Under the Influence with Jo Piazza

We are living in peak nineties nostalgia. Everywhere you look there are slip dresses, scrunchies, bucket hats, even Tamagotchis making a comeback. But this revival is not just about clothes or hair accessories. It is about a collective longing for a pre-digital era, before we were glued to our phones and before algorithms decided what we should see, wear, and want. In this episode of Under the Influence, we dig into why millennials and Gen Z are craving the decade that gave us dial-up internet, landlines, and the last gasp of an unplugged childhood. From malls to music videos, beauty trends to sitcoms like Friends (and even the new series Osadid and Friends), the nineties are everywhere right now. Maybe that is not just nostalgia. Maybe it is the medicine we need for our current screen burnout. Read Glynnis's piece on why we are doomed to keep reliving the nineties here. (Gift Link) Join our newsletter community here. ORDER EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU here. Visit our lovely sponsors here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do you make sobriety cool? Suzanne Warye was one of the first influencers asking that question. On her account The Sober Mom Life and in her new book The Sober Shift, she shows why quitting alcohol isn’t about rock bottom, it’s about building a life you don’t want to escape from. A longtime lifestyle influencer, Suzanne used her branding savvy to reframe what it means to live alcohol-free. In The Sober Shift, Suzanne calls out mommy-wine culture, the myth of moderation, and the billion-dollar marketing machine that sold women on rosé as a personality. This episode is about what happens when an influencer puts sobriety through a full rebrand—and why so many women are ready for the shift. Buy The Sober Shift here. Join our newsletter community here. ORDER EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU here. Visit our lovely sponsors here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today I'm dropping an episode of Lo Mansfield's show Lo & Behold in the feed. Lo is a former labor and delivery nurse and current birth educator. You can follow her @TheLaborMama. I love Lo's informative, fact-based information about birth, postpartum and all things making babies. This episode is about whether a pain free birth is actually possible. This is something we see constantly on social media now, often posted by people with zero experience in the medical industry and it deserves a real convo. In this episode Lo dives into the complexities and realities of labor pain. No B.S. Listen to all of Lo's episodes here. Follow Lo here. Join our newsletter community here. ORDER EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU here. Visit our lovely sponsors here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why does it feel like moms carry a running scroll of everything — the playdates, the vaccines, the permission slips, the damn pile of laundry on the stairs? Sociologist Allison Daminger calls it cognitive labor — the invisible mental work of family life — and her new book What’s on Her Mind shows why women do so much more of it, even in couples who want equality. We talk about what cognitive labor actually looks like, why personality differences are really gender training in disguise, and how we can raise the next generation to share the mental load. Get Allison's book here. Join our newsletter community here. ORDER EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU here. Visit our lovely sponsors here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Parenting is the hardest workout of all. Trainer and dad Andre Crews went viral for calling toddlers terrorists who hold their whole family hostage (so damn true), and he’s built a massive following by mixing fitness with brutally honest parenting advice. This episode dives into why motivation is a lie, how discipline actually sticks, and why the real goal isn’t a bikini body but a grandma body strong enough to pick up your kids' kids in twenty-five years. Follow Andre on Instagram here. Join his training community on Ladder here. Join our newsletter community here. ORDER EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU here. Visit our lovely sponsors here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we are revisting the second ever episode of UTI! Mom influencing is a multi-billion dollar industry. How the hell did we get here? How did influencing become a job? Why doesn’t Wikipedia mention mom bloggers in their history of women and what does the 19th Century economic philosopher Thorstein Veblen have to do with why we are so enchanted by people who seem wealthier than we are. Consider this your history lesson of women influencing other women to attempt to lead more perfect lives. We start in 1896 with the creation of Vogue, wonder if Lucille Ball was actually the first mom influencer, and scroll all the way to the the beautiful mess of the early Mom Internet. Moms have been commodified since the beginning of moms, the only difference now is who is making the goddamn money. And if past is prologue, will answering all these questions help Jo figure out how to become the influencer of her dreams? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Potty training has been sold to parents as a finish line — three days, one weekend, no more diapers. But what if that’s the wrong way to think about it? In this episode, Laura Birek, co-author of Good to Go: A Fresh Take on Potty Training for Today’s Intentional Parent, explains why potty training isn’t a binary, why “naked weekends” don’t work for every family, and how a rehearsal period can ease kids (and parents) into the process. We talk about readiness, deadlines, daycare pressures, and why social media has made potty training so much harder than it needs to be. If you’re in the trenches — or about to be — this conversation will change the way you think about one of parenting’s messiest milestones. Laura’s new book Good to Go is out October 2, 2025 from Bloomsbury and available for preorder now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nick Astor, Jo Piazza's husband, joins to share their real-life experiences in dividing household and parenting responsibilities. They dive into the nitty-gritty of chores like laundry and trash, exploring both humorous and frustrating moments. The discussion takes a turn into the chaotic mornings and exhausting bedtimes with three kids, emphasizing the need for teamwork and communication. Their candid anecdotes reveal the hidden labor behind family life, making for a relatable and insightful conversation.

The world loves to tell parents—especially moms—that kids and creativity can’t co-exist. Writer M.M. De Voe thinks that’s B.S. and so do I. M. founded Pen Parentis to help writers keep creating after they have kids. In this conversation, we get into what really happens to creativity when you add a baby to the mix: the productivity spurts, the guilt, the comparisons, the shame. And why community might be the single thing that saves your art. Learn more about Pen Parentis at penparentis.org. Join our newsletter community here. ORDER EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU here. Visit our lovely sponsors here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David Gelles, a New York Times reporter and author of Dirtbag Billionaire, discusses the journey of Yvon Chouinard, the iconic founder of Patagonia. Joined by sustainability expert Nick Astor, they explore how Patagonia transcended its brand identity to become a leader in environmental activism. Topics include Chouinard's commitment to sustainability, the evolution from climbing gear to a billion-dollar brand, and the integration of profit with purpose. Discover how Patagonia's legacy inspires a shift towards mindful consumption and ethical business practices.