The Breadwinners Podcast

Alexis Contos
  • 4.9 (23)
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They say you can't have it all — that mothers must choose between ambition and presence. But what if we're asking the wrong question? On The Breadwinners Podcast, Alexis Contos redefines what it means to be a Breadwinner in modern culture, moving it far beyond the paycheck. Through raw, honest conversations with women like Morgan Zanotti (CEO of Primal Kitchen), Nicole Trunfio (CEO of Bumpsuit), and Eve Rodsky (Author of Fair Play & Find Your Unicorn Space), we explore what it really takes to bring financial richness, emotional richness, and systemic change to our families. This isn't about balance, it's about integration. Not perfection, but wholeness. Whether you're already navigating motherhood and career, building your empire before kids arrive, or reimagining what family leadership looks like, these conversations will challenge everything you've been told about what's possible. The Breadwinners: Where ambitious mothers aren't just earning a living, they're pioneering a new era for themselves, and everyone who comes next. Learn more at thebreadwinners.co.

  1. 3d ago

    Saved Seats | The Mental Load of Dads: Nick Firchau on Modern Fatherhood

    *This is a replayed episode from earlier in Season 1* The first man to sit at the Breadwinners table. We're bringing back this conversation with Nick Firchau, host of the Paternal podcast, because the questions it raises haven't gone anywhere. Nick has interviewed more than 130 men about fatherhood, and this episode gets into what those conversations reveal: men parenting without a model, the friendships they don't know how to build, and the load they carry but rarely name. Alexis and Nick also take on the topics that tend to get avoided, from the respect-versus-love dynamic in marriages to whether lifting up mothers has left fathers out of the conversation. In this episode: Why roughly 40% of the fathers Nick has interviewed grew up without a father figure at home, and how that shapes the way they parent now The sitcom trope that taught a generation of men how to be dads, going all the way back to Father Knows Best What Nick learned about himself when he examined why he says "be careful" to his kids The invisible load of fathers, and why men are reluctant to talk about it "Benefit of the doubt," the two-word operating rule at the center of Nick's marriage Nick Firchau is a longtime journalist and podcast producer, and the creator and host of Paternal, a show about the brotherhood of fatherhood. Since launching in 2017, Paternal has featured Super Bowl winners, Pulitzer Prize winning journalists, and award-winning authors, and has been named a best podcast for fathers by Apple Podcasts and Lifehacker. Nick lives outside Boulder, Colorado with his wife and two kids. Join The Breadwinners community: Subscribe on Substack: wearethebreadwinners.substack.com Follow on Instagram: @wearethebreadwinners Rate & review wherever you listen - it helps more women find this show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Saved Seats | The Mental Load of Dads: Nick Firchau on Modern Fatherhood

  2. Aug 4

    What New Moms Actually Need: Melanie Kaplan on Postpartum Mental Health and Building oPPal

    Melanie Kaplan is the founder and CEO of oPPal, a peer support platform for postpartum moms that matches new and expecting mothers, called Little oPPals, with trained, experienced mothers, called Big oPPals. She built it after her own experience with severe postpartum depression and anxiety, and she joined host Alexis Contos the same week oPPal launched nationally in May 2026. In this conversation, Melanie shares the full story for the first time in this much depth. Four months after her first daughter was born, a weaning hormone crash collided with a birth control error, and Melanie left home for four nights, driving toward the ocean because she needed to see something bigger than what was happening inside her. Two years later, she found a video she had recorded for her daughter during those days, posted it on Instagram, and woke up to hundreds of messages from women sharing their own postpartum stories. That morning changed her career. Melanie and Alexis talk about the early warning signs of postpartum anxiety that get dismissed as normal new mom worry, why the standard six week screening misses the gray area where most struggling mothers actually live, and the hole in American postpartum care where a woman goes from weekly appointments during pregnancy to almost nothing after birth. Melanie explains how she validated oPPal before writing a single line of it: a survey that drew over 300 responses in 48 hours, with more than 80 percent of moms saying they would mentor a new mother, and a beta that proved matches work best with someone outside your inner circle. She walks through the Big oPPal training, including the platform's central rule that every check-in starts with the mom, not the baby, and how oPPal's partnership with Phoenix Health creates a path to therapists trained in maternal mental health when peer support isn't enough. The episode closes with the legacy conversation, the story behind the logo drawn from her grandmother's handwriting, and what Melanie's daughter says her mommy does all day. This episode is for anyone navigating postpartum, supporting someone who is, or building a company from lived experience. Find oPPal: www.myoppal.com Instagram: @myoppal Join The Breadwinners community: Subscribe on Substack: wearethebreadwinners.substack.com Follow on Instagram: @wearethebreadwinners Rate and review wherever you listen. It helps more women find this show. If you are struggling with postpartum depression or anxiety, Postpartum Support International is at postpartum.net. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    What New Moms Actually Need: Melanie Kaplan on Postpartum Mental Health and Building oPPal

  3. Jul 28

    Saved Seats | Julie Cordua on Protecting Kids Online: AI, the Dark Web, and What Parents Can Do

    This is a replay of an earlier episode. Alexis reunites with Julie Cordua, CEO of Thorn, the organization building technology to defend children from online sexual exploitation. The two worked together 15 years ago on Thorn's launch, and Alexis has watched Julie turn that early mission into her life's work while raising three kids of her own. **Content warning: This episode discusses child sexual abuse and exploitation. We don't include graphic details, but the subject matter is inherently difficult.** This conversation explores what it means to be a Breadwinner when your currency goes beyond the financial - measured instead in children identified, abuse content removed, and platforms made safer. Julie breaks down how AI has changed the landscape of child exploitation, what actually happens on the dark web, where tech companies must do better, and what parents can do right now to protect their children online. What you'll learn in this episode: Why kids see no divide between online and offline life, and why "stranger danger" no longer works as a warning When to start age-appropriate online safety conversations (hint: before the first device, and yes, that includes the iPad) The warning signs of grooming and sextortion, and why kids block instead of reporting Exactly what to do if it happens to your family: why you block but never delete, the Take It Down tool, and when to contact the FBI How AI is being used on both sides of this fight, and what policy changes Thorn is pushing for in Washington Whether you're navigating your child's digital life or want to understand how to make a difference, this conversation will leave you informed and equipped. Resources: Thorn Thorn on Instagram Julie's TED Talk Thorn Parent Guide Join The Breadwinners community: Subscribe on Substack: wearethebreadwinners.substack.com Follow on Instagram: @wearethebreadwinners Rate & review wherever you listen - it helps more women find this show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Saved Seats | Julie Cordua on Protecting Kids Online: AI, the Dark Web, and What Parents Can Do

  4. Jul 21

    Jaclyn Johnson on Building, Losing, and Reclaiming Everything

    Jaclyn Johnson built Create and Cultivate from a blog into a multi-million dollar company, sold it, watched it fall apart under new ownership, and bought it back. In this episode, Create and Cultivate founder Jaclyn Johnson breaks down what it actually costs to build a company: a $75 million acquisition deal that collapsed because of COVID, a private equity sale two years later, a stage zero breast cancer diagnosis, and a marriage that ended along the way. She explains how she negotiated her way back into ownership of the company she started in 2012, why she now runs Cherub to get more women into angel investing, and how resilience carried her through every setback. What you'll learn in this episode: - Why Create and Cultivate didn't turn a profit for five years, and why that was the point - The difference between a strategic acquisition and a private equity buyout - How COVID killed a $75 million deal and forced a pivot to virtual events overnight - What to know before your next mammogram, and how to push for a second opinion - How she negotiated to buy back her own company after the PE firm decided to sell - Why women get 1.9% of VC funding, and how Cherub is closing that gap with angel investing starting at $10,000 Jaclyn Johnson is the founder of Create and Cultivate, the media and events platform for women entrepreneurs she built starting in 2012 and grew into a multi-million dollar company before selling a majority stake in 2021. She later bought the company back and now also runs Cherub, an angel investing platform built to get more capital into the hands of women. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro/Teaser 02:32 Meet Jaclyn Johnson 05:30 Building community before it was trendy 10:15 Early career, layoffs, and starting over 16:14 The moment Create and Cultivate got real 20:08 Getting acquired, a deal falling through, and COVID 25:12 Strategic acquisition vs. private equity, explained 30:05 Buying back her own company 34:28 Identity, marriage, and the crash after the sale 38:03 Her breast cancer diagnosis 44:01 What to do when you get "the call" 47:22 Founding Cherub and democratizing angel investing 49:26 Accreditation and check sizes, explained 53:34 Her mom, the unofficial co-founder 55:34 Defining "breadwinner" Join The Breadwinners community: Subscribe on Substack: wearethebreadwinners.substack.com Follow on Instagram: @wearethebreadwinners Rate & review wherever you listen - it helps more women find this show #CreateAndCultivate #WomenInBusiness #FemaleFounders #AngelInvesting #WomenAndMoney #BreastCancerAwareness #Breadwinner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Jaclyn Johnson on Building, Losing, and Reclaiming Everything

  5. Jul 14

    Saved Seats | Morgan Zanotti on Building Brands while Building Family.

    In this episode, Alexis Contos sits down with Morgan Zanotti, the founder behind Waay and former leader at Primal Kitchen, to discuss what it really takes to build wellness brands while being a breadwinner mother. From navigating the competitive CPG industry to creating products that align with her values as a parent, Morgan shares the unfiltered reality of startup life, financial responsibility, and integration. Learn about her journey from established brand to founder, her philosophy on health and family, and how she's redefining what success looks like as a mother-entrepreneur in the wellness space. The Breadwinners Join The Breadwinners on Substack - wearethebreadwinners.substack.com Waay Morgan's Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Saved Seats | Morgan Zanotti on Building Brands while Building Family.

  6. Jul 7

    Your Kid's Boredom Matters More Than You Think - Lizzie Assa on Independent Play | The Breadwinners Podcast

    Most parents think entertaining their kids is the job. Lizzie Assa says the real job is stepping back enough for kids to build the skill of playing independently. Lizzie Assa, founder of The Workspace for Children and author of But I'm Bored, joins The Breadwinners to break down what independent play actually is and why it's disappearing from modern childhood. Alexis and Lizzie get into the difference between a toy and a prompt, why a bored kid is a sign you're doing something right, and how to build independent play skills from toddlerhood through the teenage years. What you'll learn: We co-regulate our kids. When we're a calm presence, they can be one too, they just want to be in the same room as us The permission slip to do less: stepping back and saying less is what gives kids their lead back How to look at how your kid is most successful in play, and give them more of that instead of trying to fix how they play Why a bored kid is usually looking for connection, not an activity How to look at behavior through the lens of curiosity instead of discipline Why no kid is a bad kid, and what changes when you actually believe that Lizzie Assa is a former teacher with a master's degree in education and the founder of The Workspace for Children, a play-based parenting platform with nearly 300,000 followers on Instagram. She is the author of But I'm Bored and works with private clients to build independent play skills in kids of all ages. Join Lizzie’s community: https://www.workspaceforchildren.com/ Her Substack: The Workspace for Children Purchase Lizzie’s ‘But I’m Bored’ book ____________________________________ Join The Breadwinners community: Subscribe on Substack: Follow on Instagram: @wearethebreadwinners Rate & review wherever you listen - it helps more women find this show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Your Kid's Boredom Matters More Than You Think - Lizzie Assa on Independent Play | The Breadwinners Podcast

  7. Jun 30

    Saved Seat | Ali Tate Cutler on How Moms Actually Build Businesses

    Ali Tate Cutler⁠ gets brutally honest about what nobody tells you: how to build a business while grieving the version of yourself you once were. Less than 1% of guests on major business podcasts are mothers. The rest? Childless men teaching strategies that don't work when you're building while celebrating your own transformation as a working mom. Ali (former supermodel turned social media strategist) created a new framework: Mothers don't grind, we create. We don't hustle, we flow. She shares the grieving process of losing her pre-mother self, what she misses, the paradox of freedom, how to create when your time is fractured, and what small business owners get wrong about social media. What You'll Learn: How moms actually build businesses versus the traditional playbook The grief of losing your pre-mother self and why it's okay The paradox of choice after choosing kids Creating (not grinding) with constant interruptions What's wrong with "hustle" advice for working parents Building visibility without burnout Honoring who you were while becoming who you are ⁠Connect with Ali⁠ ⁠Join The Breadwinners on Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Saved Seat | Ali Tate Cutler on How Moms Actually Build Businesses

  8. Jun 23

    Neha Ruch on the Best Payback: Loving Your Life When No One's Watching | The Breadwinners Podcast

    Twenty years ago, Neha Ruch and I were colleagues at an ad agency in Boston. Two twenty-somethings staying late, expensing cab rides home, measuring our worth by how hard we hustled. Today, between us, we have six kids, two platforms, and a completely different definition of what it means to be ambitious. Neha is the founder of The Power Pause and the author of the book by the same name. For a decade she's been building language for a question most high-achieving women won't say out loud: if I'm not working for pay, what is success? This isn't an interview. It's a reunion - two old friends comparing notes on what the journey actually cost, and what it gave back.In this episode, we talk about: Why the real turning point in Neha's life came in motherhood, not business school How to write your ideal day, and why it works like a contract with yourself The invisible emotional labor of parenthood, and how to start noticing it again Making decisions that no one else has to understand, and why that's the hardest muscle to build Growing up alongside your kids as they need less of you Redefining ambition as aligning your time with your values, not maximizing your output Why we punish women for slowing down, and what it costs all of us The best payback: loving your life when no one is watching _______________________________ The Four Agreements book mentioned by Neha Find Neha at thepowerpause.com and on Instagram at @neha_ruch Subscribe to The Breadwinners on Substack Follow on Instagram: @wearethebreadwinners Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Neha Ruch on the Best Payback: Loving Your Life When No One's Watching | The Breadwinners Podcast
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They say you can't have it all — that mothers must choose between ambition and presence. But what if we're asking the wrong question? On The Breadwinners Podcast, Alexis Contos redefines what it means to be a Breadwinner in modern culture, moving it far beyond the paycheck. Through raw, honest conversations with women like Morgan Zanotti (CEO of Primal Kitchen), Nicole Trunfio (CEO of Bumpsuit), and Eve Rodsky (Author of Fair Play & Find Your Unicorn Space), we explore what it really takes to bring financial richness, emotional richness, and systemic change to our families. This isn't about balance, it's about integration. Not perfection, but wholeness. Whether you're already navigating motherhood and career, building your empire before kids arrive, or reimagining what family leadership looks like, these conversations will challenge everything you've been told about what's possible. The Breadwinners: Where ambitious mothers aren't just earning a living, they're pioneering a new era for themselves, and everyone who comes next. Learn more at thebreadwinners.co.

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