Podcast Summary: Digital Social Hour with Sabina Kelley

Episode: Sabina Kelley: Why Women Feel Rushed to Have Kids Too Late | DSH #1760
Host: Sean Kelly
Date: January 16, 2026
Guest: Sabina Kelley (Model, entrepreneur, pinup icon, family woman)

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode is a candid, wide-ranging conversation with Sabina Kelley, a pioneering tattooed pinup model and entrepreneur. The discussion centers around the pressure women feel about the timing of having children, especially in the entertainment industry, and branches into parenting, career, tattoos, modeling, social media dynamics, Vegas and travel lifestyle, and family privacy in the digital age.

The authentic dialogue showcases Sabina’s unique perspective on motherhood, juggling a creative career, and pushing through societal expectations, all while navigating the realities of personal branding and raising kids in the age of social media.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Pressures and Timing Around Motherhood

• Sabina observes a trend: Many women, especially in the entertainment industry, delay having children for their careers and then feel pressured as they approach their 40s.

  “A lot of women, like, they're just like, career, career, career, and they don't want to have kids because they think that holds you back... Then they get scared and they're like, oh, my God, I have to do it now. And they'll just grab whoever.”
  — Sabina, (00:04, 35:56)

• The “biological clock” pressure: Sabina and Sean discuss both societal perceptions and medical advice about having kids by a certain age, highlighting a divide between financial/emotional readiness and biology.
• Mixed feelings on the right age:

  "I kind of feel like though, like in your, like, early 30s is ideal."
  — Sabina, (35:08)

2. Parenting Style, Generational Differences, and Social Media

• Sabina describes her parenting philosophy: She aims for a balance between being strict and approachable, allowing her kids to express themselves while holding them accountable.

  “I want my kids to be able to tell me anything... But then again, I think kids just naturally, when you are the parent, figure that they think you’re going to say no... it’s that weird balance of being their friend and being a parent.”
  — Sabina, (31:07)

• Parenting "adult" children: Sabina reflects that being a parent to adult children often brings more complex challenges and responsibilities than parenting young kids.

  "I always thought, like, I can't wait till my kids turn 18...Oh, absolutely not. Like it's, it's way harder."
  — Sabina, (28:38)

• Kids and technology: They discuss the struggle with kids and phone usage, and Sabina’s difficulties reigning in screen time:

  “My teenager... it’s almost like a whole nother world. She, like, doesn't even live in reality...”
  — Sabina, (39:03)

• Posting family on social vs. privacy concerns: Sabina posts her kids and husband publicly, partly to deter stalkers and weird messages. She notes that some models believe they should hide their families to protect opportunities—a dichotomy in entertainment:

  “A lot of women think they need to hide that if they have a boyfriend or a husband or kids... Why wouldn’t I? I'm proud of them. It’s my family.”
  — Sabina, (00:28, 36:24)
  “[Posting them] made stalkers and weird people actually kind of stay away from me a little bit.”
  — Sabina, (37:30)

3. Career & Identity: Modeling, Tattoos, and Entrepreneurial Hustle

• Sabina’s unique path in modeling: She describes building her niche as a tattooed pinup model—something unheard of when she started:

  “Pinup models back in the 40s and 50s never had tattoos. So when I started being a pinup model and getting tattooed, that wasn't a thing... I kind of trailblazed my way through.”
  — Sabina, (04:16, 04:48)

• Modeling & Tattoos now: Tattoos are still more tolerated for men, but acceptance is growing. Sabina explains her personal and industry experiences with both stigma and opportunity.

• Tattoo removal business: She was an early non-doctor running a tattoo removal shop, describes regulations/tech advances, and why she left the business after working in Australia.

• Entrepreneurship: Sabina’s current focus includes expanding the "Smiles and Cries Tattoo" shop (owned with her husband), launching a burlesque show, and coaching models.

  “We’ve just put everything into that, so we’ve been building that.”
  — Sabina, (17:53)

4. Las Vegas, Travel, & Lifestyle

• Sabina and Sean talk about the unique allure of Las Vegas: endless entertainment, food, odd schedules, and why people keep returning to live and work there.
• They swap notes on favorite Vegas restaurants, off-strip local gems, and travel plans (Australia, NYC, Nashville, Mexico).
• Cultural differences abroad: Sabina shares insights about the media, tattoo culture, and daily life in Australia and Japan, reflecting on how perceptions and freedoms differ by country.

5. Education & The Next Generation

• Both express concerns about the current public education system in Nevada, noting relaxed policies (retaking tests, little or no homework) and the importance of in-person schooling for social skills.

  “The only thing that is good about public school is that it teaches you how to deal with real life and deal with real people and with bullies and with, you know, every type of person there is.”
  — Sabina, (42:20)

• Discuss the challenges of homeschooling and online classes post-Covid, and the generational shift in attention spans and discipline.

6. Notable Vegas Hotspots

• In-depth discussion of best places to eat in Vegas:
  • Mayfair Supper Club, Delilah, Javier’s, Lotus of Siam, Virgin Hotel, Durango’s food court, Nobu, etc.
  • The scene at the Sphere and favorite shows (Piff the Magic Dragon, David Blaine, ex-Burlesque), talking about how the entertainment scene is evolving.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the timing of motherhood:

  “I have a lot of friends that are trying to have babies, like, way later...they get scared and they're like, oh, my God, I have to do it now. And they'll just grab whoever.”
  — Sabina, (00:04)

• On building her modeling niche:

  “I feel like I kind of trailblazed my way through...there's not anybody I could look up to and be like, I want to follow that person...I kind of just did my own thing.”
  — Sabina, (04:48)

• On social media and family privacy:

  “A lot of women think they need to hide that if they have a boyfriend or a husband or kids...Why wouldn’t I? I'm proud of them. It's my family.”
  — Sabina, (00:28)

• On being a parent to adults:

  “It’s way harder. Like when they turn, when they get to be an adult, then you get adult problems. We still have one that's 16, so she's, you know, in that teenage years. But the other two, it's the adult problems really.”
  — Sabina, (28:38)

• Sabina on the evolving tattoo stigma and her family:

  “They didn't even allow women in the tattoo shop when I was like in high school...Women were not allowed in there and they'd laugh at you and be like, 'get out.'”
  — Sabina, (06:47)

• Sabina on social media and stalkers:

  “[Posting family pictures] made my stalkers and weird people actually kind of stay away from me a little bit.”
  — Sabina, (37:30)

Important Segment Timestamps

• Motherhood pressure and timing: 00:00, 35:34, 36:18
• On posting family on social vs hiding: 00:28, 36:24, 37:30
• Tattoo/modeling career beginnings: 04:16, 04:48
• Tattoo industry stigma/gender differences: 05:12
• Tattoo removal business and regulations: 12:30 – 13:51
• Being a "workaholic" as a creative mom: 34:03
• Parenting and adult children: 28:38 – 29:50
• Education system & teens and tech: 39:03 – 43:05
• Vegas lifestyle and favorite spots: 21:02 – 28:03

The Conversation’s Tone & Feel

• Authentic, candid, slightly irreverent: Both Sean and Sabina share personal anecdotes honestly, mixing humor with vulnerability.
• Supportive, non-judgmental: Plenty of back-and-forth agreement, introspection, and curiosity about each other’s take.
• Relatable and pragmatic: Especially when discussing parenting, career pressures, and social media "side effects."
• Conversational, lively, and local: Vegas culture and entertainment are woven throughout, appealing to locals and anyone interested in the creative hustle.

Guest Links

• Tattoo Shop: Smiles and Cries Tattoo (Vegas Valley and Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas)
• Website: SabinaKelly.com
• Instagram: @sabinakelly