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The Motherly Podcast

[ENCORE EPISODE] Jennifer Wallace on breaking the chains of toxic achievement culture

Season 21, Ep. 5
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Two years ago, Liz sat down with award-winning journalist and author Jennifer Wallace to talk about her book Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic—and What We Can Do About It. The book takes a hard look at the rise of toxic achievement culture—how it’s shaping the lives of both parents and children—and why the blame doesn’t lie with families, but with the broader social and economic pressures surrounding us.


The episode struck a chord when it first aired, and today, with parents navigating new anxieties around AI, a shifting workforce, and historic inequality, the conversation feels more urgent than ever. In this encore episode, Jennifer shares practical ways parents can push back against achievement culture and reclaim what really matters at home.

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