The EMBER Project Podcast

The holidays are supposed to be joyful… but for so many early mothers, they are heavy, overwhelming, and emotionally draining. In this powerful two-part conversation, Susan explores the truth behind holiday burnout with both a mental health expert and a young mother living it in real time.

First, clinical mental health counselor Nicki breaks down what really happens to our bodies and minds during the holiday season — the guilt, the comparison, the emotional load, the pressure to “look like a good mom,” and how stress slowly becomes burnout. She explains emotional, physical, and mental burnout in clear, accessible language, and gives simple tools for grounding, rest, and resetting when the season feels too heavy.

Then, a mother of five and a brand-new grandmother, shares her vulnerable story of reaching out for help this Christmas because finances were tight and expectations felt overwhelming. She opens up about embarrassment, guilt, the mental toll of financial strain, breaking traditions, and what it felt like when people stepped up to support her family. Her honesty reminds all of us that asking for help is an act of strength, not shame.

Together, these conversations shine light on both sides of holiday burnout — the psychology behind it, and the lived experience of mothers who are doing the best they can with what they have.

If you’ve ever felt like the holidays demanded more than you could give, this episode will remind you:You are not alone.You are not failing. And support exists for you.

In this powerful solo episode, I open up about my very first Christmas as a young single mom. I talk honestly about what it looked like to try to create a magical holiday with almost no money, a handful of used toys, super cheap decorations, and Christmas cookies paid for with food stamps. I share the pride I felt saving $180 in a Christmas Club account, the deep shame that came when some of the gifts weren’t age appropriate, and how heavy the pressure felt to make everything look perfect for my daughter, even when I was falling apart inside.

I also explore how holiday burnout hits early mothers differently. We already walk into the season feeling like we’ve disappointed people, like we have something to prove, like we have to make up for becoming moms “too soon.” I talk about how the myth of the perfect holiday — the matching pajamas, the perfect tree, the Instagram-ready moments — wasn’t even around back then, and thank goodness, because the weight of comparison would have crushed me even more.

This episode sets the stage for Part Two, where listeners will hear more from Nicki and from a mom who recently reached out online asking for Christmas help. Her honesty adds an important layer to this conversation about shame, survival mode, and the reality of trying to hold your family together during the holidays.

If this episode touches you, please check out our work at www.theEMBERproject.org.

In this episode of The EMBER Project Podcast, I sit down with my guest Mary, who became a mother just days before her fifteenth birthday. For the first time publicly, Mary shares how she navigated early motherhood, judgment, and a medically fragile newborn while fighting to build a life that no one believed she could achieve.

Mary describes adding years to her age to avoid the reactions of strangers, leaving high school to take her GED, and working long hours to support herself and her daughter. She explains how she found independence before turning eighteen, managed her finances with determination, and avoided public assistance because she feared reinforcing the stereotypes placed on young mothers.

Listeners will hear how Mary used temporary jobs to build experience, found stability in bookkeeping, and later attended college with her daughter by her side. She talks about the decade she spent working full time, parenting, and taking classes, and how stubbornness and common sense fueled her through exhaustion and setbacks. Mary also shares how her master’s degree helped save her job during the recession and reflects on the pride her family felt as she built a career that defied every prediction made about her future.

Her story is one of grit, growth, and quiet strength. It reminds us that early motherhood does not define a woman’s potential. Mary’s journey is a powerful example of what happens when determination meets opportunity and how support, confidence, and critical thinking can change the entire trajectory of a life.

At The EMBER Project, we believe in the potential of early mothers and their right to rise. Thank you for listening and for supporting this mission.

Please visit us at www.theemberproject.org to learn more.

In this powerful episode of The EMBER Project Podcast, I sits down with Lakeyta Johnson, a woman who turned years of bullying, isolation, and emotional abuse into a mission of self-love, faith, and healing.

Lakeyta shares her journey from being a teenager bullied for her body and skin tone to finding validation in an older man’s attention, a relationship that led to pregnancy, heartbreak, and years of emotional pain. Through deep self-reflection, faith, and the determination to break generational cycles, she transformed her life and founded Shattered but Not Broken, a nonprofit teaching young women self-worth, confidence, and spiritual healing.

Together, we talk about the long-term impact of bullying and body shaming, the way childhood neglect and emotional hunger shape early relationships, and the courage it takes to leave emotional abuse and choose self-worth. They also explore grieving loss, rediscovering identity, and learning to love yourself again, and how faith and surrender became the turning point in her transformation.

Lakeyta opens up about her 130 pound natural weight loss journey through intentional living and intuitive eating, and the creation of Shattered but Not Broken, an organization devoted to helping girls understand that they are enough, just as they are.

This episode will touch your heart, challenge your perspective, and remind you that healing is possible, even from the deepest wounds.

Follow Shattered but Not Broken:⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠TikTok⁠⁠Instagram⁠

or contact Lakeyta by email at [email protected]

Support The EMBER Project: ⁠www.theemberproject.org

In this powerful and deeply personal episode, I sits down at my kitchen bar on a rainy day with my friend Shannon, a woman whose story is equal parts heartbreak and healing. Shannon grew up in a home marked by alcoholism, violence, and fear, carrying burdens no child should bear. At just eighteen, she became a mother longing for love and stability. What followed was a journey through grief, trauma, resilience, and rediscovery.

Together, Susan and Shannon explore the generational scars left by abuse, the impact of losing her father to suicide, and the desperate hope that motherhood could finally bring unconditional love. Shannon opens up about rebuilding her life through therapy, setting boundaries with a toxic parent, quitting cigarettes, joining the PTA, rescuing animals, surviving long COVID and severe sleep apnea, and learning to see herself as worthy of love and peace.

This episode is raw, honest, and redemptive, a reminder that healing is possible and that even when the past tries to smother your light, you can still rise and shine.

Content warning: This episode talks about abuse, alcoholism and suicide.

To find out more about The EMBER Project, please visit us at www.TheEMBERProject.org. There you will find links to volunteer, donate or take the first step in changing the future of your family.

Welcome to The EMBER Project Podcast, where early mothers become empowered and resilient. In this second part of Surviving the Storm, I continues my conversation with our courageous guest, whose journey from trauma to transformation reminds us that healing is possible, even after the fiercest storms.

In Part One, we heard about her painful childhood, marked by loss, abuse, and instability. In this episode, she shares how those early wounds followed her into young adulthood and motherhood—and how she began to face them with courage and faith.

She opens up about the challenges of early marriage, betrayal, and heartbreak, and how those experiences pushed her to confront the pain she had long carried. As she battled addiction, grief, and loss, she also discovered the resilience that had always been within her.

Through each season of hardship, she found new strength, and began to redefine what love, family, and healing truly meant. Her story is one of survival, but more importantly, of renewal—a reminder that even the smallest ember can reignite into a flame of hope.

If you missed Part One of Surviving the Storm, be sure to listen to it first for the full story of her incredible journey.

To learn more about The EMBER Project and how we help early mothers rebuild their lives through mentorship, education, and empowerment, visit www.theemberproject.org to find volunteer opportunities and the link to enroll in our program.

Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn

Together, we keep the fire burning. 🔥

Welcome to The EMBER Project Podcast, where early mothers become empowered and resilient. In this second part of Surviving the Storm, I continues my conversation with our courageous guest, whose journey from trauma to transformation reminds us that healing is possible, even after the fiercest storms.

In Part One, we heard about her painful childhood, marked by loss, abuse, and instability. In this episode, she shares how those early wounds followed her into young adulthood and motherhood—and how she began to face them with courage and faith.

She opens up about the challenges of early marriage, betrayal, and heartbreak, and how those experiences pushed her to confront the pain she had long carried. As she battled addiction, grief, and loss, she also discovered the resilience that had always been within her.

Through each season of hardship, she found new strength, and began to redefine what love, family, and healing truly meant. Her story is one of survival, but more importantly, of renewal—a reminder that even the smallest ember can reignite into a flame of hope.

If you missed Part One of Surviving the Storm, be sure to listen to it first for the full story of her incredible journey.

To learn more about The EMBER Project and how we help early mothers rebuild their lives through mentorship, education, and empowerment, visit www.theemberproject.org to find volunteer opportunities and the link to enroll in our program.

Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn

Together, we keep the fire burning. 🔥

Welcome to The EMBER Project Podcast, where early mothers become empowered and resilient. In this emotional first episode of a two-part series, I sit down with a woman whose story of survival, courage, and faith reminds us that even in the darkest seasons, a spark of hope can still remain.

Our guest shares what life was like growing up in Warren, Ohio, surrounded by poverty, instability, and trauma. From her mother’s disability and her brother’s ADHD to abandonment and hunger, she faced more by age seven than most do in a lifetime. After being placed in thirteen foster homes and enduring abuse, she learned early that safety and trust were never guaranteed.

At eight years old, a brutal assault changed her world forever, leaving her silent for two years. She speaks about that silence, the loss of her therapist, and what those years taught her about fear, strength, and survival. Gymnastics later became her outlet and escape, giving her a rare feeling of confidence and control, even as she faced heartbreak and loss.

As she entered her teens, the longing for love and stability led her into a relationship with an older man who would become her first husband. By fifteen, she was pregnant and navigating motherhood with little guidance or support.

This episode tells the beginning of her powerful journey, one defined by pain but also by perseverance. Be sure to listen through to the end and join us next week for Part Two, when she begins to find healing, identity, and strength beyond survival.

To learn more about The EMBER Project and how we support early mothers, visit ⁠www.theemberproject.org⁠. Connect with us on ⁠Facebook⁠ and ⁠Instagram⁠.

Together, we keep the fire burning. 🔥

In this deeply personal and powerful episode of The EMBER Project Podcast, I speak with a woman whose journey embodies what it truly means to rise from the ashes.

Becoming a mother at sixteen, she faced adulthood before she was ready — balancing school, work, and motherhood while carrying the weight of trauma, addiction, and grief. From surviving sexual abuse in her childhood to losing both parents and her brother, her story is one of unimaginable pain and remarkable perseverance.

Through honesty, faith, and a commitment to healing, she has reclaimed her life — embracing sobriety, breaking destructive family patterns, and redefining what resilience means for herself and her children.

This conversation explores how trauma shapes us, how motherhood can ignite the will to heal, and how even in the darkest moments, hope can still burn quietly beneath the surface.

If you or someone you love has walked through trauma, addiction, or loss, this episode offers both truth and tenderness — a reminder that no matter what you’ve endured, your flame can still rise.

Connect with us and learn more at ⁠theemberproject.org⁠ or follow The EMBER Project on Facebook and Instagram for more inspiring stories and resources for early mothers.

In this second half of our two-part Positive Parenting series, I continue the journey through the first year of motherhood, exploring the incredible growth that happens between six and twelve months for both mother and child.

From first steps to first words, this season of motherhood is filled with discovery, laughter, and constant change. But it can also bring uncertainty, exhaustion, and moments of doubt. In this episode, we talk about embracing it all with grace and patience, and about how positive parenting creates space for learning and love to grow side by side.

We discuss the milestones that often unfold during this stage, how to support your baby’s development at their own pace, and what it looks like to adapt to changing routines around feeding, sleep, and play. We also explore how daily moments, from mealtime to bedtime, can become opportunities to teach emotional safety, consistency, and trust. Together, we look at ways to create a home that encourages curiosity while remaining safe for exploration, and how to balance your own personal growth as your baby becomes more independent.

This conversation also reminds mothers that support matters. Whether that comes from partners, family, mentors, or community connections, no one is meant to do this alone.

Positive parenting isn’t about getting everything right, it’s about showing up every day with love, consistency, and curiosity, and learning to give yourself the same grace you offer your child.

If this episode encouraged you, please share it with another mom who might need a reminder that she’s doing better than she thinks.

You can connect with us and find more resources at ⁠Newborn Cues narrated - What is Your Baby Trying to Tell You?⁠

⁠https://www.zerotothree.org/⁠

⁠https://developingchild.harvard.edu/