I like to consider myself a passionate person — going after the dreams I’ve set out for myself. After all, having a passion helps give life a little more meaning. Passions can make us feel alive + excited and give us a sense of fulfillment + purpose. But, pursuing my passions hasn’t always been the easiest or smoothest or most straightforward journey. I’ve had many, many jobs that have each led me to where I am today and have overcome a multitude of naysayers + non-supporters to get to this point.
And this point? It’s really just the start. I’m still so new to writing in this blogging space and I’m in the early stages of launching a business which will manufacture a product that moms will absolutely love. And this starting point, the uncertainty of a new business and all the gray area ahead just lead to me to seek my people. The ones who continually speak truth and wisdom about goals and passions, as they’ve been the ones to pursue their own before me.
I believe in learning from others and I completely believe that we are to always share to help others learn and grow as well. Community over competition – always. These women who have contributed here, they are some of the greatest inspiration around me and want to rise by lifting others. I am so, so, so incredibly grateful that each of them – these AMAZING mamas who are pursuing AMAZING things in life – they have all generously shared their hearts and words to encourage all those who want to step forward and do the same.
Life is full of opportunity. And as I’ve read carefully through all of these beautiful contributions, I realize all over again just how much space there is for all of us.
May these amazing women + mamas provide you with the encouragement and confidence you need to take your very own leap.
XO
Sarah Kooiman
Owner & Co-founder of MKE Moms Blog
@mkemomsblog | @slkooiman
Passion: I love encouraging others and working to create an environment where women can feel supported, valued and empowered.
Journey to her passion: Writing is part of what makes me who I am, but it always felt like I wanted to somehow do MORE to create connections through writing from a place of authenticity. I had come from a place of mothering in isolation and knew how difficult that was, so when the opportunity appeared to marry my passions for parenting, leadership, writing and community….I jumped on it!
Her encouragement: Starting is easy. It’s the finishing that often feels impossible. We all have been there – when we dream the big dreams and think about all the ways we are gonna kill it with our thing. Then reality happens and our hustle turns to exhaustion or we get that first criticism that cuts too deep, the first setback that makes us doubt if we are cut out for this after all, or we see that person we have previously viewed as a running mate surge past us and we feel discouraged and the fear of failure suddenly seems like more of a reality than ever before. The biggest lesson I have learned and the encouragement I would offer sounds simple, but is so so hard to put into practice. It’s to simply “finish.” To not let the self-doubt win. To turn your hustle into a full-on sprint when needed and to also allow yourself to bend without breaking when needed. Choose what to bomb, chuck perfection out the window and FINISH.
Katie Bingen
Photographer at Katie Bingen Photography
@katiebingen
Passion: I love capturing the small moments, that you’ll want to look back on in the future when you are missing your baby giving you the biggest smile or your toddler running towards you with open arms.
Journey to her passion: When I was little, I looked up to my dad who always took pictures of our family. I found, I wanted to do the same. After my own trial and error, I’ve taught myself this craft that I love and get to share with others.
Her encouragement: Go for it! Dive right in. Once I decided to stay home with my kids, I was able to explore and learn what I love. Don’t be afraid to pursue your dreams. You are the only one holding yourself back. For me, this was going out of my comfort zone. I am a shy person, but I needed to put myself out there! Have confidence you can do what you want to do and then go all in! Find Facebook groups in your area of interest and interact with that community. Others in your shoes have been through the same thing and can help guide you in your passion. You got this!
Suzanne Koval
Owner, Bao Bei +Women’s Health Physio
@BaoBeiMaternity
Passion: Supporting women as they journey from pregnancy into postpartum.
Journey to her passion: As a Physical Therapist, I quickly realized that I wanted to work in Women’s Health to fill the void in obstetric care for women. I saw women struggling with orthopedic issues during pregnancy that I know I could make an impact on. I also saw women blindly navigating postpartum and I know that I could give them direction and guidance. It was something that immediately called me to action. I quickly took EVERY continuing education course I could find in Women’s Health so that I could be really good at this role.
Her encouragement: Stay focused on your goal. There was a time when I taught prenatal classes when only one or 2 women showed up. But I always showed up. Even if it was for a class of 2. Now, after years of following my passion to change the way women move and rehab their bodies, I am able to reach women all over the US. If I didn’t stay focused on my goal of reaching as many women as possible I wouldn’t have got here. I literally educated and rehabbed one woman at a time.
Kim Lyn Chauvin
Owner, Boudoir + Wedding Photographer (Kim Lyn Photography) | Empowering Women | Mama
@kimlynchauvin
Passion: Empowering women through photography and friendship during every stage of their lives.
Journey to her passion: I started my photography business in 2013 but it has transformed into something so much more in the years to follow. I started as a photographer of everything to focusing on women. I photograph boudoir, lifestyle, marriage, maternity, and mamas. I want to grow with my clients. I want to be there during their trials and triumphs. I want to watch them succeed in every single stage of their lives. Photography allows me to document their stories for their children and grandchildren to experience.
Her encouragement: Never give up. Focus on you, your dreams, your passions, your life and share that with the world. Do not let someone else’s “highlight reel” distract you from pursuing your dreams. We are all in different seasons of our lives. Focus on your own goals and find a way to live out the passions you have. You can literally do ANYTHING you set your mind to. The only person you should compare yourself to is the person you were yesterday. Find your groove and keep on going. There will be tons of ups and downs….enjoy the ride. Find a group of women who have the same mindset as you and cheer one another on. Most of all LOVE + BELIEVE in yourself. You are worth it. You are enough. You are beautiful. Love Always, Kim Lyn
Krystle Howald
Doctor of Physical Therapy, Owner of Empower Movement Physical Therapy, Co-Owner of Expecting and Empowered and Mama to two littles
@expectingandempowered | @empowermovementpt
Passion: Helping people feel better, move better, and perform better through knowledge of the body.
Journey to her passion: I took a Women’s Health course as an elective at the end of physical therapy school because I selfishly wanted to know what my body hopefully would go through some day when I was pregnant. I found that the information the average pregnant patient gets is appalling. I have been on a mission since then to help educate mamas on their journey. Luckily, I have always know that I wanted to be a Physical Therapy and I am trying to ROCK it every day in the clinic for my patients. Who wants to stink at what they do? Being good makes it WAY more fun!
Her Encouragement: 1. Truly make sure it is YOUR passion and not just a good idea. That will take you a LONG way. 2. Make sure you build a team around you that is good at what you are not good at. My sister is great at social media. I can barely post a picture. We all have our strengths. Stick to what you are good at. 3. Don’t waste your time doing tasks that others can do. Cut the busy work if you can.
Emily Ironi
Owner, Founder, CEO, Fairy-in-chief at The Dairy Fairy
@the_dairyfairy
Passion: Making ingenious intimates for mama’s milk.
Journey to her passion: After having a baby by IVF at 41, I realized the process of nourishing our babies needed improvement in comfort, fit and fashionability! So, I set out to make it my mission to create these ingenious intimates that marry femininity and functionality.
Her Encouragement: Accept help. Every major accomplishment I’ve had, would have been nearly impossible without assistance from friends or family. Emotional, physical and financial support are not something to be ashamed or afraid of. Accepting support does not mean you are weak or incapable, it just means you are lucky enough have someone around who wants to see you succeed!
Amy VanHaren
Founder, pumpspotting and VanHaren Creative
@pumpspotting |@avanharen
Passion: To support women who breastfeed by building a community and a social platform that meets their needs at every stage in the journey.
Journey to her passion: I was sitting in a dirty bathroom stall in the airport for the many hundreth time, pumping milk while on a work trip and feeling completely isolated and alone. But I knew I wasn’t, I knew that there were beautiful women breastfeeding all around me and I decided I wanted to build a way for us to connect and help support one another.
Her encouragement: You don’t have to have all the knowledge or answers or even the courage in place to follow your passion. If the spark of something strikes you, a way to change your life or the lives of others or a way to find joy, I’d say follow it without delay. Just dive in to begin and sort the path forward as you go.
I’ve learned that if you lead with passion, and you stay true to yourself and your vision, the road will start to take shape as you go. It may not be what you thought, it may be harder than you thought, and it may take exhausting amounts of time and energy and deep thoughts, but it will be there. And people will be there to cheer you on and help you move forward.
The fulfillment and fun is not in the perfection of plans but rather in seeing where it all leads – being open to the unknown potential of it all – so take a deep breath and go for it. You got this, mama.
ps: Don’t forget to cheer others on. x
Talia Laird
Photographer & Owner at Talia Laird Photography
@talialairdphotography
Passion: Telling the stories of families through capturing real moments of life with their little ones.
Journey to her passion: My passion for photography started as a child, but my journey really began when my husband and I were about to take our first trip out of the country for our honeymoon and I purchased my first dslr camera to take with us to document our life. For a few years I practiced on anyone that I could coerce into allowing me to take their photo for a few minutes and then my son was born; my own personal model who I get to spend all day with! My passion became very intense as I watched my son grow and realized how quickly the small moments pass. This passion comes from my mama heart; I truly love helping families preserve these stages that pass by way too quick.
Her encouragement: The hardest thing about pursuing a personal passion is balancing it with family life. My personal belief is that when starting a new journey, we need to proactively lay out our priorities and try to match our time to those priorities. I view time as my greatest asset, and I think that how we choose to spend our time can be indicative of our priorities. When we make an active choice to say “yes” to one thing, we are, in turn, saying “no” to other things (whether that is clear in the moment or not). I try to make my yes’s align with my priorities. For instance, if your family is your first priority, it should be where you dedicate the most time. In my case, my son (and husband) is my number one priority and my passion comes second to that. While I am not perfect at it, and constantly striving to better find balance, I always try to make decisions that reflect my family first mentality.
Ashley Samadani
Blogger/Lip Boss/SAHM at Taylor-Made Mama
@taylormademama | @taylormadebeautywithashley
Passion: Helping other new moms and helping other women start businesses from home through a cosmetics company!
Journey to her passion: I am a school district Special Education Administrator turned stay at home mom as of 6 months ago. I started a blog when my daughter was 3 months old as a way to connect with other new moms and share experiences. When I left my job about a year after she was born, I was so happy to be home with her, but I missed working with and leading other people – not to mention my income; SeneGence/LipSense came as a surprisingly perfect opportunity to fulfill both the latter needs! I never imagined that my blog or signing up with SeneGence would turn into what they have – both affording me the opportunities to make income for my family and be the catalyst for so many amazing connections with other women/moms!
Her encouragement: I would encourage each woman to follow her heart and forge her own path and NOT to worry about the opinions or perceptions of others. Stay true to yourself, your faith, and what feel right/works for YOU and YOUR family and to not give up on a dream when it doesn’t come easily. I truly didn’t believe when people said that if you find work to do that you love, you won’t actually feel like you’re working but it’s so true; at 34 I now realize that It does exist but it may be outside of your comfort zone, your degree, the norm, your typical work habits….All that to say, don’t be afraid to change directions, follow your passion and apply your skill sets therein – it’s worth the risk!
Lindsay Atkinson
Advertising Account Manager, Yoga Teacher
@lindsayatkinson
Passion: To share yoga with others in Milwaukee – both on and off of the yoga mat.
Journey to her passion: Since starting my personal yoga practice in college, I’ve always had an itch to teach. First, to deepen my understanding and appreciation and second, to share my love of yoga with others. The decision to invest in yoga teacher training wasn’t an easy one as it meant time away from my family and real impacts to our budget. The summer I decided to apply, my best friend was battling cancer (and is now a proud survivor) and that shifted my thinking. Instead of putting my dreams on pause, I made an effort to be intentional. To dedicate time, energy and dollars to what matters. Yoga teacher training propelled my professional development and spiritual growth. A year ago I wouldn’t have had the confidence to share and teach yoga. Now, I can’t imagine not teaching.
Her encouragement: There is strength in the middle. Sometimes, we glorify the end result, the “after” picture and in yoga, the full expression of the pose. A polished “after” picture and a complicated arm balance are beautiful but, what about the messy middle?
My advice to anyone pursuing their passions (and know, that I’m right there with you!) is to know there is strength in “the middle.” It takes grit to put in effort every morning. It’s powerful to develop habits and get to the root cause. It’s not easy to tap into our greatest strengths, stay in our own lane and wobble in a pose. Rather than “go big or go home” let’s just “keep going!”
Brianna Gasper
Co- Executive Director, Charity Event visionaries and planners
@bri_jg |@rocktheburbs | @elevate.mke
Passion: Creating events for causes we have watched friends be affected by or feel passionate about and trying to create more good waves in the world!
Journey to her passion: My first business allowed me a chance to work with many different charitable causes/events over the years. I quickly realized how a positive event can affect attendees and create a wave of good and how fulfilling it was to be a part of something so great. When my good friend lost her mom, I was determined to fight for that cause and create an event in her honor. Over the last 5 years we have raised almost $100,000 for Pancreatic Cancer. And so it began. When my business partner and I met almost 3 years ago, we started dreaming up bigger events then ever. Our huge hearts make us want to cure it all, fight for it all and always do more and raise more. Our desire to do more good and make the world better for our kids in anyway we can fueled us on our mission. In 2017, we raised over $25,000 through our 4 events.
Her encouragement: If there’s something you dream of doing, jump in and put all of your heart into. Don’t wait for tomorrow to start creating something amazing you dream of today!
Alexina Gosh
Mom/Wifey/Blogger/Consultant/Do-It-All-er – Oh My Goshes Blog
@alexinagosh
Passion: I’m a born and bred Wisconsinite, former big city girl (Boston & Chicago), career driven (Director level professional) turned stay-at-home-mom gal passionate about wellness, the latest fashion trends, decorating our new home, and raising my little boy without losing my sense of self (hellooooo rosé and Real Housewives!)…let’s be friends!
Journey to her passion: I’ve been following bloggers since college and have always wanted to start my own…to click with “my people”. I started writing when I was up in the early hours of the morning with my newborn son and got the guts to publish my blog a few weeks later!
Her encouragement: Don’t wait for the “perfect” timing or circumstances…just jump ALL in! Whatever doubts you may have, you’ll figure it out. “It’s not about resources, it’s about resourcefulness” – Tony Robbins
Amy Kiefer
Mama, Nurse, Blogger, Entrepreneur at BalancedAmes and Expecting and Empowered
@ameskiefer | @expectingandempowered
Passion: Everyday I want to inspire and empower at least one woman.
Journey to her passion: My business, Expecting and Empowered, is a direct result of my blog BalancedAmes. The two go hand in hand and both are about empowering women throughout the different phases of their lives. As I blogged my way through both of our pregnancies, I noticed that SO many women were confused about how to exercise during pregnancy. Namely, what was safe. One phone call with my equally passionate sister later WE decided WE were going to do something about it. Expecting and Empowered was born!
Her encouragement: Don’t stop short. Along the way there are going to be SO many “lessons” (aka mistakes). No matter how many business podcasts and how much research you do, we’ll all make them. Give yourself 5 minutes to sulk in the mistake and then MOVE ON! Because let me tell you, the lessons are going to keep on coming. If you dwell and beat yourself up about every single one, it is going to be a long, long road. As a pursuer of your passions, you are going to learn a lot about yourself. Let these be some of the things you learn: You are relentless. You are determined. You are not going to take no for an answer. You WILL make this work. You’ve got this!
Maggie Joos
Owner at The Real Good Life
@therealgoodlifeWI
Passion: The Real Good Life is a meal delivery service bringing enjoyable dinner options to the Milwaukee area.
Journey to her passion: After several years of figuring out what I want to be when I grow up, I realized I keep circling around one topic – food. I went to college at the University of South Carolina (Go Cocks!) to get a hospitality management degree to open a restaurant. Turns out the hours stink. I spent many years in the association world planning events for the benefit of daydreaming over luxurious dinner menus I didn’t have to pay for and a frequent flyer account few twenty-somethings can claim. Unfortunately, these job perks are no fun once a family waits at home. After a few years testing the waters as an entrepreneur in other industries, I think I’ve finally found my home.
Her encouragement: The worst they can say is no.
One of my first professional mentors taught me this lesson. Always, always, always ask. You’ll be surprised how often you get an affirmative answer. And if the answer is “no”, well, at least you can say you tried.
I’ve lived a life of few regrets and part of it is from this life lesson. Be courageous and it will pay off ten-fold!
Related:
Journey to My Greatest Job
Back off Bae: Don’t Let Naysayers and Non-Supporters Get You Down