The Squeeze: Amanda Hirsch – Moms Who Podcast

Date: September 17, 2025
Host: Taylor Lautner (with co-host Taylor “the other Taylor” Lautner)
Guest: Amanda Hirsch
Theme: Real Talk on Mental Health, Motherhood, and Building a Modern Media Career

Overview

In this lively, candid episode, Amanda Hirsch—creator of the hit podcast and Instagram, Not Skinny But Not Fat—joins Tay Lautner and her co-host/husband to talk all things pop culture, reality TV, podcasting, and especially the intersection of motherhood and personal identity. The conversation flows from hilarious recaps of Netflix shows to honest accounts of career-building, anxiety, and the realities of parenting in the spotlight. The trio puts “mom guilt,” medication, and relationship shifts on the table while poking fun at each other and themselves.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Reality TV, Pop Culture, and Couple Dynamics

00:05–07:27

• The hosts and Amanda bond over obsessions with shows like The Summer I Turned Pretty and The Hunting Wives, riffing on plotlines and character drama.
• Amanda describes the universally relatable “talker vs. watcher” couple dynamic when watching TV:

  "I feel like in every couple there is like the one that wants to talk and the one that just wants to watch. And I just want to like, debrief while we're watching." — Amanda Hirsch (03:31)

• Discussion about blurred lines between actors and characters and the necessity for fans to distinguish between the two.
• The hosts reflect on emotional reactions and even Amanda’s recording of a “seven minute and forty-nine second crash out” by Taylor after a show episode (01:46–02:31).

Memorable Quote:

"I end each episode so frustrated, and I'm like, how are we rooting for any situation here? We're just over it." — Taylor Lautner (06:52)

2. Amanda Hirsch’s Media Journey

10:23–13:47

• Amanda details her unique entry into podcasting—which began with meme accounts on Instagram during a period of high anxiety following a move and life transition.
• Reflects on her "impetuous" decision process and honesty about not being a “podcast pioneer” but following her own passion:

  “That was so exciting to me, because he was like doing—I mean, he's a huge deal now. ... it really is my fucking passion and everything that I do.” (12:10)

• Amanda stresses the importance of truly loving your podcast’s topic, as growth is slow and demands consistent, passionate effort:

  “You got to actually, like, really, really, really love whatever you, like, want to do with your podcast because it’s… work and, like, it takes time to build your brand.” — Amanda (24:50)*

3. Brand Building, Going Public, and “Not Skinny But Not Fat” Origins

18:49–24:50

• Amanda traces the evolution from anonymous meme creator to public personality, referencing the original era of meme accounts and her embrace of showing her face, despite losing followers.
• She openly discusses struggling with anxiety and the cathartic effect of writing humor:

  "I was, like, really depressed. Let me start this, like, thing. And it was anonymous... for a very long time." — Amanda Hirsch (20:59)

Notable Anecdote:
Amanda describes the anxious period after moving back to New York with her foreign-born husband, realizing retrospectively the source of her anxiety were major life changes, not just a mysterious “collapse” (19:27–20:14).

4. Podcasting Tips & Realities

24:50–28:12

• The group debunks myths about easy success in podcasting, warning that it requires a blend of creativity, business savvy, and persistence.
• Amanda is adamant that having a following doesn't automatically translate to loyal podcast listeners:

  "Just because you do have a following, they won't necessarily tune in... a thousand people can start one. But at the end, the people that will stay are the people that care about their work." (25:49–27:46)

5. On Having Notable Guests & Interviewing Kristen Stewart

28:49–34:10

• Amanda recalls the evolution of her guest list via connections with reality TV personalities, leading to bigger names like Kristen Stewart.
• She candidly recounts interviewing Kristen while nine months pregnant and feeling starstruck but proud:

  "I'm so proud of that interview because I went in... I was so fearful that Kristen has, like, zero basic bitchness... It was so cool to kind of uncover... that she's just a girl." (30:18–30:48)

Memorable Moment:
Taylor (host) shares pride in Amanda drawing out a rarely-seen side of Kristen Stewart:

“I almost was, like, feeling proud because that side of Kristen I know, but she doesn’t show to many people. ... I wanted to start crying, like, watching her be her true self.” — Taylor Lautner (31:22–32:05)

6. Motherhood, Identity, and Work-Life Balance

37:35–47:43

• Amanda and the hosts dig into anxieties about motherhood derailing careers and personalities, busting myths:

  "You can be a mom and still be a dumb bitch." (38:39)

• She discusses her own apprehensions, the eventual realization that career and motherhood aren’t mutually exclusive, and how things actually took off for her after having her first child:

  “Literally the way… I started making a living from it... was literally after Noah was born.” (42:04)

• The trio discusses “mom guilt,” relinquishing perfectionism, and being truthful about changes in pet-parent relationships post-kids:

  "I love him, but I'm not in love with him. Like, I know it's so sad, but I used to come home—like, we used to make out on the mouth, and now I'm literally like, stop, Leo." — Amanda Hirsch (45:23–45:46)

7. Mental Health, Medication, and Self-Care

51:16–56:14

• Amanda offers an honest account of her journey with anxiety, panic attacks, and finally accepting medication as a sensible, non-shameful part of her care:

  "Now my relationship with it is so positive. It's like, cutie, you know, like, love it. Thank you. Thank you for being a med, you know, and just like, a diabetes med can help someone." — Amanda Hirsch (55:42)

8. Relationships After Kids & Advice for New Parents

57:17–61:14

• Eye-opening, vulnerable chat on how children affect romantic relationships, why having a solid foundation with your partner is essential, and practical advice:

  “It takes such a blow. Like, you really have to have a strong ass partnership and friendship… You're not sleeping. Your life has completely changed... As much as you can, like, be understanding of each other… like, make a… whatever can help you, like, not snap.” — Amanda Hirsch (57:32–58:59)

9. Advice, Pride, and Full-Circle Reflections

61:22–63:29

• Amanda reflects on her greatest source of pride—the ability to mesh career satisfaction and motherhood:

  "There is no better feeling than being able to do what you do, love it, come home, have a little person that loves you… get the best of those both worlds." (62:46)

• The episode ends on a lighthearted note with stories about Amanda's approach to planning pregnancy and navigating parenthood as a “numbers girl.” (63:44–65:24)

Notable Quotes

• On building a career:
  "But truly, like, the most important part to me is that I love what I do. It's just so that, like, I'm so interested. You know what I mean?" — Amanda Hirsch (13:05)
• On medication and mental health:
  "It's also not a magic pill... you do have to do all that work... go to therapy, move your body, do all the things…" — Amanda Hirsch (56:14)
• On motherhood and self-identity:
  "You can still be the person that you were. You're just now a mom." — Amanda Hirsch (39:30)
• About relationships after kids:
  "You really have to have a strong ass partnership and friendship when you have kids with somebody." — Amanda Hirsch (57:32)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:05–07:27 – TV show obsessions & pop culture banter; couple dynamics when watching TV
• 10:23–13:47 – Amanda’s entry into podcasting and passion for pop culture
• 18:49–24:50 – Growing from meme page to media personality; dealing with anxiety and public identity
• 28:49–34:10 – How guests and interviewing big names changed Amanda’s podcast trajectory
• 37:35–47:43 – Motherhood anxieties, timing, and “mom guilt”
• 51:16–56:14 – Amanda’s frank journey with anxiety medication
• 57:17–61:14 – How kids shake up romantic relationships and strategies for staying connected as partners
• 61:22–62:46 – Reflections on pride, career, and family life

Tone & Experience

The episode maintains a breezy, unfiltered, and at times hilariously self-deprecating tone. The hosts and Amanda riff off each other with genuine warmth, pepper the conversation with pop culture references, and don’t shy away from discussing hard truths about motherhood, relationships, and anxiety.

For listeners, the episode provides laughs, actionable advice, and an honest look behind the highlight reel of social media careers and motherhood. The camaraderie between the hosts and Amanda makes for a comforting yet inspiring listen, especially for anyone contemplating big life changes or feeling alone in their anxieties.