The Sparkle Project
(Formerly Worthy Mother Podcast) The Sparkle Project is a podcast for moms who are done carrying the weight of motherhood alone and are ready to connect with who they truly are - their sparkle, if you will. So many of us feel overwhelmed not because we’re failing, but because we’re mothering inside a patriarchal system that expects us to give endlessly, stay quiet, and lose ourselves in the process. This space challenges those outdated expectations and embraces a more empowered, more supported, more self-honoring version of motherhood. Hosted by Emily Rose MacDonald, a divorced mom of two on her own journey to shine a little brighter, each episode explores the realities of modern motherhood through a feminist lens that values equity, autonomy, mental health, and the humanity of moms. You’ll hear conversations about identity, mental health, self-care, healing, and the many ways we can reclaim ourselves in a world that often overlooks the needs of mothers. If you’re a mom who believes we deserve more than survival, and that our culture has to evolve for moms to truly thrive, you’re in the right place. Welcome to The Sparkle Project. Instagram: @honestlyemilyrose @thesparkleprojectpod TikTok: @thesparkleprojectpod
Episodes
The Sparkle Project is a podcast for moms who are done carrying the weight of motherhood alone and are ready to connect with who they truly are - their sparkle, if you will.
So many of us feel overwhelmed not because we’re failing, but because we’re mothering inside systems that expect us to give endlessly, stay quiet, and lose ourselves in the process. This space challenges those outdated expectations and embraces a more ...
This is a replay of one of our most popular and impactful past episodes, and originally aired in April 2024. Whether you're tuning in for the first time or revisiting this conversation, this episode will help you give yourself grace when motherhood feels all-consuming.
Can women really have it all? And what does that even mean? In this powerful episode, Emily sits down with Dr. Giselle Goodwin—author, researcher, and expert on ...
This is a replay of one of our most popular and impactful past episodes, and originally aired in November 2022. Whether you're tuning in for the first time or revisiting this conversation, this episode will help you recognize your worth outside of your roles.
In this episode, join Emily for a conversation on valuing what we want and creating a life that feels good with Career Coach Ashley Fernandez. This conversation is more th...
This is a Self-Care Snippet from Worthy Mother Podcast. As mothers, we need to prioritize our own care. Within this few-minute long episode, you will hear how our past guests prioritize their own self-care and some tips on how you can do the same.
Tune in to the full episode Supermom Myth: The True Cost of the Mental Load with Stacy McCann.
Like what you hear? Make sure you are subscribed to Worthy Mother Podcast...
This is a replay of one of our most popular and impactful past episodes, and originally aired in March 2025. Whether you're tuning in for the first time or revisiting this conversation, this episode will help you navigate complex family dynamics this season.
Navigating boundaries with family can be one of the most challenging aspects of motherhood — especially when dealing with difficult or toxic dynamics. In this episode, Emil...
This is a replay of one of our most popular and impactful past episodes, and originally aired in November 2022. Whether you're tuning in for the first time or revisiting this conversation, this episode will help you learn how to navigate trauma and healing in your motherhood journey.
In this episode of Worthy Mother Podcast, Emily is joined by Mindi Kessler, PhD, a therapist, coach, and author behind the book Cycle Breaker: A G...
This is a Self-Care Snippet from Worthy Mother Podcast. As mothers, we need to prioritize our own care. Within this few-minute long episode, you will hear how our past guests prioritize their own self-care and some tips on how you can do the same.
Tune in to the full episode Less Stuff, More Joy: Holiday Decluttering Without the Pressure of Perfection with Courtney Florey.
Like what you hear? Make sure you are su...
This is a replay of one of our most popular and impactful past episodes, and originally aired in April 2024. Whether you're tuning in for the first time or revisiting this conversation, this episode will help you feel seen in your experience of complex emotions in motherhood.
Mom rage is a very real, and often very scary experience that so many mothers face - and yet we aren't talking about it! But knowing why anger can be...
You’re tuning in to the final episode of Worthy Mother Podcast as we know it... But this is only just the beginning!
In January 2026, the podcast will return, but things will be different.
In this episode, Emily shares the pull she felt toward evolution after major personal growth, why she couldn’t ignore it any longer, and how this next chapter will honor the mission that has guided the podcast since the beginning: challenging soc...
This is a Self-Care Snippet from Worthy Mother Podcast. As mothers, we need to prioritize our own care. Within this few-minute long episode, you will hear how our past guests prioritize their own self-care and some tips on how you can do the same.
Tune in to the full episode Compassion Over Compliance: How We're Failing Moms & Teens with Aly Pain.
Like what you hear? Make sure you are subscribed to Worth...
Becoming a mom can completely change how you see yourself, especially if your identity was built around career achievement. In this episode, Emily talks with Aparna Kumar Boehm, a working mom coach and former tech leader, about redefining success and ambition after motherhood.
They discuss what happens when perfectionism collides with parenting, why it’s hard to let go of control, and how to rebuild confidence and clarity when the o...
Do moms really need to stay calm all the time? In this Worthy Mother Podcast episode, Emily talks with Mackenzie Kinmond, parenthood transformation coach and attachment-focused therapist, about the pressure to regulate emotions perfectly, and why it’s making parenting harder, not easier.
Together, they explore:
- Why emotional regulation isn’t about being calm 24/7
- How shame fuels dysregulation in motherhood
- The surprising role of jo...
This is a Self-Care Snippet from Worthy Mother Podcast. As mothers, we need to prioritize our own care. Within this few-minute long episode, you will hear how our past guests prioritize their own self-care and some tips on how you can do the same.
Tune in to the full episode Embodiment Practices to Stay Grounded in Motherhood's Toughest Moments with Jocelyn Diles.
Like what you hear? Make sure you are subscr...
In this episode, Emily opens up about how romanticizing her daily life has helped her rediscover gratitude, self-love, and peace in the middle of motherhood’s chaos. From sipping coffee in a favorite glass to lighting a candle while making dinner, Emily shares how tiny, intentioal choices can transform ordinary moments into sources of genuine joy and self-love.
Tune in to hear:
- How romanticizing life deepens your sense of gratitu...
What does it really mean to choose yourself as a mom? In this conversation, Emily sits down with single mom and entrepreneur Katie Eberman, to explore how motherhood, identity, and self-worth intertwine. Katie opens up about her transformation from surviving to thriving - navigating separation, rediscovering her confidence, and learning how small daily choices toward self-love create lasting change.
Together, Emily and Katie discuss...
This is a Self-Care Snippet from Worthy Mother Podcast. As mothers, we need to prioritize our own care. Within this few-minute long episode, you will hear how our past guests prioritize their own self-care and some tips on how you can do the same.
Tune in to the full episode Breaking Toxic Patterns & Finding Love as a Single Mom with Morgan Danielle.
Like what you hear? Make sure you are subscribed to Worthy ...
We all know sleep is important, but actually getting good sleep in motherhood is easier said than done. In this episode, Dr. Daniella Marchetti, a clinical psychologist board-certified in behavioral sleep medicine, joins Emily to explore the critical topic of sleep wellness for mothers. From "mom-somnia" to revenge bedtime procrastination, they discuss many of the sleep issues moms face. Plus, Dr. Marchetti shares advice ...
Is self-care really selfish? Or could it be one of the best gifts you ever give your kids? In this episode of Worthy Mother Podcast, Emily shares a refreshing and empowering take on what it truly means for moms to take care of themselves.
Emily discusses how self-care helps you show up as the mom you want to be, models emotional wellness for your children, and breaks generational cycles of self-sacrifice. She also unpacks common mis...
This is a Self-Care Snippet from Worthy Mother Podcast. As mothers, we need to prioritize our own care. Within this few-minute long episode, you will hear how our past guests prioritize their own self-care and some tips on how you can do the same.
Tune in to the full episode How to Address Shame In Motherhood with Kyira Wackett.
Like what you hear? Make sure you are subscribed to Worthy Mother Podcast wherever yo...
Becoming a mother is often described as beautiful and life-changing, but what about the profound identity shift that comes with it? In this episode, host Emily talks with Dr. Emily Guarnotta, a perinatal psychologist and mom of two, about matrescence — the emotional, mental, and physical transition into motherhood that’s rarely discussed but universally felt.
Together, they explore:
- What matrescence really means and how it compar...
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