Hard, Rarely Pretty, & Never Perfect: The Journey to Fundamental Motherhood
Introduction
Wow. I can’t believe I’m actually, finally doing this.
It feels like every experience in my life has led me to this exact moment.
How It All Started
I still remember sitting in an auditorium my freshman year of high school, listening to a speaker whose story completely captivated me. I felt connected, inspired—and I remember thinking: I want to connect with people like that someday.
Maybe that was the moment this journey truly began.
Then life took an unexpected turn.
During my senior year of high school, I got pregnant. My son, Bailey, was born five months after graduation. Just twelve days later, his father passed away in a car accident.
Suddenly, I wasn’t just a teenager—I was a single mom navigating grief, survival, and the reality of raising a child alone. It was hard, rarely pretty, and never perfect.
PIVOT: Taking Control
For a while, I was stuck. Then I realized: the only real control I had was self-control.
I wasn’t helpless. I wasn’t stuck.
I enrolled in a local business school, earned my associate’s degree in Business Administration, got a job, and bought a condo for Bailey and me. From the outside, it looked like success.
But on the inside, I was unfulfilled, unhappy, and weighed down by unprocessed trauma. I knew I wasn’t being the mother I wanted to be.
That’s when I made my first intentional pivot.
I paused and began to truly connect the dots between my wellbeing and the way I showed up as a mother. I took a hard look at my job—great salary, no alignment. I made some intentional choices. I quit my job, sold my condo, and moved back in with my parents so I could go back to school—this time to study life science. I wanted to understand life, human connection, nature, and nurture.
The uncertainty was overwhelming, but I kept going. I learned to validate those feeling without letting them define me. I reminded myself: I could do hard things. I could feel doubt and still move forward. I trusted myself.
It was hard, rarely pretty, and never perfect.
PIVOT: Finding Strength and Connection
In that difficult but transformative season, several things changed my life.
I found running—and with it, a deep sense of strength, clarity, and resilience. Running saved me. It made me a better mom.
I also met my husband, Jeremy. I wasn’t looking for love—I had sworn off dating to focus on being a strong, independent mom. But when I met him, I knew. He was the man I had imagined years ago (more on that in a future post).
One complication: he lived in Colorado. I was still in Minnesota.
After a year of long-distance, Bailey and I made the move. I kept working toward my life science degree while working part-time in the fitness industry. Supporting other moms became the most fulfilling part of that job. I started organizing Saturday morning long runs just for moms—strollers welcome, support guaranteed.
Jeremy and I got married and had two more kids, Ethan and Maeva. I kept studying, parenting, and working, and decided that I wanted to be in a position where I could directly support teen moms. So I added a teaching license to my plate.
It was hard, rarely pretty, and never perfect.
PIVOT: Realigning with Our Values
Once I completed my degree and teaching license, we moved our family of five back to Minnesota. Something about life in Colorado felt misaligned—we needed to pause, reflect, and realign with what mattered most.
Shortly after our move, I enrolled Ethan in preschool. That’s when I discovered Parent Education.
Watching parents receive support, connection, and insight into child development was the lightbulb moment I’d been waiting for.
This was it—the missing link between my personal journey and my purpose.
So I went back to school (again) and earned my Master’s in Parent and Family Education, along with a license in Parent Ed. I did it while working full-time running a school, raising three kids, and literally running for my well-being.
It was hard. Rarely pretty. Never perfect.
TODAY: Why I Created Fundamental Motherhood
Today, I’ve created Fundamental Motherhood because I know this truth:
Motherhood is the most important, exhausting, transformative role you’ll ever have.
Fundamental means forming a necessary foundation—something essential and of central importance. As a mom, you are central to your child’s development. You’re the foundation they’ll return to again and again.
But there’s no handbook. No clear path. Lots of doubt. Lots of pressure.
That’s why I’m here.
I’ve taken my life experience, my education in life science, and my knowledge in parent and child development, and built something for you:
A space to help you reconnect with your own power.
To help you find alignment, purpose, and fulfillment.
To help you embrace the PIVOT—and put you first.
Because when you do, you don’t just become a better mom—you become a stronger, more confident version of yourself.
Building this community won’t be easy. It will be hard, rarely pretty, and never perfect.
But I’m here. And I believe you’re ready, too.
Click here to book a FREE support call or explore my coaching services.
