The past few years of trending feminism have really taken me by surprise. It’s not a concept I’m new to, but for the first time, I find myself identifying with the overall mood coming from these female led movements. One concept that keeps reoccurring is that it’s okay, like 100% okay, to be unashamed by the many emotions we experience on a daily basis. That honesty has opened up  new ideas and opportunity for me, expanded my empathy for others, and most importantly, opened up my mind to the hard truth that where one is in life could be a direct result of being female.

After these realizations, I figured it might be inspiring for some of you if I shared who the women are that regularly fuel and empower me. A few of those female figures are in my immediate family, but then there are several from far away that I’ve only briefly met or follow on Instagram.

Doen, owned and operated by Margaret and Katherine Kleveland, is a clothing company that creates beautiful garments, but does so much more than that as well. These savvy business women operate their company in a way that makes me optimistic about the future of small businesses. I absolutely the way they promote their brand using real women, from all over the world, along with their stories. I remember first stumbling on the Doen site shortly after having my second child. I’ll never forget how distraught I was while trying to find a dress to wear at our friends wedding. Our son was only a few weeks old; therefore, he couldn’t be away from me for very long. Finding a dress that was flattering, feminine, and most importantly, one I could breastfeed in made me feel a little bit more like my confident former self…if you’ve had kids you might understand where I’m coming from here. When the dress arrived, it had a small postcard within that shared the company’s mission. I decided to dig a little deeper into the brand, and learned that they support female makers through their production methods whether they’re located stateside or overseas in order to decrease the gender gap at every point along the supply chain. I now follow the company as well as the founders on their journey. I absolutely love the stories they share on their journal page. If you haven’t checked them out yet, what are you waiting for?