true story – Page 7 – The Woman Wednesday Blog

Woman Wednesday: Melissa

August 7, 2019August 12, 2019Posted in inspiration, Uncategorized, womenTagged business, business owner, chill, chill women, entrepreneur, family, inspire, mother blog, support women entrepreneurs, true stories, true story, woman crush wednesday, women, women empowerment, women entrepreneur, women in businessLeave a comment

*Note: Woman Wednesday is a part of our blog. Each Woman Wednesday post will feature a woman who would like to share information in the hopes of inspiring and motivating other women. Comments are welcome below.

Q and A with Melissa, Utah

“I learned very early on that I could either be a victim of circumstance or I could take those challenges and grow from them. I try really hard to be a force of positivity and a problem solver.”

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: I am most passionate about my family! My husband and I have been together for 6 years, and he has a son who is 7. And just last year, I had a beautiful baby girl. She is actually the reason I started my business. After finding out I was pregnant, I knew I wanted to be around for all those precious moments and I knew I could never afford childcare making the money I was at the time. So after thinking about my skills, I decided being a virtual assistant and social media manager was the best type of business to start. After I started, I realized I was more passionate about working than I had ever been, plus I was good at it!

Aside from business and family, I am actually super passionate about fitness because it has helped shape me into the woman I am today and has helped me deal with my depression. I enjoy having goals that I can work towards and fitness has provided that in my personal life!

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: As a little kid, I was a competitive figure skater and a cheerleader in my later high school years. I was always good at school and remember enjoying it very much up until my senior year of high school. I even graduated early because I hated high school so much! I think this particular event helped me grow up quickly though and all the competitive sports I was in really helped shape me into a go-getter!

I grew up in a very conservative family but have always been super loud and outspoken. This caused issues when I was a teen and I did lots of things to push boundaries (sorry mom and dad). I was diagnosed with chronic depression at about 12-13, but I think this mental illness is a huge reason why I am successful today. I never once let that define me and only let it push me to work harder and stay busy.

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

A: I learned very early on that I could either be a victim of circumstance or I could take those challenges and grow from them. I try really hard to be a force of positivity and a problem solver. I think if you take anything from my story it’s that you are in charge of your life! No one can force you to do anything, be anything, or act a certain way. You make decisions every day, so why not decide to grab life by the horns? Start a business, go to school, or travel the world. But whatever you do, make the decision to give it your all every day.

Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: Feminism to me means equality for all. I know feminism is often synonymous with mainly white women and their rights, but I think as women, it is our responsibility to make sure that we are sticking up for women of color as well who don’t have the same level of privilege we do. I think feminism means the equal representation of all women in business and government. I feel like, as women, we are a force to be reckoned with and I would love to see us supporting each other in all things!

Business Facebook: The Worry Free Assistant (sentence caps–no hyphen!)

Website: https://melissagamarramanagement.com/homepage31194097

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

Comment below!

Woman Wednesday: Helen

July 17, 2019Posted in inspiration, Uncategorized, womenTagged advice, author, empowered, empowerment, enjoy life, entrepreneur, entrepreneur blog, entrepreneurs, environment, grow, growth blog, growth mindset, inspiration, Inspirational, inspirational speaker, inspirational story, inspire, inspire blog, inspiring, learn, Learn from others, podcast, real woman, real women, stories, stories from around the world, story blog, strong woman, true stories, true story, woman, woman empowerment, woman entrepreneur, women empowerment, women supporting womenLeave a comment

Q and A with Helen, Phoenix, Arizona

“Cherish every moment with loved ones as much as possible and also go for the dreams, feel through the fears, and make moves anyways.”

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: Great question! I am most passionate about the inspirations all around us and through us in this life experience. I’ve come to a point in my life that it doesn’t matter where I’m physically at, whether that be at home, at work, at a business event, in traffic, at a social event, etc; that I have the opportunity to inspire others through pure gratefulness of being alive in that moment. The thing that most ignites my passion is music. When I hear music, my heart gets excited and my body just wants to move. I often remind myself of pain and suffering around the world and of my own trials and tribulations to keep me humbled and grateful to keep moving forward. I’m consistently working on creative projects simultaneously that can inspire people from all walks of life to keep moving forward themselves.

Click here to watch her awesome video!

The passion has always been in me since I was a kid. I foresaw myself as a teacher of some kind one day, I just didn’t know what kind. It’s been an amazing ride to see the visualizations from childhood come true throughout the last ten years. I have been public speaking since 2008 and in 2018, I became an international author of my book, Nothing Sexier Than Freedom. I have two businesses, Sexy Freedom LLC and The Wild Movement LLC, which I co-own with my business partner, Sara Brooke Wolf. I’m also the host of my podcast, Sexy Freedom Media Podcast which is on 8 platforms, including Spotify and iTunes and is on it’s second year.

Click here for video.

It’s crazy to think all of these were ideas or suggestions I’d heard to “try out” and then I did and that’s how it all came into existence. Currently, Sara and I are only weeks away from leading our fourth retreat, Wild Woman Alaska and only months away from leading our first co-ed all inclusive Wild Movement Mexico Retreat.

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: I think the best way to describe my younger years is to say that it was unpredictable. My mom was a free spirit, a gypsy woman, a dreamer, and a fighter. She raised five kids on her own when she fled my abusive dad. My dad was a drinker, party animal, very strict, but also a teacher in his own way. Although there was much suffering and pain in my childhood, both my mom and dad played a vital role in my belief system. I dropped out of high school, got married, and had a baby. I eventually realized how important school was and got my diploma. My education really came from my love for books. Self-learning and self-study have been my education for life. The first time I ever finished a program from beginning to end without dropping out was Yoga Teacher Training in 2015. Yoga definitely was the tipping point for me. I was already in the process of writing my book and even included a whole chapter of the challenges I faced while in the program. I have now combined my personal experiences, rituals, and yoga practices by leading retreats in tribal yoga, warrior awakening, and self-development.

Click here for second video.

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

A: I’ve learned that everyone has their shit. Everyone has an ego. Everyone has intentions, desires, and choices. It was a valuable lesson to suffer because it taught me how to be truly thankful for love around me and how easily it can be taken away. Therefore, cherish every moment with loved ones as much as possible and also go for the dreams, feel through the fears, and make moves anyways.

My full story is written in my book, Nothing Sexier Than Freedom. I hope it continues to inspire as it has been, for people to live courageously sexy, wild, and free.

Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: I think the best way to explain what feminism means to me is more in visual action than in words and the best visual I can give is my mother. She was molested, she was beaten, she was a single mother of five kids, though she fell, she got back up and kept moving forward. Two years ago, my only brother took his life and I watched my mother take the biggest heartbreak of her life. Once again, though she fall, she got back up- this time on her Harley Davidson bike, at 60 years young, she rides long distance into the wind as the wild free gypsy spirit she has always been. She is courageously uplifted, self motivated, and determined to live her life the way she chooses no matter what anyone has to say about it. To me, my mother is and has always encompassed what feminism means—freedom.

For more information about me:

Helen Edwards, International Author & Entrepreneur

Visit: www.SexyFreedomMedia.com

Book Available on Amazon & Barnes N Nobles

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

Comment below!

Woman Wednesday: Margarete

June 19, 2019Posted in inspiration, Uncategorized, womenTagged advice, advice column, advice column for women, author, blog, blogging, books, business, challenges, cool, enjoy life, enjoyment, Faith, family, girls advice blog, girls seeking advice, happiness, help others, home, inspiration, inspirational speaker, inspire, learning, lessons, life, life challenges, life lessons, mother, motivation, motivational, motivational speaker, share stories, speaker, true stories, true story, truth, woman, womans blog, women, women empowerment, womens advice blog, womens stories3 Comments

Q and A with Margarete, Ulster County, New York

“The most valuable thing I’ve learned in life is to never lose the lesson life teaches.”

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: I am passionate about living my best life, which includes helping others overcome life challenges, find hope and purpose, and doing all I can to support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Whether I’m speaking to a specific group or at a national conference, my passion and determination is to inspire audiences to step beyond their limitations and guide them to discover the power within and redefine what personal success truly means in this adventure called: LIFE.

The harder question is how I got to this point.

Like most people, I have had some tragically sad challenges. The worst was in 2006, when my daughter Jena lost her battle with cystic fibrosis. It was then that my whole world changed. For a long time following that terrible day, it was hard to call up the strength to take action, to move forward, to take a chance at life. I had been taught to look for and find gratitude in each moment, but when my little girl “moved up” to heaven at the age of thirteen, there was nothing I could see or find other than my grief and pain. I felt I had no choice. But in time, I learned that every day, I get to choose how to live.

I believe in hope, in embracing the beauty in the broken. Life always presents us gifts, yet sometimes those gifts are brutally disguised as pain and suffering. My daughter once told me that pain is not a valid reason for stopping, so I continued on. I’ve taken many steps to get to a place where I can take charge of my life to become an award-winning author of two books: Beyond Breathing and See You at Sunset, a professional speaker, and a national advocate for The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. I’ve taken steps to stay happily married for twenty-eight years to my handsome husband Marc, and I’ve been blessed to watch my son marry the love of his life, which was the best day of mine.

Crisis, fear, and the anxiety of crumbling under life’s challenges have crossed my path so many times, I’ve learned that if I could change my attitude, my health, and my mental well-being, my life would ultimately change as well. Each challenge I faced in life taught me something more about myself and the world around me. Every decision I made, whether I was presented with a multitude of options, or no choices at all, changed who I am today.

Here’s the thing, somewhere deep in my soul, every journey and every obstacle I faced helped bring me to a place where I can feel calm among the chaos. Every day, I give thanks for a grateful soul, a mind that’s confident, and an open heart that’s compassionate.

That’s what I’m passionate about and want to share that with as many people who want to hear it.

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: My childhood was like most everyone else, complicated with drama, trauma, and not easily summed up as good or bad. I was a chubby middle child, diagnosed with dyslexia in 2nd grade, and my parents divorced while I was in the 8th grade. I lived in Germany with my great aunt when I was fourteen for a ‘cultural experience.’ I graduated from high school a year early and that same year, at age 16, I permanently moved out of my childhood house after an argument with my mother. I was pregnant before I got married and had two children before I was twenty-five. Both my children were born with a fatal genetic disease, cystic fibrosis, which currently has no cure. I’ve dealt with abandonment issues, weight issues, depression, and anxiety. All of which made me who I am today.

All our lives, all our stories, make us who we are, it’s up to us how we decide that value.

Q: What would you like others to learn from your story?

The most valuable thing I’ve learned in life is to never lose the lesson life teaches.

For all of my life, I’ve had a love of learning, and I’m pretty sure that’s why God, with his or her infinite wisdom and sense of humor, decided to fill the first half of my life with one crisis after another. Through all the trials and many errors, I’ve come to see that life’s challenges, including reaching midlife, doesn’t have to be a crisis.

Wouldn’t you agree that sometimes life can come at you fast and a sucker punch can land without any warning? I’ve been there. I get it. In a split second, you’re in the middle of life-changing choices, insurmountable obstacles, and heartbreaking hardships. It’s what you do with the lesson just presented to you that can change the path you’re on. Chances are, someone has been down that path before and can help guide you out, if you let them.

If by me sharing my painful and crazy life journey can reach out and touch your heart in even the smallest way possible, and help you deal with and let go of the crises and pain in your life, then I’ll feel my words and stories have a purpose beyond what they already hold for me.

My advice to you is to share your story, it could make all the difference in someone else’s life.

Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: Feminism, to me, is an emotionally charged word, placing a person as ‘a feminist’ if they are for feminism or they are ‘a non-feminist’ against feminism. To me, this is divisive, and I’m not about labels, division, or exclusion as much as I am for united, equal, and collective for the common good of all civilization.

It’s was such a powerful and resurfaced word that Feminism was Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year for 2017.

Feminism, by definition, is equality of both sexes, but its common understanding is the passionate responsibility of the equality of women in the workforce, home, and political front. Its wave of enthusiastic ideology and emotion can cause more opposition than necessary.

For me, I’d instead focus on the constructive influence of women helping women. The underlying power that comes from a place of growth, humanity, and the ability to rise together while helping one another achieve each individual’s best possible life. The alliance of women reaching back and helping those who are struggling is where the real strength lies. Women being brave in adversity, sharing their story to help others, and using their voice against injustice is what I support. We, as women, can do so much to change the landscape of our future when we rise up, lean in, and stand tall without having to put down, degrade, or alienate any opposition that confronts the process of growth.

Let’s connect! 🙂

Contact page: https://margaretecassalina.com/contact/

Website: https://margaretecassalina.com/

Books:

See You at Sunset

Beyond Breathing

Third book to come this fall! 🙂

Margarete & My Lilianas would love to hear from you! Comment below!

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Woman Wednesday: Ellen

May 29, 2019Posted in inspiration, Uncategorized, womenTagged blogging, business, business blog, empowerment, entrepreneur, entrepreneur blog, inspire, leaders, true stories, true story, woman blog, woman crush, woman crush wednesday, woman empowerment, woman entrepreneur, woman wednesday, woman's story, women, women empowerment, women entrepreneur, women in history, women making history, women wednesdayLeave a comment

Q and A with Ellen, Pemberton, British Columbia

“I have learned that not making a choice is a choice in itself. If you want something specific and you have a vision for your life, just take some action. Take small steps towards that vision…even if you’re not 100% ready. If you wait until you’re ready, you will forever be waiting.”

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: I’ve always had a drive to create and express myself in different artistic ways. I’ve had a blog, dabbled in acting, singing, drawing, writing, and am a huge yoga lover! Finding my purpose inside of those things that alight my soul has been so important to me.

When I became a mom to my one little guy, I stayed home from building my career as a hairstylist. I’ve always had a drive to build something of my own. So, I started exploring ways to build a business from home. Everything is starting to transition into the online space! New ways of marketing is a hot need for businesses now! So, that’s where I found my place. I’ve been building a thriving digital marketing business for almost a year now, which has also opened up so many other doors of opportunity and ideas to expand my business and my brand.

I have been able to help other beautiful women reignite from within and harness their confidence and power to be their own boss and build businesses online alongside me. We are very supportive of each other and keep in contact almost daily in our mastermind group chats. Keeping in regular contact in group chats and through video calls, where we can share our journeys and lessons, has been probably one of the most important factors in each of our own successes and growth as entrepreneurs!

I initially started my own business for myself but only did I start to see it really take off when it stopped being about me and started being about sharing the opportunities out there with other women, connecting and really learning that we are all so much more connected than we are aware. The internet has been the most amazing way to meet each other and become great friends and biz associates!

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

A: It’s taken me many years of trial and error to get to where I am today. I’ve been through many business ideas–none of them really sticking until I found affiliate marketing, where I’ve finally been able to build a secure, sustainable business from scratch!

I have learned that not making a choice is a choice in itself. If you want something specific and you have a vision for your life, just take some action. Take small steps towards that vision…even if you’re not 100% ready. If you wait until you’re ready, you will forever be waiting. We’ll always find an excuse that it’s not the right time to start that business, quit that job you hate, move to a new town, et cetera. I used to roll my eyes when I heard that, until I had to live it myself.

There will never be a better time than the present. If you’re unable to get a dream out of your head…go get it. Maybe it’ll take some time! But what’s a couple years rather than waiting your whole life for the “right time”? And the right time, if no action is taken towards something–will never come on it’s own.

Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: In my own mind, I would rather call it women’s empowerment. When I think of what it means to me, it expresses itself as more of a feeling deep-rooted inward. To me, it means giving women the right to be themselves–to be what and who they want to be. I believe when we step into our own power by following our hearts and our passions that we are taking back our power to be women and human beings. If we tap into our own inner strength, that there’s not much if anything that can stand in our way.

As women, we have a strong and unwavering tie to the Earth and its power. To heal, to regenerate, and to be able to withstand pain and suffering that the outside world can impose upon us. I believe when we stand up for ourselves, our beliefs, our rights in whatever setting, we keep that momentum moving forward as a collective consciousness for women everywhere.

I feel such a strong connection to all of the women I come in contact with. We have a deep-rooted connection to each other and should support and stand up for one another in any way another may need. We are stronger when we are supportive and work to empower one another. It starts with us being able to see each other as we are, without judgment, and to see one another as a different form of ourselves. Then will the rest of the world follow our lead.

That’s what feminism means to me!

Let’s connect! 🙂 Follow me on Facebook! https://facebook.com/ellenjbarbeau/

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Woman Wednesday: Carly

April 10, 2019April 11, 2019Posted in inspiration, Uncategorized, womenTagged advice, art, authors, blog, blogger, blogs, books, business, comfort, cool, design, dreams, education, energy, entrepreneur, entrepreneur blog, environment, experiences, Faith, family, feminism, food, happy, health, home, inspiration, inspire, intrapreneur, job, learning, life, motivate, news, people, reading, search engine optimization, shopping, shorts, stories, tech, trends, true, true story, truth, woman, woman author, woman blog, woman entrepreneur, woman's story, women, womens stories, wowLeave a comment

Q and A with Carly, Melbourne, Australia

“I used to give up on projects too early without enough feedback to see it through, and I attribute my giving up too early mostly to self-limiting beliefs. You can have the best business model and the best-looking website and great marketing strategy, but if you don’t believe in yourself first, you will fail every time. So for me, first and foremost is get your mindset right in the beginning, and set the foundations to build an amazing life for yourself and stick at it! The only way you will stick at anything is self-reliance, discipline, and self-belief.”

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: I am most passionate about creating personal and financial freedom for not only myself and my family, but also empowering women to create the same for themselves. For me, it’s always been about being able to live my best life on my own terms with the flexibility and freedom to be able to help and inspire others in my own unique way. I have always been passionate about the online business space, and I started my own affiliate marketing site back in 2002 and never looked back since. From there, I went into web development and search engine marketing and helped businesses grow their online presence. I also studied personal and business coaching and assisted a mentor of mine to build an online course that helps people to change self-limiting beliefs and mindset coaching. I now own and operate one of Australia’s largest Christian dating websites and have just started compiling all my knowledge to build a platform for women to grow personally through an online business called InspireHer Online. InspireHer Online will help positively change the lives of millions of women around the world giving them the most effective path to their personal and financial freedom on their own terms.

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

A: I love to share my skills, failures, and successes with others in an effort to help them avoid the pitfalls and misdirection that is rampant in the online business world.
One of the most valuable lessons I have learned that you can apply to both personal and business is consistency and self-belief! Never give up on your dreams! Realize that lots of failures lead you closer to success. I used to give up on projects too early without enough feedback to see it through, and I attribute my giving up too early mostly to self-limiting beliefs. You can have the best business model and the best-looking website and great marketing strategy, but if you don’t believe in yourself first, you will fail every time. So for me, first and foremost is get your mindset right in the beginning, and set the foundations to build an amazing life for yourself and stick at it! The only way you will stick at anything is self-reliance, discipline, and self-belief.

This was a big one for me, and it is what lead me to learn how to remove and change the old belief patterns I had and replace them with ones that align with my values. Developing a set of values for yourself is so important; they are your foundations and backbone that guide you through your life. Having no/a poor set of values or compromising your values to suit your needs at that moment will always create self-doubt, lack of direction, lack of purpose, and anxiety for you. Not correcting your old beliefs that don’t serve you will have you chasing your own tail and repeating the same old behavior and ultimately, lead to self-sabotage. So, I would say this is the most valuable lesson I can pass on and teach with my passion to help others finally achieve the long-term success they deserve.

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: I grew up in a small town near Melbourne, Australia, as an only child, and my mother was a hard-working single mum. During my younger years, I was always painting and drawing and ran art classes for other younger kids to raise money to go on a 12-month student exchange trip to Sweden which had a huge impact on my life—showing me that life experience and experiencing different cultures and people are things you can never learn in a classroom. I backpacked all around Europe afterward and have now traveled to 21 countries and counting! I started online marketing back in 1999 and developed a long-standing background in I.T. and digital design and marketing.

I combined both talents and first began designing websites in 2001 as a web designer for a Melbourne-based company, then started my own business developing online businesses for clients, and then later studied and taught coaching and consulting. Since then, I have been married and divorced, I have a wonderful 12-year-old son, and I have started many businesses (some that failed, some that succeeded). I have been flat broke, I have had wealth, and I have come through it all into total prosperity now, and I feel so privileged to be able to help other women achieve the same and more.

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Pictured: Carly and her son.

Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: I have never been a fan of labels, so to me, feminism means being a good human and treating each other as equals. I don’t believe women should have to be a certain way due to societal beliefs, and I also think men should be able to show emotion and cry without being perceived as weak. We are all human in the end—no matter what kind of body parts we have, I hope in time we can love and respect each other for the individuals we are and celebrate that.