Brittany

I was born and raised in Waxhaw, NC, which is just south of Charlotte. We moved to Waynesville (30 miles west of Asheville) about 8 years ago and have been so happy with our choice! It was always a goal of my husband and mine to retire in the mountains one day, and when a career opportunity for him became available we were able to make that dream come true sooner. I appreciate so much about the way of life here in the mountains and the "small town feel" that is completely different from where I grew up. I love being a mother to my two kids and to my 7 bantam chickens. I also love hiking and spending time at the river or on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It's hard being away from family, but we are close enough we visit often and I wouldn't change a thing!

Over the past several years we have been on a family journey. Three years ago, our daughter was diagnosed with Autism. I was working full-time at a preschool where my son attended, but our home life was beginning to crumble. We were facing lots of battles, and I was not taking care of myself, constantly trying to figure out a complicated puzzle. Finally, we made the difficult decision to quit my job to stay home and homeschool our daughter. It was a big and scary transition. We didn't know financially how things would play out, but we only knew what we were currently doing wasn't working.

THE BLESSING OF SOULKU

SoulKu was a blessing that came about when my daughter was having a playdate at the park and I met another mama maker who was there. She was making jewelry while her son played with my daughter. It looked so amazing to be able to work on your own time as a mom. So I asked her lots of questions about how it all worked, and I soon knew it would be an excellent fit for me. Not only do I love crafty type hobbies, but I also had made beaded jewelry with my mom growing up. But the BIGGEST YES for me was the flexibility of being with my kids while also making money whenever it's best for me.

We started the homeschool journey last year after I started working at SoulKu. It was a HUGE relief to have the time to invest as needed in my home while still having a "me thing" that I could call my own and contribute financially to the family. There have been ups and downs with our new family journey, but it was for sure the right decision for us! 

Through all the extremely hard challenges my daughter has faced, the thing that calmed her best was being outdoors and in nature. Most every meltdown would result in her climbing a tree and remaining there a while, and when she would come down she was centered again. I came across a quote by Angie Weiland that another mom of an Autistic child shared online—it has become my favorite: "Here I sit beneath a tree. Heartbeat calm. Soul hums free." I couldn't have said it better!

I have an inspiration board in my room to pin anything that inspires or speaks to me. I pinned this quote beneath a photo of an amazing tree I came across while hiking. My board is constantly changing, helping me remember and visualize the things that center me.

I find it amazing that I now work for SoulKu, and we take these natural gems from the Earth that also can help with healing, love, stress relief, and so much more. The Earth gifts us with so much beauty!

MY FAVORITE SOULKU

My favorite SoulKu piece to make is the Labradorite Sacred Necklace for Transform. This stone is so beautiful and means a lot to me because of exactly what it helps provide—a sense of I can do this, no matter what comes my way from day to day. I am encouraged to keep going and remember it's not always easy, but we need to realize it’s ok, and just own who we are in that moment.