The Motherly Podcast

The actress and Hello Bello Founder on co-parenting, self-care and how there’s no such thing as other people’s kids.

Valerie Jarrett is the former Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama and the longest-serving Senior Advisor to any U.S. President. Before coming to the White House, Valerie had hired a young Michelle Robinson to work with her in Chicago Mayor Richard Daly’s office back in 1991. Today, Valerie still works with the Obamas, serving as the Senior Advisor to the Obama Foundation, and works with Michelle on a nonprofit called "When We All Vote," whose aim is to spark conversation around our rights and responsibilities in shaping our democracy. She also has a new memoir out called, Finding My Voice: My Journey to the White House and the Path Forward. Beyond her life in public service, Valerie is first and foremost a mom to her only daughter, Laura. In this episode, Valerie chats with Liz about how becoming a mother changed the course of her career, raising Laura as a single working mom, as well as why she never wants any working mom to hide their motherhood identity. After their conversation, hear Ella Davis read her essay, “To all the single moms who feel the intensity of being the only parent—I see you” from Motherly’s website. The Motherly Podcast is hosted by Liz Tenety and produced by Micaela Heck and Samantha Gattsek. Music by The Blue Dot Sessions.  Thanks to our sponsor, Prudential.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After meeting in 2015 through a mutual friend, Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin decided almost immediately to start a home organization business together. Today, The Home Edit’s more than 1.2 million followers on Instagram regularly covet their rainbow-colored images of organized closets, drawers, and pantries, and they have also organized the homes of celebrity moms like Gwyneth Paltrow, Kim Kardashian, Lauren Conrad, and Mindy Kaling. And this past March they published their first book, aptly called “The Home Edit”. In addition to being entrepreneurial organizers, both Clea and Joanna are also moms to two kids each, and we were lucky enough to nab them during their busy book tour to talk about staying organized as a mama. After their conversation, hear Raschael Ash read her essay, “True life: I'm going to stop apologizing for my messy house now” from Motherly’s website. The Motherly Podcast is hosted by Liz Tenety and produced by Micaela Heck and Samantha Gattsek. Music by The Blue Dot Sessions.  Thanks to our sponsor, Prudential.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Country singer Jessie James Decker first came onto the scene in 2009 when she released her debut album, Jessie James. Since then, Jessie has released several more albums, had a hit reality TV series, “Eric & Jessie: Game On” co-starring her husband, NFL star Eric Decker, launched a clothing line called Kittenish, published a book, and is also at work on her very first cookbook.  Amid all of this, Jessie is also the mother to three kids under 7 and has been very open with her fans about the joys and challenges of motherhood. We managed to catch her on-the-go to talk about how becoming a mom shifted her life’s focus, deepened her relationship with her husband, and how she keeps her head above water through it all. After their conversation, hear Colleen Temple read her essay, “True Life: Marriage is feeling lucky + annoyed all in the same day,” from Motherly’s website. The Motherly Podcast is hosted by Liz Tenety and produced by Micaela Heck and Samantha Gattsek. Music by The Blue Dot Sessions.  Thanks to our sponsor, Prudential. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Many people remember Christy as the supermodel who dominated the fashion world in the 80s and 90s. But these days, Christy is becoming better known for her work on improving maternal health around the world. Her nonprofit, Every Mother Counts, which she founded in 2010, has been a leader in raising awareness of the issues with maternal health both in the U.S. and abroad. By partnering with grassroots organizations, providing grants and medical training, and pushing critical policies and legislation in the U.S., Every Mother Counts has had a profound impact on the lives of millions of women and their babies.  In this episode, Christy talks with Liz about the story behind starting her organization, the state of maternal health both in the U.S. and abroad, and her own personal motherhood experience. Following their conversation is an essay from Jacqui Smith called, “I finally have the strength to talk about my traumatic birth,” from Motherly’s website. The Motherly Podcast is hosted by Liz Tenety and produced by Micaela Heck and Samantha Gattsek. Music by The Blue Dot Sessions.  Thanks to our sponsor, Prudential. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Angela Duckworth is a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, and founder and CEO of the Character Lab, a nonprofit advancing the science and practice of character development in children. She is also the author of the New York Times bestseller “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance,” which talks about how the combination of passion and persistence is more important than talent when it comes to succeeding in life.  Angela’s research and ideas have been groundbreaking in the areas of education and parenting, and in this episode, she and Liz talk about how we can instill our kids with grit, how she personally approaches this with her own daughters, and why even though she’s a psychology expert she herself is far from a perfect parent.  Following their conversation is an essay from Katie Walsh called, “Raising hard-working children: How swim lessons taught us to persevere,” from Motherly’s website. The Motherly Podcast is hosted by Liz Tenety and produced by Micaela Heck and Samantha Gattsek. Music by The Blue Dot Sessions.  Thanks to our sponsor, Prudential.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you were young in the early aughts, you probably remember Hilary from her role as the title character of the iconic Disney series, Lizzie McGuire. Today Hilary is better known for starring in another hit series, TV Land’s Younger, in which she plays ambitious young book editor Kelsey Peters.  In addition to Hilary’s extensive acting and music career, in recent years she’s become well known for being outspoken about the joys and challenges of modern motherhood. She’s spoken publicly about her decision to have a home birth and to give up breastfeeding and has shared the admiration she holds for all the fellow moms to her 12.5 million Instagram followers. In this episode, Hilary chats with Liz about being a mom in the spotlight, why she wants to be a part of the larger conversation around motherhood, and how she manages to be the best mom she can be to her 7-year old son Luca, as well as her 8-month-old daughter Banks. After their conversation, hear Emily Glover read her essay, “A Mama’s Job Is Never Done,” — a selection from Motherly's first book, This Is Motherhood, available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.  The Motherly Podcast is hosted by Liz Tenety and produced by Micaela Heck and Samantha Gattsek. Music by The Blue Dot Sessions.  Thanks to our sponsor, Prudential.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In 2010, Katia Beauchamp and her Harvard Business School classmate Hayley Barna started Birchbox without ever having even managed another person before. Today, Birchbox is an enormous enterprise and a true, recognizable leader in the beauty business.  In addition to running her beauty empire, Katia is also the mother of four kids. And recently, Katia’s sharing more about how she uses meditation and mindfulness as a way to put work and family life challenges in perspective.  She also has been vocal about changing the way that we talk about working motherhood, in her case, sharing why she thinks that becoming a mother has made her a much better CEO.  In this episode, Liz and Katia talk about why she passionately believes that moms—and all parents—are an asset to a company (rather than a liability), and how she stays centered as a CEO and mom of four. After their conversation, hear another mom and CEO, Sarah Wells of Sarah Wells Bags, read her essay, “What ‘having it all’ means to me,” from Motherly’s website.  The Motherly Podcast is hosted by Liz Tenety and produced by Micaela Heck and Samantha Gattsek. Music by The Blue Dot Sessions.  Thanks to our sponsor, Prudential.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

LaTonya Yvette is a stylist, writer, and mother of two. In the spring of 2019 she published her first book, Woman of Color, which features essays about the trials and triumphs of her life—from racism, to motherhood and growing up as a woman of color in Brooklyn. She also writes about her life as a single mom on her blog, LaTonyaYvette.com.  In this episode, LaTonya chats with Liz about being a person of color in the predominantly white world of bloggers, finding beauty in the every day and how fashion should be viewed as a form of self-care—especially for moms. After their conversation, hear Jessica Wimer read her essay, “Birth is Just the Beginning,” — a selection from Motherly's first book, This Is Motherhood, now available for pre-order on Amazon and wherever books are sold.  The Motherly Podcast is hosted by Liz Tenety and produced by Micaela Heck and Samantha Gattsek. Music by The Blue Dot Sessions.  Thanks to our sponsor, Prudential.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Elise Loehnen is the Chief Content Officer at Goop, and the well-known right-hand woman of Gwenyth Paltrow. Before coming to Goop, Elise also had a high-powered career in magazines, having worked at Conde Nast Traveler and Lucky. Today, Elise serves as a frequent go-to spokesperson for Goop, co-hosts the Goop podcast, and is a mother to her two sons, Max and Sam.  In this episode, Liz chats with Elise about postpartum depletion, and what our healthcare system can do to better serve women before, during, and after pregnancy.  Keep listening to hear Diana Spalding read her essay, “I Vow To Take Care Of Myself,” from Motherly's book, This Is Motherhood, now available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.  The Motherly Podcast is hosted by Liz Tenety and produced by Micaela Heck and Samantha Gattsek. Music by The Blue Dot Sessions.  Thanks to our sponsor, Prudential.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Reshma Saujani is the Founder & CEO of Girls Who Code, a national nonprofit working to close the gender gap in tech. She has been named on Fortune’s "World’s Greatest Leaders" list and Forbes’s "Most Powerful Women Changing the World" list and is nationally recognized as someone who is truly changing the technology landscape.  In 2010 Reshma became the first Indian American woman to run for Congress but lost to the incumbent Democrat in her district. While the loss was devastating, she learned a lot through the experience of campaigning about the socialization of women and girls, which she writes about in her new book, Brave, Not Perfect.  In this episode, Reshma chats with Liz about her own experience of being a mom to her son Shaan, how we can raise our girls to be risk-takers, and how we as mothers can unlearn the deeply ingrained perfectionism within so many of us. Then, keep listening to hear Haley Campbell, the owner and developer of Beluga Baby, read her essay, “To my daughter—I wish you confidence, courage + kindness” from Motherly’s website. The Motherly Podcast is hosted by Liz Tenety and produced by Micaela Heck and Samantha Gattsek. Music by The Blue Dot Sessions.  Thanks to our sponsor, Prudential.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Surprise! We’re bringing you a special bonus episode in anticipation of the launch of season 2, featuring Motherly co-founders Liz Tenety and Jill Koziol. Listen as they describe their ambitious journey of starting Motherly as new moms themselves, and the struggles of launching a startup in the motherhood space. In this episode, Liz and Jill talk about advice for other women looking to launch their own startup, chat with their respective husbands on what they observed during the birth of Motherly, and Liz reveals the list of business names that Motherly could have been. The Motherly Podcast is hosted by Liz Tenety and produced by Micaela Heck and Samantha Gattsek. Music by The Blue Dot Sessions. Thanks to our sponsor, Prudential. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Melissa Hartwig Urban is the co-founder and CEO of the Whole30—an intensive 30-day dietary program designed to heal your digestive tract and end unhealthy cravings through whole, unprocessed foods. Today, the Whole30 has over 2 million followers across social media platforms and has impacted the lives of people around the world.  In addition to being a busy CEO, Melissa is also a proud mom to her 5-year-old son. And last year, Melissa launched Whole Mamas, a community-inspired online roadmap to help women navigate the entire journey of motherhood, from a Whole30 perspective.  In this episode, Liz and Melissa chat about becoming a single mom early into motherhood, expanding what we think about “self-care,” and rising kids with a healthy attitude towards food.  Following their conversation, hear Sydney Hutt read her essay, “The Strength of a Single Mom,” — a selection from Motherly's first book, This Is Motherhood, now available for pre-order on Amazon and wherever books are sold.  The Motherly Podcast is hosted by Liz Tenety and produced by Micaela Heck and Samantha Gattsek. Music by The Blue Dot Sessions.  Thanks to our sponsor, Prudential.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Actress Caterina Scorsone is best-known for her role as the passionate and rebellious Dr. Amelia Shepherd on the iconic series, Grey’s Anatomy. Beyond her life on set, Caterina is also the mother to two girls, 6-year old Eliza and 2-year old Paloma.  Paloma was born with Down syndrome—a chromosomal condition associated with intellectual and developmental delays. And since Paloma’s birth in 2016, Caterina has become a prominent voice on social media for raising awareness about the condition. In this episode, Caterina shares how she processed her daughter’s condition, and learned to embrace her daughter’s differences rather than view them as “disabilities”.  After their conversation, hear Maria Rohan read her essay, “Parental Coping: A Child with a Disability in a Cold World,” from Motherly’s website. The Motherly Podcast is hosted by Liz Tenety and produced by Micaela Heck and Samantha Gattsek. Music by The Blue Dot Sessions.  Thanks to our sponsor, Prudential.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tiffany Dufu frequently states that her life’s work is advancing women and girls, and her resume is certainly good proof of that. She has worked to increase women’s representation in government by serving as president of The White House Project, was a founding member of Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In initiative, and most recently founded The Cru—a peer coaching service for women looking to jumpstart their careers. In 2017, Tiffany wrote “Drop the Ball: Achieving More by Doing Less” which is an inspiring part-memoir, part-manual about how after she became a mother, she learned to let go of outside expectations in order to achieve what was most important to her. The book has received high praise from numerous outlets including The New York Times Book Review, as well as from prominent feminists like Anne-Marie Slaughter and Gloria Steinem.  In this episode, Liz and Tiffany talk about how Tiffany learned to “drop the ball” and define for herself what makes her a good mother, daughter, wife, and career woman. After their conversation, hear Denaye Barahona read her essay, “Less really is more: How to parent like a minimalist,” from her blog, Simple Families. The Motherly Podcast is hosted by Liz Tenety and produced by Micaela Heck and Samantha Gattsek. Music by The Blue Dot Sessions.  Thanks to our sponsor, Prudential.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.