Your Mom™

Ryan Leaf was an All-American quarterback at Washington State University. He was the No. 2 overall NFL Draft pick by the San Diego Chargers in 1998. A few years later, he was known as the No. 1 overall NFL Draft bust.
Much has been written about the small town, big-armed quarterback from Montana who went from living out his dream to enduring life in prison. Today, we hear a uniquely intimate perspective on that journey, as Ryan's mom joins the show.

Marcia Leaf tells Ashley and Lisa about some of the joyful moments, like the time she crowd-surfed at one of Ryan's games. She also opens up about some of her most painful memories and regrets, including being in denial as Ryan struggled with drug addiction.

Today, Ryan advocates for those struggling with mental and behavioral health issues. He’s found purpose in his career as a college football analyst and - more importantly - in his role as a father.

Come listen to this emotional journey like you've never heard it before. Through the eyes of Ryan's mom.

26:30- Ryan's phone call to Peyton Manning in college
28:08- Marcia crowd surfing.
31:50 - The significance of Ryan asking his dad to tie his tie.
51:00 - Marcia explains why prison was the best thing that happened to her son.
52:40 - Marcia describes her Sunday “prison hangovers”
54:50- The change she saw in Ryan after he got out of prison
1:02:32- The one thing Marcia would change, as a mother, if she could go back in time and do it all again.
1:07:32 - What Ryan says is his favorite thing about Marcia.

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Join Ashley and Lisa on this episode of Your MomTM as they fulfill their dream of interviewing one of the most influential moms on their bucket list. Pamela Morgan, the mother of world-renowned soccer player Alex Morgan, takes the spotlight.

Alex Morgan was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People of 2019 and 2022, and her resume speaks for itself. She heads into her third World Cup as one of the most prolific goal scorers in U.S. soccer history. She set a unique record this past February for the most goals scored as a mom in the UWSNT.

But as you will learn through this conversation with Alex's mom, there's so much more to her story. Pam shares insights into what it was like raising Alex, offering a glimpse into her childhood [7:15]. Discover why Alex was a coach's dream and the qualities that set her apart [9:50]. Pam also opens up about the impact of Alex's global success on their family dynamic [12:00], her parenting philosophy [20:00], and why Alex chose to play soccer at Cal [21:30].

Pam shares the thing she's most proud of her daughter for and what she believes her lasting legacy will be [38:55]. She also gives an honest assessment of what she would do differently in her motherhood journey if she could go back and do it all again [48:00].

Alex Morgan has affectionately referred to her mom as Wonder Woman, and after you listen to this episode you'll understand why. Enjoy another remarkable story of motherhood, love, and success.

The US Women's National Team opens up the FIFA World Cup on July 21st in New Zealand, where they will face Vietnam.

A reminder that you can watch this episode on on YouTube Channel, thanks as always for being on this journey with us!

https://youtu.be/Nf1XZbWoph0

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We “soft-wrapped” Season 2 of YourMom the best way we know how: in robes, answering your burning questions.

As usual, you guys really brought it: topics include Christian’s NFL Madden 25 cover (which Lisa definitely did not bet on in Vegas), what Ashley will most miss from her Pac-12 travels, punctuation etiquette; and of course, all things *wedding*, from Lisa’s dress drama to her planned Dirty Dancing choreography with Greg Van Roten. Plus, Lisa finally embraced her inner-influencer and revealed the secret to her glowy skin: Jones Road Miracle Balm; turns out, Ashley is also a devoted fan. Once again we’re open to sponsorships, collabs, free samples, etc...

Thanks, as always, for listening and laughing with us this season. It’s not goodbye, it’s just see you at Your Mom's post-wedding debrief.

And keep an eye out for the final Your Story episode of the season with the incomparable Elizabeth Kending, dropping soon!

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Watch this episode on our YouTube Channel.

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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 celebrate Mother’s Day with the inimitable Molly McGrath and her incredible mom, Deb!

Molly currently serves as a sideline reporter for ESPN/ABC Saturday college football games, as well as college basketball. She is also the devoted mom of Ray (3) and Pierce (1). Molly went into labor with Ray the night of the 2021 National Championship. Since then she has covered three National Championships, including one while eight months pregnant with Pierce. One of her proudest moments was finding out that she was nominated for a Sports Emmy while nursing Pierce at just two weeks old.

Ashley and Molly are connected not only as sports broadcasters and moms, but also as Boston College alums (Go Eagles!). During her time at BC, Molly created the student reporter role and received the “Athletic Director’s Award for Academic Excellence.” According to Lisa, Ashley won the “Best Bar Hopping Award”, which is basically just as impressive.

Meanwhile, Lisa and Molly bonded over the shared struggles and joys of being a #boymom. And though this interview was their first official meeting, tune in to hear why Lisa had her eye on Molly for many years.

Just when we thought we couldn’t cram any more love into this episode, Molly’s mom Deb joined us as a surprise guest. Deb is a retired cardiac nurse and former head of her department at San Francisco General. She currently volunteers for Hospice and cares for Molly’s father, who is terminally ill with lung cancer. She is, in Molly’s words, “a saint.” No one could hold back the tears as Molly and Deb shared their mutual love and admiration for each other. We don’t pick favorite episodes, but if we did, this one would be up there...

On behalf of all of us at YourMom, Happy Mother’s Day love to all the moms and mother-figures out there making the world a better place. We love you.

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We also know for many people, Mother’s Day weekend can be a painful time. In honor of anyone facing and grieving the loss of their own mom, we recorded an episode last year with Yogi Roth to pay tribute to his late mother, Devorah Channah Roth. We hope you can find comfort in Yogi’s story and Devo’s lasting memory.

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