This week on The Found Podcast, we traded strategy for storytelling. Instead of interviewing an entrepreneur or digging into leadership frameworks, I invited two of the greatest influences in my life—my sister, Jessie, and my mom, Kathy—for a Thanksgiving episode full of memories, laughter, and the surprising leadership lessons tucked inside family traditions.
And honestly? It was exactly what my heart needed.
Handmade Costumes, Cold Nights & a Box of Puppies
Some of my earliest memories revolve around the costumes Mom made for us every Halloween. We’d page through pattern books at JoAnn Fabrics, pick fabric, and then watch her turn it into something magical: Little Red Riding Hood, Little Bo Peep, princess dresses with cone hats—and the unforgettable year I went as a box of puppies, inspired by an American Girl magazine.
Of course, Iowa had other plans: it was always cold. Sweats under dresses. Coats over the costumes. Annoying then, hilarious now.
Those moments were my first glimpse into how love shows up in the details—the hours spent sewing, the measuring tape around our chests, the insistence that we bundle up so we didn’t freeze. It reminds me now that the best traditions aren’t perfect—they’re just repeated with love.
The Quiet Rituals That Root Us
As adults, we’ve created newer traditions too—ones that feel just as sacred in their own ordinary way.
Every fall, Mom, Jessie, and I get together (now with the kids underfoot) to make apple pies. The design on top is one Mom learned from her mom who learned from her mom, who would be over 115 years old today. A tiny pie crust marking that has survived almost a century. It’s humble, but it connects us to a long line of women who made food not just to feed their families, but to anchor them.
We also make strawberry jam in the summer—sticky counters, so many strawberry tops, and that satisfaction of seeing a whole lineup of ruby-red jars on the counter. Simple, repetitive, grounding.
And then there’s Mother’s Day, our no-kids, all-women day of thrift shops, guilty-pleasure music, and the world’s funniest gift exchange in a pop-up junk tent in Guttenberg. It’s chaotic, ridiculous, and somehow deeply restorative every single year.
Motherhood Then vs. Motherhood Now
In the episode, we talk honestly about what motherhood looks like across generations.
When Mom was raising us, most women in our community were homemakers. She didn’t start working outside the home until we were older. Today, both Jessie and I work full-time—while also trying to show up fully for our kids, our communities, and our own dreams.
We talk about the overstimulation at 7 PM—the socks everywhere, the spilled rice, the empty wrapper you find behind the couch, the moment where you snap and then immediately think, “Okay, it wasn’t that serious.”
And woven into all that chaos is humor. It’s how we cope. It’s how we breathe. It’s how we stay soft with each other, even when life gets loud.
Why These Stories Matter
When I asked what we hope our kids remember, the answer was simple and unanimous:
- the traditions
- the togetherness
- the belly laughs
- the sense that life is better when it’s fun
Not perfect.
Not polished.
Just fun.
These stories—whether they’re about thrifted salt-and-pepper shakers, hidden candy, or a Vikings game that ended with me breaking my pinky—are reminders that while ambition matters, relationships matter more.
And that as women building businesses, raising families, and carrying a lot, joy isn’t just nice to have—it’s fuel.
Reflection Question
What’s one tradition—silly, sacred, or somewhere in between—that you want to hold onto or begin this season?
A pie recipe, a playlist, a thrift-store challenge, a Sunday breakfast, a yearly road trip.
Sometimes the simplest rituals become the stories our kids remember forever.
Listen to Episode 229 “Things Are Just Better When They’re Fun: A Thanksgiving Giggle Fest with My Mom & Sister” of The Found Podcast with Molly Knuth wherever you get your podcasts.
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