247: Backpack Buddies - Denise Bjurholm + Terri Bagen

Brittany Bentley, co-founder of Parker Clay, joins The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast to share her inspiring life story, how adoption led her and her husband to move to Ethiopia, and how they decided to start a luxury brand dedicated to helping women escape human trafficking and empowering them to live their lives - in freedom. Brittany and her husband had two children, Parker and Clay, and they decided to pursue adoption - which was what first led them to Ethiopia to adopt their first daughter. Their time in Ethiopia was transformative and opened their eyes to the crisis facing women in Ethiopia. In the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, 150,000 women are currently trapped in prostitution and 26% of women are unemployed; and in Ethiopia as a whole, over 4,6 million children are orphaned. Women and children in Ethiopia often feel like they have no other choice except to sell themselves and their bodies for money, but Parker Clay is changing that by offering women and girls freedom, a great salary and benefits, and the opportunity to pursue their hopes and dreams.  Parker Clay is a B-corp that makes premium leather and handwoven goods in Ethiopia and hires survivors of human trafficking, empowering them through commerce and art to freely live their lives. A B-corporation is a for-profit business that uses the power of commerce to solve social and environmental problems. Parker Clay partners with Ellilta International, a non-profit organization that provides holistic alternatives for exploited individuals through recovery that leads to freedom and restoration in all areas of life, to offer the women Ellilta works with - freedom and employment.  Brittany is an incredible woman with an inspiring story to share. You don’t want to miss this incredible episode! In this episode, you’ll hear: Brittany’s life story; How Brittany and her husband, Ian, decided to adopt and how that led them to Ethiopia for the first time;  How Brittany and Ian and their family ended up living in Ethiopia for a while, embedded themselves in the community, and how their experiences and conversations led them to starting Parker Clay; The story of how Parker Clay came to be and all about the incredible work they do; About the crisis facing women and children in Ethiopia and how Parker Clay is playing a role in leading them to freedom; And so much more.  The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and everywhere you listen to podcasts.  For more information about Brittany and Parker Clay, please visit: www.1GirlRevolution.com/parkerclay

27 Apr 202346min

Melissa Coulier and Melanie Samuels, founders of Living Well with Mel and Mel, join The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast this week to share their inspiring health journeys, the fun story about how they met and became friends on the set of “Fuller House”, how they connected over their passion for health and wellness, and how they’re helping others reclaim their lives and their health through Living Well with Mel and Mel.  Melissa is a fitness instructor, Lupus warrior, and photographer living in Detroit, Michigan. And Melanie is a holistic nutritionist and wellness expert living in Los Angeles, California. Although they’re based on opposite sides of the country, these women are working together to transform lives, empower women to take ownership of their health and wellness journeys, and they’re using social media for good. Living Well with Mel and Mel is dedicated to helping individuals on their own personal wellness journeys and their mission is to provide an inclusive community that celebrates bio-individuality and uses all aspects of every individual person’s life to manage inflammation and promote health and wellness.  You don’t want to miss this fun, informative, and inspiring episode! In this episode, you’ll hear: About Melissa’s life and her journey with Lupus, how she got into photography and became a successful photographer, and what led her to movement and fitness; About Melanie’s life and her journey with disordered eating, working in the entertainment industry, and how she got into nutrition and wellness  The story of how Mel and Mel met and how they bonded over their own stories, life experiences, and their passion for health and wellness; How Living Well with Mel and Mel came to be and all about the community they’re building and the incredible work they’re doing to empower others; Health and wellness tips and tricks from Mel and Mel; And so much more! The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and everywhere you listen to podcasts.  For more information about Melissa, Melanie, and Living Well with Mel and Mel, please visit: www.1girlrevolution.com/livingwellwithmelandmel

19 Apr 20231h 5min

Leeann Moore and Sherry Gibbons are the two incredible co-founders of Sister Corps and they join The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast this week to share their inspiring stories and to talk about the world-changing, life-giving work of Sister Corps. Sister Corps is a nonprofit organization dedicated to mobilizing volunteers to provide recovery efforts in areas affected by natural disasters, for environmental relief, or for other community and individual needs in our world. As you’ll hear in this episode, the majority of women involved in Sister Corps are retired - but these women aren’t held back by age (or anything else) and you’ll often find them carpooling in pickup trucks with their power tools in tow, ready and willing to help anyone in need in these areas affected by natural disasters.  In this episode, you’ll hear: A little about Leeann and Sherry’s individual life stories;; How they met through Sisters on the Fly; About how they connected and wanted to make a difference in the world; How Sister Corps came to be and all about the inspiring work they’re doing; Stories from “the field” and how they’re helping others through Sister Corps; And so much more! The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and everywhere you listen to podcasts. For more information on Sister Corps, please visit: www.1GirlRevolution.com/SisterCorps

13 Apr 202348min

Kristen Friscia Benitez, co-founder of Lity’s Angels, joins The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast this week to share her inspiring life journey, the story of how she ended up in Puerto Rico, and how her sweet daughter Lily, who has Down Syndrome, led to the founding of Lily’s Angels.  Kristen talks about her own journey as the mother of a child with Down Syndrome and how her advocacy for her own child - led to her deciding to start something bigger to help and support other families in the Down Syndrome community.  Lily’s Angels is a non-profit organization dedicated to spreading awareness about Down Syndrome, as well as increasing access to therapy, resources, community, and support to individuals with Down Syndrome and their families. . You don’t want to miss this inspiring episode! In this episode, you’ll hear: Kristen’s own life story; The story of how Kristen met her husband and how her life changed the day Lily (and each of her children too!) was born; About Kristen’s struggle to find resources and support, but how she continued to fight for her daughter, Lily; How Kristen’s own journey through her life and with Lily, led her to founding Lily’s Angels and Down Syndrome Foundations; About the inspiring and innovative work of Lily’s Angels and Down Syndrome Awareness Foundations; And so much more! The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and everywhere you listen to podcasts. For more information about Lily’s Angels, please visit: www.1girlrevolution.com/lilysangels

6 Apr 20231h 2min