April 21, 2025

Mallory Thomas on The Authors Alley with Dori DeCarlo on WoMRadio

Mallory Thomas on The Authors Alley with Dori DeCarlo on WoMRadio
Mallory Thomas on The Authors Alley with Dori DeCarlo on WoMRadio
Word of Mom Radio
Mallory Thomas on The Authors Alley with Dori DeCarlo on WoMRadio

Their marriage of convenience was supposed to exist on paper. Can these strangers act convincingly in love when the pressure’s on?

Spotify podcast player badge
iHeartRadio podcast player badge
Amazon Music podcast player badge
Apple Podcasts podcast player badge
Pandora podcast player badge
Youtube Music podcast player badge
PlayerFM podcast player badge
Overcast podcast player badge
PocketCasts podcast player badge
Goodpods podcast player badge
Podyssey podcast player badge
Audible podcast player badge
Podchaser podcast player badge
RSS Feed podcast player badge
Spotify podcast player iconiHeartRadio podcast player iconAmazon Music podcast player iconApple Podcasts podcast player iconPandora podcast player iconYoutube Music podcast player iconPlayerFM podcast player iconOvercast podcast player iconPocketCasts podcast player iconGoodpods podcast player iconPodyssey podcast player iconAudible podcast player iconPodchaser podcast player iconRSS Feed podcast player icon

Mallory Thomas is a writer and reader of soft love stories that make you swoon, squeal, and blush. When she's not writing, she can be found picking up after her two kids, joking with her handsome husband, and planning trips to the beach. She's also a baby formula expert and content creator.

Mallory strives to write books that are better than your phone-- she hopes the time spent reading her books will leave you happier and more hopeful than time spent on social media. On this episode, we are sharing her latest book, “Somewhere Along the Line”.

Join host Dori DeCarlo on The Authors Alley and connect with Mallory at MalloryThomas.com, follow on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Get your copy of “Somewhere Along the Line”, too!

Please support UnsilencedVoices.org a global 501(c)3 nonprofit that empowers survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. We thank Smith Sisters and the Sunday Drivers for our theme song, "She is You".

Be sure to connect with us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and come tell us your story!

WordofMomRadio.com - sharing the wisdom of women, in business and in life.

Become a supporter of this podcast!

WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.200 --> 00:00:02.720
She is sure, she is sure, she is strong, she

2
00:00:02.839 --> 00:00:09.400
is true, is true, she is brave, bray, she is

3
00:00:09.119 --> 00:00:13.880
she is you. She is she is she is sure,

4
00:00:13.960 --> 00:00:18.199
she is strong, she is strong, she is true, is true,

5
00:00:19.519 --> 00:00:23.359
she is brave, is bray, she is she is you.

6
00:00:23.960 --> 00:00:28.039
Hello, everyone, welcome to today's Word of Mom Radio here

7
00:00:28.079 --> 00:00:30.920
on the Word of Mom Media Network. I'm your host,

8
00:00:31.160 --> 00:00:33.920
Dori Di Carlo, and you know we are here week

9
00:00:33.960 --> 00:00:38.000
after week, show after show, breaking those myths at moentrepreneurs

10
00:00:38.079 --> 00:00:41.560
and business women, especially those of us building our businesses

11
00:00:41.560 --> 00:00:43.920
from home. You know that we're just dabbling in between

12
00:00:43.920 --> 00:00:47.000
bake sales and getting our nails done. We're not We

13
00:00:47.039 --> 00:00:49.479
are smart, we are savvy, and we are sharing the

14
00:00:49.520 --> 00:00:52.799
wisdom of women in business and in life. And I'm

15
00:00:52.799 --> 00:00:57.240
looking forward to bringing today's guest into our show. Mallory

16
00:00:57.359 --> 00:01:00.679
Thomas is a writer and reader of soft love stories

17
00:01:01.039 --> 00:01:05.239
that make you swoon, squeal, and blush. When she's not writing,

18
00:01:05.560 --> 00:01:08.079
she can be found picking up after her two kids,

19
00:01:08.439 --> 00:01:11.920
joking with her handsome husband, and planning trips to the beach.

20
00:01:12.519 --> 00:01:17.439
She's also a baby formula expert and content creator. She

21
00:01:17.599 --> 00:01:21.280
strives to write books that are better than your phone

22
00:01:21.840 --> 00:01:24.640
She hopes the time spent reading her books will leave

23
00:01:24.680 --> 00:01:28.879
you happier and more hopeful than time spent on social media.

24
00:01:29.640 --> 00:01:31.400
I like that ambition.

25
00:01:32.359 --> 00:01:32.799
Thank you.

26
00:01:33.560 --> 00:01:37.200
We are spending way too much time on social media.

27
00:01:37.719 --> 00:01:41.079
With all that being said, Mallory, welcome to work on radio.

28
00:01:41.560 --> 00:01:43.760
Thank you for having me. I'm so excited to be here.

29
00:01:44.040 --> 00:01:46.680
I'm thrilled to have you here, and I would love

30
00:01:46.760 --> 00:01:50.840
for you to take us on your journey. And I

31
00:01:50.879 --> 00:01:53.920
can't wait to find out what a baby formula educator does.

32
00:01:54.359 --> 00:01:56.799
So really tell us your story, Mallory.

33
00:01:57.159 --> 00:01:58.359
Absolutely well.

34
00:01:58.400 --> 00:02:02.159
I got started in the baby formula space during COVID

35
00:02:02.200 --> 00:02:07.480
about five years ago and really grew a large platform

36
00:02:07.519 --> 00:02:10.599
on Instagram around baby formula and baby formula support. I

37
00:02:10.639 --> 00:02:13.199
work for Baby Formula Company, and this was all well

38
00:02:13.240 --> 00:02:17.919
and good until last May. I guess this was May

39
00:02:17.960 --> 00:02:21.520
twenty twenty three. My kindergartener at the time came home

40
00:02:21.520 --> 00:02:24.319
from school with a fill in the blank mother's say gift.

41
00:02:24.400 --> 00:02:27.120
You know the ones that are like, my mom's favorite

42
00:02:27.159 --> 00:02:30.360
food is spaghetti, my mom is eighty seven years old,

43
00:02:30.360 --> 00:02:32.680
you know those, And it said my mom is really

44
00:02:32.719 --> 00:02:37.840
good at looking at her phone, and it just crushed me.

45
00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:40.960
And I was like, okay, number one, I have a

46
00:02:41.000 --> 00:02:43.479
problem here. But I made my living on my phone, you.

47
00:02:43.400 --> 00:02:45.080
Know, as many of us do.

48
00:02:46.080 --> 00:02:49.240
And I was like, there, I need to make a change, right,

49
00:02:49.360 --> 00:02:52.639
I need to figure out a way that my kids

50
00:02:52.639 --> 00:02:55.960
can see me create content and not just consume it.

51
00:02:56.719 --> 00:02:59.879
And so that was when I really made the shift

52
00:03:00.159 --> 00:03:02.719
from I still do my baby formula stuff on Instagram.

53
00:03:02.759 --> 00:03:04.879
I actually have a baby formula book coming out next year,

54
00:03:05.439 --> 00:03:09.159
but I started writing fiction again because I wanted my

55
00:03:09.280 --> 00:03:12.400
kids to see that I was more than just mom

56
00:03:12.439 --> 00:03:15.280
on the phone all the time. So I ended up

57
00:03:15.319 --> 00:03:18.719
writing my book somewhere along the line, sort of born

58
00:03:18.800 --> 00:03:22.159
out of that desire for my kids to see me

59
00:03:22.199 --> 00:03:25.520
do something else other than be on my phone. And

60
00:03:25.639 --> 00:03:29.280
now it's just been such a fun experience watching the

61
00:03:29.280 --> 00:03:31.400
process and going through the process with my daughter, and

62
00:03:31.439 --> 00:03:33.120
she's now my biggest fan.

63
00:03:34.039 --> 00:03:37.080
Well that's the best. When you have your kids become

64
00:03:37.120 --> 00:03:41.039
your biggest fan, that's when you know things are going well.

65
00:03:42.639 --> 00:03:44.599
I have to tell you somewhere along the line, I

66
00:03:44.680 --> 00:03:48.199
got a chance to read it before today's show. Really

67
00:03:48.240 --> 00:03:53.960
get good Stories, Thank you got me, really really got me.

68
00:03:54.080 --> 00:03:58.439
When Piper went to the father's house. Yeah, I was

69
00:03:58.479 --> 00:04:01.599
a puddle, I know.

70
00:04:01.960 --> 00:04:02.360
I didn't.

71
00:04:03.080 --> 00:04:06.479
Yes, I didn't set out to write a story that

72
00:04:06.680 --> 00:04:08.960
was so poignant. I set out to just write a

73
00:04:09.039 --> 00:04:11.520
funny little rom com and it evolved into something with

74
00:04:11.560 --> 00:04:14.439
a lot of heart, which I appreciate art.

75
00:04:15.120 --> 00:04:18.399
It really really wound up tremendous amount of art and

76
00:04:18.439 --> 00:04:22.759
stuff that really resonated somebody who I've now lost both parents,

77
00:04:23.079 --> 00:04:25.480
my mom a long time ago, but my daddy during

78
00:04:25.519 --> 00:04:29.240
COVID and and it's a very strange feeling because you

79
00:04:29.279 --> 00:04:32.879
think of orphans as little kids.

80
00:04:33.319 --> 00:04:33.560
Yeah.

81
00:04:33.680 --> 00:04:36.000
I'll never forget waking up the day after my daddy

82
00:04:36.040 --> 00:04:36.519
died and I.

83
00:04:36.480 --> 00:04:42.480
Went, yeah, and you just have to keep living.

84
00:04:43.079 --> 00:04:46.959
Yeah, it's a weird feeling. And my my I just

85
00:04:47.040 --> 00:04:50.639
lost his dad in May, so that's so hard. His

86
00:04:50.680 --> 00:04:54.879
mom and it was it's our first time down to here,

87
00:04:55.040 --> 00:04:58.279
to all by herself and married sixty something years.

88
00:04:58.519 --> 00:05:00.560
Oh that's yeah, that's such a challenge.

89
00:05:00.639 --> 00:05:05.120
Yeah, and we don't I don't think people realize that

90
00:05:05.839 --> 00:05:10.720
the big shift when you lose a life, you know,

91
00:05:10.959 --> 00:05:12.759
you lose your spouse. You lose your spouse. When you

92
00:05:12.759 --> 00:05:17.680
lose your spouse, did you have spent your entire life

93
00:05:17.680 --> 00:05:21.360
with Yeah, you know, most ninety nine percent of your

94
00:05:21.399 --> 00:05:24.920
memories are a week. So yeah, that was that was

95
00:05:25.000 --> 00:05:29.839
really that was really a very touching, really resonated with me.

96
00:05:30.360 --> 00:05:33.680
So I'm going to switch back now because I gotta

97
00:05:33.800 --> 00:05:37.680
know what a baby formula educator does.

98
00:05:38.839 --> 00:05:41.680
Yeah. Yeah, So I had a COVID baby.

99
00:05:42.399 --> 00:05:48.319
He's five now, and I, like many moms, had assumed

100
00:05:48.360 --> 00:05:50.639
that I would breastfeed. I took all the classes, I

101
00:05:50.680 --> 00:05:54.079
read the books, you know whatever, and then not what

102
00:05:54.120 --> 00:05:56.160
I know, and it was also a pretty common experience.

103
00:05:56.160 --> 00:05:58.279
It did not work as seamlessly as I thought it

104
00:05:58.319 --> 00:06:01.000
was going to. And so I was like, you know,

105
00:06:01.600 --> 00:06:03.959
if I'm not gonna breastfeed because this is not working

106
00:06:03.959 --> 00:06:05.600
for me, it's not working for him, it's not working for.

107
00:06:05.600 --> 00:06:07.680
Us, then I'm going to be I'm going to learn.

108
00:06:07.680 --> 00:06:09.639
All of the things. I'm going to be the best

109
00:06:09.639 --> 00:06:12.360
formula feeder there there is, you know. And so I

110
00:06:12.399 --> 00:06:16.319
started looking for resources and they're just weren't a lot.

111
00:06:16.480 --> 00:06:19.240
There weren't a lot of resources about formula other than

112
00:06:19.360 --> 00:06:23.160
sort of thinly veiled breastfiting pages that said basically.

113
00:06:22.720 --> 00:06:23.319
Don't do it.

114
00:06:24.319 --> 00:06:26.879
Even your formula can says breast is best on the back,

115
00:06:27.959 --> 00:06:31.199
and so I did a whole bunch of research myself

116
00:06:31.240 --> 00:06:33.959
and I got certified as an infant feeding technician, and

117
00:06:34.000 --> 00:06:36.160
I became sort of the de facto formula mom and

118
00:06:36.240 --> 00:06:38.279
my group of friends, where I would start getting texts

119
00:06:38.319 --> 00:06:39.959
from people that are like, you don't know me, but

120
00:06:40.000 --> 00:06:41.759
Emily said, you know about formula.

121
00:06:41.879 --> 00:06:43.759
What do you think about you know this one? Or

122
00:06:43.759 --> 00:06:45.199
my baby's gassy, which I do.

123
00:06:46.639 --> 00:06:50.480
And I realized that there that people beyond me wanted

124
00:06:50.519 --> 00:06:52.639
to talk about formula and had questions about formula, and

125
00:06:52.800 --> 00:06:58.439
so I started an Instagram platform. It's called the Formula Mom,

126
00:06:59.399 --> 00:07:03.000
and it has grown and grown and grown, and I

127
00:07:03.040 --> 00:07:07.879
got h hired by a formula company and so now

128
00:07:07.879 --> 00:07:10.279
I lead education for them as well as still doing

129
00:07:10.319 --> 00:07:15.319
my Instagram work. And it's been a wild journey. It's

130
00:07:15.360 --> 00:07:16.360
been a fun journey.

131
00:07:17.120 --> 00:07:23.959
It's amazing how people guilt you at times. I was

132
00:07:23.959 --> 00:07:26.600
a nursing mom and I was one of those people

133
00:07:27.079 --> 00:07:31.040
like my having babies. My Lama's coach was like, we

134
00:07:31.079 --> 00:07:33.600
should be filming you for Lama's classes, that you're the

135
00:07:33.680 --> 00:07:36.319
kind of mom we want to film you know. Oh,

136
00:07:36.360 --> 00:07:38.000
I don't know if the baby will nurse and just

137
00:07:38.120 --> 00:07:38.839
boom right on.

138
00:07:39.519 --> 00:07:40.120
Absolutely not.

139
00:07:41.120 --> 00:07:45.639
But when I decided, because I would pump, but I

140
00:07:45.720 --> 00:07:47.639
was like, you know what, there's going to be times

141
00:07:47.680 --> 00:07:49.920
that I am not going to be here. Something's gonna happen.

142
00:07:49.959 --> 00:07:54.720
We won't have milk. I went on a formula study

143
00:07:55.319 --> 00:07:58.519
because I never gave my kids anything I didn't taste first,

144
00:07:58.879 --> 00:08:02.680
So I've wanted to find the formula tasted the most

145
00:08:02.800 --> 00:08:05.480
like me. I think that makes sense, Yeah, you know,

146
00:08:05.720 --> 00:08:07.839
and did find one. It was powder. I liked them

147
00:08:07.879 --> 00:08:12.160
powder better than the hands. But I will never forget

148
00:08:12.199 --> 00:08:16.600
them calling from me from Lala cha because my first son,

149
00:08:16.800 --> 00:08:20.480
at six months old, was walking around holding onto furniture and.

150
00:08:21.000 --> 00:08:22.199
Yeah, he was wild.

151
00:08:22.399 --> 00:08:25.560
The earliest you can do anything, That was this kid.

152
00:08:26.160 --> 00:08:29.720
And he didn't want a nurse. It was too constricting

153
00:08:29.920 --> 00:08:30.319
for him.

154
00:08:30.600 --> 00:08:31.759
Yeah, he wanted to be free.

155
00:08:32.279 --> 00:08:34.759
Yeah, I'm pumping and putting them in and I'm like, And

156
00:08:34.840 --> 00:08:37.480
they actually said to me, well, you know what, just

157
00:08:37.639 --> 00:08:41.000
starve him, don't give him anything, and he'll come back

158
00:08:41.039 --> 00:08:43.440
to the breast. I said, do me a favor, don't

159
00:08:43.639 --> 00:08:45.240
ever flip and call my house.

160
00:08:45.639 --> 00:08:46.840
That's wild.

161
00:08:47.159 --> 00:08:51.480
I said, say that to somebody I'm a first month now.

162
00:08:51.480 --> 00:08:53.759
I had coached in the delivery room four times ago

163
00:08:54.240 --> 00:08:57.679
my own I think with kids my whole life, so me,

164
00:08:57.799 --> 00:09:03.360
I was not intimidated, but others would have not said

165
00:09:03.399 --> 00:09:06.799
their baby anything to force them back to the breast.

166
00:09:08.120 --> 00:09:11.960
You know what is breast best for you? Here, let

167
00:09:11.960 --> 00:09:14.440
me break this to you, mommies, for the first two weeks,

168
00:09:14.759 --> 00:09:17.519
as long as they get that colosstrum, you've given them

169
00:09:18.120 --> 00:09:21.000
everything you really can. The rest of it is free

170
00:09:21.039 --> 00:09:25.039
milk mm hm. So you know what, even though you struggle,

171
00:09:25.399 --> 00:09:28.519
you got that beginning part in that's all that mattered. Yeah,

172
00:09:28.639 --> 00:09:31.519
that's weird, but they don't tell you this. They make

173
00:09:31.600 --> 00:09:34.120
you feel like there's something right, and you know what,

174
00:09:34.240 --> 00:09:38.879
there's nothing wrong. Mommies. You do what is best for

175
00:09:39.000 --> 00:09:43.039
you and baby. And some women don't want to the breastfeed,

176
00:09:43.440 --> 00:09:46.879
and you don't need to. That's why companies are doing

177
00:09:47.000 --> 00:09:51.120
everything they can to make them as healthy and to

178
00:09:51.240 --> 00:09:54.919
give kids as much of a good start as possible.

179
00:09:55.679 --> 00:10:00.200
Absolutely, yeah, and it is wild because you know you're

180
00:10:00.240 --> 00:10:04.840
not alone in hearing just absolutely unhinged advice from folks

181
00:10:04.919 --> 00:10:09.360
who want to keep mom's breastfeeding. And if that's the

182
00:10:09.399 --> 00:10:12.279
mom's goal, absolutely, then you know, work with somebody who

183
00:10:12.360 --> 00:10:15.240
can help you. But the amount of stuff I hear

184
00:10:15.480 --> 00:10:20.840
that people have told moms is truly unhinged. Some of it.

185
00:10:21.159 --> 00:10:24.159
I'm like, this is crazy, this is crazy. And we

186
00:10:24.240 --> 00:10:27.480
also know too that the best thing for a baby

187
00:10:27.639 --> 00:10:31.679
is a mom that is emotionally engaged, that isn't depressed,

188
00:10:31.679 --> 00:10:35.720
that isn't dissociated. And so if breastfeeding is making you

189
00:10:37.000 --> 00:10:39.600
unable to have a good bond with your baby because

190
00:10:39.600 --> 00:10:43.840
it's so stressful or it's so taxing that you can't

191
00:10:43.879 --> 00:10:46.399
engage with your baby. I got to a point where

192
00:10:46.399 --> 00:10:48.039
it was like my baby would cry and I would

193
00:10:48.039 --> 00:10:50.200
just be like filled with anxiety, right because I was like,

194
00:10:50.200 --> 00:10:53.879
oh no, he needs to eat again. And so it

195
00:10:53.919 --> 00:10:55.679
was like we switched to formula, and then I was

196
00:10:55.720 --> 00:10:57.600
able to bond. And that's what they always say, right,

197
00:10:57.639 --> 00:10:59.639
like breastfeed, if you breastfeed your baby, all bond. I

198
00:10:59.639 --> 00:11:02.840
did not are bonding with that baby till I stop resbating.

199
00:11:02.559 --> 00:11:04.120
Because then I could just enjoy him.

200
00:11:04.240 --> 00:11:08.320
So yeah, it's a it's a wild place to exist

201
00:11:08.360 --> 00:11:10.759
on the internet in the center of that discourse, for sure.

202
00:11:11.120 --> 00:11:13.960
It truly is. And again you know what bonding with

203
00:11:14.120 --> 00:11:17.600
your baby is, folding your baby is looking in their

204
00:11:17.679 --> 00:11:23.679
eyes and feeling your heart. Absolutely, yes, just singing doesn't

205
00:11:23.720 --> 00:11:26.440
mean they can't be against your chest and feeling your

206
00:11:26.480 --> 00:11:32.840
flesh and feeling your heart. It's it's amazing how even

207
00:11:32.919 --> 00:11:39.840
in today's world, well especially now in today's world, you

208
00:11:39.879 --> 00:11:43.440
know where well, it's like, well, that's your job. My

209
00:11:43.480 --> 00:11:48.440
grandson was in intensive care for a week and so

210
00:11:49.000 --> 00:11:52.200
because of his bloodshirt. He was actually fine, but his

211
00:11:52.320 --> 00:11:57.759
mom had tremendous complications and so she was pumping colostrum.

212
00:11:58.600 --> 00:12:01.600
And then at that point, I mean they were pick

213
00:12:01.919 --> 00:12:06.039
pickline feeding him and everything. It was time for him

214
00:12:06.080 --> 00:12:09.039
to try to learn. He couldn't latch. It was just

215
00:12:09.159 --> 00:12:11.799
too much. And here's my son. Well, you know it

216
00:12:11.840 --> 00:12:14.279
would be much much better if we breastfeed. I was like,

217
00:12:14.279 --> 00:12:15.960
oh really, then whip one out.

218
00:12:17.399 --> 00:12:19.679
I don't know that we need your hear this.

219
00:12:20.279 --> 00:12:24.200
No, you will not make her feel bad, you know,

220
00:12:24.320 --> 00:12:26.519
And I kept telling her you gave him the most

221
00:12:26.519 --> 00:12:31.039
important part. You know, you pumped until you were completely dropped.

222
00:12:32.120 --> 00:12:34.399
That's all you could do. And you did a great job.

223
00:12:34.440 --> 00:12:37.200
And he's a good, healthy kid. It's going to be seven,

224
00:12:37.320 --> 00:12:41.840
he's great, you know, yes, it really is amazing, even

225
00:12:41.879 --> 00:12:44.200
my son, it would be so much better if we

226
00:12:44.240 --> 00:12:49.840
did this. Oh really, unless you're become an umbrella and

227
00:12:49.840 --> 00:12:52.159
you're in, they're opening your wide. You're just along to

228
00:12:52.200 --> 00:12:59.519
the ride, buddy. Serious. But again, these are conversations that

229
00:12:59.600 --> 00:13:01.759
I love having because we so have to get out

230
00:13:01.759 --> 00:13:05.039
of the closet. Yeah, we so have to make moms.

231
00:13:05.240 --> 00:13:07.639
Remember you're doing a great job.

232
00:13:08.360 --> 00:13:09.840
Yes, absolutely, and.

233
00:13:09.879 --> 00:13:14.200
How somebody else does it fabulous, Thanks for the exactience.

234
00:13:14.720 --> 00:13:19.919
But this is for me, yes absolutely, and again, and

235
00:13:19.960 --> 00:13:22.639
so the work that you are doing as that baby

236
00:13:22.639 --> 00:13:27.240
formula educator, really, Malorie, thank you because it's an important

237
00:13:27.799 --> 00:13:32.879
thing that you are doing to give me confidence to

238
00:13:33.120 --> 00:13:35.559
parent as it works for them.

239
00:13:36.679 --> 00:13:36.919
Yeah.

240
00:13:37.759 --> 00:13:40.720
Yeah, and really, if you can, if you can develop

241
00:13:40.799 --> 00:13:44.320
that muscle when your baby's little with feeding, it serves

242
00:13:44.320 --> 00:13:46.279
you all the rest of the time, because everybody's opinions

243
00:13:46.279 --> 00:13:48.919
continue as they get older, right about what you're doing

244
00:13:49.000 --> 00:13:50.480
right and what you're doing wrong and what you should

245
00:13:50.559 --> 00:13:53.440
be and so yeah, learning early on how to parent

246
00:13:53.480 --> 00:13:55.000
the way that works for you, the way that works

247
00:13:55.000 --> 00:13:57.879
for your baby, the way that makes you a fulfilled

248
00:13:57.879 --> 00:14:01.679
and happy and engaged parent like that skill serves you

249
00:14:01.840 --> 00:14:03.159
for the rest of your parenthood.

250
00:14:04.559 --> 00:14:08.480
On that note, think of what Mallory just said. We

251
00:14:08.600 --> 00:14:11.320
are going to take a quick break, say thank you

252
00:14:11.399 --> 00:14:14.399
to our sponsors, and we'll be back here in just

253
00:14:14.519 --> 00:14:16.480
a moment. On Word of Mom Radio.

254
00:14:17.639 --> 00:14:21.840
She is brave, she is bold, she is you, and

255
00:14:21.919 --> 00:14:24.960
we want to tell your story. Are you ready to

256
00:14:25.080 --> 00:14:28.480
share your journey with us on Word of Mom Radio?

257
00:14:28.919 --> 00:14:33.000
Go to wordommradio dot com and register as a guest.

258
00:14:33.399 --> 00:14:36.320
We want to tell your story because when you win,

259
00:14:36.679 --> 00:14:37.559
we all win.

260
00:14:37.840 --> 00:14:43.919
In twenty seventeen, Unsilenced Voices was formed to help survivors

261
00:14:43.919 --> 00:14:49.320
of domestic abuse and gender based violence worldwide. The organization

262
00:14:49.639 --> 00:14:55.279
currently serves Siri Leone, Rwanda, Ghana, and the USA. In

263
00:14:55.360 --> 00:14:59.840
twenty twenty two, Unsilenced Voices gifted over thirty three thousand

264
00:15:00.679 --> 00:15:04.159
survivors in the USA and in sire Leone. There are

265
00:15:04.240 --> 00:15:08.000
over twenty six young girls who have been rescued from

266
00:15:08.159 --> 00:15:12.600
sex trafficking and domestic abuse and now going through vocational

267
00:15:12.679 --> 00:15:16.440
training school in order to better their lives. We need

268
00:15:16.559 --> 00:15:20.559
your help. Donations are critical in order for us to

269
00:15:20.679 --> 00:15:24.879
continue our work. We also need volunteers to help with

270
00:15:25.120 --> 00:15:31.440
research and development. Please visit Unsilenced Voices dot org for

271
00:15:31.559 --> 00:15:32.440
more information.

272
00:15:32.840 --> 00:15:35.120
And we're back here on Word of Mom Radio. We

273
00:15:35.159 --> 00:15:39.639
are talking with Mallory Thomas, who is an author and

274
00:15:39.679 --> 00:15:44.840
a baby formula educator, a proud mom, and just somebody

275
00:15:44.879 --> 00:15:47.039
who's making a difference. And I love it.

276
00:15:47.559 --> 00:15:48.600
I think, thank you.

277
00:15:48.759 --> 00:15:52.080
So I want to shift over to somewhere along the

278
00:15:52.120 --> 00:15:56.519
line and ask you what got you into writing and

279
00:15:56.759 --> 00:15:58.799
what are your goals with this book?

280
00:15:59.759 --> 00:16:03.799
So I think, like many writers, as a kid, I

281
00:16:03.879 --> 00:16:06.080
had written a lot. I wanted to be a writer.

282
00:16:06.200 --> 00:16:09.600
I was always drotting down little stories. And then life

283
00:16:09.639 --> 00:16:11.440
gets in the way and you think you need to

284
00:16:11.480 --> 00:16:14.399
have a real job, and you know, you've got kids

285
00:16:14.440 --> 00:16:16.720
and a spouse and responsibilities, and it just took a

286
00:16:16.720 --> 00:16:21.120
back seat, right. And then having the experience of my

287
00:16:21.200 --> 00:16:23.279
daughter calling me out for being on my phone too

288
00:16:23.360 --> 00:16:29.399
much made me realize that I needed hobbies again, right,

289
00:16:29.600 --> 00:16:31.360
you know, in my free time, I was just finding

290
00:16:31.440 --> 00:16:35.519
myself scrolling my phone, you know, and sometimes doing work

291
00:16:35.559 --> 00:16:38.120
stuff that's fine, and sometimes checking the weather that's fine,

292
00:16:38.399 --> 00:16:42.200
But a lot of the time just you know, scrolling

293
00:16:42.279 --> 00:16:47.039
the time away, right, And so I really decided that

294
00:16:47.080 --> 00:16:50.440
I wanted to find my way back to doing something

295
00:16:50.480 --> 00:16:52.960
that at the time was just for me, that let

296
00:16:52.960 --> 00:16:55.600
me use the creative outlet and let me just create

297
00:16:55.679 --> 00:17:01.000
instead of consume. And so, you know, I think everybody

298
00:17:01.039 --> 00:17:03.480
who writes a book starts out thinking it's going to

299
00:17:03.559 --> 00:17:05.720
be easy enough to write a book, and then once

300
00:17:05.759 --> 00:17:07.160
you get into the process, you're like.

301
00:17:07.200 --> 00:17:11.359
Wow, actually this is a lot. But I think that

302
00:17:11.480 --> 00:17:14.440
sort of naivity was helpful.

303
00:17:15.160 --> 00:17:18.960
If I had known what an undertaking is, I'm not

304
00:17:18.960 --> 00:17:20.759
sure I would have done it while working full time

305
00:17:20.799 --> 00:17:22.720
with two young kids, but I'm glad that I did.

306
00:17:23.559 --> 00:17:28.119
And it has just been so meaningful to reconnect with

307
00:17:28.960 --> 00:17:33.000
the part of me that's just for me and just creative.

308
00:17:33.200 --> 00:17:36.240
And you know, it's not a responsibility, right, So much

309
00:17:36.240 --> 00:17:37.599
of what I do in this season of my life

310
00:17:37.680 --> 00:17:40.079
is responsibility for work or the family or whatever else.

311
00:17:40.640 --> 00:17:42.759
And so it really started fun. And then I was like,

312
00:17:42.839 --> 00:17:45.839
you know, there's probably other moms out there that want

313
00:17:45.880 --> 00:17:47.960
to figure out how to pull away from their phone

314
00:17:47.960 --> 00:17:48.839
for a minute.

315
00:17:49.400 --> 00:17:52.880
And what better way to do that than with a romcom.

316
00:17:52.599 --> 00:17:57.480
Right that gives you, you know, hope and light and

317
00:17:57.680 --> 00:18:02.039
some good, tingly warm feelings and so I just I

318
00:18:02.039 --> 00:18:03.640
wrote the kind of book that I like to read,

319
00:18:03.720 --> 00:18:05.839
with the hope that there might be some other moms

320
00:18:05.839 --> 00:18:08.000
out there that might want to read it, and also

321
00:18:08.359 --> 00:18:10.440
give their kids the experience of seeing their mom read

322
00:18:10.440 --> 00:18:12.680
a book, because that's a win for everybody.

323
00:18:12.880 --> 00:18:14.480
So that's sort of how I landed here.

324
00:18:15.200 --> 00:18:18.119
I love that, and I think it is really important.

325
00:18:18.559 --> 00:18:23.599
I'm a reader, and my daughter is a voracious reader.

326
00:18:23.680 --> 00:18:26.720
She puts me to shame. But with my boys, when

327
00:18:26.720 --> 00:18:28.480
they were growing up, I looked I didn't care what

328
00:18:28.519 --> 00:18:31.799
they read. I got the magazines they liked and whatnot.

329
00:18:32.279 --> 00:18:35.960
And then one year I bought them kindles for Christmas.

330
00:18:36.440 --> 00:18:41.599
And my middle son still has kids never a he's

331
00:18:41.640 --> 00:18:44.240
still and he's like, you know, mom, this is probably

332
00:18:44.240 --> 00:18:48.160
my favorite gift because anywhere I go. He bought the

333
00:18:48.200 --> 00:18:50.960
screen things, so you can read anywhere he goes. He's

334
00:18:51.000 --> 00:18:53.680
got books with him. And it's funny. My daughter's like me,

335
00:18:54.000 --> 00:18:58.079
I want the page, but I am one of those

336
00:18:58.079 --> 00:19:00.400
posts that want to read my guest book. So now

337
00:19:00.440 --> 00:19:03.559
I've broken down and it's like very YEAHDF so I

338
00:19:03.559 --> 00:19:05.839
can read it on my phone and have it right

339
00:19:05.839 --> 00:19:08.480
there no matter where I am. And she finally, because

340
00:19:08.480 --> 00:19:11.559
she's my world traveler. She's like, Mom, I broke down

341
00:19:12.039 --> 00:19:14.319
and I did it because she would be flying with

342
00:19:14.440 --> 00:19:15.920
the box of books.

343
00:19:16.440 --> 00:19:17.400
And that's heavy.

344
00:19:17.720 --> 00:19:22.559
Yes they are. If I find something I really love,

345
00:19:22.880 --> 00:19:25.440
I buy that book and I ship at home because

346
00:19:25.480 --> 00:19:27.039
I have to have it in book.

347
00:19:27.240 --> 00:19:28.000
I do that too.

348
00:19:28.240 --> 00:19:30.559
I read a lot of my polies exactly.

349
00:19:30.759 --> 00:19:33.240
But yeah, it's like a little prize. It's a little trophy.

350
00:19:33.240 --> 00:19:34.559
If I like a book, I'm going to buy it

351
00:19:34.559 --> 00:19:36.200
and just have it on the shelf, and then you

352
00:19:36.200 --> 00:19:37.599
can loan it to people too.

353
00:19:38.039 --> 00:19:40.359
Thank you very much. I feel that way. So I

354
00:19:40.359 --> 00:19:44.440
have to ask, why do you think that romance books

355
00:19:44.559 --> 00:19:48.039
is a genre really seem to resonate with moms. Is

356
00:19:48.079 --> 00:19:52.039
it because we're missing or we're muffeting ourselves?

357
00:19:54.240 --> 00:19:56.279
I you know, I think about this a lot.

358
00:19:57.160 --> 00:19:59.519
I think for me at least, I can't speak to everybody,

359
00:19:59.599 --> 00:20:02.799
but for me at least, I am compelled by the

360
00:20:02.799 --> 00:20:04.759
fact that I know there's gonna be a happy ending.

361
00:20:05.279 --> 00:20:07.759
I feel like so much in our world right now

362
00:20:07.799 --> 00:20:11.640
and in parenthood is just you never get a nice

363
00:20:11.680 --> 00:20:14.119
clean bow on things right You never know where things

364
00:20:14.160 --> 00:20:15.880
are gonna go. There's a lot of anxiety about how

365
00:20:15.880 --> 00:20:17.519
things are gonna turn out, or what this is going

366
00:20:17.559 --> 00:20:18.960
to look like, or what so and so is going

367
00:20:19.000 --> 00:20:21.480
to do. And I think with the romance novel, when

368
00:20:21.480 --> 00:20:24.880
you got a guaranteed happy ending, you just don't have

369
00:20:24.960 --> 00:20:28.000
that stress. You know, you know, you don't know what

370
00:20:28.039 --> 00:20:29.720
the journey is going to look like to get there,

371
00:20:30.200 --> 00:20:32.440
but you know you're gonna get it. You know that

372
00:20:33.200 --> 00:20:36.039
you don't have to stress about what these characters, how

373
00:20:36.039 --> 00:20:39.319
they're going to end up because it's guaranteed. And I

374
00:20:39.359 --> 00:20:42.720
think there's just not a lot of guaranteed joy in

375
00:20:42.759 --> 00:20:45.440
our world right now, and so for me, I think

376
00:20:45.480 --> 00:20:47.960
that's why why Romance novel is stressed me. I also

377
00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:50.000
do think there's something I've been married for fourteen years

378
00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:54.200
almost at this point you forget, you know, therese butterflies

379
00:20:54.759 --> 00:20:56.599
from the early days, and I think there is something

380
00:20:56.599 --> 00:20:58.640
fun about reliving that as well.

381
00:20:58.759 --> 00:21:01.640
I am gonna shift years because I was looking into

382
00:21:01.680 --> 00:21:05.920
some things I would love to know about the where

383
00:21:06.039 --> 00:21:08.359
is your Somewhere prod yess.

384
00:21:09.200 --> 00:21:12.079
Yeah, absolutely so, As I mentioned that, sort of impetus

385
00:21:12.079 --> 00:21:14.000
for writing the book was my daughter calling me out

386
00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:16.599
on my screen time, and so I wanted to find

387
00:21:16.599 --> 00:21:21.400
a way to engage her with this process. Obviously, it's

388
00:21:21.400 --> 00:21:23.759
a romance novel, it's a little spicy, it's going to

389
00:21:23.960 --> 00:21:26.759
not be appropriate for her for a long time. And

390
00:21:26.799 --> 00:21:29.519
so you know, at this point she's eight, So I

391
00:21:29.640 --> 00:21:32.240
really wanted to figure out what's a way that I

392
00:21:32.240 --> 00:21:34.640
can involve her, that she can feel like she's a

393
00:21:34.680 --> 00:21:37.559
part of this. And so what we did is we

394
00:21:37.640 --> 00:21:40.119
created this website where is yoursumwhere dot com. Again, the

395
00:21:40.160 --> 00:21:42.200
book is somewhere along the line, so basically, where are

396
00:21:42.240 --> 00:21:46.319
you reading this book? And it allows readers to log

397
00:21:46.359 --> 00:21:49.000
their location of where they're reading. And there's a QR

398
00:21:49.039 --> 00:21:50.799
code in the front of the book and it brings

399
00:21:50.839 --> 00:21:52.519
you to the website. You can put your city in

400
00:21:52.519 --> 00:21:55.240
state or your country and it essentially drops a pin

401
00:21:55.599 --> 00:21:58.079
on the little map that shows where people are reading

402
00:21:58.119 --> 00:21:58.440
the book.

403
00:21:58.440 --> 00:22:00.960
And so it's been such a fun project for me

404
00:22:01.039 --> 00:22:01.480
and my daughter.

405
00:22:01.519 --> 00:22:03.319
We check it every day or every other day and

406
00:22:03.359 --> 00:22:04.640
we see where it's popped up.

407
00:22:04.759 --> 00:22:07.119
And it's also been a great way.

408
00:22:07.039 --> 00:22:10.880
To connect with readers in different places. So we had

409
00:22:11.200 --> 00:22:14.839
back in December, we had every continent except Antarctica, right

410
00:22:14.880 --> 00:22:18.640
because who's reading books on Antarctica? So I posted about

411
00:22:18.640 --> 00:22:22.000
it on threads and someone reached out and they were like,

412
00:22:22.039 --> 00:22:22.680
I'm going on.

413
00:22:22.680 --> 00:22:25.119
A cruise, a Drake Passage cruise, and we're.

414
00:22:24.920 --> 00:22:28.119
Going to stop in the Antarctica at the end of January.

415
00:22:28.480 --> 00:22:30.240
Can I bring the book? And I was like yes.

416
00:22:30.519 --> 00:22:32.039
So she brought the book and she read it, and

417
00:22:32.039 --> 00:22:34.519
she took pictures and she tagged her little pin in Antarctica.

418
00:22:34.559 --> 00:22:36.759
And my daughter was so excited because.

419
00:22:36.519 --> 00:22:39.000
Now we've got all seven continents represented, and it's just

420
00:22:39.079 --> 00:22:42.559
been such a fun way, such a special way to

421
00:22:42.599 --> 00:22:47.200
engage with her and to engage with readers and to

422
00:22:47.240 --> 00:22:49.359
see where this little sort of story of my heart

423
00:22:49.440 --> 00:22:52.200
has has launched. It's been really fun.

424
00:22:52.680 --> 00:22:57.240
I think that's a fantastic idea. I'm really too, And

425
00:22:57.359 --> 00:23:02.079
what a wonderful way to engage your daughter in that process.

426
00:23:03.119 --> 00:23:05.559
To being able to journey on with the readers in

427
00:23:05.599 --> 00:23:08.440
different places, that's brilliant.

428
00:23:09.839 --> 00:23:10.160
Really.

429
00:23:10.240 --> 00:23:13.559
Yeah, it's been fun too, because you know, sometimes someone

430
00:23:13.599 --> 00:23:16.000
will put a pin and my daughter is like, what's

431
00:23:16.039 --> 00:23:17.960
the Philippines And then we you know, we have a

432
00:23:17.960 --> 00:23:20.319
whole conversation about that. We pull up a map and

433
00:23:20.359 --> 00:23:22.720
we look at pictures. You know, it's almost been sort

434
00:23:22.759 --> 00:23:26.319
of a cultural It's been a great cultural conversation as well,

435
00:23:27.440 --> 00:23:27.720
as we.

436
00:23:27.799 --> 00:23:32.920
Look at these places without a doubt it really is.

437
00:23:33.119 --> 00:23:35.559
I think that's and this is a great way to

438
00:23:35.599 --> 00:23:39.519
start wrapping up this conversation. So as we are closing out, Mellori,

439
00:23:40.079 --> 00:23:43.039
what do you want to leave our listeners with and

440
00:23:43.119 --> 00:23:44.640
how may they reach out to you?

441
00:23:45.680 --> 00:23:48.720
Yeah? Absolutely, oh man.

442
00:23:49.079 --> 00:23:50.559
I feel like I could say a million things, but

443
00:23:50.640 --> 00:23:53.440
ultimately what I want to leave your listeners with the

444
00:23:53.480 --> 00:23:57.880
moms of you know, of the crew, is that it

445
00:23:57.960 --> 00:24:01.000
is worth finding a mother who that works for you.

446
00:24:01.160 --> 00:24:04.000
And that is true both and how you feed your baby,

447
00:24:04.079 --> 00:24:06.759
how you live your life, and also how you spend

448
00:24:06.759 --> 00:24:09.480
your free time. And you deserve to have rest. And

449
00:24:09.519 --> 00:24:11.839
sometimes you know, for people like me, rest means a

450
00:24:11.839 --> 00:24:14.359
good book, means turning my brain off for a while,

451
00:24:14.640 --> 00:24:19.240
means setting aside all the noise of the phone. And

452
00:24:19.359 --> 00:24:21.759
I want that for your listeners too. And maybe that

453
00:24:21.799 --> 00:24:22.759
means reading my book or.

454
00:24:22.759 --> 00:24:23.279
Reading a book.

455
00:24:23.319 --> 00:24:26.200
Maybe that means knitting or gardening or something else. But

456
00:24:28.240 --> 00:24:30.400
a mom who spends time doing something.

457
00:24:30.200 --> 00:24:31.799
Just for the joy of it, just for the pleasure

458
00:24:31.839 --> 00:24:32.720
of it, is.

459
00:24:32.640 --> 00:24:34.599
Going to be a better mom for the kids. So

460
00:24:35.160 --> 00:24:37.799
that's what I want for your listeners. In terms of

461
00:24:37.799 --> 00:24:40.480
where to find me, I'm at the Formula Mom on

462
00:24:40.519 --> 00:24:43.240
Instagram if you're interested in formula content, and I'm at

463
00:24:43.319 --> 00:24:47.039
Mallory Thomas Underscore Rights if you're interested in the romance content.

464
00:24:47.960 --> 00:24:51.680
And yeah, basically on every platform under those two handles.

465
00:24:52.319 --> 00:24:55.240
All of Valorie's links are going to be live on

466
00:24:55.359 --> 00:24:57.680
Word of Mom Radio. And I'm really going to encourage

467
00:24:57.680 --> 00:25:01.519
you to get the book somewhere along the line. It's

468
00:25:01.519 --> 00:25:06.079
a good story, it's a fun read, and it's engaging.

469
00:25:06.680 --> 00:25:09.359
It really is. It's kind of you get wrapped up

470
00:25:10.119 --> 00:25:11.200
in these characters.

471
00:25:11.680 --> 00:25:12.799
You that was the hope.

472
00:25:13.440 --> 00:25:18.359
No, it really it's a good book. I really enjoyed

473
00:25:18.400 --> 00:25:22.599
it and I love to read, so and I anything

474
00:25:23.519 --> 00:25:27.640
that can show your kids that they can read a

475
00:25:27.640 --> 00:25:32.240
book rather than spending their time online and playing video

476
00:25:32.319 --> 00:25:37.160
games and things like that is a really good thing

477
00:25:37.279 --> 00:25:41.039
to me. And really, where is your Somewhere project? I

478
00:25:41.079 --> 00:25:44.440
think that that's a fabulous way to involve your kids

479
00:25:45.119 --> 00:25:49.200
in how things are going. So, you know what, authors,

480
00:25:49.440 --> 00:25:51.480
it's a great idea out there.

481
00:25:52.160 --> 00:25:54.920
You know, it's fun, it's easy, it was easy to

482
00:25:54.920 --> 00:25:55.359
set up.

483
00:25:56.200 --> 00:25:59.759
Yeah, and again you know, and how exciting to connect

484
00:25:59.759 --> 00:26:01.759
other readers to each other kind of a thing that

485
00:26:01.880 --> 00:26:04.559
you know. Wow, we're all traveling and doing this and

486
00:26:04.599 --> 00:26:07.519
doing that. So yes, nice job.

487
00:26:08.440 --> 00:26:10.680
Thank you, and thank you for the opportunity to come

488
00:26:10.839 --> 00:26:11.880
chat with you this morning.

489
00:26:11.880 --> 00:26:12.599
This has been lovely.

490
00:26:12.920 --> 00:26:15.559
Oh right back at you. It was a great way

491
00:26:15.599 --> 00:26:19.599
to start our recording day. Absolutely, and for all of

492
00:26:19.640 --> 00:26:22.680
you tuning in, thank you so much for being here.

493
00:26:22.720 --> 00:26:26.240
We're gonna close out with our fabulous theme song from

494
00:26:26.279 --> 00:26:29.839
Smith's Sisters and the Sunday Drivers. So till next time,

495
00:26:29.880 --> 00:26:32.440
This is Dori di Carlo saying, go out and create

496
00:26:32.440 --> 00:26:34.440
a marvelous you. Bye for now.

497
00:26:37.720 --> 00:26:40.279
She is sure, she is sure, she is strong, she

498
00:26:40.359 --> 00:26:42.480
is strong, she is true, is true.

499
00:26:44.039 --> 00:26:48.559
She is braz Bray. She is she is you, is you,

500
00:26:48.880 --> 00:26:49.400
she is you.

501
00:26:49.680 --> 00:26:52.960
She is sure, she is sure, she is strong, she

502
00:26:53.079 --> 00:26:57.160
is strong, she is true, she is true. She is

503
00:26:57.319 --> 00:27:00.559
braz Bray. She is she is you.

504
00:27:00.799 --> 00:27:02.079
She is you, she is you.

505
00:27:02.400 --> 00:27:05.720
She is sure of herself. Yes, she takes care of

506
00:27:05.759 --> 00:27:09.160
his powerful and strong. Yes, she knows who she is

507
00:27:09.440 --> 00:27:12.240
has integeredy woman, strong and true.

508
00:27:12.799 --> 00:27:15.359
You know her by name. See this woman is you.

509
00:27:15.680 --> 00:27:19.000
She is sure, she is strong, he is strong, she

510
00:27:19.079 --> 00:27:25.240
is true, is true, she is brave, she is, she

511
00:27:25.519 --> 00:27:29.200
is you, she is, she is, she is sure, she

512
00:27:30.160 --> 00:27:33.519
is strong, is strong, she is true, is true.

513
00:27:34.799 --> 00:27:39.000
She is brave, she is bold, she she is you, she.

514
00:27:39.039 --> 00:27:44.039
Is She adds value and hope has proved to be brave.

515
00:27:44.279 --> 00:27:48.240
See it's never too late, never time to behave Reaching

516
00:27:48.279 --> 00:27:49.799
for dreams doesn't matter.

517
00:27:49.920 --> 00:27:53.599
The age believes in herself ut least from her cage.

518
00:27:53.759 --> 00:27:56.920
She is sure, she is sure, she is strong, is strong,

519
00:27:56.960 --> 00:28:01.920
she is true, is true, she is brave, bray, she

520
00:28:02.079 --> 00:28:06.799
is bold, she is you, she is she is, she

521
00:28:06.960 --> 00:28:09.799
is sure, she is she is strong, she is strong,

522
00:28:09.880 --> 00:28:12.400
she is true, is true

523
00:28:13.079 --> 00:28:16.480
She is braid, is braid, she is she is, she

524
00:28:16.680 --> 00:28:17.000
is you.
Mallory Thomas Profile Photo

Author

Mallory Thomas is a writer and reader of soft love stories that make you swoon, squeal, and blush. When she's not writing, she can be found picking up after her two kids, joking with her handsome husband, and planning trips to the beach. She's also a baby formula expert and content creator. She strives to write books that are better than your phone-- she hopes the time spent reading her books will leave you happier and more hopeful than time spent on social media.