Better Grownups

Parenting isn’t just about raising kids, it’s about raising ourselves, too. From “kids are resilient” to “toughen up,” journalist and mom of three Elise Hu unpacks the cultural scripts families pass down and reframes them with reporting, expert voices, and real-life stories. Every episode of Raising Us comes with a free conversation kit to spark connection around your dinner table, on the drive to...

Jelani talks with Sam Rapoport and Becca Gitlitz-Rapoport. Ever wanted to know what a power couple looks like? It looks like Sam and Becca.  Sam is an  executive at the National Football League. Yep. The NFL. She just so happens to be an out and proud employee working in football, where she's a 21 year veteran.  Her wife, Becca, is an Emmy-winning producer, director, and filmmaker currently creati...

Jelani talks with Matthew Winner, a podcast producer, host, and school librarian. Matthew is the former host of The Children’s Book Podcast. He's kind of a veteran in the kid's podcast space. In fact, he produces all of the shows on our A Kids Co. podcast network. He also spent 15 plus years as an educator and librarian.  Matthew believes kids have an extraordinary potential and don't quite get en...

Jelani talks with Joy Cho, creative director, designer, author, Thai American, and mother.   Joy is the founder of Oh Joy! and has collaborated with brands like Target, Band-Aid, Petco, and so many more.  She’s done 40 licensing partnerships to date, creating colorful, and incredibly designed products.  Joy also happens to hold the record for the most followers of any influencer on Pinterest at 15...

Jelani talks with Daron K. Roberts, a speaker, investor, two-time author, former NFL coach, and all around incredible person.   Jelani met Daron back in 2019 and worked with him to create his first children’s book, A Kids Book About Empathy.  Daron is truly someone who’s hard to forget.  He’s a wealth of wisdom when it comes to leaning into the most important aspects of parenting and the conversat...

Jelani talks with Jason Mayden, a Black designer, educator, entrepreneur, and father of 2. Jason Mayden also happens to be the author of A Kids Book About Design. Jason is chock-full of wisdom and amazing insights into what it means to be a parent. Something about the way he weighs philosophy with practical advice, you'll want to have your pen ready to take notes. Jelani and Jason talk about race,...

Jelani talks with Christie Pitts, general partner at Backstage Capital. Christie is an incredible VC, investing specifically in companies led by underrepresented founders. That's women, people of color, and LGBTQ folks.  She's also a mother of two. And Jelani and Christie get into the societal expectations of mothers who work. They talk about the fact that no matter how much mothers juggle, they c...

Jelani Memory talks with Kevin Carroll, an author, speaker, and catalyst of inspiration. We promise you've never met anyone like Kevin. Even though he was abandoned by his parents at six years old, he went on to play soccer professionally, speak seven languages for military intelligence and, you know, become the The Philadelphia 76ers first Black head athletic trainer. He's also maybe the only per...

Jelani talks with Lindz Amer, a multi-hyphenate writer, performer, creator, and activist. Lindz is the creator of the beloved web series, Queer Kid Stuff, and their work has been featured by Good Morning America, Kidscreen, Teen Vogue, and so many more. They've even got a TEDtalk.  They've written and consulted on kids shows like The Fabulous Show with Fay and Fluffy, the Webby-award winning Blues...

Better Grownups is all about getting into the nitty gritty of parenting. Identity, gender, race, class, mental health, you name it.  Host Jelani Memory talks with a new guest each week about how parenting is a reflection of our identity, how we were raised, and who we are. About how sometimes we’re still trying to grow up even as we raise our kids.  About how leaving behind the way you were parent...