How Startup Potluck Reimagines Dinner for Moms - Shannon Amspacher, episode 163

EP 163.  What if the most overlooked opportunity in family marketing is sitting at the dinner table? In this episode, I talk with Shannon Amspacher, founder of startup Potluck, a new community-based meal swap app that helps families batch cook and share meals with people they already know and trust, like other parents from school, daycare, faith groups, or local communities. We explore the invisible mental load behind dinner, why traditional convenience solutions don’t go far enough, and what marketers can learn about building trust-based, empathy-driven products that solve real everyday pressures for moms. 
 

Key Highlights

• Potluck: Not just another meal kit – a platform to batch cook and swap meals with trusted community members

• Insights into this Startup's deep understanding of their customer's problems

• Deep empathy and user research shaped Potluck’s development

• The invisible mental load of meal planning and how Potluck alleviates it

• Insights for marketers: Start with human need, respect complexity, and listen to cultural signals

• Using technology to rebuild community and connection

• How to sign up for Potluck & get involved

Solving the Mental Load Moms Carry

Sarah Panus and Shannon Amspacher dive straight into the heart of the episode: the relentless burden moms face around feeding their families. Shannon’s experience as a new mom led her to realize cooking wasn’t just about food—it was about juggling energy, time, and mental bandwidth.

94% of moms report preparing meals for their kids, versus 76% of dads. Shannon frames the dinner dilemma as more than “just a hard task – it’s a relentless one.” Potluck’s mission is to reclaim moms’ time, intellectual capacity, and headspace by creating a smarter, shared system for meal preparation.

Empathy-Driven Innovation: Putting Real Needs First

One of Potluck’s guiding principles is leading with empathy. Rather than just presenting a faster way to cook, Shannon focused on addressing the invisible load—conception, planning, and execution. She references Eve Rodsky’s framework:

• Conception: What to cook? What variety? What’s left in the fridge?

• Planning: Creating grocery lists, accommodating schedules, allergies, preferences

• Execution: Shopping, cooking, cleaning up

Most existing meal solutions only address one aspect—Potluck seeks to lighten the entire load. Batch cooking and swapping with trusted community members create household efficiencies with emotional support baked in.

Building Clarity by Simplifying Big Problems

Shannon shares that clarity came from the “foggiest chapters” of her postpartum months, when dinner stress was highest. Batch cooking and meal trains among friends were lifesavers, but eventually support fades and loneliness sets in. Observing neighbors simultaneously retreating indoors to cook, she realized the opportunity to share the load and restore connection.

Her advice for marketers:
Start with the human need, not just product features. Don’t pitch solutions as “managing dinner logistics”—present them as ways to make life easier and less lonely. True clarity addresses multiple pain points and keeps the message simple and relatable.

Listening to Your Audience and Respecting Complexity

Potluck was shaped by real conversations and pilot feedback. Moms crave time and connection, but also trust when sharing meals. Batch cooking with those you already know—through schools, faith groups, gyms—anchors the platform in “place-based trust networks,” not random matches.

Shannon recommends marketers respect the complexity of motherhood. Moms’ needs change through various life phases; they’re not a monolith. Personalized solutions (not one-size-fits-all) will always resonate more deeply.

How Potluck Works – Step by Step

Interested in joining Potluck? Here’s how it works:

1. Join the Waitlist

2. Complete Your Food Profile: Household size, dietary needs, preferences, community affiliations

3. Get Matched: Based on profile and trusted community overlap

4. Build Rapport: Connect and decide if you want to swap meals

5. Coordinate Swaps: Potluck streamlines logistics, suggests meals, and manages reminders

6. Swap & Enjoy: Share meals, free up time, and create new connections

Tech-enabled, but community-first, Potluck offers a sustainable way to share the cooking burden and build relationships.

Advice for Marketers Targeting Moms

Shannon’s top takeaways for brands:

• Talk to moms—but also listen deeply to what they say and to broader societal signals

• Respect complexity: Moms’ needs shift cognitively, emotionally, and practically; tailor solutions accordingly

• Look to ELIXIR Science of Modern Motherhood for research mapping moms’ journeys across five phases

• Solve for real pain points: Focus on time, mental load, connection, and supportive care

Connect with Shannon Amspacher & Potluck

Want to get in touch, collaborate, or try Potluck for your family or workplace? Here’s how:

• Shannon Amspacher on LinkedIn:  Connect here

• Potluck Website: joinpotluck.app – Sign up for the waitlist, upcoming pilots, or research studies

• Potluck on Social:

  • LinkedIn: Potluck

  • Instagram, Bluesky, Facebook, TikTok

• Interested in partnerships or workplace pilots?  Reach out via the Potluck website or social channels

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About Marketing With Empathy® Podcast Host, Sarah Panus

Marketing With Empathy® is the show for brands who want to win the hearts (and carts) of today’s busy families — and earn a trusted spot in their homes. In most households, moms still influence or control 85% of what ends up in the cart — making them a key voice to understand when marketing to families. Join host and 20+ year content strategist, Sarah Panus, as she shares ideas, stories, and strategies to grow your leads and sales. Top 5% of all podcasts and a proud member of the Marketing Podcast Network.

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With 20+ years of experience, Sarah understands how hard it is to juggle all the demands coming at you. She’s a mom, content marketing strategy consultant, Certified StoryBrand Coach, 2x podcast host of Marketing With Empathy® and KEEP KIDS SAFE, a speaker, and owner of Kindred Speak®. Sarah’s helped clients of all sizes including: Sleep Number, Troomi, SHEFIT, American Express, LegalZoom, Katie Couric Media, Thrive Global, Nestle Waters, Lindt Chocolate, Starbucks, Western Green, JHL Turf Pros, Christos Bridal, University of St. Thomas, American Heart Association, + numerous small businesses.

Podcast Produced by Sarah Panus