women empowerment – Page 6 – The Woman Wednesday Blog

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

*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 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: Jamie

June 26, 2019June 26, 2019Posted in inspiration, Uncategorized, womenTagged blog, blogging, by women, empower, entrepreneur, entrepreneur blog, entrepreneur woman, feminism, inspiration, inspire, motivate, motivation, motivational speaker, motivational words, real stories, real woman, real women, story, together, togetherness, true stories, woman empowerment, women empowerment2 Comments

Q and A with Jamie, Vancouver, Washington

“Limits are a mindset, not a reality. Allow yourself to try things and treat life like a game.”

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: I am incredibly passionate about being the architect of my life. I am consumed and wildly in love with this idea that as I build a business, I’m creating something in our world that was never there before and can help people along the way.

I run a digital agency called Trend Rocket Digital, and I’m a business coach focused on female empowerment. I believe it’s my duty to show women that you CAN have it all and that happiness gets to look like whatever you believe it to be.

I found this passion when I was 18, and truthfully, it came to me suddenly. I was sitting on the floor of my 650-square-foot apartment, 6 hours away from home, after being let go from a nursing job due to my brain condition and I had no clue how I was going to move forward. I knew that I couldn’t live a normal life if my health continued to get in the way and then I realized, I was going to have to build my life. So, I dropped out of college that day and pursued entrepreneurship.

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: My younger years really made me who I am. I have an incredible family. I was raised out in the country with my mom who was my best friend, and my step-dad who was in my eyes, my dad. He was an entrepreneur himself, but also incredibly down to earth. I had 3 brothers and a sister, too. But, my childhood was also incredibly full of struggle. At 14, I began having health issues where I’d lose my vision and get incredibly dizzy. For a couple of years, it was pushed off by doctors as puberty and hormone imbalance.

However, by my senior year, I was now in a wheelchair with an undiagnosed condition that was getting progressively worse. I was passing out up to 50 times a day. I’d broken ribs, sprained everything imaginable, and yet, every test came back normal. I had grown masses on my spine that were affecting my nerves and every day was potentially my last. Not only did doctors not know what was wrong, but they also couldn’t tell me that one more concussion wasn’t going to kill me.

It took us 5 years to finally find out I had a rare brain disorder called Dysautonomia.

My childhood and high school years were obviously life-changing, but I believe that this was a massive piece of who I am now. Without this illness, I wouldn’t have learned to be independent, strong, and a problem solver. I wouldn’t have had the interest in self-love, and development. I would never have imagined that I should run a company on my computer. But all of this came because this rare disorder shaped me into a capable woman.

By the time I was 20, I had also unfortunately lost my step-dad to a battle with stage 4 cancer, and my brother to another illness. My family has been through so much, but because of it, I’d say we value our lives, health, and time more than anyone else I know.

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

A. I think if my story can teach anything, it’s that if I can find joy and happiness in life after dealing with all that I’ve dealt with, and still build a business—you can truly do whatever you desire.

Limits are a mindset, not a reality. Allow yourself to try things and treat life like a game. No one gets out alive anyway, and the worst that will happen is that you’ll end up in the same spot you’re in now.

Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: I think, for the most part, feminism is a great concept. However, I think that at the core, many women also seem to lean into their own excuses and place sexism as the reason they’re not where they desire to be.

There’s an episode of The Profit where a woman who runs a successful online flower shop continually brought up sexism as the reason she wasn’t getting investors, when truthfully, it was because she was incredibly hard to deal with as a person and basically cried “sexist” to anyone who told her that something was wrong in her business.

You don’t get to be the empowered woman you are capable of being and play victim at the same time. Believe it or not, the market will buy a great product–regardless of who’s selling it–man or woman. The market isn’t sexist, and you can’t allow feminism to be the reason you’re losing.

Go grab what’s yours, empower yourself, empower your fellow sisters in business (or just other women period), and earn the life you desire!

On the images I’ve attached:

One was on Christmas day with my dad who was battling stage 4 cancer, and me in my wheelchair. We were still having so much fun that day and making the most of it.

There’s also an image of my man and me. He’s been there through so much and has been the greatest support system in my life and business.

There’s an image of myself and a large group of friends. That was at my company launch party!

There’s an image of my mom, my sister, and I.

And then, just one of me! The reason I chose that one of me is because I’m sitting on my desk by my computer, and it represents so much to me. I built my desk by hand. I used all the tools, sanded it, painted it, and then it became the space where I built my business. So much of me has gone into this desk, and this computer–so, I think it’s a perfect image for this!

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/

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

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Woman Wednesday: Kelly

April 3, 2019Posted in inspiration, Uncategorized, womenTagged advice, art, blog, blogger, blogs, box business, business, business idea, business ideas, by woman, by women, bywomenforwomen, cool, design, encourage, entrepreneur, entrepreneur blog, every girl, every girl matters, family, fashion, for girls, for women, girl blog, giving back, happy, happy ideas, happy life, home, inspiration, Inspirational, inspirational story, inspirational woman, inspire, leaders, learning, life, motivational blog, news, petite princess, petite princess box, petite princesses, petite princesses box, petiteprincessbox, princess, princesses, smart, spreading happiness, strength, subscription, subscription box, subscription box business, support small business, support women, support women entrepreneurs, trends, true stories, true story, truth, wisdom, wise, wise words, woman, women, women empowerment, women entrepreneur, women leadersLeave a comment

Q and A with Kelly, 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.”

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.

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.

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.