Mary's Cup of Tea: the Self Love Podcast for Women

Perfectionism isn't making your life better. It's keeping you stuck. If you've been waiting for the perfect moment, the perfect plan, or the perfect version of yourself before taking action, this episode is for you. I'm sharing the mindset shift that helped me stop chasing perfection and start living with more confidence, freedom, and self-worth. You will learn… why perfectionism isn't a personali...

You can be successful and still not feel confident about money. In this conversation, money expert Tori Dunlap joins me to talk about the connection between confidence, self-worth, and financial freedom. We explore why so many women (including feminists!) still struggle to feel confident about money, where those beliefs come from, and how to build wealth without shame, intimidation, or perfectioni...

Have you ever felt like you're constantly fixing yourself, yet somehow still don't feel good enough? In this self-love podcast, Mary talks about her struggles with... struggle. Let’s explore why so many of us get stuck trying to fix every flaw, solve every problem, and become a "better" version of ourselves before we allow ourselves to truly live. If you've been struggling with self-worth, confide...

Have you ever thought you'd be happier if you were thinner, prettier, younger, or looked “better” in some way? In a culture obsessed with appearance, it's easy to believe that confidence, self worth, and self love are waiting on the other side of changing your body. But what if the real struggle has nothing to do with how you look? Dr. Lindsay Kite joins us to unpack the hidden force behind so man...

There comes a point in your self-love journey where the question shifts from  How do I stop obsessing over food and my body-image?  to  How do I take care of my health in a way that doesn't promote diet culture? If you've spent years untangling yourself from diet culture, caring for your health can feel surprisingly complicated. You might want to eat more nourishing foods, move your body consisten...

Wedding culture can make so many women feel like they’re producing a performance instead of preparing for a marriage. Between family expectations, social media pressure, people-pleasing, decision fatigue, and endless opinions, it’s easy for women to lose confidence in themselves during a season that’s supposed to feel meaningful. This conversation with Priya Parker completely reframed the way I th...

If you’ve been feeling stuck, unmotivated, disconnected from yourself, unsure of your direction, or like your confidence has slowly been slipping away, this episode is for you. In this personal solo episode of Mary’s Cup of Tea, Mary opens up about her own struggles with motivation, burnout, comparison, confidence, and feeling lost in life. From questioning her career path to wrestling with self-c...

Building something meaningful is rarely a linear process. In this episode, Mary sits down with Sasha, co-founder of Self-Care Is For Everyone, to talk about mental health, entrepreneurship, and the unexpected journey from posting illustrations online to building a multi-million dollar brand and business. Along the way, Sasha opens up about ADHD, grief, burnout, confidence, and what it really takes...

This is for the women who know they want kids eventually, but don't know if or when they'll be ready. Some questions don’t have a clear answer… they just keep you up at night. “How do I know if I’m ready to have kids?” is one of them. Especially for women. This isn’t a how-to guide. Nor is it a checklist. I’m definitely not someone to tell you what to do with your life. I'm just here for women emp...

What if  being a more optimistic person  has nothing to do with “staying positive”? In this conversation, we unpack the real psychology of optimism — and why it’s less about feeling good, and more about building resilience, curiosity, and emotional flexibility. If you’ve ever struggled with negative thoughts, anxiety, or your mental health, this episode will bring encouragement, hope, and helpful...

Wow!!! I can’t believe this is our 300th episode!! Thank you so so much for listening to Mary's Cup of Tea: the Self-Love Podcast for Women. This episode is a bit more personal and vulnerable. It’s me reflecting on why I started  Mary’s Cup of Tea, what I’m struggling with, and if/ how I hope to move forward. I pull back the curtain to share what it’s actually taken to produce this show, use my vo...

There’s a version of life many women are taught to chase: the one that looks put together, successful, desirable, and “right.” But behind the aesthetic routines, curated homes, and picture-perfect moments, so many of us feel disconnected, drained, or dissatisfied. This is the self-worth trap. In this episode, we explore a simple but powerful reframe: your self-worth isn’t built through appearances...

Have you ever noticed how the more you rush, the more everything seems to fall apart? Let’s explore how constantly being “on the go” disconnects you from your confidence and inner peace. If you’re constantly rushing, then you’re stuck in your own anxious headspace, not actually connected to yourself and your surroundings. In a world that rewards productivity and hustle, slowing down can feel uncom...

Spring is a natural time for renewal, and this is your reminder to come back to self love in a grounded way. Not a full reset, not a glow up, just a check-in. A moment to notice what feels good, what feels off, and where you might need a little more care from yourself right now. Here are 3 questions that are designed to make you feel more alive and aligned. I invite you to ponder these questions o...

Seven years together, three years married, and somehow we’re still learning new things about each other! In this episode, Husband joins Mary to reflect on moments that shaped their relationship. This isn’t relationship advice or a step-by-step guide to a perfect marriage. It’s just us looking back at what we’ve been through and realizing how those experiences changed the way we communicate, suppor...

Five years ago, I published  The Gift of Self-Love . Writing that book when I was just 20 years old was one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. And its message around confidence, healing, and self-love still feels deeply true to me today. But five years of living, growing, and talking with thousands of women about their experiences has also expanded my understanding of self-love in ways...

Have you ever felt like no matter what you do, it’s never enough? Same. Let's talk about inadequacy– how to snap the F out of it and shift into confidence. Mary introduces her powerful self-love formula, which intertwines self-esteem, self-compassion, and self-worth, as she challenges listeners to confront their feelings of inadequacy. We also unpack the heavy feelings of inadequacy and shame and...

If you’ve ever felt like you have to constantly optimize your life to deserve self-love, this conversation will help you rethink how you approach personal development. A deep dive into the complicated relationship between self-help and self love, and why the self-help industry can sometimes leave women feeling more inadequate instead of more confident. You will learn how to... recognize when self-...

Your voice changes when you feel insecure. It gets tighter, faster, or smaller, and suddenly you don’t feel confident anymore. In this conversation, we explore how to build real confidence by regulating your nervous system and learning to speak from a grounded, embodied confident place. Mary is joined by voice and communication coach Ryan O’Shea to explore how your voice can make or break your con...

Eating disorder recovery is a journey, and sometimes old patterns will show up even after you’re fully recovered. Let’s talk about 5 disordered habits you might still be doing (despite knowing better) and how to stop doing them. These subtle disordered eating are often framed as “normal” in our culture, but in reality, they’re leftover patterns from diet culture. Whether you’ve been in eating diso...

With special guest: my Sister!!! For my 28th birthday, I sat down with my 18-year-old sister to share 28 truths about confidence, dating, boys, people, and being a woman with self-worth. This conversation moves from chaotic sister humor to the deeper realities of building confidence as a woman. We talk about why most mistakes get made after midnight, how everything feels more dramatic in the dark,...

When the external world feels heavy, your internal world must stay regulated. Self-care is not about escaping reality. It’s about standing steadily inside it. This conversation is about how to stay emotionally regulated when the noise feels constant and the news cycle never ends. We’ll talk about protecting your energy, being intentional with your attention, and practicing self-care through bounda...

Many women talk about anxiety as if it’s a personality trait, but Dr. Ellen Vora offers a different lens: anxiety could be a mind-body signal that something in your mental health ecosystem needs support. In this conversation, we unpack what women misunderstand about anxiety, why mental health is deeply physical, and how to stop seeing anxiety as a personal flaw. You will learn… the difference betw...

Sometimes the parts of us we’re trying hardest to fix are the ones working the hardest to protect us. Inspired by one of the best mental health books I’ve read recently, this episode offers a compassionate framework for understanding your inner world without pathologizing it. If you’ve ever felt conflicted, inconsistent, or torn in different directions, this conversation is for you. It explores wh...

WOW!!! This just might be the most enlightening, inspiring interview on Mary’s Cup of Tea, thanks to our guest, Samantha Chung. Rooted in self-love and self-worth, Sam’s approach to manifestation is deep yet simple, grounded yet expansive, firm yet deeply compassionate. Contrary to popular belief, isn’t about positive thinking, vision boards, or proving your worth — it’s about the relationship you...