Miracle Mama Podcast

In this episode of the Miracle Mama podcast, Whitney sits down with Elisa Marshall, co-founder of Maman, the beloved café and lifestyle brand that started as one tiny shop in SoHo and has now grown to 54 locations across North America.

Elisa shares the origin story of Maman, born out of a deeply personal desire to create a space that felt like home in the middle of New York City. Raised by a stay-at-home mom who was also a private chef and an entrepreneurial father in the suburbs of Toronto, Elisa always knew she wanted to build something of her own. After quitting her corporate jobs alongside her now-husband Ben — and spending a formative season running a restaurant in Ibiza — the two opened Maman in SoHo in 2014 with family heirlooms, free labor from loved ones, and a whole lot of heart.

The name "Maman" came naturally. In every conversation about the concept, they kept coming back to one thing: their moms. The recipes, the warmth, the feeling of being at your grandmother's kitchen table, that was the experience they wanted to recreate for New Yorkers far from home.

Elisa opens up about what it truly took to build the brand, bootstrapping through the first five locations, sleeping at the restaurant to rent out their apartment, and learning from every mistake along the way. When it was time to scale, she found a private equity partner who shared her vision and protected the soul of the brand. She also talks about how becoming a mom herself unlocked an entirely new understanding of her customer, shaping everything from the Lalo play kitchens in her cafes to top-of-the-line high chairs and changing tables.

Looking ahead, Elisa is excited about Maman's continued Dallas expansion, including a gorgeous new Lakewood/Hillside Village location, plus her growing lifestyle vision: a kids clothing line called Mon Petit Chou by Maman.

Find Maman: Visit mamannyc.com to explore locations near you, and follow along on Instagram @mamannyc for daily doses of that cozy, café magic.

Parenting doesn't always look the way we imagined. Some kids feel everything bigger, react louder, and require more from us as parents.

In this episode of the Miracle Mama Podcast, Whitney sits down with parenting coach Mary Van Geffen, who specializes in helping moms raise deeply feeling, strong-willed children, what she lovingly calls "the spicy ones."

Together they talk about:

• Why some kids need more from us than others

• How parenting a strong-willed child often requires emotional growth from us as parents

• How to stay calm during big emotional moments

• Setting boundaries without crushing your child's spirit

• Why feeling overwhelmed doesn't mean you're failing

If you've ever wondered "Is this normal?" or felt embarrassed, exhausted, or unsure if you're doing motherhood "right," this conversation will make you feel seen.

Because sometimes the kids who challenge us the most are also the ones who will change the world.

Website: https://www.maryvangeffen.com

Book: Parenting a Spicy One: A Compassionate Guide for Raising a Deep-Feeling and Wonderfully Strong-Willed Kid Order here: https://www.maryvangeffen.com/parentingaspicyonebook

Mary is an international parenting coach who helps families navigate life with strong-willed children using practical tools, calm leadership, and compassionate boundaries.

In this episode of the Miracle Mama Podcast, Whitney sits down with Hila Bahari, founder of Mama Guide, for an honest, practical conversation about navigating early motherhood with more ease and confidence.

Hila shares her journey from organized professional to overwhelmed new mom and how those early days inspired her to create Mama Guide as a supportive resource for moms who may not have community nearby.

Together, Whitney and Hila talk about the emotional shock of becoming a mother, the power of community, and why moms don't need more information, they need real-life systems and wisdom.

Hila offers simple, game-changing routines, including her "don't put it down, put it back" philosophy, closet systems that teach kids independence, and fridge organization that helps children grab healthy snacks on their own. She also shares approachable meal strategies, themed dinner nights, and rhythms that reduce daily decision fatigue.

They dive into low-toxic living, with Hila explaining how to transition slowly by replacing products over time, following an 80/20 balance, and using ingredient-scanning apps to make informed choices. The conversation also touches on social media comparison, hormones, and the pressure moms feel online, reminding listeners that what we see on screens isn't real life.

You can find Hila on Instagram @mamaguide or discover her motherhood guides at Mamaguide.co.

In this episode of The Miracle Mama Podcast, Whitney sits down with Dr. Sarah Oreck, a reproductive psychiatrist, mother of three, and Co-Founder & CEO of Mavida Health, for a thoughtful conversation on what it really means to support women through hormonally intense seasons of life.

Together, they explore Dr. Oreck's personal journey through fertility and postpartum mental health, and how those experiences shaped the way she now cares for women. They also unpack the gaps in traditional healthcare for moms, especially how often mental, hormonal, and metabolic health are treated separately, when in reality they're deeply connected.

Whitney and Dr. Oreck discuss the rising cultural pressure to "bounce back," and why postpartum healing requires nourishment, patience, and true whole-woman care. They also touch on GLP-1 medications and the trend of "microdosing," addressing what moms are hearing, what we know (and don't know), and why breastfeeding is a unique physiological season that deserves extra caution and compassion.

This is an empowering, grounding episode for any mom navigating postpartum recovery, identity shifts, and the desire to feel like herself again.

Be sure to follow Dr. Sarah Oreck on Instagram @sarahoreckmd and you can learn more about getting support from Mavida Health on their site at mavidahealth.com.

In this episode of the Miracle Mama Podcast, Whitney sits down with Yondje Choi, founder of OMA Natural Food, to explore the powerful intersection of ancestral nourishment and modern motherhood.

Yondje shares her personal journey into creating OMA, a brand rooted in traditional postpartum foods and healing practices, and how it was born from her desire to support women through recovery, restoration, and resilience after birth.

Together, they dive into what it really means to care for a woman in her most hormonally intense seasons of life, why our culture has drifted away from true postpartum healing, and how ancestral wisdom can guide us back to a more nourished, supported version of motherhood.

This isn't just a conversation about food, it's about reframing healing, recovery, and self-care for women who are pouring themselves out daily, yet still deserve deep restoration.

If you've ever wondered how to better support your body through pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond… this episode is for you.

Learn more about OMA at omanaturalfood.com Follow their journey on Instagram at @oma.naturalfood

In this powerful episode, Whitney sits down with Jen Delvaux, health coach, author, and host of the Not Today Cancer podcast, to talk about turning life's hardest moments into purpose.

After walking beside her husband through a brain cancer diagnosis and then facing her own breast cancer journey, Jen shares how she transformed fear into faith, built a community of healing, and learned to take control of her health from the inside out.

This conversation is a reminder that healing isn't just physical...it's emotional, spiritual, and deeply connected to how we care for ourselves. Jen's story will leave you feeling grounded, inspired, and ready to see the beauty in every season.

Follow Jen: @jendelvaux | jendelvaux.com Listen to her podcast: Not Today Cancer

Whitney sits down with Emily Landers, host of How'd She Do That?, to talk about the beauty and heartbreak of waiting seasons — from years of infertility to the gift of new motherhood.

Emily opens up about her five-year journey trying to conceive, the emotional toll of IUI treatments, and how faith sustained her through moments of doubt and surrender. Together, Whitney and Emily explore how life's hardest seasons often prepare us for our greatest callings — and how letting go of control can lead to unexpected miracles.

They also discuss the evolution of Emily's career and podcast, what it looks like to balance entrepreneurship with motherhood, and the freedom that comes from redefining success in every new chapter.

Whether you're walking through uncertainty, motherhood, or your own season of becoming — this episode is a powerful reminder that the waiting can shape us in the most meaningful ways.

Tune in to How'd She Do That here and be sure to follow along @howdshedothat

Whitney welcomes Aubrey Hubbell, co-founder of Hazel, the design-driven women's health brand reinventing incontinence care with dignity, comfort, and style. After a decade of building brands for women in key life stages, Aubrey saw a massive gap in a $20B industry that hadn't evolved in decades—and decided to change it.

In this inspiring conversation, Aubrey shares her path from product designer to founder, the white space she recognized in women's health, and the two-year journey of developing Hazel's breakthrough products. Whitney and Aubrey dive into the power of designing with women, for women, why breaking taboos is essential for progress, and how Hazel went from an idea to Target shelves nationwide.

If you've ever dreamed of building something that makes women's lives better, this episode will encourage you to take the leap.

In this special episode of the Miracle Mama Podcast, listeners are invited into a recorded grief support session held for mothers in the Dallas community following the devastating floods in Hunt, Texas. Originally planned as a wellness gathering focused on nervous system regulation, the event shifted into a powerful space for processing collective trauma and supporting one another in the wake of tragedy.

Led by licensed therapist Laura McLaughlin, founder of HeadFirst Counseling, the session offered trauma-informed tools for navigating grief, supporting children through emotional distress, and honoring the full range of feelings that arise in the aftermath of crisis. The gathering was hosted at Alive & Well in Dallas and generously sponsored by The Kabani Foundation.

To protect the privacy of participants, attendee audio has been intentionally removed.

This episode is for any parent feeling overwhelmed, unsure of what to say, or simply seeking guidance on how to hold space for themselves and their children during difficult times. It also shares the remarkable way the local community came together to provide tangible support—filling a 53-foot truck with donations for families impacted by the flood.

Grief is not meant to be carried alone. This conversation is a reminder that healing begins in community.

In this deeply moving episode of Message from Mom, Whitney sits down with Lauren Johnson, founder of Choose Joy Nursing, to talk about her motherhood journey, her faith, and the beautiful yet heartbreaking story of her daughter, Lily Ann. Lauren opens up about becoming a mom, what led her to serve mothers as a postpartum nurse, and the unimaginable experience of losing her baby girl after just nine months of life. With remarkable honesty and grace, she shares how she prepared herself emotionally and spiritually for postpartum, the power of co-regulation, and how she continues to find purpose in her pain.

This is an episode about the sacredness of motherhood, the strength it takes to keep showing up, and how sometimes choosing joy looks like surrender. Whether you're a new mom, navigating grief, or walking alongside a friend in the thick of it, Lauren's words will stay with you long after the episode ends.

You can follow Lauren's personal journey on Instagram at @choosejoygivegrace and learn more about her company at @choosejoynursing.