

Under the Influence with Jo Piazza
Jo Piazza
Under the Influence is a deep dive into social media, a place haunted by aspirational marketing where it feels like every other person is a social media influencer trying to sell you something, all while posed in perfect houses that never seem to get messy. And behind this airbrushed perfection is money, so much money. Billions and billions of dollars. Journalist and mom Jo Piazza looks at how we got here, what it all means and how the commodification of every single aspect of our lives is driving everyone (but mostly women and mothers) a little insane.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 4, 2024 • 1h 1min
Sunday Nice Things: This American Ex-Wife
Welcome to Sunday Nice Things! Today we have an episode of This American Ex-Wife from the wonderful Lyz Lenz! I first became obsessed with Lyz when I read her book God Land and then she came on an early episode of Under the Influence to talk about attending a mom influencing conference and I fell hard for her. She's the creator of the newsletter Men Yell at Me which I read religiously every time it hits my inbox.This American Ex-wife is a podcast that explores the state of American heterosexual marriage. Lyz sits down with a cast of women to talk about their divorces, their journeys and unpacks an institution many take part in but few talk about: divorce.Today's episode is with the poet and bestselling author Maggie Smith who delves into how her divorce forced her to spend more time with herself and how that ended up being a very good thing.Listen to This American Ex-Wife hereOrder This American Ex-Wife the book here.Sign up for Men Yell at Me, here.
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Feb 3, 2024 • 9min
A Taste of The Sicilian Inheritance
So many of you have asked me for an audio preview of The Sicilian Inheritance that I finally just sat down and created one! Why not! I love this part. In it our main character has just met our Sicilian protagonist Giusy in a Sicilian restaurant. It's filled with delicious food and wine and even ends in a cliffhanger.
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Feb 1, 2024 • 39min
Attack of the Fitfluencers
The #fitfluencers and #wellness brands are coming for you. And they've been on the attack since January 1. This time of alleged renewal and reinvention is the Super Bowl for brands hoping to sell you a "better" or a "thinner" you. YOU are the product during this time of year and brands pay big money to get in front of you during this vulnerable time. Today we chat with digital brand marketer Amy Shoenthal (author of the Setback Cycle) about HOW you get targeted and Danielle Friedman (author of Let's Get Physical) about the history of fitness marketing and the good, the bad and the ugly of #fitfluencers.You can order The Setback Cycle here.You can order Let's Get Physical Here.You can also read Danielle's piece on #fitfluencers for the NYT here.Also grab yourself a Hot Sicilian.....while it's hot.
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Jan 30, 2024 • 36min
How to Start Writing with Jami Attenberg
Jami Attenberg, bestselling author, shares insights on starting and sustaining writing. She discusses the value of social media in building a supportive community for writers, the therapeutic nature of journaling, and the power of writing to overcome fear. Favorite sections of her book and impactful letters from contributing authors are also highlighted. The episode ends with a promotion of her social media presence, newsletter, and upcoming writing event.

Jan 28, 2024 • 53min
Sunday Nice Things: She Pivots with Stacy London
If you want more of She Pivots you can find all the episodes here.Under the Influence is sponsored by Quince and Honeylove.Give yourself the luxury you deserve with Quince! Go to Quince.com/influence for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Get 20% OFF @honeylove by going to https://www.honeylove.com/Influence #honeylovepod
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4 snips
Jan 25, 2024 • 43min
Ambitious Women Leaning into Family Life with Neha Ruch
Neha Ruch, creator of Mother Untitled, talks about redefining stay-at-home motherhood and ambition in motherhood. She discusses her journey from corporate to motherhood and the power of multitasking. She also focuses on redefining career pauses and the importance of women connecting and supporting each other.

Jan 23, 2024 • 45min
Trad Wives, Trad Lives and Politics with Emily in Your Phone
Social media is political. That is a fact. You may think you're following beautiful images of a woman breastfeeding her baby in the Costa Rican jungle while her nine other children wait patiently by the waterfall, but pay closer attention and she is telling you not to vaccinate your children or use birth control. You never know who is behind a message or who is boosting information and accounts behind the scenes. Emily Amick, of the account Emily in Your Phone breaks it all down for us in the same no nonsense way she does on her Instagram account about all the political news we need to know. She's an incredible resource for using social media in progressive politics and she is very wise about how conservative forces have simply been better at using the socials to achieve their goals.Under the Influence is sponsored by Quince and Honeylove.Give yourself the luxury you deserve with Quince! Go to Quince.com/influence for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Get 20% OFF @honeylove by going to https://www.honeylove.com/Influence #honeylovepodMake sure to follow Emily in Your Phone here @EmilyinYourPhone AND preorder her book Democracy in Retrograde.You can order a personalized Sicilian Inheritance from Bluebird Bookstop.
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Jan 21, 2024 • 1h 17min
Sunday Nice Things: The Cult of Perfect
Welcome to Sunday Nice Things.....a bonus episode where we share a podcast we love, a book we love, a rant we have to get off our chests. It's a nice thing for Sunday because we deserve them. This week we have an episode of The Cult of Perfect podcast from my friends Sara Petersen and Virginia Sole Smith. The Cult of Perfect explores the intersection of motherhood, public performance, and bodies, and tries to figure out what our addiction to the idea of perfect says about us and the world we live in. This episode is called Let Them Be Beige and explores everything from Ballerina Farm’s shiplap, influencers cosplaying poverty when they really have SO MUCH MONEY, the psychology of ownership, and the joy of living with less. You can get more Cult of Perfect right HERE.And subscribe to our newsletter OVER THE INFLUENCE HERE.
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Jan 18, 2024 • 45min
Let's Talk About the Mrs. America Pageant
Until about six months ago I didn't know that the Mrs. America pageant existed. And when I did some research and found that it originally judged contestants on their domestic acumen it felt a little trad wifey to me. When I talked about it on an episode I was contacted by a listener named Chloe Rosen, AKA Mrs. New York. And she wanted me to know I was wrong. She wanted me to know that there is way more to the pageant than I talked about and that the contestants are bad ass women who deserve recognition in numerous ways. I love being told something I don't know. I also love civil conversations about bias and the things that might be outside our own worldview. So welcome to Under the Influence Mrs. New York. Let's talk about all things Mrs. America!You can follow Chloe here.This episode is sponsored by One Skin. Get started today with One Skin and get 15% off using code Influence at checkout. After you purchase, they’ll ask you where you heard about them. PLEASE support our show and tell them we sent you. We are also sponsored by the delightful linen, fabric and bedding brand ettitude. You can get $35 off your order, plus free shipping for a limited time when use the code Influence.
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Jan 16, 2024 • 48min
The Evangelical Christians Are Coming in Hot on Instagram
You know who is alive and well on Instagram? Jesus. And I say that without judgment, but it is true. Whether you realize it or not religion, namely Christianity, is being repackaged through beautiful images of motherhood and parenthood on social media. Today we talk to Kelsey Kramer McGinnis, a reporter for Christianity Today who has been researching Christian social media, #tradwives and images of "good motherhood," that quietly promote religious beliefs. Because many of these images look so beautiful and so aesthetically pleasing they lodge in our brains, and we may not know what kind of an ideological place they're coming from or the impact they are having on us.This episode is sponsored by One Skin. Get started today with One Skin and get 15% off using code Influence at checkout. After you purchase, they’ll ask you where you heard about them. PLEASE support our show and tell them we sent you. We are also sponsored by the delightful linen, fabric and bedding brand ettitude. You can get $35 off your order, plus free shipping for a limited time when use the code Influence.
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