Moms can have fun on their terms.
By Kasee Bailey, Photos courtesy of Moms on the Loose
Global domination: That’s the plan for Betsy Hudson and Brittany Mycoskie. But it’s a lofty goal, so, for now, the two Austin moms are content commandeering the airwaves, one 30-minute episode at time.
Hudson and Mycoskie are best friends and the founders of Moms on the Loose, a podcast aimed at encouraging moms to get out and let loose. The two moms met during preschool pickups, their version of a serendipitous “meet cute,” but it wasn’t until a night out—a story they detailedin a recent podcast that involved a catwalk, a jumper and peeing next to a dumpster—that cemented their friendship. Then, in their own quintessential moms' night out moment dancing alongside the stage at an Ice Cube concert during the Austin City Limits Music Festival, the fire behind their Moms on the Loose movement was ignited.
Looking for a stimulating creative outlet, the two toyed with the idea of making parody videos, swapping Snoop Dogg lyrics for quips about oh-so-relatable mom moments. Then, after stewing about ideas, Mycoskie called Hudson with a thought: What about a podcast?
“Within the end of the week, we were at a bank filing paperwork,” Hudson says. “We just went balls to the wall and completely went for it.”
Their venture required the two to overcome a number of technical learning curves, but they reached out to their tech-savvy spouses and their social circles to get things off the ground.
“We’ve leaned on a lot of people where we fell short,” Hudson says.
The duo decided to ditch the traditional studio setting to record their podcast, instead investing in their own equipment, which gives them the freedom to set their own schedules and conduct interviews in comfortable locations and, well, sweatpants.
“That was probably one of our best decisions, to scratch the recording studio,” Mycoskie says. “Although it would have been amazing sound quality, we would have sacrificed the quality of our content.”
Now touting their portable podcast—often recorded in Mycoskie’s kids’ playroom, at local businesses or hotels—the moms chat up pediatric nurses, female entrepreneurs, American Idol finalists and other kick-butt moms, infusing episodes with their own brand of unique humor. Whether they’re giving a big middle finger to birth plans or the expectation of “always being on” as a mom, Hudson and Mycoskie are advocating for moms to step out from knee-deep diapers and dirty dishes in favor of becoming moms on the loose.
“We’re trying to change the stigma,” Hudson says. “You’re doing a better service to your kids by getting time out, being able to go home after you’ve had a breath of fresh air, being in a better mood than if you had been there all day. Even if it’s just taking 10 minutes to take a walk around the block, you’ll come back feeling refreshed. And we want to show our kids—boys and girls—that we can have something to ourselves.”
To Austin women and moms, their message is relatable, especially for new mothers who may feel guilty about claiming precious time for themselves. (Going to the bathroom alone doesn’t count!)
“We love this idea and we see this idea as something that needs to be spread,” Mycoskie says. “It’s OK to take time for yourself. It’s not only OK, it’s crucial.”
And they’re not wrong. Studies prove alone time helps moms be better parents and people.
In addition to recording their weekly podcasts, hosting local Moms on the Loose meetups, planning for their business’ future (which may include adding branded merchandise) and Instacarting in their spare moments, Hudson and Mycoskie are working tirelessly to start a larger conversation about the importance of me time, one that began in their own new-mom moments. Now they have their sights set on big plans beyond the podcast.
“It started out as something for us,” Hudson says. “This is something that we needed to do. As it has changed and evolved; it has become this labor of love. None of us really have it all figured out, but if it can just light a spark, it will be a job well done. I would hope that we make enough of an impact that this carries on and can become something, that it kind of ‘butterfly effects’ its way around the world. As you can tell, we like to reach for the stars.”
The Moms on the Loose weekly podcast is available on iTunes. Follow the moms on Instagram at @themomsontheloose.
