conversation cards – Spread the Jelly’s “The Sticky Stuff” aims to spark deeper postpartum conversations—drawing on research that people want more meaningful talks.
A simple trip to the playground can turn into an emotional missed opportunity: moms trade familiar updates. then move on. relieved to keep things light.. The question behind the small talk is often more urgent—what really changed after birth. what feels hard now. and what a partner or friend might not fully understand.
That gap is exactly what Spread the Jelly is trying to close with a new product designed to make those tougher conversations easier to start.. The company has launched “The Sticky Stuff. ” an 18-month-old media platform’s deck of cards intended to prompt mothers to talk about birth and postpartum experiences more directly and sooner.. The deck is sold on the Spread the Jelly website for $45.
Founded by Amrit Tietz and Lauren Levinger. the platform describes its work as helping people “break open” and show up as both messiest and happiest at the same time.. Tietz. speaking about the mission behind the cards. framed the goal as creating a space where difficult or deeply personal topics can be addressed without requiring perfect timing or polished delivery.
The new deck arrives as conversation cards continue to proliferate beyond parenting circles.. “The Sticky Stuff” joins other card products already on the market. including therapist Esther Perel’s “Where Should We Begin?” cards. which launched in 2021. as well as “Tales. ” which focuses on facilitating conversations with kids.. The trend has also moved into mainstream retail moments. including fast food chains such as Chick-fil-A distributing cards designed to spark conversation around meals.
The growing interest signals something broader than a novelty trend.. Nicholas Epley. a professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business who has studied conversation patterns for two decades. said the popularity of these products points to a strong desire to discuss “deep issues” more often—an appetite that often clashes with what everyday social situations make possible.
Spread the Jelly’s own origin story is less boardroom and more urgent personal need.. The idea did not begin with market research or a formal business plan.. It started in Los Angeles. when Levinger reached out as a new mother needing support. and Tietz—pregnant and without mom friends at hand—connected with her through social media after expressing a desire to talk.
When the two finally met months later, they found that honest conversation felt unexpectedly good.. Their discussions moved quickly into topics many people avoid. including how lonely it can be to spend days with a non-verbal child and the realities of postpartum sexuality.. In their telling, the experience made something clear: they were “starved” for community.
Out of that need, they launched Spread The Jelly as an online magazine built around radical honesty about modern motherhood.. The conversation cards came later as an extension of that mission. with Tietz and Levinger developing a set of questions and testing them with partners. families. and friends to shape the prompts.
The resulting deck is organized into four categories—foundation, identity, belonging, and intimacy.. The cards include prompts such as “Describe your childhood in one sentence. ” “Describe a moment you’re not proud of. ” and “How do you show up for your loved ones?” The intent. according to Levinger. is to counter the way dinner-table talk can settle into routines that are pleasant but ultimately stagnant.
While the cards are marketed as an aid to starting deeper conversations. Epley argues that the underlying barrier is not that people lack interest—it’s that deep conversation is hard to initiate in everyday life.. He points to a widely discussed study from 1973 by psychologist Stanley Milgram. which found that people on a subway system typically do not talk to one another.
Epley also connects the current moment to new social awareness. including the loneliness epidemic in the United States and how public attention has increased thanks to figures such as the Surgeon General. Vivek Murthy.. The concern, as he frames it, is that social isolation and disconnection come with clear costs.
Technology is another force that has changed the texture of everyday interaction.. Even when people are physically around others—such as on public transit—phones can reduce the impulse or opportunity to start meaningful exchanges.. Epley suggests this creates a paradox: social media may make networks feel large. but those connections are often weak and rarely lead to profound conversation.
Within that environment. conversation cards represent a practical workaround: they provide permission. structure. and a low-pressure entry point into topics people may otherwise assume are too intrusive.. Epley said a reason people hesitate is the belief that others might not want to go there—that starting these themes could feel inappropriate.. By contrast. research he conducted suggested that when people were asked to discuss personal experiences. many reported feeling better and wanting more conversations that were just as deep or deeper.
Epley described how. in a 2021 research paper. he brought together thousands of people and randomly paired strangers to discuss prompts such as recalling one of the last times they cried in front of someone else.. He said participants were not typically asked questions like that. and the key finding was that many still wished for more of this kind of engagement.
The “skill” argument is central to Epley’s view of why cards may matter.. He stressed that deep conversation has always been challenging. but new dynamics—heightened awareness of loneliness and changes in day-to-day interaction—make it more difficult to happen spontaneously.. At the same time. he said it can improve with practice: learning what questions to ask and how to ask them.
For new mothers, the implications extend beyond getting through an awkward silence.. Postpartum depression and isolation are described as widespread. and many mothers spend their days surrounded by adults—at playgrounds and in parent groups—yet still experience loneliness during seemingly routine small talk.. Epley was clear that a deck of cards cannot fix a broad loneliness epidemic. but he suggested it can help provide social permission to form more meaningful connections with people who are already nearby.
For Tietz and Levinger. the cards are also only one piece of a larger mission to push back against parenting media that can feel overly prescriptive about what motherhood should look like.. They want Spread the Jelly to be different from traditional parenting outlets by creating room for women to share diverse experiences.. Tietz emphasized that there is no single blueprint for parenting because everyone’s journey varies dramatically—and that. at its core. many people want to feel less alone in what they are living through.
As conversation products move from niche wellness circles into everyday social settings. the market signals a simple demand: people want a way to talk that matches what they’re actually carrying.. In that sense. “The Sticky Stuff” is not only a deck of prompts—it’s an attempt to turn casual contact into something more human. and more useful. at exactly the moments when support is most needed.
conversation cards postpartum support modern motherhood Spread the Jelly loneliness epidemic relationship communication Esther Perel