Raise Her Strong.
Watch Her Rise.

Parenting speaker, author, and coach Mary Willcox Smith helps mothers (and fathers!) raise daughters who rise to life’s challenges and their full potential—one moment at a time.

Modern motherhood is no joke.

From electronics dependence to rising anxiety and depression in our kids, today’s mothers face new challenges in building emotionally healthy foundations with their daughters.

Mary Willcox Smith helps parents who feel emotional distance and disrespect from their kids

EMOTIONAL
DISTANCE

Does your daughter seem dismissive or disrespectful of you and all you do?

Are you afraid you are losing touch with your daughter as she grows?

Mary Willcox Smith helps parents address communication frustrations with their children

COMMUNICATION
FRUSTRATIONS

Does every conversation seem to turn into an argument?

Do you struggle to set limits or say no —especially when she gets upset?

Mary Willcox Smith is a parent coach who helps mothers deal with stress, anxiety, and overwhelm

STRESS, ANXIETY
& OVERWHELM

Do you feel like if you don’t keep everyone happy, everything will fall apart?

Do you feel the pressure to push her to excel in everything?

If you say “Ugh. Yes.” to the above,
welcome to motherhood in the modern world.

Parenting comes with a lot of “stuff”—yours, hers, and the world’s.

And while some of it is important, what matters most is how YOU show up in the moment.

Let’s make it easier to get out of your own way and bring out the best in your kids
(and yourself).

Stop battling.

Start building.

Learn to recognize the small, daily moments that build the foundation for connection, character, and confidence

—and help your daughter thrive.

Mary Willcox Smith is a keynote speaker focusing on parenting advice

Parenting Keynotes & Signature Talks

Using a mixture of humor, humility, and hard-won advice, Mary helps mothers build meaningful, empowering connections with their daughters to improve behavior, communication, emotional health, and whole-family dynamics.

Mary Willcox Smith offers one-on-one parent coaching for families

Personalized
Parent Coaching

Offered on a limited basis, Mary’s one-on-one coaching puts an experienced parenting coach in your back pocket.

Designed for moms (and dads!) seeking a customized approach to parenting, because your family is unique.

Habits for Families is a self-paced parenting masterclass by Mary Willcox Smith

Habits for Families Masterclass

Grounded in her proven Microstep Method®, Mary’s signature course gives you access to self-paced videos and tools that offer practical solutions that actually work for you and your family.

The MicroStep Method for the Overwhelmed Parent is a book written by Mary Willcox Smith

Experience
The Microstep Method™

Discover your secret weapon against stress and reactive parenting.

Learn the tiny, intentional actions that pivot you from overwhelmed to empowered and turn challenging situations into opportunities for deep connection and profound personal growth—both for your child and for you.

Mary Willcox Smith is a parent coach, keynote speaker, and author of The MicroStep Method

About

As a mother of four daughters, Mary Willcox Smith encountered the same daily struggles that many parents know so well.

Those “pile-on” moments can easily lead to disconnection, anxiety, frustration, guilt, and helplessness. Determined to empower families to address challenges early and catch worrisome behaviors while they are small, Mary created the MicroStep Method: a simple, research-driven approach that transforms how we show up in our daily interactions to create meaningful connections, growth, and lasting impact.

A Master Certified Life Coach and Positive Discipline Expert, Mary helps navigate the hard parts of parenting so moms (and dads!) can feel empowered, equipped, and ready to handle whatever life — and their kids — throw their way.

One intentional moment at a time.

You don’t have to be ‘Parent of the Year.’ Just be ‘Master of the Moment.’ Small shifts add up, and trust me—the long-term gains are real.”

—MARY WILLCOX SMITH
PARENTING SPEAKER, AUTHOR & COACH

As seen on

  • “Getting Mary’s guidance and outside perspective and support has been invaluable, not just in building and maintaining relationships with my kids but in my confidence in my parenting decisions. I cannot express how incredible this coaching has been.”

    —Kirk W, Father of 5

  • “So helpful and useful! She is down to earth and honest about what might be going wrong while still being positive. I left feeling so empowered as a parent — with really easy-to-implement tricks to help my kids.”

    —Darlene, Mom of 2

  • “Mary's compassion and understanding set her apart. She doesn't sugarcoat parenting, yet leaves the audience inspired and ready for change!"

    —Ellen C., Empower the Girls LLC

  • "Gripping, engaging, compassionate, and composed—Mary's talk is transformational for any listener!"

    —Major General (Rtd) ) Chris McPadden
    CEO Drive Forward LLC
    Dad of 2 thriving adult children

Better parenting moments are just a MicroStep away.

Stop the Sass:

Three Easy Steps to Handling Back Talk Without Backing (or Breaking) Down

Stop the Sass is a parenting guide on handling back talk written by Mary Willcox Smith