Trust Me Mom

What happens when a neurodivergent student who had an IEP or other support in school heads to college? In this episode of Trust Me Mom, I speak with Dr. Tara Williams, educator, author, speaker, founder of Innovative Collegiate Consultants, and author of The Neurodivergent Student Journey: Breaking Out of the Box. We discuss what changes when students transition from high school to college, especi...

What does it really mean to raise a highly sensitive child? In this episode of Trust Me Mom, Ekaterina Konovalova speaks with Hayley Abram, founder of Sensitive Sprouts and mom of two, about the realities of parenting a child who experiences emotions, sensory input, transitions, and everyday frustrations more intensely. Hayley shares how becoming a mother challenged everything she thought she knew...

What happens when a cybersecurity expert realizes that even the best parental controls cannot protect a child from every online threat? In this episode of Trust Me Mom (Season 2, Episode 49), I speak with cybersecurity professional and mom Nidhi Srivastava, whose approach to online safety changed after her nine-year-old son experienced cyberbullying while playing an online game. Someone he believe...

What should parents do when they notice that something about their child’s development has changed—but their concerns are dismissed? In this episode of the Trust Me Mom podcast, Ekaterina Konovalova speaks with Dr. Kimberly Idoko, a board-certified neurologist, children’s rights attorney, mother, and author of The Miswired Child. Dr. Idoko shares the personal experience that shaped her career in m...

What if supporting a neurodivergent child requires more than simply letting them “face the consequences”?In this episode of the Trust Me Mom podcast, Ekaterina Konovalova speaks with Kathy Long, a mother of four and the founder and CEO of NixIt AI, an app designed to support executive functioning and everyday routines. Kathy shares how the premature birth of her first son changed her career path,...

Special needs motherhood can bring profound love and connection, but it can also leave caregivers chronically exhausted, isolated, and emotionally depleted. When there is no weekend, uninterrupted sleep, or predictable time to recover, how can a mother reclaim a sense of agency? In this episode of the Trust Me Mom podcast (Season 2, episode 47), Ekaterina Konovalova speaks with Susanna Peace Lovel...

What if a strand of hair could reveal a timeline of environmental exposures? In this episode of Trust Me Mom (Season 2, episode 45), Dr. Manish Arora, environmental epidemiologist, exposure biologist, founder and CEO of LinusBio, professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and father of triplet daughters, shares the personal and scientific journey behind his groundbreaking research....

In this episode of Trust Me Mom (Season 2, Episode 44), Ekaterina sits down with Makena Sage and Gigi Sage, a mother-daughter coaching duo, authors of The Wisdom That Raised Me, and co-founders of Way of the Muse. Makena shared her transition from a successful marketing career into coaching, the concept of a “shadow career,” and how motherhood changed her identity, marriage, work, and sense of sel...

From an Iranian refugee camp to becoming a Hollywood and Disney executive, Maryam Mehrtash’s story is one of resilience, courage, reinvention, and the power of storytelling. In this episode of Trust Me Mom, Ekaterina speaks with Maryam Mehrtash, a mother of two, writer, and former Disney leader who most recently led global promotions and partnerships at Marvel Studios (theatrical & Disney+). M...

When Nasha Fitter’s third daughter was diagnosed with a devastating rare genetic condition, her entire world changed overnight. In this inspiring episode of Trust Me Mom (Season 2, episode 42), Nasha shares how she went from ambitious entrepreneur and Harvard MBA to full-time caregiver, advocate, and founder of organizations helping thousands of families navigate rare diseases. We talk about:• mot...

In this episode of Trust Me Mom (Season 2, Episode 41), Ekaterina talks with women’s relationship coach Ada Gore about self-abandonment, people-pleasing, resentment, dating, marriage, divorce, motherhood, and learning how to stop disappearing inside your own life. Ada shares her personal story of being fired as a single mom, rebuilding her identity, healing generational patterns, and helping women...

What is it really like raising children in France? In this episode of Trust Me Mom (season 2, Episode 40), I sit down with parenting coach Sasha Romary, an American mom who has lived in France for more than 20 years and is raising two multi-lingual children in Paris. We discuss the biggest differences between French and American parenting, the French education system, bilingual kids, ADHD accommod...

Why does the gender gap still exist, even when women are more educated, ambitious, and hardworking than ever? In this episode of Trust Me Mom (Season 2, Episode 39), journalist and author Stefanie O’Connell breaks down the hidden systems behind workplace inequality, the myth of “work-life balance,” and why individual effort alone isn’t enough to fix it. From the motherhood penalty to the fatherhoo...

What happens when motherhood collides with a system that wasn’t built to support it? In this powerful conversation with Alexa Starks, founder of Executive Moms and Mothered Magazine, we unpacked the reality of modern motherhood, workplace inequities, and the systems that shape women’s lives. From navigating toxic return-to-work experiences to redefining ambition, Alexa shared her journey from corp...

In this powerful and eye-opening episode of Trust Me Mom ,I sit down with Dr. Elena Merenova, a school psychologist with over 20 years of experience, to unpack a topic many parents quietly struggle with — why kids refuse to go to school . Is it just a phase? A hidden problem? Or something moreserious like school phobia? Dr. Merenova shares real-life stories, practical strategies,and deeply insight...

Why do so many couples struggle after having kids? In this episode of Trust Me Mom, I sit down with Alex Trippier @alexindadland — podcast host, writer, teacher, and speaker — to unpack the most common relationship mistakes parents make, especially around mental load, invisible labor, modern fatherhood, motherhood, conflict, and emotional connection. We talk about why both spouses often feel exhau...

In this Trust Me Mom conversation (Season 2, episode 35), Mike Draper shared what it really takes to raise resilient, thoughtful kids without losing the humor and warmth that make family life fun. Mike’s path is anything but typical: struggling in high school, serving in the Air Force, working as a police officer, earning an MBA, and building a massive content career (2.3M+ followers). In this epi...

Motherhood is exhausting, not just physically, but mentally. In this episode of Trust Me Mom, host Ekaterina Konovalova sits down with Sarah Dooley, founder of AI Empowered Mom, to talk about how AI and automation can help parents (especially moms) offload the invisible mental load of family life. Sarah shares her deeply personal journey from tech consultant to mom of three under 18 months, the mo...

In this episode of Trust Me Mom (Season 2, episode 33), Ekaterina Konovalova sat down with Vanessa Spinarsky - registered social worker, content creator, and one of the most honest voices in modern motherhood. Vanessa shared her personal story of loss of her father, what led her into social work, and how motherhood shook her sense of identity. Together, we unpacked the reality of postpartum burnou...

In this episode of the Trust Me Mom podcast, host EkaterinaKonovalova sat down with author Alex (Sasha) Simakovsky to explorethe science, psychology, and emotional power of human touch. Alex shared what inspired his book, More Than a Touch:Rediscover the Healing Power of Handholding , and why intentional touch ismore important than ever in a post-pandemic, digital-first world. Together,they discus...

Raising a teenager with big emotions can feel overwhelming, especially when nothing you say seems to help. In this episode of Trust Me Mom, host Ekaterina Konovalova sits down with therapist and author Katie K. May, a leading expert on teen behavior and emotional regulation. Katie introduces the concept of “fire-feelers” - teens who experience emotions intensely and struggle to calm down once trig...

What really happens after we get married and have kids — and why does “equality” so often disappear? In this powerful episode of Trust Me Mom (Season 1, episode 30), host Ekaterina Konovalova sits down with Abby Eckel — content creator, educator, and advocate for equitable partnerships — to unpack the realities of modern motherhood, invisible labor, emotional load, and why so many women feel overw...

What’s really behind the growing teen mental health crisis —and are we asking the wrong questions? In this episode of Trust Me Mom , host EkaterinaKonovalova sits down with Dr. Will Dobud , social work clinician, researcher, and co-author of Kids These Days , to unpack how modern mental health systems may be unintentionally harming young people. Dr. Dobud challenges the over-medicalization of chil...

In this episode of Trust Me Mom, Ekaterina Konovalova sits down with Brittany Maurizi, ABA therapist and founder of Balanced Behaviors, to demystify what ABA therapy really is — who it helps, how it works, and why it can transform the lives of children and adults. With over a decade of experience as an early childhood and special education teacher, and now a licensed Behavior Specialist, Brittany...

In this episode of Trust Me Mom, Ekaterina Konovalova interviewed Kepler Knott, the author of Raising Tomorrow: Talks to Prepare Our Kids for What Lies Ahead. Kepler is a former soldier, teacher, and long-time writer whose rich life experiences shaped a powerful book of letters to his daughters, exploring identity, values, critical thinking, service, culture, and what it really means to grow up in...