Thrive Like a Mother Podcast

A birthday turns into a love letter to growth. Gerald, my husband, joins me on the mic for his 34th and ended up tracing our family story arc. From two restless freshmen in a class we couldn’t stand to a home full of tiny feet, takeout picnics, and an unexpected sense of calm.   Along the way we unpack the myth that a four-year degree is the only path to a good life. And why chasing titles left us...

If your calendar is full but your cup is empty, this conversation will meet you right where you are.   We sit down with licensed therapist, executive wellness coach, and mindfulness instructor Samantha Edu to explore why the bravest move isn’t another push. Your next brave step is the pause that lets you breathe, listen, and move with intention. From her powerful “fan line” story to the creation o...

What if your meals matched your life instead of your ideal? In this episode, we dig into how seasons like new motherhood, busy work sprints and healing change our capacity, cravings, and priorities.    The ebb and flow of life isn’t failure, it’s feedback. By reframing food as support, not perfection, we trade guilt for practical tools that help us nourish ourselves and our families with less stre...

Strength doesn’t start under a barbell—it starts at home, in the kitchen, with the tiny choices that quietly shape your days. We sit down with Wendy, an eight-year fitness coach whose goal is to train the woman and not just her body.   We unpack how food becomes a love language, a source of discipline, and a path towards lasting self-trust. From moving in with a partner and juggling fur babies to...

Gratitude isn't just a feel-good practice—it's a powerful tool that can completely transform how we experience motherhood. After years of healing from trauma, I've discovered that cultivating gratitude has been the bridge that's continues to carry me from merely surviving to genuinely thriving. This episode dives deep into practical, realistic ways to incorporate gratitude into...

What does it mean to truly thrive after trauma? At 71, Dr. Greg Linkowski calls this his "last and best quarter" – a remarkable perspective from someone who witnessed his father's attempted suicide as a teenager, navigated a demanding medical career, and experienced the heartbreak of raising and losing a special needs child.   Dr. Linkowski's journey through childhood trauma to...

Your worth isn't measured by your productivity, and your rest shouldn't be treated as a reward you earn only after completing an endless to-do list.    This powerful truth forms the foundation of this episode where I dive deep into the complicated relationship ambitious Black women often have with rest.   Growing up watching my mother work tirelessly—studying in our bathroom after long w...

What happens when we give away our power, quill by quill, in search of acceptance and love? The journey back to self-worth becomes the ultimate act of courage and creativity.   Deborah Weed's story stopped me in my tracks. After spending three years bedridden with excruciating pain from an undiagnosed condition (later discovered to be a grapefruit-sized fibroid tumor), she emerged transformed...

Welcome to Season 4 of the Thrive Like a Mother podcast! After a summer of intentional rest and realignment, I'm sharing the powerful shifts that occurred when I finally allowed myself to rest without guilt—something that's your birthright, not a reward to be earned. When my daughter asked if our family was rich, I realized a profound truth: true wealth comes from believing you're p...

Have you ever stopped to notice your own transformation? In this vulnerable season finale, I open my heart about the journey we've taken together through Season 3 of Thrive Like a Mother.   When I returned to podcasting after taking time away for my son's first year, I questioned whether I could handle everything emotionally, spiritually, and physically. There were tear-filled moments an...

Ready for a health transformation that actually sticks? Meet Traci Kasper, living proof that it's never too late to reclaim your wellbeing—even after decades of less-than-ideal habits.   Traci's story will resonate with anyone who's ever felt trapped in survival mode. After turning 40 and facing a potentially debilitating autoimmune diagnosis, Traci made the decision to transform he...

Have you ever caught yourself doom scrolling for hours, sitting in your car outside Target because you "need a moment," or neglecting your own needs while perfectly maintaining everyone else's schedules? Your nervous system is desperately trying to tell you something.   In today's conversation, registered nurse, holistic life coach and somatic healer Audrey Rose helps us dive d...

Have you ever been asked if you have too much on your plate? In this episode I'm talking the woman who feels pulled in multiple directions while others question her capacity to handle it all. When someone asks "isn't that a lot?" – whether about starting a business while raising children, pursuing education alongside your career, or juggling multiple creative projects – it can...

Becoming a mother changes everything. While society pressures us to "bounce back" and "return to normal," this episode is an invitation to consider an alternative: embracing your transformation rather than fighting against it.   Drawing on my own experiences as a mother of three, I share what I wish someone had told me when I was bringing home each of my babies. This episode is...

What happens when you finally draw a line in the sand and choose to pursue the dream that's been quietly tugging at your heart for years? This raw, unscripted episode comes straight from my heart as we approach the halfway point of 2025. Standing on stage delivering my first keynote speech earlier this year became a transformative moment that changed everything. As I spoke vulnerably to a roo...

Sarah Arvizu's world changed forever when she received a diagnosis of stage three triple negative breast cancer at the beginning of the year. As a single mother of two daughters aged 11 and 7, she faced an unimaginable challenge. Yet during our conversation, her approach to this monumental life hurdle revealed something extraordinary about human resilience.   "This was the one thing that...

Feeling like you need to perfectly balance work, motherhood, and self-care is an impossible standard that's setting you up for burnout. After keeping my youngest son home with me for his entire first year while working full-time, I discovered a liberating truth: there is no balance—only flow.   This episode dives deep into how to release the pressure of "doing it all" perfectly and...

Divine timing is a powerful force guiding us through life's journey, even when—especially when—doors seem to close in our faces. What appears as rejection might actually be protection, steering us away from paths not meant for us and toward opportunities perfectly aligned with our purpose.   Today's episode explores my personal journey of transformation that began with a seemingly small...

Relationship intelligence isn't just a skill—it's the foundation of a thriving life as a mother, partner, and woman. In this raw conversation, relationship coach Jasmine Cruz shares her remarkable journey. From being kicked out at 17 for being part of the LGBTQ+ community to becoming the founder of LoveTank, where she helps women transform their relationships from survival to strength.  ...

Have you ever stood in the shower and whispered "thank you" to your body? A simple act that truly transformed my relationship with my postpartum body after having three C-sections and breastfeeding journeys. Becoming a mother means undergoing remarkable transformations—growing a human, birthing them, possibly breastfeeding, and then settling into a new normal that never quite matches wha...

Have you ever looked at your growing children and wished that time would just slow down? That's exactly where I found myself recently, gazing at my six-year-old daughter thinking, "I had you just yesterday." This feeling intensified with my third baby, Henry—our family's "last puzzle piece"—and triggered a profound reflection on time and presence in motherhood. Time m...

In today's episode, I welcome trauma healer Angela Turpin for a powerful conversation about healing childhood wounds and transforming past trauma into purpose. Angela shares about her decade-long healing journey and how becoming a mother accelerated her growth and transformation. Tune in as we chat through: • Beginning the healing journey after corporate burnout and remembering suppressed chi...

Quarterly reflections serve as powerful checkpoints in our lives, stopping us from barreling through month after month on autopilot. As we've closed the first quarter of 2025, now is the perfect moment to reflect on what's working, celebrate our wins, and intentionally pivot where needed.   The reflection process begins with acknowledging progress—both the milestone achievements and the...

Ever find yourself staring into the fridge, wondering what's for dinner… again? I’ve been there too. In today’s episode, I’m sharing how meal planning and prepping changed my life—helping me ditch the last-minute drive thru food runs and feel more confident in feeding my family.   I’ll walk you through why meal prep is more than just a time-saver, how it can lighten your mental load, and why...

On today's episode of Thrive Like a Mother I sit down with Janiah Farmer, mama of three littles, to have an open and honest conversation that started in the DMs about the emotional side of motherhood that often goes unspoken. We dive into: baby blues the grief that can come with closing the chapter on having more children how to truly know when your last baby is your last   Janiah shares her...