When Bad Decisions Snowball: Quick Chat with Matthew Melvin author of "Bullied Behind Bars..."

Ms. USA Queen of the World 2025: Lynn Marie Palin on Motherhood, Resilience & Chasing Dreams After 40

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390177/fan_mail/new] Vote here! https://opencasting.missusa.com/vote/lynnmarie?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGngfi0BAI4LF_n2R18xlHHF9iKAQkRztJwOvTgTG_aj0-Ep98QJ7cgJ59Vhyc_aem_TW44GJxR3p3pOMO9BshorA [https://opencasting.missusa.com/vote/lynnmarie?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGngfi0BAI4LF_n2R18xlHHF9iKAQkRztJwOvTgTG_aj0-Ep98QJ7cgJ59Vhyc_aem_TW44GJxR3p3pOMO9BshorA] 🎙️ Ms. USA Queen of the World 2025: Lynn Marie Palin on Motherhood, Resilience & Chasing Dreams After 40 What happens when life asks more from you than you ever imagined? This week on The Mommy Pod, I sit down with Lynn Marie Palin, entrepreneur, speaker, mentor, fitness champion, six-time Gold Medalist, founder of Face La Vie, creator of L.I.F.T. Community, and the reigning Ms. USA Queen of the World 2025. Lynn's journey is one of resilience, determination, and purpose. In 2020, after her brother lost both legs following an overdose, she stepped in to adopt her nephew Noah, transforming a family crisis into a mission that now impacts communities across the country. As a first-generation, multi-racial American standing just 4'10", Lynn has spent her life challenging expectations. She began competing in pageants at age 38 and has since earned national and international titles. Today, she is pursuing Miss USA with a mission to prove that women don't age out of their dreams—they evolve into them. In this episode, we discuss: 👑 Becoming a single adoptive mother 👑 Turning tragedy into purpose 👑 Building the nationally approved L.I.F.T. Community curriculum 👑 Mental wellness, fitness, and healing 👑 Confidence and self-worth 👑 Competing in pageantry after 40 👑 Breaking stereotypes about age, height, and success 👑 Pursuing Miss USA and making history 👑 Motherhood, leadership, and advocacy 👑 Creating a legacy that impacts future generations Lynn's story is a reminder that some of life's greatest challenges become the foundation for our greatest purpose. Whether you're a mom rebuilding, a woman chasing a dream, or someone wondering if it's too late to start over, this conversation will leave you inspired to take the next step forward. Because your dreams don't expire—they evolve. Tune in and meet the woman behind the crown. #TheMommyPod #MsUSAQueenoftheWorld #LynnMariePalin #Motherhood #SingleMom #Adoption #MentalWellness #WomenOver40 #Pageantry #MissUSA #Resilience #WomenSupportingWomen Instagram: @lynnpalin TT: @lynnpalin https://lynnpalin.com/ [https://lynnpalin.com/] https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLTRVRYB [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLTRVRYB] Step into a world of magic, colors, and wonder with The Royal Adventures of Princess Liliana: The Rainbow Castle — the first enchanting book in a brand-new toddler series made for curious little minds and big imaginations! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FQ86RF9S [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FQ86RF9S] Living with ADHD: Getting Clean and Organized is not another rigid “how-to” guide that demands perfection—it’s a compassionate roadmap designed for real people with real ADHD challenges.  Living with ADHD will help you take back control—one small step at a time. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390177/themommypod] @themommypod

Grieving While Mothering: Learning to Carry Loss with Jessica Frey

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390177/fan_mail/new] In this heartfelt episode of The Mommy Pod, I sit down with Jessica Frey — single mom, Senior Caseworker, podcaster, author, life coach, and grief coach — for a deeply honest conversation about navigating motherhood while carrying unimaginable loss. After the sudden passing of her younger sister in August of 2024, Jessica found herself learning how to grieve while still showing up for her children, work, and everyday life. Together we discuss parenting through heartbreak, the pressure moms feel to stay strong, allowing children to see real emotions, asking for help, and learning to give yourself grace. If you’ve ever felt like you had to keep going while your world was falling apart, this episode is a reminder that you are not alone. Grief doesn’t disappear — we learn to carry it — and there is hope, healing, and light on the other side. Because here at The Mommy Pod, we believe: we don’t break, we bend. 💛 https://www.unapologeticlifecoachingllc.com/blog-1-1 [https://www.unapologeticlifecoachingllc.com/blog-1-1] https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unapologetically-overcoming/id1625971200 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unapologetically-overcoming/id1625971200] Facebook and Instagram. They can send me a DM on either platform. I also have a website. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLTRVRYB [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLTRVRYB] Step into a world of magic, colors, and wonder with The Royal Adventures of Princess Liliana: The Rainbow Castle — the first enchanting book in a brand-new toddler series made for curious little minds and big imaginations! Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390177/themommypod] @themommypod

The Guilt Trap: with Pauliana Lara Author of MOTHER-ING: WHO’S RIGHT, WHO’S WRONG, WHO CARES”

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390177/fan_mail/new] In this powerful episode of The Mommy Pod, I sit down with attorney and speaker Pauliana Lara for an honest conversation about the guilt, shame, and pressure so many working moms carry every single day. Society often tells moms to give everything to everyone else — but what happens when constantly putting yourself last starts affecting your health, happiness, and identity? Pauliana opens up about her personal journey, including a frightening season of stress that became so severe it caused a mysterious rash no one could diagnose. We talk about the emotional and physical toll motherhood can take, learning to recognize burnout before it breaks us, and why choosing yourself isn't selfish — it’s necessary. We’re discussing: • Mom guilt and unrealistic expectations • The pressure working mothers face daily • Stress and the hidden ways it impacts our bodies • Why putting yourself first is not a bad thing • Healing, boundaries, and reclaiming your identity beyond motherhood If you’ve ever felt guilty for resting, overwhelmed by trying to do it all, or like you’ve lost pieces of yourself while caring for everyone else — this conversation is for you. Because mamas, taking care of you matters too. 💛 Follow Pauliana Lara on Instagram: @PaulianaLara https://paulianalara.com/ [https://paulianalara.com/] https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLTRVRYB [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLTRVRYB] Step into a world of magic, colors, and wonder with The Royal Adventures of Princess Liliana: The Rainbow Castle — the first enchanting book in a brand-new toddler series made for curious little minds and big imaginations! Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390177/themommypod] @themommypod

Strong & Overwhelmed: Motherhood, Mental Health, and Breaking Generational Cycles- Jessica Sanchez

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390177/fan_mail/new] This episode reminded me that being strong does not mean carrying everything alone. Sometimes healing looks like: ✨ resting ✨ asking for help ✨ setting boundaries ✨ and finally believing you deserve support too. Thank you to Jessica Sanchez for showing up honestly and vulnerably in this conversation. You can learn more about her work through Daughters of Both Suns [https://www.daughtersofbothsuns.org/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] and follow her on: * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/daughtersofbothsuns?utm_source=chatgpt.com] * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/daughtersofbothsuns?utm_source=chatgpt.com] * TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@daughters_of_both_suns?utm_source=chatgpt.com] And mamas… remember: You do not have to earn rest. You do not have to break to deserve support. We don’t break… we bend. I’ll see you in the next episode of The Mommy Pod.” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLTRVRYB [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLTRVRYB] Step into a world of magic, colors, and wonder with The Royal Adventures of Princess Liliana: The Rainbow Castle — the first enchanting book in a brand-new toddler series made for curious little minds and big imaginations! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FQ86RF9S [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FQ86RF9S] Living with ADHD: Getting Clean and Organized is not another rigid “how-to” guide that demands perfection—it’s a compassionate roadmap designed for real people with real ADHD challenges.  Living with ADHD will help you take back control—one small step at a time. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390177/themommypod] @themommypod

When Bad Decisions Snowball: Quick Chat with Matthew Melvin author of "Bullied Behind Bars..."

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390177/fan_mail/new] In this episode of The Mommy Pod, we sit down with Matthew Melvin for a raw and honest conversation about mistakes, consequences, mental health, and rebuilding your life after one life-changing decision. Matthew shares how frustration, impulsive choices, and feeling unheard led him down a path that resulted in prison time — and how that experience forced him to reflect on accountability, personal growth, and the importance of support systems. Together, we discuss autism awareness, mental health, fairness within the justice system, and how moments of pressure can impact the course of someone’s life forever. But this conversation goes deeper than one mistake. This episode is about: ✨ Learning from poor decisions ✨ Understanding impulse control ✨ Mental health and neurodivergence ✨ Accountability and second chances ✨ Raising children with emotional awareness ✨ Teaching our kids to pause before reacting For parents, this episode is also a reminder that our children need guidance, emotional support, and safe spaces to process frustration before it turns into destructive choices. Matthew speaks openly about the lessons he learned, the consequences he faced, and the message he hopes others take away from his story. Because one moment can change everything — but growth and healing are still possible afterward. 🎧 Listen now on The Mommy Pod. https://www.bulliedbehindbars.com/ [https://www.bulliedbehindbars.com/] @bulliedbehindbars Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2390177/themommypod] @themommypod