In this episode, I sit down with the wonderfully multifaceted Stephanie Sprenger—a writer, podcaster, producer of live storytelling and comedy shows, and single mom to two teenage girls. Stephanie shares her journey from being an early childhood music therapist to reclaiming her identity as a writer, a path that led her to create vibrant communities for women to find and share their voices.

Our conversation dives deep into the power of storytelling as a form of self-mothering and community-building. Stephanie, the executive producer of Listen to Your Mother Boulder, explains why sharing honest, unfiltered stories about motherhood—complete with the guilt, ambivalence, and messy moments—is a radical act that combats isolation and challenges the myth of the perfect mom.

Stephanie also opens up about her late-in-life ADHD diagnosis, a revelation that occurred while writing her forthcoming memoir. She describes this discovery as finally getting the right "operating system manual" for her brain, allowing her to reframe her struggles with the practical demands of motherhood and embrace her strengths with newfound compassion. We also touch on her dive into the world of stand-up comedy as a form of healing and the importance of finding supportive, women-centered spaces to take creative risks.

You'll also hear about:

• (03:44) Stephanie’s career pivot from music therapy to writing and creating communities for women storytellers like the Her Stories Project and Listen to Your Mother.
• (09:34) Why sharing our honest, unfiltered stories is a crucial act of self-mothering that builds community and combats isolation.
• (10:25) The importance of being the "main character" in your own life, especially as a mother.
• (24:16) Stephanie’s journey to an adult ADHD diagnosis and how it helped her understand her experience of motherhood.
• (28:58) How her ADHD diagnosis felt like being a "lefty in a right-handed world" and finally getting the right operating system manual for her brain.
• (35:34) How hitting a wall as a solo single mom forced her to let go of the "do-it-all-yourself" code and embrace outsourcing.
• (41:53) Her experience using stand-up comedy as a healing tool, especially within the supportive "womb" of all-women comedy groups.

Join us for an inspiring conversation about reclamation, self-trust, and the profound freedom that comes from telling your own story, your own way.

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Learn more about Stephanie Sprenger

• Learn more on Stephanie's Website
• Connect with Stephanie on Linkedin
• Follow her on Substack at The Reclamation Era
• Listen to her podcast, Perry Normal
• Follow Stephanie on Instagram

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• Learn more on Dr. Gertrude’s

In this fascinating and vital episode, I speak with Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum - a neuroscientist, doula, infant and family sleep specialist, and author of The Nurture Revolution. Greer is leading a movement to revolutionize mental health by focusing on the profound impact of caregiving in the earliest stages of life. Her work combines cutting-edge neuroscience with the ancient wisdom of nurturing to empower parents and transform our world.

Our conversation begins with Greer’s own birth story and how the trauma of being separated from her mother planted the seeds for her life's work. We dive into the science that debunks long-held, harmful parenting myths, particularly the idea that you can "spoil a baby." Greer explains how early experiences create implicit memories that shape our brain circuitry for life and offers powerful insights into healing our own birth imprints. We also discuss how the act of mothering is a deeply transformative, neuroplastic experience for the parent, offering a unique opportunity for our own healing and growth.

You'll also hear about:

• (05:24) How Greer’s own traumatic birth experience—being separated from her mother for hours—became a powerful catalyst for her life's work.
• (08:26) Why the myth that "babies don't remember" is false, and how early experiences create implicit memories that shape our brains for life.
• (12:17) A powerful healing technique: re-imagining birth trauma to create a new, embodied sense of safety and trust.
• (26:32) The surprising and harmful origins of the "spoil your baby" myth and why science proves the opposite is true.
• (40:32) The "brain bath": How holding your baby releases a cocktail of beneficial neurochemicals for them and rewires your own brain for empathy and self-regulation.
• (48:36) Why modern mothers are disempowered by the loss of community modeling and what we can do to reclaim that wisdom.
• (51:36) The "Chrysalis" metaphor for early motherhood: a messy, gooey phase of transformation that allows you to emerge as a beautiful butterfly.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone who is a parent, plans to be one, or is on a journey to heal their own inner child.

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Learn more about Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum

• Learn more on Greer's Website
• Buy the book: The Nurture Revolution
• Follow Greer on Instagram
• Listen to the Spoil your baby Podcast

Follow Dr. Gertrude:

• Learn more on Dr. Gertrude’s website
• Follow Dr. Gertrude on Instagram
• Stay in the loop and sign up to Dr. Gertrude’s newsletter
• Order...

In this heartfelt episode, I sit down with my dear friend Joey McCune, a visionary entrepreneur, sacred space designer, and portal guide. Joey is the founder of the stunning Sound Healing Tulum and Cenote Sagrado sanctuary in the Yucatan jungle, as well as the leader of Sakred Journeys, a platform for transformative retreats to sacred sites around the world.

Our conversation centers on Joey's own journey of learning to receive care after years of being a constant giver and "mother" to others. She shares the powerful story of how she followed a channeled message to build a sound temple, the lessons she learned in trusting the universe during the pandemic, and what led her to a point where she knew her own cup was nearly empty. We explore the profound medicine of sisterhood, the bittersweet healing that can come from simple acts of care, and how allowing herself to be "mothered" on my Ireland retreat sparked a period of profound creative expansion in her own life.

You'll also hear about:

• (01:57) How a powerful channeled message in the middle of the night led Joey to sell everything and birth a sacred sound sanctuary in the Yucatan jungle.
• (04:49) Why Joey, a retreat leader herself, recognized her own cup was nearly empty and made the intentional choice to receive mothering.
• (09:45) The profound and bittersweet experience of being "tucked in" for the first time, and how this simple act revealed a deep mother wound.
• (15:12) The pattern of over-mothering her own children to fill a void from her childhood, and the sense of loss she felt when they left home.
• (17:50) How allowing herself to be filled up sparked a massive creative rebirth and expansion in her own life and work.
• (20:19) The realization that sisterhood is not just a support system, but a "divine puzzle piece" essential for self-mothering and spiritual evolution.
• (39:03) Joey's 20 years of dharma work leading sacred, transformative journeys through the temples of Egypt.

Join us for this beautiful exploration of what it means to be a creator, a mother, and a woman willing to be held, and discover why the act of receiving is just as sacred as the act of giving.

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Learn more about Joey McCune

• Follow Joey on Instagram
• Learn more about Joey's Retreats at Sakred Journeys
• Follow Sound Healing Tulum on Instagram

Follow Dr. Gertrude:

• Learn more on Dr. Gertrude’s website
• Follow Dr. Gertrude on Instagram
• Stay in the loop and sign up to Dr. Gertrude’s newsletter
• Order Dr. Gertrude’s new book “Rewrite the Mother...