Message From Mom

Jillian, a mom of three, was faced with a breast cancer diagnosis after a lump from mastitis never seemed to go away. With young children to raise, and so much life to give, Jillian embarked on her breast cancer journey with a ton of courage and a lot of faith. Although there is so much hardship and pain in a cancer diagnosis, Jillian's journey is a testament to the fact that the bright spots can overcome even the darkest times. 

In 2014, Boram Nam was living in New York City when she experienced an extremely difficult postpartum recovery period after her second child was born. Originally from Korea, where postpartum care is a priority, Boram recognized firsthand that postpartum support for moms in the US was and is essentially nonexistent. Over the next several years, Boram and her husband worked together to lay a foundation to make postpartum care essential for women across the United States.  In May 2022, Boram Postnatal Retreat was born.

Raevan Bielik is a mother of three young daughters and co-founder of BirthBabyBody, a company geared towards supporting parents and babies through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. In this episode Raevan talks about her passion for helping women recover from diastasis recti and the program she is building called Defeat Diastasis. She also shares exercises we should and shouldn't be doing to build back our core after baby. You can connect with Raevan on Instagram @raevan_m_bielik or learn more about her practice at birthbabybody.com. 

Many may know Brenda Bogart today for her work as an artist, but her art business is actually her third endeavor after running a succesful interior design business for years and a children's clothing manufacturing company. In this episode, Brenda shares her motivation behind building businesses, her passion for the marriage ministry she runs with her husband Bill, and why the give-back component of her business today has been an integral part of her growth as an artist. 

Sarah and Juliet both worked in journalism before entering the world of motherhood. Both finding inadequate postnatal support for women and babies, Sarah and Juliet partnered together to create Welcome Baby. A non-profit that operates in 12 states across the country to provide low-income mothers with one comprehensive package containing everything she and her newborn need in the first four weeks of life.

Lizzie Means Duplantis and Sarah Means, the sisters behind the bespoke boot brand, Miron Crosby join us to chat about their West Texas Heritage (they literally grew up on a cattle ranch) and the story behind the launch of their bespoke boot company, handcrafted by Rios of Mercedes, a 160 year old boot manufacturer and cousins of the Means sisters. If you are in the Aspen area, be sure to stop by the new Miron Crosby storefront on Cooper Ave. You can also find them at mironcrosby.com or on Instagram @mironcrosby!

In this episode, our host, Whitney Rowell, tells her personal experience having her third baby at home in April 2021. Whitney talks about why she chose to have her third baby at home with a midwife after having two successful hospital deliveries. She shares the pros and cons of both experiences and answers some of the common questions she received from others who are interested in this experience. If you have specific questions about a home birth, Whitney encourages you to email her at whitney@whitneyrowell.com

In this episode, we ask former guests Annie Tam, owner of Mend Counseling, and Casey Bonano, owner of Dallas Nutritional Counseling, to come together for an honest conversation about motherhood and our well-being from both a mental and physical standpoint.

Sabrina Rudin, a mom of 2 and founder of Spring Cafe Aspen, Aspen's first 100% organic eatery and juice bar. Sabrina talks about how she seamlessly incorporates clean eating into her family's everyday life, the steps she takes to prioritize time with her children while running a business, and how the global pandemic didn't stop her from opening her second restaurant location in New York City this summer!

Molly Fienning, a mom of two and co-founder of two successful start-ups, talks about how she turned her idea for ‘baby aviators' into a global brand, why her passion for food led her to become CEO of Red Clay Hot Sauce and how ‘unitasking' is the key to making it all work.

Jen Kelly and Becca Perren, partnered together when they were both pregnant with their first babies to launch Pehr, known today as one of the world's leading children's lifestyle brands. In this episode, Jen and Becca talk about how they built their business, how they were able to successfully pivot during Covid and share advice for any aspiring mompreneurs out there who have a business idea they want to take to the next level. Find Pehr at www.shoppehr.com and @pehr on Instagram!

In this special Mother’s Day inspired episode of Message From Mom, Whitney brings you a conversation with her mom, Dana Williams. Dana is a Gallup certified StrengthsFinder coach, entrepreneur, and former marketing executive at Southwest Airlines. They talk about life’s biggest transitions, and how we can apply our strengths in motherhood and beyond. 

As a therapist and mother of two young boys, Annie has a passion for helping young women and mothers building self-confidence, find identity and purpose, and create an intentional, wholehearted life. In this podcast episode, we chat about finding our identity as mothers in the postpartum space and the best ways to prepare for the 4th trimester.

Brittany Goff left her corporate job in sports marketing to start her own company called Wheat & Honey Co. From that, she created her own impactful community called Wheatful Woman, where she empowers women through both online and in-person events and most recently, her #wheatfulwoman podcast.  She shares how she made the leap from corporate to start-up over four years ago, and how to know when it’s the right time to make the transition.

Sterling McDavid, founder of The Starling Project, co-founder of Burnett New York and a member of UNICEF’s New York Board of Directors, has held many incredible titles and roles since graduating from college just a little over a decade ago. In this episode, we talk about the work Sterling has done with UNICEF, the journey to launch a luxury home fragrance line for her social impact business, The Starling Project, and why female empowerment is an integral part of her women-owned-run design house, Burnett New York. 

Kara Shannon and Lily Kramlich-Taylor both moved to Dallas from different parts of the country to pursue job opportunities. The experience led them to create Dallasites 101, a platform that connects people with businesses and experiences in the Dallas area. We invited them on our podcast to talk about what it takes to build a community where you are, even if that community is virtual. You can find them on Instagram @dallasites101 or online at dallasites101.com

In this episode, Becky shares what it’s like to work with a midwife, how the pandemic has impacted birth and answers some of the most common questions she gets from clients. Before becoming a Certified Professional Midwife, Becky worked as a Certified Doula through CBI and as an office and hospital nurse for 17 years, with 16 of those years being for an OB/GYN.

Ryann Kipping is a registered dietician, owner & founder of The Prenatal Nutritionist, and author of The Feel Good Pregnancy cookbook. Ryann has helped hundreds of women escape confusing and outdated nutrition information to find a happy, feel-good pregnancy. In this episode of our pregnancy mini-series, Ryann discusses healthy nutritional habits for pregnant women.

Throughout college, Allison Evans struggled with a severe case of PCOS and other underlying health issues which were extremely debilitating. At the same time, Allison’s best friend, Kelly Love, was a witness to Allison’s journey as she tried to regain her health. Allison’s aunt, Marilee Nelson, was a huge advocate of toxin free living. In the summer of 2008 Allison and Kelly moved in with Marilee to embrace a clean and toxin free lifestyle. After they both experienced life transforming health benefits from their time with Marilee, the three women joined together to form Branch Basics. A company that is dedicated to helping everyone live their healthiest lives through the power of pure, toxin free living. 

Maria Dueñas Jacobs has established herself as a leader in the fashion and accessories industry through roles as Senior Accessories Editor at Glamour, Accessories Director at ELLE and most recently, Director of Brand Development at StitchFix. For Maria, the road to motherhood was more difficult than she imagined, suffering miscarriages before and after the birth of her now oldest daughter Luna, before delivering a healthy set of twins. Now as a mother to three young daughters, Maria has leaned on her and her daughters’ combined love of jewelry and accessories to launch Super Smalls, a brand that encourages imagination and play for any child that loves a little extra sparkle. You can find Maria on Instagram @Mduenasjacobs or learn more about Super Smalls online at www.supersmalls.com or follow them @super.smalls.

Victoria and Alex are two moms from LA who were frustrated with the one-size-fit approach of prenatal vitamins currently available on the market. They partnered with OB/GYN Dr. Bayati and a panel of leading OB/GYNs and maternal-fetal medicine specialists to develop Perelel, a prenatal vitamin designed to meet your needs throughout each phase of your motherhood journey.

Ariel Kaye, founder and CEO of Parachute, talks about how she turned her passion for creating beautiful spaces in the home into a direct-to-consumer home business grounded in accessible luxury. You can learn more about Parachute at www.parachutehome.com. 

As Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Sagely Naturals, the leading topical CBD and wellness brand made by women for women, Kerrigan Behrens was integral in accelerating marketplace acceptance of CBD as a natural and effective alternative for the products you would already find in your medicine cabinet. In this episode, Kerrigan talks about how an endometriosis diagnosis was the pivotal point in launching her journey towards building a CBD company, her successful first-time experience with IVF, and what it has been like transitioning into motherhood while running her business during the pandemic. Message from Mom listeners can take 30% off their next order of Sagely Naturals products with code messagefrommom30 at www.sagelynaturals.com.  

Cristina Lynch Bird founded Mi Golondrina in 2013, blending traditional Mexican heritage with her own modern take on Mexican-American fashion. In the process of building her business, Cristina has been able to bring her love of Mexican art and culture to the United States while also providing sustainable income for over 600 Mexican artisans who hand embroider each piece in her collection. From the outset, Mi Golondrina’s unique hand-stitched designs drew a cult following from A-List celebrities to the girl next door, but the path hasn’t always been an easy one – in this episode, Cristina shares about the importance of making that first hire, what her team did to pivot during COVID, why she values her positivity as a leader and her passion about making her daughter an integral part in building the Mi Golondrina brand. You can shop Mi Golondrina online at www.migolondrina.com or follow Mi Golondrina on Instagram @mi_golondrina.

How should we address the topic of sex with our children? This conversation can be scary! In this episode, Megan Michelson, from Birds and Bees, discusses the importance of being intentional and proactive parents when teaching children about sex in order to build a foundation for future conversations, protect them from danger, and have the power of the first impression. birds-bees.com

Lauren Brundage Mariel is the founder of Live Love Pop, a mission-based popcorn company that has risen to one of the top four highest selling popcorn companies in the US since its launch just seven years ago. In this episode, we learn the ins and outs of launching a business in the food industry and how that process has been impacted recently as a result of COVID. Lauren also talks about how to balance running a business fulltime while entering the world of motherhood, and the best advice she has for anyone interested in taking their idea from the kitchen to the shelves of retail stores everywhere. Look for Lauren’s delicious (and healthy) popcorn on the shelves at thousands of retail stores across the US, including your neighborhood Kroger, HEB and Whole Foods… to name a few! Also, in light of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, be sure to stock up on Live Love Pop’s Truffle Salt Popcorn, a portion of proceeds from every bag sold is donated towards breast cancer research.

Catherine Lowe, is an entrepreneur and founder of LoweCo., a reality television star, and the winner of the seventeenth season of ABC's The Bachelor. She is married to the former bachelor, Sean Lowe and the mother of three children. In this episode, Catherine talks about the transformation from working for Amazon to becoming a public figure on The Bachelor. We also chat about her life as a mom of three children under four and her new business endeavor, Lowe Concierge. You can find Catherine on Instagram @catherinegiudici @Lowe_Co and @LoweCo.ncierge.

Kelly Oriard and Callie Christensen share the story behind their company, Slumberkins, an educational brand providing social-emotional learning tools for young children, and also discuss tips and tricks for promoting wellbeing in our children and in our personal relationships. 

Abby Hines is a preschool teacher in Dallas. We talk about how we as parents can help educate our young children during this difficult time and how to navigate being a new ‘homeschool mom’ while we self-quarantine. If you want to learn more from Abby, you can follow her on Instagram at @dayschoolhines

Rachel Hopkins, a licensed professional counselor, talks about ways we can maintain our mental health during Coronavirus and all the uncertainty we are facing. She talks about how we can cope in the midst of this crisis and how to maintain peace. You can find Rachel and learn more about her practice at Nikao Counseling. 

Dorsey Standish, Chief Mindfulness Officer of Mastermind Meditation, discusses research-backed mindfulness and strategies for maintaining wellbeing during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Here are some resources Dorsey mentions: Mastermind Meditate: A virtual gym for your brain! Join our online classes to learn and practice science-based mindfulness and emotional intelligence techniques. www.mastermindmeditate.com   Ease Back-to-School Stress with Mindful Parenting: https://mastermindmeditate.com/ease-back-to-school-stress-with-mindful-parenting/   Calm App (iOS/Android): Meditation for kids & adults, music, sleep stories. www.calm.com   Headspace App (iOS/Android): Meditation for kids & adults. www.headspace.com   Mindfulness TED Talks: - “Andy Puddicombe: All it takes is ten mindful minutes” - “Matt Killingsworth: Want to be happier? Stay in the moment” - “Kelly McGonigal: How to make stress your friend”   Informal Mindfulness Tips   S.T.O.P.:  -Stop what you’re doing -Take three deep breaths -Observe thoughts, feelings, sensations -Proceed in a way that supports you   Take a Sensory Pause: 5-4-3-2-1. Notice... -5 things you can see -4 things you can hear -3 things you can touch -2 things you can smell -1 thing you can taste  

Laura McLaughlin, M.Ed., LPC, RPT, founder of HeadFirst Counseling, provides tips, advice and encouragement as we navigate the challenges of parenting our children and adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Find out more about Laura at headfirstdallas.com

In this special episode Dr. Hillary Lewis, a board certified pediatrician, talks about how to protect our families from contracting Coronavirus. She shares the most common questions she has received from her patients and why it’s so imperative that we work together to create the changes necessary to eradicate this virus. If you want to learn more from Dr. Hillary Lewis, you can follow her on Instagram at @hillarylewismd  

Allison Ellsworth, co-founder of Poppi, talks about being on shark tank, launching her healthy prebiotic beverage company, and raising her two sons. https://www.drinkpoppi.com

Sarah Kuhn is a mompreneur and founder of a fitness and nutrition app for pregnant and postpartum moms called Juna. Sarah discusses launching Juna, tips for a healthy lifestyle, and body changes we can expect pre and post baby. https://linktr.ee/juna.moms

Donna Letier is a mother to two grown daughters and the founder of two successful businesses. In our podcast, we talk about how she has focused on living an abundant life while building her businesses and raising her two daughters, one with severe special needs. You can find her business on Instagram @Gardenuity and online at www.gardenuity.com.

Jennie Monness, the founder of Mo' Mommies and Union Square Play, discusses her work in early childhood development and her emphasis on play as a way of enriching the lives of children, parents and caregivers.

Casey Bonano is a registered dietitian and discusses foods that we should and shouldn’t be eating and the myths surrounding them. We talk about childhood eating disorders, which is something she specializes in, as well as our postpartum bodies and the foods we use to fuel our busy lives.

Morgan Pieper was working in the corporate world as a CPA when she decided to go after her passion and create a new fast casual retail concept called Feed Me Pronto. We chat about how she made the transition from corporate life to the start-up world, what it was like raising over $1 million dollars while being pregnant and how she plans to shake up an entire industry.

On Saturday, September 21, Miracle Milkookies, PAIRR and Sol Society partnered together to create an event in Dallas for moms called Miracle Mama RePAIRR Your Sol. We invited 75 Dallas women to Park House for Kookies and coffee, a live Miracle Mama panel and a styling and discounted shopping experience in Highland Park Village provided by Theory, Alice & Olivia and Veronica Beard. Bridget Barbier-Mueller of the blog Being Bridget, Alex Snodgrass founder of The Defined Dish, Marissa Birdi of Marissa Birdi Styling and Donna Letier, the founder of Gardenuity, sat on the panel and shared their stories behind building their businesses, being a mom and work life harmony. Whitney Rowell moderated the panel as a live Message from Mom podcast. We’re excited to share a snippet of this special episode with you.

Dr. Courtney Kahla specializes in pediatric + prenatal chiropractic with an emphasis in women's health and fertility. She shares openly about her own journey with infertility and the various experiences that she and her husband went through on their path to get pregnant. In the podcast, Dr. Kahla shares about her passion for women’s health and how she works with her clients to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle. You can find Dr. Courtney Kahla on Instagram @drcourtneykahla and her blog is www.drcourtneykahla.com.

Lauren Goodman has an eight month old daughter, works for a real-estate firm where she handles fundraising and sits on two boards. All that to say, she is doing a lot of things, all at once. We chat about life as a first time mom, the transition back to work after a 16 week maternity leave, how she creates time for herself and what a corporate work-life balance really looks like. I really appreciated my time chatting with Lauren because I met her through Miracle Milkookies, she subscribed for weekly deliveries when she first went back to work. I also appreciate Lauren’s vulnerability and transparency as a full-time working mom and think the message that she shares will really speak to a lot of our mamas who are preparing to go back to work full-time after baby.

Dr. Molly Millwood is a clinical psychologist specializing in couples therapy and women’s health. We discuss the transition into motherhood, the expectations for marriage after baby and attachment theory. Dr. Millwood shares what she calls the modern dilemma, that as women we are spreading ourselves too thin because we have been socialized to desire a career, yet also feel that we need to prove that we are a devoted full-time mom at the same time. Dr. Molly Millwood is the author of a book called To Have and To Hold, Motherhood, Marriage and The Modern Dilemma and it’s available in bookstores everywhere. You can find Dr. Molly Millwood online at www.mollymillwood.com and on instagram at @molly.millwood.phd.

Jessica Bryant is a sleep coach and founder of a company called Sleep Happy. She talks about life at home with a new baby and what is and isn’t normal when it comes to getting your baby to sleep through the night. We talk about how food intake and awake time impacts our children’s sleep schedules. We also discuss topics like the importance of tummy time and why keeping our children awake and active is just as important as knowing when and how long they need to be sleeping during the day. You can learn more about Jessica’s services online at www.sleephappyconsulting.com or find her on Instagram @sleephappy.

Catalina Gonzalez is the founder of Dondolo, a luxury children’s clothing company based out of Dallas, TX with a presence in hundreds of retail stores across the US. We talk about the mission and vision behind Dondolo and why it was so important for Catalina to use her business to employ dozens of mothers in her home country of Colombia. We also talk about being a mother to three little boys with a fourth one on the way and how she takes time for herself while running a business and being present with her young children. Catalina is such an inspiring person to know, so i’m excited for you to get to know more about the incredible woman behind the heirloom clothing brand that so many mamas and children love.   

Megan Vowler was just 15 weeks pregnant when she found out her baby tested positive for Down Syndrome following an early genetic screening test. She shares about her pregnancy journey after learning of her babies diagnosis, how mothering a child with special needs has changed her entire outlook on life and why she has made it her mission to support other mamas. If you want to reach out to Megan personally, you can find her on instagram at @meggie8787 or follow her at thepathwetravel.com.

During Lee’s second and fourth pregnancies, her children experienced medical issues that required them to spend extensive time in NICU. Lee talks to us about her NICU experience and some tips that doctors gave her to help her babies progress. She also tells us how we can support other families with babies in NICU and ways we can do things to support families going through a difficult time. On a lighter note, we chat about her blog, DoSayGive, and the story behind how she started it. We also learn about how she mothers her four daughters with intention, from the way she disciplines them, to the chores they each manage. You can find Lee on Instagram @DoSayGive or her blog www.dosaygive.com.

As new moms, self care is so important but it’s not something most of us make a top priority. Dr. Jill Feetham is a dermatologist with a passion for mother’s and children. We talk about ways we can take care of our skin as busy mamas, why it is so important to protect our children’s skin from the sun early on, the skin changes our newborn babies might experience, and what we can do to combat aging. You can find Dr. Feetham at dallascostmeticderm.com and on instagram @jillfeethammd.

Kaitlyn Kirby is the founder of Mini Mag, a really cool digital publication focused on mom life. She features so many incredible moms on her covers, like Jessica Alba, Kourtney Kardashian and Arielle Charnas. We talk about how she launched her magazine as a junior in college, her tips for landing so many incredible celebs and the crazy medical issue that happened to her during labor that only effects 1 in 50,000 women giving birth. The best part about this podcast is that Kaitlyn gives you the tips you need to create your own successful blog or website.

Morgan Hutchinson is the founder of Shop BURU, an incredible clothing brand that empowers women and mother’s to look and feel their best. She openly shares about her struggle with bipolar disorder and how she prepared for pregnancy. She tells the story behind launching BURU, how her breastfeeding journey began the day she opened a bottle of formula and why she feels so inspired to empower other women and moms to be their best selves. You can shop BURU at www.shopburu.com or find her on Instagram @shopburu.

Dr. Hillary Lewis is a board certified pediatrician who talks about all of the things we as first time moms might have questions about. She covers topics like how to find a pediatrician, the truth behind vaccinations and autism and why it’s so important to regulate screen time and technology when our children are young. Dr. Lewis is also very passionate about educating families so they can raise happy healthy children, she shares her tips and insights on Instagram @hillarylewismd.