“I grew up in a not-so-nice area as a kid, but I know that it has made me who I am today because if I was raised anywhere else, I don’t think I would have as thick of skin today as a mom of three.”
Q: What are you passionate about?
A: My biggest passion has been and still is helping people. I have been a registered massage therapist for the past 13 years and this was my goal when I was in high school as I had taken a course on the body and fell in love with what I would be able to help with.
I am loving what I do and, over the early part of the pandemic, I got my life license. I had no idea what I was going to get out of it, but WOW! I was shocked at all that I learned and now could educate others and help plan/protect their families.
Then I started an online business in the essential services industry. This is where I have been able to provide my customers with better rates on services, they pay for in the home such as natural gas, electricity, internet, mobile, home phone, travel, and health care.
Q: What were your younger years like?
A: My younger years were amazing because I was always out and about playing, or we were at the Boys and Girls Club after school and evenings program where we went on many fun outings and once took a Tim Hortons camp trip to Alberta.
We often traveled back to Jamaica and the US for a few weeks and see family. I played many, if all the sports I could in school, up until high school, as I then became focused on my studies.
Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?
A: I grew up in a not-so-nice area as a kid, but I know that it has made me who I am today because if I was raised anywhere else, I don’t think I would have as thick of skin today as a mom of three.
I don’t look at where I came from as a bad thing because I know it gave me humble beginnings and some to look back and see how far I’ve come. Even though many kids didn’t end up in a good place as an adult, I can safely say my siblings and I all went on the great things in life.
Q: What does feminism mean to you?
A: Feminism to means….to be honest, I don’t give it much thought because I teach all three of my kids to not think they can or can’t do anything because of their size and sex.
Yes, the world doesn’t see a woman as equal to a man in some cases, but [it’s important to] know that we can do anything they can do if not do it better.
“I kept thinking, ‘When I’m 80, will I regret not trying to open this place?’ And the answer was yes, every time. If we opened, and it closed in a year, at least I can say I tried.”
Q: What are you passionate about?
A: This sounds petty and silly, but I’m passionate about having fun! And I want others around me to have fun!
I’ve always been the socializer, the party planner, the gathering of people for a good time. I just took that passion a step further to open a permanent structure for all people to have a good time!
Because we live in rural Kansas, fun isn’t always prominent all around us in the form of concerts, activities, and shops like in bigger cities. So, I’m also passionate about finding fun and beauty in the little things all around us and bringing activities to rural north/central Kansas.
Kettle hosts 2-4 activities every month, most of them free. This is in the form of live music, wine and beer tastings, street dances, art classes, private themed dinners, and murder mystery nights.
Our family also loves to support those around us who bring fun to our area like festivals, music, pottery and paint classes, reading programs, fun walks, etc. If you look in unfamiliar, non-obvious places, there is always fun to be had no matter where you live!
Q: What were your younger years like?
A: I grew up in rural western Kansas. My brother and I grew up in a special small town where everyone knew everyone and we had two supportive parents.
We grew up with my parents hosting block parties, sports parties after big sporting events, and summer days outside with our friends—maybe that’s where my love of fun and socializing came from!
We also had to find our own fun in our small town, which instilled in me a passion to not be complacent with “a boring day.” If you wanted to do something, you had to go out and find something to do!
Before my senior year of high school, my family moved to Iowa, two states and about 10 hours away from the town I grew up in Kansas.
The town was by no means big, but about five times bigger than the town I grew up in. This was hard. And it really forced me to grow up and make good decisions for myself.
I could have moped around and just skirted by until I got done with my senior year. But I made the decision to play in the band, do school activities and make friends.
I’m certain this helped my maturity level and personal drive immensely before I headed to college, where I completed a bachelor’s degree of the arts in corporate communication at Simpson College in Iowa.
Q: What is something valuable you’ve learned that you’d like others to know?
A: When my husband and I were thinking about opening Kettle, we researched for about a year. Talked to other restaurant owners; went to every coffee shop when we traveled; looked at every price imaginable; talked to financial services and looked at our own finances; talked to other downtown business owners, beer distributors, and countless other people to do our due diligence on what we were jumping into.
I wrote a very detailed business plan and talked to every bank in town. And although all of this was helpful, you can never FULLY prepare yourself for owning a business. It’s hard, but it’s fulfilling as well. Prepare to cry, laugh, pull your hair out, be humbled, be irate, be exhausted, be exhilarated, and all the emotions in between! It’s a serious up-and-down journey!
But you know what ultimately led to me quitting my very stable paycheck at a great job and opening a completely weird restaurant in a small rural town in Kansas? YOLO. You only live once. I kept thinking, “When I’m 80, will I regret not trying to open this place?”
And the answer was yes, every time. If we opened, and it closed in a year, at least I can say I tried. At least it wouldn’t be eating at me every day with a cloud of regret hanging over my head. I’m one of the brave ones. I took that leap of faith, and so far, we’re still in business and people seem to like us! And if we close tomorrow, I’d have no regrets. And that makes for a more fulfilling life.
Q: What does feminism mean to you?
A: The respect, appreciation, and love of women. Most everyone loves and appreciates a woman in their life. Whether that’s your mom, a friend, or sister. But respect is the key word here. Are women respected enough for them to be “trusted” with a hard job?
Are they respected enough to be paid equally? Are they respected enough for their wisdom that they are offered positions over a man? And will they be respected enough so they don’t have to worry about sexual advances and being uncomfortable in the workplace and beyond? We’ve come a long way, baby, but we have so far to go!
Support your fellow sisters, ladies! There is no room for hate, pettiness, jealousy, or sabotage in feminism.
Thank you for taking the time to get to know me, and I’d love to know you and any comments you may have for me!
Q and A with Marcela born in Bogotá, Colombia, and living in Sydney, Australia
“Learn to believe in yourself more than anyone, keep pushing, and surround yourself with people who support you.”
Q: What are you passionate about?
A: Finding my passion wasn’t easy as I was not fixed on one specific subject or a collector. I always dreamt of finding my “passion,” trying different tests, people, books, etc.
I was lucky enough to finally find my passion after my third baby. She inspired me to keep fighting for her and my sanity to find real and long-term life solutions to help mothers and babies sleep better. This is how Lulo was born.
It’s a sleepy baby koala with a compilation of the best science-based sleeping methods to help your baby get to sleep. Find out more at www.kalmbaby.com.
I am passionate about motherhood, my family, baby sleep, “me time,” and having a balanced life.
Currently, we are working on refining our mother and baby daily guide routines; these are full-day routines from 0 to 3 years old.
Q: What were your younger years like?
A: Growing up, I loved playing sports with my younger brother. We had the best time together.
My dad was very strict, and there was zero room for mistakes. He taught me lots of manual stuff like fixing the iron or stove when they were not working at a very young age.
I think I was 12 years old when I aimed to open a TV, and I was fascinated with all the cables, electronics, etc. I remember breaking the bulb inside…luckily, there was a spare TV. And it was a secret between my brother and me.
I grew up in Bogotá, Colombia, where I had my first baby at a very young age. He is now 19 years old. Then I moved to Australia in search of a better life for my son, who I had to leave in Colombia for two painful years until I managed to bring him to Australia and achieve a massive and life-changing goal.
I have been living for the last 14+ years in Australia. I met the love of my life, who I married and we had two kids together (ages 4 and 2 years old). He supports me every step of the way, and I am extremely grateful to God for giving me such a unique and special husband.
Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?
A: Learn to believe in yourself more than anyone, keep pushing, and surround yourself with people who support you.
I have learned that healing yourself internally is possible with God’s help and the people he puts on our paths.
Everything has a reason. It may be something that you don’t think you need, but time covers our pain and time will uncover them again.
Q: What does feminism mean to you? A: To fight for equal gender benefits. We are still seeing many industries where there is a salary gap between women and men.
A: My name is Melanie Rutgers, and I am from Cape Town, South Africa. I love creating things as well as opportunities and experiences that influence and effect change for whomever that change is for at that moment hoping that it will have a lasting impact.
The current space I am in is women transitioning into menopause and midlife, creating platforms and events where they become empowered with information to go through the transition a lot easier and safer based on several factors.
I am very passionate about the work that I am currently busy with because I had a horrible experience during my transition and struggled to understand and manage it as I discovered that there was very little information about women going through this phase of their lives. Among other things, I am an educational and training development practitioner, which simply means that I am qualified to facilitate information for educational purposes.
Q: What were your younger years like?
A: I am college educated and have post-grad studies in business strategy and organizational development. I had a good middle-class upbringing and always got into trouble for asking way too many questions! I found that I had a passion to create from very early in my life and that I could use my voice to make a difference. I was always creating opportunities and experiences and events in our neighborhood and community and had a large variety of friends, much to my parent’s distress at times. [She laughs.]
The biggest lesson that I have learned about my story so far is that in one’s pursuit of finding more (whatever that more is), it is important not to always make impulsive decisions; some things need careful thought and planning because they can have severe consequences on those closest to you. Always be teachable.
Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?
A: Let me just say that it costs you if you become anything close to what is now coined as a solopreneur. You have to believe that what you are doing is your life’s work! So, we are currently fundraising to televise an event where we can take information to women who don’t have access to quality health care in our country, on a much larger scale than we have been doing so they can also be well and a lot more informed but most importantly, to know that they are not alone.
Q: What does feminism mean to you? A: Let me start by saying kudos to every woman who has ever fought for women’s rights and even went as far as changing legislation so that our voices could be heard; however, as far as feminism goes, in my opinion, it does not always need to be a fight to prove that we are worthy and capable in any one particular way or another because there is nothing to compete against. Women possess uniqueness, power, class, and strength that is unprecedented. Firstly, it is divine and very well-thought-out because we can create, influence, and maintain excellent multitasking power that no other creature on this planet has been blessed with! And those who seem not to possess what I am talking about, know that it exists, it’s there beneath what appears as brokenness; given the time and the right circumstance, it will be uncovered.
PS. I forgot to mention that I am also a talk show host and producer. This is me in the center with my two guests and two of the crew.
“I took a leap of faith two years back, and today, I am living the life I want.”
Q: What are you passionate about?
A: I have been working remotely as a lead generation expert, appointment setter, and a supportive manager team lead with a seven-figure marketing agency. I’m passionate about the opportunities working from home, raising my kids, and being financially independent. I am grateful for the ability to serve people with my skills.
I lead a team of 20+ setters around the globe for a marketing agency, helping my clients in business strategies to upscale and manage stuff.
I started from scratch in this digital space being an engineer from NED and transformed into an online entrepreneur. Here’s a glimpse of my journey:
I am a mom of two, an engineer by education, and ranked on Google as the best appointment setter in Karachi, Pakistan. Back in 2021, when COVID hit, I had to close my clothing business. Then I moved into freelancing and started with content and script writing. I invested in myself and learned this skill and started working as an appointment setter, and now, as a supportive manager team lead with a seven-figure marketing agency, Alhamdulilah, along with teaching individuals this skill to get a remote job with 50% advance salary through my setter agency.
I’m a certified member of PAFLA, attended an event as a guest speaker, and recently, I was invited by FPCCI Karachi to speak about lead generation organically. I was featured by TOK, the no#1 digital channel of Karachi. Also, I have represented Pakistan in the international podcast various times. I have been elected as a Karachi Head of Change Makers Summit 2025. If you ask me how? I would say by consistently doing hard work and taking actions. If you want to learn more, you can message me directly on WhatsApp +92-333-3278862. [Also, see social media links and more below.]
Q: What were your younger years like?
A: I am an engineer because of my [formal] education [in my younger years] and an appointment setter by profession. I believe education is never a waste; although, I learned a lot through experience of being an engineer and working in the sales and marketing niche, but still, education has helped me in many ways. I have achieved so much in life through my remote job and personal brand that wouldn’t be possible if I was stuck in a 9-5 job. My family is my strength. It’s for them I juggle between home chores and work.
Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?
A: Taking the first step to invest in a valuable skill is important. I took a leap of faith two years back, and today, I am living the life I want.
Q: What does feminism mean to you?
A: Feminism is all about equality, equal rights, opportunities, and respect for all individuals regardless of gender.
Let’s connect! Comment below!
You can message me directly on WhatsApp +92-333-3278862.
The Woman Wednesday Blog 