Meet Chelsea Conaboy. Chelsea is a writer, editor and journalist who is the author of Mother Brain: How Neuroscience is Rewriting the Story of Parenthood. Her writing has been published by The New York Times, Mother Jones, Politico, the Boston Sunday Globe magazine, National Journal, The Week, ParentMap, and WBUR. And in 2014, she was part of The Boston Globe staff, that won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news, for coverage of the Boston Marathon bombings. She now lives in Maine and runs a media production company with her husband called Strewn Wonder. Learn more about her work at: www.chelseaconaboy.com.

In this conversation Rachael and Chelsea focus on her book and take a deep-dive into parenthood. They talk about the myths of maternal instinct and about centuries-old stories around parenting that science debunks. Chelsea teaches us about the permanent changes that happen in the brain when one becomes a parent. And they also talk about how having a child can simultaneously open up your world while asking you to focus more energy at home.

Chelsea & Rachael recorded this conversation on February 12, 2026. They were both in Maine.

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Meet Dion Flynn. Dion is a NYC-based writer, performer and producer on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, as well as an educator and army veteran. He's known for his many characterizations and songs on the show and even played Barack Obama for over a decade. In this conversation, Dion joins Rachael to talk about his family life including his one-man show titled, The Only Brown Kid in the Trailer Park. Together, they dig into the importance of laughter, play, and meditation in the service of healing and personal growth. Learn more about his work at: www.dionflynn.com.

Dion & Rachael recorded this conversation on May 27, 2024. He was in New York City and she was in Portland, Maine. You can read the transcript of our conversation here.

Dion in The Along The Seam Newsletter

• Peering Back: A Blueprint for Healing

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This conversation is with educator Shaunta Scroggins who has spent more than 20 years mentoring teens and adults along their leadership journeys. Her doctoral research was completed at Dallas Baptist University in her home state of Texas and focused on the study of toxic leadership, transformational leadership, and effective mentoring. We talk about all of that through the lens of faith and the ideas passed from one generation to the next. Shaunta is now a lecturer and Assistant Director of the Lead Forward Fellowship at Purdue University. She also hosts the podcast, Leaders Lead, Leaders Read. You can read the transcript of our conversation here.

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• Find all the episodes at: www.alongtheseam.com