What if creativity wasn’t about talent or output—but about liberation? In this raw and relatable episode of Messy Liberation, Becky and Taina unpack the complicated relationship adults have with creative expression, especially under capitalism and toxic productivity culture. They talk about creative hobbies like sewing, baking sourdough, painting rocks, and learning languages—and how fear of imperfection or 'wasting time' often stops us from even trying. From ego death to somatic healing, they explore how creative play can be an act of reclamation, resistance, and embodiment. This one’s for anyone who’s ever said, 'I used to be creative…'

Discussed in this episode

• How capitalism and white supremacy sabotage our creativity

• Becky’s sewing dreams (and tote bags!)

• Taina’s love of baking and flower arranging

• Why it’s so hard to try something new as an adult

• Creative play as a somatic and healing practice

• Letting go of perfectionism and monetization

• The value of co-creation and community creativity

• How creative expression can fuel innovation in business

Resources mentioned

• The Great British Sewing Bee

• Empowered Embodied podcast with Kim Romaine

☀️ Join us in the Messy Liberation Coaches Circle

🎤 PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE

In this grab bag episode, Becky and Taina get candid about everything from perimenopause and airplane germs to religious trauma and transformative fanfiction. Taina shares how one piece of Draco/Hermione fanfic cracked her wide open, while Becky reflects on the power of feeling seen in storytelling and media. They dig deep into the Catholic Church’s history of abuse, the political theater of the new Pope’s election, and how both personal and collective healing are tied to dismantling the systems that harm us. Expect musings on community, curiosity, cultish behavior—and a few pop culture tangents along the way.

Discussed in this Episode

• The surprising diversity of Houston, TX
• Air travel fears and post-pandemic etiquette
• Cultural differences in masking and public health
• Fanfiction as feminist literature
• Chronic illness representation in fiction
• The emotional labor of facilitation and caregiving
• Perimenopause, gendered medicine, and feeling invisible
• Religious trauma from both Catholic and evangelical backgrounds
• The politics of the new Pope and abuse cover-ups
• Community vs. cult dynamics and MAGA parallels
• Why questioning matters more than being right

Resources Mentioned

• "Greenlight" fanfic by Serena Muzaffir (on AO3)
• “Real Americans” by Rachel Khong
• “Daisy Jones and the Six” by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• Just Getting Better podcast

🎤 WE'RE PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE 🎤

In this episode of Messy Liberation, Becky and Taina go deep on how to stay informed and engaged without burning out. They talk about the importance of limiting your news intake, ditching moral judgment about productivity, and embracing self-care that actually nourishes you (hint: it’s not a face mask). From managing chronic illness to laughing in the face of despair, they explore how joy, pleasure, and tiny acts of resistance keep us rooted—and keep us going.

Discussed in This Episode:

• Why reducing your news intake can be life-saving
• The somatic signs of stress and how to listen to them
• Embracing tiny, doable actions over giant to-do lists
• Letting go of capitalist ideas of productivity and morality
• Why hobbies like gardening and sourdough are revolutionary
• Finding joy as a radical act of resistance
• How to build community in hard times
• Defining self-care on your own terms

Resources Mentioned:

• Bulwark Takes podcast
• “How to Keep House While Drowning” by KC Davis
• Taina’s free values guide
• Becky’s new podcast, Assigned Reading

🎤 WE'RE PROUD MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST PODCASTERS COLLECTIVE 🎤

Becky and Taina are pulling back the curtain on the newest thing they’re building together: the Messy Liberation Coaches Circle—a community for people who coach (formally or informally) and want to practice coaching through a liberatory, feminist, and anti-capitalist lens. In this episode, they share the messy, honest backstory of how the group evolved from a free meet-up into a paid space—and why that change was necessary for sustainability and reciprocity.

They talk about what makes the circle different from other coaching programs (no formulas, no gatekeeping, no 5K price tags), and what members can expect: co-working, spotlight support sessions, book club, and a whole lot of community care. They also share their dreams for what might come next—including pop-ups, co-op style referrals, and collective funds to redistribute resources. If you’ve been looking for a coaching space that feels more real, this might be it.

💬 Discussed in this episode:

• Why community without boundaries becomes unsustainable
• The difference between commerce and capitalism (and why this isn’t capitalist)
• Becky’s Enneagram 6 “community builder as trauma response” moment
• Sliding scale pricing and our approach to equitable access
• Taina’s vision for mutual aid inside a coaching community
• Co-creating a group instead of playing expert at the front of the room
• How we’re modeling what we believe about leadership and liberation
• What you actually get in the Coaches Circle
• Building the business you want—without doing it alone
• Our shared obsession with reciprocity, co-working, and subverting norms

📚 Resources mentioned:

• Messy Liberation Coaches Circle
• “Emergent Strategy” by adrienne maree brown
• “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron
• “The Serviceberry: An Economy of Abundance” by Robin Wall Kimmerer
• Feminist Podcasters Collective
• Wandering Aimfully by Jason & Caroline Zook

Feeling helpless about the state of the world? Same. In this episode, Becky and Taina serve up a spicy mix of rage and real talk about how to practice anti-fascism and anti-capitalism without burning yourself out. From mailing junk to the White House as protest (yes, really!) to joining tool libraries and neighborhood swaps, they share ideas that are affordable, actionable, and rooted in mutual aid.

They also go in hard on billionaires-in-space propaganda (👀 looking at you, Jeff Bezos), talk about why libraries are the ultimate resistance tool, and share fanfic-fueled joy as an act of defiance. This isn’t doomscrolling—it’s action-based community care for when you’re feeling powerless but still want to make a damn difference.

Discussed In This Episode:

• What “anti-fascist action” actually means (spoiler: you don’t need a pitchfork)
• How to use Project Maelstorm to flood the system with snail mail resistance
• Mutual aid ideas that cost little or nothing
• Why local libraries are radical tools of liberation
• Critiquing the billionaire joyride to space
• Building community with lending libraries, swaps, and shared skills
• Saying “fuck it” to performative feminism and embracing real-life impact

In this powerhouse episode, Becky and Taina go deep on the tangled roots of American music—from Negro spirituals and funk to country and bluegrass—and how Black artists have always shaped the sounds we now call “mainstream.” They unpack Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter backlash, how misogynoir fuels that criticism, and the difference between cultural appreciation and appropriation. And yeah, they go in on white defensiveness, Trump regrets, and what true harm repair looks like (hint: “sorry” isn’t enough). If you’re uncomfortable, good. You’re probably learning something.

Discussed in this episode:

• The healing power of funk and the somatic joy of dancing alone
• The PBS documentary A History of Funk Music and Black Liberation of the 1970s
• Cultural appropriation vs. appreciation in music (Justin Timberlake, anyone?)
• Misogynoir and the gatekeeping of country music
• Why Beyoncé absolutely belongs in the country genre
• Taina’s fire analogy about AI and cultural appropriation
• The impact > intent distinction (and the $10 egg drop)
• What true harm repair actually looks like
• Why “sorry” is step zero, not step one
• The Venn diagram of justice, and why it all comes back to humanity and collectivism
• Angry grannies, Trump regretters, and FAFO energy

Resources mentioned:

• A History of Funk Music and Black Liberation of the 1970s on PBS YouTube
• “James” by Percival Everett
• Rhiannon Giddens and Carolina Chocolate Drops

Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown explore what it means to move from reactivity to proactive dreaming in business and life. They unpack how a feminist future isn't just a dream—it's a practical framework rooted in collective care, somatic awareness, and justice-based entrepreneurship.

They weave in the wisdom of Black and Indigenous feminists like bell hooks, the Combahee River Collective, Audre Lorde, and Paula Gunn Allen. This episode is for liberation-minded founders who are tired of toxic "abundance mindset" advice that ignores class, and who want to explore equity-based business practices that reflect their values.

What You'll Learn:

• Why naming what we do want is crucial for sustainable change
• How collectivist, feminist, and Indigenous wisdom informs business
• What murmurations can teach us about entrepreneurial community
• How scarcity thinking shows up even in justice-driven businesses
• A reimagining of leadership and rest through shared care

Referenced in this episode:

• Combahee River Collective Statement
• “Emergent Strategy” by adrienne maree brown
• “Proposals for the Feminine Economy” by Jennifer Armbrust
• “Braiding Sweetgrass” and “The Serviceberry” by Robin Wall Kimmerer
• My Gold Standard with Stella Gold

Listen if you're ready to stop fighting alone and start building a business grounded in mutual care and liberation.

In this fiery episode of Messy Liberation, feminist business coach Becky Mollenkamp and special guest Taina Brown dive into the growing generational divide around gender equality. Sparked by Cosmo's recent “Feminism Recession” article and the global study it references, this episode unpacks the backlash to feminism among Gen Z men, the weaponization of data, and the hubris of white male leadership.

Discussed in this episode:

• Cosmo's “Feminism Recession” article breakdown
• Gender equity and generational divides
• The rise of anti-feminism among Gen Z men
• Political gaslighting and SignalGate
• Why data literacy and framing matter in feminism conversations
• White male privilege, institutional power, and public accountability
• Raising white boys with emotional intelligence

Resources mentioned:
📖 “The Great Feminism Recession” in Cosmo
📊 Gender divide study by King’s College in London
📚 “When Your Abuser is Your President” from No Trifling Matter