Mariela De Santiago is the founder and creator of Mama Wears Athleisure, a San Diego based Podcast talking through the nonexistent parent manual and interviewing experts on all things parenting. She moved to North County San Diego in June of 2020 after earning her Masters in Special Education from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She taught special education until 2022, when her son was born. Now, Mariela is using her skills and knowledge to help be a resource to parents and caregivers through her podcast called Mama Wears Athleisure.

“As a new mom, I would go for walks with my son and my dogs. This was always a great time to listen to podcasts. I have always been a fan of podcasts, an avid listener on my commute to and from work. However, once I found myself having to learn everything that goes into caring for a little human, I was having to be more efficient with my time. With that, I began my search for a mom podcast that would tell me about all the stuff I would soon be googling, but in short episodes, as in 20 minutes. Basically, I wanted an expert to give me what my google search results would be, then I could go from there and dive deeper.”

Unfortunately, Mariela found nothing. She would jump from one podcast to another, or take 3 days to finish an episode having listened to a story that didn’t apply to her. After weeks of searching without any luck she jumped right in and decided to create it herself.

“I wanted mamas to know they would likely be able to listen to the full episodes without interruption and walk away having learned some useful information. I wanted to be mindful of their time but help them by giving them something they would otherwise not have known.”

As a result of Mariela’s ingenuity, determination, and passion for helping others, Mama Wears Athleisure was born!

Since launching, Mama Wears Athleisure has recorded almost 20 Podcasts, developed an engaged following, and served countless other moms not just from San Diego, but all over the world with expert interviews and a “spark notes” version of everything mamas google.

WE CAUGHT UP WITH THE ENTREPRENEUR AND podcast PRO TO TALK MOTHERHOOD, SAN DIEGO, AND FINDING A CAREER that provides balance while keeping up with the littles.

When did you start your business?

I aired my first episode on November 9th, my son’s 8 month anniversary.

How did you come up with the name?

After coming up with a list of names that were either already taken or too similar to other podcasts, I did some reflecting to find what described me as a parent. I live in athleisure and love to be comfortable. Given our location in San Diego, I felt that Mama Wears Athleisure described me and my lifestyle (active, casual, comfortable, and outdoorsy).

How has San Diego played a role in its growth and identity?

Being a stay-at-home-mom in San Diego, I wanted to bond with other moms in the area. Thus, I started participating in mom groups I found on instagram, such as SD Mom Walks, Carlsbad Mom Walks, Mama Meet Ups and more. I also started to attend birthworker networking events where I have been able to meet providers in the area that work with mamas. This has allowed me to connect with knowledgeable individuals that are open and willing to be interviewed on my podcast. As a result, it allows me to share their online services with listeners throughout the world.

When you started, did you specifically see a need for it in San Diego? How has your business solved that need?

When I became a mom, I would go for walks and wanted to use the time to listen to a podcast that was going to give me answers to the various topics I was googling, from breastfeeding to starting solids and much more. I wasn’t having any luck. Most of the podcast were 45+ minutes long and were personal stories that did not apply to my current situation.

After mentioning my thoughts on a podcast to a few moms and my husband, I finally decided to create what I envisioned, thus Mama Wears Athleisure was born.

I wanted to provide answers to many questions moms google allowing them the ability to free some of their time by being able to multitask and have their hands free. My podcast gives parents and caregivers information in short episodes (averaging about 20 minutes) allowing them to have a baseline on the information they would otherwise be googling and get overwhelming results on.

Are you originally from San Diego? If not, what brought you here?

I was born and raised in Orange County and grew up in Fort Collins, CO. I was living in San Francisco when my husband and I met. My husband is originally from Oceanside. Once the pandemic started and we were both working from home, we decided to make our move back down to San Diego. We absolutely love it and are so happy to raise our son here. We love being close to the beach, great year round weather, and enjoying the various outdoor activities.

What is the best part about running your business?

The best part about my podcast is meeting other moms and birthworkers looking to support mamas. I am constantly learning something new, all while being able to spend time with my son.

How has the local community accepted you?

I feel I’ve had a great response from mamas and the mama community groups I have participated in. Local businesses are super supportive and accepting, as well as being willing to interview and share their knowledge with listeners. It has been wonderful!

As a business owner, what trials do you face?

Being the sole person that runs my podcast, my biggest challenge is the social media aspect and finding time to do it all. I have so many ideas, but I have to be selective and set manageable goals so I do not overwhelm myself.

What makes your business unique from others of its kind?

Mama Wears Athleisure is a very unique type of podcast. Topics apply to many mamas, parents and caregivers. The goal is to provide a baseline for the various google searches with experts answering the questions in short episodes. I want to be able to save parents time while providing them with helpful information.

How is your business localized to serve San Diego?

I try to focus on interviewing local San Diego experts and highlight their online service offerings in hopes of being able to connect mamas, parents, and caregivers to those experts if needed. San Diego has such a great community of women who support each other.

What do you see for the future of your business?

I envision my podcast helping parents and caregivers find answers to the various questions we have, as well as helping moms get connected to providers in the areas they need support in. I see Mama Wears Athleisure serving as a resource for parents and caregivers.

Mama Wears Athleisure Podcast with Mariela DeSantiago