Mari Andrew was instantly my friend when I came across her Instagram account. Every day, she publishes an autobiographic - humorous - relatable illustration by her own hand; a practice to which she's maintained dedication for more than two years. To start the year off with a bang, Mari's book Am I There Yet? The Loop-de-loop, Zigzagging Journey to Adulthood published on March 27. 

Erin Slocum is not your modern entrepreneur. Yes, she's started one of the most popular cultural platforms in Knoxville, Tennessee and yes, she's a boss-babe commanding a small creative team with an ambitious project schedule. Erin is also employed by Fox 44, a massive media syndicate in the Eastern US. While it may seem like quitting your job is the only option to pursue a creative vision, Erin took a different route: When the idea came up for her media-baby, Knoxville Weekend, she assembled a team from inside her organization, rallied high-level support, carefully implemented her company's resources, and has created a masterpiece. Erin's story is inspiring for any entrepreneur or hopeful-preneur who isn't interested in leaving the nest, but instead wants to learn to work within the system. 

Learn more about Erin and Knoxville Weekend in this latest Women Taking Leaps interview!

Lindsey Tramuta's life in Paris has spawned numerous articles, a blog called Lost in Cheeseland that's been around more than half a decade, and a recently-published book titled: The New Paris. What is the New Paris, you ask? Lindsey moved to Paris to attend college and stayed, despite what you may think you know about American's living in Paris. In the decade since, she's become acquainted with the cultural rhythm of the City of Light, cataloguing its modern renaissance through food, craft, tourism, and beyond. Lindsey's hard work helped her build a massive network, connecting her with creative minds, established pillars, and the change-makers bringing modern flair to her adopted hometown. In The New Paris, Lindsey breaks down the different facets of a changing city, evolving to meet the rapidly globalized culture and reforming its identity beyond what we could have ever romanticized. 

Learn more about Lindsey and The New Paris: 

In this podcast recording of our live Instagram interview, Meg and I dig into the process that led her from what she calls "a very dark place" of disordered eating and exercise to present day, where she lives & breaths intuitive eating and consults clients in her health practice Nourishing Minds Nutrition.

This week, I caught up with Freya Dowson, a freelance international humanitarian storyteller. She may be new to freelancing but her career in the not-for-profit sector, creating stunning media to compel support for a variety of initiative spans nearly a decade. In this latest Women Taking Leaps interview, we discuss how self-doubt holds us back, how she copes with a career that takes her to unpredictable places, and the wisdom Freya has cultivated that's carried her to international artist renown. 

Don't miss this text excerpt of my interview with Freya Dowson for Women Taking Leaps! 

In this podcast recording from our live Instagram interview, Morgan Hamel of The Garment and I discuss the leap she's taken in creating her ethical fashion-focused business. We touch on her life before The Garment, working as an ethicist for an oil & gas firm for over a decade. We dive into what inspired her to create The Garment and how the model has evolved over time.

Listen to the full interview on DSound. 

I am proud to announce the voices generously sharing their stories of leaps, bounds, setbacks, and growth with me through the 2018 series of Women Taking Leaps. Please take the opportunity to get to know each of them, see their work, and mark your calendars for how you can experience each of these inspiring stories.

To start, tell us a bit about your organization, Priyam Global:

Priyam Global is a movement to affirm the value of children affected by disability. We are a registered nonprofit with the mission of improving the quality of life for children with disabilities in poverty by investing in the women who raise them. Currently, we work in Chennai, India, where we are running a comprehensive economic empowerment and family support program for mothers of children with disabilities.

Share a bit about your life before you decided to move your whole life to New Zealand:

Before I moved to New Zealand I literally had no idea where it was. I actually thought it was a Scandinavian country (don’t tell my Kiwi mates that!). I had a friend who did a semester abroad there in college but besides a few MySpace photos (yes, I’ve just dated myself) of her having fun at someone’s house saying it was New Zealand, I had no idea it even existed.

I would never have thought of myself as adventurous or as a risk taker throughout my life, but I think at heart I always had it in me. I’m the daughter of two immigrants, and even more immigrants before that. It’s in my blood.

Share a bit about your life before becoming an international dancer:

I always wanted to explore more than my own country in the arts scene. In Brazil, there are few possibilities for dancers, while in Europe there are so many ballet companies and lots of investment in the arts and culture. I knew giving up living at home would be a challenge, but if I wanted to make a more interesting career in dance, with better opportunities and to gain more recognition, coming to Europe would be the right choice for me.

About the Women Taking Leaps series:

This blog - my life - would not be what it is today without the inspiring women in my life. Near and far, close friends and new acquaintances, incredible women have come into my life in my later years and opened a realm of possibilities for me, simply living by example. This blog series is the first of (hopefully) many to highlight the females that are forging onward, creating lives they love, and making a positive mark on this world.

To start this series, I am proud to introduce Manuela Baron, also known as The Girl Gone Green. Manuela hosts a thriving YouTube channel and Instagram community about conscious living through minimizing waste and being mindful of our impact on the environment.