If you’ve ever found yourself doing things that are supposed to feel joyful but still feeling disconnected, numb, or dissatisfied… you are not alone. In this episode of The Sparkle Project, we’re talking about what’s really blocking your joy in motherhood. Not surface-level advice. Not toxic positivity. The deeper patterns and misalignments that quietly shape your day-to-day experience.

Emily is exploring the difference between joy and happiness, how living out of alignment impacts your ability to feel joy, and five factors that may be blocking your own capacity for joy. From disconnection from self and others to guilt around not "enjoying every moment," you'll leave this episode with a clearer understanding of what's keeping you from experiencing real joy in motherhood.

You deserve to feel joy, and it is possible.

✨ Let’s keep the convo going:

Follow Emily on Instagram → @honestlyemilyrose
Follow the podcast on TikTok → @thesparkleprojectpod

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Motherhood reshapes everything: Your time, your body, your identity, and often the way you show up in the world. In this episode of The Sparkle Project, Emily sits down with personal stylist and founder of Shop the City, Sahra Brandt, for an honest conversation about personal style as a form of self-care, identity reclamation, and confidence for modern moms.

Together, they explore why getting dressed can feel so hard after kids, how the mental load of motherhood impacts style, and why moms deserve permission to dress like themselves not just “like a mom.”

In this episode, we explore:

• Why moms often lose themselves through clothing after kids
• How personal style supports identity shifts in motherhood
• The impact of the pandemic on how moms relate to style
• Practical ways to dress with intention, even in busy seasons
• Why self-care through style is not selfish

This conversation is for any mom who feels disconnected from her reflection, overwhelmed by her closet, or ready to reconnect with who she is beneath the roles she carries.

🔗 Connect with Sahra:

Instagram: @shop_the_city
TikTok: @shopthecitybysahra
Website: www.shopthe.city

✨ Let’s keep the convo going:

Follow Emily on Instagram → @honestlyemilyrose
Follow the podcast on TikTok → @thesparkleprojectpod

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If this episode encouraged you, share it with a fellow mom and leave a 5-star review!

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Motherhood changes everything, including how we see ourselves. But what happens when the role of “mom” starts to crowd out every other part of who you are? In this episode, Emily sits down with Dr. Nichelle Haynes, a perinatal psychiatrist, podcast host, and mom of two, to explore the connection between identity and mental health in motherhood. Together, they unpack why so many moms feel disconnected from themselves, how biology and society both play a role, and why reclaiming your identity is not selfish, but essential.

This conversation goes beyond surface-level self-care. Dr. Haynes explains how values, alignment, and intentional living can reduce guilt, ease anxiety, and help moms feel more grounded in their lives. They also discuss matrescence, the emotional labor of motherhood, and why “doing nothing” is sometimes exactly what your nervous system needs.

The episode explores:

• Why identity shifts are a normal part of motherhood
• The biological link between hormones, identity, and mental health
• How societal expectations contribute to burnout and overwhelm
• Letting go of guilt and redefining what matters to you
• Why supporting yourself supports your children too
• What it really means to be more than a mom

If you have ever felt like you lost yourself after becoming a mom, this episode will help you feel seen and offer a new way to think about who you are becoming.

🔗 Connect with Dr. Nichelle Haynes:

Instagram: @dr.nichellehaynes
Website: www.drnichellehaynes.com
Clinic Website: www.rpcaustin.com

✨ Let’s keep the convo going:

Follow Emily on Instagram → @honestlyemilyrose
Follow the podcast on TikTok → @thesparkleprojectpod

Subscribe + Review:
If this episode encouraged you, share it with a fellow mom and leave a 5-star review!

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Motherhood can feel especially heavy when the world feels unstable and life demands keep piling up. In this solo episode, Emily opens up about the emotional weight many moms are carrying right now and why self-compassion matters more than ever.

Rather than striving for perfection, Emily explores what it looks like to meet yourself with grace when parenting feels hard, when emotions run high, and when you are navigating challenges both personally and globally. She shares honest reflections from her own life as a single mom, and offers practical ways to shift from criticism to kindness.

This conversation is an invitation to release guilt, soften expectations, and remember that you are doing this version of motherhood for the very first time.

✨ Let’s keep the convo going:

Follow Emily on Instagram → @honestlyemilyrose
Follow the podcast on TikTok → @thesparkleprojectpod

Subscribe + Review:
If this episode encouraged you, share it with a fellow mom and leave a 5-star review!

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Have you ever wondered why motherhood feels heavier than you expected, even when you love your kids deeply? In this powerful conversation, Emily sits down with trauma therapist Leslie Santana to explore inner child healing and how unresolved childhood experiences can quietly impact patience, joy, emotional connection, and self-worth in motherhood.

This episode goes beyond coping strategies and productivity advice. It explores why so many mothers feel shame, guilt, and grief, and how reconnecting with your inner child can help you reclaim joy, emotional safety, and a deeper sense of self.

Leslie and Emily talk about:
• What inner child healing really is and why it matters in motherhood
• How childhood conditioning shows up in parenting triggers
• Why grief over what you did not receive deserves space
• How re-parenting yourself can break generational cycles
• Why joy and play are essential for both mothers and children

This conversation is for any mother who is healing, questioning old patterns, and ready to reconnect with the part of yourself that still knows how to feel alive. This conversation is for you.

🔗 Connect with Leslie:

Instagram: @leslieinsession
Website: www.leslieinsession.com

✨ Let’s keep the convo going:

Follow Emily on Instagram → @honestlyemilyrose
Follow the podcast on TikTok → @thesparkleprojectpod

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If this episode encouraged you, share it with a fellow mom and leave a 5-star review!

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Making mom friends can feel surprisingly lonely, awkward, and exhausting - especially when you're already stretched thin by motherhood. In this episode of The Sparkle Project, Emily is joined by Baily Hancock, connection strategist, mom of two, and creator of the Overlap Method, to talk about why building friendships as a mom feels so hard and what actually helps.

They explore why perfectionism blocks connection, how vulnerability changes everything, and what it really takes to move from surface-level mom friends to relationships that feel supportive and energizing. And it all starts with connecting inward.

The episode covers:

• Why making mom friends feels so hard
• The difference between surface-level mom friends and real connection
• Why being seen matters more than being put together
• Why aligned friendships leave you energized, not exhausted
• The role of self-connection in building authentic friendships

If you have ever felt alone at school drop-off or exhausted by friendships that do not truly fit, this episode is for you.

🔗 Connect with Baily:

Instagram: @bailyhancock
Website: www.overlapmethod.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bailyhancock

✨ Let’s keep the convo going:

Follow Emily on Instagram → @honestlyemilyrose
Follow the podcast on TikTok → @thesparkleprojectpod

Subscribe + Review:
If this episode encouraged you, share it with a fellow mom and leave a 5-star review!

Send us a text

Motherhood doesn’t have to mean losing yourself.

In this first episode of The Sparkle Project, Emily introduces the evolution of the podcast and the deeper conversations ahead about identity, mental health, fulfillment, and what it really takes to protect your sparkle in motherhood.

This episode explores why so many moms feel disconnected from who they are, how societal expectations shape our experiences, and why small, intentional changes can make a powerful difference. It’s not about becoming someone new, it’s about reconnecting with who you already are beneath it all.

If you’re navigating motherhood, divorce, identity shifts, or simply questioning whether there’s more for you, this episode sets the foundation for what’s to come.

✨ Let’s keep the convo going:

Follow Emily on Instagram → @honestlyemilyrose
Follow the podcast on TikTok → @thesparkleprojectpod

Subscribe + Review:
If this episode encouraged you, share it with a fellow mom and leave a 5-star review!

Send us a text

The Sparkle Project is a podcast for moms who are done carrying the weight of motherhood alone and are ready to connect with who they truly are - their sparkle, if you will.

So many of us feel overwhelmed not because we’re failing, but because we’re mothering inside systems that expect us to give endlessly, stay quiet, and lose ourselves in the process. This space challenges those outdated expectations and embraces a more empowered, more supported, more self-honoring version of motherhood.

Hosted by Emily Rose MacDonald, a divorced mom of two on her own journey to shine a little brighter, each episode explores the realities of modern motherhood through a lens that values equity, autonomy, mental health, and the humanity of moms.

You’ll hear conversations about identity, emotional labor, community care, mental health, healing, and the many ways we can reclaim ourselves in a world that often overlooks the needs of mothers.

If you’re a mom who believes we deserve more than survival, and that our culture has to evolve for moms to truly thrive, you’re in the right place.

Welcome to The Sparkle Project.

P.S. This podcast was formerly known as Worthy Mother Podcast, but has undergone a glow up!

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