Episode 29: Bridging the Emotional Gap in Marriage: Partnership and Parenthood with Alex Sall and Mosh Oinounou
Ever wonder how you’ll ever bridge the gap between you and your spouse’s wildly different ways of handling emotions and challenges? Me too. That's why this episode is for you, me, all of us.
In this deeply honest episode, I sit down with journalist Mosheh Oinounou—who you may know as Mosheh of Mo’ News—and his wife, my dear friend, marketing agent Alex Sall. We talk about how they’ve built their relationship from the inside out. From a couples retreat at Kripalu, six months into dating to navigating parenthood with a shared vision, they’ve done the work before the chaos, and it shows.
We unpack how their childhoods—shaped their early dynamics, how they’ve bridged emotional gaps with tools like the Gottmans’ Bringing Baby Home and Eve Rodsky’s Fair Play Deck, and how they hold space for one another in both the everyday and the heavy moments (including Mosheh reporting the news daily).
We talk emotional labor, people-pleasing, breaking generational patterns, and how parenting on the Upper East Side brings its own set of values to navigate. Alex opens up about her journey to stop pleasing everyone and start pleasing herself (with Mosheh cheering her on), and Mosheh shares how he’s learning to listen and validate instead of fixing.
And yes—we also talk about the real difference between protecting kids from the news and empowering them to understand it.
This episode is a must-listen for any couple navigating the emotional push-pull that comes with different upbringings, communication styles, or parenting values. Whether you’re just starting out or deep into raising kids, Alex and Mosheh offer a refreshingly honest look at how to bridge the kinds of emotional and cultural gaps that can quietly make—or powerfully strengthen—a relationship. Their story will leave you inspired to do the work, have the conversations, and build something intentional, together.
Correction: In this episode, Alex references an astrology app when she says “time passages” but she is referring to “the pattern.”
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Episode 28: Is This Normal? Navigating Early Development with Tots on Target Dr. Allison Mell
As someone who believes in letting gross motor development unfold naturally—without rushing babies into positions they can’t get into (or out of) themselves—I’ve always had questions about how we support movement in early childhood. So in this episode, I sat down with the amazing pediatric physical therapist behind Tots on Target, Dr. Allison Mell, to dig into all of it. I’ve followed Tots on Target for years because of the way she breaks down early development in a way that’s clear, thoughtful, and totally empowering for parents.
We talk about when to reach out for support, what mini milestones really tell us, and how even well-intentioned early classes can place performance expectations on infants and toddlers before they’re ready. Together, we explore the tension between trusting a child’s timeline and knowing when intervention matters—and how to reframe what it means to support a child’s development without pushing them too far, too fast.
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Episode 27: Redefining What Play Looks Like with Hart & Hero
What if the toys our kids play with could help shape them into more compassionate, balanced, and open-hearted ?
In this episode, I sit down with Hart & Hero founders—and fellow moms—Chanie Brod and Musya Eckhaus to explore how toys can do so much more than just entertain. We dive into the quiet power of care, the beauty of duality, and how to bridge the gender play gap in a world that too often puts kids in boxes.
From their origin story to the values behind their thoughtfully designed products, Chanie and Musya share how they’re raising both sons and daughters with the freedom to be strong and soft, nurturing and brave. I share a deeply personal parenting moment that challenged my own assumptions about femininity, reflecting on how easily we pass down gendered expectations—sometimes without even realizing it.
We also explore how the roles kids take on in play can shape the roles they default to in adulthood—particularly when it comes to caregiving and the “default parent” dynamic. When nurturing is only encouraged in girls, we miss the chance to raise boys who are emotionally fluent, capable caregivers too.
This conversation is a powerful reminder that play isn’t just play—it’s practice for life.
We cover:
Why care is one of the most radical, under-celebrated strengths
How to support boys in embracing nurturing roles and girls in stepping into leadership—without forcing either
The impact of representation and inclusive toys on identity formation
How duality helps raise whole, resilient humans
How early play patterns can shape future family dynamics
Whether you’re a parent, educator, or just someone who cares about raising the next generation with intention, this episode will leave you inspired to notice the micro moments—and make them count.
Learn more about Hart & Hero at @hartandhero
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Episode 26: From Guarded to Grounded with Whitney Port
When I tell you that this may be one of the most moving conversations on We Didn’t Turn Out Ok so far, I’m still not doing it justice.
Having Whitney Port on brought me back to growing up what felt like with her—from watching The Hills, where she seemed to live in an alternate world from my "Varsity Blues" suburbs in NJ to following her journey as she began filming for The City, where she carved her space in fashion and seemed to have everything fall into place. She met her now-husband Timmy (then a producer on the show), and began creating what she calls “beautiful things”—both professionally and personally.
But if you’ve followed along with Whitney’s story, you know she’s opened up bravely and publicly—about how things didn’t stay perfectly “in place.” About how pregnancy didn’t feel magical, how her experience of starting motherhood felt really sudden and how she’s now navigating an ongoing six-year fertility and surrogacy journey. Her honesty has been incredibly powerful for those who follow her, they feel connected, seen and supported in her sharing. I wondered what was left to uncover.
It turns out—so much more that we will all connect to— in different ways.
In this conversation, Whitney shares the feeling when she sees another mom in a moment, how that can feel easy to judge until we then experience the same in her own parenting. She talks about how realized that it’s not about judging anyone else or ourselves, but about awareness and confidence in how we are showing up as a parent. She shares the emotional landscape that’s shaped her: from being one of five siblings in a home where it sometimes felt like her feelings often didn’t have space, to seeing a beautiful example of a marriage in her parents, to the boundaries that were set forth for her and her siblings, to learning what emotional safety really means—first for herself, and now for her son, Sonny.
This is a conversation about permission: to feel, to be unsure, to heal, and to show up—even when it feels like we don’t know exactly how. To be the kind of parent who’s still learning, still healing, still growing.
Spoiler: we both shed tears reflecting on how we were raised, and how that contributed to who we are today.
She’s amazing. This one’s special.
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Episode 25: Beyond the Comparison Trap - Identity After Motherhood with Dale Stabler and Annabel Lawee
In this episode, I sit down with Dale and Annabel - the funny, real and deeply honest voices behind We Are More Than Moms, a community and podcast that supports moms in navigating identity, ambition, and the messy in-between moments of modern motherhood.
We talk about the many layers that shift when we become moms - from how we see ourselves to how we compare (to other moms, our pre-mom selves, even our own kids). We dig into the power of recognizing when we’re not OK, and how those moments can actually spark real growth - especially when we allow ourselves to ask for help.
Dale and Annabel also share the inspiration behind their brand-new coaching program - a supportive space designed to help moms reconnect with who they are now and step into their next chapter with confidence, clarity, and self-trust.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re somewhere between who you were and who you’re becoming, just know we’ve all been there - and as Dale and Annabel say, motherhood might just be your 2.0 version… the one where you become your best self, if you can just allow yourself to see it.
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For the last two decades, I've worked closely with infants, toddlers, preschoolers and their parents—listening, guiding and supporting families and their young children. I've connected with so many parents through my social media account, texts, calls, and leading moms' groups. When we have open, honest and vulnerable conversations—no matter who you are as a parent—that's how we connect, learn and grow.
We also discover so much about ourselves and how that plays into our parenting. That's why I created We Didn't Turn Out Ok—a podcast where you'll hear real conversations about challenges we face in parenting, hear how we uncover the roadblocks, often from our own stuff, and listen to how we work through what's often keeping us stuck. There will be professionals in the field, noteworthy guests and everyone in between.
Using my own parenting journey and approach—combined with research-backed best practices—I am determined to help us all move forward from our areas of where we "didn't turn out ok." Every guest will be sharing openly and honestly knowing that it will help them grow as a parent but will also help all of you listening.
Welcome to We Didn't Turn Out Ok.
Listen to We Didn't Turn Out OK with Jennie Monness, Finding Freedom with Peter Crone and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app
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