Woman Wednesday: Ann


Q and A with Ann from Alberta, Canada

“When we regulate our inner world, we change how we parent, partner, work, and lead.”


Q: What are you passionate about? 

A: I’m passionate about empowering busy, overwhelmed professional parents, who feel stressed and disconnected with their families, friends, and possibly even business/coworkers. 

My fire comes from my own lived experience of breakthrough and now deeply committed to guiding others to find that same calm, clarity, and personal power from the inside out. 

I don’t just talk about transformation, I have lived it and continue to do so. 

The only way the world becomes a better place is one person at a time who wants to build genuine connection with themselves, and among their partners, kids, families, friends etc. 

[This is done] through practical tools that interrupt patterns of stress and overwhelm. Reset their nervous systems (energy) first so they are not just surviving, but shift to thriving in all areas of life, including the area that matters most…relationships. 

This one area can change all other areas of life, professional, spiritual, financial, and so much more. 

I focus on those who are feeling like they are losing control of their emotions, their outer world, providing them a calm, clear path to claim their personal power to create a peaceful, vibrant life we all crave. 

We go from stuck to unstoppable, utilizing deep awareness, micro-momentum, and create lasting change. 


Q: What were your younger years like?

A: My younger years shaped me in ways I didn’t fully understand until much later, navigating a lot of death and loss.

My mother programed me to stand on my own two feet and never tolerate abuse (as she was during her childhood and first marriage), then also losing her at the age of 23 (she was only 57).

I learned responsibility early. I became independent quickly. I learned how to adapt, stay strong, and keep moving—skills that served me well, but also kept me in a constant state of over‑functioning, overwhelm, and burnout cycles.

I was capable, observant, out-performing most in my presence and insensitive at times, because I didn’t feel safe slowing down, asking for help, or even in my own skin for that matter. My biochemistry was allergic to it. 

That pattern followed me into adulthood, where productivity and competence became my default ways of feeling secure and feeling successful. 

We all have addictions, this was mine: control.

Motherhood became a turning point. It exposed how deeply my nervous system was wired for vigilance and control.

By the time my child hit puberty, we started getting diagnosis for her (neurodivergent) and following in my mother’s footsteps in abusing my own physical vessel and becoming overweight with health challenges starting to creep in, I realized listening to Dr. Joe Dispenza, that if I didn’t get out of this high level of stressful functioning, it would bring about disease and I was not going to let that happen.

It pushed me to look inward—not to fix myself, but to learn how to regulate, soften, and lead from calm instead of fear. To get healthy mentally so my physical body could follow suit. This was my pivoting moment that changed it all, not in one swoop, but the path was shown, and over a few years, it became more and more clear and it brought me here.


Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?

A: [There are] so many, but some of the most valuable breakthroughs I have learned are:

“Your identity shapes every outcome in your life.” 

See, we don’t do what we can; we live by what we believe, who we think we are. 

When you shift this core belief (identity), everything else shifts with it. 

You don’t need to try harder or have more willpower—you need to feel safer by consciously rewiring your inner story, your physiology and the language we use with ourselves first. 

This is the power we need to shift to become our default. 

It’s not about force; it’s the truth of being “stuck and overwhelmed” to “unstoppable and calm.” 

I used to always say I was stuck and overwhelmed, now the second that creeps in, I have my new default habits and behaviors that stop and block it and reinforce who I really am. 

I teach this very pattern interruption in my signature program “Ignite Your Personal Power.”

Because without anchoring your true identity, nothing on the outside will last.   

Your results echo in your beliefs; master this and you master your life. 

I work on this daily myself; it never ends, it’s a journey.  

So, if you feel or say you’re a failure, it’s hard, its too much, I’m exhausted, etc. – [it’s] time to change those beliefs, the language, and physiology you carry around about any of that and shift it into your personal power. 


Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: Feminism? It’s just another label we honestly don’t need.

I don’t buy into it, I don’t function by it, and it’s not part of my world or language—until now, because someone asked me.

Here’s the cold, hard truth: Every human being, man or woman, gets to define who they want to be, what limits they accept—or refuse—and how they become their best self.

Labels like feminism tend to muddy the waters. They build walls of expectations and entitlement that distract us from the real game: transformation, true freedom, and personal power.

I’m way more invested in deep, authentic empowerment for humanity—where connection isn’t confined by ideologies, where flow and love dissolve all boundaries.

We are one energy field, one vibration. Labels separate us. Authentic power unites us. That’s the truth I stand for.


MORE ABOUT ANN: I believe calm is an invitation—to ourselves and to others. When we regulate our inner world, we change how we parent, partner, work, and lead. The ripple effect is real, and it starts quietly, from the inside out.


Thank you for reading!

Let’s connect!

Connect With Me:

• Website / Contact: https://www.dynamicliving.ca/contact

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annoickle1/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annoickledynamiclivinglifestyles

Free 2‑Minute Reset: A simple nervous‑system reset you can use anytime: https://www.dynamicliving.ca/ppr

Join My: Community: https://shorturl.at/4n5Dp

Woman Wednesday: Avy


Q and A with Avy from
Atlanta, Georgia

“When you design your life and business around how you actually function—not how you think you should—everything becomes more sustainable, more humane, and ultimately more successful.”


Q: What are you passionate about? 

A: I’m passionate about building systems that actually work for real humans—especially women, parents, and neurodivergent people who have been told (explicitly or implicitly) that they’re “too much,” “too scattered,” or “bad at follow-through.”

At the core of everything I do is this belief: when women are properly supported, they don’t just succeed—they lead better, build better, and change the rules for everyone coming after them.


Q: What were your younger years like?

A: My younger years were a mix of high expectations, deep responsibility, and a lot of internal pressure to “have it together.” I grew up in a family that valued contribution, intellect, and community, which meant I learned early how to be capable, reliable, and useful. I was the kid adults trusted. The one who could be counted on. That shaped me in powerful ways—and also quietly taught me that being needed was the same as being valued.

Choosing social work later on wasn’t accidental. It came from years of watching how poorly designed systems punish people for being human—and how often women, especially, are expected to absorb that failure quietly. My upbringing taught me resilience and leadership, but it also taught me how easily capable people can become overextended when support is missing. Looking back, those years didn’t just lead me to where I am now—they explain it. They’re why I build systems that don’t rely on self-sacrifice, why I’m allergic to hustle culture, and why my work today is about creating structures that let people succeed without disappearing themselves in the process.


Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?

A: One of the most valuable things I’ve learned is that struggling doesn’t mean you’re broken—it usually means the system around you is poorly designed.

If there’s one takeaway, it’s this: you are not meant to do everything alone. When you design your life and business around how you actually function—not how you think you should—everything becomes more sustainable, more humane, and ultimately more successful.


Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: To me, feminism means autonomy, access, and honest choice.

At its core, feminism is about women having sovereignty over their time, energy, bodies, and labor. It’s about designing systems—at home, at work, and in society—that don’t rely on women’s burnout to succeed.


MORE ABOUT AVY: One thing I’d want to add is that a lot of what I do now comes from learning—sometimes the hard way—that being strong doesn’t mean being endlessly self-sufficient.

That belief shows up in everything I build, everything I teach, and the way I choose to lead.


Thank you for reading!

Let’s connect!

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Woman Wednesday: Julie


Q and A with Julie from Auckland, New Zealand, working in Australia and New Zealand

“…come home to yourself.”


Q: What are you passionate about? 

A: I’m deeply passionate about helping women see themselves truthfully.

I’m drawn to the moment a woman reconnects with her inner truth, when her work, leadership, and brand starts reflecting who she really is.

Julie Cooper Creative Studio | Coolangatta, QLD, Australia
Young Pacific Leaders – Navigating The Digital Landscape Workshop | First Online Meeting 

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: I grew up in Auckland, Aotearoa, New Zealand, as the youngest of four siblings in a proud Niuean family. I am second-generation New Zealand, raised between cultures, identities, and ways of belonging. With Niuean and English heritage, I learned how to navigate multiple worlds and how belonging is something you ultimately cultivate within yourself.

At high school, I was a prefect and earned a scholarship to university. I now hold multiple degrees, and throughout my education, creativity and leadership were always intertwined. I was driven by growth, learning, and building meaningful relationships, consistently saying yes to opportunities and trusting curiosity as a compass.

Fila Tiala Cooper (Mum) and Julie Cooper | Niue Island 

Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?

A: The most valuable lesson I’ve learned is to come home to yourself.

When you stop performing and start listening, your nervous system softens. You find your own rhythm. From that embodied place, clarity replaces pressure and flow replaces force. Alignment becomes natural. That is where real confidence, creativity, and leadership live.

Julie Cooper Creative Workshop with New AWE Program | Niue Island

Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: Feminism, to me, is choice.

When a woman is grounded in her feminism, she can meet masculinity with safety, respect, and collaboration. That balance matters.

MUSE Retreat | Omaha, New Zealand

MORE ABOUT JULIE: Julie Cooper Creative supports women to build businesses that reflect who they truly are.

Everything I create is intentionally expansive. It is designed to open possibility, strengthen self-trust, and allow a woman’s business to grow in alignment with her identity.

Online 1:1 Mentoring Session | Coolangatta, QLD, Australia 

Thank you for reading!

Let’s connect!

Facebook: www.facebook.com/juliecoopercreative

Website: https://juliecoopercreative.com 

Instagram: https://instagram.com/juliecoopercreative

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/-julie-cooper-

Woman Wednesday: Kelly

Q and A with Kelly from Toronto, Canada

One thing I’ve learned is this: You cannot control what happens in your life, but you can control how you react to it. I think if I continued to sulk and think negatively, nothing significantly positive would’ve happened in my life. Changing my perspective and immersing myself in hope and positive thinking only resulted in positive changes in my life.”   

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Q: What are you passionate about?

A: It would be exceptionally hard to pinpoint one thing I am passionate about because I am passionate about everything I do. I currently work as a communications coordinator for a company that promotes financial stability in underdeveloped countries.

Luckily, I found this position by accident, and I am proud to say that I am a part of a project that helps those in need in someway somehow. One of my passions is definitely helping others.

Aside from my full-time job, I am the founder of the subscription box business “Petite Princess Box,” and I have to say building, creating, and executing my own ideas and seeing it all come to life is one thing I will always be passionate about. I think I have always been an entrepreneur at heart.

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Pictured: One of Kelly’s customers enjoying her Petite Princess Box! 

Q: What is something valuable you’ve learned that you’d like others to know?

A: A year ago, I lost my dad suddenly from a heart attack. I had such a stable life and everything was going great for me. I just got into my master’s program, had a growing business, and my family was happy and healthy, and then my world just changed dramatically with his death.

You can say I had to grow up quick. I had my hands fully immersed in everything after his death. I guess you can say I became the “new man” in the house. After his death, I lost a lot of motivation. He passed away two weeks before my master’s program would begin, and I could barely focus.

I felt like the quality in my work was slowly diminishing. I also stopped focusing on my subscription box business, and I could see it literally sinking. I ended up picking myself up and telling myself that I have to really immerse myself in positive thinking and to focus on finishing the goals my father wanted me to complete. And so I did that, and a year later, my whole life has changed (for the better).

I graduated with my degree, found a close and loyal tribe of friends and loved ones, got my very first “big girl” job, and rebranded my entire subscription box business, and it is growing very quickly.

 

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One thing I’ve learned is this: You cannot control what happens in your life, but you can control how you react to it. I think if I continued to sulk and think negatively, nothing significantly positive would’ve happened in my life. Changing my perspective and immersing myself in hope and positive thinking only resulted in positive changes in my life.

Q: What were your younger years like? 

A: My childhood was nothing but great! We lived a pretty modest life in the suburbs. I grew up with my parents who immigrated from Palestine and my younger sister. My parents have always been supportive and always pushed us to be our best.

Growing up, I struggled in school—all the way up to my high school years. I was never able to maintain exceptionally good grades and as many tutors as I had to assist me in my studies, there was still this struggle I had in obtaining a single “A” on my report card. Before starting my last year of high school, I told my guidance counselor that I wanted to get into university after I graduate. She told me that based on my grades from my previous years, attending a university would not be a realistic goal unless I managed to maintain an 80% average in my final year.

I remember going home to tell my parents how angry I was at the lack of encouragement my guidance counselor had for me, and I promised myself and my parents that I would work hard enough to get accepted into a university program. In my last year of high school, I ended up maintaining an 87% average and got accepted into the highest ranked university in Canada.

Fast forward to my last year of university—I had maintained a substantial GPA and ended up getting accepted into a very competitive program for a master’s degree in communications. You can say that these experiences in school really impacted my life to where I am today. If you were to ask me if I’m still upset that my guidance counsellor for discouraging me, I would say no. If she didn’t discourage me, I wouldn’t have pushed myself as hard as I did to prove her wrong and prove myself right.

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Pictured: One of Kelly’s customers enjoying her Petite Princess Box!
 

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Connect with me! I’d love to chat with you! 

Business Links:

www.petiteprincessbox.com

instagram.com/petiteprincessbox

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/petiteprincessbox/

Kelly would love to hear from you! Comment below!  

Woman Wednesday: Ruby J.

   


Q and A with Ruby J., Sierra Leone, West Africa

“Three things: take care of your mental health, control your narrative, and work smart and do your research.” 

Q: What are you passionate about? 

A: I am a mining engineer and currently work at a gold mining operation. I am also the founder and editorial director of STEMher by Ruby B. Johnson Magazine.

Premiered in September 2018 with its autumn issue, STEMher Magazine is a print magazine showcasing the education and experiences of girls and women in science, technology, engineering, and/or mathematics (STEM) academia, careers, and programs. STEMher celebrates women thriving in their careers and inspires others to fuel their curiosity and interests in STEM; the status of individuals featured range from middle school through retirement.

In one year, STEMher has featured more than 50 STEM girls and women worldwide from countries like the United States of America, Australia, Ghana, Canada, South Africa, India, France, Nigeria, Channel Islands, The Bahamas, Sierra Leone, and England. All magazine issues are available for purchase on stemher.com and Amazon Marketplace.

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Summer 2019 Cover

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: I was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone [in West Africa]. I moved to the United States when I was 12 years old, which meant growing up and completing my middle school and high school education in Maryland. I graduated from Virginia Tech with a BS in mining engineering and a minor in women’s studies leadership.

While in college, I founded When You Believe Foundation, a program that empowers women and girls through social media engagement, workshops, and donations.

In 2012, I competed in my first pageant, Miss Sierra Leone USA, with the platform of advocating for the recruitment and retention of girls and women in STEM fields, since I was a STEM college student at the time and women’s empowerment was something I was passionate about. I won the pageant and with that title, I was able to travel across the country as well as in Sierra Leone, encouraging girls and young women to pursue STEM.

After the crowns and titles, STEM advocacy and women’s empowerment continues to be my lifelong platform. I wanted to take this platform to another level to be able to reach women and girls I may never cross paths with, so I created STEMher by Ruby B. Johnson Magazine last year. 

 

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Q: What is something valuable you’ve learned that you’d like others to know? 

A: Three things: take care of your mental health, control your narrative, and work smart and do your research.

(1) From Monday through Thursdays, I work ten-hour days and a two-hour commute to and from work. Additionally, I am an entrepreneur who runs her own business creating content and putting together each issue for STEMher by Ruby B. Johnson Magazine. I also serve in a couple of ministries at my church. Life gets busy. In the last year, I’m being intentional to prioritize my mental health. Making time to rest and slow down when necessary. In order to be productive with work, I have to take care of myself by sleeping, eating healthy, exercising, spending time with God through prayer, and meditation as well as reading my Bible. I have to be intentional about making time for myself, family and friends, as well as work. It’s okay to say “no” or “not yet” sometimes. I cannot fill the cups of others when my cup is empty. It’s also okay to ask for help—whether it’s in prayer, family and friends, community, or therapy.

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(2) As I navigate through the professional world and life in general, I’m realizing how important it is for one to control their narrative. Of course we cannot fully control what people say about us or how they feel about us; however, I believe we can play a role in those things. The way we carry ourselves is very important. We have to learn wisdom on when to speak up or be silent. We must be our biggest defenders and tell people how we want them to treat or address us.

(3) Running a business is no easy feat and it’s time-consuming. In college, I learned to not study hard but study smart. I believe that’s important to do when you are a business owner. Being that I don’t have a business or journalism background, I spend a lot of time learning—asking questions, reading articles, listening to podcasts, and everything else in between. I want this magazine to go beyond, so that means I have to put in the work. I may not see harvest immediately, but sowing seeds each day counts. All in all, I believe it’s important to know who you are, stand firm on your values, always remember your why, and never lose your humanity no matter what environment you are in. 

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Q: What does feminism mean to you? 

A: To me, feminism means being my authentic self, living out my God-given purpose, and being intentional about making a difference in the community. While working on my women’s studies leadership minor in college, I learned about intersectionality. I am a Christian woman, born and raised in Sierra Leone, a naturalized American citizen, a woman in STEM, usually one of few or only black people in some professional settings, and a family-oriented individual. I thrive because of these lived experiences but also have a heart and a curious mind to learn about those who are different from me. Feminism to me is never compromising my faith and also being compassionate to others. To me, feminism means to reach for excellence and nothing less.

I’d love to connect with you!

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