Mama Making Podcast

Jessica Lamb
  • 5.0 (20)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Weekly

The Mama Making Podcast is a space for moms making impact - in their communities, in their work, and in the everyday spaces that shape the world. Hosted by Jessica Lamb, this show features honest conversations with women building, leading, creating, and mothering in ways that ripple outward. Each week brings a mix of solo reflections, expert interviews, and real stories from moms navigating growth in every season — from pregnancy and postpartum to leadership, entrepreneurship, advocacy, and beyond. Because motherhood doesn’t pause growth. It often reshapes it.

  1. 4d ago ·  Video

    Lauren Dewey | Infertility, Loss, Postpartum, and Everything In Between: The Story Behind Brooksy Box

    What do you give someone when you don't know what to say?  In this episode, Jessica sits down with Lauren Dewey — mom of two boys, former corporate sales leader, and founder of Brooksy Box — a curated care package company serving women at every stage of the motherhood journey: infertility, baby loss, pregnancy, the NICU, postpartum, and beyond. Lauren shares her nearly three-year infertility journey before IVF, the corporate layoff that forced a pivot, the rocking chair moment at 2 a.m. that made the decision clear, and why empathy — once labeled a weakness in corporate — became the foundation of everything she's built. This one is for the moms who needed someone to show up — and for everyone who wanted to but didn't know how. MAIN TOPICS COVERED Lauren's three-year infertility journey before conceiving her first son Brooks via IVFWhy COVID was unexpectedly a gift — giving her the space to be home for treatments and appointmentsThe identity of "climbing the corporate ladder" and what happened when motherhood shifted her entire perspectiveThe corporate layoff that became the unlikely catalyst for Brooksy BoxThe rocking chair moment at 2 a.m. that made the decision clear: she didn't want to be in a hotel roomHow a sister-in-law's postpartum care basket changed everything she thought about giftingWhy the path to motherhood is not linear — and why her boxes had to reflect thatThe full suite of Brooksy Boxes: infertility, baby loss, pregnancy, morning sickness, NICU, postpartum, and mama and baby miniWhat goes into every box: clean ingredients, no hormone disruptors, women-owned small businessesThe practical and pretty philosophy — why the aesthetic matters as much as the contentsMoving from direct to consumer into B2B with healthcare practices and corporate companiesThe emotional weight of the baby loss and infertility boxes — and why empathy keeps her goingWhat's coming next: the deluxe mama and baby box designed for corporate giftingThe full circle moments: following customers from loss to infertility to pregnancy to postpartumHOW TO CONNECT WITH LAUREN DEWEY Website: https://brooksybox.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brooksyboxAlso on TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest, and LinkedIn (Lauren Dewey — founder)This episode is sponsored by Collabs Creative - a boutique digital marketing company helping small business owners and creatives tell their story. Follow The Mama Making Podcast on socials on Instagram and Facebook! Share and subscribe to the podcast: click this link Watch on YouTube: Click here!

  2. Sep 16

    Michele Clark | From Preschool to Springfield: One Mom's Path from Business Owner to State Senate Candidate

    What happens when the person closest to the problems decides to go fix them?  In this episode, Jessica sits down with Michele Clark — former early childhood learning center owner, director of development for the D300 Food Pantry, and candidate for Illinois State Senate in the 33rd district. Michele talks about 11 years of running a preschool while raising her own children, what she learned about childcare costs and deserts from behind the curtain, her work with Boys and Girls Clubs during COVID, and why she decided the next door to walk through was Springfield. This one is for every mom who has ever thought: somebody should do something about that — and maybe that somebody is me. MAIN TOPICS COVERED Growing up in a family business household — and how early entrepreneurship shaped her pathLeaving corporate sales to start a preschool when her daughters were four and a half and one year oldWhy childcare is so expensive — and what running a center for 11 years taught her about the system from the insideChildcare deserts across Illinois and why families are being forced to choose between career and childrenWhat happened to families during the 2008 housing crash — and what she witnessed firsthandCOVID and opening 13 emergency learning centers across four school districts with Boys and Girls ClubsBuilding relationships with legislators through nonprofit work — and how one of them tapped her to runBecoming campaign manager for a state house representative and what it taught herWhy District 33 became an open seat and how Michele decided to runHer platform: childcare, youth development, equal opportunity for kids from every zip codeWhat she's hearing at the door: affordability, SNAP benefits, Medicaid, and families hanging on by a threadWhy Illinois has one of the highest percentages of mothers in the General Assembly — and why it mattersHow to get involved: volunteer, host a coffee, canvass, become an election judgeElection Day November 3rd, early voting September 24thHer ask: if you're in District 33, she's coming to your doorHOW TO CONNECT WITH MICHELE CLARK Website: https://micheleforilsenate.com/District 33 covers: Crystal Lake (north) through St. Charles and Geneva (south), Kane County, McHenry County, and DuPage CountyTo vote or get voting info: Kane County Clerk's officeElection Day: November 3rd | Early voting: September 24thWays to support: postcard writing, door knocking, hosting a neighborhood coffee, becoming an election judgeThis episode is sponsored by Collabs Creative - a boutique digital marketing company helping small business owners and creatives tell their story. Follow The Mama Making Podcast on socials on Instagram and Facebook! Share and subscribe to the podcast: click this link Watch on YouTube: Click here!

  3. Sep 10

    Catherine Walsh | Beautiful, Comfortable, and Functional: How Holly Rose Co is Redefining Postpartum Fashion

    What if getting dressed postpartum didn't feel like a battle with your own body? In this episode, Jessica sits down with Catherine Walsh — mom of three under four, trained doula, and founder of Holly Rose Co. — a Canadian brand creating locally made, organic cotton breastfeeding clothing that is comfortable, beautiful, and functional all at once. Catherine shares the body image journey that sparked the idea, the winding road from overseas manufacturing samples to finding local seamstresses she could trust, and why she believes that dressing well postpartum is one of the first acts of self-care most new moms forget to give themselves. This one is for every mom who has ever stood at her closet and felt defeated. MAIN TOPICS COVERED Growing up knowing she just wanted to be a mom — and the three back-to-back pregnancies that changed her wardrobe and her business ideaGaining 50 pounds in her first pregnancy and navigating the closet dread so many postpartum moms knowWhy she wanted clothing that was comfortable, beautiful, AND functional — and how hard it was to find all threeThe long road from overseas manufacturing samples to finding local Canadian seamstresses she could trustOrganic cotton, GOTS and OEKO-TEX certifications, and why fabric quality matters for postpartum bodiesThe iteration process: changing zipper placement, adding pockets, adjusting for bigger busts during breastfeedingWhat her customers say about feeling beautiful and comfortable at the same timeWhy she designed the breastfeeding opening to be simple — and how her own difficult breastfeeding journey with her first shaped that decisionDoula training, a love of birth, and the dream of becoming a midwife somedayScrap fabric reuse: scrunchies and minimalist quilted diaper bags made from fabric remnantsWhat's coming: new summer styles in GOTS-certified green gingham and OEKO-TEX certified yellow floralWhere to find Holly Rose Co and how Catherine helps customers find their sizeRESOURCES MENTIONED GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) — certification for organic fiber content in textilesOEKO-TEX Standard 100 — certification testing for harmful chemicals in textilesHOW TO CONNECT WITH CATHERINE WALSH Website: https://hollyroseco.ca/Instagram: @hollyrose_co https://www.instagram.com/hollyrose_co/This episode is sponsored by Collabs Creative - a boutique digital marketing company helping small business owners and creatives tell their story. Follow The Mama Making Podcast on socials on Instagram and Facebook! Share and subscribe to the podcast: click this link Watch on YouTube: Click here!

  4. Sep 2

    Katrina Ostmeyer | More Than a Diagnosis: How Beyond the Individual is Changing the Way We Support Neurodivergent Kids and Families

    What does it look like to build a practice from the ground up — not to fit the system, but to actually serve the people in front of you?  In this episode, Jessica sits down with Katrina Ostmeyer, licensed psychologist, board certified behavior analyst, mom of two neurodivergent kids, and founder of Beyond the Individual. From a difficult pregnancy and a preterm birth that shifted her entire trajectory, to building a practice that serves children, families, and schools across complex behavioral and mental health presentations, Katrina brings the expertise of a researcher, the honesty of someone who has made every mistake, and the heart of a mom who knows firsthand what families navigating neurodivergence actually need. This is a conversation about doing things differently — and why it matters. MAIN TOPICS COVERED Katrina's winding path from pre-med to research psychologist to nonprofit director to private practice founderHow a difficult pregnancy and preterm birth shifted her priorities from academia to family and communityMaking her own PhD internship to get back to Kansas City — and what it taught her about forging your own pathLeading a not-for-profit expanding autism services in Kansas — and why quality versus scale became a values conflictStarting Beyond the Individual with a van, no plan, and a willingness to figure it outOpening a brick and mortar clinic in July 2020 — and everything that happened nextExpanding to multiple locations, then pulling back — what she learned from scaling too fastThe decision to leave the insurance model behind and serve a niche, complex populationJoining the University of Kansas as associate faculty — and the three most successful years of the businessLeaving academia again to return to Beyond the Individual full timeThe transdiagnostic approach — what it means and why specialty diagnoses miss the full personHow Beyond the Individual works across home, school, and community systemsSupporting parents of neurodivergent kids: acceptance commitment therapy, emotion regulation, and advocacyThe birth to five program (Beyond Beginnings) — why early intervention is paramountServices available across 44 statesHOW TO CONNECT WITH KATRINA OSTMEYER  Website: http://beyondtheindividual.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/beyondtheindividual/Services available across 44 statesThis episode is sponsored by Collabs Creative - a boutique digital marketing company helping small business owners and creatives tell their story. Follow The Mama Making Podcast on socials on Instagram and Facebook! Share and subscribe to the podcast: click this link Watch on YouTube: Click here!

  5. Aug 26

    Courtney Naliboff | Confident, Sloppy, and Loud: Motherhood, Punk Music, and the Postpartum Recovery Guide You Actually Need

    What if the book you needed in postpartum didn't exist — so you wrote it yourself?  In this episode, Jessica sits down with Courtney Naliboff — writer, teacher, EMT, musician, and co-author of Your Postpartum Body: The Complete Guide to Healing After Pregnancy — for a conversation about refusing to lose yourself in motherhood, processing identity through punk music, and the postpartum information gap that prompted her to do something about it.  From living and parenting on a remote Maine island to starting a feminist post-riot punk band at 37 to writing the book she desperately needed after her own birth experience, Courtney is living proof that becoming a parent doesn't have to erase any part of who you are. MAIN TOPICS COVERED Moving to North Haven Island at 24 — and the challenges of building identity in a condensed, fish-bowl communityBecoming a parent nine years into island life — and how it expanded and contracted her world simultaneouslySix weeks of maternity leave, a half-year sabbatical, and why she was so ready to go back to workNursing with one arm and typing a memoir with the other — what intentional creative identity looks like in early motherhoodHow she found community on the island through shared parenthoodStarting Bait Bag — a feminist post-riot punk band — at 37, in 2018, because she had a lot of anger to processWhat modeling creative expression and collaboration means for her daughterThe song "Tear Me in Two" — and the chorus that became the seed of a book: nobody told meThe postpartum information gap — pelvic floor, bladder changes, returning to running, and everything nobody explainsCo-writing Your Postpartum Body with pelvic health PT Ruth MacyHow a summer-resident literary agent changed the trajectory of the projectThe book's core thesis: centering the postpartum person regardless of gender or parenting statusToxic productivity culture, body image pressure, and why so much postpartum experience is still hush-hushCourtney's current diagnosis — breast cancer, curative treatment, great prognosis — and her Substack Mud PuppyHOW TO CONNECT WITH COURTNEY NALIBOFF Book: Your Postpartum Body — available at Amazon, Bookshop.org, and wherever books are sold (https://bookshop.org/p/books/your-postpartum-body-the-complete-guide-to-healing-after-pregnancy-courtney-naliboff/a8bd729776629857)Substack: Mud Puppy — courtneynaliboff.substack.comInstagram / Threads / Facebook: @chnaliboffBait Bag Instagram: @baitbagtheband https://www.instagram.com/baitbagtheband/Bandcamp: baitbag.bandcamp.com | Streaming everywhere except SpotifyDeery Band Instagram: @deeryband https://www.instagram.com/deeryband/This episode is sponsored by Collabs Creative - a boutique digital marketing company helping small business owners and creatives tell their story. Follow The Mama Making Podcast on socials on Instagram and Facebook! Share and subscribe to the podcast: click this link Watch on YouTube: Click here!

  6. Aug 19

    Ashley Wall | The Publishing House Built on Purpose: Equity, Adventure, and Books for Every Child

    What does it take to build a children's publishing house rooted in imagination, equity, and purpose — while raising two kids and learning the industry from scratch?  In this episode, Jessica sits down with Ashley Wall, founder of Mama Bear Books and award-winning children's author, to talk about the books she was called to write, the under-resourced classrooms that shaped her mission, how she found balance between purpose and profit, and why she believes every child deserves a book that sees them. From screen time to storytelling, from math teacher to publisher, this conversation is for every mom who has a big idea and hasn't quite let herself go for it yet. MAIN TOPICS COVERED Ashley's journey from middle school math teacher to stay-at-home mom to children's publisherWhy imagination is the foundation of innovation, confidence, and change — and what happens when kids don't have itThe under-resourced classrooms that shaped Ashley's mission around equity and accessPartnering with the Barbara Bush Foundation to get books into the hands of kids who need themScreens vs. books — what Ashley has observed, and the practical advice she gives to parentsHow she found balance between purpose-driven mission and business sustainabilityWhat happened when the business started consuming her — and how she pulled backBatching work, setting hours, and involving her kids in the business in age-appropriate waysBuilding a publishing house as a co-founder with her husband — and how they keep family and business separateThe Day I Had series, Vix's Balloons, and the Wildflower Girls chapter book seriesAshley's mission to build confidence in girls through the Wildflower Girls initiativeWhere to find Mama Bear Books — Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Target, and local storesRESOURCES MENTIONED Puddle Jumpers — parenting book on raising leadership and confidence in kids, recommended by AshleyBarbara Bush Foundation — literacy nonprofit Ashley partners with to get books to kids in needHOW TO CONNECT WITH ASHLEY WALL Website: https://www.mamabearbooks.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mamabear_books/Books available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Target, and local bookstores https://www.mamabearbooks.com/collections/all-booksThis episode is sponsored by Collabs Creative - a boutique digital marketing company helping small business owners and creatives tell their story. Follow The Mama Making Podcast on socials on Instagram and Facebook! Share and subscribe to the podcast: click this link Watch on YouTube: Click here!

  7. Aug 12 ·  Video

    Erica Bunton | The App Every Pregnant Woman Needs: Nutrition, Food Safety, and Making Healthy Eating Simple

    What if you could scan any food in any grocery store and instantly know whether it's safe for where you are in your pregnancy?  In this episode, Jessica sits down with Erica Bunton — co-founder of Good Roots, a pregnancy nutrition app backed by FDA, CDC, and ACOG data — to talk about the app she built after her own scary prenatal health scare, the statistic about Black women and childbirth complications that drove her mission, and how Good Roots is helping pregnant and postpartum women make more informed, confident nutrition choices — from the family dollar store to their home kitchen.  This one is equal parts health education and entrepreneurship story, and every mom planning or expecting a baby needs to hear it. MAIN TOPICS COVERED Erica's background in pharmaceutical and medical device sales — and how it shaped her approach to healthcarePassing out during her first trimester in Denver — discovering severe anemia she didn't know she hadThe statistics about Black maternal mortality and preventable complications that drove her to actWhat Good Roots is — a pregnancy nutrition app that lets users scan any barcode for gestational safety scoresHow the app works: scanning packaged goods, generating recipes, building grocery lists, and allergen flaggingWhy the app is built on FDA, CDC, and ACOG data — and why that mattersServing women in under-resourced areas — how the app helps people make better choices anywhere food is availableHow Good Roots is being used by OBGYNs, doulas, and private practices as a between-appointment resourceThe pivot from wearables to nutrition — and what providers taught her about what women actually needThree active pilot programs: doula organization, hospital, and large private practice in the DMVBuilding a business with her husband as co-founder and CTO — and what that's actually likeWhat's coming next: community features, registry partnerships, and more under the Maternal Health AI umbrellaAdvice for any entrepreneur: don't lose sight of the star — know why you built itHOW TO CONNECT WITH ERICA BUNTON Website: https://usegoodroots.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/usegoodrootsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@usegoodrootsEmail: erica@maternalhealth.aiDownload Good Roots on the App Store or Google Play: https://usegoodroots.com/downloadThis episode is sponsored by Collabs Creative - a boutique digital marketing company helping small business owners and creatives tell their story. Follow The Mama Making Podcast on socials on Instagram and Facebook! Share and subscribe to the podcast: click this link Watch on YouTube: Click here!

  8. Aug 6 ·  Video

    Amanda Kingsley Malo | Democracy is For You: How PoliticsNow is Getting More Women to Run — and Win

    What if the most powerful thing a mom can do is understand that politics and motherhood are not separate?  In this episode, Jessica sits down with Amanda Kingsley Malo — civic educator, democracy advocate, and founder of PoliticsNow — for a conversation about making civic engagement accessible, getting more women into office, and why not voting is also a political choice.  Amanda has helped elect 60 women across two election cycles in Ontario without pushing any political agenda — just by giving people the tools, language, and confidence to participate. From managing news overwhelm to her daughter forming a union in second grade, this is one of the most energizing conversations the Mama Making Podcast has ever had. MAIN TOPICS COVERED Growing up in a household where politics was discussed like weather — and why that's rarer than it should beFrom teacher to campaign volunteer to founder of Politics NowWhy municipal politics is the most tangible and immediate form of civic engagementHow Politics Now has helped elect 60 women across two Ontario election cyclesWhy accessibility is the most important thing missing from political participationThe public transit analogy: how to think about voting, parties, and changing your mindWhat it actually takes to get more women to run — campaign schools, workbooks, and meeting moms where they areManaging news overwhelm: Amanda's daily radio routine and how she protects her mental healthNot voting is still a political choice — why that mattersThe unique gifts every mom can bring to civic engagement right nowNon-traditional ways to support campaigns: making dinner, babysitting, bringing coffee on election dayTime, talent, and treasure: how to contribute at whatever capacity you haveWhy politics is not over there — it's in the air you breathe, the schools your kids attend, the parks you visitHer daughter forming a union in second grade — and what that says about raising civically engaged kidsFree campaign schools coming up in Ontario ahead of municipal electionsHOW TO CONNECT WITH AMANDA KINGSLEY MALO Website: https://www.polinow.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/polinoworg/ | https://www.instagram.com/kingsleymalo/Free downloadable resources: available at polinow.org https://www.polinow.org/resourcesThis episode is sponsored by Collabs Creative - a boutique digital marketing company helping small business owners and creatives tell their story. Follow The Mama Making Podcast on socials on Instagram and Facebook! Share and subscribe to the podcast: click this link Watch on YouTube: Click here!

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5
out of 5
20 Ratings

About

The Mama Making Podcast is a space for moms making impact - in their communities, in their work, and in the everyday spaces that shape the world. Hosted by Jessica Lamb, this show features honest conversations with women building, leading, creating, and mothering in ways that ripple outward. Each week brings a mix of solo reflections, expert interviews, and real stories from moms navigating growth in every season — from pregnancy and postpartum to leadership, entrepreneurship, advocacy, and beyond. Because motherhood doesn’t pause growth. It often reshapes it.

Information

  • Creator
    Jessica Lamb
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    184
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Mama Making Podcast
  • Show Website
    Mama Making Podcast

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