21: Superheroes & Stereotypes: Breaking Gender Roles & Raising Empowered Kids, A Conversation with Guests Stephanie Trzaska & Tara Geraghty
Rewriting the Script on Superheroes, Gender Roles, and Motherhood
In this heart-expanding episode of the Wand(HER)Wild podcast, Monica is joined by two powerful voices: Stephanie Trzaska, intuitive life coach and spiritual mentor, and Tara Geraghty, a resilience speaker and TEDx alum. Together, they explore how the media we consumed in the '90s shaped our notions of superheroes, gender roles, financial independence, and what it truly means to raise empowered children today. Their dialogue weaves through personal stories, cultural critique, and collective healing, offering a tapestry of wisdom for any mother seeking aligned living and mindful parenting.
Rewriting the Superhero Narrative
Growing up in the 1990s and early 2000s, many women were steeped in the imagery of male saviors. Whether it was cable TV, Disney fairytales, or action figures, the message was loud and clear: men rescue, women wait.
Stephanie reflects on her childhood idols, from the Little House series to the archetype of the prince on the white horse. Despite having strong feminine traits, she acknowledges a lingering belief in being "saved" when challenges arise—especially around finances. Her self development journey has included facing this head-on through intentional work on financial literacy.
Tara, raised in a more overtly patriarchal household, recalls idolizing Wonder Woman and studying female leaders like Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Yet, her lived experience—a mother financially controlled by her father and watching women stay in harmful relationships due to economic dependence—fueled her early vow never to rely on a man for money.
Monica, who grew up with a more balanced dynamic, pursued a career in petroleum engineering and became the primary breadwinner before stepping into entrepreneurship. Her story brings nuance to the idea of strength, freedom, and vulnerability within family systems.
The Cost of Financial Dependence
The conversation naturally turns to money—an often taboo topic that is central to freedom, power, and choice. Tara shares haunting stories of women trapped in abusive homes, unable to leave due to lack of financial resources. Monica and Stephanie open up about their own evolving relationships with money: from stepping away from a corporate salary to navigating the fears and freedoms of entrepreneurship.
They explore how gender conditioning affects women’s confidence in negotiation, the undervaluing of domestic labor, and the internal conflict many mothers face when choosing between presence and prosperity.
Breaking the Cycle Through Intentional Parenting
Stephanie offers a tender look into her world of raising two young boys. A practitioner of feminine spirituality and somatic healing, she brings her sons into her spiritual rituals—from sound baths to intention setting.
Instead of reinforcing outdated gender roles, she guides them through experiences that foster empathy, emotional literacy, and mind-body-soul awareness. Her aim? Raising boys who value connection, nature, and the sacred in everyday life.
Tara, raising a teenage daughter, speaks to the challenges of modeling self empowerment while healing her own "witch wound." She reflects on teaching bodily autonomy from an early age and giving her daughter permission to honor her intuition—even if it means rejecting societal expectations. Their communication now includes shared TikToks, emotional honesty, and deep mutual respect.
Monica shares her family's multicultural experience, celebrating both Ramadan and Easter, observing seasonal rhythms, and creating space for children to witness the diversity of human experience. As a toddler mom with global roots, her home becomes a microcosm of aligned living and conscious travel.
Picture of a mother holding her baby.
A Global Lens on Motherhood
Having lived abroad for over a decade, Monica brings a comparative perspective. In Norway, both parents receive government-mandated parental leave, creating structural support for shared caregiving. She highlights how such policies normalize emotional presence from fathers and reduce the burden on mothers.
By contrast, Tara underscores how in the U.S., women are often forced to choose between financial safety and presence with their children. Cultural expectations and legal structures have only recently evolved—marital rape wasn’t outlawed nationwide until 1993.
Inner Healing for Outer Change
What emerges from the conversation is a recognition that generational healing begins at home. By addressing financial trauma, outdated gender norms, and emotional suppression, mothers can break cycles of disempowerment.
Stephanie encourages listeners to tune into what lights them up or breaks their heart—those clues are signposts to one’s soul mission. Whether it's feminist finance, sacred parenting, or rebuilding community, women are being called to create intentional micro-revolutions in their daily lives.
Tara adds that every moment of modeling matters: trusting daughters to make wise decisions, allowing boys to feel deeply, and dismantling the systems of shame and silence we inherited. Her wish? That her daughter sees her as her best friend someday, not through pressure but through earned trust.
Closing Thoughts
This raw, real, and revelatory episode reminds us that empowered motherhood isn’t about perfection. It’s about conscious living, mindful parenting, and sacred connections that ripple through generations. Each mother’s path is unique, but when rooted in aligned living and presence, they all contribute to a more compassionate, equitable world.
If this conversation resonated with you, subscribe to the Wand(HER)Wild podcast for more stories rooted in feminine spirituality, mindful travel, and self improvement. Visit the show notes to learn more about Stephanie’s community, Little Scraps of Magic, and Tara’s coaching and community, Hey Girl, You Can.
And if you’re a mom, aspiring traveler, or soulful seeker—you’re invited to connect through Monica’s virtual mom community, nature retreats, or her in-person events for American moms living abroad.
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Want more real-talk episodes like this? Listen to The Wand(HER)wild Podcast and connect with our community over on Instagram @wandherwild or through our digital events at wandherwild.com/community and retreats at wanderwildfamilyretreats.com.
