Episode 7: Ursula's Journey

In this episode Lynnette talks with Liz Lin. Liz self identifies as a writer, adjunct professor, and co-founder of Progressive Asian American Christians (PAAC). She lives in Ann Arbor, MI with her spouse and two kids. Liz shares how she's had to find her own path after realizing that a lot of her career choices have been driven by appeasing her parents' wishes, her struggle with finding time to do meaningful work while still spending quality time with her children, and the difficulty in finding a faith community for her family that also reflects her values and racial-identity.
Follow Liz's writing on race, culture, and identity at mynameiselizabeth.com or visit her author page at The Salt Collective webmag, which curates unusual discussions on faith, politics, culture, and media.

Magda interviews India in this episode.
She's an esthetician, make-up artist, blogger, and stay-at-home-mom to three kids. India talks about what her experience was like becoming a mom while she was in high school, and how she wishes there were more conversations for mothers-to-be around what c-section looks like. India is unexpectedly joined by her son during this interview, and his sweet playing and giggling in the background of the audio are such a wonderful reminder of what motherhood sounds like sometimes.
Follow India's blog at http://lipstickandlaundryblog.com/

In this episode, Lynnette interviews her friend Aiysha Sinclair, who is originally from Southern California but moved last year to Savannah, GA. Aiysha describes herself as a mother, a children's book author, an artist, and an energy healing practitioner. She followed her curiosity about the U.S. South to Savannah where she planned to do research for her second children's book, and has also found herself on staff at the Savannah African Art Museum.
Aiysha shares what it was like for her to become a mother when she was 19 years old, and what parenting her own 19-year-old daughter is like today. She talks about what it was like to be a single mother after her divorce in her early twenties, and how she chose letting go over resentment. She also shares her own work healing herself which has enabled her to redefine what love looks like in her life, and gain the ability to show affection and practice being vulnerable in all her relationships.
Check out Aiysha's work as an author/storyteller and her first children's book Saroja's Quest at Brownsugarfairies.com, and follow her healing practice at Thehealingfairy.com!

In this episode Magda interviews Molly Chanson, writer and entrepreneur. After having her two sons, Molly designed a clothing line for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Molly shares her motherhood journey after her recent divorce, how she's trying to stop comparing herself to other mothers, and how she wishes that society would talk more broadly about breastfeeding.
Follow her blog at Soul Ma or subscribe to her Monday Mantra. 

In this episode, Magda and Lynnette discuss the ups and downs of their relationships with their spouses after having children. Magda talks about how she didn't give this topic a thought before they became pregnant with their first surprise baby! And Lynnette talks about how her marriage trouble prior to having children might have helped ease the transition into parenthood. 

In this episode, Magda interviews Daette Lambert, mom to three kids, two boys ages 2 and 4, and a 7 month old baby girl. She works full-time as an administrator of a residential building affiliated with the University of Chicago and has been married to a wonderful man for 11 years. She's originally from central Illinois and a country girl at heart.
Daette shares how working full-time is kind of like a mini-vacation from her kids, how "impatience" might be her special super power to getting things done, and how her biggest piece of advice for new moms would be to trust themselves.

In this episode Lynnette interviews Leah Wiseman Fink, founder of Classes At, in Brooklyn, NY, where she's creating community and helping people navigate parenthood from the first few months, through selecting a school, and helping parents re-enter the workforce. Leah talks about her experience with pregnancy discrimination in the workplace, how her close knit family growing up trickles into the way she parents, and about embracing being "a bad mom... in a good way." A transplant from the suburbs of Detroit, Leah and her husband live and work in Brooklyn, where they run pizzerias, and enjoy life with their two children.
A bit of adult language here, but in the context of a passionate conversation.

In this episode, Magda interviews her good friend Carolyn Banner, creator of Body by Banner, Whole Body Wellness, where she helps busy women make magic in their lives through streamlined nutrition and movement. Carolyn talks about how she's good at being real with her 5-year-old son, Oli, even if it means being honest about Santa. Carolyn shares how her husband, Fernando, has adult children from a previous relationship and how deciding to become parents together was not a decision she made lightly. She talks about how she believes a shift in the culture of motherhood needs to happen at a broader level, also involving non-mothers in the conversation, and change at the policy level. Carolyn lives with her family in the Hyde Park neighborhood in Chicago, IL.
Follow Carolyn at carolynbanner.com or on Instagram @body_by_banner

In this episode, Lynnette interviews her friend Ursula Whittaker, who identifies as an actress, writer, manager of her husband's corporation, and lead parent to their daughter. She is born and raised in Los Angeles, where she lives with her husband, Oscar and 6 year old daughter, August. Her husband also happens to be Oscar Nuñez, the actor from "The Office," "The Proposal," and most recently from the "State Farm" campaign that runs through the NBA season. 

Ursula shares how she was pretty close to deciding she didn't want to give her independence for motherhood, why she thought being asked to share her dream version of motherhood was stupid, and what it's like to be experiencing perimenopause while parenting a young child. She also describes what it's like when their family is out together and a fan recognizes Oscar.

Magda interviews Jenny LeFlore, the mama behind Mama Fresh. In Mama Fresh, Jenny is committed connecting Chicago moms with support and events with a focus on community. She shares a bit about how Mama Fresh came to be after spending years working on the road in fashion, how she's noticed that respect in her child might look different from how respect looked when she was a child, and her vision for a world in which moms don't have live in a way that separate their different identities.
You can follow Jenny at mamafreshchicago.com or on instagram @mamafreshchi