In this episode of Mom to MORE®, Sharon Macey welcomes Drew Ann Long, a mom whose Love for her daughter sparked a world-changing idea. What began as a stay-at-home mom’s frustration inside a grocery store became a patented Innovation now found in major retailers across the country, proving that Motherhood can be a powerful engine for impact and reinvention.
Drew Ann shares her journey into the special needs community after her daughter Caroline was diagnosed with Rett syndrome, and how navigating daily life challenges led her to imagine a more inclusive way for families to shop together. With no engineering background and countless rejections from corporate America, she relied on grit, intuition, and classic mom skills to bring Caroline’s Cart to life.
Tune in for an inspiring conversation about motherhood, advocacy, and reinvention rooted in love, necessity, and courage.
[00:00] Introduction [02:36] Motherhood, career shifts, and becoming a stay-at-home mom [04:55] Entering the world of special needs and receiving Caroline’s diagnosis [07:23] What most people do not realize about the special needs community [08:19] The moment Caroline’s Cart was born [10:46] Facing rejection and being dismissed by corporate America [13:25] The financial risks, sacrifices, and early setbacks of entrepreneurship [16:03] Mom skills, fearlessness, and building something from nothing [18:05] Creating demand through social media [23:14] Mom guilt, sacrifice, and redefining what “having it all” really means [25:40] Giving back to the special needs community [29:15] Finding purpose through service and advocacy
Meet my guest, Drew Ann Long:
Website: drewannspeaks.com
Instagram: @carolinescart @drewannlong
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drew-ann-long-3a22a875/
Drew Ann’s nonprofit, Caroline’s Cause, reduces the financial burden of a college Education for students who have siblings with special-needs: www.carolinescause.com
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Keep an eye out for episode #55 of the Mom to MORE® podcast where Sharon is joined by Caroline Aaron, the hilarious Shirley Maisel, on all things motherhood, career and life off-script. Coming soon – you won’t want to miss it ♥
