I sat down with Stefanie O'Connell, journalist and author of The Ambition Penalty: How Corporate Culture Tells Women to Step Up--and Then Pushes Them Down, a data-driven guide to dismantling the hidden forces that hold women back, burn them out, and make us all pay.

In this episode, we discuss:

-the failed promises of "girl power"

-what the 'ambition penalty' is and how it affects women

-mind-blowing statistics about gender in the workplace, in relationships, and in the domestic sphere

-what girlboss and tradwife cultures have in common, and the insidious goals of the latter

-a shocking new way to look at the costs of childcare and your career

-what women who date men should know before partnering up with them

...and so much more that will make you feel a little more sane, and perhaps actually empowered

The holiday mental load makes the rest of the year's mental load feel like a vacation. From curating gift lists, to managing multiple calendars, to creating the holiday magic, so many holiday tasks unfairly fall on women. In this episode, we explore:

• family dynamics, dealing with in-laws, becoming a matriarch, and kin-keeping
• gift giving, gift lists, tracking sales, budgeting, wrapping, hiding
• the difference between the mental load, invisible labor, and emotional labor
• magic-making, hosting, and preparing for travel for the holidays
• men's holiday bad moods, and women's forced performance of joy

...and so much more that an old white man somehow gets all the credit for!!?

Dr. David Stukus, professor of Clinical Pediatrics in the Division of Allergy and Immunology and Director of the Food Allergy Treatment Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, busts myths and breaks down facts about one of parents' biggest fears: food allergies.

Topics Include:

Follow Dr. Stukus on Instagram and Twitter @AllergyKidsDoc

KC Davis, therapist, author, and compassionate creator behind the popular and relatable @StruggleCare Instagram/@DomesticBlisters TikTok accounts, breaks down her approach to taking care of your home and life while taking care of your self; how postpartum depression can display as laziness, rage, and an inability to function, despite "knowing better;" loving your children and struggling in the role of motherhood; the warped messages behind today's "self care;" the very real impact of capitalism and the patriarchal structure of our society; the invisible support comparison trap that makes us feel like failures; "care tasks" and other language shifts; why women in particular feel the weight of housework and tie it into their self worth (it goes way deeper than you think); KC's Six Pillars of Struggle Care; rituals like "closing duties" that serve to keep your house functioning while keeping you sane; how to accept help, even when you're a control freak; KC's brilliant parenting advice.

Follow KC @StruggleCare on Instagram and Facebook and @DomesticBlisters on Tiktok. Find out more and purchase her book here.

I’m not like a regular mom… I’m a Birthday Bud! Grace Cowan, founder of Birthday Buds, one of my favorite organizations, joins us on today’s episode. Birthday Buds matches children in need with families who want to give them their happiest birthdays—you sign your child up, get matched with another child of a close age/birthday, and receive a list of gifts your Bud hopes to get. It’s the best tradition to start with your kids! We talk about why Birthday Buds is so special, and how you can help (whether you have children or not).

Go to birthdaybud.org and follow @birthdaybud on Instagram now!