Whitney Molitor is a mother to two girls, a wife, and a Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in eating disorders, body image, and disordered eating. Above and beyond her titles, Whitney is a Minnesotan at heart and a woman passionate about connecting with other women and storytelling.Julia and Whitney’s conversation was truly just that - a real conversation where they shared their experiences with conception, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Whitney was humble, genuine, and vulnerable as she offered her story to A Podcast for Moms. This episode will speak to any woman looking to reflect on and honor their experience becoming a mom.We Discuss: The conception, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experiences with both of Whitney’s daughtersWhitney’s intention/plan for her first birth and her experience with hypnobirthingPostpartum depression and anxiety – Whitney referred to the first 4 months postpartum - with her first daughter - as the hardest time of her lifeJulia shares about the suffering she experienced after there was a “rapture” from her birth plan during her first pregnancyWhitney shares her breastfeeding journey with her first daughter and how chiropractic work and craniosacral therapy aided them on their journeyHow shame around her birth and breastfeeding experiences kept Whitney from receiving supportWhitney references the emotional and physically healing practices she has pursued to care for herself postpartumWhitney shares about her postpartum experience with her second daughter and what she did differently to better support her and her family: being okay with hiring outside support and letting go of the notion that we “have to do it all” Whitney and Julia share their experiences with relinquishing control in parenting, the power of surrendering, the emotional load of motherhood, and the journey of parenting as opposed to arriving to a “destination”Powerful Words from Whitney: Speaking to a Change in Her Birth Plan: “That also was another pivotal point of feeling really crushed because I had such a strong attachment to, ‘I need to do it this way’…”On healing trauma: “I don’t necessarily think that it was the actual birth that was traumatic to me… I think the word trauma is - [sometimes we so often] view it as oh I have to be a war veteran or I have to go through this terrible abuse to say that I’ve gone through trauma -but, I personally I think trauma is anytime we disconnect from - our nervous system just gets flooded and we go into fight, flight, or freeze and it’s really hard for us to integrate back into our body and I think that birth experience was the catalyst to me experiencing postpartum depression and anxiety because of how much shame and disappointment I felt towards myself and the experience…”Describing her postpartum experience:  “The beautiful thing - I needed to crack to that degree to find my place in motherhood and to find my feet and to find stability but it took a lot of time and a lot of support…”On the power of sharing our stories: “It’s essential as women, not even just mothers, but as women for us to find a space where we can share our stories and our truths without the other person or group of people needing to fix it, change it, or interject with their agenda…”Resources:Instagram: @WhitMolitorMentions:HypnobirthingBirth Story Listening

Gina Janc is a grounded force - her steadfast energy immediately reminds you to be a little gentler with yourself.  When Julia asked Gina to describe herself, Gina began with what was most true to her - she is a mother, daughter, granddaughter, great granddaughter, a deeply spiritual woman, and she is a lover of deep, vulnerable relationships. She is also a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.Gina is the founder of Bring Back the Village. She offers Talk Therapy, Parenting Circles, Parent Ceremonies, and a Prenatal Bonding E-Course.The only thing constant in motherhood is change. Our conversation will encourage you to make peace with what is in your life - today - and it will inspire you to create space for the little things that invite self-regulation. We Discuss:Gina’s transition to motherhood and how honoring her maternal lineage acted as a source of healing during that transitionGina’s experience as a LMFT and how being a LMFT has informed her motherhood experienceA story from Gina’s daughter’s birth -- she describes her transition to motherhood as “disorienting” and “compartmentalized” The practices Gina uses to feel integrated and regulated Gina shares about her experience as step-mom Gina speaks to the importance of self-care and “making peace with what is”Gina’s maternal lineage and how she is working to shift what she received from previous generationsJulia and Gina discuss Pandemic Parenting and Gina provides helpful suggestions and reflection questions for navigating parenthood and supporting our children during the pandemicCultivating community and accessing the “village” within yourselfGina’s closing advice to the listeners: tenderness, self love, and finding little ways to be gentle with ourselvesPowerful Words from Gina:On Motherhood: “Motherhood is humbling.. My transition into motherhood was very humbling, brought me to my knees, still brings me to my knees. And, yes, I had the education, and the experience and I was still really rocked by the experience and I don’t think I realize how, the identity shifts I would go through as a mother, and the soul level transformation…”On the Birth of Her Daughter: “...in that moment, it felt like, maybe a piece of me or a part of me, I lost or I was losing myself or this transformation was happening that I knew I could never go back to who I was before, that something new was emerging in me and what is this and what’s happening and it was very disorienting…” On Self-Care: “... in any way that I can welcome in some self-compassion, so that I can take care of myself without thinking, ‘oh it used to be different or oh you should be working out more or you should be this or you should be that’, and I’m just kind of now more at peace with what is - you know, ‘what do I need today and how can I give that to myself?’”On Honoring Her Maternal Lineage: “When I became a mother, I felt a sense of gratitude for my own mother and all the other women who mothered me in my life, because it was this understanding of like, oh wow, there’s no special magic to being a mother… one day you’re a person and the next day you give birth… and now you’re a mother and here you are with all of your stuff and your wounds and your insecurity and your fears...and even the things that were passed down to you from previous generations and I think motherhood awakens you to that...And what am I going to do with that? How can I shift that for my daughter and for future generations?... It’s accepting all of it, the light and the shadow of it...” On Community: “There is something really special about women being supported by other women, especially in...

In her own words, “Jacki Carr is a goal coach, motivational speaker and mama. As a leader in transformation, she works with people to amplify their voices and expand their vision and goals to better the future of the World. She is a Senior Lightyear Leadership Coach and has worked with companies like lululemon, MINDBODY, Patagonia, and The North Face and truly values companies who care for their people and the Earth.”Julia has been drawn to Jacki for years - she is enamored by her witty intellect, love of books, her magnetic energy, and her mindful perspective. Therefore, she was so grateful that Jacki agreed to join the podcast to provide deep insights and deep laughs. We Discuss:Life pivots and what it feels like to no longer recognize nor relate to past versions of yourselfInstagram: the performative nature of Instagram; the mental, emotional, and psychological impacts of social media and IG; boundaries - both with what you post and how often you’re on the platform; the complex nature of using social media/IG as a tool for creating community, social activism, and learning Motherhood: Jacki shares heartfelt stories from her pregnancies and how it helped her to start loving her body; her postpartum experiences; what it has been like to mother two daughters; and how motherhood has shaped her and her approach to visions and goalsVisions and Goals: Jacki provides tangible advice for setting visions and goals during life pivots and times of uncertainty (like motherhood) - she shares the beauty of choice, staying curious in uncertainty, embracing failures, and leaving room for the unknownQuestions Jacki Left Us to Ponder: Where is community created if not on social media? Where do we find community off of social media?“How are you cultivating community within what you are consuming? And if you’re not, can you?”Powerful Words from Jacki: On Motherhood: “I really found that motherhood slapped me in the face, in the most graceful, loving way. Like a love slap. And was like, ‘hey wake up, it’s gonna be different now, you gotta make some different choices, you gotta feel your way around, you fell in love with this body, cool now it’s time to listen to that love…”On Parenting: “...parenting is such a reflection, moment to moment, second to second, of how you’re showing up, where your nervous system is at, and how you recover… especially when tired or a little sad about the world or climate change or whatever it may be...and hold two emotions at one time, there’s so much love and responsibility for your child while also navigating your own inner dialogue and emotions…On Motherhood/Parenting: “Again you have to be in this space of listening… sometimes we get this idea and notion that motherhood is so much about leadership and guiding your child and shaping your child. I think that’s only a small part of it - for me, it’s so much about listening to who they are and navigating from that place and it’s daunting, Julia, because it can change your vision, it can change your goals in a snap.”On Visions and Goals: “I used to cling so tightly to my goals, which can be pretty performative, you want to check a goal off because people might have read it or saw you post about it. And yet the human experience has grace, delete and edit and those buttons are because of uncertainty and mistakes and take twos and children that show you a different way of being. So I always have more than one vision, you can write your goals in pencil, and I befriend uncertainty as most likely the only constant that is available.”On Goals and Community: “Goals don’t happen without community.”Resources: Website:

Julia invited Jessie Gardner to be a guest on the podcast because she absolutely loves the way Jessie writes about life and motherhood. Jessie - a mom to three young girls - lives intentionally through ritual and she is passionate about the mindful cultivation of food and soil.During our conversation, Jessie shares the journey that led her to the powerful practices of intention and ritual. She also explains how living with intention guided her to develop a life centered around nature, growing her own food, and nurturing healthy soil.We Discuss: How Jessie’s experience in a toxic, corporate environment led her to creating small, daily rituals rooted in intention and adventureJessie’s daily rituals inspired her to leave her corporate job and start a mindful business - Hey SoulJessie explains how and why her family made the intentional choice to move from California to Austin, TX - a decision that required them to move away from their families and life-long friendsWe discuss Jessie’s journey to land stewardship and the link between soil health, gut health, and climate changeJessie shares the inspiration behind the permaculture garden she is building in her own backyard and why she prioritizes ample outdoor time for her daughtersJessie explains how toxic chemicals used in lawn care  - like glyphosate - impact our overall health and she provides resources to combat toxic chemicals in your own neighborhood and community (see below)Jessie’s suggests tapping into local FaceBook Gardening Groups and the organization, Farmer’s Footprint, for gardening resources (see below)Jessie’s advice for starting a garden: begin with what’s easy and be honest about what you can maintainJulia and Jessie talk about parenting during the pandemic - Jessie shares her experience balancing work life with homeschoolingJessie vision for her future: connecting multi-generations around the soilResources: Instagram:HeySoul__Resources for Land Stewardship: Farmers FootprintRegenerationInternational.orgNon-Toxic Neighborhoods  - to ban use of glyphosate in your local HOA, city or stateArticles and Books: The Ancestral Wisdom of our Lands by Jessie GardnerBraiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall KimmererYour Story is Your Power by Elle Luna

On this solo episode, Julia, the host of A Podcast for Moms, reflects on the birth chart reading she had with last week’s guest, Ashley Tracey. She specifically speaks to what she learned about the central theme of her life and some of her core truths; her tendency to over-intellectualize things; her shadow side; and her purpose. She also shares what she learned about her daughter’s birth chart and how the reading helped to affirm a lot of her parenting choices.And, Julia advocates for conscious, intentional parenting and her belief that every child needs something a little different from their parents.Links to Things Referenced:APFM EP 11 with Ashley Tracey: Using Astrology to Consciously Parent and to Better Understand YourselfAshley TraceyElena Brower

Ashley Tracey - Libra Sun, Sagittarius Moon, Aquarius Rising - is an astrologer and self-proclaimed “science nerd”. Ashley has a background in nutritional biochemistry - she specifically studied the impacts of nutrients on a cellular level. She has been practicing and teaching astrology for the last 10 years.Ashley became a first time mom last year during an astrological transit in her chart - don’t worry, she explains what that means during our conversation. And, as a new mom, Ashley began to focus on the ways in which astrology can help us to better understand our children and to consciously parent. During our conversation, Ashley explains what your birth chart is and the meaning behind some of the basic terminology found in astrology; she shares about her journey to motherhood and her first year as a new mom; she describes how she has used astrology to navigate parenting and postpartum; and, Ashley explains how a birth chart helps you to better understand yourself and how it can help you to nurture your child in their own unique development.We discuss:What led Ashley to astrology Her experience becoming a first time mom during the pandemic - she shares about her pregnancy during quarantine, her breastfeeding challenges, and what was happening astrologically for her when she conceived and when she had her daughterAshley shares what she gleaned from her own chart to support herself in her first year postpartum and how she processed the shadows that came up for her after her daughter’s birthAshley explains the differences between reading an adult’s birth chart and a child’s birth chart and how understanding our children’s birth chart can help us to best nurture themAshley shares her personal experiences leveraging astrology to help her make decisions as a parentWe also talk through what your birth chart is and the meaning behind some of the basic terminology found in astrologyPowerful Words from Ashley:“...astrology really is a language, it’s like learning a language. So, even if it doesn’t make sense to you now, you can learn it - just like you do learn a language. And, the language of astrology is planets and zodiac signs in certain houses in our birth chart.”“[your birth chart] is your soul signature…”“...childbirth, for me, also in that womb space brings up a lot of issues or traumas or past hurts that are contained within that space. So during the postpartum period and through the year was a lot of healing work on that mother-part, for myself, so it was taking care of a beautiful little girl but also taking care of myself…” Speaking to generational trauma: “I’m exactly where I’m meant to be right now. And this is the work I’m meant to be doing right now. Because it’s so easy to distract with so many other things... but in reality it’s like you need to do this... it was this feeling of, I want this to stop here...so I do the work now.”Speaking to the shadow: “..that shadow is to show us where things may need to be transformed and reworked and healed so you come out the other side, lighter…”Resources:Website:https://ashleytracey.com/Instagram: @ashleytracey_soul_centeredAshley’s Offerings:1 on 1 ReadingsCosmic Soul Membership

Olivia Hughes is a first-time mom navigating the beautiful dance of the first year of motherhood. Olivia holds a Master’s in Spiritual Psychology and she is a leader in the yoga, healing, and consciousness communities. She supports other women (and men) as a mentor, yoga teacher, and Reiki Master.During our conversation, Olivia shares about her current work - the work she is doing at home. She said, “our healing is our job and our healing is our work.” We explore how she is honoring the shadow side of motherhood and how Olivia sees birth and life as a ritual and a ceremony.We discuss:Honoring our shadows in a safe and healthy way How our families’ of origin shaped our ideals for our own families and how we are tending to past wounds from childhoodCoping with being triggered in motherhoodSupporting the men/divine masculine as we stay connected to our feminist rootsThe powerful work we do at home at home with ourselves and with our families How Olivia created a pregnancy and home birth experience that was on her own termsRitual and Ceremony and finding ritual and ceremony in the mundane Powerful Words from Olivia:“Our children are here to be our deepest teachers and greatest healer.”On Partnership: “How can I help you understand me? How can I listen with my heart?”On Mothering: “Do I want to be perfect or do I want to be real?”“The work of the home is powerful.”On Birth: “I knew it was going to be just me walking through that gate…”“Everything is a ritual. Everything is a ceremony.”Resources: Website:https://www.theomexperience.com/Instagrams:@YogaLiv@TheOMExperienceIn Person Donation Yoga in San Diego:Sunday at 11AM in Balboa Park at the corner of 6th and LaurelVirtual Women’s Circle:Wednesdays @ 12PM PST, starting in NovemberVisit https://www.theomexperience.com/ to sign up for Olivia’s newsletter and/or follow her on instagram to receive updates and to register

On this solo episode, Julia, the host of A Podcast for Moms, gives a short podcast update and she reflects on what it’s been like to get to know herself in motherhood and how motherhood has shaped her current experience with her friendships and her community. Julia’s reflections were prompted by the conversation she had with EP 08’s guest, Chyla Walsh. As she shares, Julia includes personal stories about overcoming alcoholism and addiction, some childhood experiences that have informed how she shows up as a mom, and the beauty she has found in surrendering to what is and being okay with “the unknowingness of not knowing who [she is].”Links to Things Referenced:APFM EP 08: Transforming Birth and Postpartum: From Humility & Pain to Healing & Empowerment with Chyla WalshAPFM EP 05: The Expansive Nature of Motherhood with Dr. Nikki SammetThe What Nik Knows PodcastJacki Carr

Chyla Walsh is a mama, an entrepreneur, a teacher, a creative soul, and a soul on a mission. She currently resides in her home state of Pennsylvania. Shortly before Chyla became a mom, she launched Female Rebels - Female Rebels offers in person and online workshops, courses, and retreats where women gather to remember their divinity.During our conversation, Chyla shares about her offerings through Female Rebels; her journey into motherhood; the hardships she faced during her first pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experiences; the healing and empowerment she experienced during her second pregnancy and birth; and her forthcoming program, Thresholds. We Discuss:Chyla’s early life and her first awakening - when she was living alone in college, away from her big familyChyla shares about how she found yoga and the profound changes and growth the practice created in her lifeChyla tells the story of how she launched Female Rebels, met her partner, and got pregnant all within a year and a halfChyla speaks to how she is bringing her creative-self and her mothering into alignment with one another, she said: “[I am] full on in creator mode and also full on in mom mode.” Chyla shares her experience as maiden - the time she spent with herself before she became a mom Chyla describes what it was like to enter into a relationship with her partner, who already had a son, and her experience becoming a soul mom Chyla speaks to the trauma of losing her community when she moved from Santa Barbara to Atlanta Chyla shares her about her pregnancy journey and birth story with her first daughter: she experienced a lot of physical pain and financial uncertainty during her pregnancy and her planned home birth turned into an unexpected c-sectionChyla shares her postpartum experience, she said: “the most humbling experience of my life was having my daughter” and “... the experience of becoming a mother, I almost feel like it’s unfair to say it but it was a very painful experience.”Chyla shares about her second pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experiences: she had the energy to be creative during pregnancy - she channeled her forthcoming program, Threshold; she shares the practices she used to care for herself; and, she describes the experiences as “a healing and source of empowerment...”Chyla also said that having a positive birth experience: “radically shifted my life and postpartum experience...”As she shares the heart of Threshold, Chyla said: “...what is your authentic essence, who is she, may we remember her, may we come back to her as frequently as we can, and may we share this with our child because this is who our child came into.”Chyla’s message to the Mothers: Find CommunityResources:Website:https://www.femalerebels.com/Instagram:@ChylaWalsh@Female_RebelsLinks to Things Referenced:Threshold

Cecelia Sterling is the owner of Vocabulary Boutique, mom to a 3 year old, and she stylishly moves through life with grace and self-acceptance.During our conversation, Cecelia shares about her entrepreneurial journey owning Vocabulary Boutique and how motherhood has led her to finding her own way.We Discuss:Cecelia shares about her life before becoming a mom: how she began her journey into fashion, clothing, and design and the launch of Vocabulary Boutique in September 2009Cecelia and Julia discuss how Cecelia navigated running Vocabulary right after she had her daughter, Lillian, 3 years agoCecelia shares about her daughter’s sleep journey and it led her to cultivating a daily yin yoga and meditation practiceCecelia followed her intuition and decided to not place her daughter in childcare - Julia asks her “how she does it all?” and Cecelia explains how she runs her own business and solely takes care of her daughterCecelia shares her wellness practices and how they have helped her to stay true to herself and her intuitionCecelia and Julia discuss how Cecelia has navigated people questioning her parenting decisionsCecelia said: “...you need to find your own way.”Cecelia and Julia discuss their fears around nannies and Julia shares how she was able to move past her fearsCecelia shares that it’s important for her to be the primary caregiver of her daughter right now and she said, “if her business closes in the meantime, that’s okay.”Julia shares how inspired she is by Cecelia for actively putting motherhood ahead of her businessCecelia shares how she makes style work as a momCecelia shares her vision for what’s next and said “may we blossom, instead of grind.”Resources:Website:https://www.vocabularyboutique.com/Instagram:@VocabularyBoutiqueEmail: hello@vocabularyboutique.comLinks to Things Referenced:Ladies AloudColor Street Nail Stickers Vocabulary Boutique’s Earring Club

Jackie Leonard is a mom of 2, a Southern California Native, a writer, and a curious person. She is also the founder and editor of Motherscope, an online and in-print zine featuring stories about motherhood and stories written by moms from all over the World.During our conversation, Jackie shares about her current exploration of her history and the concept of home, her radical experience receiving midwifery care during her pregnancy and birth, and the power of telling truth and stories.We Discuss:Jackie shares about her current curiosity: exploring her history - she currently working on a “Generations” issue for Motherscope; she is also exploring the concept of homeJackie and Julia discuss the idea of “truth” and memory and Jackie’s plan to write a bookJackie’s thoughts on writing about your own experiences: “lean more into what you remember… validate your own reality and your own truth and how it felt to you...and that’s really hard”Julia shares about her challenges as they relate to publicly talking about her relationship with her momJulia asks Jackie: What would be different in your life if you could put your truth out there?Jackie explains how she processes and shares in a healthy, empowered wayJackie shares the story of how her motherhood journey began when she was in college - with a book called Homebirth - and her incredible experience working with midwives many years laterJackie said the following about midwifery care: “my experience with midwifery and having a midwife that cared for me in pregnancy… the amount of care and the way that I was prioritized and given attention during my pregnancy was something that stayed with me and that I’ve applied to my life since then…as a mom it’s helped me realize that I am important and that focusing on me will help everyone around me. And that wasn't something that was modeled for me…”Jackie shares about her pregnancy experiences and both of her birthsJackie speaks to the boundaries she established and the support system she created before the birth of her second childJackie shares what's going well and what she is currently challenged by as a mom; and how her challenges relate to things she struggled with as a childJackie defines Radical Motherhood as centering the mother - she said, “Normalizing the centering of mothers is radical.”Jackie shares about Motherscope, an online and in-print zine featuring stories about motherhood and stories written by momsMotherscope also offers workshops, writing prompts, and community eventsJackie and Julia talk about how motherhood has reshaped some of their memories and created a new lens for how they perceived things that have happened in their pastResources:Website:https://motherscope.com/Instagram: @Motherscope

Dr. Nikki Sammet is an entrepreneur,  a coach for high achieving women working to align themselves in their life and their business, the host of the What Nik Knows podcast, and a mom. During our conversation, Dr. Nikki shares about the unexpected events that led her to her life’s work, her unfounded fears around motherhood, her experience with postpartum depression and anxiety, social media, and the expansive nature of motherhood.We Discuss: Nikki shares about her background in mindfulness: she learned transcendental meditation from her parents at the age of 10 and she rediscovered mindfulness through yoga in her mid-20sAfter teaching yoga for a number of years, Nikki earned a Master’s in Leadership Development and a Doctorate in Clinical PsychologyAs Nikki pursued her Doctorate, her life took an unexpected turn, she created a wildly successful instagram account for her dog, @paxthedood, and began coaching dog influencers on how to grow social media accountsNikki shares about an organic transition that took place: what initially started as social media coaching naturally transformed into life coaching and Nikki’s current role, she supports high achieving women through business and mindset coachingNikki speaks about her transition to motherhood and her unfounded fears around how motherhood may limit her and her business Nikki shares her birth story - which included preeclampsia and a cesarean Speaking to motherhood, Nikki said: “it was beyond expansive, it turned into more than I could ever expected it to be and so it’s this continual lesson of, we create these stories in our head but they are not actually what comes to fruition”Motherhood helped Nikki to feel more comfortable in her skin; it gave her a voice; and it helped her to establish her prioritiesJulia and Nikki talk about navigating their own lives, careers, and kid’s schedules amid their partner’s demanding jobsNikki shares about her postpartum experiences - specifically her experience with postpartum depression and anxiety and the resources that helped her cope with her experienceBecoming Mama and Beyond is a Facebook Group that Nikki started to keep a group of women from her prenatal yoga class connected - after lockdown, she opened it up and it currently has over 400+ moms from all over the country  Nikki shares about her doctoral research, the impact of social media on millennial women - and, she shares about her positive and negative experiences with social mediaNikki gives a few suggestions for healthy social media habitsResources:Website:https://drnikkisammet.com/Instagrams:@Dr_NikkiPhd@PaxTheDoodPodcast:What Nik Knows Facebook Group:Becoming Mama and Beyond

Dora Hothi of Fuchsia Soul is a modern mystic, coach & artist, professor of Cultural & Historical Studies at London College of Fashion, and mum to an almost 3 year old.During our conversation, Dora shares about her unique approach to pregnancy, her postpartum experience, and her creative and professional roles. The themes intrinsic to our conversation were honoring your own intuition and doing the inner work. We discuss:Dora speaks to why she intentionally waited to become a mom and shares about her life before motherhoodDora describes her “strange” pregnancy, connecting with her intuition, and her intention for cocooning and socially isolating during her pregnancyInner child work, parenting with compassion, and self-judgementNavigating motherhood as she pursues her creative and professional roles outside of the homeSharing the domestic demands with her partner and how they balance their professional responsibilities and personal needsFree government resources provided to families in the UK and the WhatsApp group Dora started for mum’s in her communityPutting yourself out there, going to parent/baby groups, and coping with postpartum through connecting with other momsManaging intrusive thoughts and postpartum anxiety through therapy and self-careDora’s journey to modern mysticism and tarot as inner workJulia shares about the tarot reading she had with DoraDora’s path learning to love her bodyDora is launching a program called “Time to Glow Up”: a 1-on-1 coaching program that helps women heal their relationship with their body (DM Dora on Instagram to learn more, @FucshiaSoul)Dora shares a body-love exercise for momsResources:Website: FuchsiaSoul.comInstagram:@FuchsiaSoulBooks/Websites:The Positive Birth Book by Milli Hill UK’s Children’s Centres

Annie Warshaw is a mom of 3, Co-Founder + CEO of Mission Propelle and Youth Alliance Yoga, a Gender Justice Professor at Roosevelt University, a Skokie School Board Representative, and Julia’s personal favorite, co-host and executive producer of the Sports.com podcast with her son, Grant.Annie shares her approach to parenting and how she navigates her many roles through equitably sharing responsibilities with her partner and including her children in housework. This conversation will inspire you to be strategic at home so you have the time and energy to pursue your passions outside of motherhood. You’ll definitely enjoy a couple of laughs, too.We discuss:The ways in which Annie’s understanding of motherhood changed after she had her first baby - specifically in regard to how society values momAnnie shares how she goes to sleep at night feeling “pretty balanced” with all of her competing priorities and how she does it Mission Propelle and Youth Alliance Yoga, Annie’s two companiesAnnie discusses how she pivoted her business during the pandemic - Mission Propelle is a  consultancy that helps corporations and nonprofits to create sustainable environments for working parentsAnnie offers suggestions to working parents: joining/creating a parenting affinity group and approach the HR department with a clear action item for improvementJulia asks Annie “how she does it” - referring to her many demanding roles, while also being a present, engaged momThe mental load of motherhood and how Annie makes it more manageable by equitably sharing responsibilities with her partner and including her children in houseworkThe importance of being strategic and planning your timeParenting to 3 childrenGender Justice and how Annie brings it into her life and homeAnnie encourages moms to be kinder to themselves Annie’s Family Value: Honesty, Communication, Always be a PunkAnnie’s experiences with IVF, conceiving naturally, her pregnancies, and breastfeedingResources:Websites: Mission Propelle: https://missionpropelle.com/Youth Alliance Yoga: https://www.youthallianceyoga.com/Sports.com Podcast: Sports.com w/ Annie’s Son, GrantInstagrams: Mission Propelle: @mission_propelleYouth Alliance Yoga: @youth_alliance_yogaBooks/Websites:Hunt Gather Parent Seriously Badass WomenPeggy Orenstein - Boys and SexIVF TimesDear Pregnant Folks and Parents on IVF Times

Christa Janine is a single mom, yoga and fitness professional, life coach, model, and an influential activist. Our conversation will inspire you to accept more help so you can continue to pursue your own personal dreams throughout motherhood.We discuss:Christa confidently stepping into life as a new, single mom - pursuing her 2nd Master’s degree 3 months after her son was bornHow the support Christa received allowed her to continue pursuing her goals and dreamsChrista’s transition to owning her own business and becoming an online influencerFinding purpose in setbacksThe Black Lives Matter movement, Christa being raised with Black pride, and how Christa approaches the topic of race with her sonThe importance of having challenging conversations with your kidsThe ways Christa makes space for herself through healthy boundariesHow Christa teaches her son about healthy relationships through her actionsChrista shares the ways in which she has “failed” as a mom and how those “failures” have helped her growLearn More About Christa:Website: https://www.christajaninefit.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christajanine/Links to Things Mentioned:APFM EP 02 w/ Christa Janine

Julia Sparkman is the host of A Podcast for Moms and she is a stay home mom to her vivaciously incredible daughter, Sloan Sage. After overcoming a birth that did not go as planned and 18 months of serious postpartum anxiety and depression, Julia realized that conscious motherhood is a wild, radical revolution. And she’s here for it.Solo Episode Includes:The experiences that led Julia to starting A Podcast for MomJulia’s intention for starting the podcast: connecting with other moms + connecting other moms to each other, creating a platform for moms to learn something from other moms who mom differently than they mom, and promoting intentional parenting + conscious motherhoodJulia shares the Radical Motherhood ManifestoThe episode concludes with Julia’s vision for the future of APFM and she invites other women to join her on this project - Julia does not want to do this alone!Learn More About APFM + Julia:Website: apodcastformoms.comInstagram: @apodcastformoms

A Podcast for Moms is a podcast for moms, about motherhood - hosted by me, Julia Sparkman. I believe that every mom’s path is unique and that we all share one common bond: becoming and being a mother is radical.Please follow + subscribe on your favorite podcast platforms to automatically receive an update when our first episodes launch in July! In the meantime, come say hello on instagram: @APodcastForMomsI am so excited to connect with you and to celebrate MOMS as we revolutionize the world through radical motherhood.