Hey Doc,

As Juneteenth approaches, I've been thinking a lot about freedom.

Not the big, abstract kind we usually talk about. The everyday kind.

The freedom to be a child.

The freedom to love your beautiful brown skin without anyone planting doubt in your mind.

The freedom to be curious, imaginative, and just a little bit weird.

In this episode, I'm sharing some of the moments that make me grateful for the life my husband and I have intentionally created for our children. From my daughter proudly celebrating her beautiful brown skin to my son's innocent toy names that accidentally sparked a conversation about race, this episode is really about what happens when children are given space to simply be themselves.

I also talk about homeschooling, socialization, and why I've never been convinced by the argument that children need more exposure to the world when so much of what adults struggle with comes directly from the messages we've absorbed from it.

This isn't a debate about homeschooling.

It's a celebration of freedom.

And as we honor Juneteenth, that feels especially important.

In This Episode:

• Why I proudly call my children "little weirdos"
• The difference between confidence and conditioning
• The first racist experiences my son had as a preschooler
• What my daughter taught me about beautiful brown skin
• Why the socialization argument doesn't move me
• The surprising lesson behind toys named Blackie and Whitey
• What freedom looks like inside our home

This episode is a love letter to Black childhood, intentional parenting, and creating environments where our children can thrive before the world tells them who they should be.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

What did you think of the episode, doc? Let me know!

Subscribe to ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube

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Join my Email list to get tips on navigating motherhood in the medical field.

If you are going through a transition -- becoming a parent, leaving a job, figuring out how manage it all, schedule a strategy coaching session and get clarity and strategic next steps for the life and career you want.

Strategy Coaching Session with Dr. Toya

Hey Doc—

If you're looking for an au pair right now and wondering whether all the good candidates have disappeared into thin air, you're not imagining it.

I've had several physician moms ask me how I find au pairs when the agency websites seem completely picked over. And since I'm currently searching for a new au pair myself, the timing felt perfect to pull back the curtain on exactly how I do it.

This is not a conversation about choosing an agency or comparing program fees. This is about creating a process that keeps you organized, efficient, and significantly less likely to lose your mind during the search.

Because if you're anything like me, you already have a career, a family, and approximately 47 other responsibilities. Spending hours scrolling through profiles only to forget who you've already contacted is not the best use of your time.

In this episode, I'm sharing the system I built during our last search, the one that helped us find an amazing au pair who stayed with our family for years. You'll hear why I start outside the agency apps, how I organize candidates, where I actually find people, and the simple preparation that makes the entire process smoother.

In this episode, I discuss:

• Why the au pair apps may not be the best place to start your search
• The simple organizational system that keeps candidates from slipping through the cracks
• How I use Facebook groups strategically without getting trapped scrolling for hours
• What information I track for every candidate
• The message template that saves me time and helps start conversations quickly
• Why preparation matters more than most people realize

Finding childcare support shouldn't feel like a second full-time job.

A little organization on the front end can save you hours of frustration later.

🎧 Listen now and let me show you the system that's making my current au pair search much less painful.

What did you think of the episode, doc? Let me know!

Subscribe to ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube

Connect with me: Website | Instagram | Facebook

Join my Email list to get tips on navigating motherhood in the medical field.

If you are going through a transition -- becoming a parent, leaving a job, figuring out how manage it all, schedule a strategy coaching session and get clarity and strategic next steps for the life and career you want.

Strategy Coaching Session with Dr. Toya

Hey Doc,

Were you taught that patients lie?

I was.

Somewhere during training, the idea got planted that our job is to uncover the truth because patients won’t always tell it. Then I became an attending and started experiencing it myself.

You spend twenty minutes counseling a patient. You draw diagrams. You answer questions. You document everything.

Then somehow…

“Nobody explained that to me.”

“The doctor never told me.”

“I never saw the doctor.”

If you’ve ever walked back to your office wondering whether you’re losing your mind, this episode is for you.

What surprised me is that it wasn’t until I left traditional practice that I gained enough distance to see these situations differently. And recently, while helping run our HVAC business, I watched my husband experience the exact same thing physicians deal with every day.

A customer insisted he hadn’t been told something that had been explained multiple times.

Sound familiar?

In this episode, I’m talking about why these interactions can feel so demoralizing, why they contribute to resentment and burnout, and how a little compassion can sometimes protect you more than the other person.

Not because patients are always right.

But because carrying around the belief that it’s you versus them is exhausting.

In this episode, I discuss:

• Why “patients lie” may be one of the most harmful lessons we learn in training
• How being repeatedly questioned can create resentment and burnout
• The surprising parallels between medicine and running an HVAC business
• Why people often misremember conversations without malicious intent
• How documentation protects us when memory and perception don’t match
• The role compassion plays in preserving your career longevity

If you’ve ever felt unseen, misunderstood, or questioned after doing your absolute best for a patient, this episode is my reminder that I see you.

And I believe you.

🎧 Listen now.

What did you think of the episode, doc? Let me know!

Subscribe to ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube

Connect with me: Website | Instagram | Facebook

Join my Email list to get tips on navigating motherhood in the medical field.

If you are going through a transition -- becoming a parent, leaving a job, figuring out how manage it all, schedule a strategy coaching session and get clarity and strategic next steps for the life and career you want.

Strategy Coaching Session with Dr. Toya