Messy Liberation: Feminist Conversations about Politics and Pop Culture

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/In this episode of Messy Liberation, hosts Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown sit down with equity strategist and executive coach Danielle Marshall to explore the art of having difficult conversations across political and ideological divides. They discuss the limitations of echo chambers, the difference between engagement and community, and why being able to hold multiple perspectives — even when you disagree — is essential for creating real change. If you've ever struggled with whether to engage someone whose views challenge yours, this conversation offers a refreshing framework for navigating disagreement without sacrificing your values.In This Episode, We Get Into:Why echo chambers feel safe but can be limiting — and when that mattersThe difference between engaging with people and bringing them into your inner communityHow to set a clear goal before entering a challenging conversationMarjorie Taylor Greene as a real-time case study in people changing their minds (yes, really)Why we're so afraid to be wrong — and how binary thinking keeps us stuckThe burden of trying to convince everyone to see things your wayHow cancel culture makes it harder to hold space for nuance and changeEverything is political: how even your garbage and clothing choices are political actsWhy "convincing you is not my ministry" might be the most freeing phrase you hear todayHow to ask yourself: Is this perspective serving me — and how is it working for me?Danielle Marshall's website: culture-principles.com🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown celebrate reaching 100 episodes of Messy Liberation, the feminist podcast dedicated to helping listeners understand the world through an intersectional feminist lens. In this milestone live episode, they reflect on two years of consistent conversations about pop culture, politics, social justice, and the power of slow, sustainable activism.IN THIS EPISODE, WE GET INTO:Celebrating 100 episodes and why most podcasts don't make it this farThe origin story: how Becky and Taina met and decided to start a podcast togetherWhat keeps the show sustainable and consistent over two yearsHow personal growth and social progress both require a long-term lensThe power of showing up in your life and relationships, even in small waysWhy "everything is political" and how that framework changes how we move through the worldThe upcoming "Everything Is Political" series covering topics like composting, fashion, data analysis, and therapyHonoring your capacity and burnout prevention in activism and creative workReflecting on monumental personal growth that only becomes visible over timeThe importance of community touchpoints and consistent spaces for learning and connection🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: https://feministpodcastcollective.com/

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown unpack the controversy around the Kevin Hart roast, exploring why comedy that punches down reinforces harmful power dynamics. They discuss how roasts, jokes about women's bodies, and casual misogyny contribute to a larger cultural moment where rights and representation are being systematically stripped away—and why pushing back matters now more than ever.In This Episode, We Get Into:Why roasts make us uncomfortable (and why that matters)The difference between punching up, punching laterally, and punching down in comedyHow jokes about women's bodies and Black women's intelligence don't exist in a vacuumThe connection between rape culture humor and the loss of reproductive rightsWhy "it's just a joke" is never just a joke when power dynamics are at playHow comedy can either challenge or reinforce oppressive systemsThe importance of asking "what's funny about that?" when jokes cross the lineWhy people with privilege need to be the ones speaking up in rooms where marginalized people are the targetHow cultural moments like this contribute to the normalization of racism, misogyny, and authoritarianismWays to push back without being aggressive—and why it matters🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/In this episode of Messy Liberation, hosts Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown dive into the tone-deaf spectacle of the Met Gala, unpacking what celebrity wealth displays reveal about economic inequality and performative activism. They also explore the myth of meritocracy in higher education, the emotional labor of parenting during high-stakes testing, and how to find joy and rest when everything feels heavy.In This Episode, We Get Into:Why the Met Gala feels like a "let them eat cake" moment during skyrocketing inflation and wealth inequalityThe difference between art as subversion and art as "sucking the dick of power"Performative activism vs. real protest (looking at you, Sarah Paulson's dollar bill accessory)How billionaires like Jeff Bezos hosting the Met Gala undercuts any claim of artistic rebellionThe myth that going to Harvard (or other elite schools) is the secret to wealthHow legacy admissions and cronyism maintain class hierarchies in higher educationSupporting kids through stressful standardized testing without reinforcing toxic achievement cultureProcessing grief, finding dopamine hits in gamified productivity, and giving yourself permission to restThe slow, steady growth of creative projects you do just because you love themWhy we keep showing up for these conversations (and thank you for listening)🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/In this episode of Messy Liberation, hosts Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown dig into Trump's latest authoritarian moves — from putting his face on passports to plastering government buildings with his image. They explore the privilege of leaving the country when things get dark, the importance of staying present when the world feels like it's on fire, and small acts of resistance that help us reclaim agency in impossible times.In This Episode, We Get Into:Trump's plan to put his photo in U.S. passports (and why that's some dictator-level nonsense)The tan suit vs. sitting in your own shit: a study in Republican hypocrisyWhy "just leave the country" is peak privilege and not as easy as people thinkThe emotional toll of coming home from vacation to this dumpster fireHow post-vacation blues hit different when your country is falling apartBecky's "Bring the Magic" challenge: finding agency through small acts of kindnessWhy being present isn't toxic positivity — it's survivalTaina's spring gardening as embodied resistanceFinding ways to control your cortisol when the world is literally on fireChoosing not to have a heart attack while everything burns around you🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/In this episode of Messy Liberation, hosts Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown dive into why mental health days matter more than ever, and why the world won't stop demanding productivity just because you're feeling overwhelmed. They discuss how to recognize when you need rest, navigate guilt around taking time off, challenge capitalist expectations around constant productivity, and build community care into your life even when our culture doesn't make it easy. If you've ever felt like you're supposed to just brush your teeth and go to work while the world is on fire, this conversation is for you.In This Episode, We Get Into:• Why the world feels heavier as we age, and whether things are actually worse now or if we're just more aware• How neuroscience explains why young people make different decisions (spoiler: their frontal lobes aren't fully developed yet)• The real cost of living in a culture that expects "business as usual" no matter what's happening in the world• Why mental health days aren't just about rest; they're about resistance to capitalist productivity culture• The invisible labor of managing a household and why "partnership" doesn't automatically mean equality• How to ask for help even when you feel like you shouldn't have toWhy we've lost the village model of community care, and how to start rebuilding it• Setting boundaries around work, rest, and what you're actually capable of in a given moment• The difference between rest as recovery and rest as a regular practice• Why you need community care whether you're partnered up or notResources Mentioned:• "How We Show Up: Reclaiming Family, Friendship, and Community" by Mia Birdsong: https://amzn.to/41U8M8h• "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp: https://beckymollenkamp.com/book/🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/In this episode of Messy Liberation, hosts Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown explore wealth, fame, and privilege through an intersectional feminist lens. Fresh off Taina's trip to Paris, the conversation unpacks how capitalism conditions us to believe money solves all problems, why being rich doesn't equal happiness, and how white women need to reckon with the ways whiteness shapes their relationship to money and power—even while experiencing gender-based oppression.In This Episode, We Get Into:Why we're conditioned to believe celebrities and wealthy people have no problems (and why that's bullshit)How anxiety shapes the way we think about money, safety, and accessThe difference between financial security and being rich-rich—and why one matters more than the otherWhat fame actually costs: privacy, safety, constant scrutiny, and never knowing who's around you for the right reasonsWhy having money doesn't erase trauma, PTSD, or the way our brains are wiredHow wealth can buy access to things that lead to happiness—therapy, rest, travel, time with loved ones—without being a cure-allThe isolation and judgment that can come with having more money than the people around youWhy white women need to stop centering their own experiences when talking about wealth and financial liberationHow the "all women need to get wealthy" narrative erases the different lived realities of BIPOC womenWhy it's critical for white women to understand that gender oppression and white privilege can (and do) coexist🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown get into the often-overlooked politics of travel — from queer safety and fat-body accessibility to the colonial mindset baked into Western travel culture. They explore how identity shapes every aspect of a trip, why travel is both a privilege and a political act, and what it actually looks like to show up in someone else's space with humility, curiosity, and respect.In This Episode, We Get Into:How Taina and her wife navigate travel as queer, fat-bodied, disabled women of color — including the research they do before choosing a destinationThe exhausting labor of traveling with multiple marginalized identities: wheelchair assistance, medications, masking, claustrophobia, seatbelt extenders, and moreWhy Europe — despite its appeal — can be deeply inaccessible for fat and disabled travelers, and why the Americans with Disabilities Act is actually one of the US's most important pieces of legislationThe colonial mindset embedded in how Americans (especially wealthy white Americans) show up abroad — from demanding McDonald's in Peru to being obnoxiously loud in spaces that have different cultural normsHow the cost of air travel continues to widen the gap between the haves and have-nots, and what it means when only the most elite get to see the worldThe difference between curating your travel experience and showing up as an entitled American tourist who expects to be accommodatedBecky's life-changing high school trip to the USSR — and why she believes international travel at a formative age is one of the greatest gifts a young person can receiveTaina's experience at a travel company in LA, and some of the most entitled client behavior she witnessed firsthandWhy "different" is a better word than "weird" — and how Becky is teaching her 10-year-old son to navigate cultural difference with curiosity instead of judgmentHow Hawaiians and other communities are pushing back against tourism — and why some destinations are now off Becky's bucket list entirely🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/What is white feminism—really—and how does it continue to shape culture, media, and power?In this episode of Messy Liberation, Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown sit down with author and journalist Koa Beck to unpack the origins, impact, and ongoing evolution of white feminism.Koa shares how her experience working in mainstream women’s media exposed the gap between “feminism” as a label and feminism as a practice. Together, they explore how white feminism centers privilege, rewards assimilation, and leaves marginalized communities behind.They also get into:• Why feminism isn’t one thing (and never has been)• The difference between adapting to systems vs. changing them• How young people today are engaging with these ideas in more nuanced ways• The role of media, capitalism, and culture in shaping feminist narratives• Koa’s new work on “Valley Girl” culture and what it reveals about gender, race, and power• The deeply flawed foster care system and how systemic inequality shows up in family courtsThis is a conversation about unlearning, discomfort, and telling the truth—even when it costs you.📚 Resources & Mentions• Koa Beck's essay about identity in Salon• "White Feminism" by Koa Beck• Koa Beck’s “Valley Girl” Substack• Koa Beck's Massachusetts Review essay on foster care and adoption🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/What do you do when someone you know is accused of causing harm, and it doesn’t match your experience of them?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 punishmentNuance isn’t weakness—it’s necessary for justice🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/Becky and Taina dig into the rise of the manosphere, toxic masculinity, and the very real pipeline from boyhood insecurity to adult misogyny. What starts as a conversation about a Netflix documentary quickly spirals into a deeper, messier truth: we are watching unhealed men build entire belief systems—and movements—around avoiding their own pain.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

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/In this episode of Messy Liberation, feminist coaches and best friends Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown dig into the corporate greed crisis, from the Starbucks founder fleeing a state income tax to Oprah's "let them eat cake" energy at Paris Fashion Week. With a sharp intersectional lens, they connect wealth hoarding, stolen women's labor, a broken tax system, and the urgent need to build real community as an act of resistance.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 AmericaOprah'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 employeesHow corporations exploit crises (like COVID-era supply chain disruptions) to normalize price gouging and shrinkflationThe 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 stolenThe 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 againstHow 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 2018–2022The red state/blue state tax welfare dynamic — and why blue state taxpayers are effectively subsidizing the tax-dodging rich who move to FloridaWhy U.S. hyper-individualism keeps the kindling from igniting — and how building real community is the counter to late-stage capitalismResource:How We Show Up: Reclaiming Family, Friendship, and Community by Mia Birdsong🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/The news cycle feels relentless. The politics feel terrifying. And somehow we’re still expected to answer emails, pay bills, and live our lives.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 politicsWhat fascism can feel like in everyday lifePolitical anxiety, news fatigue, and overwhelmPrivilege and the moment the “bubble” cracksWhite supremacy as a belief systemSocial media and political discoursePolitical burnout and activism fatigueHow community and collective action help people survive political crises🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/Taina Brown and Becky Mollenkamp reflect on the recent State of the Union address, discussing its implications and the notable actions of representatives like Al Green. They delve into the pervasive issue of misogyny in society, exploring its manifestations and the cultural commentary surrounding media representations. The conversation also touches on personal anecdotes, humor, and the importance of diverse perspectives in storytelling, particularly in film and television.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.Chapters00:00 State of the Union Reflections02:38 Misogyny and Its Manifestations05:26 The Slippery Slope of Toxic Thinking08:18 The Intersection of Racism and Misogyny11:01 The Role of Women in Film13:54 Anticipating New Cinematic Releases21:14 Exploring New Narratives in Media24:12 The Importance of Diverse Perspectives28:36 Cultural Reflections in Modern Storytelling33:49 Navigating Perimenopause and Aging39:37 Humor and Relationships: A Personal Touch🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/In this episode, we unpack a real-time messy situation that started with a classroom conversation about language, and quickly spiraled into social media backlash, reflection, and deeper questions about responsibility. We explore the difference between calling in and calling out, why language matters when teaching history, and what it looks like when people respond to feedback with humility. Along the way, we talk about parenting, educator accountability, online criticism, and the ongoing work of holding nuance in public conversations, plus a lighter detour into Olympic drama and what it reveals about pressure, humanity, and expectations.Discussed in this episode:A messy moment: reaching out to a teacher about languageWhen social media amplifies conflictCalling in vs public accountabilityWhy “enslaved people” vs “slaves” mattersBlack history as shared history and responsibilityEducator responses and learning in publicNavigating trolls and criticismEmotional maturity, pressure, and public scrutinyOlympics tangent: performance, humanity, and expectationsInvitation to practice nuance in hard conversations🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/In this episode of Messy Liberation, Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown start with the cultural moment — unpacking the Bad Bunny halftime performance — and end up somewhere deeper: a conversation about care, creativity, and what it means to live inside systems that don’t value our humanity.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.🎤 JOIN US IN THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/This conversation is specifically for people who practice coaching or run coaching businesses (no certification required). Becky and Taina unpack how well-meaning coaches can unintentionally repeat patterns of harm rooted in capitalism, patriarchy, and white supremacy — even when they genuinely care about their clients.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 meansHow coaching can unintentionally reinforce harmful systemsWhy phrases like “limiting beliefs” and “we all have the same 24 hours” can cause harmThe role of identity, power, and privilege in coaching spacesWhy community is essential to sustainable coaching workWhat a Liberatory Coaching Manifesto is — and why you’ll build oneHow to practice coaching without gatekeeping or hustle cultureWhy this work can’t be done aloneBuild Your Liberatory Coaching Manifesto (free, live workshop)February 25 at 12pm Eastern on ZoomReplay available only to those who sign upSign-up for free at messyliberation.com.🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/From neighbors shoveling driveways to the quiet labor of holding community spaces, this episode explores how care becomes invisible, and how naming it can be radical. Becky shares a story about hosting invitation-only “secret salons” and grappling with the discomfort of being compensated for community-building work. Taina reflects on moments when emotional labor was unexpectedly acknowledged—and how powerful that recognition can be.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 behindThe invisible labor of care, organizing, and community-buildingWhy being seen matters as much as being paidEmotional labor, race, gender, and power dynamicsChecking privilege—and why it changes the roomSupportive partnerships vs. entitled masculinityWhy “I’d never do that” is a red flagCapitalism, commodification, and collective responsibilityHow acknowledgment can be an act of liberationResource:"Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next)" by Dean Spade🎤 WE ARE PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/Check out the Season 10 trailer for Here’s What I Learned with Jacki Hayes, a fellow member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.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

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/NOTE: This episode was recorded before the murder of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. Our hearts are with his family and we share your outrage about his murder. Abolish ICE.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/

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/In this episode of Messy Liberation, Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown dive into a layered, messy, and necessary conversation about storytelling, race, motherhood, power, and who gets centered when Hollywood tells “political” stories.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 survivalHow 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 cardThe racial reframing of His and Hers and how changing the main characters to Black women fundamentally shifts the story’s meaning, stakes, and powerWho gets empathy, who gets invisibility, and who’s expected to carry the labor — on screen and offWhy representation alone isn’t enough, and why who tells the story matters just as much as what story gets toldThis 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

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown dig into the U.S. military action in Venezuela, and why calling it “surprising” misses the point entirely. What’s happening in Venezuela isn’t new. What is new is how little the U.S. is pretending anymore.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-lineThe danger of pretending America is a neutral or moral global authorityWhy “how you do anything is how you do everything” applies to geopoliticsThe direct connection between capitalism, rape culture, and power grabsWhy nuance matters—and why refusing false binaries is not the same as defending dictatorsHow 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 nationsRESOURCE: Original Sins: The (Mis)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism by Eve L. EwingThey 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.🎤 WE'RE PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/New year, same bullshit? In this first episode of the year, Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown tear into the pressure cooker that is “New Year, New You”—and why it’s a capitalist scam designed to make you feel broken so someone else can profit.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

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/Our friend Nicole just dropped the trailer for her new podcast Just Rest — and we're SOOO excited! 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

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/As 2025 winds down, Becky and Taina sit with the mess—grief, burnout, political devastation, small joys, and the complicated work of staying human inside it all. This isn’t an episode about toxic optimism or shiny New Year’s resolutions. It’s about telling the truth: some years are brutal. Some losses are enormous. And still, we have to find ways to keep living.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 collectivelyGrief, privilege, and the discomfort of holding both at the same timeThe myth of static capacity and why fluctuating energy is deeply humanSpoon theory, disability wisdom, and why you can’t “borrow” energy from the futureNegativity bias and why our brains remember the worst moments most clearlyMicro vs. macro living: how daily life is different from the headlinesPractices for tracking how days actually feel (not how we assume they felt)Holding multiple emotions at once—anger and love, grief and joyWhy “10% better” might be the most radical New Year’s intention availableCreating spaciousness during the holidays without disappearing entirely🎤 WE'RE PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/Some days aren’t fixable. They aren’t mindset problems. They aren’t invitations to “reframe.” They’re just heavy, painful, vulnerable days—and pretending otherwise only makes them worse.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 spiralIf 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

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/This week’s episode goes straight for the tender spots—disability, guilt, surrender, messy healing, cultural expectations, accountability, and, yes… Beyoncé. It’s one of those conversations that reminds you why we started this show in the first place: to tell the truth about being human in a world that keeps demanding performance.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 mostJay-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 anywayThe ways pop culture reveals our own longing to belong—and the pressure to be ethically perfect inside systems built on exploitationIt’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

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/We didn't record a new show this week, but we're happy to share this episode of The Empowered & Embodied Show with Taina Brown. It's so good! Enjoy!

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/This week’s episode of Messy Liberation is exactly what the name promises: deeply human, a little chaotic, politically charged, creatively fueled, and threaded with the kind of vulnerability most people only share with their therapist.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 bookImposter syndrome, power, privilege, and the fear of getting it wrongThe ethics of citation, accountability, and writing through a white lensWhy visibility feels both intoxicating and terrifyingHow to engage in liberatory work without replicating harmThe alleged Trump/Clinton sexual scandal and why it’s blowing up onlineMisogyny, homophobia, femininity-as-weakness, and power dynamicsWhy the phrase “underage women” is a dangerous media trapThe GOP’s terrifying attempt to normalize sexual violenceLaughing at the absurdity as a survival strategyUpdates from last week’s messes (the school-board situation + relationship boundaries)The difference between mess that moves us forward and mess that destroys democracyResources + Mentions"Emergent Strategy" by adrienne maree brownThe Messy Liberation Coaches Circle🎤 Proud members of The Feminist Podcasters Collective; join us if you have a podcast at http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/In this week’s episode, Becky and Taina dive straight into the deep end of real-life mess: school-district politics, equity vs. “equality,” the exhausting reality of advocating inside systems designed to fail kids, and the tender, complicated terrain of queer marriage, desire, and boundaries. This one is personal, raw, a little chaotic, and very us. 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

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/This week, Becky and Taina sit down with client experience designer and “business cousin” Portia Michele Osumaré for a liberatory conversation about the beauty of being “messy”—and why it’s not something to fix. Together they explore what it means to live outside the boxes that capitalism, patriarchy, and white supremacy build for us.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 CollectiveFollow Portia on InstagramDiscussed in this episode:Redefining “messy” as freedom, not failureThe power of multi-hyphenate creativityQueerness as a practice of expansion and self-creationHow control, order, and “clean” systems uphold oppressionBuilding liberatory business models rooted in joy and humanityCommunity as a messy, necessary space for collective growthResources 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

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/Becky and Taina try something new in this episode—a looser, more conversational format inspired by their friends from BRB, Crying. Each host brings a “messy situation” to unpack together.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.🧠 ThemesThe conditioning of fear and trust around policingHow racialized power shows up even in “liberal” white responsesThe difference between policing and community accountabilityEthical gray areas in housing and capitalismWhy abolition is about care, not chaosReckoning with privilege, whiteness, and the myth of neutrality🔗 Resources MentionedDesigner Terrence WilliamsThe BRB, Crying podcast🎤 WE ARE PROUD MEMBFRS OF THE FEMINIST PODCAST COLLECTIVE

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/Becky and Taina are joined by fitness coach Laura Thomas for a brutally honest conversation about body image, aging, and what it really means to feel at home in your body.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 againDiscussed 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-BlacknessDecentering men and re-defining beauty on your own termsThe emotional labor of unlearning body shameHow patriarchy, racism, and capitalism keep us disconnected from our bodiesWhy movement is resistance, not punishmentResources 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 ThomasWebsite: laurathomasfitness.comInstagram: @laurathomasfitness🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/What happens when two podcasts built on honesty, healing, and humor come together?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.podcastYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB3O5-2SWBN4AYpb061iipgDiscussed in this episode:The power of crying as emotional liberationWhy vulnerability is a practice — not a personality traitCreative healing through fan fiction and rediscovering joyThe burnout cycle of podcasting under capitalismSafety, embodiment, and learning to feel at home in your bodyThe balance between vulnerability and humorPartnership, community, and the importance of feeling seenRest and joy as acts of resistanceHuman Design, astrology, and honoring your energy typeReleasing capitalist urgency and redefining success🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCAST COLLECTIVE: http://feministpodcastcollective.com/

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/In this fiery, messy conversation, Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown dive headfirst into celebrity culture, capitalism’s endless hunger, and the idea of enough. What started as a chat about Taylor Swift’s latest grift spirals—naturally—into reflections on fascism, fire-hose overwhelm, and why local action matters more than ever.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 resistanceResource mentioned:• Deepa Iyer’s Social Change Ecosystem Map🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/👉 On October 9, 2025, Feminist Founders is hosting The Weight We Carry, a free, focus-group-style conversation on invisible labor. We’ll share stories, hold space, and imagine what collective relief might look like. And your stories will directly shape a white paper we’re writing to push this issue into wider conversations where it belongs. ✨ Reserve your free spot hereIn 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 absenceWhy extractive work systems can never truly foster belongingThe violence of having to self-advocate in spaces that won’t meet your needsInvisible labor and how marginalized folks often hold it all togetherWhy belonging must be a community responsibility and not left to leaders aloneSigns your workplace or organization lacks true belongingHow Faith and Becky are partnering on an upcoming container to address invisible labor🎤PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/Becky’s sick, Taina’s tired, and somehow that makes for the best kind of messy conversation. From writing smut to why summer feels like winter, this grab bag episode runs the gamut of sex, TV, astrology, and systemic injustice.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 screenLove Is Blind: Brazil – Over 50 and why watching older women date is surprisingly joyfulBritish comfort TV vs. American sensory-overload reality showsAstrology, natal charts, and why New Year’s actually starts in Scorpio or Virgo seasonWhy summer feels like winter and autumn brings the most creativityBecky’s son’s “welcome to capitalism” moment with a half-empty bag of chipsActivism that disrupts power at the table, not just in the streetsThe parallels between Baltimore and St. Louis: segregation, schools, and systemic inequitiesInfrastructure failures, unsafe water, and the privilege required to access safety🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/THIS IS FOR COACHES (or anyone who uses coaching skills)...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 clientsThe 3 essentials every coach needs for a sustainable, liberatory practiceHow community can fuel your growth with fresh ideas, accountability, and supportThis 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!)

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/This week, Becky and Taina cut through the noise—what “compromise” really means in a deeply divided America. Triggered by Jerry Greenfield’s exit from Ben & Jerry’s, Tad Stoermer’s critique of liberal nationalism, and the recent killing of Charlie Kirk, we unpack how stories are told, how power is preserved, and who gets to be the “martyr.”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 lifeJerry Greenfield’s choice to leave Ben & Jerry’s rather than mute his values for corporate comfortTad Stoermer’s warning about liberal nationalism, American mythology, and the weaponization of compromiseThe powder keg moment America is in, and what it means for those with privilege vs. those withoutCulture as propaganda: from Star Trek to 9/11 broadcasts to the cult of celebrityHow white liberals cling to the dream of compromise and why it only leads to deeper harmWhat legacy really means—not just what you build, but what you walk away fromThis 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)🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCATERS COLLECTIVE

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/Death isn’t something most of us are taught to face with honesty, compassion, or ritual. In this episode of Messy Liberation, hosts Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown sit down with Nikki Smith, The Death Doula, to explore what it means to navigate dying, grief, and collective loss with more humanity.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 coachWhy toxic positivity is harmful in griefThe many forms of grief, including disenfranchised griefThe limitations of bereavement leave and how workplaces fail grieversRituals and cultural approaches to deathThe myth of “stages of grief” and why grief is nonlinearCollective grief in times of crisis (COVID, genocide, natural disasters)The dignity (and indignity) of dying, and hospice careTalking with kids about deathFinding joy, ritual, and love inside griefResources:Nikki Smith’s website (and podcast info)Nikki and Taina’s upcoming session on collective grief (Sept. 25)🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/What does it mean to rest in a world that’s constantly demanding more from us—and why is rest such an essential part of resistance?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 workWhat 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 outThe tension between white women co-opting “rest as resistance” vs. acknowledging privilegeRest equity and who most urgently needs access to true restorationWhy rest isn’t the absence of doing, but the presence of restoration—creative rest, social rest, emotional rest, and moreJordan 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 & LinksRestLab 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🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/Becky and Taina sit down with Tiana Dodson, a body liberation facilitator who helps people reconnect with their bodies, destigmatize fatness, and confront the oppressive systems that keep us at war with ourselves.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 brownConnect with Tiana Dodson:Instagram: @iamtianadodsonWebsite: tianadodson.comTikTok: @iamtianadodson🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/This week on Messy Liberation, Becky and Taina dive headfirst into the chaos of U.S. politics, personal rights under threat, and the culture wars playing out in real time. From the militarization of D.C. to the looming Supreme Court cases threatening Obergefell, they unpack how Project 2025 is already reshaping daily life and why “just wait and see” isn’t an option when democracy is on the line.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 fascismProject 2025 and how it’s already reshaping policy, strategy, and daily lifeThe fight to protect Obergefell and what the threat to marriage equality means for queer familiesLavender marriages, legal loopholes, and the exhausting extra labor LGBTQ+ couples faceHow rights once granted are now being stripped away—and the chilling precedent that setsTaylor Swift, celebrity feminism, and why “with great power comes great responsibility” isn’t just a comic book lineWhite culture, “Midwest nice,” and the expectation that women should always perform “nice” at the expense of truth🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/Misogyny isn’t just something “other people” do. In this conversation, Becky and Taina unpack the invisible ways it shows up in our language, our friendships, our relationships, and even inside ourselves.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 episodeDiscussed in This Episode:What misogyny really is—and how it shows up beyond violence or hateThe difference between external and internalized misogynyEveryday red flags in men’s behavior (even the “nice guys”)The harm of calling women “females” and judging women’s choicesWhy internalized misogyny makes us distrust or judge other womenHow queer spaces can reinforce misogyny—especially toward trans womenGay male culture and the unacknowledged borrowing from Black womenThe emotional and invisible labor women carry in families and workHow grief, caretaking, and people-pleasing are gendered expectationsWhy it’s not “misandry” when women resist patriarchyJudging aesthetics like pink or plastic surgery as a feministWhy “all his exes are crazy” is a major red flagHow internalized misogyny shapes what art, comedy, and leadership we valueBuilding feminist friendships and communities that aren’t copy-pasteWhat it really means to divest from patriarchy without hating femininity🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/Polyamory isn’t what you think it is. In this episode of Messy Liberation, we sit down with Frances Crusoe to talk about ethical non-monogamy, what it really looks like in practice, and how she navigates parenting, faith, and family while living a polyamorous life. We tackle misconceptions (no, it’s not all orgies), explore how jealousy really works, and dig into the radical idea that love isn’t a finite resource. If you’ve ever wondered how polyamory intersects with feminism, religion, and raising kids, this one’s for you.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 loveResource 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/

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/Pedro Pascal’s red carpet style, Malcolm Jamal Warner’s tragic passing, and the chaos around the Epstein files — this episode of Messy Liberation goes everywhere at once. Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown dive into pop culture, politics, astrology, and messy real-life feminism with zero polish and plenty of swearing. From debating Pedro Pascal’s “daddy energy” and Leo season’s chaos to unpacking the Cosby Show legacy and the William McNeil police brutality video, they keep it bold, irreverent, and intersectional.Discussed in this episode:Pedro Pascal’s red carpet moments and breaking masculinity normsMalcolm Jamal Warner’s drowning and the Cosby Show’s complicated legacyDating strategically vs dating for love in your 20sMelania Trump and Kennedy Center renaming outrageGhislaine Maxwell, Epstein files, and MAGA conspiraciesPolice brutality and the William McNeil dashcam videoVenus Williams’ comeback and U.S. health insurance issuesLeo season, assertiveness vs aggression, and zodiac dynamicsResource mentioned:William McNeil dashcam video (TW: police brutality)☀️ Join us in the Messy Liberation Coaches Circle 🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/Ever feel superior for hating the mainstream? Same. In this episode of Messy Liberation, Becky and Taina dig into the hidden hierarchies we create when we judge popular culture, and how that feeds into white supremacy, fatphobia, and American exceptionalism. From YouTube vlogs and Hallmark movies to queer fanfiction and Audre Lorde, they explore how internalized systems show up in even our most frivolous pleasures. This is a funny, challenging, and honest convo about how true liberation means dismantling shit inside ourselves first—without killing joy in the process.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 accountabilityResources 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

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/Grief is always in the room—and in this raw and powerful conversation, Becky and Taina explore the emotional weight of loss, anger, and what it means to truly feel your feelings. They unpack their personal experiences with recent death, the stigma around female rage, and why American culture is so broken when it comes to grief. From pet loss to patriarchal mindsets, they dive deep into the intersections of anger and grief, why somatic expression matters, and how caretaking roles often obscure our own needs. This episode is a tender reminder that grief and joy, anger and love, can—and do—coexist.Discussed in this episodeWhy grief is always present—even when we don’t acknowledge itHow female anger is suppressed (and why that’s dangerous)The myth of the angry Black womanWhy anger and grief are somatic experiences, not just mentalHow American culture fails at griefThe emotional labor of caretaking and parenting during lossWays we gaslight ourselves through lossVisualization and embodiment practices for emotional releaseResources mentioned"Uses of Anger" by Audre LordeThe Emotions WheelBernadette 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

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/What if making art wasn’t about monetizing, optimizing, or gaining followers—but about freedom? In this episode, artist and writer Krishna Kayastha joins Becky and Taina to talk about reclaiming creativity from capitalism. From journaling to fanfic, motherhood to self-trust, Krishna shares her journey of redefining what it means to be an artist in a world that demands constant output and productivity.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 SubstackDiscussed in this episode:Creative liberation beyond capitalismUsing fanfiction as resistance and joyThe emotional toll of monetizing your passionHabit tracking for personal data and self-trustThe Artist’s Way and morning pagesFinding boundaries between public and private artSelf-permission to create without perfectionRest as resistance and lunch as liberationKrishna’s podcast Ink Blots and FragmentsHer Habit Tracker journalResource mentioned:"The Artist’s Way" by Julia Cameron☀️ Join us in the Messy Liberation Coaches Circle🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

Get "Liberate Your Business" by Becky Mollenkamp https://liberateyourbusiness.com/If you’ve ever wondered how a Harry Potter course can be a masterclass in teaching white supremacy, systemic oppression, and feminist critique—you’re gonna love this episode. We’re joined by Professor Julian Womble, who uses the Wizarding World to help his students explore the messy intersections of identity, power, and representation. We dig into fanfiction as reclamation, Hermione’s white savior complex, Lavender Brown’s erasure, and how to love problematic art without ignoring its dangers. Come for the Draco redemption arc, stay for the discussion on teaching critical consciousness through pop culture.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 never buy or sell to protect the space and observe copyright and IP lawsObserve the authors rules regarding sharing and personal bindingWe 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 onAlways, always leave a kudos or comment to show appreciation for the authors effortDon’t be an asshole.Resources mentioned:“James” by Percival EverettLet the Dark In by SenLinYuThe Disappearances of Draco Malfoy by speechwriterManacled by SenLinYu is no longer availableBloody, Slutty, and Pathetic by WhatMurdahSave Me Again by wolfstarlover20 (all queer fic Taina read during Pride month)</u