Ep. 70 with Megan Rose Perron | Co-Founder, Bee & Blossom Co. - Reclaiming Your Hue: A Podcast for Women Rediscovering Themselves in Motherhood & Entrepreneurship

Episode Transcript
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Kelly (00:10):
Welcome everybody to Reclaiming Your Hue, where we
are dedicated to empoweringwomen to embrace and amplify
their inherent brilliance.
Our mission is to inspiremothers and entrepreneurs to
unlock their full potential andradiate their true selves.
I'm your host, Kelly Kirk, andeach week my goal is to bring to
you glorious guests as well assolo episodes.

(00:33):
So let's dive in.
Good morning, Megan.
Good morning, Kelly.
How are you?
I'm just dandy.
How about yourself?
I'm doing great.

Megan (00:42):
Thank you so much for having me.
I'm really excited to be here.

Kelly (00:45):
You are so welcome.
I have to say, I've beenfollowing you on social for
quite some time.
And then we had a really nice,unique opportunity to not only
connect, um, I think initiallyit was going, it was supposed to
be to talk about being on thepodcast.
Yes.
And then there was a pause fora moment, and then something

(01:07):
really wonderful came out ofthat pause for you, which
brought us together to talkabout something different, which
we'll get to in just a second.
I'm leaving all these littleseeds and teasers for the
listeners.
And I can't wait to talk aboutwhat that conversation was and
how it evolved.
But here we are, and I cannotbe more excited for you to share

(01:32):
your story on Reclaiming YourHue.
So let's dive in.
Yes, let's do it.
First, I would love for you toshare how it is that we got
connected.
Yes, I made it to it, but yeah,absolutely.

Megan (01:44):
So, like you said, we were connected on socials, which
honestly has been just such agift since I moved here.
I'm not from Minnesota, I amfrom the East Coast.
Okay.
Moved here with my now husband,knowing absolutely no one.
Like met my now mother-in-law,like, hello, you're the only
person I know here, whatever.
It was in June of 2019.
Yes, and I knew absolutely noone.

(02:07):
Oh, I'm from a military densetown, and my whole, my people
are scattered everywhere acrossthe country.
Knew no one in Minnesota.

Kelly (02:15):
Oh my god.

Megan (02:16):
And I know.
So I really built thecommunities that I've built
through all of my businessesfrom the ground up, from
literally nothing, no one that Iwent to high school with or
anything like that.
Yeah.
So it's been such a gift, andyou were one of the people I met
on social media, and youreached out about being a guest
on the podcast, and weconnected.
And that conversation wasprobably supposed to be like 15,

(02:38):
20 minutes, and it ended upbeing what, like an hour, hour
and a half.

Kelly (02:42):
I think so.
Yes.

Megan (02:44):
And just like just chatting and connecting in that
way and realizing um how muchour our platforms and our
communities share in common.
Yes.
And how much our missions asindividuals, I think, just
crosshairs.
So there's a lot of alignment.
So much.
Yes.
And then when I shared with youmy new passion project that I
was getting started with, italigned perfectly as a business

(03:06):
opportunity to be a part of thecelebration of your one-year
anniversary for becoming yourcue.

Kelly (03:11):
Yeah.
Okay.
Would you like to share whatthat business is?

Megan (03:15):
Yes.
So Be in Blossom MobileCharcuterie Bar is my newest
business, my most fun business Ihave ever been a part of.
And we got started.
The timeline is just as crazyas a lot of other things in my
life.
Have been my old employee.
She was actually an old clientof mine.
It goes way back years andyears.
Um, she used to work for mewith a business and she would do

(03:37):
a lot of events for me.
And we would see some othervendors and be like, oh man,
maybe we're in the wrongbusiness.
Like it'd be so fun to dopermanent jewelry or something
like that.
Very, very popular, verytrendy, very profitable.
And then I was scrolling onInstagram and I saw a
charcuterie cart that's inCalifornia and jokingly sent it

(03:58):
to her as like, oh, we should dothis.
And she didn't know this yet,but I had already made the
decision to sunset that previousbusiness.
Yeah.
We'll talk more about that, Iknow.
But I sent it to her as a jokeand was like, oh, we could do
this.
There's none in Minnesota yet.

unknown (04:11):
Yeah.

Megan (04:12):
And about a week later, she was like, Yeah, actually, I
talked to my husband and like,we're game.
Let's do it.
Let's be business partners.

Kelly (04:19):
So cool.
Yes.
Seriously, so cool.
And it's I love it.
So there's something that comesup quite frequently here on the
podcast with guests such asyourself.
This like timeline of likeseeing something and then

(04:39):
getting into action.
Yes.
And I I feel pretty passionateabout the shorter that you can
close that window of decisionmaking, the quicker you can find
success.

Megan (04:57):
I could agree with that.
Yeah.
I'm a doer myself.

Kelly (05:02):
I was gonna say, I I wholeheartedly see that out of
you in how you show up and showup vulnerably and very raw on
social media, which is a gift initself, truly.
Not a lot of people can do itand do it to the to the extent
that you're doing it, which isalso, I mean, chef's kiss,

(05:26):
seriously.
But that that thing that youjust talked about, I saw
something and thought, how coolis that?
Had had conversations withsomebody who could potentially
be a game player and all of thatwith you, and then shot the
message.
God had a little plan of hisown and all of it, and then all
of a sudden, here you are.

(05:48):
And then you and I are havingthis conversation, and I'm
literally like, tell me moreabout being blossom.
And you were at the anniversaryevent for reclaiming your hue,
and it was like everyone waslike, This is the coolest thing
ever.
And I have to share this.
My husband, who's picky, verypicky, I should say particular

(06:12):
is probably a better way to putit.
He's not picky, he isparticular.
And he was like, that wasincredible.
That was like top-notch, justabsolutely incredible.
And I thought, well, I wantedto make sure that I was taking
care of the gals that were gonnabe there at the event.
And who better to have roll inthan you and McKenna, right?

Megan (06:32):
McKenna, yes.
And she is joining the mommyclub.
Also, she's pregnant right now,do right before Halloween.
So it's just we're woman-owned,we're mom-owned.
It's just what uh is in my myblood at this point.
It's just who I am.
They both run side by side.
And as you were talking, acouple of things really popped
into my head at the forefrontthat I feel like is important
for a listener to hear is likethe vulnerability piece.

(06:56):
I learned to rip off thatband-aid of fear or whatever it
is that comes upon us when wefeel like we have to put on a
mask or like not be vulnerable.
Um, and two things.
One, um, when I was 19 yearsold, I was diagnosed with cancer
and I had um melanoma.
Okay.
And they for a while didn'tknow what stage it was.

(07:17):
It was like I got the call theday before New Year's Eve.
So it was, you know, vacationtime.
All the surgeons and thingswere backed up because of
holiday time that they were out.
Um, and during that, it wasabout three weeks that they
didn't know what stage I had.
They didn't know anything aboutit.
I was waiting to be operatedon.
And during that time, I reallyjust realized at 19 years old, I
was only 19, and I I had, Ididn't have my family in my

(07:39):
life, I had no one.
My boyfriend broke up with me.
Let's not talk about my choicewith men back in the day.
Sure.
That's okay.
Just yes.
But um, I really decided ifthere's something that I want to
do in life, I'm gonna go forit.
And even if I flop and failright onto my face, at least I
tried, at least I did it.
And like they're failingforward.

(08:02):
Like you hear a lot of speakerstalk about that, a lot of
successful people talk aboutthat.
And I have found my biggestlessons in failing, and I would
have never otherwise known, youknow, it would have left the
unknown.
And then that piece of like thefear of rejection or the fear
of being judged, as I justmentioned, I don't have my
parents in my life, and that wasa very messy situation, but it

(08:24):
was such a gift in theentrepreneurial world and just
in the world of makingconnections, is that I got over
that rejection and any other onedoesn't sing so bad.

Kelly (08:37):
Can we talk about this a little bit more?

Megan (08:38):
Yeah.

Kelly (08:39):
I would love for you to um share a little bit more about
what you're talking about,especially as it pertains to
family.

Megan (08:46):
Yes.

Kelly (08:46):
Um, I I have to imagine that there are people who are
listening right now where if I'mtrekking with you the same way
that you're talking about orthat you've emphasized, I think
I've got a sense of it.
But I would love for you tojust unpack that a little bit
more for the listeners.

Megan (09:06):
Yes, absolutely.
So I literally just this lastweekend my husband and I got
baptized together and I had theopportunity to share my.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
Thank you.
So exciting.
It was so exciting.
I was very nervous because wegot to get up in front of
everyone and share ourtestimony, share our story.
So I just recently shared it.
So it's in the in the forefrontof my mind.

(09:28):
Um, but I grew up in arelatively like, you know, quote
unquote normal, whatever thatmeans to people, um, household,
until it wasn't sure.
Right.
And things started, I my eyesstarted opening to certain
things that were happening.
And um, my parents ended upgetting divorced when I was 15.
And they both had a lot oftheir own stuff going on, and

(09:51):
that could be an entire, youknow, we could talk for hours,
different different podcastepisode.
We will leave that as it is andleave that to your imagination.
They just had a lot of theirown, like, shall we say, demons
they were fighting, and it leftme to figure out a lot on my own
as a 15-year-old.
And um, my mom and I were realclose through high school,
definitely more friends than aparent relationship, though.

(10:14):
And that is a that's an issue,especially to a teenager.

Kelly (10:17):
Yes.

Megan (10:18):
Um yeah, and my mom, when I was still in high school, I
was I think it was the year Iwas graduating, um, she began
dating a new woman that gave heran ultimatum.
Like, you have to choosebetween me and your daughter.
And my mom chose her.
And she told me, I was still17.
She said that I was the causeof all of the problems in her

(10:38):
life, and it was her turn to behappy, so I had to go.
And just like that, she kickedme out.
I I've only heard from her onceor twice, and both of the times
I've heard from her was hertelling me what I had to change
about myself in order to qualifyto be in her life.

Kelly (10:55):
Unbelievable.

Megan (10:56):
And I will be 29 in two weeks.
So this was, you know, 12 yearsago now.
And no, she has not come quoteunquote come around.
You know, there's been nosoftness in her heart to make
amends.
So holy moly.
As a mother myself now, yeah.
I can't.
I mean, granted, my kids arevery young, they're not

(11:16):
teenagers yet, and I'm sure thatthere's a lot of life to be
lived and things to learn, but Ijust cannot imagine or
comprehend a world where I justlet my children walk out of my
life.

Kelly (11:27):
You know, I I think of and and I'm sure that you've
come across this yourself,whether it's in movie scenes or
it's like a little glimpse on onsocial media, um, you know,
like a m like a clip.
And it's this like as kids,they didn't choose us, right?

(11:47):
Yes.
We made the decision.
We made the decision, and thedecision may have been purely by
accident or not, but that was aconscious decision in that
moment for whatever it was atthat given time, and they are in

(12:08):
our lives for a reason, right?
Yeah, so I I am with you.
It it breaks my heart,seriously, and I'm I'm working
to kind of compose myselfthrough this, but it's it's like
a friendly reminder to the allof the moms who have been on the

(12:28):
podcast, seriously.
All of the moms on the podcastwho who I know genuinely show
up, you're doing a flippinggreat job.

Megan (12:39):
Yes, yes.
I just posted something uhyesterday, I think it was our
day before, talking about all ofus that feel like we struggle
with this um feeling that we'renot good moms or we aren't
enough for our children.
And a lot of it is because ofthings like social media and all
the things that society hasbuilt up for us to live up to

(12:59):
when it really comes down tolike, is your child safe and are
they loved?

Kelly (13:03):
Yeah.

Megan (13:03):
Do they have food and do they go to bed and you know
snuggled up in their blankies atnight?
All the other things are hereand there.
Yeah.
And we can grow and learn anddo whatever, but uh, you're a
wonderful mom if your child issafe and loved.

Kelly (13:16):
Yeah.
Well, and I'm sure as you'vecontinued to grow in your faith,
and I'd love to talk about whatuh your faith journey has
looked like too, you start tounderstand that there's in the
and not for lack of betterwords, in the folds of what
we're talking about right now,this uh mom guilt, there's a bit

(13:38):
of um martyr that happens inthat.
And that's like there's thereis some selfishness too if
you're if you're thinking somuch about that, but you're not
going, are they safe?
Do they have a roof over theirhead?
Do they have food in theirbodies?
Do they have like warmblankets?
Do they have a bed to sleep in?

(13:58):
Am I doing my absolute best tonurture and love them?
Okay.
The rest of that is like youhave to sort of and maybe
selfish isn't the right way toput it, but um, there's it
you're thinking too much aboutyourself in that moment rather
than all of the rest of thestuff that encompasses the

(14:19):
particular relationship that youhave continued to build with
your child.
I might get a little flack forthat, but you know, whatever.
It is what it is.
I understand.
These are reflections I've had.
Yeah.

Megan (14:32):
Yes, it makes perfect sense in my brain that it's um
for me, or whether you had avery great example to look to,
and you feel like you can't liveup to your mom's, you know, how
she did everything.
Because I see that a lot withprevious generations.
I'm like, how did you guys doall this?
Right.
And they were all like dressedup and put together all day,

(14:53):
every day, while taking care ofa home and all the children.
Yep.
There's just so many differentways you can look at things, and
it can be so hard, and it'salmost like the enemy's lies in
your ears, trying to make youjust focus on yourself and
looking at just being so overlycritical of yourself.
It's like you get stuck in aloop.
So, like thank you.

Kelly (15:15):
So, this is it, it's more of a focus on you than it is
the what God is doing throughyour life and even having a
child in your life.

Megan (15:24):
Yes, because the children are blessings.
So anything that can be done todistract you from that and keep
you from that, that is the ML.

Kelly (15:32):
Yes, right?
100%, 100%.
So um, which way do I want togo here?
Because we're talking in thevein of faith, so I think I want
to keep it just rolling thisway.
So talk, talk myself and thelisteners to like what has your
faith journey looked likethrough all that you've been

(15:52):
doing in motherhood and thenentrepreneurship as well.

Megan (15:56):
Yeah.
So I have you could call itlike a wave pool, I guess.
Of I grew up going to a veryextreme Christian school in the
South, and uh, we were told wewere going to hell for very
small imperfections.
Just like no one, like, okay,I'm not again, I'm not gonna go
into it.
There's so many things we coulddo, like side episodes on,

(16:17):
right?
But that definitely hardened myheart and turned me away.
And when I went home, I saw noexample of Jesus in my home
whatsoever.
Because my parents, we weren'tliving for that.
Like my parents, again, theyhad their own things going on.
They're fighting constantly,screaming, things flying
everywhere.
So um, when I finally I went topublic school after my parents
divorced and finished out highschool there, and I took world

(16:40):
religions as my first uhelective.
So I went and explored.
Yeah, never practiced anotherreligion.
I just learned about thembecause I was like, hey, if
that's what God is like, I'mlike, mm-hmm, I'm good.
Like I don't want anything todo with that.
And then when I was diagnosedwith cancer, and again being
alone in that time, um, rightbefore I went into the operating

(17:01):
room is one of the only, or theonly, sorry, the first times
that I felt a true peace thatmade no sense.
Because I could have been dyingat that time.

Kelly (17:10):
Yeah.

Megan (17:11):
And like, I don't know what you call it a cruel joke,
but the week before my surgery,one of my co-workers at the bar
I was working at, he was only 40and he had just gotten
diagnosed with melanoma, butthey found his at stage four and
he died the week before I wentin to be operated on.
So it was very real in my facethat just how aggressive and

(17:31):
like silent melanoma can beuntil it's too late.

Kelly (17:34):
Yeah.

Megan (17:34):
So I just had this strange peace and this trust,
and they ended up taking it outwhen it was 10 millimeters away
from my bloodstream, the mitosiscell growing downward.
So I had stage one B.
I did not have to undergo anychemo radiation.
Okay.
Just I have a big hole in myback, it's a pretty cool scar
that ended up opening up, andthen I have uh lymphonectomy in

(17:55):
both of my armpits.

Kelly (17:56):
Okay.

Megan (17:56):
So that was a big Jesus moment where I was like, oh,
like literally, thank you that Ihave this opportunity, this
second wind, this second chanceat life.
Um, but without a true likebase of morals, I guess I would
say, or faith of my own at thatpoint.
I just had all the church hurtand all the yeah, the the hurt

(18:18):
from earlier in my life.
I turned back to the worldstill.
Um, and I went on to do what alot of young people do at that
college age, and I partied.
I just did a lot of things thatwere not productive for my
life.
And I found myself battlingwith anxiety, depression, um,
sleep paralysis, suicidalideation, all sorts of very,

(18:42):
very dark things were happening.
And it was right after I haddecided to like end it all.
And I think it was literallyfour months.
Yeah, it had to be four monthsafter, is when I met my husband,
my now husband.
So we were at the gym.
He was at my gym on a day pass.
He literally was not a memberat my gym, and I went in the

(19:02):
afternoon because my best friendhad a root canal that morning
and I had been watching herkids.
So I never went at nighttime.
I'm not a night gym person.
Yeah, and I didn't, by the way.
Yeah, no, don't know how youguys do it.
You're an elite breed ofpeople.
Uh but we run into this cuteguy, and she's married, so she

(19:23):
doesn't care about embarrassingme.
She goes up and pulls a like,oh, my friend thinks you're cute
situation.
Do you think so?
I was like, oh no.
But um, we connected and we hitshoulders the next day, went
and got sushi after, and we'vebeen together literally ever
since.
And that was six years ago.
Unbelievable.
Yes.
And still, though, we weren'tlike, you know, God was not in

(19:45):
our relationship at all.
We weren't going to church ordoing anything like that.
I don't think I think I wouldhave called myself a Christian,
but I wasn't like living for himin any kind of way.
So it wasn't until our marriagehad a low point, and it was a
point that we weren't sure wewere gonna make it.
Like we were we were parents atthis point.
Uh, my oldest, who's now fourand a half, was about one, and

(20:07):
we just were like, this isn'tworking.
Like, we can't do this.
We were fighting, there wasdeception, there was lies, there
was all sorts of thingshappening between us.
And um, my husband finallyagreed, like, let's go check out
a church.
Because he had church hurt aswell growing up.
So he was like, no, absolutelynot hard, no.

Kelly (20:26):
Yeah.

Megan (20:26):
And he finally agreed, and we've been going to our
church now for about two years.

Kelly (20:31):
I love it.

Megan (20:31):
It's the first time we ever felt welcomed in a church,
and the first time we ever gotto see Jesus instead of humanity
because all the church hurtthat we had was not God, it was
not of Jesus, it was thehumanity that tainted it and
perverted it, honestly.

Kelly (20:46):
Yeah, yeah.
So interestingly enough, I'llI'll level set with you.
I I grew up in a a Catholicsetting.
I didn't go to Catholic school,but um my mom took my brother
and I religiously on Sundays tochurch until you know I
graduated high school, and Ithink probably after that, my

(21:07):
brother was like, no, thank you.
Like, my sister's not therewith me.
So, but I mean, it was like Iremember my dad coming with us
to church one time, like the oneand only time that that
happened, um, the priest hadbeen talking about uh suicide,

(21:28):
and you know, the the Catholicreligion speaks so uh down to
what this looks like aftersomebody commits suicide.
And he had had a friend commitsuicide in high school, and he
was like, that just is simplynot what I believe, and he never
went back after that, and it ityou know, as somebody who's

(21:51):
young growing up, you're like,What?
Until I had a friend commitsuicide senior year of high
school, and I was like, There'sno way, there's no way, and you
battle with this, like how canhow can like what I've been
told, you know, and and rearedthrough for so long, how could

(22:12):
that be true?
How could that simply be truewhen I know the soul of this
person that can't be true?
There's no way it's so likeinto the hurt that you're
speaking to.
I get that.
Anyways, the the fact that youtwo met the way that you did,

(22:36):
little godwink, that even in thethe what probably felt like the
depths at that point whereyou're like a black.
We have a child together, andyou know, like we've put in time
and effort together, and it howcould it be like this and now

(22:59):
it's like this?
I'm sh I'm sure, like I am surethat every relationship has had
moments like that, whether it'ssuper super deep valley or a
little valley, but you were metin that moment by God, and the
fact that like I am, I am justlike the there's moments like

(23:23):
that where I'm like, holy moly.
Okay, so we have two choices atthat point, and your husband
was like, Okay, this is like thelast ditch effort almost.

Megan (23:37):
It was, it was literally like this, or we've gotta go our
separate ways, at least as a asa separate, like who knows what
would have happened because wedidn't go that way, yeah.
But it was literally likethings cannot remain how they
are right now, no way.
And it was that decision.
And I mean, I feel like whenit's yourself over time, it's

(23:58):
hard to see.
Think about like a weight lossjourney or any type of
transformation.
It's so hard to see your ownprogress because you live in
your body, obviously.
But like seeing thetransformation of my husband in
the last two years, one, I'mlike, how many more babies can
we have?
Because it's the hottest thingever.
I know.
I'm like, I don't even care.
How many more can we fit in thecar?

(24:19):
What can you know, like, sothat's one thing.
It's definitely, and it's justlightened up our marriage.
Our marriage is at thestrongest it's ever been.
Like we're the most attractedto each other we've ever been,
obviously, from that comment.
But just in other ways too.
Like, we actually want to spendtime together.
When we have free time, it'snot like, oh gosh, because I've
been there where it was like,oh, not gonna lie, like I don't

(24:40):
really want to hang out rightnow.
It's not super fun.
It's you know, for whateverreason.
And we've just been able toconnect in this way, and he has
just become so much softer of aman.
He was always so rough, tough.
He was a navy guy.
So think about yourstereotypical military guy.
I'm I'm big macho man.
Yeah, and he is, he's verymasculine, but he's just bit

(25:00):
he's he's relaxed now.
He's confident in who he is asa man of God, and that's the
piece that was missing.

Kelly (25:08):
Yes.
Oh, I am just I'm gettingchills like thinking about it.
It's just so it this speaks tothe power of what God can do.

Megan (25:19):
Like, amen.
Because literally, and wetalked about my mom, my dad is
also not in my life, and my dad.
We we went back and forth andbutted heads from a pretty young
age.
I'd say middle school.
Normal, quote unquote, again,normal things that I feel like
parents and kids.
Like I wanted to rebel and be,you know, go do things.
He's like, no, and maybe saidit with harsher words than he

(25:42):
needed to, but still, um, untilI got older and he had this like
control obsession with controlover me.
Um, and you know, at a certainage, you as a parent don't have
control anymore, and still hewanted that, and he would demand
that I be available at certaintimes to go over again these

(26:02):
lists of things that he wantedme to change in order to be in
his life.
I don't know who told myparents that that's like
acceptable.
Even as a friend, if a friendsent me down, I'd be like, oop,
okay.
Yeah, I don't think this is afriend.

Kelly (26:15):
Exactly.

Megan (26:16):
It's all about loving that person for who they are and
supporting them as they grow.
We always want to be growing.
But um, my dad, it was actuallyin 2020.
I think it must have been rightbefore the pandemic.
So I'm pretty sure the worldwas still open and operating.
But my dad pulled one of those,like, you know, he had been out

(26:36):
of my life for a while.
He uh he was on this emotionalpendulum, most likely some
undiagnosed mental healththings.
Okay.
Who who knows?
Who will ever know?
Um, but he would exhibit a lotof things that would point
towards like bipolar or multiplepersonality because, like,
within a 48-hour period, he'd beso excited to be in my life and
say, Oh, we're we're gonna havea relationship.
I'm so glad you're my daughter.

(26:57):
Da-da-da-da-da.
To you know, two days later,he's blowing up my phone,
telling me that like I'm not hisdaughter, don't ever breathe
his air again, I have no place.
One time he literally corneredme and in his home and spit in
my face, like that type of justunhinged disrespect.

Kelly (27:16):
That's a good way to put it.

Megan (27:17):
Yes.
And I found myself just havingto look over my shoulder
constantly for when he was goingto come back.
And I my body was in such fightor flight, I had chronic pain
and unexplained medical issues.
Doctors told me I would not beable to get pregnant because of
the type of endometriosis typesymptoms I was I was going

(27:39):
through for years in the ER withmorphine drips, yeah, more than
I ever should have had in awhole lifetime.
I had in a couple of years.
And I can't say it was for surebecause of that, but I can tell
you that I haven't had a singleER trip for a morphine drip
because of unexplainable, likecrippling pain since I went no

(28:00):
contact with my dad.

Kelly (28:01):
Okay, so um, forgive me for just a second, listeners.
I need to go into the otherroom to grab the cover of the
book that I'm currently readingright now because I want to see
if you've read it.
Hold on, just like two seconds,and I'm not gonna even cut this
up.
So it just is what it is.

Megan (28:18):
Perfect.

Kelly (28:19):
Yeah, I'm glad that I grabbed it because um I would
have I would have butchered.
I'm only like a few pages in.
Okay, yeah, let's see.

Megan (28:29):
Okay, so the emotion code.
No, I don't think I have.
So this the cover does lookvery familiar, and I feel like
it was called the emotionaldetox.
So that's gonna be somethingdifferent from this.
Let's see.

Kelly (28:40):
Maybe it's the same author.
Perhaps.
Um, let's see.
Anyway, so I have not readthis, no.
For the listeners, this um thisbook is called The Emotion
Code, and it's by Bret Dr.
Bradley Nelson.
And it's it literally speaksto, and he is uh a man of faith.

(29:00):
And so his his whole thing withthis is like God has given him
the resources to be able to umpull emotions from specific
parts of the body.
And he's going like literally,he's just page after page after
page that I've read so far.
I mean, I'm like 50 pages in.
So not I'm I'm just at the thebeginning of this.

(29:24):
And it's just like every singlepage, he's giving pure examples
of how the emotion code um hasbeen utilized to to spare
somebody of like trappedemotions in their body.
Yeah.
And some of it is because ofstuff that has happened in
childhood, and these people arein their 50s and 60s.

Megan (29:46):
A lot of times they say your trauma, whether it's
childhood trauma, sexual trauma,things of that nature, you hold
it in your pelvis.
And all of the um not all, mostof the things I had, they were
doing.
It like exploratorylaparoscopic surgery is to see
like what is going on in yourpelvis because something's

(30:07):
wrong.
Yeah, they couldn't, they werelike, no, literally, my my uh
notes after that laparoscopy waspristine uterus.
So I was like, oh, lovely,thank you.
But like, what's going on?
Like, why am I in so much pain?
Yeah.
And I'd have these flare-ups,completely unexplainable.
And when I had cancer, 19 yearsold, was it when I was in that
tumultuous time of constantlyfeeling unsafe and knowing I

(30:30):
wasn't loved, knowing I wasn'tprotected by who the people that
birthed me.
Does that be a great book?

Kelly (30:37):
I like literally and and I'm like, like I said, I'm just
at the beginning stages of thisbook, and I'm like, oh, I wonder
if there's somebody here in theTwin Cities area that is like
trained in the emotion code.
I wonder that I could go tobecause I'm like, there's
something happening, and I don'tknow if it's just unresolved
stuff from my past.
Wow, that was a little bit of avulnerable share there.

(30:59):
But it is like these are thethings that I start to like, I'm
like pondering about marinatingand going um unexplained, can't
unlike.
I'm like, okay, I'm gonna beturning 40 this year and going,
is it age?
Well, I'm in the best healththat I've ever been in my entire
life.

(31:19):
How can that be?
Right.
How can that be?
Right.
So, anyways, just speaking towhat you are talking about.

Megan (31:28):
Well, we'll have to talk more about that when we don't
have a bunch of peoplelistening, but I will definitely
be I will be praying for youfor that though, because that's
a scary thing to go through andthat can be very these are minor
things, really.

Kelly (31:41):
They're minor things, like um, and it's it's like
reflexes with my hand ortingliness in my leg when I wake
up in the morning.
You know, it's not terrible.
Sometimes it's a pinch nerve,right?
Right.
But why do I have a pinchnerve?
Why am I like there's I knowthat there's more to it than

(32:01):
just like, oh, I slept wrong.
Absolutely.
It plays a role, but anyways,I'll make sure to drop that as a
a resource for everybody in theshow notes.
But um I want to dive into thatone.

Megan (32:14):
Yeah.
My goodness.

Kelly (32:17):
That was my unhinged moment.
Like, I'm gonna just take apause for a second, walk away
from the microphone, and grabthis so I I'm like referencing
it properly.
But um, I think it speaksbeautifully actually to what
you're talking about with theselike circumstances that you were
finding yourself in at thatyoung age, and now you're like,

(32:39):
I don't know what your healthstate is now.
I've got a very well- I think,I think I know, but yeah, okay,
so uh anything else that youwant to speak to in in regards
to faith, your faith journey,and how that has just been
integral or not integral forthat matter?

Megan (32:58):
It is, it has affected every area of my life because
just as being a mother has, itjust changes you, uh, like
almost like it changes your DNAin a way because it changes how
I look at myself, it changes myperspective of the world, and it
changes my perspective and mylove for other people because I
just want to love on all thesebroken people, and I have a

(33:18):
specific soft spot for the womenwho have been through what I've
been through, or to feel thatrejection, to feel so alone in
all the choices I made, thethings I did with my body, the
things I did with my time thatshould have never earned a spot
in my life.
And I will, you know, behealing from that for the rest
of my life.
You know, yes, and I havedaughters.

(33:38):
Yeah.
So it's it's all very that partof parenting, and that might
maybe that segues into talkingabout the motherhood piece, but
to wrap up talking about myfamily, like my parents, it is
so rewarding, and like it's justthe the freshest breath of air
to see my husband be who he isnow because I know my daughters

(34:00):
have a strong father, yeah, andthey have what I didn't have,
and I feel like that is going tosave their life in some ways.
Yes, and it's going to reallyinfluence the decisions they
make, and that is not to knockanyone who has had children and
the the the father of thechildren didn't show up the way
that you hoped they would orthey said they would.

(34:21):
Um, because there is there aremen out there ready to be
fathers, yes, regardless.
But that to me has been one ofthe most healing things is
seeing my husband be the dadthat I never had.
Yeah.
Again, the hottest thing.

Kelly (34:38):
I'm like, more babies, please.
It's so refreshing to hear whatyou're talking about.
We're sort of in this sameplace right now, my husband and
I, where I didn't, I wasn't ahundred percent confident that
um Faith was gonna be a part ofhis journey with us together.

Megan (34:57):
Okay.

Kelly (34:58):
And and then when we got married, and um, when I found
out I was pregnant, I was like,I, you know, we're planting the
flag.
We we purchased this house,moved in in 2022, and I was
like, if we're planting the flaghere in this community, I would
really enjoy finding a church.
And he agreed.
And and that didn't mean thatlike in in agreeing to that,

(35:22):
that it was gonna things weregonna change right away, and it
didn't, matter of fact.
Um, but his journey in faithover the last several years has
increased immensely, and whatyou're speaking to, like the
hotness around that, I'm like,this is what God wants for us.
Like, he wants that unionbetween husband and wife, and

(35:45):
for there to be um a surrenderon both ends, and that that
creates such a different kind ofspace for love for one another.

Megan (35:57):
I think people make it or they think about a certain
version of it that it's like notfun, and I'm like, no, it's
literally so hot.
Like, not to get like graphicon your podcast here, but it's
like the most intimateconnection I podcast.

Kelly (36:11):
We can go with it wherever we want, wherever we
want.

Megan (36:14):
But it's literally, it's not this like I some people
think it's like so boring orsomething like that.
And I think, no, quite theopposite friend, because I've
never been so comfortable withanother human in every sense of
the word.
And that means we have thedeepest intimate relationship,
we have the deepest friendship,we have, you know, that's my my

(36:34):
person I can go to when thingsare hard and when things are fun
and everything in between.

Kelly (36:39):
So I want to speak to this a little bit more too,
because I think what's importantto emphasize is one, the
importance of finding the rightchurch community.
Yes, that is speaking the rightmessages about what it looks
like to peel back the onionlayers of self and then peel

(37:01):
back the onion layers of thatunion together as well.
And when you start to reallydive into that, you can't hold
space for the bullshit anymore.
Pardon my French, as we're aswe're literally talking about
God in church, but like youthere isn't any more space for

(37:24):
it.
It forces you to get really rawand intentional about how you
want to diagnose the things thatare happening for you
personally and diagnose thethings that are happening for
you in your relationship.
Psh, plural.

Megan (37:38):
Yes, yes, absolutely.
It'll it'll humble you, um, butit it makes you shed your ego,
which is really rewardingthough, because then it when it
comes time to faceopportunities, vulnerability,
all those things, you literallydon't care because you don't
care what another human has tothink of you.
Because if you're if you'rewalking in your purpose, it's
not about you.

(37:58):
Like nothing about our not tosay, like, you know, the
opposite of what you said whenwe're talking about motherhood
and we're overly critical ofourselves and like that lens is
so magnified on ourselves, butreally like our faith and our
like obedience to God in thatway, of living for Him and
showing His love and His lightin this dark world isn't about

(38:22):
us, it's about the people thatwe get to help and reach to also
feel that like sense of freedomessentially.

Kelly (38:27):
Yeah.

Megan (38:27):
Like you're not bound by all of those ugly things that I
was talking about from mychildhood.
So I want to talk about ego.

Kelly (38:34):
Yeah.
Okay.
And and we can kind of go um,we can we can have ego go a
couple different directions withum what we're speaking to um in
entrepreneurship.
Let's go there first.
Yeah.
So when it comes to building abusiness, right?
You've you've actually spokenvery beautifully to like I've

(38:59):
been through stuff on thepersonal side that it it was
like that wake up call for me,like I I'm not gonna hold back.
Like it's just not a part of myDNA anymore.
When you decided first, likewhat came first for you?
Was it motherhood orentrepreneurship?
And then we can dive into therest of this with ego and

(39:20):
building a business.

Megan (39:21):
That's what I was mentioning when I said it was a
little complicated.
So it depends if we're talkingabout conception or when we
found out.
Because I filed my very firstLLC in May of 2020 after COVID
shutdowns hit, because I alwaysknew I had that little inkling
in the back of my mind since Iwas like 18.
You're supposed to help otherwomen.
You're supposed to help otherwomen.

(39:42):
Had no idea what it lookedlike, and I was scared because
obviously, how do you start abusiness?
What does that even look like?
Like, I don't know.
Um, and COVID hit, I lost myjob.
The typical 2020 story.
And I was sitting there, wedidn't have kids yet.
So I was sitting there, I'ddone every puzzle in my house,
I'd bought some new houseplants, and I didn't know what
else to do with my time.
And I said, All right, I'mgonna figure this out.

(40:04):
So I filed my very first LLC inPowerFit, which was my personal
training business, got all mycertifications I needed, did all
the back end stuff.
And three days after I filed myLLC, I took a positive
pregnancy test.
And it was our very first monthtrying.
And we didn't think becauseafter the doctors told me, I was
like, oh, we're gonna need totake some time.
It's gonna take like sixmonths, a year, whatever.
Nope.

(40:24):
Miss Blakely Gray was on herway, and she was born on
Valentine's Day, uh, that nextyear in 2021.
Oh my god.

Kelly (40:32):
She's like Valentine's baby.
It's so sweet.

Megan (40:35):
It's it's lovely.
It makes that corny, like,well, forgive me if you really
like Valentine's Day, but thecorny, you know, Hallmark
holiday is very special for myhusband and I because it's our
anniversary of when we becameparents now.
It's very like that it adds aspecial little like whatever to
the day.

Kelly (40:50):
Um we we sort of have this approach like, shouldn't we
always be like it shouldn'tjust be for Valentine's Day?
So, anyways, but yeah, that'sso incredible.

Megan (41:02):
They really came about the same time.
I never thought I'd be a mom.
I never wanted to be a mom.
I really thought I was gonna bethe drunk auntie of all my
friends' kids.
I'm an only child myself, butI've always thought, like, I did
not see myself as a motherbecause I was so scared to
repeat the patterns of hurt andpain and just screw-ups,
unfortunately, that I saw happenaround me.

(41:22):
And I didn't want that chancebecause that seemed like a heavy
gamble to take.
Yeah.
Um, so then when I met myhusband, we're like FaceTiming
his mom when he was stillstationed in my hometown in
Virginia.
And she's like, Oh, hi, I'mPaula.
I'm ready for grandkids whenyou are.
And I was like, Oh, underpressure.
I literally was like, Okay,like I've known this guy for

(41:45):
like a couple weeks and like hismom, but she just, you know,
she was halfway kidding.
Um, she's never pressured us,by the way.
It wasn't, it's not a toxicmother-in-law situation.
She's lovely, she's like thebest mother-in-law you can ask
for, especially when you don'thave your own mom.
Um, but I was like, oh man, mybrain really started being like,
oh, so if if that, if this isthe relationship I'm choosing,

(42:06):
it's going to lead to, you know,if it's for the long haul, it's
going to be marriage andchildren because that is firmly
what he wants.
That's what he, you know, therewas no hidden, you know, bait
and switch about it.
So I really sat on it andreally liked put my heart out
there to think, like, is thatwhat I want?
Is that what I want?
And I was like, I guess I'llgive it a try.
And so motherhood andentrepreneurship for me started

(42:28):
literally in the same month.
That's so cool.

Kelly (42:31):
You're the first guest that I've had on.
That that's the circumstance.
There was, there's typicallyalways been a clear, like I was
a mother first in a corporatesetting, or you know, maybe a
stay-at-home mom, whatever, andthen became an entrepreneur, or
vice versa.

(42:52):
Like I was an entrepreneur andthen decided to have kids, and
there's this, you know, thisintersect that ends up happening
that's beautiful and scary andfull of lots of ego, just like
all around.
But yeah, that's that is areally fantastic and cool story.

(43:15):
Yeah.

Megan (43:15):
It was uh another God wink.
I know you say that a lot onyour podcast.
Like it was definitely anotherone of those things because I
just knew like I wanted to workwith women.
Well, becoming a mom andwalking into my own motherhood
helped me learn, oh, I want tohelp moms.
Yeah, I want to work with momsspecifically because we a lot of
times are overlooked andunderserviced when it comes to
the health and understatement.

Kelly (43:37):
Yes.
Understatement of this episode,understatement of the year,
understatement of the century.

Megan (43:42):
And we're shoved into a box essentially a lot of times.
And you chose this, deal withit by yeah.
It takes a village, but we'renot gonna be one for you.
That too, yeah, find yourvillage, but okay, how?
Right.
Like if you and you don't knowhow to show up for someone
else's their village becauseyou're drowning.
So it's like, yes, don't again,that could be its own podcast

(44:04):
episode.
We could start our own podcastjust talking about talking about
the topics, all the nuances,yeah.

Kelly (44:10):
Yes, but as a so, you know, what I think about is
there is that intersect, right?
And and so we're we're kind ofgoing in a couple different
directions, but I think it'llall beautifully meld together.
So the reason that I startedthis podcast is because one, I
did not feel like I had thecommunity that I I really wanted

(44:35):
to have.
Like I had my my my mom, mymother-in-law that were here and
they were supportive and stuff,but it was like in the in
between where I was like, thisis way tougher than I thought it
was going to be.
And also at the same time thatI am going through these waves

(44:58):
of hormonal emotions, I've lostmyself.
I've totally lost the identityof who I was before, becoming a
mom, before like giving birth tomy daughter.
And now there's just thismassive 180 shift that has
happened.
So that's the reason that thepodcast even came to fruition is

(45:20):
because I kept going, like, howare other women doing this?
How am I the only one that'sfeeling this way?
I can't be.
And then you'd see little blipson on social media, like, no
girlfriend, you're not the onlyone.
But I'm like, they're acrossthe country.
Like, how can I, how can Istart to have really active
pointed conversations about thisand bring the realities of this

(45:42):
to light for people here in theTwin Cities and nationwide.

Megan (45:46):
I really love that you've started this podcast because
it's I just know from my workand with that coaching business.
I worked with over 150 women inthe two and a half years that I
was actively coaching people.
And there's such a need becauseeveryone feels like we're on
this little island by ourselvessomehow.

(46:07):
Yeah.
Even though I don't think I'veever talked to a mom like
intimately, more than like, hey,how are you?
Of course, we're gonna saygood.
Yeah.
But to actually sit down andspeak to another mother, I've
never met someone that hasn'tstruggled pretty often in
motherhood because it's ourfirst time doing it.
We're learning something new,just like our kids are learning
how to be humans.

(46:28):
We're learning how to be momsfor the very first time.
Over and over and over again.
Because every time you blink,they're hitting a new stage.
Oh, I know.
Seriously.
So it's it it is, I think, likea I don't I don't know if it's
just ego.
Ego definitely plays a part init, but it's almost a shame as
well that I think exists wherethey feel like other people
aren't struggling, or it's aweakness, which means I don't

(46:50):
love my kids, or it means I'm abad mom, or whatever.
And that's the furthest thingfrom the truth.
Like it's human to struggle,yeah.

Kelly (46:58):
You know, okay.
So um, forgive me if I I likeled anybody listening or you to
believe like ego in all of that.
I sort of went tangential, soapologies on it.
But when it comes to ego in allof this, I think that there is
this is what I would want tospeak to in terms of that

(47:23):
identity shift that happens,right?
There is a sense of letting goof an older version of yourself,
and there is this bridge of egothat plays a role in that, and
it could be in motherhood thatbridge, or it could be in
entrepreneurship, building thatbridge or letting the bridge go,

(47:43):
you know.
Yeah, and so that is reallywhat I'm ultimately speaking to
is um how you can work throughthose onion layers of um peeling
a back first and foremost.
And so let's talk about whathas that particularly looked

(48:04):
like for you in all of it.
It might be a loaded question.

Megan (48:08):
It is.
Uh the first thing that comesto my mind is in motherhood,
absolutely, because of the umstruggles or trials, whatever
you'd like to call them from mychildhood and early adult years,
is there were so many things Iwas confronted with that I
didn't realize I hadn't healedfrom.
And you're faced with them headon, whether that is, you know,
when your child is expressingthose big feelings and you were

(48:30):
always told to shut up and go toyour room.
Well, we know that that's notwhat we want to do, but now I've
got to teach my child to manageemotions and I don't know how
to manage mine.
So literally, I've seen a lotof funny reels about it.
Yeah.

Kelly (48:43):
Where it's like the analogies, but when you were
speaking to that moment in timewhere each one of your
respective parents was goingthrough their own stuff, all I
could think about was that isliterally us as adults right now
going, uh, I'm still I'm stillworking on the stuff that I need

(49:03):
to work on.
Yeah.
And it's if you're if you'rewilling to face it head on, then
you're like, okay, I can workthrough this.
And then you are in a muchprime, much better in prime
position to be able to turnaround and sort of model for
your child what that looks liketo him, not saying you, I'm
saying the the royal we asmothers and fathers of our

(49:28):
children.
Um, but that is like that rightthere is like we're just we're
trying to work on how do I notexplode in this moment right now
because then that's that'srepeated patterns of the past
and potential damage.

Megan (49:46):
And I'll say, I again I'll be vulnerable and say I
struggle with that because Igrew up in a very angry
household.
I had to wonder every day whichversion of my dad was coming
home.
Yeah.
Was it eggshells or could Ichill?
And if I could chill, it justmeant he was gonna be watching
TV.
It didn't mean he was gonnaplay with me.
It just meant that, you know,he'd not be screaming in my
face.
And sometimes I lose my mindwith my kids.

(50:08):
And I have suffered from I I'mpast it now because I'm 14
months postpartum now.
But I had really bad postpartumrage after my second one and a
little bit with my first.
And those are very, very realthings.
Those are just as real aspostpartum depression and
postpartum anxiety, and thereare resources to reach out to.
So if anyone listening isstruggling with that, like don't

(50:29):
feel the shame from it.
But when we do have theoutburst or the things that we
don't handle the way that wewish we would to stop these
cycles, I don't know about you,but anyone else that grew up in
an angry home, I was neverapologized to.
I was never spoken to after.
I was just expected to the nextmorning while there when

(50:50):
there's pancakes made that I'msupposed to act like it never
happened.

Kelly (50:54):
Yeah.

Megan (50:54):
There was never any, there was never any recollection
or reconciliation was the wordI was looking for.
Um, and so I always do thatwith my daughters.
My my 14 month old doesn't knowwhat's going on yet.
I don't, you know, that's notan issue.
But I have a four-year-old,four and a half year old.
And so when that happens, I goto her and sit down and talk to
her like that was wrong.
Mommy should not have donethat.

(51:15):
I did not handle that wellbecause I don't want her to
think that, oh, that's how I'msupposed to act, or like, oh,
that's that's how mommy isalways gonna be.

Kelly (51:25):
So some of like parts of our storyline parallel so much.
Really, it's yeah, I have thosemoments too where it's like,
okay, I have I have literallystayed as cool as a cucumber as
I can in creating the boundariesas best as I can, and you have
crossed it too much.
We're done.

(51:45):
Like literally, we're done.
But then I always come back andI'm like, I'm really mommy's
really, really, really, reallysorry.
Like, really sorry.
And there's lots of hugs.
Lots of hugs, lots of cuddles.
It's tough though.

Megan (52:00):
It's really tough because we are parents, we're not their
friends until they are wellinto their you know 20s or
whenever that maturity levellevels out.
So there is that authority wehave to have, but it's showing
them that authority with withlove.
Yeah.
And that's the part that I feellike got disconnected for a lot
of people from like ourparents' generation and maybe

(52:22):
the one before that, too.
Totally.
And that's where the cyclesmaybe started.
Who knows?
I haven't looked back like pastthat.
I don't know my family, I can'ttalk to my family.
I don't know them.
I can't ask questions.
But that to me is how we aremaking a difference.
And no one's gonna be perfect.
We always want to do betterthan our parents and hope that
our kids do better than us.
Yeah, like we're never gonnaaim to be perfect because you're

(52:44):
gonna get let down every time.
Yeah.
But that is what I feel like wecan all do is the biggest thing
that I hear that our parentsdidn't do is own up when we're
wrong.
Whatever that looks like,whether it's yelling, whether
it's just handling a situationor even getting mad at someone
else or handling like a friendrelationship or something with
your husband in front of yourkids.
Yes.
And you handle it wrong.

(53:05):
You say, Oh, mommy shouldn'thave said that that way.
Yeah, that was disrespectful,whatever.
Or vice versa.
There's that conversationbecause it gives them respect.
Yes.

Kelly (53:15):
Amen, sister.
You're preaching.
Yeah.

Megan (53:18):
Love it.
I I'm passionate about thistopic because I feel like if I
had been explained certainthings or given respect, I would
have respected myself.

Kelly (53:27):
Yeah.

Megan (53:28):
I didn't have any self-love or any self-respect
for many, many, many years.
And I made a lot of choices.
And I'm not gonna say it's myparents' fault because I am my
own person.
But I was an impressionablelittle sponge of a child for
many, many years.
And that developed how Ithought about myself and how I
looked at myself and how I madedecisions.

Kelly (53:48):
There are truths, cold, hard facts, realities around
that thing that you're speakingto.
The thing.
I don't know if using thatword, but that testament to what
you're speaking to, which isbeing a sponge.
And that's exactly what ourchildren are right now.
The young'uns, the littlebabes.
God bless their hearts.

(54:08):
Okay, let's fold in theentrepreneurship piece, the
business piece to this.
So you you mentioned that youhad started um your fitness
business, personal training,which then folded into Empower
Apparel.
Empower Apparel.
Yeah, which I've got a fewpieces in my collection too.

(54:30):
So I love it.
I love it.
They're so right now, actually.
They're like seriously just thenicest.
Thank you.

Megan (54:38):
I really feel like I had a little Easter egg going with
that brand.
We can talk about that in aminute.
First, we'll tell everyone whatit is or what how it became.
Um, so I mentioned Empower Fitthat I started and right then
found out I was pregnant.
Uh, as I walked intomotherhood, I had been a gym rat
for like almost 10 years tothat point.
And none of my favorite brandsfit right anymore.

(54:59):
All the seams were hidden inthe most uncomfortable and
unflattering places.
Yeah.
And I didn't even really have abig body transformation
postpartum.
So I'm like, oh my goodness,what about moms that are
undergoing big transformationsthrough pregnancy and
postpartum?
There's no way that they feelcomfortable and confident.
Right.
Little look into it.
Most activewear brands areowned by men.
It checks out.

(55:19):
Um, yeah.
Don't yeah, you want to getupset, go look at that.

Kelly (55:24):
Well, it's it's like um if you have if you have a free
moment, you should go and listento um I don't know what episode
it was, but Katie Sievert'sepisode.
She's with uh she owns Let'sTalk Women, and it's all about
women in health.
And it's fascinating thestatistics around, you know,

(55:48):
like how just women and howwomen are like perceived through
the health lens.
So the I mean it's this is acentury-long thing.
Yes, probably longer.
So that sounds veryinteresting.
I'm gonna have to turn that oneon on the way home.
Yeah, she does events aroundthe Twin Cities too, I on a

(56:09):
quarterly basis.
So I'll find out when the nextone is and shoot you over that
information.

Megan (56:15):
But send it to me.

Kelly (56:17):
Anyways, so you're you're talking about how you are
you're you're starting todiagnose that there's an issue
here with apparel.

Megan (56:26):
And I could I was working with every age and stage of
life with women.
It wasn't just moms.
I was working with some youngbusy professionals, I was
working with some young moms, Iwas working with some empty
nesters, I'm working with someretired moms, like literally the
whole spectrum of life.
And um, I realized we allshared a common issue is that a
lot of us did not feelcomfortable or confident in our
active wear.

Kelly (56:47):
Yeah.

Megan (56:47):
So I set out on my mission to design active wear
for bodies that have beenthrough it all and can do it
all.
That was like the tagline.
Um, and we were solving issuesone seam at a time.
And I started that, and ohgosh, the years are gonna get
all mumbo jumbled together.
I had it for three years.
So it was 2022, I believe.
Okay, like February, beginningof Feb of um 2022, that I filed

(57:08):
the LC, made it all official.
And when I first started thebrand, I saw it as something to
run parallel with my coachingbusiness as like a side gig kind
of thing.
If you've owned a product-basedbusiness, you might know that
it's kind of an all-in or allout situation, especially when
I'm doing, I was doing allcustom designs.
So minimum order quantitiesexist, all sorts of other things

(57:31):
exist.
Um, and it quickly became abeast of a business that was
taking, you know, on a on a slowweek, like 60 hours, but more
like 80 to 100 hours a week,because I was doing my
manufacturing overseas.
So my negotiations would be atlike 11 p.m.
midnight.
And then all day I'm doingcustomer service stuff.

Kelly (57:51):
Yeah.

Megan (57:51):
I had a warehouse.
I was going to my warehouse,sending out orders, doing all
this stuff, doing pop-ups, doingall of these events.
And it just got to a pointwhere this was not the low point
of my marriage I was talkingabout earlier, and it wasn't
like divorce level serious.
I'm not even hungry.
That was so weird.
Yes.

unknown (58:11):
Oh my gosh.

Megan (58:14):
You know, when before I came in here, because sometimes
I don't know what it is.
It's like if I drink too coldof water, my throat will do that
croaking thing.
I can't I don't burp.
I can't burp ever.
Really?
Yeah.
So myself and my sister-in-laware the only people I know that
can't burp, but neither of uscan.
It's kind of funny.
It's kind of like nice.
And my throat will do this,like, like I can't stop it.
I can't feel it, but it justgoes rah.
And like makes this funnynoise.

(58:35):
And I'm like, I was so nervousthat was gonna happen.
So I'm glad your stomach did itfirst.
So my throat doesn't hit.

Kelly (58:42):
I'm good.

Megan (58:43):
It's all good.
All good.
Yes.

Kelly (58:46):
Um, okay, where was I?
Um you were talking about umthe empower her apparel and the
the beast it became, like thesize it became, the demands.

Megan (59:01):
It just really put me in a place, and at this point, I
already had Blakely, my oldest,and we were, I believe, newly
pregnant with Shiloh at thatpoint.
Again, the timelines get sofuzzy because life has been
crazy the last five years.
Um, but it really got to apoint my marriage was suffering
just because we were we wereresenting each other, we weren't
seeing each other, we werepassing off the kids here and

(59:23):
there, and I was stressedbecause of trying to make things
work with the business.
Because with product-basedbusiness, especially apparel, it
is a constant, like very, veryfinancially challenging thing.
Because as soon as you makeprofit or make any money, you've
got to put it right back intimes five.

Speaker 2 (59:42):
Yeah.

Megan (59:42):
So by the end of the three years that I had been in
business, I had put like aquarter of a million dollars
into the brand.
And you remember, like, I don'thave my family in my life, and
I'll just tell you two, I don'tcome from money.
So this was all likegrassroots, taking all the money
I was making from coaching.
I did have five figure monthswith coaching, so I was just
throwing it.
Right into this, all the moneythat it that the business made

(01:00:03):
went right back into it becausebeautiful.
Like, luckily enough, myhusband had has a stable job
that was paying for her homeexpenses and all of the
necessities.
Um, but my goodness, past that,and then I also took out some
small business loans, things ofthat nature to push the next,
you know, the next big linecoming out, all of that, because

(01:00:24):
it'd be like a $30,000 to$50,000 investment just to get
the next thing out.
And then you have to do yourmarketing, your yeah, yes, you
have to do your photo shoots,all of the things.
And very quickly, it adds up.
And it got to that point, andmy ego, my pride, my my vision,

(01:00:44):
I didn't want to let it go.

Kelly (01:00:45):
Yeah.

Megan (01:00:46):
And the very last launch I did, I will be so candid to
say I should have never done it.
Because even if it would havebeen the most successful it
could have possibly been, it wascatapulting me into a space
that I didn't want to be becauseI wanted to be at home with my
kids.
I didn't want to be a CEOflying all over the place.
I'm not in that season of mylife.

Kelly (01:01:06):
Yeah.

Megan (01:01:06):
I'm not there.
And I actually, okay, fun fact,I've only talked about like one
other time and place.
I made it to the second roundof Shark Tank auditions.

Kelly (01:01:16):
You mentioned this, and I I'm so glad that you brought it
up because I am like, I need tomake a note, mental note of
that to talk through this withMegan.
So this is what with theapparel line.
Yeah, it was last year.
It was last year.

Megan (01:01:32):
It was last year.
And do you know why they haltedit?
Because I was giving birth theweek they were filming.
Get out.
Okay, so actually it must havebeen two years ago.
Sorry, time, time is funny.
I'm like, wait, I have a14-month-old.
So she must have been must havebeen the year before.
It was they were filming theweek the first week of June in
2024.
And I was due on the 7th.
And I or I was due on the 14th,15th.

(01:01:53):
I ended up giving birth on the7th.
So, and obviously it's inCalifornia.
I would have had to travel andthey couldn't risk me giving
birth on set.

Kelly (01:02:00):
Yeah.

Megan (01:02:01):
So yes, I did the 20 plus pages of paperwork, signed all
the legal documents, signedeverything saying I wouldn't
talk about it until the processwas over, like submitted it all.
Wow.
It made the audition video.
I still have it on my computer.
It's like a 10-minute longvideo.
What?
Ouch.

Kelly (01:02:19):
Yes.
This is so cool.
I mean, that's that in itself.
We could have our own littlepodcast just about the emotions
that that creates in buildingsomething, right?
Okay.
Yeah.
Okay.

Megan (01:02:36):
So let's I feel like I have to say though.
Talk through all of this.
Yes.
So I've seen every singleepisode of Shark Tank multiple
times because, as manyentrepreneurs, I just admire so
many people on there.
And I just think that it is socool.
It makes me feel like giddyinside to see other
entrepreneurs succeed and seetheir stories and see these
journeys and learn from themtoo.

(01:02:56):
Learn from the good ones, learnfrom the ones that need
improvement, learn from all ofthem.
And then the actual sharksthemselves are obviously very
well-versed and very savvygeniuses in the field.
So I've always I've lovedseeing it.
And then I saw like theaudition thing because I just
went to their website and wascurious, and the audition was
there, and I just filled it outand I got an email back that was

(01:03:17):
like, we'd love to do a calland do a little interview with
you.
And I did double check theemail because I was like, this
is spam.
This has to be spam.
No, it was actually Shark Tank.
It was literally one of theircasting director people.

Kelly (01:03:28):
Oh my word.

Megan (01:03:29):
And I was like, okay, so we had the call and we went
through everything.
I told her just a blip of mystory at the beginning, and she
was like, Oh wow, we love this.
Like, I'm sending you on to thenext round.
I didn't even tell her like mywhole business plan or anything.
I just told her my story, andshe was like, Okay, yes.
Pushed me to the next round.
That's when we made the video,did all that stuff.
And I did tell her.
Maybe I shouldn't have toldthem.
But I mean, bottom line is Iwas gonna be giving birth

(01:03:51):
regardless.
Yeah.
And I said, like, just so youknow, because they told me the
weeks that they were filming.
And I was like, okay, just soyou know, I'm pregnant right
now, and I'm due on the 15th,and you know, I'm healthy, but
baby's gonna come when she wantsto come.
Yeah.
So, and she sure did, I'll tellyou that.
Yeah, yes.
Um, but that um was a very,like you said, emotional because

(01:04:15):
it was just like, oh my gosh,I've literally watched hundreds
of people go on the show, andI've seen some businesses that
I've supported since before theywere on the show.
Like it just feels so it's likeseeing a friend that's so cool
go on Shark Tank.
Yeah, and one of the guys in mywarehouse that I rented in
Arden Hills, he was on SharkTank, got a deal with Barbara.
Yeah, so it was like it felt soI was able to link up with him

(01:04:38):
and just ask some questions,nothing that like violated any
contracts, okay?
But just like, okay, do thelike what should I look for?
Like, if you can give some justlike pretty blanket advice,
what should I do?
What should I ask?
What should I da-da-da?
So it was very cool.
And it was still at the pointwhere if I'm if I'm being
honest, and around I'd say thebeginning of 2024 is when I

(01:05:01):
really started feeling thatnudge, like, hey, maybe you
should stop.
Like, maybe you should slowdown and put in power apparel to
bed.
And I ignored it because if I'mbeing honest, again, my ego,
she just gets in theresometimes.
It's something I struggle with.
You know, I don't know anyonethat doesn't struggle with it in
some way, shape, or form.
But I was like, you know, Iknow my family keeps tabs on me,

(01:05:24):
and they do.
They love to see me fail.
They want to see me fail.
That's one of the last thingsthey told me is I'm nothing
without them.
They told me I was gonna be adrug-addicted teen mom.
So they just look at you now.
And I'm like, hey, look at younow.
Look, okay.
And I've I've very proud of thethings I've done in my life and
will continue to do.
But that voice in my head wasyou can't close this business

(01:05:47):
because they're gonna just laughat you.
They're gonna, they're gonna beso happy, they're gonna have a
party because you failed.
And I was like, I can't dothat.
And that became my drivingforce instead of the mission of
the brand.
And instead of my family, andactually building a legacy for
my family, not talking aboutthose people that gave birth to
me, but my family.

(01:06:08):
Yeah, my husband and mychildren.

Kelly (01:06:10):
Which is an important thing to to just note also.
We don't have to dive into it,but there's there is something
to be said about um, you know,like there has to be this true
like booting your children outof the nest and cutting the
cord.
And I think that there is somebiblical thing to this as well.

Megan (01:06:31):
They leave and cleave.
Yes.

Kelly (01:06:32):
When they have their spouse, yes, they leave and they
cleave, they become so I I meanthere your new family is of
utmost importance.
Absolutely.
I'm I'm curious if you've sortof um if your church community
has talked you uh through this,but like this hierarchical of

(01:06:56):
needs, which is God, spouse,family, community.

Megan (01:07:01):
Yes, every year.
Every year around Christmastime, around like Thanksgiving
and Christmas, they do talkabout that to almost help people
because there's a lot of divideand um, I feel like conflict
that comes up around that timeof year around families trying
to decide whose house are wegoing to, what are we doing,
da-da-da-da-da.
And they always remind us likeit is okay to make your own
traditions.
Yeah, it is okay, you have tolike because bottom line is if

(01:07:24):
think if I still had my family,and then we've got all two to
three events for my husband'sfamily too, and two to three on
my side with my divorcedparents, and what if their
parents were alive?
A lot of people have to choosebetween like 17 events of which
ones they're gonna go to, andthere's this guilt and this
pressure, and it's like you'vegotta remember we are
celebrating family, and like ofcourse, with his parents, like

(01:07:46):
not mine, but with his family,his parents, they are still very
much a priority to us, but theydon't come above our immediate
little circle, right?
And that's and it's a a respectthing that is the the way of
life that we're living.

Kelly (01:08:00):
So full circle back to what you're speaking to with
this moment in time of like I Iwas misaligned in what that was
look like.
Like it didn't mean that youwere misaligned in the in the
mission of what you wereaccomplishing because there was
a lot of accomplishments withthat and very impactful at that

(01:08:21):
too.

Megan (01:08:21):
Yeah, I'm very proud of what I did.
Like, I would have womenmessaging me saying it's the
first time they've ever feltgood about their boobs
postpartum because of the bras Idesigned.
Yeah, and I'm like, dude, Iunderstand.
Like I breastfed two babies,okay?
I exclusively pumped with thislast one, and it did a number to
my yeah.
Like, oh, I don't even like,you know, we'll we'll look at

(01:08:42):
those later.
I keep them in my bra.
Yes, you might.
Yeah, I'm just like, you know,nowadays this is sidetracking.
I just got to FaceTime one ofmy friends yesterday.
I haven't talked to her in twoand a half years, and she is one
of my military friends.
She's down in New Orleans now,and she has two babies now.
I haven't talked to her sinceshe became a mom, and she's
breastfeeding both of them, andshe was talking about just the

(01:09:03):
woes of what happens to yourpoor nips.

Kelly (01:09:05):
And I'm like, girl, the nips, the we can talk about this
for a hot second.
Yeah.
Because it's not the firsttime, it's certainly not gonna
be the last time.
And I think it's okay that wetalk talk, you know, a little
bit raw and openly about this,but this is this is something
that is a a little bit of a soretopic for me, pun intended.

(01:09:29):
I was like literally sorebecause mine were so sore during
the sore, lots of nipplebutter, and I think what's like
the most troublesome for mepersonally is my boobs are
indeed smaller now than theywere when before I had my baby,

(01:09:51):
and I'm like, that's really sad.
It is, it is, but at the sametime, I love I love I now love
the the new version of my body,and it's taken some time.
I mean, Maddie's like two and ahalf years old, yeah, and so
it's taken some time, and justthis again, another form of um
going through a bit of identitycrisis, and the boobs are a part

(01:10:13):
of that as well.
Oh, absolutely.
Yeah, but yes, okay, okay,Megan, sorry, yes, you're fine.

Megan (01:10:20):
Yes, the boobs, and if you're struggling with that,
just know like it's a-okay.
I feel like we're oh gosh,again, we could go on a whole
tangent about body image, butwe've gotta stop.
As a society, we've gotta stopallowing these people to tell us
that a perfect body or anacceptable body is one that
looks like a child's, okay?
Like that is so inappropriateon its own.

Kelly (01:10:43):
Yes.

Megan (01:10:43):
It is damaging to young women that are just becoming of
age, and it's damaging tomothers because we feel ashamed
of our bodies that have createdlife.

Kelly (01:10:52):
Right.

Megan (01:10:53):
And fed life.
Wild.
Yeah.
No, like, and I'm not sayingthere is no perfect body.
There should be no example, butif there is one, should it not
be the one with like, you know,stretch marks or sags or
whatever it is?
Because that shows that youhave lived life, you've achieved
this, that, or the third.
Whatever that means for you.
So it's like the scars, the theimperfections, all of that is

(01:11:15):
what should be like, oh wow,cool.
Not yeah, not a body thatliterally looks like it belongs
to like a 15-year-old.
Okay.
That's scary.
Why is that so like why is thatthe idea of attractive?

Kelly (01:11:27):
Well, it's society and it's it is um, I'm not gonna go
there.
Yeah, I was like, we shouldn'tgo there, but that is one I can
get on a freaking soapbox aboutit.
Yeah.
All right, so so circling theway guns back to this again
moment in time where it you'vehad to make a decision.

(01:11:47):
It's the the death of theproverbial baby, the first baby.
I would I always said, yeah, sowhatever.

Megan (01:11:54):
Second, third, whatever.
I would always call it my thirdbaby because I couldn't put it
above my human babies.
But it really was a baby to me.
I gave it this the well,honestly, sometimes more
attention than I was able togive to my kids.
And it was because of all thethe bills that came due with the
business.
There was no option to just,okay, let's just pause.
Like, no, no, we've got we'vegot bills pay their expenses

(01:12:18):
along with this business.
And I think I made the decisionthe end of October last year.
Okay.
Um, but I I had to make a planbefore I just came out and said
it and told everyone.
So I spoke with my little teamthat I had.
They weren't working uh likefor me as employees, but they
were working as like my brandmanagers.
Yeah, told them what was goingon, gave everyone like a heads

(01:12:40):
up and said, This is mydecision.
It's a pretty firm decision ofwhat I'm gonna do.
They were very supportivebecause they saw how burnt out I
was, they saw how like almostmanic I was becoming because it
was just I was getting to a veryunhealthy place.
So it was all support all theway around.
I made the announcement thefirst week of January because I
let the holiday season do whatit does.
Yeah.

(01:13:00):
And you know, everyone is busyduring that time.
I wanted to make sure it was atime that we had people's
attention.
And I shut down the site andclosed everything up in
February.

Kelly (01:13:09):
Yeah.

Megan (01:13:10):
And I had at first the intention, you might have seen
if you've been on EmpowerApparel's Instagram, that it was
like, oh, I'm switching to awholesale only model because I
thought I could still do that.
Okay.
And I could.
I'm not saying I couldn't.
I thought I wanted to do that.

Kelly (01:13:24):
Yeah.

Megan (01:13:25):
I didn't.
Because I don't know if you'veever stepped away from a
business, a job.
Certainly, relationships cometo mind for me, whether it's a
friendship or a romanticrelationship.
The further you get away fromit, you're like, what did I
accept as treatment?
And what did I settle forduring that time?
And you almost feel disgustedwith yourself a little bit.
Yes.
You feel disappointed.

Kelly (01:13:46):
Yes.

Megan (01:13:46):
That's how I felt.
And I was like, oh my goodness,what have I been putting my
family through?
What have I been putting myselfthrough?
The the like drunk goggles, Iguess I had on came off.
Rose colored glasses.
Yes, that's what I was thinkingof, but drunk goggles is what
came to mind.
But that's a good analogy, too.
But I took them off and I waslike, oh, I see so clearly what

(01:14:08):
I don't want.
And so, like, I still wear theleggings all the time because
I've tried.
I have literally bought so manyleggings in the last year
trying to find leggings that arebetter than the ones I
designed, and I I'm not comingup with any.
So I still wear them prettymuch every day.
I love them.
And good for you.
It's a good reminder of theaccomplishments through that
time.
And I know that like I do stillhave my relationships with my

(01:14:29):
manufacturers.
There's nothing stopping mefrom starting it back up if the
opportunity arose, but I nowknow what it requires.
Right.
And I still have the debt.
Like I mentioned to you beforewe started recording, nothing's
off limits.
We can talk about it.
I have a lot of business debtleft from Empower Apparel.
It is literally just over sixfigures that I have left of

(01:14:53):
business debt.

Kelly (01:14:56):
It's this was we were talking about this off air, and
I'm like, this is actually thestuff that needs to be out
there.
Yeah.
And the reality.
The realities, these are therealities of um operations of
businesses and what people arewilling to take on or not

(01:15:19):
willing to take on, and how it'smanaged.
And and at some point, if itbecomes, and I'll use the word
insurmountable for just the timebeing, it doesn't mean that
that's your circumstance by anystretch of the imagination,
because it's not.
Um, but it may feel like thatis the biggest mountain of debt

(01:15:42):
that you have to climb.
And then there's decisions thathave to come around that as
well.
This for you, from what I'mhearing, correct me if I'm
wrong, it was twofold.
It was like this you saw that,but then you saw the impact it
was having on the family, andthen the realities started to
set in.
And it was like, okay.
This is, I mean, I when Iinitially approached you about

(01:16:08):
being on the podcast, um, it waswhen everything for me and I
was kind of coming in what Ifelt was like the the start of
all of it, and the reality isthat it had been going for quite
some time.
Yes.
And so I was like, holy catsand dogs, this woman is so cool,
doing big things, and she's gotan apparel line that, like,

(01:16:33):
really, this is so cool.
So that was my initial reachout.
Lo and behold, I'm learninglike right here in in the live
that there was the the coachingbusiness, and then this was
gonna come alongside of that,and it and it for for a while it
did, and then it kind of took ayou know took off.
It took off and and had a mindof its own almost.

(01:16:55):
Yes, and I'm so curious, wheredid like be in blossom come like
how did that because you reallyquickly pivoted after that?
And I was like, okay, I thoughtshe was cool, she's cool.
Like she literally justpivoted, and it goes back to
what we were speaking to earlierin this interview of that you

(01:17:20):
that window of time where likesome people kind of sit and are
like really mourning.

Megan (01:17:28):
I didn't have time for that.
I literally didn't have time.
I cannot like no, I havealready made decisions that led
my family to a place that I'mnot happy about financially, and
I'm gonna get us out of thatand you know work my way.
And I love that you said theword pivot because this morning
before I came in, I was likecleaning up my house a little

(01:17:48):
bit before family help came overbecause it's embarrassing if
your house is a complete wreckwhen they came out.
Listen, this was me.
Like I have- Your house looksspotless.
What are you talking about?

Kelly (01:17:58):
I know because yesterday I had to um, I shouldn't say had
to, I got to get it allshimmied up because I had a a
gal coming over here tointerview me.
Oh it was a very quickinterview, but it was fun.
It was it's up on LinkedIn, youshould check it out.
Yeah, but I was like, I gottaget this clean.
Oh, perfect.
This is perfect because I canhave the house clean for when

(01:18:20):
Megan comes tomorrow.
Well, don't you ever worryabout cleaning for me.
Well, it it's there issomething, and I speak to I
didn't speak very eloquently tothis, but I'm like, there's
something just so nice.
Like when you enter into a homeand it's it smells good, yeah,
and our mudroom does not smellgood, but like you you walk in
and it just is that's how I wantwomen to because you're coming

(01:18:43):
and you're talking about yourstory.
You know what I mean?

Megan (01:18:45):
Fair, it could help let a guard down, I suppose.
But yeah, I was I was cleaningthis morning and I was just
thinking, kind of like thinkingslash praying slash whatever of
like what are we gonna talkabout today?
And the word pivot is what cameto mind because I was like,
when I think about my story,because it can be so loaded,
like I said so many times inthis episode.
If we could talk about that foran hour, we could talk about
that for another hour.

(01:19:06):
So it's like, okay, how do Istay focused and get out the
meat and potatoes and theimportant things?
Yeah, and that is definitelylike the number one thing is the
pivot that we've undergone inthe last year.
And it literally, like Imentioned earlier, I was
actually at a pop-up forEmpower.
I think it was our very lastpop-up.
I hadn't told anyone yet thatwe were gonna be closing up shop
because I was keeping that, andit was November, I think it was

(01:19:28):
snowing.
I know that.
I always tell time in Minnesotabased on if it's cold or hot
outside.
Yeah.
I'm like, I don't know whatmonth, but it was snowing.
So it was one of the six monthshere.
Um, so not to hate on Minnesotaweather, but it's not what I'm
used to.
Um, and I was just sittingthere, it was a very slow
pop-up, very disappointing.
I was like, oh man, the turnoutdidn't go how we hoped it

(01:19:49):
would.
And so I had a lot of timesitting on my phone, just had
nothing else to do.
And I was scrolling, and that'swhen I saw that charcuterie
cart.
And I have a girlfriend whoowns Cookie Cruiser, and I met
her at a pop-up with EmpowerApparel.
The cutest little, it's like abike that has a freezer on the
front.
And it she makes like homemadeice cream cookie sandwiches.
So shameless plug for CookieCruiser.

(01:20:10):
If you need her for an event,just go to her website.
She's got everything rightthere.
You plug and play and a coupledifferent options to have her.

Kelly (01:20:16):
Make sure to drop it in the show notes.

Megan (01:20:17):
Yes, please do.
You should invite her on here.
She's awesome.
She did it all in a year onaccident.
She literally started herbusiness like on accident and it
took off.
And she's done like musicfestivals and all sorts of
amazing things.
If you're open to the warmintroduction, I'd love that.
Yeah, absolutely.
I'll link you guys together.
Just remind me because I'llforget.
Um, just being honest.
That could be another topicagain.
Bomb brain.
I am like questionably becomingdory.

(01:20:39):
Like, I'm like, huh?

Kelly (01:20:40):
Like every day of my life.
A period where it's it does, itdoes start to get better.
Like at least it has for me.
Like, I feel like my cognitiveabilities are definitely a
little bit better now, but it'sit that's a lot of water.
That's a lot of healthy food,that's a lot of fixing from the

(01:21:01):
inside out.

Megan (01:21:02):
So anyway, yes, my when we said my health was really
good, it is in the sense of allthe cancer, chronic pain, and
things, but I definitely havesome levels out of balance.
I've been working with relive,relive, however you say their
name, and Minnetonka.
So another shameless plug forthem.
Okay.
Get your panels done.
They're very holistic approachto things, and they're helping
me get my brain back.

Kelly (01:21:21):
Incredible timing because I was literally just thinking
about this within the last 24hours.
Okay, second.

Megan (01:21:25):
So I'll just like make a note somewhere of the things I
need to give you, the links ofthat, and then connect you with
Nicole.
So Nicole built her own thing.
Her and her husband are veryhandy people.
And so I reached out to her,and I only knew her from doing a
pop-up at the hub in Anoka, avery cute little like gathering
market.
And I reached out and I waslike, hey, crazy thing.
I just saw like thischarcuterie cart idea, and I

(01:21:46):
just think it would be so cooland something that could really
add value to Minnesota.
And do you have any likeinsight?
Because it's a similar businessto hers.
And she goes, Oh, yeah, here'sthe health department's contact
that you need to talk to, gaveme her direct number and email,
and I'll build your cart foryou.
She built your cart for you,yes, and she did it like for

(01:22:08):
cost, like basically for cost ofjust the materials.

Kelly (01:22:12):
My heart is exploding right now.
Yes.
Her name's Nicole.

Megan (01:22:15):
Yes, Nicole, you're a gem if you're listening.
Literally, um, she doesn't knowit, of course, but before I
even contacted her, I prayed andI said, I sound like such a
psycho.
I was like, I am gonna betelling everyone that I am
sunsetting a business because itis too much and I can't handle
it anymore, basically.

(01:22:35):
I'm I'm choosing my family, butalso I'm starting this other
business.
So God only let this happen.
Only let this come into play ifit's meant to be.
I am not going to try to makeit, you know, like mean girls,
I'm not gonna make fetch happen.
Like, you just did that.
I'm not looking for it.
I'm not gonna do it.
Just let it happen if it isyour will.

(01:22:56):
If that's what I'm supposed todo, because like, why do I why
am I so obsessed with this idea?

Kelly (01:23:00):
Yeah.

Megan (01:23:01):
If this is you, make it happen.
And I messaged her within thehour, and she got right back to
me, sent me voice notes tellingme all the like tips and hacks
and all the things we're gonnahave to do and the like, you
know, the the hurdles we'regonna have to overcome, how to
do it, da-da-da.
And like we met a month later,went over all the blueprint
stuff and everything, and shebuilt the cart for us.
And that's our cart that wehave.

(01:23:22):
And we're so cool.
Yes, thank you.
So cool.
We're doing her um weddingbrunch celebration next month,
and we're doing a whole brunchspread.
Our like our cart's gonna befull of really delicious brunch
items and really fun, likepancake sausage skewers, and
also a bloody merry bar.

Kelly (01:23:40):
So cool.
So cool.
Yes.
There's um, there is somebodywho I have not had the chance to
connect with yet, but she has amobile like liquor thing.
What is the name?
Do you know?

Megan (01:23:54):
Well, her name is Ashley.
Oh, Piccadilly Poors.
I think so.
Yeah, she's gonna, she's likefriends with Nicole as well.
So she is gonna be at thewedding reception.
It's so they got married inItaly and not everyone was able
to make it.
So she's doing this statesideparty for everyone for the
friends and fam.
And Piccadilly Poor's is gonnabe doing the drinks, and we're
doing the charcuterie forbrunch.

Kelly (01:24:15):
Oh cool.
Well, look at that.
That's amazing.
Yeah, Ashley and I are in we'rein conversation right now.
Yeah, I don't know how likethat that connection came from
my husband, but I think it waslike through somebody else.

Megan (01:24:29):
She does a lot of, I feel like corporate events and
things and weddings, so maybesomething that was connected
through.
I don't believe in anyways,yeah.
Yeah, so she created the cart,and then with my business
partner, it was kind of uh okay,let's let's go grab dinner.
We grabbed dinner in Januaryand we ended up filing our LLC
at dinner, and we announced thebusiness on Valentine's Day on

(01:24:51):
my daughter's birthday.
Um, and then we opened ourbooks in April, and we became
profitable in July.
So we started taking our ownpaychecks in July.
And now okay, free and I haveto say amazing.
Okay, three clients that we'veclosed all through my Instagram,
and I have run, I created andrun our Instagram solo.
I don't pay anyone to do it,nothing.

(01:25:11):
It's just from my pastexperience.

Speaker 2 (01:25:13):
Yeah.

Megan (01:25:13):
We have we worked with St.
Jude last week, so we did theirum dream home show space in
Maple Grove.
It's like a $1.3 or $1.8million home that we got to set
up in their beautiful kitchenthat they just built for the
ribbon cutting ceremony.
Uh, tomorrow we are making alittle pre-made jam for Aflac,
you know, like the whiteduckling Aflac.

(01:25:34):
Yeah.
Um, for a little meeting thatthey're doing, uh inviting
someone back after her maternityleave.
And then on September, I'm notgonna say the date, but in
September, we uh got hired bythe Minnesota Vikings wives to
do their pregame party at one ofthe players' houses.
This is the coolest thing ever.

(01:25:55):
Literally, we were like, isthis legitimate?
We had to be like, are yousure?
Because you know, and it wasthrough a party planner and all
that.
So we're like, oh, is this isthis legitimate?
We don't want to get tooexcited before, like, no, it's
it's completely legit.
So we get to make charcuteriefor the Vikings wives, and it's
just such a cool opportunity.
And we're just and honestly,too, the things that have

(01:26:16):
happened, I literally what istoday, Thursday.
We got baptized like four daysago.
Yeah, the opportunities we'vehad come up this week are
outrageous.
Just in this week, and justthis week, my husband filed his
LLC literally last night.
Literally last night, and myhusband is he's always told me,
I don't have the mind for to bean entrepreneur, like I don't
have my mind doesn't work thatway.

(01:26:38):
And we went to life surge thispast weekend.
So it was like Tim Tebow, ChrisCarter, all these really
influential people.
It was pretty cool.
And afterwards, I told him, Iwas like, I really feel like you
could start your own business.
And he was like, he said thatagain, and I was like, hey, like
you wouldn't let me talk badlyabout myself.
So I feel like you're sellingyourself short with that.
Like, I just feel like you'remaking an excuse to not explore

(01:26:59):
like something that could helpus get to that financial freedom
that we're fighting for in ourfamily.
And sure enough, it like Iswear sometimes and all times,
my husband needs to hear it fromsomeone else.
Yeah, I don't know if youexperience that too, but a
thousand percent.

Kelly (01:27:12):
Yes, it's the most infuriating thing ever.

Megan (01:27:14):
No, I'm like, oh, that's a great idea.
Where'd you hear that first?

Kelly (01:27:18):
Yes, exactly.
And then it takes it takes likesomeone else, it does take
somebody else sometimes.
Um, and I'm sure that ourhusbands can speak to that
happening to us as well.

Megan (01:27:30):
Yeah, it's just you know it's like when you're with
someone all the time, you know,it's just like they almost
become an extension of you, soyou still have that like, I
don't know, like I don't know.
But his buddy, who has done thesame thing because he's a
diesel tech, he works onPeterbilts and services them,
and he was asked by someone atour gym that owns a trucking
business to come like turnwrenches and do all his

(01:27:51):
maintenance.
And I was like, babe, just fileyour LC.
And he got on the phone withhis friend.
He's a bit of a consultant rolerepairing, so doing like
turning wrenches, doing all thestuff.
That's what he does.
So he is now doing dieselrepair, working on the big
trucks, and that's what he doesat work at Oakerville.

Kelly (01:28:08):
So he has okay so now he's doing it on the side as
well for his for himself.
So yeah, that's reallyexciting.
It's a huge entrepreneur is inone house, yes, and I've I don't
know what that looks like atall.
We're I mean, that's us, so Iget it.
But yeah, um, if you guys everwant to uh start a podcast with
us and we talk about you knowall the things being in marriage

(01:28:32):
and entrepreneurship andparenting and parenting, yeah.
So okay, you and McKenna areyou're in the thick of it, you
are turning profit, yeah, yougot over the ego and the fear of
like sunsetting a business andthen turning around and starting

(01:28:53):
a new business.
I wanna like let's talk throughthose emotions.

Megan (01:28:59):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

Kelly (01:29:01):
Because and then we're gonna start to land the plane.

Megan (01:29:04):
Yeah.

Kelly (01:29:05):
I want to talk through the emotions and how that also
played into the folds of familyas well.
Like, how how did your husbandeven respond in all of this?

Megan (01:29:16):
So through Empower Apparel, we I started Empower
Apparel when we were at that lowpoint in our life in our
marriage, the one that was likevery, very bad and dark.
And I'd say, like, through it,as we came out of that, we never
had conversations about theboundaries of a business, I

(01:29:38):
think.
Um and there was a lot of yourstomachs.
It is seriously like talking tous, just adding to the combo.

Kelly (01:29:47):
I guess I guess it's it's gonna be about time for lunch,
you know, when we wrapeverything up.
Not right now, not right now,Megan.

unknown (01:29:56):
Right now.

Megan (01:29:57):
Okay, it's totally fine.
It happens.
Um Um, but we um oh shoot, holdon one second, let me catch up.
Boundaries, boundaries.
Yep, there's my mom brain trainhas left the station a little
bit.

Kelly (01:30:11):
Talking, I know, I'm sorry that my stomach
distracted.
Talking through like theboundaries of owning a business
and like having or not having.

Megan (01:30:21):
Long story short, resentment built for both of us.
But my husband definitely hadresentment towards my business
because I was spending a lotmore time with my business than
I was with him.
And um, there was aconversation about it, right?
Because we didn't have afoundation of respect for each
other really from the get-go ofthe business.
That came later.
Um, and really, again, like wekeep bringing up church, we keep

(01:30:41):
bringing up God, but like thereis no other answer or other way
that it happened, other than hehad a change of heart, like his
heart posture changed, and hereally wanted to support me.
Yeah, he wanted to put down thehit his ego in that way and put
down whatever it was that waskeeping us apart from each
other.

Kelly (01:30:58):
Yeah.

Megan (01:30:59):
And that's kind of what happened in before we started
being blossom.
I had a very seriousconversation with him, multiple
conversations, about like, areyou sure that you're able and
willing to support me throughthis?
Like, I promise that I will notlet it get to the point that it
did with Empower where it tookso much of me.

Kelly (01:31:15):
Yeah.

Megan (01:31:16):
And I really would like to hear your commitment to
support me in it as well.
Yeah.
And that'll look different indifferent stages of business.
And he was wholeheartedly like,yes, do it.
Like, I fully support you.
And already you can see thedifference in the support of
this business that wasn't therewith my last business.
And it wasn't like him being ahater, because I know some
people can interpret things,like especially just me saying,

(01:31:37):
not listening to the rest of theepisode, just hearing, like,
oh, your husband didn't supportyou in business.
Oh, da-da-da.
No, it was like very two-sided.
Yeah, I seriously was choosingand like vocally so choosing the
business over him, kind ofbeing like too bad, so sad, this
is what I'm doing.
Yeah.
There has to be collaborativeconversation and mutual respect
and boundaries in anything youdecide to do once you decide to

(01:31:58):
be married.
And once you decide to havekids, oh my gosh.
Because there's then there'sbecause then not only am I
saying I'm not gonna be around,I'm saying I'm not gonna be
around, and you take care of thekids.
Right.
And that's a lot when he's justyou know worked the whole time.
He's a new boy, too.
Yeah, hello.

Kelly (01:32:12):
New wish, dad, right?

Megan (01:32:13):
Yeah.
Where I someone just asked meyesterday, do you still feel
like a new mom?
And I was like, I dare toventure say we are always new
moms.

Kelly (01:32:20):
Yeah.

Megan (01:32:21):
Because you're always meeting a new version of your
kid, you're always facing newlike challenges or celebrations
in parenthood.
So, like, what is anexperienced mom?
Because you're always gonnahave a, you know, my best
friend's son just turned 12yesterday, so but now she's a
new mom because she now has a12-year-old.
She's never had a 12-year-oldbefore.
Right.
So there's so much truth inthat.
Yeah.
There really is.
Not until we become grandmas, Iguess, that we're experienced

(01:32:43):
moms.

Kelly (01:32:44):
And then we're new grandmas.
And then and then there's awhole new season of life.
Yeah.
It's just seasons.
Yeah.
It's just seasons.
So okay.
We'll start to land the plane.

Megan (01:32:55):
Okay.

Kelly (01:32:56):
Um, but I'm gonna start landing the plane with the
loaded question.
All right.
Because I it w it's been likeitching at me.
And I'm I'm curious if if youhave some thoughts around this.
Faith is very important to you.
It's it's completely evident.
How have you or not um allowedthat to sway?

(01:33:22):
How okay, I gotta figure out abetter way to put this.
So I'm gonna actually just do alittle storytelling here.
The podcast itself did notstart off with a uh foundation
of um faith.

(01:33:43):
Faith has always been importantto me.
Yeah.
And I did, I was very clear inlike it's one of the core values
of how I lead with this.
But in terms of who I washaving on with guests and stuff,
like there's been it started tosort of make this shift.
So for me, I'm going, does thismean that I have to start to

(01:34:07):
make pivots in decision makingand what the podcast looks like?
And I'm curious for you, withhow you operate your business,
what has that look like for youpersonally?
Well, what's my business?
It's something I'm strugglingwith.
And I want I want to know if Iif if you may have struggled

(01:34:27):
with this yourself.

Megan (01:34:29):
Yeah, I I'm trying to think of how it might relate.
Because with Be in Blossom, itstays very superficial, right?
Like we're we're serving foodfor people.

Kelly (01:34:37):
It's not just for Christian business owners or
this Christian gathering.
Yeah.

Megan (01:34:42):
No, not at all.
And honestly, I see a notcoming at anyone, but I see an
issue, a potential issue, shallwe say, if someone is only open
to working with a certain groupof people, whether that's
Christians or non-Christians, ifyou're not willing to work with
someone because they're aChristian or because they're
not, because like I forget theway to say it.

(01:35:02):
It's not gonna come out nearlyas articulate as I want it to,
but it's like the best person toreach someone broken is someone
that's been there before.
And that is like I can relateto so many people in so many
positions that probably aren'tChristians because of what I've
been through that would neverotherwise walk into a church.

(01:35:22):
So, like, we are meant to bethe church as us people.

Speaker 2 (01:35:27):
I want to I want to elaborate off of this.

Kelly (01:35:29):
Uh-huh.
It's um, it's like theproverbial, literally, um, the
99 versus the one.

Megan (01:35:38):
So I have the 99 to get the one.
I have a t-shirt that says thatbecause I am that lost sheep
that he left the you know, yeah,the congregation to come and
find me wandering out in thewoods, just being a fool.
Yeah, you ever read the Bibleand you start to realize that
the fool sounds a lot like you,and you're like, oh no.
Yes, you're describing me.
Yes.
Yeah.

Kelly (01:35:58):
Okay.
I I like that.
I like that that thoughtprocess and that approach.

Megan (01:36:04):
And um it's now I also think it's very important to
never bend on your your moralsand your own faith, though.
If someone asked you to, youknow, they're only gonna come on
your podcast if you denounceGod or if you if you absolutely
ref don't talk about God or youagree with things that they say
that does not align with yourfaith, that is that's not okay

(01:36:27):
either.
Like we have responsibilitiesas Christians to to not bend due
to someone else's beliefs.
Yeah.
But that also doesn't mean thatwe are rude, disrespectful, or
condemning to other people.

Kelly (01:36:41):
That is also very much the thought process that I've
had is I've never wanted to havesomebody come on to the podcast
who protect perhaps is not inthat Christian like vein, right?
And feel like I'm getting on asoapbox to talk to them, or vice
versa.
Like, because I do think thatthere is a way to have

(01:37:05):
level-setting conversationsbecause this is this is a
platform of conversations andstorytelling.
And I think that there is a wayto have mutual respect going
into the conversation and notfeel like you're overstepping
one another, one another andgoing, yes, these are my views,
this is where I came from, thisis my story, this is my
brokenness, this is why I feelthe way that I do.

Speaker 2 (01:37:28):
Yes.

Kelly (01:37:28):
And then, you know, on my end, going, This is my
testimony, this is why I feelthis way, this is this is what
has empowered me to do this, toeven do this.
Yeah, right.
But I have these like, I'mlike, how does this play into
like a future business?
Right.
I don't know.

(01:37:49):
Stay tuned, listener.

Megan (01:37:51):
Yeah, I mean, that's one of those things you definitely
have to like spend your time inprayer and give that over to God
because I'm not gonna have thatanswer for you.
I don't think anyone will beable to have that answer.
And it's like, um, something.
So, fun fact too, what I'vebeen doing because I'm at home
with my kids a lot.
I have I started a TikTok acouple months ago and I have
5,500 followers now, and I'vebeen monetizing and making money

(01:38:12):
off of TikTok.
So I'm just saying it's veryfun.
And I just talk aboutmotherhood and Jesus.
So that's what my platform isall about.
And yeah, I go live and dosuper fun stuff, and I love it,
and it's so fun.
Um, but one of the videos Imade that did pretty well was
talking about, you know, the thejust like very common things of
oh my gosh, she's a Christianand she looks like that, or he's

(01:38:35):
a Christian, he talks likethat.
Like, oh, like all thisjudgment.
And it's like that's where wereally, I feel like mess up the
most as Christians is makingthese assumptions or judging or
thinking too far into the futureof making up a scenario.

Kelly (01:38:50):
Yeah.

Megan (01:38:51):
Because it really is like it's none of our business, it
is absolutely none of ourbusiness how God is working in
anyone else, and whether or notthey claim to be a Christian,
whether or not what they'rethey're swearing, they're
dressing a certain way, they'redoing whatever they're they're
doing, certain action that youdon't feel aligns with being a
Christian.

(01:39:12):
That's not up to you.
It isn't because can youimagine if you became a
Christian and God set you downand give you a list of like
everything you're doing thatgoes against his word or his
will for your life, we would alljust like want to end it right
there because that's sooverwhelming.
He's a loving and tender God,and he takes you by the hand and
he will reveal to you whateverit is he wants to work on in you

(01:39:32):
at that time.
That was very beautiful.
But it's seriously, because wecan't like, you know, someone
else that might feel veryconvicted about like I just use
the swearing as a thing.
That's something I've beentrying to work on since my
daughter started repeating mewith certain things.
I was like, oh no, okay, that'snot what I want her to do.
So we've been working on that.

(01:39:52):
My husband and I both, like,you know, I came from military
town, he's a Navy sailor, sosame where we cussed a lot.
We've been working on that, butthat's something we felt
convicted of.
We're not gonna sit there andsay, oh, because someone else,
you know, says that drops an Fbomb every other word that
they're not a Christian, right?
Because in due time, if that'ssomething God wants to work on
in them, he will.

Kelly (01:40:11):
I've learned that in those, in those moments, that's
areas of opportunity to prayaround why you are feeling the
way that you're feeling aboutthat particular individual.
Like, why is it that you'rehaving this like adverse
reaction the way that you are,and to literally just go into
prayer about it?

(01:40:32):
Absolutely.
Um, okay, we're officiallylanding the plane.
Okay.
So the first question I'd liketo ask you as we do so is what
is a piece of advice that youwould give a younger version of
yourself, knowing all that youknow now and have been through.
Can I ask for how young?

Megan (01:40:53):
Or does it do I get to choose?
You get to choose.
Okay.
Oh, let me sit on that for amoment.
Let me see.
Oh, a younger Megan.
I would oof.
It's a little heavy, and I feellike it's not related to
anything we really really doveinto here, but it's what's
coming to my mind is that youdon't need to prove your worth

(01:41:17):
to other people.
You don't need to think thatyour physical body or whatever
it is, like who you are,determines if you're good or
bad, or or what you are worth,that you need to zoom out and
look at the bigger picture,acknowledge everything that you
have overcome, and continue topush forward and achieve goals

(01:41:44):
that serve the bigger picture,serve your future family, to
serve God, to serve yourself.

Kelly (01:41:52):
So beautiful.
Thank you.
That was incredible.
How about a piece of advicethat you would give a woman
listening right now who'snibbling on the edges of
entrepreneurship?
Okay.

Megan (01:42:07):
Yes, I will say tap into the resources.
There are so many resources outthere for you.
A lot of them are free, and youneed to get in community with
other entrepreneurs, other moms,and pick their brain.
Because there is so muchfreedom to be found in
entrepreneurship.
You're never gonna get itperfect the first time, but
there sure are a lot ofmistakes, or like you know, they

(01:42:29):
call them rookie mistakes thatyou can avoid if you surround
yourself with that community ofother women that can understand
you, that can uplift you, andthat can truly guide and mentor
you through it all.

Kelly (01:42:42):
That was incredible.
Thank you.
Yeah.
Um, do you have like oneresource that you could throw
out that I could list in theshow notes?

Megan (01:42:50):
Yeah.
So well, it's kind of like twoin one.
Um score is the they have aMinneapolis chapter, and they
will link you up with a mentorand you can either meet in
person or virtually.
I've had two mentors throughthere, and they have been
incredibly helpful in mybusiness journey.
They help me write my businessplans for free, absolutely for
free.
And if I needed them today, Icould email them and ask for
help.
Um, and then women venture iswhere I've secured my funding

(01:43:13):
through.
They've been really amazingtoo.
And even though getting thefunding this last time was the
bad decision on my part, yeah,they still saw the vision and
they saw the dream and made ithappen for me.

Kelly (01:43:24):
So beautiful.
Okay, I will be sure to dropthose two.
Absolutely incredible.
I've I've heard of WomenVenture.
I know um one of the newestboard members on there too.
She's a part of my rotary,Afira.
Okay, been on the podcast aswell.
So this is it's interestingwhen you have these little god

(01:43:45):
nudges or god wings.
It's like, okay, I'm I I needto just reach out to the owner
of Women Venture and go, okay,do you want to be on the
podcast?
But then also like tell me moreabout this.
How can these wonderful,beautiful listeners get
connected to you?

Megan (01:44:02):
Yeah, so I used to be most like plugged in on social
media for my personal stuff onInstagram.
That is switched over toTikTok.
It is Rekindling Motherhood.
Okay.
So, you know, that'll have tobe another podcast episode that
we come on and talk about whatrekindling motherhood is.
Cause right now it's justbehind the scenes.
But just as it sounds and it'sspelled, rekindling motherhood

(01:44:23):
is my TikTok handle.
And then on Instagram, I stillshow up sometimes on my personal
page, but especially to checkout all this really fun stuff
we're doing with thecharcuterie.
It's be and blossom co.
And if you're looking at ourwebsite, it is.co, not dot com
because someone else owns thatto me.
It is be and blossom.co.
Um, and then of course, likeInstagram is linked to our

(01:44:45):
Facebook.
Okay.
Yeah.
Beautiful.

Kelly (01:44:47):
Megan, such an honor.
Thank you so much for havingme.
You're welcome.
Um, I I just love all of thefolds that we talked about, the
identity shifts, the massivepivots, yes, the learning
curves, the ups and downs, thepeaks and valleys.
Such a treat to have you on.
So thank you from the bottom ofmy heart for taking time,

(01:45:09):
getting the family, you know,support.
Child care help.

Megan (01:45:13):
Yeah, it wouldn't have worked out too well.
My uh 14-month-old is in thatgrunting stage where she just
sounds like a pterodactyl allthe time.
She goes, So that would nothave been an enjoyable
experience for the listeners.
So thank you so much for havingme.

Kelly (01:45:25):
It was an honor to be on the show.
You're welcome.
I hope you have a great day.
Thanks, you too.
Thank you.
Thanks for listening.
And if you enjoyed this episodeand know of any inspiring mamas
who are powerhouseentrepreneurs, please help
connect them with myself and theshow.
It would mean so much if youwould help spread this message,
mission, and vision for otherMompreneurs.

(01:45:46):
It takes 30 seconds to rate andreview, then share this episode
with your friends.
Until the next episode, cheersto reclaiming your hue.

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Ep. 70 with Megan Rose Perron | Co-Founder, Bee & Blossom Co.

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Ep. 70 with Megan Rose Perron | Co-Founder, Bee & Blossom Co.