The Great Equalizer

It’s no secret that strength training is crucial for women in or approaching perimenopause. But what exactly are we talking about here? Is yoga and pilates going to cut it? Do you really have to lift heavy weights? And what about your pelvic floor? Protein intake? A time-turner to ensure you do all ‘the right things’ to secure a graceful aging process. It’s all a bit overwhelming, in all honesty....

Can you really blame menopause, or is it anxiety?  Are you depressed?  Burnt out?  Full of sh*t?  Just a bitch? For many women, perimenopause and menopause bring far more than hot flushes and night sweats. Neuroscience has proven that hormonal fluctuations during midlife can trigger anxiety, depression, brain fog, irritability, loss of confidence, and a profound sense of no longer feeling like you...

Menopause DOES NOT mean the end of your sex life! In Episode 3 of TGE Talks Season 1, we tackle one of the most misunderstood aspects of menopause: sex, intimacy, libido, desire and sexual wellbeing after 40.Too many women live with the misconception that menopause means you're "dried up," undesirable or no longer interested in sex. But the reality is far more nuanced. Desire can cha...

When your hormones feel out of wack and weird symptoms start impacting your sexual health (and general wellbeing), what counts as “normal”?In Episode 2 of TGE Talks: Menopause , hosts Sam and Charlene quiz GP and sexual health specialist Dr Louisa Albertyn about the often-confusing world of postpartum, perimenopause and menopause symptoms. This episode unpacks what women can expect as our hormones...

On this episode of The Great Equalizer , we’re kicking off a special series of episodes that take a deep dive into your sexual health beyond the baby years. A key resource for women approaching midlife and beyond, TGE Talks Menopause is looking to empower women with up-to-date and credible knowledge about their bodies, destigmatising false beliefs and debunking sex and menopause myths. On this ina...

Sooooo, we’ve been quietly working behind the scenes on something new… Especially for YOU 🫵🏼 A limited podcast series dedicated to the perimenopause experience. The symptoms, the science, the myths, the contradictions, and the solutions.  We’re taking a closer look at how everyday life beyond the baby years is slowly starting to shift for women in their late 30s and 40s.  Sex. Relationships.  Sl...

Ever felt like: You disappear in relationships? You can’t say no? You manage everyone else’s emotions? You’re “too nice” at your own expense? Beyond just “being nice”, good old people pleasing can make you susceptible to being abused or taken advantage of. But did you ever think about it as another trauma response? In this powerful episode of The Great Equalizer , hosts Sam and Charlene sit down w...

Being around award-winning author Refiloe Moahloli is an immersive experience — one rooted in curiosity, childlike wonder, and deep respect for young people as whole and autonomous humans. In this episode of The Great Equalizer, we welcome back one of South Africa’s most beloved children’s book authors to chat about what it means to write from the inside out. Refiloe reflects on a transformative s...

On this episode of The Great Equalizer, hosts Sam and Charlene sit down with bestselling author Katherine Faulkner: journalist-turned-novelist and the mind behind Greenwich Park , The Other Mothers , and her latest psychological thriller, The Break In . After a decade as an investigative journalist and editor, Katherine has become one of the sharpest voices in modern domestic suspense – a master a...

In a world with heightened expectations on parents to perform, is “good enough” mothering really a good thing?    On this episode of The Great Equalizer, we welcome Joburg-based psychoanalyst and mom of two Andy Cohen.   Andy talks us through parenting in the world’s current pressure cooker, giving us some insight into why people are suddenly so psychologically triggered when they become parents....

On this very special episode of The Great Equalizer, Sam and Charlene are joined LIVE by world-leading dietitian and performance nutritionist Dr Linia Patel. With a BSc in Biochemistry and Physiology from the University of Cape Town, Dr Linia found her groove in Nutrition and Dietetics, adding to her already impressive resume a Master’s degree in Sports Nutrition and a PhD in Public Health and Epi...

Joining hosts Sam and Charlene on this bonus episode of The Great Equalizer (originally broadcast on TGE's Current Read) is licensed marriage and family therapist – and founder of the popular Conscious Mommy community – Bryana Kappadakunnel. Bryana’s book, Parent Yourself First, gives readers a look into how your upbringing is probably impacting your parenting style in ways you don't even...

On this BONUS episode of The Great Equalizer, Sam and Charlene interview Sarah Harman, author of the most anticipated reads of 2025, so named by Readers Digest, Publishers Weekly, The Sunday Times Style, Time Magazine and Marie Claire. A satirical domestic thriller, All the Other Mothers Hate Me follows single mother and washed-up former girl-band singer Florence Grimes, who slums around London sp...

On this episode of The Great Equalizer we're spilling all the tea on Aunt Flo with a full episode on first periods, menstrual health, and talking to our kids about Shark Week (starting with anatomically correct terminology, of course 😉) We're finally pulling the plaster on a topic that we've always wanted to cover, and one that we feel especially passionate about as women and mothers. We're talki...

From Nara Smith to Ballerina Farm, social media goers worldwide have been captivated by #TradWives. This is a growing trend of women choosing homemaking and traditional gender roles rather than having a career or earning an income independent of their partners. But what does that economic dependence on men cost women? On this episode of The Great Equalizer, we take a deep dive into the world of #T...

On this episode of TGE’s Current Read (and a special bonus episode of The Great Equalizer), two of the fiercest women in the publishing and parenting space – Vanessa Raphaely and Karin Schimke – join your hosts, Sam and Charlene, to talk about their book: We Were Perfect Parents Until We Had Children. Through combined effort, Vanessa and Karin gathered together several key experiences and insights...

On this episode of The Great Equalizer: Sam has merit, Charlene’s perpetually hormonal, and we chat to author, content creator and philanthropist Nozibele Mayaba. Nozibele Mayaba has a long list of accolades: HIV activist, internationally recognised podcaster and TV host. She's partnered with Jacaranda FM and East Coast Radio to launch a youth podcast, Don’t Hold Back, Say It Loud, and she a TV sh...

It's a significant milestone for The Great Equalizer team, as we proudly hit 100 episodes. That's more than 100 hours of talking about the wild ride that is parenting in the 2020s. Sam and Charlene reminisce about where the show started and how it's grown over the years. We also chat about the new levels we've unlocked in motherhood, and how our views on life and parenting have changed (or not!) a...

On this episode of The Great Equalizer, we continue to unpack maternal mental health in South Africa, against the backdrop of the trial and sentencing of Lauren Dickason and, more specifically, the IVF journey. Lauren Dickason is a mom of three and fellow South African who was convicted in the New Zealand courts for the murder of her three daughters, Liane (6) and Karla and Maya (2). At the time o...

In this episode of The Great Equalizer, we focus on maternal mental health in the context of the Dickason tragedy. Lauren Dickason has been in the news for the last two or so years, but more so in recent months when the mom of three and fellow South African was convicted in the New Zealand courts for the murder of her three daughters, Liane (6) and Karla and Maya (2). At the time of the tragedy, t...

We have another all-new BONUS episode out today featuring the phenomenal Minna Dubin. Minna is a US-based journalist and author whose essays and articles on motherhood and identity have been featured across all the best known outlets, including the New York Times, The Times, The Philadelphia Enquirer, LitHub, and so much more. Minna is a leading feminist voice on mom rage and she talks to The Grea...

In this BONUS episode of The Great Equalizer / TGE's Current Read, your host Samantha Herbst sits down with award-winning animator Daniel Snaddon. Daniel has worked on several highly acclaimed (and well loved) animations, including Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes, and a host of animations based on the beloved books of children's book author Julia Donaldson. Daniel already has two BAFTAs under his be...

It’s been a hot damn minute, guys and dolls! And not because we’ve been beaching. Nope, our fate has us suffering cold showers, walking in flats, considering the inescapable fate of death, drowning in a few existential crises, and pondering the fact that the patriarchy isn’t actually about horses. In this episode of The Great Equalizer, we’re finally unpacking Barbie (the movie) and how it reflect...

On this episode of The Great Equalizer, Sam’s lost faith in humanity, Charlene’s gone VIRAL (for all the wrong reasons) and we chat with author Pamela Power about being sober curious and the memoir she wrote about her year of not getting sh*tfaced (aptly titled My Year of Not Getting Sh*tfaced). For Pamela, Mother’s Day 2021 was one for the books (literally), and not in the best way. The brownout...

The Great Equalizer is back with another What’s Your Binge? episode, mostly because we wish to give our most tender brains a break from the world’s ugly chaos. You in? Let’s go. Folks, we are GATVOL (tot HIERso) of all the things that have made parenting particularly brutal over the last few months. Things that, btw, have had nothing to do with our kids and everything to do with all that other kak...