“Knowing I’ve given someone the gift of unconditional love makes me feel very fulfilled.”
Q: What are you passionate about?
A: I’m actually an educational coach who works with special ed teachers with children with emotional needs and learning differences. Since my job is very demanding, the love of a puppy has helped me decompress after a long day at work. I became very passionate about helping other families find their dream dogs. I believe we all have a soulmate puppy, and I love playing matchmaker!
Q: What were your younger years like?
A: My grandmother, who was born and raised in Greece, was illiterate, and she really valued education, so she instilled this value in my mom. When we would visit, dogs were only aloud outside, and I loved spending time with them. Growing up, I always wanted a puppy, but my immigrant parents didn’t believe in having pets inside the home.
Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?
A: The journey to finding my dream dog was super complex. I didn’t know where to start, and I had specific needs. I wanted a hypoallergenic pup and I have back issues, so I needed a toy-size pup. After searching on adoption websites for months, I finally got connected with a breeder and instantly connected with my Shiloh. I wanted to help other people find their dream dogs within a week. To make the process gratifying and to see the joy on their faces when they meet their puppy for the first time. Knowing I’ve given someone the gift of unconditional love makes me feel very fulfilled.
Q: What does feminism mean to you? A: Feminism to means equality. It means owning your feminine beauty while honoring your masculine side. It means tapping into your feminine soul as your guidance system to follow your heart and dreams. It also means allowing the amazing men around you to provide and protect for you, without losing your power and honoring them as well.
MORE ABOUT KALLY: I developed the title of a puppy concierge and created Pawfect Soul Pets to simplify the process of helping families bring home their dream dogs. We specialize in helping first time dog owners navigate the details in bringing home their puppy, offer potty training, crate training, house breaking and preparing their homes for the pup’s successful transition. We are also there during the entire first year of the pup’s life to support them with any questions or resources they may have with their new fury companion.
“I would love for others to learn that our lives can change if we decide to change them. We are not a tree; we can change the direction of our lives!”
Q: What are you passionate about?
A: I’m passionate about helping women learn to love themselves now while working on a better version of themselves and building a community of women who empower one another. I started being a part of a women empowerment group called “Team Beauty” and because of their community, I was able to grow and learn to love myself and build self confidence. I currently have a nutrition shop where I host multiple events for women.
My husband and I have been married for 28 years.
Q: What were your younger years like?
A: I was raised by my hardworking parents who taught me to work for my dreams. I joined the United States Marine Corp at the age of 19 in the hopes of going to college. I started college, but I did not graduate because I could never pass the mathematics classes.
Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?
A: I learned that we were created to shine light in someone else’s darkness. This brings me true happiness. To be that hand that pulls a lady up from depression, anxiety, or whatever she is going through. I would love for others to learn that our lives can change if we decide to change them. We are not a tree; we can change the direction of our lives! We don’t have to make changes alone.
This one was of our pink days. We host on Wednesday nights. We include a 30 min workout following an empowerment activity.
Q: What does feminism mean to you? A: Feminism to me means being a strong, independent woman who fights for her dreams, yet loves with all her heart and soul and inspires other women to do the same.
This was our Annual Pink Party, where we celebrate and recognize our accomplishments either in weightloss or muscle gains.
Q and A with Heather from Adams, Massachusetts, United States
“A lot of entrepreneurs and women in general, are always worried about what others will think. We are afraid of being judged. This fear keeps us from starting something or going all in on something.“
Q: What are you passionate about?
A: What am I passionate about? That’s actually a hard one for me. I have so many things that I love doing but am passionate about?…hmm.
Well to start off, I am extremely passionate about my children. I have three kiddos, and I am very passionate about teaching them to be good people with morals and life skills. This has become a bit harder with a 13-year-old boy with ADHD. He has the base; he just needs to remind himself to use it.
My other passions are entrepreneurship and sharing my knowledge. I have been a business owner for more than 20 years. During that time, I have educated myself and have learned tips, tricks, and don’t dos. I feel it is my duty to share that knowledge with others. I will actually be teaching workshops at my local community college; starting a business for adults and a young entrepreneurship class. I am super excited about this. I am most excited about teaching kids. If I can give them the tools they need now, this gives them a way better chance of having a better life. (I will also be teaching Life Skills for Teens and Pre-teens as well as a cooking class for kids. Kids are a big part of my passion for teaching.)
Q: What were your younger years like?
A: Growing up, my parents worked their butts off to provide for my brother, sister, and myself. They worked long hours and sometimes multiple jobs. My father actually worked at the same place for the first 18 years after leaving high school and has worked for the town since he left there. My mother worked at a chain grocery store for almost as long as I have been alive. I definitely saw a strong work ethic from my parents.
My grandparents lived next door, and we spent a lot of time with them. Especially my grandfather. He was a former farm boy from Ohio who fell in love with an educated Second Lieutenant in the Women’s Auxiliary United while he was enlisted during WWII. My grandfather was a truly inspiring man. He believed in constantly educating himself. After he passed I found books, tests, and certifications from distance learning programs. He was also a family man. He loved spending time with his kids, grandkids, and his wife, my grandmother. He was funny, blunt, and a role model. I believe he shaped so much of who I am and who I strive to be.
Growing up, I was not exactly the child that my parents wanted me to be. Back in the ’80s and ’90s, it was drilled into your heads that you needed to go to college and get a real job. That has never been who I am. Although I love learning, I am not a college degree kind of person. In that sense, I was a bit of a wild child. I loved photography and interior design. I loved being creative and crafty. I did not have the best grades in school. I mean I passed all….I think I passed all of my classes. Hey, I graduated high school and that is what matters right?
After high school, I took a few classes at two different local colleges and then went to Boston to the New England School of Photography. I really enjoyed my time there. I learned more in one class than I had learned in all the photography classes that I had taken combined. After studying there, I went back home and studied graphic design at a local trade school. We had a requirement to take a photography class, and I actually helped my teacher to teach that class. That might have been where the spark for teaching started because that was my first glimpse of sharing my knowledge like that. I was so proud of myself at that time. Proud of knowing that I had information to share and proud that I had the ability to share it with others.
My parents had shown me what their version of work ethic was, but my version did not match theirs. Where they worked at the same place for much of their lives, I worked at many different places, learning new skills and never settling. As much as I loved some of the jobs that I had, they were just jobs.
My senior year in high school I had been hired by my aunt to photograph a wedding as the second photographer, as her present to the bride and groom. That was the start of my first business for me. I built that business up over time. It was a long road of working multiple jobs and trying to run a business. It was a journey of trying to understand business. When I figured out how to brand my business, market my business locally, and really dive deep into my business, it became successful. In addition to the photography business I also had a small children’s clothing business. I learned a lot from that business but ultimately decided that sewing was more of a hobby for me. It’s more of my escape and running it as a business was not working for me mentally. In addition to those two businesses, I run a small food trailer. I love cooking for others and sharing healthy and tasty food with them. I have only been doing this for about a year, but absolutely love it.
Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?
A: I have always been a very hard-working person. I am never interested in settling. I spent too long as a kid and a teenager feeling like I was less than or being judged….I am not willing to let that rule me anymore. A lot of entrepreneurs and women in general, are always worried about what others will think. We are afraid of being judged. This fear keeps us from starting something or going all in on something.
Don’t let fear keep you from following your passions or being who you are. You have a purpose. “Our fate lives within us, you only have to be brave enough to see it.” (Disney’s Brave 2012)
Q: What does feminism mean to you? A: Feminism….At the risk of people, especially women, getting mad at me, I have never associated myself with feminism. It’s not because I don’t believe in equality, actually, it’s exactly the opposite. I feel that the term feminism is an ideal that is very narrowly focused on a specific vision of what gender equality is. To me, it seems mostly political.
What I do believe in is the ability for women to be who they are and be able to act accordingly, without prejudice or fear of retaliation. It is all genders, all classes, and all ethnicities, loving and respecting each other. It is empowering those around us. Allowing them to be the person that they are meant to be. If a woman wants to be a housewife then she can. If a man wants to stay at home and run the household and raise the children, he can. Without being looked down on. If a woman wants to run a massive business and run it with gusto, she can. If a woman wants to be a world leader, no one will say she can’t run for office due to her gender, culture, or economic class.
Being human is about acting humanly to all in spite of our differences because our differences make us human.
MORE ABOUT HEATHER: All of my experiences, my time learning, and running my businesses, have set me up for where I am now, I decided to really follow my passions and start teaching on a larger scale. I started Learn Business U. I have created a couple of workbooks and I am starting to develop my full course on Business Clarity and my coaching program. I love working 1-on-1 or in small groups, helping entrepreneurs, so I am very excited about this new venture.
“My curiosity took me on a journey that I never in my wildest dreams would have imagined.”
Q: Tell us about yourself.
A: After many years, I finally found a way to combine my passion for nutrition and health with my love for dogs–I am a Certified Holistic Pet Health Coach. I take the confusion and guesswork out of what and how to feed our dogs so they can thrive and live a long, happy, and healthy life. I started my health journey in 2020, shortly after my own health crisis. I had endometriosis with pain that’s hard to describe along with an unexpected surgery–in the middle of an extremely stressful period in my life. I felt defeated, and hopeless; I needed to figure out what happened and what led me here so I could be sure I never find myself in the same situation.
Upon researching endo, the effects of various diets, and supplements, I got more confused, and I just wanted to learn actual facts. So, I enrolled in the Nutritional Therapy Association’s program where I learned many fascinating things about our bodies, and the importance of a whole foods diet and had to privilege to work with several amazing clients to improve their gut and hormonal health. One morning as I was feeding my Scottie a cup of kibble, I thought could this really be the best way to feed my dog? Again, I wanted facts and found a certification program offered by holistic veterinarian Dr. Ruth Roberts. The course was so thorough, full of information, based on decades of experience–it made complete sense to me that cooking for my dog is the way to go if I want him to be around for many more years to come as his happy and healthy self. I now show dog parents how easy it is to prepare home-cooked food for their dogs and how much healthier and better it is than commercial kibble. We all want to do the best for our pets, to see them live as long as possible and be healthy and happy–there is so much we can do to improve the quality of their lives. And the best part is that it can be easy and affordable.
Q: What were your younger years like?
A: I grew up in Hungary–I was always very independent, loved going to the movies, and concerts and buying fancy perfumes, etc. I hated asking my mom for money, so I started working on the weekends and during the summers when I was 15. I have always enjoyed making my own money; it gave me a sense of freedom. My dad is a great cook and I have learned so much from him–he never measures anything, yet each dish always comes out perfect. The year I turned 21, I took a job at a summer camp in Pennsylvania. I had never sat on an airplane before, but all I ever wanted was to see New York City. Three years later (once I earned my bachelor’s degree at Budapest Business School), my US driver’s license listed an address in Brooklyn–I loved living there. I remember feeling like anything was possible; I could be and do whatever I want with my life. My curiosity took me on a journey that I never in my wildest dreams would have imagined.
Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?
A: Travel as much as possible, try all the local dishes, and take care of your health. (And your dog’s health!) I have always loved to travel, and I have been blessed with many opportunities to see the world. I enjoy activities big cities have to offer–people-watching on the NYC subway, two-steppin’ in an old Honky-Tonk in Austin, but I also love more remote locations whether it’s hiking the Rocky Mountains or enjoying the sun on a private beach in Akumal. I absolutely love savoring the different cultures through food! Seeing how different other places are, how people live, what they eat, and how different their typical schedule is gives me perspective and often, it makes me appreciate all that I have even more (and how easy I have it). To be able to fully enjoy these trips, I found that I needed a strong immune system and digestive health. Healing my gut transformed my life experience, cleared my mind, and made me stronger in many ways. And that’s true for dogs as well–feeding a species-appropriate diet (which is the opposite of kibble) can help rebalance the gut microbiome of our beloved pets too.
Q: What does feminism mean to you? A: What feminism means to me is that I recognize my own value and my worth–before asking anyone else to do so. I am confident, I know what I bring to the table, and I approach situations from a place where the question is not whether I’m going to be accepted or not, but rather how I can contribute and collaborate with others. I think setting standards and boundaries for myself and those around me (and ultimately, for society) is very important–but it’s not easy. It’s not about hating men–to me, it’s much more about recognizing that other women around me are not competition, but allies and we can and should help each other get where we want to be. When we women respect and support each other; when we realize that when we work together (instead of being catty or trying to sabotage one another), we can achieve so much more. There is enough to go around for all of us.
MORE FROM BEA: What I have learned over the years is that we really do create our own reality. We are way more powerful than we think or dare to believe. It’s not always easy and we have to do the work…but what other choice do we have? Patience and consistency go a long way too–I used to give up almost immediately if something didn’t work out the way I imagined. I always have multiple ideas, and projects going on (I am a Manifesting Generator), and I can be quick to get started on one then just leave it and move on to the next…then it all just ends up in chaos. Figuring out a plan, putting in the work, and giving it a fair try holds great value, and ultimately, I think this is the key to success.
“I already had tremendous respect for moms all over the world, but after becoming one myself, I just feel so passionate about helping moms like myself who run their own businesses get the energy to have a fulfilling life with a business they love and plenty of quality time with their kids.”
Q: Tell us about yourself.
A: I am passionate about helping women who are both moms and entrepreneurs optimize their health and energy levels so they can have the energy and long-term health to build their dream business while also being the fully present moms they want to be.
Q: What were your younger years like?
A: I was brought up by a single mom who was an entrepreneur and was inspired by a sense of mission and purpose in her business. She became an entrepreneur to have more time with my brother and I. And I think she did spend more time with us than she otherwise would have, maybe because she used the hours after she had tucked us in, to work. But I also witnessed the pressure she was under and at some point, she just couldn’t keep going. She had a burnout and was just lying in bed or on the sofa for months. Somehow, she managed to not make my brother and me too worried. But looking back, I can only imagine how stressful it must have been to not be able to work for months as a solo entrepreneur. I was brought up as a vegan with a focus on healthy nutrition and mindset and when it came to picking an education, my passion for how our amazing bodies work and how we can optimize our health and energy with our food, lifestyle, and mindset led me to study medicine and become a holistic medical doctor and later certified in functional medicine.
Freja Eriksen
Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?
A: I have taken the experience of my mom’s burnout with me and have been very aware of taking care of myself with quality nutrition, walks in nature, meditation, exercise, etc. to make sure that I didn’t hit a wall and fell into burnout. But I have always felt a bit torn because, besides my passion for holistic health, I am also a singer-songwriter and feel like it is my mission to get my music out into the world. So, a couple of years ago, I had been working intensely for two years on my album besides working full-time as a medical doctor, and finally, everything was written, arranged, and recorded, and I released my album.
Freja Eriksen
I felt amazing! But after the release concert, I suddenly felt different than I had ever felt before. I felt empty and with no energy whatsoever to do the work to spread the news and get the music out into the world. And it occurred to me that I had completely forgotten to take care of myself while working on my album. It felt so important to me, that somehow taking care of myself had become something I just didn’t prioritize. Not being able to help my music reach the people who would benefit from it of course felt very discouraging after putting so much work into making the album. It took me months to get my energy back using all my knowledge on nutrition, mindset, meditation, the benefits of being in nature plus the power of music, dancing, and singing. I ended up developing a method where I found my deepest why and transformed the unconscious beliefs that had made it hard for me to take proper care of myself into new beliefs that fully supported the implementation of my new self-caring habits that ended up giving me my energy back.
A year later, I became a mom while building my business, and oh my, did this transformational method and my self-caring healthy habits come in handy during this period of my life. I already had tremendous respect for moms all over the world, but after becoming one myself, I just feel so passionate about helping moms like myself who run their own businesses get the energy to have a fulfilling life with a business they love and plenty of quality time with their kids.
Q: What does feminism mean to you? A: Feminism to me, means that we are all equal and it means supporting women from all over the world. Here, in Denmark where I live, we have come a long way with gender equality, but still, there is a pay gap in many workplaces. And I am painfully aware that women have terrible conditions in many places in this world. So, to me, feminism is about supporting each other, like one big sisterhood in rising from the horrible history we have in our baggage together and moving towards a world where we are all equal no matter what gender we are and recognizing and celebrating each other’s differences.
Freja Eriksen
MORE FROM FREJA: At the moment I am interviewing women who are both moms and entrepreneurs and struggle to have the energy to build their dream business while being fully present with their kids. It is purely for research purposes for a project I am working on, and I would be so grateful if you would jump on a call with me and let me ask you some questions. If so, you can find a time that fits you by using this link, click here. The purpose of my music is to nourish your soul and support you in living a life full of meaning and purpose where you feel free to express yourself fully just as you are. You can check out my two albums Out of My Hands and It’s Time for a Sustainable World on most music platforms. My “artist” name is Freja Eriksen, so I am not hard to find.
The Woman Wednesday Blog 