The Motherly Podcast

In this conversation, Liz engages in a discussion with legal scholar and criminal justice expert, Professor Katheryn Russell-Brown, about her children's book, 'Justice Rising: 12 Amazing Black Women in the Civil Rights Movement.' Katheryn shares her motivations for venturing into children's literature and talks about the remarkable women and young girls highlighted in her book. She also underscores the significance of introducing elementary school students to topics such as race and criminal justice.

In this episode, Liz speaks with Dr. Somi Javaid, OB/GYN, sexual medicine expert, and founder of HerMD. Liz and Somi dive deep into women’s health, menopause and perimenopause. They discuss why these crucial conversations have taken time to normalize in both medicine and culture, as well as how Dr. Javaid is empowering women to take control of their well-being.

In this episode, Liz delves into the fascinating world of matrescence with the renowned expert, Amy Taylor-Kabbaz. Amy, a bestselling author, host of the Happy Mama Movement podcast, and founder of the Mama Rising Coaching Certification, shares her personal journey through motherhood's transformative phases. Discover how the birth of her first child reshaped her mindset and career trajectory, leading her to become a guiding light for new mothers seeking to navigate the intricate landscapes of postpartum experiences. 

Liz talks to award-winning journalist and author, Jennifer Wallace, about her new book Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic—and What We Can Do About It, which takes a look at the toxic achievement culture that is overtaking parents and children's lives. Instead of blaming parents, Jennifer takes a look at the outside social and economic pressures that have brought us here and what we can do as parents to push back.Learn even more about Jennifer and the book here: https://www.mother.ly/parenting/healthy-achiever-never-enough-book/

In this episode, Liz speaks with Dr. Vivian Hernandez-Trujillo, a specialist in Allergy and Immunology with board certifications in both pediatrics and allergy immunology. Dr. Hernandez-Trujillo talks all about food allergy action plans and how parents of kids with severe allergies can plan for the school year ahead. She also shares her own motherhood story, raising three girls – two who have severe allergies. A note that Dr. Hernandez Trujillo is a paid advisor of Kaléo and all views are her own.

Samantha Mathews, mom of two, has always lived an unconventional life full of adventure – from her six months traveling in an RV with her husband and two kids to her more recent decision to become a gestational surrogate. In this conversation, Liz talks to Samantha about why she decided to become a surrogate, some of the biggest challenges she faced carrying someone else’s child, and why she’s already in the process of doing it all over again.

Alexis Jones is an internationally recognized speaker, founder of the non-profits I Am That Girl, and ProtectHer, a media personality, author, and the recipient of The Jefferson Award, the “Oscar of Activism.” In addition to her long list of achievements, you may also recognize Alexis from her time on the TV show  “Survivor.” Now, Alexis has a new memoir, Joy Hunter and in this conversation with Liz, Alexis talks about the new book and shares what she learned from her fertility challenges and her experiences as a new mother. She also talks about the cultural expectations that are placed on women and why finally giving herself permission to slow down has been her greatest accomplishment.

Blessing Adesiyan is a mom of four and spent 20 years working as a chemical engineer in the corporate world, always feeling like an outsider as a Black woman, immigrant, and mother. That’s what inspired her to start the Mother Honestly platform, a place for working mothers to talk openly about their experiences, and it has since evolved into MH WorkLife, which builds care infrastructure and products for today's workforce to help all employees lead better lives. In this episode, Liz talks all about what led Blessing to start Mother Honestly and how she's working to create a more inclusive workplace.