The House of Motherly

THERE'S something about beginnings that makes me feel both terrified and alive. After more than two decades behind the microphone in mainstream radio, I’ve found myself in a new but familiar space deeply aligned with who I am.

It has been two years since I resigned from East Coast Radio and as much as I have missed being behind the comfort of a microphone I felt like I lost my courage a little bit. I so badly wanted to get back but was really focused on making sure it was for the right reasons and in line with my purpose to love and lift community.

For years, I’ve had the privilege of holding space for stories. On air, in community spaces, around kitchen tables, at my children’s bedsides. I’ve come to believe that stories are how we heal, connect, and remember who we are. In the time that I have been away I have built a special place: The House of Motherly Podcast (T.H.O.M.) which gives room to stretch out, to go deep, to laugh and cry in the same breath.

I know the word "motherly" makes some people assume this is a podcast for mothers but this isn’t only for people who’ve birthed children. For me, motherly is about the qualities that nurture us all: love, patience, compassion, care, boundaries, playfulness… . It’s about how I was raised by my own mother, how I am raising my own three children, and equally how I’ve had to learn to self-mother to tend to myself when the world gets noisy.

When I thought about launching this podcast, I knew my first guest needed to embody what it means to start something brave and bold. Someone who has walked the long road of change and come out stronger. And so, I invited my very dear friend and powerhouse creative, Esjay Jones, to join me for the very first conversation.

Esjay is the perfect person to help me open this house. Her story is one of leaving behind comfort zones, of saying yes to the unknown, and of trusting her voice in places where she wasn’t always understood. From Durban to Los Angeles, from singer-songwriter to Grammy-featured producer, she has learned that beginning again isn’t failure, it’s growth.

In our conversation, we talk about what it takes to start: the shaky knees, the self-doubt, the whispers that maybe you’re not enough. We also talk about resilience, creativity, and taking up space. A key takeaway from this conversation was momentum over mastery. This line really stood out for me. As long as we are moving forward even if little by little it's about the movement not the seeking of perfection.

For me, this chat wasn’t just about Esjay’s journey, it was also about naming my own. I’m starting again. Am I nervous, of course I am, because I care deeply about you and creating conversations that make you feel connected to something bigger.

T.H.O.M. is not about perfection. It’s about real people, real conversations, real life. Sometimes we’ll go deep into grief, resilience, and healing. Other times we’ll play, laugh, and remember not to take it all too seriously. Every guest will bring something different into this house. Some will offer wisdom, others laughter, and others the sheer relief of saying, me too. With future guests, we’ll move through themes of creativity, self-care, connection, community and all the rooms of this metaphorical house. But always, the conversations will be wrapped in warmth, love, and curiosity.

As I launch this podcast, I feel like I’m opening the front door and saying: come in, take a seat, you belong here. Maybe there’s something in your own life you’re waiting to start. A conversation. A dream. A small act of courage. My hope is that listening to these stories will encourage you to take the first step, however small, however unsteady or scary.

Because here’s the truth: we are all beginners, again and again. And that is something to be celebrated, not feared.

Click on T.H.O.M. to listen to the full podcast.

The views expressed does not necessarily reflect those of the Sunday Tribune or IOL.

SUNDAY TRIBUNE