The Sparkle Project

Emily Rose MacDonald
  • 5.0 (23)
  • 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. 3d ago

    ADHD Motherhood: 5 Strategies That Help Me Manage the Chaos

    If you’re a mom with ADHD, keeping up with work, kids, schedules, household tasks, and your own needs can sometimes feel like pure chaos. In this episode, Emily shares five things that have genuinely made her life easier as a mom with ADHD. After being diagnosed with ADHD in her late 20s, Emily has spent years learning how to work with her brain instead of constantly fighting against it. That has meant experimenting with planning systems, creating more visible organization at home, finding the right balance between structure and flexibility, talking things through when she feels stuck, and making everyday tasks more enjoyable. She also gets into one of the biggest shifts of all: self-acceptance. Instead of asking, “What’s wrong with me?” she’s learning to ask, “How can I make this work for me?” ADHD or not, if you've felt overwhelmed by everything motherhood asks you to juggle, this conversation offers ideas for creating systems that work better for you. Want a Laurel Denise planner? Head to www.laureldenise.com and use code SPARKLE10 for 10% off your order. (*Disclaimer: This is an affiliate code, and I do receive a commission when this code is used.) ✨ 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

  2. Sep 29

    Self-Worth, External Validation & Inner Child Healing in Motherhood with Anuja Khadka

    Does your child’s success ever feel like a reflection of whether you’re doing a “good enough” job as a mom? Motherhood can bring our own childhood experiences, perfectionism, people-pleasing, and need for external validation to the surface, sometimes without us even realizing it. In this episode, Emily talks with Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional Anuja Khadka about self-worth in motherhood, inner child healing, mom guilt, social media comparison, and what can happen when we tie our identity as mothers to our children’s outcomes. Anuja shares how she recognized this pattern in her own motherhood journey and explains why a child’s milestones, achievements, and struggles aren’t a report card on a mother’s worth. They also dig into how your own childhood wounds can show up in parenting: a toddler’s tantrum, your child’s school experience, or even a seemingly small everyday moment can sometimes trigger an emotional response that feels much bigger than the situation itself. Anuja explains why noticing those reactions can offer an opportunity to get curious about what’s underneath them. In this episode, you’ll hear about: • Why moms can tie their self-worth to their children’s achievements • The difference between responsibility and control in motherhood • How childhood experiences can shape our need for external validation • Social media comparison and the pressure of the “perfect mom” • Moving from external validation toward internal validation • Reclaiming your identity beyond the role of mom 🔗 Connect with Anuja: Instagram: @thatbrowngirltherapist Website: www.therapycocoon.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

  3. Sep 22

    Normalizing Normal: Taking The Shame Out of Motherhood with Emily Feret

    Motherhood can be beautiful, meaningful, exhausting, messy, overwhelming, and funny, sometimes all at once. So why does social media make it look like everyone else has it figured out? Emily Feret, mom, influencer, and author of Normalizing Normal: Motherhood Without the Filter, joins Emily to talk about taking the shame out of the parts of motherhood we’re often afraid to admit out loud. Emily shares how becoming a mom challenged the version of motherhood she thought she was supposed to live up to, and how showing the messy, imperfect parts of her life online helped millions of other women feel less alone. From messy homes and mom guilt to mental health, identity, and the pressure to get motherhood “right,” this conversation is a reminder that struggling doesn’t mean you’re failing. Emily also opens up about building confidence through vulnerability, learning to tune out criticism online, pursuing big dreams, and why mothers are allowed to invest time and energy into themselves without guilt. In this episode, you’ll hear about: • What “normalizing normal” really means and how the movement began • The impact social media’s motherhood highlight reel can have on how we see ourselves • Why a messy home isn’t a reflection of your worth, work ethic, or ability as a mom • Using humor to take some of the shame and seriousness out of motherhood • Mom guilt, mental health, ADHD, and learning to talk openly about the hard things • Embracing the mom you are instead of chasing the mom you thought you would be • Giving yourself permission to have hobbies, pursue dreams, and experience joy simply because you enjoy it This episode is for every mom whose life doesn't look perfect. Tune in, and feel a little less alone in your messiness! 🔗 Connect with Emily Feret: Instagram: @emilyjeanneferet TikTok: @emilyjeanne333 Book: Normalizing Normal: Motherhood Without the Filter ✨ 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

  4. Sep 15

    How Tarot Helped Me Reconnect With Myself After Divorce

    In the aftermath of divorce, there is a lot of newness to navigate. What does life look like as a single parent? How do I parent through grief and rebuilding? And who even am I in this new season of life and parenthood? In this solo episode, Emily shares how learning to read tarot and establishing a consistent tarot practice has helped her reconnect with herself post-divorce. From becoming a tool for self-reflection to creating opportunities for connection, learning, and fun, Emily explores the potential benefits of tarot for all moms at any stage, but particularly those going through or rebuilding after a divorce.  Whether you've considered creating a tarot practice in your own life before or not, this episode will help you see how tarot can help you reconnect with yourself outside of your role as a mother.  💻 Resources mentioned in this episode: ~ *Free* Weekly Tarot Reset Spread ~ Check out the Guided Tarot Box Set shared in the episode. (Affiliate disclosure: This is an affiliate link. The podcast creator will earn a commission if you purchase through this link.) ✨ 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

  5. Sep 8

    Starting Over After Divorce: Rebuilding Your Life with Intention with Leah Marie Mazur

    Divorce is often framed as a failure or loss. But for many, it can be a profound opportunity to intentionally reset and purposefully decide what's next. In this episode of The Sparkle Project, Emily sits down with divorce recovery coach Leah Marie Mazur to explore how divorce and other major life transitions can become opportunities to reconnect with yourself, rebuild self-trust, and create a life that feels more aligned with who you are now. Drawing from her own experience with divorce and the women she supports through divorce recovery, Leah shares how self-abandonment can quietly show up through people pleasing, ignored boundaries, and constantly looking outside yourself for answers. She and Emily talk about what changes when you begin checking in with yourself again and why rebuilding doesn’t require transforming your entire life overnight. They also explore the unique experience of navigating divorce as a mom, including how to make room for your own emotions while supporting your children and why kids may benefit more from seeing healthy ways of navigating adversity than from seeing a parent who appears to have everything together. In this conversation, you’ll hear about: How people pleasing can disconnect you from your own wants and needsWhy keeping small promises to yourself can rebuild self-trustReframing divorce as an opportunity to reflect, reset, and make different choicesRediscovering your interests and identity after years of prioritizing everyone elseHow hobbies, new experiences, and community can support your confidenceCaring for your emotional well-being while parenting through divorceIf you’re navigating divorce, starting over after another major life transition, or simply realizing you’ve lost touch with yourself somewhere along the way, this episode is an invitation to ask a new question: What do I want my life to look like from here? 🔗 Connect with Leah Marie Mazur: Instagram: @mindfullyready TikTok: @mindfullyready Website: www.mindfullyready.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

  6. Sep 1

    Mom Your Way: Letting Go of the “Shoulds” at Home and at Work with Yasmin Kaderali

    Becoming a mom changes more than your daily routine. For many, it changes how you see your relationships, your priorities, your career, and even yourself. In this episode, Emily talks with Yasmin Kaderali, author of Mom Your Way: Judgment-Free Wisdom to Empower New Moms and former CEO of Mommy’s Bliss, about identity changes, career shifts, and the expectations women face both at home and in the workplace after having children. Yasmin entered motherhood with a unique perspective: she was already the CEO of a baby and mom brand, and her own mom was a doula and lactation consultant. But actually becoming a mother forced her to confront her own expectations about what a “good mom” should look like. Together, Yasmin and Emily talk about letting go of motherhood “shoulds,” trusting your own parenting choices, and accepting that there isn’t one version of yourself you have to become once you’re a mom.  Then the conversation turns to motherhood and career. Yasmin challenges the way we talk about “working moms” while rarely having the same conversations about working dads. She shares what she learned supporting parents as a CEO, why family-friendly workplace policies matter, and why meaningful change has to become part of company culture, not simply another HR policy. In this episode, you’ll hear about: • The identity shift that can happen when you become a mom • Letting go of the “shoulds” and the idea of the perfect or “good” mom • Why your version of motherhood doesn’t have to look consistent • Why working moms are still treated differently than working dads • How workplaces can better support moms, dads, and families • How motherhood can bring valuable new perspectives and skills into the workplace Tune in to hear a candid conversation about what it looks like to navigate working motherhood in a world that expects moms to look and act a certain way. 🔗 Connect with Yasmin: Instagram: @momyourwayyasmink Website: www.mommysbliss.com Yasmin's Book: Mom Your Way: Judgment-Free Wisdom to Empower New Moms ✨ 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

  7. Aug 25

    Mean Girl Mom Culture: Why It Happens & How to Break the Cycle with Dr. Noëlle Santorelli

    Mean girl culture doesn’t necessarily end when we grow up. For many women, it just follows us into motherhood. As the kids head back to school, Emily sits down with clinical psychologist Dr. Noëlle Santorelli to unpack mean girl mom culture and the relational aggression that can show up in adult female friendships, mom groups, school communities, youth sports, and even group chats. The episode explores why modern motherhood can feel so competitive, how social media and intensive mothering contribute to the pressure to perform, and why our need for belonging can sometimes bring out behaviors we don’t recognize in ourselves. Dr. Noëlle also shares practical ways to recognize patterns of relational aggression, decide when a friendship needs stronger boundaries, and protect your peace without automatically walking away from your community. The episode discusses: What mean girl behavior can look like in motherhoodHow competition, scarcity, and belonging influence mom friendshipsThe connection between social media and performative motherhoodSigns that a mom group or friendship may be affecting your mental healthStrategic distancing versus ending a friendshipHow to avoid contributing to toxic mom group dynamicsThis episode is for every mom out there navigating her own sense of belonging while raising kids. Tune in, and don't forget to leave a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen! 🔗 Connect with Dr. Noëlle Santorelli: Instagram: @drnoellesantorelli TikTok: @drnoellesantorelli Website: www.drnoellesantorelli.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

  8. Aug 18

    Unsupported and Unseen: How a Lack of Postpartum Support Breeds Martyrdom and Disconnection

    With the Lindsay Clancy taking center stage in the current cultural conversation, this week's conversation is adding to the discussion about how a systemic lack of postpartum supports impacts moms, families, and society at large. In this episode, Emily explores what happens when one of the most vulnerable seasons of motherhood teaches you that you’re supposed to handle everything yourself. Emily digs into the connection between inadequate postpartum support and the patterns of martyrdom, mom guilt, and self-sacrifice that can follow us into later stages of motherhood. She talks about why prioritizing yourself can feel so uncomfortable, how early experiences in motherhood can influence what you believe you should be able to handle, and why understanding where these patterns came from can be an important part of reconnecting with yourself. In this episode: The gap between prenatal care and postpartum supportHow the lack of support becomes normalized in early motherhoodThe connection between postpartum experiences and maternal self-sacrificeWhy asking for help can bring up shame and mom guiltHow martyrdom contributes to losing your sense of selfWhy prioritizing yourself benefits more than just youThe role of awareness and self-compassion in reconnecting with yourselfWhether you recently had a baby or you’re years beyond postpartum and wondering when you stopped feeling like yourself, this conversation offers a new way to understand why changing these patterns can feel so difficult. If this episode resonates, share it with another mom who needs this conversation. And if The Sparkle Project is supporting you in your motherhood journey, subscribe and leave a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts. ✨ 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!  Episode Topics: postpartum supportlack of postpartum supportpostpartum care for motherspostpartum mental healthmotherhood and identitylosing yourself in motherhoodfeeling lost in motherhoodreconnecting with yourself after motherhoodmaternal self-sacrificemotherhood martyrdommom martyrdommom guiltputting yourself first as a momprioritizing yourself as a momasking for help as a mommotherhood burnoutsupport for new momspostpartum recoverypostpartum anxietypostpartum depressionpostpartum mental health supportmotherhood and self-worthfinding yourself again after having kidsrediscovering yourself after motherhoodsense of self after becoming a momidentity loss after having a babySend us Fan Mail

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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
    290
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Sparkle Project
  • Show Website
    The Sparkle Project

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