Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lisa DeLugo. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Lisa , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken was using my voice in a way that could actually expose me.

Starting Mom Is My Emergency Contact Podcast wasn’t just launching a podcast. It was stepping into a space where I knew I’d be seen and judged for saying the things most women only say in private. The backstory matters.

I’m a single mom. I’ve been through divorce, complicated relationships, rebuilding, and trying to figure out who I am outside of being someone’s partner or someone’s mom. And in that process, I realized something….women are carrying so much… but we filter everything. We water it down. We make it palatable. And I didn’t want to do that anymore.

So the risk wasn’t just “start a podcast.” The risk was: What happens if I actually tell the truth? What happens if I talk about dating in your 50s? What happens if I say out loud that sometimes motherhood is overwhelming? What happens if I give women permission to be messy, to be bold, to not have it all figured out? Because once it’s out there, you can’t take it back.

There’s also a professional risk. I have a very structured, credible career. I’m not “supposed” to be the woman saying some of the things I say on that podcast. There’s a version of me that had to get really uncomfortable with breaking that mold. I remember hesitating before releasing early episodes thinking: “Are people going to think I’m too much? Too raw? Too unfiltered?” And then I hit publish anyway. That was the moment of risk. And how did it turn out? Honestly, it didn’t blow up overnight. It wasn’t some viral moment. But what did happen was more powerful. Women started reaching out. Quietly at first. Messages like: “Thank you for saying what I’ve been thinking.” “I thought I was the only one.” “I needed this.”
And that’s when I realized, the risk worked. Because it wasn’t about numbers. It was about resonance.

Now the podcast is growing again, and I’m leaning even more into that unfiltered space. And the funny thing is, the more honest I get, the more connected people feel. So if I had to sum it up…The risk I took was choosing authenticity over approval. And what I got in return was connection, purpose, and a platform that actually means something, not just to me, but to the women who listen.

Lisa , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m the voice behind Mom Is My Emergency Contact (MIMEC), a podcast that creates a real, unfiltered, and supportive space for women navigating life, relationships, and starting over.

I didn’t start here, though.

I originally launched the Ella-Go Podcast in 2020, which focused on fitness and wellness. But over time, I realized I was holding back. I was talking about movement, but not about the real-life experiences behind it like divorce, dating, single motherhood, and the emotional weight women carry.

So I made a shift.

I created MIMEC as a space where I could be more honest, more raw, and say the things women are often thinking but don’t always feel safe saying out loud.

MIMEC is about real conversations, dating in your 40s and 50s, relationships, heartbreak, rebuilding, and finding yourself again. But more than that, it’s becoming a supportive community for women who are in the middle of it, not just on the other side of it.

That’s what I’m most passionate about right now….building that community.

I’m slowly expanding MIMEC beyond the podcast into a deeper support system, with plans for virtual support groups and resources like eBooks focused on surviving divorce and finding your empowerment while you’re still in it and not just after it’s over.

What sets this apart is that it’s not polished or perfect, it’s real. It’s a space where women can feel seen, heard, and supported without judgment.

At the end of the day, MIMEC isn’t just a podcast, it’s a movement toward helping women realize they’re not alone, and that they can rebuild, redefine, and reclaim their lives on their own terms.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Building my audience hasn’t been a straight line. And I think that’s important for people to hear.

I actually had an account that grew to about 16,000 followers early on, but I built it around content that wasn’t fully aligned with what I do now. So when I pivoted into running coaching and eventually Mom Is My Emergency Contact Podcast (MIMEC), I had to almost start over.

That was humbling.

What I’ve learned is that growth isn’t just about numbers, it’s about alignment. When your content matches who you really are and who you’re trying to reach, the right people start to find you.

With MIMEC, I’ve been much more intentional. I focus on real, relatable content and things women are actually thinking but might not say out loud. Dating struggles, starting over, being a single mom, feeling stuck but still wanting more. That kind of content connects because it’s honest.

I’ve also learned that consistency matters more than perfection. There were times I held back because I wasn’t sure how something would land but the posts that usually perform best are the ones where I just say the thing.

If I had to give advice to someone just starting out, it would be this:

Don’t try to be everywhere, be clear.

Know who you’re talking to and what you want to be known for. You don’t need to post everything, you need to post the right things consistently.

Also, don’t be afraid to evolve. A lot of people stay stuck because they think they have to stick with what they started. You don’t. Your brand can grow as you grow.

And finally, focus on connection over numbers. You don’t need thousands of followers to make an impact. If people feel seen when they come across your content, they’ll stay, and they’ll come back. That’s how you build something that actually lasts.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

One of the biggest moments of resilience in my journey wasn’t something dramatic, it was quieter, but honestly harder.

It was when I realized I had built something… and then had to be willing to change it.

I had already created the Ella-Go Podcast. It was doing well, reaching people globally, and on the outside, it looked like I had momentum. But internally, I knew I wasn’t fully showing up. I was talking about fitness and wellness, but not about the real-life experiences I and so many women were actually going through. At the same time, I was navigating my own life, being a single mom, dealing with the emotional weight of divorce, figuring out relationships, and trying to rebuild my identity. It wasn’t clean or polished. It was messy. And I remember thinking, “How am I telling other women to move forward… if I’m still holding back myself?”

That was the turning point.

The resilient part wasn’t starting something new, it was being willing to pivot, to risk losing the audience I had built, and to start speaking more honestly through Mom Is My Emergency Contact Podcast. Because there’s a real fear in that. Fear of judgment. Fear of being “too much.” Fear of starting over.

But I did it anyway.

And in the beginning, it felt slow. There wasn’t instant validation. There were moments where I questioned if I made the right decision. But I stayed consistent. I kept showing up. I kept telling the truth.
And over time, something powerful happened…women started connecting in a deeper way. Not just listening, but reaching out, sharing their own stories, and saying, “I feel seen.” That’s when I knew the resilience paid off.

Because resilience, for me, wasn’t about pushing through something external, it was about having the courage to be more honest, to evolve, and to keep going even when the results weren’t immediate. And that’s exactly what I now teach and model through my work, how to keep moving forward, even when you’re in the middle of figuring it all out.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.momismyemergencycontact.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momismyemergencycontact/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Momismyemergencycontact
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@momismyemergencycontact

  Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mom-is-my-emergency-contact-podcast/id1730400570