The Great Equalizer

TGE Media

An honest, unfiltered, unapologetic and (at times) irreverent parenting and lifestyle podcast about the realities of being a mom (or dad!) in the 2020s. Launched in 2018 by journalist Sam Herbst and marketing maven Charlene Armstrong, this podcast aims to debunk the myth of “perfect parenting” through personal (and balanced) accounts of our mothering highs and lows all while tackling a host of relatable lifestyle topics. And – because we can hardly pretend to have our own sh*t together – our episodes often include interviews with experts who do. Our mission? A representative and inclusive parenting and lifestyle platform that strikes a realistic balance between celebration, commiseration and education, because motherhood and parenting is a complex beast and we shouldn't pretend otherwise. #nojudgies

  1. Episode 108 | Refiloe Moahloli on inner-child healing and South African stories that matter

    5 JAN

    Episode 108 | Refiloe Moahloli on inner-child healing and South African stories that matter

    Being around award-winning author Refiloe Moahloli is an immersive experience — one rooted in curiosity, childlike wonder, and deep respect for young people as whole and autonomous humans. In this episode of The Great Equalizer, we welcome back one of South Africa’s most beloved children’s book authors to chat about what it means to write from the inside out. Refiloe reflects on a transformative season of personal healing, creative renewal and gratitude. This is the season that shaped her latest book, How Many Ways Can You Say Thank You?, which is the third instalment in her celebrated trilogy (including How Many Ways Can You Say Hello? and How Many Ways Can You Say Goodbye?) which explores language, culture, connection and ubuntu.  Refiloe chats with Sam and Charlene about:  🖤 Honouring the inner child, 💛 Storytelling rooted in lived experience, 🖤 Raising grateful kids in an increasingly noisy world, 💛 Knowing yourself as the most radical form of validation. We also get some insight into some other books that Refiloe's been working on, like Dance to Your Own Beat and All That I Am (a collection of South African poems and nursery rhymes). She also chats about her upcoming early readers and gives us a sneak peek into the South African YA romance she's working on. 🎧 Whether you’re a parent, writer, educator, or simply someone navigating their own healing journey, this episode will inspire you in all the ways that only Refiloe Moahloli can. To this special guest: Thank you, dankie, ngiyabonga — and welcome back, you little firecracker 🧨 🎙️ Subscribe to TGE’s Current Read for more conversations with today’s most exciting authors: https://youtu.be/_X4-Lm7qGKg?si=9lQ5Y_YqbQWPlgox __ 🖤 LISTEN 💛 LIKE 🖤 SHARE 💛 (and let us know what you think of the episode!) #TheGreatEqualizer #RefiloeMoahloli #SouthAfricanAuthors #ChildrensLiterature #InnerChildHealing #GratitudePractice #Ubuntu #LocalStories #ParentingWithPurpose #WritingLife #AfricanStorytelling #KidsBooks #YAfiction #CreativeHealing #WomenInLiterature #SouthAfricanPodcasts

    1h 17m
  2. Episode 107 | MOTHERHOOD & MURDER PLOTS! Author Katherine Faulkner on writing and raising kids

    25/11/2025

    Episode 107 | MOTHERHOOD & MURDER PLOTS! Author Katherine Faulkner on writing and raising kids

    On this episode of The Great Equalizer, hosts Sam and Charlene sit down with bestselling author Katherine Faulkner: journalist-turned-novelist and the mind behind Greenwich Park, The Other Mothers, and her latest psychological thriller, The Break In. After a decade as an investigative journalist and editor, Katherine has become one of the sharpest voices in modern domestic suspense – a master at throwing “ordinary women into extraordinary, what-would-you-do situations” (as deftly put by author Abigail Dean). In this episode, we chat about: 🖤 Katherine’s transition from newsroom to novelist life 🤍 The short story inspiration behind The Break In   🖤 The intersection of motherhood, domesticity and danger evident in Katherine’s work 🤍 The psychology of safety, secrecy and suspense within the home 🖤 How Katherine manages to write while raising two kids (spoiler alert: with difficulty!) About the book: The Break In follows a London mother who kills an intruder in self-defence, only to find that nothing about the man, or her own life, is as it seems. A chilling, twist-filled exploration of guilt, privilege, and how well we really know the people closest to us. 🎙️ Subscribe to TGE’s Current Read for more conversations with today’s most exciting authors: https://open.spotify.com/show/0t7nFSaRvJlpot09GwQtkd?si=8b5298e3c474465c __ 🖤 LISTEN 💛 LIKE 🖤 SHARE 💛 (and let us know what you think of the episode!) __ #KatherineFaulkner #TheBreakIn #DomesticThriller #PsychologicalThriller #MumNoir #BookPodcast #CrimeFiction #CurrentRead #TGERadio #BookLovers #AuthorInterview #WomenWriters #BookTube #ReadingCommunity #SuspenseFiction #TheOtherMothers #GreenwichPark

    1h 3m
  3. Episode 106 | GOOD ENOUGH MOTHERING with psychoanalyst Andy Cohen

    22/08/2025

    Episode 106 | GOOD ENOUGH MOTHERING with psychoanalyst Andy Cohen

    In a world with heightened expectations on parents to perform, is “good enough” mothering really a good thing?    On this episode of The Great Equalizer, we welcome Joburg-based psychoanalyst and mom of two Andy Cohen.   Andy talks us through parenting in the world’s current pressure cooker, giving us some insight into why people are suddenly so psychologically triggered when they become parents.   We chat about Andy’s new book, Parenting Psychoanalysed: Letters to a Parent, which includes letters from 39 analysts across the world, as well as a letter from Andy herself.   Leaning into the intersectionality of parenting and psychology, Andy tells us why she thinks parents were the world’s first psychoanalysts, also expanding on renowned paediatrician and psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott’s theory of “good enough mothering”.   Watered down over the years through the filters of social media, this is a concept that seems to have been misconstrued. Winnicott’s theory, however, is a golden thread that weaves its way throughout Andy’s book.   And so, in this insightful episode of The Great Equalizer, we unpack why it’s so crucial for mothers and fathers not to strive for perfection in parenting.   Join the conversation and, as always, please let us know what you think of the episode 🫶🏼   🖤 LISTEN 💛 LIKE 🖤 SHARE 💛 SUBSCRIBE  __ #ParentingPodcast #Psychoanalysis #ConsciousParenting #ParentingJourney #MentalHealthAndParenting#ParentingSupport #FamilyWellbeing #ParentingInsights __ Did you enjoy this episode? Then don’t miss a previous TGE interview with marriage and family therapist Bryana Kappadakunnel, founder of the Conscious Mommy community and author of Parent Yourself First (a book about raising confident, compassionate kids by becoming the parent you wish you’d had): https://youtu.be/0d176c86HSc?si=wYDVffQWiTuCppbQ

    1h 13m
  4. Episode 105 | FOOD FOR MENOPAUSE with Dr Linia Patel

    02/07/2025

    Episode 105 | FOOD FOR MENOPAUSE with Dr Linia Patel

    On this very special episode of The Great Equalizer, Sam and Charlene are joined LIVE by world-leading dietitian and performance nutritionist Dr Linia Patel. With a BSc in Biochemistry and Physiology from the University of Cape Town, Dr Linia found her groove in Nutrition and Dietetics, adding to her already impressive resume a Master’s degree in Sports Nutrition and a PhD in Public Health and Epidemiology. Born and bred in Zambia, with a home in Italy and an office in London, it was such a privilege to catch Dr Linia in Johannesburg for an intimate sit-in conversation, together with our very first live audience. A variety of women aged 20 to 60 gathered for a great discussion, and one thing we all had in common was TIME (or a lack thereof). As a busy woman herself, Dr Linia understood the assignment, collating all her wisdom and insight on eating for wellness in womanhood. All this advice has now been published in a new book called Food for Menopause – a guide to feeding our body with the best nutrition on a time-poor budget. Tune in to this episode to hear more about Dr Linia's dual passions for food and women’s health. Learn more about how food supports your wellbeing as a woman (especially as you age). Listen to what this expert nutritionist  has to say about protein, weight gain, calorie-restrictive diets, poor body image, and a ‘strong vs skinny’ mindset as we dive into a thriving mid-life. __  🖤 LISTEN 💛 LIKE 🖤 SHARE 💛 SUBSCRIBE And tell us what you think of the episode 🫶🏽  _ #perimenopause #menopause #womenshealth #menopausesupport #menopausesymptoms #menopausehealth #menopauserelief #womenover #hormones #over #perimenopausehealth #hormonebalance #menopauseawareness #menopausematters #midlifewomen #hormonehealth #postmenopause

    59 min

  5. 03/06/2025

    Episode 104 | PARENT YOURSELF FIRST! with Conscious Mommy's Bryana Kappadakunnel

    Joining hosts Sam and Charlene on this bonus episode of The Great Equalizer (originally broadcast on TGE's Current Read) is licensed marriage and family therapist – and founder of the popular Conscious Mommy community – Bryana Kappadakunnel.Bryana’s book, Parent Yourself First, gives readers a look into how your upbringing is probably impacting your parenting style in ways you don't even fully recognise: from how you manage your own emotions to how you connect with your kids in their vulnerable moments. According to Bryana, the secret to successful parenting is to unlearn the wounded patterns you grew up with and create new ways to connect with your child. As the book acknowledges, many of us did not have a perfect childhood. BUT, through intentionality and mindfulness, this powerhouse therapist and conscious parenting expert has helped many caregivers transform into the parent they were always meant to be.Bryana has condensed more than a decade's worth of knowledge into a reference book jam-packed with personal parenting stories, relatable anecdotes, and a user-friendly toolkit to mindful parenting.Join us on a wild ride of self discovery and inner child healing, which was much more emotional (in a good way!) than we anticipated.__🖤 LISTEN 💛 LIKE 🖤 SHARE 💛 SUBSCRIBEAnd tell us what you think of the episode 🫶🏽__#consciousparenting #consciousparent #parentingpodcast #innerchild #innerchildhealing #innerchildwounds #shadowwork #motherhood #parentingpodcast #booktube #parentingbooks #motherwound #consciousmommy

    1h 11m
  6. BONUS | ALL THE OTHER MOTHERS HATE ME! with author Sarah Harman

    10/04/2025 · BONUS

    BONUS | ALL THE OTHER MOTHERS HATE ME! with author Sarah Harman

    On this BONUS episode of The Great Equalizer, Sam and Charlene interview Sarah Harman, author of the most anticipated reads of 2025, so named by Readers Digest, Publishers Weekly, The Sunday Times Style, Time Magazine and Marie Claire. A satirical domestic thriller, All the Other Mothers Hate Me follows single mother and washed-up former girl-band singer Florence Grimes, who slums around London spending dwindling royalty checks on elaborate nail art. That is, until school bully Alfie Risby, the 10-year-old heir to a frozen food empire, mysteriously vanishes on a class trip. The bigger problem? Florence’s son Dylan is high on the list of suspects and, on the day of Alfie’s disappearance, Florence finds the missing boy's backback – and a journal with some incriminating diary entries – under Dylan’s bed. A sardonic ode to modern motherhood, All the Other Mothers Hate Me won the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize in 2023 and generated significant buzz at the 2023 Frankfurt Book Fair. It wasn’t long before the book was optioned for a television adaptation, with the rights secured by Christopher Storer, creator of award-winning dark comedy series The Bear. Sarah Harman is a recovering journalist living in London with over a decade of experience in breaking major news around the world. Most recently, Sarah was a foreign correspondent for NBC News, where she reported from five continents for Today, MSNBC and Nightly News. Sarah shares more about her journey to becoming a writer, moments in her life where "all the other mothers" have hated her, and a moment of invisibility that made it into the book. We also chat about who we think might be a perfect on-screen fit for some of Harman's characters, and what we really think about mother-focused MLM schemes... Gang's all here! We're just waiting for you 😉😏 __ 🖤 LISTEN 💛 LIKE 🖤 SHARE 💛 SUBSCRIBE And tell us what you think of the episode 🫶🏽 __ #authorinterviews #debutnovel #currentread #motherhood #parentingpodcast #booktube TV Adaptation · Sarah's Debut Success · Why I Hid My Child to Keep My Dream Job · Watch us on You Tube

    49 min
  7. Episode 103 | MENSTRUATION! Unpacking periods and menstrual health as moms

    18/03/2025

    Episode 103 | MENSTRUATION! Unpacking periods and menstrual health as moms

    On this episode of The Great Equalizer we're spilling all the tea on Aunt Flo with a full episode on first periods, menstrual health, and talking to our kids about Shark Week (starting with anatomically correct terminology, of course 😉) We're finally pulling the plaster on a topic that we've always wanted to cover, and one that we feel especially passionate about as women and mothers. We're talking about our very first cycles, how we navigated periods as teens and young women, and how we've chosen to approach menstruation with our children (regardless of gender). There may or may not be a debate about scrotums vs ball sacks, but you're going to have to tune in to see what that's all about 😆 We'd love to HEAR from you too! Talk to us in the comments, or send us a VN via email or socials: 🩸 What was your first period experience? 🩸 How have you tackled this topic with your sons and daughters"? 🩸 Comment 'FLOW' and we'll DM you a link to the episode. LET'S KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING AND FLOWING... 😏 info@thegreatequalizer.co.za __ #periods #menstruation #menstruationmatters #periodpoverty #parentingpodcast #periodtalk __ This episode was produced as part of Podcasthon, the world's largest podcast charity initiative that brings international podcasters together each year for a cause of their choice. This year, our charity of choice is The MENstruation Foundation, a nonprofit organisation that fights period poverty and gives women dignity. Over the next six months The Great Equalizer will be donating R240/month to The MENstruation which sets up a total of 12 schoolgirls with all the sanitary support that they need for a year. This is such a small drop in the ocean of 7-million South African women who miss school university, sport and work for days at time every month, but in putting our money where our mouth is, we hope to inspire some of our listeners to join us in support of The MENstruation Foundation. Together, let's play a significant role in fighting period poverty across South Africa. __ 🖤 LISTEN 💛 LIKE 🖤 SHARE 💛 SUBSCRIBE And tell us what you think of the episode 🫶🏽 __ NB Links: https://podcasthon.org https://menstruation.foundation https://blushproof.co.za My Sexual Health Seminars: 🩸What Te enage Girls Should Know About Menstrual Sexual Health with Siv Ngesi and Dr Elna Rudolph: https://mysexualhealth.co.za/products/my-sexual-health-webinar-what-teenage-girls-should-know-about-menstrual-sexual-health-with-siv-ngesi-and-dr-elna-rudolph-sponsored-by-femagene?_pos=1&_psq=menstrua&_ss=e&_v=1.0 🩸 Revolutionising Period Health with Lara Briden and Dr Elna Rudolph: https://mysexualhealth.co.za/products/msh-webinar-revolutionising-period-health-with-lara-briden-and-dr-elna-rudolph?_pos=1&_psq=period&_ss=e&_v=1.0 Podcasthon · The MENstruation Foundation · Blushproof: Period Kits · What Teenage Girls Should Know About Menstrual Sexual Health with Siv Ngesi and Dr Elna Rudolph · Revolutionising Period Health with Lara Briden and Dr Elna Rudolph · Watch us on You Tube

    1h 1m
  8. Episode 102: TRADWIVES! and professional girlfriends (the #nojudgies deep dive)

    11/12/2024

    Episode 102: TRADWIVES! and professional girlfriends (the #nojudgies deep dive)

    From Nara Smith to Ballerina Farm, social media goers worldwide have been captivated by #TradWives. This is a growing trend of women choosing homemaking and traditional gender roles rather than having a career or earning an income independent of their partners. But what does that economic dependence on men cost women? On this episode of The Great Equalizer, we take a deep dive into the world of #Tradwives, stay-at-home moms, and 'professional girlfriends', and we consider the potential impact of this trend on a woman's freedom. As always, we do our best to opt for a #nojudgies approach. We acknowledge that each woman is entitled to her own lifestyle approach. However, we also want to look at these issues holistically, and consider several facets that contribute to the matter in different ways. Some of these factors include the privilege of choice, equality in a household and personal preference. We also consider that gender-based violence is a scourge in South Africa, and might be dangerously perpetuated when a victim of GBV is at a physical, emotional and financial disadvantage. Are you a Tradwife, or a stay-at-home mom (bearing in mind that the two are not the same thing)? Have you dabbled in the world of professional girlfriends? We want to hear from you! #tunein #like #share #comment #subscribe And let's keep talking! News24 | A day in the life of a stay-at-home girlfriend · New Yorker | The Rise and Fall of the Trad Wife · The Times | My day with the trad wife queen and what I really think of her · The Cut | Ballerina Farm Hannah Neeleman culture war response · Watch us on You Tube

    1h 16m
See All (128)

About

An honest, unfiltered, unapologetic and (at times) irreverent parenting and lifestyle podcast about the realities of being a mom (or dad!) in the 2020s. Launched in 2018 by journalist Sam Herbst and marketing maven Charlene Armstrong, this podcast aims to debunk the myth of “perfect parenting” through personal (and balanced) accounts of our mothering highs and lows all while tackling a host of relatable lifestyle topics. And – because we can hardly pretend to have our own sh*t together – our episodes often include interviews with experts who do. Our mission? A representative and inclusive parenting and lifestyle platform that strikes a realistic balance between celebration, commiseration and education, because motherhood and parenting is a complex beast and we shouldn't pretend otherwise. #nojudgies

Information

  • Creator
    TGE Media
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    128
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © TGE Media
  • Show Website
    The Great Equalizer