Mother of Fact: the podcast

In this episode, Emily sits down with Dr. Olamide Sobowale to talk about what it really takes to improve women’s healthcare from the inside of the system. From frontline clinical care to leadership across women and children’s programs, Dr. Sobowale shares how innovation, technology, and better system design can help clinicians do their best work while meeting patients where they are.You’ll hear:Why improving women’s health outcomes requires more than excellent clinical skillHow strong systems can expand the impact of great cliniciansWhat hospitals need to make innovation possible without overwhelming care teamsWhy clinician champions are often already inside the system, but need support to lead changeHow digital tools and AI can reduce burden when used thoughtfullyHow health systems can identify risk earlier in pregnancy and women’s healthWhat it means for everyone in healthcare to work at the top of their scopeWho it’s for and why: This episode is for women’s health clinicians, healthcare leaders, innovators, and advocates who are trying to build better care inside complex systems. If you care about reducing burnout, improving access, and designing care that works for both patients and providers, this conversation will resonate.Show ResourcesDr. Olamide SobowaleMother of Fact✅ New episodes of the Mother of Fact Podcast drop on the second Tuesday of every month. Follow, subscribe, and share with a colleague who’s ready to help transform care at work and beyond.

In honor of National Nutrition Month, Emily sits down with Dr. Loneke Blackman Carr to explore why nutrition advice alone rarely changes health outcomes. As a behavioral scientist, professor, and registered dietitian, with Dr. Loneke shares how caregiving demands, structural barriers, and lived environments shape the way women eat, move, and care for their health. Dr. Loneke is currently Assistant Professor of Community & Public Health Nutrition at UCONN. You’ll hear:How clinicians can move beyond the word “diet” to build trust with patientsWhy evidence-based nutrition programs often succeed in clinical trials but fail in real lifeThe structural barriers that shape nutrition behaviors and health outcomes for womenWhy Black women experience significantly higher obesity rates despite equal health awarenessHow stress, caregiving, and social context influence nutrition and lifestyle changeThe importance of addressing context before expecting behavior changeThis episode is for clinicians, dietitians, women’s health advocates, and healthcare leaders who want to understand how nutrition, equity, and context intersect in maternal and women’s health. If you’re working to improve patient outcomes and build care models that actually fit women’s lives, this conversation will change how you think about nutrition interventions.Show ResourcesConnect with Dr. Loneke Blackman Carr on LinkedIn National Nutrition Month resourcesFollow Mother of Fact for more episodes, tools, and updates.✅ New episodes of the Mother of Fact Podcast drop on the second Tuesday of every month. Follow, subscribe, and share with a colleague who’s ready to help transform care at work and beyond.

When is the right time for employers to take women’s health seriously? According to Jim Hettenbach, VP and Head of Business Ventures at Unum, that time was yesterday — and the smartest companies are already catching up.In this energizing and insight-packed episode, Emily sits down with Jim to explore how employer benefits are evolving beyond check-the-box wellness to whole-person care — including nutrition care, lactation support, postpartum recovery, and pelvic floor rehab (yes, even that!).With humor and honesty, Jim shares what it was like to be one of the only men talking about maternal health in corporate rooms — and why that’s exactly what needs to happen if we want to scale meaningful change.You’ll hear:How Unum Ventures is bridging the gap between clinical care and employer supportWhy outdated benefit models are breaking under the weight of real-world care needsThe shift from point solutions to platforms — and what that means for maternal care innovatorsHow employers can support health journeys before employees even ask for helpWhat employers are learning about AI, privacy, and trust in the digital health eraThe growing role of employers in the care economy — and why it affects us allWhether you’re a healthcare leader, policy advocate, HR decision-maker, or women’s health entrepreneur, this episode will give you a behind-the-scenes look at the real conversations happening around maternal health, innovation, and what it takes to build a better, more human-centered future of work.Show Resources:Learn more about Unum.Connect with Jim Hettenbach on LinkedIn.Follow Mother of Fact for more episodes, tools, and updates.✅ New episodes of the Mother of Fact Podcast drop on the second Tuesday of every month. Follow, subscribe, and share with a colleague who’s ready to help transform care at work and beyond.

What does real postpartum support look like when you’re running a startup, healing from birth, and parenting a NICU baby — all at once?In this powerful, raw, and heart-hitting episode, Emily sits down with Sam Gardner, founder of Continuity Co. and Happy Pillar), to talk about building mental health infrastructure for working moms — while barely surviving her own postpartum experience.This conversation is a must-listen for women’s health providers, maternal care innovators, clinical champions, entrepreneurs and investors who want to learn how the system is broken — and want to be part of reshaping it.You’ll hear:Why supporting women at work is essential to improving outcomes in pregnancy and postpartumHow capacity ≠ capability, and why we need to stop glorifying over-functioning mothersThe medical realities of postpartum recovery — and the gaps in continuity of care even for health-literate momsThe real mental load of being a CEO and a mom, and what it looks like to actually put care infrastructure in placeWhy working through postpartum can tank both business and wellbeing — and what resilient, long-game leadership really looks likeThis is the real talk no one gives you in a training. If you’re advising patients returning to work, leading teams of mothers, or building maternal health programs — you need to hear this.Plus: Learn how Continuity KoE is flipping the script for founders, building embedded leadership so mothers can take real leave without blowing up their businesses.Resources + Links:Learn more about Sam’s work: https://thecontinuity.coFollow Sam on Instagram: @saltgardnerConnect on LinkedIn: Sam GardnerDon’t miss upcoming episodes! Follow @motheroffact for new drops, tools, and stories at the intersection of clinical care, equity, and maternal health innovation.