Under the Influence with Jo Piazza

This is our first episode taking a look at the rise of "independent journalist" Jessica Reed Kraus through the lens of the recent RFK Jr. sexting scandal with journalist Olivia Nuzzi. What does it mean to be an independent journalist and how is House in Habit impacting the news cycle. This is an excerpt from my new show with @EmilyinYourPhone We've Got Issues. So much more on this topic to come.You can binge all the episodes of We've Got Issues Here.Join our Over the Influence newsletter here.Visit our wonderful sponsors right here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As a former history and government teacher Sharon McMahon thought she could do something to help combat all the misinformation and confusion she was seeing online in 2020. Since then her social media presence @SharonSaysSo has filled a vital need for clarity during complex times. Sharon cuts through the outrage, online vitriol and B.S. Her new book The Small and the Mighty is a hopeful and inspiring portrait of twelve ordinary Americans whose courage formed the character of our country.In this episode we'll be talking about: How Sharon grew from 12k Instagram followers to an audience of millions by giving people what they need and want. How to bring others around to the right side of history. How to influence people for the good. How to give people the space to change and grow without being deleted or blocked. Order Sharon's book The Small and the Mighty here.Subscribe to our newsletter Over the Influence here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When we see images of #tradwives on social media we see beautiful images of domestic bliss. Young women looking at this content could be easily tricked into believing this is a more aspirational path than getting an education or their own work experience. But the real women who have escaped real tradwife situations paint a very different picture of abuse, submission and control. Today's guest was married and pregnant at eighteen. Her husband forbid her from going to school, getting a job or even buying a kindle so she could read. When she tried to leave it felt impossible because she had none of her own money.  Now, as many of us are watching the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives we need to talk about the actual reality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jessica Grose, a New York Times columnist known for her insights into cultural dynamics, joins to unpack the drama of 'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.' They dive into how these women challenge patriarchy while navigating societal pressures. The conversation touches on the controversial practices within Mormon culture and the quest for independence sparked by social media. Plus, they explore the impact of beauty standards and financial security on identity. It's a mix of scandal, empowerment, and cultural critique.

It's Jo's 44th birthday. We've got a little advice, a little hilarity and a brand new podcast to share with you. Jo has been working on a new show with @EmilyinYourPhone called We've Got Issues. It's a politics show that will actually give you some hope again, will make you laugh a little and will help you start hard conversations with friends and loved ones about this insane election.This week we are talking about the realities of the Trump and Republican agenda on IVF and how it will impact all of us. ENJOY.You can binge all of the episodes of We've Got Issues here. They'll be up weekly. More on influencers (including the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives) next week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Raised by a single mother in Dayton, Ohio, Macy Eleni began thrifting at age 12 out of financial necessity and to help escape anxiety from bullies and an estranged relationship with her father. Over a decade later, Macy has built a massive TikTok platform around her love of second hand and vintage finds, and the belief that authentic self expression is crucial for mental health. Macy has created a sustainable niche amidst the hyperconsumerism of influencer culture, creating authentic personal style outside an algorithmic trend cycle that promotes microtrends and overconsumption. Buy less. Thrift more. Love life :)Follow Macy here.  TikTok | InstagramGrab Macy's Book Second Chances here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When you're a mom two things can feel impossible, making new friends and making dinner. In today's episode we are joined by NYT bestselling author Caroline Chambers of the What to Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking substack to talk all about her book of the same name. We're digging into how hard it can be to build community, but how wonderful it is when you do it. We will also chat about how Caroline took a rejected cookbook idea and turned it into the best food substack in the world by catering to exhausted parents, and THEN turned that newsletter into a bestselling cookbook.Subscribe to the OVER THE INFLUENCE substack here.Order Caroline's book What to Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking here and subscribe to the substack here.Check out our sponsors here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sometimes fact is stranger than fiction. Let's dive into a gothic true tale of murder, sex, jealousy and mayhem in paradise. In Eden Undone Abbott Kahler tells the story of the German ex-pats who tried to build themselves a utopia in the Galapagos Islands with dire consequences. This story has so much to tell us about fame and infamy and the pursuit of both. Just like today's homesteading influencers who claim to go off the grid in pursuit of a simpler life, these settlers also chased their version of likes and accolades from around the globe. The desires for attention ultimately destroyed all of them.Buy Eden Undone here.Subscribe to the Over the Influence newsletter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's been a year since the release of the Wilder podcast about the life and legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder! Thousands of people have listened to the Wilder podcast and continue to keep the dialogue about Laura’s life and legacy alive. Glynnis and Jo published books. But perhaps most importantly, the Little House on the Prairie TV show turned 50! To prepare for this momentous anniversary in early September (and Glynnis’ 50th birthday), Glynnis and our producer Emily got together to share memories from the road and reflect on the lessons we learned from making this show that we still think about every day. Plus, they share never before heard clips from the road trip that started it all and from interviews with some of the most beloved Little House actors who still play a huge role in keeping Laura’s legacy alive. Binge all the Wilder episodes here.Buy Glynnis' book, I'm Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself, and Jo's book, The Sicilian Inheritance! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Astrology is all over the social medias, for better or worse. Here to guide us through it today is a woman who has been reading the stars for women's mags since before Facebook was a glimmer in Zuck's eye. We're joined by Ophira Edut, one half of the AstroTwins, the official astrologers for ELLE magazine and the matchmakers on Amazon Prime Video’s Cosmic Love.What can astrology tell us about what is happening right now and how we can handle it? What can we read in the stars to figure out this weird world we live in in 2024 and did these identical twin sister astrologists really predict the trad wife trend? Follow everything AstroTwins here.Buy The Astrology Advantage here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices