In this episode of Messy Liberation, Becky and Taina dive into the messy, uncomfortable space between personal truth and collective reality. From celebrity accountability to corporate boycotts, they unpack how nuance gets lost in a world that craves hot takes and binary thinking.

This conversation explores the tension between believing harm, honoring lived experience, and navigating systems that are fundamentally flawed. Because the truth is: most things aren’t either/or—they’re both/and.

💥 Discussed in This Episode:
• Why saying “that wasn’t my experience” can be harmful—and when it isn’t
• The difference between gaslighting and sharing a personal perspective
• How power, platform, and identity shape accountability
• The reality that most people do know someone who has caused harm
• Why personal experience ≠ universal truth
• The concept of lowercase truth vs. capital-T Truth
• How binary thinking limits our ability to engage with complexity
• The role of systemic racism in how harm and accountability are perceived
• Why calling the police isn’t always a safe or just solution
• What harm reduction and community accountability can look like
• Cancel culture vs. actual accountability
• Why cancel culture may be more appropriate for corporations than individuals
• The limits of boycotts—and how capitalism restricts our choices
• The privilege baked into “ethical consumption” conversations
• Why no one is fully outside harmful systems (yes, even you)
• Holding people accountable without flattening their humanity or talent
• The danger of moral superiority in activism spaces

🧠 Key Takeaways:
• You can hold multiple truths at once, even when they conflict
• Believing harm doesn’t require abandoning critical thinking
• Your experience with someone is real, but it’s not the whole picture
• Systems (like capitalism and policing) shape outcomes more than individual intent
• There is no “perfect” ethical choice under capitalism, only more informed ones
• Accountability should focus on repair and harm reduction—not just punishment
Nuance isn’t weakness—it’s necessary for justice

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They unpack how patriarchy, absent or harmful parenting dynamics, and systemic barriers to mental health support shape the men who go on to harm others at scale. This episode also explores the tension between empathy and accountability, the role of parenting in disrupting these cycles, and why “just get therapy” isn’t as simple (but is still necessary).

Plus: a powerful conversation about fatherhood, chosen family, and what it means to grow up without the support you deserved—and how people find ways to survive anyway.

🧠 Discussed in This Episode:
• The Netflix “manosphere” documentary and why it falls short
• The manosphere pipeline: from young boys to radicalized men
• Why men avoid therapy, and the cultural systems reinforcing that
• How trauma, especially around parents, shapes harmful behavior
• The tension between understanding harm vs. excusing it
• Parenting boys in a misogynistic, algorithm-driven world
• The role of YouTube, gaming culture, and online communities
• Why representation and intersectionality matter at a systemic level
• The myth of the “absent father” narrative and its racist roots
• The lasting impact of the Moynihan Report
• Fatherhood as a role vs. identity—and who gets to opt out
• “Fake dads,” parasocial relationships, and emotional survival
• The feminist critique of parenting structures and gender expectations
• Art, intention vs. impact, and how we interpret meaning
• Film discussion: The Bride and feminist storytelling in cinema

🔗 Resources Mentioned:
• "Why Does Patriarchy Persist?" by Carol Gilligan and Naomi Snider
• The Moynihan Report
• The Manosphere on Netflix

🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

In This Episode, We Get Into:

• The Starbucks founder Howard Schultz announcing he's leaving Seattle for Florida after Washington state passed a new income tax — and what that says about corporate greed in America
• Oprah's out-of-touch social media presence during Paris Fashion Week while the world is literally on fire (including oil refinery disasters in Iran)
• The jaw-dropping data on CEO pay vs. worker pay — a 1,000% increase since 1978, with top CEOs now making ~285–300x more than their average employees
• How corporations exploit crises (like COVID-era supply chain disruptions) to normalize price gouging and shrinkflation
• The real history of International Women's Day as a labor movement — not a "girlboss" celebration — and how women's unpaid and underpaid labor has always been systematically stolen
• The pay gap breakdown: 78 cents on the dollar for white women, even less for Black, Indigenous, Hispanic, and Latina women — and how women in care fields don't even have a comparable male wage to measure against
• How the U.S. tax system is deliberately made incomprehensible, who benefits from that confusion, and why 1 in 5 Fortune 500 companies paid zero federal taxes between 2018–2022
• The red state/blue state tax welfare dynamic — and why blue state taxpayers are effectively subsidizing the tax-dodging rich who move to Florida
• Why U.S. hyper-individualism keeps the kindling from igniting — and how building real community is the counter to late-stage capitalism

Resource:

• How We Show Up: Reclaiming Family, Friendship, and Community by Mia Birdsong

🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

In this episode, Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown talk about what it’s like living through Trumpism, rising authoritarianism, and the growing sense that fascism isn’t just a history lesson—it’s something people are trying to understand in real time.

They unpack the emotional impact of political overwhelm, news fatigue, and political anxiety, especially for people whose privilege once shielded them from the realities many marginalized communities have faced for generations.

This conversation explores how systems like white supremacy and authoritarian politics function almost like belief systems—or even cults—and why leaving those systems can feel disorienting, lonely, and scary.

Becky and Taina also talk about the role of education, privilege, media literacy, and social media in shaping how people understand politics today. Why do so many online conversations turn hostile instead of productive? What happens when people begin waking up to systems of power they were once part of?

Most importantly, they talk about how to cope with political burnout and overwhelm without shutting down completely. Research shows that action—whether activism, community care, or even small personal steps—can help restore a sense of agency when everything feels out of control.

If you’ve been feeling exhausted by politics, struggling with the constant bad news cycle, or wondering how to stay engaged without burning out, this episode is for you.

Because surviving times like these has never been an individual project. It has always been collective.

Topics Covered:

• Trumpism and rising authoritarian politics
• What fascism can feel like in everyday life
• Political anxiety, news fatigue, and overwhelm
• Privilege and the moment the “bubble” cracks
• White supremacy as a belief system
• Social media and political discourse
• Political burnout and activism fatigue
• How community and collective action help people survive political crises

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Discussed in this episode:
• The State of the Union often lacks substance and engagement.
• Al Green's actions highlight the importance of making 'good trouble.'
• Misogyny is deeply ingrained in societal structures and needs to be addressed.
• Media representation matters; diverse voices lead to richer narratives.
• Personal anecdotes can provide humor and relatability in serious discussions.
• The impact of cultural commentary on societal perceptions is significant.
• Women directors bring unique perspectives to storytelling.
• The conversation around aging and women's health is often overlooked.
• Humor can be a coping mechanism in challenging times.
• Celebrating personal milestones can bring joy amidst societal issues.

Chapters
00:00 State of the Union Reflections
02:38 Misogyny and Its Manifestations
05:26 The Slippery Slope of Toxic Thinking
08:18 The Intersection of Racism and Misogyny
11:01 The Role of Women in Film
13:54 Anticipating New Cinematic Releases
21:14 Exploring New Narratives in Media
24:12 The Importance of Diverse Perspectives
28:36 Cultural Reflections in Modern Storytelling
33:49 Navigating Perimenopause and Aging
39:37 Humor and Relationships: A Personal Touch

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Discussed in this episode:

• A messy moment: reaching out to a teacher about language
• When social media amplifies conflict
• Calling in vs public accountability
• Why “enslaved people” vs “slaves” matters
• Black history as shared history and responsibility
• Educator responses and learning in public
• Navigating trolls and criticism
• Emotional maturity, pressure, and public scrutiny
• Olympics tangent: performance, humanity, and expectations
• Invitation to practice nuance in hard conversations

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They explore revenge bedtime procrastination, why so many of us push the things we love to the edges of our day, and how capitalism teaches us to dismiss anything that doesn’t generate income. Becky shares a personal story about caring for her injured dog and the emotional labor that often goes unseen — especially in relationships — while Taina reflects on creative work, attention, and honoring what matters.

Together, they ask big questions:

• What if hobbies aren’t frivolous?
• What if care work is real work?
• What does it look like to honor our emotional lives instead of minimizing them?
• And how do we navigate relationships when we experience the world differently?

This conversation weaves culture, feminism, mental health, and lived experience into an honest exploration of being human in a productivity-obsessed world.

If you’ve ever stayed up too late chasing a moment of freedom… felt unseen in your care work… or wondered why rest feels so hard to claim — this one’s for you.

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They introduce a framework for building a liberatory coaching practice that centers identity, power, privilege, community, and care — not just goals, outcomes, or productivity. The episode also previews the interactive workshop happening February 25, where participants will begin building their own Liberatory Coaching Manifesto.

This isn’t about gatekeeping, hustle, or “fixing” clients. It’s about practicing coaching in a way that expands choice, agency, and humanity — for both coaches and the people they serve.

• What liberatory coaching actually means
• How coaching can unintentionally reinforce harmful systems
• Why phrases like “limiting beliefs” and “we all have the same 24 hours” can cause harm
• The role of identity, power, and privilege in coaching spaces
• Why community is essential to sustainable coaching work
• What a Liberatory Coaching Manifesto is — and why you’ll build one
• How to practice coaching without gatekeeping or hustle culture
• Why this work can’t be done alone

Build Your Liberatory Coaching Manifesto (free, live workshop)

• February 25 at 12pm Eastern on Zoom
• Replay available only to those who sign up

Sign-up for free at messyliberation.com.

🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

The conversation expands into privilege, power, and relationships: what it means when someone checks their privilege out loud, how that can change the nervous system in a room, and why pretending we’re “past” bias is far more dangerous than admitting it exists. They also talk about gendered entitlement, “support husbands,” emotional safety, and the exhausting reality of always wondering when contempt might surface.

• What mutual aid looks like in everyday life (and why it’s not charity)
• Snowstorms, disability, aging, and who gets left behind
• The invisible labor of care, organizing, and community-building
• Why being seen matters as much as being paid
• Emotional labor, race, gender, and power dynamics
• Checking privilege—and why it changes the room
• Supportive partnerships vs. entitled masculinity
• Why “I’d never do that” is a red flag
• Capitalism, commodification, and collective responsibility
• How acknowledgment can be an act of liberation

Resource:

• "Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next)" by Dean Spade

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This season is built around real experiments. Jacki isn’t just talking about ideas. She’s inviting coaches and service providers to assign her an actual experiment from their area of expertise. She runs it in her business, then they come back together to break down what worked, what didn’t, and what the results actually show.

If you like practical insight, honest reflection, and learning from real-world tests instead of polished theories, this season is worth a listen.

Find the show wherever you listen to podcasts or visit https://www.jackihayes.co/podcast

In this episode of Messy Liberation, Becky and Taina sit inside two overlapping kinds of grief: personal loss and collective unraveling. Becky names the heavy, destabilizing grief of watching U.S. power erode on the global stage—and what it means to confront the loss of privilege, safety, and certainty in real time. Taina shares the complicated aftermath of her mother’s death, including the anger, relief, and dissonance that come from being told a story about someone that doesn’t match your lived experience.

Together, they explore grief as a political and embodied experience, the difference between healthy and harmful anger, and why being “aware” isn’t enough without guardrails, resourcing, and community. This episode is about naming the mess without rushing to fix it—and learning how to stay human when the world makes it very tempting not to.

🧠 Discussed in This Episode
• The grief of losing global privilege—and why it still matters even when privilege is complicated
• Why awareness without action (or guardrails) can keep us stuck
• Seasonal depression, political despair, and “who gives a shit” energy
• Resource mapping as a tool for emotional regulation and capacity
• Healthy anger vs. destructive anger—and why movements can’t survive on rage alone
• Parenting, power dynamics, and what under-resourcing does to relationships
• Complicated grief after the death of an abusive or estranged parent
• The dissonance of hearing glowing stories about someone who harmed you
• Relief as a valid response to death—and why that doesn’t mean you didn’t love them
• Dehumanization, polarization, and the cost of refusing to seek understanding
• Why systems benefit when we fight each other instead of looking up

🎤 WE ARE PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

Using three recent releases as our jumping-off point — Sinners, One Battle After Another, and His and Hers — we unpack what happens when art claims to be subversive… and whether it actually is.

We talk about:

• Why Sinners feels intentionally campy, unapologetically political, and rooted in Black culture, music, ancestry, and collective survival
• How One Battle After Another leans on harmful tropes about Black motherhood, revolutionary violence, and white male centrality — and why “satire” isn’t a get-out-of-harm-free card
• The racial reframing of His and Hers and how changing the main characters to Black women fundamentally shifts the story’s meaning, stakes, and power
• Who gets empathy, who gets invisibility, and who’s expected to carry the labor — on screen and off
• Why representation alone isn’t enough, and why who tells the story matters just as much as what story gets told

This is a spoiler-heavy episode that assumes you’ve either watched these films or are okay hearing the full critique. It’s also an honest conversation about discomfort, trigger warnings, and the exhaustion of watching your lived experience turned into “prestige art” for someone else’s enlightenment.

If you care about media literacy, liberatory storytelling, and calling bullshit when “art” punches down — this one’s for you.

🎤 WE'RE PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Discussed in this episode:

• Why the U.S. arrest and removal of Venezuela’s leader is colonialism, not “law enforcement”
• How oil, capitalism, and empire are always the through-line
• The danger of pretending America is a neutral or moral global authority
• Why “how you do anything is how you do everything” applies to geopolitics
• The direct connection between capitalism, rape culture, and power grabs
• Why nuance matters—and why refusing false binaries is not the same as defending dictators
• How white discomfort gets mislabeled as “lack of safety”
• Why joking about colonization isn’t harmless (and what listening actually looks like)
• What it means to be able to critique U.S. actions without claiming expertise over other nations

RESOURCE: Original Sins: The (Mis)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism by Eve L. Ewing

They also wrestle in real time with fear, grief, learning out loud, and the possibility that America’s increasing global isolation may be both terrifying and inevitable.

This conversation isn’t tidy. It’s not optimistic. But it is honest—and rooted in the belief that refusing empire starts with telling the truth about it.

Next episode preview: Becky and Taina shift gears (a little) to talk about Sinners and One Battle After Another during awards season—with opinions they already know won’t be universally loved.

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They talk honestly about aging, bodies, wrinkles, weight loss drugs, and the impossible beauty standards women are asked to carry—especially as hyper-thin culture makes its deeply unwelcomed comeback. Becky and Taina reflect on what it means to age in public, to feel tenderness toward softness, greys, and change, and to reject the idea that looking older is a personal failure.

The conversation also widens to business: the pressure to “start fresh” every January, the myth of endless growth, and the exhausting reality that there is no finish line—just maintenance, repetition, and showing up again. They share how they’re approaching the year differently: slower, more collaboratively, more honestly, and more in tune with their actual capacity.

This episode is a permission slip to stop reinventing yourself on capitalism’s timeline and start listening to your own body, rhythms, and seasons instead.

🎤 WE ARE PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

We’re both part of the Feminist Podcast Collective, and watching this show come to life has been such a joy. Just Rest is for people who care deeply, work hard, and are tired of being told burnout is just the price of caring.

This podcast is all about rest as resistance, sustainable change, and staying human in a grind-obsessed world. It’s thoughtful, grounded, and deeply compassionate — the kind of show that feels like a long exhale.

Give the trailer a listen, then rate & review if it resonates. It makes a huge difference for indie, values-driven podcasts.

🎧 https://justrest.buzzsprout.com

In this end-of-year reflection, they talk candidly about personal and collective loss, fluctuating capacity, negativity bias, and the practice of holding multiple truths at once. They explore what it means to scale expectations down (way down), to let “10% better” be enough, and to build rituals that help us remember that not everything is awful—even when the world feels like it is.

This episode is an invitation to stop demanding perfection from yourself, to release the fantasy of static capacity, and to enter the new year with honesty, presence, and gentleness.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why 2025 felt like a year of loss—personally, politically, and collectively
• Grief, privilege, and the discomfort of holding both at the same time
• The myth of static capacity and why fluctuating energy is deeply human
• Spoon theory, disability wisdom, and why you can’t “borrow” energy from the future
• Negativity bias and why our brains remember the worst moments most clearly
• Micro vs. macro living: how daily life is different from the headlines
• Practices for tracking how days actually feel (not how we assume they felt)
• Holding multiple emotions at once—anger and love, grief and joy
• Why “10% better” might be the most radical New Year’s intention available
• Creating spaciousness during the holidays without disappearing entirely

🎤 WE'RE PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

In this episode, Becky and Taina talk honestly about what it looks like to live inside a bad day instead of trying to hustle your way out of it. From chronic pain and perimenopause to caregiving, grief, financial stress, and the impossible emotional math of deciding when it’s time to let go, this conversation holds the mess without trying to clean it up too fast.

This is an episode about asking for help when it feels like failure. About how self-gaslighting drains more energy than rest ever could. About the quiet power of naming your limits—and letting them be real.

If you’re feeling raw, overwhelmed, or stretched thin right now, this one’s for you.

In this episode, we talk about:
• Why some days can’t be “turned around” without doing more harm
• Chronic pain, perimenopause, and the emotional toll of living in a body that hurts
• The vulnerability hangover that comes after creating something meaningful
• How comparison and money talk can activate shame—even in values-aligned spaces
• Why asking for help can feel like failure, concession, or loss of power
• Parenting, partnership, and the guilt of needing rest
• Caregiving grief: loving someone (or a pet) while knowing the end is coming
• The impossible responsibility of deciding when to say goodbye
• Avoidance, coping, and why comfort isn’t the same thing as denial
• Letting a day be bad—and why that can actually prevent a spiral

If today feels heavy, you’re not broken—and you’re definitely not alone. Sometimes the most radical thing you can do is call it a bad day, ask for help, and let yourself rest without earning it.

🎧 Messy Liberation is a proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective, supporting independent, values-aligned shows and the people who make them. Learn more at: https://feministpodcasterscollective.com

Taina opens with a vulnerable (and infuriatingly relatable) mess about navigating life with a disability while recovering from intense medical trauma, and the complicated guilt that comes with needing care instead of giving it. Becky names what’s underneath it all: grief for the life we thought we’d have. What follows is a wide-open, nuanced conversation about surrender, agency, capitalism’s lies about productivity, and the lifelong work of unlearning parentification. 

From there, we spiral beautifully into:

• What accountability actually looks like (BD Wong, RF Kuang, publishing vs. Hollywood power, and why identity + industry shape what’s possible)
• How nuance gets flattened on the internet, and why that harms marginalized people most
• Jay-Z and Beyoncé attending a Brandy concert and the absolutely chaotic discourse about whether they “should” have said hi (Ray J… buddy… please log off)
• Spotify Wrapped: joy, community, surveillance capitalism, FOMO, manipulation, and why we’ll still post ours anyway
• The ways pop culture reveals our own longing to belong—and the pressure to be ethically perfect inside systems built on exploitation

It’s tender. It’s political. It’s petty. It’s deeply liberatory. In other words: peak Messy Liberation.

🎤 WE'RE PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Becky opens up about the messy joy and stomach-turning self-doubt of writing her first book — including imposter syndrome, fears of co-opting liberatory work, the ethics of citation, and the tension between wanting to be seen and fearing the inevitable rejection that visibility invites.

Then Taina dives into her own mess: the viral rumor about Donald Trump allegedly performing a sexual act on Bill Clinton (yes, really), the cultural fallout, the misogyny underneath homophobia, and the horrifying normalization of sexual violence in politics and media.

It’s an episode that moves from book-writing anxiety… to Brene Brown… to Epstein… to consent… to cult dynamics… to “underage women” as a media phrase… to slow-burn lesbian jokes… to the existential absurdity of trying to hold nuance in a collapsing empire.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• The behind-the-scenes process of writing Becky’s liberatory business book
• Imposter syndrome, power, privilege, and the fear of getting it wrong
• The ethics of citation, accountability, and writing through a white lens
• Why visibility feels both intoxicating and terrifying
• How to engage in liberatory work without replicating harm
• The alleged Trump/Clinton sexual scandal and why it’s blowing up online
• Misogyny, homophobia, femininity-as-weakness, and power dynamics
• Why the phrase “underage women” is a dangerous media trap
• The GOP’s terrifying attempt to normalize sexual violence
• Laughing at the absurdity as a survival strategy
• Updates from last week’s messes (the school-board situation + relationship boundaries)
• The difference between mess that moves us forward and mess that destroys democracy

Resources + Mentions

• "Emergent Strategy" by adrienne maree brown
• The Messy Liberation Coaches Circle

🎤 Proud members of The Feminist Podcasters Collective; join us if you have a podcast at http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

Becky shares what it’s like preparing to speak at a school board meeting about inequitable resource distribution in her son’s district — while naming the discomfort of doing that work as a white parent in a predominantly white room. Then Taina opens up about the complexities of being pansexual, married to a lesbian wife, and navigating attraction, boundaries, and emotional intimacy when your partner is also your best friend.

In This Episode, We Discuss:
• The messy reality of advocating for equity in a school system still clinging to “equal” funding
• Why diversity in schools matters — and what’s at risk when privileged families leave
• The tension of being a group of white moms pushing for equity without falling into saviorism
• How to strategically communicate about equity in political spaces
• The emotional labor of teachers and staff in under-resou🎤rced schools
• Taina’s coming-out journey, late blooming, and the truth about queer identity development
• What happens when you marry the first person you date (and why that’s not the red flag people think it is)
• Navigating attraction, boundaries, and “is this appropriate to say to my wife?” moments
• Why partners cannot and should not be expected to meet every emotional need
• Cheesecake, green beans, and other metaphors we’ll never be able to forget

🎤 Proud members of the Feminist Podcasters Collective — join us at: https://feministpodcasterscollective.com

From being multi-hyphenate creatives to dismantling productivity culture, this conversation dives into queerness, control, and community—and how letting yourself be delightfully, unapologetically human can actually make your work (and your joy) more sustainable.

Portia reminds us that liberation isn’t theoretical; it’s something we practice every day—in our businesses, our relationships, and even the way we talk about money, success, and each other.

Connect with Portia:

• The Business Cousins Collective
• Follow Portia on Instagram

Discussed in this episode:

• Redefining “messy” as freedom, not failure
• The power of multi-hyphenate creativity
• Queerness as a practice of expansion and self-creation
• How control, order, and “clean” systems uphold oppression
• Building liberatory business models rooted in joy and humanity
• Community as a messy, necessary space for collective growth

Resources mentioned:

• Lucille Clifton, “won’t you celebrate with me”
• Maya Angelou, “Be a rainbow in someone’s cloud”
• Ocean Vuong on how being queer saved his life

🎤 WE’RE PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Taina starts with a real-life scare: police chasing a man through her backyard in Baltimore. The conversation unfolds into a raw discussion about policing, white conditioning, racialized fear, and what “abolish the police” really means. Together, they pull apart the myths of “good cops” and community safety, tracing policing back to its roots in slavery and exploring what real care-centered community safety could look like.

Then Becky brings her own messy topic: a threads debate about whether all landlords are unethical. As a small-scale landlord herself, she wrestles with her own complicity in a capitalist system while still trying to do right by her tenant. The pair examine how housing, like policing, reflects deeper systemic issues—and why nuance matters when we talk about ethics and liberation.

The conversation winds into reflections on whiteness, masculinity, and how even our attempts to “opt out” of oppressive systems (like calling yourself a “non-practicing white”) can be another form of avoidance. This one is layered, uncomfortable, and exactly the kind of conversation Messy Liberation is built for.

🧠 Themes

• The conditioning of fear and trust around policing
• How racialized power shows up even in “liberal” white responses
• The difference between policing and community accountability
• Ethical gray areas in housing and capitalism
• Why abolition is about care, not chaos
• Reckoning with privilege, whiteness, and the myth of neutrality

🔗 Resources Mentioned

• Designer Terrence Williams
• The BRB, Crying podcast

🎤 WE ARE PROUD MEMBFRS OF THE FEMINIST PODCAST COLLECTIVE

They unpack how diet culture is a tool of patriarchy and capitalism, how the “male gaze” shapes even the most “empowering” wellness trends, and how we can start to reclaim movement as a way to care for ourselves rather than control ourselves.

This episode invites all of us, especially those socialized as women, to stop outsourcing our worth and start listening to our bodies again

Discussed in this episode:

• Why gyms can feel unsafe (and how to reclaim movement on your own terms)
• How diet culture and anti-fatness are rooted in anti-Blackness
• Decentering men and re-defining beauty on your own terms
• The emotional labor of unlearning body shame
• How patriarchy, racism, and capitalism keep us disconnected from our bodies
• Why movement is resistance, not punishment

Resources mentioned:

• “Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia” by Sabrina Strings
• “The Body Liberation Project” by Chrissy King
• “The Body Is Not an Apology” by Sonya Renee Taylor
• “Why Does Patriarchy Persist?” by Carol Gilligan and Naomi Snider
• “More Than a Body: Your Body Is an Instrument, Not an Ornament” by Lindsay and Lexie Kite

💪 Learn More About Laura Thomas

• Website: laurathomasfitness.com
• Instagram: @laurathomasfitness

🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

In this special crossover between Messy Liberation and brb crying, Becky and Taina sit down with Angela (“Nins”) and Ariana (“Arns”), lifelong best friends and co-hosts of brb crying, for a heartfelt, hilarious, and deeply real conversation about what it means to feel your feelings in a world that rewards suppression.

They unpack why crying is a radical act of self-trust, how vulnerability is a muscle that takes practice, and what it looks like to de-armor yourself in a culture that treats emotions like weakness. They also talk about creative rebirth through fan fiction (yes, really), the burnout cycle of podcasting, and how anti-capitalist rest practices can help us find joy again.

This one’s equal parts therapy session, slumber party, and masterclass in liberation.

Check out brb, crying:
Website: https://www.brbcryingpodcast.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brbcrying.podcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB3O5-2SWBN4AYpb061iipg

Discussed in this episode:

• The power of crying as emotional liberation
• Why vulnerability is a practice — not a personality trait
• Creative healing through fan fiction and rediscovering joy
• The burnout cycle of podcasting under capitalism
• Safety, embodiment, and learning to feel at home in your body
• The balance between vulnerability and humor
• Partnership, community, and the importance of feeling seen
• Rest and joy as acts of resistance
• Human Design, astrology, and honoring your energy type
• Releasing capitalist urgency and redefining success

🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCAST COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

They talk about:
• Why celebrity “side hustles” and billionaire branding keep us chasing more
• How capitalism turns “enough” into failure
• The illusion of American exceptionalism and what fascism actually looks like
• Why your local school board might matter more than Congress
• What iteration (not hustle) really means for liberation
• How collective care—and choosing one or two issues you actually have energy for—is the real resistance

Resource mentioned:
• Deepa Iyer’s Social Change Ecosystem Map

🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

In this episode of Messy Liberation, Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown are joined by their dear friend and collaborator Faith Clarke. Faith is a workplace culture strategist who challenges extractive systems and works to build restorative, liberatory environments rooted in belonging.

Together, the three dig into what “belonging” really means—not as a buzzword, but as an embodied experience of communal care, shared responsibility, and accountability. Faith shares stories from her corporate and nonprofit experiences, connects belonging to invisible labor, and explains why true belonging requires honesty about what spaces can and can’t hold.

This is a conversation about work, family, faith, identity, power, and the hard truth that belonging isn’t something leaders “create”—it’s something communities must practice together.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What belonging feels like and how to recognize its absence
• Why extractive work systems can never truly foster belonging
• The violence of having to self-advocate in spaces that won’t meet your needs
• Invisible labor and how marginalized folks often hold it all together
• Why belonging must be a community responsibility and not left to leaders alone
• Signs your workplace or organization lacks true belonging
• How Faith and Becky are partnering on an upcoming container to address invisible labor

🎤PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Discussed in this episode:

• What it’s really like to write sex scenes (and why it’s more about logistics than lust)
• Becky’s prudish confessions about watching intimacy on screen
• Love Is Blind: Brazil – Over 50 and why watching older women date is surprisingly joyful
• British comfort TV vs. American sensory-overload reality shows
• Astrology, natal charts, and why New Year’s actually starts in Scorpio or Virgo season
• Why summer feels like winter and autumn brings the most creativity
• Becky’s son’s “welcome to capitalism” moment with a half-empty bag of chips
• Activism that disrupts power at the table, not just in the streets
• The parallels between Baltimore and St. Louis: segregation, schools, and systemic inequities
• Infrastructure failures, unsafe water, and the privilege required to access safety

🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Join Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown for a free live workshop on October 30th at 2 p.m. ET where we’ll explore what it really takes to grow as a coach rooted in liberation, not just business.

🌟 In this session, you’ll learn:

• What liberation can look like for you and your clients
• The 3 essentials every coach needs for a sustainable, liberatory practice
• How community can fuel your growth with fresh ideas, accountability, and support

This isn’t just another workshop—it’s a doorway into deeper connection with coaches who share your values.

👉 Reserve your free spot today: https://evt.to/eodmahasw

(If you can’t make it live, sign up anyway—replay will be available!)

We talk about:

• How Christian nationalism (via figures like Charlie Kirk) has evolved — from campus provocateur to media force to mythic martyr.
• Why “compromise” is pitched as a virtue — but often functions to protect white supremacy, heteropatriarchy, and nationalism.
• How grief and the narrative around someone’s death (Kirk’s, especially) are weaponized in service of myth-making and mobilization.
• The difference between compromise and surrender—and why that distinction matters in politics and in life
• Jerry Greenfield’s choice to leave Ben & Jerry’s rather than mute his values for corporate comfort
• Tad Stoermer’s warning about liberal nationalism, American mythology, and the weaponization of compromise
• The powder keg moment America is in, and what it means for those with privilege vs. those without
• Culture as propaganda: from Star Trek to 9/11 broadcasts to the cult of celebrity
• How white liberals cling to the dream of compromise and why it only leads to deeper harm
• What legacy really means—not just what you build, but what you walk away from

This is a heavy one. We name the fear, the grief, and the hope in imagining a future beyond duct-tape solutions. And, as always, we find a little levity at the end (Cardi B, Beyoncé, and witchy weekends).

Resources Mentioned:

• Tad Stoermer video: “Why U.S. Historians Keep Reinforcing American Nationalism (Even When They Think They Aren’t)”
• “A Resistance History of the United States” by Tad Stoermer (coming 2026)

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Nikki shares how her personal experiences with loss led her to become a death doula and grief coach, and why she believes grief doesn’t have to suck. Together, we talk about how our culture fails us in grief (three days of bereavement leave? really?), the myths of the “stages of grief,” what collective grief looks like in moments like COVID and global injustice, and why rituals matter.

We also touch on end-of-life dignity, hospice care, and what Nikki has learned about her own mortality from walking alongside others in their final days. This conversation is real, tender, and surprisingly hopeful—it’s about love, legacy, and finding joy even in the hardest moments.

If you’ve ever felt alone in your grief, questioned how to support someone through loss, or wondered what it means to prepare for your own death, this episode will meet you right where you are.

Discussed in this episode:

• How Nikki became a death doula and grief coach
• Why toxic positivity is harmful in grief
• The many forms of grief, including disenfranchised grief
• The limitations of bereavement leave and how workplaces fail grievers
• Rituals and cultural approaches to death
• The myth of “stages of grief” and why grief is nonlinear
• Collective grief in times of crisis (COVID, genocide, natural disasters)
• The dignity (and indignity) of dying, and hospice care
• Talking with kids about death
• Finding joy, ritual, and love inside grief

Resources:

• Nikki Smith’s website (and podcast info)
• Nikki and Taina’s upcoming session on collective grief (Sept. 25)

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In this episode, Becky and Taina sit down with Jordan Maney (aka The Radical Joy Coach) to talk about rest as resistance, how to distinguish between anger and rage, and why “rest so you can rage” is a mantra worth remembering.

Together they unpack:

• The difference between anger (short-term) and rage (sustainable)
• Why rest, joy, and care are essential for sustaining activism and justice work
• What Audre Lorde meant when she said “anger is loaded with information and energy”
• How shame and defensiveness show up when we’re called in or called out
• The tension between white women co-opting “rest as resistance” vs. acknowledging privilege
• Rest equity and who most urgently needs access to true restoration
• Why rest isn’t the absence of doing, but the presence of restoration—creative rest, social rest, emotional rest, and more

Jordan reminds us that rest isn’t an excuse to check out. It’s a strategy for sustaining ourselves in the long fight against oppressive systems. Without it, burnout wins.

If you’ve ever felt guilty about slowing down, or wondered how to balance caring for yourself while also showing up for justice, this episode will leave you with a radical new lens on why rest isn’t optional—it’s part of the work.

Jordan Maney is The Radical Joy Coach and the host of Rest Lab podcast. She helps “bleeding hearts”—people who deeply give a damn—center rest, joy, and care in their lives as an act of resistance.

Resources & Links

• RestLab Report and Podcast, Jordan’s Substack
• “Joy Is a Strategy: The White Leftist Struggle with Spirit”
• “Uses of Anger” by Audre Lorde
• “Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto” by Tricia Hersey

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Together, we dig into the messy, nuanced truths about body liberation: what it really means beyond “body positivity,” why loving your body isn’t always possible (or required), and how systemic oppression—not personal failure—shapes our relationships with our bodies.

Tiana shares her four-step framework for body liberation—education, reframing, resilience/self-care, and advocacy—and we talk about the real-life challenges of living in a fat body in a fatphobic, racist, capitalist culture. This conversation unpacks how liberation isn’t a destination but an ongoing practice of resistance, reclamation, and joy.

Discussed in this episode:

• The limits of body positivity and why “just love your body” is often inaccessible.
• The political realities of having a marginalized body and why they matter.
• Tiana’s journey from engineer to body liberation facilitator (with a spreadsheet love story in the mix).
• How trauma complicates body acceptance and why neutrality can be liberatory.
• The role of storytelling and representation in dismantling shame.
• Why reclaiming pleasure—from sex to ice cubes—is a radical act of liberation.

Resources Mentioned:

• "Fearing the Black Body" by Sabrina Strings
• "Fat Girls in Black Bodies" by Dr. Joy Arlene Renee Cox
• "The Body Is Not an Apology" by Sonya Renee Taylor
• "Pleasure Activism" by adrienne maree brown

Connect with Tiana Dodson:

• Instagram: @iamtianadodson
• Website: tianadodson.com
• TikTok: @iamtianadodson

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They also get personal: what it means to feel unsafe in your own country, how queer couples are already strategizing to protect their families, and why pride flags signal more safety than American flags these days.

And because no episode is complete without calling out cultural contradictions, Becky and Taina take on Taylor Swift and the problem with white feminism. Can you enjoy the music while still holding celebrities accountable for their choices? Absolutely—but ignoring privilege and power isn’t an option.

It’s a heated, unfiltered conversation. If you’re activated by it, you’re not alone—just don’t forget to take care of your nervous system afterward.

Discussed in This Episode:

• Trump’s deployment of the National Guard in D.C. and the playbook of creeping fascism
• Project 2025 and how it’s already reshaping policy, strategy, and daily life
• The fight to protect Obergefell and what the threat to marriage equality means for queer families
• Lavender marriages, legal loopholes, and the exhausting extra labor LGBTQ+ couples face
• How rights once granted are now being stripped away—and the chilling precedent that sets
• Taylor Swift, celebrity feminism, and why “with great power comes great responsibility” isn’t just a comic book line
• White culture, “Midwest nice,” and the expectation that women should always perform “nice” at the expense of truth

🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

From judging women for wearing too much makeup to men who call women “females,” we explore the sneaky red flags we’ve normalized. And we get real about the internalized misogyny we all carry, even as feminists.

We also talk about gay male culture borrowing from Black women, the emotional labor of womanhood, and why calling women “crazy” is more dangerous than it sounds. This episode is a gut-check for anyone raised inside patriarchal systems (so, all of us).

If you’ve ever wondered “Am I being too hard on other women?” or “Why do I feel unsafe in rooms full of women who all look alike?”—this one’s for you.

Here's Becky's Thread that prompted this episode

Discussed in This Episode:

• What misogyny really is—and how it shows up beyond violence or hate
• The difference between external and internalized misogyny
• Everyday red flags in men’s behavior (even the “nice guys”)
• The harm of calling women “females” and judging women’s choices
• Why internalized misogyny makes us distrust or judge other women
• How queer spaces can reinforce misogyny—especially toward trans women
• Gay male culture and the unacknowledged borrowing from Black women
• The emotional and invisible labor women carry in families and work
• How grief, caretaking, and people-pleasing are gendered expectations
• Why it’s not “misandry” when women resist patriarchy
• Judging aesthetics like pink or plastic surgery as a feminist
• Why “all his exes are crazy” is a major red flag
• How internalized misogyny shapes what art, comedy, and leadership we value
• Building feminist friendships and communities that aren’t copy-paste
• What it really means to divest from patriarchy without hating femininity

🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Discussed in this episode:

• Frances’s journey from church life to polyamory

• The difference between polyamory, polygamy, and ethical non-monogamy

• How she talks to her kids about multiple partners

• Deconstructing jealousy and religious conditioning

• Why consent and communication are the cornerstone of poly relationships

• Polyamory myths and misconceptions (and what’s actually true)

• The intersection of feminism, faith, and love

Resource mentioned:

• “Opening Up” by Tristan Taormino: https://amzn.to/4mfzO2x

☀️ Join us in the Messy Liberation Coaches Circle: https://coaches.teachery.co/join

🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

Discussed in this episode:

• Pedro Pascal’s red carpet moments and breaking masculinity norms
• Malcolm Jamal Warner’s drowning and the Cosby Show’s complicated legacy
• Dating strategically vs dating for love in your 20s
• Melania Trump and Kennedy Center renaming outrage
• Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein files, and MAGA conspiracies
• Police brutality and the William McNeil dashcam video
• Venus Williams’ comeback and U.S. health insurance issues
• Leo season, assertiveness vs aggression, and zodiac dynamics

Resource mentioned:

• William McNeil dashcam video (TW: police brutality)

☀️ Join us in the Messy Liberation Coaches Circle

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Discussed in this Episode

• Toxic traits around rejecting popular culture

• Fanfiction as a space for safety and creativity

• Hallmark’s evolving portrayal of queer characters

• Superiority complexes and gifted child syndrome

• Exceptionalism and American individualism

• Intersectional readings of pop culture (like Christmas in July)

• Fatphobia and anti-fat bias in medical systems

• Language policing and supremacy in grammar norms

• Audre Lorde’s ‘master’s tools’ and internalized systems

• How liberation work demands internal accountability

Resources Mentioned

• Ryan Trahan's 50 States in 50 Days YouTube Series

• St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

• "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" by Paulo Freire

• "The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House" by Audre Lorde

• Somebody Somewhere on HBO Max

• "An Actress of a Certain Age" by Jeff Hiller

☀️ Join us in the Messy Liberation Coaches Circle

🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Discussed in this episode

• Why grief is always present—even when we don’t acknowledge it
• How female anger is suppressed (and why that’s dangerous)
• The myth of the angry Black woman
• Why anger and grief are somatic experiences, not just mental
• How American culture fails at grief
• The emotional labor of caretaking and parenting during loss
• Ways we gaslight ourselves through loss
• Visualization and embodiment practices for emotional release

Resources mentioned

• "Uses of Anger" by Audre Lorde
• The Emotions Wheel
• Bernadette Pleasant, The Emotional Institute
• "Patriarchy Stress Disorder" by Dr. Valerie Rein

☀️ Join us in the Messy Liberation Coaches Circle

🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

They explore how hustle culture and girlboss messaging warped her creativity, why she stopped making art for money, and what it looks like to reclaim joy as a daily practice. She offers insights into how her habit tracking system, morning pages, and refusal to commodify everything have helped her stay rooted in her creative process—and why rest, fun, and fanfiction are deeply radical acts. This episode is a must-listen for anyone struggling with burnout, self-doubt, or wondering if it’s okay to just make art for art’s sake.

Krishna’s website | Ink Blots and Fragments on Spotify | Krishna's Substack

Discussed in this episode:

• Creative liberation beyond capitalism
• Using fanfiction as resistance and joy
• The emotional toll of monetizing your passion
• Habit tracking for personal data and self-trust
• The Artist’s Way and morning pages
• Finding boundaries between public and private art
• Self-permission to create without perfection
• Rest as resistance and lunch as liberation
• Krishna’s podcast Ink Blots and Fragments
• Her Habit Tracker journal

Resource mentioned:

• "The Artist’s Way" by Julia Cameron

☀️ Join us in the Messy Liberation Coaches Circle

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Prof. Julian Wamble (Womble), he/him, is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at George Washington University, where he teaches a popular class called Harry Potter & the Politics of Social Identity. He’s also the host of Critical Magic Theory podcast.

Tiktok: @profw  |  Instagram: @prof.jw

Discussed in this episode:

• Teaching white supremacy using Harry Potter
• Hermione’s white saviorism and gendered politics
• Fanfiction as a tool for social change
• The erasure and racism around Lavender Brown
• The problem with redemption arcs only for male characters
• Draco Malfoy as a projection for reform
• Why separating art from artist is dangerous
• Creating guides for conscientious readers
• How fanfiction rewrites justice and inclusivity

Fanfic etiquette:

• Fanfic is free; never buy or sell to protect the space and observe copyright and IP laws
• Observe the authors rules regarding sharing and personal binding
• We don’t rate or review fanfic; it’s a gift. If you don’t like a particular one simply DNF (do not finish) and move on
• Always, always leave a kudos or comment to show appreciation for the authors effort
• Don’t be an asshole.

Resources mentioned:

• “James” by Percival Everett
• Let the Dark In by SenLinYu
• The Disappearances of Draco Malfoy by speechwriter
• Manacled by SenLinYu is no longer available
• Bloody, Slutty, and Pathetic by WhatMurdah
• Save Me Again by wolfstarlover20 (all queer fic Taina read during Pride month)

☀️ Join us in the Messy Liberation Coaches Circle

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📝 Discussed in this episode

• Why Becky took her son to his first protest (and why he was terrified)
• The emotional toll of being "the good citizen" in a broken system
• Why showing up looks different for white folks vs. people of color
• The white guilt and self-righteousness loop we all have to confront
• The truth about public schools and their real purpose
• Taina’s take on “anti-mothering” and emotional labor
• Generational shifts in parenting and emotional intelligence
• Why curiosity can be an antidote to judgment
• The bullshit of performative allyship (and why praise-kinks are real)
• There’s no gold star for liberation—but we want one anyway

🔗 Resources mentioned

• Deepa Iyer’s Social Change Ecosystem Map
• Trash Tuesday Podcast

☀️ Join us in the Messy Liberation Coaches Circle

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Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown dive deep into Sylvia Rivera’s 2001 speech, "Bitch on Wheels." They unpack Rivera’s righteous rage, explore the erasure of trans voices in LGBTQ history, and reflect on the importance of solidarity and intersectionality in the fight for liberation. This raw speech from a legendary activist is just as urgent today.

✍️ “Bitch on Wheels” by Sylvia Rivera

Discussed in this episode

- Sylvia Rivera’s legacy and speech context
- Stonewall riots from a trans perspective
- Marsha P. Johnson and Rivera’s activism
- Respectability politics and performative feminism
- White saviorism, allyship, and call-in vs. call-out
- Suicide and mental health in the trans community
- The role of anger in activism
- Collective care and intersectionality

Resources mentioned
- The Trevor Project
- Lee Brewster history
- Messy Liberation podcast

🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Discussed in this episode

• Becky's summer reading binge: 15+ books a month

• Why explicit sex scenes turn Becky off

• Taina’s love for fanfic (especially emotionally mature Draco Malfoy)

• How Audre Lorde defines pornography vs. the erotic

• Navigating parenting and productivity during summer

• How generational differences show up in language and preferences

Resources mentioned

• “Slow Dance” by Rainbow Rowell

• “First-Time Caller” by B.K. Borison

• “Careless People” by Sarah Wynn-Williams

• “I'm Glad My Mom Died” by Jennette McCurdy

• Remain Nameless fanfic

• We Read Smut podcast

☀️ Join us in the Messy Liberation Coaches Circle

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Discussed in this episode:

• The movie “Sinners” and its allegorical brilliance
• Ryan Coogler’s unheard-of copyright ownership deal
• The Mississippi Free Press review of Sinners
• How horror can offer historical and cultural education
• Depictions of Black life, trauma, and joy on film
• The Chinese Immigration Act and racial context in the South
• America’s myth-making and white savior complex
• Trump’s military parade and the “No Kings” rallies
• The reality of what’s happening in Palestine
• Taina’s former life as an evangelical Republican

Resources mentioned:

• Mississippi Free Press: https://www.mississippifreepress.org
• No Kings Rallies: https://www.nokings.org

☀️ Join us in the Messy Liberation Coaches Circle: https://coaches.teachery.co/join

🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

Stella Gold (they/them) is a genderqueer Rebirth + Wealth Coach for changemakers and comes from a lineage of activists. They are the founder of My Gold Standard, a believer in wealth activism, pro liberation from all oppressive systems, and collective care. Website | Instagram

Discussed in this episode

• What death work teaches us about money and community
• How grief impacts financial decision-making
• Why class consciousness must be part of any money conversation
• The myth of ‘pure’ divestment and the messiness of resisting capitalism
• Spirituality, religious trauma, and their role in financial healing
• What slow divestment looks like in real life (ex: leaving Amazon, ethical investing)

Resources mentioned

• "The Sum of Us" by Heather McGhee
• Carbon Collective
• Going With Grace
• Real You Leadership

☀️ Join us in the Messy Liberation Coaches Circle

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Discussed in this Episode

• Taina's return to therapy and navigating chronic illness
• Why representation matters in therapeutic relationships
• The liberatory framework from Barbara J. Love: Awareness, Analysis, Action, Accountability/Allyship
• Fanfic as a tool for dissociation and joy
• Hyperfixation, ADHD tendencies, and the dopamine drip
• Rest as resistance and modeling what liberation looks like in real-time
• Resmaa Menakem and somatic healing
• Stolen Focus by Johann Hari and the attention economy
• The superior science of laminated croissants

Resources Mentioned

• Barbara J. Love’s Liberatory Consciousness Framework
• "My Grandmother’s Hands" by Resmaa Menakem
• "Stolen Focus" by Johann Hari
• Joy Oladokun music
• Becky’s Corporate Speak or Real Talk Game

☀️ Join us in the Messy Liberation Coaches Circle

🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Discussed in this episode

• How capitalism and white supremacy sabotage our creativity

• Becky’s sewing dreams (and tote bags!)

• Taina’s love of baking and flower arranging

• Why it’s so hard to try something new as an adult

• Creative play as a somatic and healing practice

• Letting go of perfectionism and monetization

• The value of co-creation and community creativity

• How creative expression can fuel innovation in business

Resources mentioned

• The Great British Sewing Bee

• Empowered Embodied podcast with Kim Romaine

☀️ Join us in the Messy Liberation Coaches Circle

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Discussed in this Episode

• The surprising diversity of Houston, TX
• Air travel fears and post-pandemic etiquette
• Cultural differences in masking and public health
• Fanfiction as feminist literature
• Chronic illness representation in fiction
• The emotional labor of facilitation and caregiving
• Perimenopause, gendered medicine, and feeling invisible
• Religious trauma from both Catholic and evangelical backgrounds
• The politics of the new Pope and abuse cover-ups
• Community vs. cult dynamics and MAGA parallels
• Why questioning matters more than being right

Resources Mentioned

• "Greenlight" fanfic by Serena Muzaffir (on AO3)
• “Real Americans” by Rachel Khong
• “Daisy Jones and the Six” by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• Just Getting Better podcast

🎤 WE'RE PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE 🎤

Discussed in This Episode:

• Why reducing your news intake can be life-saving
• The somatic signs of stress and how to listen to them
• Embracing tiny, doable actions over giant to-do lists
• Letting go of capitalist ideas of productivity and morality
• Why hobbies like gardening and sourdough are revolutionary
• Finding joy as a radical act of resistance
• How to build community in hard times
• Defining self-care on your own terms

Resources Mentioned:

• Bulwark Takes podcast
• “How to Keep House While Drowning” by KC Davis
• Taina’s free values guide
• Becky’s new podcast, Assigned Reading

🎤 WE'RE PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE 🎤

They talk about what makes the circle different from other coaching programs (no formulas, no gatekeeping, no 5K price tags), and what members can expect: co-working, spotlight support sessions, book club, and a whole lot of community care. They also share their dreams for what might come next—including pop-ups, co-op style referrals, and collective funds to redistribute resources. If you’ve been looking for a coaching space that feels more real, this might be it.

💬 Discussed in this episode:

• Why community without boundaries becomes unsustainable
• The difference between commerce and capitalism (and why this isn’t capitalist)
• Becky’s Enneagram 6 “community builder as trauma response” moment
• Sliding scale pricing and our approach to equitable access
• Taina’s vision for mutual aid inside a coaching community
• Co-creating a group instead of playing expert at the front of the room
• How we’re modeling what we believe about leadership and liberation
• What you actually get in the Coaches Circle
• Building the business you want—without doing it alone
• Our shared obsession with reciprocity, co-working, and subverting norms

📚 Resources mentioned:

• Messy Liberation Coaches Circle
• “Emergent Strategy” by adrienne maree brown
• “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron
• “The Serviceberry: An Economy of Abundance” by Robin Wall Kimmerer
• Feminist Podcasters Collective
• Wandering Aimfully by Jason & Caroline Zook

They also go in hard on billionaires-in-space propaganda (👀 looking at you, Jeff Bezos), talk about why libraries are the ultimate resistance tool, and share fanfic-fueled joy as an act of defiance. This isn’t doomscrolling—it’s action-based community care for when you’re feeling powerless but still want to make a damn difference.

Discussed In This Episode:

• What “anti-fascist action” actually means (spoiler: you don’t need a pitchfork)
• How to use Project Maelstorm to flood the system with snail mail resistance
• Mutual aid ideas that cost little or nothing
• Why local libraries are radical tools of liberation
• Critiquing the billionaire joyride to space
• Building community with lending libraries, swaps, and shared skills
• Saying “fuck it” to performative feminism and embracing real-life impact

Discussed in this episode:

• The healing power of funk and the somatic joy of dancing alone
• The PBS documentary A History of Funk Music and Black Liberation of the 1970s
• Cultural appropriation vs. appreciation in music (Justin Timberlake, anyone?)
• Misogynoir and the gatekeeping of country music
• Why Beyoncé absolutely belongs in the country genre
• Taina’s fire analogy about AI and cultural appropriation
• The impact > intent distinction (and the $10 egg drop)
• What true harm repair actually looks like
• Why “sorry” is step zero, not step one
• The Venn diagram of justice, and why it all comes back to humanity and collectivism
• Angry grannies, Trump regretters, and FAFO energy

Resources mentioned:

• A History of Funk Music and Black Liberation of the 1970s on PBS YouTube
• “James” by Percival Everett
• Rhiannon Giddens and Carolina Chocolate Drops

They weave in the wisdom of Black and Indigenous feminists like bell hooks, the Combahee River Collective, Audre Lorde, and Paula Gunn Allen. This episode is for liberation-minded founders who are tired of toxic "abundance mindset" advice that ignores class, and who want to explore equity-based business practices that reflect their values.

What You'll Learn:

• Why naming what we do want is crucial for sustainable change
• How collectivist, feminist, and Indigenous wisdom informs business
• What murmurations can teach us about entrepreneurial community
• How scarcity thinking shows up even in justice-driven businesses
• A reimagining of leadership and rest through shared care

Referenced in this episode:

• Combahee River Collective Statement
• “Emergent Strategy” by adrienne maree brown
• “Proposals for the Feminine Economy” by Jennifer Armbrust
• “Braiding Sweetgrass” and “The Serviceberry” by Robin Wall Kimmerer
• My Gold Standard with Stella Gold

Listen if you're ready to stop fighting alone and start building a business grounded in mutual care and liberation.

Discussed in this episode:

• Cosmo's “Feminism Recession” article breakdown
• Gender equity and generational divides
• The rise of anti-feminism among Gen Z men
• Political gaslighting and SignalGate
• Why data literacy and framing matter in feminism conversations
• White male privilege, institutional power, and public accountability
• Raising white boys with emotional intelligence

Resources mentioned:
 📖 “The Great Feminism Recession” in Cosmo
📊 Gender divide study by King’s College in London
📚 “When Your Abuser is Your President” from No Trifling Matter

Discussed in This Episode:

• What dopamine hacking is and why it’s misunderstood
• How manifestation and neuroscience actually intersect
• The truth about happiness and why it isn’t a sustainable goal
• How social media is affecting our attention spans
• The impact of systemic racism on the brain
• Neuro-racism and the historical misuse of neuroscience
• The role of trauma and epigenetics in shaping mental health
• Why radical self-care is a form of resistance
• How capitalism manipulates our dopamine responses
• Practical ways to retrain your brain for contentment

Resources Mentioned:

• Kaela Singleton on Insta
• Kaela Singleton on Bluesky
• Dr. Jim Doty on Mel Robbins’ podcast
• Black in Neuro
• “My Grandmother’s Hands” by Resmaa Menakem
• “They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us” by Hanif Abdurraqib
• “Chain Gang All Stars” by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
• “Portrait of a Thief” by Grace D. Li
• “Universality” by Natasha Brown
• Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love

Dr. Kaela S. Singleton (she/her) is a Black Samoan Queer neuroscientist whose career blends groundbreaking research, community leadership, and advocacy for diversity in STEM. Raised in Georgia, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience and Classical History from Agnes Scott College and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Georgetown University. Her postdoctoral research at Emory University focused on pediatric neurodegeneration, advancing cellular and developmental neuroscience. 

She now serves as the Director of Grants Management at Cure Alzheimer’s Fund.  Dr. Singleton’s expertise and leadership have earned her recognition as a NINDS BP-ENDURE alum, NINDS D-SPAN Scholar, and Burroughs Wellcome Fund PDEP Fellow. As the President and Co-Founder of Black In Neuro, an international nonprofit, Dr. Singleton is dedicated to fostering equity and accountability in STEM, creating inclusive spaces that celebrate and empower Black scholars.

Discussed in This Episode:

• The Ultimatum: Queer Love – What made it so intense?
• How reality TV manipulates emotions to keep us watching
• The psychology of reality TV: Why do we love watching drama unfold?
• Reality TV and mental health: The emotional toll on viewers and participants
• The ethics of reality TV: Consent, exploitation, and manufactured drama
• Parasocial relationships and why we feel connected to reality stars
• The impact of editing: How producers control the narrative
• The evolution of reality TV: From The Real World to Love Is Blind
• Reality TV and capitalism: Turning human experiences into profit
• Can reality TV ever be ethical? How it could be done differently

Reality TV isn’t just mindless entertainment—it reflects deeper cultural values and ethical dilemmas. Whether we love it or question it, we need to be more conscious of what we consume and why.

Discussed in This Episode:

• How to stay engaged without burning out in activism
• Strategies for managing activist burnout and avoiding burnout as a changemaker
• The emotional toll of activism and how to handle it
• Why resisting white supremacist urgency culture is essential for sustained activism
• The role of joy in activism and how to stay hopeful in a chaotic world
• Navigating political exhaustion and self-preservation in social justice work
• How to find community in political resistance and why it matters
• Mental health and activism: managing activist energy and avoiding despair

Resources Mentioned:

• Indivisible
• Working Families Party
• “How to Keep House While Drowning” by KC Davis

Discussed in This Episode:

• How the fragile male ego shows up in business and leadership
• Toxic masculinity in business and how it impacts decision-making
• Why billionaires and exploitation go hand in hand
• Can you be an ethical billionaire? The real cost of extreme wealth
• Male fragility in politics and its consequences on policy and society
• How capitalism thrives on scarcity and fuels individualism
• The entitlement of white men and why white women uphold patriarchy
• Feminist entrepreneurship as a model for ethical business practices
• How to challenge male fragility and create meaningful change
• The dangers of hyper-individualism vs. the power of collective thinking

Resource Mentioned:

• No, You’re Not Entitled to Your Opinion by Patrick Stokes

The conversation explores perfectionism, self-sabotage as self-protection, and the radical act of asking for help in leadership. They also dive into how fear and confusion are used to control progress, why academia needs more diversity, and how resisting capitalist norms in business can lead to meaningful change.

Discussed in This Episode

• The intersection of science and social justice and why it matters
• Breaking barriers in STEM as a Latina and the reality of DEI in science
• How trauma shapes leadership and overcoming perfectionism as a leader
• Why asking for help is radical and the importance of community in business
• The truth about pre-compliance in activism and how fear is used for control
• Resisting capitalist norms in business and why science needs diversity
• The role of marginalized communities in driving innovation

Resources Mentioned

• Movement Consulting with Dra. Nicole Cabrera-Salazar
• Dra. Nicole Cabrera-Salazar on Instagram
• “Don’t Believe Him” by Ezra Klein
• “On Tyranny” by Timothy Snyder

Discussed in this episode:

• The emotional toll of political anxiety and how to manage it
• RFK Jr.'s appointment to Health and Human Services and why it’s concerning
• Project 2025 and its potential impact
• The SAVE Act and how it could suppress voter rights
• Title IX rollbacks and the future of women’s rights
• How to fight political burnout and stay engaged
• The role of self-care as political resistance
• How mutual aid and community support can help in times of uncertainty
• The February 28th no-spend day protest and how to participate
• The importance of economic activism as a form of resistance

If you’re looking for ways to navigate the current political landscape without feeling paralyzed, this episode is for you. Tune in and join the conversation.

Discussed in This Episode:

• What is a hall pass in a relationship?
• Our ultimate celebrity crush picks (and why we chose them)
• Paul Rudd, Robert Downey Jr., and Jeff Goldblum – crush-worthy or not?
• The allure of Charlize Theron and Emma Stone
• The hottest male and female celebrities we’d put on our lists
• The psychology behind attraction—do we actually have a type?
• Is a hall pass considered cheating, or is it just harmless fun?
• Why we love funny, confident, and slightly rebellious people
• Our audience’s favorite celebrity crushes (send us yours!)

💬 Who’s on YOUR hall pass list? Let us know!
📧 Email us at messyliberation@gmail.com with the subject line Hall Pass.
💬 Comment on YouTube to share your picks!

We’ll also discuss how grief manifests in the body, somatic healing techniques, and the surprising connection between burnout and grief. If you’ve been wondering how to survive grief in tough times and keep going despite everything, this episode is for you.

Discussed in this episode:

• Processing political and social grief and why it’s more than just about death
• How political changes impact mental health and everyday life
• The relationship between burnout and grief (and how to manage both)
• How to navigate grief in difficult times without shutting down
• Self-care strategies for dealing with election grief and political overwhelm
• Somatic healing and grief: How our bodies hold onto stress and trauma
• How to find comfort during uncertain times and create safe spaces for healing

Resources mentioned:

• “Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle” by Emily & Amelia Nagoski
• SmashingPatriarchy.com - feminist merch
• Taskmaster on BBC
• Follow Becky on BlueSky
• Follow Taina on BlueSky
• Taina’s post about the Lunar New Year

Marina's Website

Discussed in This Episode:

• What mutual aid is and why it matters
• The intersection of fat liberation and mutual aid
• Direct giving vs. charitable donations: What's the difference?
• How mutual aid circles work and amplify impact
• The challenges and rewards of setting boundaries in mutual aid
• Health at Every Size and its principles
• Ethical health coaching and navigating systemic barriers to health
• COVID realism and its connection to chronic illness and disability
• How systemic oppression shapes access to healthcare
• Choosing belief, compassion, and community care

Resources Mentioned:

• Marina DalDalian
• Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH)
• Angel Austin of Sacred Space for Fat Bodies
• Episode 27 of Messy Liberation: "Beyond Charity"
• You Need a Budget (YNAB)
• Marquisele (Mikey) Mercedes
• Lindo Bacon Accountability controversy

Discussed in This Episode

• MLK Day Reflections: The emotional complexities of celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy during a politically charged inauguration.
• Protecting Peace: Balancing self-care and civic engagement during tumultuous times.
• Red Note vs. TikTok Ban: The political and cultural implications of shifting platforms, including the risks and ironies involved.
• Finding Joy: Becky’s 100-rejections challenge and how her spreadsheet is helping her stay organized and motivated.
• TV and Media Highlights: Shows that brought joy, including Shrinking, Ghosts, and Survival of the Thickest, contrasted with critiques of shows written by men about women.
• Book Recommendations: Becky’s delight with Frozen River by Ariel Lawton, a surprising find focusing on women’s resilience and justice.
• Joyful Acts of Service: Stories of grassroots aid efforts, like replacing wedding dresses for brides impacted by California fires.
• Upcoming Guests: A sneak peek at the podcast’s first guest, Marina, discussing mutual aid and health equity.

Resources Mentioned

• ”Frozen River” by Ariel Lawton
• “Miss Benson's Beetle” by Rachel Joyce
• Shrinking (Apple TV)
• Ghosts (CBS)
• Survival of the Thickest (Netflix)
• Kelly Mosser’s initiative to replace wedding dresses for fire victims
• Email Becky and Taina at messyliberation@gmail.com
  
  
• Sign up for the newsletter and stay updated: MessyLiberation.com
• 
  

Through their discussion, Becky and Taina share insights into why Denmark is consistently rated one of the happiest countries in the world and what the U.S. could learn from its policies. From Canada’s hypothetical 51st state status to TikTok’s role in modern journalism, this episode offers a mix of humor, hard truths, and actionable advice for navigating today’s media landscape.

Discussed in This Episode

• Trump’s Greenland comments and their colonial undertones
• Why Greenland and Canada are geopolitically strategic
• The legacy of colonialism and its modern manifestations
• Why Denmark is happier than the U.S. (hint: universal healthcare and equality!)
• Socialism vs capitalism: A global perspective
• The myths of the American Dream and how they perpetuate inequality
• Meta’s decision to drop fact-checking: Opportunity or disaster?
• Media conglomerates and their impact on democracy
• TikTok’s role in journalism and citizen journalism explained
• Why critical thinking and media literacy need to be taught in schools
• The flaws in the U.S. education system and how it impacts future generations
• Freedom of speech and the fourth estate: Why the media matters

Resources Mentioned

• National Association for Media Literacy Education
• Under the Desk News on Tiktok
• 1984 by George Orwell
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
• To book a coffee chat with Becky or Taina, email messyliberation@gmail.com

Discussed in This Episode

• What "everything is political" really means
• The "boy mom" TikTok trend and normalized violence in toys
• White privilege and its influence on parenting decisions
• How systemic racism shapes the way children of different races are raised
• Gender norms in parenting and the erasure of non-binary identities
• Ethical consumerism and the politics of makeup and toys
• The challenges of parenting within systemic oppression
• Strategies for raising socially conscious kids
• Small, daily political choices that contribute to systemic change
• The intersection of parenting and politics and its impact on society

Resource Mentioned

• Cheekbone Beauty

Discussed in This Episode

• Resilience in hard times and overcoming anxiety in challenging years
• Lessons from 2024: personal, business, and community insights
• The value of interdependence and community support during a crisis
• Joyful living in 2025 and setting intentional goals
• Navigating a “shit show” year with grace and strength
• Prioritizing self-care in chaos and cultivating belief in oneself
• Moving toward collective liberation and rejecting toxic capitalism

Resources Mentioned

• Savage Inequalities by Jonathan Kozol
• Erica Courdae on interdependence
• “Rethinking Social Media: Balancing the Attention Economy with Entrepreneurial Success” episode of Messy Liberation

Discussed in This Episode:

• Avatar: The Last Airbender: Exploring its complex storytelling, themes of war, and whitewashing controversies.
• Where the Wild Things Are: A heartfelt movie review and its emotional resonance, especially for those dealing with grief or feelings of being misunderstood.
• Inside Out and Inside Out 2: Teaching kids (and adults) about emotional intelligence and understanding anxiety.
• Turning Red: Celebrating mother-daughter relationships and a refreshing absence of romantic subplots in animated films.
• Moana: Themes of female empowerment, righteous rage, and reclaiming personal identity.
• Soul: Pixar’s unique take on addressing grief and the meaning of life in a kid-friendly way.
• A Little Princess: A nostalgic favorite with an analysis of its themes of loss, resilience, and family.
• Magic School Bus: Making science fun and accessible for kids through immersive storytelling.
• The importance of diverse representation in children's media and the cultural impact of better storytelling.
• How children’s media can aid in healing the inner child in adults.

Resources Mentioned:

• “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak
• “A Little Princess” by Frances Hodgson Burnett
• Feelings Wheel

Call to Action:
What’s your favorite children’s movie or show that tackles big themes? Did we miss one of your go-to recommendations? Email us at MessyLiberation@gmail.com.

Enjoy the conversation? Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review!

From sharing practical tips like refusing unnecessary weigh-ins at the doctor to reflecting on the intersectionality of healthcare access, this hodgepodge episode is as informative as it is engaging. Tune in to hear how they bring their unique perspectives to a conversation that impacts us all.

Discussed in This Episode

• The struggles of living with chronic illness in the US healthcare system
• Why you can and should refuse unnecessary weigh-ins at the doctor
• Luigi Mangione, the UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting, and healthcare reform politics
• Intersectionality and disability: The shared vulnerabilities we all face
• The impact of denied insurance claims and inaccessible care
• Chronic pain experiences and the emotional toll of healthcare discrimination
• The importance of reclaiming agency in healthcare and firing bad providers
• What may come next for Messy Liberation in 2025

Resources Mentioned

• “On Tyranny” by Timothy Snyder
• Feminist Instagram account by Blair Imani
• BRB Crying podcast
• Pod Save America podcast
• You Made it Weird podcast
• Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers podcast
• Lonely Island and Seth Meyers podcast

Discussed in This Episode

• The problematic roots of charitable giving and white saviorism
• Nonprofit sector challenges, including financial transparency and CEO pay disparity
• Philanthropy’s role in perpetuating systemic inequality
• Wealth redistribution vs. traditional charity models
• The power of mutual aid and direct giving as alternatives
• The role of privilege in charitable giving and wealth redistribution
• The impact of nonprofits on marginalized communities
• Shifting from scarcity thinking to abundance thinking
• How the philanthropic sector mirrors capitalist structures
• Moving toward liberatory approaches to community care

Resources Mentioned

• Charity Navigator
• Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
• “The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World" by Robin Wall Kimmerer
• Trans Justice MO
  
  

Discussed in This Episode:

• Becky's digital detox journey
• What is a nine-grid on Instagram?
• Exploring BlueSky as a Twitter alternative
• The emotional and energy costs of social media
• Practical steps to audit your digital presence
• Hallmark holiday movies as escapism
• Balancing entrepreneurship and visibility without social media
• How social media shapes parasocial relationships
• Digital minimalism for business owners

Resources Mentioned:

• ”Digital Minimalism” by Cal Newport
• ”Stolen Focus” by Johan Hari
• Off the Grid podcast
• Alexandra Franzen
• Chatbooks photo book printing
• Kelly Mosser’s content capsule webinar
  
  

This episode is a thoughtful reflection on how to embrace digital minimalism and build a healthier relationship with technology, whether you’re a business owner or a social media user.

Discussed in This Episode

• The history and myths of Thanksgiving
• The Land Back movement and its implications
• Why Thanksgiving is a day of mourning for Indigenous peoples
• Decolonizing Thanksgiving celebrations with small but meaningful actions
• Ethical considerations around Black Friday and consumerism
• How capitalism shapes Thanksgiving traditions
• Practical ways to support Indigenous businesses and organizations
• Intersectional feminism and its connection to Indigenous rights
• Teaching kids about the true history of Thanksgiving
• Small steps listeners can take to honor Indigenous communities

Resources Mentioned

• Native-Land.ca
• An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
• Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Discussed in This Episode

• Practical ways to participate in mutual aid and community support
• Creative resistance strategies and preparing for social activism
• The impact of reducing news and social media consumption
• Leaving Meta and transitioning to BlueSky for more intentional engagement
• Anti-capitalist approaches to holiday spending and gift-giving
• Ways to support marginalized communities through direct action
• Managing privilege in social justice work and creating safe community spaces
• Using Signal and encrypted apps for secure organizing and resource sharing
• Insights from My Grandmother’s Hands on somatic healing and conflict management
• Reflections on Patricia Hill Collins' Matrix of Domination
  
  

Resources Mentioned

• Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
• My Grandmother’s Hands by Resmaa Menakem
• Black Feminist Thought by Patricia Hill Collins
• Bluesky
• Signal

Discussed in This Episode:

• 
  
• Google's Notebook LM and its potential applications
• The ethics of AI in podcasting and content creation
• The environmental impact of AI, including water consumption
• AI's potential biases and limitations
• AI’s influence on social media and attention economy
• The need for mindful and intentional tech usage
• Personal and community-driven approaches to using AI responsibly

Resources Mentioned:

• Sophia Noble's Algorithms of Oppression: https://amzn.to/40xGvVu
• Google Notebook LM: https://notebooklm.google/
• ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/

Discussed in This Episode:

• Emotional impact of post-election trauma on communities
• The complexities of racism, misogyny, and white allyship in politics
• Guided meditation led by Goddess Erica for grounding and stress relief
• Intersectional feminism as a foundation for mindful activism
• Navigating accountability within white allyship
• Personal reflections on post-election stress, resilience, and the path forward
• The importance of voting and community support in social justice movements
• Exploring the Deepa Iyer Social Change Map and roles in activism

Resources Mentioned:

• Goddess Erica’s Website and Instagram
• Building Movement Project Social Change Ecosystem Map
• Building Movement Project Post-Election Toolkit
• Manifest Your Dream Life free group coaching experience signup: Nov 9 and Nov 17
• Practicing New Worlds by Andrea J. Ritchie

Discussed in this Episode

• Ethical porn: What it is and why it matters
• The role of the female gaze in reshaping porn and sex work
• Feminist perspectives on sex work, empowerment, and agency
• How platforms like OnlyFans challenge traditional power dynamics
• Navigating shame and sexuality, especially around consumption of porn
• Ethical consumption under capitalism and its implications for sex work
• Audre Lorde’s Uses of the Erotic and Adrienne Maree Brown’s Pleasure Activism
• Intersectional feminism in sex work and why representation matters

Resources Mentioned

• “Sister Outsider” by Audre Lorde
• “Pleasure Activism” by adrienne maree brown
• Dipsea audio stories

Email us at MessyLiberation@gmail.com to share your thoughts about ethical sex work!

Discussed in this episode:

• Navigating values alignment in business decisions
• Critiquing white feminism and the “girl boss” mentality
• Ethical considerations around the Chief networking group
• Power dynamics in feminist spaces
• The importance of rejecting corporate feminism
• How to be a genuine ally and avoid performative allyship
• The dangers of scarcity mindset in business
• Finding liberation through values-based decisions
• Clarifying personal core values and their role in business and life
• Examples of values-aligned decision-making in everyday actions

Resources mentioned:

• Anti-racism educator Ashani Mufuko: https://ashanimfuko.com/
• Blair Imani’s Smarter in Seconds series: https://www.blairimani.com/
• Taina Brown’s free group coaching sessions on getting to the root of your values and manifesting your dream life (October 30th, November 6th, November 8th, November 17th)

Whether you're navigating the pressures of aging gracefully, rejecting the outdated rules of beauty, or simply trying to find your own place in the world, this episode offers a candid exploration of these important topics.

Discussed in this episode:

• Tyra Banks' return to the runway and the Victoria's Secret fashion show controversy
• The lasting harm caused by America's Next Top Model and its critique of body image in media
• The disconnect between body positivity movement messaging and actual inclusive beauty standards
• Struggles with self-acceptance and dealing with body changes as we age
• The journey of aging gracefully and embracing it as a form of empowerment
• How diet culture and harmful beauty stereotypes have shaped perceptions of beauty and aging
• The feminist critique of how media often forces women into narrow beauty categories
• Reflections on aging and self-worth and the power of redefining beauty
• A deep dive into the idea of embracing middle age and finding freedom outside of societal expectations

Resources mentioned:

• Dacy Gillespie’s "Unflattering" Substack: https://dacygillespie.substack.com/p/from-the-vault
• Charlotte Palermino (@CharlotteParler on TikTok), skincare expert: https://www.tiktok.com/@charlotteparler
• The Chronicon Community: https://www.thechroniconcommunity.com/
• “Face: One Square Foot of Skin” by Justine Bateman: https://amzn.to/3BN5pWN

Make sure to subscribe to Messy Liberation on YouTube so you can join us on November 6th for a live post-election discussion!

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LEARN MORE:

• Taina Brown WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | THREADS
• Becky Mollenkamp WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | THREADS | FEMINIST FOUNDERS