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Breastfeeding is powerful—and complicated. Schedules, sleep, work calls, travel, and recovery collide with a mother’s mental health and a family’s reality. On the Progress Always podcast, Milk by Mom founder and fellow Thunderbird alum Tirza Jova explains how freeze-drying breast milk gives families formula-level flexibility with breast milk benefits.
Here’s the play: moms pump as usual, then Milk by Mom freeze-dries the milk for shelf-stable storage and easy travel—no cold chain at the park, the office, or the airport. The science has existed for decades (milk banks have used it for years); what’s new is making it accessible to families directly.
The bigger story is leadership. Postpartum isn’t a “nice to have” support window—it’s a systems problem. Boundaries at work, clear roles at home, and community resources (lactation help, pelvic floor PT, doulas) all reduce friction. As Tirza puts it: there’s no one-size-fits-all, only what fits your family.
What I loved in this conversation:
- Agency over shame. Choosing what works for your family is leadership, not failure.
- Presence beats perfection. Done is better than perfect when the goal is connection.
- Willingness > speed. Partners rarely grow at the same pace; keep the same trajectory.
- Fitness as practice. Just like training, small consistent reps compound at home and at work.
So What’s the Point? If you’re a parent, leader, or both, the lesson is the same: build systems that reduce friction and increase freedom. That’s true for milk, meetings, and mindsets.
Your Next EASIEST Step:
Complete the Alignment Assessment to identify your highest-friction bottleneck (sleep, training, boundaries, or systems). Choose one you’ll take immediate action on, schedule it, and tell a partner. https://get.coachderz.com/next-level-alignment-audit
Join the Alignment Village
Ready to align your health, leadership, and systems? Join us inside the Alignment Village for programs, community, and weekly coaching designed to build the fittest leaders: NextLevelVillage.com
