the denmother podcast

Dealing with teen mental health is more complex than ever. From social media to smart phones, Ai, depression, anxiety, substance abuse and coming out of the Covid era, our teens are dealing with a lot. 

Dara Wax is a seasoned global health strategist and the founder of SAM+LEO, a brand dedicated to improving teen mental health through innovative gummy vitamins. As the mother of two teen boys navigating their own mental health and learning needs, Dara brings a personal touch to her professional expertise. With a robust background in vaccine advocacy and resource mobilization, particularly through her work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Dara empowers listeners by sharing actionable insights on public health initiatives and mental wellness. 

You can find SAM+LEO products on Amazon, Walmart Marketplace, WholeFoods and more!

You can also learn more about Dara and her company on her website and follow her on all Social Media platforms by searching "Shop SAM+LEO". 

Fleur Bryant is a mother of three, speaker, coach, disability advocate, and founder of The Make Way Foundation. After spending decades believing she had cerebral palsy, Fleur learned she actually has Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia, while her family's life was also being reshaped by her son Toby's life-limiting neurological condition. In her memoir, Never the Plan: A Memoir of Motherhood, Misdiagnosis, and Unexpected Lessons, Fleur shares what these experiences taught her about motherhood, identity, acceptance, and finding joy without waiting for life to become easier. 

You can find Fleur Bryant on Instagram or on her website and buy her new book wherever books are sold!

Also, we are so happy to welcome guest host Dr. Liz Fielder-Mergen! Follow Liz on Instagram, check out her flower farm, Sunny Mary Meadow, and buy her new book, Flowers Bloom Anyway, wherever you buy your books!

Recognizing triggers from the past, healing our hurt and separating our trauma from our parenting and our kids is a long journey, but it's a worthwhile one. Today, Emily Cleghorn helps us take the first step. 

Emily Cleghorn is an award-winning Holistic Trigger Recovery Coach, bestselling author, podcaster, and sought-after speaker on a mission to help trauma-surviving mamas heal while parenting. Through her signature Mended Mama Method, Emily empowers moms to navigate triggers and tantrums with confidence, breaking free from reactive patterns and creating a peaceful, connected home.

You can find Emily on Instagram and on her website.

And listen to the Mamahood After Trauma Podcast!

Also, find today's Guest Host, Shakera Hobbs, on Instagram!

Learning to manage our emotions is a skill that helps us throughout our lives and it's a skill that can be learned even at a very young age, according to today's guest. 

Constance Lewis, along with her husband Andre, is the passionate co-creator behind the books,  Miles and the Colorful Capes of Feelings and Mariah and the Colorful Tutus of Feelings, inspired by their son Miles, who underwent brain surgery at just six years old and their daughter Mariah, who oscillates between very big feelings and extreme shyness.  Their journey navigating medical challenges and helping both kids express emotions led them to create a powerful, visual tool for children struggling to communicate their feelings. Constance is here to share what she has learned and what her books help teach kids about - Emotional Resilience. 

You can learn more about Constance on her website and follow her on Instagram!

Your most important partnership is your marriage - especially if you are raising kids. 

Today's guest went to hell and back through a contentious hate-filled divorce that ended up with reconciliation and a happily-ever-after and now she helps other couples do the same.  

Kameran Alareqi is a Gottman certified marriage coach, the host of The Married and Connected Podcast, and the founder of the Recognizing Potential Coaching Program. In this program, Kameran meets couples where they are to help them deepen connection, improve communication, and apply tools needed to create the healthy marriage they envision and desire. Her program isn’t just theory - she’s walked the road of divorce and reconciliation and is here to show couples how to build teamwork at home. 

You can learn more about Kameran on her website.

And follow her on Instagram or email her at [email protected]. 

Also, download the Married & Connected Podcast! 

1 in 4 Americans are currently a part of the "Sandwich Generation" - adults who are or will be simultaneously raising kids while caring for aging parents.

Our guest today is Nicole Hilgenkamp. Nicole spent 30 years fixing broken systems for Fortune 100 companies before turning that skill on the a system that constantly fails families - caregiving for aging parents. She founded of Your Parents Keeper to educate Family Caregivers and also to honor her mom, who she says she could have cared for better if she would have had better information. Today she’s here to talk to us moms who are in the Sandwich Generation about caring for aging parents while also raising young kids. 

You can learn more about Nicole's work at YourParentsKeeper.com. 

Sleep issues don't always stop at the newborn phase... but don't you worry. We are in this together. Gemma Reynolds is here to offer professional advice and get you and your little one on the road to sleep.

Gemma Reynolds is a Certified Child Sleep Specialist based in Nottinghamshire, UK but works with parents across the globe. She found sleep coaching after struggling with sleep with her own baby, and realized she had found her life’s work. She is passionate about helping exhausted parents find sleep for themselves and their little ones through gentle methods and sleep routines that can last a lifetime. 

Also, on today's episode - we are welcoming Guest Host Savvy Jardine! Savvy started her career in broadcasting as a producer and host of the lifestyle show, Good Things Utah, before leaving to pursue her next big adventure - being a mom! She now works in marketing for the luxury baby carrier brand, Mabē. 

You can get in touch with Gemma on Instagram or on her website - she has some free resources to get you started on your sleep journey!

And don't forget to follow along with all of Savvy's adventures on Instagram, too! 

ESPN was always the goal for Sports Reporter Lindsey Thiry, only that goal started to look different once she became a mom to two adorable boys. From being pregnant and "puffy" on the sideline to scheduling work around family and vice versa, Lindsey shares with us the fun and chaos of chasing (and achieving) your dreams as a mom. 

You can catch Lindsey on Sundays on Sunday NFL Countdown, and you can follow her on Instagram to see some sneak peeks behind the scenes. 

Also, we want to welcome the denmother podcast's first ever Guest Host Ryann Watkin! Ryann is a speaker, educator, podcaster and mom. You can listen to her podcast, Raising Wild Hearts, wherever you download your podcasts and follow her on Instagram as well! 

Ryann Watkin is a speaker, educator, podcaster and mom. She helps educators, parents and aspiring leaders feel happier at work and home through workshops, keynote talks and podcast interviews focusing on joy, resilience, and purpose. She’s here today to have an honest, soulful conversation with us about the identity shifts we experience throughout motherhood.

You can find Ryann on Instagram and LinkedIn...

And download the Raising Wild Hearts podcast or watch it on YouTube!   

Rebecca Stewart has staffed some of the most elite houses in Hollywood with childcare help. She shares the ins and outs of this glitzy, driven world and what some of the top-tier parents ask their potential childcare that we often don't. This is a fun, eye-opening episode you won't want to miss! 

To find out more about V.I.P. Nannies, click here.

And you can follow the agency on Instagram.