women wednesday blog – Page 9 – The Woman Wednesday Blog

Woman Wednesday: Maya

March 11, 2020March 12, 2020Posted in inspiration, Uncategorized, womenTagged beauty products, businesswoman, environment, environmentally friendly, environmentally friendly beauty products, Nam, stories that inspire, true stories, true story, Vietnam, wednesday blog, woman, woman wednesday blog, women, Women in vietnam, women wednesday, women wednesday blog, womens storiesLeave 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 Maya, Berkeley, California

“I learned I shouldn’t wait to start something, but I should just go for it and figure it out along the way!”

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: I’m passionate about making people’s lives better. I went to college with the intention of studying political science with an emphasis on international relations to go into human rights work in the future. Climate change has always been a thing I thought of as important, but it never really struck a chord with me until I realized that it is not only an environmental issue but also a humanitarian issue. Rising sea level is causing many people to relocate, natural disasters are exacerbated due to rising temperatures, and people are lacking clean water for daily needs. After realizing all of this, I got more interested in learning about environmentalism and the zero-waste movement. I realized that a lot of products out there for zero-waste are still relatively expensive and there is no one-stop-shop for minimally packaged or zero-waste beauty products. So, I created Serenade, my e-commerce site for these beauty items! My mission is to grow this store into a comprehensive, one-stop-shop for sustainable beauty products with my own product line. I’m currently working on getting the word out and upgrading the website aesthetic and brand identity. Stay tuned and follow the shop on Instagram @serenadethecompany!

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: Both of my parents are entrepreneurs, so I think it’s been pretty easy for me to believe that I can create something of my own if I’m committed enough and have enough resources. In high school, I did a ton of internships in the business administration/event planning fields, and it taught me that even established businesses face a lot of challenges. They don’t always have it figured out. And if that’s the case, I learned I shouldn’t wait to start something, but I should just go for it and figure it out along the way!

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

A: I’m only getting started! I don’t know if I have a lot of advice or wise things to say, but I did learn recently that there are so many people rooting for you if you want to start something. Not everyone wants to necessarily want to be an entrepreneur but everyone wants the world to be a better place and they will support you!

Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: Feminism to me means believing that women, including myself, can achieve whatever anyone (regardless of gender identity) can achieve. It also means uplifting other women. That’s really important to me.

Thank you for reading!

I’d love to connect with you!

Instagram: @serenadethecompany

www.serenadetheco.us

Thoughts, questions, or comments?

Comment below! 🙂

Woman Wednesday: Marina

March 4, 2020March 4, 2020Posted in inspiration, Uncategorized, womenTagged advice blog, advice column, advice column for women, advice for girls, advice for women, amazing woman, beautiful people, blog, blogging, Croatia, Croatian woman, dream blog, follow your dreams, helping people, how to inspire, inspiration, inspire, refelctive blog, role model, stories that inspire, Successful woman, successful women, the future, true stories, true story, woman wednesday blog, women, women helping women, women wednesday blogLeave a comment

Q and A with Marina, County of Međimurje, Croatia

“Make brave decisions and just start before you are ready because “the right time” is just an illusion. Don’t wait until you will have time–create time for things that are important to you.”

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: As an activist, entrepreneur, and gardener, I’m passionate about possibilities to constantly create and contribute to creating a better community. I help aspiring individuals develop competencies, careers, and businesses so they can reach their potential and achieve success. Also, I help companies create a healthy foundation for their business, develop their brand, and create business growth strategies.

After high school, the “box I put myself in” became too small for me. After I quit my first job, I started to grow–personally and professionally. I founded an organization, I worked as a manager, head of sales, project manager, mentor, consultant, and now–I am the CEO of my own company “Konekta,” where I help others find their passion, their life and business purpose, and create the life that they want to live. I am the creator of Successful Women podcast, #MOŽEŠ (You can do it) campaign, I organize conferences and networking events, create educational videos, write for Croatian business magazine “Poduzetnik” and last but not least, I am a Bio gardener, and I love to learn. So, if you ask me what my biggest passion is–the possibility to constantly create is my passion, as well as contributing to the community and helping others. This is what led me to this moment in my life where I can say that I am absolutely satisfied and happy.

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: The atmosphere in Croatia in the ‘80s and ‘90s was not supportive of individual development. Priorities were to find a job, get married, have kids, and get a mortgage, and that’s it. My family was sometimes having a hard time accepting that my sister and I were not “like the other kids.” Today, they are proud of us both–my sister is also an entrepreneur and an author.

It takes a lot of courage to become the person that you believe you can be. But even though others sometimes couldn’t understand our choices, the strong women in my life– my mom, grandma, and my grandma’s sisters made a great impact on my life. My grandma’s lessons about integrity and respect for people and the community created my path. All my life, I was a human and women rights activist, and for a long time, I worked with unemployed and marginalized women. Today, I am doing very similar work in my own company–I empower people, mostly women, to reach their potential and create prosperous businesses they can be proud of.

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

A: Never give up on your dreams. If you don’t have support, be your own support. Make brave decisions and just start before you are ready because “the right time” is just an illusion. Don’t wait until you will have time–create time for things that are important to you. Celebrate your successes–don’t just put new benchmarks to achieve even more. And most importantly–you can do it. You most certainly can do it!

Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: For the last 19 years, I have been creating opportunities for women and supporting them so they can stand up, be visible, and become stronger and proud of themselves and their work. For me, feminism is based on love and pride; it is creating equal opportunities for all as well as equal distribution of power among men and women.

Thank you for reading!

I’d love to connect with you!

Insta Page– Let’s connect! Click to follow me!
Insta Workshop
Marina Kolar

Thoughts, questions, or comments?

Comment below! 🙂

Woman Wednesday: Marae

February 26, 2020Posted in inspiration, Uncategorized, womenTagged advice, advice column, advice column for women, advice for girls, advice for women, blog, blogging, book now, book travel now, cool, cuba, Cuban girl, Cuban woman, Faith, health, here we go, Here We Go Again, inspiration, island girl, journal, life, news, photos, travel, travel blog, travel blogger, travel guide, travel site, traveling, truth, woman, woman wednesday, woman wednesday blog, women, women wednesday, women wednesday blogLeave a comment

Q and A with Marae, Cuba

“Impossible, after all, is only an opinion.”

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: I am passionate about travel and connections. I believe travel has the potential to make this world a better place by teaching us about acceptance, diversity, strength, and values. It also teaches us self discipline and self-worth. My life has been changed with every trip I’ve taken, and it is my biggest dream to help women discover the travelpreneur lifestyle so they, too, can reap the benefits of a life lived in their own terms while discovering the world. At first, I traveled for fun; vacations, adventures, etc. But then, I realized every place I went to had the possibility to gift me with unexpected lessons and surprises if I dug a little deeper. Unable to stay longer because of work or school restrictions, I started looking into ways I could stay in places longer, travel a bit slower, and develop deeper connections.

Now, I get to book travel for others and myself and make commissions on all of it. I also get to coach others on how to become digital nomads, and this has given a deeper purpose to my life than I ever could have imagined. Seeing others transition into this seemingly impossible lifestyle is my biggest joy. Every time I see someone making a living while traveling, my entire being smiles. I am currently working on a group coaching program that will allow more entrepreneurs to venture into this digital nomad lifestyle. I am also working on expanding my blog/social media channel and on learning how to be a mom for my first baby coming this June!

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: I was born in Cuba. I was not able to travel, let alone so much as speak my mind until I left my island country at the age of 12. My father escaped the country by swimming the Guantanamo Bay to seek asylum at the US base, and I knew from a young age that fighting from your dreams demanded doing things that people thought impossible. At the age of 16, I earned a scholarship to go study in Germany for a year, and since I had never traveled much before, and I did not know when I was going to do it again, I used all my allowance money to travel around Europe on cheap airlines and buses and staying in the cheapest hostels. That year, I visited 17 different countries and cities, and my life forever changed. I remember being mesmerized at how a place so “small” could be so diverse. I fell in love with travel and I decided I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing it.

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

A: After I graduated from college, I got a grown-up job. I was making good money and had everything you’re supposed to wish for. I was selling commercials for ABC and Fox and I was living “the American dream” but life felt empty because I did not have more than 2 weeks a year to do what I loved most: travel. I quit everything and became a server at seasonal resorts and parks so I could live in different places every 6 months, and I would work vigorously for 5-6 months and then travel the rest of the year. When I found out people could make a living online, I tried many things. I looked into teaching online, started my own digital marketing agency, looked into drop shipping, worked as an online influencer, started a blog, and even worked for a couple of startups. None of it worked out perfectly, but it all gave me the skills necessary to be where I am at today.

Through all the jobs and businesses I started, there was only one constant: I was on my way to figuring out a way to make a living while I traveled the world. This was my goal, and I was determined to make it happen, no matter how long it took or how hard it was. After I became a full time “digital nomad” working solely from my computer, I had months where I did not know how I was going to eat, yet I kept going. Months where I did not see any progress in any of my endeavors, days where no money was coming in, and many times where I even applied to on-site jobs as a back up because I was so afraid to fail…. But every time I got the jobs, I kept reminding myself that if I took the job, I would go back to the thing I was trying to run away from…a life in one place that did not allow me to be fully mobile to do what I love doing the most, TRAVEL.
Today, I am so thankful I stuck by my dreams and did not give up on this dream because not only am I able to make a living online, and not only do I travel full time, but I get paid WHILE I travel, and TO travel. This is what I’ve dreamed of all my life and I only got here through perseverance and determination. Not everything works for everyone, but there is ALWAYS a solution if you don’t give up.

Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: Feminism to me means possibilities. It means bridging the gap, filling in the blank, and opening the doors to opportunities. For everyone. It means standing up for what you know is right, and never taking no for an answer; impossible, after all, is only an opinion.

I’d love to connect with you!

You can find me @bravefreetravel on Instagram or facebook.com/bravefreetravel and check out my site/blog here.

Thoughts, questions, or comments?

Comment below! 🙂

Woman Wednesday: Deasha

February 19, 2020February 19, 2020Posted in inspiration, Uncategorized, womenTagged advice, advice blog, advice for all, advice for girls, advice for women, author, incredible women, incredible women blog, inspiration, Inspirational, inspirational blog, inspirational story, inspire, learning, life lessons, motivational blog, positive mindset, Thailand, travel, travel story, traveler, traveller, UK, UK girl, UK story, UK woman, wednesday, wednesday blog, woman, woman wednesday, woman wednesday blog, women, women wednesday, women wednesday blogLeave a comment

Q and A with Deasha, Manchester, United Kingdom

“You do not have to have tons of money. You do not have to have knowledge or experience. If you have enough drive, ambition, and vision, then you can create any life that you want.”

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: I am passionate about helping female business owners to leverage their time and scale their impact and income. I love taking care of the planet and recycling and exercising as much as possible, which is why I work with women that have similar values and want to create a life of freedom for themselves.

I manage a business called Social Treats. Social Treats is a social media management and coaching business. We help wellness entrepreneurs to build organic strategies that really help them to get more reach, engagement, and think outside of the box to reach their target clients.

I wrote a book called She Did It. This book is about me, the story of how I struggled with creating a life that was different from the norm, how I overcame imposter syndrome, and how I focused on creating a life that is different, unique, and on my terms. And I want to help other people do the same.

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: I am a traveler at heart and that is because of my father. Together, we have traveled a lot of the world. My dad is more than happy to stay in hostels, ride on night buses, and go volunteering. I spent 5 years traveling and working and learning about myself and the business I was capable of running. I knew that I wanted to create a path for myself that was different from others, that did not tie me down to a location, and that did not have me working a strict schedule and that allowed me freedom.

I think my favorite place to travel with my dad was Costa Rica. We spent New Year’s Eve in San Jose (had our passports stolen from the hostel) and went to a monkey park to volunteer to rehabilitate spider monkeys. It was so much fun and so different from most people’s father-daughter holidays. And my favorite place that I’ve visited on my own is Thailand. I have spent so much time there, and the people are just amazing—plus the food is to die for!

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

A: You do not have to have tons of money. You do not have to have knowledge or experience. If you have enough drive, ambition, and vision, then you can create any life that you want.

And some tips for helping the world is just to be more conscious with every decision you make, take a refillable bottle and cup with you everywhere. Try to recycle or reuse anything you have, and try to reduce the amount of plastic you have in your bathroom. Do you need to buy all that shampoo and conditioner or is there a local place where you can refill your bottles and not have to buy more plastic?

Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: Feminism is the freedom of choice—to choose how you live your life and to not be defined or put in a box by anyone.

I’d love to connect with you!

Facebook

Thoughts, questions, or comments?

Comment below! 🙂

Woman Wednesday: Lorie

February 12, 2020Posted in inspiration, Uncategorized, womenTagged author, blog, book author, giving, inspiration, Inspirational, inspirational woman, inspired, Lorie's book, loss, love, love and loss, love loss and moving on, motivate, motivation, motivational blog, motivational speaker, moving on book, speaking, woman, woman wednesday, woman wednesday blog, women wednesday, women wednesday blogLeave a comment

Q and A with Lorie, Cincinnati, Ohio

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: I think of myself as a cheerleader with the core message that life is difficult but doable. I am passionate about sharing this message with my various audiences. I have worked as a motivational speaker, as a syndicated columnist, as a published author, and now as a blogger. In all cases, my method of operation has been to tell the stories of my life hoping other people will glean life lessons from them. By the way, I am also a professional quilter and even the quilts I make have words and symbols pieced into the design as they, too, tell stories with life lessons. Here are two examples:

This quilt addresses my professional life where there is a mountain after mountain to climb in order to find BIG success. Sometimes, it seems like the sky is falling, as the sky-blue background fabric does on the bottom of the quilt. But instead of quitting, I persistently climb one mountain after another, planning someday to be an “overnight success,” though it may take 20 years to get there.

On this quilt, I address the issue that I have always felt odd in life. When my girlfriends giggled over boys in high school, I made appointments with my rabbi to discuss existentialism. When my friends were celebrating a decade or two of marriage, I was getting divorced. Thus, on this quilt, I am the green bird when everyone else is red. And I’m headed west as opposed to the eastward heading flock. But guess what? I am perfect just the way I am, and I am proud to be a strange bird!

NOTE: My quilt designs–printed out on quality giftware–are available on Etsy.

Q: What were your younger years like?

A: I grew up in a tight-knit family where love abounded. I was always neat, sweet, and in my seat, because there were so many loved ones who cared. I couldn’t step off the straight and narrow because I would have disappointed them all.

Throughout my life, people have always come to me with their problems, needing me to cheer them on. As a teenager, I often got off the phone in tears after talking to friends who needed help. My dad told me that if I couldn’t talk on the phone without getting so upset, then I couldn’t talk on the phone! I think his words sent me in the direction of my motivational speaking, my writing, and my quilt art. All of these allow me to reach a lot of people without getting personally involved with each one.

I don’t mean to sound like a woman who thinks she has all the answers. Instead, this is a quote that defines me and my work: We tend to teach best that which we most need to learn. So, the things I talk about in my creative work are things I need to learn myself. This recent blog will attest to that. Try as I might, I just can’t learn that good enough is good enough! Hopefully, my readers will catch on even if I never do!

By the way, I graduated magna cum laude from the University of Missouri with a degree in Elementary Education, but I have never had a classroom. Instead, I have had lecture audiences and book/blog/column readers.

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

A: As I said earlier, I think life is difficult but doable. I even have a very simple recipe for personal and professional success: You need to take one step a day–even if it is a teeny tiny one–in the direction of your goal. You have to do this day after day after day.

For the last two years, I have been spreading this message via social media posts. Below you will find some examples of my “keep on keeping on” philosophy. There are 800 posts like these on my social media accounts: on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Please note that it is easiest to see them all in a row on the Instagram account.

Q: What does feminism mean to you?

A: Women are every bit as capable as men; therefore, women should get equal pay, equal respect, etc. Also, for every glass ceiling women shatter, the world will be a better place.

Q: What are you currently working on?

A: At the moment, I am focusing on my writing and on promoting it. To further this goal, I ask your help in two ways:

Please consider reading my newest book, Love, Loss, and Moving On. If you’ve ever reinvented yourself after the loss of a loved one, this book’s for you. Did you go a bit crazy in the process? Yep! Me too. The book is available on Amazon in paperback and eBook formats.
I hope you will also subscribe to my blog/newsletter. When you do, you will receive a FREE downloadable booklet with a dozen motivational images/messages entitled, “Some Do’s and Don’ts in Life.”

And don’t forget to visit my website: https://www.loriekleinereckert.com!

I’d love to connect with you!

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Thoughts, questions, or comments?

Comment below! 🙂