Mother's Quest Podcast

This October, taking a cue from the leaves on the trees this fall season, I'll share episodes that invite us to release the societal and internal pressures that disempower and confine us in the "role" of motherhood. Let's examine them through powerful conversations with Mother's Quest Podcast guests, and then take small steps to let them go!

For this week's Throwback Thursday, I want to bring back the second interview I ever recorded back in 2016, with entrepreneur, TEDx speaker and author Katherine Wintsch.

In our conversation, Katherine shares how she learned to let go of people-pleasing and mommy guilt, and instead got curious, learned to love herself and designed a life that fulfills her. We talk about the power of revealing the truth about motherhood and that it’s absolutely OK to not be OK and to not have all the answers.

You can find the full show notes from the original episode here: Ep 02: Unmasking Motherhood with Katherine Wintsch

If you love this episode, you'll also want to listen to a second interview I recorded with Katherine after she published her book Slay Your Dragon of Self Doubt. Find the show notes here: Ep 58: Slay Your Dragon of Self-Doubt with Returning Guest Katherine Wintsch

Much appreciation,
Julie Neale

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Mother’s Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

This Throwback Thursday, I wanted to bring back a powerful episode I released a year ago, with two mothers, Layla and Robi from the Parents Circle, who are working toward peace and reconciliation in Israel and Palestine.

Alongside the release of the episode, I set an intention to raise $10,000 and to invite listeners to open their virtual doors to the Parents Circle. During these “Days of Awe” between the Jewish New Year and Day of Atonement, a time of reflection, I’m noticing places where I fell short last year, where I could better in my own life. This time of Teshuvah, or Returning, is a reminder that we can always begin again.

So I bring this episode back with a renewed intention to raise awareness and to complete our $10,000 goal, only $2500 more to go. Visit parentscirclefriends.org/mothersquest to learn more, make a contribution and reach out to the Parents Circle to invite mothers like Layla and Robi to your virtual synagogues, mosques, churches, schools and organizations. Wishing you a sweet new year, a mindful turning of the seasons and your own opportunity to return to what matters.

Much appreciation,
Julie Neale

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Full Episode Show Notes

Check out the full show notes from the original episode here: On a Quest for Peace and Reconciliation Parents Circle Interview With Layla Alsheikh and Robi Damelin

Mother’s Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

I’m honored to bring you this special part two with dyslexic writer, award winning author, entrepreneur and activist Jonathan Mooney, this time interviewed by my neurodivergent college freshman son, Ryan Neale.

If you haven’t yet listened to part one for a full exploration of Jonathan’s E.P.I.C. life journey, I encourage you to go to that episode next. This episode, inspired by part one, was Ryan’s opportunity, just before he left for college, to ask Jonathan for wisdom and guidance about how to flourish at a university while being neurodivergent. What unfolded was that and so much more.

In this episode, I passed the microphone completely to Ryan, sat back and listened to him and Jonathan uncover how we can all learn and live outside the lines and stop faking normal. I invite you to listen to this conversation with the same sense of curiosity and trust. I hope you will arrive at the end as Ryan, Jonathan and I all did, personally transformed by the experience.  

About Jonathan Mooney:

Jonathan Mooney is a dyslexic writer and activist who did not learn to read until he was 12 years old.

He is a graduate of Brown University and holds an honors degree in English Literature. At Brown, he became the co-founder of Project Eye-To-Eye, a widely duplicated mentoring program for disabled students. He is also a winner of the prestigious Truman Scholarship for graduate studies in creative writing and education and was a national finalist for the Rhodes scholarship.

Jonathan Mooney’s work has been featured in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, USA Today, HBO, NPR, ABC News, New York Magazine, The Washington Post, and The Boston Globe. A nationally recognized advocate for neurological and physical diversity, he’s been speaking across the nation about neurological and physical diversity for two decades, inspiring those who live with differences and calling for change.

He has published three books: The Short Bus, Learning Outside the Lines, and Normal Sucks.

Connect with Jonathan:

• Website | www.jonathanmooney.com 
• Facebook | www.facebook.com/TheJonathanMooney 
• Twitter | @_jonathanmooney 
• Instagram | @thejonathanmooney 
• LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/jonathan-mooney 

Jonathan’s Books Mentioned in this Episode:

• Normal Sucks: How to Live, Learn, and Thrive Outside the Lines : www.amazon.com/normalsucks
• Learning outside the Lines: www.amazon.com/Learning_Outside_the_Lines  

About Ryan Neale:

Ryan Neale is a neurodivergent UCLA Freshman from San Mateo, California. His parents discovered he was differently wired when he was 18 months old but he has been in mainstream education for his academic career, with most people around him not knowing about some of the struggles that he faces.

His experiences masking his neuro differences have given him a unique perspective on many of the struggles neurodiverse people face, such as public stigma, internalized ableism, and the ever-present desire to fit in. As he has begun advocating more for his needs, he has high hopes to use his perspective and communication skills to increase public understanding of neurodiversity, and hopefully create a more inclusive society for everyone.

In his free time, he enjoys playing basketball, coaching youth sports, roughhousing with his little brother, and diving headfirst into his many fantasy special interests. He is thrilled to have participated in the 2022 Stanford Neurodiversity Summit on a K-12 student panel. You can listen to the panel here.

Connect with Ryan: 

• Instagram | www.instagram.com/ryanjeneale 

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

• How Ryan got introduced to Jonathan and his book Normal Sucks 
• Jonathan’s invitation to Ryan to lean into his “badassness” 
• How Jonathan transcended the obstacles in his path as a neurodivergent young adult with ADHD and dyslexia on his way to Brown College
• The biggest barrier for Jonathan on his path: the internalized messages that he was stupid, lazy, crazy
• The key question Jonathan says we should be asking instead of “how smart are you?”
• How and why an F on an English final became an inflection point for Jonathan in his advocacy journey  
• How neurodiverse students can survive and thrive in a flawed system   
• The importance of meta-cognition
• Why we should reframe our language from “diagnosis” to “assessment” that identifies both the challenges and strengths of being neurodiverse.
• The importance of seeking out people in your life that can help you build self-knowledge and find the good in you
• What Ryan and Jonathan think Batman has to teach neurodiverse students
• The negative impact of trying to pass or mask as “normal” and what helped Jonathan move from shame to pride in his own journey   
• Jonathan’s message to “find your crew” and do something to contribute and make the world better
• The commitment Ryan is making as he embarks on his college journey
  
  

Resources and Topics Mentioned:

• Free tools for testing your Signature learning strengths: www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths 

www.thrively.com 

• Speech-to-Text App: otter.ai 
• Eye-to-Eye: www.jonathanmooney.com/project/eyetoeye 

Related Podcast Episodes: Listen to these Next

• Ep 90: Different is not Deficient with Normal Sucks Author Jonathan Mooney
  
  
• Ep 87: Embracing Neurodiversity and Being an Adult with Julie Lythcott-Haims and Ryan Neale

This Episode’s Challenge: 

Jonathan challenges us to not ask yourself, “are you going to be successful?” but instead,  to hold yourself accountable to be successful in the right way. 

He wants us to stop hiding and be out and proud of our differences that make us special. This way, we can give to the community with purpose, pride, and passion.

This Episode is dedicated by Cindy McCormick:

Some people are lucky enough to have a career doing EXACTLY what they were born to do - Cindy is one of them. She loves running Cindy McCormick College Advising (CMCA,) but more importantly, she thrives on guiding high school students along their paths to college. She received her B.A., teaching credential, and Masters in Education from UCLA; instructional writing certification from UC Santa Barbara; and college counseling certificate from UC San Diego. With the highest standards in education, training, and ethics, she believes in getting to know her students thoroughly while relentlessly researching schools to ultimately guide kids to their best fit college homes.

Before college advising, Cindy taught school in both Westchester County, NY and Southern California, and then specialized as a college application and essay writing instructor. She also served as a PTA President and a team manager of a global top-ranked STEM student team for ten years.  

As a mother of five children, Gifted And Talented educator, autism specialist, and Spanish bilingual instructor, Cindy embraces diverse abilities, perspectives and backgrounds. Her wide variety of experiences allow her to bond with all kinds of teenage personalities and interests; she delights in getting to know each student, motivating and coaching them, and ultimately customizing their unique college plans.

In her downtime, she loves spending time with her family of 6 men, running marathons in beautiful places, and cuddling her Goldendoodle, Ollie.

Connect with Cindy: 

• Facebook | www.facebook.com/cmcollegeadvising 
• Instagram | @cmcollegeadvising
• LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/cindy-mccormick-cmca
• Website | www.cindymccormickcollegeadvising.com 

Announcements:

Our Fall Virtual Milestone Hike Is Here!

Ready to press pause and set YOUR course for an intentional new school year?

Our kids have had new beginnings… now it’s time for us!

Sign up today for the fall Mother’s Quest Virtual Milestone Hike and a powerful interactive experience like none other.

Intrigued? Check out the links below for more info and to register for one of two upcoming dates: 

Tuesday Sept 27 - https://mailchi.mp/mothersquest/septvirtualhike22 

Saturday Oct. 1st - https://mailchi.mp/mothersquest/octvirtualhike22 

It's Pay from the Heart to make it accessible to anyone who wants to come. Hope to see you there!

P.S. Have a friend who would like to join? Invite them along. Always better to hike with a friend

Mother's Quest Circle: Next Chapter Edition

We will be opening the registration for the Mother’s Quest Virtual Circle soon!

I'm facilitating a Mother's Quest Virtual Circle in November for moms like me who have children going off to their next chapter (whether that is college, trade school, travel or the workforce) 

Our children's next chapter is a window of opportunity for us to invest in ourselves in new ways. Doing it in community with like-minded mothers is always powerful. 

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Mother’s Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest

“Each of us has that innate ability to attain and maintain our own optimal health – the real healer lies within.” — Avanti Kumar Singh

Touching on each E.P.I.C guidepost on this Throwback Thursday episode, Avanti shares how Ayurveda can become a powerful lens for living a healthy, reflective life, one where we open our minds, and tap into our own ability to provide counter-balance to the things that are troubling us and support our own healing. Within that frame, we touched on so many topics, from Ayurveda and parenting to menopause, intermittent fasting and how to support our children as they transition to college and beyond.

Avanti gives us a challenge to explore our daily routines, identify any trouble spots and then apply the teachings of Ayurveda to craft our own remedies.

This month in the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group, we’re focused on the big transitions under way for our children and ourselves during this back to school season. To join the group and the conversation, visit www.mothersquest.com/community.

Much appreciation,
Julie Neale

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Full Episode Show Notes

Check out the full show notes from the original episode here: Ep 59: The Healer Lies Within through Ayurveda with Avanti Kumar Singh

Mother’s Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

This Throwback Thursday’s minisode is inspired by the photos, posts and stories from so many of you about your children’s new beginnings at the start of this school year.

Recorded a few years ago, it outlines my secret to a powerful start that we can share with our children…an experience called a “Milestone Hike” that I’ve done in person and now virtually for many years.

In this Minisode I Talk About:

• How/when I learned about the importance of ending well to begin well at the youth development organization Alternatives in Action 
• The transformative Milestone Hike Experience I had on my 40th birthday
• How I’ve used the same components of that hike to acknowledge milestones with my son Ryan (we even recorded a podcast episode about one on his 13th birthday!) including Back to School Milestone Hikes
• The ways I have taken that experience to create signature Mother’s Quest opportunities for reflection

Hope this supports you or a mother preparing for Back to School in your life! 

Also, I’d love to hear from YOU: What are your Back to School Rituals that help you start the year well? Please join us in the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group to share or email me at julie@mothersquest.com

Much appreciation,

Julie Neale

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Listen to my episode with Ryan that we recorded after our Milestone Hike on his 13th birthday. He has grown and changed so much since then and will be starting college in just a few weeks. I’m so glad we have this almost like a time capsule of that period in his life. 

http://mothersquest.com/ep-18-yolo-you-only-live-once-and-other-milestone-reflections-with-ryan-neale/

Fall 2022 Spark Your E.P.I.C. Year Virtual Hike – Two Dates!

If you’d like to go on a reflective milestone hike (virtually!) with me and others from the Mother’s Quest Community by your side, we’ve opened up registration for the Fall Spark Your E.P.I.C. Year Virtual Hike. Choose from two dates:  

You can sign up here for Thursday, Sept 29th from Noon – 1:30 pm PST: https://mailchi.mp/mothersquest/septvirtualhike22

You can sign up here for Saturday, Oct 1st from 10 – 12:30 pm PSt: https://mailchi.mp/mothersquest/octvirtualhike22

Full Episode Show Notes

Check out the full show notes from the original episode here: Back to School Milestone Hike: My Secret to Starting The School Year Well

Mother’s Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

Today’s show with keynote speaker, business and leadership coach and Step into Your Moxie® facilitator Sara Dean, was five years in the making and worth the wait!

Sara is the creator and host of the Shameless Mom Academy Podcast, a top rated podcast with over 600 episodes and 5 million downloads.  As you’ll hear her share in this conversation, Sara’s biggest passion is helping women own their space.  After enduring her own identity crisis following the birth of her son, Sara took her background in psychology/health/wellness and rebuilt her identity, one step at a time.  

Today, Sara motivates and inspires women to stop shrinking and start shining and she’s been stretching herself to do the same, moving beyond her podcast microphone and onto new stages, including speaking for Amazon, the City of Seattle, Charles Schwab, Inspired Mama, WE Ignite, Alt Summit, and She Podcasts Live to name a few. 

Sara’s ability to show up,  with a  “sticktoitiveness” she says is in her DNA, enables her to achieve incredible things, like training for the triathlon she is in the midst of now. What I so appreciate about where Sara is on her journey, is her intention to move beyond the doing for doing sake to a thoughtfulness about what matters most and why, a shift she opens up about. 

I hope this conversation, and the challenge Sara offers us to cut the crap and calm the chaos, inspires us to show up as Sara does, with humility and bravery, honesty and humor, and as she says, shameless #everydamnday.

About Sara:

Sara Dean is a keynote speaker, a business and leadership coach, and a Step into Your Moxie® facilitator.  She is also the creator and host of the Shameless Mom Academy Podcast, a top rated podcast with 5 million downloads.  Sara’s biggest passion is helping women own their space.  After enduring her own identity crisis following the birth of her son, Sara took her background in psychology/health/ wellness and rebuilt her identity, one step at a time.  Sara motivates and inspires women to stop shrinking and start shining #everydamnday.  

Sara has spoken for Amazon, the City of Seattle, Charles Schwab, Inspired Mama, WE Ignite, Alt Summit, and She Podcasts Live.  She has been featured on the Dr Phil Show.  

When she’s not supporting Shameless Moms, you’ll find Sara with her husband and 10 year old son – trying to keep up on video game jargon and baseball stats.

Connect with Sara:

• Website | www.shamelessmom.com 
• Shameless Mom Academy Podcast |  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-shameless-mom-academy/id1092674204 
• Free Facebook Group | www.shamelessmom.com/facebook
• Instagram | @shamelessmomacademy 
• LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/saradeanspeaks

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

• The social media post Sara shared five years ago that made me want to meet her at our first podcasting conference! 
• The impact on Sara of being raised by her mother who was a nun for 16 years 
• The power of routine and the need for flexibility
• Why showing up is in Sara’s DNA  
• How Sara is moving out of her comfort zone to have more impact 
• Using rejection as fuel to keep going 
• Sara’s simple self-care tip for investing in herself 
• Going back to what makes us feel reconnected with ourselves 
• The power of finding  your people in the same place and time as you 
• What it means to Sara to be a “Shameless Mom”

Resources and Topics Mentioned

• Join Sara’s upcoming free workshop, How to Calm Your Chaos & Let Go of Your Crap: shamelessmom.com/calm
• www.shamelessmom.com 

You Might Also Want To Listen to My Interview with Sara On Her Podcast: https://shamelessmom.com/episode/julie-neale-and-caren-lettiere-sisters-making-magic-in-e-p-i-c-ways/

This Episode’s Challenge:

Calm your chaos and let go of your crap. Sara wants you to think of what you really need right now, and how you can let go of extraneous junk in order to get what you want out of the season you’re in.

Join us at Sara’s free online workshop entitled, “How to Calm Your Chaos and Let Go of Your Crap”. You can register at shamelssmom.com/calm and let her know Mother’s Quest sent you. Happening on September 13, 4pm pacific time (7pm eastern time) and September 14, 10 am pacific time (1pm eastern time).

Sara invites you to reevaluate how you’re spending your time and energy, give yourself permission to create a schedule and systems you love, invest in relationships that give you life, stop over giving and stop overlooking your own needs. We hope to see you there!

This Episode is dedicated by Nikita Burks-Hale:

Nikita Burks-Hale (she/her) is the CEO and Chief Coloring Officer at Headphones and Crayons, a space for amplifying voice, sound, and color. As an Alignment Coach, she journeys and supports creatives, podcasters, and entrepreneurs as they create podcasts and launch new business initiatives that feel good without losing themselves in the process. As a Coloring Practitioner, Nikita integrates connection, community building, dialogue, and healing, all through the art of coloring.

Nikita is a journeyer in every sense of the word and truly believes that life is a journey and you must be open to its endless possibilities. Her coaching and personal beliefs are centered around living your imperfect journey to the FULLest by:

• Showing Up
• Being Vulnerable
• Practicing Grace and Gratitude
• Be A Bada**
• And Enjoying the Ride

When she is not coaching, podcasting, aligning, or coloring, you can find her watching the latest Disney movies with her wife Jessica and her two young kids, Adonis and Remy.

Connect with Nikita:

• Instagram: @headphonesandcrayons
• TikTok: @headphonesandcrayons
• Website: www.colorfullcrew.com
• My episode on Nikita’s podcast – Discovery as a Catalyst and an Awakening with Julie Neale

Announcement:

Step into Your Moxie® Certification Training with Alexia (Lex) Vernon

Sara Dean and I are aligned in our commitment to using our voices and also to supporting fellow mothers to do the same. Another thing we share in common is mutual respect and appreciation for our speaker coach Lex Vernon.

A few years ago, I had the honor of interviewing Lex for the podcast and this fall, I’m excited to participate in a Step into Your Moxie® Certification Training  she is leading. I’m also a proud affiliate partner of Lex’s courses.

If you’re a coach, consultant or organizational leader looking for a proven system and training to help your clients find their voice and develop the confidence to use it, Lex and this training may be for you.

Follow the links below to learn more and to sign up for a free upcoming workshops Lex is leading and be sure to tell her Mother’s Quest sent you her way. If it ends up being the right fit, I look forward to learning alongside you at the Step Into Your Moxie training this fall. 

Step into Your Moxie® Certification Training
https://stepintoyourmoxie.com/certification/

Free Workshop: 4 Mistakes Coaches, Trainers, and Managers Make That Undermine People’s Speaking Success
https://stepintoyourmoxie.com/speaking-mistakes/

Hear my episode on the podcast with Lex here: http://mothersquest.com/tag/alexia-vernon/

**As an affiliate partner, Mother’s Quest will receive a commission if you participate in the training an list my name as a referral source on the Certification application. I only recommend people and programs that I believe wholeheartedly in, and Lex  tops that list.

As I record this opening today, I’m filled with emotion because I just dropped off my son Ryan at UCLA for his freshmen orientation. Check the show notes for more reflections about this epic snapshot moment.

Last night, Ryan and I stayed up late talking about what he wants to study in college and more importantly, how we hope his college and career journey will be one that lights him up. 

It had me thinking about this conversation with Good Life Project podcaster Jonathan Fields. Jonathan is the creator of SparkTypes and a new podcast Sparked, which helps you find work that makes you come alive.

Jonathan and I recorded this episode a few years ago, just before Jonathan was getting ready to take his daughter to her freshmen year in college. It’s filled with heart, insight and wisdom and a reminder that no matter what chapter we or our children are starting, it’s always the right time to ask ourselves the big questions about who we are and what we are here to do.

Epic Snapshot Moment Reflections with Ryan

He’s off to orientation and going to UCLA a month from now

I didn’t do the college reveal post in the spring, though I’ve told many of you personally, because I think so much emphasis during that time gets placed on what school kids do or don’t get into. I want to be part of the conversation that reminds us that college is not the only path our children can take after high school and that there are so many schools that are beautiful matches for students.

But today, with tears streaming down my face as I go on a walk post orientation drop-off, I really wanted to share this with you…

Ryan is going to UCLA! Omg Ryan is going to UCLA!!

I want to share it because:

- UCLA is where Chris and I met over 30 years ago and where I took my first independent moves to becoming the person I am today.

- From the time we started going to UCLA’s family camp Bruin Woods, Ryan has dreamed about attending, mastering the 8 clap at a young age, going to UCLA basketball sleepaway camp and putting UCLA on his 9th grade vision board.

- Ryan worked with my dear friend from UCLA @cindykmcc on his college search application and essays. With neurodivergent boys of her own, she was so patient with Ryan and adapted the process to meet him where he was.

- Ryan’s conversation last fall with Julie Lythcott-Haims on the podcast was part of Ryan’s journey to embracing and celebrating who he is, prompted him to do his college essays voice to text, and to be authentic about his life journey and identity in his essays.

- Finally…because my Dad, who died in December, would be so thrilled that he is here, with my mother down the street, and a family support system of aunts  uncles and cousins if Ryan needs them.

While there were challenging days on his journey where we could not imagine him ready to do this, Ryan has grown so much. He is as prepared as he could be for this next chapter. We are so proud of him and excited for him, but more than that he is so proud of himself and excited himself.

It seems Ryan was fated to go to UCLA. Dreams can come true. But they do when, as my Dad always said, you pursue your fate. And wow did Ryan do that!

To hear more about Ryan’s journey:

YOLO (You Only Live Once) and other Milestone Reflections with Ryan Neale

Embracing Neurodiversity and Being an Adult with Julie Lythcott-Haims and Ryan Neale

Full Episode Show Notes

Check out the full show notes from the original episode here: Ep 63: A Maker’s Journey to a Good Life with Jonathan Fields

Mother’s Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

I hope you’ve been listening over the past few months to our Throwback Thursday series…episodes I’m curating from the archives for you to listen to again, or for the first time, if they are new to you.

This Throwback Thursday, there were so many reasons I decided to select this episode titled “Weaving our Ancestral Threads with Genealogist Nicka Smith.”

First, Nicka has had some incredible recent accomplishments that I would love for you to explore. One in particular, is the debut of her first short film entitled “A Dream Delivered: The Lost Letters of Hawkins Wilson” about one family’s story that Nicka explains is an exceptional example of why it’s important to thread the past to the present.

The second reason I decided to share this episode was because of a call I received today. It was from a woman who was a former student of my grandmother Molla, who found and heard my episode with my father, David Lieberman. This woman was searching for years to learn about her mentor who she lost touch with and I’ve been searching for years to find students who benefited from my grandmother’s teaching. Now, because of the power of podcasting and a reverence for threading the past to the present, we’ve found one another.

All of this feels especially poignant because it’s still within the first year of my father’s death. As I welcome you to listen to this episode, I’m sending special love out to all of us missing our loved ones and wishes that the wisdom from Nicka in this conversation, inspires us anew to weave our own threads from past to the present, and to use our loved one’s legacies as inspiration for living our lives to the fullest.

Resources Mentioned in Opening

A Dream Delivered: The Lost Letters of Hawkins Wilson details the life of Hawkins Wilson, a formerly enslaved man who utilized the Freedmen’s Bureau to try to reconnect with his family. Hawkins’ letters have been seen everywhere from the National Archives website to text books and more. The letters so clearly describe the destructiveness of enslavement while also showing the hopes the formerly enslaved had in repairing the havoc the slavery system caused their families.

Hawkins’ May 11, 1867 letter drafted at the Freedmen’s Bureau in Galveston, Texas – the site of the first ever Juneteenth – includes a detailed account of which specific slaveholders enslaved his family members and important details such as the locations where they were enslaved.

Those of us who do genealogy research know how incredible Hawkins’ account is, yet we also know that there are a lot of factors out of our control that determine whether or not we can find out more about him and his family despite the large amount of information he gave.

Did Hawkins and his family ever reunite? Do records that document his enslavement still exist? All of these questions, and more, are answered in the short film.

You can view the film at www.ancestry.com/BlackHistory

Ep 43: Love of Family and Pursuing our Fate ~A Father’s Day Special~ with David Lieberman

Full Episode Show Notes

Check out the full show notes from the original episode here: Ep 50: Weaving our Ancestral Threads with Genealogist Nicka Smith

Mother’s Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

I’m excited to revisit this episode with Kalika Yap, a serial entrepreneur, inventor, intentional mother, and business leader.

Kalika is from more humble beginnings. She came from a big family born in the Philippines in the time of Martial Law that then moved to a low income community in Hawaii. Growing up, she had strong influences from her mother who is a teacher and her father who is an entrepreneur. Along with her husband, she now imparts these family influences or “Ohana” and a focus on “Core Values”  to her two daughters.

We covered a lot of ground in this interview and I felt like I filled my E.P.I.C. Life Toolkit with powerful strategies: to focus on values, develop keystone habits, and consciously choose a life of service. I left the conversation inspired by Kalika to pursue our entrepreneurial dreams and empower other women to do the same, all while being a present and intentional parent.

Full Episode Show Notes

Check out the full show notes from the original episode here: Ep 22: Core Values, Ohana and Keystone Habits With Kalika Yap

Mother’s Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

Last week on the podcast I shared a solocast about the power of manifestos and the many ways that we can express them. I was reminded that my first episode of the podcast, called “Planting Seeds for Mother’s Quest” was a manifesto itself, an expression of where I had been, where I was headed, and a commitment for how I wanted to live my life.

I decided this was a great time to reshare the episode. I hope this episode, and the solocast I recorded last week, may inspire you to take some time for reflection and create a manifesto of your own. If you’d like a process to support you along the way, check out the link to the Mother’s Quest Manifesto Challenge, a self-guided course, created just for this purpose, in the show notes.

Resources:

✨ Ep 91: The Power of Manifestos - https://mothersquest.com/ep-91-the-power-of-manifestos/ 

✨ Manifesto Challenge Course - https://mothersquest.vipmembervault.com/products/courses/view/6/?action=signup 

Full Episode Show Notes

Check out the full show notes from the original episode here: Ep 00: Planting Seeds for Mother’s Quest – An Introduction

Mother’s Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

Ever wanted to create a manifesto, a personal declaration of how you want to live your life? In this new solocast on the podcast, I share my story of creating manifestos, more about what they are, the many different ways that we can express them, and an invitation for you to create your own!

In this Episode:

• The full circle moment with my two children this summer that reminded me of the power of having a manifesto. 
• The meaning and origin of the word manifesto.
  How I came to create my first manifesto through a course with Jonathan Fields of the Good Life Project Podcast. 
• Five different suggestions for expressing a manifesto.
• A reading of my Becoming 50 Manifesto that I created through Book Spine Poetry.

This Episode’s Challenge: 

Create your own manifesto. Share it with us in the Mother’s Quest Facebook Community, email it to julie@mothersquest.com or tell someone special in your life. Declare it to others to make it real. If you’d like some support to move you through a reflective process to help you clarify your manifesto, we’ve created a self-guided Manifesto Challenge Course in Mother’s Quest MemberVault.

Resources/Episodes Mentioned:

• Ep 00: Planting Seeds for Mother’s Quest – An Introduction
• Ep 63: A Maker’s Journey to a Good Life with Jonathan Fields
• Ep 61: Reclaiming Ourselves in Motherhood: Revisited with Graeme Seabrook
• Ep 89: Seeking Wonder and Mondo Beyondo Manifestos with Andrea Scher
• Manifesto Challenge Course - A 7-day self-guided experience that will move you through a series of reflective prompts to support you in creating or refining a “manifesto” of your own

My Becoming 50 Manifesto:

Child of the Moon

Wonder Seeker
Conduit of
Big Magic 

I Am My Mother’s Daughter
And also descended from
Women Who Run With Wolves

Daring Greatly
I choose to
Live Love Now
To grow
An Awakened Family
Raising Happiness
In myself, my Partner and my Children

From Scratch
Bird by Bird
Tapping the potential of my
Divergent Mind
I will build
Conscious Community
Rooted in
Just Mercy

Sparked
By the Essence of Who I Am
And Who We Are
We Should All Be Millionaires
Materially and Metaphorically
Living in
Stress Free Prosperity

Tapping the Power of
Emergent Strategy
Alongside my 
Wolfpack
Learning and living in a
Spiral
I will remember we are always
Becoming 
And that
You Were Born For This  

You can purchase the books named in the Becoming 50 Manifesto here.

This month, in the Mother’s Quest Community, we’ve been celebrating the power of books. It made me think about this past episode with my mother Fran and her dear friend Sandy Klasky about their then 50 year old book club. This year, the book club will be turning 55 and is still going strong, even through the pandemic. 

Listen to this conversation, and you’ll be inspired by the importance of friendship, the potential of books to bring people together, and the lessons we can learn from two grandmothers who have been through challenging times in our country and have lessons to share with us about what got them through.

Other Invitations To Celebrate the Power of Books:

✨Listen to this episode with author Andrea Scher where I talk about the Becoming 50 Manifesto I wrote using book spine poetry. I was inspired by an idea in Andrea’s book Wonder Seeker.

✨Check out my Becoming 50 Manifesto Book List and Purchase a book of your own from the list for your summer reading. 

✨Get a copy of the Mother’s Quest Inspiration Guide or gift a copy to a special mother in your life

✨Sign up for the Tiny Book Course from my friends at Get it Done Productions and write a book of your own! Code JulieNeale will get you 10% off the course.

Full Episode Show Notes

Check out the full shownotes from the original episode here: EP34: Season Two Finale: The Power of Friendship and a 50 Year-Old Book Club with Fran Lieberman and Sandy Klasky

Mother’s Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

This Throwback Thursday episode comes to you while I’m away on vacation at my happy place, UCLA’s Bruin Woods in Lake Arrowhead.

While here for the week, I’ve made it an annual tradition to take off all my social media apps from my phone, truly unplug, and be present. The inspiration for this came from this week’s guest, Rachel Macy Stafford, whose personal commitment to putting down her phone and becoming a Hands-Free Mama led to a Hands-Free Movement, several powerful books, and most recently to a new audio journey called Soul Shift Sessions through a partnership with Sounds True. You can follow the link to explore this for yourself in the show notes.

This episode was originally recorded during a challenging time in our pandemic, March of 2020, while we were sheltering in place and just after the killing of George Floyd. There is no question that we face continued challenges. I hope this episode sparks renewed hope in the power of presence, fulfilling our unique purpose, and authentic connection.

You can purchase Rachel’s new Soul Shift Sessions audio journey here. 

This Week’s Challenge:

For this week’s challenge, Rachel encourages us to think about any hurtful comments, or criticism, consciously and unconsciously, that we’ve been carrying around that’s holding us back from truly fulfilling our purpose. Reflect on it and slowly turn that pain into purpose.

This Episode is Dedicated by Samantha Arsenault

Samantha Arsenault Livingstone is an Olympic gold medalist, high-performance consultant, mental health educator, speaker, and entrepreneur – and she’s a mother of four and recovering perfectionist. Samantha holds a master’s degree in education and spent six years teaching high school science and coaching swimming. After a near-death experience with her then 12- month old daughter, Samantha knew it was time to pay forward all she’s learned about achievement, emotional resilience, rising from failure, and finding happiness.

In 2016, Samantha founded Livingstone High Performance in response to the mental health crisis impacting adolescents across the globe, specifically those in the athletic arena. LHP provides pillars of support to organizations, teams, and individuals to elevate mental health and improve performance, and build a more empowered village. In addition to private and group coaching, Samantha offers online courses and consults with teams and organizations on athlete wellness initiatives, leadership, strategic planning, rising skills, and developing high-performance cultures. She is a certified instructor of Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement and Mental Health First Aid.

Samantha is an engaging public speaker who has more than 19 years of experience, which includes her TEDx Talk: The Weight of Gold: An Olympian’s Path to Recovery. She’s been featured as a keynote speaker, expert panelist, workshop facilitator, and seminar leader. She’s worked with high-school, collegiate, and professional athletes in a group and 1:1 setting; school districts; athletic departments; coaching organizations; women in business groups; wellness entrepreneurs; and national governing bodies, most notably, USA Swimming.

Samantha and her husband, Rob, live in the Berkshires with their four girls. To learn more about her offerings, go over to www.samanthalivingstone.com.

To learn more about her offerings, go over to www.samanthalivingstone.com. You can join Samantha’s FREE 5-Day I AM CHALLENGE at www.samanthalivingstone.com/i-am-challenge  

• Facebook @slivingstonewellness

• Instagram @slivingstn

• Linkedin @sarsenaultlivingstone

In This Episode We Talk About:

• The way Rachel’s mother gave her the gift of “presence” even when she couldn’t be physically present.  

• Rachel’s quest for purpose and the legacy she wants to leave

• How reflecting on the question “How do I do it all?” on a run one day became the “spark moment” that pushed Rachel to choose herself

• What Rachel means by her connection to her “dreamer girl”

• Why facing the truth is really just the beginning

• What it means when Rachel says to her children “I want to love you by your book.” 

• Hands-Free Mama as a way of being

• The pressure and insecurity of online life and how screentime distraction becomes the biggest obstacle to living purpose-filled

• The 3 roles that will allow us to walk beside our kids

• Finding your place of refuge and helping your kids find theirs

• How we can “find our people” by doing the things our heart calls us to do

• The tear-filled pledge I made to Rachel, reading from a promise in her book on p.57 

Full Episode Show Notes

Check out the full shownotes from the original episode here: Ep 74: Living and Loving with Authenticity with Hands Free Mama Rachel Macy Stafford

Mother’s Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

In the wake of the reversal of Roe v Wade, 49 years since women finally received the constitutional right to abortion, women across the country are rising up to have our voices heard. I knew this moment called for bringing back this powerful 2017 conversation with mother, filmmaker, author, and activist Paola Mendoza.

This interview occurred just over five years ago, months after the first Women’s March, which Paola helped create as their Artistic Director, and days before the Day Without a Woman Strike. As this episode reaches you, women are preparing to gather in Washington D.C. again in another mass protest. Whether or not we go to a protest, I hope this conversation reinspires us to get active again, participate and lead the political charge. Because as Paola tells us “we need to remember we have the power to create the world that we want but we all have to be engaged.” 

You can listen to Paola’s abortion story here which she tells in a video series from The Meteor, a collective of writers, filmmakers, organizers, and artists who are committed to moving the world forward against injustice.

Just before the 2020 election, I had the honor of interviewing Paola again with the co-author Abby Sher, of her thought-provoking novel Sanctuary. You can listen to that powerful episode next here.

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

• The profound impact her mother had on Paola’s life, and what it was like to tell her mother’s courageous story as an immigrant to the U.S., in her film Entre Nos

• Paola’s way of connecting with her son through “Adventure Fridays”

• The role of art and activism in growing compassion in other people

• The importance of emphasizing both what you stand for and also what you stand against

• With privilege comes responsibility, and how Paola hopes to teach her son to sacrifice his privilege to help other people

• Ultimately, it’s not about falling or failing, it’s about how you rise up and how Paola’s metaphor of “running a relay” sustains her activism

• Paola’s challenge to us to “participate”…to get involved in a local issue and attend a town hall meeting during the next congressional recess.

Resources Mentioned:

• Entre Nos,  Paola stars in this film (which she also wrote and directed) based on her family’s experiences of coming to the United States from Colombia

• The Ones Who Don’t Stay, Paola’s novel which came from the film Entre Nos

• This article where Paola talks about the Women’s March being about what we are for

• Ep 06: Healthy and Happy with Dr. Elisa Song where we talk about “special time” with our children

• The Women’s March

• Unity Principles of the Women’s March

• A Day Without a Woman

• A Quote by Audre Lorde: “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” More About Audre Lorde & Audre Lorde’s Work

• Indivisible, a website by former Congressional staffers who reveal best practices for making Congress listen

• Focus on our Goodness: A Framework for my Activism Inspired by my Four-year Old

• My recent solocast where I talk about wanting to step more into activism and why I reached out to Paola here

Full Episode Show Notes

Check out the full shownotes from the original episode here: Ep 16: Rising Up with Paola Mendoza

Mother’s Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

For this Throwback Thursday, just after Father’s Day, I knew I wanted to bring you this episode with my friend, an incredible father and podcaster at the While Black Podcast, Darius Hicks. 

This past week in the United States, in addition to Father’s Day, we also acknowledged Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) an annual commemoration of the effective end of slavery in the United States after the Civil War. It came when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to ensure all those enslaved were freed, a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. It’s considered the longest-running African American holiday and last year in 2021 became a federal holiday. 

For those of us who are not Black, Juneteenth is an opportunity to learn more about the history of slavery, to reflect on how much more is needed for Black people to be truly free in this country, and to recommit to antiracism. 

Just over a month since a white gunman killed 10 Black people at a supermarket in Buffalo, one of the deadliest racist massacres in recent U.S. history, this conversation with Darius is a necessary call to action to learn more and identify how we can be part of the change that is needed. 

Darius gifted us with exceptional insight, perspective, and vulnerability in this conversation. I’m honored to share it with you again.

So join us in this episode as we celebrate amazing fathers all over the world!

About Darius:

Darius has always displayed an entrepreneurial and activist spirit. Since his youth, he has dedicated his time to those around him in hopes of bettering them while he better himself. It began by volunteering as a camp counselor from middle school through high school, and grew via mentorship and tutoring in college all the way to his membership role in the 100 Black Men and as an advocate for African Americans through his work on the While Black Podcast. Vince wholeheartedly believes James Baldwin's quote “To be Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be a rage almost all the time”. However, he chooses to channel that rage into a place that allows him to change the narrative on black folks while he helps to empower those same black folks.

Earning his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from Southern University A&M in Baton Rouge LA (1999) and his MBA from Queens University in Charlotte NC (2005), Vince has gained valuable experience in multiple industries.

He has excelled in multiple industries and enjoyed a career spanning 20+ years with opportunities in Engineering, Consumer packaged goods, Corporate retail giants, and now the Social/tech industry.

In addition, he is a successful entrepreneur and founder of Aveo Big and Tall Golf Apparel which rose to become the #1 big and tall golf apparel offering in Golfsmith stores and was distributed nationally and internationally via various outlets including but not limited to Dicks Sporting Good, GolfSmith, and Golf Galaxy. He has since sold the rights to the Aveo name and divested from the company.

However, he has altered his focus by aligning his passions with his promise and ensuring his time is invested accordingly as he focuses on improving the black world and the global community through and with black people. His latest endeavor is laser-focused on impacting and improving the people around him. Specifically, he is the creator and co-host of the While Black Podcast a podcast focused on empowering, educating, and inspiring African Americans to go and grow. While Black tells stories by, from, and for African Americans and pairs those stories with expert and credible guests who can communicate wisdom and success strategies helping us to achieve, accomplish, and overcome.

Connect with Darius:

• Facebook: @whileblackpodcast

• Instagram: @while_black

• Twitter: @Whileblackpc

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

• The universal language and common connection among mothers of all races and how Darius and I both believe mothers will be critical to making change 

• Darius’ quest to be authentically who he is as a 6’4, 300-pound dark-skinned Black man. How he has struggled to stand tall and shine while also consciously shrinking because people’s first reaction to him is fear  

• The question about fatherhood Darius asks himself all the time…” How do I raise fearless children when I am a fearful parent?” 

• A heartbreaking but powerful “epic snapshot moment” with his son made Darius realize his words were getting through to him and that his son would be part of making change

• How those committed to anti-racism and new to this can begin and the reason why Darius seeks “partnership” over saviorism or “help”

• The three-fold challenge Darius gave us, including the specific movies that Darius thinks we should all watch to shift our understanding and perspective

• How we all need each other to get free 

Resources Mentioned:

• While Black Podcast

• Ahmaud Arbery Is All of Us – Can I Live? 

• American Son|Netflix

• When They See Us|Netflix

• 13TH|Netflix

• Ep 07: Living Out Loud with Jenjii Hysten

• Revisited: Beyond the Trauma: Legacy, Compassion and Change with Mothers Against Police Brutality Co-Founder Sara Mokuria

• Ep 55: From Grief to Advocacy and a Circle of Mothers with Trayvon Martin’s mother Sybrina Fulton

• Desiree Adaway and Diversity is an Asset 

• Podcast Movement

• Justice for Josiah

This Episode’s Challenge:

Darius gave us a threefold challenge:

• There is bias inside all of us. We all have it. Try our very best to recognize when our unconscious bias fires. Try to pay attention every time we see or meet a Black person…if our initial intent is to walk in the other direction, stop for a moment and ask yourself why? 

• Meet someone new and be the first one to say hello and to really see the humanity in them.

• Be more intentional in our actions and in whatever media we digest so that we are aware of what’s really happening and what others are really going through. Specifically, watch the movies American Son, 13th, and When They See Us

This Episode is dedicated by:

Herve Clermont is an actor, voice-over artist, and Host, and was a National brand ambassador for Remy Martin for over 8 years. He discovered his passion for acting at Georgetown University, where he was in school as a pre-med major, and needed to fulfill electives. 

He is the son of a proud Haitian Doctor and nurse, he always joked he “could play one.” He began his professional acting career in 2000 with a contract Role on One Life To Live, and has co-starred and guest-starred on various prime-time shows: Law & Order, CSI Miami, Cane, 24, Criminal Minds, Scandal, Guys with Kids, New Girl, The Mick, NCIS, NCIS LA, Dice, Veronica Mars, Mr. Iglesias, and many others. 

Herve has been recurring on John Singleton’s Snowfall for the last 3 seasons, before landing a series cast member on Tyler Perry’s Ruthless. His voice-over career includes announcing at celebrity fund-raisers, branding and promotional videos, industrials, and promotional TV and radio commercials, including ones for Beyonce, an international Jazz festival, and currently is the voice behind Cintas and on camera. 

Herve’s hosting experience includes live events with BMW, VH-l, Harmon/ Kardon, and Remy Martin. He has also worked on a pilot in front of the camera as a Studio host in the entertainment industry, interviewing celebrities and keeping the audience up-to-date with the latest entertainment news.

Visit The J.E. Clermont Foundation Hope for the Children of Haiti for more about the Foundation that furthers Herve’s father’s legacy

Instagram @Plantinghopela – to learn about Herve’s wife’s venture that creates beautiful plants with contributions supporting the Foundation in Haiti and charitable efforts in LA.

Full Episode Show Notes

Check out the full shownotes from the original episode here: Ep 75: A Call for Kinetic Partnership with While Black’s Darius Hicks

Mother’s Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

Welcome to this year's special Father's Day episode with Jonathan Mooney, an amazing father who is also a dyslexic writer, speaker, activist, and self-described “do-gooder.” Jonathan didn’t learn to read until he was 12-years-old, was told he would be a high school dropout, and end up in jail.   But, instead, he forged a path to Brown University where he co-founded an organization and co-wrote a book to help neurodivergent students like himself succeed in college, all on the way to graduating with an honors degree in English.

He’s since become a champion for neurological and physical diversity for more than two decades, and his award-winning advocacy projects have been featured in major media outlets including the New York Times and Los Angeles Times, HBO, NPR, Fast company, and many others.

In this episode, Jonathan goes deep and wide about the pervasive impact of institutionalized and cultural ableism and his quest to help himself and others with differences understand they are not deficient. We hear the powerful story of Jonathan’s own mother and how she inspired him to reframe his language and his thinking about his differences. And Jonathan walks us through how systemic change can not only make our world more inclusive for people with differences, but through universal design, make things better for everyone.

You’ll want to listen to this episode with a pen and paper, prepare to rewind and listen again, and then get ready for a part two with Jonathan and my neurodivergent son Ryan. He’s off to college in the fall and eager to learn from Jonathan, not only about how he can thrive but also about how he can use his voice for advocacy and help make his university more inclusive for all.

I hope you enjoy this first of two with Jonathan Mooney and have a wonderful Father’s Day!

More About Jonathan:

Jonathan Mooney is a dyslexic writer and activist who did not learn to read until he was 12 years old. He is a graduate of Brown University and holds an honors degree in English Literature. At Brown, he became the co-founder of Project Eye-To-Eye, a widely duplicated mentoring program for disabled students. He is also a winner of the prestigious Truman Scholarship for graduate studies in creative writing and education and was a national finalist for the Rhodes scholarship.

Jonathan Mooney’s work has been featured in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, USA Today, HBO, NPR, ABC News, New York Magazine, The Washington Post, and The Boston Globe. A nationally recognized advocate for neurological and physical diversity, he’s been speaking across the nation about neurological and physical diversity for two decades, inspiring those who live with differences and calling for change. He has published three books: The Short Bus, Learning Outside the Lines, and Normal Sucks.

Connect with Jonathan:

• Website | jonathanmooney.com

• LinkedIn | Jonathan Mooney

• Twitter | @_JonathanMooney

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

• Gratitude for past podcast guest Julie Lythcott-Haims who introduced me and my neurodivergent son Ryan to Jonathan’s latest book and inspired this episode. 

• Jonathan's mission to help youth who are different not to feel deficient.

• How a response from Jonathan’s mother the day he was diagnosed inspired his book's title Normal Sucks.

• Jonathan's square peg in a round hole experience as a child, struggling with dyslexia and ADD, and how he changed his paradigm.

• The question Jonathan asks himself every day that helps him challenge the myth of human sameness as he parents his three boys.

• The heroic work of trying to extricate ourselves from our society's embedded institutionalized and cultural ableism.

• The problem with accommodation for some models and the power of accommodations for all approaches through universal design.

• Moving the onus of change from the individual to the system around us

• A story about Dave Cole, a fellow transfer student at Brown University, who taught Jonathan the power of being authentic. 

• Jonathan's commitment to building community pride for people who are neurodivergent and the organization Eye to Eye he co-created with Dave Cole in college with this mission.

• The letter Jonathan writes to his boys in his book that had me in tears as we closed the episode

• Stay tuned for a special Part Two conversation with Jonathan and Ryan, who is headed to university in the fall, about how to support neurodivergent students in college. 

Resources Mentioned:

• Jonathan’s Books and Normal Sucks: How to Live, Learn, and Thrive Outside the Lines

• Embracing Neurodiversity and Being an Adult with Julie Lythcott-Haims and Ryan Neale

• Ep 26: Surrender and Embracing Difference with Debbie Reber of TILT Parenting for “Differently-Wired” Kids

• Eye to Eye: A Mentoring, Advocacy, and Movement Building Organization by Jonathan Mooney

This Episode’s Challenge:

​​The judges of normality are present everywhere Jonathan says. Jonathan's journey of thriving came because somebody, Dave Cole, wouldn't fake being normal. Jonathan's challenge to us is to stop faking normal. Celebrate every day and in every person the power of different.

This Episode is dedicated by: Briary Harvey 

As a storyteller and systems witch for more than a decade, Briar has helped so many people figure out what their next step is, and how to take life as it comes. With her first book underway, she still continues to write about business, productivity, feminism, trauma, and mental health in her own little corner of the internet.

Connect with Briar:

• Website | briarharvey.com

• Facebook | Briar Harvey

• Instagram | @thebriarharvey

• LinkedIn | Briar Harvey

Mother’s Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

This week for Throwback Thursday, as so many of us went to the ballots to place our votes, I knew I wanted to reshare this episode with then Assemblymember and now California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

I also loved the dedication for this episode from Celia Ward Wallace who now is the co-founder of South LA Cafe.

Both Rob and Celia have families that are rooted in activism and community organizing and they both are finding new ways to use their gifts, talents and vision to make an impact.

I hope you enjoy this episode. I know you'll find lots of insights from listening.

About Rob:

From a young age, Rob saw and experienced firsthand how those with limited power and wealth were so frequently cheated and taken advantage of by those who hold both. With his parents teaching him that harm against one is a crime to all, Rob made the decision to become a public servant– serving justice for those that hailed from his circumstances.

Growing up and becoming a legislator, Rob rose to become a national leader on criminal justice issues and is the first Filipino-American to serve as California’s Attorney General.

Connect with Rob:

• Instagram | @robbonta

Dedicated by Celia Ward Wallace

Celia Ward-Wallace is a leading Business Coach and Consultant for Social Enterprises creating a business with an impact. She is an internationally recognized Empowerment, Entrepreneurship, and Leadership Expert. She leads her clients to start, launch, and grow purpose-driven businesses and become thought leaders through entrepreneurship, coaching, speaking, writing, community building, and activism.

Celia is also the co-owner of South LA Cafe a community coffee shop and cultural center, designed to build community through coffee, culture, and connection. She is also the co-owner of South LA Market which was created in a food justice effort to provide fresh, healthy, and affordable food to her South Central LA community. She is also the Co-CEO of the South LA Cafe Community Foundation, the 501c3 non-profit affiliate of South LA Cafe.


Learn more about South LA Cafe:

https://www.southlacafe.com/

From Original Show Notes

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

• The activist and public service seeds were planted in Rob and his siblings from his parents and Rob’s E.P.I.C. snapshop childhood memories in the presence of César Chávez and organizing for Mexican American Farmworkers’ rights.

• How Rob’s parents fled the Philippines for the security of the family before the Martial Law era of Ferdinand Marcos

• The way that Rob and his wife, Mialisa, make time for each child and share with their kids what they love and care

• The many causes Rob is championing in his role as Assemblymember.

• Rob’s position on the gravity of solving the problem of police violence in our country, an exploration of two new California bills aimed at reducing police violence, and the requests I made of Rob to go further in his commitment.

• How being in his home community restores and fulfills Rob and how his love of soccer, since the days that he served as captain of Yale’s Soccer team,  continues to be a way that Rob invests in his own well-being.

• Rob and Mialisa’s love story, how they continue staying together, and the extended family that supports them

• Rob’s awareness that this interview provided an opportunity to “Get off of the dance floor and onto the balcony” to survey the big picture and reflect

• What Rob really thinks is the enemy of democracy and his challenge for all of us

Full Episode Show Notes

Check out the full show notes from the original episode here: Ep 44: A Family Legacy of Service and Leadership with California Assemblymember Rob Bonta

Mother’s Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

This Throwback Thursday, in the wake of the recent horrific gun violence in Buffalo, Uvalde, and countless other cities across the country, I knew I needed to bring forward this special episode of the Mother’s Quest Podcast with mother, activist, and co-founder of the Trayvon Martin Foundation, Sybrina Fulton.

The tragic news has felt all the more real because I recently returned from Sybrina Fulton's Circle of Mothers Healing Retreat in Florida. I volunteered as an Ambassador for the second time since the original recording of this episode, alongside my sister Caren Lettiere, bringing Democracy Clothing jeans for each of the 70 mothers who came to find solidarity and empowerment among others who also lost a child to gun violence.

Together, we witnessed their tears and heard their stories. There are no words to describe the heartache that stays with them. But what brought Caren and I hope is that we also witnessed their resilience and their power. So many like Sybrina, have found ways to turn pain into purpose. They shouldn't need to do this. Or be expected to do this. But they do anyway.

In honor of Circle of Mothers, Caren and the Democracy team have been inviting customers to add on donations to any purchase to the Trayvon Martin Foundation at their website to support the event. I also had the opportunity to write a blog post featuring Sybrina's story of impact on the Democracy blog, linked here. 

I’m deeply committed to continuing to raise awareness and funds through a GoFundMe I set up years ago here. As we're all feeling helpless in the wake of continued violence, I encourage you to join me in listening to Sybrina’s story, reading the post linked above, and investing in the mothers impacted most by grief. They are also closest to forging a solution.

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

• What Sybrina wishes everyone would know about approaching a conversation with a mother who has lost a child.

• My then 14-year-old son’s question to Sybrina about what it feels like when your calling and the powerful work you’re doing is sparked by a tremendous loss.

• Why we need systemic and cultural change, and more awareness-raising conversations, to keep young people of color safe from racial profiling.

• The tragic death of Chinedu Okobi, an unarmed young black man who was tasered to death by San Mateo County deputies, just 20 minutes from my own home.

• The importance for grieving mothers to remember the things that they used to love and what Sybrina’s joyful outlet is

• The Circle of Mothers and how the idea to create it came to Sybrina in a dream.

• Sybrina’s challenge for all of us is to open our hearts and to reach out to mothers, across differences, who have lost their children to let them know we care.

• Why investing in mothers is the most powerful lever to impact gun control.

Original Episode Show Notes

Check out the full shownotes from the original episode here: Ep 55: From Grief to Advocacy and a Circle of Mothers with Trayvon Martin’s Mother Sybrina Fulton

Mother’s Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

Welcome back to another Throwback Thursday episode!

Hard to believe, but my oldest son Ryan is graduating from High School! So for this Thursday, I really wanted to bring back this first episode I ever recorded with him, at the milestone of his 13th birthday, just before his bar mitzvah. 

This revisited version also includes the speech Ryan wrote at his middle school graduation, where we spoke so openly about his challenges with feelings of depression and anxiety during that time in his life. I hope that Ryan being so open about how he was feeling also inspires you or anyone you may share this with to speak up this mental health awareness month, as we continue to break the stigma around getting help.

So join me today as we honor Ryan in celebrating his graduation and moving on to the next chapter of his life in college!

This Episode is Dedicated by: Dr. Monisha Vasa

Dr. Monisha Vasa is a board-certified addiction psychiatrist, in practice since 2008. Currently, she spends her time serving as a volunteer clinical faculty member at the UC Irvine School of Medicine, under the Department of Family Medicine. She helps in the training of medical students and is an active member in the Medical Humanities program— where she participates actively in utilizing literature to support medical education.

With Dr. Vasa treating an array of mental health disorders, anxiety disorders, and much much more, she uses her special training for the well-being of many people, believing in her philosophy that a comprehensive understanding of each individual takes time, empathy, and attention to give them the best treatment possible.

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

• Headstart, a special program for preschool-aged children from low-income communities that provides access to early childhood education
• The GATE Program (Gifted And Talented Education Program) national links and background information. Ryan participates in our local school district’s program.
• Divergent Series by Veronica Roth
• “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky
• Erik Newton, The Together Show
• Sports Illustrated Kid Reporter, a unique program Ryan has applied to which gives selected children ages 10 – 14 an opportunity to write and broadcast about sports
• UCLA Bruin Woods where I was a counselor in college and where we all go to “camp” each summer as a family

Full Episode Show Notes

Check out the full shownotes from the original episode here: Ep 18: YOLO (You Only Live Once) and other Milestone Reflections with Ryan Neale

Mother’s Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life.

Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C).

Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/