There are certain conversations that leave you buzzing — the kind where you close your notebook, refill your coffee, and realize you didn’t just record a podcast… you walked away a different human.
This week’s conversation with Mandy Webber of the Wildly Intentional Podcast was one of those moments.
For months, Mandy and I have traded messages online, resonating with each other’s work and sending voice notes about all the things. She’s a maverick mom of three, a maker, a homesteader, a family culture builder, a woman who tells the truth even when it rattles people, and I’ve admired from afar the way she lives with clarity and conviction.
But just a couple weeks ago, we finally sat down together in person. She drove from West Branch to my home office in Cascade, and we planned to record an interview.
Instead… we talked for three hours straight.
Motherhood. Homeschooling. Vegetables. Business. Family values. Ambition. That tension women feel between wanting to slow down and wanting to build something big. We truly covered it all in this episode.
And while today’s episode is only a slice of that marathon conversation, it’s the kind of slice that makes you want the whole pie.
Why Mandy? Why This Conversation?
Mandy is one of those rare people who doesn’t just talk about living intentionally — she lives it. She has built a life rooted in simplicity, courage, creativity, and curiosity.
Here’s just a snapshot of who she is:
- A barefoot-in-the-garden, coffee-in-hand, idea-chasing visionary
- A mom who homeschools with a philosophy built around curiosity and connection
- A woman who preserves 50 pounds of tomatoes without flinching
- A leader who helps others unlearn the noise of modern life
- A truth-teller who understands that being “not for everyone” is actually a strength
- A podcaster, creator, thinker, pattern-seer, and unshakeably intentional guide
Talking to Mandy feels like permission.
Permission to question.
Permission to simplify.
Permission to be bold.
Permission to live a life that doesn’t match the blueprint everyone else handed you.
The Themes We Kept Coming Back To
Even though our conversation zigzagged everywhere (and I do mean everywhere), certain threads kept showing up — threads I think many women will recognize.
1. Relearning What Actually Matters
One of the first things Mandy said to me was:
“I am a lifelong learner, Molly, and I feel like I’m relearning more through homeschooling than I ever did in public school.”
This wasn’t a knock on traditional education (I still love school!) — it was a celebration of learning through life. Through curiosity. Through real conversations and real experiences with her kids.
It reminded me of something I’ve felt in my own leadership journey:
that so much of becoming who we’re meant to be is actually an unlearning.
2. Creating a Family Culture on Purpose
Mandy shared their family values — a framework she and her husband call The Wolf Pack.
- Wellbeing
- Openness
- Love
- Family
- Passion
- Adventure
- Courage
- Kinship
What I loved most wasn’t the list — it was the way they actually use these values. They guide decisions. They shape habits. They remind their kids what matters when life feels loud, as you’ll hear in the episode.
Most families “hope” they’re passing down the right things.
Mandy is building hers intentionally.
3. Being Fully Yourself, Even When It Makes Others Uncomfortable
Mandy said something that struck me deeply:
“For better or worse, I’m not for everybody… and that’s okay. I just need to unapologetically accept Mandy.”
How many women shrink here?
How many of us edit ourselves so we don’t upset the room?
Hearing Mandy name this truth — and own it — was a reminder that alignment requires clarity and clarity often requires courage.
4. The Tension Between Ambition and Motherhood
“I’m still breastfeeding my 16-month-old… and I’m so proud of that and also so torn. Part of me has all these ideas brewing. But I also feel like he’s on me to slow me down — to make me sit in this chair and think.”
Women don’t talk about this enough.
The push-pull.
The guilt.
The creativity that blooms in the quiet.
The grief of knowing a season is ending even while wishing parts of it would hurry up.
Mandy has the kind of emotional honesty that makes you breathe easier.
She names the tension so the rest of us don’t feel alone in it.
5. Building Skills No One Can Take Away
As a homesteader, Mandy talks about gardening, hunting, preserving food — not as aesthetic hobbies, but as life skills.
“Learning these skills are things no one will ever be able to take away from us.”
In a world that feels increasingly disconnected from its roots, this hit home.
It’s not about prepping.
It’s about grounding.
It’s about agency.
It’s about remembering we’re capable.
6. Letting Kids Be Who They Are Meant to Be
“I have no expectation for what my kids will do in their life. I’m just here to coach them, guide them, and cheerlead them the whole way.”
Not mold.
Not pressure.
Just guide.
This is leadership, not just parenting.
A Conversation That Makes You Brave
Sometimes you sit with someone and feel your shoulders drop.
Your breath settle.
Your mind expand.
That’s what this conversation was for me.
Mandy embodies the kind of brave, intentional living that so many of us crave — especially in a world that’s loud, fast, and constantly pushing us toward more, more, more.
If you’ve been feeling the pull to slow down…
Or to try something differently…
Or to live a life that feels more like yours…
You’ll love this episode.
Listen to the Full Episode
🎧 Wildly Intentional Living with Mandy Webber
→ https://open.spotify.com/show/5YACTbRulN4NooX32NgzgV?si=e4835286872341da
And don’t forget to catch my interview on Mandy’s podcast:
→ https://open.spotify.com/episode/6J19AhLH0FCMSE1RU7ArNb?si=y64gMjh_ScqmqqI-ocNOrQ
Resources Mentioned
- Mandy’s quiz: https://www.wildlyintentional.com/quiz
- Wild + Rooted seasonal journal & planner:
https://www.wildlyintentional.com/shop/p/wild-rooted-winter
Be the first to comment