About Your Mother

About Your Mother

By Jennifer GriffithSociety & CultureEducationSelf-ImprovementRelationships
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About Your Mother episodes

  • 008 Your Story Isn’t About You | Melanie Spring
    What does it mean to own and share our own stories? Why would other people want to hear our stories? 

    In today’s episode of About your Mother, we answer those questions with our special guest, Melanie Spring. Melanie is a vibrant speaker, an approachable bad-ass woman, and the facilitator of both personal and brand stories. Today, she shares her struggles and triumphs that made her who she is now. Melanie also discusses what it’s like to own our stories and how everyone should walk into a room and think ‘you’re welcome’.

     
    Break The Barriers
    Melanie takes us through her favorite memory with her mother and how she managed to break down barriers and reunite with her after being estranged. It wasn’t easy for both of them, but through a letter on Mother’s Day, they were able to reconcile and leave the past behind and move towards a better relationship. She encourages everyone to own their story by taking that one step into sharing one’s authentic self. 
    “It took a big shift for the two of us together to reunite. We had to accept each other as who we are. We can talk about the hard things and it's not going to ruin our relationship forever. We can sit and cry about it and talk through it and take a minute with it and come back to it. We won’t let it just get swept under the rug again. ” - Melanie Spring

    Life is About Integration
    People often say that life is all about balance when on the contrary, it’s always off-balanced. Melanie discusses how life is about integration and figuring out how things can be more aligned, in sync, and woven together in a way that allows everyone to find peace. Especially during the pandemic, everyone’s lives have changed drastically and it has to be about integration and finding out how to make it all work together. 
    “It's not about working all the time and then finding time to do some yoga and then some writing. It's about sitting down with my husband for lunch for 30 minutes, those kinds of things. It's the integration of all of them. It's us choosing how we want our lives to be integrated. It's us choosing what things we want to say is work versus life. Do I really want to put a clear line on that and do I have to?” - Melanie Spring

    Own Your Presence
    Confidence comes when one chooses to be confident. - Melanie SpringClick To Tweet

    Melanie shares the connection between owning our stories and being confident. It may take a long time to believe, but being able to own one’s confidence and allow oneself to share and own their stories is an incredible journey. Melanie reminds us that not everyone is for everyone, and unapologetically owning your presence is about allowing yourself to exist and become more confident in the space you’re in. 

    “The constant reminder to not apologize unless you're actually sorry for something. If you did something terrible, please say you're sorry. Otherwise, don't apologize.Click To Tweet
    "Every time you walk into a room or get don't get back to me within five minutes to do something. Don't apologize and rather say ‘hey, I forgot about that’, ‘here's the thing’, ‘thanks so much for understanding’.
    36 min
  • My Eponymous Fashion Line As A Love Letter to My Mother | Olivia Joffrey

    In the latest episode of About Your Mother, we have a conversation with Olivia Joffrey. Olivia owns an eponymous fashion line that serves as a love letter to her mother, Anne-Marie. Through osmosis, Olivia absorbed the colorful and artistic life that her mother has led — a life filled with sensory details, records, books, sand, and the ocean breeze.

    Imagine putting on a dress and transporting yourself to a different time and place- this is what Olivia's fashion line can do. The inspiration comes from her mother and her once vibrant life in Spain. In conversation, we discuss how her mother influenced her work, helped her find her passion, and we talk about the power of transcendent storytelling through various channels.

    Connect with Olivia
    Web + Shop: OliviaJoffrey
    IG: @oliviajoffrey
    LinkedIn: linkedin/olivia-joffrey
    Facebook: fb/OliviaJoffrey

    Learn more about the podcast at byjennifergriffith.com/category/podcast

    42 min
  • 007 My Eponymous Fashion Line As A Love Letter to My Mother | Olivia Joffrey
    In the latest episode of About Your Mother, we have a conversation with Olivia Joffrey. Olivia owns an eponymous fashion line that serves as a love letter to her mother, Anne-Marie. Through osmosis, Olivia absorbed the colorful and artistic life that her mother has led — a life filled with sensory details, records, books, sand, and the ocean breeze.

    Imagine putting on a dress and transporting yourself to a different time and place- this is what Olivia's fashion line can do. The inspiration comes from her mother and her once vibrant life in Spain. In conversation, we discuss how her mother influenced her work, helped her find her passion, and we talk about the power of transcendent storytelling through various channels.
    My Mother, My Muse
    Olivia lets us in on her memories with her mother. She shares how, before being diagnosed with Alzhiemers, her mother had led colorful and free-spirited adventures. This served as an inspiration for Olivia to create a fashion line in her mother’s honor. 

    Olivia discusses how, despite being creative and artistic, her journey has been intentionally experimental to pursue something she has never done before. She continues to say she dedicates this line to her mother's grace and the expat life she has led while living in Spain.
    “The fashion line is really about grace and the kind of expat life my mom was leading in Spain in that time. Where you can throw on your dress, go out and carpe diem, and go to the market. Even go to the beach in the middle of the day and have your bathing suit on underneath. Really not become a studied fashion person. I like living and feeling good about myself. That's how these women that I observed growing up were. Not just my mom, but these other women who were just intrinsically stylish without trying.” - Olivia Joffrey
    My Mother’s Style: A Warm Hug
    Olivia opens up on her childhood, her mother's style and spirit, and how her mother raised her on a secretary's salary. She shares how her mother still managed to live her life to the fullest despite their finances. This was a life - full of sensory and beauty - that echoed throughout their home and paved the memories for her childhood. She continues to talk about her mother and how she has shaped the conviction of what she now loves, believes, and her life perspective.
    “Her style to me, it was really warm. It wasn't rigid. It was like a hug. When people came to our house for dinner, everything was fully on display. The way she cooked and welcomed people in. There was always really good homemade food and lots of wine and music on the record player. It was very atmospheric, despite her kind of salary. She raised me on like a secretary salary, basically. ” - Olivia Joffrey
    My Mother’s Bookshelf
    In this regard, Olivia discusses her process of storytelling and the times wherein her creative juices are the most prolific. She continues to talk fondly of her mother's memories and how the things she learned from her mother's bookshelf were vast. She talks about how the commerce side was not captivating to her but rather the making sense of a woman's life as a reader.

    “We loved each other a lot. The beautiful thing about that is that never dies. It can live in the clothes, it can live in these other things that carry her spirit...Click To Tweet

    To know more about Olivia’s story and how she shares her mother’s story through her fashion line, download and listen to this episode.
    42 min
  • Pursuit of Truth With A Capital T | Julie Barton Part 2

    We are in the second part of our series with the wonderful Julie Barton. In our previous episode, we talked about Julie's childhood memories and her path to becoming a New York Times bestselling author with her book, Dog Medicine: How My Dog Saved Me from Myself. 

    Today, we explore what it feels like to achieve publication success, the reality of making it as a writer, and how to follow your passions.

    Connect with Julie
    Web: ByJulieBarton
    Facebook: fb/JulieBarton
    Twitter: @juliebarton1111
    Instagram: @juliehillbarton

    Learn more about the podcast at byjennifergriffith.com/category/podcast

    23 min
  • 006 Pursuit of Truth With A Capital T | Julie Barton Part 2
    We are in the second part of our series with the wonderful Julie Barton. In our previous episode, we talked about Julie's childhood memories and her path to becoming a New York Times bestselling author with her book, Dog Medicine: How My Dog Saved Me from Myself.

    Today, we explore what it feels like to achieve publication success, the reality of making it as a writer, and how to follow your passions.
    Getting to What's True
    Julie shares her feelings on the publication success of her book. Although she appreciates the fame that comes with it all, the satisfaction she felt stemmed from uncovering what was true for her and writing it in a way that people could understand her experience.
    006 Pursuit of Truth With A Capital T | Julie Barton Part 2Click To Tweet
    Realizing Everyone's Story is Important
    Julie gives her advice to people who want to write freely. She discusses how everyone's story is interesting. She encourages people to ignore the little voice in your head telling you that it's not good enough. The value is when you let go and let what's there rise to the top.

    She says that readers want to know what's real. They relate to a story when they see themselves in the writing.
    "The gold is just letting go enough to let what's really there rise to the top. So often ego just wants to edit and make it the way that we think it's supposed to be. When in fact, that's actually totally boring to a reader. What they really want is the juice. They want the real stuff. The stuff where they're like 'Oh my gosh, that's me but I've never been able to put it in words' or 'I've never been able to say it that way'. They relate to that feeling that's so interesting. You can't get there if you're constantly editing yourself." - Julie Barton
    Reconnecting with Nature
    Julie gives an overview of her upcoming memoir and the connection she has felt with the natural world. She shares a brief background on her journey to finding a spiritual awareness of nature and the environment. She wants to honor the healing connection she had with nature when she was little before the world told her it was unacceptable.

    She then goes to share her advice to aspiring writers.
    "If you feel that drive to write this evening, no matter what it is, do it little by little. It will start to come together. One of the most beautiful things in my writing practice has been the pursuit of truth with a capital T. This meant finding what was really true for me, what my experience was, and trying to crystallize that is a fascinating process." - Julie Barton
    To listen more to Julie's story and her pursuit of the truth, download and listen to this episode.
    Bio:
    Julie Barton is the New York Times bestselling author of DOG MEDICINE, HOW MY DOG SAVED ME FROM MYSELF (Penguin, 2016). She has a B.A. from Kenyon College, an M.F.A. in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and an M.A. in Women's Studies from Southern Connecticut State University.

    Julie has been published in Brain Child Magazine, The South Carolina Review, Louisiana Literature, Two Hawks Quarterly, Westview, The Huffington Post, and was nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

    She lives in Northern California with her husband Greg, two children, and small menagerie of pets.
    Connect with Julie!
    Web: ByJulieBarton

    Facebook: fb/JulieBarton

    Twitter:
    23 min
  • Crystalizing Your Experience Is A Fascinating Process | Julie Barton Part 1

    We have a two-part series conversation with Julie Barton, a New York Times best-selling author of the book, Dog Medicine: How My Dog Saved Me from Myself. Her book is about her lifelong battle with depression and how it unravels an intricate family dynamic. In this first part, she brings into grasp the destructive power of depression and also the importance of animals to our personal and emotional wellbeing.

    Connect with Julie
    Web: ByJulieBarton
    Facebook: fb/JulieBarton
    Twitter: @juliebarton1111
    Instagram: @juliehillbarton

    Learn more about the podcast at byjennifergriffith.com/category/podcast

    32 min
  • 005 Crystalizing Your Experience Is A Fascinating Process | Julie Barton Part 1
    In this two-part series conversation with Julie Barton, New York Times bestselling author of the memoir, Dog Medicine: How My Dog Saved Me from Myself, we learn more about her book, battle with depression, and intricate family dynamic. In episode one, she shares her family's story and how Bunker transformed her life.
    Re-telling Their Story
    Julie shares her personal story and how this has led her to write a memoir of this magnitude. She let us in on her memories with her mother and inspired some of her writing of Dog Medicine. She recalls the day her dog, Bunker, passed away. Amazingly, she also shares how the next day heard him tell her to write their story.
    "The day after he died, I found out that I was a finalist in this fiction contest. I had never won the thing or been at all recognized for anything. So I got that email, and I looked it up - it was the day after I'd lost him. I just heard him say, 'tell our story, tell our story.' I remember thinking, I'll try. Then it took me another eight years to actually really sit down and do it or even start it. It was a very long process." - Julie Barton
    Relieving the Burden
    Julie opens up on how she approached her family and decided to ask them the questions she avoided her entire life. She shares how this experience for her was challenging, cathartic, and yet beautiful. Through her writing process, she looks at her past with a rearview mirror lens and accepts what happened in her childhood was not okay.

    She discusses how releasing blame helped unburden herself and was the healing she needed.

    Click To Tweet
    Beginning of Healing
    In this topic, Julie shares her memories of the first time she received Bunker. She opens up and shares how she and Bunker formed a reciprocal relationship on a deep, spiritual, and connected level.

    In addition, she also talked about her manuscript. She has gone from a small publishing house to a large one, and eventually, the New York Times bestsellers. Julie embarked on this emotional and fulfilling writing process with the hopes of reaching at least one girl who would read and relate to her story.
    "It was the first morning of my life where I woke up and I didn't feel dread sitting on my chest, like a big, huge weight. I thought that this is how it could feel to wake up. You don't have to wake up and feel like, 'Oh God, not another day.' I'll never forget it. Bunker was lying in my childhood bedroom that morning. The first morning he woke up next to me and I was just so blown away by what I had never noticed was actually always there." - Julie Barton
    To know more about Julie's story and her Cinderella publishing success, download and listen to this episode.
    Bio:
    Julie Barton is the New York Times bestselling author of DOG MEDICINE, HOW MY DOG SAVED ME FROM MYSELF (Penguin, 2016). She has a B.A. from Kenyon College, an M.F.A. in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and an M.A. in Women's Studies from Southern Connecticut State University.

    Julie has been published in Brain Child Magazine, The South Carolina Review, Louisiana Literature, Two Hawks Quarterly, Westview, The Huffington Post, and was nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

    She lives in Northern California with her husband Greg, two children, and small menagerie of pets.
    Connect with Julie!
    Web: ByJulieBarton

    Facebook: fb/JulieBarton

    Twitter: @juliebarton1111

    32 min
  • Embrace every moment as if it could be your last | Sugar Taylor

    In today's episode of About Your Mother, we speak with Sugar Taylor, a woman who exudes a ray of light. Sugar is a self-taught creative dynamo. She is a person who has battled anxiety and depression throughout her life and uses her creative energy as a means of healing. Her zest of life, spirit, resourcefulness, and all-around being will blow anyone away.

    Connect with Sugar
    Web: Virtual Art Therapy Classes
    Facebook: fb/SugarTaylorCo
    Instagram: @sugartaylorco
    Pinterest: Sugartaylorco

    Learn more about the podcast at byjennifergriffith.com/category/podcast

    30 min
  • 004 Embrace every moment as if it could be your last | Sugar Taylor
    In today's episode of About Your Mother, we speak with Sugar Taylor, a woman who exudes a ray of light. Sugar is a self-taught creative dynamo. She is a person who has battled anxiety and depression throughout her life and uses her creative energy as a means of healing. Her zest of life, spirit, resourcefulness, and all-around being will blow anyone away.
    Endless River Of Creativity
    Sugar briefly describes her personal story with her own mother. She shares how her mother continues to inspire her. Further, she hopes her story will encourage everyone to tap into their own creativity. 

    Additionally, she advises listeners to pay attention to the small things happening around their lives and within the universe. 
    It may take you a few months, but the only thing separating you from anything you want to make is the skill. Skills can be learned, but the talent is within you. - Sugar TaylorClick To Tweet

    "You have to accept that. It's about accepting that you have the talent first.” - Sugar Taylor
    Creative Process To Healing
    Sugar opens up and shares past experiences that led her to become the self-taught dynamo she is today. She discusses how the power of the mind can enable anyone to learn anything they set their mind to. Meditation, reading one’s body, and the creative process helped Sugar heal and work things out internally.

    She also mentions art therapy classes for those people who want to escape and carve out time in their lives to channel their creativity. 
    “The whole point is about carving out and making time for what makes you happy. It’s about what could potentially open your mind to something else. It can even be about healing and just about having a great deep conversation with other people.” - Sugar Taylor
    Opening Your Creative Power
    Sugar advises people who don’t believe they are creative beings. She says they need to step outside their negative mindsets and think of ways to discover the creative power inside. The personal journey of discovering one’s creativity can be difficult, but this can become an extension of happiness and contentment in life. 
    “I believe some people are naturally born savant and prodigies. They are just born amazing, but that doesn't mean that the rest of the population is not. You just have to figure out that one thing you want to do and be honest with yourself. This can be something you've always secretly been passionate about” -  Sugar Taylor
    To know more about how you can tap into your own creativity, listen to this episode. 
    Bio:
    Sugar Taylor is a self-taught multimedia designer.She has been living in her passion as a full-time multidisciplinary designer for the past 10 years, as the Co-Founder and Creative Director of the award-winning D.C based firm Taylor and Hov.
    Connect with Sugar!
    Web: Virtual Art Therapy Classes 

    Facebook: fb/SugarTaylorCo

    Instagram: @sugartaylorco

    Pinterest:
    30 min
  • A Breakthrough Inspired Me to Help Others | Sandra Possing

    In the third episode of About Your Mother, our guest, speaker, and mindset coach, Sandra Possing talks about how building an Unshakeable Foundation and unleashing their inner badass empowers a woman.

    They also discussed in this episode, Sandra's openness about her past and how it shaped her career path. Pay special attention to the part where she discusses the mind-altering Ayahuasca Experience.

    Links:
    Sandra Possing
    Instagram: @sandrapossing 
    Facebook: Sandra Possing Life Coach

    Learn more about the podcast at byjennifergriffith.com/category/podcast

    49 min

About About Your Mother

From the publisher's feed

About Your Mother is a monthly podcast hosted by writer Jennifer Griffith. Each podcast features a conversation with a dynamic guest exploring the influence their mothers had on the trajectory of…

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