Things My Mother Forgot to Mention

Jan Bergstrom and Patti Meyer
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Health & Fitness

Things My Mother Forgot to Mention is the podcast for every woman who’s ever said, “Wait—why didn’t anyone mention this to me?” Join Jan and Patti—two outspoken, curious, outrageous women—as they dive headfirst into the messy, magical, and often WTF realities of aging, health, and womanhood. From rogue chin hairs and vaginal thinning, to mental status, perimenopause, and scalp cancer (yes, really)—nothing is off limits. It’s funny. It’s raw. It’s real talk your mother definitely skipped.

  1. Aug 13

    The Money Talk We Still Need Today with Briana Williams

    We’ve discussed many taboo topics on this podcast, but we’ve overlooked a big one until now. Money! That’s why we brought in financial empowerment coach Briana Williams to help us get honest about it. Briana's own money story starts with $110,000 in debt and she walks us through exactly how she climbed out of it, what she'd do differently, and why she thinks most of us were never taught any of this in the first place. We get into the shame that creeps in around money, why budgeting doesn't have to mean saying no to everything you love, and the surprisingly simple way to start investing even if you think it's not for you. Here's a taste of what's inside: Why Briana graduated with $110,000 in debt, and how she paid it all offThe $2-a-month investing trick that makes the whole thing feel less scaryWhat financial advisors don't always tell you about how they get paidJoint account or separate? We debate it, and we don't fully agreeThe books that changed how we think about money and self-worthIf you've ever felt behind on money, or too embarrassed to even bring it up, this conversation is for you. It's never too late to start, and you don't have to figure it out alone. About Briana: Briana Williams helps women rewrite their relationship with money so they can create deeper relationships, more purposeful work, and a bigger, wilder, and more abundant life. Through practical financial strategy and intuitive coaching, she guides women toward aligned spending, intentional wealth-building, and the clarity to make empowered decisions in every area of their lives. Briana's Website: https://wildsoulwork.com Find resources mentioned in this episode here. Learn more about this podcast here. Submit your 90-second lesson/experience here. Apply to be a guest here. Stay updated on new episodes here. *Information shared on this podcast is not medical advice. If you have a concern about your physical or mental health, please seek support from a proessional.

    The Money Talk We Still Need Today with Briana Williams

  2. Jul 30

    The Cycle Every Couple Falls Into (and How to Break It)

    We're talking relationships today, and Jan's bringing the wisdom she's collected from 30 years as a couples therapist (plus 36 years of her own marriage). Jan shares bits of the toast she's given at both of her sons' rehearsal dinners: her four hard-won truths about what actually makes relationships work. Then we dig into Pia Mellody's three golden rules of interdependence, the ones Jan says could make her rich if she had a quarter for every time she needed to explain them to a couple. We get into: Why "falling out of love" might be the wrong way to think about it entirelyThe listening exercise Jan still uses in her own marriageWhat "celebrate the no" means and why it might save your relationshipThe pattern almost every couple falls into without realizing itWhy keeping your side of the street clean changes everythingIf you've ever caught yourself waiting for someone to just know what you need, or you're tired of carrying resentment instead of saying what's actually true, this episode is for you. Whether you're solid in your relationship or in the thick of a rough patch, these are the practices that hold up either way. Find resources mentioned in this episode here. Learn more about this podcast here. Submit your 90-second lesson/experience here. Apply to be a guest here. Stay updated on new episodes here. *Information shared on this podcast is not medical advice. If you have a concern about your physical or mental health, please seek support from a proessional.

    The Cycle Every Couple Falls Into (and How to Break It)

  3. Jul 16

    The Life You Weren't Sold (But Might Actually Want)

    This week we're talking with Jodi Brown, a life strategist who's spent decades living outside the path most of us were handed: get married, have kids, build a nest egg, retire comfortably. Jodi chose her own path that she’s loved. And now she spends her time helping women figure out what a full, connected life looks like when it doesn't follow that script, whether by choice or because divorce or widowhood rewrote the plan. We were so excited to talk to Jodi because more women, including Patti, feel very similarly to Jodi and are seeking their own lives outside the paths we were sold. A few things we get into: What it actually looks like to build a fulfilling life without marriage or kids, or after losing that partnership later in lifeWhy community, not a spouse, is the safety net Jodi and Patti both believe in as we ageThe practical side of women living together in community: sharing skills, space, and supportHow to look at everything you've done, in life and work, not just job titles, to find income that doesn't look like a traditional jobWhy Jodi calls this stage "the invisible years," and what she's hearing from thousands of women in the same boatThis isn't a checklist for how to do it right. It's a real conversation about building a life that actually fits, on your own terms. About Jodi: Jodi Brown is a life strategist who helps women figure out what actually works next when the life they’ve built no longer fits. After decades of real-life experience navigating major transitions, including rebuilding her life as a homeowner in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Jodi brings a deeply practical, lived perspective to the work she does today. She shares her process in real time through social media, where she’s built a rapidly growing audience of women looking for clear, grounded ways to move forward. Her work focuses on helping women think through their options, understand trade-offs, and make decisions that support the life they actually want, not just the one they’ve been told to build. While housing, including tiny homes and shared living, is part of that conversation, Jodi’s work goes far beyond it. She’s part of a growing movement of women reimagining how they want to live, age, and support each other in community. Jodi’s Website Follow Jodi: @iamjodibrown everywhere. Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube. Find resources mentioned in this episode here. Learn more about this podcast here. Submit your 90-second lesson/experience here. Apply to be a guest here. Stay updated on new episodes here. *Information shared on this podcast is not medical advice. If you have a concern about your physical or mental health, please seek support from a proessional.

    The Life You Weren't Sold (But Might Actually Want)

  4. Jul 2

    Mushrooms, MDMA, and Mental Health: Our Personal Stories

    In this episode, we go a new direction that some people may feel uncomfortable with, but we feel is an important conversation. We talk about drugs. Specifically, psychedelics, and what they've meant for mental health, including our own. We share our personal stories, dig into some research, and have the kind of conversation we probably should have had with someone years ago. This isn't a "just say no" episode, and it's not a "do whatever you want" episode either. It's a real, honest look at what these substances are, what they can do, and why intention matters more than most people realize. Here's what we get into: The history of psychedelic research and why it went underground for decadesWhat the latest clinical trials are actually showing for depression and PTSDPatti's personal experiences with MDMA and psilocybin, and the lasting shifts they left behindJan's experiences, which were considerably less transformational and considerably more funThe line between self-medicating and self-growth (and why it's worth knowing the difference)Ketamine therapy, what it is and who it's helpingWhere to start if you're curious and want to learn more before deciding anythingWe are not here to tell you what to do. We are here to have the conversation nobody had with us, so you can make informed, intentional choices for yourself. Find resources mentioned in this episode here. Learn more about this podcast here. Submit your 90-second lesson/experience here. Apply to be a guest here. Stay updated on new episodes here. *Information shared on this podcast is not medical advice. If you have a concern about your physical or mental health, please seek support from a proessional.

    Mushrooms, MDMA, and Mental Health: Our Personal Stories

  5. Jun 18

    A Dentist Walks Into Our Podcast with Dr. Zakary Yermolenko

    We've all had a dental horror story or two, and after sharing ours in a recent episode, we figured it was time to bring in an actual expert. This week we're joined by Dr. Zakary Yermolenko, a general dentist, Army Reserve major, and owner of Vernon Valley Dentistry in New Jersey, who somehow also finds time to coach his five-year-old's soccer team. Dr. Zak has a lot to say about what we're getting wrong, what we're finally getting right, and why "I don't have any pain" is not the green light we think it is. He also drops a few things we genuinely had never heard before, which, honestly, is exactly why we're here. Here's some of what we cover: Why no pain absolutely does not mean no problem (he compares it to high blood pressure, and it lands)The gold standard for home care, and why an electric toothbrush might actually be worth itWhat tooth resorption is, and why Jan had a surprise diagnosis on a tooth that already had a root canal and crownHow diet, stress, and even sleep apnea can show up in your mouth before anywhere elseThe concept of "premedication" before dental work, and why it matters if you've had any kind of joint replacement or surgeryWhy dental anxiety is so common, and what a trauma-informed dentist actually looks likeWhat to look for when choosing a new dentist, beyond just Google reviewsHow the mouth is the most sensitive part of the body (look up "homunculus" and prepare to be fascinated)Dr. Zak's whole approach is built around prevention, communication, and actually listening to his patients. He doesn't want to do more work than necessary; he wants you to not need it. That philosophy came through in everything he said, and we think it's a really refreshing way to think about dental care and honestly, about healthcare in general. If you've been putting off going to the dentist or feel like nobody ever really explained any of this to you, this episode is going to feel very overdue. About Dr. Zakary Yermolenko Dr. Zakary Yermolenko is a general dentist and owner of a family practice known as Vernon Valley Dentistry. He is a Major in the US Army Reserve, where he serves as a general dentist as well. He is married with two children, and the family has two dogs, two cats, and ten chickens. He enjoys watching, playing, and coaching soccer. Dr. Zak's Website Find resources mentioned in this episode here. Learn more about this podcast here. Submit your 90-second lesson/experience here. Apply to be a guest here. Stay updated on new episodes here. *Information shared on this podcast is not medical advice. If you have a concern about your physical or mental health, please seek support from a proessional.

    A Dentist Walks Into Our Podcast with Dr. Zakary Yermolenko

  6. Jun 4

    The Messy Reality of Leaving a Long-Term Relationship

    This week we got into something we know almost everyone has struggled with: what it actually takes to walk away from a long-term relationship. We both share our personal experiences of leaving long relationships, including the whys, the good and bad things, and the parts we felt less than proud of. Here's what we dig into: Why "just cut it off and let go" is terrible advice when you've shared half your life with someoneThe difference between leaving because you're afraid to be alone and leaving because you've outgrown the relationshipHow addiction becomes a person's "first love," and why their choices were never about your worthThe myth that you have to be fully healed before you're allowed to be in a relationshipWhy staying together "for the kids" usually backfires (they absorb everything, every time)Jan playing devil's advocate on marriage and commitment, and Patti the self-described commitment-aphobe meeting her halfwayThe reframe that helped Patti most: what if this is as good as it gets, and you stopped waiting for permission to be okay anywayThe throughline is simple and a little maddening: love is not something you have, it's something you keep doing. And if you're struggling, get help. There is zero shame in it. Find resources mentioned in this episode here. Learn more about this podcast here. Submit your 90-second lesson/experience here. Apply to be a guest here. Stay updated on new episodes here. *Information shared on this podcast is not medical advice. If you have a concern about your physical or mental health, please seek support from a proessional.

    The Messy Reality of Leaving a Long-Term Relationship

  7. May 21

    Mama Trauma with Stephanie Baker

    In this episode, we're joined by Stephanie Baker, a licensed trauma counselor, Army veteran, and EMDR therapist who knows firsthand that birth doesn't always go according to plan. What started as a near-perfect pregnancy took a sharp turn, and what followed was a crash course in things nobody had prepared her for. Jan also pulls back the curtain on her own birth story, one she rarely shares. Let's just say it involved more than one emergency, more than one surgery, and a phone call from her mother that was... a lot. We laugh. We wince. We say "oh my God" a lot. Because sometimes that's the only appropriate response. Here's what we covered: The warning signs during pregnancy that are easy to dismiss as normalThe grief of losing the birth experience you planned for, and why that grief is validWhy guilt and shame sneak in even when none of it was your faultThe isolation that can come after a complicated birth, and why community matters more than most people realizeHow to choose your birth team and actually feel safe with themDoulas, breastfeeding pressure, and asking for help without feeling like a burdenThe generational thread of moms who carried their own birth losses without ever having words for themBirth is wild, unpredictable, and body-hijacking, and someone really should have warned us. That's why we're here. About Stephanie: Stephanie Baker is a licensed trauma counselor and coach out of Mason, Ohio, who runs her own practice called Change Heals, where she helps clients untangle the kind of pain most of us were taught to just power through. She's a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, EMDR-trained, an Army veteran who served in Iraq, and she's a certified trainer and a member of the leadership group at the Healing Our Core Issues Institute. If you've read Gifts from a Challenging Childhood, you've actually already met a piece of her work — one of her original techniques is in there, in the 2025 edition. So she's not just teaching the model. She's helping shape it. Stephanie is the therapist a lot of us wish we'd had earlier. She's deeply relational — human first, clinician second — and she shows up in the room as a real person, not a role. What she does so beautifully is help clients understand themselves in ways they were never given permission to before. The patterns, the protective parts, the why underneath the behavior — she helps her clients see all of it with curiosity instead of shame. She works with people healing developmental trauma — the stuff our mothers definitely forgot to mention- and she does it with humor, heart, and zero pretense. Stephanie’s Links: Stephanie’s Website Intensive Workshops Stephanie’s Instagram Find resources mentioned in this episode here. Learn more about this podcast here. Submit your 90-second lesson/experience here. Apply to be a guest here. Stay updated on new episodes here. *Information shared on this podcast is not medical advice. If you have a concern about your physical or mental health, please seek support from a proessional.

    Mama Trauma with Stephanie Baker

  8. May 7

    Open Wide: Horror Stories From the Chair

    Teeth. The thing nobody warns you about until you're crying in the dental chair with half your face numb and a stranger drilling into your mouth for the third time that visit. This episode is Jan and Patti getting brutally honest about their dental horror stories—the bad dentists, the botched procedures, the money spent, and the hard-won lessons that came out the other side. Spoiler: we both came out stronger (and way more committed to flossing). What we get into this episode: Jan's childhood dentist, who did fillings with zero Novocaine (yes, really)Why the dentist's chair can trigger real anxiety and panic, especially if feeling trapped is your thingPatti's multi-year nightmare with a dentist who was charming, attractive, and genuinely bad at his jobThe very expensive lesson in people-pleasing and not trusting your gutWhen to see a specialist vs. letting your general dentist handle itTeeth grinding, Invisalign, and Jan's $12,000 smile glow-upMedications, dry mouth, and tooth loss — something no one talks about enoughThe real reason so many of us go years without seeing a dentistBottom line? Trust your gut, get referrals from someone who's had real work done, and for the love of everything — brush and floss twice a day. Your future self will thank you. Find resources mentioned in this episode here. Learn more about this podcast here. Submit your 90-second lesson/experience here. Apply to be a guest here. Stay updated on new episodes here. *Information shared on this podcast is not medical advice. If you have a concern about your physical or mental health, please seek support from a proessional.

    Open Wide: Horror Stories From the Chair
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Things My Mother Forgot to Mention is the podcast for every woman who’s ever said, “Wait—why didn’t anyone mention this to me?” Join Jan and Patti—two outspoken, curious, outrageous women—as they dive headfirst into the messy, magical, and often WTF realities of aging, health, and womanhood. From rogue chin hairs and vaginal thinning, to mental status, perimenopause, and scalp cancer (yes, really)—nothing is off limits. It’s funny. It’s raw. It’s real talk your mother definitely skipped.

Information

  • Creator
    Jan Bergstrom and Patti Meyer
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    33
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Things My Mother Forgot to Mention
  • Show Website
    Things My Mother Forgot to Mention

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