The Sparkle Project

Emily Rose MacDonald
  • 5.0 (22)
  • Parenting
  • Updated Weekly

The version of motherhood we're sold looks nothing like the one we're actually living. That's by design. The Sparkle Project is for the moms who are done pretending otherwise, and ready to reclaim the parts of themselves that got lost along the way. Hosted by Emily MacDonald, a single mom, feminist, and late-diagnosed ADHDer, each episode digs into the identity shifts, invisible labor, and systemic failures that make motherhood so hard. You'll hear from the experts, advocates, and real women who are finding their way back to themselves, so you can feel less alone in the hard parts and more like yourself in all the rest. Somewhere between the mental load and the mom guilt, your shine is still there. The Sparkle Project is your space to find it. (Formerly Worthy Mother Podcast) 

  1. 1d ago

    How Community Helps Moms Reclaim Their Identity After Motherhood with Julia Lotin

    Motherhood changes everything, including the way we see ourselves. But what happens when the support you expected never arrives? And how do you reconnect with yourself when you're carrying the mental load of caring for everyone else? In this episode, Emily sits down with Julia Lotin, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, maternal mental health advocate, and founder of Melanin Mass Moms, to explore the powerful role community plays in helping moms navigate identity shifts, isolation, and the journey back to themselves. Julia shares her own experience of feeling alone as a new mother, why she created a community that now serves thousands of moms of color, and how support systems can become a critical protective factor for maternal mental health. Together, they discuss the reality of modern motherhood, the pressure to do it all, and why many moms struggle in silence even when surrounded by people. The episode explores: Why so many moms feel isolated, even when they have supportThe connection between community and maternal mental healthWhat it really means to reconnect with yourself after having childrenThe power of culturally affirming support spacesWhy asking for help is a crucial act of self-carePractical ways to begin building your villageSmall daily practices that can help you feel more like yourself againIf you've ever felt disconnected from yourself, longed for a village, or wondered how to start finding your way back, this conversation is for you. 🔗 Connect with Julia: Instagram: @journeytoselfservices and @melaninmassmoms Website: www.journeytoselfservices.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!  Send us Fan Mail

    36 min

  2. Jun 23

    Motherhood as a Portal: Breaking Intergenerational Trauma Cycles with Danik Bernier

    Motherhood has a way of exposing wounds that may otherwise have stayed locked away under the surface. In this powerful conversation, Emily sits down with EMDR therapist, coach, and Healing Mothers Club host Danik Bernier to explore the connection between motherhood, intergenerational trauma, and the complex process of breaking family patterns. Together, they unpack why becoming a mother can bring unresolved experiences to the surface, how trauma can live in the body for generations, and why true healing involves more than simply deciding to do things differently. Danik shares her own journey of uncovering generational patterns within her family history, the role of the nervous system in cycle-breaking work, and why creating new patterns can feel just as challenging as letting old ones go. The episode explores: What "cycle breaking" actually means, and why cycle creation is a crucial componentWhy motherhood can act as a portal for healingThe connection between intergenerational trauma and parentingHow trauma and attachment patterns can be passed through generationsThe role of the nervous system in parenting triggers Practical ways to support yourself while raising childrenIf you've ever wondered why certain parenting moments feel bigger than they should, why motherhood can feel unexpectedly triggering, or how to navigate healing while raising children, this conversation offers a compassionate and thought-provoking perspective. 🔗 Connect with Danik: Instagram: @healingmothersclub and @liberatedtherapistsclub Podcast: Healing Mothers' Club ✨ 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 Fan Mail

    42 min

  3. Jun 16

    From Good Girl to Authentic Self: My Story of Motherhood, Divorce, and Finding Me

    This episode is unlike any other! To celebrate 200 episodes of The Sparkle Project (formerly Worthy Mother Podcast), the microphone is turned around as Emily steps into the guest seat and opens up about the personal journey that has shaped both her life and this podcast. Joined by her friend and Mom Friends Collective co-founder Breanne Smith, Emily reflects on becoming a mother at 23, navigating a divorce after more than a decade-long relationship, leaving a career in teaching, and learning who she was outside of the roles she thought she was supposed to play. Together, they explore identity, people-pleasing, motherhood, healing, community, and what it means to create a life that feels aligned, even when it looks different than you imagined. This conversation is a celebration of growth, self-discovery, and the many ways motherhood can transform us. 🔗 Check out The Mom Friends Collective: Instagram: @momfriendscollective Website: www.momfriendscollective.com 🔗 Connect with Breanne: Instagram: @breazieboozhoo Podcast: The Bloomera Podcast ✨ 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 Fan Mail

    51 min

  4. Jun 9

    Performative Motherhood & Reintegrating Your Identities as a Mom with Ali Colpack

    Have you ever looked in the mirror and wondered where you went after becoming a mom? In this episode, Emily sits down with licensed mental health counselor, mom of two, and Road to Mama founder Ali Colpack for a powerful conversation about identity loss in motherhood and the hidden pressure of performative motherhood. Together, they explore why so many mothers feel disconnected from themselves, how social media and societal expectations influence the way we parent.  They also discuss what it actually looks like to reconnect with your intuition without abandoning the version of yourself motherhood has shaped. Ali shares practical ways moms can begin rebuilding trust with themselves, creating healthier boundaries, and integrating who they were before motherhood with who they are becoming today. The episode covers: Matrescence and why identity shifts are a normal part of motherhoodThe truth about performative motherhoodRecognizing when you're parenting from pressure instead of intuitionThe connection between identity loss, burnout, resentment, and mom guiltWhy "finding yourself again" may not be the goalHow to reintegrate your identity after becoming a mom🔗 Connect with Ali: Instagram: @hiroadtomama Website: www.hiroadtomama.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!  Send us Fan Mail

    44 min

  5. Jun 2

    The Motherhood Setup: Why We Always Feel Like We're Failing with Dr. Danielle Dowling

    Motherhood was supposed to feel natural. So why do so many moms secretly feel overwhelmed, exhausted, resentful, anxious, or like they’re failing? In this episode, Emily sits down with therapist-trained life coach and Good Girl, Bad Mom author Dr. Danielle Dowling to unpack her groundbreaking framework: The Motherhood Setup. Danielle explains how modern mothers are caught in the collision of three overwhelming forces: The Motherhood Fantasy that says motherhood should feel natural, effortless, and fulfilling at all timesGood Girl Conditioning that teaches girls and women to stay agreeable and selflessThe Invisible Labor that quietly consumes mothers every single dayTogether, they explore identity loss after becoming a mom, the emotional weight women carry behind closed doors, and why so many mothers internalize overwhelm as personal failure instead of recognizing the impossible expectations placed upon them. This episode is for any mom who has ever questioned whether she is doing enough. 🔗 Connect with Dr. Danielle Dowling: Instagram: @iamdanielledowling Website: www.danielle-dowling.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!  Send us Fan Mail

    54 min

  6. May 26

    How Toxic Positivity Is Making Motherhood Harder

    Toxic positivity is rampant in modern society - but the flavor that comes along with motherhood is particularly harmful. In this episode, Emily unpacks the real impact of toxic positivity in motherhood and why messages like “enjoy every moment” or “at least you have healthy kids” can actually leave moms feeling more isolated, guilty, and emotionally burned out. The episode explores how toxic positivity shows up in everyday parenting culture, why suppressing difficult emotions can harm moms’ emotional wellbeing, and how pretending everything is fine affects both mothers and children. This conversation explores the pressure moms feel to appear endlessly grateful, the emotional masking so many women carry, and why emotional honesty matters so much in raising emotionally healthy kids. If you’ve ever felt guilty for struggling, ashamed for needing a break, or like you have to hide how hard motherhood really feels, this episode is for you. ✨ 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 Fan Mail

    16 min

  7. May 19

    Why So Many Moms Feel Depleted During Matrescence with Vanessa Leveille

    Why are so many moms feeling completely depleted in modern motherhood? In this episode, therapist and matrescence practitioner Vanessa Leveille joins The Sparkle Project for a powerful conversation about maternal depletion, identity shifts in motherhood, nervous system overwhelm, and the transition into motherhood known as matrescence. This discussion goes beyond postpartum depression to explore the physical, emotional, and systemic realities impacting mothers today, especially women of color navigating unrealistic expectations, burnout, invisible labor, and chronic depletion. Vanessa explains why motherhood is deeply body-led, how maternal depletion can mimic anxiety and depression, and why so many moms feel like they’ve lost themselves after having children. Whether you’re in early motherhood, struggling with burnout, or simply trying to understand why motherhood feels so overwhelming, this conversation offers validation, language, and insight into what so many women experience silently. 🔗 Connect with Vanessa: Instagram: @matrescenceincolor Website: www.matrescenceincolor.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!  Send us Fan Mail

    46 min

  8. May 12

    Healing Trauma in Motherhood Through EMDR Therapy with Abbie Ames

    Motherhood has a way of bringing anxiety, overwhelm, and unresolved trauma to the surface. In this episode, EMDR therapist Abbie Ames joins Emily to explore how motherhood can trigger old wounds, why so many moms feel overstimulated and emotionally exhausted, and how healing is possible through approaches that go beyond traditional talk therapy. Abbie shares her own journey through pregnancy loss, fertility struggles, postpartum anxiety, and becoming a mom during COVID, along with the insights that led her to specialize in EMDR therapy for women and mothers. Together, they unpack the nervous system’s role in trauma, the pressure modern moms carry, and why so many women feel like they’re failing when they’re actually overwhelmed and unsupported. This episode covers: Why motherhood can feel so triggeringHow trauma lives in the bodyBirth trauma, fertility struggles, and postpartum anxietyWhy moms can’t always “think” their way out of overwhelmHow EMDR therapy helps heal trauma beyond traditional talk therapyBreaking generational cycles and finding more peace in motherhood This episode is an honest, compassionate conversation about healing trauma in motherhood, breaking generational cycles, and learning how to care for yourself without shame. 🔗 Connect with Abbie: Instagram: @emdr.mom.therapist Website: www.abbieamescounseling.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!  Send us Fan Mail

    36 min
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About

The version of motherhood we're sold looks nothing like the one we're actually living. That's by design. The Sparkle Project is for the moms who are done pretending otherwise, and ready to reclaim the parts of themselves that got lost along the way. Hosted by Emily MacDonald, a single mom, feminist, and late-diagnosed ADHDer, each episode digs into the identity shifts, invisible labor, and systemic failures that make motherhood so hard. You'll hear from the experts, advocates, and real women who are finding their way back to themselves, so you can feel less alone in the hard parts and more like yourself in all the rest. Somewhere between the mental load and the mom guilt, your shine is still there. The Sparkle Project is your space to find it. (Formerly Worthy Mother Podcast) 

Information

  • Creator
    Emily Rose MacDonald
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    276
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Sparkle Project
  • Show Website
    The Sparkle Project