Whatever is screaming the loudest gets the most attention.

At least that is how it is in my house.

As parents, our days almost never go as planned. You may have meant to put out a client newsletter or create a rockin’ new business plan or even have a play-date with some new friends from preschool. All that was pushed aside, however, when your 3 year old peed on the floor or your 6 year old suddenly came down with pink eye or your hot water heater broke and seeped into all those boxes in the garage.

Sometimes the hardest part of being a parent is that we lack control of the day to day and even the hour to hour.

Why even have a game plan when it’s sure to get disrupted by something unexpected?

A game plan keeps you focused, but having flexibility keeps you prepared and ready to deviate from your plan without having a grown-up melt down.

Tragedy + Time = Comedy

Keep those chuckles coming. On most days, it’s the only way to make it through. If you want to survive, you must learn to laugh at the absurdity of your unexpected daily dramas, surround yourself with friends and tribe mates who have been there, done that,  and remember that every new experience as a mom or dad is an opportunity for you to create a more controlled system —for next time.

On the show, I will be introducing you to two very good friends of mine. Mandy Kalish is one of the newest staff members of Our Milk Money, joining us in her role as Director of Sales and Marketing. My friendship with Mandy is not so new, however,  as our history together stems back to grade school when we were the best of frenemies.  Mandy is one of the funniest women I have ever had the pleasure of knowing and I cannot wait to reminisce with her about our childhood years…all the way up to motherhood. If anyone knows how to embrace the absurd, it’s Ms. Kalish.

Speaking of funny, my good friend Chris Mancini, stand-up comic and comedy film writer/producer/author, returns to the show as our guest of the hour.

New parents, you certainly won’t want to miss this! Dutiful dad, Chris Mancini, is offering an insightful, fun and extremely helpful short course on overcoming the anxieties of becoming a first-time parent. If you or anyone you know is even a little bit FREAKED OUT about becoming a parent, Chris can help. He teaches how to overcome the “Hyperanxiepression” so new parents can enjoy their helpless little infants from day one. “Will I ever have s-e-x again?” “Will I ever sleep again?” “Will I have to start going to bed at sunset?” Questions like these are more common than you think: you’re not alone. Join Chris in his super-affordable, fun and helpful course, or give it as a gift to any expecting new dads (they probably won’t admit it, but they’re SCARED).

Our Co-Host

Mandy Kalish

Mandy Kalish is the Sales and Marketing Director for OurMilkMoney.com and This Little Parent Stayed Home  radio show on Toginet. She is also a freelance writer, Internet marketer, editor, speaker, saleswoman, teacher and coach. She is not the same Mandy Kalish who set a unicycle on fire and rode it down Broadway while wearing a gown made of day-old donuts and crullers. With an MFA in Creative Writing, some of Mandy’s writing credits include Woman’s World Magazine, BizAZ Magazine, The Arizona Republic and Divorce360.com. She loves the wild wild west that is the Internet and customizes easy-to-implement yet powerful SEO strategies for her clients to substantially increase their web traffic fast.

Mandy also helps authors create and execute successful marketing campaigns for their books.

Mandy lives in Phoenix with her daughter, Olivia, who’s most famous for her quote: “If a car rolls over me and I die, you won’t see me again, and I’ll never ever get time out because I’ll be a good listener – just kidding! I wont’ listen when I’m dead.”  Mandy has also lived in San Francisco, Sydney, NYC, Las Vegas and Chicago. She misses New York the most and would love to make ten gazillion dollars so she can live there like a pro 🙂

Our Guest

Chris Mancini

Chris Mancini is a comic, author, filmmaker, and parent. He is also very tired. He has screened and spoken at various prestigious festivals including Slamdance and Comic-Con in San Diego. His DVD compilation Myopic Visions includes all of his short films featuring hit men, clowns, leprechauns, killer doughnuts, and living suits, along with his interviews with SyFy and many extras.

His first book Pacify Me: A Handbook for the Freaked Out New Dad tells of the harrowing tale of a guy overcoming his fear of actually procreating and offers helpful advice for freaked out new dads everywhere. Chris is also the co-founder of Comedyfilmnerds.com, a successful movie website and podcast that features comedians reviewing movies and talking about film. He is also currently teaching a class for new Dads at entheosacademy.com.