The Motherly Podcast

In this first special episode of Season 2 of “This is Motherhood,” host Joyce Brewer checks in with Pinky Cole, the Founder and CEO of popular vegan burger chain Slutty Vegan, based out of Atlanta. Pinky talks about what’s next for her growing business and why it has been so important for her to give back to her community through her foundation. She also explains what it has been like juggling work with mothering her 10-month-old daughter–and with her son on the way. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Liz speaks with award-winning Young Adult novelist, Caroline Tung Richmond, and Executive Director of We Need Diverse Books, a nonprofit that advocates for changes in the publishing industry to promote literature that reflects the lives of all kids. In this conversation, Caroline talks about the importance of diverse representation in children's literature, why books are a communication tool to talk and learn about diversity and identity with our kids, and what it would have meant for her to see herself reflected in the literature she read as a child. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Liz speaks with Reshma Saujani, the founder of two non-profits, Girls Who Code, which is one of the largest nonprofits in the country with the mission to close the gender gap in technology, and the Marshall Plan for Moms, a new initiative Reshma created dedicated to transforming workplaces and the government to better support mothers and families. Reshma is also the author of three books – and her most recent is Pay Up: The Future of Women and Work and Why It’s Different Than You Think. In this conversation, Liz talks to Reshma about her own personal evolution during the pandemic, why she wants to create a workplace that’s built for women, not just men, and her framework for change. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Chris Bright, the Director of Public Training at the Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ youth, talks to Liz about her transition journey, what growing up was like for her, and why she decided to become a foster parent. Chris also explains what a welcoming and supportive conversation around identity and gender with your kids can look like – and what she’s learned from her experiences about the power of unconditional love, presence, and acceptance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the first LatinX woman to co-direct a Disney animated feature, Charise Castro Smith – who also wrote the Academy Award-winning Encanto – faced a lot of self-imposed pressure (not unlike Louisa, one of the memorable characters she brought to life in the film). In this conversation, she talks to Liz about the imposter syndrome she overcame when working on Encanto, how her priorities radically shifted after she became a mother, and what it was like to bring to life her memorable film during COVID, from her home. She also talks about the similarities between main character Mirabel and herself – and how the animators even modeled Mirabel’s hair after her own. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special bonus episode of This is Motherhood, host Joyce Brewer speaks with Kimberly Seals Allers, the creator of Black Breastfeeding Week, the Irth app, which is a helpful birth resource and community for BIPOC mothers, and host of the Birthright podcast, which highlights stories of joy and healing in Black birth. She is also a leading writer and commentator on birth, breastfeeding and the intersection of race, policy and culture. In this episode, Kimberly talks all about her experience as a BIPOC single mother and how it informed her vision to transform the experience of motherhood for BIPOC women – and why she wants to eradicate racial disparities in birth and breastfeeding and bring joy to all mother’s birth experiences. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special bonus episode of This is Motherhood, host Joyce Brewer speaks with Dr. Kameelah Phillips, an OBGYN, lactation consultant, and advocate for eradicating racism in medicine. Dr. Philips runs her own private practice, Calla Women’s Health, and in this conversation, Joyce and Dr. Phillips discuss racial disparities in maternal healthcare, the health issues that moms of color should be particularly aware of, and how BIPOC moms can best advocate for themselves with medical providers to take control of their health. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week’s special bonus episode of “This is Motherhood,” Emmy Award-winning TV journalist Joyce Brewer checks in with Cheli English-Figaro Co-Founder and President Emerita of Mocha Moms, the premier voice and support group for mothers of color. After Cheli English-Figaro left a successful career as an attorney to be a stay-at-home mother, she looked actively for a community of Black mothers – she and her Co-Founders turned that community she built into Mocha Moms. Mocha Moms now has more than 100 chapters in the U.S. Joyce talks to Cheli about their decisions to become a stay-at-home mother and why they think their families initially reacted with shock, why mothers of color need support systems and communities throughout their motherhood journey, and why all mothers are “working mothers,” whether they get paid for it or not. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Mona Delahooke has more than 30 years of experience as a clinical psychologist caring for children and their families. Now, in her latest book, Brain-Body Parenting, she shares her radical new approach to parenting based on her clinical experience as well as the most cutting edge research in neuroscience and child psychology. In this episode, she talks to Liz about what it means that parents share a nervous system with their child and unpacks the idea of “co-regulation.” She also explains why the concept of “the body budget,” is one of the most important neuroscience discoveries – and why science reinforces the idea of restoring “the village” to mother’s lives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alex Elle is an author, breathwork coach, and a writing to heal facilitator. She’s the author of multiple beautiful books, poetry, and affirmations – and has built a community of 1.3 million followers on Instagram. She also hosts the Hey Girl Podcast. In this conversation with Liz, Alex talks about her personal journey with IVF and what she and her husband learned from the experience. She also talks about her idea of self care as community care – a powerful concept about how caring for ourselves and that nurturing practice can actually lead to generational healing that has a ripple effect on our community. Alex also shares helpful advice for anyone interested in doing their own healing work tapping into their creativity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week’s special bonus episode of “This is Motherhood,” host Joyce Brewer speaks with Jamie Jones, a childbirth educator at Birthsmarter, a doula, a pre- and postnatal corrective exercise specialist, and a certified personal trainer. Jamie’s birth experience and her experience with postpartum depression led her to switch careers, so she could help support other women through the pre-and post-birth experience. Since then, she’s learned so much and Jamie explains why it is so important for BIPOC moms to advocate for themselves when giving birth – she also shares tactics and tools they can use to combat postpartum depression and explains how new moms can motivate themselves to move their bodies during a very exhausting time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Hansa Bhargava is a Board certified pediatrician, Chief Medical Officer at Medscape Education, and mom of two. Now, she has a new book – Building Happier Kids: Stress-Busting Tools for Parents – where she shares actionable steps parents can take to reduce the stress and mental health challenges impacting our children.  Liz talks to Dr. Bhargava about what the evidence says about the basics of healthy eating, sleeping, and unscheduled free time. They also talk about the reset in Dr. Bhargava’s own household benefited both her and her children. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Sheilagh Maguiness is a board certified pediatric dermatologist and Chief product officer of Stryke Club, which provides skincare essentials for teen boys. In this conversation, Liz talks to Sheilaigh about what the latest research says about the link between eczema and allergies and why “natural” ingredients aren’t always better for your baby’s skin. Sheilagh also offers suggestions on how to handle your child’s first signs of acne. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Deborah Gladney and Angela Muhwezi-Hall are co-founders of QuickHire, a successful career platform for service and skilled trade workers that they started during the pandemic from their home in Wichita, Kansas. They also happen to be sisters and Deborah is the mother to three little boys. Together, they talk to Liz about why they decided to start their company to help what they felt was an overlooked segment of the professional world and what their village looks like as sisters and colleagues. Deborah also reflects honestly about what her experience has been like as a Black mother in the tech industry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this very first episode of “This is Motherhood,” host Joyce Brewer checks in Sonia Smith-Kang, the founder and designer of a children's wear line, Mixed Up Clothing, which celebrates and highlights multiculturalism. This is something Sonia knows a lot about firsthand. Sonia grew up in a multicultural, multiracial, and multilingual household, and she's raising a family with the same background. Sonia explains why she started her company and how her childhood and her current family has shaped her understanding of the world. She also talked about her approach to raising her children – and gets candid about some of the tough but important conversations she’s had to have about multiculturalism with everyone from investors to teachers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eve Rodsky is the bestselling author of Fair Play (also a Reese’s Book Club pick) which outlines a system that helps make the invisible work of mothers visible so partners can divide domestic household tasks fairly, based on their own needs. Now she has a new book out, Find Your Unicorn Space and a new podcast Time Out: A Fair Play podcast, aimed to help people prioritize time for activities that not only fill their calendar, but also unleash their creativity and joy. In this episode, Liz talks to Eve about what led her to write Fair Play and become a leader in gender equity, why she wants to banish the word “multi-tasking” from our vocabulary, and why she thinks it is so important for mothers to get interested in their own lives, outside of being a partner, a parent, or a professional. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily Calandrelli isn’t just one of the first women to host a kids science TV show – Netflix’s Emily's Wonder Lab – she also did it nine months pregnant. The scientist, MIT trained engineer, children’s author, and new mother talks to Liz about her unusual career trajectory, her childhood growing up in West Virginia, the challenges she has faced as a woman in STEM, and why she’s so dedicated to making science and STEM fields fun and accessible to kids, especially little girls. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Shefali Tsabary is a renowned clinical psychologist and the New York Times bestselling author of The Conscious Parent and The Awakened Family. In this episode, she talks about why parenting is an opportunity to heal and mother yourself and why the key to raising evolved, independent, and unique children is about giving them space and tapping into their own vital and unique needs. She also offers all listeners of this episode15% off of her Conscious Parenting 2.0 method class on the three core needs of children. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After spending more time at home with her kids during COVID, Rachael Classi noticed a problem – her home was getting cluttered with plastic kids that often sat unused, ready to regift, donate, or toss. That’s why she started Tiny Earth, a circular subscription toy kit, that helps our children develop through age-appropriate, educational toys – and parents model sustainable behavior. In this conversation, Liz talks to Rachael about why she started her company, how losing her mother at a young age influenced her approach to parenting, and offers tips on how parents can declutter for their sake of the earth, and their own sanity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Liz speaks with Eva Chen, the head of fashion partnerships at Instagram and former editor-in-chief of Lucky Magazine and editor at Teen Vogue, about her latest children’s book, I am Golden, which tells the story of a young Asian American girl, and carries a message of self-love and validation. Eva explains why it was so important for her to write this particular children’s book now, how her mother and grandmother shaped her identity, and why she wants all mothers to know that it is never too late to pivot and evolve in your professional life and your personal life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.