I would by lying if I said I wasn’t excited to introduce today’s Meet a Mom interviewee to this community. If you aren’t following Maria Sansone on social media, you’re missing out! Maria is an Emmy winning TV host, who creates amazing content on a wide variety of topics. Whether she’s giving you a braid tutorial, or hiding from her kids while she interviews another mom for her MOM2MOM show, or demonstrating how to cook an October feast with her extended family, she’s funny and completely relatable. Keep reading to learn more about this North Shore mom of 2!
Where are you from originally and what town do you live in now?
I’m originally from Erie, Pennsylvania. After many years in NYC and Santa Monica, California, we’ve put down roots in my husband’s hometown here on the North Shore.
How many children do you have and what are their age(s)?
Grace is 6 years old and Benjamin is 3.
What’s your favorite family activity on the North Shore?
We love backyard get togethers, BBQs any any excuse to hang with family and friends. In the summer, we’re lucky to be in walking distance to the beach where we enjoy boating, swimming and playing outdoor sports.
Where’s your favorite place to eat and/or shop on the North Shore?
Salem and Beverly are my top choices for a date night. So many great food options. I do a lot of shopping locally. One of my favorite stores is Chic Streets in Marblehead.
Tell us a little bit about your current job(s). There are many…and they are all so fun!
I’m a TV host who wears many hats!! I’m currently a correspondent for the daily lifestyle show “The Hub Today” on NBC Boston and NECN where I host a live, weekly digital show called “MOM2MOM”. (Wednesdays 4pm on www.facebook.com/necntv)
I’m also a content creator for my digital platforms (@mariasansone) where I host a cooking series called “REAL COOKING LIVE” on my IG/ FB pages and I’m the founder of the REAL MOM’s COOKING CLUB. (@realmomscookingclub)
How did you get started in your career?
I started in television at age 11, completely by accident. I was interviewed at a local basketball game, the reporter interviewing me told his boss I should have my own show. Next thing you know I started doing regular sports segments on the local news where I interviewed other kids and the rest is history!
What’s your favorite part about being a host?
I’m a genuinely curious person, so I love that I’m able to cover a wide variety of topics. I could be talking serious politics one minute and fall makeup trends the next!
What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
People are surprised to learn that I had postpartum depression/anxiety because I hid it well. I’m very open about it today because I want to normalize it for other moms and let them know they aren’t alone.
Any tips for balancing work & motherhood?
I wish!! I’ve asked many guests this on MOM2MOM and the consensus is…there’s no such thing as balance these days!
One thing that has helped me is trying to create boundaries. For example, putting the phone (and work) away for a dedicated amount of time to spend with the kids. I find if I carve out some of these times throughout the day for the family, we have more meaningful interactions and I don’t feel so scattered.
What is the best piece of mom advice you ever received?
It goes too fast…enjoy it.
People tell you this all the time and you shrug it off and then you become a parent, blink…and all of a sudden your kid is grown up. That was hard to imagine when I was sleep-deprived and on my last nerve but they are only little for a short time.
What’s your favorite thing to do when you need some “me” time?
Long walks with the dog are my saving grace.
And doing just about anything with my girlfriends. I would be LOST without my mom tribe. If we couldn’t laugh we would all go insane!