Feed the Matriarchy

Why are so many women getting diagnosed with ADHD in their 40s? This week on Feed the Matriarchy, we talk with Danielle Taylor, an RN, women-centered ADHD coach, certified mindfulness meditation teacher, and co-founder of Noura Health, about what happens when ADHD and perimenopause collide. Danielle shares her own late-diagnosis story, including the moment she could no longer mask, and why it took...

In this episode, we're getting into the trenches on anxiety: what it looks like when the day goes sideways, and what we actually do about it. We talk about perfectionism and control, laughing as a coping mechanism, and the generational trauma that may be part of why anxiety runs in our family. We get honest about the cost of white-knuckling your feelings, and we share how we handle panic as adults...

This week on Feed the Matriarchy, we sit down with Sarah Martyn, a licensed massage therapist, E-RYT 500 yoga teacher, body image coach, and owner of Exhale Massage and Yoga in Narberth, PA. Sarah’s work is about helping people move away from treating their bodies like problems to solve and toward listening, connection, and feeling more at home in themselves. Together we talk about what trauma-inf...

This episode we're sitting down with Dr. Dana Harron, a Washington, DC-area psychologist, founder of Monarch Wellness and Psychotherapy, and author of Loving Someone with an Eating Disorder . Her second book, Parenting Beyond Trauma , comes out in April 2027. Dr Harron shares how a feminist, relational approach to eating disorder treatment shaped her work, and why she believes in supporting the pe...

In this episode, we go solo to unpack a theme that's quietly come up with almost every guest this season: the fear of failure, and how differently it shows up for women. We dig into the research — girls report significantly higher fear of failure than boys, and that gap only widens among high achievers — and trace it back to our own lives, from fifth-grade math tests to job losses to raising kids...

This week we sit down with Jessi Sheridan, founder of Habituelle and author of The Executive Shift, for a conversation that hits every corner of the matriarchy. After nearly two decades climbing the corporate and nonprofit ladder — including time as a COO — Jessi walked away to build a coaching and community company dedicated to helping ambitious women create careers and lives that feel as good as...

Kerry Miller is a Registered Dietitian and mom of three daughters who spent years working with women whose complicated relationships with food traced all the way back to childhood. Instead of handing her own girls more rules, she wrote them stories — and that's how her book series, Violet Learns, was born. In this episode, Kerry joins us to talk about interoception, the "praise cycle," why silence...

This week we sit down with Rachel Creighton, founder and executive director of the Wildflower Collective, a nonprofit built from her own postpartum depression story. Rachel takes us into the darkest season of her life — the rage that scared her, the intrusive thoughts she was terrified to say out loud, and the moment medication finally quieted her brain enough to know it wasn't her fault. She's ho...

In this episode, we sit down with Deirdre Murphy — musician, gig theater innovator, and creator of Capitalism: The Musical — for a conversation about how art and life intertwine to foster love, resilience, and social awareness. Deirdre shares the inspiration behind her musical works, including her album Matriotism , and unpacks how gig theater diverges from traditional performance as a living, bre...

This week on Feed the Matriarchy, we dig into what it really means to create space for yourself while showing up for others. We trace how religious and cultural teachings have conditioned women toward self-sacrifice, and unpack the scarcity mindset that convinces us there's never enough time, energy, or permission to rest — versus an abundance mindset that says we get to choose. The conversation m...

In this episode of Feed the Matriarchy, Sarah Boardman — interior designer, builder, and founder of Wisconsin Built to Last — joins us to unpack how the systems shaping our government, healthcare, and communities were designed, and why she believes they can be redesigned to actually work for everyone.  We also get into her 14th Amendment embroidery project and what it means to sit with the words t...

In this episode of Feed the Matriarchy, we sit down with Dr. Jenn Salib Huber — registered dietitian, naturopathic doctor, intuitive eating counselor, and author of Eat to Thrive in Menopause — to talk about the body hierarchy most of us were raised inside without ever choosing it. Together we unpack what it means to approach midlife and menopause through a Health at Every Size lens, why body dive...

In Season 2's opening episode, we kick things off with an intro to what's ahead this season, opening up about our summers as well as reflecting on the origin story of Feed the Matriarchy itself. At the heart of the episode is a tribute to our grandmother — her obsession with cake, her quiet confidence, and the ways her strength shaped who we've become. From there, we dig into this season's central...

In this episode, we reflect on our journey through season one of Feed the Matriarchy, exploring themes of women taking up space, authenticity, diversity, and the power of shared stories. We discuss the importance of showing up as our true selves and the exciting plans for the next season!

In this episode of Feed the Matriarchy , we sit down with writer, Emmy Award-winning creative director, and author Lu Chekowsky (she/they) to explore the powerful intersection of advertising, body image, capitalism, and self-worth. Drawing from her years inside the advertising industry and the experiences chronicled in her memoir, Don't Buy What I'm Selling: On Breaking Up with Advertising and Fin...

In this episode of Feed the Matriarchy , we're joined by some of the most important women in their lives: The Yayas—a group of lifelong friends whose bond spans more than 30 years. Together, we explore the power of sisterhood, loyalty, vulnerability, and the relationships that sustain us through life's biggest joys and hardest seasons. From navigating motherhood and personal growth to working thro...

In this episode of Feed the Matriarchy , we sit down with Blakely Hunze-Austin, LPC—a licensed professional counselor specializing in sex therapy, eating disorders, trauma, OCD, addictions, and work with LGBTQIA+, kink, and poly/ENM communities—for a thoughtful conversation about sexuality, shame, pleasure, and authenticity. Together, we explore what it means to build relationships and intimate li...

In this powerful episode of Feed the Matriarchy , Heather and Johanna sit down with Dr. Lulu (Uchenna Umeh, MD she/her)—pediatrician, speaker, bestselling author, identity-affirming coach, veteran, and founder of Dr. Lulu’s Pride Corner and Dr. Lulu’s Angels Haven, Inc.—for an honest conversation about LGBTQIA+ affirmation, parenting, healthcare, and the transformative power of belonging. Together...

In this episode of Feed the Matriarchy , Heather and Johanna sit down with Breeze (@Breezleweezle) —perinatal mental health therapist, content creator, mother of five, and creator of the Better Boys Project —to talk about raising boys differently in a culture shaped by patriarchy, emotional disconnection, and rigid gender roles. Together, they explore deconstructing evangelical beliefs, navigating...

In this episode of Feed the Matriarchy , Heather and Johanna dive into the complicated realities of parenting kids around body image while also unlearning the messages we inherited ourselves. Together, they explore motherhood, self-esteem, social media, and the pressures children face growing up in a culture obsessed with appearance. Through personal stories, practical strategies, and honest refle...

In this episode of Feed the Matriarchy , Heather and Johanna sit down with Penny MacDonell (she,her) to talk about living with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, navigating body image, and learning to see herself as beautiful in a world that rarely reflected bodies like hers. Penny shares her journey through chronic illness, medical procedures, family support, and the emotional impact of societal beau...

In this episode of Feed the Matriarchy , Johanna sits down with Rose M., DNP, CRNA (she/her) —a healthcare provider passionate about inclusivity and equitable care—to talk about what it means to choose differently, even when nothing is “wrong.” Rose shares her experience of making intentional pivots, trusting the quiet inner nudge for something more, and navigating the doubt that can come from bot...

In this episode of Feed the Matriarchy , Heather and Johanna sit down with Tamie Gangloff (MA, MFT / she, her)—therapist, author, and advocate—to talk about what it really means to live with a chronic condition in a world that doesn’t always listen. Tamie shares her personal journey of navigating chronic illness, advocating for herself within the healthcare system, and unlearning the internalized...

In this episode of Feed the Matriarchy , Heather and Johanna talk about the privilege we hold—white, cis, socioeconomic, etc—and what it means to actually use it. Because naming it isn’t the work. The work is in how we show up, speak out, and create space for those diverse voices. This is an honest, imperfect conversation about responsibility, action, and choosing not to stay silent.

We often spend our lives playing a high-stakes game of 'If/Then'—if I lose the weight, if I stop the habit, if I perfectly manage the household, then I’ll finally be happy. This week on Feed the Matriarchy , Heather and Johanna are joined by Jen Butler (she,her), author of Mom Rediscovered , for a raw conversation on what happens when you finally stop trying to 'fix' yourself and start listening i...