SHARING STORIES

Our blog is a collection of stories and journal entries from women sharing moments in their life that left them breathless.

We believe that all moments should be celebrated whether they are the happiest moments of your life, moments that left you feeling lost or moments where you healed yourself again and again.

We are here for all of it. No moment is too small. No moment isn’t worth celebrating.
This is a safe space to share. A place where you can be yourself. A place to heal.

SHARE YOUR STORY

2023-01-12 2023-01-12

My Purpose

“I know I am on this earth for a reason. Show me what my purpose is and I will do it”

I used to sit in my car and say this myself over and over again

I was working a job I disliked

I was never living in the present moment

I felt like conversations were heavy and I always needed to be on the defensive

And it took me a year if not more to realize that asking myself this question wasn’t going to change anything

because I wasn’t actually ready to do something about it

I just wanted to know the answer and then decide if I wanted to do it

It wasn’t until I made changes in my personal life and work situation that something felt different

The needle was slowly moving but my mindset was still meh

But I was determined to start doing things for myself

To stop compromising

To stop waiting for others

So I went on my first solo trip to Paris to celebrate my birthday

and at the Sacré-Cœur Basilica I saw a painting of Jesus

and as I stood there (hungover) looking at it I said “okay. I am ready. I will do it”

For context, I am not a religious person, but there is something about this trip and this particular painting that flipped a switch

a few months after this trip I found myself reading my first personal development book

and shortly after bought a mindset course

and then things spiralled from there into creating my business to fulfill my purpose

I can’t quite pinpoint the AHA moment

I just took steps that felt good for my soul despite how terrified I was

There was no way I could have known what would come next

If I hadn’t just started taking action

I finally stopped feeling there was a purpose for me on this earth that I needed to find - I found it

Written by Anonymous

The WE blog is a collection of stories and journal entries from women sharing moments in their life that left them breathless. We believe in celebrating all moments. Whether they are the happiest moments of your life, moments that left you feeling lost. Or moments where you healed yourself again and again. We are here for all of it. No moment is too small. No moment isn’t worth celebrating. This is a safe space to share. A place where you can be yourself. A place to heal.

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

“So surreal! I am so glad I could use this place to heal. It is perfect, it is supportive, it is beautiful. Thank you for this gift. I will cherish this opportunity forever.”

“It was such an interesting experience to write it. The process of writing it, is the moment that took my breath away.”

If this is speaking to you and would like to learn more contact us or fill out our submission form.

WE are a space where women can be celebrated and honoured just as they are; nothing more or less. We encourage you to be nosy and take a look around.⁠

This space is for you. A place where you can be your badass self and surrounded by women raising the bar within themselves.

2023-01-05 2023-01-05

Freedom is Possible

Cycling is my passion. I use a walker every day, and cycling gives me more freedom.

When I was one year old, I was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy that affects the mobility of my legs. Doctors told my family that I would not walk, and that I would never be able to do things by myself. And I proved them all wrong. When I was a kid, I was using a wheelchair. I went to school and had physical therapy every week.

When I was 12, my parents bought me a bike that I could ride outside with, a large tricycle. I rode it back and forth down my street all summer long throughout middle school and high school.

I thought it was the most fun thing ever, and I felt like I was getting stronger.

I started using a walker more after high school. I was sick of sitting in one spot and not being able to easily move around. And with a wheelchair, you can’t go everywhere. With a walker, you can go into smaller spaces and it’s a little bit easier in general. I continued to ride my tricycle outdoors, and would do a 5K charity ride every year with my friends and family for Cerebral Palsy Alberta.

About 7 years ago, I decided I wanted to start going to the gym. I had moved to a new city and needed something to do. I didn’t know anybody, and thought it would be a good way to meet people. I would walk around the track and would jump on the exercise bike for the first couple months.

Then I hired a personal trainer, Dawn Sorsdahl. She helped me start strength training, using the TRX, hand weights and other machines at the gym. When my annual charity ride was around the corner in September 2015, I asked Dawn if she wanted to do it with me. Instead, she challenged me to do a 20K. The most I had ever done on my bike was a 10K. I looked at her and said, “You’re crazy!” And she responded, “What if we tried?” So I started upping my training, and it was amazing–in 4 months, I did my first 20K. We did it in over 2 hours. I was exhausted, but the next day I did another 4K in honor of Canadian runner Terry Fox. I was thoroughly exhausted and super sore for a couple weeks, but I did it.

I continued to challenge myself.

My brother challenged me to do a half marathon in 2016, and this time my response was, “I could do that.” Every day I was on the bike training at the gym and riding outside for a total of 3 hours while working two jobs. In July 2016, I did the MEC Half Marathon in Calgary, Alberta, on my tricycle, and my trainer Dawn ran beside me. It took us 2.5 hours, and it was one of the hardest things I've ever done. But I did it!

I started doing more 20K races for cerebral palsy, raising money for the Cerebral Palsy Alberta. During COVID, I wasn’t able to go to the gym due to lockdowns, but bought a Schwinn exercise bike to use at home to continue riding. For my 40th birthday in 2021, I wanted to do something big, so I decided to climb the 11-story Memorial Stairs in north Calgary (without my walker). Everybody talks about how those are the hardest stairs to climb. It took me 40 minutes, but I showed everyone it was possible.

For 2022, I have set a new goal to log 2,000 kilometers (1242.742 miles) by the end of the year. I use Strava to keep track of how much I’ve done. It’s something I want to do to prove to myself that I can do it. I am on my bike 7 days a week. During the week I get up at 5:45 a.m., get dressed and jump on my bike and do 5-7km. Then I eat breakfast, go to the gym, train with my trainer Dawn or get on the bike again and do another 7-10km. I bike 50km a week or more.

I hit 2000km goal this year and I am so damn proud of myself!!!

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

“So surreal! I am so glad I could use this place to heal. It is perfect, it is supportive, it is beautiful. Thank you for this gift. I will cherish this opportunity forever.”

“It was such an interesting experience to write it. The process of writing it, is the moment that took my breath away.”

If this is speaking to you and would like to learn more contact us or fill out our submission form.

WE are a space where women can be celebrated and honoured just as they are; nothing more or less. We encourage you to be nosy and take a look around.⁠

This space is for you. A place where you can be your badass self and surrounded by women raising the bar within themselves.

2022-12-29 2022-12-29

To Forgive

If I look back on it now, I feel naive; a trait I thought I’d moved away from. Always thought “would never happen to me” or “I know I could take action in the moment”, but when the moment actually reared its ugly head - I froze. I tried to say no, I tried to fight but it wasn’t enough. It’s that story you hear, far too often...I thought I could trust him, I thought he was a friend. My guard was down. Trust and friendship established.

You took a lot more from me that night than you’ll ever realize.

A part of my soul, a glimmer of my sparkle, my fleeting sanity. From that day, for what seemed like an eternity, who I knew as “me” knew nothing of herself at all.

I wallowed in shame and guilt, embarrassment and disgust for months; choosing to see people in person increasingly less because it took so much energy to play “OK”. See, for most of my life I have been then one that doesn’t need checking on, the “I’m OK” even when the proverbial house is burning; some toxic mentality from my childhood trauma. So I never learned how to ask for help.

Forgiveness

But then I heard this sequence of quotes, “Forgiveness is, giving up the hope that the past could be any different...you think forgiving means to accept what happened to you, but in fact it’s accepting what HAS happened to you; not accepting that it was OK for it to happen. It’s letting go so that the past does not hold you prisoner, does not hold you hostage” and in that moment - I knew I had work to do, to forgive the universe (or god, or whatever you put faith in), to forgive the circumstance ... but more than anything to forgive myself. Forgive myself for ever thinking it was my fault, forgive myself for thinking I deserved it for being in a situation that “allowed” its existence, forgive myself for freezing and not being the saviour for myself, forgive myself for not loving myself enough to ask for help.

As the saying goes — time heals all wounds. Well, I half heartedly believe that; I more strongly believe that time, if you do the work, heals most parts of a wound.

...you took a lot more from me that night than you’ll ever realize...and though you’ll never see this, or know if it’s about you, I’m writing this for me; to let the universe know, that I’m taking it all back. My whole soul, all of my sparkle and so - much - more.

Written by Anonymous

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

“So surreal! I am so glad I could use this place to heal. It is perfect, it is supportive, it is beautiful. Thank you for this gift. I will cherish this opportunity forever.”

“It was such an interesting experience to write it. The process of writing it, is the moment that took my breath away.”

If this is speaking to you and would like to learn more contact us or fill out our submission form.

WE are a space where women can be celebrated and honoured just as they are; nothing more or less. We encourage you to be nosy and take a look around.⁠

This space is for you. A place where you can be your badass self and surrounded by women raising the bar within themselves.

2022-12-22 2022-12-22

This is My Story

Last week on IG I announced that I have been keeping a secret.

And now I’m putting it out there for the rest of the world through my blog. I hope you can understand why I’ve kept this quiet until now. Sometimes you just need time to come to grips with everything & get through one of the HARDEST times in your life.

This is my story.

On August 26th after 2 years of being monitored for something I felt in my right breast, my doctors visit didn’t go the way I expected. While doing a physical follow up exam, my doctor commented that the lump felt different than what was reported on my latest report. To ease her mind, and of course mine, she decided to err on the side of caution and ordered me a biopsy. On August 31 I had that biopsy. It was uncomfortable, nerve wracking, but ok. A few days later, before my follow up appointment, I got a notification that my results had been loaded into MyChart online, and I decided to read the results. By myself.

I couldn’t believe it when I read it. It was official. I have breast cancer. I was diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC) at 46. Just a week before my 47th birthday.

The last month has been filled with appointments, blood tests, an MRI, injections, discussions around treatment options and finally had my surgery date booked.

Here I am. Or who I am now.

October 11th, 2022 was the last day of the real me. And Wednesday October 12th was the first day of the new me. In a new body that I don’t yet know how I’ll recognize, let alone deal with. But I will get there with time. You never think something like this can happen to you.

But life can change in the blink of an eye. So f*&k the BS guys. Get over the small stuff. And pay attention to what REALLY matters. It might sound cliche but I have a complete new outlook on life. And I will take NOTHING for granted. Stay tuned for more and whats next. Even I don’t know what that looks like just yet. But what I do know is I won’t let this stop me. As Sia says in her song, I’m unstoppable.

Written by Debbie Davidov

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

“So surreal! I am so glad I could use this place to heal. It is perfect, it is supportive, it is beautiful. Thank you for this gift. I will cherish this opportunity forever.”

“It was such an interesting experience to write it. The process of writing it, is the moment that took my breath away.”

If this is speaking to you and would like to learn more contact us or fill out our submission form.

WE are a space where women can be celebrated and honoured just as they are; nothing more or less. We encourage you to be nosy and take a look around.⁠

This space is for you. A place where you can be your badass self and surrounded by women raising the bar within themselves.

2022-12-15 2022-12-15

You Changed Me

It has been almost 3 years since losing you.

3 years of never forgetting you. 3 years wondering what life would be like if you were here. 3 whole years.

When I found out I was pregnant, a wave of emotions came over me. Sadness, uncertainty, excitement, anger, worry, happiness just to name a few.

It wasn’t suppose to happen. I thought that part of my life had come and gone. I was just getting my footing again, rediscovering who I was and starting something new.

But just like any “surprise”, the worry dissipated and excitement filled my being. We were all excited and couldn’t wait to see what adventures we would have together. It felt like I was living a second life since it has been 12 years since our last baby.

And in a blink of an eye, everything changed.

The routine testing didn’t go as planned but we stayed hopeful. More testing didn’t go as planned and we stayed hopeful, but after the last visit with the specialist, we couldn’t deny what was happening to our baby. And in four short months, you were gone.

I think the hardest part was the empty void inside of me. One moment you were there, and the next you were gone.

Grief took over my body.

An emotion that I was not familiar with and had no idea how to process. I'm pretty sure I cried more in those few months than I ever have in my entire life.

I cried because I lost you. I cried because I lost myself. I cried because I never knew how much I wanted you until you were gone. I cried because I knew I would never try again. I cried because I felt responsible.

Every season, every holiday, every milestone, I think of you. I think about what you would have loved doing, what your favourite foods would be, what your relationship would be with your sister, what adventure would be doing, what you would have taught me.

There isn’t a day I don’t wonder.

And as a sit a reflect on those days and the days after, I am filled once again with so many emotions. You changed the way I see the world. You changed how I live my life. You changed me. And ultimately made me a better person.

And every day I wish you were here especially this time of year. I would give anything to watch you discover and be amazed by this world. But I know you are around me, I see you and the little tricks you play. I love you my dear son. I will always love you.

Written by ANONYMOUS

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

“So surreal! I am so glad I could use this place to heal. It is perfect, it is supportive, it is beautiful. Thank you for this gift. I will cherish this opportunity forever.”

“It was such an interesting experience to write it. The process of writing it, is the moment that took my breath away.”

If this is speaking to you and would like to learn more contact us or fill out our submission form.

WE are a space where women can be celebrated and honoured just as they are; nothing more or less. We encourage you to be nosy and take a look around.⁠

This space is for you. A place where you can be your badass self and surrounded by women raising the bar within themselves.

2022-11-24 2022-11-24

Surrender and Trust

In 2020 I decided to take the biggest risk I’ve ever taken and quit my full-time job of 10 years to pursue starting a business online in social media.

I was working full-time as a store manager for one of Canada's largest retail companies, lululemon, and although I loved my job there, I knew in my heart that it was not my forever home.

Leaving "What ifs"

I had spent almost 3 years prior to this decision going back and forth in my mind about what was next for me. I knew deep down I was craving a change in my career, but I let the fear and “what ifs” take over.

But then the pandemic hit and I felt like my whole life slowed down and got put into perspective.

I realized that all the “what ifs” were always going to be there and that there was no such thing as a “right time” to go for it.

So I said F IT ! I’m done. I’m ready to go ALL in and am choosing to trust where I'm feeling called to go.

The decision to leave at the time I did was risky for so many reasons. The pandemic had just hit and I was leaving behind a 100k salary job with amazing benefits for a business that was not yet off the ground.

Leaning Into What Was Possible

I had so many people questioning my decision but honestly I didn’t care anymore. I knew deep down this was the right decision. Every time I got scared or would hear the doubt creep in…l decided to lean into what was possible instead of what wasn't.

As soon as I knew I wanted to quit, I started to get my sh*it in order and created a plan. I immediately enrolled myself in an online digital marketing course. In my free time, I started practicing social media coaching on a few entrepreneurs I knew in the city.

Once I completed the course and started to grow more confident with what I was learning, I gave my notice to leave.

My New Reality

After 2 months of starting my business I was making a full-time income and I truly believe one of the biggest reasons I was able to gain momentum so quickly is because I decided to fully TRUST and believe in my vision.

Now, just over 2 years later, I recently launched my new agency @justpeachysocial and am very excited to be growing my business into a team.

Even though this journey has NOT been easy (lots of tears, challenges,and setbacks along the way too) It’s been SO worth it.

My reality is now something I used to dream about and it’s all because I decided to surrender and trust my intuition.

Written by Petra Pearce

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

“So surreal! I am so glad I could use this place to heal. It is perfect, it is supportive, it is beautiful. Thank you for this gift. I will cherish this opportunity forever.”

“It was such an interesting experience to write it. The process of writing it, is the moment that took my breath away.”

If this is speaking to you and would like to learn more contact us or fill out our submission form.

WE are a space where women can be celebrated and honoured just as they are; nothing more or less. We encourage you to be nosy and take a look around.⁠

This space is for you. A place where you can be your badass self and surrounded by women raising the bar within themselves.

2022-11-17 2022-11-17

My Mental Health Story

*Trigger Warning: Suicide and Abuse

I had briefly written about my mental health in my previous posts, but I didn’t dive into too many details. That’s because I was too afraid of how you would judge me as a person/therapist. Everyone has poor mental health but don’t necessarily have mental illnesses.

To tell you about my background, I was born in Hong Kong and I have a younger sister. I don’t remember much of my childhood. Yes, I’ve been seeking therapy for many years to deal with my insecurity and anxiety. Whenever a therapist asks about my childhood, I always tell them that I don’t remember. I was told, “You’ve been dissociating yourself from the trauma.” I didn’t recognize that I had a traumatic childhood until my therapist told me so. My mother was physically and emotionally abusive to me, and she continues to be emotionally abusive toward me to this day. I believe that “I’m not good enough” comes from my abused childhood. Aside from my mother’s abuse, one of my teachers used to embarrass me in front of my class all the time. I was also a victim of bullies my age throughout elementary school, and I didn’t understand why my classmates were picking on me.

A New Life in Canada

I was so happy that I started a new life when my family and I moved to Toronto, Canada, in the early 90s, during wintertime. When we moved here, it was -40, and the snow was up to my knee. It was such a significant impact as I had a hard time to adjust into a new environment. I continued to be a victim of bullying in both elementary and high schools. I hated my life so much, and I often asked myself, “How can these kids be so mean, and what did I ever do to them?” I remembered I always didn’t want to go to school because I was worried/scared of what they might do to me. I often had passive suicidal thoughts and attempted several times, but I wasn’t successful. I didn’t tell anyone because I had no idea where to go for help, and I had no idea how to stand up for myself either. There were tons of bystanders who were supposed to be “my friends,” but they didn’t do anything to help me. It was a dark time, and I felt so alone.

I want to let you know that we don’t discuss feelings/thoughts in Chinese culture. I’ve tried to talk about it several times, but I always got dismissed, and nobody taught me how to process my feelings/thoughts. That was tough for me as I continued to don’t have a close relationship with my family today.

My Mental Health Story Today

I continued to have anxiety and diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder as an adult. I began to work after I finished my Undergrad Degree, and I continued to have a hard time coping with stress. Also, I would always over-react, which led me to get in trouble in both my professional and personal life. I felt like nobody understood me until I started therapy and learned how my childhood had impacted my life. In each therapy session, I was always in tears discussing my past. It wasn’t an easy road as both of my mentor and therapist continued to dig deep to help me process the roots of my issues. I continued to learn to self-reflect and be self-aware of how I can be confident and not over-react in certain situations. It taught me how I could relate to my clients and allowed them to connect with me.

To be continued…

Written by Vera Cheng

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

“So surreal! I am so glad I could use this place to heal. It is perfect, it is supportive, it is beautiful. Thank you for this gift. I will cherish this opportunity forever.”

“It was such an interesting experience to write it. The process of writing it, is the moment that took my breath away.”

If this is speaking to you and would like to learn more contact us or fill out our submission form.

WE are a space where women can be celebrated and honoured just as they are; nothing more or less. We encourage you to be nosy and take a look around.⁠

This space is for you. A place where you can be your badass self and surrounded by women raising the bar within themselves.

2022-11-10 2022-11-10

Keep An Open Mind

Keep an open mind.

I said this today on an IG live I was asked to join with The WE Experience.

I thought about it more after we spoke, and I can’t underestimate the importance of that statement.

Had I not had an open mind, a curiosity, frustration, determination and gumption I wouldn’t be where I am today.

(And today is better than 5 years ago)

I had debilitating migraines, other than a brain scan there was never any inquiry into what the actual cause was.

My brain was good so I was told to find my ‘cocktail’.

So I did, a prescription migraine pill and a muscle relaxer together did the trick as long as I caught it in time.

I was a pill popping sleep deprived, unbeknownst post-menopause ball of stress mom, wife, friend and first responder.

I was only getting worse, feeling worse and so lost that this was as good as it was gonna get.

Back to the open minded thing, I found people who resonated, who knew things I wanted to and were living proof.

So I trusted, I listened to them (and me), I borrowed their belief and rolled with it.

Whatever ‘it’ was, because truthfully it was everything.

From my diet and my supplements to the way I move and rest to what I say yes and no to.

It was baby steps but it was an overhaul. One piece at a time with the right people guiding me.

Outside the box.

A life coach, a therapist, a nutrition and hormone coach, a chiropractor, an osteopath, a homeopath, new friendships, new connections, new experiences and ultimately a new me.

Those migraines ? Gone.

Sleep deprivation ? Gone.

Hormones ? Balanced.

Holistically & naturally.

It didn’t happen overnight and I’m far from done, but here I am a hell of a lot different than I was 5 years ago.

My mind and body are connecting again - they were disconnected like so many of yours.

All because I had an open mind, a willingness to give things a shot and the determination and trust in myself to not quit.

So yeah… if I was to give you reading this one piece of unsolicited advice:

It’s just 4 words..

Keep an open mind.

You owe it to you.

Use me as your reminder & borrow my belief in you until have enough of your own.

Today was a good day.

Written by Erin M

In case you missed our Live with Erin on Instagram, watch it here.

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

“So surreal! I am so glad I could use this place to heal. It is perfect, it is supportive, it is beautiful. Thank you for this gift. I will cherish this opportunity forever.”

“It was such an interesting experience to write it. The process of writing it, is the moment that took my breath away.”

If this is speaking to you and would like to learn more contact us or fill out our submission form.

WE are a space where women can be celebrated and honoured just as they are; nothing more or less. We encourage you to be nosy and take a look around.⁠

This space is for you. A place where you can be your badass self and surrounded by women raising the bar within themselves.

2022-11-03 2022-11-03

Who is Ashley, Anyway?

Who is Ashley?

I've always felt a little different. A little bit of an outsider to my own circle.

Often I heard what others thought about who I was, and brushed off how wildly inaccurate their interpretations felt.

I was waiting for the authentic parts of me to come out clear. The passion. The creativity. It was hard to understand why that was so difficult to do.

By the time I reached my twenties I had lived through hell. Abuse and trauma were the main markers for how I thought, felt and acted.

I hid what I could from the world.

I didn’t want anyone to know.

I didn’t want to believe that those things made me vulnerable.

I didn't want anyone to see how little control I really had. To the panic, the fear and the shame.

I wanted to be better than the things that happened to me.

Better than the experiences that made me feel that deep shame and fear.

I wanted to let go of it all without actually letting go. I wanted it to stay so far buried that I’d never face those painful memories again.

But it only got darker the deeper I pushed.

Over and over I heard people tell me how I needed to worry less. How safe I was.

But safety doesnt come from being told you're fine now.

Fear lives in the body.

The pain will not forget its way out.

The real release is messy.

Uncomfortable.

Even shocking at times.

I never wanted to be the victim but I kept playing the role in my mind.

I had to learn to let it all go, and it would take me some time.

I fell co-dependant to my relationship as mother. I used it in attempt to prove my worth, as raw and gritty as that is.

I poured every piece of me into being mother. It became my identity. For a time I believed my soul simply wouldn’t survive this body if it ever lost that role.

But as hard as I tried to create this perfect version, things always got harder. The energy pushed back at me.

I couldn't see it until I saw it.

I was sharing the pain instead of healing it.

Over time with much self exploration and learning, I stopped seeing my children as an extension of myself. I learned to unbind the tight knot I used to feel safe. Good intentions that were actually only serving to keep my wounds protected and deeply buried.

The work has always been to come back to myself. I don’t control anything outside of me.

Some days it's messy, more days it's beautiful.

But never perfect.

So I don't look at my children and expect them to be perfect either.

They prove to me every day that its okay to be a little different.

So who is Ashley anyway?

To be honest there are so many things that make me who I am it would be impossible to make a list of exactly that.

But I feel safe to say now that I am more than only a mother. And I know my kids want that for me. They want it for them too.

I do carry an honest deep love for my children and I’m grateful I took the time to learn to share that love with myself too.

The truth is, all those years I left her behind hoping one day she would just catch up.

Looking back to the past many years I spent healing and evolving, I was often asked who are you? What do you like? What brings you joy? Always the most difficult questions to answer, I truly never knew what to say. I loved spending time with my kids, but of course that answer was never enough.

Ask me today, and I will passionately tell you I also love taking photographs. I love walking through a forest of trees. I enjoy raw and honest story telling. I love having a handful of deep friendships that I am very loyal to. I so admire slow living and connecting to nature. I dream of a world where we raise our children to embody their individual soul expression. A time when we finally receive the message to look to the root not only the solution.

And finally, that I choose to stay the path. As many times as I’ve wanted to give up on the inner voice that pushes me towards discomfort…I value the messy, uneasy road of following my voice into the unknown.

I can say with no regret, I am a co-creator of my story. And…I get to choose which way to go next.

Written by Ashley Fazackerley

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

“So surreal! I am so glad I could use this place to heal. It is perfect, it is supportive, it is beautiful. Thank you for this gift. I will cherish this opportunity forever.”

“It was such an interesting experience to write it. The process of writing it, is the moment that took my breath away.”

If this is speaking to you and would like to learn more contact us or fill out our submission form.

WE are a space where women can be celebrated and honoured just as they are; nothing more or less. We encourage you to be nosy and take a look around.⁠

This space is for you. A place where you can be your badass self and surrounded by women raising the bar within themselves.

2022-10-27 2022-10-27

My Story

TRIGGER WARNING: ABUSE

Currently I am a 56-year-old woman, and I am the owner and founder of Ms. Sweet Tooth Bakery. I began my journey in 2019 following my passion I have always loved to do all my life. I've been baking ever since I was a young girl with my mom & grandmother. I mostly tried recipes and did very basic cake decorating and baked cookies. As I grew older, I began perfecting many cake flavours but only baked for my family. One day someone said that I should sell my cakes.

I was told so often “Your cakes taste amazing” and this motivated me to give it a try. Until then I had never picked up a piping bag, however I decided to jump in with both feet.

I researched everything and watched videos and listened to what others in this industry had to say. Before I knew it, I was starting to receive orders. Today I continue to learn and practice and have really found my place in this space, when it comes to the style of cakes I love to create.

A lifelong dream

For many years, I was in the childcare industry as an ECE teacher. I took a break from it when I had children and stayed home to raise them, which was a lifelong dream for me. I loved every part of being a mom and still do today! My children are 27 & 25. Both of whom have their own lives and careers, and of course my biggest fans!

I always wanted to be married, have children and be a mother. I was 27 years old, and nobody was knocking on my door. Raised in a European and catholic household marriage was almost an expectation. I was told it’s the next stage of life.

Unfortunately, my marriage did not work out as I planned.

This is where my story takes a drastic turn and changed my life forever. I married a man who l probably knew deep down inside wasn’t the best person for me. There were some red flags that I chose to ignore. We got into heated disagreements, and I would sometimes get to the point of leaving the vehicle we were disputing in! I always hoped things would change and get better once we would get married, and of course they only became worse.

When I was 7 months pregnant (approx. 1 year after being married) he hit me for the very first time. That’s when I should have left! I was so embarrassed of what people would say. We spent so much money on our wedding to suddenly walk away, I thought that would be wrong! Coupled with the fact that he apologized “profusely” and that it would never happen again.

Well, it did for 19 years.

Protect and shelter

I endured not only so many different types of abuse, but also the fact I was living with a cocaine addict.

I never told anyone, and I mean no one, of the monster I was living with until so many years later! And I can't begin to tell you how many times I was kicked and dragged out of my own house! Too often I had to sleep in a freezing garage in the middle of winter. If it wasn’t the garage, it would be in the bushes of my own backyard! All I could think of was I wanted to be with my children who were inside with this man that was high and drunk. Years later and even today my children tell me or have told me they knew something was going on! They heard my cries and felt sad and afraid for me!

Things would be thrown at me, and items in the house were smashed into pieces and then I was told to clean it up! He never abused me Infront of my kids, confirming how cowardly he was!

The moment I confirmed their thoughts, it would then be true to them, and I could no longer do that to them. My mission was to protect & shelter them from their father and the horrible man he is. I was afraid for myself but at this point I was afraid for my children!

I had my ribs cracked 3 times, concussions, bruises. bloody noses, and punches to the head where I literally would see stars, and everything would go black!

The last straw came a few months before I left.

At 7:30am he began to yell at me for whatever reason. The children came running into our primary bathroom only to see that their father was abusing me with the buckle side of his belt as I lay on the bathroom floor! My son who was 15 at the time had to pull his father off me. You would think at that point I would have left. I know I should have, but I didn’t. I had done my research to know that at that time in 2013, children at the age of 16 & older could make their own decision as to who they wanted to live with, and there was no way that he was going to take my children from me! They were coming with me.

When I look back, I’m not sure if was coincidence or that God had a plan for me. That morning of my son's 16th Birthday, the phone rang after my ex-husband left the house to go to work. My son picks up the phone knowing it was his father via call display. He thought he was calling to wish him a happy birthday, because my son was not awake when his father left. Well, that is not what he was calling for. Instead, he hears these words being shouted at him “YOU AND YOUR MOTHER GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE BEFORE I KILL YOU BOTH” My son's reply to him “YOU EVER TOUCH MOM AGAIN AND I’LL KILL YOU MYSELF!”

It was at that moment that we left and never returned.

I have been divorced for 9 years this Sept. My ex-husband stole half of my life that I’ll never get back. However, I have 2 amazing children who I adore and love more than anything. My daughter wrote me a poem that was just for me that hangs proudly beside my bed. It is a description of how she viewed me and how she felt about the dynamics of our household. She does not have a relationship with her father and my son has been sucked into his father’s family nonsense. They have a lot of money, and they continually buy him. When you have a 17-year-old who has a father with lots of money that buys him everything he desires, it's very hard for him to choose reality. That is another conversation for another day.

A remarkable man

About 1 year after I became separated, I met the most amazing man who suddenly came into my life. As cheesy as it sounds, he was and is my “knight in shining amour”. I have never met a man quite as remarkable as he is. I can honestly say that we laugh every day and have disagreements very seldomly. He is making my second part of my life the most beautiful experience. We have a tremendous respect for one another, and truly love each other so very much!

We have been together ever since we have met. Although the first little bit was rocky as my son was not on board with me dating. However, time passed and he came to see how happy I was with Claudio. To date we moved from Woodbridge to Aurora. My children look to Claudio as their dad and have the greatest love and respect for him.

Written by Michele Detoro

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

“So surreal! I am so glad I could use this place to heal. It is perfect, it is supportive, it is beautiful. Thank you for this gift. I will cherish this opportunity forever.”

“It was such an interesting experience to write it. The process of writing it, is the moment that took my breath away.”

If this is speaking to you and would like to learn more contact us or fill out our submission form.

WE are a space where women can be celebrated and honoured just as they are; nothing more or less. We encourage you to be nosy and take a look around.⁠

This space is for you. A place where you can be your badass self and surrounded by women raising the bar within themselves.

2022-10-20 2022-10-20

Taking Back Control and Rising Above the Anxiety

Looking back at my life, I can say that I had a great upbringing. But even so, I felt like the black sheep in my family—the very emotional and highly sensitive one.

As a child, I was attention-seeking and needy. I remember that I would panic a lot. My parents could not drive long distances because I’d scream at the top of my lungs even after arriving at the destination. I’d suffer through many panic attacks and didn’t know why. Now, as a thirty-eight-year-old, I can still say that I’m the worst passenger. I don’t know what it is about being in a car that makes me anxious and uncomfortable.

As a teenager, I was diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder (GAD), so our family doctor prescribed me antidepressants. I was on them for about a year. Sadly, within that time, the antidepressants did not help my anxiety. If anything, I felt worst. I was becoming even more anxious. And when I got off of them, I could not fall asleep. My mind was racing all the time. I would catastrophize every little thing, imagining the worst-case scenarios. Going through the motions of these feelings is debilitating. It’s as though I was losing grip and out of control. As a result, I sought to relieve myself through self-mediation. I started taking cough syrup and Nyquil to fall asleep. I was addicted to it for a year. And when my mom found out, she took it away from me.

Eventually, I resorted to engaging in breathing exercises to help me sleep.

Although falling asleep is not a central struggle, I must admit that now and then, I start to panic around bedtime. Early in young adulthood, around my twenties, I continued to experience high panic attacks. I found that nothing alleviated what I was feeling, so I resorted to using drugs and alcohol. But in the process, all I gained was the suppression of my anxiety disorder.

Nothing was helping me. And nothing was improving my state of mind.

I recall that after waking up from a whole night of partying, I would spend weeks upon weeks with horrible anxiety attacks. I’d fall asleep on floors, specifically the bathroom floor, because something about it was comforting. It was like my safe space.

These motions and waves of panic and anxiety felt overwhelming at times, but I didn’t know what to do nor how to approach it.

Something happened when I turned twenty-six—I had my first child. This brought on meaning and purpose to my life. Being a mother made me feel happier and helped me enjoy life. Maybe the fact that I was busy caring for my child helped decrease my anxiety. I was no longer my main focus. Now, it was my child who needed my love and attention.

After a year post-partum, I realized my self-esteem suffered greatly because of the insecurity I felt. I had gained one hundred pounds when I was pregnant with my son, which may have contributed to my insecurity. What I needed most was mental clarity.

Things shifted when my son was two years old—I started partying again.

I wanted to believe that the party life was helping my anxiety.

On the contrary, it was worsening what I felt. I constantly chased new highs, devoted my time to planning events, and was always excited about the next holiday or family party. This is how I lived amid busyness, waiting and living for the next best thing. Busy became a coping mechanism.

Life continued to take twists and turns. I went through a separation from my son’s dad. I remarried, and the man I married had a child from his previous marriage, so I became a bonus mom just like that.

By age 34, I gave birth to my second child. You could say that this was a pivotal moment in my life.

When my daughter was about six months old, I came face to face with an internal reality. I was not entirely happy with myself, yet a surge of motivation arose in me. I knew I could do better financially, physically, and in every way. And I believed this was my chance to focus on healing, growing, and transforming myself.

Though my time was limited, I knew I had to do something.

When my son was about six years old, I started noticing many symptoms of what I had experienced all my life in my son. I knew then that I had to begin doing my research and equip myself, so he wouldn’t have to go through what I went through all my life. Deep inside, a flame was ignited. It was clear that if things were going to change, I had to change. I had to become a beacon and guide for my son. To raise my children healthily, I had to rise above the emotions I felt and take back control.

Living with anxiety and experiencing episodes of panic is beyond simple and easy. It’s challenging and feels like harsh waves that do not cease.

At age 37, I discovered I was misdiagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder (GAD). What I was really dealing with was ADHD. I understood that after all this time, the anxiety suppressed the ADHD, and when I had the tools to heal my anxiety, that is when my ADHD was no longer suppressed. It came out at full throttle.

One of the lessons that I learned from my experience is that it’s much harder to go against the wave than to surrender to them. Surrender in this context does not mean giving up.

It means that instead of resisting panic and anxiety, you focus, identify your triggers, process the emotions, engage in rational retrospection, and quiet the catastrophizing chatter.

You can take back control and learn to rise above restlessness.

You can rewire your brain to learn to respond to challenges in positive ways.

I welcome you to my world, mind, and life, dealing with utter feelings of helplessness due to my mental state.

Written by Shalene Martin

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

“So surreal! I am so glad I could use this place to heal. It is perfect, it is supportive, it is beautiful. Thank you for this gift. I will cherish this opportunity forever.”

“It was such an interesting experience to write it. The process of writing it, is the moment that took my breath away.”

If this is speaking to you and would like to learn more contact us or fill out our submission form.

WE are a space where women can be celebrated and honoured just as they are; nothing more or less. We encourage you to be nosy and take a look around.⁠

This space is for you. A place where you can be your badass self and surrounded by women raising the bar within themselves.

2022-10-13 2022-10-13

This is an Example of Chasing Your Dreams

this right here is an example of chasing your dreams. this is my dream.

if i had decided that other peoples opinions matter more than my opinion, we wouldn’t be sitting here today.

if i decided i wasn’t strong enough to do this or capable enough to do this, we wouldn’t be sitting here today.

if i decided my dreams were not worth chasing, we wouldn’t be sitting here today.

it's still hard to believe we are sitting here but here we are, experiencing it together.

i have always considered myself a bit dreamer chaser.

if i felt a pull towards something, i was going for it. jumping in with both feet and never look back.

and before you think i am this unstoppable dream chaser, there is always fear, self doubt and worry. negative thoughts that spiral around my dreams. but what keeps me moving forward because i know my dreams are bigger than all those feelings.

i always say, those feelings remind me that i'm alive.

it’s not about how fast i can achieve it or how big is it going to be, it is about trusting the process, learning lots along the way and watching it all unfold before my eyes.

it's a bit of a story on how i got here so let me take you back to last August.

in august, on the lions gate, i started too manifest this day. this event. i didn’t know all the details but what i did know is the energy i wanted to bring into this event, into this space. i could feel it swirling inside of me and i could no longer resist the pull. so i wrote everything down in my notes and started to create this dream.

after that day, it haunted me in my thoughts just waiting to get started.

the idea of this event started because i was missing connection, like real connection. face to face connection, that energetic dance between two people. and i felt a lot of people were missing that too.

most of my life has been about connection, and being surrounded by beautiful relationships .

and funny enough all of my businesses past and present, have rooted in connection.

whether i was on the mat teaching a class of yogis or spinning my heart out in my basement at the den, it was always about connecting with people.

it was a time where i realized i wasn’t as happy as i wanted to be.

i remember that moment so clearly, i was talking to my husband in the garage and i said “i am happy but i wanted to be happier. i have been happier” and after that moment, i knew i needed more.

it was a time where my business started to wear on me, a time where boundaries were a thing of the past and i started to feeling burnt the fuck out. the love that i once felt towards for my business had faded, had been lost and i was seeking more. i wanted more for myself, that i wanted to start loving what i was doing again.

and events have always had a special place in my heart.

i didn’t really know where to start but at a photoshoot with Shannon, i was telling her about my idea about this event and she was totally down and than i asked her if she would be interested in speaking. well, she said yes and knew there was no turning back.

a date was picked shortly after and shortly after that i asked Carly to be a part of the event and she said yes.

On October 1st, i posted about the event with no name or no location. i knew i had two amazing speakers, and a dream that was worth chasing.

the excitement was contagious. it reminded me of why i was doing this and gave me the spark to keep moving forward.

a month goes by and i put a deposit down on Event Mrkt. and it is really fucking happening now.

there is really no turning back at this point.

after the announcement of the event, the excitement started to faded and so did the spark inside of me. i knew deep down that this was so much more than one event but had no idea what it was going to look like.

my intuition was telling me to slow down but my ego wanted it to happen immediately.

it was interesting living in limbo.

so i sat and waited and trusted that it will come together when it needed to.

as this was all happening, i was still running my social media business and trying to navigate through burn out.

burn out was hard and it is still hard, and it made it really hard to trust the process, to trust to myself, to trust inner strength.

it was a time where i was always in negotiation with my body and mind and never felt like i was winning the battle. there were days it was hard to get out of bed, to hold conversations and to do daily tasks.

i felt defeated almost daily but continued to move forward regardless.

some days slowly and some days didn’t happen at all.

and as much as i wanted to feel like myself again, being burnt out lead me down a path of self discovery. i learned more about myself over these last few months than i have in years.

i redefined my version of success. i redefined what i wanted in a business and who i wanted to be as a business owner. and started to step into those shoes and started to show up as her.

i learned to rest. to listen. to be still. to love myself on all the days. to trust.

and through burn out, i found meditation.

meditation brought me to the we experience.

i had written down the name “the we experience” in my notes many months before this moment. the same note i wrote in August.

when i was meditating, i could i see it all. i felt it, it was right there. i could see the bigger picture, i could finally see these grand version taking shape.

when i opened my eyes, i immediately opened my notes and there it was. just waiting for me; the we experience; it was a surreal moment.

it’s a moment that still gives me butterflies to this day.

the event birthed from stepping outside of my comfort zone and trusting that it will all come together.

where the we experience was birthed through healing myself, from sitting still and listening to the depths of my soul.

and now the real fun starts.

i had a name! The WE Experience.

The WE in the WE Experience has many meanings and evolves just like us.

i knew from the moment i started this, that this wasn’t about me, it was bigger than me.

The WE Experience was create for you.

a community of women connected through healing, business, growth, evolution and so much more. it’s about bringing women together to celebrate one another, every single day. it’s about saying fuck it to the people, places and things aren’t serving you.

it's about moving forward in a way that is right for you and you only.

i have always said the WE Experience is my alter ego but that has changed now. i have embodied it now. it is a part of me.

i am the WE.

i give less fucks. i care less about what people think and know that i am worthy of all of this and more.

and i want everyone here to feel as if they are the WE inside of the WE experience.

if i listened to the opinions of others, we wouldn’t be here right now.

you know how many questions i get about the We Experience. what’s the purpose? your end goal and where it is going and what it is all about?

i knew from the get go that there would be people that got and people that didn’t. and i was okay was that.

i wasn’t going to trying to convince those that didn’t get to, to get it.

and there were a lot of people that didn’t get it.

don’t get my wrong, their opinions would eat away at me. i would go back and forth.

do i need to change this? should i explain it in a different way? should i press pause and re think this whole thing? am i say it wrong? why aren’t they getting it?

but i knew if i tried to make the we experience fit into other peoples version of what it should be and i would have lost it. i would have been that Portia last year, lost, and defeated.

i stuck with my vision. i could see it and i am so passionate about it. i was able to trust that it will take shape in time. that there was no need to rush for it all to come together.

i want to remind you that your dreams are worth chasing. that one you have been pushing off for the past year, the one that someone told you no one would buy into it, the one that hasn’t happened.

it is never too late.

i would say this event was a year in the making but in reality it was 16 years in the making. before having lily, 15 years ago my dream was to put on events. that is what i went to school for. but after having Lily, my life changed and those dreams were put on the back burner and honestly forgotten about.

here i am about to turn 36 this month and doing all of the things that felt were out of reach.

that i felt would never happen for me. i never thought i would part of such an amazing community of strong ass fucking women. i never thought i would be standing up here taking about my life. i never thought any of this would come true.

there will be no perfect moment or perfect start date.

jump in and take a chance. it is worth the risk.

yes, it will be scary. at times you may be filled with doubt and worry but you will over come it like you always do.

there will be moments of second guessing everything you have done and everything you are going to do. but there will be many moments of pure joy, many wins and many dance parties.

and you will find yourself again and again and again.

this right here is an example of chasing your dreams.

Written by Portia Chambers, Founder of The WE Experience

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

“So surreal! I am so glad I could use this place to heal. It is perfect, it is supportive, it is beautiful. Thank you for this gift. I will cherish this opportunity forever.”

“It was such an interesting experience to write it. The process of writing it, is the moment that took my breath away.”

If this is speaking to you and would like to learn more contact us or fill out our submission form.

WE are a space where women can be celebrated and honoured just as they are; nothing more or less. We encourage you to be nosy and take a look around.⁠

This space is for you. A place where you can be your badass self and surrounded by women raising the bar within themselves.

2022-09-07 2022-09-07

What Losing My House In a Fire Taught Me About Showing Up for My Business

Back in January of this year, my family's home burned to the ground.

We weren’t living there at the time. We had recently purchased it and were doing some renovations before moving in.

Then there was a welding accident.

No one was hurt, thankfully.

My daughter was in daycare. I was sitting at my desk, writing an email to my list while my son was napping in the room across the hall. That’s when I got the call.

My husband (and business partner) phoned me on his way home from IKEA—he had just picked up new dressers for the kids’ rooms, which we were going to start decorating the next day.

He could see the smoke from the highway, two towns away.

We jumped into action mode. There was no time to grieve.

The house we were living in closed in two weeks. We called our realtor and she found us a rental within 48-hours. We packed up our house and moved into our new, temporary home with our toddler and 9-month-old baby in tow.

We spent the months to come unpacking our life while also engaging with insurance, lawyers, engineers, restoration companies, contractors, and the list goes on.

And somehow, we managed to handle it all without missing a beat in the business.

That’s the thing about being an entrepreneur – business doesn’t stop just because life happens.

And while it can be difficult to separate work from personal at times, this experience has reminded me that even when one area of your life is (literally) on fire, your business can still thrive.

I’m so thankful for the people, systems and relationships we’ve invested in to get us to this point.

In May, the house was finally knocked down. There’s nothing left of it. (Other than the garage – somehow it was untouched).

We’ve since had some time to process the whole thing, and I’ve realized…

Sometimes you have to let it all burn to the ground and start again.

Still, this season of life has been long and gruelling.

Over the last seven months, I’ve poured all of my energy into my family, my team and my clients.

And the truth is, this was still more than I could manage a lot of the time.

But I’ve been showing up anyway. By taking one step at a time. Putting one foot in front of the other.

And I’ll be honest, it’s felt almost impossible some days. It’s hard to lead a team when you’re struggling to hold yourself up. It’s hard to parent when you’re still healing.

It’s hard to show up on social media when you’re just trying to show up for yourself.

Still, you find a way to keep going. Little by little. Then eventually those small habits transform into massive momentum.

And while it can feel like you’re not seeing the results in the moment, over time, you look back and realize just how far you’ve come.

So, if you’ve been taking a hiatus from Instagram, or you’ve been holding yourself back from taking the leap, starting the business, or chasing that big goal, I hope this gives you the push you need to start to rebuild.

One brick at a time.

Right now, we’re looking at nothing but a giant hole in the ground. But by this time next year, we’ll be putting the finishing touches on our dream home.

It’s taking a lot longer than we intended, but it will be worth it.

Imagine what’s possible for you by this time next year, if you begin today…

In the end, it’s not about the speed, it’s about the results.

You don’t have to have it all figured out – you just have to start.

Here’s to new beginnings.

Written by Carly Ottaway

The WE blog is a collection of stories and journal entries from women sharing moments in their life that left them breathless. We believe in celebrating all moments, whether they are the happiest moments of your life, moments that left you feeling lost or moments where you healed yourself again and again. We are here for all of it. No moment is too small. No moment isn’t worth celebrating. This is a safe space to share. A place where you can be yourself. A place to heal.

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

“So surreal! I am so glad I could use this place to heal. It is perfect, it is supportive, it is beautiful. Thank you for this gift. I will cherish this opportunity forever.”

“It was such an interesting experience to write it. The process of writing it, is the moment that took my breath away.”

If this is speaking to you and would like to learn more contact us or fill out our submission form.

WE are a space where women can be celebrated and honoured just as they are; nothing more or less. We encourage you to be nosy and take a look around.⁠

This space is for you. A place where you can be your badass self and surrounded by women raising the bar within themselves.

2022-09-01 2022-09-01

An Open Heart And An Open Mind

The way I see it…

life is a series of endless opportunities.

I truly believe the universe is trying to communicate with us every second.

Because nothing is by mistake and everything that is meant for you, will be.

Sometimes, I think life and all the challenges that come along with it, can harden us.

But in my experience, the absolute BEST things that have happened in my life, happened with an open heart and an open mind.

Open to new experiences. Open to new challenges. Open to growth. Open to love. Open to trying different.

Doing things before you feel ready and being OPEN to life is how we grow.

If there is that one thing, that one business you want to start, that one message you want to send, that one ticket you want to book, that one hobby you want to develop, that one course you want to sign up for, that one bottle of shampoo you want to try (😜)…

There is a reason you can’t stop thinking about it!!!!! 🕊

Life is our teacher. and intuition is our guide.

Lean into the those feels and go after the things you want.

When opportunities present themselves, keep your head & heart open and fucking go for it!!!!

Written by Shannon Hastings

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

“So surreal! I am so glad I could use this place to heal. It is perfect, it is supportive, it is beautiful. Thank you for this gift. I will cherish this opportunity forever.”

“It was such an interesting experience to write it. The process of writing it, is the moment that took my breath away.”

If this is speaking to you and would like to learn more contact us or fill out our submission form.

WE are a space where women can be celebrated and honoured just as they are; nothing more or less. We encourage you to be nosy and take a look around.⁠

This space is for you. A place where you can be your badass self and surrounded by women raising the bar within themselves.

2022-08-26 2022-08-26

Success: Hustle versus Alignment

This fall I have my first speaking event in my career and I’m so excited. To make things even better the locations is a bar I used to work at when I was at a very low part of my life. I was in school for a program for a big career I didn’t feel aligned with, I was recovering from toxic mold, and living in my mother’s basement. I remember one of my last shifts there I literally cleaned up poop off the floor. Human poop. 🙈

And now I get to speak there for an audience.

We hear all the time that success comes from alignment not hustle. But what does that even mean?

It means you have integrity.

It means your thoughts match your emotions and actions. If you hate your job but still chose it and don’t even attempt to leave that’s out of alignment. If you don’t like your partner but stay that’s out of alignment. And if you speak poorly about yourself—that’s out of alignment (because you’re actually perfect ;)).

When it comes to success, just remember:

Anyone can be rich and make money.

This money can buy you a house but no home, a network but no intimacy, food but no full table. These things can’t be bought—only alignment can do that.

We need to remember we are WHOLE humans. Yes we can wealth but don’t do it at the cost of your health, relationships, joy, and pleasure. The thought that you cannot have it all is an old paradigm. You can have all of it. A full table, close friendships, wealth, and true love. All it takes is staying true to you and staying in alignment with your heart.

The system we model success after is made by men for men and it works for most of them because their hormones are on a 24h clock. But women work differently! Women flow more. We mirror the moon. We dance, we need joy, we bring abundance with our alignment and enjoyment of the present moment. That’s our dance with the universe.

This is a simplistic binary look at our sexes but you get the idea.

Success isn't one size fits all

There is room for both types of people to be successful.

The people who wake up early and hustle and grind and the people who could watch a bee make pollen pants all afternoon.

Written by MJ Renshaw

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

“So surreal! I am so glad I could use this place to heal. It is perfect, it is supportive, it is beautiful. Thank you for this gift. I will cherish this opportunity forever.”

“It was such an interesting experience to write it. The process of writing it, is the moment that took my breath away.”

If this is speaking to you and would like to learn more contact us or fill out our submission form.

WE are a space where women can be celebrated and honoured just as they are; nothing more or less. We encourage you to be nosy and take a look around.⁠

This space is for you. A place where you can be your badass self and surrounded by women raising the bar within themselves.

2022-08-11 2022-08-11

WE Are Here For All Of Your Dreams

I can’t believe that there was a time that I allowed other peoples opinions to have more weight than my own.

Hi, I am Portia and I am a recovering people pleaser and worrier of what people thought of me.

Honestly, I can’t even remember when the switch happened from caring waaay too much to not caring at all.

Maybe it was the time when I was completely burnt out because other peoples happiness matter more than my own.

Or maybe it was when I lost a piece of myself during a great loss in my life.

Or maybe it was when I realized they are many dream squashers just looking for a dream to smush.

All I can say, I am so happy that I did. Life just seems so much simpler now.

Now don’t get me wrong, I have bad days and those thoughts come creeping in “Maybe they were right, this doesn’t make sense.” or “I will just do it this one time for them, what could go wrong?”

But I always come back to me. Remind myself, who am I doing this for, ME. Who’s the only persons opinion that matters, MINE.

I remember when I had this grand idea of The We Experience and before I had all my ducks in a row, I started to share this idea with people and they were like “I don’t get it.” “What is the purpose of this?” “I don’t know if anyone is going to buy into this.” And so on and so on.

It was soul crushing. I had this big dream, a vision and everyone around me just didn’t see it. But who is laughing now?!

This vision is bigger than me, I see that now and I know I don’t need to have all the answers today. The purpose of The WE is to spark conversation, to allow yourself to FEEL what you need to feel and to be surround by a community of women looking to create change within themselves.

We are here for the long haul whether they get it or not!

Never stop chasing your dreams. Being a dreamer is such a gift, you can see the world in a way others can’t. In a way that creates positive change all around you. I am here for all of your dreams and maybe one day, I can help you chase them too!

Written by Portia Chambers

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

“So surreal! I am so glad I could use this place to heal. It is perfect, it is supportive, it is beautiful. Thank you for this gift. I will cherish this opportunity forever.”

“It was such an interesting experience to write it. The process of writing it, is the moment that took my breath away.”

If this is speaking to you and would like to learn more contact us or fill out our submission form.

WE are a space where women can be celebrated and honoured just as they are; nothing more or less. We encourage you to be nosy and take a look around.⁠

This space is for you. A place where you can be your badass self and surrounded by women raising the bar within themselves.

2022-07-28 2022-07-28

Fireworks & Parades vs. Sparklers & Strolls

The Little Voice

I stare at the blank computer screen. I have just hit the backspace, deleting an entire paragraph once again. I hear that voice inside my head over and over. It almost taunts me…

‘You are not good enough, worthy enough. What do you have to say that anyone would care to read?’

This voice is so accurate. I have lived with it my entire life. Taunting me, putting me down, shaming me. That little voice called ego - calling out from the dark side of my soul. I hate this voice. I want to turn it down, shut it off. I want to yell at it but I can’t, it's part of me. Instead I give it everything it wants and needs. Everything so that it can fester and grow and become stronger and more powerful. I take to the blog and start reading other entries. My Ego loves this. Reading the other women’s posts is feeding it, nurturing it. It gives it fuel to feel stronger and therefore speak more loudly. ‘You will never be as good as them!’ ‘You can’t do anything as good as them’

I hit the backspace repeatedly and wipe out my entire paragraph again.

What Makes You Happy?

Instead of stewing and wallowing in anxiety and self-doubt, I decide to take a deep breath and center myself. I look at my 9 year old who is casually playing on her iPad, humming to herself. She is engaged and happy. The dog rolls over and sighs. My 14 year old gets ready for an evening dance class where she will spend time with friends and do what she loves best. They all seem happy which makes me smile. I must be doing something right!

I ask myself, what makes you happy - isn’t that a million dollar question? Like any good mom my answer is ‘my kids, of course’. With genuine curiosity I think again - what truly makes me happy? I have to admit I don't know.

I have never been one for self-care or taking time just for me. I don’t have a hobby. I don't belong to any clubs or attend any events. I have very few true friends that I would call in a time of need. How do you find purpose once you are over 40?

How do you put yourself out there and find what truly makes you feel fulfilled? What makes you tick and lights you up inside? I know that there are things in my life that make me happy - my kids, my husband, my job, reading, yoga, good food, a glass of wine, movie nights. But none of these fill me with purpose. None of these things spark true joy and make me want to jump out of bed in the morning.

Overthinking it

Perhaps I am overthinking it and expecting too much out of life. Perhaps reading a good book and enjoying a glass of wine is enough. Maybe that’s what life is all about. Enjoying the small moments for what they are and realizing that there is happiness in being content. Maybe you come to a point in life where not everything is fireworks and parades and it is more sparklers and strolls. Maybe this is what growing older is all about.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn’t change my life for anything. I have great kids, a caring husband, a nice home, and a good job. Twenty years ago when I pictured my life this was roughly what I pictured. I guess I just expected life to be more exciting, more thrilling, more perfect, more….

These thoughts bring me back to my anxiety, my ego, my feelings of worthiness. I wonder if I spent less time with my worrying thoughts and more time in the present, would I live more? Would I join the art class or the book club and not care so much about what my ego had to say? I like to think that beneath all the overwhelming thoughts is someone who knows how to live, how to do life right. It is just taking a bit of time to unearth her. It is like discovering a new friend bit by bit. In the past I would have said ‘oh I can never join a pottery class, I wouldn’t be good at it’ but one of these days I may just throw caution to the wind and jump in and give it a try.

Worth the investment: ignoring the voice

In some ways I feel that I am just beginning to live. I am hitting my stride and learning more about me. My girls are older, allowing me time for myself and I like being on this journey. This journey of self discovery and self worth. It is uncomfortable at times but as I grow I realize that I am worth the investment.

As I sit here worrying over if I should leave in 5 minutes or 7 minutes to pick up my daughter from dance, I take a breath and decide instead to focus on one new thing I would like to try. If I can step out of my shell and try something new it may just be the first step on a new journey of discovering me.

Written by Susan Miranda

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

“So surreal! I am so glad I could use this place to heal. It is perfect, it is supportive, it is beautiful. Thank you for this gift. I will cherish this opportunity forever.”

“It was such an interesting experience to write it. The process of writing it, is the moment that took my breath away.”

If this is speaking to you and would like to learn more contact us or fill out our submission form.

WE are a space where women can be celebrated and honoured just as they are; nothing more or less. We encourage you to be nosy and take a look around.⁠

This space is for you. A place where you can be your badass self and surrounded by women raising the bar within themselves.

2022-07-21 2022-07-21

I've Waited My Entire Life For This Moment

Sometimes when you go to a talk or see someone receive an award or even listen to a celebrity's acceptance speech you'll hear: "I've waited my entire life for this moment..."

I thought I would be saying that yesterday.

"I've waited my entire life for this moment."

But the truth is, I didn't know who I was or what I wanted or who I was supposed to be until just a few short years ago. It was only when I became fully responsible for another person's life - my son's - that I realized, I was lost.

Now, many women think they get lost in motherhood. And while that's true, in a sense we do lose parts of ourselves in motherhood, the larger truth is how lost we were before we even got there. Getting lost in motherhood feels easy - but what's not easy, is understanding why.

Yesterday, the day I've waited three years for happened. Not an entire lifetime - three years. Because before three years ago, I was lost. Unsure of who I was, what I was supposed to be, and what my bigger purpose on this earth is.

And now it's happened. My first book...my heart...my soul it's been released.

Welcome To The Jungle

In Welcome to the Jungle, I take readers on an unfiltered journey of self-discovery. While navigating motherhood and facing the unexpected: back-to-back high-risk pregnancies, postpartum depression, and a rare tumour, I finally had my awakening (and it's not just from my kids). From Phat Farm shoes and blue eyeshadow to chunky highlights and awkward first love, I've been able to pinpoint the moments in her life where I truly lost myself and come to understand the power motherhood holds in finally being found.

Filled with unfiltered thoughts and perspectives on womanhood, Welcome to the Jungle isn't just another parenting book on the highs and lows of motherhood, it will spur you to have a conversation with yourself you never knew you needed to have.

Yesterday, the person I am was finally set free into the world - and I can't wait for you to get to know her the way I do.

Written by Anneliese Lawton

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

“So surreal! I am so glad I could use this place to heal. It is perfect, it is supportive, it is beautiful. Thank you for this gift. I will cherish this opportunity forever.”

“It was such an interesting experience to write it. The process of writing it, is the moment that took my breath away.”

If this is speaking to you and would like to learn more contact us or fill out our submission form.

WE are a space where women can be celebrated and honoured just as they are; nothing more or less. We encourage you to be nosy and take a look around.⁠

This space is for you. A place where you can be your badass self and surrounded by women raising the bar within themselves.

2022-07-14 2022-07-14

Happy Father's Day

My Dad passed away recently and the strangest thing happened. I felt... relieved. And shocked at the appearance of this honest emotion. Unbridled, allowed. The obligatory guilt quickly followed but I'm not sure if this second emotion was as honest. I've always had an odd relationship with my parents but it was only when I became a parent myself that I began to see the things that I considered odd for what they really were.

Dependency and Denial

My parents were like the friends you lose touch with after your twenties because for them, the party never stops. The ones who have surpassed social drinking and rely on booze to numb their emotions and to help them get through the many stressors of daily life. The ones who have always been the heavy drinker in the group but outgoing, full of fun ideas and the first to try and convince you to have just one more drink when the party is shutting down. At the same time, they are in denial about their dependency on alcohol and are convinced they could stop drinking at any point if it "actually was a problem".

Throw in narcissistic tendencies on top of the never ending denial and you've got a recipe for very confused children who grow into very confused adults. We've all had to walk away from that friend or two. But how do you cut ties with your parents in the same way?

Like many other kids of our generation, my sister and I were raised to act as if everything was fine even if it wasn't. Put on a cute outfit and a smile, go to school and ignore the after affects of drunken arguments, lies and manipulation.

Don't get me wrong... There were good times to be had with parents who were more like buddies than protectors. There was always something to celebrate or a concert to go to. We had epic parties and sporadic adventures. Feelings were something you faked and messy emotions were swept under the rug. Put on a great song, pour a drink and everything would be fine you know?

Mental health was rarely considered back then, nevermind discussed or treated especially when there was nothing that could be wrong. Cheers to the good life. None of this seemed too concerning to me as a teenager or twenty something who loved to party and was a fan of drinking to numb my own anxiety and depression.

All Of That Changed

But all of that quickly changed when I found out I was pregnant for the first time. Maternal instincts kicked in and nothing mattered more than the safety and well being of my child. My needs automatically came second and every decision I have made since then are a reflection of this. I struggled with post partum anxiety and depression triggered by the realization that my parents had never been capable of the dedication and self discipline that is required to be a parent. I was suddenly navigating motherhood while grieving the loss of my own childhood without knowing it.

Eventually I found a wonderful counsellor that helped me concerning and understand the pain I was going through. The reality of the impact of my parents decisions and how I was raised hit me in the face and my god it hurt. I had outgrown their way of life and knew I had to focus on my own growth and goals. Booze was to be enjoyed in moderation and socially rather than a bandaid.

As an adult my Dad and mother were still manipulating my sister and I. Creating major anxiety and guilt if we didn't do what they were asking. It didn't take long to realize that as hard as it was going to be, I didn't want my own children around such toxic traits. Covid conveniently arrived at the same time as this discovery as did the news of my second child. Social distancing was the perfect excuse to start changing my relationship with my parents.

I was finally seeing them for who they were.

My mother barely noticed the change in my communications with her or if she did, she blamed it on covid. My Dad was different though. As selfish as he was, he noticed the new boundaries I was instilling and did not like it. Although, instead of asking me about it he relied on guilt and manipulation as he always did. Social distancing and being laid off caused his mental health to plummet even more and no one could convince him that he needed professional help. As much as we wanted to. Even when the world began to "open up" again I was afraid of letting my Dad back into my life. My daughter had been born and I was comfortable in our new little world.

Then My Dad Died

Then my Dad died... alone and without warning. And me, his daughter, feels relief. The thing was though that I had been grieving the loss of him for two years before. The difference was that now he was officially gone. As was the hope that one day we could develop some sort of relationship again. One that was safe for my family and mental health.

Rather than allow myself to be overwhelmed with guilt I had to remind myself over and over again why I had ended my contact with him. Of course I am devastated that he never got to meet my daughter or won't see my kids growing up. I'll never laugh with him again or go to some epic concert. And I never did get one last hug. My comfort now is knowing he's at peace, free of addiction, depression and anxiety. Looking down (or up at us!) and seeing my family grow free from what I went through myself.

Written by Renee Frostick

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

“So surreal! I am so glad I could use this place to heal. It is perfect, it is supportive, it is beautiful. Thank you for this gift. I will cherish this opportunity forever.”

“It was such an interesting experience to write it. The process of writing it, is the moment that took my breath away.”

If this is speaking to you and would like to learn more contact us or fill out our submission form.

WE are a space where women can be celebrated and honoured just as they are; nothing more or less. We encourage you to be nosy and take a look around.⁠

This space is for you. A place where you can be your badass self and surrounded by women raising the bar within themselves.

2022-07-07 2022-07-07

Plants And Finding Your Community

No One Ever Told Me This Was Possible

If a few years ago you had told me, a self-proclaimed adult introvert who thoroughly enjoys the company of her dog, that I would accidentally stumble upon a community that expands from Canada to the UK, to Australia, to Indonesia…I probably would have laughed at you before retreating back into my cozy cave at home.

Let’s peddle back to late 2018, shall we?

If this isn’t some form of divine intervention, I don’t know what is. I woke up one day and felt a full-bodied desire to buy a succulent as a houseplant. Or maybe I’d be really wild and buy two. I marched into my local flower boutique that happened to also sell houseplants – without much thought– I grabbed a pinkish purple succulent and what was labelled a “zebra plant”.

And let me tell you, the JOY that these two plants brought me was borderline embarrassing. Knowing absolutely nothing about plant care, I moved this pair of tiny plants from window sill to window sill throughout the day to find as much light as possible. At this point, I knew I had opened pandora’s box and there was no turning back. If these two tiny succulents made me this happy, I would need to transform my home into a fucking jungle and that’s that.

A few trips to the garden centre later and I was seemingly halfway there. Two plants turned to ten plants, turned to twenty plants (which eventually became fifteen plants again because I killed a bunch). Instead of giving up, I poured over blog posts, YouTube videos and houseplant podcasts (yes, there are houseplant podcasts and they are fucking awesome!) to learn as much as I possibly could, to help me–you guessed it–get more plants.

I have a point, I promise.

No one in my physical vicinity seemed to understand what had become of me. I had a few friends and family members become infected by my excitement over those earlier months but they eventually lost interest, because it just didn’t give them the same joy that it gave me. And that’s totally okay. I felt that I had solidified my weirdness at this point, and eventually took the hint that I was annoying everyone by posting photos of my houseplants constantly on social media so I thought that I should make a separate instagram account, and the people who just wanted to see my plants were welcome to follow.

And I’m so glad that I did!

A community that I never expected to find

I shared my plants, best tips as I learned them, figuring maybe a few of my aunts would read it now and then but primarily it was a creative outlet to share my love of plants and the joy that this new hobby brought me. Little did I know that it would change everything.

I opened the door to a community that I never expected to find. Strangers would comment on my photos and wanted to talk about plants with me. People from Texas, Scotland, Australia were reaching out to me to share the joy in this hobby. I found other planty friends to follow, whom I later met in person at local garden centres and events (yes, there are houseplant events) and we barely knew each other’s names, but knew our instagram accounts. It was truly delightful. I learned how to grow a social media following and decided to change the course of my career as a result. I started a houseplant blog. Of course, I bought more plants. And I killed many plants. And I learned so much along the way.

They Will Find You

To be clear, this isn’t a serendipitous event where someone gained a million followers and now is famous has a community. You do not need to love plants, or go viral, or become internet famous to find your community. To date, I only have over a thousand followers and all of this truthfully began when I had 20 followers. I’ve had people approach me and say “I don’t even really care about plants but you make me excited about them”.

The internet can be a horrible, hateful place and social media can be a beast. But if you follow what gives you joy, your community is out there. Whether you love knitting, fish-keeping, crystals, woodworking, sandwiches, computers, home design...if you share your joy with the world, your community will find you.

They don’t have to live in your town and they don’t have to be in your current circle of friends.

Be as dorky, as weird and as passionate about what brings you joy as you want to be…and don’t worry if your friends roll your eyes about it because someone will find value in what you give to the world.

When it comes to the internet, you create the space, you make the rules, and the people you invite will see your passion and they will find you.

How fucking magical is that?

Written by @plantyquirkyblogger

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

“So surreal! I am so glad I could use this place to heal. It is perfect, it is supportive, it is beautiful. Thank you for this gift. I will cherish this opportunity forever.”

“It was such an interesting experience to write it. The process of writing it, is the moment that took my breath away.”

If this is speaking to you and would like to learn more contact us or fill out our submission form.

WE are a space where women can be celebrated and honoured just as they are; nothing more or less. We encourage you to be nosy and take a look around.⁠

This space is for you. A place where you can be your badass self and surrounded by women raising the bar within themselves.

SHARING STORIES

But I was determined to start doing things for myself

Written by Anonymous

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

I thought it was the most fun thing ever, and I felt like I was getting stronger.

I continued to challenge myself.

I hit 2000km goal this year and I am so damn proud of myself!!!

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

You took a lot more from me that night than you’ll ever realize.

Forgiveness

Written by Anonymous

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

This is my story.

Here I am. Or who I am now.

Written by Debbie Davidov

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

It has been almost 3 years since losing you.

And in a blink of an eye, everything changed.

Grief took over my body.

There isn’t a day I don’t wonder.

Written by ANONYMOUS

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

Leaving "What ifs"

Leaning Into What Was Possible

My New Reality

Written by Petra Pearce

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

*Trigger Warning: Suicide and Abuse

A New Life in Canada

My Mental Health Story Today

Written by Vera Cheng

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

Keep an open mind.

So I trusted, I listened to them (and me), I borrowed their belief and rolled with it.

Keep an open mind.

Written by Erin M

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

Who is Ashley?

I wanted to be better than the things that happened to me.

I never wanted to be the victim but I kept playing the role in my mind.

The work has always been to come back to myself. I don’t control anything outside of me.

So who is Ashley anyway?

Written by Ashley Fazackerley

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

**TRIGGER WARNING: ABUSE**

A lifelong dream

Unfortunately, my marriage did not work out as I planned.

Protect and shelter

The last straw came a few months before I left.

It was at that moment that we left and never returned.

A remarkable man

Written by Michele Detoro

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

Eventually, I resorted to engaging in breathing exercises to help me sleep.

These motions and waves of panic and anxiety felt overwhelming at times, but I didn’t know what to do nor how to approach it.

I wanted to believe that the party life was helping my anxiety.

Though my time was limited, I knew I had to do something.

Written by Shalene Martin

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

i have always considered myself a bit dreamer chaser.

it's a bit of a story on how i got here so let me take you back to last August.

it was a time where i realized i wasn’t as happy as i wanted to be.

there is really no turning back at this point.

i felt defeated almost daily but continued to move forward regardless.

meditation brought me to the we experience.

and now the real fun starts.

i am the WE.

don’t get my wrong, their opinions would eat away at me. i would go back and forth.

jump in and take a chance. it is worth the risk.

Written by Portia Chambers, Founder of The WE Experience

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

And somehow, we managed to handle it all without missing a beat in the business.

Sometimes you have to let it all burn to the ground and start again.

Imagine what’s possible for you by this time next year, if you begin today…

Written by Carly Ottaway

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

Open to new experiences. Open to new challenges. Open to growth. Open to love. Open to trying different.

Written by Shannon Hastings

Here's what women are saying after writing their story:

We hear all the time that success comes from alignment not hustle. But what does that even mean?

TRIGGER WARNING: ABUSE