheetha both shared their personal immigration stories and how that uncertainty shaped their nervous systems, their work, and their motherhood journeys.

✨ What you’ll walk away with:

• A better understanding of how nervous system regulation really works
• How systemic experiences like immigration, workaholism, and motherhood trauma live in the body
• Why traditional “self-care” can fall flat—and what to do instead
• How to build safety in your body and life when the world feels unstable

Sangheetha is someone who brings heart, clarity, and wisdom to every conversation—and I know this one will leave you thinking deeply about how you care for your own nervous system, especially in chaotic times.

Connect with Sangheetha:

Website: https://www.sangparth.com/

Connect with Ashley:

Website: https://dovetaildesigns.co

Podcast website: https://www.andbothpodcast.com/

AND/BOTH Community: https://www.andbothpodcast.com/andboth-community

Dovetail® App: https://airtable.com/appn6w6IWipJYIuA3/pagZys7UnECzM46iJ/form

Social:

Instagram: @ashleyblackington

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyblackington/