Your Mom™ – Details, episodes & analysis

After nearly a year away, Your Mom™ is back with a special reunion episode with Ashley and Lisa.

Why the break? Well, life happened. Ashley started a new job and realized she was spending more time talking about being a mom on a podcast than actually being a mom IRL. Now that her kids are 8 and 6, she figures she’s done what she can do in terms of mothering (kidding...mostly). 

The catch-up is real: Christian McCaffrey and Olivia Culpo got married (Lisa’s wedding dance moves were so elite they made The Today Show), Luke McCaffrey played in the NFC championship his rookie season with the Commanders, and the McCaffrey clan is gearing up for another wedding next month for Lisa’s oldest son, Max. 

But maybe the biggest news of all? Lisa is officially entering her Grandmother Era. 

Yep, you may have heard that Christian and Olivia are expecting their first child. Lisa shares the hilarious and heartwarming story of how she found out. Plus, we dive into what advice she’s giving Christian as he steps into dad mode, potential baby names, and whether Lisa might accidentally spill the beans on the baby’s gender (tune in to see how she handles that question). 

And just when you think it can’t get any better...Lisa’s mom Betty (aka Big Mama), makes a surprise guest appearance with some timeless wisdom on what it’s really like to become a grandma. 

To all the moms out there, we are wishing you a very Happy Mother’s Day. We also know this day means something different for everyone. So whether you’re celebrating, missing someone, or holding hope for a dream not yet realized, we’re with you and sending love to all of you on this journey. 

You can watch this episode on YouTube.

As always, thanks for being here: Got thoughts, questions, or grandma name suggestions for Lisa? Drop us a line at yourmom@yourmom.co.

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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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“If we can have some real talk here, this is what I want to say.” So begins our conversation with Pac-12 Sports Broadcaster Tammy Blackburn, who is living with stage four metastatic breast cancer. 

In this episode, Tammy illuminates the reality of living with cancer, especially the parts we tend to overlook or consider impolite to discuss: She delves into the physical pain of treatment and then emotional pain of losing control of her body. She calls out the commercialization and sexualization of the breast cancer awareness movement. And, she shares the moment she learned she would never be able to have children. 

Listening to Tammy is like taking a masterclass in grace and honesty. Rather than running from reality, she has channeled her diagnosis into action, raising awareness and funds to combat this deadly disease. She loves fiercely and is fiercely loved in return (stick around until the end of the episode for first-hand testimony). 

While this episode tackled heavy topics, we ended it feeling lighter. In addition to real talk about death and sacrifice, we also discussed the power of play and the necessity of balancing seriousness with silliness. 

So, grab a hula hoop and some headphones and settle in for an inspiring hour with the inimitable Tammy Blackburn.

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Find us on Instagram and YouTube. 

We love you all, and as always, thanks for being here.

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We’re still processing the Super Bowl, but in the meantime, we wanted to share an awesome conversation from Radio Row last week in Las Vegas. 

Ashley had the chance to sit down with her longtime friend Christina Mack for a conversation that touched on everything from the health benefits of team sports to letting go of “mom guilt” to the power of female friendships. 

Christina is the Chief Science Officer at global healthcare company IQVIA, and a lead sports science researcher for the NFL and NBA, or as Ashley often explains it, “she has a badass job.” 

A highly respected voice in the professional sports industry, she frequently presents to owners on injuries, concussions, and the safety of the game. She’s also an advocate for women in STEM, a mom of three awesome kids, and a superlative scavenger-hunt-maker. 

This may be one of our shorter episodes, but it’s chock full of incredible insights about being a parent, a professional, and a friend.

Thanks as always for listening, please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! And a reminder you can watch this episode on our YouTube channel.

Questions, comments or feedback? Email: ashley@yourmom.co.

See you next week!

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Lisa McCaffrey and Ashley Adamson celebrate the two year anniversary of the show on Radio Row in Las Vegas. Come for Lisa's score prediction, stay for her innovative ideas on renewable energy.

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In case you hadn't heard, Christian McCaffrey and the 49ers are Super Bowl bound. We thought the occasion called for a mailbag episode, and the Faithful delivered.

This week we recap the highs (Christian’s record-breaking touchdowns) and lows (Lisa balling in the bathroom during half-time) of Sunday’s nail-biter NFC Championship Game against the Lions. Speaking of emotional rollercoasters, we got a little misty listening to Lisa discuss Christian’s journey to the Super Bowl and her excitement to have the whole McCaffrey family together to support him. 

Your mailbag questions never disappoint, but these might have been the best yet. We cover everything from Lisa and Olivia’s game day outfits to the origin story of the iconic McCaffrey pyramid to that viral sunbathing video (if you haven’t seen it yet, you’re welcome). And while we learned that Lisa’s mom, AKA Big Momma, will not be making the trip to Vegas, she will be hosting a Super Bowl rager in Miami.

And if you’re in Vegas next week and see Ashley and Lisa celebrating Lisa’s birthday at Thunder Down Under, no you didn’t… 

Go Niners!

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Watch this this episode on our YouTube page. 

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"They say you die twice. One time when you stop breathing and a second time, a bit later on, when somebody says your name on Earth for the last time.”

January 23rd, 2024 marks the six year anniversary of when a beautiful and brilliant young woman named Ella Thomas died by suicide. Last year, Ella's mother Martha Thomas joined Ashley and Lisa for an unforgettable conversation about love, loss and the incredible light her daughter brought to the world in the midst of her own darkness. Today we are revisiting some of that powerful interview as a way to help keep Ella’s name and memory alive. 

You'll laugh as you hear Lisa McCaffrey describe how her friendship with Martha began on a recruiting trip for their sons at Stanford. You'll be inspired when you find out how Martha, her husband Chris, and their son Solomon channeled their grief into a higher purpose, as they work tirelessly to ensure no family has to suffer the pain and loss of losing a child to suicide.

To learn more about the critical work the Thomas family is doing around suicide prevention and mental health, please visit thedefensiveline.org. And if you or anyone you know is in crisis, text the word home to 741741. 

We continue to hold the Thomas family and all those who are grieving a loved one in our hearts. 

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Our brains love a binary: extraordinary vs. ordinary, good vs. bad, motivation vs. laziness, beauty vs. brokenness. But, real life is rarely cut and dry. What do we lose in our attempt to have it all? What might we gain if we ditched the dichotomies? 

Join Ashley Adamson and Chantal Below in their effort to live in the messy middle, to celebrate our scars, to acknowledge the blessings of a skinned knee, and to adopt some side character energy in 2024. 

Like most things worth doing, embracing “both/and” thinking ain’t easy. It encourages us to put our problems into perspective. It challenges our core beliefs about success and satisfaction. It asks us to pay attention to ourselves and those around us. 

And yet, this practice also allows us to release the pressure valve and reject the pursuit of perfection. It reminds us that, in the wise words of the great Jess Sims, “You are allowed to be a work in progress and a masterpiece at the same damn time.” 

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About the hosts:

Chantal Below moved from the US to England in third grade. She never developed a love of cricket, but did develop a fascination with humanity, unconsciously examining how different cultures and beliefs expand or limit our choices. 

After graduating from Georgetown University, she started her career as a 4th grade teacher with Teach For America, hoping to expand choices for too-often marginalized children in low-income schools. She loved the energy of the kids and the vibrancy of the community, but no one really wanted her teaching long division. 

Since then, she’s been exploring the many dimensions of the human condition while avoiding math. She worked for years in the education non-profit world leading teams and developing leadership development programs. Then, she ventured out on her own and started Redcliff Coaching, Inc. She supports leaders in all industries - with clients at Google, Homeless Prenatal Program, and to get out of their own way and live and lead in the way they most want. 

She also attempts to parent three kids who are curious, compassionate, hysterical, and only vaguely pay attention to her advice. She lives in Oakland, CA.

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Ashley Adamson is an Emmy-award winning storyteller and lead host for the Pac-12 Network. Honored by Cynopsis as a “Game Changing On-Air Talent”, her biggest achievement to date was being crowned the arm wrestling champion in third grade.

A native of Denver, CO, she earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Boston College followed by a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Boston University. 

Adamson lives in San Francisco with her very handsome husband and two young children. In 2022, she started the Your Mom™ podcast with Lisa McCaffrey to honor and celebrate the beautiful, messy randomness of motherhood. She dreams of one day becoming a professional karaoke singer in the Florida Keys.

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New year, new mailbag! 

Your Mom™ made it another year, and we’re kicking it off by answering your burning questions. 

Topics include the imaginary matchup of Ed’s 1994 Super Bowl champion 49ers vs. Christian’s 2024 Super Bowl contending 49ers, McCaffrey wedding planning updates (featuring Lisa’s continued determination to sit down, shut up, and wear beige), instilling confidence in kids, and manifesting YourMom’s dream guests. 

If like us, you struggle with New Year’s blues, we hope this episode provides a balm, or at least a welcome distraction from your holiday hangovers. 

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You can watch this episode on our YouTube channel!

Please subscribe wherever you listen and drop us a line with any questions or comments - ashley@yourmom.co - we love to hear from you!

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Tis’ the season for…mixed emotions

We’re trying to be present, while rushing to buy all the presents. 

We’re treasuring moments of togetherness, while wishing for just.one.minute of alone time. 

And we’re looking forward to a new year, while reflecting on the regrets of the past. 

In today’s episode Ashley Adamson and Chantal Below delve into the pangs of regret and sadness that tend to surface this time of year. Rather than packing them away with the ugly ornaments, Chantal encourages us to hold space for uncomfortable feelings: “We have a tendency to lean into joy and skim over the negative emotions: resentment, regret, sadness, shame, embarrassment. And yet they live in us if we don’t let them live through us.” 

Chantal’s superpower lies in her ability to reframe narratives that don’t serve us. In this instance, she encourages us to consider the upside of regret. How might regret be an opportunity for reflection? How might we grant compassion to our former selves, who were often doing the best they could with the decisions they had? 

Amidst the holiday hustle and bustle, take 45 minutes for yourself to listen to this inspiring conversation. You won’t regret it. 

If you’re interested in delving deeper, here are the awesome resources we mentioned in the episode: 

• Brené Brown with Dan Pink on the power of regret 
• George Saunders on regretting failures of kindness
• Michael Lewis on knowing his late daughter felt his love (around 01:02:00)
• Michael Lewis’s interview with Ashley’s sister-in-law Diane Adamson

Wishing you a peaceful, bustling, joyful, contemplative, frivolous, and fulfilling holiday season! 

Pro tip: it’s not too late to buy your mom something other than a robe. 

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More about Chantal Below: Chantal moved from the US to England in third grade. She never developed a love of cricket, but did develop a fascination with humanity, unconsciously examining how different cultures and beliefs expand or limit our choices. 

After graduating from Georgetown University, she started her career as a 4th grade teacher with Teach For America, hoping to expand choices for too-often marginalized children in low-income schools. She loved the energy of the kids and the vibrancy of the community, but no one really wanted her teaching long division. 

Since then, she’s been exploring the many dimensions of the human condition while avoiding math. She worked for years in the education non-profit world leading teams and developing leadership development programs. Then, she ventured out on her own and started Redcliff Coaching, Inc. She supports leaders in all industries - with clients at Google, Homeless Prenatal Program, and to get out of their own way and live and lead in the way they most want. 

She also attempts to parent three kids who are curious, compassionate, hysterical, and only vaguely pay attention to her advice. She lives in Oakland, CA.

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