What does it mean to be labeled a “bad mother” in the age of the internet?

In this episode of Mom Curious, Daniella sits down with journalist and author EJ Dickson to discuss her new book, One Bad Mother, and the cultural forces shaping how we judge, define, and police motherhood today. As a reporter covering internet culture, gender, and politics, EJ brings a sharp lens to the public narratives that turn women into headlines.

Together, they explore how online outrage cycles amplify shame, why motherhood remains such a powerful cultural battleground, and how digital platforms reward moral extremes. They discuss identity, performance, and the pressure to be both visible and flawless in a world that is always watching.

Listen, share with a friend, and follow Mom Curious wherever you get your podcasts.

GUEST BIO

EJ Dickson is a journalist and author covering internet culture, gender, and politics. Her reporting examines how online communities shape real-world power, relationships, and identity. She is the author of One Bad Mother, a book that investigates the cultural narratives and moral panics surrounding motherhood in the digital age.

Known for her incisive cultural analysis and thoughtful reporting, EJ brings clarity and nuance to the rapidly shifting world of online discourse and its real-life consequences.

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What happens when global conflict becomes deeply personal?

In this episode of Mom Curious, Daniella sits down with human rights advocate Gazelle Sharmahd and Middle East expert Dr. Walid Phares to discuss the escalating tensions involving Israel, the United States, and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Gazelle’s advocacy began after the abduction of her father, Jamshid Sharmahd, a German-American dissident who was kidnapped in 2020 and taken to Iran. His case became an international human rights story and transformed Gazelle’s life, moving her from private citizen to outspoken advocate for political prisoners and freedom movements.

Joined by foreign policy scholar Walid Phares, the conversation explores the broader geopolitical context surrounding Iran’s ruling regime, the role of the IRGC, and how these global conflicts affect families, civilians, and the future of democracy in the region.

Together, they discuss resilience, advocacy, and the emotional toll of fighting for justice on the world stage. This conversation examines what happens when the fight for freedom begins at home - and why understanding these conflicts matters to all of us raising the next generation.

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Gazelle Sharmahd is a human rights advocate and freedom activist who has spoken internationally about political prisoners, authoritarian regimes, and the fight for civil liberties following the abduction of her father, Jamshid Sharmahd. She works to raise awareness about human rights violations and advocates for political prisoners around the world.

Dr. Walid Phares is a Middle East expert, foreign policy analyst, and author specializing in geopolitics, counterterrorism, and international security. He has advised policymakers and governments on global security issues and frequently appears in international media to discuss developments in the Middle East.

Together, they co-host the podcast War & Freedom, where they explore global politics, human rights, and the future of democratic societies.
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Guests: @walidphares @freejamshidsharmahd

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What if midlife isn’t a winding down - but a lighting up?

In this episode of Mom Curious, Daniella sits down with activist, author, and founder Shannon Watts to discuss her new book, Fired Up: How to Turn Your Spark Into a Flame and Come Alive at Any Age. Before founding Moms Demand Action, Shannon was a Fortune 500 communications executive and later a stay-at-home mother of five. Her journey into activism wasn’t linear - it was sparked by outrage, shaped by failure, and fueled by a willingness to grow through fear.

Shannon opens up about leading one of the largest grassroots movements in the country while navigating ADHD, introversion, and a fear of public speaking - and why those very traits made her uniquely suited to lead. She shares the “fire formula” she developed after years of organizing women, why failure looks different for women than it does for men, and what it means to build your life from the inside out.

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Shannon Watts is the founder of Moms Demand Action, one of the largest grassroots movements working to address gun violence in the United States. A former Fortune 500 communications executive and mother of five, she transformed a Facebook group into a nationwide network of volunteers advocating for legislative and cultural change.

She is the author of Fired Up: How to Turn Your Spark Into a Flame and Come Alive at Any Age, a book about helping women build their lives from the inside out, withstand blowback, and turn their spark into sustained fire. Shannon speaks nationally about leadership, civic engagement, and the power of collective action.

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Mom Curious is a weekly podcast produced by Hoff Studios in New York City, hosted by cultural voice Daniella Rabbani. Each episode dives into candid, thought-provoking conversations about motherhood, womanhood, and the messy, magical spaces in between. With humor, honesty, and curiosity, Daniella sits down with women of all stripes to talk about what it really means to raise children—and ourselves—in today’s world.

About the Host:

Daniella Rabbani (@DaniellaRabbani on Instagram) is a Brooklyn-based storyteller, actress, singer, and podcast host. On screen, she’s appeared in HBO’s Scenes from a Marriage, Amazon’s The Better Sister, FX’s The Americans, and films like Ocean’s 8. 
Daniella blends her creative spirit and lived experience as a mother of two to spark conversations that are raw, hilarious, and deeply relatable. Her mission: to create a community where mothers (and those curious about motherhood) feel seen, supported, and inspired.

This Week’s Guest:

Bianna Golodryga is a CNN Global Affairs Analyst who co-authored Don't Feed the Lion, a middle grade fiction with Israeli anchor Yonit Levi, to help young people understand and combat antisemitism, drawing on her own experience as a Soviet-born Jewish immigrant and her concerns about rising hate in the digital age, offering a guide for kids to speak up against prejudice inspired by real events and family moments.

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Mom Curious is a weekly podcast produced by Hoff Studios in New York City, hosted by cultural voice Daniella Rabbani. Each episode dives into candid, thought-provoking conversations about motherhood, womanhood, and the messy, magical spaces in between. With humor, honesty, and curiosity, Daniella sits down with women of all stripes to talk about what it really means to raise children—and ourselves—in today’s world.

About the Host:

Daniella Rabbani (@DaniellaRabbani on Instagram) is a Brooklyn-based storyteller, actress, singer, and podcast host. On screen, she’s appeared in HBO’s Scenes from a Marriage, Amazon’s The Better Sister, FX’s The Americans, and films like Ocean’s 8. On stage, she’s headlined concerts worldwide, from Jazz at Lincoln Center to the State Jewish Theater in Warsaw. 
Through her podcast Mom Curious, Daniella blends her creative spirit and lived experience as a mother of two to spark conversations that are raw, hilarious, and deeply relatable. Her mission: to create a community where mothers (and those curious about motherhood) feel seen, supported, and inspired.

Becca McCarthy is the Co-Founder, President, and COO of Evolv, a biotechnology company pioneering the next generation of biomimetic oral peptides designed to transform human health from the inside out. At Evolv, Becca leads business strategy, operations, and commercialization, bridging cutting-edge science with real-world impact as the company brings its first-in-class oral peptide innovations to market. A serial entrepreneur and operator, Becca has founded and co-founded eleven ventures across wellness, sports, technology, and biotech, with five successful exits. She’s known for scaling ideas into industry-shifting brands and for her ability to bring direction, clarity, and momentum to high-growth environments. Before Evolv, she held executive roles at leading performance and wellness companies including House of Athlete, FORME, and SLT, and today also serves as a Venture Partner at Anthropy Partners, supporting early-stage companies advancing human potential and performance. Becca’s career is defined by building what’s next, transforming breakthrough science into movement, brand, and business. More at evolvlife.com and @evolvvlife on Instagram. 

Check out Evolv HERE and thank us later! https://cm.watertight.co/l/bZEA

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Mom Curious is a weekly podcast produced by Hoff Studios in New York City, hosted by cultural voice Daniella Rabbani. Each episode dives into candid, thought-provoking conversations about motherhood, womanhood, and the messy, magical spaces in between. With humor, honesty, and curiosity, Daniella sits down with women of all stripes to talk about what it really means to raise children—and ourselves—in today’s world.

About the Host:

Daniella Rabbani (@DaniellaRabbani on Instagram) is a Brooklyn-based storyteller, actress, singer, and podcast host. On screen, she’s appeared in HBO’s Scenes from a Marriage, Amazon’s The Better Sister, FX’s The Americans, and films like Ocean’s 8. On stage, she’s headlined concerts worldwide, from Jazz at Lincoln Center to the State Jewish Theater in Warsaw. 
Through her podcast Mom Curious, Daniella blends her creative spirit and lived experience as a mother of two to spark conversations that are raw, hilarious, and deeply relatable. Her mission: to create a community where mothers (and those curious about motherhood) feel seen, supported, and inspired.

This Week’s Guest: Miki Agrawal (@MikiAgrawal on Instagram) celebrated as a visionary entrepreneur and author, is the driving force behind the innovative companies TUSHY, THINX, and WILD, that have done over half a billion dollars in revenue to date. Author of best-selling books "DO COOL SH*T" and "DISRUPT-HER," she's recognized by Fast Company as one of the "Most Creative People" and by the World Economic Forum as a "Young Global Leader." Beyond her entrepreneurial ventures, Mikiis known for her compelling presence as a speaker, offering unique insights into breaking taboos with creative innovation, product development, creative marketing, and business scaling. With 20 years of entrepreneurial adventures, Miki has established herself as a thought leader in creative business strategy and challenging the status quo. With a track record of building two nine-figure companies that disrupted two industries, Miki is now channeling her entrepreneurial spirit into her fourth venture, HIRO, aiming to solve the global plastic crisis with nature-inspired plastic eating fungi. Go to HIRODiapers.com to learn more.

Learn more at:https://hirodiapers.com/momcurious

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Mom Curious is a weekly podcast produced by Hoff Studios in New York City, hosted by cultural voice Daniella Rabbani. Each episode dives into candid, thought-provoking conversations about motherhood, womanhood, and the messy, magical spaces in between. With humor, honesty, and curiosity, Daniella sits down with women of all stripes to talk about what it really means to raise children—and ourselves—in today’s world.
About the Host:

Daniella Rabbani (@DaniellaRabbani on Instagram) is a Brooklyn-based storyteller, actress, singer, and podcast host. On screen, she’s appeared in HBO’s Scenes from a Marriage, Amazon’s The Better Sister, FX’s The Americans, and films like Ocean’s 8. On stage, she’s headlined concerts worldwide, from Jazz at Lincoln Center to the State Jewish Theater in Warsaw. 
Through her podcast Mom Curious, Daniella blends her creative spirit and lived experience as a mother of two to spark conversations that are raw, hilarious, and deeply relatable. Her mission: to create a community where mothers (and those curious about motherhood) feel seen, supported, and inspired.

This Week's Guest:
Ruby Rose Fox is an award-winning singer-songwriter, actor, author, master nervous system coach, and the founder of Muscle Music. She created the Superplay Theory and The Fox Method.

More here: https://www.muscle-music.com/about-ruby

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musclemusic__/

Book: Link

Audiobook: Link

Bezos Free Audiobook: Link

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Mom Curious is a weekly podcast produced by Hoff Studios in New York City, hosted by cultural voice Daniella Rabbani. Each episode dives into candid, thought-provoking conversations about motherhood, womanhood, and the messy, magical spaces in between. With humor, honesty, and curiosity, Daniella sits down with women of all stripes to talk about what it really means to raise children—and ourselves—in today’s world.
About the Host:
Daniella Rabbani (@DaniellaRabbani on Instagram) is a Brooklyn-based storyteller, actress, singer, and podcast host. On screen, she’s appeared in HBO’s Scenes from a Marriage, Amazon’s The Better Sister, FX’s The Americans, and films like Ocean’s 8. On stage, she’s headlined concerts worldwide, from Jazz at Lincoln Center to the State Jewish Theater in Warsaw. 
Through her podcast Mom Curious, Daniella blends her creative spirit and lived experience as a mother of two to spark conversations that are raw, hilarious, and deeply relatable. Her mission: to create a community where mothers (and those curious about motherhood) feel seen, supported, and inspired.
This Week's Guest:
Dr. Tracy Dalgleish (@drtracyd on Instagram) is a clinical psychologist, couples therapist, and sought-after relationship expert. She is the creator of Be Connected
Digital, where she teaches people all over the world how to have healthy
relationships. Her work has been featured in outlets like the New York
Times, Forbes, and Time, and her research has appeared in peer-reviewed
academic journals. She is the author of the book I Didn’t Sign Up for This and
the host of the top 100 parenting podcast Dear Dr. Tracy. Owner of the
mental health clinic Integrated Wellness, she lives in Ottawa with her
husband and two children.
Keep in touch and pass this episode on to a friend who'd love it. Thank you!

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November is Children's Grief Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness for the unique grief children experience and to provide support. It is a crucial time to remember that children often grieve differently, and they need to be heard and supported, especially with the holidays approaching.

Mom Curious is a weekly podcast produced by Hoff Studios in New York City, hosted by cultural voice Daniella Rabbani. Each episode dives into candid, thought-provoking conversations about motherhood, womanhood, and the messy, magical spaces in between. With humor, honesty, and curiosity, Daniella sits down with women of all stripes to talk about what it really means to raise children—and ourselves—in today’s world.

About the Host:

Daniella Rabbani (@DaniellaRabbani on Instagram) is a Brooklyn-based storyteller, actress, singer, and podcast host. On screen, she’s appeared in HBO’s Scenes from a Marriage, Amazon’s The Better Sister, FX’s The Americans, and films like Ocean’s 8. On stage, she’s headlined concerts worldwide, from Jazz at Lincoln Center to the State Jewish Theater in Warsaw. 
Through her podcast Mom Curious, Daniella blends her creative spirit and lived experience as a mother of two to spark conversations that are raw, hilarious, and deeply relatable. Her mission: to create a community where mothers (and those curious about motherhood) feel seen, supported, and inspired.

This Week's Guest:Edil Cuepo is a mom of two, founder of Pickle Media Co, a digital marketing agency for nonprofits and mission-driven brands, and the marketing chief at Comfort Zone Camp, a nonprofit bereavement organization for kids who’ve lost a parent or sibling.
When she’s not working or parenting, she’s either reading a personal development book, watching a reality show, or training for her next half marathon. You can find her on LinkedIn as Edil Cuepo or follow her @edilpickle on Instagram.

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Mom Curious is a weekly podcast produced by Hoff Studios in New York City, hosted by cultural voice Daniella Rabbani. Each episode dives into candid, thought-provoking conversations about motherhood, womanhood, and the messy, magical spaces in between. With humor, honesty, and curiosity, Daniella sits down with women of all stripes to talk about what it really means to raise children—and ourselves—in today’s world.

About the Host:

Daniella Rabbani (@DaniellaRabbani on Instagram) is a Brooklyn-based storyteller, actress, singer, and podcast host. On screen, she’s appeared in HBO’s Scenes from a Marriage, Amazon’s The Better Sister, FX’s The Americans, and films like Ocean’s 8. On stage, she’s headlined concerts worldwide, from Jazz at Lincoln Center to the State Jewish Theater in Warsaw.

Through her podcast Mom Curious, Daniella blends her creative spirit and lived experience as a mother of two to spark conversations that are raw, hilarious, and deeply relatable. Her mission: to create a community where mothers (and those curious about motherhood) feel seen, supported, and inspired.

Dr. Tanya Cotler is a child and adult Clinical Psychologist, author and speaker who specializes in reproductive mental health, intergenerational trauma, child development, and parent-child attachment. Dr. Cotler recently co-founded RENNI, the first trauma oriented integrative clinic in Toronto, Canada.

Through nearly 20 years of clinical and research experience, Dr. Cotler has honed her particular interest in the developing emotional bond between parent and child – including the impact of unconscious family narratives, feelings and sensations carried through generations.

In her clinical practice, Dr. Cotler provides individual and group therapy for adults, as well as play therapy for children. Dr. Cotler is the creator of the Mother2Woman and Not-so-New Mother circles. Her mission through these groups is to foster opportunities for growth and connection through the phases of vulnerability, change and loss that many new mothers experience.

Dr. Cotler has presented at both national and international conferences and conducts trainings and conferences for parents, professionals and educators. As an author, Dr. Cotler writes a regular column for Psychology Today, Motherhood Made Real and has published a number of other works and book chapters on maternal mental health, parent-child attachment, and mindful parenting. For more you can also follow Dr. Cotler @drcotler on Instagram or Linkedin @TanyaCotler and at drtanyacotler.com.

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