Momarchy with Sarah & Tanya

• Don't Mess with Moms: Taking on the Gun Lobby with Moms Demand Action Founder Shannon Watts

  What happens when a mother realizes that staying on the sidelines is no longer an option? For Shannon Watts, that moment came after the Sandy Hook tragedy, when the fear every parent carries turned into a determination she could not ignore. In this episode, we look at how Moms Demand Action began with one Facebook post and grew into the largest women's volunteer organization in the country. Shannon shares why mothers so often become the steady force behind major social movements and what she has learned from watching everyday women transform concern into influence. We also explore the emotional reality of raising kids in a country where safety cannot be taken for granted. Shannon talks about the guilt and pressure that often follow women who choose to speak up, and how activism can feel grounding when it offers community instead of isolation. She also shares insights from her new book about how women can identify what drives them and take meaningful steps toward the life they want. Shannon Watts is a speaker, author, and the Founder of Moms Demand Action. She has been named a Time Magazine 100 Most Influential People, a Forbes 50 Over 50 Changemaker, and a Glamour Woman of the Year. She is the author of Fight Like a Mother and Fired Up, a New York Times and USA Today bestseller about helping women break limitations and ignite what comes next. We Discuss: (06:14) How the Sandy Hook tragedy pushed Shannon into action (08:40) Why mothers often end up leading major movements (11:56) Activism as grounding instead of burnout (13:54) Navigating polarization and finding real common ground (17:42) Why guilt shows up when women raise their voices (24:09) The gap between "pro-life" rhetoric and gun safety (29:26) How women use values, abilities, and desires to define their path (34:17) Supporting teens who fear going to school Learn more about:  Tanya Nathan is a political campaign and communications strategist with over a decade of experience in progressive campaigns and advocacy. Currently a Principal at a nationally-based grasstops consulting firm, she's a Denver native living with her 8-month-old daughter, husband, and their rescue pets. Her hobbies include crosswords, mezcal tasting, and trying to sleuth out who's going to be on Love is Blind Denver. Sarah Andrews is a political strategist living in rural Colorado with her husband and two young kids. When she's not managing campaigns or chasing toddlers, she's passionate about women's rights, childcare policy, and creating space for honest political conversations that don't end in shouting matches. Website: momarchypodcast.com Substack: @momarchy   Instagram: @themomarchypodcast  TikTok: @momarchypodcast Email: [email protected]    Find more from Shannon Watts: Instagram: @shannonrwatts X: @shannonrwatts Website: momsdemandaction.org  

  --------  

  57:01

  --------

  57:01
• Pardon My Politics: A Thanksgiving Survival Guide

  Ever feel like the holidays are stressful enough without your uncle turning Thanksgiving into a cable news audition? Same.  In this episode, we're breaking down how to survive political conversations at the holiday table without ruining the pie or your sanity. From setting expectations before you walk in the door to gracefully exiting bad-faith debates, we're giving you the tools to make it through the season with your peace intact. We're also bringing back Pardon My Politics: Thanksgiving Edition. JD Vance and Erica Kirk's viral hug, the New York Times' messy headline, Trump ignoring a guest fainting in the Oval Office, and the Colorado organizers who quietly flipped their entire city council. To lighten things up, we dive into some truly unhinged White House Thanksgiving history. JFK skipped the turkey, Nixon served cottage cheese with ketchup, Obama baked sweet potato pie, and Trump… well, he brought out the Big Macs. We also imagine what Thanksgiving would look like with a woman in the Oval Office. And in Ask a Millennial Mom, we talk teaching gratitude when your family can't agree on basic facts, choosing between the parade, football or the dog show, and the "I'm trying, but I'm a parent" dishes that always come through. Yes, the Whole Foods hot bar and boxed stuffing absolutely count. Tune in. We Discuss: (00:20) The "Hot Louvre Thieves" and the strange glamorizing of viral criminals (08:56) Why holiday family gatherings turn into unexpected political minefields (14:02) How to exit heated conversations without drama or guilt (15:45) The invisible mental load moms carry during the holiday season (24:29) Pardon My Politics: viral hugs, bad headlines, fainting scandals and big wins (35:34) The wildest and weirdest Thanksgiving traditions from the White House (43:53) Ask a Millennial Mom: teaching gratitude, handling family tension and easy mom dishes   Learn more about:  Tanya Nathan is a political campaign and communications strategist with over a decade of experience in progressive campaigns and advocacy. Currently a Principal at a nationally-based grasstops consulting firm, she's a Denver native living with her 8-month-old daughter, husband, and their rescue pets. Her hobbies include crosswords, mezcal tasting, and trying to sleuth out who's going to be on Love is Blind Denver. Sarah Andrews is a political strategist living in rural Colorado with her husband and two young kids. When she's not managing campaigns or chasing toddlers, she's passionate about women's rights, childcare policy, and creating space for honest political conversations that don't end in shouting matches. Website: momarchypodcast.com Substack: https://substack.com/@momarchy   Instagram: @themomarchypodcast  TikTok: @momarchypodcast Email: [email protected]   

  --------  

  47:19

  --------

  47:19
• She's Kind of a Big Deal: Leaving The World Better Than We Found It with Secretary Deb Haaland

  Could you imagine that a bakery job at 15 would shape the way someone leads a nation? In this episode, we sit down with Secretary Deb Haaland, former Secretary of the Interior and now candidate for governor of New Mexico. Deb shares how her early lessons in hard work and humility shaped her belief that leadership begins with empathy and discipline, not power. We talk about how running became her way to think and heal, why "Be Fierce" isn't just a campaign slogan, and how motherhood has grounded her leadership in compassion and courage. We also discuss the connection between public service and personal values, and what it really takes to build a future where families and the planet can thrive together. Deb Haaland is the 54th Secretary of the Interior, a proud member of Laguna Pueblo, and she is now running for governor of New Mexico. She's dedicated to protecting public lands, empowering communities, and ensuring future generations inherit a world worth caring for.  We Discuss: (00:01): Politics, Parenting, and Pop Culture (15:24): Politics with Purpose: Meet Secretary Deb Haaland (17:00): From Bakery to Ballots (20:21): How Running Became Her Form of Meditation (22:56): When Women Win, Everyone Benefits (26:56): What "Be Fierce" Really Means (30:44): Why Empathy Is Her Strongest Leadership Tool (36:33): How We Protect the Land We Love (and Why It Matters) (44:37): The Power of Kitchen Table Politics (52:30): How to Teach the Next Generation to Care for the Planet   Learn more about:  Tanya Nathan is a political campaign and communications strategist with over a decade of experience in progressive campaigns and advocacy. Currently a Principal at a nationally-based grasstops consulting firm, she's a Denver native living with her daughter, husband, and their rescue pets. Her hobbies include crosswords, mezcal tasting, and trying to sleuth out who's going to be on Love is Blind Denver. Sarah Andrews is a political strategist living in rural Colorado with her husband and two young kids. When she's not managing campaigns or chasing toddlers, she's passionate about women's rights, childcare policy, and creating space for honest political conversations that don't end in shouting matches. Website: momarchypodcast.com Substack: https://substack.com/@momarchy   Instagram: @themomarchypodcast  TikTok: @momarchypodcast Email: [email protected]  Find more from Secretary Deb Haaland: Instagram: @secdebhaaland X: @SecDebHaaland Facebook: @SecretaryDebHaaland

  --------  

  55:21

  --------

  55:21
• The First Momarchy Fantasy Draft: Make it Make Sense Edition

  Ever feel like politics makes as little sense as parenting a toddler? Same. In this episode, we're launching our first-ever Momarchy Fantasy Draft: Make It Make Sense Edition, where we each pick the wildest political stories of the week and attempt the impossible: explaining them like rational adults. (Spoiler: we fail, but it's fun.) Between Trump's latest antics, the East Wing demolition, and the never-ending government shutdown, we're breaking it all down with plenty of laughter and side stories about food poisoning, hand-foot-mouth disease, and why Target is basically church for moms. Because when democracy feels like a toddler on Halloween candy, sometimes all you can do is pour a ginger ale (or wine) and laugh through the madness. We Discuss: (00:01) Food poisoning, packing chaos, and recording from home (03:51) Sick kids, vaccine shortages, and the annual preschool panic (08:12) The first-ever Momarchy Draft: making political nonsense make sense (kind of) (12:25) Target runs, scheduling fun, and why "self-care" looks different for moms (18:03) The myth of balance and the art of stop pretending we can do it all (24:51) He's not babysitting, he's parenting (33:02) The AI poop video, the yelling leak and more: the week's wildest headlines (51:30) Sweaty gym clothes, diaper bags, and the ultimate Momarchy Challenge   Learn more about:  Tanya Nathan is a political campaign and communications strategist with over a decade of experience in progressive campaigns and advocacy. Currently a Principal at a nationally-based grasstops consulting firm, she's a Denver native living with her 8-month-old daughter, husband, and their rescue pets. Her hobbies include crosswords, mezcal tasting, and trying to sleuth out who's going to be on Love is Blind Denver. Sarah Andrews is a political strategist living in rural Colorado with her husband and two young kids. When she's not managing campaigns or chasing toddlers, she's passionate about women's rights, childcare policy, and creating space for honest political conversations that don't end in shouting matches. Website: momarchypodcast.com Substack: https://substack.com/@momarchy   Instagram: @themomarchypodcast  TikTok: @momarchypod Email: [email protected] 

  --------  

  51:30

  --------

  51:30
• Our Origin Story Plus Running for Congress (While Pregnant!) with Lisa Vedernikova Khanna

  What happens when you launch your campaign for Congress the same week you find out you're pregnant? In this episode, we sit down with Lisa Vedernikova Khanna (a first-time candidate, communications strategist, and soon-to-be mom), to talk about what it really looks like to chase big political dreams while growing a human. Lisa shares how her mother's journey from Soviet Russia shaped her understanding of the American dream, why lived experience matters in policymaking, and what she's learned about resilience on the campaign trail. We talk about pregnancy, power, and the policies that actually support families: from paid leave to childcare to maternal healthcare in rural communities. We also discuss what it means to redefine "family values" in today's political climate, why resting is a luxury most moms can't afford, and the importance of electing more mothers to Congress. Lisa Vedernikova Khanna is running for Congress in Virginia and previously worked with the New York Times and the Democratic National Committee. She's passionate about building a government that truly reflects and supports working families.   We Discuss: (00:01) Love Is Blind, Denver edition: why love is definitely not blind in Colorado (07:34) 100,000 downloads: from texting our moms for listens to thousands tuning in every week (10:35) How Momarchy started (17:15) Recording from our kitchens, hiding from toddlers, and still trying to sound confident (20:05) Keeping hope alive when politics feels like a dumpster fire  (23:29) Cold DMs, lucky yeses, and the moment people actually started reaching out  (25:24) Why Momarchy isn't our full-time job (yet)… and yes, we are paying to do this (30:04) Campaigning and morning sickness: when "leading and lactating" become the same conversation (31:50) Meet Lisa Vedernikova-Khanna: running for Congress while pregnant, and redefining what power looks like (34:51) The policies she's fighting for and why lived experience belongs in Congress (44:24) The "how will you do both?" question, the myth of pro-family politics, and the reality of doing it anyway (55:15) Her message to moms everywhere   Learn more about:  Tanya Nathan is a political campaign and communications strategist with over a decade of experience in progressive campaigns and advocacy. Currently a Principal at a nationally-based grasstops consulting firm, she's a Denver native living with her 8-month-old daughter, husband, and their rescue pets. Her hobbies include crosswords, mezcal tasting, and trying to sleuth out who's going to be on Love is Blind Denver. Sarah Andrews is a political strategist living in rural Colorado with her husband and two young kids. When she's not managing campaigns or chasing toddlers, she's passionate about women's rights, childcare policy, and creating space for honest political conversations that don't end in shouting matches. Website: momarchypodcast.com Substack: https://substack.com/@momarchy   Instagram: @themomarchypodcast  TikTok: @momarchypod Email: [email protected]  Find more from Lisa Vedernikova-Khanna: Website: www.lvk.vote Instagram: @lisaforvirginia

  --------  

  59:48

  --------

  59:48

More Kids & Family podcasts

Trending Kids & Family podcasts

About Momarchy with Sarah & Tanya

Momarchy with Sarah & Tanya: Podcasts in Family