The Momcult Podcast

The girls sit down and vent with longtime friend and fellow parent-to-a-toddler, Nick Melidis. He shares with us the creative outlet he discovered during the pandemic and how much it’s helped him cope with the difficulties of parenting.

The girls sit down with Sarah’s mom, Dawn Parker, who is nothing short of fascinating. She shares wild stories from Sarah’s childhood and reflects on the passing of her son, Gene.

In honor of Mother’s Day, Sarah and Joy have on their own mothers. Joy’s is up first and you can call her Risty! She is the queen of chill, always down for quality time over a fun cocktail, and apparently hasn’t felt guilty a day in her life!

The girls are joined by the magnetic and hilarious, Traci Hilton. You would have no idea by her vibrant personality that Traci lost her husband one year ago this month. From the moment they met to when he took his final breath, Traci so tenderly and boldly, sweeps us along for the incredible ride that was her time with Brent.

Joy and Sarah sit down with best friend, art director and graphic designer, Mackenzie K Moore. We delve into the unspoken pressure of keeping work and home life separate.

Joy and Sarah are joined by indie-pop artist and songwriter Erin McCarley. We go deep into the process of piecing your identity back together after birth.

Therapy lesson of the day: Never have a fight over text!

The girls sit down with Joy’s long-time fellow thespian and improviser Margaret Patton French where we delve deeper into the trials, tribulations and joys of motherhood.

The girls are joined by Music Health Alliance founder and Sarah’s big sister, Tatum Hauck Allsep, who so graciously shares her story of strength amid adversity.

Des Stauffer shares with us her journey through denial and grief after discovering, around 20 weeks into her pregnancy, that her daughter Ivy’s cerebellum wasn’t developing at the typical rate. She shares how little help and preparation she received from the medical community and how her faith and her village make her day to day life possible. Now a mom of two (Lily 18, Ivy 8), Stauffer jumped in with us during the snowpocalypse (she lives in Michigan & would be unimpressed by TN’s winter vortex, but is kind enough not to make fun of our week out of school for a few inches) to talk a little about blended families, teenage oversharing, and share so much thoughtful, learned insight from her experience as a mom to Ivy, her wild, funny, neurodivergent, strong-willed, differently-abled, music-loving, extroverted, youngest daughter. Follow Momcult on Instagram @momcultpodcast.

extra inadequacy/shame/embarrassment over the holidays, Sara‘s trip to Michigan, joys Xmas letter, the pressure on creating the magic

Nothing about motherhood feeds your ego.

Tabitha One Tune shares her 3 week postpartum experience with a confinement nanny.

Joy and Sarah are stoked to be joined by the one and only Leigh Nash! You know her from her hit song “Kiss Me” by Sixpence none the Richer. She is currently on the road guesting for 10’000 Maniacs in attempts to survive being an empty-nester. Joy has to rearrange the nursery and Sarah is tired of being the bad cop.

The girls are joined by Lindsey Rhodes, a hot yoga instructor in East Nashville who walks us through her journey with IVF.

Joy, Sarah and Jenny are mixing things up this season! They are using this time as a “Mom Therapy” session where they can broach topics they are currently dealing with. Submit yours via Instagram!

Sarah and Joy sit down with singer-songwriter and musician Shelly Colvin, who walks us through the tragic day in May of 2020 when she almost lost her husband and son.

Liz describes herself as a chronic optimist . She tells the tales of her 5 natural, drug-free births that took place all over the US, one technically falling out in her shorts. Also she didn’t use baby wipes, in case you wanna feel shittier about yourself. No pun intended.

Joy and Sarah interview Trained Herbalist Leah Larabell, who shares with us what led her to be so passionate about nature and all it has to offer and opens up about her difficulty to conceive. She gives us some easy tips on how to prepare our immune systems for the winter.

Joy & Sarah are joined by their husbands for this year's Father’s Day special!! Sarah is grieving Parker’s 4th birthday and Joy is shoving down her feelings about Eva graduating 5th grade.

Joined once again by resident Momcult guru, Jenny Black, the girls rehash their discussion with elementary school principal, Kellee Akers. We touch on the illusion of balance and how to be helpful after a traumatic event.

Joy and Sarah are joined by Elementary School Principal, Kellee Akers. She is a mother to 3 teenagers and has been an urban school educator for 25 years so to say she’s gathered some tidbits about parenting along the way is an understatement. You won’t wanna miss this one!

Jenny shares her grief about losing her kids to the world's expectations once they started school and the struggle to learn how both you and your kids adapt and function within a new system.

The girls sit down with longtime friend, Stephanie Melidis Wilson to discuss the day to day juggling act we all perform and the importance of soaking in the sweet moments.

Sarah, Joy and Jenny sit down once again to talk through Emily’s visit. We learn a new significance of the song “Red, Red Wine” and did you know you can learn about yourself through your handwriting?

From fertility clinics to panic attacks to sperm donors, our lovely guest Emily Kopp speaks on how becoming a parent shifted her relationship with herself.

Jenny, Joy and Sarah talk more about anger and expectations. Jenny gets personal.

Joy and Sarah are joined by Caroline Locorriere, founder of Nashville Acting Studio and Joy’s acting teacher for the last 3 years. She shares with us about losing her own mother, swiftly followed by her divorce and the challenges of being a single parent to an only child.

The gang is back together to talk about our wonderful guest, Niko McCall and how it’s become harder than ever to lean in and trust our mothers intuition when it comes to our children’s curiosity about gender identity and sexual curiosity.

Joy and Sarah are joined by their first parent who is trans. Niko shares with us his story of discovering himself alongside becoming a mom.

Jenny is back and shares her admiration for Jessie. We spend more time discussing trauma, grief, and healing our inner child.

Once again, Joy and Sarah get to sit back down with Jessie Busbee and discuss life and motherhood after loss.

Joy and Sarah are joined by dear friend Jessie Busbee, who walks them through what it’s been like raising her 3 girls in the midst of losing her husband to Glioblastoma in 2019.

Sarah is working on managing her anxiety, Joy finds a new use for Jolly Ranchers and Jenny’s book is officially on Amazon!

Joy and Sarah sit down with Kate Mills to gab about her role as the mother of a blended family and how it felt sending her kiddos off to college recently.

Jenny has new hair and took a trip out west. Joy’s tooth fairy experience comes to a close (for now) and they discuss the generational pressure to “stay informed” while also trying to be present for our kids.

Joy and Sarah jump right in with long time friend, Andrea Fecht. Sarah talks about her visit to a psychic and Joy is tired of being the tooth fairy.

Joy and Sarah are joined by their first dad in honor of Father’s Day. Writer, director and actor, Jesse Santoyo is a single father to 3 boys. He shares with us the ups and downs from the other side of the aisle.

Jenny, Joy and Sarah discuss the stress of packing school lunches, the importance of who you get your advice from and motherhood as strength training.

Joy and Sarah interview their 1st pregnant mom, Katie Schecter! She talks about her crazy pregnancy dreams, swollen feet, and the illusion of feeling ready.

Jenny joins Sarah and Joy to swoon over the twins’ incredible story of true love. Jenny updates us on how her Ted Talk went.

Joy and Sarah sit down with Joy’s twin cousins who share their cancer and surrogacy journey with us.

Joy, Sarah and Jenny talk about the idea of the “right-sized” anger as well as some dirty-facting on the Buddhist concept of The Watcher and The Doer as it pertains to mom guilt.

Sarah and Joy are joined by nurse practitioner and mother of one, Haylee Young. They get into the difficulty of transitions, pushing boundaries, and the struggle of finding your way back to yourself after kids.

Licensed therapist Jenny Black joins to discuss the haziness of Mom Guilt and a hack for teach consequences.

Choreographer and more importantly Joy’s neighbor, Tyler shares her brief journey through IVF, her love of being pregnant, and the difficulty to remain creative as a mom let alone during a pandemic.

Joy and Sarah find themselves without marriage and family therapist Jenny Black but still manage to reflect on their chat with Caitlin Mello.

A single mom from day one, Caitlin Mello joins Sarah and Joy to share her unexpected journey into motherhood and how she’s continued to pave her own path ever since.

Discussing the Momcult episode with Julia Vega, all about processing grief, managing expectations and the fingerprints our moms leave behind on us.

Joy and Sarah talk with guest Julia Vega about the sudden loss of her mother and the new responsibilities she faces as the now legal guardian of her little sister.