AND/BOTH Podcast - Real Conversations, Shared Experiences, and the Community You've Been Missing

This week on AND/BOTH, I’m joined by Nomiki Petrolla, founder of Theanna and a mother of four who is reshaping what early-stage entrepreneurship can look like for women in tech.Nomiki has spent 15 years in the tech world, sitting beside founders, engineers, and venture-backed teams, often as the only woman in the room. That experience eventually led her to build Theanna: a platform designed to support women tech founders from idea to launch.In this episode, we talk about:Why women are turning to entrepreneurship not out of ambition alone, but out of a desire for agencyThe realities of building a startup with four young kidsHow AI is completely changing what’s possible for early-stage foundersWhy venture capital isn’t the only — or even the most aligned — path for most entrepreneursThe difference between building your first business for money and your later ones for meaningHow motherhood sharpens clarity, decision-making, and boundariesWhat Nomiki is noticing about the next wave of women building techSustainable entrepreneurship vs. the unicorn mythology we’ve all absorbedIt’s a conversation about choosing your own path, understanding your season, and building something that fits your actual life, not a version of life you’re supposed to pretend you have.Connect with Nomiki:Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn: @nomikipetrollaTheanna: @theannaioConnect with Ashley:Website: https://www.ashleyblackington.comPodcast website: https://www.andbothpodcast.com/Dovetail® App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/dovetail-app/id6744341822Instagram: @mydovetail.appLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyblackington/

In this solo episode, I’m taking a moment to pause, look back on Season 9, and share what’s coming as we head into a new year and our tenth season of the AND/BOTH podcast.This season brought so many meaningful conversations on the mental load, the realities of modern motherhood, how we build community, what comfort and safety look like in hard seasons, and the ways we try (and often fail) to carry less than we’re used to. We also continued our roundtable series, with thoughtful, deeply resonant conversations about grief and holiday burnout that so many of you reached out about.I talk through:The themes that kept surfacing across episodesWhat these conversations revealed about burnout, expectations, and the pace we’re all trying to keepThe “colander list” moment with my friend Meg and why it hit me squarely in the chestWhat it’s been like to grow a tech company, run a podcast, and raise four kids during a very full seasonWhy we’re taking a short break before Season 10What you can expect when we return in the new yearAnd I share an invitation: if you’ve listened to the show and haven’t yet heard your version of motherhood reflected, I would love to bring more voices and stories into the mix. You can submit a guest interest form at andbothpodcast.com.We’ll be back in January with Season 10—rested, reset, and ready for the next chapter.Wishing you a holiday season with at least one hot coffee, a moment of actual rest, and something small that fills your cup.Connect with Ashley:Website: https://www.ashleyblackington.comPodcast website: https://www.andbothpodcast.com/Dovetail® App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/dovetail-app/id6744341822Instagram: @mydovetail.appLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyblackington/

This week on AND/BOTH, I’m joined by Lauryn Warnick, CEO and founder of Villain Branding. Lauryn shares how she went from film school to tech startups to leading a verbal-first brand consultancy—and how the business has grown and shifted alongside marriage, motherhood, and the many seasons real life brings.We talk about:Building a business that doesn’t pretend life at home is pausedWhy B2B storytelling has more impact (and heart) than most people expectWorking with a spouse and figuring out routines that actually workThe pressure of being the primary income earner while raising young kidsMoving away from “balance” and toward navigating what each season asks of youThe Disney moment that unexpectedly reframed flexibility, boundaries, and perspectiveThis episode is full of the conversations that don’t always make it into the highlight reel—how we work, how we parent, and how we keep adjusting the picture as life keeps changing.Connect with Lauryn:Website: www.villainbranding.comLinkedIn: Lauryn WarnickConnect with Ashley:Website: https://www.ashleyblackington.comPodcast website: https://www.andbothpodcast.com/Dovetail® App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/dovetail-app/id6744341822Instagram: @mydovetail.appLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyblackington/

In this episode, I’m joined by Brea Starmer, founder of Lions & Tigers, a company she started after being laid off while seven months pregnant and serving as her family’s primary income. What began as survival quickly became a new way of thinking about work: flexible, skilled, sustainable, and built around real life.We talk about the myth of stability in traditional employment, why so many women and caregivers are pushed to the margins, and how blended teams and fractional work are giving people more agency than ever before.And of course, we talk about the real-life side of it all- parenting, logistics, exhaustion, boundaries, and the seasons where everything feels like “a lot”… and also deeply purposeful.In this episode:The layoff that sparked Lions & TigersHow Brea built her own maternity leave through freelance workWhy blended teams are becoming essential in enterprise companiesHow AI, caregiving, and shifting workplace norms are reshaping careersWhat it actually looks like to build a business while raising three kidsThe skill of knowing what’s worth your time (and what you can let fall through the colander)Connect with Brea:Lions & Tigers: lionsandtigers.comWorkforce Reimagined studyConnect with Brea on LinkedInConnect with Ashley:Website: https://www.ashleyblackington.comPodcast website: https://www.andbothpodcast.com/Dovetail® App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/dovetail-app/id6744341822Instagram: @mydovetail.appLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyblackington/

November Roundtable: The Holiday Overwhelm Episode with Paige Connell & Allie McQuaidThe holidays are supposed to feel warm and joyful- but for most moms, they also come with nonstop logistics, emotional labor, and a running mental checklist that never really turns off. And for millennial moms especially, the expectations feel higher than ever.In this month’s roundtable, Erin Holland (PG-ish Podcast) and I are joined by Paige Connell (@sheisapageturner) and Allie McQuaid (@millennialmomtherapist) for a conversation that goes right into the thick of it: the mental load, the pressure to make things magical, the generational friction that shows up the minute you walk into a family gathering, and the complicated mix of joy and burnout that this season brings.In this episode we cover:Why the holidays hit so hard when your plate was already full in JulyThe “fun mom” pressure and why it doesn't make sense, when you’re the one noticing, planning, packing, and rememberingHow early messaging around anger and emotions shows up again in motherhoodThe emotional gymnastics of blended families, divorced parenting, and juggling multiple householdsWhy social media intensifies holiday expectations (and how to spot what’s actual life vs. content creation)What our kids really remember and why it’s almost never the expensive or elaborate stuffHow to rethink traditions, drop the “shoulds,” and pay attention to what actually brings joy or easeThe permission to let this year look different than last year (or any year)It’s honest, relatable, a little funny, and full of the kind of “oh right, it’s not just me” moments that make the holidays feel a little more doable.Listen in, especially if the season feels like a lot before it’s even started.Connect with Paige and Allie:Paige Connell — @sheisapageturnerAllie McQuaid — @millennialmomtherapistConnect with Ashley:Website: https://www.ashleyblackington.comPodcast website: https://www.andbothpodcast.com/Dovetail® App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/dovetail-app/id6744341822Instagram: @mydovetail.appLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyblackington/