StepStories Podcast

On this week’s episode of the Step Stories Podcast, Host Robin Breuner interviews longtime friend Tom McKenzie, a divorced father of two living in Jupiter, Florida, about his family’s step story. Tom recalls learning at age seven that his parents were divorcing, moving from an affluent home in Mission Hills to a smaller house and new schools, feeling different, and coping with an emotionally checked-out mother. After a summer in Spain at 14, he returned to find his home sold, his belongings gone, and his mother in New York, leading him to live full-time with his father. Tom credits his father’s later partner Sue, who became his stepmother, for providing stability, clear expectations, warmth, and a safe family environment that lasted through his father’s death. He also discusses his own marriage and divorce due to mismatched parenting values, his current relationship with a widow as he slowly earns her kids’ trust, reconnecting with his niece after family tragedy, and his advice to be patient, not force bonds, and wait before reacting. STEPMOMCON:https://stepmomcon.com/?affiliate=llcsoh123  Robin Breuner Email:  robinbreuner@gmail.comWebsite:  www.robinbreuner.comInstagram: stepstoriespodcastIGFacebook: stepstoriespodcastFBLinkedin:  RobinBreunerLinkINPodcast:  StepStories PodcastThreads:  @robinbreunerYouTube: StepStories Podcast YouTubeTikTok:   www.tiktok.com/@stepstoriespodcast/video/7569378260706938126

Host Robin Bruner kicks off season 3 by welcoming stepmom coach Kristen Skiles, founder of Stepmomming.com, host of Stepmom Made Easy, and author of “Stepmomming Made Easy,” to discuss her work supporting stepmoms worldwide and her upcoming second annual virtual Stepmom Con (April 22–24). Kristen shares her blended-family story, including marrying a single dad, navigating early high-conflict dynamics, and the unusual experience of her husband’s ex-wife and her new husband living with them for three months, which challenged boundaries but helped Kristen release unrealistic expectations and accept she isn’t her stepdaughter’s mom. They talk about adding two sons after a fertility journey, Kristen’s experience as a stepdaughter, why remarriage divorce rates are high, differences for stepmoms partnered with widowers, and what Stepmom Con offers, including expert interviews, live chat, connection hours, and upgrade options. STEPMOMCON:https://stepmomcon.com/?affiliate=llcsoh123 Kristen SkilesEmail:       kristen@stepmomming.comWebsite: Stepmomming.comInstagram: Kristen Skiles (@stepmomming)Facebook: Stepmomming Blog   Pintrest:   Stepmomming with Kristen SkilesThreads:   Stepmomming Made EasyBooks:      Stepmomming Made EasyStrategies Everything/ Robin Breuner Email:  robinbreuner@gmail.comWebsite:  www.robinbreuner.comInstagram: stepstoriespodcastIGFacebook: stepstoriespodcastFBLinkedin:  RobinBreunerLinkINPodcast:  StepStories PodcastThreads:  @robinbreunerYouTube: StepStories PodcastYouTubeTikTok:     www.tiktok.com/@stepstoriespodcast/video/7569378260706938126

In this week’s Best Of episode, Robin Breuner welcomes the esteemed author Hope Edelman to discuss her influential work on grief, particularly for girls and women who have lost their mothers. Edelman, the author of pivotal books like 'Motherless Daughters' and 'The AfterGrief,' shares her journey of writing her groundbreaking first book at a young age, the impact it has had worldwide, and the importance of giving voice to motherless daughters. They delve into the complexities of stepmother relationships, dealing with loss, and the crucial role of maintaining connections to one's departed mother. With profound insights, Hope also talks about her retreats, online support groups, and the powerful community she's built for motherless daughters. This episode provides invaluable perspectives for anyone grappling with grief, particularly in blended family dynamics. Hope EdelmanEmail: hopeedelman@gmail.comWebsite: www.hopeedelman.com          www.motherlessdaughters.comInstagram:@hope_edelmanFacebook: www.facebook.com/hopeedelmanautherRobin Breuner Email: robinbreuner@gmail.comWebsite: www.robinbreuner.comInstagram: stepstoriespodcastIGFacebook: stepstoriespodcastFBLinkedin:  RobinBreunerLinkINPodcast:  StepStories PodcastThreads: @robinbreunerYouTube: StepStories Podcast YouTube

In this Best Of episode of the Step Stories podcast, host Robin Breuner welcomes Shay Stubblefield, a self-employed barber with a unique background to discuss his experiences with blended families, personal growth, and new ventures. Shay shares insights about his unconventional journey through various careers, his deep connection to art and poetry, and his reflections on being raised in a diverse family. He opens up about coping with his father's addiction, the impact of his mother and other supportive figures in his life, and his evolving role as a partner to his new girlfriend and her 6-year-old son. Together, they explore the challenges and rewards of becoming a part of a blended family. Shay StubblefieldEmail: shaystubb@gmail.comWebsite: www.fadesbyshay.comInstagram: www.instagram.com/shaystubblefield Robin Breuner Email: robinbreuner@gmail.comWebsite: www.robinbreuner.comInstagram: stepstoriespodcastIGFacebook:stepstoriespodcastFBLinkedin: RobinBreunerLinkINPodcast:  StepStories PodcastThreads: @robinbreunerYouTube: StepStories Podcast YouTube

Join host Robin Breuner in this week’s episode of the Step Stories Podcast as she welcomes renowned stepfamily expert Dr. Patricia Papernow, who has spent five decades researching, teaching, and practicing in stepfamily relationships and is the author of Surviving and Thriving in Stepfamily Relationships and The Stepfamily Handbook. Dr. Papernow explains why stepfamilies differ fundamentally from first-time families, why clinicians receive little stepfamily training despite widespread prevalence, and why what works is not intuitive. She emphasizes that parents should retain discipline and authoritative limit-setting, while stepparents build trust through “connection, not correction,” warmth, and one-to-one time; harsh discipline by stepparents can be toxic. They discuss “stuck insider/outsider” dynamics, moving slowly for kids, communication skills, gray divorce and later-life stepfamilies, and planning for end-of-life care, inheritance, and sentimental items, including after a parent’s death. Dr. Patricia Papernow Email: ppapernow@gmail.comWebsite: https://stepfamilyrelationships.com/Books: Surviving and Thriving in Stepfamily Relationships The Stepfamily Handbook Robin Breuner Email:  robinbreuner@gmail.comWebsite:  www.robinbreuner.comInstagram: stepstoriespodcastIGFacebook: stepstoriespodcastFBLinkedin:  RobinBreunerLinkINPodcast:  StepStories PodcastThreads:  @robinbreunerYouTube: StepStories Podcast YouTube

Join host Robin Bruener in this week’s episode of The Step Stories podcast as she sits down with Cameron Normand, CEO of Stepfamily Solutions and host of the Stepmom Diaries podcast. Cameron shares how she shifted from a 23-year career as a lawyer and policy executive on Capitol Hill and for Warner Bros. and Sony Pictures into stepfamily coaching after becoming a stepmom of four in a high-conflict situation and struggling to find resources. They discuss why stepfamilies are underserved, how untrained guidance can harm families, and Cameron’s Step Family Coach Academy built around research and Dr. Patricia Papernow’s framework. Cameron highlights common challenges like the “stuck outsider” role, Mother’s Day and event dynamics, the importance of encouraging parent–child one-on-one time, and key advice for stepparents: focus on connection over correction and be less hard on yourself. Cameron NormandEmail:  cameron@stepfamilysolutions.comWebsite: https://stepfamilysolutions.com/contributors/cameron-normand/Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/stepfamilysolutionsFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/stepfamilysolutionsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stepfamily-solutions/Podcast: Stepmom Diaries TikTok:   https://www.tiktok.com/@stepfamilysolutionsPintrest : https://ro.pinterest.com/stepfamilysolutions/ Robin Breuner Email:  robinbreuner@gmail.comWebsite:  www.robinbreuner.comInstagram: stepstoriespodcastIGFacebook: stepstoriespodcastFBLinkedin:  RobinBreunerLinkINPodcast:  StepStories PodcastThreads:  @robinbreunerYouTube: StepStories Podcast YouTube

On this week’s episode of The Step Stories Podcast, host Robin Breuner interviews Dr. Todd Jensen, assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and director of the Thriving through Family Transitions Research Lab, about research on blended families and youth wellbeing during family structural transitions. Jensen explains why relationship quality, especially stepparent–stepchild connection, can support behavioral, psychological, and physical health outcomes, and clarifies terms like “social parent” and stepparent, including non-married long-term partners. They also discuss adolescence as a challenging transition period, blending family cultures slowly with patience, and why adults often shoulder more responsibility. Jensen also notes overlaps with military family transitions, shares Dr. Todd JensenInstagram: @drtoddjensen Twitter/X: @toddmjensen Linkedin: LinkedInBluesky: @toddmjensen.bsky.socialWebsite: toddmjensen.comEmail jensen@unc.edu Robin Breuner Email:  robinbreuner@gmail.comWebsite:  www.robinbreuner.comInstagram: stepstoriespodcastIGFacebook: stepstoriespodcastFBLinkedin:  RobinBreunerLinkINPodcast:  StepStories PodcastThreads:  @robinbreunerYouTube: StepStories Podcast YouTube

In this week’s episode of The Step Stories Podcast, host Robin Breuner sits down with Greg Eskridge, whom she met through Diane Kahn’s Humans of San Quentin. Greg describes being raised by a single mother who moved from Memphis to Southern California, later enduring severe abuse from his mother’s partner, running away at age 10, and cycling through 15–20 foster and boys’ homes while surviving unhoused. He recounts the fight outside a Shakey’s Pizza that led him, at 20, to fatally shoot someone, for which he received 58 years to life plus two life terms. After decades at San Quentin, Greg explains his deep remorse, his rehabilitation in prison, a recall of sentence after laws changed, and his current work as co-director of the Uncuffed radio program amplifying incarcerated people’s stories. Greg EskridgeEmail:   gregory23.eskridge@gmail.comWebsite: KALWInstagram:      We.Are.UncuffedFacebook:      UncuffedLinkedin:       Greg Eskridge Robin Breuner Email:  robinbreuner@gmail.comWebsite:  www.robinbreuner.comInstagram: stepstoriespodcastIGFacebook: stepstoriespodcastFBLinkedin:  RobinBreunerLinkINPodcast:  StepStories PodcastThreads:  @robinbreunerYouTube: StepStories Podcast YouTube