“To fail simply means, to me, first attempt in learning.”
Q: What are you passionate about?
A: I have found myself with a great passion for the beauty industry and making others feel more confident in themselves. Especially with semipermanent makeup for the ladies who have lost their eyebrows over time; some of the reactions after treatment truly are amazing and make it worth while. During the pandemic and my business being hit drastically, I then started a few other projects to keep myself busy, but to also connect with other women. I started a Facebook group for women wanting to grow in their careers or run their own business to connect and network. There are a few groups online already; however, I found them filled with a lot of spam and very hard to find value in most of the posts. So, I set out to fill the group with educational posts. My aim was to inspire, motivate, and educate. Around this same idea, I have also cowritten a book, which is due to release in May/June [soon!]. Me and my team want to release a series of books aimed toward women in business. This first one is to help women grow their leadership skills. I am so excited for its launch; I really can’t wait for others to read it.
Q: What were your younger years like?
A: Growing up, I was always fairly good at school; I tested well and I never failed any class, but I knew I lacked the motivation to continue with academic education. I always knew deep down I needed to work for myself, but the ’system’ always wanted the student to go to university/college and aim toward an academic education. I went back to education a little later in life, around 23 years old. I did open university, which is online based, to pursue a psychology degree; however, I again dropped out after the first year knowing it wasn’t for me. I couldn’t see a future in working for anyone else. Which then whilst working part-time in a job I hated, I stumbled into beauty treatments, which made me money fast, and I loved my clients. I’m lucky to call many of them friends now. I found a passion in making them feel great. Which makes me feel valued.
Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?
A: After speaking to many many women, one of the main topics was they are scared of failure. Which really upsets me! As children, we are always finding our way and never get it right the first time! Why is it we’re expected now as adults to be perfect [the] first time. We never stop learning, which means we will never stop making mistakes! Some of my biggest breakthroughs were learning from mistakes! We throw around the saying “learn from your mistakes,” but I don’t think people truly resonate with this. To fail simply means, to me, first attempt in learning.
Q:What does feminism mean to you?
A: I want equality for women in business. Only 7% of CEOs are women. Only 17% of the new businesses set up in 2019 were by women. Now, a lot of this can be reasoned to the inequality and subconscious biased that still exists against women, but it is also the consequences from the years of inequality women have had to face; most of us have lost the confidence. So, I want to bring back that confidence for women. I think the pandemic has been profound for women who work full-time office-based jobs, since they were able to prove they can work effectively from home. Which I think is incredible that now, finally, women are able to maybe manage that work/family life more and keep their careers instead of having to step down from their positions to start a family.
MORE FROM JEMMA: I love collaborating with other women and do believe that we need to work together if anyone resonates with this also, you can find me on:
Q and A with Clairafrom Helena, MT, living in Missoula, MT
“You deserve to thrive, simply because you are alive.”
Q: What are you passionate about?
A: I am passionate about pro-social living, ethical business, health, food, luxury, freedom, spiritual evolution, my long-term partner (Zac), our animal babies (bearded dragon, Shanti) and (axolotl, Cosmo), and Zac’s kids. I have two businesses founded on ethical principles.
My first business is called Holistic Contentment. It is a caregiving agency in which we offer a sliding fee scale, pay a living wage to everyone on the team, and give 20% of our profits back to the local community. I founded a care model called the Client Liberation Model. You can find out more about that here: https://www.holisticcontentment.com/client-liberation. When I started HoCo, it was on $125 and a dream. I was told that I was too progressive, offered too much for too little, that I looked like I came from a circus, and we would never succeed. The business has grown to 14 times its size in the last 10 months. I’d say that’s proof that those were false and limited beliefs on other people’s parts.
I have also recently started a second business called Claira Kruse Coaching. The premise is teaching bosses to level up their self-care, self-love, and their company culture. My theory is that bosses and workers have been taught to grind, to not take care of themselves, to take on responsibilities that are not their own, to place blame where blame is not due, etc. In that, leaders and teammates get burnt out. Turnover rates are higher. Health declines. This all leads to an overall leak in profits. As a boss, I can empathize with bosses, but as a progressive who came from poverty, I can empathize with workers. I help others in bridging the gap, to make business beneficial for everyone involved. I am here to change the world in serious ways.
I also love food and health. I had a binge eating disorder as a child and gained 130lbs between the ages of 7 and 8 (or 8 and 9, I don’t remember exactly). I went from 70lbs to 200lbs and started wearing my mom’s clothes because mine did not fit. Food was a means of control where I felt I had none. When I was 11, my only two friends decided we could not be friends anymore and I hit a hard spiral, completely losing my appetite and losing 30lbs in one month. After that, I dealt with the “yoyo weight swings” for a while, but I learned about vegetarian, gf, paleo etc. and have found better ways to enjoy food, while also taking care of my body. At this point, I expect to always be curvy, but between style, eating healthy, and daily movement practice, I feel great in my body. My partner and I primarily follow the Eat Right 4 Your Type food protocol.
Luxury and Freedom come after the above. If business isn’t flowing, and balance isn’t found, there is very little space for luxury and freedom. If you don’t have enough money to do what you want, and are not comfortable in your body, it is challenging to fully reach for either. I like the finer things in life. Vacation, travel, nature, fancy pants (literally, I love slacks in bright colors), jewelry, skin care, being able to do what I want, when I want. I love being my own boss and finding ways to implement healing techniques for what I mentioned above in my coaching profession. I am deeply spiritual. I was born and raised pagan and am completely non-denominational. I was sent to Sunday schools on and off as a kid, but it never stuck. My grandparents on my mom‘s side are pagan; my mom is now pagan, and my dad and stepmom are agnostic. I study spirituality, love spiritual podcasts, have a regular spiritual practice, and I am a spiritual channeler. At one point, I was studying to become a priestess, but I left that behind in part because I am not good at following other people’s instruction; I am a bit of a rebel. We are spiritual beings having a human experience, as they who are themselves say.
My direct family is Zac, who I have been with for over 4 years, and he is amazing. He’s so intelligent, funny, cute, and cozy. He also challenges me to be a better person and to always be true to myself and my principles. He’s really passionate about the game Dragon Dice and the community it comes with. It’s a great and diverse game. I love him a ton. We have a 5-year-old bearded dragon, a 1.5-year-old axolotl. Our bearded dragon Shanti loves to snuggle and gets sad if we do not snuggle him. He also loves TV, watching us do stuff, and the sunshine and garden. Cosmo loves to dance, eat, swim around, and be cute. Zac’s kids are 10 and 13, and they are both highly intelligent, creative, and hilarious. I am lucky that they love me.
Q: What were your younger years like?
A: My younger years were a can of worms. My parents separated when I was 4. My mom was pregnant with my little brother, and I was conditioned to be a disciplinarian to him. This was not healthy for either of us. My mom had a hard time with healthy relationships, but she did her best. My mom has always been playful, free spirited, and wanting to help everyone. My dad was a bit of a rocker, long hair, rock shirts, played in bands etc. My dad is helpful, soulful, and all about personal accountability. My dad and stepmom met when I was 7, and they are together to this day. I have two half sisters: an older sister and a younger one. I have my one full brother. I grew up with my big sister Ana in Oregon, but would visit her typically once a year (because I’m in Montana), and I lived with my little brother full-time until I moved into my dad and stepmom’s house at 14, at which point, I was living with my little sister until I was 18. I started planning ethical businesses at 11, but I was failing school from the time I was 8. I had a serious struggle between “I will change the world” and “I am incapable and no one likes me. I am a freak.” I struggled with self harm, codependency, substance abuse, challenges with gender identity and sexuality, failing grades, and serious anger and depression issues. I got into a lot of abusive friendships and relationships very young. My anger and depression started letting up when I moved into my dads, and my grades went from F’s to A-Cs within six months, but I did not have a genuinely happy year until I was at least 18. I have a belief that every year gets better than the last because I learn more, open up more, and live more as my authentic self. I did love when my mom would take me to Washington and Oregon to meet with her friends. They showed me a lot about being yourself, loving yourself, and loving humanity.
Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?
A: I would like for others to know that no matter where you start, what conditioning you are given, or beliefs you have about yourself, you can be open to support to heal, you can work on being kind to yourself, and in time, things change. You are capable. You are here for a reason. Find what you are avoiding in yourself, what dream you fear because it is too large, or because you feel unworthy, and go for it. You deserve to thrive, simply because you are alive, and scarcity is a lie meant to keep us small.
Q:What does feminism mean to you?
A: To me, feminism means true equality between all genders, female, non-binary and male. It means letting go of gender boxes and allowing people to be who they truly are. Not taking any gender away, but simply being you, and not being bullied or shamed for your true expression. It means Black Lives Matter, POC lives matter, and recognizing where women who are not white have less privilege than those who are historically, and to this day. It also means paying fairly for stereotypically feminine labor. It means supporting families and using pro-social means to allow everyone a fulfilling and supported life.
MORE FROM CLAIRA: I am in a monogamous relationship with my partner, but I continue to identify as a non-binary queer woman. I will always stand up for the rights of others, and I think that the planet is better when we and the planet thrive. Follow me at https://www.instagram.com/claira.kruse.coaching/ and DM to schedule an application call for Liberate to Elevate, my coaching program.
A: I am passionate about many things. I am an initiative creative and I love creating new content. I am launching a new program around empowering women to balance out in multiple ways, including understanding and shifting their dream state to make a bigger impact on their lives and biz.
Q: What were your younger years like?
A: I grew up in a big family. I was the oldest of six kids, and I helped take care of them. My family taught us to work hard and value being a good, honest hard worker. Life was our education. We worked and played hard as a family. Service to others was valued and important as well.
Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?
A: Learn to have balance now. Do not put it off. Being over busy and being out of balance can effect your ability to retire in peace and abundance. Start now!
Q:What does feminism mean to you?
A: Feminism shouldn’t be hard or coarse. It is not demanding. It’s soft, receptive, and kind, but it sets healthy boundaries and gets important matters taken care of properly.
MORE FROM TAMMI: I am a certified ThetaHealer and I love empowering women to make bigger shifts than they can ever dream possible even faster! Struggling to overcome hormonal imbalance and PTSD has been a challenge, and I love empowering other women feeling out of balance to balance naturally so they can live their dreams.
Q and A with Catriona from Scotland, living in Berlin, Germany
“When I gave up architecture after studying for seven years, people thought I was crazy, but I knew it wasn’t right for me. And I followed that feeling, and I have ended up in a place I would never have imagined, but it’s exactly where I’m meant to be!”
Q: What are you passionate about?
A: I come from a background in architecture, and I loved studying it as it was a way to think about how to design the world to create healthier, happier people. After university, I travelled to Vietnam to teach English and I started a community called, “Leading Women,” which ran public speaking events for female speakers to talk about important issues.
I am incredibly passionate about empowering women and [promoting] gender equality for everyone. Since moving back to Europe, I began an Instagram page about female empowerment and, over the months, I moved into more content about sex as I felt it was one of the biggest taboos for women and I really believe that women deserve pleasure and to not be shamed for their sexuality. So basically, my passion is people, humanity, and self-love, and empowerment, and my way of teaching that is through open and honest content around sex, health, and our bodies. I create content for social media, my website, and through workshops and courses. And my current big passion is teaching women self pleasure.
Q: What were your younger years like?
A: My early life definitely inspired me a lot. I was my dad’s sole carer from age 14, as he had Alzheimer’s disease. My mum and dad had split up and it really pushed me to grow up and also gave me a lot of compassion for people and [I learned] to treasure life when you can live it because it can be taken away so easily.
Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?
A: What I believe people could learn is to listen to your gut and your heart, and let life take you where you’re meant to go, and to accept change. We all have plans, and even if we’re doing everything right, we have to chose to be happy and follow what is right within us, even if it’s taking you off the stable path. When I gave up architecture after studying for seven years, people thought I was crazy, but I knew it wasn’t right for me. And I followed that feeling, and I have ended up in a place I would never have imagined, but it’s exactly where I’m meant to be! Also, don’t stress too much about changing careers or earning a lot of money or owning a house by 30; these don’t necessarily make you happy or give you personal success. Do something that fills you with satisfaction and pays the bills, and you’re on the right path.
Q:What does feminism mean to you?
A: Feminism is about equal opportunities for everyone, regardless of gender and letting go of limiting ideas of what it means to be a man or a woman. It’s absolutely about female empowerment, but it’s also about giving men the space to express their emotions and so many more things.
MORE FROM CATRIONA: If you’d like to discover your sexuality and love your body more in a community with other supportive women, follow me on Instagram @weareungirls. Also, I’m running a self-love and pleasure course and teaching live workshops on this.
“We all need a great circle of empowering strong women to push us on all the hard days but also celebrate our wins.”
Q: What are you passionate about?
A: I’m a mom of three; two boys ages 13 and 11, and a girl age 6. My kids are my whole world. I own a women’s clothing store in Vancouver, Washington, and we specialize in size inclusivity and ethnic fashion. All things girlie is who I am; I love personal shopping and styling my clients and myself (give me all the fun hot tools to play with my hair all day and bright lipstick because it’s a staple) because showing up feeling my best is important. It also empowers other women to do the same.
Personal styling and shopping is what I do because fashion is for everyone and we always feel better when we like our outfit. The store was a dream I had with my best friend from middle school; that’s what bonded us. (Funny story) she didn’t like me but loved my outfit and her mom made her hang out with me [she laughs], we’ve now been best friends for over 17 years! I’m also the girl who loves to get dirty and camp (any outdoor activity hiking and swimming the river is what I do all summer here in the PNW, where I was born and raised). Count me in on long weekends with my girlfriends because we are the tribe we keep! We all need a great circle of empowering strong women to push us on all the hard days but also celebrate our wins. I love to travel. Hawaii is my favorite but Japan, Africa, New York, and Italy are on my long bucket list. I’m also a adrenaline junkie, so skydiving, roller coasters, all those things…count me in. My goal is to have my store in multiple locations where I can shop a little differently for each location. (Depending where its at…weather and all that).
Q: What were your younger years like?
A: I have one older brother. My parents are divorced, so childhood was different in each house. At my mom’s, I was an only child. At my dad’s, we had a blended family and I had a step brother and 2 step sisters. I was the oldest. I graduated from high school in 2007 and became a mom shortly after. I stayed home with my kids until I opened my boutique. Coming from a divorced home had its challenges, but it made me the strong, independent mother and friend I am today.
Q: What is something valuable you’d like others to know?
A: Being a business owner isn’t for the faint of heart, but if you always go back to your core values and stay humble, you can get through any hard day and you always appreciate the wins. (That’s what I’ve learned.) Believe came about because we wanted to inspire women to follow their dreams (that’s what we did), and when you put your whole heart into something, anything is possible.
Q:What does feminism mean to you?
A: Feminism, to me, is rejecting stereotypes and expectations put in place centuries ago to keep women in their “place.” And replacing those expectations with love, acceptance, support, and encouragement. There are millions of women in the world and there are millions of ways to embody womanhood. Feminism is cheering for every woman in whatever way she chooses to be a woman.
The Woman Wednesday Blog 