May 21, 2025 • 49 mins
What happens when your world completely transforms in a single week? For Gwen Gardner, founder of Simply Chicking Clothing, that pivotal moment arrived over 20 years ago when she received news of both pregnancy and breast cancer within days of each other. Rather than surrendering to fear, Gwen made a powerful declaration: "There is no way that I'm going to die while I'm creating life."
This episode takes us deep into Gwen's remarkable journey of healing, transformation, and entrepreneurship. As she researched how to support her body through cancer treatment while nurturing a new life, Gwen discovered what she calls "the dirty secret" of conventional cotton - that it's treated with seven of the most carcinogenic chemicals known, many originally developed as war-time nerve agents. This revelation sparked a passion for creating truly clean, organic cotton baby clothes that would be safe for the most delicate skin while bringing humor and heart to eco-conscious parenting.
Gwen's practical wisdom shines throughout our conversation as she shares how she built a business as a single mother with limited resources. From creating childcare co-ops with friends to making the most of early morning hours (what she calls "the six o'clock club"), her strategies offer hope to anyone juggling multiple priorities while pursuing their passion. Most powerfully, she reveals how building community helped transform her natural shyness into confidence, joining multiple networking groups and creating connections that sustained both her business and spirit through challenging times. Whether you're facing health challenges, considering entrepreneurship, or simply trying to live more intentionally, Gwen's philosophy that "confidence parallels vulnerability" provides a refreshing framework for moving forward with courage, even when the path ahead feels uncertain.
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
One just has to pick up a magazine or turn on a
television to see that, as women, we are bombarded daily with
media images of female physicalperfection, setting up the most
unrealistic of expectations asto how we should look.
No wonder female bodyconfidence is falling while
incidents of eating disordersare on the rise.
What's most alarming is the waythis affects young girls.
(00:26):
A reduced sense of self-worthcan create anxiety, stress, even
depression, causingrelationship issues, while
potentially impairing academicand job performance.
In direct contrast, confidencein Bloom is designed to
reinforce and reassure everywoman who has ever felt
inadequate, unworthy or tossedaside because of how she looks,
(00:50):
that no matter her age, shape orbackground, you matter.
You are enough.
Now I, tina Spoletini, a womanof substance, insist women
deserve to be happy, confident,successful and totally in love
with themselves in their ownbodies, just the way they are.
Through an ongoing series ofintriguing conversations with
(01:11):
women from all walks of life,who are all extraordinary in
their own right, we will embarkupon a journey of ultimate
self-acceptance and empowerment.
Together, we'll share stories,laugh, learn, maybe even shed a
few tears.
(01:35):
No-transcript.
Today, gwen Gardner is my guest.
Gwen Gardner is an absoluteforce of resilience and heart.
She's the chief chick founderand designer behind Simply
Chicking Clothing, a brand bornfrom a week that changed
everything A breast cancerdiagnosis and the discovery she
(01:59):
was pregnant all in the sameweek.
What followed was a radicallifestyle shift, a commitment to
clean living and the creationof a company that blends humor,
heart and health-consciousvalues into adorable, organic
baby clothes.
We're diving into Gwen's storyof healing entrepreneurship and
what it really means to livewith intention for yourself,
(02:22):
your family and the future.
Let's get into it All right.
Welcome, gwen.
How are you today?
Great?
Speaker 2 (02:36):
So lovely to be here, Tina.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Yes, it's so nice to have you here.
I want to start at thebeginning.
You've had an incrediblylife-changing week.
Can you walk us through howyour diagnosis and pregnancy
intersected and what that waslike for you?
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Sure.
So over 20 years ago now, Idecided to move out from my
boyfriend, but I wasn't feelingwell.
Decided to move out from myboyfriend, but I wasn't feeling
well.
And so on Monday I went to thedoctor and the next day I found
out that I was pregnant, butthen the next day I found out
(03:16):
that I had breast cancer.
So yeah, so it was.
It was.
It was quite a week.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
So the same doctor, same appointment, found two
different things.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
So I had had like a mammogram the week before with a
different doctor and I hadgotten the call back to go in
basically on a on a Wednesday.
So I went to my regular doctoron Monday Obviously they do
tests and the next day I foundout I was pregnant.
(03:49):
But then I was already on acall back from the previous week
because they didn't like how itlooked.
So that's when I went in likeoh.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
So 20 years ago you were young.
So 20 years ago you were young.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
So I was it was 20 years ago Actually like more
closer to 21.
Because my daughter just turned20.
That's how I know how long I'vebeen in business.
So yeah, so that was.
That was quite a while ago, andthat's when I started looking
at how I was living, what I waseating, what I was washing my
(04:25):
clothes with, because you know,when you get a diagnosis like
that, you're like oh, what can Ido you?
Speaker 1 (04:33):
know, yeah, and the thing is, when we like what
affects our body, is absolutelyeverything right, like all the
five major senses right, whatwe're listening to, what we're
eating, what we're touching,what we're seeing, all of it
like it's all.
So I can see.
I mean, I don't you know.
Like, when you said that youhad to change your laundry soap,
(04:53):
I was like, well, it's onlylaundry soap, but the reality is
right, everything that touchesour body in any way, create, can
create disease.
If we're not you know, I don'tknow, I don't know what the word
is if we're not like, if we'renot filtering it in some way
right, and I'm sure you learnedthat.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Yeah, it, everything you know, really impacts your
health, like what, everythingthat's coming into your
environment basically.
And so that's when I startedkind of looking at organic in
all ways possible.
And back then it was a littlemore difficult, you know, you
(05:35):
had kind of the organic foodmovement and so that was that
was easier.
But in every other area itreally was you kind of had to
dig.
And so I was involved withanother women's group and she
had breast cancer and she haddeveloped lotions and things
(05:55):
that you, you know can put onyour skin.
So she and she said she's like,well, you realize, stuff that
gets you know on your body canbe absorbed in like under 20
seconds.
And I'm like, oh.
So I started thinking about whatwas I putting on my skin?
What was I washing my clotheswith, what was I washing my
(06:16):
dishes with?
But I have a sense of humor andwhile I'm growing this child
and dealing with the cancer, Ithought, well, I should start a
business because I'm going tohave so much time like nursing
this child.
Because I really did thinkpositively when I got that
diagnosis.
I said there is no way that I'mgoing to die while I'm creating
(06:43):
life.
It's just not going to happen.
So, I just put on a superpositive mindset and move
forward in that way.
So I started then, because Iwas a teacher, I started
researching cotton and textilesand what I could print my funny
little sayings on textiles andwhat I could print my funny
(07:08):
little sayings on.
And that's when I found out thedirty secret of regular
conventional cotton is one ofthe most polluting crops in the
world.
And I thought because, becauseof the insecticides and
pesticides that are sprayed onthe regular cotton crop to get
rid of all those insects andbull weevils and all of that,
you know, obviously gets intoour water and I was like, oh, so
(07:31):
we're actually drinking thisstuff and people who live close
to those farms or who farm themdefinitely have higher cancer
rates and their skin, they haveskin issues.
So I sought out organic cottonand back then it was incredibly
(07:51):
difficult to find, Of course Ifound a California company
because I just feel like they'reon the forefront of a lot.
It's a big state and they'vebeen organic for a long time.
So I found a California companyand started using their blanks
to print with my eco-friendlyink, basically, and then I no
(08:15):
longer use that company but Iuse a company out of New York
and then I print here in RhodeIsland soup.
I feel it's a super cleanproduct.
I don't compromise.
My product is more expensivebut it lasts like I have people
because I've been around for along time.
(08:35):
I love the story of a dad whowalked up with his 13 year old.
He pointed at a particulardesign and said, oh my gosh, he
he's like.
You realize, all of ourchildren have worn that and
we're keeping it for ourgrandchildren oh my goodness,
because they last.
They don't fall apart, sothey're actually.
(08:58):
Initially they're moreexpensive, but they're more
economical in the long run.
In the long run, becausethey're not gonna really end up
in a landfill, right, right,exactly, and and yeah, I love.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
I love that because I mean, well, I had twins, boy,
girl, twins and you know Iwasn't sure if I was gonna have
more.
I did save a lot of my clothes,right.
So you know, I did have anotherone on a boy, so I saved all
the boy clothes and it got ridof all the girl clothes you know
after, but I saved them I.
They're five years apart.
(09:31):
I saved all those clothes forfive years.
It was crazy, but you know, Ican, I can relate with that.
You know, like, who doesn'twant to buy one shirt and let it
pass down, you know?
Or five kids, right, and then,and I mean even generations, I
mean who doesn't want that?
Speaker 2 (09:49):
I love, yeah, and, and most of most of my designs
are gender neutral, so itdoesn't matter like a boy can
wear them, a girl can wear them,a human can wear them yeah,
that's even better.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
That's even better now.
I know I've seen a few of yourshirts.
Like on Instagram I follow youand I see it like I've seen your
a few of your designs.
Is there a chick, like a littlebaby chick on all of your, your
outfits?
Speaker 2 (10:20):
um, so I, one of my most popular designs, is
actually a little chick comingout of an egg and it's just
hatched.
So that's a really popular onefor boys or girls.
I have a lobster and it sayslocal catch.
It's in red.
Of course it could be boy girl.
I have a little miniaturegolfer symbol, of course boy
(10:42):
girl.
I have a couple of poems whichare very popular, and then my
brand is on the inside of thetag, of course, and that's my
little, my little chick, butthere are a variety of different
designs on the front.
But yes, I do have a littlechick coming out of an egg and I
love that.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Yeah, that cute, super cute now um, I want to
talk a little bit more about youknow, like the organic side of
it and that the healthy side ofit.
Um, when now you we weretalking kind of a little bit of
you know everything that touchesour body, what were the some of
the biggest surprises I meanyou mentioned about how you know
(11:25):
cotton is one of the highest,I'm gonna say I'm gonna use the
word poisoned, because I don'tremember your exact term um,
what, what other surprises didyou come across when you were
doing all your research?
Changes that made that you hadto make in your everyday life?
Um, yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
So I mean, if you just start thinking about what
gets into our water becausewe're, you know it's groundwater
and we're, we're eventually,you know, drinking that that's
why so many people filter theirwater so what was I washing my
skin with?
(12:08):
First of all, that's going togo onto my skin.
So I was looking for, you know,natural soaps, because that, of
course, is going to go onto mybody.
Of course, a little bit will beabsorbed, it's going to run
into the water and then out intothe world, and so eventually,
(12:29):
you know we're drinking itessentially.
And then what am I washing myclothes with?
Because the clothes are rinsedand that goes into the water and
, you know, out into the world.
But also it's on the clothes.
So I'm then putting thoseclothes on my body and they're
(12:51):
sitting there like all day andsweating, and so where, where is
that going?
So it was, it was just thinkingabout all of the products that I
am ingesting or going on to myskin or my child's skin.
(13:12):
You know, obviously I, I thinka lot of moms and dads think
about, think, think about theworld differently when they have
a child.
They're like, oh, my gosh, allof a sudden like, oh, I probably
need to pay attention to X, y,z.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Right.
And we and and also too, westart to like realize how the
little things that we do in ourare in our life affects the
little people.
Right, like I can agree withyou.
I remember my mom saying whenyou have a child, you never see
the world the same.
And I thought what is shetalking about?
Like the world doesn't change,right.
But it's not that the worldchanges, it's the way you see it
(13:54):
changes, right.
You start looking at you knowwho's looking out for the
benefit of my baby, right, who'slooking out for you know what
I'm feeding my baby?
Because really nobody caresexcept for one that comes to
their own world, right.
And so I realized that, yeah,you see the world differently.
You start to notice, you know Idon't want to say the good and
(14:15):
the bad, but you start to pickat little things and other
people because they're not awareof what you are aware of.
So I can relate to that again.
Yeah, I love that.
So when you had to do all like,when you were going through all
of this I mean you're, you'redealing with cancer and I mean
we all know that that nobody,nobody likes to talk about that
(14:37):
word you had to make a manymindset shifts right, like your
mind had to make you to makesome really big changes in your
internal world in order for youto change your external world.
What was that like for you?
Speaker 2 (14:56):
So I started thinking about you know how to make
myself better and how tocontinue being healthy, because
obviously the cancer was excisedand at that time my doctor was
kind of on the forefront and hetook an approach of we're going
(15:20):
to monitor this.
So I went in for MRIs very,very frequently, very frequently
.
But I also read the book CrazySexy Cancer by Chris Carr, as I
recall and she was actuallystage four, she's still around
(15:40):
and has become a huge influencerin this arena, in this arena.
So I started making my owngreen juice.
I would go to the grocery storeand get the kale and the
(16:01):
cucumbers and all of the fruitand I had a green juice like
three times a day and I shiftedmore of my eating to more
veggies and fruits and my bodyjust kind of craved that more
and moved away from otherprotein sources, you know, moved
(16:21):
into more of a vegetarian arenaand really kicked up the green
juice Because there's so manygood things in vegetables and
fruits.
So I really focused on doingthat on a daily basis and that
in itself, if you've ever been ahome juicer, is incredibly
(16:44):
intensive.
You go to the grocery store,pick the best fruits and
vegetables, sit there like washthem all, juice them all, bottle
them, and then you've got toturn around and do it in a
couple more days.
So it does take.
It does take a lot of time, butyou know it didn't come back.
(17:07):
You know, and you like to thinkthat you had some.
You know very good doctor andyou know I was monitored and the
cancer was excised.
But you know you still want tofeel like you have agency.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Right, yeah, absolutely.
And I mean, when you take onyour health on your own right,
without relying on on, you know,do this for me, do that for me.
When you do it on your own,like there's, there's a lot to
be said about that, right, Iknow I'm not a juicer.
I actually would rather eat mycalories than drink my calories,
(17:41):
you know.
But when it comes to fruits andvegetables, that's not on the
top of my list.
So I can.
I can see why people juice list, so I can, I can see why people
juice.
Right, because you can get alot more veggies and fruit in a,
you know, in a glass than youcan, you know, by cooking them
and sitting and eating them.
So, yeah, I could see that.
I don't think I could.
(18:02):
I don't see myself as a juicerever, right, but at the same
time, like, I see the benefitsof it.
Now, many women listening today,gwen, they may be in like a
season of transition orreinvention.
Can you help maybe mention tous, you know, what helped you
stay grounded and focused duringyour personal transformation?
(18:22):
Because this was, this was huge, right, I mean, you went from
being a teacher to now being,you know, a pregnant cancer
patient changing into a newcareer.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
Yeah.
So you know everybody says, oh,family and friends.
But that is extremely true.
I also, because I was going tobe a single mom, I really kind
of focused on finding a tribeand I, when I started doing you
(19:01):
know little markets with myshirts, I always like say hello
to the booth next to me, to thebooth on all sides, and you know
, see if, if, if we're going tohelp each other that day, like I
need to go to the bathroom whenyou watch my booth.
But it's, it's about connectingwith, finding ways to connect
with other people.
(19:21):
So I join groups.
I love being around otherpeople, even though I'm actually
a very shy person.
I was so shy growing up thatsome teachers were concerned
(19:42):
until one teacher told myparents Gwen is just quiet, and
from a very early age, I don'tknow, for some reason, that kind
of gave me a little bit ofconfidence, I think, and I was
like, oh, I'm just quiet, butI'm not a lost cause.
So I literally started likejoining groups and I carried
(20:05):
that on into my adult world.
I'm probably part of a wellover 10 networking groups, Wow.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
Yeah, that's awesome.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
And that's how I did stay grounded and it's how I
continue to stay groundedBecause, though we like to think
that we can sit behind acomputer and kind of get all the
answers through AI or Google,there's nothing like sitting
down with a cup of coffee, witha group of friends, or just one
(20:43):
friend, to say, hey, I'm havingthis issue.
To say, hey, I'm having thisissue, what do you think?
Or not even asking questions,just hanging out, you know,
having coffee, tea, having aglass of wine.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
I agree, it fills my heart when I sit with my
girlfriends, right, even ifwe're not really talking about
anything specific, right, you'rejust hanging out right.
It just makes you feel moretogether, I guess, and whole
right.
Yeah, I love that.
I love that I'm a big peopleperson.
I love to sit and visit and Ilove how you said you know you
(21:19):
were a shy kid, but as soon asyour teacher said that Gwen is
just quiet, that gave you moreconfidence and it goes to like,
I mean, it goes to show thatwhen we label ourselves right,
we, once we're labeled, webelieve that that's what we are
and that's what we go with.
Right, I'm shy, but really thereality is what is shy?
(21:40):
I just don't feel like talkingright now.
I know there are people thatare shy, that you know.
They like my.
Remember my daughter she was.
It was terrible, she would hidebehind me.
She, you know, she would hideher face.
She didn't want anyone tonotice her, right, and and I
used to think, well, how is shelike this?
I am so not like that, right,and I I didn't even know how to
(22:02):
handle it.
But now, I mean, she's quietand she is afraid of crowds, but
she's not shy anymore.
And she is afraid of crowds,but she's not shy anymore, right
, and it's because I neverallowed that shy label to really
sink in, right.
I'm like, okay, you can bequiet, you can be afraid of
crowds, I mean there's nothingwrong with that, but that
doesn't make you shy, right.
(22:23):
And so I think that helped herand, as with you, that just
helped her realize that there's,you know, so many different
qualities that we all carry,that we can.
You know, sometimes it's alittle bit more comfortable in
this quality and sometimes it'smore comfortable in that quality
.
So I really like that yeah, Ithink you're right.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
You know, people like um hide sometimes hide behind
labels, but then when they arelabeled they're like oh, this is
my lot, but it's not you know,and it doesn't have to be right
Like we can be who we want to betoday.
Yeah, yeah, we're not a tree.
(23:05):
We don't have roots Way, way,way down to the core.
We we can pick up and change inthe next moment.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
Yeah exactly Exactly so.
Now, gwen, let's talk aboutcotton.
So most of us don't reallythink twice about fabric.
What did you learn that shockedyou?
I mean other than the, you knowthe growing of it, and the
regular cotton was the most youknow polluted.
Excuse me, what did you learnthat shocked you and how did it
(23:36):
influence your, like yourbrand's mission?
Speaker 2 (23:40):
So when I was doing my research, I found out that
more than seven of the mostcarcinogenic chemicals known to
humankind were sprayed on theregular conventional cotton crop
, and some of those agents werecreated during as nerve agents
(24:08):
for the for the world wars.
So I was like, oh my gosh,we've manufactured this and now
we think it's because it doeskill, so let's, so let's spray
it on these crops to kill thebull weevils and the net,
because cotton regular cottonit's's it's not easy to grow
(24:32):
because of the pests.
So I understand, you know, Ithink a lot of people have good
intentions when they start likeoh my gosh, this is really
working.
But when you really dig into ityou're like, oh my goodness,
like so.
Then I thought, well, this is,this is getting into our water.
Like we all know that cancerhas grown exponentially since
(24:57):
then.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
Yeah, Right, wow, wow .
Speaker 2 (25:03):
Yeah, so so that that was really the most surprising
thing.
So I thought, okay, I am goingto seek out an organic option.
And in the beginning it was aneducation process when I went to
large shows small shows becausemy label says organic cotton,
(25:25):
got certified, meaning globalorganic trade, certified cotton.
Certified meaning globalorganic trade, certified cotton.
Um, and I, because I didn'twant to contribute, you know, I
wanted to do a fun product, um,but I didn't want to contribute
to the messiness right, right,well, thank you for that, right,
(25:47):
because you know I mean clearly.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
I mean there's a lot to be done that you've done
already.
Right, there's a lot more thatneeds to be done because we're
hearing more and more that it'syou know, it's.
It's crazy, like I saw aprogram not too long ago about
the, the, you know, the clothesthat are being donated to
charity and and to you know,across the world, and the piles
(26:11):
of garbage clothes left on, likethe seashores is.
I was like what, what is allthat like?
How are we not finding use forthe clothes that we have?
Speaker 2 (26:23):
right, like it just seemed ridiculous yeah,
ridiculous, yeah, yeah, so itwas.
That was really eye opening andso I just thought, okay, my
mission is going to kind ofspread the organic message.
And the interesting thing is, Ifeel like I kind of was a
(26:47):
little bit of a disruptor,because you know, a lot of
things start small.
But look at us now, like majorcompanies are, have an organic
option right in fact, I had likea super quick sort of funny
story.
I was a really long time ago ata, at a little local market, and
(27:11):
there was a big clothingcompany in that area and I I'm
not going to say which companyit was, but he came up and he
was so interested in organiccotton, like what was this, what
was going on, yada, yada.
Like what was this, what wasgoing on, yada yada two years
(27:35):
later, they had an organicsection of their clothing.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
Oh yeah, that's how we change the world, right?
That's how we change the worldone person at a time, and we
start with ourselves and then wespread our love, right?
I?
I love that.
That's great.
Now.
You went from cancer patient tonew mom, to entrepreneur.
What were the biggest hurdlesmentally, emotionally and
(27:57):
practically when starting yourbusiness?
Speaker 2 (28:03):
So mentally, I you know, when you first have a
child, like pre pre child, youthink you're going to have time.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
Yeah, I always laugh when I hear these new moms.
Speaker 2 (28:21):
Post you run into.
No, you really don't have thattime and and sleep.
I remember that calling mybrother, and this was very, very
early on, this was within thefirst year and I was like, oh my
gosh, I'm so tired and I waslike, when does this stop?
(28:45):
He laughed and he's like Ithink 18.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
Yeah, Life is never the same.
Right Like life is never thesame.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
No, so so mentally it was getting used to.
Okay, where am I literallygoing to?
Time block, where can I work onmy business?
And then who is going to helpme?
So you start looking aroundbecause you've started
developing this little tribe andwhat two friends and I did was
(29:24):
we and also like it's it'scashflow.
I was a single mom and, you know, still trying to make things
work.
I didn't have, you know, moneyto to put my kid in like daycare
, and first of all, before theage of three, there aren't,
there aren't a lot of optionsanyway.
And so I got together with acouple of my friends and so
(29:46):
Monday one friend took the kidsuntil one o'clock, so all
morning until one o'clock.
Next day someone else did that,and then the next day was my
turn.
So I had, I had, a decentamount of time to work on my
(30:06):
business, to go to meetings,whatever I needed to do, and
sleep sometimes.
So that that helped.
And then and then it was juststarting locally, like I think
sometimes people think you haveto, like you know, quit your day
(30:33):
job and like start yourbusiness and go full force, and
I think you kind of have to alittle bit.
And I did have anotherpart-time job as well.
You have to do that while youkind of grow your business.
Another time suck which peopledon't realize.
(30:54):
And another friend said to me acouple of years ago she's like
how do you get, how do you getso much done, gwen?
I was like I really don't watchTV and and they're like oh huh
and so like if you really sitdown and now I think it's more
your cell phone, but if youreally sit down and like track,
(31:17):
like how much time is taken fromwhatever the TV or the fact
that you're on your phonescrolling, that's a big time
suck.
And what could you be doing?
Printing, going to a meetingconnecting printing.
(31:40):
Going to a meeting connecting,working on designs, whatever.
So it's really kind of taking alook around and taking stock in
what you do have and thenfiguring out how you're going to
jump to the next level with theresources that you do have.
And a lot of people have a lotof resources they don't even
realize they have, Like yourfriends, if they can watch your
(32:03):
kid.
Speaker 1 (32:04):
That's a resource and obviously you're going to do
the same, right, yeah?
And sometimes it's even likeyour friends are running out
getting groceries, you know,like you could very easily say,
hey, do you mind picking up milk, eggs, and you know, a loaf of
bread for me, or whatever thatmight be.
So, yeah, yeah, I mean that'swhat we have friends for, right?
You know you give and take,right.
(32:28):
It's not always just about youknow, let me listen to you.
Sometimes it's I need you to dome a favor.
So that's good.
It's great that you foundyourself that, that you know
group of friends that you couldrely on.
Like that.
I remember my, you know, whenmy kids were little.
I mean, there were days.
I mean, I had twins.
There were days where I'm likeyou know, I never missed a
shower, though I remember momsaying to me if you're, if you
have a shower in a day, you'rehaving a good day.
(32:50):
I didn't miss a shower, so Imean it was pretty good.
They were really good babiestoo.
Really, I can't complain, theywere awesome babies.
But I remember that, oh my God,I have to get supper on the
table and I got two cryingbabies here, right, like I
remember those days.
And when you're alone you don'thave that option, right, you
can't just say you know, here,take my kid, right.
(33:12):
So, yeah, it's great that youfound that group.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
So, yeah, it's great that you found that group.
Yeah, and it's also like doingthings like we used to think
that oh, the child like almostcouldn't be seen, like you had
to like whatever, shut them awayor find someone to take care of
them.
I would take my child to mylocal farmer's markets.
I had like some sort ofcontraption.
(33:36):
I would go in the back, I wouldnurse her because I did nurse
her for a very long time I wouldnurse her, put her down in the
little crib that I had, then godeal with the client.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
Well, that's how to do it right.
I mean, you got to do what yougot to do.
Speaker 2 (33:52):
I know I took the kid to work, but it was a little
unconventional because a lot ofmy work was actually at local
farmers markets, artisansmarkets, but I did.
Speaker 1 (34:02):
But she was also a little bit of an advertisement
for you.
I'm sure, I'm sure she waswearing your product.
Oh, totally yeah.
So there you go.
I mean, that's part of the job.
Yeah, absolutely Right she justwasn't making any money.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
And my friend a couple of weekends ago.
She, she has a new baby, he'sunder um a year and she is doing
the same thing Um, I do.
And she brought her child, butshe also brought a, like a nanny
, and halfway through the dayshe's like because it's
expensive if you're doing thattoo.
And she's like how did Gwen,how did you do this?
(34:38):
Like, is it okay if?
If I bring him and it's just meand I'm working and I said I
did it, just set up the littlecarriage.
Speaker 1 (34:48):
Exactly, I know.
If your kid is colicky and youcan't, you know, provide to your
clients, then that's different.
But if he's just a normal baby,why not?
Right, and quite honestly, likewhen I'm shopping and I see
little babies.
Of course I'm old now, my kidsare big.
Right, I love seeing littlebabies, right, it's like you
know, look how sweet, you knowthat's a sale right there.
Speaker 2 (35:12):
I know.
Speaker 1 (35:13):
Yeah, what advice would you give women who are
being called to do somethingbold or meaningful, but are also
feeling scared and uncertain?
Speaker 2 (35:23):
First of all, don't quit your day job or your night
or your night job, whatever itis, I still.
It's going to be hard, you knowwhat it's not easy, but you
have to pull up your you knowyour big girl panties and you's
going to be hard.
You know what it's not easy,but you have to pull up your you
know your big girl panties andyou're going to have to work and
you're going to be tired, butyou're going to find a way.
(35:46):
You just have to be organized,you have to find your tribe, you
have to ask for help and you'regoing to just have to find the
time.
I'm a big proponent of you knowthe five o'clock club, but I'm
more of a six o'clock club.
(36:07):
Um, from six to nine I can getmountains of stuff done because
no one expects anything of youbefore nine o'clock and you do
the math, that's 21 hours duringthe week before really anyone's
really expecting anything ofyou.
Your kids are probably sleepingand obviously if you're like
(36:30):
more of a night owl, then fromnine to midnight, because no
one's expecting anything fromyou after that time of night,
and you multiply that out and,as an entrepreneur, weekends
count.
So that's 21 hours that you canget a lot done six to nine in
the morning or nine to 12 atmidnight.
(36:51):
That is one of my biggestadvice pieces Turn off your
phone, Just get done what youneed to get done.
Make lists.
I make a list the night before.
I have a little calendar and I,on Sunday night, I basically
write out my week of my exactappointments.
(37:12):
So I am reminded, and then Imake a list the night before of
what I really need to get donelike three top things and you
could probably get those donebetween six and nine in the
morning and then the rest of theday.
You know you have your meetingsor you're doing what you're what
(37:33):
I'm doing, but um, but yeah, Imake lists.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
I love that, I absolutely love that.
I love.
First of all, being organizedis the number one thing.
Right, you can get so much moredone when you have your days
planned out right.
And then, like you said,nobody's gonna expect anything
from you between six and ninealthough after this podcast they
might be starting to call youor at eight, but let's, let's
(38:00):
give Gwen some time right fromsix to nine, or, like I'm, I'm
not a, I'm not a night timer,I'd rather get up early,
although I struggle getting upearly lately.
You know that nine to twelvetime, that's my time.
That night, like you know, Iwant to be in bed by ten, so you
know I'm not working untilmidnight.
That's not going to happen.
But I love that.
I love how you, you know youplan that all out and you know,
(38:24):
like, your tribe is there tohelp you.
Right, you can rely on thattribe, right, whether it's, you
know, just answer the phone forme, even right, like, if my
phone rings, do you mind justanswering it?
Oh, and that's another thingthat I was going to mention you
had said that you didn't watchTV, and now it's our phones that
(38:45):
are keeping us distracted andoccupied.
My phone tells me I think it'severy Sunday morning how much
screen time I had over the week.
And I am, every single Monday,like totally appalled at that
number, because I'm likeconsciously trying to, like you
(39:06):
know, be on my phone less, butthat number doesn't change.
I'm like, what am I doing wrong?
Right, I mean, I do play gameson my phone, so I know that
that's a lot of it, but I reallyaim to like spend um, what's
the word I'm looking for, likespecific time on my phone.
(39:27):
Right, this is for this job, soI need to be on my phone,
otherwise I don't want to be onmy phone all the time.
It's not good for my eyes,right.
It's not good for my eyes,right.
It's not good for mydistraction, right.
And so I liked how you saidthat.
Right, like, I don't watch TV,so it's almost one of those.
You have to pick your battle,right, you have to pick which
(39:47):
one you're going to give into.
And you know, tv obviously isone of those things where you're
like, no, I'm not, I'm notgoing there, right, you might
not be in touch with the rest ofthe world.
I mean, I don't know how youfind out what's going on in the
world.
I personally don't listen tothe news anymore, I just watch.
Really, I watch crap on TV.
I'm you know I waste my timedoing that.
(40:08):
And hockey, I love hockey, so Ido watch hockey.
Speaker 2 (40:12):
I love hockey too.
My thing is baseball, but I doa lot of driving, so I listen to
podcasts.
Speaker 1 (40:21):
Ah, so that's how you are, like you learn, because
there's always learning to do.
But podcasts podcasts are great.
I mean, look at us.
I mean we're having thisconversation, right.
But there's also podcasts thatare, you know, for learning
purposes, right, like let'slearn how to do this Right.
And I mean Mel Robbins isamazing.
She has amazing guests on herher podcast.
There's so much to learn frompeople like that and I love it.
Speaker 2 (40:46):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, and you can.
You can get, you can go down ahole with podcasts, but there's
there's a few that I really tryto pay attention to.
I always listen to Rich Habitspodcast.
So once you get that money fromyour job or your
(41:06):
entrepreneurial thing, like,what do you do with it?
And so I just love listening tothem.
They have some really savvyadvice.
I love Trevor Noah what Now?
Because he really kind ofsynthesizes something in the
zeitgeist, so once a week, youknow, so we can really distill
what's going on, and he just hasa really intelligent
(41:26):
conversations with you knowScott Galloway, or like just
really, really interestingpeople.
Yeah.
So, I catch up by listening topodcasts.
Yeah, cause I drive a lot toBoston.
Speaker 1 (41:39):
Yeah, when you spend a lot of time in the car, you
got to fill your time, you know,and you might as well do it
with learning, right.
I mean, I'm sure you have your,your playlist, right.
I have a thing when I'm like,if I'm working but I have to be
on the road, I listen tolearning on the way to wherever
I'm going, and then when my dayis done and I'm now going home
because my day is done, that'swhen I put my music in Right,
(42:01):
because then I'm like now I canunwind, right, but going there,
I need to be filled with, youknow, as much information as I
can, right, and so I call it mylearning time.
I tried to teach that to mykids, but it didn't work.
I have one more question whatdoes confidence in bloom mean to
you personally, and how hasconfidence played a role in your
(42:22):
journey as a mother, a survivorand a business owner?
Speaker 2 (42:29):
So I think confidence actually plays parallel to
vulnerability, in that knowingthat really every other human is
having similar struggles andjust knowing that kind of humans
(42:57):
around the world, humans in mycommunity, are having these
similar struggles, gives me theconfidence like, oh my gosh, I,
I am, I am this old, that personis that old, you know that old
they.
They've had the confidence toto get to that point in their in
(43:20):
their journey, in their lifeand to just keep going.
Confidence is is is continuingto just keep keep going because
it is a roller coaster, but justknow that it is a roller
coaster, and take stock and inthe good times, because rain is
(43:45):
kind of fall, but just know thatyou are going to get through it
.
You know we, we all get throughit.
Yeah, you know we all getthrough it.
Speaker 1 (43:57):
Yeah Well, and I don't know if you remember, but
I remember, like on Zoom,especially during COVID, the
pandemic, when we were not to beout in public and be visiting
with our people, and you know,we would get on a Zoom call and
we would complain about how Ireally wish we could go out.
I'd rather be sitting in arestaurant or, you know, sitting
(44:23):
in a cafe chatting with you,but at the end of that
conversation we all would alwayssay this too shall end Right.
We all know that.
You know it's going to come toan end at some point, some way,
right, and we have to lookforward to what's on the other
side of that.
Speaker 2 (44:47):
Yeah, and you and you and you have agency, you, you,
you do have agency in what youchoose to do from one minute to
the next, and it's okay.
It's okay If you're having abad day, it's okay, you know you
don't have to be happy all thetime.
It's okay if you're having abad day, it's okay, you know you
don't have to be happy all thetime.
It's okay to have a bad day.
But think about okay, whatcould I do to move this in a
different direction?
(45:07):
And maybe this bad day, orwhatever these thoughts are,
lead me to another solution,another pathway, something else
to do.
It informs us.
Speaker 1 (45:23):
I love that.
I love that.
Now, if you could send onemessage to every woman listening
today, what would it be?
Speaker 2 (45:32):
Just keep going and know that a lot of people have
your back, even though you don'trealize that you can ask for
help.
You can ask help from astranger you know at the market.
(45:55):
Could you hold my bag while Iput my, while I, while I pick up
my child?
You know your friend.
Hey, could you like grab someextra cereal, whatever?
Yeah, just ask.
Ask for help because peoplereally want to help.
Speaker 1 (46:13):
They really do.
They really do.
It's so true, right, right.
I love that.
Thank you so much for that.
Uh, I want to say thank you forjoining me today.
I'm so proud that you have come.
I feel proud of you for comingthrough life the way you have
and I don't know, I feel likeyou have.
Yeah, it's been a struggle.
(46:33):
You're a single mom, you know,and you, you struggled with your
health and you made it work andI love that.
I love that, you know.
It's just.
It goes to show that wherethere's a will, there's a way.
Speaker 2 (46:45):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (46:46):
Yeah, and your daughter must be so proud, and
you said she's 20.
So she might not see it thatway just yet.
Speaker 2 (46:54):
She, she is.
I have to say she is prettyamazing, um, and the apple does
not fall far from the tree.
She's, um going to be studyingabroad in the fall, but she
knows she wants to make, youknow, more money, so literally
she is juggling five jobs wow,wow, good, good for her,
(47:19):
although she has to leave thosejobs out for those other people
that don't have work.
She's nannying, she's coachingtennis, she's working for me,
she's doing inventory sheets andPinterest for another company,
she's social media for anotherone, excel spreadsheets for
(47:39):
another.
Speaker 1 (47:40):
So yeah, she's pulling together a bunch of
different stuff.
Well, she's young, right, andnow's the time to work, work,
work, because once she starts, afamily time is limited, as you
know, right?
Yes, awesome, I love this.
Thank you so much for joining metoday thank you confidence in
(48:09):
bloom is a celebration ofself-love, a confirmation that,
even though you may not looklike a screen star or a
supermodel they don't even looklike that you are an amazing,
desirable, brilliant, gorgeous,talented woman.
We offer unconditional love toour partners, our children, our
extended family, even our pets.
It's high time we got out ofour own way and learned to
(48:31):
unconditionally love ourselvesIn full bloom.
Styling and coaching offers anonline program combined with
one-on-one coaching inconfidence building, personal
branding and creating yoursignature fashion look.
Chic definitely does come inevery shape.
So if you want something tobelieve, in start with yourself.
If you'd like to be a guesthere on confidence in bloom,
(48:52):
contact me through instagram atinfo bloom styling, by email
tina at infoobloomstylingcom, orthrough the Divas that Care
website.
One just has to pick up a magazine or turn on a
television to see that, as women, we are bombarded daily with
media images of female physicalperfection, setting up the most
unrealistic of expectations asto how we should look.
No wonder female bodyconfidence is falling while
incidents of eating disordersare on the rise.
What's most alarming is the waythis affects young girls.
(00:26):
A reduced sense of self-worthcan create anxiety, stress, even
depression, causingrelationship issues, while
potentially impairing academicand job performance.
In direct contrast, confidencein Bloom is designed to
reinforce and reassure everywoman who has ever felt
inadequate, unworthy or tossedaside because of how she looks,
(00:50):
that no matter her age, shape orbackground, you matter.
You are enough.
Now I, tina Spoletini, a womanof substance, insist women
deserve to be happy, confident,successful and totally in love
with themselves in their ownbodies, just the way they are.
Through an ongoing series ofintriguing conversations with
(01:11):
women from all walks of life,who are all extraordinary in
their own right, we will embarkupon a journey of ultimate
self-acceptance and empowerment.
Together, we'll share stories,laugh, learn, maybe even shed a
few tears.
(01:35):
No-transcript.
Today, gwen Gardner is my guest.
Gwen Gardner is an absoluteforce of resilience and heart.
She's the chief chick founderand designer behind Simply
Chicking Clothing, a brand bornfrom a week that changed
everything A breast cancerdiagnosis and the discovery she
(01:59):
was pregnant all in the sameweek.
What followed was a radicallifestyle shift, a commitment to
clean living and the creationof a company that blends humor,
heart and health-consciousvalues into adorable, organic
baby clothes.
We're diving into Gwen's storyof healing entrepreneurship and
what it really means to livewith intention for yourself,
(02:22):
your family and the future.
Let's get into it All right.
Welcome, gwen.
How are you today?
Great?
Speaker 2 (02:36):
So lovely to be here, Tina.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Yes, it's so nice to have you here.
I want to start at thebeginning.
You've had an incrediblylife-changing week.
Can you walk us through howyour diagnosis and pregnancy
intersected and what that waslike for you?
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Sure.
So over 20 years ago now, Idecided to move out from my
boyfriend, but I wasn't feelingwell.
Decided to move out from myboyfriend, but I wasn't feeling
well.
And so on Monday I went to thedoctor and the next day I found
out that I was pregnant, butthen the next day I found out
(03:16):
that I had breast cancer.
So yeah, so it was.
It was.
It was quite a week.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
So the same doctor, same appointment, found two
different things.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
So I had had like a mammogram the week before with a
different doctor and I hadgotten the call back to go in
basically on a on a Wednesday.
So I went to my regular doctoron Monday Obviously they do
tests and the next day I foundout I was pregnant.
(03:49):
But then I was already on acall back from the previous week
because they didn't like how itlooked.
So that's when I went in likeoh.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
So 20 years ago you were young.
So 20 years ago you were young.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
So I was it was 20 years ago Actually like more
closer to 21.
Because my daughter just turned20.
That's how I know how long I'vebeen in business.
So yeah, so that was.
That was quite a while ago, andthat's when I started looking
at how I was living, what I waseating, what I was washing my
(04:25):
clothes with, because you know,when you get a diagnosis like
that, you're like oh, what can Ido you?
Speaker 1 (04:33):
know, yeah, and the thing is, when we like what
affects our body, is absolutelyeverything right, like all the
five major senses right, whatwe're listening to, what we're
eating, what we're touching,what we're seeing, all of it
like it's all.
So I can see.
I mean, I don't you know.
Like, when you said that youhad to change your laundry soap,
(04:53):
I was like, well, it's onlylaundry soap, but the reality is
right, everything that touchesour body in any way, create, can
create disease.
If we're not you know, I don'tknow, I don't know what the word
is if we're not like, if we'renot filtering it in some way
right, and I'm sure you learnedthat.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Yeah, it, everything you know, really impacts your
health, like what, everythingthat's coming into your
environment basically.
And so that's when I startedkind of looking at organic in
all ways possible.
And back then it was a littlemore difficult, you know, you
(05:35):
had kind of the organic foodmovement and so that was that
was easier.
But in every other area itreally was you kind of had to
dig.
And so I was involved withanother women's group and she
had breast cancer and she haddeveloped lotions and things
(05:55):
that you, you know can put onyour skin.
So she and she said she's like,well, you realize, stuff that
gets you know on your body canbe absorbed in like under 20
seconds.
And I'm like, oh.
So I started thinking about whatwas I putting on my skin?
What was I washing my clotheswith, what was I washing my
(06:16):
dishes with?
But I have a sense of humor andwhile I'm growing this child
and dealing with the cancer, Ithought, well, I should start a
business because I'm going tohave so much time like nursing
this child.
Because I really did thinkpositively when I got that
diagnosis.
I said there is no way that I'mgoing to die while I'm creating
(06:43):
life.
It's just not going to happen.
So, I just put on a superpositive mindset and move
forward in that way.
So I started then, because Iwas a teacher, I started
researching cotton and textilesand what I could print my funny
little sayings on textiles andwhat I could print my funny
(07:08):
little sayings on.
And that's when I found out thedirty secret of regular
conventional cotton is one ofthe most polluting crops in the
world.
And I thought because, becauseof the insecticides and
pesticides that are sprayed onthe regular cotton crop to get
rid of all those insects andbull weevils and all of that,
you know, obviously gets intoour water and I was like, oh, so
(07:31):
we're actually drinking thisstuff and people who live close
to those farms or who farm themdefinitely have higher cancer
rates and their skin, they haveskin issues.
So I sought out organic cottonand back then it was incredibly
(07:51):
difficult to find, Of course Ifound a California company
because I just feel like they'reon the forefront of a lot.
It's a big state and they'vebeen organic for a long time.
So I found a California companyand started using their blanks
to print with my eco-friendlyink, basically, and then I no
(08:15):
longer use that company but Iuse a company out of New York
and then I print here in RhodeIsland soup.
I feel it's a super cleanproduct.
I don't compromise.
My product is more expensivebut it lasts like I have people
because I've been around for along time.
(08:35):
I love the story of a dad whowalked up with his 13 year old.
He pointed at a particulardesign and said, oh my gosh, he
he's like.
You realize, all of ourchildren have worn that and
we're keeping it for ourgrandchildren oh my goodness,
because they last.
They don't fall apart, sothey're actually.
(08:58):
Initially they're moreexpensive, but they're more
economical in the long run.
In the long run, becausethey're not gonna really end up
in a landfill, right, right,exactly, and and yeah, I love.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
I love that because I mean, well, I had twins, boy,
girl, twins and you know Iwasn't sure if I was gonna have
more.
I did save a lot of my clothes,right.
So you know, I did have anotherone on a boy, so I saved all
the boy clothes and it got ridof all the girl clothes you know
after, but I saved them I.
They're five years apart.
(09:31):
I saved all those clothes forfive years.
It was crazy, but you know, Ican, I can relate with that.
You know, like, who doesn'twant to buy one shirt and let it
pass down, you know?
Or five kids, right, and then,and I mean even generations, I
mean who doesn't want that?
Speaker 2 (09:49):
I love, yeah, and, and most of most of my designs
are gender neutral, so itdoesn't matter like a boy can
wear them, a girl can wear them,a human can wear them yeah,
that's even better.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
That's even better now.
I know I've seen a few of yourshirts.
Like on Instagram I follow youand I see it like I've seen your
a few of your designs.
Is there a chick, like a littlebaby chick on all of your, your
outfits?
Speaker 2 (10:20):
um, so I, one of my most popular designs, is
actually a little chick comingout of an egg and it's just
hatched.
So that's a really popular onefor boys or girls.
I have a lobster and it sayslocal catch.
It's in red.
Of course it could be boy girl.
I have a little miniaturegolfer symbol, of course boy
(10:42):
girl.
I have a couple of poems whichare very popular, and then my
brand is on the inside of thetag, of course, and that's my
little, my little chick, butthere are a variety of different
designs on the front.
But yes, I do have a littlechick coming out of an egg and I
love that.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Yeah, that cute, super cute now um, I want to
talk a little bit more about youknow, like the organic side of
it and that the healthy side ofit.
Um, when now you we weretalking kind of a little bit of
you know everything that touchesour body, what were the some of
the biggest surprises I meanyou mentioned about how you know
(11:25):
cotton is one of the highest,I'm gonna say I'm gonna use the
word poisoned, because I don'tremember your exact term um,
what, what other surprises didyou come across when you were
doing all your research?
Changes that made that you hadto make in your everyday life?
Um, yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
So I mean, if you just start thinking about what
gets into our water becausewe're, you know it's groundwater
and we're, we're eventually,you know, drinking that that's
why so many people filter theirwater so what was I washing my
skin with?
(12:08):
First of all, that's going togo onto my skin.
So I was looking for, you know,natural soaps, because that, of
course, is going to go onto mybody.
Of course, a little bit will beabsorbed, it's going to run
into the water and then out intothe world, and so eventually,
(12:29):
you know we're drinking itessentially.
And then what am I washing myclothes with?
Because the clothes are rinsedand that goes into the water and
, you know, out into the world.
But also it's on the clothes.
So I'm then putting thoseclothes on my body and they're
(12:51):
sitting there like all day andsweating, and so where, where is
that going?
So it was, it was just thinkingabout all of the products that I
am ingesting or going on to myskin or my child's skin.
(13:12):
You know, obviously I, I thinka lot of moms and dads think
about, think, think about theworld differently when they have
a child.
They're like, oh, my gosh, allof a sudden like, oh, I probably
need to pay attention to X, y,z.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Right.
And we and and also too, westart to like realize how the
little things that we do in ourare in our life affects the
little people.
Right, like I can agree withyou.
I remember my mom saying whenyou have a child, you never see
the world the same.
And I thought what is shetalking about?
Like the world doesn't change,right.
But it's not that the worldchanges, it's the way you see it
(13:54):
changes, right.
You start looking at you knowwho's looking out for the
benefit of my baby, right, who'slooking out for you know what
I'm feeding my baby?
Because really nobody caresexcept for one that comes to
their own world, right.
And so I realized that, yeah,you see the world differently.
You start to notice, you know Idon't want to say the good and
(14:15):
the bad, but you start to pickat little things and other
people because they're not awareof what you are aware of.
So I can relate to that again.
Yeah, I love that.
So when you had to do all like,when you were going through all
of this I mean you're, you'redealing with cancer and I mean
we all know that that nobody,nobody likes to talk about that
(14:37):
word you had to make a manymindset shifts right, like your
mind had to make you to makesome really big changes in your
internal world in order for youto change your external world.
What was that like for you?
Speaker 2 (14:56):
So I started thinking about you know how to make
myself better and how tocontinue being healthy, because
obviously the cancer was excisedand at that time my doctor was
kind of on the forefront and hetook an approach of we're going
(15:20):
to monitor this.
So I went in for MRIs very,very frequently, very frequently
.
But I also read the book CrazySexy Cancer by Chris Carr, as I
recall and she was actuallystage four, she's still around
(15:40):
and has become a huge influencerin this arena, in this arena.
So I started making my owngreen juice.
I would go to the grocery storeand get the kale and the
(16:01):
cucumbers and all of the fruitand I had a green juice like
three times a day and I shiftedmore of my eating to more
veggies and fruits and my bodyjust kind of craved that more
and moved away from otherprotein sources, you know, moved
(16:21):
into more of a vegetarian arenaand really kicked up the green
juice Because there's so manygood things in vegetables and
fruits.
So I really focused on doingthat on a daily basis and that
in itself, if you've ever been ahome juicer, is incredibly
(16:44):
intensive.
You go to the grocery store,pick the best fruits and
vegetables, sit there like washthem all, juice them all, bottle
them, and then you've got toturn around and do it in a
couple more days.
So it does take.
It does take a lot of time, butyou know it didn't come back.
(17:07):
You know, and you like to thinkthat you had some.
You know very good doctor andyou know I was monitored and the
cancer was excised.
But you know you still want tofeel like you have agency.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Right, yeah, absolutely.
And I mean, when you take onyour health on your own right,
without relying on on, you know,do this for me, do that for me.
When you do it on your own,like there's, there's a lot to
be said about that, right, Iknow I'm not a juicer.
I actually would rather eat mycalories than drink my calories,
(17:41):
you know.
But when it comes to fruits andvegetables, that's not on the
top of my list.
So I can.
I can see why people juice list, so I can, I can see why people
juice.
Right, because you can get alot more veggies and fruit in a,
you know, in a glass than youcan, you know, by cooking them
and sitting and eating them.
So, yeah, I could see that.
I don't think I could.
(18:02):
I don't see myself as a juicerever, right, but at the same
time, like, I see the benefitsof it.
Now, many women listening today,gwen, they may be in like a
season of transition orreinvention.
Can you help maybe mention tous, you know, what helped you
stay grounded and focused duringyour personal transformation?
(18:22):
Because this was, this was huge, right, I mean, you went from
being a teacher to now being,you know, a pregnant cancer
patient changing into a newcareer.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
Yeah.
So you know everybody says, oh,family and friends.
But that is extremely true.
I also, because I was going tobe a single mom, I really kind
of focused on finding a tribeand I, when I started doing you
(19:01):
know little markets with myshirts, I always like say hello
to the booth next to me, to thebooth on all sides, and you know
, see if, if, if we're going tohelp each other that day, like I
need to go to the bathroom whenyou watch my booth.
But it's, it's about connectingwith, finding ways to connect
with other people.
(19:21):
So I join groups.
I love being around otherpeople, even though I'm actually
a very shy person.
I was so shy growing up thatsome teachers were concerned
(19:42):
until one teacher told myparents Gwen is just quiet, and
from a very early age, I don'tknow, for some reason, that kind
of gave me a little bit ofconfidence, I think, and I was
like, oh, I'm just quiet, butI'm not a lost cause.
So I literally started likejoining groups and I carried
(20:05):
that on into my adult world.
I'm probably part of a wellover 10 networking groups, Wow.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
Yeah, that's awesome.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
And that's how I did stay grounded and it's how I
continue to stay groundedBecause, though we like to think
that we can sit behind acomputer and kind of get all the
answers through AI or Google,there's nothing like sitting
down with a cup of coffee, witha group of friends, or just one
(20:43):
friend, to say, hey, I'm havingthis issue.
To say, hey, I'm having thisissue, what do you think?
Or not even asking questions,just hanging out, you know,
having coffee, tea, having aglass of wine.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
I agree, it fills my heart when I sit with my
girlfriends, right, even ifwe're not really talking about
anything specific, right, you'rejust hanging out right.
It just makes you feel moretogether, I guess, and whole
right.
Yeah, I love that.
I love that I'm a big peopleperson.
I love to sit and visit and Ilove how you said you know you
(21:19):
were a shy kid, but as soon asyour teacher said that Gwen is
just quiet, that gave you moreconfidence and it goes to like,
I mean, it goes to show thatwhen we label ourselves right,
we, once we're labeled, webelieve that that's what we are
and that's what we go with.
Right, I'm shy, but really thereality is what is shy?
(21:40):
I just don't feel like talkingright now.
I know there are people thatare shy, that you know.
They like my.
Remember my daughter she was.
It was terrible, she would hidebehind me.
She, you know, she would hideher face.
She didn't want anyone tonotice her, right, and and I
used to think, well, how is shelike this?
I am so not like that, right,and I I didn't even know how to
(22:02):
handle it.
But now, I mean, she's quietand she is afraid of crowds, but
she's not shy anymore.
And she is afraid of crowds,but she's not shy anymore, right
, and it's because I neverallowed that shy label to really
sink in, right.
I'm like, okay, you can bequiet, you can be afraid of
crowds, I mean there's nothingwrong with that, but that
doesn't make you shy, right.
(22:23):
And so I think that helped herand, as with you, that just
helped her realize that there's,you know, so many different
qualities that we all carry,that we can.
You know, sometimes it's alittle bit more comfortable in
this quality and sometimes it'smore comfortable in that quality
.
So I really like that yeah, Ithink you're right.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
You know, people like um hide sometimes hide behind
labels, but then when they arelabeled they're like oh, this is
my lot, but it's not you know,and it doesn't have to be right
Like we can be who we want to betoday.
Yeah, yeah, we're not a tree.
(23:05):
We don't have roots Way, way,way down to the core.
We we can pick up and change inthe next moment.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
Yeah exactly Exactly so.
Now, gwen, let's talk aboutcotton.
So most of us don't reallythink twice about fabric.
What did you learn that shockedyou?
I mean other than the, you knowthe growing of it, and the
regular cotton was the most youknow polluted.
Excuse me, what did you learnthat shocked you and how did it
(23:36):
influence your, like yourbrand's mission?
Speaker 2 (23:40):
So when I was doing my research, I found out that
more than seven of the mostcarcinogenic chemicals known to
humankind were sprayed on theregular conventional cotton crop
, and some of those agents werecreated during as nerve agents
(24:08):
for the for the world wars.
So I was like, oh my gosh,we've manufactured this and now
we think it's because it doeskill, so let's, so let's spray
it on these crops to kill thebull weevils and the net,
because cotton regular cottonit's's it's not easy to grow
(24:32):
because of the pests.
So I understand, you know, Ithink a lot of people have good
intentions when they start likeoh my gosh, this is really
working.
But when you really dig into ityou're like, oh my goodness,
like so.
Then I thought, well, this is,this is getting into our water.
Like we all know that cancerhas grown exponentially since
(24:57):
then.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
Yeah, Right, wow, wow .
Speaker 2 (25:03):
Yeah, so so that that was really the most surprising
thing.
So I thought, okay, I am goingto seek out an organic option.
And in the beginning it was aneducation process when I went to
large shows small shows becausemy label says organic cotton,
(25:25):
got certified, meaning globalorganic trade, certified cotton.
Certified meaning globalorganic trade, certified cotton.
Um, and I, because I didn'twant to contribute, you know, I
wanted to do a fun product, um,but I didn't want to contribute
to the messiness right, right,well, thank you for that, right,
(25:47):
because you know I mean clearly.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
I mean there's a lot to be done that you've done
already.
Right, there's a lot more thatneeds to be done because we're
hearing more and more that it'syou know, it's.
It's crazy, like I saw aprogram not too long ago about
the, the, you know, the clothesthat are being donated to
charity and and to you know,across the world, and the piles
(26:11):
of garbage clothes left on, likethe seashores is.
I was like what, what is allthat like?
How are we not finding use forthe clothes that we have?
Speaker 2 (26:23):
right, like it just seemed ridiculous yeah,
ridiculous, yeah, yeah, so itwas.
That was really eye opening andso I just thought, okay, my
mission is going to kind ofspread the organic message.
And the interesting thing is, Ifeel like I kind of was a
(26:47):
little bit of a disruptor,because you know, a lot of
things start small.
But look at us now, like majorcompanies are, have an organic
option right in fact, I had likea super quick sort of funny
story.
I was a really long time ago ata, at a little local market, and
(27:11):
there was a big clothingcompany in that area and I I'm
not going to say which companyit was, but he came up and he
was so interested in organiccotton, like what was this, what
was going on, yada, yada.
Like what was this, what wasgoing on, yada yada two years
(27:35):
later, they had an organicsection of their clothing.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
Oh yeah, that's how we change the world, right?
That's how we change the worldone person at a time, and we
start with ourselves and then wespread our love, right?
I?
I love that.
That's great.
Now.
You went from cancer patient tonew mom, to entrepreneur.
What were the biggest hurdlesmentally, emotionally and
(27:57):
practically when starting yourbusiness?
Speaker 2 (28:03):
So mentally, I you know, when you first have a
child, like pre pre child, youthink you're going to have time.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
Yeah, I always laugh when I hear these new moms.
Speaker 2 (28:21):
Post you run into.
No, you really don't have thattime and and sleep.
I remember that calling mybrother, and this was very, very
early on, this was within thefirst year and I was like, oh my
gosh, I'm so tired and I waslike, when does this stop?
(28:45):
He laughed and he's like Ithink 18.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
Yeah, Life is never the same.
Right Like life is never thesame.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
No, so so mentally it was getting used to.
Okay, where am I literallygoing to?
Time block, where can I work onmy business?
And then who is going to helpme?
So you start looking aroundbecause you've started
developing this little tribe andwhat two friends and I did was
(29:24):
we and also like it's it'scashflow.
I was a single mom and, you know, still trying to make things
work.
I didn't have, you know, moneyto to put my kid in like daycare
, and first of all, before theage of three, there aren't,
there aren't a lot of optionsanyway.
And so I got together with acouple of my friends and so
(29:46):
Monday one friend took the kidsuntil one o'clock, so all
morning until one o'clock.
Next day someone else did that,and then the next day was my
turn.
So I had, I had, a decentamount of time to work on my
(30:06):
business, to go to meetings,whatever I needed to do, and
sleep sometimes.
So that that helped.
And then and then it was juststarting locally, like I think
sometimes people think you haveto, like you know, quit your day
(30:33):
job and like start yourbusiness and go full force, and
I think you kind of have to alittle bit.
And I did have anotherpart-time job as well.
You have to do that while youkind of grow your business.
Another time suck which peopledon't realize.
(30:54):
And another friend said to me acouple of years ago she's like
how do you get, how do you getso much done, gwen?
I was like I really don't watchTV and and they're like oh huh
and so like if you really sitdown and now I think it's more
your cell phone, but if youreally sit down and like track,
(31:17):
like how much time is taken fromwhatever the TV or the fact
that you're on your phonescrolling, that's a big time
suck.
And what could you be doing?
Printing, going to a meetingconnecting printing.
(31:40):
Going to a meeting connecting,working on designs, whatever.
So it's really kind of taking alook around and taking stock in
what you do have and thenfiguring out how you're going to
jump to the next level with theresources that you do have.
And a lot of people have a lotof resources they don't even
realize they have, Like yourfriends, if they can watch your
(32:03):
kid.
Speaker 1 (32:04):
That's a resource and obviously you're going to do
the same, right, yeah?
And sometimes it's even likeyour friends are running out
getting groceries, you know,like you could very easily say,
hey, do you mind picking up milk, eggs, and you know, a loaf of
bread for me, or whatever thatmight be.
So, yeah, yeah, I mean that'swhat we have friends for, right?
You know you give and take,right.
(32:28):
It's not always just about youknow, let me listen to you.
Sometimes it's I need you to dome a favor.
So that's good.
It's great that you foundyourself that, that you know
group of friends that you couldrely on.
Like that.
I remember my, you know, whenmy kids were little.
I mean, there were days.
I mean, I had twins.
There were days where I'm likeyou know, I never missed a
shower, though I remember momsaying to me if you're, if you
have a shower in a day, you'rehaving a good day.
(32:50):
I didn't miss a shower, so Imean it was pretty good.
They were really good babiestoo.
Really, I can't complain, theywere awesome babies.
But I remember that, oh my God,I have to get supper on the
table and I got two cryingbabies here, right, like I
remember those days.
And when you're alone you don'thave that option, right, you
can't just say you know, here,take my kid, right.
(33:12):
So, yeah, it's great that youfound that group.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
So, yeah, it's great that you found that group.
Yeah, and it's also like doingthings like we used to think
that oh, the child like almostcouldn't be seen, like you had
to like whatever, shut them awayor find someone to take care of
them.
I would take my child to mylocal farmer's markets.
I had like some sort ofcontraption.
(33:36):
I would go in the back, I wouldnurse her because I did nurse
her for a very long time I wouldnurse her, put her down in the
little crib that I had, then godeal with the client.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
Well, that's how to do it right.
I mean, you got to do what yougot to do.
Speaker 2 (33:52):
I know I took the kid to work, but it was a little
unconventional because a lot ofmy work was actually at local
farmers markets, artisansmarkets, but I did.
Speaker 1 (34:02):
But she was also a little bit of an advertisement
for you.
I'm sure, I'm sure she waswearing your product.
Oh, totally yeah.
So there you go.
I mean, that's part of the job.
Yeah, absolutely Right she justwasn't making any money.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
And my friend a couple of weekends ago.
She, she has a new baby, he'sunder um a year and she is doing
the same thing Um, I do.
And she brought her child, butshe also brought a, like a nanny
, and halfway through the dayshe's like because it's
expensive if you're doing thattoo.
And she's like how did Gwen,how did you do this?
(34:38):
Like, is it okay if?
If I bring him and it's just meand I'm working and I said I
did it, just set up the littlecarriage.
Speaker 1 (34:48):
Exactly, I know.
If your kid is colicky and youcan't, you know, provide to your
clients, then that's different.
But if he's just a normal baby,why not?
Right, and quite honestly, likewhen I'm shopping and I see
little babies.
Of course I'm old now, my kidsare big.
Right, I love seeing littlebabies, right, it's like you
know, look how sweet, you knowthat's a sale right there.
Speaker 2 (35:12):
I know.
Speaker 1 (35:13):
Yeah, what advice would you give women who are
being called to do somethingbold or meaningful, but are also
feeling scared and uncertain?
Speaker 2 (35:23):
First of all, don't quit your day job or your night
or your night job, whatever itis, I still.
It's going to be hard, you knowwhat it's not easy, but you
have to pull up your you knowyour big girl panties and you's
going to be hard.
You know what it's not easy,but you have to pull up your you
know your big girl panties andyou're going to have to work and
you're going to be tired, butyou're going to find a way.
(35:46):
You just have to be organized,you have to find your tribe, you
have to ask for help and you'regoing to just have to find the
time.
I'm a big proponent of you knowthe five o'clock club, but I'm
more of a six o'clock club.
(36:07):
Um, from six to nine I can getmountains of stuff done because
no one expects anything of youbefore nine o'clock and you do
the math, that's 21 hours duringthe week before really anyone's
really expecting anything ofyou.
Your kids are probably sleepingand obviously if you're like
(36:30):
more of a night owl, then fromnine to midnight, because no
one's expecting anything fromyou after that time of night,
and you multiply that out and,as an entrepreneur, weekends
count.
So that's 21 hours that you canget a lot done six to nine in
the morning or nine to 12 atmidnight.
(36:51):
That is one of my biggestadvice pieces Turn off your
phone, Just get done what youneed to get done.
Make lists.
I make a list the night before.
I have a little calendar and I,on Sunday night, I basically
write out my week of my exactappointments.
(37:12):
So I am reminded, and then Imake a list the night before of
what I really need to get donelike three top things and you
could probably get those donebetween six and nine in the
morning and then the rest of theday.
You know you have your meetingsor you're doing what you're what
(37:33):
I'm doing, but um, but yeah, Imake lists.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
I love that, I absolutely love that.
I love.
First of all, being organizedis the number one thing.
Right, you can get so much moredone when you have your days
planned out right.
And then, like you said,nobody's gonna expect anything
from you between six and ninealthough after this podcast they
might be starting to call youor at eight, but let's, let's
(38:00):
give Gwen some time right fromsix to nine, or, like I'm, I'm
not a, I'm not a night timer,I'd rather get up early,
although I struggle getting upearly lately.
You know that nine to twelvetime, that's my time.
That night, like you know, Iwant to be in bed by ten, so you
know I'm not working untilmidnight.
That's not going to happen.
But I love that.
I love how you, you know youplan that all out and you know,
(38:24):
like, your tribe is there tohelp you.
Right, you can rely on thattribe, right, whether it's, you
know, just answer the phone forme, even right, like, if my
phone rings, do you mind justanswering it?
Oh, and that's another thingthat I was going to mention you
had said that you didn't watchTV, and now it's our phones that
(38:45):
are keeping us distracted andoccupied.
My phone tells me I think it'severy Sunday morning how much
screen time I had over the week.
And I am, every single Monday,like totally appalled at that
number, because I'm likeconsciously trying to, like you
(39:06):
know, be on my phone less, butthat number doesn't change.
I'm like, what am I doing wrong?
Right, I mean, I do play gameson my phone, so I know that
that's a lot of it, but I reallyaim to like spend um, what's
the word I'm looking for, likespecific time on my phone.
(39:27):
Right, this is for this job, soI need to be on my phone,
otherwise I don't want to be onmy phone all the time.
It's not good for my eyes,right.
It's not good for my eyes,right.
It's not good for mydistraction, right.
And so I liked how you saidthat.
Right, like, I don't watch TV,so it's almost one of those.
You have to pick your battle,right, you have to pick which
(39:47):
one you're going to give into.
And you know, tv obviously isone of those things where you're
like, no, I'm not, I'm notgoing there, right, you might
not be in touch with the rest ofthe world.
I mean, I don't know how youfind out what's going on in the
world.
I personally don't listen tothe news anymore, I just watch.
Really, I watch crap on TV.
I'm you know I waste my timedoing that.
(40:08):
And hockey, I love hockey, so Ido watch hockey.
Speaker 2 (40:12):
I love hockey too.
My thing is baseball, but I doa lot of driving, so I listen to
podcasts.
Speaker 1 (40:21):
Ah, so that's how you are, like you learn, because
there's always learning to do.
But podcasts podcasts are great.
I mean, look at us.
I mean we're having thisconversation, right.
But there's also podcasts thatare, you know, for learning
purposes, right, like let'slearn how to do this Right.
And I mean Mel Robbins isamazing.
She has amazing guests on herher podcast.
There's so much to learn frompeople like that and I love it.
Speaker 2 (40:46):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, and you can.
You can get, you can go down ahole with podcasts, but there's
there's a few that I really tryto pay attention to.
I always listen to Rich Habitspodcast.
So once you get that money fromyour job or your
(41:06):
entrepreneurial thing, like,what do you do with it?
And so I just love listening tothem.
They have some really savvyadvice.
I love Trevor Noah what Now?
Because he really kind ofsynthesizes something in the
zeitgeist, so once a week, youknow, so we can really distill
what's going on, and he just hasa really intelligent
(41:26):
conversations with you knowScott Galloway, or like just
really, really interestingpeople.
Yeah.
So, I catch up by listening topodcasts.
Yeah, cause I drive a lot toBoston.
Speaker 1 (41:39):
Yeah, when you spend a lot of time in the car, you
got to fill your time, you know,and you might as well do it
with learning, right.
I mean, I'm sure you have your,your playlist, right.
I have a thing when I'm like,if I'm working but I have to be
on the road, I listen tolearning on the way to wherever
I'm going, and then when my dayis done and I'm now going home
because my day is done, that'swhen I put my music in Right,
(42:01):
because then I'm like now I canunwind, right, but going there,
I need to be filled with, youknow, as much information as I
can, right, and so I call it mylearning time.
I tried to teach that to mykids, but it didn't work.
I have one more question whatdoes confidence in bloom mean to
you personally, and how hasconfidence played a role in your
(42:22):
journey as a mother, a survivorand a business owner?
Speaker 2 (42:29):
So I think confidence actually plays parallel to
vulnerability, in that knowingthat really every other human is
having similar struggles andjust knowing that kind of humans
(42:57):
around the world, humans in mycommunity, are having these
similar struggles, gives me theconfidence like, oh my gosh, I,
I am, I am this old, that personis that old, you know that old
they.
They've had the confidence toto get to that point in their in
(43:20):
their journey, in their lifeand to just keep going.
Confidence is is is continuingto just keep keep going because
it is a roller coaster, but justknow that it is a roller
coaster, and take stock and inthe good times, because rain is
(43:45):
kind of fall, but just know thatyou are going to get through it
.
You know we, we all get throughit.
Yeah, you know we all getthrough it.
Speaker 1 (43:57):
Yeah Well, and I don't know if you remember, but
I remember, like on Zoom,especially during COVID, the
pandemic, when we were not to beout in public and be visiting
with our people, and you know,we would get on a Zoom call and
we would complain about how Ireally wish we could go out.
I'd rather be sitting in arestaurant or, you know, sitting
(44:23):
in a cafe chatting with you,but at the end of that
conversation we all would alwayssay this too shall end Right.
We all know that.
You know it's going to come toan end at some point, some way,
right, and we have to lookforward to what's on the other
side of that.
Speaker 2 (44:47):
Yeah, and you and you and you have agency, you, you,
you do have agency in what youchoose to do from one minute to
the next, and it's okay.
It's okay If you're having abad day, it's okay, you know you
don't have to be happy all thetime.
It's okay if you're having abad day, it's okay, you know you
don't have to be happy all thetime.
It's okay to have a bad day.
But think about okay, whatcould I do to move this in a
different direction?
(45:07):
And maybe this bad day, orwhatever these thoughts are,
lead me to another solution,another pathway, something else
to do.
It informs us.
Speaker 1 (45:23):
I love that.
I love that.
Now, if you could send onemessage to every woman listening
today, what would it be?
Speaker 2 (45:32):
Just keep going and know that a lot of people have
your back, even though you don'trealize that you can ask for
help.
You can ask help from astranger you know at the market.
(45:55):
Could you hold my bag while Iput my, while I, while I pick up
my child?
You know your friend.
Hey, could you like grab someextra cereal, whatever?
Yeah, just ask.
Ask for help because peoplereally want to help.
Speaker 1 (46:13):
They really do.
They really do.
It's so true, right, right.
I love that.
Thank you so much for that.
Uh, I want to say thank you forjoining me today.
I'm so proud that you have come.
I feel proud of you for comingthrough life the way you have
and I don't know, I feel likeyou have.
Yeah, it's been a struggle.
(46:33):
You're a single mom, you know,and you, you struggled with your
health and you made it work andI love that.
I love that, you know.
It's just.
It goes to show that wherethere's a will, there's a way.
Speaker 2 (46:45):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (46:46):
Yeah, and your daughter must be so proud, and
you said she's 20.
So she might not see it thatway just yet.
Speaker 2 (46:54):
She, she is.
I have to say she is prettyamazing, um, and the apple does
not fall far from the tree.
She's, um going to be studyingabroad in the fall, but she
knows she wants to make, youknow, more money, so literally
she is juggling five jobs wow,wow, good, good for her,
(47:19):
although she has to leave thosejobs out for those other people
that don't have work.
She's nannying, she's coachingtennis, she's working for me,
she's doing inventory sheets andPinterest for another company,
she's social media for anotherone, excel spreadsheets for
(47:39):
another.
Speaker 1 (47:40):
So yeah, she's pulling together a bunch of
different stuff.
Well, she's young, right, andnow's the time to work, work,
work, because once she starts, afamily time is limited, as you
know, right?
Yes, awesome, I love this.
Thank you so much for joining metoday thank you confidence in
(48:09):
bloom is a celebration ofself-love, a confirmation that,
even though you may not looklike a screen star or a
supermodel they don't even looklike that you are an amazing,
desirable, brilliant, gorgeous,talented woman.
We offer unconditional love toour partners, our children, our
extended family, even our pets.
It's high time we got out ofour own way and learned to
(48:31):
unconditionally love ourselvesIn full bloom.
Styling and coaching offers anonline program combined with
one-on-one coaching inconfidence building, personal
branding and creating yoursignature fashion look.
Chic definitely does come inevery shape.
So if you want something tobelieve, in start with yourself.
If you'd like to be a guesthere on confidence in bloom,
(48:52):
contact me through instagram atinfo bloom styling, by email
tina at infoobloomstylingcom, orthrough the Divas that Care
website.
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