This week we get to hang in the closet with Vanessa Dew, co-founder of Health-Ade kombucha. There are so many reasons to love this conversation. Chief among them is how self aware Vanessa is. This is a woman who has danced the delicate tango between her own family’s expectations of her growing up as a first-born daughter of immigrants (she’s 1.5 generation American, according to her), and the dogged pursuit of what will lead to a happy meaningful life. Building and selling the company she co-founded with her two best friends, coupled with her parenting journey, brings up so many themes we are all familiar with in a whole new way. Re-defining our own sense of self and definition of success post kids.

Show notes with alll the links (and find out what I baked for our guest): muthalife.substack.com 

Instagram: @mutha.life @vanessadew_

Produced by: Mutha Life

Music by: Ronen Landa

This week we are hanging with Gabi Richmond in the closet. The story of the experiential marketing guru starts with epic house parties as a teenager in LA and takes us through to the New York suburban life, raising two kids while pursuing a career she's passionate about. As you'll hear, Gabi is the product of her family in so many ways (and a departure in so many others). This episode covers so much - including post-partum depression in men, thoughts on feeding kids and bringing them into YOUR life, and reflections on the types of bosses that can make a real difference to someone's life and career trajectory while navigating parenting.

Show notes with alll the links (and find out what I baked for our guest): muthalife.substack.com 

Instagram: @mutha.life @gabriellerich

Produced by: Mutha Life

Music by: Ronen Landa

This week's episode features food scene legend Zach Brooks. The blogger, podcaster and General Manager of Smorgasburg LA is also a father of three kids. This chat covers the long and winding road of a creative soul balancing his career aspirations with his family's needs. We cover a wild amount of ground - from feeding kids to dividing labor in a house where people have varying degrees of flexibility in their work, to how we all navigate the compromise and balance that is required to be a parent...and also a fully self actualized human.

Show notes with alll the links (and find out what I baked for our guest): muthalife.substack.com 

If you want to support a rad business with a great product, check out Silverback Supply Co’s GoJo pack. Discount code: MUTHA for 20% off and free shipping and handling.

Instagram: @mutha.life @SilverbackSupplyCo @midtownlunchla

Produced by: Mutha Life

Music by: Ronen Landa

When you were a kid, who did you go to for advice on things that were sensitive? That required you to be vulnerable? Where you required a real education on bodies and relationships? Certainly not your parents, YOUR CAMP COUNSELOR. So, in keeping with that tradition, this week I sit down with my summer camp counselor from when I was a young teen. These days she’s a GURU on being a stay at home parent and someone I really look up to for wisdom on the big important things that matter when it comes to raising kids. We cover a lot in this episode, from making the decision to be a stay at home parent, to the practicalities and logistics of it, to the various challenges and tension points that naturally come up raising older kids.

Show notes with alll the links (and find out what I baked for our guest): muthalife.substack.com 

If you want to support a rad business with a great product, check out Silverback Supply Co’s GoJo pack. Discount code: MUTHA for 20% off and free shipping and handling.

Instagram: @mutha.life @SilverbackSupplyCo

Produced by: Mutha Life

Music by: Ronen Landa

This good vibes, high energy, hang with Sabrina Soto is exactly what you need. Sabrina has been host and designer on a number of HGTV shows like The High Low Project, Design Star, Real Estate Intervention and Get it Sold. She was a cast member of TLC’s Trading Spaces, a judge on the ABC series, The Great Christmas Light Fight! and so much more. These days you can hang out with Sabrina on her bi-weekly podcast, Designing Life with Sabrina Soto and soon, you can hang with her on Hulu - the Sabrina Soto Show - which launches March 15th.

We cover it all - going from divorced parents and homelessness to a long-running career as an interior design TV star and a single mom. We talk the nuts and bolts of manifestation, raising a daughter in a co-parenting dynamic, and so much more. 

Show notes with alll the links (and find out what I baked for our guest): muthalife.substack.com 

If you want to support a rad business with a great product, check out Silverback Supply Co’s GoJo pack. Discount code: MUTHA for 20% off and free shipping and handling.

Instagram: @mutha.life @sabrina_soto @SilverbackSupplyCo

Produced by: Mutha Life

Music by: Ronen Landa

Today we have Betsy Riley, co-Founder of Swehl in the closet. And goddamn I love being surprised by a conversation. Betsy shares so much in this chat - from career perspectives (if people aren’t going to lift you up to greatness, go build your own thing and lift up others instead), to life perspectives (every day isn’t guaranteed, so make sure you’re doing what you really love and that you’re spending time with those that mean the most to you), to perspectives on community (it’s times that feel most isolating that can also be the most universal - finding your people in that moment can be transformative). Come hang in the closet with this Texan turned Angeleno and remind yourself that at any stage in your life, you’ve got to bet on YOU.

Show notes with alll the links (and find out what I baked for our guest): muthalife.substack.com 

If you LOVED Mutha’s first ad and want to support a rad business with a great product, check out Silverback Supply Co’s GoJo pack. Discount code: MUTHA for 20% off and free shipping and handling.

Instagram: @mutha.life @betsyrriley @SilverbackSupplyCo @Swehl

Produced by: Mutha Life

Music by: Ronen Landa

When shit hits the fan, I just want to talk to my mommy. And lucky for me, my mom is Dr. Ellyn Gamberg, a clinical psychologist with 30 years of experience under her belt. We focus on how to support friends and community members impacted by the catastrophic LA fires. We discuss the psychological and emotional impacts of such a large-scale tragedy, symptoms of trauma to watch for, and how to provide meaningful support without overwhelming those affected.

Show notes with alll the links (and find out what I baked for our guest): muthalife.substack.com 

Instagram: @mutha.life 

Produced by: Mutha Life

Come with me to a chic little ADU in Santa Monica where I sip homemade green juice and hang out with standup legend Bobby Collins. Bobby shares his New York upbringing, his early career, and the transformative journey of fatherhood. He reflects on his unique path through the comedy scene, performing alongside icons like Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, and Rosie O'Donnell, while always staying true to his roots. The episode explores his family dynamics, including the joys and challenges of raising a special needs daughter and the close relationship he maintains with his partner in crime, his wife Jill.

Show notes with alll the links (and find out what I baked for our guest): muthalife.substack.com 

If you LOVED Mutha’s first ad and want to support a rad business with a great product, check out Silverback Supply Co’s GoJo pack. Discount code: MUTHA for 20% off and free shipping and handling.

Instagram: @mutha.life @thebobbycollins @SilverbackSupplyCo

Produced by: Mutha Life

Music by: Ronen Landa

In this special New Year's episode, we are hanging out with our DJ in residence, SOSUPERSAM. It should come as no surprise that this is a sprawling conversation. We reflect on the significance of the New Year and how meh we both feel about New Year's resolutions. Some of my personal highlights from this ep are talking about the school of goal setting, the ‘sustainable attainable self development goals,’ how in the land of Mutha Life, your birth order is basically your zodiac sign, and how sometimes where you started off the year isn’t where you ended up, and that can be truly thrilling.

Show notes with alll the links (and find out what I baked for our guest): muthalife.substack.com 

Instagram: @mutha.life AND @SOSUPERSAM

Produced by: Mutha Life 

Music by: Ronen Landa

Merry Christmas from your favorite Jewish MUTHA. Today we are going to revisit the 17 conversations we've had since launching the pod 17 weeks ago. I asked AI to write my show summary today because I am a tired mutha trying to survive the holiday season and this is what they came up with. How do you think it did? I say it's mid. But MID IS GOOD ENOUGH THIS WEEK, RIGHT?!

Kari dives into shared experiences of loss, trauma, career changes, and the balancing act of showing up for kids while pursuing passions. Highlights include heartfelt stories of overcoming adversity, the importance of sharing passions, navigating teen parenting, and hilarious parenting mishaps. This episode offers a rich tapestry of wisdom, humor, and life's unpredictability in parenting. Join Kari in the closet and tune in for insightful reflections, laughter, and the reminder to cherish the moments with your kids.

Show notes with alll the links (and find out what I baked for myself): muthalife.substack.com 

Instagram: @mutha.life 

Produced by: Mutha Life 

Music by: Ronen Landa