The Perfectors

Latest Episodes:

Episode 165: Summer and the War Against Manufactured Magic May 28, 2018

Show notes

On Episode 165 of the Mama Bear Dares podcast, co-hosts Leslie and Tesi dive into a topic near and dear to their hearts—the war against manufactured magic. It's a Gladiator's road to be sure, but today's episode tackles the idea that kids can make their own fun this summer and that women can release the pressure they may feel as moms to create constant joy, whimsy, and fun for them. For complete Show Notes, visit the Mama Bear Dares website.

Episode 164: A Read-Aloud Revolution with Sarah Mackenzie May 21, 2018

Show notes

On Episode 164 of the Mama Bear Dares Podcast, co-hosts Tesi and Leslie sit down with the delightful Sarah Mackenzie about reading, books, and reading books aloud. Sarah is a literary match-maker, a podcast host, an entrepreneur, and mom of four who advocates for family bonding and growth via reading aloud. The three women enjoy a lively conversations about books and how time centered around books can strengthen relationships, promote kindness, compassion, and empathy, and make important memories. Sarah also gives practical tips on how to put her beliefs into practice and take a moment to defends Captain Underpants. For complete Show Notes, visit the Mama Bear Dares website.

Episode 163: Let's Do Better By Black Mothers & Babies: A Look at Racism in the American Healthcare System May 14, 2018

Show notes

On Episdoe 163 of the Mama Bear Dares Podcast, Tesi and Leslie begin with a look at institutional racism in the American healthcare system. They focus on Linda Villarosa's incredible article, "Why American's Black Mothers and Babies are in a Life-or-Death Crisis,"in a segment they call "We Read It, We Loved It, Let's Discuss." The two are more than troubled by what Villarosa reports. Not only are shaken by the terrible disparity in death rates between white and black babies and women, but by the fact that this disparity has everything to do with the lived experience of being a black woman in America. Leslie and Tesi talk through this information and dig into the research because they believe the way of the Mama Bear is to learn and then lean in. This episode is about seeing—seeing the struggles of others and then processing them and fighting for change AND seeing the goodness in those around us and acknowledging that beauty. Because of that, the Mama Bears end the episode with a segment called "We See You"where they celebrate the everyday acts of love and kindness put forth by the women around them. For full Show Notes, click HERE.

Episode 162: Sex, God, & Politics with Kara Haug May 07, 2018

Show notes

On Episode 162 of the Mama Bear Dares Podcast, co-hosts Tesi and Leslie dig back into the archives for an interview with Kara Hoag, the founder of Grace Unbound, a resource for those seeking a comprehensive sexuality education that includes the integration of sexuality and theology and aims to wipe clean feelings of shame. The women acknowledge that God created sexual intimacy and celebrate the idea that the human body is beautiful and to be celebrated and enjoyed, and discuss the most effective ways to teach the next generation to engage in healthy and meaningful sexual activity. Through their playful and deeply honest conversation, the women discuss pleasure and the ways in which we can embrace our spiritual self and our sexual self in order to be the full, complete women we were created to be. To read full show notes, visit the Mama Bear Dares Podcast website.

Episode 161: We're Going to Africa & Aren't Going to Save Anyone Apr 30, 2018

Show notes

The Mama Bears are going on an adventure! On Episode 161 of the Mama Bear Dares Podcast, Leslie and Tesi unpack their upcoming travels to the East African nations of Tanzania and Ethiopia. They devote this Mama Bear Mini to explaining how this two-week trip happened, what they're planning to do while in East Africa, and what they hope to accomplish while adventuring. In true Mama Bear form, they also take on the white savior complex, white supremacy, why we need to be very thoughtful when engaging in international aid, what they believed is a flawed view of volunteerism, and the dangers of short-term missions.The episode is filled with big questions ... and a lot of excitement. For complete Show Notes, visit the Mama Bear Dares website.

Episode 160: The Dirt & Dust of Incarceration with Whitney Bolton Apr 23, 2018

Show notes

On Episode 160 of the Mama Bear Dares Podcast, Tesi and Leslie sit down with Whitney Bolton, a listener who reached out to them after viewing the documentary 13TH and then listening to the Mama Bear episode covering that documentary. Whitney is hungry to share with listeners her powerful story about what life is like for women in prison. She and the co-hosts discuss the way the systems in power treat human beings and listen to her real-life account of how the experience of life behind bars changed her and those around her. Whitney asks listeners to look at the "dirt and darkness" of our country's system of incarceration and does so by sharing powerful stories and examples from her own experience. For Show Notes, visit the Mama Bear Dares website.

Episode 159: Parenting Teens (and why no one is talking about it) Apr 16, 2018

Show notes

On Episode 159 of the Mama Bear Dares Podcast, Leslie and Tesi talk about the mysterious and thrilling responsibility of raising teenagers. As we've seen in the last six months, American teens are capable of organizing a worldwide march to end gun violence and yet also prone to staring at their screens for hours without any nourishment or personal contact. Teenagers are capable of tremendous amounts of love ... and slamming a door in your face. The women explore this topic with a few listener questions in mind: Why is parenting teenagers so isolating and lonely? What happens when you "love" your kid with all your heart, but you struggle to "like" them? As always, the sisters tackle these questions with great curiosity and do their best to reassure listeners with a down-to-earth exploration of the quest to know better and do better. For complete Show Notes, check out the Mama Bear Dares website.

Episode 158: Remaining Fierce While Facing a Storm with Alli Worthington Apr 09, 2018

Show notes

Alli Worthington is an entrepreneur and author who speaks about knowing yourself and trusting a fierce faith. Like many of us, she balances her family (five sons and a husband), her work, and her social obligations. Unlike many of us, she and her family faced a difficult health crisis that left her in a sea of fear, worry, and anxiety. When this onsalught of fear caught her off guard and threatened to overtake, she chose to fight back. Now, Alli wants to help others take steps to combat worry and anxiety. Leslie, Tesi, and Alli talk about what this looks like for women today in a candid conversation about expectations, anxiety, and how we view the world. For complete Show Notes, visit the Mama Bear Dares website!

Episode 157: Female Friendship (We Continue to Slay, but We Dont Come to Play) Apr 02, 2018

Show notes

On Episode 157 of the Mama Bear Dares Podcast, Leslie and Tesi take a hot minute to celebrate the sisterhood! The cultural landscape is changing for women—because of women—and the ladies take some time to feast on beauty of female friendship. They talk about the unique nature of healthy friendship and discuss the ways in which Mama Bear is uniquely poised to show up over and over again for her besties. They end the episode with an Obsess Sesh segment and dare listeners to lean into their beautiful relationships—to celebrate them, nurture them, savor them, and fight for them. For complete Show Notes, visit the Mama Bear website.

Episode 156: A Little Bit Braver with Valorie Burton Mar 26, 2018

Show notes

On Episode 156 of the Mama Bear Dares Podcast, Leslie sits down with Valorie Burton, a wife, mother, and author of 11 books. Though Valorie came on the podcast to discuss her newest book: Successful Women Speak Differently: 9 Habits that Build Confidence, Courage, and Influence, the conversation ended up being about so much more. This podcast is about the difference in men and women in the workplace (and at home), an encouragement for those who get paralyzed by their fear of failure, and a reminder that what we say to ourselves matters. For complete Show Notes, visit our website!

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