The Mothers
Podcast Description
Do you ever marvel at women seemingly crushing life – building businesses, leading congress, writing best sellers, dropping hit albums, winning gold medals – then learn they also have children and think Wait, how the f*ck are they doing this? And how are they, really? // Sara Brown and Veronica Wolanin are many things and also mothers – on their own journeys to “do it all” while redefining what it means to “have it all.” Join them in funny, vulnerable, true conversations with The Mothers among us as they reflect on their lives, identity & purpose through the lens of motherhood.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast explores themes such as the balance of motherhood with personal ambitions, identity, and purpose, with episode highlights including discussions on the portrayal of mothers in the show Shrinking, personal journeys of women like Seo Yun Yang, and reflections on the musical Peter Pan related to maternal figures.
Sara Brown sits down with the people shaping our world — extraordinary leaders, creators, and thinkers — to explore how their identity, purpose, and ambition evolve alongside career and motherhood.
These conversations invite you to get curious about who you are, what you want, and why you want it — and leave you inspired to build a life that honors those answers.
Raw, smart, and deeply human, The Mothers blends the emotional honesty of We Can Do Hard Things, the practical wisdom of Mel Robbins, and the intellectual depth of Brené Brown.
Follow, review and join us on IG @themotherspod.
What does it actually mean to “be yourself” at work – especially as a parent?
And is “authenticity” even the right goal anymore?
Because for many mothers, the question isn’t just who am I at work?
It’s:
Which version of me is allowed here?
What do I keep in? What do I edit out?
And what does it cost to keep performing?
Claude Silver has built her career around these questions.
As Chief Heart Officer of VaynerX, she leads culture and people for 2,000+ employees globally, partnering with Gary Vaynerchuk to build one of the most human-centered organizations in modern business. Her work has been recognized by Campaign US and Adweek, and she’s advised organizations from Google and Meta to government agencies on leadership and culture.
But her path there was anything but linear.
Claude grew up feeling like an outsider – navigating dyslexia, low self-confidence, and years of searching for identity and belonging. The work she does today is rooted in that experience: understanding the internal voice that shapes how we show up… and learning how to challenge it.
In this conversation, we explore what it really takes to know yourself – and to build a life and career that reflect that truth, even as the demands of work and family collide.
We talk about:
– The difference between “performing” and actually being yourself at work
– Why high-achieving women often lose access to their own identity after kids
– How to challenge the negative inner voice – and find real evidence against it
– The invisible, internal work that no one sees (but shapes everything)
– What changes – structurally and psychologically – when you become a parent
– And how leaders can create environments where people don’t have to split themselves in two
Claude is also the author of Be Yourself at Work, a guide to building self-awareness, confidence, and more human workplaces.
This is a conversation about identity, self-worth, and the reality of trying to build a meaningful career while raising a family – without losing yourself in the process.
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The Mothers is a production of Backline Media.
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