Since launching Thank You, Mama on International Women's Day 2020, I've had the privilege of speaking with extraordinary women from around the world—artists and scientists, CEOs and stay-at-home moms, bestselling authors, pop stars, retirees, and entrepreneurs—about their mothers, their legacies, and the lessons that shape who we become. Across 183 episodes, these conversations have shared deeply personal stories and hard-won wisdom, revealing how universal our experiences are as women, daughters, and sometimes mothers. They've reminded me that being a woman means belonging to a global sisterhood—one we too often forget to draw strength from—and they've changed me profoundly, making me more grounded, grateful, and connected.

That growing treasure chest of maternal wisdom has made it clear that it's time to begin work on the Thank You, Mama book, which will gather and share these lessons from mothers around the world. Writing it requires time, reflection, and the same care that has always guided the podcast. To make space for that work while continuing the show sustainably, Thank You, Mama will move to a seasonal format, with episodes released in two seasons each year—spring and fall—separated by intentional breaks. This shift allows the podcast and book to inform one another while keeping the conversations thoughtful and meaningful. Thank you, dear listeners, for being part of this journey and community. The next season of Thank You, Mama will launch later this spring, and I can't wait to share it with you.

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Originally published in 2021, I'm replaying this remarkable interview in solidarity with the courageous women of Iran and to offer you historical context for the protests unfolding today. Retired preschool teacher Mitra Jordan reflects on the life and legacy of her mother, Sattareh Farman Farmaian - widely regarded as the mother of social work in Iran and author of Daughter of Persia (highly recommended).

Sattareh was raised in a royal harem as one of 36 children born to the ruling prince of the Qajar dynasty. She earned a degree in sociology from the University of Southern California, worked for the United Nations in Iraq, and then returned to Iran to found the country's first school of social work. Under her leadership, the school flourished, training hundreds of social workers and launching programs in family planning, women's education, and orphan care, with strong support from Farah Diba, wife of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

In 1979, the Islamic Revolution led by Ayatollah Khomeini forced Sattareh, at age 58, to abandon her life's work and flee Iran. She rebuilt her career in the United States, passing her exams and becoming a practicing social worker in Los Angeles.

Mitra shares the lessons her mother lived by: the importance of education and self-reliance, the courage to follow one's own path, the refusal to be defined by your circumstances, and the often-overlooked mental benefits of physical exercise.

You will find "Daughter of Persia" by Sattareh Farman Farmaian here.

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Elodie Ferchaud is a co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer at Boundless Life, where she helps families slow-travel the world while ensuring their children receive a high-quality education.

A mother of four raising her children across borders, Elodie is building a global company while juggling school runs, bedtime negotiations, and night feeds. She speaks about her mother, Françoise, a music teacher who successfully balanced her passions and career with being a deeply present parent, and who showed extraordinary resilience through her battle with cancer, followed by the devastating loss of her son. Françoise taught Elodie to love life, maintain a positive outlook, accept change, trust in her own resilience, remain open to new experiences and cultures, and believe that a healthy balance between motherhood and a professional career is possible. Elodie also talks about how motherhood can be a superpower that can fuel your ambitions, and shares how she is managing life as a mother of four - including a 7-month-old baby - while growing an international business that takes her around the world.

To learn more about Elodie and Bountless Life, visit here.

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It's Christmas, and we're celebrating the birth of Jesus, so it's the perfect time to think about his mother, Mary. While she is omnipresent in Christianity - especially in Christian art - we know very little about her. This is why I was very excited to learn more about, and from, her through my guest, Dr. Christine Valters Paintner.

Christine is the author of Birthing the Holy: Wisdom from Mary to Nurture Creativity and Renewal. She has a PhD in Christian spirituality, is an abbess, and is the author of more than twenty books on spirituality. Christine tells us about her American mother, Susan, a United Nations employee who struggled with rheumatoid arthritis but transformed her suffering into a gift for others when she earned an MA in social studies to become an advocate for people with disabilities. Susan teaches us to empower others - to not see ourselves as victims, but to use our challenges to help those around us - and to embrace the power that comes with older age.

In the second part of the episode, we talk about Mary and her lessons: to show up in the world, to accept the calling to create the holy, to embrace the power of the sacred feminine (intuition, creativity, dreams, and gestation), and to be a loving and present witness in both birth and death, in the positive and the negative. Christine also shares an important lesson for many women: that we are not responsible for everything, and that sometimes we, too, need to be taken care of. Finally, she speaks about healing our ancestors by healing ourselves.

I invite you to reflect on Mary, her presence, and what she represents to you during these holidays. And I wish you, dear listeners, blessed holidays and a happy 2026.

To learn more about Christine and her work, please vist her website here.

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Former software engineer Ana Hebra Flaster has written extensively about Cuba and the Cuban-American experience for major U.S. publications including The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Boston Globe, as well as on her acclaimed Substack, @CubaCurious. Her memoir, "Property of the Revolution: From a Cuban Barrio to a New Hampshire Mill Town," traces her family's remarkable journey from post-revolutionary Havana to a snowy mill town in New England.

In our conversation, Ana reflects on the realities of immigration, the legacy of the Cuban Revolution, and the generations of women who held her family together through upheaval and reinvention. From mama Consuelo come enduring lessons: making yourself brave in the face of danger; standing up for the truth, your rights, and for others; happiness being a choice (just like bitterness is); and letting go of grudges to move forward.

To learn more about Ana and her work, visit her website.

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Sports journalist and author of Dear Dana: That Time I Went Crazy and Wrote All 580 of My Facebook Friends a Handwritten Letter and You Cannot Mess This Up: A True Story That Never Happened, Amy Weinland Daughters, shares the life lessons she learned from her American mom, Sue: the danger of hiding behind a "perfect" façade, the trap of letting others define who you are, and the inspiring fact that your current chapter isn't your whole story — because the best may still lie ahead. She also speaks about being guided by love, embracing a "why not?" mindset, and being open-minded.

Amy also reflects on the cathartic experience of writing her memoir, in which she gets to witness three days of her childhood as a grown-up bystander, the surprising pliability of memory, the practice of re-parenting ourselves, and the wisdom that comes from learning through other people's lives.

For more about Amy and her books, please visit her website here.

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Dacia Moore, licensed counselor and founder of Second Wind Counseling & Consulting, has dedicated her career to helping African Americans understand the benefits of therapy, take a proactive approach to mental wellness, and become their best selves. She's the author of Why Are So Many Students So Angry? and the forthcoming From Stuck to Unstoppable.

In this episode, Dacia traces her mission back to her Jamaican mother, Dorothy, whose struggle with depression became a living picture of what it means to be "stuck." Watching Dorothy's pain - and her resilience - taught Dacia that staying stuck has a cost, and that faith, work ethic, and getting help are how we move again. We talk about recognizing when to ask for support and take a break, knowing when to let go and move on, navigating depression with compassion, and guiding our children with the hard-earned wisdom of our own experiences.

To learn more about Second Wind, visit their website here.

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Engineer and Midlife Business Strategist Sairan Aqrawi shares her inspiring journey from Iraq to a new life in the United States—and the extraordinary story of her mother, Sidika, who was married at 14, became a mother at 15, and went on to raise seven children.

From Sidika, we learn the power of patience and trust in divine timing; the wisdom of letting go of small grievances; the importance of choosing grace over noise, and of not seeking validation from others. She reminds us that not everything will unfold as we wish—and that sometimes, peace means letting go.

Sairan also reflects on the lessons she's learned as an immigrant, a mother, and a business coach: to own your voice, to take action ("because action is confidence"), to see midlife as a triumph and a new fruitful phase, and to remember that sometimes you need to pause—and recalibrate.

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