Mother's Quest Podcast

Welcome to this Father's Day special of the Mother's Quest Podcast. This year, I decided to reach out to the husbands and life partners of incredible mothers I've interviewed on the podcast in the past, inviting four extraordinary fathers to share their reflections on living an E.P.I.C. life.

E.P.I.C. is a metaphor for answering the call of our own hero's journey and also an acronym mnemonic for the guideposts that help us live that life while we are raising our kids. E - Engaging mindfully with our children, P- Pursuing our passionate and purposeful impact, I - Investing in ourselves, and C- Connecting to a strong support network. Each father offers a glimpse into what they've been on a quest for, insights into one of the guideposts from the E.P.I.C. framework, and an invitation to try something that will help us more fully live our E.P.I.C. lives. Together, these four fathers bring perspectives shaped by different faith traditions, cultures, and lived experiences. And they all offer a masterclass on what it takes to parent and live life fully, with strength and humility. Thank you Rabbi Hugh Seid-Valencia, Iftikhar Ahmed, Franklin Hysten, and George Brian Sellner for entrusting us with your reflections, and for the love and intention you bring to fatherhood and to living your lives. And thank you Tricia, Saadia, Jenjii, and Jadah, the mothers whose voices have shaped this podcast over the last decade, and whose connection with me inspired this episode. All of these contributions felt like a gift for me. Wherever you are listening, whether you are a father yourself, parenting alongside one, or maybe missing one, I hope this conversation is a gift for you too. Happy Father's Day.

This Episode Features:

Rabbi Hugh Seid-Valencia, Chief Community Officer at Jewish Silicon Valley, who teaches and lectures on Jewish approaches to leadership, meditation, and parenting. Hugh, the husband of my recent podcast guest Tricia Creason-Valencia, reflects on Engaging mindfully with our children, the practice of stepping up and stepping back as a father, the Jewish humility teaching of how much space to take up in a relationship, and how a lifelong practice of martial arts informed his approach to parenting.

Iftikhar Ahmed, co-founder of Kaizen Financial Strategies and co-author with his wife Saadia of A Planning Guide for American Muslims. Iftikhar, who came to financial services after a first career in engineering and tech leadership, reflects on Pursuing our passionate and purposeful impact, the Kaizen philosophy of small steps leading to big results, drawing passion from those who find happiness through helping others, and being a role model for his children.

Franklin Hysten, founding partner of Blaze Consulting Group and a coach and facilitator of more than 20 years developing leaders in nonprofits and public sector organizations. Franklin, the husband of my Episode 7 guest Jenjii Hysten, reflects on Investing in ourselves, the solo three-week journey to London where he sat with himself and his journal, the courage to ask for support through therapy and men's groups, and the shift from a love language of service to what he calls "the ministry of presence."

George Brian Sellner, founder of One Heart Music and One Heart Men's Circle, whose work draws from Jungian archetypes, Internal Family Systems, somatic practices, mythology, and contemplative traditions. George, the husband of my Episode 95 guest Jadah Sellner, reflects on Connecting to a strong support network, the couples meeting practice he and Jadah have held for years, the daily blessing he sends his daughter Zoe, and creating safe spaces for men to show up emotionally.

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

• Hugh on the practice of stepping up and stepping back as a father, and the Jewish humility teaching behind it

• "Be careful of what works" and the trap of imposing our will on our children

• How Tai Chi shapes Hugh's approach to redirecting energy rather than meeting force with force

• Iftikhar on the Kaizen philosophy of small steps leading to big results, applied to raising children

• Drawing passion from those who find happiness through helping others, not wealth or fame

• Why Iftikhar believes we cannot achieve significant goals alone, and the value of teaching children to work with others

• Franklin's solo three-week journey to London and the journal questions that changed him

• The courage to ask for support through therapy, men's groups, and coaching

• Shifting from a love language of service to what Franklin calls "the ministry of presence" with our children

• The couples meeting practice George and Jadah have held for years

• The daily blessing George sends his daughter, now as a voice memo since she left for college

• One Heart Men's Circle and why men need spaces to be held without being fixed

About Our Guests:

Rabbi Hugh Seid-Valencia, Chief Community Officer, Jewish Silicon Valley

In his current role, Rabbi Hugh serves as a primary connector between Jewish Silicon Valley and the wider regional Jewish community's professional and lay leadership, sparking a spirit of creativity and innovation, and helping establish a culture of collaboration. He previously served as Jewish Community Liaison for VITAS Healthcare and prior to that, spent ten years teaching Jewish Studies at Kehillah Jewish High School in Palo Alto, where he served most recently as Director of Israel and Jewish Studies Curricula. After studying at Deep Springs College, he earned a B.A. with Highest Honors in English Literature from UC Berkeley and received his rabbinical training from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. He has completed both the Rabbinic Leadership Training Program and the Tikkun Middot Training Program of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality and is an alumnus of the Mandel Executive Leadership Program. He teaches and lectures on Jewish approaches to: leadership, meditation, parenting, perspectives on the afterlife, ethical dilemmas in extending life, and reading and writing ethical wills.

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/hugh-seid-valencia-7244a899

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/hseidvalencia

Iftikhar Ahmed

As a Co-founder, Managing Partner, and Principal Advisor, Iftikhar Ahmed serves as a financial advisor and investment professional who focuses on strategies that help clients pursue their goals and prepare for various market conditions. Prior to a career change to the financial services industry, Iftikhar worked for 20+ years in the high-tech sector in engineering, business, and leadership roles.

Iftikhar's experience spans working in the United States as well as internationally. His previous experience in the tech sector included roles at Cisco Systems, Mobilink (a Motorola venture), and ABM Data Systems. Prior to co-founding Kaizen Financial Strategies, Iftikhar served his clients as a Financial Advisor in affiliation with Waddell & Reed, Inc.

Iftikhar is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® practitioner and also holds the Accredited Portfolio Management Advisor (APMA™) designation. Iftikhar is current on his Series 7 and Series 66 securities registrations and Life and Health insurance licenses from California department of insurance (CA License #0I63476). He has a BS in Electrical Engineering and a master's in information systems management.

In 2026, Iftikhar and Saadia co-authored a book "Personal Finance & Inheritance in Islam: A Planning Guide for American Muslims" to address the recurring questions they received from Muslim clients, especially around aligning financial planning and inheritance decisions with their personal values.

Iftikhar and his wife, Saadia Ahmed, live in the South Bay with their two children. He is actively engaged in the local community and various philanthropic endeavors, and is passionate about entrepreneurship, education, and technological and social innovations.

• Website: www.kfstrategies.us

• Book: www.kfstrategies.us/copy-resource-book

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/iftiahmed

Franklin Hysten

Franklin Hysten is the Founding Partner of Blaze Consulting Group focused on developing leaders and strengthening communities. He has worked with dozens of nonprofit and public sector organizations from across California to advance effective programming, leadership development, and systems change. With over 3 daccades of experience in coaching, facilitation, and strategic planning, and a deep commitment to youth and family empowerment, Franklin is driven by his belief in the power of community and collaboration. He is inspired by Oakland's spirit of resilience and innovation. As a coach and facilitator, he helps any team or organization with clarity, communication, and connection to experience transformative growth, through utilizing his strategic vision, facilitation expertise, and heart-centered leadership. Franklin lives in the East Bay with his wife Jenjii, two sons and Goddaughter.

• Website: hblazeconsulting.group/team

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/franklinhysten

George B. Sellner

George Brian Sellner is a musician, educator, and men's work facilitator dedicated to helping people live more connected, creative, and wholehearted lives. For over 17 years, he has worked with children and families through One Heart Music, using song, movement, and play to cultivate confidence, compassion, and community.

Alongside his work with families, George founded One Heart Men's Circle, where he guides men through practices of emotional awareness, embodiment, accountability, and authentic connection. Drawing from Jungian archetypes, Internal Family Systems (IFS), somatic practices, mythology, and contemplative traditions, he creates spaces where men can step out of isolation and into deeper relationships with themselves and others.

George believes that music, ritual, play, and honest conversation are essential medicines for our modern world. His work is rooted in a simple mission: to help children, families, and men remember who they are and bring more courage, creativity, and love into their communities.

He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his family, where he continues to teach, sing, facilitate, and build community one heart at a time.

• Website: oneheartmusic.org

• Yelp Website:: YELP

• Facebook: facebook.com/oneheartmusic

• Email: [email protected]

This Episode's Challenge:

Four fathers offering four invitations. Bring humility to your parenting this week. Take small steps toward the life you want to create. Invest in yourself with curiosity and get support. Reach out to someone this week and let them know you see them.

Related Episodes: Inspired by these fathers? Listen next to the episodes with their life partners:

• Ep 114: Fierce Love, Grief and Showing Up Anyway with Tricia Creason-Valencia

• Ep 12: Breaking Bread and Building Bridges with Saadia Ahmed

• Encore: Living Out Loud with Jenjii Hysten

• Ep 95: An Anti-Hustle Guide To Living Your E.P.I.C. Life with She Build's Jadah Sellner

Mom's First American Motherhood Documentary Screening in S.F. Bay Area

This summer, the organization Mom's First released a groundbreaking documentary about American Motherhood, with screenings across the country. Mother's Quest will co-host a screening here in the San Francisco Bay Area, alongside Heather Anderson from The Mamahood and with Tricia Creason-Valencia of PowerHouse San Jose. I'll also be recording a podcast conversation with Mom's First founder Reshma Saujani, releasing the episode ahead of the screening. Stay tuned for all of these good things, and follow this link to sign up for the details.

Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). In celebration of passing our 100th episode, we invite you to help us spread the word by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Help us reach 100 + reviews to honor 100 + episodes of the Mother's Quest Podcast! You can also support the podcast by making a contribution. Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest

I'm honored to share this special Mother's Day episode with my friend Tricia Creason-Valencia, recorded live in the UnMuted Studio at PowerHouse, the creative event space Tricia co-founded in San Jose.

Tricia and I first came into each other's lives while collaborating on the Autism Storytelling Project. Then, she said yes to spending a full day together for a new offering I was piloting called Spark Your EPIC Life in a Day. On a Milestone Hike, during lunch and then coaching in my garden afterwards, Tricia reflected on what she was grieving in the aftermath of Covid, made commitments to herself that could pave a way forward, and named out loud big dreams to become a speaker and find a creative room of her own to pursue her artistic expression. Her bio today blends the powerful pieces of her past with the dreams she has now realized. She is an Emmy-nominated director, producer, and motivational speaker whose documentary films have won multiple awards and screened at film festivals and on public television nationally. She holds an MFA in Cinema from San Francisco State and a BA in Social Sciences from UC Berkeley, and has taught filmmaking at Santa Clara University, UC Santa Cruz, San Francisco State, and high schools. She co-founded PowerHouse, a podcast and media production studio and event space for women+ creatives in San Jose. And she is the 2026 Creative Ambassador for the City of San José, currently producing a city-wide multimedia project called "I am/We Are: Our Stories Connect Us."

As a loving daughter and the mother of two children who came to her through adoption, she has lived through some of the hardest chapters that mothering and caregiving can bring. The day we recorded, Tricia almost canceled. She was carrying a profound anticipatory grief because her mother, Barbara, who had dementia, was in hospice. But we decided together to show up anyway and be with whatever came into the room. Her mom has since passed away, and in a voice note she sent me recently, Tricia said of our coming together that it was "A testimony to all the things that we have on our hearts and on our minds as mamas who are being pulled by our babies and our families and our mothers, and yet we show up, and we stay in conversation with each other. If this podcast is a testimony to staying in it, then I am proud of us."

I am proud of us too. When we recorded the conversation, I had been going through some hard things in my own parenting journey that were asking the same of me. And what Tricia shared in this conversation gave me language and perspectives I needed that day... radical acceptance, slow hope, and fierce love. That last one she traces all the way back to her mom, and it's woven through everything she does. Topics Discussed in this Episode:

• The full circle moment of recording inside Powerhouse, the "room of her own" Tricia first named in her Spark Your EPIC Life day before the space even existed

• Navigating motherhood when your children's reality doesn't match the one you imagined

• Radical acceptance as the practice of stopping the push against what is, without saying it's okay

• Slow hope, borrowed from the climate movement, and the friends who text you to point out how far you've come

• The concept of "other mothering" and how it shows up in Tricia's teaching and community work

• Using art as a tool for mental health for yourself and for others

• What it took to invest in PowerHouse, and why she stopped saying "paid fairly" and started saying "paid abundantly"

• Her son calling her a visionary, and what it meant to be seen by him after everything

• The fierce love Tricia inherited from her mother Barbara, the three different ways Barbara responded to "I love you, Mom" in her final weeks, and the truth that we come from love

This Episode is Dedicated by April Adams Pertuis

April Adams Pertuis helps leaders and entrepreneurs turn their Story into a strategic advantage—driving deeper connection, stronger relationships, and greater visibility.

As the Founder and CEO of LIGHTbeamers, April is a storytelling and visibility expert who equips audiences with the tools to communicate with clarity, build engaged communities, and create meaningful opportunities. Through her keynotes, she shows leaders how to move beyond simply delivering a message—and instead use their voice to influence, connect, and lead at a higher level.

A former television journalist and producer, April has evolved into a sought-after thought leader in visibility and women's leadership. She has helped thousands of women build brand authority through strategic speaking, podcasting, and publishing—turning their stories into platforms for growth and impact.

Her work is grounded in a powerful belief: everybody has a story—and when it's shared with intention, it becomes a force for connection, influence, and opportunity.

Free download on learning to tell your story: Your Story Formula www.lightbeamers.com/formula About Tricia Creason-Valencia

Tricia Creason-Valencia is a dynamic force in the world of filmmaking, education & community building. Through the art of storytelling, Tricia weaves her own raw narrative of mothering, making movies, resilience and rediscovery. She believes, deep in her soul, that truth-telling fosters empathy and connection, serving as a catalyst for social change.

As an Emmy-Nominated Director/Producer, Motivational Speaker and Co-Founder of PowerHouse, a creative workspace for women+ entrepreneurs, Tricia pioneers the way for women, people of color and youth to amplify their voices and claim their power through creative expression. Tricia's films have won numerous awards - including "Best Documentary" for Stable Life at the prestigious Cinequest Film Festival - and have inspired dialogue and action through screenings at film festivals and on public television nationally.

Tricia has taught Digital Filmmaking and Film Studies at Santa Clara University, U.C. Santa Cruz, San Francisco State University and with grassroots community organizations. She is a passionate mentor to the next generation of storytellers. She holds a BA in Social Science from U.C. Berkeley and earned her MFA in Cinema from San Francisco State University.

With over 20 years of experience in mothering and media production, she intertwines personal growth with professional success and has evolved from an optimistic, young adoptive mama & filmmaker to a seasoned advocate, motivational speaker and media producer who finds meaning in the chaos of creation.

Connect with Tricia Creason-Valencia

• Instagram | www.instagram.com/flacafilms

• Website | www.tricia-speaks.com

• PowerHouse Website | powerhouse-sj.com

• LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/flacafilms

This Episode's Challenge:

Go on a quest to cultivate joy. Start by simply noticing — when do you feel content, connected, open? Once you can see where joy shows up, you can begin to intentionally create more of it. It doesn't have to be loud. It can be saying it out loud in the moment, taking a photo, making something, or telling the people you're with: I'm really happy to be here. Joy and grief coexist. Joy is the fuel that keeps us going through the hard stuff.

Related Episodes:

• Signal Award-winning Ep 102: Milestone Hike Revisited: A Mother Son Neurodiversity Journey recorded at PowerHouse

Resources Mentioned:

• Parenting Outside the Lines: Forget the Rules, Tap into Your Wisdom, and Connect with Your Child by Meghan Leahy

• Spark Your E.P.I.C. Life Coaching Series and other coaching offerings at julielneale.com. Schedule a discovery call with Julie here to explore more

• Autism Storytelling Project | www.autismstorytellingproject.com

Mom's First American Motherhood Documentary Screening in S.F. Bay Area

This summer, the organization Mom's First will release a groundbreaking documentary about American Motherhood, with screenings across the country. Mother's Quest will co-host a screening here in the San Francisco Bay Area, alongside Heather Anderson from The Mamahood and with Tricia Creason-Valencia of PowerHouse San Jose. I'll also be recording a podcast conversation with Mom's First founder Reshma Saujani, releasing the episode ahead of the screening. Stay tuned for all of these good things, and follow this link to sign up for the details.

Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). In celebration of passing our 100th episode, we invite you to help us spread the word by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Help us reach 100 + reviews to honor 100 + episodes of the Mother's Quest Podcast! You can also support the podcast by making a contribution. Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest

I'm honored to bring you a special episode of the Mother's Quest Podcast during Black History Month, featuring two extraordinary Black women, Susan Burton and Pamela Marshall, who are shaping history in real time, breaking cycles of incarceration for women through their work with the organization A New Way of Life (ANWOL.)

I first met Susan and Pamela through Democracy Clothing, the brand my sister Caren founded, when we visited A New Way of Life to bring clothing to the staff and residents and later invited a group of their mothers to the Democracy studio. Spending time with them, seeing their impact firsthand, and later reading Susan's memoir, I was struck by how they transform personal loss and systemic harm into healing and hope for women rebuilding their lives. Susan founded A New Way of Life in 1998 after surviving nearly two decades in the cycle of incarceration herself. Following the devastating loss of her young son, her grief led to substance use that was criminalized and punished again and again, instead of supported. After her sixth release from prison, she finally experienced recovery rooted in dignity and opportunity and committed to bringing that same humanity to other women.

What began as one home in South Los Angeles has grown into a nationally recognized reentry model that has provided safe housing to more than 1,800 women, reunited over 400 mothers with their children, and helped thousands clear legal barriers to employment and housing. This work is especially urgent given that the number of incarcerated women has increased by more than 600 percent since 1980, and that women returning home often face unique barriers, including higher rates of trauma, primary caregiving responsibilities, and limited gender responsive reentry support. Susan is now a grandmother and a great grandmother, building legacy across generations of women in more ways than one. Pamela's story is woven into that legacy. She joined A New Way of Life through a transitional employment program when Susan saw something special in her. Over time she was mentored, entrusted with greater responsibility, and eventually Susan passed the baton. Today, as one of two Co- Directors, Pamela carries the vision forward, expanding ANWOL's reach and impact.

This conversation was recorded months ago, but the episode's release feels like it's arriving at exactly the right time. At this moment in our country, as state-sanctioned immigration raids harm families and destabilize communities across cities like Minneapolis, we feel the weight of injustice and wonder how to respond. And yet, we are also witnessing communities of care step forward, neighbors disrupting cycles of harm where they live, choosing solidarity over fear and acting from compassion. That is exactly what Susan and Pamela have been building for decades. Their wisdom grounds us in the knowledge that change begins close to home and is rooted in love.

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

• The criminalization of addiction, the impact of intergenerational trauma, and the systems of poverty and racism that create cycles of harm

• Moving from being fueled by rage to being powered by forgiveness and love as a force for transformation

• How A New Way of Life creates safe homes where women returning from prison find stability, support, and the foundation to rebuild their lives

• Raising children to use their voices and be brave in the face of injustice

• Creating networks of support with like-minded people and remembering we're all connected

• Staying out of the "deep, dark hole" of the news cycle to protect your spirit

• Learning to pour into yourself while also caring for and uplifting others

• Why Susan believes real systemic change begins in hearts and minds, not legislation

About Susan Burton

Ms. Burton struggled to rise above a life of poverty, violence, and loss. As a way to cope, she fell harder into substance misuse and became enmeshed in the cycle of mass incarceration for nearly two decades. After being released from prison for the sixth time, Ms. Burton was finally able to access recovery services in an affluent area of Los Angeles. There she discovered and embraced opportunities that were never offered before. Determined to bring those resources to areas plagued by poverty and over-incarceration, Ms. Burton founded A New Way of Life (ANWOL) in 1998.

Ms. Burton is a co-founder of All of Us or None (AOUON) and the Formerly Incarcerated & Convicted People and Families Movement (FICPFM), both national grassroots civil rights movements composed of formerly incarcerated individuals, their families and community allies. In collaboration with UCLA's Critical Race Studies Program, she launched an employment rights reentry legal clinic, which has grown to be the largest of its kind in Southern California.

Susan has earned numerous awards and honors for her work. In 2010, she was named a CNN Top Ten Hero and received the prestigious Citizen Activist Award from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She is a recipient of the Encore Purpose Prize (2012) and the James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award (2014). In 2015, on the 50th Anniversary of Selma and the Voting Rights Act, Susan Burton was named by the Los Angeles Times as one of eighteen new civil rights leaders in the nation. Released in 2017, her memoir, Becoming Ms. Burton, received a 2018 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work in the category of Biography/Autobiography. Becoming Ms.Burton is also the recipient of the inaugural Goddard Riverside Stephan Russo Book Prize for Social Justice. In 2019, Susan received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from California State University, Northridge.

After a 2017-18 tour with her memoir in 64 prisons and jails in 26 states and three countries, Ms. Burton launched the SAFE (Sisterhood Alliance for Freedom and Equality) Housing Network to replicate A New Way of Life's effective and humane reentry model. Since 2018, Ms. Burton has mentored and supported seventeen organizations in twelve states (Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Washington) and two countries (Uganda and Kenya) to open their own safe homes

Connect with Susan:

• A New Way of Life | https://anewwayoflife.org/

• LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/susan-burton-15a9a013

• Instagram | @susanburtonla

About Pamela Marshall

After a decade of working in retail, Ms. Marshall was laid off during the Great Recession. A single mother, she began looking for opportunities to reclaim economic self-sufficiency. She applied to California's Transitional Subsidized Employment (TSE) program. In 2011, she was offered a short-term position as a housing coordinator at A New Way of Life Reentry Project (ANWOL).

Within the six months allotted for TSE placement, Ms. Marshall quickly demonstrated her exceptional capabilities to excel in all assigned duties. Unfortunately, the placement was temporary and ANWOL did not have the resources available to offer her full-time employment.

A key value embedded in the work of A New Way of Life is to recognize every woman's potential. ANWOL Founder Susan Burton was so impressed with Ms. Marshall's work ethic, she was able to secure additional resources. A few months later, she offered Ms. Marshall a full-time position as an administrative assistant. She progressed to serve as Ms. Burton's executive assistant and then ANWOL's manager of office administration. In December of 2020, she was promoted to the position of Co-Director.

For over a decade, Ms. Marshall has contributed to the growth and stability of A New Way of Life. Because she has lived it, she understands the importance of valuing each client, recognizing potential and providing the resources needed to succeed. A trusted mentee of Ms. Burton, as CoDirector, she is uniquely equipped to lead a national reentry organization and further ANWOL's mission—continually working to link promise with opportunity, create change, and transform lives.

Connect with Pamela

• A New Way of Life | https://anewwayoflife.org/
• LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/pamela-marshall-858528115

This Episode's Challenge:

Pamela's challenge is to invest in yourself in addition to others, because it doesn't have to be either or. Find one positive moment each day that you can take into tomorrow. Susan's challenge is to stop and help someone and allow yourself to feel the vibration from that and resonate with it. Both of these challenges connect to the larger themes of our conversation about finding joy in small moments, remembering we're all connected, and leading with love rather than fear.

Related Episodes:

• Ep 106: The Secret to Impacting Our Democracy with States Project's Melissa Walker

• Ep 109: Turning Toward One Another with Rabbi Sharon Brous

• Ep 100: Mothering as Revolutionary Love

• Honoring Black Mothers: A Special Mother's Day Episode with Anna Malaika Tubbs, Author of The Three Mothers

Books Mentioned:

• Becoming Ms. Burton: From Prison to Recovery to Leading the Fight for Incarcerated Women

• Erased: What American Patriarchy Has Hidden from Us

• The Three Mothers

• The Amen Effect: Ancient Wisdom to Mend Our Broken Hearts and World

This Episode is Dedicated by Anna Malaika Tubbs

Anna Malaika Tubbs is a 2x New York Times bestselling author and multidisciplinary expert on current and historical understandings of race, gender, and equity. With a Ph.D. in Sociology and a Masters in Multidisciplinary Gender Studies from the University of Cambridge in addition to a Bachelors in Medical Anthropology from Stanford University, Anna translates her academic knowledge into stories that are clear and engaging. Her articles have been published by TIME Magazine, New York Magazine, Newsweek, The Guardian, and others. Her first book The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of MLK Jr, Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation came out in 2021, her second book Erased: What American Patriarchy Has Hidden From Us came out in May of 2025. Anna's storytelling also takes form in her talks, including her TED Talk that has been viewed 2 million times, as well as the scripted and unscripted screen projects she has in development. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their three kids.

Connect with Anna

• Website | https://annamalaikatubbs.com/

• Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/annamalaikatubbs

• Podcast: Revolution Resolution with Anna Malaika Tubbs

Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). In celebration of passing our 100th episode, we invite you to help us spread the word by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Help us reach 100 + reviews to honor 100 + episodes of the Mother's Quest Podcast! You can also support the podcast by making a contribution or joining one of our memberships at Ko-Fi.com.

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest

Welcome to this special episode, one I recorded in the days leading up to the holidays and the winter solstice, the darkest days of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

This season, when the nights are long and the light feels scarce, invites us to pause, reflect, and seek warmth and meaning in intentional ways. And this year especially, the darkness has felt more than seasonal. In the face of heartbreaking events unfolding in the world, I've found myself needing practices and perspectives more than ever that help me stay grounded, connected, and hopeful. It was from this place that I found myself returning again to the Mystics Almanac.

This fall, I had the honor of contributing another piece to the Almanac, a powerful creation by my friend and mentor Lindsay Pera. Years ago, inspired by the enduring legacy of the Farmers Almanac, Lindsay envisioned something similar but more mystical—an annual guide grounded in her beautifully illustrated Oracle Deck, woven with astrological insights, divinations, and reflective writings from a diverse circle of contributors. The Mystics Almanac isn't just a book of forecasts and dates. In Lindsay's own words, it's a mirror, a guide, and a reminder that we are not alone on this path. I've turned to the Almanac for this reason myself over the years; and it was especially poignant and supportive of me and my family in the days before my father passed away. The months before writing my piece for the Almanac felt incredibly heavy. In my own motherhood journey and in our country and the world, it seemed that not only were things in crisis, but that they were collapsing. Past stories, systems, and patterns revealed their cracks, leaving me disoriented and searching for new footing. I returned often to the Mystics Almanac and drew cards from the Mystics Oracle Deck. Again and again, I pulled the "Fear" and the "Beneath" cards, mirrors of all I was experiencing in the not knowing. As I sat with these cards, I realized that my personal feelings were also reflected in our collective story.

Echoes of History As I listen to and read from historians, I keep noticing how much this moment echoes others in our history. The turbulence and backlash of Reconstruction, when newly won freedoms were met with violence and suppression. The Gilded Age, when vast inequality and political corruption left ordinary people struggling while the wealthy few consolidated power. The 1930s, when economic collapse and widespread fear created conditions that allowed authoritarian movements to rise across the world. Each of these times brought real devastation and loss. And yet, they also carried seeds of transformation. Reconstruction, though violently cut short, planted the roots that later grew into the Civil Rights Movement. The abuses of the Gilded Age gave rise to reforms in the Progressive Era. The despair of the Depression led to the New Deal, the creation of social safety nets, and labor rights that reshaped American life. And though the 1930s brought the world to war, its aftermath renewed global commitments to democracy, human rights, and rebuilding, even if those commitments have been fragile and incomplete.

History does not repeat, but it does rhyme. Life moves in spirals, not straight lines. We return to familiar struggles, facing injustice, violence, and division, but when they arrive again, we are not the same as before. We come with new perspective, new resilience, and often hard-earned wisdom we did not have the last time around.

Guiding Lights This summer and fall, I found myself asking "how should we navigate this new ring of the spiral?" How might we mother ourselves, our children, and our communities through the darkness of collapse without losing faith that something transformative is taking root beneath it all? Just as the Mystics Almanac draws on cards to illuminate the energies of the year, I decided to turn to the Mother's Quest Podcast as my own kind of oracle, revisiting conversations from episodes with mothers whose wisdom can light our way. Three voices called to me most strongly: the Mystics Almanac's own intuitive strategist Lindsay Pera, From Scratch author, producer and screenwriter Tembi Locke, and the Revolutionary Love Project civil rights leader Valarie Kaur. Lindsay's words deepened the concept of the spiral itself as a guide. Life, she confirms is not linear but more like a nautilus shell, circling back with new perspective. Challenges return, not as failures, but as invitations to greet them with greater compassion for ourselves and others. She likens our lives to the rings of a tree, each year holding stories of hardship and growth. What once felt like collapse can, with time, be recognized as part of a larger pattern of healing and becoming.

Tembi reminded me of the power of ancestry and constellations. Raised by an "ecosystem of women," her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, she carries the resilience and faith they instilled. She told the story of the Drinking Gourd, the Big Dipper, which enslaved people once followed north to freedom when no maps existed. Her wisdom for now: when the path ahead feels uncertain, we can still orient ourselves by what is larger than us, our ancestors, the stars, our deepest faith, and we must remember that no one travels alone.

Valarie recalls the birthing room, her mother's hand on her forehead, whispering "You are brave" as she felt generations of women standing invisibly at her back while she labored. In the midst of growing authoritarianism, she has famously posed the question: "Is this the darkness of the tomb, or the darkness of the womb?" Her story reminds us that every labor, whether giving birth, raising children, or rebirthing a nation, calls for courage, community, and the breath of our ancestors at our side. Even when the contractions feel painful and relentless, transition always comes before new life.

Going Deeper Together, these voices remind me that we are never meant to find our way alone. For more connection, I also invite you to pause and reflect and notice how these themes are showing up in your own life. Grab a pen and a journal and pause as needed to respond to these questions:

What wisdom might you want to carry with you into the year ahead? Where in your life right now are you navigating crisis and collapse? What might help you trust it as part of the spiral? Who are the mothers, ancestors, or teachers at your back that you can call on for courage and light? What lessons have you been circling back to? How can you meet the return of familiar challenges differently this time? If the darkness of this moment might be both tomb and womb, what must you release, and what are you quietly nurturing toward birth? Closing Wish I have a closing wish for all of us. As we move into the year ahead, may we meet the spiral with compassion and perspective, may we orient ourselves by the constellations and the strength of our ancestors, and may we trust that even in the most painful contractions, something new is waiting to be born.

Related Episodes and Links

• Right Livelihood, Magic, and Meaning with Lindsay Pera of the Modern Mystics Institute

• Light For These Pandemic Times: Space, Grace & Love Planted Across Generations with Tembi Locke

• Mothering as Revolutionary Love

• The Mystics Alamanac use the code JULIE to get $5 off created by Lindsay Pera, illustratrions by Sarah Love McCoy

• EPIC Year Planner + Plan With me Sessions use the code JULIE to get $5 off

In a world heavy with heartbreak and injustice, I've been searching for ways to stay grounded in my humanity…ways to resist not only despair, but also the systems of harm and oppression around us.

My guest today, Kaitlin Curtice, calls this practice living resistance. Kaitlin is an award-winning author, poet, and citizen of the Potawatomi Nation who writes and speaks at the intersections of spirituality, identity, and collective healing. Through her work, including her book Living Resistance and her upcoming release Everything Is a Story, she invites us to become more fully ourselves, to honor the gifts we already hold, and to let those gifts ripple out in love, courage, and care for the world.

Her life has been shaped by liminality, existing between her Native American heritage and a Southern Baptist Christian upbringing. This in-between space has given her a unique lens on how we find belonging and move toward healing in a fractured world.

In our conversation, Kaitlin shares how resistance is not a single act but a continuous practice of becoming and being. She reflects on how it can be gentle and fierce, personal and political, and she offers practices for grounding ourselves in the midst of life's spiral journeys. We closed with her Resistance Commitment—a poetic call to action that reminds us that living resistance means tending to our inner lives while courageously shaping our collective future.

I'm so grateful to my friend and former guest Rachel Macy Stafford, who first connected me to Kaitlin. Rachel's dedication to Kaitlin in this episode captures what Kaitlin offers the world—a call to link the best parts of ourselves so we can move forward together.

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

• Growing up in liminality, navigating the complexity between Native American and Southern Baptist cultures
• The cyclical, spiral nature of growth and how we revisit challenges with new wisdom
• Discovering your unique voice and purpose through what has "always been there for you"
• Living resistance as a daily practice, using our everyday lives to push back against injustice and nurture a sense of wholeness
• Embodiment practices that can reconnect you with your body after trauma
• How rock climbing became Kaitlin's family's practice for presence and connection
• Building community in both physical and virtual spaces and the importance of "third places" where you can be fully yourself
• Seasonal living as an alternative to linear goal-setting
• The power of words, poetry, and storytelling as forms of spiritual activism and as sources of healing

About Kaitlin

Kaitlin Curtice is an award-winning author, poet-storyteller, and public speaker. As an enrolled citizen of the Potawatomi nation, Kaitlin writes on the intersections of spirituality and identity and how that shifts throughout our lives. She also speaks on these topics to diverse audiences who are interested in truth-telling and healing.

As an inter-spiritual advocate, Kaitlin participates in conversations on topics such as colonialism in faith communities, and she has spoken at many conferences on the importance of inter-faith relationships. Kaitlin leads workshops and retreats, as well as lectures and keynote presentations, ranging from panels at the Aspen Climate Conference to speaking at the Chautauqua Institution and at universities, private retreat centers, and churches across the country.

In 2020 Kaitlin's award-winning book Native: Identity, Belonging and Rediscovering God won Georgia Author of the Year in the religion category. Native explores the relationship between American Christianity and Indigenous peoples, drawing on Kaitlin's experiences as a Potawatomi woman.

In 2023, Kaitlin released two books, first, Living Resistance: An Indigenous Vision for Seeking Wholeness Every Day, which examines the journey of resisting the status quo of hate by caring for ourselves, one another, and Mother Earth, and second, her first children's book called Winter's Gifts: An Indigenous Celebration of Nature, which is the premier book in a series of four books on the four seasons coming out with Convergent, RandomHouse Books. Her second book in the series called Summer's Magic was released in 2024.

Besides her books, Kaitlin has written online for Sojourners, Religion News Service, On Being, SELF Magazine, Oprah Daily, and more. Her work has been featured on CBS and in USA Today. She also writes essays and poetry for The Liminality Journal and spends her time supporting other authors as they navigate the world of publishing. Kaitlin lives near Philadelphia with her partner, two dogs, and two kids.

Connect with Kaitlin:

• Website | www.kaitlincurtice.com
• Instagram | www.instagram.com/kaitlincurtice

Explore Kaitlin's Writing:

• "Living Resistance" by Kaitlin Curtice
• "Everything is a Story" by Kaitlin Curtice – available for preorder
• Liminality Journal (Kaitlin's Substack)

This Episode's Challenge:

Kaitlin offered us a beautiful challenge to shift from linear thinking to cyclical thinking. She invited us to try two practices: first, draw five circles on paper representing different aspects of your life (work, family, hobbies, etc.) to see the vastness of who you are from a bird's eye view. Second, instead of making yearly resolutions, evaluate your life every season – asking what needs to shift in your daily rhythms, self-care, and relationships as the seasons change. As she put it "We don't have to expect so much of ourselves… It's a lot more tender to us if we say, "I'm going to try this out for the next few months." Both practices help us look at our lives without judgment while gently challenging ourselves to grow.

Related Episodes:

• Ep 74: Living and Loving with Authenticity with Hands Free Mama Rachel Macy Stafford
• Ep 16: Rising Up with Paola Mendoza
• Ep 94: Dear Body: Reflections on Embracing and Embodying 50

This Episode is Dedicated by Rachel Macy Stafford

Rachel Macy Stafford is a New York Times bestselling author, educator, and speaker with over 25 years of experience in teaching and writing. With a Master's degree in Special Education and a background as a certified special education teacher, Rachel brings a heart-centered approach to her work—emphasizing connection, inclusion, and self-awareness.

Since 2014, Rachel has published five bestselling books, including Hands Free Mama, Only Love Today, and Soul Shift, and expanded her reach with an audio series and book from Sounds True. Rachel also created a transformative eight-week online course that has engaged over 15,000 participants and writes Rachel's Treehouse, a Substack newsletter dedicated to cultivating meaningful connection, self-compassion, and collective care through weekly essays and monthly live teachings.

Rachel leads retreats and workshops at renowned centers like Kripalu, Omega Institute, and the Art of Living Retreat Center, and speaks at events across the country.

🌱Experience Rachel's Work…

If you're navigating a season of change, letting go, or becoming…

You're not alone. Consider joining me in person or in the Treehouse this fall:

🌿Only Love Today: A Restorative Retreat for Givers

🗓 November 7–9, 2025

📍 Art of Living Retreat Center, North Carolina

This soul-soothing weekend is for those who give deeply and often forget to receive. We'll rest, reflect, and reconnect with the parts of ourselves we've put on hold. There's still space to join—learn more or sign up here.

🏡Rachel's Treehouse

Part journal, part gathering place—Rachel's Treehouse is where Rachel reflects on midlife, empty-nesting, and what it means to dream again. If you've been asking, "What now?" This is a space to land, reconnect, and rediscover. Join the community here.

—

Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). In celebration of our 100th episode, we invite you to help us spread the word by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Help us reach 100 + reviews to honor 100 + episodes of the Mother's Quest Podcast! You can also support the podcast by making a contribution or joining one of our memberships at Ko-Fi.com.

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest

Welcome to this special Father's Day episode of the Mother's Quest Podcast. Each year, I feature a father who is not only present for his own family but also answering a larger call to lead and serve in the world. This year, all signs pointed to me interviewing Joe Ward-Wallace!

Joe is a retired firefighter, impact entrepreneur, and community organizer, known and appreciated for co-founding South LA Cafe - a Black-owned, family-run coffee shop, market, and cultural center rooted in the heart of South Central Los Angeles. Alongside his wife Celia, and their two daughters, Joe has created more than a business, they've built a movement: one grounded in racial and economic justice, food access, and belonging. Today, South LA Cafe spans multiple locations, and includes partnerships inside the Natural History Museum and the Hollywood Bowl, expanding their reach while staying rooted in purpose. At South LA Market, through their weekly grocery giveaway, they've distributed over 33,000 bags of food to thousands of community members, given with dignity and care.

Joe is also the Co-CEO and President of the South LA Community Foundation, which breaks the shackles of systemic oppression and inequality by creating, building, and empowering an equitable, healthy, and sustainable South Central community for all. He leads these initiatives with power and purpose and as I discovered in this conversation, a preparedness for what might emerge, honed from his decades-long career as a firefighter. We recorded this episode just after an epic snapshot moment, the very day that Joe and Celia received the keys to the first South LA Cafe building that they own. By purchasing the historic space from a fellow Black community member, they ensured the building would continue serving the community's legacy, protected from the forces of gentrification.

In our conversation, Joe and I reflected on the deeper roots of that moment and what it meant to grow up with little material wealth, yet rich in love, culture, and resilience. He shared stories of his mother Vonnie, whose strength and spirit laid the foundation for his values, and how her legacy lives on through his commitment to service and entrepreneurship. As I reflect on our conversation, what stays with me most is Joe's unwavering commitment to both joy and justice and how he's investing in community not to extract, but to build lineage. His story is one of saying yes to seeds of dreams before knowing exactly how they'd unfold and watching them grow into something even more beautiful than imagined. Through South LA Cafe, through his family, and through every act of service, Joe reminds us that legacy isn't built on perfection, but on preparation, culture and connection.

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

• Joe's childhood, his mother's impact, and the story of how she took a leap of faith to purchase their home in South Central

• The transition Joe made from firefighter to community business leader

• Lessons in work ethic, preparation, and grit passed down to and from his daughters

• The story behind founding South LA Cafe and how it has evolved since then

• The South LA Grocery Giveaway, a joyful cornerstone of their mission

• The importance of balancing hard work with intentional rest and self-investment

• The emotional power and legacy of owning their own building, a stand against gentrification, and the words from a celebratory post I asked Joe to read out loud (this brought me to tears!)

• The reflection that brought Joe to tears about how far he has come, which he jokingly referred to as his "Oprah" interview moment.

About Joe Ward-Wallace

Joe Ward-Wallace is the Co-Founder of South LA Cafe is a Black-owned, family-owned, community coffee shop, market, and cultural center located in the heart of South Central Los Angeles. The South LA Cafe team exists to serve the community, fight racial and economic inequality, and provide equal access to food. Their mission is to provide a safe space for local residents as well as equal access to fresh, healthy and affordable food.

Additionally, he is the Co-CEO & President of the South LA Community Foundation, a 501c3 non profit organization which aims to break the shackles of systemic oppression and inequality by creating, building, and empowering an equitable, healthy, and sustainable South Central community for all.

Mr. Ward-Wallace has over three decades experience in business and also helps to lead The Ward-Wallace Group, Coaching and Consulting Firm which supports entrepreneurs, leaders, activists, and athletes to create, launch, and scale world-changing ideas and is professional keynote speaker.

Learn more about his work at www.southlacafe.com.

Connect with Joe

• Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/joe.ward.wallace/

• LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-ward-wallace-11ba6739

• South LA Cafe Website | https://southlacafe.myshopify.com/

• Joe and Celia's podcast: "In the Mix with Celia and Joe"

• The Legacy of Vonnie, Joe's mother

This Episode's Challenge:

Joe challenges each of us to help just one neighbor. Ask them what they need, and then do it. Maybe it's running an errand, checking in with a meal, or simply being present and available. Joe reminded me that this simple act is what sparked South LA Cafe's grocery giveaway, something that has now served thousands and become the heartbeat of his community work. He emphasized that this small act, when done collectively, can help rebuild a sense of connection and community.

Related Episodes or Resources Mentioned in the Episode:

• Ep 109: Turning Toward One Another with Rabbi Sharon Brous

• Becoming Ms. Burton: From Prison to Recovery to Leading the Fight for Incarcerated Women

• A New Way of Life Reentry Program

• The Instagram Post Joe Read titled "We Bought the Block"

• The Legacy of Vonnie, Joe's mother

This Episode is Dedicated by Eric Mann With financial support from Lindsay Pera

"This is Eric Mann, co-director of the Labor/Community Strategy Center, a civil rights group in South Central L.A. I am here in praise of Joe Ward-Wallace and the magnificent new 48th Street South L.A. Café. Joe is my son-in-law but he calls me dad and I call him son. He and my daughter, Celia Ward-Wallace, are a powerful team for social justice.

Joe begins and ends as a Black Man in South Central Los Angeles. From that clear and solid identity he approaches all problems from the interests of the Black and South Central communities—and from there to all humanity. He has suffered insults and injuries from a racially hostile society and yet fights back mainly through his creative expression and drive for innovation. He just keeps inventing stuff.

The story of how Joe and Celia were able to purchase Mel's Diner, an iconic South-Central landmark, rescue it from the gentrifiers, and keep it in the Black community is a story of miracles. As Joe says, The 48th Street South L.A. Café is a sacred container that reclaimed the land of our ancestors. Thank God there was a Black family able to weather market pressure to find dedicated Black buyers. Let's all work to help fund future adventures in that tradition. As there is some sense of despair today, the answer can only take place through building and expanding organizations—the Labor/Community Strategy Center, South LA Café, and Mother's Quest. And great organizations still need great organizers—and Joe Ward Wallace is in the NBA finals." About the Labor/Community Strategy Center

The Labor/Community Strategy Center (www.thestrategycenter.org) is a civil rights and climate justice organization in South Central LA addressing "the totality of urban life" Our Bus Riders Union served 500,000 LA Bus Riders 50 percent of whom are Latinx, 20 percent of whom are Black, and 60 percent are women, all very low-income. We also work in the Los Angeles public schools fighting for the rights of all students but especially the remaining 50,00 Black students when once there were 150,000. We also are part of the LACI South Central E-Bike Lending Library and our Black Folks on Bikes where we train low-income riders to use electric bikes for errands, mobility, and jobs. Finally, our Strategy and Soul Movement Center is the home of our Strategy and Soul bookstore and film theater. We have served the LA Community since 1989 and now in South Central since 2015, are an integral part of the city-wide movement for social justice.

Our website is www.thestrategy.org,

www.instagram.com/fightsoulcities/https://

www.facebook.com/FightForTheSoulOfTheCities/

Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). In celebration of passing our 100th episode, we invite you to help us spread the word by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Help us reach 100 + reviews to honor 100 + episodes of the Mother's Quest Podcast! You can also support the podcast by making a contribution or joining one of our memberships at Ko-Fi.com.

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest

At a time when so many of us feel brokenhearted by the ongoing pain, uncertainty and polarization in our world, Rabbi Sharon Brous has been a grounding force and a guiding light for me and so many.

She is the senior rabbi and founder of IKAR, a leading-edge Jewish community based in Los Angeles, known for weaving together soulful spirituality, social justice, and deep belonging. A graduate of Columbia University for both her undergraduate and then her M.A. in Human Rights and ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary, she is widely recognized as one of the most influential rabbis in America. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post, and her 2016 TED talk, "Reclaiming Religion," has been viewed by more than 1.5 million people. Most recently, she has made an impact with her book The Amen Effect: Ancient Wisdom to Mend Our Broken Hearts and World, which offers a powerful roadmap for healing through presence, connection, and care.

I first learned about Rabbi Brous from my podcast guest, Valerie Kaur, author of See No Stranger, whose Revolutionary Love Project is deeply aligned with Rabbi Brous' message of compassion and collective responsibility. Since then, I've turned again and again to Rabbi Brous' sermons—words that name difficult truths and pathways forward with honesty, courage, and humanity. Often, it felt as though her messages came just before the headlines—as if she were speaking directly into the emotional moment that was about to unfold.

When I reached out to see if she might be open to a conversation, I was surprised and deeply grateful when she said yes. In this conversation, Rabbi Brous shares about her unexpected path to becoming a rabbi, how her mother's love shaped her, how faith became a foundation for her activism, and why the call to build Beloved Community starts with the people right around us.

We explore the Loneliness Epidemic, the necessity of joy, and how we can hold multiple truths at once, even in a time of deep polarization. We also speak about the extraordinary power of small acts of courage—like two bereaved fathers—one Israeli and one Palestinian—who found connection in shared grief and chose to build something healing from that pain.

Again and again, Rabbi Brous reminds us that even in the face of heartbreak, we are not powerless. She invites us to begin simply—by noticing when we want to pull away, and choosing instead to turn toward. To offer compassion instead of judgment. To show up, even when we don't have the perfect words. And to remember that healing begins not in sweeping solutions, but in small, courageous acts of connection. I hope this episode meets you where you are, acknowledges your pain and then also, as it did me, renews a sense of purpose and hope.

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

• Rabbi Brous' unexpected path to becoming a rabbi

• The power of showing up: why small acts of presence matter

• Joy as a spiritual necessity, not a luxury

• Engaging children in honest conversations and sharing our sadness

• The Loneliness Epidemic and how to reconnect with our communities

• Holding space for both Jewish and Palestinian grief

• We don't have to choose sides—being pro-humanity vs. pro-conflict

• How to have difficult conversations with people who think differently

• The importance of Sabbath rest and reclaiming time for ourselves

• A simple practice to build connection: greeting your neighbors

• Why turning toward one another—with compassion, curiosity, and care—is a radical act

• Just Show Up: Whether it's a funeral, a phone call, or dropping off food—presence is powerful.

• Joy Breaks: 18 minutes a day of joy (music, dancing, walking, cake) as a spiritual necessity, not a luxury.

• Shabbat and Sacred Rest: Weekly unplugging as a personal and cultural act of resilience.

• Know Your Neighbors: Say hello, build micro-connection. Start the beloved community where you live.

• Stay at the Table: When it's hard, when it's uncomfortable—stay. Get curious. Reclaim humanity.

About Sharon Brous

Sharon Brous is the senior and founding rabbi of IKAR, a leading edge Jewish community based in Los Angeles, and author of The Amen Effect: Ancient Wisdom to Heal Our Hearts and Mend Our Broken World, a national bestseller.

Brous offered the invocation at the Democratic National Convention in 2024, led the Hanukkah candle lighting with the Vice President and Second Gentleman in 2023, and the White House Passover Seder in 2021. She blessed President Biden and Vice President Harris at the Inaugural National Prayer Service in 2021, and in 2013, she blessed President Obama and Vice President Biden. She was named #1 on the Newsweek/The Daily Beast list of most influential Rabbis in America, and has been recognized by The Forward and Jerusalem Post as among the most influential Jews alive today. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post, and her 2016 TED talk, "Reclaiming Religion," has been viewed by more than 1.5 million people.

Brous is in the inaugural cohort of Auburn Seminary's Senior Fellows program, which unites top faith leaders working on the frontlines for justice, she sits on the faculty of REBOOT, and serves on the International Council of the New Israel Fund and national steering committee for the Poor People's Campaign.

A graduate of Columbia University (both undergraduate and M.A. in Human Rights), she was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary and lives in Los Angeles with her husband and children.

Connect with Rabbi Sharon Brous

• Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/sharonbrous/?hl=en

• Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/RabbiSharonBrous/

• Twitter | https://x.com/sharonbrous?lang=en

Connect with IKAR

• Website | https://ikar.org/

• YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/user/IKARlosangeles/videos

• Podcast | https://open.spotify.com/show/1YLHXlESNuxBMEOWoyfLP5?si=446b4210c2ea429e&nd=1&dlsi=e5872b69315d4a84

• Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/weareikar/

• Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/IKARLosAngeles/

• LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/ikar-los-angeles

• TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@weareikar?lang=en

Book by Rabbi Sharon Brous:

• The Amen Effect: Ancient Wisdom to Mend Our Broken Hearts and World – Rabbi Sharon Brous

This Episode's Challenge:

Rabbi Sharon challenges us to take one small action to turn toward instead of pulling away. Go for a short walk in your neighborhood and say hello to people you pass. When someone you know is struggling, check in—call, text, or just show up. If a conversation feels difficult, stay curious. Ask questions instead of shutting down. Sometimes, the smallest acts of connection can create the biggest shifts. Let's choose to turn toward one another.

Related Episodes and Resources To Explore Next:

• Joint ceremony for American Friends of the Parents Circle - Families Forum

• TED Talk featuring Aziz Abu Sarah and Maoz Inon – "A Palestinian and an Israeli, face to face"

• Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide

• On a Quest for Peace and Reconciliation Parents Circle Interview With Layla Alsheikh and Robi Damelin

• Mother's Quest Campaign in Support of the Parents Circle

• Ep 100: Mothering As Revolutionary Love

This Episode is Dedicated to Hanne Mintz by her daughter Marina Mintz

Marina Mintz is an entrepreneur and consultant based in Los Angeles, California. She spent most of her career in the translation/localization and sustainability industries. For the past 15 years at Paragon Language Services, the company her mother founded and she recently sold, she helped clients in the entertainment industry make sure their scripts and characters were linguistically and culturally accurate, helped creative agencies reach larger audiences both at home and abroad, and worked with NGOs and government agencies to ensure constituent access regardless of language.

Before joining Paragon, Marina was a sustainability and green building consultant who worked with private companies to implement sustainable building and operational practices as well as with event producers to reduce waste and energy usage in music festivals and live events. She was part of the team responsible for creating and implementing an ambitious sustainability plan for the Live Earth Concert series. She also used her expertise and passion to help Paragon design and furnish the company office and implement a recycling and waste reduction plan which ultimately helped attain EcoVadis silver certification.

Marina graduated with a BA in Rhetoric and a BS in Conservation and Resource Studies from the University of California at Berkeley and also attended graduate school at the University of Wisconsin – Madison Insititue for Environmental Studies where her focus was green building. Outside of work, Marina enjoys volunteering with and raising money for organizations like Alexandria House, Advot and the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, hiking in the mountains around LA, attending events – from sports to the opera, and is currently training an adorable six month-old Greater Swiss Mountain Dog named Ziggy along with her husband, Chad.

Connect with Marina Mintz:

• LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/marina-mintz

Organization Marina Supports:

• Alexandria House | https://www.msalexhouse.com/

• Advot | https://www.advot.org/

• Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation | https://www.curemeso.org/

Don't Freakout Friday - Join Us!

In this episode with Rabbi Sharon Brous, we talk about the importance of turning toward one another during difficult times. Our conversation inspired me to create a weekly online gathering where for one power hour, we could connect to ourselves and one another, to activism we could do together on the call, and to planting seeds for our rest and renewal over the weekend. There is so much to freak out about right now, but if this calls to you, I hope you'll pause the doomscrolling and join us for Don't Freakout Friday. Register here.

Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). In celebration of passing our 100th episode, we invite you to help us spread the word by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Help us reach 100 + reviews to honor 100 + episodes of the Mother's Quest Podcast! You can also support the podcast by making a contribution or joining one of our memberships at Ko-Fi.com.

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest

Hello and Welcome to Season Ten of the Mother's Quest Podcast. It's hard to believe it's been nearly a decade since I first opened the metaphorical door to Mother's Quest—sparked by the day two birds got trapped in my house and helped me realize it was time to stop staying stuck; it was time to say "yes" to Mother's Quest.

As I reflect on all I've built and the new E.P.I.C. dreams I want to bring to life, I've been thinking about the who behind our what—the people who support us, complement our strengths, and help us realize our biggest visions.

That's why it felt so aligned to start this season in conversation with Jen Kem—a values-driven mother and entrepreneur who models strategic leadership and collaboration, masterfully gathering the right people—who she calls unicorns—to help her reach her ambitious goals, all while being deeply present for her family.

Named a top brand strategist by Forbes, Jen specializes in launching innovative ideas with high-performing teams. Her Unicorn Innovation Model™ has supported brands like the Oprah Winfrey Network, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Oracle, as well as New York Times bestselling authors and visionary entrepreneurs.

In her newly released book, Unicorn Team: The Nine Leadership Types You Need to Launch Your Big Ideas with Speed and Success, Jen shares an innovation playbook for building collaborative, values-aligned teams. It's a book meant not just to be read, but used—again and again—as a practical guide to help you stop building alone and start bringing your dream to life with the right support.

In this episode, Jen shares what it means to move through life and leadership in creationship—to surround ourselves with people who not only help you build, but help you become. Through stories of growing up in Hawaii alongside her Filipina matriarchs, to the wisdom she's integrating in what she calls her "5.0 upgrade," Jen invites us into a conversation about identity, intention, and interdependence. She shares the power of returning to the most essential parts of ourselves, of navigating what she calls ever-present "pressure, friction, and noise," and of focusing our creative energy on the right hard things.

Through it all, she reminds us that our authentic presence is a powerful form of leadership—and that our boldest, most E.P.I.C. dreams are meant to be realized together.

Topics Discussed in This Episode:

• Jen's upbringing in a multi-generational Filipino family in Hawaii and how it shaped her values, identity, and entrepreneurial path

• How she's reconnecting with the bold, curious spirit she embodied at age 9—and why her "5.0 upgrade" is about honoring that essence

• The idea of exfoliation—removing layers that no longer serve us to return to our true selves

• Jen's definition of creationship—a fusion of creativity and meaningful, values-driven relationships

• Insights into her Unicorn Innovation Model™—and how it helps bring bold ideas to life with the right people at the right time

• Why the who matters more than the how or what—and how to build a Unicorn Team that aligns with your dream

• A framework for navigating "pressure, friction, and noise" and learning to focus on the right hard things

• How presence—not perfection—guides Jen's approach to motherhood and leadership

About Jen Kem

Named as a top brand strategist by Forbes, Jen Kem specializes in launching innovative ideas with high-performing teams. Kem's Unicorn Innovation Model has been used by iconic brands like the Oprah Winfrey Network, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Oracle, as well as numerous New York Times bestselling authors, keynote speakers, and business and thought leaders.

In her book Unicorn Team: The Nine Leadership Types You Need to Launch Your Big Ideas with Speed and Success, Kem shares the innovation playbook on how to build the most collaborative, harmonious, and motivated team to achieve extraordinary results. Originally from Hawaii, Kem lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and kids.

Connect with Jen Kem

• Website: https://www.JenniferKem.com

• YouTube: www.JenniferKem.com/YouTube

• Instagram: @jennifer.kem // https://www.instagram.com/jennifer.kem/

• Facebook: @JenniferKemComm // https://www.facebook.com/JenniferKemComm/

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jenniferkem

This Episode's Challenge:

Jen Kem invites us to rethink how we bring our ideas to life by focusing on the who before the how. She challenges us to take the 3-2-1 Unicorn Sprint—choosing a meaningful idea and committing 100 days to bringing it to life. Instead of getting stuck in over-planning or perfectionism, she encourages us to take action, test our ideas, and reflect on whether we have the right people in place to support our vision. The key to success isn't just the idea itself—it's the team that helps make it real.

Jen Kem's Book:

• Unicorn Team: The Nine Leadership Types You Need to Launch Your Big Ideas with Speed and Success

Related Episodes and Resources To Explore Next:

• Ep 95: An Anti-Hustle Guide To Living Your E.P.I.C. Life with She Build's Jadah Sellner

• Open Our Own Doors: My Book Creation Journey

• Mary Grace's Book Club

This Episode is Dedicated by Alexandra Franzen

Alexandra Franzen is an award-winning editor, entrepreneur, and the creator of more than 10 bestselling books and card decks. She collaborates with top publishers like Penguin/Random House and Chronicle, and has been featured in The Atlantic, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times Small Business Blog, Fast Company, and Forbes. In addition, she works with a small number of clients as a writing partner, helping her clients get publishing deals and create powerful books that change readers' lives.

Client projects include Unicorn Team by Jen Kem (USA Today Bestseller), We Should All Be Millionaires by Rachel Rodgers (Wall Street Journal Bestseller), Your Next Level Life by Karen Arrington (NAACP Image Award, Outstanding Instructional Literary Work), and many more.

She's also the co-founder of One Idea Books and Gifts, a bookstore that celebrates books written by women, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ voices.

Alex deleted all of her social media accounts 10 years ago and now runs a popular newsletter (named one of the "14 Newsletters You Need in Your Inbox" by Brit+Co) where she shares writing tips and inspiring true stories. https://www.alexandrafranzen.com

Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). In celebration of exceeding our 100th episode, we invite you to help us spread the word by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Help us reach 100 + reviews to honor 100 + episodes of the Mother's Quest Podcast! You can also support the podcast by making a contribution or joining one of our memberships at Ko-Fi.com.

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest

Welcome to this episode of the Mother's Quest Podcast—the first of 2025 and the final episode of Season Nine before I take a winter break and prepare to launch Season Ten in the spring.

As I sat down for this conversation with Dr. Avanti Kumar Singh just before the holiday break, I had no idea of the enormity of the challenges we would face as we began this new year. The toxins we're navigating—from the CA wildfires to the impact of this new presidential term —are overwhelming.

This makes Avanti's wisdom feel especially vital right now.

In this episode, Avanti shares intentional practices for protection and healing especially in the midst of adversity, and she invites us to honor this month as a season for slowing down and resting, rather than leaping into the pressure of a "new year, new you" mindset.

My own desire to take a pause this winter led me to invite Avanti back to the podcast. If you didn't catch our first conversation, I encourage you to go back and listen—it's an incredible exploration of her journey from ER doctor to an Ayurveda wellness expert, bridging Eastern and Western medicine to help people live healthier, more intentional lives. She's the host of The Healing Catalyst podcast, the author of The Health Catalyst, and her latest book, The Longevity Formula: Ayurvedic Principles to Reduce Inflammation, Increase Cellular Repair, and Live with Vitality was just released. Through all these vehicles, she translates ancient healing principles into accessible practices for modern living.

During our conversation, you'll hear how, while writing Longevity Formula, Avanti was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. She was confronted with the humbling truth that even as a healer dedicated to healthy living, she couldn't prevent this diagnosis—or the aggressive treatments it required. Yet, through her journey, she found that Ayurveda, while not a cure-all, provided powerful tools to support her body's healing, resilience, and ability to navigate such adversity. By sharing her story along the way through her treatment, she became a beacon of hope for others.

This episode left me with a renewed commitment to start this year with a slower, more reflective pace. It reminded me to follow nature's rhythms and embrace this season as a time for pause and reconnection. This isn't about resolutions or quick fixes to the challenges—it's about giving ourselves the space to breathe and protective practices that will build our resilience for whatever lies ahead.

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

• Dr. Avanti Kumar Singh's journey to writing The Longevity Formula.

• Avanti's quest to help people tap into their inner wisdom for healing.

• How Ayurveda principles align with modern science.

• The transformative power of reflection during milestone moments.

• The humbling lesson Avanti learned through her breast cancer journey.

• Practical longevity practices: fasting, morning light exposure, and meditation.

• How Ayurveda protects and prepares us for life's unexpected challenges.

• The health benefits of connection and combating loneliness.

• The idea of shared moments of awe as a source of healing.

• Redefining New Year's resolutions by aligning with nature's cycles.

• The role of ancient wisdom in navigating modern challenges.

• Slowing down and prioritizing health during the holiday season and new year.

About Dr. Avanti Kumar-Singh

Dr. Avanti Kumar-Singh, is an Ayurveda Wellness Expert on a mission to show how Ayurveda is a health catalyst to achieve optimal wellness in modern life.

After receiving her Bachelor's in Art History from the University of Chicago, she went on to receive her medical degree from Rush University Medical College. While working as an ER physician, she experienced first-hand the limitations of Western medicine. To learn more, Avanti began a 10-year wellness journey during which she studied energy healing and yoga therapy and became a practitioner of the 5,000-year-old ancient healing tradition known as Ayurveda.

Today, Dr. Kumar-Singh bridges the gap between Western and Eastern medicine, helping patients, students, and holistic practitioners discover the healing wisdom within. Dr. Kumar-Singh is also a sought-after speaker and the host of The Healing Catalyst podcast. Over the last 20 years of her training, study and research, Avanti has shared her expertise with Fortune 500 companies, elite undergraduate and graduate institutions, and at prestigious industry and medical conferences. She has been featured in the Huffington Post, Thrive Global and Mind Body Green and served as the co-lead facilitator of the Faculty Scholars Program in Integrative Healthcare at the OSHER Center for Integrative Medicine at Northwestern Medicine. She is also a certified plant-based professional and a certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT, October 2020). Dr. Kumar-Singh currently resides in Chicago with her husband Kanwar, her son Zayn and her daughter Isha. The Health Catalyst is her first book.

Connect with Dr. Avanti Kumar-Singh

• Website | www.avantikumarsingh.com

• Instagram | @avantikumarsingh

• LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/avanti-kumar-singh-md

This Episode's Challenge:

Dr. Avanti invites us to go against the grain of the "New Year, New You" mentality. Instead of diving into resolutions in January, she encourages us to follow nature's lead. Take time to rest, reflect, and reconnect with yourself and your loved ones. Save goal-setting and big changes for February, when the world begins to thaw, and new possibilities emerge.

Dr. Avanti Kumar-Singh's Books:

• The Longevity Formula: Ayurvedic Principles to Reduce Inflammation, Increase Cellular Repair, and Live with Vitality

• The Health Catalyst: How To Harness the Power of Ayurveda To Self-Heal and Achieve Optimal Wellness

Related Episodes and Resources To Explore Next:

• Ep 59: The Healer Lies Within through Ayurveda with Avanti Kumar Singh

• Ep 102: Milestone Hike Revisited: A Mother Son Neurodiversity Journey

• Ep 104: Calm, Compassion, Clarity: Election 2024

• Ep 106: The Secret to Impacting Our Democracy with States Project's Melissa Walker

This Episode is Dedicated by Alexia Vernon

Dubbed a "Moxie Maven" by the White House Office of Public Engagement for her renowned approach to communication and leadership development, Alexia Vernon is the CEO of Step into Your Moxie and the award-winning author of Step into Your Moxie: Amplify Your Voice, Visibility, and Influence in the World. Alexia delivers keynotes, coaching, and training for coaches, consultants, and entrepreneurs as well as Fortune 500 companies like Google, Amazon, and Zappos and healthcare organizations such as St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, Dignity Health, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Culture of Health Leaders. The creator of the first-of-its-kind Step into Your Moxie® vocal empowerment certification program, Alexia is committed to helping her clients speak up for themselves and their big ideas, and call people to take action. She also works with clients to increase their visibility and stand out as trusted thought leaders through speaking engagements and TED-style talks, media interviews, and experiential corporate training programs. You can learn more about Alexia Vernon and Step into Your Moxie at StepIntoYourMoxie.com.

My DCIS and patient advocacy journey- https://stepintoyourmoxie.com/dcis-patient-advocacy-story/

Connect with Alexia

• Facebook | www.facebook.com/alexia.vernon

• Instagram | @alexiavernon

• LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/alexiavernon/

Join us for our Upcoming Virtual Milestone Hike Over the years, I have learned that January never begins the year the way I hope it will. So, as an annual tradition, I facilitate an opportunity for a fresh start in February with a live Virtual Milestone Hike on Zoom that allows us to use the metaphor of an ascent and descent (no actual hiking required!) to close a chapter and begin again. If you'll be ready for a do-over and want reflective space to make meaning of the year that ended and set intentions for what's ahead, join us! Visit https://mothersquest.com/milestone-hike/ to register. Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). In celebration of our 100th episode, we invite you to help us spread the word by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Help us reach 100 + reviews to honor 100 + episodes of the Mother's Quest Podcast! You can also support the podcast by making a contribution or joining one of our memberships at Ko-Fi.com.

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest

As I bring you this episode, we are less than two weeks from the 2024 U.S. Election. In preparation for this moment, I seized the opportunity to sit down with Melissa Walker, a children's book author turned powerful political advocate, instrumental in the founding of an organization called The States Project.

Melissa's path to The States Project was paved in the election results of 2016 which, like it did for so many of us, became a catalyst for activism. Looking for a way to get more intimately involved in our democratic process, her journey took a powerful turn when she attended a holiday party where then New York state senator Daniel Squadron, opened her eyes to the influence of state governments. She learned that issues—like education, healthcare, civil rights, and voting rights—are often decided in state capitals, not Washington, D.C. This spark led her to gather other mothers and children's book authors in her own living room to create what they called a States Project Giving Circle. That group went on to help flip legislative seats in Virginia in 2017, impacting the balance of power enough in that state that they expanded healthcare for 400,000 Virginians that year. Fast forward to 2024 and the States Project Giving Circles grow to over 200 across the country while my Mom Fran and I were searching for how we could transform our anxiety and fear to make an impact in this year's election. The answer came from my niece Nicole, whose work with The States Project inspired us to start our own Giving Circle, which we named "Generations" for the three generations of women we sought to engage. It was also Nicole who invited Melissa to join our Circle on Zoom, where Melissa helped us make a strategic decision to pick Pennsylvania to direct our funds.

This episode is the invitation we ALL need right now—to look beyond the obvious and consider how strategic political giving in key states can create profound ripple effects across the country. Melissa helps us realize that by coming together with shared values and a sense of purpose, we can light the way for change. In these critical weeks before the 2024 U.S. election, I hope Melissa's E.P.I.C. life journey and her wisdom inspire all of us to use our power to make a difference—and to bring someone else along. Whether you join our Giving Circle or decide to come together with a community of your own, this episode reminds us that we have agency…and that collective, strategic action, even in small steps, can shift the course of our democracy.

Join Us in Our "Generations" States Project Giving Circle!

As mothers and daughters... we know that the stakes in this election couldn't be higher for ourselves and future generations. Many of us are feeling a deep desire to make a meaningful impact but are unsure how best to channel our resources.

That's why we've come together to form a States Project Giving Circle focusing on a powerful and often overlooked area of change—state legislatures.

In collaboration with The States Project, we are uniting across generations—mothers, daughters, family, and friends—to drive transformative change at the state level. State legislatures play a critical role in shaping policies that affect our daily lives, from education and healthcare to voting rights and environmental protection. Yet, they often receive far less attention and funding than national races.

Our Circle selected the state of PA and we are almost at our goal. Help us cross the finish line! Learn how you can make an impact by clicking HERE

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

• Melissa's journey into political engagement post-2016 election and her quest to help people look beyond the first glance to engage strategically and purposefully.

• How Melissa balances the "doer" qualities of her mother alongside the "thinker" qualities of her father.

• The holiday party with then New York State Senator Daniel Squadron that became the "spark moment" that helped Melissa realize the power of state legislatures.

• Melissa's leadership in the formation and expansion of States Project Giving Circles to promote collective political giving and community engagement.

• Why a few states like Pennsylvania, the one we selected for our Generations Giving Circle, can also impact the presidential election.

• Melissa's two daughters, and how they have become advocates for educating about state legislatures.

• How Melissa weaves in WT (aka window time) into her day to give her space to reflect and how little shifts like reading the news from a newspaper instead of her phone helps her stay more present with her children.

• The "epic snapshot moments" that have touched Melissa, from participating in Stand Up for the States with stars like Octavia Spencer to the thousands of conversations she has facilitated in Zoom rooms and living rooms across the country.

About Melissa Walker

Melissa Walker, Head of Giving Circles at The States Project. Melissa is the author of 10 novels for young adults and children. A former magazine editor, she now enjoys gathering people together to share stories about how they can pool their resources and change the balance of power in state legislatures — in fact, she helps organize over 200 Giving Circles across the country working on this mission. She is a graduate of Vassar College who hails from Chapel Hill, NC, and her work has appeared in publications including The New York Times and Teen Vogue.

The States Project aims to highlight the importance of state legislatures in shaping American lives and improving democracy. They provide resources to help state lawmakers effectively govern and push for necessary changes​.

Connect with Melissa

• Website | www.melissacwalker.com

• LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/melissacwalker

• The States Project Website | statesproject.org

• X | @melissacwalker

This Episode's Challenge:

Melissa invites us to reflect on how we can come together, not just in times of crisis, but proactively. Her challenge: think about how you can mobilize your community. Invite one friend to bring another, forming a powerful group that can create meaningful change, whether by starting a States Project Giving Circle or another form of collective effort.

Related Episodes and Resources To Explore Next:

• Episode 104: Calm, Compassion, Clarity in the 2024 Election https://mothersquest.com/episode104/

• MOM THE VOTE: Election Impact Advice To Light Your Way https://mothersquest.com/mom-the-vote-election-impact-advice-to-light-your-way/

• Learn about States Project Giving Circles https://statesproject.org/get-involved/giving-circles/

• Watch a quick video about why state legislatures matter https://youtu.be/Kv68pp104UQ?si=TV74BJHUVNe4rr23

• Generations : A States Project Giving Circle https://www.grapevine.org/giving-circle/wj6hg3K/Generations-A-States-Project-Giving-Circle

This Episode is Dedicated by Nicole Lettiere

About Nicole Nicole Lettiere is a Principal of Industry Partnerships at The States Project, where she focuses on building impactful collaborations that drive change at the state level. She also serves as a Strategic Consultant at Propper Daley, a social impact agency where she has been applying her expertise in social innovation for over six years. Nicole's career began in education as a middle school science teacher with Teach for America in New Orleans, where she created an arts-integrated science curriculum in partnership with the national Turnaround Arts program. A proud graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she was honored with the Joel Skornicka Service Award for her leadership in developing college readiness programs for underserved communities.

Connect with Nicole

• Linkedin | www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-lettiere

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Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). In celebration of our 100th episode, we invite you to help us spread the word by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Help us reach 100 + reviews to honor 100 + episodes of the Mother's Quest Podcast! You can also support the podcast by making a contribution or joining one of our memberships at Ko-Fi.com.

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest