Instagram story viewer> @thenancisanchez> Posts

Nance Nanci

@thenancisanchez

2.1K

followers

2742

following

Helping ambitious working moms stop letting work take over their life.
FROM overworked → TO confident + in control

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

I had advocated for what I needed and felt good about my decision.

Then my boss asked if I really needed to work remotely that day.

My first instinct?

“Never mind. I’ll just come in.”

And that response made me pause.

Why was I so quick to take back something I had already decided I needed, just because someone questioned it?

I’m learning that advocating for yourself isn’t only about being brave enough to ask.

It’s also about trusting yourself enough to stand by your decision when someone pushes back.

So now I’m practicing something different.
Before I explain myself, apologize, or change my answer, I pause and ask:
Do I actually want to change my decision, or am I just uncomfortable because someone questioned it?

If you’re working on trusting yourself more too, you’re not alone.

Hola, I’m Nanci, a corporate working mom of two, figuring out motherhood, career, ambition, and who I’m becoming along the way. taken in Houston, Texas by @thenancisanchez

28

2

a day ago

Finding yourself again after motherhood sounds a little dramatic… until you realize how easy it is to lose pieces of yourself in the routines, responsibilities, work, and taking care of everyone else.

And maybe “finding yourself” doesn’t have to mean making some huge life change.

Maybe it starts with trying something new.
A new hobby.
 Going somewhere by yourself. Signing up for the class. Starting the page. Wearing the outfit. Doing the thing you keep saying, “one day.”
I know we all have responsibilities.

I’m not saying ignore them. I’m saying make a little space for yourself, too.

So here’s my challenge before October ends:

Try ONE thing you’ve been wanting to try.
Tell me in the comments what it is so we can hold each other accountable.

Hi, I’m Nanci. I’m a corporate working mom of two, and I’m learning there’s still so much of myself left to discover.

I dare you to give yourself permission to dream big again. But first, try something new. taken in Glow Up Pilates & Wellness by @thenancisanchez

38

10

2 days ago

Working-mom mornings can feel like a race before the workday even starts, so I’ve been trying to make mine feel a little less chaotic.

A few things that help me:
1. Pick out my outfit the night before.
2. Pick out the kids’ outfits the night before.
3. Limit morning decisions. If I can decide it the night before, I do.
4. Pause and take a breath. Not everything has to feel like an emergency just because we’re trying to get out the door.

Am I perfectly calm every morning? Absolutely not. 😂

But I’m learning that a smoother morning isn’t always about waking up earlier or moving faster. Sometimes it’s about having fewer things to figure out at 7 AM.

Working moms, what’s ONE thing you do to get everyone out of the house on time?

Drop it below because I’m taking notes. 👇🏽 by @thenancisanchez

12

0

4 days ago

I’ve been in corporate longer than I’ve been a mother, and my workplace has seen me through different seasons of life.

It knew me before motherhood.
 It saw me become a new mom.
 And now, almost five years later, it sees me as a working mom with completely different priorities.

No one really prepares you for how much motherhood can change the way you show up at work.

I’m still ambitious. I still want to grow. But I value my time differently now.

Motherhood made me bolder at work.
I’m learning to ask for what I want instead of hoping someone notices I’m ready. To stop saying yes to everything just to prove I can handle it. To be more intentional about what gets my time and energy.

I love my job. I care about my career. And yes, I still have big goals.

But I’m building a life, not just a career.
Someday, I’ll be 80 years old looking back at this season. I want her to be proud of what I accomplished, but even more proud of how I lived while accomplishing it.

Motherhood didn’t make me less ambitious.

It made me more intentional about the woman, mother, and professional I’m becoming.

Funny how dads are just called working professionals, but moms are working moms. So this space is for us.

For the corporate moms navigating ambition, motherhood, guilt, growth, school drop-offs, big meetings, and even bigger dreams.
And one of my favorite parts? Watching other corporate baddies do it too. Seeing women build successful careers and lives they’re proud of reminds me that it’s possible.
If she can, why not us?

Follow for more real talk about motherhood, corporate life, and going after the big dreams anyway. by @thenancisanchez

53

0

5 days ago

Taking care of everyone… and remembering I’m on the list too.

Gracias @hr_eurohair for always making me feel like me again! by @thenancisanchez

93

21

5 days ago

And you know what?

The conversation wasn’t nearly as scary as the one I had been having in my head.

I had already imagined the no.
The awkwardness.
The judgment.
The worst-case scenario.

Meanwhile, the person I actually needed to talk to had no idea I was struggling with this one thing.

Because I was still showing up.
Still working hard.
Still getting it done.

Sound familiar?

Before you have the conversation, prepare your nervous system—not just your talking points.

Take the walk.
Breathe.
Write down what is fact versus what you’re afraid might happen.

Then get clear on the one thing you need to ask for.

Because confidence isn’t walking into the room knowing they’ll say yes.

Confidence is trusting yourself enough to ask without knowing the answer.

You can love your job and still need one thing about it to change.

But give the conversation a chance before you decide nothing can change.

That conversation you’ve been thinking about having with your boss?

This is your sign.

Have it.

Then DM me “I DID IT.” I can’t wait to hear how it went. taken in Houston, Texas by @thenancisanchez

95

4

a month ago

You just need something that makes you feel alive outside of work, too.

For a while, work was taking up way too much space in my life.

Not just my time—my identity.

So I started intentionally building a life outside of it.

Making sourdough.
Volunteering.
Spending time with my kids.
Getting involved in my community.
Random days off.

Things that remind me I’m a whole person outside of my job title.

Your career can be important without becoming your entire identity.

What are you doing outside of work that makes you feel alive again? taken in Houston, Texas by @thenancisanchez

45

1

a month ago

And just like that… I made my first sourdough! 🍞

I’ll share more about the experience soon, but for now, we’re celebrating the win.

Now tell me: are you in your sourdough era too? Drop your best recipes + tips below because I’m officially invested. taken in Pearland, Texas by @thenancisanchez

70

15

2 months ago

You answer the message immediately.

You stay later than you need to.

You take on the extra task.

Not because anyone necessarily asked you to.

Because somewhere along the way, you started believing being a “good employee” meant always being available.

And now you want more flexibility… but you’re scared asking for it will make you look less committed.

So instead of having the conversation, you keep proving.

More hours.
More yeses.
More availability.

That’s the problem.

You’re trying to earn the right to ask for flexibility by overworking first.

Instead, get clear on what flexibility you actually need, how it would work with your responsibilities, and how you’re going to communicate it.

Because the conversation isn’t:

“I don’t want to work as hard anymore.”

It’s:

“How can I continue performing at a high level while creating a work structure that is sustainable for me?”

You don’t need to become less ambitious.

You need to stop believing your worth has to be proven through overworking.

I have ONE spot left for my 90-Minute Career Confidence Intensive — $111.

If you know you need more flexibility but keep rehearsing the conversation instead of having it, bring me that exact situation.

We’ll work through what you want, what you’re afraid they’ll think, and exactly how you want to approach the conversation.

DM me INTENSIVE for the last spot. taken in Houston, Texas by @thenancisanchez

48

4

2 months ago

Being the first one in the office and the last one to leave is no longer a flex.

I was the first one in the office today.

And yesterday, I was the last one to leave.

There was a time when I would’ve felt proud of that.

Because as a working mom in corporate, staying late can start to feel like proof.

Proof that you’re committed.
Proof that you deserve the promotion.
Proof that no one can question how hard you work.

But when your workday keeps stretching into the hours you wanted to give your family, that “proof” starts costing you.

Here’s the shift I’m practicing:

Before staying late just because everyone else is still working, I ask:

“What actually needs to be completed today?”

If the priority is handled, the communication is sent, and the rest can wait until tomorrow, I let tomorrow have it.

You do not have to be the last car in the parking lot to be valuable at work.

Be excellent while you’re there.

Then go home.

Follow me for practical ways to grow your career without giving your job every hour your family gets. taken in Houston, Texas by @thenancisanchez

21

6

2 months ago

I went to a concert this weekend, sang every @thegroupduelo song like I didn’t have a job, and somehow they still expect me to show up tomorrow. 😂

Monday is loading, and I already know what’s coming:

“Hey, quick question…”

“Do you have a minute?”

“Can you help me with something really quick?”

And somehow that “quick” question turns into 45 minutes and three more things on my list.

But here’s the reminder I’m taking into Monday:

I don’t have to immediately solve everything just because someone brought it to me.

I can pause.

I can decide what’s actually urgent.

I can finish what I’m already working on before taking on someone else’s request.

You can be dependable at work without being available to everyone at all times.

But tonight?

I’m still mentally at the Duelo concert.

Working women: are you ready for Monday or still pretending it isn’t coming? taken in Houston Toyota Center by @thenancisanchez

69

8

2 months ago

You finally said no to staying late at work.

You said, “I can’t stay tonight.”

But instead of feeling relieved on the drive home, you feel guilty.

Did I let my manager down?
Do they think I’m not committed?
Should I have just stayed?

So you start thinking about how to make up for saying no.

Maybe you answer emails from home.

Offer to come in early tomorrow.

Or send another message explaining why you couldn’t stay.

Here’s what I want you to notice:

You said no to overtime, and then immediately felt like you had to prove you’re still a good employee.

Before you explain, apologize, or offer something else, ask yourself:

“Did I not do my job today, or did I simply say no to working beyond my scheduled hours?”

Those are two very different things.

If you completed your responsibilities and communicated clearly, you do not need to turn your no into a yes from home.

Try this the next time you’re asked to stay late:

“I’m not available to stay late tonight, but I can pick this back up tomorrow morning.”

Then stop.

No apology.

No five-sentence explanation.

No opening your laptop later because guilt convinced you that you have something to make up for.

The goal isn’t to stop caring about your career.

It’s to stop using your availability as proof that you’re committed to it.

Save this for the next time you say no to overtime and spend the whole drive home wondering if you should’ve said yes. taken in Houston, Texas by @thenancisanchez

136

4

2 months ago