The Sparkle Project
by Emily Rose MacDonald
Latest episode
The Sandwich Generation: Caring for Aging Parents & Kids with Dr…
The Sandwich Generation: Caring for Aging Parents & Kids with Dr…
About this podcast
The version of motherhood we're sold looks nothing like the one we're actually living. That's by design.
The Sparkle Project is for the moms who are done pretending otherwise, and ready to reclaim the parts of themselves that got lost along the way. Hosted by Emily MacDonald, a single mom, feminist, and late-diagnosed ADHDer, each episode digs into the identity shifts, invisible labor, and systemic failures that make motherhood so hard. You'll hear from the experts, advocates, and real women who are finding their way back to themselves, so you can feel less alone in the hard parts and more like yourself in all the rest.
Somewhere between the mental load and the mom guilt, your shine is still there. The Sparkle Project is your space to find it.
(Formerly Worthy Mother Podcast)
Episodes
The newest 50 of 294 episodes
- The Sandwich Generation: Caring for Aging Parents & Kids with Dr. Anita Chandra & Zara Hanawalt · 42 min · Episode 220Many millennials find themselves a part of The Sandwich Generation, raising kids while caring for aging parents. In this episode, Emily is joined by co-hosts of The Millennial…
- Stuck in a Rut? Why Trying New Things Matters for Moms · 21 min · Episode 219Feeling stuck in a rut? Between motherhood, work, relationships, and the never-ending to-do list, it's easy to fall into autopilot and forget to make time for new experiences…
- Turning Pain Into Purpose: Healing Trauma and Raising Boys with Breanne Smith · 50 min · Episode 218Healing from trauma while navigating the challenges of motherhood is no easy task - but it can be an opportunity to break cycles and create generational change. In honor of…
- How to Create a Life That Actually Feels Fulfilling with Zahra Premji · 49 min · Episode 217You can love your life and family and feel grateful for what you have - and still want more. In this episode, Emily sits down with life and mindset coach Zahra Premji to talk…
- ADHD Motherhood: 5 Strategies That Help Me Manage the Chaos · 22 min · Episode 216If you’re a mom with ADHD, keeping up with work, kids, schedules, household tasks, and your own needs can sometimes feel like pure chaos. In this episode, Emily shares five…
- Self-Worth, External Validation & Inner Child Healing in Motherhood with Anuja Khadka · 38 min · Episode 215Does your child’s success ever feel like a reflection of whether you’re doing a “good enough” job as a mom? Motherhood can bring our own childhood experiences, perfectionism…
- Normalizing Normal: Taking The Shame Out of Motherhood with Emily Feret · 39 min · Episode 214Motherhood can be beautiful, meaningful, exhausting, messy, overwhelming, and funny, sometimes all at once. So why does social media make it look like everyone else has it…
- How Tarot Helped Me Reconnect With Myself After Divorce · 17 min · Episode 213In the aftermath of divorce, there is a lot of newness to navigate. What does life look like as a single parent? How do I parent through grief and rebuilding? And who even am I…
- Starting Over After Divorce: Rebuilding Your Life with Intention with Leah Marie Mazur · 44 min · Episode 212Divorce is often framed as a failure or loss. But for many, it can be a profound opportunity to intentionally reset and purposefully decide what's next. In this episode of The…
- Mom Your Way: Letting Go of the “Shoulds” at Home and at Work with Yasmin Kaderali · 43 min · Episode 211Becoming a mom changes more than your daily routine. For many, it changes how you see your relationships, your priorities, your career, and even yourself. In this episode, Emily…
- Mean Girl Mom Culture: Why It Happens & How to Break the Cycle with Dr. Noëlle Santorelli · 53 min · Episode 210Mean girl culture doesn’t necessarily end when we grow up. For many women, it just follows us into motherhood. As the kids head back to school, Emily sits down with clinical…
- Unsupported and Unseen: How a Lack of Postpartum Support Breeds Martyrdom and Disconnection · 19 min · Episode 209With the Lindsay Clancy taking center stage in the current cultural conversation, this week's conversation is adding to the discussion about how a systemic lack of postpartum…
- The Identity Shift No One Warns High-Performing Moms About with Alexis Adams · 43 min · Episode 208You spent your whole life being the woman who worked hard, achieved your goals, and built an identity around being capable. Then motherhood arrived - and suddenly the strategies…
- Create a Lighter Life: Joy, Gratitude, & Ease in Motherhood with Morgan Jackson · 52 min · Episode 207Have you ever wished life felt a little lighter? In this episode, Emily is joined by Morgan Jackson, founder of Light 56, to explore how small, intentional habits can help you…
- Vacation Mode: The Invisible Labor Behind Summer Fun · 15 min · Episode 206Summer is supposed to feel fun and relaxing... so why does it often leave moms feeling completely exhausted? In this episode, Emily is uncovering the invisible labor of summer as…
- Your Body Knows the Way: Reconnecting to Your Innate Power with Sara Putney · 41 min · Episode 205Many moms move through life feeling disconnected from themselves, stuck in survival mode, or wondering where their sense of self went after motherhood. In this episode, Emily is…
- Why Modern Motherhood Feels So Overwhelming (& How to Trust Yourself Again) with Kaitlyn Dove · 45 min · Episode 204Mothers today have more access to resources and information than ever before, but the result isn't necessarily greater confidence in our parenting journey. Instead, many moms…
- The One Shift That Makes Self-Love Finally Feel Possible · 14 min · Episode 203If you've ever felt like you need to become a better version of yourself before you deserve self-love, this episode is for you. In this solo episode, Emily shares the perspective…
- How Community Helps Moms Reclaim Their Identity After Motherhood with Julia Lotin · 36 min · Episode 202Motherhood changes everything, including the way we see ourselves. But what happens when the support you expected never arrives? And how do you reconnect with yourself when…
- Motherhood as a Portal: Breaking Intergenerational Trauma Cycles with Danik Bernier · 42 min · Episode 201Motherhood has a way of exposing wounds that may otherwise have stayed locked away under the surface. In this powerful conversation, Emily sits down with EMDR therapist, coach…
- From Good Girl to Authentic Self: My Story of Motherhood, Divorce, and Finding Me · 51 min · Episode 200This episode is unlike any other! To celebrate 200 episodes of The Sparkle Project (formerly Worthy Mother Podcast), the microphone is turned around as Emily steps into the guest…
- Performative Motherhood & Reintegrating Your Identities as a Mom with Ali Colpack · 44 min · Episode 199Have you ever looked in the mirror and wondered where you went after becoming a mom? In this episode, Emily sits down with licensed mental health counselor, mom of two, and Road…
- The Motherhood Setup: Why We Always Feel Like We're Failing with Dr. Danielle Dowling · 54 min · Episode 198Motherhood was supposed to feel natural. So why do so many moms secretly feel overwhelmed, exhausted, resentful, anxious, or like they’re failing? In this episode, Emily sits…
- How Toxic Positivity Is Making Motherhood Harder · 16 min · Episode 197Toxic positivity is rampant in modern society - but the flavor that comes along with motherhood is particularly harmful. In this episode, Emily unpacks the real impact of toxic…
- Why So Many Moms Feel Depleted During Matrescence with Vanessa Leveille · 46 min · Episode 196Why are so many moms feeling completely depleted in modern motherhood? In this episode, therapist and matrescence practitioner Vanessa Leveille joins The Sparkle Project for a…
- Healing Trauma in Motherhood Through EMDR Therapy with Abbie Ames · 36 min · Episode 195Motherhood has a way of bringing anxiety, overwhelm, and unresolved trauma to the surface. In this episode, EMDR therapist Abbie Ames joins Emily to explore how motherhood can…
- 3 Hard Truths Every Mom Needs to Hear About Mental Health · 21 min · Episode 194May is Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month, and to kick it off, Emily is sharing what she's learned from her personal experience navigating mental health in motherhood and…
- Motherhood, Advocacy & the Fight for Better Maternal Care with Ciara Lyons · 54 min · Episode 193Motherhood doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and for many moms, that means navigating broken systems while also managing your own internal battles. In this episode, Emily sits down…
- Your Circle of Control: How to Stop Spiraling and Regain Focus · 23 min · Episode 192In a world that feels increasingly unpredictable, it’s easy to spiral into overwhelm - especially when there's additional chaos in your own home. In this episode, Emily opens up…
- Moms and Child-Free Women: Friendship, Tension & Understanding with Emily Maynard · 52 min · Episode 191What does it really mean to be a woman in today’s world - and how much of that is tied to motherhood? In this episode, Emily Maynard joins the podcast for a conversation on…
- How Motherhood Changes Your Career, Identity, and Ambition with Paige Figueroa · 45 min · Episode 190Becoming a mom can absolutely change your daily routine, but it also changes how you see yourself, your work, and what success even means. In this episode, Emily is joined by…
- You’re Allowed to Change (Even After Becoming a Mom) · 16 min · Episode 189Motherhood is often framed like it's the final destination. Once you become a mom, it can feel like the big decisions are already made. The life path is set. The identity is…
- Validation Over Judgment: Showing Up as a "Mom’s Mom" with Dana James · 43 min · Episode 188Motherhood isn't supposed to feel lonely. In this episode of The Sparkle Project, Emily sits down with Dana James, nurse, mom of two, and the voice behind Mother Mentality. Dana…
- When Good Moms Feel Bad: Mom Rage, Guilt, and the Parts of Us We Hide with Jessica Tomich Sorci · 50 min · Episode 187Motherhood can bring out emotions many moms never expected: rage, guilt, resentment, and the overwhelming feeling of not being “good enough.” In this episode, Emily sits down…
- Mom Guilt Explained: The Hidden Pressure Society Puts on Mothers · 18 min · Episode 186In this episode of The Sparkle Project, Emily dives into one of the most common and complicated experiences in motherhood: mom guilt. Many mothers feel like they’re constantly…
- Motherhood & Creative Expression: Finding Yourself After Kids with Kayla Huszar · 45 min · Episode 185"I'm not really a creative person." Have you ever said that line, especially since having kids? Most people have a narrow understanding of what it means to be creative, and…
- Unmasking ADHD & Imposter Syndrome in Motherhood with Katie Burns · 45 min · Episode 184Why do so many moms with ADHD feel like frauds? In this conversation, ADHD mindset coach Katie Burns shares what it’s like to be diagnosed with ADHD later in life, how masking…
- What’s Really Blocking Your Joy in Motherhood · 19 min · Episode 183If you’ve ever found yourself doing things that are supposed to feel joyful but still feeling disconnected, numb, or dissatisfied… you are not alone. In this episode of The…
- Reclaiming Yourself Through Personal Style as a Mom with Sahra Brandt · 41 min · Episode 182Motherhood reshapes everything: Your time, your body, your identity, and often the way you show up in the world. In this episode of The Sparkle Project, Emily sits down with…
- More Than Mom: The Link Between Identity & Mental Health with Dr. Nichelle Haynes · 44 min · Episode 181Motherhood changes everything, including how we see ourselves. But what happens when the role of “mom” starts to crowd out every other part of who you are? In this episode, Emily…
- The Key to Getting Through The Harder Seasons of Motherhood & Life · 18 min · Episode 180Motherhood can feel especially heavy when the world feels unstable and life demands keep piling up. In this solo episode, Emily opens up about the emotional weight many moms are…
- How to Let Your Inner Child Shine in Motherhood with Leslie Santana · 42 min · Episode 179Have you ever wondered why motherhood feels heavier than you expected, even when you love your kids deeply? In this powerful conversation, Emily sits down with trauma therapist…
- Why Making Mom Friends Feels Impossible & What Actually Works with Baily Hancock · 58 min · Episode 178Making mom friends can feel surprisingly lonely, awkward, and exhausting - especially when you're already stretched thin by motherhood. In this episode of The Sparkle Project…
- The Glow Up: How I Found My Sparkle (Introducing The Sparkle Project) · 16 min · Episode 177Motherhood doesn’t have to mean losing yourself. In this first episode of The Sparkle Project, Emily introduces the evolution of the podcast and the deeper conversations ahead…
- Welcome to The Sparkle Project! · 1 minThe Sparkle Project is a podcast for moms who are done carrying the weight of motherhood alone and are ready to connect with who they truly are - their sparkle, if you will. So…
- [REPLAY] Can Women Have It All? Exploring Happiness in Motherhood with Dr. Giselle Goodwin · 57 minThis is a replay of one of our most popular and impactful past episodes, and originally aired in April 2024. Whether you're tuning in for the first time or revisiting this…
- [REPLAY] Why You Need To Stop Equating Your Worth To Your Roles with Ashley Fernandez · 1 h 1 minThis is a replay of one of our most popular and impactful past episodes, and originally aired in November 2022. Whether you're tuning in for the first time or revisiting this…
- [Self-Care Snippet] Make Sure Your Basic Needs Are Being Met with Stacy McCann · 4 minThis is a Self-Care Snippet from Worthy Mother Podcast. As mothers, we need to prioritize our own care. Within this few-minute long episode, you will hear how our past guests…
- [REPLAY] Protecting Your Peace: Setting Boundaries with Difficult Family Members with Lauren Auwood · 32 minThis is a replay of one of our most popular and impactful past episodes, and originally aired in March 2025. Whether you're tuning in for the first time or revisiting this…
- [REPLAY] Breaking Cycles of Trauma Through Inner Child Healing with Mindi Kessler, PhD · 47 minThis is a replay of one of our most popular and impactful past episodes, and originally aired in November 2022. Whether you're tuning in for the first time or revisiting this…
