Mama Bear Dares

On Episdoe 163 of the Mama Bear Dares Podcast, Tesi and Leslie begin with a look at institutional racism in the American healthcare system. They focus on Linda Villarosa's incredible article, "Why American's Black Mothers and Babies are in a Life-or-Death Crisis,"in a segment they call "We Read It, We Loved It, Let's Discuss." The two are more than troubled by what Villarosa reports. Not only are shaken by the terrible disparity in death rates between white and black babies and women, but by the fact that this disparity has everything to do with the lived experience of being a black woman in America. Leslie and Tesi talk through this information and dig into the research because they believe the way of the Mama Bear is to learn and then lean in. This episode is about seeing—seeing the struggles of others and then processing them and fighting for change AND seeing the goodness in those around us and acknowledging that beauty. Because of that, the Mama Bears end the episode with a segment called "We See You"whe

On Episode 162 of the Mama Bear Dares Podcast, co-hosts Tesi and Leslie dig back into the archives for an interview with Kara Hoag, the founder of Grace Unbound, a resource for those seeking a comprehensive sexuality education that includes the integration of sexuality and theology and aims to wipe clean feelings of shame. The women acknowledge that God created sexual intimacy and celebrate the idea that the human body is beautiful and to be celebrated and enjoyed, and discuss the most effective ways to teach the next generation to engage in healthy and meaningful sexual activity. Through their playful and deeply honest conversation, the women discuss pleasure and the ways in which we can embrace our spiritual self and our sexual self in order to be the full, complete women we were created to be. To read full show notes, visit the Mama Bear Dares Podcast website.

The Mama Bears are going on an adventure! On Episode 161 of the Mama Bear Dares Podcast, Leslie and Tesi unpack their upcoming travels to the East African nations of Tanzania and Ethiopia. They devote this Mama Bear Mini to explaining how this two-week trip happened, what they're planning to do while in East Africa, and what they hope to accomplish while adventuring. In true Mama Bear form, they also take on the white savior complex, white supremacy, why we need to be very thoughtful when engaging in international aid, what they believed is a flawed view of volunteerism, and the dangers of short-term missions.The episode is filled with big questions ... and a lot of excitement. For complete Show Notes, visit the Mama Bear Dares website.

On Episode 160 of the Mama Bear Dares Podcast, Tesi and Leslie sit down with Whitney Bolton, a listener who reached out to them after viewing the documentary 13TH and then listening to the Mama Bear episode covering that documentary. Whitney is hungry to share with listeners her powerful story about what life is like for women in prison. She and the co-hosts discuss the way the systems in power treat human beings and listen to her real-life account of how the experience of life behind bars changed her and those around her. Whitney asks listeners to look at the "dirt and darkness" of our country's system of incarceration and does so by sharing powerful stories and examples from her own experience. For Show Notes, visit the Mama Bear Dares website.

On Episode 159 of the Mama Bear Dares Podcast, Leslie and Tesi talk about the mysterious and thrilling responsibility of raising teenagers. As we've seen in the last six months, American teens are capable of organizing a worldwide march to end gun violence and yet also prone to staring at their screens for hours without any nourishment or personal contact. Teenagers are capable of tremendous amounts of love ... and slamming a door in your face. The women explore this topic with a few listener questions in mind: Why is parenting teenagers so isolating and lonely? What happens when you "love" your kid with all your heart, but you struggle to "like" them? As always, the sisters tackle these questions with great curiosity and do their best to reassure listeners with a down-to-earth exploration of the quest to know better and do better. For complete Show Notes, check out the Mama Bear Dares website.

Alli Worthington is an entrepreneur and author who speaks about knowing yourself and trusting a fierce faith. Like many of us, she balances her family (five sons and a husband), her work, and her social obligations. Unlike many of us, she and her family faced a difficult health crisis that left her in a sea of fear, worry, and anxiety. When this onsalught of fear caught her off guard and threatened to overtake, she chose to fight back. Now, Alli wants to help others take steps to combat worry and anxiety. Leslie, Tesi, and Alli talk about what this looks like for women today in a candid conversation about expectations, anxiety, and how we view the world. For complete Show Notes, visit the Mama Bear Dares website!

On Episode 157 of the Mama Bear Dares Podcast, Leslie and Tesi take a hot minute to celebrate the sisterhood! The cultural landscape is changing for women—because of women—and the ladies take some time to feast on beauty of female friendship. They talk about the unique nature of healthy friendship and discuss the ways in which Mama Bear is uniquely poised to show up over and over again for her besties. They end the episode with an Obsess Sesh segment and dare listeners to lean into their beautiful relationships—to celebrate them, nurture them, savor them, and fight for them. For complete Show Notes, visit the Mama Bear website.

On Episode 156 of the Mama Bear Dares Podcast, Leslie sits down with Valorie Burton, a wife, mother, and author of 11 books. Though Valorie came on the podcast to discuss her newest book: Successful Women Speak Differently: 9 Habits that Build Confidence, Courage, and Influence, the conversation ended up being about so much more. This podcast is about the difference in men and women in the workplace (and at home), an encouragement for those who get paralyzed by their fear of failure, and a reminder that what we say to ourselves matters. For complete Show Notes, visit our website!

On Episode 155, Tesi and Leslie get ready for World Water Day by talking about the human impact on one of our most precious resources: water. The co-hosts talk about nature, climate change, abundance, and the dangers of over-consumption. Leslie comes clean about her failed March Spending Freeze and the women drop some comprehensive knowledge about the global water crisis and the tragedy taking place right now in Flint, Michigan. Ultimately, armed with all kinds of facts and stories, the sisters come up with ways to shrink the inequality between those who live in abundance and those who live without the basic necessity of clean drinking water. Listen in! For complete Show Notes, visit the Mama Bear website!

On Episode 154 of the Mama Bear Dares Podcast, Leslie and Tesi sit down with artist and activist Lindsay O'Brien who tells her story of The Period Party she hosted in her community to astonishing results. The women discuss the cultural stigma surrounding a woman's natural cycle and how it complicates the life of under-resourced, homeless, or incarcerated women each month. Lindsay sheds light on a seemingly simple issue and encourages others to act on the spark they feel within. For complete Show Notes, visit www.mamabeardarespodcast.com.

On Episode 153 of the Mama Bear Dares Podcast, Tesi and Leslie lament American gun culture, discuss the absolute need for common sense gun laws, and celebrate the fact that "the babies are gonna save us," as Tesi is prone to say. In this Mama Bear Mini, the women go back to basics with facts and vocabulary surrounding guns, dispel common myths and misconceptions, equip listeners with concise arguments as they debate the issue, and bring up tangible steps listeners to deal with the state we find ourselves. For complete Show Notes, visit mamabeardarespodcast.com.

On Episode 152 of the Mama Bear Dares Podcast, Tesi and Leslie sit down to talk about motherhood, overcoming challenges, and teen pregnancy with Reina Glandon. Reina generously shares her story of learning she was pregnant as a junior in high school and becoming a mom to a beautiful baby girl at the age of 16. With a supportive network of family and friends, Reina graduated high school and is in nursing school, beating the odds of teen moms. Reina is funny, matter-of-fact, highly aware of the world she wants her daughter to grow up in. The three women learn from one another and discover firsthand how unexpected challenges can become unexpected blessings when the Mama Bear is engaged. For complete Show Notes, visit the Mama Bear Dares website.

On Episode 151 of the Mama Bear Dares Podcast, Tesi and Leslie once again explore sex, politics, and the #metoo movement. In this Mama Bear Mini, the women talk in particular about the nuance of gender roles and expectations in the culture we inhabit and about the discrepancy in everything from science to medicine to the general conversation between male and female sexual health and pleasure. The discussion between hosts is heated, passionate, honest, and vulnerable as the women get curious about female sexual health and pleasure, and the messages we're sending the next generation. Go to the Mama Bear Dares website for complete Show Notes.

On Episode 150 of the Mama Bear Dares Podcast, Tesi and Leslie sit down and talk about money, money management, investment, and the emotions that surround the topic with Natali Morris. Natali is an informed mama bear — a broadcaster, writer, speaker, and the co-founder & CFO of her own business. Previously, she was a news anchor and technology reporter for NBC, CBS, and The Today Show. The women sit around and discuss how her family of five has recently achieved financial freedom, and her mission is to empower couples and families to take control of their money, stop living paycheck to paycheck, and start building real long-term wealth. Check out complete Show Notes here.

On Episode 149 of the Mama Bear Dares Podcast, Leslie and Tesi take a moment to clean out the inbox and answer a few listener questions ... and tackle a random "interview" with one another! The sisters have been sisters (in-law) for 15 years, but they have never tired of catching up and digging deep to laugh with and learn from each other. Topics span from picnicking with hummus-in-a-can to time management to embracing God-given personalities and individuals qualities. One thing the two of them know for sure: sisterhood is precious and taking the time to talk your friends is crucial to a full and joyful life. Visit the Mama Bear Dares website for complete Show Notes.

On Episode 148, Tesi and Leslie interview Madison Cousins, a senior in high school and budding activist. The women sit down on MLK day to discuss Madison's involvement in a campaign to rectify the disproportionate school funding facing her district. She has organized classmates, rallied her community, and faced her state and local representatives while advocating for legislative action to fix the funding inequality in an effort to ensure that ALL students have access to excellent public education. The conversation touches on the importance of listening to young adult voices and will give listeners a pulse on the state of social advocacy in high schools across America. The take-away? The babies are going to save us! For complete Show Notes, visit the MBD podcast website.

On Episode 147 of the Mama Bear Dares Podcast, Leslie and Tesi discuss the place of screens in their lives and the lives of their children. The episode is filled with laughter, as well as some serious statistics surrounding screen time, an analysis of what works and what doesn't work in the lives of the hosts, and a plan for navigating the world of screens in our modern day American lives. The women try not to get overwhelmed by the technology facing American children and adolescents living in 2018, but instead come up with a game plan to encourage a healthy relationships ... with screens, but also with fellow humans. For complete Show Notes, visit the Mama Bear Dares website.

On Episode 146, Leslie and Tesi fall in love with Tara Cousineau, PhD, clinical psychologist, meditation teacher, well-being researcher, and author of the new book The Kindness Cure: How the Science of Compassion Can Heal Your Heart and the World (available February 2018). Dr. Cousineau discusses her cutting-edge research in psychology and neuroscience and teaches simple practices of kindness that can dissolve our feelings of fear and habits of indifference. The women discuss with great enthusiasm and passion the belief that a practice of kindness can revolutionize our lives and just might save the world! For complete Show Notes, visit the Mama Bear Dares website! Sponsor: RXBar Kids (Promo Code: MamaBearDares)

On Episode 145 of the Mama Bear Dares Podcast, Leslie and Tesi discuss their Top Ten Cultural Influences of 2017 and share the hopes they hold for the new year. The episode is filled with laughter, book/movie/music recommendations, and a bit of motivation for 2018. The main message: Take a minute to laugh with your sisters. And as we rush into 2018, remember that whomever you love, whatever you do, and wherever you go, you can live this year like a Mama Bear. For complete Show Notes, visit www.mamabeardarespodcast.com.

On this throwback episode of Mama Bear Dares, Leslie and Tesi talk to Cynthia Vanderpool Desalegn about immigration, advocacy, and neighborliness. Cynthia, mom to two children and an immigration lawyer, explains what it's like to be on the front lines of immigration in America. Together, the three dig into the immigration process, compassion fatigue, and the complexities of the system of immigration. Cynthia offers a look into a fascinating world, gently educating us and encouraging us to live our lives well. For complete Show Notes, visit the Mama Bear Dares website.