Today’s bonus episode feels particularly special to me. I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with author Catalina Margulis to discuss her debut novel “Again, Only More Like You,” which is available NOW in bookstores everywhere! As a Latina author raising four children while pursuing her creative passions, Catalina embodies so much of what Viva la Mami is all about.
From Magazine Editor to Author: Catalina’s Journey
When Catalina joined me, I was immediately drawn to her warmth and openness about her journey. Born in Argentina and raised in Toronto, Canada, Catalina’s path has taken her from journalism and magazine editing to entrepreneurship and now to published author.
“I was living two lives… Then I’d go to the city and I don’t talk about my family. I don’t talk about my kids ’cause that’s bad for business.”
This duality that so many working mothers experience became a central theme in her novel, which explores the friendship between two women on opposite sides of the motherhood spectrum. As she looked for stories that reflected her experience, Catalina remembered the Toni Morrison quote: “If there’s a book that you want to read that hasn’t been written, you get to write it.”
Finding Yourself After Motherhood Takes Over
One of the most powerful moments in our conversation came when Catalina spoke about reconnecting with her authentic self after feeling lost in motherhood:
“I think those early years of motherhood are just so all-consuming. It’s so easy for a lot of us to get lost.”
Her words hit home for me, and I know they will for many of you too. We discussed how motherhood changes you, but doesn’t erase who you were before children. Your desires to travel, create, and self-actualize don’t simply disappear when you become a mom.
The Secret Weapon: Time Sprints
If you’re wondering how Catalina managed to write a novel while raising four kids, she shared her secret weapon: time sprints. Rather than trying to do everything all at once, she works in focused bursts:
“I’m gonna focus on my book for three months or six months, and then I’m gonna focus on the business for third and fourth quarter… Summer I’m really gonna scale back.”
This compartmentalization has allowed her to make room for everything in her life – just not simultaneously. The beauty of this approach is that it makes even the biggest goals feel manageable. When you know you’re just focusing on something for a defined period, it becomes much less overwhelming.
Redefining Self-Care for Creative Moms
Another gem from our conversation was Catalina’s perspective on self-care. Forget bubble baths (though those are nice too!) – for Catalina, true self-care means carving out time for creative pursuits:
“Can I give myself 20 minutes a day for my own dreams and my own passion projects? And the rest of the 23 and a half hours is everybody else’s.”
When she put it that way, it seemed so simple. Twenty minutes a day adds up over time, and those small pockets of creative fulfillment can be enough to keep you connected to yourself amidst the chaos of motherhood.
Embracing Imperfection
I absolutely loved Catalina’s honesty about not being perfect at everything. She freely admitted that she’s terrible at cooking and not great at helping with homework – and that’s okay! She focuses on the things she excels at, like storytelling, entrepreneurship, and personal development.
This permission to be imperfect was so refreshing. As she put it:
“Getting really comfortable with not being a super mom… there are things I’m amazing at, but cooking and homework are not one of them.”
What Motherhood Really Looks Like
When I asked Catalina how she’s redefining motherhood, her answer was powerful:
“It’s messier and funnier and more wonderful than anything I imagined. And anything that we’ve been depicted… mothers, from what I’ve seen, have been very two-dimensional on the screen.”
She spoke about the complexity and nuance of modern motherhood – that we can be mothers and feel conflicted about it, that we can be in marriages and feel conflicted about that too. That being a mother doesn’t mean we’re “just happy to be here” – we want it all, and we can have it all.
Why You Need to Listen to This Episode
If you’ve ever:
- Felt lost in motherhood and disconnected from your true self
- Struggled to balance creative pursuits with family responsibilities
- Looked at your child-free friends with a touch of envy (or if you’re the child-free friend looking at your mom friends with the same!)
- Wondered how to pursue big dreams in small pockets of time
- Battled with mom guilt when focusing on yourself
…then this conversation is for you.
Catalina’s novel “Again, Only More Like You” explores these themes through the friendship of Carmen and Ally – two women navigating their changing relationship as one becomes a mother and the other remains child-free. But our conversation goes beyond the book to offer practical wisdom for any woman trying to reconcile who she was with who she’s becoming.
Show Notes
In this special bonus episode, I talk with author Catalina Margulis about her debut novel “Again, Only More Like You” which releases TODAY, April 29th, 2025! Catalina shares her journey from journalism and magazine editing to becoming an entrepreneur, book coach, and author while raising four children.
In this episode, we discuss:
- How Catalina’s experiences as a working mom inspired her novel’s exploration of friendship between women on different sides of the motherhood spectrum
- The challenge of living authentically while balancing family responsibilities
- Finding creative fulfillment through “time sprints” and dedicated self-care that isn’t just bubble baths
- Overcoming mom guilt when pursuing personal passions and career goals
- Embracing imperfection and focusing on your strengths as a parent
Connect with Catalina Margulis
- Website: catmargulis.com
- Book Website: againonlymorelikeyou.com
- Instagram: @catmargulis
About Our Guest
Catalina Margulis
Catalina Margulis is an author, speaker, book coach, and former journalist and magazine editor. Born in Argentina and raised in Toronto, Canada, she is a mother of four who transitioned from corporate life to entrepreneurship to better balance family and creative pursuits.
