The Sparkle Project

One of the most important takeaways from The Worthy Mother Podcast is that there is not just one way to be a mom, and this week we are taking that conversation to another level. In this episode I am joined by Single Mother By Choice Aisha Jenkins to share her non-traditional motherhood journey and the work she is doing to support other women on their journeys to become mothers. 

In this episode, Aisha and I talk about:

• The importance of the village in motherhood
• Facing a fertility journey as a Black woman
• How the pandemic dismantled the myth of a perfect mother
• The power of sharing your experiences with others
• Showing our kids that we are human
• Self-care in the form of a garden

A little about our guest:
Aisha Jenkins is a Single Mother by Choice (used a doctor and spermbank to conceive her 2 children), a tech professional, business owner and host of the Start to Finish Motherhood podcast.  Her podcast focuses on all things Single Mother by Choice and is geared toward supporting women on their Single Mother by Choice journey from start to finish.  Aisha is a trusted leader in the Single Mother by Choice community having been a member for over a decade, and has administered and moderated two Facebook communities of close to 20K people before deciding to start her own company in 2022.  Her journey to become an Single Mother by Choice (navigating fertility clinics, sperm banks, friends, and family), and courage to share both the joys and the pain, have continued to enrich the community at large and support many in achieving their dreams of Motherhood.

To connect with Aisha, follow her on Instagram @starttofinishmotherhood or visit her website www.starttofinishmotherhood.com. You can also tune into her podcast, Start To Finish Motherhood, wherever you like to listen.

If you found this episode valuable, share it with other moms in your life. Follow along with The Worthy Mother Podcast on Instagram @honestlyemilyrose, and don’t forget to subscribe wherever you listen!

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In this episode I am joined by Avril Brown, a coach and mind body practitioner, for a powerful conversation on reconnecting to ourselves and regulating our nervous systems as mothers. This conversation was exactly what I needed in this particular spot in my motherhood journey, and I hope you will find it as enlightening and empowering as I did. 

In this episode, Avril and I chat about:

• Why women are so often disconnected from themselves physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually
• How our children can challenge us and open the door to healing
• The way our own childhood experiences impact how we exist as adults
• What nervous system dysregulation may look like in your own life
• The somatic approach to regulating our nervous systems
• Learning alongside our children

A little about our guest:
Avril Brown is a coach and mindbody practitioner. She empowers mums in business to thrive and escape burnout by creating balance, regulation, and rediscovering who they really are.  Avril believes that as you come back home to yourself and thrive, there is no more sacrificing you or what you value.

To connect with Avril, follow her on Instagram @avril1brown or find her on Facebook.

If you found this episode valuable, share it with other moms in your life. Follow along with The Worthy Mother Podcast on Instagram @honestlyemilyrose, and don’t forget to subscribe wherever you listen!

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This is a Self-Care Snippet from The Worthy Mother Podcast. As mothers, we need to prioritize our own care. Within this few-minute long episode, you will hear how our past guests prioritize their own self-care and some tips on how you can do the same.

Tune in to the full episode 19. Why You Need To Stop Equating Your Worth To Your Roles with Ashley Fernandez.

Like what you hear? Make sure you are subscribed to The Worthy Mother Podcast wherever you like to listen.

For more motherhood content and support, connect with me on Instagram @honestlyemilyrose.

You are worthy, Mama.

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I've learned a lot from the experience of becoming a mom - but the one thing that has surprised me the most is how having kids was actually a catalyst for teaching me how to dream. In this episode, I am talking about my own past as a people-pleaser and where that got me, the identity crisis of sorts I faced in those first few years of motherhood, and the realizations I had about my own goals and desires once I witnessed my kids lean into the things that they love.

For so many moms, motherhood seems to mean it's time to put all other dreams on the shelf and simply give our alls to our children. But I'm challenging that norm. I'm sharing my story both to normalize moms having dreams outside of motherhood, and to inspire you to lean into your own dreams - or open yourself up to having them in the first place. Because we don't have to sacrifice our personal growth for that of our kids - we can grow together with them.

If you found this episode valuable, share it with other moms in your life. Follow along with The Worthy Mother Podcast on Instagram @honestlyemilyrose, and don’t forget to subscribe wherever you listen!

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This week on The Worthy Mother Podcast, we are getting into all things perfectionism & people-pleasing with self care coach Calley Hewes - from where these tendencies stem from, how they impact our lives, and what we can do to overcome. My guess is that perfectionism & people-pleasing show up in your life at least occasionally (hello being a woman in the 21st century) so I am going to claim it like it is - this is a must-listen. 

In this episode, Calley and I talk about:

• Breaking away from perceived expectations to do what you actually want
• What perfectionism & people-pleasing looks like in motherhood
• Why these tendencies are so deeply engrained in so many of us
• How working on ourselves can impact future generations
• The power of uncovering perfectionism & people-pleasing
• Making self-care a priority (without putting it on a to-do list)

A little about our guest:
Calley Hewes is a self-care coach for working mothers and a nurse practitioner. She is passionate about helping women leave perfectionism and people-pleasing behind, come back to themselves, feel like a whole person again, and create a life of purpose and impact through her business and podcast, Brazen.

To connect with Calley, follow her on Instagram @brazencoaching and @self.care_likeamother or visit her website www.brazenwomen.com. You can also tune into her podcast, The Brazen Podcast, wherever you like to listen.

Download the free resource for self care mentioned in the episode.

If you found this episode valuable, share it with other moms in your life. Follow along with The Worthy Mother Podcast on Instagram @honestlyemilyrose, and don’t forget to subscribe wherever you listen!

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In this episode, I sit down for a powerful conversation on self-acceptance, self-love, and the impacts on parenting  with LGBTQ+ parent life coach Dr. Lulu. While much of Dr. Lulu's work speaks to parents of LGBTQ+ children, the message that self-acceptance is the key to true acceptance of our children is applicable to any parent. 

In this episode, Dr. Lulu and I talk about:

• How lack self-acceptance impacts our children 
• The role of unlearning in our journeys to love ourselves
• Shame's role in not accepting our children
• The role of your thoughts in your lived experience
• Possibilities & hope for future generations

A little about our guest:
A former Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force and disabled veteran, Uchenna L. Umeh MD, MBA (Dr. Lulu AKA The Momatrician) is a Nigerian-born board-certified pediatrician, 3 time TEDx speaker, 5-time bestselling author, and mother of three. She is a certified life coach who works specifically in LGBTQ+ advocacy and activism. Her primary focus is educating about acceptance, affirmation, support and understanding of LGBTQ+ persons, particularly the #transgender community. She is the CEO of Dr. Lulu’s Life Coaching Lounge, and Dr. Lulu’s Angels Foundation, both dedicated service of at-risk LGBTQ+ youth and their families, with a focus on suicide prevention. Her public speaking career was launched following the suicides of her patient and a fellow physician in the LGBTQ+ community. She is a podcaster, TV personality and freelance writer. Her work has been recognized by the “Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission” of Nigeria, the Texas State House of Representatives, the San Antonio LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce, San Antonio Business Journal, and The Trans Resistance of Texas. She is a multi-award-winning LGBTQ+ advocate who has been featured in multiple media outlets including an interview by CBS This Morning and Oprah Winfrey.

To connect with Dr. Lulu, follow her on Instagram @drlulutalkradio, or visit her website www.dr-lulu.com.

Dr. Lulu has also provided a link to her free guide, 7 Mistakes Parents Make Even When They Want To Accept, Affirm & Support Their LGBTQ+ Children.

If you found this episode valuable, share it with other moms in your life. You can follow along with The Worthy Mother Podcast on Instagram @honestlyemilyrose, and don’t forget to subscribe wherever you listen!

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Mother's Day is upon us (at least in the United States), and with that comes the outward celebration of mothers everywhere. This week, I am examining one specific narrative we often see around this time - and that is what I call The Super Mom Trope. Essentially, this narrative celebrates the superhuman capabilities of moms, something that when done is broad strokes is actually quite problematic. 

In this episode, I am covering four reasons this "moms are superheroes" rhetoric can be harmful to individual mothers and society as a whole:

• It failed to recognize the human-ness of mothers, and the care we all need
• It assumes that moms are responsible for it all, perpetuating stereotypical gender and parental norms 
• It keeps moms from asking for help because they feel like they shouldn't struggle and should be able to handle it all on their own
• It celebrates and romanticizes sacrifice

Happy Mother's Day, Mama. You are worthy of celebrating - not only now, but always.

If you found this episode valuable, share it with other moms in your life. You can follow along with The Worthy Mother Podcast on Instagram @honestlyemilyrose, and don’t forget to subscribe wherever you listen!

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What does it mean to choose joy? I mean, we can't always be happy, right? In this episode, Transformation Coach Jocey Wiitanen shares her take on what it means to choose joy, invite fun into our lives, and learn to embrace pleasure - all while allowing ourselves to feel the full range of emotions present in the human experience. 

In this episode, Jocey and I talk about:

• Acceptance of where we are at
• How choosing joy does not have to mean toxic positivity 
• Showing compassion to our past selves
• Embracing play and inviting fun into your day
• Why you have to choose YOU to choose joy
• The importance of seeking support and asking for help

A little about our guest:
Jocey Wiitanen was brought to the US from Haiti at the young age of six,where she was plunged into a new exciting world that offered up wonder and challenges that molded the trajectory of where she is today. She has used her healing journey as the inspiration for her work as a Trauma Informed Embodiment Expert, Certified Transformation Coach, Make Life Fun Podcast Host, International Best Selling Author and Motivational Speaker. Jocey's mantras are radical self-love, unconditional acceptance, limitless joy, and taking up space. She helps fellow moms and wives to embrace their truest selves by grounding and connecting to their true essence. When we are present and grounded, we are happier and see the world around us in color which makes us better moms, wives, entrepreneurs, daughters, sisters, and friends. Jocey is here to help you bloom spiritually and align into truly knowing and loving yourself, claiming your gifts, and igniting your inner fire. She believes it's time to find your flow power and inner goddess to create your perfect path.

To connect with Jocey, find her on Facebook, follow her on Instagram @backroadslifecoaching, or visit her website www.backroadscoaching.com. You can also tune in to her podcast, Make Life Fun, wherever you like to listen.

If you found this episode valuable, share it with other moms in your life. You can follow along with The Worthy Mother Podcast on Instagram @honestlyemilyrose, and don’t forget to subscribe wherever you listen!

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This week we are talking all about growth - but not in the way you might think. In a space that regularly emphasizes our ability to learn and grow, and highlights possibility for continuous improvement, I think it’s important to address the other side of the conversation - growth doesn’t always have to be the goal.

Now I’m not saying growth is a bad thing - I don’t believe that at all! But I am dedicating this episode to reminding us all that sometimes, choosing growth isn’t the best option. And if you are in a period of stagnation (or want to be), that is more than ok. You are worthy, with or without forward progress.

If you found this episode valuable, share it with other moms in your life. You can follow along with The Worthy Mother Podcast on Instagram @honestlyemilyrose, and don’t forget to subscribe wherever you listen!

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On this episode, I sat down with Life Coach and fellow podcast host Erin Woodruff for a conversation all about the value in taking time for yourself as a mother. We get into how to prioritize time for you, and what to actually do with that time once you make it happen. If you've been feeling discouraged in motherhood, or just need a little pep talk on why prioritizing yourself matters for you AND your family, you definitely want to tune into this! 

In this episode, Erin and I talk about:

• Why we need to take time for ourselves
•  What to do with the time you make for you
• How to get into touch with what you actually want for your life
• Losing your identity in motherhood
• Setting baseline minimums when it comes to self care time

Erin also shares three really powerful questions to help you tune into what you want:
What did I want to be when I grew up? 

What did I like doing when I was a little girl?

What do you secretly want now? What do you really really really really really want?

A little about our guest:
Erin is a mom, wife, and CEO. She is a life coach who helps women stay happily married to introverts. As a life coach, Erin helps you reconnect with yourself so you can create a life you’re excited about.  Erin helps you to uncover limiting beliefs, pitfalls, and other distractions you may not have noticed in your life. Her goal is to help you stop holding yourself back and to stop self-sabotage. Erin believes that you are the only one who can change you, that you are the only one in your own way, and that it’s time to be yourself again.

 To connect with Erin, follow her on Instagram @erinwoodruffcoaching, or visit her website www.erinwoodruffcoaching.com. You can also tune in to her podcast, Time For You, wherever you like to listen.

Erin has also provided a link to her free guide, How to Have Hard Conversations to help you prepare for, well, hard conversations!

If you found this episode valuable, share it with other moms in your life. You can follow along with The Worthy Mother Podcast on Instagram @honestlyemilyrose, and don’t forget to subscribe wherever you listen!

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