Minimalist Moms

What if lasting health has less to do with willpower - and more to do with identity, environment, and the systems we create around ourselves?

In today's episode, I’m joined by Susan Peirce Thompson to discuss her new book, Maintain: The Three Identity Shifts that Turn Temporary Weight Loss into Lasting Freedom, and the deeper realities behind lasting behavior change. Susan shares her personal history with addiction, obesity, and creating Bright Line Eating, while explaining why long-term weight struggles are often rooted more in brain chemistry and hormones than willpower alone.

Together, we explore food addiction, habit formation, emotional coping, the overstimulation of modern life, and the three identity shifts Susan believes are necessary for sustainable freedom. We also discuss the role of ultra-processed foods, leptin resistance, GLP-1 medications, and what it looks like to pursue health from a place of intention rather than obsession.

Links Discussed in This Episode |

• Checkout the podcast storefront for recommendations from Diane.
• Subscribe to the Minimalist Moms Youtube Channel
• Susan's Resource: FocusMate | Stickk Contract
• Connect with Susan:
• Website
• Bright Line Eating
• Instagram
• Book: Maintain: The Three Identity Shifts that Turn Temporary Weight Loss into Lasting Freedom

About Dr. Susan Peirce Thompson|

Susan Peirce Thompson, Ph.D. is an expert in the psychology of eating and a recovering addict herself, bringing personal insight and lived experience to the field of Food Addiction. Her own journey through addiction — first to drugs and alcohol, and later to food - has profoundly shaped her life’s work. 

Dr. Thompson holds a Ph.D. in Brain and Cognitive Sciences from the University of Rochester, where she focuses her research on the neuroscience of self-regulation, weight loss, and Food Addiction. She also has a strong academic background in cognitive psychology, having taught at the university level for many years. Professionally, Susan is best known as the founder and CEO of Bright Line Eating®, a global movement that has helped hundreds of thousands of people achieve sustainable weight loss and food freedom. 

Episode Sponsors |

The Minimalist Moms Podcast would not be possible without the support of weekly sponsors. Choosing brands that I believe in is important to me. I only want to recommend brands that I believe may help you in your daily life. As always, never feel pressured into buying anything. Remember: if you don't need it, it's not a good deal!

Enjoy the Podcast?

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast, then do not hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your fellow mothers so that they can be inspired to think more and do with less. 

Order (or review) my book, Minimalist Moms: Living & Parenting With Simplicity.

You can contact me through my website, find me on Instagram, Pinterest or like The Minimalist Moms Page on Facebook.

In this episode, author and journalist Lisa Katayama joins me to discuss her book The Japanese Way of Parenting and the lessons she’s bringing from her upbringing in Tokyo into raising her children in America. We explore Japanese parenting philosophies around cooperation, responsibility, routines, independence, and caring for others - while also discussing the balance between freedom and boundaries. This conversation is all about creating calmer, more connected homes and raising kind, capable kids in today’s world.

Links Discussed in This Episode |

• Checkout the podcast storefront for recommendations from Diane.
• Subscribe to the Minimalist Moms Youtube Channel
• Connect with Lisa:
• Instagram
• Book: The Japanese Way of Parenting: And What It Taught Me About Raising (Mostly) Calm, Caring, Capable Kids

About Lisa |

Lisa Katayama is a working mom and writer who was born and raised in Tokyo. She is the author of two books, including Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan, and is a former tech and culture journalist for Wired, Fast Company, and The New York Times Magazine. Katayama is a US-Japan Leadership Program Fellow and an Asia Society Young Leader and was named one of Forbes Japan’s Top Women to Watch in 2018. She currently serves as Chief Transformation Officer for the Japanese technology company Digital Garage and lives in Northern California with her family.

Episode Sponsors |

The Minimalist Moms Podcast would not be possible without the support of weekly sponsors. Choosing brands that I believe in is important to me. I only want to recommend brands that I believe may help you in your daily life. As always, never feel pressured into buying anything. Remember: if you don't need it, it's not a good deal!

Enjoy the Podcast?

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast, then do not hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your fellow mothers so that they can be inspired to think more and do with less. 

Order (or review) my book, Minimalist Moms: Living & Parenting With Simplicity.

You can contact me through my website, find me on Instagram, Pinterest or like The Minimalist Moms Page on Facebook.

Fatherhood is changing - but many of the expectations around it haven’t.

Today I’m joined by Kevin Maguire, author of The New Fatherhood, for a conversation that challenges the traditional scripts many men are still trying to follow and why those scripts are no longer serving families.

Kevin’s work is rooted in both personal experience and research. After the birth of his second child, he experienced severe paternal postpartum depression - something rarely talked about, especially among men. In this episode, he shares how it showed up for him, why it often goes unrecognized, and what helped him begin to heal.

We also explore the “invisible load” fathers carry today - the pressure to provide, be present, succeed at work, and stay emotionally grounded - all while navigating identity shifts and often shrinking social circles.

More importantly, Kevin offers a hopeful path forward: a new model of fatherhood that makes room for vulnerability, connection, and sustainability.

Links Discussed in This Episode |

• Checkout the podcast storefront for recommendations from Diane.
• Subscribe to the Minimalist Moms Youtube Channel
• Book: Mindfulness in Plain English
• Book: Waking Up by Sam Harris
• Kevin's Resource: On Being with Krista Tippett (Podcast)
• Connect with Kevin:
• Website
• Instagram
• Substack
• Podcast
• Book: The New Fatherhood: Why Everything They Told You About Being a Dad Is Wrong and How Embracing It Will Transform Your Life

About Kevin |

Kevin Maguire is the creator of The New Fatherhood newsletter, read by tens of thousands of dads in 150+ countries. His work has been featured in Esquire and Emily Oster’s ParentData, and he’s appeared on podcasts with Daniel Pink, Oliver Burkeman, Brad Stulberg, and Jon Klassen. As an executive coach, he works with leaders at Amazon, Netflix, Google, and other Fortune 500 companies on the collision of career, identity, and family. He lives in Barcelona with his wife and two children.

Episode Sponsors |

The Minimalist Moms Podcast would not be possible without the support of weekly sponsors. Choosing brands that I believe in is important to me. I only want to recommend brands that I believe may help you in your daily life. As always, never feel pressured into buying anything. Remember: if you don't need it, it's not a good deal!

Enjoy the Podcast?

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast, then do not hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your fellow mothers so that they can be inspired to think more and do with less. 

Order (or review) my book, Minimalist Moms: Living & Parenting With Simplicity.

You can contact me through my website, find me on Instagram, Pinterest or like The Minimalist Moms Page on Facebook.

What if confident parenting isn’t about making the “right” decision in every moment - but about building a family system you trust? In this episode, I’m joined by Danielle and Greg Neufeld, hosts of The Most Important Thing, to explore how leadership principles from high-performing teams can translate into family life. We talk about the subtle ways modern parenting advice creates second-guessing, why focusing on process over perfection can shift everything, and how to define success through a long-term lens. Danielle and Greg also share practical ways to approach decision-making, repair after conflict, and create a culture of trust at home. This conversation offers a grounded, refreshing perspective for anyone feeling overwhelmed by the pressure to get parenting “right.”

Links Discussed in This Episode |

• Checkout the podcast storefront for recommendations from Diane.
• Subscribe to the Minimalist Moms Youtube Channel
• Danielle's Resource: 10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People: A Groundbreaking Approach to Leading the Next Generation―And Making Your Own Life Easier 
• Greg's Resource: The 12 Week Year: Get More Done in 12 Weeks than Others Do in 12 Months | Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
• Connect with Greg & Danielle:
• Linktree: linktr.ee/themostimpthing
• YouTube: youtube.com/@themostimpthing
• Instagram: instagram.com/themostimpthing
• Website: tmitpod.com

About Danielle & Greg |

Danielle and Greg Neufeld are the hosts of The Most Important Thing, a podcast exploring the idea that family is the most important team we will ever build. They are partners in life, leadership, and parenting three kids while navigating careers, ambition, and modern family life in real time.

Danielle is a relationship builder and culture shaper who draws on her experience in the hedge fund industry and a deep interest in psychology and systems thinking. Greg is a venture investor and founder who focuses on people, incentives, and long-term decision-making.

Together, they explore how families make decisions, share authority, repair after conflict, and stay connected in a fast-changing world. Their work blends research, lived experience, and practical experiments to help families operate with greater trust, clarity, and shared purpose at home.

Episode Sponsors |

The Minimalist Moms Podcast would not be possible without the support of weekly sponsors. Choosing brands that I believe in is important to me. I only want to recommend brands that I believe may help you in your daily life. As always, never feel pressured into buying anything. Remember: if you don't need it, it's not a good deal!

Enjoy the Podcast?

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast, then do not hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your fellow mothers so that they can be inspired to think more and do with less. 

Order (or review) my book, Minimalist Moms: Living & Parenting With Simplicity.

You can contact me through my website, find me on Instagram, Pinterest or like The Minimalist Moms Page on Facebook.

In this episode, Diane sits down with Zach Thompson, founder of the Scatter Joy Project, to discuss the personal experiences that led him to become an advocate for mental health awareness and accessibility. Zach shares how his own journey shaped the mission behind Scatter Joy Project - an initiative focused on making mental health resources more affordable, approachable, and community-driven. Together, they explore the importance of changing the conversation around mental health, reducing stigma, and creating cultures of care where people feel supported rather than isolated.

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Links Discussed in This Episode |

• Order a Copy of Minimalist Moms: Living and Parenting with Simplicity
• Connect with Zach:
• Scatter Joy Project
• Instagram
• LinkedIn

About Zach |

Zachariah Thompson is the founder of the mental health nonprofit, The Scatter Joy Project. In his work with Scatter Joy and as a speaker, he aims to make complex social-emotional concepts a bit simpler to grasp and put into practice. His own personal journey with anxiety and battle with suicidal ideation has inspired all of this, to help people become more aware of the strength in their story and the joy to be had in life. Zach is also a proud husband and father, and he is newly obsessed with the idea of 20-second hugs and the scientific power they hold in the world of happiness. 

Episode Sponsors |

The Minimalist Moms Podcast would not be possible without the support of weekly sponsors. Choosing brands that I believe in is important to me. I only want to recommend brands that I believe may help you in your daily life. As always, never feel pressured into buying anything. Remember: if you don't need it, it's not a good deal!

Enjoy the Podcast?

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast, then do not hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your fellow mothers so that they can be inspired to think more and do with less. 

Order (or review) my book, Minimalist Moms: Living & Parenting With Simplicity.

You can contact me through my website, find me on Instagram, Pinterest or like The Minimalist Moms Page on Facebook.