Staying Focused On The Positive, Living Life To The Fullest
Featuring Melinda Stallings HerNature asked Melinda, “What woman has inspired you to be the real you?” I thank God every day for Carey McLean, the truest of friends. Survivor of a rare cancer diagnosed in her 30s, she is a force to be reckoned with and an example of inspiring positive possibilities. Carey and I […]
Seeing The Difference I Could Make
Featuring Marieke Crawford HerNature asked Marieke, “What woman has inspired you to be the real you?” Torhild Kvarekval was a big influence for me in continuing my education as a physical therapist. We met in 1995. For two years, she would fly in from California every other weekend to teach for the Ola Grimsby Institute […]
Encouraging Others To Love Themselves
Featuring Jenn Ocken HerNature asked Jenn, “What woman has inspired you to be the real you?” So many women I’ve crossed paths with have inspired me without them knowing the impact they had. It comes down to this: If we can handle the vulnerability that comes with being human … and witness a women’s ability […]
Finding The Courage To Follow My Curiosity
Featuring Stacy Raine HerNature asked Stacy, “What woman has inspired you to be the real you?” Years ago I read Whitney Johnson’s book, Disrupt Yourself. It was a game changer. I recognized myself in those pages—competent in my job but ready for something new that would take me a slightly different direction. She encouraged me […]
Working With What You Got, Kid
Featuring Katherine Klimitas HerNature asked Katherine, “What woman has inspired you to be the real you?” Ellan Vavrick has been one of my best friends since I was a teenager, despite our 40 year age difference. Ellan raised and provided for two daughters by herself. She is an accomplished insurance saleswoman, antique dealer, artist and […]
Living Life On My Own Terms
Featuring Celeste Gill HerNature asked Celeste, “What woman inspired you to be the real you?” My grandmother Willie Mae Muckle did whatever she wanted to do. She was an entrepreneur in the 1970s in Detroit, Michigan. She ran a candy store where I worked as a kid and a catering business for factory workers. I […]
Witnessing The Courage To Break The Glass Ceiling
Featuring Amy B. Ferguson HerNature asked Amy, “What woman inspired you to be the real you?” I watched Melanie Zentgraf break the glass ceiling. When I was in the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M University, women weren’t allowed to join the Corps’ most elite groups. Melanie knew it was wrong and sued the university […]
Shaping My Desires For Our Community
Featuring Diane Burden Cox HerNature asked Diane: “What woman has inspired you to be the real you?” I’m grateful to have had Silvia L. Jackson Jones as my high school German language teacher and later as a traveling companion and friend. Frau Jones was Black and her openhearted investment in me as a blue-eyed, blond […]
The Strongest Force We Have To Change The World
I credit the statistics below for where this post is heading. “Women lost 156,000 jobs [in December], while men gained 16,000 jobs,” –The Lily, Jan. 10, 2021 “One in four women is considering downshifting her career or quitting her job because of increased caregiving responsibilities,” –Melinda Gates, Fortune, Dec. 28, 2020 Or maybe the credit […]
The Brave. The Authentic.
I wouldn’t have believed Mom if she had told me as a young girl that the hardest thing I’d ever do is stay true to my nature. She would have been right if she had. Being authentic is the bravest thing you can and will do—especially in our world of instant gratification. It’s tempting to […]