Mary Catherine Starr, MAMA NEEDS A MINUTE!: A Candid, Funny, All-Too-Relatable Comic Memoir about Surviving Motherhood

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Mary Catherine Starr, MAMA NEEDS A MINUTE!: A Candid, Funny, All-Too-Relatable Comic Memoir about Surviving Motherhood"

Totally Booked with Zibby hosted by Zibby Owens features an engaging and heartfelt conversation with Mary Catherine Starr, the author of Mama Needs a Minute. This episode delves deep into the realities of modern motherhood, exploring the challenges, societal expectations, and personal journeys that come with raising children. Below is a comprehensive summary capturing the essence of their discussion.

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Introduction to Mary Catherine Starr and Her Work [03:57 – 04:00]

Zibby Owens warmly welcomes Mary Catherine Starr, introducing her as the author of a candid and humorous comic memoir that sheds light on the trials and tribulations of motherhood. Mary is also recognized for her popular Instagram account, momlifecomics, where she illustrates the nuances of parenting and marriage through relatable comics.

Notable Quote:

"Mama Needs a Minute, a candid, funny, all-too-relatable comic memoir about surviving motherhood."
— Mary Catherine Starr [03:57]

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Genesis of the Book: Confronting Motherhood's Realities [04:00 – 07:10]

Mary Catherine Starr discusses the inspiration behind her book, rooted in her personal experiences as a new mother. She candidly shares the immense pressure and unrealistic expectations placed on mothers, highlighting her own struggle during her first year of motherhood marked by prolonged sleep deprivation and anxiety.

Key Points:

• The book was born out of Mary's crisis during her first year as a mother.
• Explores societal pressures and the often unseen mental and emotional loads carried by mothers.
• Focuses on household inequality and the invisible labor that accompanies parenting.

Notable Quote:

"The trauma of becoming a mom and learning... the trauma of kind of learning what that means in our current culture, with our current societal expectations and the setup of our homes and the expectations of moms."
— Mary Catherine Starr [04:20]

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Impact on Marriage and Relationships [07:10 – 09:32]

The conversation shifts to how motherhood has affected Mary’s relationship with her husband. She reflects on the transition from an egalitarian partnership to one where she felt overwhelmed and burdened by the unequal distribution of labor, leading to feelings of resentment and frustration.

Key Points:

• Transition from a balanced partnership to one skewed by parental responsibilities.
• Exploration of the lingering effects of parenthood on marital relationships.
• The struggle to reclaim personal identity and partnership balance post-children.

Notable Quote:

"Despite really loving my partner... feeling like I was doing it all... feeling really resentful and angry and overwhelmed."
— Mary Catherine Starr [08:07]

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Humor as a Coping Mechanism and Universal Connection [09:32 – 11:39]

Mary emphasizes the role of humor and illustration in her comics as a way to process and communicate the universal struggles of motherhood. She highlights the surprising ubiquity of her experiences, finding solace in knowing that many mothers worldwide share similar challenges.

Key Points:

• Comics became a therapeutic outlet during overwhelming times.
• Discovery of the universal nature of her struggles through audience feedback.
• The importance of normalizing difficult conversations around motherhood.

Notable Quote:

"I didn't realize it was something so universal. And so I think for me, that's been... it really helps me to normalize this."
— Mary Catherine Starr [10:17]

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A Vision for Supportive Societal Structures [13:19 – 15:46]

Mary outlines her vision for a society that better supports parents, especially mothers. She advocates for equal parental leave, universal pre-kindergarten, affordable childcare, and active participation from fathers in household duties. Mary stresses the necessity of educating men and boys about their roles in supporting gender equality at home.

Key Points:

• Equal parental leave and its enforcement.
• Universal pre-K and affordable childcare as foundational supports.
• Encouraging fathers to take a more active role in parenting and household responsibilities.

Notable Quote:

"Dads need to step up and... educate our children that... men really have to step up in the home."
— Mary Catherine Starr [14:34]

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Daily Life and Creative Process [16:34 – 19:44]

Mary provides insight into her daily life, balancing her roles as an artist, graphic designer, and mother. She shares her passion for drawing, utilizing digital tools to create her comics, and managing multiple creative projects. Mary emphasizes the importance of maintaining creative outlets as a means of self-expression and therapy.

Key Points:

• Balancing a structured work schedule with creative pursuits.
• Utilization of digital tablets for efficient and expressive comic creation.
• The significance of diverse creative outlets in managing motherhood’s demands.

Notable Quote:

"I really never stopped creating. Maybe I didn't have a choice. It's kind of like that internal drive."
— Mary Catherine Starr [19:08]

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Advice for Aspiring Creatives [19:44 – 20:51]

Mary offers valuable advice to individuals embarking on creative projects, especially mothers. She stresses the importance of perseverance, continuously creating despite challenges, and making time for creative practices as essential for personal fulfillment and professional success.

Key Points:

• Keep Creating: Persistence is vital in creative endeavors.
• Make Time for Creativity: Allocate even small moments for creative expression.
• Embrace Versatility: Engage in various creative activities to stay inspired and adaptable.

Notable Quote:

"If there's anything... to just make time for it. And I know that's so much easier said than done when you're especially in the early years of motherhood."
— Mary Catherine Starr [19:50]

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Closing Thoughts and Future Outlook [21:27 – 21:56]

The episode concludes with mutual appreciation between Zibby and Mary, highlighting the importance of honest conversations about motherhood. Mary expresses her optimism about the growing cultural dialogue surrounding gender roles and parenting, hopeful for lasting societal changes.

Key Points:

• Acknowledgment of the podcast's supportive platform for discussing such topics.
• Optimism for continued and expanded conversations on household equality.
• Encouragement for the audience to engage with and support authors addressing these themes.

Notable Quote:

"I'm very hopeful... books about... mental load... are becoming bestsellers."
— Mary Catherine Starr [15:58]

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Conclusion

This episode of Totally Booked with Zibby offers a profound and relatable exploration of motherhood through Mary Catherine Starr’s personal narratives and creative expressions. It underscores the importance of addressing the often-overlooked struggles of parenting, advocating for societal changes, and the therapeutic power of creativity. Mary’s candidness and humor provide both solace and solidarity to listeners navigating the complexities of modern motherhood.

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Connect with Mary Catherine Starr:

• Book: Mama Needs a Minute: A Candid, Funny, All-Too-Relatable Comic Memoir about Surviving Motherhood
• Instagram: @momlifecomics

Follow Zibby Owens:

• Website: zibbymedia.com
• Instagram: @zibbyowens

Transcript

[Penn Holderness]

It's time to come clean with yourself. Let's be completely honest. Are you happy with your job? Like, really happy? The unfortunate fact is that a huge number of people can't say yes to that. Far too many of us are stuck in a job we've outgrown, or one we never wanted in the first place. But still, we stick it out and we give reasons. Like, what if the next move is even worse? I've already put years into this place. I can't afford to take a wrong step, and maybe the most common one. Isn't everyone kind of miserable at work? But but there's a difference between reasons for staying and excuses for not leaving. It's time to get unstuck. It's time for Strawberry Me. They match you with a certified career coach who helps you go from where you are to where you actually want to be. Your coach helps you get clear on your goals, create a plan, build your confidence, and keeps you accountable along the way. So don't leave your career to chance. Take action and own your future with a professional coach in your corner. Go to Strawberry Me Career to claim a special offer. That's Strawberry Me Me slash Career. Hi, this is Penn and Kim Holderness from the Laugh Lines podcast.

[Mary Catherine Starr]

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[Penn Holderness]

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[Mary Catherine Starr]

Visit your nearest Boost mobile store for full offer details. Apple Intelligence requires iOS 18.1 or later. Restrictions apply.

[Zibby Owens]

I'm here with an exciting update. After a five year hiatus, the beloved parenting podcast Longest, Shortest Time is back. And it's picking up right where it left off, sharing the most unexpected, heartfelt and downright fascinating stories about parenthood, reproductive health and beyond. Host Hilary Frank started the show in 2010 after a difficult childbirth and recovery, hoping to connect with parents and non parents alike. But what she created became so much more conversations that are funny, poignant, sometimes edgy, and always full of surprises. In fact, Hillary was on my podcast as well. These stories are about life in all its messy, emotional and incredible forms. So don't miss out, follow and listen to Longest, Shortest Time wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, this is Zibby Owens and you're listening to Totally Booked with Zibby, formerly Moms don't have Time to Read Books in my daily show, I interview today's latest best selling, buzziest or underrated authors and story creators whose I think is worth your time. As a bookstore owner, publisher, author, and obviously podcaster, I get a comprehensive look at everything that's coming out and spend my time curating the best books so you don't have to stay in the know, get insider insights and connect with guests like I do every single day. For more information, go to zibbymedia.com and follow me on Instagram ibeowensk Mary Catherine Starr is the author of Mama Needs a Minute, a candid, funny, all too relatable comic memoir about surviving motherhood. She is an artist and graphic designer. Her popular Instagram account, momlifecomics, explores motherhood, marriage, and the double standards of parenting through funny, relatable, and sometimes maddening comics. She lives on Cape Cod, Massachusetts with her husband, their two children, and her son's large collection of plastic dinosaurs. Welcome Mary Kathryn, thank you so much for coming on Mama Needs a a candid, funny, all too relatable comic memoir about surviving motherhood.

[Mary Catherine Starr]

Thank you. Thank you for having me. I'm excited to be here.

[Zibby Owens]

This is the perfect time to talk about this book and the unrealistic expectations of modern motherhood, which you literally paint a picture of, although you illustrate a picture of, I should say, in the book. Talk a little about what this book is about, how it came to be, and we'll go from yeah, well, the.

[Mary Catherine Starr]

Book obviously came to be because I became a mom and very quickly learned how expectations from others are insane. And it's one of those things I think you really can't even begin to scratch the surface of until you're in the experience, until it's happening to you. And so I, pretty soon after becoming a mom, was in crisis mode. You know, I mean, I know everyone kind of gets theirs at different times, but my first child didn't sleep for like 14 months. And you know, I just went right into that. I mean, you know what, everybody goes through their like really hard few months at the beginning, but mine was like 14 months of sleep deprivation and anxiety and I'm an anxious person. I, you know, it hit me really hard, especially not sleeping. And I think that like just that first year of motherhood was so traumatic for me that even though my daughter's now 8, I'm still recovering from it. And I really think this book was Kind of born out of that first year, that the trauma of becoming a mom and learning, although totally beautiful and wonderful, as we all know, the trauma of kind of learning what that means in our current culture, with our current societal expectations and the setup of our homes and the expectations of moms. And, you know, a big focus for me in my work over the past couple years has been kind of talking about household inequality, the mental load, invisible labor, all of that wonderful stuff. So all of that kind of. Kind of led me to writing this book. You know, that. That early. The early experience, and then, honestly, every single year after that of just as my kids get older, learning more and more about how hard motherhood is.

[Zibby Owens]

I mean, we need to say something that will not make parents feel so depressed hearing this. It gets easier. It really does.

[Mary Catherine Starr]

And I think, you know, it's so important to me always to say, like, the undercurrent of all of this is like, I love being a mother more than anything in the world. And I know we all. You know, we all always say that, but I think it's because I'm writing and I'm speaking to mothers, and I'm always talking with that assumption that we all know that, you know, because obviously, I wouldn't trade it for the world. I mean, maybe that's not obvious, but I really wouldn't. I love being a mom so much, and I think that's what makes this so hard. You know, if it wasn't enjoyable, we wouldn't all feel so confused, you know, but all we've heard about is the good stuff. And then when you become a mom, the really hard stuff can really hit you like a ton of bricks. And I think a lot of us, especially now, because I think that it just keeps. Expectations for moms just keep getting higher and higher and more and more amped up, the more that we're expected to be able to do and the way we're expected to be able to do it all. And, yeah, I just think that we. Again, we're not talking about that enough, or maybe we don't want to talk about it to new moms because it is depressing. But I think it's a very important truth of the state of motherhood right now that I'm glad people are finally talking about, and I'm happy to be a part of that conversation because I think we need to have it.

[Zibby Owens]

Well, I think new motherhood in particular is challenging. My twins are 18 very soon, and by the time this comes out, they will be 18. And I still remember like, trying to figure out the nursing schedule and thinking, well, this does not fit in with modern life at all. I understand how back in the day, you could sit in your cave and nurse whenever, but, like, nobody else is slowing down to make room for me and my baby's nonsensical schedules. And that's really hard to square with a life that is so regimented as all our lives have to be.

[Mary Catherine Starr]

Yeah, I totally agree. And I think in addition to just the basics, like the physical demands of motherhood, you know, and the scheduling demands of motherhood, I think the other really big part for me that I really explore in this book is just that the way in which it affected my relationship and my marriage.

[Zibby Owens]

Yes.

[Mary Catherine Starr]

And, you know, my book traces. It really traces my relationship with my husband. We met in college. We were college sweethearts. And it traces kind of our relationship from meeting in college all the way up until having two kids. And it talks about, you know, how do we go from being a very egalitarian couple who, you know, washed the dishes together every night and did our laundry side by side and cleaned our house together. How did we go from that to this place where I felt like, despite really loving my partner, despite feeling like we were on the same page about so much, feeling like I was doing it all, you know, and feeling really resentful and angry and overwhelmed and feeling frustrated that it didn't. Becoming a parent didn't change his life the way it changed mine. And so that's a lot of what I explore in this book, too. And, you know, what I'm still really focused on, because I think that, to me, I think it's kind of the lingering effects of parenthood, and especially those hard early years, is that we're still trying to kind of find our way back to where we were before we had kids. And that's a really hard journey. And so, you know, I think it's all really important to me. I think that the way that it affects relationships, the way that it affects moms and dads differently, the way that it affects every facet of your life as a woman, you know, I think all of that to me is just. It's just this conversation that I'm so interested in having with as many people as I can, because I'm still. I feel like so many of us are still processing it and learning about it, and it's something that I think our generation of women is really exploring in a way that's never been explored before. So I'm happy for that. But I think we have a long way to go.

[Zibby Owens]

I'm happy that you shared it and you did so in such a playful way with the illustrations and of course, the accompanying text and all of that tells the full story. But you did it with a sense of humor as opposed to some books which come across as just very angry, which I understand, people have a right to be angry. But your book gets the same point across in a playful. But, hey, let's think about this way, like, look at my stack of laundry and his and look at what's on my plate and what's not on my husband's plate. And we need to see the imperfections and the communication problems so that we can realize, like, oh, other couples are talking about this and struggling with this too, and it doesn't necessarily mean that it's my relationship, it's my situation.

[Mary Catherine Starr]

Yeah. And I think that's, that's, for me, has been the most eye opening part of, you know, I started making these comics back in 2020 when I was, you know, feeling really overwhelmed, even right before the pandemic. But then the pandemic hit and they became kind of a therapeutic outlet. But when I started making them, I really, I didn't know how kind of classic my story was, how universal it was. I really felt like there was something wrong with me or there was something wrong with my marriage or there was something wrong with my personality. Maybe I'm just not able to do this mothering thing in the way that everybody else is because it's so hard for me. And I think that's what I learned really quickly through the comics is that, you know, of course this is very universal. So many mothers feel this way and so many people in their partnerships feel this way about, you know, after having kids, about feeling really unequal and one person feels like their whole life's been flipped upside down. The other person doesn't. You know, I, I really learned that quickly, like, oh, this is something people all over. I mean, I was getting messages from moms all over the world when, when my comics started kind of getting out there saying, like, I live in, you know, I live in Botswana, and we have the same exact issue here. You know, it's like I just didn't realize it was something so universal. And so I think for me, that's been. That really has helped me so much. And I mean, it's galvanized me, but it's also really, really helped me to normalize this. I don't think normalizing means accepting it, but to know that I'm not the problem. It's bigger than me. So now let's talk about why that is and what we need to do about it. Or what we can do about it.

[Penn Holderness]

It's time to come clean with yourself. Let's be completely honest. Are you happy with your job? Like, really happy? The unfortunate fact is that a huge number of people can't say yes to that. Far too many of us are stuck in a job we've outgrown or one we never wanted in the first place. But still, we stick it out and we give reasons. Like, what if the next move is even worse? I've already put years into this place. I can't afford to take a wrong step. And maybe the most common one. Isn't everyone kind of miserable at work? But there's a difference between reasons for staying and excuses for not leaving. It's time to get unstuck. It's time for Strawberry Me. They match you with a certified career coach who helps you go from where you are to where you actually want to be. Your coach helps you get clear on your goals, create a plan, build your confidence, and keeps you accountable along the way. So don't leave your career to chance. Take action and own your future with a professional coach in your corner. Go to Strawberry Me Career to claim a special offer. That's Strawberry. Hey, listeners, meet Russell.

[Mary Catherine Starr]

Hey.

[Penn Holderness]

Russell just launched a fitness app, and he needed to get the word out to busy professionals looking to stay fit. So I turned to acast. I used their smart recommendations feature to easily find shows that talk about health and fitness. Booking sponsorships through their platform was a breeze, and just like that, my app was in their ears during their morning run. Sounds like a smart move, Russell. How's business looking now? Sweat is pouring, and so are the installs. Spread the word about your business with podcast ads on Acast. Start today at go.acast.com advertise.

[Zibby Owens]

And what can we do about it? If you were to devise. If you were to devise the perfect world, what would it look like?

[Mary Catherine Starr]

Well, I should be clear. My book does not give answers. It's not a stuff guide. I know.

[Zibby Owens]

I'm just. I'm putting you on the spot now. I realize it does not have the secret of life in your book, but.

[Mary Catherine Starr]

Yes. I just always want people to know. I'm not an expert. I'm just someone who struggled with this. But I think, you know, for me, so much of it starts at the beginning. And I think right now, at least in the US Our culture is not our. Our Societal structure is not set up to support parents at all, and particularly mothers. But you know, I think starting from the very beginning, I think that we should have equal amounts of parental leave. I think that's a really basic thing that could help so much. And not just given the, that, you know, that amount of leave in our employee handbooks, but actually encouraged to take it so that we can really be equal partners. I think on paper a lot of places do say, oh yeah, moms and dads both get the same amount of time. And then when it comes down to it, dads are looked down on if they take more than a week or something. So I think that, you know, is a really easy place to start. It's like, let's get both parents more involved from the beginning. But then I think, you know, what I think are pretty basics like maybe making sure we have universal pre K or more affordable childcare. These things that allow moms to, to work without feeling completely like they're taking a huge financial hit or allow both parents to work if they choose to or able to or want to, all of those things. But I think some of these real basic to me, societal structures that a lot of other countries do have, I think we could start there just from the beginning to make it a little bit easier for parents. So that's my hope. But I think a big part of this too is dads need to step up and dads, we need to be educating our children that, you know, someone, I forget where I read this, but someone said, you know, moms and women have been told our whole lives now that we can have it all. But what we haven't taught is we haven't taught the boys what that means for them. In order for women to do both things or have it all, what does that mean guys need to do and they can't just, it can't stay status quo. Right? They really have to step up in the home. And so that's another part I think of the puzzle is like really starting to educate our men and our boys about what it means for them. If we want to have women be a more active part of the world and of the workplace, which I do, I think most of us do, then we really need men to take an active role in the home. And I think that's right now, not something that, not an expectation that culturally we have for men, even though this generation of fathers are much more involved and hands on than ever before.

[Zibby Owens]

Well, I think it'll ripple down too. Even the smaller steps that men are taking when the boys see and they can model and they have someone's behavior that they can pattern theirs after, I think that will be helpful.

[Mary Catherine Starr]

Yeah, I think I'm hopeful. I'm very, I'm very hopeful. I think, you know, I don't think we were having any of these kind of conversations on a more of a mainstream level like we are now. You know, I think books about, you know, the equal household, evening out, the household load and the mental load, those are becoming bestsellers. You know, people are talking about this. There's so many books about female rage and anxiety and all of this stuff that I think plays into this conversation. So I'm hoping that the more that we talk about it and the more that people write about it and people like you have us on podcasts and we expect that it will become more of a cultural conversation that sticks around.

[Zibby Owens]

So what does your day to day life look like? How much time do you spend drawing? How do you draw? Is it on the computer? Is it by hand? How much do you spend writing versus childcare? Like, what is your day? What is your life like?

[Mary Catherine Starr]

Well, this year is the first year. Both my kids are in school on the same schedule. They're both in like our public school nearby and go to the same school. So this is the first year I've had like an actual normal, quote unquote, normal work schedule. So they go to school and I work all day, but I'm kind of like you. And then I have a lot of different business, wear a lot of different hats. So I'm, you know, I make my comics and I'm posting those. I also have a substack where I post comics and then I do a lot of sponsored comics or collaborations with like minded brands or other content creators. And then I run a graphic design business. So I'm also doing that with a partner. So we have, we have that going. Teach yoga in the evenings. So, you know, every day is a little different. Like, it's a lot of just. Okay, what's, what's on the docket today? I try to, you know, try to batch my work and focus, but I'm doing a lot more drawing now than ever before, which I love. It's, you know, that's my happy place and I love it because I can listen to audiobooks and podcasts while I draw. So that's always fun. But yeah, so I'm still, I'm still, you know, probably like you doing a lot of different things on a daily basis, but I wouldn't have it any other Way.

[Zibby Owens]

Well, I love doing it that way because I feel like I would get bored otherwise. I love to jump around and try things and switch gears. Like, I like to switch gears.

[Mary Catherine Starr]

And every time I get overwhelmed and I'm like, oh, I've got to let something go. I look at all the stuff I'm doing and I go, well, nope, can't let anything go. Not going to happen. I love it all too much. So, you know, here we are.

[Zibby Owens]

Wow. And teaching yoga too. Wow.

[Mary Catherine Starr]

Yeah. I only teach two classes a week these days. It used to be a lot more, but, you know, I haven't even done.

[Zibby Owens]

Two yoga classes in like the last two years. So the fact that you teach two a week.

[Mary Catherine Starr]

Okay. It's time with adults and humans. You know, I work from home by myself, and it's a lot of drawing, so it is nice to be out with. With other people every once in a while.

[Zibby Owens]

And how do you do the drawing?

[Mary Catherine Starr]

Yeah, I use just a little tablet. You know, it's like a. It's like, what's not? It's. I plug it into my. Into my Mac and it's just like a little digital drawing tablet. And really, I mean, I got it in 2020 and I got it because I had like an Apple gift card and I was like, huh, what should I use this for? This looks cool. And I'm so glad I did because it really changed my life. I mean, that's why I started making these comics because I was like, trying out this new drawing tablet. Before that, I've been more of a fine artist. And I was like, I'm going to start, you know, seeing if I can draw on this, teach myself how to draw on this. And then it kind of opened this whole new world to me. So very thankful. And I never thought I'd be like a digital artist. I always thought, like, no, I need, I need the real stuff. But it's amazing. I love it. It makes me. Allows me to create so much more quickly. And yeah, it's really fun.

[Zibby Owens]

And how do you. In your graphic design business, what are you making? Like logos and posters? Are you doing like.

[Mary Catherine Starr]

Yeah, yeah. Logos, marketing, materials, branding, we do websites, stuff like that. So I've been doing that. That's been kind of my, you know, my day job for many years now. And it's great. You know, I have it. It's just another mom who's my business partner, Good friend, longtime friend. And so we can scale it up and scale it down. And, you know, in the summers we stop taking any new Clients and just kind of keep it smaller. And so it's, it's great. It's, you know, like you said, like, it's, it's nice to. It keeps me from getting bored. It's nice to have other, other outlets for my creativity besides just the comics. So it's good. Yeah.

[Zibby Owens]

Amazing.

[Mary Catherine Starr]

Yeah.

[Zibby Owens]

So what advice would you have for someone who is undertaking a creative project like yours?

[Mary Catherine Starr]

Well, I think the most important thing for me is just like to keep creating. You know, I. I've had lots of different iterations of my life as an artist. You know, when I came out of school, I was focusing on oil painting, and then I started doing like greeting cards and I started doing custom art for people. You know, it's been all different things. Sometimes it's graphic design, now it's comics. But I'd say if you're a creative person, you know, just keep creating. And I think that's really hard, especially for moms and because being creative is like such a part of my self expression and my, my way of, like my therapy. You know, some people journal. I don't journal. I, I create. And so I think that's just always what I tell people, like if there's anything, if that's important to you and that's a part of your life, which I think everybody has some sort of creative practice, maybe it's cooking, but to just make time for it. And I know that's so much easier said than done when you're. Especially in the early years of motherhood. But any way that you can, even if it's just small little bits, that's. I think that's really what's enabled me to kind of get to this place where I'm able to do it much more for my, for my job. Because I just never stopped creating. Maybe I didn't have a choice. You know, it's kind of like that internal drive. But yeah, I think that makes a huge difference.

[Zibby Owens]

Have you ever talked to Jess Johnston who wrote Perfect is Boring and It Tastes Like Kale?

[Mary Catherine Starr]

No, and I've never even heard of that book.

[Zibby Owens]

Okay, so I just had her on right before you, and I was joking with her that she needed to start a line of greeting cards with some of these sayings about how life for moms doesn't have to be perfect. So I think I should put the two of you in touch. I'm going to do that after this.

[Mary Catherine Starr]

Amazing. Amazing. Well, I also have to tell you, I just love the name of what this podcast used to be. And if you knew that moms don't have a time to read books, because I think that's so true. But also, like, reading is the best when you're a mom, because it's such a perfect escape. And I just. I love. I love that message.

[Zibby Owens]

Thank you. Yes. That will always be an unofficial subtitle.

[Mary Catherine Starr]

Yeah, it's amazing.

[Zibby Owens]

Well, thank you so much for coming on. I loved our core club event together and getting to meet you in person, and you were just so articulate and I can't wait to see. And obviously just so talented. And I can't wait to see what the future brings for you. I'll be following along eagerly watching, so congrats.

[Mary Catherine Starr]

Thank you. And thanks for everything you do for female authors and authors in general. You're amazing.

[Zibby Owens]

Thank you.

[Mary Catherine Starr]

Okay. All right.

[Zibby Owens]

Bye.

[Mary Catherine Starr]

Bye.

[Zibby Owens]

Thanks.

[Mary Catherine Starr]

Bye.

[Zibby Owens]

Thank you for listening to Totally Booked with Zibby formerly Moms don't have Time to Read Books. If you loved the show, tell a friend, leave a review, follow me on Instagram Ibioens and spread the word. Thanks so much. Oh, and buy the books.

[Mary Catherine Starr]

The McDonald's snack wrap is back.

[Penn Holderness]

You brought it back. Ranch snack wrap.

[Mary Catherine Starr]

Spicy snack wrap. You broke the Internet for a snack? Snack wrap is back.

[Penn Holderness]

Say hello to Samantha.

[Mary Catherine Starr]

Hi there.

[Penn Holderness]

Samantha built a SaaS platform that helps small businesses manage their workflow. But she needed a smarter way to reach decision makers.

[Mary Catherine Starr]

That's where ACAST came in. They helped me produce a professional audio ad which played to business owners and ops leads using their audience attributes targeting tools. Suddenly, my platform was showing up in the ears of the exact people I needed to reach.

[Penn Holderness]

Now that's streamlined marketing. Samantha, what's your tip for scaling smart?

[Mary Catherine Starr]

Solve a real problem and make sure the right people hear about it.

[Penn Holderness]

Promote your business with podcast ads on Acast. Get started at go.acast.com advertisement.