Thank You, Mama

Professor of Psychology and author of numerous books incl. "The Positive Shift", Catherine Sanderson, teaches us that although some of us are born "not happy" (something she's witnessed with her mother), we can change this by making conscious decisions. As a special treat, Catherine  shares her tips on how to do this in this episode. Connected to this, she talks about her research on courage and h...

A nurse and expert on tissue regeneration, co-Founder & CMO of FetTech, a biotech company specialized in the healing process, Danielle Fette shares her American mom Jill's lessons. Jill grew up in extreme poverty, married her high-school sweetheart and had a perfect family life until her husband betrayed her. Now in her 70s, Jill is living her best life with her partner and her two daughters and t...

Internal medicine physician, work-life integration researcher and author of "Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity", Saundra Dalton-Smith talks about burning out when she became a working mother, which inspired her to write her book about the seven kinds of rest and become an advocate for restoring wellbeing in workplace. Saundra lost her birth-mother during childb...

Award-winning writer, mythologist specialized in Celtic Studies, and a psychologist, Sharon Blackie, is also the bestselling author of "If Women Rose Rooted". Sharon talks about her work with the feminine in myths, fairy tales and folklore and how these traditions can help us deal with issues we women are dealing with such as menopause, burnout, and the mother-daughter relationship. Sharon also ta...

Therapist, coach and teacher specialized in mother-daughter relationships Rosjke Hasseldine, is also the author of "Mother-Daughter Puzzle" and founder of Mother-Daughter Coaching International. She talks about the major topics she deals with in her work: mother blaming and estrangement, mapping your mother-daughter history, patriarchy and culture of female service, and identifying your needs and...

Dunja Bonacci-Skenderovic is an independent consultant for elimination of violence against women. In the beginning of our interview, Dunja gives us an overview of types of violence women globally are facing today (from domestic violence, rape, trafficking, to femicide), shares some statistics, and shares what we can do to prevent violence against women - not only as women, but also as mothers. Dun...

Lisa Friscia, Leadership Coach and founder of Franca Consulting, talks about her mother Franca who immigrated from Italy to America via Canada as a child, and later quit her corporate job to take care of her three daughters. Mama Franca teaches us to take care of people through details; to create a space where everyone is welcome and included; to respect those who have less; and to know your privi...

Janice Malone is the founder and CEO of "Vivian's Door", an award-winning NPO assisting minority-owned entrepreneurs implement their ideas and grow their businesses. Janice is a mother of two who quit corporate America to become an entrepeneur in her early fifties, and subsequently  found "Vivian's Door" in her early sixties. She talks about her American mother Pearlie who was a mother of 15 (yes,...

In this beautiful Christmas special, we're learning from the most famous of all mothers: Mary, the Mother of God. My guest Christine Valters Paintner is the author of "Birthing the Holy: Wisdom from Mary to Nurture Creativity and Renewal". Christine has a PhD in Christian Spirituality, is an abbess and the author of over twenty books on spirituality. Christine tells us about her American mother Su...

Einat Nathan is a mother of five, a parenting expert, a counselor, and the bestselling author of a parenting book called "My Everything", which got translated in 11 languages. Einat talks about her Israeli mother Miriam who died at a young age from Multiple Sclerosis. From Miriam, we learn about connecting to others and being able to rely on yourself; about beauty and importance of the whole spect...

Jojo Mehta is a co-founder of "Stop Ecocide", the global campaign to make ecocide (destroying the environment) a crime at the International Criminal Court. Jojo shares lessons she had learned from her mother, singer and poet Jehanne Mehta, whose work is deeply connected to nature and her Celtic roots, but also lessons she had learned from Mother Earth. From Jehanne, we learn about grounding and fi...

Author of "The Baby on the Fire Escape: Creativity, Mothering and the Mind-Baby Problem", Julie Phillips, talks about what she learned through writing a book about the intimate struggles of brilliant 20th century artists as they tried to balance the demands of creative work with the demands of motherhood. Jullie's lesson: we can keep centered in our creative space even if we do it in little bits....

Beating all odds, as a young female student, in a country ruled by men, archeologist and writer Parveen Talpur single-handedly set wheels in motion for the establishment of the Department of Archeology at the University in Karachi, Pakistan. She went on to Cornell University, where she worked on decipherment of the ancient script from the Indus Valley Civilization, and publish a few books. Parveen...

Psychotherapist, coach and consultant, author of "Reinventing Supermom", co-host of "Motherhood Uncut" podcast, and founder of "Parent and Family wellness Center", Kate Kripke, talks about her family legacy of strong and successful women. Kate's great-great aunt Margaret Fuller was a pioneer in suffrage, the first American female war correspondent and the author of the first major feminist book in...

Gerontologist, biohacker and advocate for women's health during the menopausal journey, Zora Benhamou, is also a host of "Hack my Age" podcast. Zora's motto is "Menopause is inevitable, but suffering is optional." Zora lost her Ukrainian mom Anastasia to breast cancer at the tender age of 23. She shares her mother's lessons on never forgetting where you come from; taking care of yourself by always...

Psychotherapist specialized in the "Mother Daughter Journey", and co-host of "Motherhood Uncut" podcast, Deb Rubin, talks about her American mom Lois. Lois is a mother of two who went back to school to earn her Bachelor's Degree once her daughters left for college – which beautifully teaches us that it's never too late to take the next step. We also learn from Lois to be true to ourselves and foll...

Michelle Grosser is a former attorney and law professor turned mom, motherhood coach, and host of "The Calm Mom" podcast, in which she discusses high-impact habits, work-life rhythms, parenting, marriage, spirituality, and more. Michelle talks about her mom Nancy, who worked while raising five children, which resulted in burnout, and later she divorced her husband – only to fall in love with him a...

Sara Petersen is the author of " Momfluenced: Inside the Maddening, Picture-Perfect World of Mommy Influencer Culture". Her essays about feminism, domesticity, and motherhood have appeared in the New York Times, Harper's Bazaar, Washington Post, InStyle, Glamour, and elsewhere. Sara shares her American mom's lessons on connecting with the natural world, finding pleasure in small things in life, an...

Kanwal L. Haq is a Medical Anthropologist specialized in Women's Health and author of "Taking Care of You: The Empowered Woman's Guide to Better Health". She talks about her Pakistani mom Zahida who has been struggling with a connective tissue disease for more than 20 years. Zahida's stuggle inspired Kanwal to dedicate her work to women's health. From Zahida, we learn that if you believe in someth...

Interior designer Fabiana Hoy talks about her Peruvian mother Maria del Rosario and shares many valuable lessons she learned from her, like having faith (Rosario hosts a weekly prayer group of 45 women, which Fabiana joins from South Africa by Zoom), being a present mom, the importance of having a tribe of women (having these friends is Rosario's way of self-care). She also teaches us to find beau...

Hilary Truong is a therapist for teen girls, and a mother-daughter relationship expert. She talks about her mother Nancy, who raised four children and turned her love for cooking into running a cooking school. From mom Nancy, we learn about empathy, caring for others, and connecting with the world around you; that it's possible to support your family by doing something you love; and that you alway...

Kanchan Koya, author of "Spice Spice Baby", combines her PhD in Molecular Biology from Harvard and her training from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition to bring healing spices and their health benefits to kids and families everywhere. Kanchan talks about her Sindhi mother Shohba who taught her about the importance of self-care, and that self-care can be simple; to put her emphasis on education...

Zoryana Kushpler is an opera singer who performed with the Vienna Opera, Carnegie Hall, and Royal Albert Hall. She talks about her Ukrainian mom Ada (herself a pianist), and shares her lessons on resolving your problems by yourself, making decisions and sticking to them, previewing every situation a few steps ahead, finishing what you started, and thinking about what you're going to do in your 60s...

Cybersecurity Awareness Expert, Change Management Specialist, and Host of "Reinvention Rebels" (a podcast for women 50-90 years young ready to reinvent themselves), Wendy Battles, shares her American mom Elaine's lessons. Elaine started a new life after the divorce in in her 50's, and is teaching us to not let anything stop you from doing what you want, ge back to the community, appreciate little...

Singer, musician, songwriter and author Judith Holofernes (of German band "Wir Sind Helden")   talks about achieving – and then quitting - her dream life of a rock star in order to heal from burnout and reinvent herself. Judith shares the biggest lesson she learned on her fascinating journey, and also talks about growing up with her lesbian mom in a small town in Germany. Judith shares mama Cornel...