Today we are getting to know one of our four amigas better, Michy. Tuning in you’ll hear about Michelle’s background growing up in Venezuela, how her family came to immigrate to the USA when the political situation started changing, her initial resistance to the move, and how her perspective changed over time. Michelle opens up about the events that shaped who she is today from learning independence to her financial struggles, and the stories of the toxic relationships she got involved in and then got out of. She opens up about how her parent’s marriage modeled for her what she believed she was supposed to put up with as a wife and how she found the courage to leave her abusive husband after 12 years. She explains how she diminished her level of tolerance for abuse and stopped repeating the pattern. Tuning in, you’ll find out about the profound revelation she had from a conversation with her ex-husband and how this impacted her life. For some great wisdom from an inspirational woman who has overcome so much, tune in today! Please note that this episode carries a trigger warning for domestic abuse.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Hear about what it was like for Michy to grow up in Venezuela.
• How her family decided to emigrate when the political situation started changing. 
• How the opportunity came about for Michelle’s dad to work in the USA. 
• Michelle’s plans to return to Venezuela and what changed her perspective on living in America.
• Her goal to become a financial analyst. 
• How getting out of a toxic relationship helped Michelle learn independence. 
• The financial struggles she experienced when she first went off on her own.
• The story of how she met the man who would become her husband and her son’s father while working as a bank teller. 
• How her career developed into property management.
• How Marcy and Michelle met through a mutual friend and Michelle’s first impression of Marcy.
• What led to the end of Michelle’s marriage and how this impacted her life.
• TW: For listeners who wish to skip Michelle’s recount of the abuse suffered by both her mother and herself, please skip audio from [31:39] to [35:11] 
• How the modeling of verbal abuse in her parents’ marriage influenced her own marriage and the abuse she suffered.
• How Michelle diminished her level of tolerance for abuse and stopped repeating the pattern.
• The conversation that Michelle had with her ex-husband that led to the realization that she had allowed herself to be abused.
• How much of the story Michelle’s son, Steven, knows about her relationship with his father.
• Thoughts on the difference between choices and sickness.
• Why Marcy is impressed by Michelle’s refusal to settle and her continued efforts to raise the bar for herself. 
• Where to reach out for support if you are in an abusive relationship.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: 

National Domestic Violence Hotline  — 1800 799 SAFE (7233)

Chatting With My Amigas Website 

Chatting With My Amigas Email

Chatting With My Amigas on Instagram

There is a difference between having friends and having friends you do life with. The four of us have a very unique friendship that grew organically out of respect, transparency, and love of course! Collectively, we are the best versions of ourselves and we support the best versions of each other. In this episode, we share how we came to be friends who do life together, and what we feel is so special about our connection. We discuss the immense value we’ve gained from our friendship, the commitment we have to each other, and the acceptance we each feel. We also take a look at how this friendship differs from the ones we have with high school friends or from the connection we have with our sisters. Tune in to hear about our journey together as amigas, as well as the most pressing things on our minds today, from enhancement surgery to our kids growing up! We look forward to sharing our friendship with you.

Key Points From This Episode:

• What’s on our minds today!
• Daimy’s upcoming enhancement surgery and the body image challenges of aging.
• Why Marcy and GG don’t own scales!
• The options we have today to dress well within any budget.
• What enhancement surgery GG is planning and why.
• Michelle’s teenage son’s first day driving alone!
• The self-transformation program Marcy’s starting: 75 Hard.
• The difference between being friends and doing life together.
• How we became friends who do life together, collectively and individually.
• The value we gain from our friendship and how we support and enhance each other.
• The differences in the way we approach life.
• The transparency and commitment we have within our friendship.
• How our friendship with each other and with high school friends differ.
• Our will for each other to win! 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Chatting With My Amigas Website 

Chatting With My Amigas Email

Chatting With My Amigas on Instagram

75 Hard

All four of us are mothers, so we know that motherhood is as challenging as it is rewarding! Based on our experiences, in today’s episode, we are going to be sharing our top pieces of advice for all the other moms out there. We discuss the approaches that we have taken to discipline, teaching our children about budgeting, instilling a sense of responsibility in them, and more! We also dive into our experiences of “mom guilt” and how we have learned to navigate these feelings. It’s important to remember that every mom and every child is different and although it is very helpful to learn from others’ experiences, at the end of the day, you need to trust yourself to make the decisions for your family unit. This episode also serves as a reminder that nobody is perfect so don’t aim for perfection as a parent, just aim to be the best mom that you can be!

Key Points From This Episode:

• The importance of addressing bad behavior.
• Why your children need to know that you are not their friend, you are their mother.
• The benefits of tough love.
• Examples of how to teach your children the value of money and hard work.
• Ways to instill a sense of responsibility in your children. 
• There isn’t one right way of doing things, every parent and every child is unique so you need to figure out what works for both of you.
• The value in being open to adjusting your parenting strategies depending on the context or the child. 
• Differentiating between needs versus wants (and between what we want and what our children want).
• Why you should never aim for perfection as a parent.
• Examples of what “mom guilt” can look like, and advice for how to navigate these feelings.
• The importance of paying attention to what your children are doing and saying.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Chatting With My Amigas Website 

Chatting With My Amigas Email

Chatting With My Amigas on Instagram