The EMBER Project Podcast

Growing Up Together

In this powerful and deeply honest episode of The EMBER Project Podcast, we sit down with a mother and daughter to explore what early motherhood looks like across generations — not through statistics or stereotypes, but through lived experience. Latresha became pregnant at seventeen, facing fear, judgment, and resistance while making a decision that would shape the rest of her life. What followed was not an easy path. This conversation unpacks the reality of parenting while still growing up yourself, navigating anger, survival mode, discipline, and determination — all while trying to raise a child who would never be told she was limited by how her story began. Her daughter, Latrice, shares what it was like to grow up inside that reality. From learning independence at an early age, to understanding responsibility before most children do, to eventually recognizing just how young her mother really was. Together, they reflect on the tension between authoritarian parenting and love, the role of extended family and community, and how expectations — both internal and external — shaped who they became. This episode also addresses a perspective we rarely hear: how the stress placed on young parents often transfers to their children, and how resilience is forged not just through sacrifice, but through example. It challenges the assumption that early motherhood automatically leads to negative outcomes and instead highlights the importance of support, education, and self-growth. If you are a young mom, the child of a young mom, or someone who wants to understand the long-term impact of early motherhood beyond stigma, this conversation offers truth, validation, and hope. To learn more about The EMBER Project, please visit our ⁠WEBSITE⁠ [www.theemberproject.org] or connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram. Thank you!

When an EMBER is left unprotected.. Tori's Story

In this powerful conversation, Tori shares her journey into motherhood as a teenager while navigating unresolved trauma, grief, and a deep desire to feel loved and safe. She reflects on the close relationship she had with her father and the lasting impact of losing him at a young age, as well as growing up with a mother who struggled with mental health and emotional availability. These early experiences shaped how Tori viewed herself, her relationships, and her worth. Tori opens up about discovering her pregnancy after being misdiagnosed with bronchitis and the challenges of becoming a teen mom without consistent support from peers or school systems. She speaks honestly about stigma, isolation, and the emotional weight young mothers often carry. Through it all, she shares how the love and support of her husband helped ground her as she learned to parent while still healing herself. Now pursuing a degree in psychology, Tori is determined to turn her pain into purpose by supporting children and families impacted by trauma. Her story is a reminder that resilience does not mean avoiding hardship, but choosing growth, love, and hope in spite of it.

Stalking Awareness with Shielding Angels

In this episode of The EMBER Project Podcast, host Susan Sutton sits down with Angel, president of Shielding Angels, to shed light on what stalking really looks like in 2025 and why awareness is so urgently needed. January is recognized nationally as Stalking Awareness Month, and this conversation aims to help listeners understand the warning signs, trust their instincts, and take steps to stay safe. In this episode, I sit down with Angel, a stalking survivor and the founder of Shielding Angels She shares her own experience with workplace-related stalking and how it continued long after she left the job. She explains what it feels like to be dismissed or told that nothing can be done, and she talks about practical ways listeners can protect themselves, including documenting incidents, installing cameras when possible, being mindful of online information, changing routines, and leaning on trusted friends or family. This episode is part of a larger effort to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and help survivors recognize that they are not imagining what is happening to them. Stalking is a pattern of behavior that causes fear and disrupts daily life, and it is far more common than many realize. For early mothers who are already navigating parenting, school, work, and relationships, this kind of fear can be overwhelming. Listeners can learn more about stalking awareness and find additional safety resources at the Stalking Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center by visiting ⁠www.stalkingawareness.org⁠ [http://www.stalkingawareness.org]. Shielding Angels, Angel’s nonprofit, can be found at ⁠www.shieldingangels.info⁠ [http://www.shieldingangels.info] for those needing more direct support. For more from The EMBER Project, including resources for early mothers, visit ⁠www.theemberproject.org⁠ or follow our social media accounts listed in the episode description. If you or someone you know feels unsafe or is in immediate danger, please contact 911 or your local emergency services. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available for confidential support at 1 800 799 SAFE or by texting START to 88788.

Every Mother Counts: Jessica Brooks-Woods on Maternal Health and Equity

In this powerful episode of The EMBER Project Podcast, I sit down with Jessica Brooks Woods for a conversation that goes far beyond statistics and into the systems that shape maternal health outcomes in this country. We talk honestly about maternal health equity, bias in healthcare, and why young mothers, especially Black and Brown mothers, continue to face disproportionate risk despite decades of awareness. Jessica shares the deeply personal story that led her into this work, including her mother’s traumatic birth experience and how being unseen and unheard in the medical system leaves lasting scars. Her story is a sobering reminder that maternal health crises are not rare, and they are not accidents. They are the result of systems that fail to listen. Throughout our conversation, we unpack why maternal and infant mortality rates remain unacceptably high, why bias is often the deciding factor in outcomes, and how stigma and dismissal affect young and teen mothers in particularly damaging ways. Jessica explains why these disparities are not biological, but engineered, and why listening, dignity, and accountability matter more than any new technology. We also explore the critical role employers play in maternal health, from benefits design to access to care, and why leaving these conversations solely to hospitals and policymakers will never be enough. Jessica challenges us to think differently about responsibility, leadership, and what real advocacy looks like when lives are at stake. For young and teen moms listening, this episode carries a clear message, you matter, your voice matters, and your experience does not disqualify you, it equips you. For healthcare leaders, employers, and policymakers, this conversation is a call to stop asking women to survive broken systems and start building systems worthy of mothers.

2025 Year in Review - Still here and still on fire

This episode of The EMBER Project Podcast is both a year in review and a look ahead to what it truly takes to build something meaningful. I reflect on a year of extraordinary growth for EMBER, from a packed first fundraiser and community-wide support to real, tangible impact for young mothers. I also share the personal cost behind the scenes, losing the job that represented her security and identity, selling the home she worked two jobs to afford, and navigating depression while continuing to lead. This conversation challenges the idea that leaders must always be strong, reminding us that winners get tired, heroes stumble, and course correction is not failure, it is growth. I celebrate what was accomplished, including mobilizing volunteers, providing educational resources that helped a young mom graduate on time, and cast a bold vision for 2026 with plans for childcare support and the future IGNITE Campus. This is an honest conversation about leadership without perfection, resilience without pretending, and how community turns sparks into steady flames.