In this episode of Mom to MORE®, host Sharon Macey welcomes Cristan Crocker—a former actress turned stay-at-home mom turned celebrated documentary filmmaker and producer. Known for powerful projects like The Other F Word and Tiny Shoulders: Rethinking Barbie, Cristan is co-founder of Rare Bird Films, where she tells stories that unpack identity, challenge societal norms, and celebrate change.

Cristan shares how raising twin boys and a third son in the Pacific Palisades shaped her creative lens, giving her new perspective, purpose, and persistence. Deeply committed to both family and filmmaking, she and her producing partner carved out space for storytelling during school hours—proving that big ideas can grow within the margins of busy mom life.

Tune in as Sharon and Cristan dive into creative reinvention, parenting with purpose, building tiny but mighty teams, and the untold story of Barbie’s real-life creator. With warmth, wit, and wisdom, Cristan reminds us: reinvention doesn’t require reinvention overnight—it just takes one brave step at a time.

 

[00:00] Introduction [01:39] Meet Cristan Crocker [02:15] Motherhood by surprise (twins!) and the NICU journey [05:22] Creating space for creativity while raising three boys [08:59] The power of collaboration and creative routines [13:00] Mom traits turned career skills [17:46] Behind the scenes of Tiny Shoulders [22:53] Using storytelling to raise compassionate, curious sons [28:10] Cristan’s advice to moms thinking about what’s next [33:55] Cristan’s passion for local news and community storytelling

 

Meet my guest Cristan Crocker:

Instagram: @cristan4 

IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0188383/?ref_=fn_rvi_i_1

Tiny Shoulders, Rethinking Barbie: https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=tiny+shoulders+rethinking+barbie

The Other F Word documentary: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.caa9f7a2-a66f-673e-96e8-7530def02d63?autoplay=0&ref_=atv_cf_strg_wb

 

Looking for More? Follow @momtomore on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.  

@Sharon Macey on LinkedIn.

 

Keep an eye out for episode #42 of the Mom to MORE® podcast where Sharon is joined by Deb Mallin, founder of Mighty Doodle.  Coming soon - you won’t want to miss it ♥