Your Mom™

Full disclosure: this Your Story episode with Elizabeth Kendig is our longest of the season, and we could have easily chatted for another hour and a half.

It makes sense that we cover a lot of ground because Elizabeth is majorly multifaceted. She identifies as a hippie disguised in J. Crew, dedicated to “taking the weird out of the woo.” Her investment in spirituality and healing is deeply personal: even while ticking all the so-called boxes of success and carving out a flourishing career as a content creator, beauty blogger, and skincare founder, Elizabeth struggled with depression and a stubborn auto-immune disease. This started her on a “self-help bender” that led to the launch of Healers Podcast and connected her with Spiritual Advisor Monica Lawson, with whom she co-authored Chase You, “a field guide to connecting with the Other Side to find more purpose and peace.”

Whether you’re a spirituality skeptic like Betsy or a faith-filled Catholic like Ashley, this eye-opening conversation with Elizabeth has something uniquely for you.

For example, what do popcorn, peaches, and butterflies have in common? Other than being great names for hamsters, they’re also signs that now carry special significance to Ashley, Betsy, and Elizabeth. And after recording this episode, they’ve all started receiving each other’s signs...cue the goose bumps.

Elizabeth and Ashley met via a tree of extended sister-in-laws, so they affectionately refer to themselves as “Sister-in-Loves”. We’re confident you’ll finish this conversation feeling like an extended member of the family too.

Speaking of conversations with friends, Elizabeth recently launched a creative venture with her good friend and fellow editor Kate Rogers: Les Femmes Quotidienne (Français pour “Women of the Day”) is a substack with advice and recommendations on everything from establishing boundaries to whipping up the perfect potato salad. Think of it as tips and tricks from your chicest bff.

As always, you can watch this episode and find bonus content on our YouTube channel.

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This episode is the season finale of Your Story. While we aren't exactly sure what next season will bring, we know we'll be back in some form because these conversations and this community fills our cup in a way nothing else does. Thanks as always for listening. We couldn’t (and wouldn’t want to) do this without you.

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We’re thrilled to introduce you to our executive producer, Betsy Bloom. Everyone agrees that Betsy Bloom has a name made for showbiz, so it’s only natural that she join us in front of the mic in addition to her work behind the scenes.

While Ashley and Betsy first met via their husbands (Ashley’s husband’s Chris is best friends with Betsy’s husband Mac), they quickly forged their own love affair. Ashley recalls first falling in love with Betsy when she heard Betsy recite her vows on her wedding day; while Ashley wasn’t the intended recipient of the vows, Betsy is glad they landed with such a receptive listener.

As Ashley began to brainstorm starting a storytelling company, she found herself wanting to talk through the idea with Betsy. Meanwhile, Betsy was struggling with post-pandemic teacher burnout and looking for a different creative outlet. When Ashley called to discuss working together, Betsy interpreted it as a sign from above and jumped at the opportunity. The two have been collaborating and swapping stories ever since.

Join Betsy and Ashley as they discuss the cathartic power of storytelling, interactions with online trolls, and what teachers wish parents understood about kids. Stick around until the end to hear their contingency plan should their husbands decide to run off together.

Thanks as always for listening, please rate and subscribe wherever you listen and if you'd like to watch this episode on YouTube please click here.

As always, please send any comments or feedback to [email protected].

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More about Betsy Bloom:

As an only child with an active imagination, Betsy spent much of her time reading and inventing stories. In middle school, she was an inaugural member of the club “Spin-A-Storytellers”, and she still has the t-shirt to prove it. Her love of language continued through her time at Colgate University, where she earned a B.A, and after graduating, Betsy worked in book publishing, where she engaged with literature in a new way, working directly with authors (meeting Judy Blume remains a career highlight).

Betsy left publishing to earn a Masters in Literature from Middlebury’s Bread Loaf College of English, where she spent four summers studying stories, writing essays, and consuming obscene amounts of Vermont cheddar; she also met her husband through the program.

While earning her degree, Betsy made a career transition into teaching English; seven years later, it remains her most challenging and rewarding professional experience to date. Betsy and her husband reside in Buffalo NY, (Go Bills) where they are currently renovating a hundred-year-old home, binging The Great British Bake Off, and testing the area’s best wings.

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Fourteen years ago Heather Vandenberghe was a single mom living in New York, thriving in a high profile career as Senior Vice President of Marketing for Louis Vuitton. But one afternoon in September of 2009, her entire life changed as she came out of a meeting to several missed phone calls bearing the type of excruciating news every parent fears.

Her youngest daughter Elle was in the hospital after being hit by a car while on her scooter. Her three-year-old spent two weeks in a medically-induced coma, four months in an ICU and ultimately endured ten brain surgeries. "That is why I'll never miss another phone call in my life," Heather explained during this inspiring interview which highlights a mother using pain as fuel to create meaningful change.

Elle is now 17 and while she still deals with complications from the accident, her mom is grateful the daily struggles are mostly focused on typical teenage stuff, like trying (and failing) to smooth out those unsightly bumps in her daughter's ponytail before school.

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Heather Vandenberghe lives in LA and is currently the CEO of Flexpower, the founding partner of Your MomTM and the first company to invest and support our mission of celebrating motherhood.

Don't forget Mother's Day is right around the corner and if you want a mom in your life to feel good, may we recommend Flexpower's fabulous Mother's Day gift set. Use our code YM20 for 20% off your first purchase!

Thanks as always for listening, and our deep thanks to Heather for sharing her journey. You can watch this episode on our YouTube channel and please be sure to follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook for bonus content!

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Bernadette Suh has a fascinating story. Born in Jamaica and raised by her grandparents, she didn't meet her own mother until she moved to the U.S. when she was 15 years old. After living with her parents for three years in Boston, Bernadette moved across the country to go to college in Oregon. She started a career in Early Childhood Education, got married, and had two gifted children of her own.

Her daughter Ngum Suh, played soccer at Mississippi State and was a member of the Cameroon women's national team. Her son Ndamukong Suh was an All-American defensive lineman at Nebraska. One of the most decorated players in college football history, he was drafted second overall by the Detroit Lions in 2010. Suh has played for five NFL teams, competed in three Super Bowls, and in 13 NFL seasons has never missed a game because of an injury. He is currently with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Bernadette opens up about her childhood, how she raised her kids, and what she worried the most about as a mom. She divulges the one thing she wishes she had known before she got divorced, but also details why she is cherishing retirement and this current phase of life on her own. As an Early Childhood Educator for nearly 35 years, she has a unique take on the one thing she believes many parents are getting wrong.

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You can watch the full episode on our YouTube Channel.

For more background on Ndamukong Suh's business ventures that are discussed, we encourage you to listen to this interview with Bloomberg Sports.

You can learn more about the amazing work Bernadette is doing with PFPMA by visiting their website, https://www.pfpma.org/

Thanks for listening and please go hug a mom today!

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This week, Ashley and Lisa are joined by award-winning sports journalist Bonnie Bernstein to discuss a topic near and dear to their hearts. Inspired by a study that found 94% of female C-suite executives played competitive sports in their youth, Bonnie shares insights from her new Audible Originals series called She Got Game: Inspiring Women, Inspired by Sports.

Bonnie's adorable mom, Lois, also joins the conversation and shares how surprised she was when her daughter chose sports journalism over pursuing a career in classical music at Juilliard. Don't be surprised if the room gets a little dusty at the end, when mom and daughter share what they most admire about each other.

Bonnie is recognized by the American Sportscasters Association as one of the most accomplished female journalists in her field. The founder and CEO of Walk Swiftly Productions spent two decades of her Emmy-Award winning career at ESPN and CBS, and was the first person who inspired Ashley to pursue a career in sports broadcasting.

We know you will love She Got Game, so please check it out and give it a review! Our huge thanks to Bonnie and Lois for helping Your Mom kick off a special month of Mother's Day coverage.

You can watch this episode on our YouTube channel and please be sure to follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook for bonus content!

Psst...our merch store is live! yourmom.co/shop