Being Mom

#014: This week's guest is Samantha Fisher, who lives in Los Angeles, CA with her four children, Billy (17), Dakota (14), Kingston (11), and Phoenix “Mimi” (9). In this special pandemic-focused episode, Samantha talks about the effects of distance learning on her kids, whose grade levels span from 3rd grade to 11th grade. She shares her strategy for navigating their lack of motivation around schoolwork and how she keeps things fun and interesting. She also talks about keeping an eye on her kids’ mental health and the ways she takes care of herself as well. Having experienced some big shifts in her employment status when her places of work had to close 2 months ago, Sam has taken to getting creative with how she is bringing in income. Finally, Sam talks about what worries her the most about things opening up again and shares the question she is asking herself while planning for the future.Samantha Fisher is a Sensual Movement Teacher, a certified Erotic Blueprint & Intimacy Coach, and the owner and artisan behind Blackbird Design House, offering modern, hand felted accessories for the home and one of a kind wearable art. She loves all her jobs! Samantha adores helping women get comfortable in their bodies, guiding them toward realizing, owning, and speaking their sexual desires, and all-around living their most pleasure-filled life. She is also highly passionate about helping couples connect on a deeper, more intimate level inside and outside of the bedroom.Samantha is passionate about living and speaking her truth, both the ups and the downs, and feels grateful to have four crazy, smart, amazing, pain-in-the-ass kids who teach her how to be a better person and constantly keep her on her toes.For the links and show notes for this episode, head to: http://beingmompodcast.com/podcast/episode-014

#013: This week's guest is Liz Baghaei, who lives in Burbank, CA with her soon-to-be 5 year old son. In this episode, Liz shares her incredible story of becoming a single mom. She talks about her unexpected, yet healthy, pregnancy, how pregnancy positively impacted her relationship to her body, and her easy, unmedicated, doula-supported birth. Liz describes the loneliness and anxiety of her first year as a mom and what helped her stay connected to herself despite having very little support. She also tells the inspiring story of how she persevered into business ownership by breaking ground for her hot yoga school, Stretch when her son was just 7 months old. Liz gets honest about what she found surprising about motherhood, the rewarding relationship she has with her son, and what is challenging her the most as a mother right now. She also talks about how she stays grounded, what drew her to studio ownership, and how she defines authenticity. Finally, Liz explains how yoga, breath, and meditation show up in her real-life moments of anxiety and/or mothering stress.Liz Baghaei was born in Iran and raised in Vancouver, Canada. She is the owner and lead teacher of Stretch, a high-end yoga school with authentic teaching of the therapeutic Bishnu Ghosh lineage. She has been practicing yoga for over 18 years and has been a Bikram certified teacher for over 13 years. With her educational background in literature and communication, she created the unique opportunity to immerse herself in working with teachers through secondary education through labs and feedback. Her passion has always been how to improve the teaching of posture mechanics, operational command, conscious precise language, and energetic connection. Through this work, she realized her potential in her ability to mentor others and so began her journey to open her school. Liz built her custom 5000 sq ft school from the ground up, and while she faced incredible struggles and obstacles along the way, she believed in this school and persevered. During this time she unexpectedly became pregnant with her only son. What drove her to continue was that each time she stood on her mat it was evident that this was her calling. Her passion for helping her students flourished even as her challenges increased. She continues to use the same skills and techniques she teaches her students: to breathe, to lean into discomfort, to surrender, and to allow the path to unfold as it should.For the links and show notes for this episode, head to: http://beingmompodcast.com/podcast/episode-013

#012: This week's guest is Jennifer Sterling, who lives in Manhattan with her 8 year old son. In this episode, Jennifer gets honest about her experience of being pregnant, which lasted 44 weeks and included pregnancy-long nausea and trouble gaining weight. She also describes her traumatic cesarean birth experience and shares the difficulties she faced during the postpartum period, which included flashbacks to her birth, her divorce, and a period with homelessness. She reveals what she finds rewarding and difficult about being a single mom and what she does to stay nourished. We talk about Jennifer’s work as a registered Dance/Movement Psychotherapist, how she chose the term ‘bodyful’ for her organization that supports black women living with depression, and she suggests a gentle approach for gaining access to pleasure in the body. We also discuss her book Dear Strong Black Woman which speaks to the experience of upholding the “strong black woman” ideal through powerful poetic expression. Finally, Jennifer offers wise suggestions for women who find themselves navigating motherhood and depression, or any other of life’s challenges.Jennifer Sterling is a registered dance/movement psychotherapist and holistic nutritionist based in New York City. She is also the creator of Bodyful Healing, an organization that provides mental health support to black women living with depression. Her book Dear Strong Black Woman: Letters of Nourishment and Reflection from One Strong Black Woman to Another is available via a link in the show notes, or on Amazon.For the links and show notes for this episode, head to: http://beingmompodcast.com/podcast/episode-012

#011: This week's guest is Jennifer Tracy, who lives in Los Angeles with her 10-year-old son and their two sweet rescue dogs. In this episode, Jennifer shares all the chapters of her motherhood story, starting with how she learned she was pregnant, to loving pregnancy (and pregnancy sex!), to having a swift, unmedicated birth, and then into a difficult and lonely postpartum period. She reveals what led her to seek help for postpartum depression and about her path to recovery and rediscovery of herself. Jennifer also shares about learning to hold exquisite space for her son’s panic attacks which stem from his ADHD diagnosis and how she nurtures herself inside of it all. Jennifer’s sense of humor comes through as she confesses embarrassing mom moments, and her heart shines brightly as she shares what she loves about her son at 10 years old. Finally, she talks about what stirs her creativity as a writer, shares the inspiration from her own life that sparked the spicy idea for her novel, and offers tips for how others can begin to unlock their own stories. We also discuss the ridiculous notion that motherhood and sexuality don’t mix and more!Jennifer Tracy is a veteran actor, writer, producer, and content creator. Starting her professional career at the age of 14, Jennifer ‘learned by doing’ and began honing her eye for composition, mise en scène, and narrative form. Jennifer received her Bachelor of Science in Screenwriting from Boston University, also studying cinema in specialized programs in Australia and France before moving to Los Angeles. Auditioning, acting, and working in TV and films for 30 years has deepened her skill set, as well as 10 years of conservatory-level improv performance, writing, producing, and performing in L.A. Women, her 2 woman sketch comedy show for 7 consecutive years in Los Angeles, writing scripts for TV and film, self-publishing a series of novellas on Amazon and more recently finishing her first novel. Jennifer also co-created one of Hollywood’s most successful Special Effects companies, Imagine That Enterprises, Inc., supplying major films and TV productions with script breakdowns, effects talent, materials, and equipment.Jennifer doesn’t do anything half-way, and she credits eight hours of sleep per night and rising at 5 am each morning for the amount of prolific creative work she churns out. That, and a steady diet of PG Tips with milk and raw honey. (Oh, and chocolate, as needed.) Testimonials from Jennifer’s creative consulting clients speak volumes. Her passion for story and unveiling vulnerability through narrative form fuels her work with clients and networks. Jennifer’s talent for teasing the story out of a writer/creator is unmatched. She has a gentle, yet palpable, electricity in her sessions whereby she elicits depth and a fresh perspective when often the creatives thought they had reached a stalemate.The Ultimate MILF: Jennifer’s popular podcast, MILF Podcast (Moms I’d Like to Follow), is now well into its second year of production, with over 55,000 downloads. Jennifer interviews moms on the show each week, sharing women’s stories of motherhood, sexuality, entrepreneurship, and captivating the ears of thousands of people worldwide. These raw and real conversations about sex, gender roles, and the social construct of motherhood as seen by culture, are all themes Jennifer mines in her novel, Honey Pie. Some notable guests have included Kathryn Hahn, Cobie Smulders, Shannon Watts, Jenna Elfman, May Lindstrom, and more.For the links and show notes for this episode, head to: http://beingmompodcast.com/podcast/episode-011

#010: This week's guest is Erin Pace, who lives in New York City with her family, which includes her husband and their 2 year old son. In this episode, Erin shares the beautiful story of her son’s birth via surrogacy, a decision she made with her husband after several disappointing rounds of IVF which did not result in pregnancy. Erin’s 8-year story of perseverance, faith, surrender, gratitude, and love is inspiring. She even explains how she and her husband remained connected to each other along their journey together. Erin also talks about being a mom to a toddler, what she found surprising about motherhood, and her practice of all-day self care. She talks about the origins of her faith, and how that now translates into her spiritual and somatic work with women.Erin is a sensual movement teacher, spiritual realignment guide and body reader. Her “Responsive Body Practice” combines cognitive, somatic, intuitive and spiritual tools to help women return to and stay aligned with their highest self-connection. From thriving leaders to women who might be experiencing anxiety, shame, grief, life-threatening disease, etc., she helps them keep their vessel clear and align with divinity and potential. It’s what she refers to as activating the whole holy self.Erin holds a BFA from Syracuse University and has 30+ years of experience in various arenas of professional dance/theater, event production, company management, celebrity assistance and more. She has spent the last 11 years as an S Factor teacher, devoted to helping women become fully expressed as emotional erotic beings. The spiritual design of her work is influenced by a plethora of great thought leaders and practitioners including Paul Ferrini, Pema Chodron, Dr. Joe Dispenza, Bruce Lipton and more. www.erinpace.comFor the links and show notes for this episode, head to: http://beingmompodcast.com/podcast/episode-010

#009: This week's guest is Kirsten Zinchuk Haley, who lives near Princeton, NJ and is a mom of three children, two daughters (13 and 11) and one son (7). In this episode, Kirsten talks through all three of her birth stories, one cesarean after her breech baby was undetected by her doctor, a successful VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean), and finally, a wildly free unmedicated birth using the hypnobirthing technique. Kirsten shares her perspective about the heartbreaking joy of motherhood, the particular love of a son for his mother, what she loves about spending time with her children, and how she cultivates presence in both motherhood and business. Kirsten talks about her work in the healing/arts, why she included a salt cave to be part of her business, and how the spiritual nature of her work inspires her mothering toward curiosity, laughter, and pleasure. She also explains how storytelling can be used to empower and heal by sharing her journey from studying Anthropology, to Brand Marketing, to Women’s Circles and a variety of other healing modalities. Finally, Kirsten confesses to fully indulging in the pleasure (and peace) of spending a week away from her family.Kirsten Zinchuk Haley is the owner and founder of sault + spirit. She seeks to provide a space for expansion and healing for all. Believing everything we need to live our most joyful, purposeful lives resides in the stories we tell, the profound wisdom of our bodies and learning to hold this whole dance of life with a looser grip and a more joyful heart. In a world and a body that are constantly evolving and becoming, nothing is beyond our power to transform and transmute.Kirsten has a graduate degree in Ethnography and Anthropology from the University of Chicago and studied Creative Writing and Philosophy at Emory University. She has been investigating and crafting stories for brands, groups, and individuals for over 20 years, transforming what is possible for all. Her lifetime love of the mystical tradition of tarot and extensive graduate work in media theory has informed her work on visual narrative as a powerful tool for trauma resolution and healing. She is a reiki master, attuned to reading the akasha, a master of eriksonian hypnosis and has been studying the art of embodiment and open-hearted intimacy for the past few years. Currently, she is studying more somatic modalities with a keen interest in the stories the body is telling through our movements, habits, and gestures. The stories we tell… linguistically, socially, psychologically, culturally, visually, physically, relationally …that is the heart of it all.For the links and show notes for this episode, head to: http://beingmompodcast.com/podcast/episode-009

#008: This week's guest is Nina Restieri, who lives in Connecticut and is a mom of four children, Andrew (23), Jenna (21), Matthew (19), and Jamie (16). In this episode, Nina shares the unique choices she made with her ex-husband toward becoming a beautiful, blended family, how her motherhood journey has evolved over time, the process of learning to take care of herself, how she feels about becoming an empty-nester, and what she worried about unnecessarily when her children were younger. Nina explains how she purposefully created her business, momAgenda, around her role as a mother and expresses her honest opinion about finding work/life balance. She talks about a variety of potent, personal topics including losing her mother soon after the arrival of her first baby, her current dating life, and how parents can create close relationships with their children. Finally, she shares her straightforward tip for moms who are feeling overwhelmed. Nina Restieri is a mom of four children and the Founder and President of momAgenda. She initially created momAgenda for herself, as a way to get more organized and find peace of mind amid the chaos of raising young children. She quickly realized that her new creation could benefit not just her but thousands of other stressed-out and overwhelmed moms. Shortly thereafter, Nina debuted her line of organizing products at the National Stationery Show – and sold out within three days to 120 stores. At that moment, Nina knew she had struck a chord with women all over the country who had the same desire to bring some order to their hectic lives. Nina graduated from Colgate University where she majored in English. She writes a popular blog and is a frequent guest contributor on the topics of self-care, time management, parenting, motherhood, and divorce on other websites and blogs.For the links and show notes for this episode, head to: http://beingmompodcast.com/podcast/episode-008

#007: This week's guest is Kara Ryska, who lives near San Diego with her husband and their four children, three boys, ages 7 - 12, and one 2-year-old daughter. In this episode, Kara talks about her devastating second-trimester pregnancy loss which occurred before the arrival of her daughter and shares the story of her son’s brain cancer diagnosis which led him into a craniotomy, a surgical procedure that required significant recovery. She also discusses the long-term effects of the surgery, which continue to affect her son and their family life. Kara shares how she has learned to take care of herself as a special needs mom, the healthy ways she has learned to release her anger when it arises, and how she has begun to re-envision her life so as not to become a victim of her circumstances. She also reveals the ways her motherhood journey led her to into growth and self-discovery, and ultimately into the pursuit of meaningful work. Kara talks about what she finds most difficult in her daily life as a mom, and also the ways her kids help remind her not to take herself too seriously.Kara Ryska is an Associate Certified Coach through the International Coaches Federation. She leads in a male-dominated industry and now supports women doing the same. She serves women who want to restore satisfaction and JOY in their life as a professional, wife and mom. Kara’s coaching process is dynamic and based on the needs of each client but always includes establishing clear objectives and defining measurable results. Kara is a wife and mother of four children who knows the crazy challenging circumstances first hand. She parents a child with special needs and practices what she preaches at work and at home.For the links and show notes for this episode, head to: http://beingmompodcast.com/podcast/episode-007

#006: This week's guest is Saba Homayoon Hopkins, who lives in Los Angeles, California with her family, which includes her husband and their two kids, Lily (9) and Alex (5). In this episode, Saba talks about how pregnancy helped dramatically change her view of her body and tells the story of her hospital birth. She then discusses the loneliness of pumping breastmilk and shares how she prepared her daughter for a sibling. Saba also talks about the experience of learning that her son has Sensory Processing Disorder, explains how she copes with the messiness of having kids, and expresses how much she loves the multi-tasking of motherhood. Because Saba is an actress, we talk about her upcoming show and how she is preparing herself and her family for her extended absence while filming out of town. Finally, Saba shares how she is learning to put herself first and reveals a candid and relatable mom confession about overwhelm.Saba Homayoon Hopkins is a wife, mom to two spit-fire kids, Lily and Alex, and mom to one fur baby, Reece. When not in the role of “mommy,” she can be seen tutoring, teaching acting classes or on TV! She is an actress and will be seen in the tv show, “Chad” coming soon to TBS, playing, what else, a mom of two! But her greatest role in life will always be being a mom to her own two kids. Saba is most passionate about creating a home that feels safe for her children to be themselves in, to take risks in, to be messy in and to grow in. She believes in raising children who will be constructive members of their communities, who will be aware of injustice and fight it when necessary and who will always give back to those in need. She would describe her family as four divas always competing for the spotlight! It makes for a lot of craziness, sass, imagination, creativity, passion, personality, laughter and love. So much love. For the links and show notes for this episode, head to: http://beingmompodcast.com/podcast/episode-006

This week's guest is Brenda Munson, who lives in Portland, Oregon with her family, which includes her husband and their 3-year-old son. In this episode, Brenda talks about her path to pregnancy, explains her unexpected aversion to being pregnant, and tells the story about her 63-hour labor which led to the arrival of her son via vacuum-assisted birth. Brenda also talks about her commitment to breastfeeding and finding the balance between permissiveness and boundary setting as a parent. Brenda is open about how critical she became of her body during the postpartum period and shares how she eventually found a more loving relationship with her post-baby body. She also discusses her gradual journey back into sexual intimacy with her husband after the baby, explains what she means when she uses the phrase 'turned on' and melts over her experience of a mother’s love. Finally, Brenda reveals a provocative mom confession. Brenda Munson is a radical self-love mentor, waking women up to their ecstatic, sensual, turned-on life. She teaches women how to liberate their lives through practices that deeply connect and anchor them into their bodies. This work opens gateways to self-healing, unbreakable body love and unapologetic expression. Brenda works with brilliantly courageous women, who are willing to take radical ownership over their lives, and re-educates their sleeping goddess within. Her students and private clients seek out her intuitive guidance and expertise in facilitating potent transformations. As an S Factor® teacher, Brenda has been guiding students through the most soulful and intuitive style of pole dance; unlocking their full, free, erotic expression for over 7 years. In early 2018, she also became a licensed Liquid Motion® movement teacher. In 2019 she launched TURNED-ON; a 5-month intimate sisterhood mastermind that includes 2 retreats and runs twice a year.For the links and show notes for this episode, head to: http://beingmompodcast.com/podcast/episode-005

#004: This week's guest is Laura Victore, who lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, James and their two children, Wyatt (4) and Nova (2). In this episode, Laura talks about the alternative fertility methods she used in her efforts to become pregnant for the first time, shares her experience of being a step-mom, and tells the story of her successful home birth. She also reveals what took her son to the hospital 6 days after his arrival and discusses her difficult experience with breastfeeding. Laura finds a lot of magic in being a mom, and has a lovely ability to find lessons in the challenges of motherhood, particularly when it comes to handling the input and choices made by grandparents. Finally, Laura shares what her son thinks of the “S word” and shares her definition of the term “spiritual embodiment”. Laura is a Spiritual Embodiment Coach, Feminine Movement Teacher, and soon-to-be-published author. She says that if she could do one thing all day it would probably be reading esoteric literature about how the universe works. And dancing. And eating chocolate. And laugh/snorting loudly with her kids. And writing. And leading people in guided meditations. Honestly, she likes a lot of things, but her most favorite thing is turning people on to their own blindingly incredible magnificence and reminding them of their energetic origins and irrefutable power to create beauty and magic in their lives in every moment. She digs the title Spiritual Embodiment Coach, but really she just wants to help people feel good from the inside out.For the links and show notes for this episode, head to: http://beingmompodcast.com/podcast/episode-004

#003: This week's guest is Anjua Maximo, who lives in Cleveland, Ohio with her family, which includes her husband and their two sons ages 8 and 14. Inspired by her early experiences and personal development working for fitness apparel brand lululemon athletica, Anjua took risks by setting out on her own to become a successful entrepreneur and life coach, dedicated to empowering women. It was at lululemon that she fell in love with personal development, which inspired her to join forces with her husband, Zosimo, in launching a business venture in 2015 that became GrooveRyde - Cleveland’s premier boutique micro-gym. While GrooveRyde’s mission is to transform you from the inside out, Anjua’s true passion lies with her Electric Life workshops and Pure Mvmnt coaching. From teaching women to create a powerful vision for their lives to guiding them to a positive and powerful connection to their feminine energy, she has found ways to use movement and personal development to coach the ‘Whole Woman.’In this episode, Anjua tells both of her pregnancy and birth stories, including one that placed her on hospital bedrest at 25 weeks, and had her visiting her premature son in the NICU. Anjua is very skilled at finding humor in the challenges of early motherhood and breastfeeding, and has learned to find grace in the messiness of motherhood. As a busy entrepreneur, she shares her honest and compassionate perspective on finding balance between work and family. Finally, Anjua offers moms a tip for motivation and talks about her belief that the body is the doorway for moms to find their way back to themselves after the arrival of a baby.For the links and show notes for this episode, head to: http://beingmompodcast.com/podcast/episode-003

This week's guest is Michelle Tamblyn-Sabo, is a self-described spiritual seeker and a mama of 2 shining children, Penelope Love (7) and William Maxwell (5). She is married to JP Tamblyn~Sabo an Internationally known Yoga Teacher and she is the creator of Goddess Flow Feminine Movement. Michelle is a wildly passionate woman that sees potential and possibility in Life. She has a deep seeded belief that when we are aligned with our Soul’s Wisdom anything is possible. Ultimately, Michelle is a woman seeking to become the most authentic embodiment of her Soul’s truth in order to be an ambassador of love and healing on our planet, because she knows that when she is embodied all Life around her flourishes.In this episode, Michelle shares her story of becoming a mom for the first time, the journey of becoming a family of four, and her challenges as a mother. She talks about the 5 Words that inspire how she leads her life (playful, devotion, love, sexy & soulful) and how each one influences her mothering. Michelle also explains how she became an advocate for the Indigenous People of Canada and the actions she takes to support women in the cause. Finally, she shares the value of connecting with and listening to our "Soul Voice". For all the links and show notes for this episode, head to: http://beingmompodcast.com/podcast/episode-002

#001: Welcome to Being Mom! In this episode, host Ali Kozoll, introduces herself and her family by telling her story of pregnancy and her son's birth by cesarean. She shares the intention behind the show and invites you to join her on the beautiful roller coaster ride of being a mother. This is where moms get to connect heart-to-heart about the joys and challenges of motherhood. Welcome to the community, we're so glad you found us!If you'd like to get the links and show notes for this episode head to: https://beingmompodcast.com/podcast/episode-001