Pod Meets World: Danielle with…Whitney Leavitt

Podcast: Pod Meets World
Host: Danielle Fishel
Guest: Whitney Leavitt
Episode Date: November 14, 2025

Episode Overview

In this heartfelt and lively episode, Danielle Fishel welcomes Whitney Leavitt—TikTok creator, co-founder of the "Mom Talk" social group, star of Hulu's The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, and fellow Dancing with the Stars competitor. The discussion traverses Whitney's Utah upbringing, her Mormon faith, navigating viral fame, the inner workings of reality TV, the unique camaraderie of the DWTS season 34 cast, and the joys and hardships of public perception. Both women reflect on balancing family, ambition, and mental health during the whirlwind of reality TV and social media fame.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Protecting Peace & Press Fatigue

• Danielle opens about pulling back from press and podcasts due to exhaustion from repeating herself and to "protect her peace."
  • “Saying no more and more... I'm sorry, I'm gonna take a bubble bath.” —Danielle (07:03)
• Both discuss learning to say “no” and prioritizing mental health in demanding, public careers.

2. Dancing with the Stars: Injuries, Pressure, and Friendship

• Whitney recounts dancing through significant injury and concealing it from production.
  • “I snapped a tendon… could not feel my kneecap. It’s just floating in a bunch of fluid.” —Whitney (07:17; 07:54)
• Danielle recalls mutual support among castmates, with Whitney highlighting how relentless studio schedules and dance-related pain impacted everyone.

3. Utah, Mormonism, and the Drive to Excel

• Whitney describes Utah’s unique, competitive culture—especially in dance and beauty industries—and how perfectionism and peer pressure are intensified within tight-knit LDS communities.
  • “It’s like, you gotta be the best… there’s also a lot of pressure to always appear like you’ve got it all together.” —Whitney (09:14)
• She explains her mission experience in Atlanta, facing culture shock and realizing the world is not “all Mormon” (10:36–12:54).

4. Growing Up in a Foster Household

• Whitney shares her upbringing in a chaotic and empathetic environment as her mother was a foster parent, caring for up to 10 kids at once—primarily teenage girls.
  • “When I think of my childhood, I just think of chaos… there was always somebody coming in, somebody leaving.” —Whitney (22:12; 22:20)
• She credits this upbringing for developing her empathy and desire to include everyone (24:22–24:48).

5. Navigating Faith and Public Perception

• Whitney candidly discusses her current Mormon faith—less active than in years past—and how the church and community reacted to The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
  • “It was a bit refreshing seeing Mormons… at different stages in that faith.” —Whitney (25:22)
• The show’s initial trailer was seen as “raunchy” but the series’ relatable depiction softened critique (25:00–26:07).

6. Mom Talk, Social Media Stardom, and the "Swinging Scandal"

• Whitney details the organic formation of Mom Talk and its explosive social media growth, especially after a “swinging scandal” fractured the group.
  • “I want to say it was right before the swinging scandal… then it just exploded. Then it just broke the group up.” —Whitney (30:28–30:47)
• The group’s evolution from casual TikToks to international trending headlines is discussed (31:22–32:06).

7. Dreams, Performing, and Career Shifts

• Whitney always aspired to be an actress but struggled to gain traction and almost gave up—until reality TV and social media organically opened new doors.
  • “Maybe I don’t have it… maybe this isn’t something for me.” —Whitney (33:47)
• TikTok offered her an outlet for performance, motivation, and finally, a sense of belonging in entertainment (34:01–34:06).

8. Reality Show Editing vs. Authenticity

• Danielle raises Whitney’s perceived “villain” edit on Hulu vs. her popularity on Dancing with the Stars.
  • “If someone is following you around every single day and showing your worst moments, I don’t think anyone’s going to like you.” —Whitney (38:41)
• Both discuss the challenge of being fully authentic on camera and heightened emotions in the reality TV environment (39:14–40:24).

9. Debunking Dance Experience Myths

• Whitney clarifies her much-discussed BYU modern dance degree, emphasizing this does not equate to professional ballroom expertise.
  • "If I was a professional, I probably wouldn’t be doing a reality show. I’d probably be a Rockette." —Whitney (42:11–42:31)

10. Camaraderie & Support on DWTS

• Both hosts praise the supportive, drama-free nature of the current Dancing with the Stars cast.
  • “We all just have such good vibes… everybody's supporting each other, everybody's rooting for each other.” —Whitney (56:33–57:03)

11. Handling Public Critique and Online Hate

• The toll of online comments and “favoritism” rumors are discussed. Danielle stresses how neither she nor her partner Mark Ballas receives special treatment.
  • “He works his ass off. There’s no favoritism there.” —Whitney (46:34)
• Both emphasize resilience and the importance of not internalizing negativity from strangers (47:29–49:02).

12. Ambitions and Looking Ahead

• Whitney shares dreams of performing on Broadway, acting in TV and film, and is optimistic now that she has professional representation.
  • “I would love to. I would absolutely love to. Love to be in movies, Broadway. I want to do it all.” —Whitney (59:19–59:41)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Navigating Press Fatigue:
  “I just kind of needed a little bit of a beat, a little bit of a break.” —Danielle (06:46)

• On Utah’s Intensity:
  “In general, Utah, like, there's this weird, like, you got to be the best culture.” —Whitney (09:10)

• Missionary Expectations:
  "You'd be such a great Mormon… This is a missionary lesson right now." —Whitney (10:06–10:13)

• On Foster Home Chaos:
  "There was always somebody coming in, somebody leaving… my mom only took in teenage girls." —Whitney (22:03)

• On Reality TV 'Villain' Edits:
  “If someone is following you around every single day and showing your worst moments, I don’t think anyone’s going to like you.” —Whitney (38:41)

• On Handling Hate:
  “Sometimes people will tap into those insecurities, and then that's probably when it's going to affect me the most. But when it's just nonsense, I'm just like, dude, like, what? This is crazy.” —Whitney (48:35)

• On Broadway Aspirations:
  “You could do it. Like, you’ve got a shot. So hearing someone… like Mark’s not a bull—like he’ll tell you straight up—that makes me feel like, oh, okay. If you believe it then maybe.” —Whitney (59:18)

Important Timestamps

• Press Fatigue & Saying No: 06:46–07:08
• Dancing with the Stars & Injury: 07:17–08:08; 08:14
• Utah’s Culture & Perfectionism: 08:27–09:36
• Serving an LDS Mission: 10:24–12:15
• Foster Home Childhood: 21:20–24:19
• Secret Lives of Mormon Wives - Community Reaction: 24:49–26:07
• Mom Talk Growth & Swinging Scandal: 30:28–31:22
• Acting Dreams & Self-Doubt: 33:03–34:06
• Reality TV Authenticity: 38:41–40:24
• On Modern Dance Degree: 41:16–42:31
• DWTS Camaraderie: 56:33–57:35
• Handling Online Hate: 47:29–49:02
• Broadway & Representation: 58:51–60:10

Episode Takeaway

This episode provides an intimate look at Whitney Leavitt’s journey from small-town Utah to viral influencer and reality star, highlighting the complexities of fame, faith, and friendship. Listeners get rare behind-the-scenes insight into Dancing with the Stars and viral mom culture, framed by genuine self-reflection, humor, and heartfelt support between women rooting for each other's success.