Under the Influence with Jo Piazza

What is a good mother? What is a bad mother. What is a traditional mother? Let's sit with all those questions for just a hot second and then realize that there's no right answers. Humans lived for 95% of our existence as hunter-gatherers: we raised children communally and in a way that was dramatically different from contemporary post-industrial societies. What can we take away from historical models of caregiving to help us get rid of the guilt and shame that social media heaps on us? We discuss it all with science writer Elena Bridgers including: Modern mothering lacks historical precedent. Current parenting models are harder on mothers. Leisure time is crucial for mothers' well-being. Community support significantly aids parenting. Myths about traditional motherhood need debunking. Understanding evolutionary biology can inform modern parenting. It's important to explore alternative parenting options. Having different options and being able to talk through what might work for you is key. The conversation should focus on maternal mental health, not just children's well-being. Moms are struggling with guilt and burnout from balancing work and childcare. Social isolation is a significant issue for modern mothers. The traditional models of motherhood are not representative of our evolutionary past. Children in hunter-gatherer societies had more autonomy and playtime. Parenting skills are often learned through experience, not instinct. Teenagers used to play a significant role in childcare, which has diminished. The structure of modern society contributes to feelings of loneliness among mothers. We need to rethink the support systems for mothers to improve mental health. Follow Elena's newsletter here. Join our newsletter community here. Pre-order EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU here. Visit our lovely sponsors here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I woke up Wednesday morning in a sheet cake and red wine coma, floating in confusion, grief and fury. And yet I still had to parent. We still have to be the leaders and teachers our children will so desperately need for the strange and uncertain future. So how do we talk to our kids about what is happening? Today I'm joined by Amanda White, the Executive Director of the Therapy For Women Center and Julia Hitch of the Seattle Clinic to answer all of your questions. Join our newsletter community here. Pre-order EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU here. Visit our lovely sponsors here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Take some time for yourself to enjoy this election day....to enjoy the fact that you got to vote for a woman for president. We get to savor that. And you know what I have a lot of optimism. Here to share in the joy with me are Glynnis MacNicol and @EmilyinYourPhone. Binge all of the episodes of We've Got Issues Here. Join our newsletter community here. Pre-order EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU here. Visit our lovely sponsors here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Let's take a break from election doom scrolling to clean out our closets. And while we do it why not try out a new podcast called Frugal Friends all about how to shift from a mode of overconsumption to one of underconsumption (and enjoy doing it). You can binge all of the Frugal Friends episodes here. Join our newsletter community here. Pre-order EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU here. Visit our lovely sponsors here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Influencers who hate Halloween, influencers who make you feel like you're failing Halloween (no more boo baskets people), plus a little Ballerina Farm brand extension for good measure. Subscribe to In Pursuit of Clean Countertops here. Join our newsletter community here. Pre-order EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU here. Visit our lovely sponsors here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why can't I do a back walkover as a 44 year old woman? That is the central theme of this hilarious episode with Lyndsay Rush, AKA @MaryOliversDrunkCousin. Sure we talk about poetry and existential dread, but mostly back walkovers and grudge holding against people who have no idea who we are. Lyndsay's new book of poems A Bit Much just came out and it is such a joy to read. Order it here. You can subscribe to our newsletter and join our community at Over the Influence. You can pre-order a personalized copy of the trashiest trad wife murder mystery of all time, EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU right here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Parenting is a long game. After parenting six kids for the past twenty-eight years Gabrielle and Ben Blair know that better than anyone. I love advice from other parents, especially ones that I respect as much as Gabrielle (@DesignMom) and Ben. Today we’re getting into all the advice from their new book The Kids Are All Right including the importance of emotional authenticity, building a family culture, the benefits of low-stakes activities and embracing the crappiest of moments. Living in the world is stressful enough. As parents we don’t need to impose even more stress on our lives. Here are some more highlights: Building a family culture is an ongoing process that shapes the future of our relationships. Emotional authenticity is crucial; kids should feel free to express their feelings. Parenting is about shared experiences that create lasting bonds. The long view of parenting helps maintain relationships beyond childhood. It's important to embrace challenges as part of family life. Parents should focus on creating a safe and loving home environment. Kids need to learn that it's okay to not be happy all the time. Low-stakes activities help children learn without pressure. Sports should be enjoyable, not a source of stress. Parents should focus on building relationships with their children. Manufactured stress can harm family dynamics. Engaged parents are a sign that kids will be fine. It's okay for kids to experience a range of emotions. Grab The Kids Are All Right here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the wake of the Ruby Franke scandal, Utah is finally considering legislation to protect and compensate the children of influencers. Joining us today is journalist Fortesa Latifi to talk about this breaking news AND the brand new tell-all book about the dangers of family vlogging from the eldest Franke child Shari Franke. Some of these influencers kids are helping their parents to make millions of dollars. McMansions and Mercedes are being bought from the labor. They deserve better and they just might get it. Read Fortesa's latest piece in the Washington Post here. Join our newsletter community here. Pre-order EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU here. Visit our lovely sponsors here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are 30 million romance readers in the United States and 50% read a book a week. That is a lot of books my friends! Today we are talking to our friends Claire Mazur and Erica Cerulo about their brand new romance publishing venture 831 which is delivering sexy, smart and spicy romances for the modern woman. I’m obsessed with their first book Big Fan which not only features a kind male protagonist that you will definitely want to do it with, but also touts universal basic income in a very organic way. They also have a no asshole policy in their books which I adore. I want more kind men, hot sex, progressive policies that will save the planet spicy margaritas of romances in my life and I think you will too. Order Big Fan here. Join our newsletter community here. Pre-order EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU here. Visit our lovely sponsors here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There's a fine line between marketing and creating false desires and influencers stomp all over it. Influencers often convince women they have problems that can only be solved by buying things. But this holiday season we don’t have to give in. Today we’re talking about the historical context of marketing and its impact on consumer behavior, emphasizing the emotional triggers behind impulse purchases. We have insights from Jen Smith of the Frugal Friends podcast and the author of Buy What You Love Without Growing Broke on how to navigate the overwhelming influence of social media and marketing during the holidays and practical tips for making more intentional financial decisions. Listen to Frugal Friends here. Join our newsletter community here. Pre-order EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU here. Visit our lovely sponsors here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For today's Sunday Nice Things we are dropping in an episode of Mom to More. Join Sharon Macey, former SAHM and mother of 3 as she dives deep into conversations with inspiring moms who successfully reinvented themselves, forging impressive next acts. If you're seeking practical tools, actionable tips and that loving kick in the pants to create your "MORE," this show is for you. Get ready for a supportive and motivational exploration of life beyond raising kids as Sharon helps you unpack the question: What Do You Want To Do When Your Kids Grow Up? Today's episode contains an interview with the always inspiring Lee Woodruff. You can binge all the episodes here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why is everyone so burnout? Modern parenting has shifted towards a focus on status and achievement, often at the expense of genuine happiness and well-being. How did we get here? How did our kids' childhoods end up so different from our own? Can we find some kind of middle ground between overstressed parents killing themselves to help their kids achieve and our own parents who drove us around in a station wagon with no seatbelts. Journalist and author Jennifer Wallace joins us to talk about her brilliant book Never Enough where she dissects toxic achievement culture and gives parents a framework for something different. Social media makes it all so much worse, but there is hope! We CAN do better. Order NEVER ENOUGH here. Join our newsletter community here. Pre-order EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU here. Visit our lovely sponsors here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Mormon #MomTok ladies are making serious bank and I want to talk about it. Many of these women are the breadwinners in their families and that is shaking up the patriarchy of the Mormon Church. Joining us today is Bobbi Rebell of Financial Wellness to talk about everything from product placement to brand integration to royalties. Money has given these women options and power in spite of their husbands and their community and that is what we should really be talking about when it comes to this show. Subscribe to Bobbi's newsletter Financial Wellness here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lauren Sisler’s journey of overcoming the shame of losing her parents to opioid addiction hasn’t been easy, but she has allowed it to give her purpose and help her find resilience. In her new book Shatterproof the ESPN sideline reporter details how her mother and father died within hours of each other, victims of their hidden battle with prescription drug addiction. Today we're talking about her path to writing that book and letting go of the shame of her parents' story so that she can honor their memories. A few things we cover in this episode: Your story is what ultimately helps you find purpose. It's important to own every single chapter of your life. The journey of healing is not linear. Shame can prevent us from asking important questions. Stories have the power to inspire and create change. We often hide our struggles to fit societal norms. Finding purpose can come from sharing our pain. Order SHATTERPROOF here. Follow Lauren on Instagram here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What has digital culture done to our standards of beauty and to our wallets when we have to spend to reach those standards of beauty. The proliferation of all digital media has wildly influenced how we perceive ourselves and our bodies, often to our detriment. Today we're joined by Elise Hu, a journalist and author who used her time as an NPR correspondent in Korea as a launching pad to explore the brave new world of absurd beauty standards. We also talk about why meat on a stick is the best food group and what we want on our tombstones. Listen to Elise on TED Talks Daily here. Listen to Elise on Forever 35 here. Order her book Flawless here. Subscribe to Over the Influence, the newsletter here. Buy yourself a Sicilian Inheritance for all of your friends here. Please visit our lovely sponsors here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

So many of you have been asking me for true crime podcast recommendations and I have a few I can drop in the feed. Let's start today with REDRUM. REDRUM is a podcast focusing on the true victims of crime. Each episode focuses on a new story. Real life, real victims, real crime presented by Grace Cordell. REDRUM True Crime is available wherever you get your podcasts. Spotify link Apple link Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is our first episode taking a look at the rise of "independent journalist" Jessica Reed Kraus through the lens of the recent RFK Jr. sexting scandal with journalist Olivia Nuzzi. What does it mean to be an independent journalist and how is House in Habit impacting the news cycle. This is an excerpt from my new show with @EmilyinYourPhone We've Got Issues. So much more on this topic to come. You can binge all the episodes of We've Got Issues Here. Join our Over the Influence newsletter here. Visit our wonderful sponsors right here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As a former history and government teacher Sharon McMahon thought she could do something to help combat all the misinformation and confusion she was seeing online in 2020. Since then her social media presence @SharonSaysSo has filled a vital need for clarity during complex times. Sharon cuts through the outrage, online vitriol and B.S. Her new book The Small and the Mighty is a hopeful and inspiring portrait of twelve ordinary Americans whose courage formed the character of our country. In this episode we'll be talking about: How Sharon grew from 12k Instagram followers to an audience of millions by giving people what they need and want. How to bring others around to the right side of history. How to influence people for the good. How to give people the space to change and grow without being deleted or blocked. Order Sharon's book The Small and the Mighty here. Subscribe to our newsletter Over the Influence here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When we see images of #tradwives on social media we see beautiful images of domestic bliss. Young women looking at this content could be easily tricked into believing this is a more aspirational path than getting an education or their own work experience. But the real women who have escaped real tradwife situations paint a very different picture of abuse, submission and control. Today's guest was married and pregnant at eighteen. Her husband forbid her from going to school, getting a job or even buying a kindle so she could read. When she tried to leave it felt impossible because she had none of her own money. Now, as many of us are watching the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives we need to talk about the actual reality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Let's take a deep dive into the intensely dramatic and overly scandalous new reality show The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Joining me today is New York Times columnist Jessica Grose to dissect the deeper meanings behind all the Botox, swinging scandals and brattiness. Like them or not, these women are attempting to dismantle the patriarchy in their own way and they've gained a ton of power and money through social media. Come for the trash, stay for the insights into gender and religion. Subscribe to the Over the Influence newsletter and join our community here. Read Jess's excellent NYT piece here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's Jo's 44th birthday. We've got a little advice, a little hilarity and a brand new podcast to share with you. Jo has been working on a new show with @EmilyinYourPhone called We've Got Issues. It's a politics show that will actually give you some hope again, will make you laugh a little and will help you start hard conversations with friends and loved ones about this insane election. This week we are talking about the realities of the Trump and Republican agenda on IVF and how it will impact all of us. ENJOY. You can binge all of the episodes of We've Got Issues here. They'll be up weekly. More on influencers (including the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives) next week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Raised by a single mother in Dayton, Ohio, Macy Eleni began thrifting at age 12 out of financial necessity and to help escape anxiety from bullies and an estranged relationship with her father. Over a decade later, Macy has built a massive TikTok platform around her love of second hand and vintage finds, and the belief that authentic self expression is crucial for mental health. Macy has created a sustainable niche amidst the hyperconsumerism of influencer culture, creating authentic personal style outside an algorithmic trend cycle that promotes microtrends and overconsumption. Buy less. Thrift more. Love life :) Follow Macy here. TikTok | Instagram Grab Macy's Book Second Chances here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When you're a mom two things can feel impossible, making new friends and making dinner. In today's episode we are joined by NYT bestselling author Caroline Chambers of the What to Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking substack to talk all about her book of the same name. We're digging into how hard it can be to build community, but how wonderful it is when you do it. We will also chat about how Caroline took a rejected cookbook idea and turned it into the best food substack in the world by catering to exhausted parents, and THEN turned that newsletter into a bestselling cookbook. Subscribe to the OVER THE INFLUENCE substack here. Order Caroline's book What to Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking here and subscribe to the substack here. Check out our sponsors here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sometimes fact is stranger than fiction. Let's dive into a gothic true tale of murder, sex, jealousy and mayhem in paradise. In Eden Undone Abbott Kahler tells the story of the German ex-pats who tried to build themselves a utopia in the Galapagos Islands with dire consequences. This story has so much to tell us about fame and infamy and the pursuit of both. Just like today's homesteading influencers who claim to go off the grid in pursuit of a simpler life, these settlers also chased their version of likes and accolades from around the globe. The desires for attention ultimately destroyed all of them. Buy Eden Undone here. Subscribe to the Over the Influence newsletter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's been a year since the release of the Wilder podcast about the life and legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder! Thousands of people have listened to the Wilder podcast and continue to keep the dialogue about Laura’s life and legacy alive. Glynnis and Jo published books. But perhaps most importantly, the Little House on the Prairie TV show turned 50! To prepare for this momentous anniversary in early September (and Glynnis’ 50th birthday), Glynnis and our producer Emily got together to share memories from the road and reflect on the lessons we learned from making this show that we still think about every day. Plus, they share never before heard clips from the road trip that started it all and from interviews with some of the most beloved Little House actors who still play a huge role in keeping Laura’s legacy alive. Binge all the Wilder episodes here. Buy Glynnis' book, I'm Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself, and Jo's book, The Sicilian Inheritance! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Astrology is all over the social medias, for better or worse. Here to guide us through it today is a woman who has been reading the stars for women's mags since before Facebook was a glimmer in Zuck's eye. We're joined by Ophira Edut, one half of the AstroTwins, the official astrologers for ELLE magazine and the matchmakers on Amazon Prime Video’s Cosmic Love. What can astrology tell us about what is happening right now and how we can handle it? What can we read in the stars to figure out this weird world we live in in 2024 and did these identical twin sister astrologists really predict the trad wife trend? Follow everything AstroTwins here. Buy The Astrology Advantage here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In light of the recent attacks on Gus Walz for showing a beautiful display of emotion when his dad took the stage at the DNC we are discussing how dangerous it is when men are not allowed to show a wide range of emotions. Too many men are taught that they can't experience anything except for rage and that is simply unacceptable. Today we are joined by our husband in residence Nick Aster to talk about how to raise boys to have all the feelings, our favorite song from Free to Be You and Me and the strangely tender moments in Goonies and Footloose. Subscribe to the Over the Influence newsletter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do #TradWives have any real basis in American history? Are they nostalgia or mythology? Here to unpack it is journalist Clara Bingham, the author of The Movement: How Women’s Liberation Transformed America 1963-1973. What made #TradWives so popular in the 50s and 60s? Was it real or was it advertising? Aren't today's social media #TradWives just performing and creating advertisements of domesticity for brand deals? Let's dig in! You can order Clara's book The Movement: How Women’s Liberation Transformed America 1963-1973 here. Subscribe to the Over the Influence newsletter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Never forget that if it exists in the world there is an influencer for it. Welcome to the world of HENFLUENCERS where people dance and drink and sing with their chickens for their millions of followers. They're selling $20 chicken coops and shipping baby chickens through the mail. Once you go down the henfluencing rabbit hole you might not come back and culture reporter Tove Danovich is here to tell us everything. Tove is the author of UNDER THE HENFLUENCE where she explores the lives of these quirky, mysterious birds who stole her heart the moment her first box of chicks arrived at the post office. Order UNDER THE HENFLUENCE here. Subscribe to the OVER THE INFLUENCE newsletter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What will the future really look like under Project 2025? Tia Levings escaped an abusive marriage and has since transformed her life through years of trauma therapy. With her new book, A Well-Trained Wife, she's shedding light on the dangers of the Christian patriarchy and its insidious infiltration into American politics. Complacency is not an option. Whether you're a die-hard feminist or just beginning to question patriarchal norms, Tia Levings’ story is a powerful testament to resilience and the necessity of taking action. Buy A Well Trained Wife today! Subscribe to Tia's Newsletter here. Subscribe to the Over the Influence Newsletter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's Sunday Nice Things manages to combine two of my favorite women to listen to—Krista Tippett, the journalist and creator of On Being and Kelly Corrigan, NYTimes bestselling author, radio host and all around funny and brilliant lady. This is an episode of a truly wonderful podcast called Kelly Corrigan Wonders. This is a place for people who like to laugh while they think and find it useful to look closely at ourselves and our weird ways in the hopes that knowing more and feeling more will help us do more and be better. You can listen to more of Kelly Corrigan Wonders here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How can parents save their kids from social media addiction? What can we be doing right now to make the digital world better for all children? The answer is that there is so much we can be working on. Today we're chatting with Julie Scelfo, the founder of MAMA. MAMA is a grassroots group of parents standing up to big tech and reclaiming the power of parents to fight media addiction in our homes, our schools and our communities. You are going to want to listen and re-listen to this episode about how media addiction is reshaping childhood and how we can actually make change happen. Learn more about MAMA here. Subscribe to the Over the Influence newsletter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Being a woman in the world isn't easy. Being a mom isn't easy. How do we find time for ourselves when we're caring for everyone and everything around us? Today's we're talking to Liz Tenety, co-founder of Mother.ly about the impossible standards society places on mothers and how to redefine success and ambition while juggling tiny humans. Follow all things Mother.ly here. Subscribe to the Over the Influence newsletter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Here are 43 pieces of good advice that do not suck, gleaned from a life that is aging like a fine cheese. Read the original 43 pieces of advice for 43 years newsletter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A new interview with the CEOs of the Ballerina Farm brand reveals startling never-before-heard details about their lives together, their courtship and their plans for the future. But it also reflects strict conservative political views that directly mirror those expressed at the recent Republican National Convention. Come with us as we go deep into the latest on the Ballerina Farm brand with momfluencing expert Sara Petersen. Subscribe to the Over the Influence newsletter here to discuss this episode and all our topics with the rest of our community. Get Sara Petersen's wonderful newsletter In Pursuit of Clean Countertops here. Buy The Sicilian Inheritance here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join Glynnis and I as we talk about our aging and changing bodies and the wildly popular books that dive into perimenopause and menopause. We talk about middle-aged women in the starring roles of our own life and why we need more steamy sexy TV shows and movies with real women with real bodies in their forties and fifties. Subscribe to the Over the Influence newsletter here. Buy The Sicilian Inheritance here. Order Glynnis's book I'm Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Sunday Nice Things we are bringing you an episode of The Only One in the Room, a podcast by writer Laura Cathcart Robbins about what it is like to be the "only" in a variety of situations. In this show comedian and writer Jodi Miller discusses being the only single mother in the room. Jodi tells the story behind adopting her daughter, which included a last minute and unexpected phone call from her lawyer instructing her to fly out to Kentucky the following day, during COVID, to pick up her child. This leads to a realization of just how hard it is to be a single parent to a young child. Listen to all of the episodes of The Only One in the Room here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Before Judy Blume was JUDY EFFING BLUME she was a mother of two searching for purpose outside of her home in 1960s suburban New Jersey. Today we're talking to Rachelle Bergstein, the author of the new book The Genius of Judy: How Judy Blume Rewrote Childhood For All Of Us about how the story behind how Judy transformed her life after having her kids, how she dealt with early rejections and nasty reviews and why she remains so damn relevant to all of us today. Buy The Genius of Judy today!!! Subscribe to the Over the Influence Newsletter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Victoria Hunter went viral on Instagram for her unconventional depiction of a 'trad wife.' Dressed in a long modest dress, Victoria identified herself as a bisexual advocate of trans rights whose husband does all the cooking. The Internet went crazy for it. But Victoria doesn't consider herself a tradwife. She just likes the aesthetic (as does every woman who shops at Doen) and she used that viral moment and her increase in followers to talk about what she really wants to talk about, being an autistic woman who was diagnosed late in life. The interview delves into the dynamics of social media, its impact on mental health, and the importance of authenticity online. Victoria also shares her personal journey with her autism diagnosis and how it shapes her life and parenting style. You can follow Victoria here. Subscribe to the Over the Influence Newsletter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to Sunday Nice Things! Introducing, HOW TO BE FINE. Half advice show, half reality show. Join podcast besties Kristen Meinzer and Jolenta Greenberg as they seek advice from experts, and then put that advice to the test. All this season they’re focusing on the loneliness epidemic and the struggles of friendship - from making new friends to breaking up with BFFs. Their goal? To help get you a little closer to fine. Listen to all the episodes of HOW TO BE FINE here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What makes a worthy mother and who gets to decide that? It's a question that is often considered when we think about things like adoption, abortion and the foster system at large. This episode explores the often overlooked perspectives of birth mothers, the socioeconomic challenges they face, and the trauma associated with relinquishment. Based on sociologist Gretchen Sisson's extensive research, including over 100 interviews detailed in her book 'Relinquished', this discussion sheds light on the broader failures of societal and governmental support for mothers and families and how popular culture has shaped how we view adoption in this country. Order Gretchen's book RELINQUISHED here. Subscribe to the Over the Influence newsletter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we dive into the transformative power of motherhood on creativity. Join us as we chat with photographer and filmmaker Karni Arieli about her inspiring Eye Mama Project, a collection of raw and gorgeous images of motherhood collected from around the world. Eye Mama captures both the beauty and struggles of motherhood, aiming to provide a truthful, empathetic portrayal of the invisible aspects of motherhood. Learn more about the Eye Mama Project here. Subscribe to the Over the Influence newsletter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's Sunday Nice Things is Jo's OG podcast, Committed. Levi and Jared are ready to get engaged. But Levi has been keeping his relationship with Jared a secret from his family and that has to change if they want to move forward. This is a story about being honest, completely and radically honest, with yourself and the people you love before you get married. I asked Levi if he was scared, scared to tell his story in such a public way, if he wanted to use a pseudonym. He didn't. He’s trying so hard to be brave, to be honest. Levi wants to tell his love story now....all of it. You can listen to all the episodes of Committed here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Julia Dzafic has been in the influencing game for 15 years, making her what I like to call an OG influencer. She has been a blogger and an Instagrammer and now she is an author. Today we're digging into what life is like behind the filtered curtain for creators. How do you separate your identity from what you do for work? If you're an influencer how do you separate your real life from your online brand? We will also chat about the imposter syndrome and shame that seem to only infect women, especially women who are intensely online. Order Garden Grown here. Subscribe to our newsletter Over the Influence here. Follow Julia here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With all the chatter about #tradwives and #homesteading and #homeschooling we need to be talking about the realities of some of the highly Christian Patriarchal norms and rules behind these things. Raised in the Christian patriarchy movement, Cait West was homeschooled and expected to live at home as a stay-at-home daughter after she turned 18, until her father allowed her to marry a man he chose for her. No college and definitely no career. She was trained to serve the men around her, and her life would never be her own. Growing up, she was told she was set apart, holy, she belonged to God. In her mind, she was blessed. She was quick to follow the rules and judged anyone who didn’t live by the same black and white beliefs. She knew that if she disobeyed, she would be cast out forever. But as she grew older something deep inside Cait told her this wasn’t how life was supposed to be. Order Cait's memoir RIFT here. Subscribe to the Over the Influence substack here. Order The Sicilian Inheritance here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dropping a new show into your feeds today for Sunday Nice Things. The Creative and the AI is a journey through how artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the creative process. We are at the beginning of a creative revolution that is sweeping over a content hungry world. In technology and the arts, AI is set to change everything. For creators the fear and hope is palatable, as they look to a future where AI is part of everything they do. From replacement to ruin, collaboration to co-existence, and everything in between, join Corin Lines-Stary, on a journey to discover what artists, creatives and technologists think about AI and their practice. Corin Lines-Stray on LinkedIn Mike Russell on LinkedIn Music Radio Creative Website Mike Russell on Youtube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, I am joined by the hilarious Laura Belgray, an award-winning copywriting expert and the true queen of libing unapologetically. Laura's book Tough Titties: On Living Your Best Life When You're the F-ing Worst empowers you to live life authentically and honor your unique timeline. She's hilarious and a massive dork and I love her. We are also joined by Rachel Dodes and Lauren Mechling to talk about their wonderful new summer novel, The Memo, a book I like to call Sliding Doors for a new generation with a better haircut. Buy TOUGH TITTIES here. Buy THE MEMO here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Online culture has been defining very specific ways to be masculine and feminine. So does culture at large. Masculine is often thought of as dominant, strong, powerful and fierce while feminine is seen as soft and emotional and beautiful and caring. I'm so curious if we could flip that narrative. I think about it all the time as the mom of a boy. What if we assigned other characteristics to "masculine," things like caring and nurturing, warm, kind, supportive, joyful and respectful. What if we thought of these as male traits? And maybe you already do, but I don't think that most of our culture does. Here to talk to me about all of it is someone else who has been thinking about masculinity and femininity for a very long time. Catherine Connors is the former head of content for Disney Interactive, and she used to call herself a princess hacker because part of her job was figuring out what characteristics a Disney princess should have. Catherine believes in the power of fairytales and the power of storytelling to flip the narratives we've traditionally been told about what is masculine and what is feminine. Follow Catherine on Instagram at HER BAD MOTHER. Subscribe to Catherine's Substack HOLY DOODLEBUG Here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

New podcast alert! Today we are bringing you a show called You Probably Think This Story's About You. You Probably Think This Story’s About You is an exploration of love, betrayal, and the far-reaching consequences of one man’s deceit, told through the eyes of the women whose lives were irrevocably changed by it. Brittani Ard wants to understand how the man she once believed to be her soulmate could have deceived her so deeply. Devastating revelations unfold. Listen to all the episodes of You Probably Think This Story's About You here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What is a Cute-servative? It's an adorable nickname that conservative women are giving to themselves online as part of the Barbie-rific branding of the conservative party to young women. And this brand is working! Join us as we discuss the current political burnout many women are feeling and the critical need to stay engaged. Our guest, Emily Amick of the Instagram account @EmilyInYourPhone, explores how conservative forces are successfully courting young women through social media. We dive into the importance of keeping hope alive in politics, the impact of effective messaging, and the necessity of local political involvement. The conversation also touches on Emily's personal battle with thyroid cancer and the power of community support. ORDER DEMOCRACY IN RETROGRADE HERE. Subscribe to the Over the Influence newsletter here. Order The Sicilian Inheritance here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices