TGE Media The Great Equalizer

The Great Equalizer

An honest, unfiltered, unapologetic and (at times) irreverent parenting and lifestyle podcast about the realities of being a mom (or dad!) in the 2020s.

Launched in 2018 by journalist Sam Herbst and marketing maven Charlene Armstrong, this podcast aims to debunk the myth of “perfect parenting” through personal (and balanced) accounts of our mothering highs and lows all while tackling a host of relatable lifestyle topics.

And – because we can hardly pretend to have our own sh*t together – our episodes often include interviews with experts who do.

Our mission? A representative and inclusive parenting and lifestyle platform that strikes a realistic balance between celebration, commiseration and education, because motherhood and parenting is a complex beast and we shouldn't pretend otherwise. #nojudgies
Monthly English Explicit South Africa Kids & Family · Relationships Narrated by Production: Autumn Aperture ARGH! Studios Editor: Ray Herbst Sound Stephen Kriel
119 Episodes
80 – 100

Episode 35: TANTRUMS! With Phillippa Morassi

This week on The Great Equalizer, Sam’s about to get fit AF, Charlene is captain of her ship and we talk TEMPER TANTRUMS. PLUS! We welcome back children's counsellor Phillippa Morassi. Now, we all know that it's age-appropriate for toddlers to lose their shit. Maybe you gave them the wrong…
3 Aug 2019 1 hr 15 min

Ep 34: FIRST FOODS! With Sarah Booyens

This week on The Great Equalizer, Sam and Charlene are period twins, because friends who bleed together stay together! PLUS, we talk weaning, solids, toddler foods and picky eaters. Folks, we’ve said it before and we’ll say it again… WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT WE’RE DOING. But in this episode…
27 Jul 2019 1 hr 16 min

Episode 33: THE MOTHER LOAD! with Rachel Kolisi

On this episode of The Great Equalizer, Sam also wants an uppie, Charlene is dotting her I's and crossing her T's and we talk about why women are such fucking nags. PLUS! We chat to South Africa’s version of a first lady Rachel Kolisi. Sam and Charlene pinpoint exactly why…
19 Jul 2019 1 hr 08 min

Episode 31: IT TAKES A VILLAGE and aunties and uncles

This week on The Great Equalizer, Sam is missing her #1, Charlene is going through the motions and we talk aunties, uncles and that proverbial village that raises our kids. While the TGE ladies would like to think that we have this raising kids thing waxed (*choke*), we have to…
6 Jul 2019 59 min

Episode 30: SLEEP! with Good Night MD Jolandi Becker

When it comes to parenting, is there any commodity more precious than sleep? This week on The Great Equalizer, we unpack this foreign concept – the unattainable dream of getting enough zees, assuming your child does the same. Sam and Charlene debate sleep training and discuss how they tackle naps and…
29 Jun 2019 1 hr 13 min

NETFLIX! for moms

This week on The Great Equalizer… There’s a tad too much love happening at the Herbsts, Charlene is out of the trenches and we talk NETFLIX FOR MOMS! Guys, Season 2 of Big Little Lies got under way this week and we couldn’t be more stoked. Our advice? Get those…
14 Jun 2019 59 min

Episode 28: BODY IMAGE!

This week on The Great Equalizer, Sam is a bad friend, Charlene is doing Sober October (in June) and we’re talking BODY IMAGE. We chat about our tumultuous relationships with our bodies in the past and how we’re striving to overcome that for the sake of our kiddos. We also…
8 Jun 2019 1 hr 06 min

Episode 27: NEWBORNS! and Madagascar – a musical adventure

NEWBORNS! Just when you think there are few stranger things than pregnancy, along comes a newborn. And, just like no two pregnancies are alike, the same remains true for new motherhood. Some new moms take to new babies like fairies in a forest, while others feel trapped in an apocalyptic…
1 Jun 2019 59 min

Episode 26: BAKER'S DAY! and writer Amelia Meyer

This week on The Great Equalizer, Sam is honouring Sober October (in May), Charlene is nesting (huh!?) and we chat about BAKER’S DAY. PLUS: Sam chats to author Amelia Meyer about her book, Finding Your Forever Family. Baker’s Day is one of the main reasons why Pinterest does moms ZERO…
24 May 2019 1 hr 06 min

Ep 25: DIVERSE FAMILIES with Dr Elna Rudolph

This week on The Great Equalizer… Sam aint raising no thief, Charlene is old AF, PLUS we’re delving a little further into diversity. As cookie-cutter suburban moms, we at The Great Equalizer are hyper aware of the need to be more inclusive. Our reasoning? If inclusivity doesn’t start with us,…
17 May 2019 59 min

Ep 24: ACCEPTANCE with Autism South Africa

This week on The Great Equalizer. No-one cares about Sam and Charlene BECAUSE we have Autism South Africa in studio with us! ASA education director Vicky Lamb talks us through Autism Acceptance Month and ASA's 2019 theme: Embrace Neurodiversity. We also chat to several autism moms who share their individual…
12 Apr 2019 1 hr 16 min

Episode 23: BURNOUT! with Michelle Pitt

On this episode of The Great Equalizer, Sam doesn’t have her Matric, Charlene slept through the night and we talk BURNOUT with mentor for moms, Michelle Pitt. With a corporate background in the health and wellness industry, Michelle, like many moms today, needed flexibility once her children came to be…
5 Apr 2019 1 hr 06 min

Episode 22: BOOB JUICE! with Breast Pumps & Beyond

This week on The Great Equalizer… Sam’s urethra has anxiety, Charlene is ambling aimlessly along and we talk boob juice. Your hosts – as well as some guest contributors – share their breastfeeding journeys and we chat about every mom's decision to boob or not to boob (it's not really a…
22 Mar 2019 1 hr 15 min

Bonus Episode 4: Parenting Social Media-Savvy Kids

In this bonus episode of The Great Equalizer, we’re taking a small break from our usual programming to discuss your child’s digital footprint. We’ve been wondering how we, as parents, should be navigating social media and the World Wide Web with our children’s privacy in mind. So Sam hit up…
15 Mar 2019 41 min

Episode 20: Oh No! It's Momo!

This week on The Great Equalizer, Sam is either living her best life or in the midst of an identity crisis, Charlene still has emotional flu, and we talk Momo, Peppa Pig and screen time. The Momo deal has now been exposed to be a hoax but... we should probably…
1 Mar 2019 59 min

Episode 19: Dealing With Divorce (Phillippa's Story)

This week on The Great Equalizer… Dealing with Divorce. That kick-to-the-stomach moment when you realise your happily-ever-after is Just. Not. Happening. Sam and Charlene talk to counsellor, children’s book author and chronic optimist Phillippa Morassi who took the worst moment of her life and flourished through it. ALSO, Sam has…
21 Feb 2019 1 hr 13 min

Episode 18: Maintenance Night 2.0

This week on The Great Equalizer... In honour of Valentine’s Day and the month of L.O.V.E, we’re taking Maintenance Night up a notch. Intimacy specialist Totally Me Tracy joins us on the pod to tackle some serious questions our listeners have about sex post babies PLUS this week's sponsor, Lingerie…
13 Feb 2019 1 hr 02 min

Episode 17: Mom Guilt

This week on The Great Equalizer: Happy New Year, Sam’s 2019 has officially begun, Charlene has no momentum (thank you unwelcome interruptions) and we hit up some friends about why they are terrible parents. Hello, Mom Guilt. #momguilt #momguiltisreal #parenthood #parentingmemes #thegreatequalizer #badmom #shame #badparenting #youretheworst
8 Feb 2019 58 min
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