The EMBER Project Podcast

Serena was born into a story that seemed destined to repeat itself. Her mother became a young mother under tragic circumstances, carrying trauma that would echo through the generations. By sixteen, Serena found herself pregnant too, following a path that looked all too familiar. Growing up surrounded by abuse, poverty, addiction, and instability, it would have been easy to believe that this was simply how life was always going to be.

Instead, Serena spent decades fighting for something different. From earning her GED as a young mother to returning to school later in life, raising children on her own, and overcoming one obstacle after another, she refused to let her circumstances define her future.

In this powerful conversation, Serena shares how she broke generational cycles, built a thriving business, and created a life she never thought was possible. Her story is a reminder that where you begin does not determine where you finish, and that it is never too late to change the direction of your life.

When we left Monica's story, she was standing at one of the darkest moments of her life. Isolated, exhausted, and overwhelmed by the weight of young motherhood, she had begun exploring adoption for her daughter and questioned whether she could keep going. What happened next would change the course of her life forever.

In Part Two, Monica shares how a simple act of kindness reminded her that she wasn't alone and became the first step toward rebuilding her future. From navigating a second marriage and raising two children to joining the Army as a young mother, Monica's journey is one of resilience, reinvention, and determination. She reflects on the opportunities the military provided, the challenges of serving while raising children, and the ways she worked to create a different future for her family despite the obstacles in her path.

This episode is a powerful reminder that transformation rarely happens all at once. It happens through small moments of support, unexpected opportunities, and the decision to keep moving forward when giving up feels easier. Monica's story demonstrates that while early motherhood may change the course of a life, it does not define its limits. The cycle she once feared would continue became the very cycle she worked to break.

What happens when a frightened teenager becomes a wife, a mother, and the sole person responsible for holding everything together before she's even had a chance to become an adult herself?

In Part One of Monica's story, she takes us back to a childhood marked by upheaval and trauma, an unexpected pregnancy at 17, and the overwhelming reality of navigating marriage, parenthood, and poverty while still trying to figure out who she was. Raised in a deeply religious household with little guidance and few resources, Monica found herself making life-altering decisions with no roadmap and very little support. As she shares the raw realities of young motherhood, listeners will hear just how isolating and exhausting survival can become when everyone expects you to keep going, no matter the cost.

This conversation is honest, heartbreaking, and deeply relatable for anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed by the weight of responsibility. Monica's story reminds us that before someone can break a cycle, they first have to survive it. Part One ends at a pivotal moment in her journey, one that could have changed everything and sets the stage for an unforgettable second chapter.

Welcome to Season Three!!!! In Episode 1, We talk about not only public figures born to teen mothers, but also the position of The EMBER Project as a whole. We discuss our new programs for 2026, as well as six public figures born to teen moms.

In this powerful and deeply honest episode of The EMBER Project Podcast, we sit down with a mother and daughter to explore what early motherhood looks like across generations — not through statistics or stereotypes, but through lived experience.

Latresha became pregnant at seventeen, facing fear, judgment, and resistance while making a decision that would shape the rest of her life. What followed was not an easy path. This conversation unpacks the reality of parenting while still growing up yourself, navigating anger, survival mode, discipline, and determination — all while trying to raise a child who would never be told she was limited by how her story began.

Her daughter, Latrice, shares what it was like to grow up inside that reality. From learning independence at an early age, to understanding responsibility before most children do, to eventually recognizing just how young her mother really was. Together, they reflect on the tension between authoritarian parenting and love, the role of extended family and community, and how expectations — both internal and external — shaped who they became.

This episode also addresses a perspective we rarely hear: how the stress placed on young parents often transfers to their children, and how resilience is forged not just through sacrifice, but through example. It challenges the assumption that early motherhood automatically leads to negative outcomes and instead highlights the importance of support, education, and self-growth.

If you are a young mom, the child of a young mom, or someone who wants to understand the long-term impact of early motherhood beyond stigma, this conversation offers truth, validation, and hope.

To learn more about The EMBER Project, please visit our ⁠WEBSITE⁠ or connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram. Thank you!

In this powerful conversation, Tori shares her journey into motherhood as a teenager while navigating unresolved trauma, grief, and a deep desire to feel loved and safe. She reflects on the close relationship she had with her father and the lasting impact of losing him at a young age, as well as growing up with a mother who struggled with mental health and emotional availability. These early experiences shaped how Tori viewed herself, her relationships, and her worth.

Tori opens up about discovering her pregnancy after being misdiagnosed with bronchitis and the challenges of becoming a teen mom without consistent support from peers or school systems. She speaks honestly about stigma, isolation, and the emotional weight young mothers often carry. Through it all, she shares how the love and support of her husband helped ground her as she learned to parent while still healing herself.

Now pursuing a degree in psychology, Tori is determined to turn her pain into purpose by supporting children and families impacted by trauma. Her story is a reminder that resilience does not mean avoiding hardship, but choosing growth, love, and hope in spite of it.

In this episode of The EMBER Project Podcast, host Susan Sutton sits down with Angel, president of Shielding Angels, to shed light on what stalking really looks like in 2025 and why awareness is so urgently needed. January is recognized nationally as Stalking Awareness Month, and this conversation aims to help listeners understand the warning signs, trust their instincts, and take steps to stay safe.

In this episode, I sit down with Angel, a stalking survivor and the founder of Shielding Angels

She shares her own experience with workplace-related stalking and how it continued long after she left the job. She explains what it feels like to be dismissed or told that nothing can be done, and she talks about practical ways listeners can protect themselves, including documenting incidents, installing cameras when possible, being mindful of online information, changing routines, and leaning on trusted friends or family.

This episode is part of a larger effort to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and help survivors recognize that they are not imagining what is happening to them. Stalking is a pattern of behavior that causes fear and disrupts daily life, and it is far more common than many realize. For early mothers who are already navigating parenting, school, work, and relationships, this kind of fear can be overwhelming.

Listeners can learn more about stalking awareness and find additional safety resources at the Stalking Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center by visiting ⁠www.stalkingawareness.org⁠. Shielding Angels, Angel’s nonprofit, can be found at ⁠www.shieldingangels.info⁠ for those needing more direct support.

For more from The EMBER Project, including resources for early mothers, visit ⁠www.theemberproject.org⁠ or follow our social media accounts listed in the episode description. If you or someone you know feels unsafe or is in immediate danger, please contact 911 or your local emergency services. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available for confidential support at 1 800 799 SAFE or by texting START to 88788.

In this powerful episode of The EMBER Project Podcast, I sit down with Jessica Brooks Woods for a conversation that goes far beyond statistics and into the systems that shape maternal health outcomes in this country. We talk honestly about maternal health equity, bias in healthcare, and why young mothers, especially Black and Brown mothers, continue to face disproportionate risk despite decades of awareness.

Jessica shares the deeply personal story that led her into this work, including her mother’s traumatic birth experience and how being unseen and unheard in the medical system leaves lasting scars. Her story is a sobering reminder that maternal health crises are not rare, and they are not accidents. They are the result of systems that fail to listen.

Throughout our conversation, we unpack why maternal and infant mortality rates remain unacceptably high, why bias is often the deciding factor in outcomes, and how stigma and dismissal affect young and teen mothers in particularly damaging ways. Jessica explains why these disparities are not biological, but engineered, and why listening, dignity, and accountability matter more than any new technology.

We also explore the critical role employers play in maternal health, from benefits design to access to care, and why leaving these conversations solely to hospitals and policymakers will never be enough. Jessica challenges us to think differently about responsibility, leadership, and what real advocacy looks like when lives are at stake.

For young and teen moms listening, this episode carries a clear message, you matter, your voice matters, and your experience does not disqualify you, it equips you. For healthcare leaders, employers, and policymakers, this conversation is a call to stop asking women to survive broken systems and start building systems worthy of mothers.

This episode of The EMBER Project Podcast is both a year in review and a look ahead to what it truly takes to build something meaningful.

I reflect on a year of extraordinary growth for EMBER, from a packed first fundraiser and community-wide support to real, tangible impact for young mothers. I also share the personal cost behind the scenes, losing the job that represented her security and identity, selling the home she worked two jobs to afford, and navigating depression while continuing to lead.

This conversation challenges the idea that leaders must always be strong, reminding us that winners get tired, heroes stumble, and course correction is not failure, it is growth. I celebrate what was accomplished, including mobilizing volunteers, providing educational resources that helped a young mom graduate on time, and cast a bold vision for 2026 with plans for childcare support and the future IGNITE Campus.

This is an honest conversation about leadership without perfection, resilience without pretending, and how community turns sparks into steady flames.

In this episode of The EMBER Project Podcast, I’m joined once again by my friend Ra’Cole Taltoan, CEO of Rockbrook Business Services, LLC, accountant, nonprofit strategist, and community advocate, for an honest conversation about holiday debt, tax refunds, and financial recovery.

The holidays may be over, but for many families the stress lingers. January has a way of bringing everything into focus, credit card balances, tight bank accounts, and the quiet fear that shows up when you start wondering how you’re going to recover from it all.

Ra’Cole and I talk openly about why so many families slide into holiday debt, not because they are irresponsible, but because of love mixed with limited options. We discuss guilt, comparison, emotional spending, and the pressure mothers feel to create meaningful memories for their children even when money is already stretched thin.

This conversation is grounded in lived experience. We share stories from our own lives about relying on tax refunds to catch up on bills, paying utilities ahead when possible, and learning financial survival strategies out of necessity. Ra’Cole introduces the idea of quiet fear, that constant background worry so many parents carry, especially after Christmas.

We also talk through practical questions that come up every year, where to start when money is already tight, how to recover from holiday debt without making things worse, how to think about tax refunds, and how to balance paying down debt with building a small safety net. Throughout the episode, we return to the importance of letting go of guilt, understanding what kids really remember, and making small, sustainable choices that support both financial and emotional well being.

If you’re listening and feeling overwhelmed, behind, or ashamed about your finances, I want you to hear this clearly. You are not bad with money. You are not failing your children. You are doing the best you can in a system that was not built to support mothers, especially young mothers.

Recovery does not require perfection. It requires honesty, support, and one small step at a time.

About My Guest

Ra’Cole Taltoan is the CEO of Rockbrook Business Services, LLC. She is an accountant, nonprofit strategist, and community advocate whose work focuses on financial healing, stability, and systems for women and young mothers.

Learn more about Ra’Cole and her work at

https://www.rockbrookbusinessservices.com

About The EMBER Project

The EMBER Project is a nonprofit dedicated to supporting early mothers through mentorship, education, career development, and financial empowerment. We believe early motherhood should never define the limits of a woman’s future, and that when mothers rise, families rise. Learn more about our work at www.TheEMBERProject.org