From Nut Butter to Social Impact: Building a Mission-Driven Brand with Julie Loos

From Nut Butter to Social Impact: Building a Mission-Driven Brand with Julie Loos

In this episode, I sit down with Julie Loos, co-founder of Ground Up [https://www.grounduppdx.com/], a nut butter brand built around a job training program for women overcoming adversity, for a conversation that proves business really can be a force for good. Julie's story begins in Uganda, where at 22 years old she oversaw a job training program for 160 women, helping them save enough to start their own small businesses and watching that impact ripple through entire families and communities. When she moved home to Portland, she couldn't let go of one question: why couldn't this model work here? She met her co-founder Carolyn, who was making remarkable nut butter out of dietary necessity, and Ground Up was born. Ten years later, Ground Up has employed and empowered over 100 women through its six-to-nine month job training program, expanded into more than 1,000 grocery stores, and proven that mission and profitability don't have to be at odds, even without outside investors. We talk about what it actually takes to scale impact alongside growth, the cost of saying yes too often, the power of delegation, and how becoming a mother completely reshaped the way Julie leads. Tune in! KEY INSIGHTS: * How two years in Uganda became the blueprint for Ground Up's job training model * Why Ground Up doesn't run background checks and what that means for hiring with grace * What it actually takes to "do business for good" for founders and individual contributors * Learning to delegate, ask for support, and let go of "doing it all" * Why celebrating wins matters more than chasing the next milestone * Ground Up's evolution: from a custom-order kitchen table business to 1,000+ grocery stores DIVE DEEPER WITH US! The conversations don’t end here, they ripple into real life. Ways to be Supported:  * Follow @groundup [https://www.instagram.com/grounduppdx]pdx on Instagra [https://www.instagram.com/grounduppdx]m * Shop at grounduppdx.com [http://grounduppdx.com] — use c [https://www.instagram.com/grounduppdx]ode [https://www.grounduppdx.com/]SHINE for 15% off * Find B Corps to support at [https://www.instagram.com/grounduppdx]bcorporation.net/find-a-b-corp [http://bcorporation.net/find-a-b-corp] Ways to Support the Show * Join our We Shine Well community on Substack [https://substack.com/@weshinewell] to: Dive deeper with with guided prompts, resources, and community conversations with fellow listeners and guests to expand you * Connect with us on Instagram at @weshinewell [https://www.instagram.com/weshinewell/] * If you enjoy the show, I’d love your help by … • Following or subscribe wherever you listen • Follow, rate + review, and share with a founder building something with purpose

You’re Not Broken, You’re Becoming: Fertility, Motherhood + Feeling Less Alone - Dr. Sanam Shamtobi

You come home to motherhood. But it's never the home you left. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Sanam Shamtobi, clinical psychologist, perinatal mental health specialist, and founder of The Mother Hood [https://www.themotherhoodla.com], for a conversation that validates exactly what so many women are feeling and rarely saying out loud. Sanam had nearly 15 years as a psychologist and felt completely resourced heading into motherhood. And still, postpartum anxiety caught her off guard. That experience is the reason The Mother Hood exists, she signed the office lease the day after her daughter was born. We talk about the core beliefs hiding underneath postpartum fears, the grief that gets missed because moms are expected to just be grateful, the concept of matrescence, and why, no matter what you're thinking or feeling right now, you are not crazy, and you are not alone. Tune in! Key insights: * Why even well-resourced, well-prepared women get blindsided by postpartum anxiety * The core beliefs hiding under intrusive thoughts: "I'm not good enough," "I'm going to fail" * The grief of early motherhood and why centering the baby instead of the mother misses the mark * Matrescence: the lifelong, repeating identity shift of becoming a mother * Why perfectionism is really just an illusion of control * How Sanam catches herself cleaning instead of being present — and what shifted it * Self-care isn't one-size-fits-all and the guilt around "getting it wrong" * What changes in friendships after kids, and how to hold space for that grief too * Why therapy is one piece of the puzzle, not the whole solution * The Mother Hood's at-home, virtual + in-office therapy model Ways to be Supported: * Follow @themotherhoodla [https://www.instagram.com/themotherhoodla/] on Instagram * Book a free consultation at themotherhoodla.com [http://themotherhoodla.com] * Virtual, in-person + at-home therapy available Ways to Support the Show: * Join our We Shine Well Substack [https://substack.com/@weshinewell] for prompts + community * Connect at @weshinewell [https://www.instagram.com/weshinewell/] * Follow, rate + review, and share with a mom who needs to hear she's not alone You are loved, supported, and exactly where you're meant to be. If this episode brings up something tender, please know support is available, reach out to a trusted provider or loved one.

The Body Leads Before the Mind: Somatic Medicine + Soul Healing with Gwen Dittmar

What if the thing you're searching for isn't outside of you, it's already here, just buried under everything in the way? In this episode, I sit down with Gwen Dittmar, creator of Somatic Medicine and Activation Breathwork, Human Design analyst, Shamanic Energy Medicine Practitioner, and Akashic Records channel, for a conversation that moves seamlessly between the scientific and the sacred. Gwen blends two decades of biotech research with a Master's in Spiritual Psychology, and her own life — childhood illness, a near-death experience, infertility, 21 years of sobriety, single motherhood — has shaped a body of work centered on one belief: the medicine is already inside you. We talk about what it means to be truly present with the sensations in your body, how to work with stuck energy instead of around it, what Human Design reveals about why you operate the way you do, and how to become your own healer. Tune in! Key insights: * Why what you're searching for isn't outside you, it's all within you * What somatic medicine is and how presence itself becomes the medicine * Working with "sticky, stuck" energy: how to dialogue with what's inside you * Why the body leads before the mind and what happens when we override it * Human Design 101: what it is, where it comes from, and what it reveals, why understanding your type changes everything * Using elements (breath, water, fire, earth) as ancient, accessible healing tools * Becoming sovereign: why true healing happens inside you, not from a facilitator * Activation Breathwork: what it is and how it rewires the nervous system * How Gwen supports herself: somatic noticing, breath, and elemental rituals, no fancy tools required Ways to be Supported: * Follow @gwendittmar [https://www.instagram.com/gwendittmar] on Instagram * Join the monthly membership ($64) — somatic healing circle, breathwork, Human Design workshop + Akashic Records reading at gwendittmar.com [http://gwendittmar.com] * Listen to The Beautiful Grit podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-beautiful-grit/id1460415108] Ways to Support the Show: * Join our We Shine Well Substack [https://substack.com/@weshinewell] for prompts + community * Connect at @weshinewell [https://www.instagram.com/weshinewell/] * Follow, rate + review, and share with a woman ready to come back to herself You are loved, supported, and exactly where you're meant to be.

Know Your Normal: Breast Health, Body Trust + Self-Advocacy with Gina Lamanna

90% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history and no known genetic mutation. So why are we only paying attention when there's a reason to be scared? In this episode, I sit down with Gina Lamanna, breast cancer thriver, fashion stylist, and founder of The Fondle Project [https://thefondleproject.org] — for a conversation about body literacy, self-advocacy, and trusting your gut even when the scans come back clear. In 2016, Gina's mammogram and ultrasound were normal. But something still felt off. She pushed for an MRI, pursued second and third opinions, and that persistence is the reason she's here today. Now she's on a mission to help every woman learn her normal, without fear, without shame, and without waiting for breast cancer awareness month to have the conversation. We walk through what a real self-exam looks like, bust some major breast health myths, and talk about what it takes to rebuild your confidence and your relationship with your body after a health crisis. Tune in! Key insights: * Gina's story: clear scans, a gut feeling, and the second opinion that saved her life * 90% of breast cancer diagnoses have no family history — why that matters for every woman * What "knowing your normal" actually means and why breast tissue changes constantly * How to perform a proper self-exam — including the areas most women skip * Mammogram myths busted: they do not cause cancer, but they're not always accurate * Why 40% of breast cancers are found by women themselves, not screenings * What to do when a doctor dismisses your concerns * Rebuilding confidence and identity after diagnosis, surgery, and major body changes * How personal style became a healing tool for reclaiming sensuality and self * Teaching daughters body awareness without creating fear Ways to be Supported: * Follow @thefondleproject [https://www.instagram.com/thefondleproject/] + @ginamlamanna [https://www.instagram.com/ginamlamanna/] on Instagram * Learn more + get involved at thefondleproject.org [http://thefondleproject.org] Ways to Support the Show: * Join our We Shine Well Substack [https://substack.com/@weshinewell] for prompts + community * Connect at @weshinewell [https://www.instagram.com/weshinewell/] * Follow, rate + review, and share with a woman who needs this reminder You are loved, supported, and exactly where you're meant to be. If you've experienced loss or health challenges, please know support is available, reach out to a trusted provider or loved one.

Ambition Without Burnout: Redefining Success + Movement with Elaine Hayes

What if you don't need to become someone new, you just need to become more of who you already are? In this episode, I sit down with Elaine Hayes, certified life and business coach, Pilates teacher, and founder of Wellcraft [https://www.bewellcraft.com], for one of the most grounded, expansive conversations I've had on this show. Elaine built a seven-figure fitness studio from a one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco, sold it after over a decade, became a certified life coach, and created Wellcraft — a movement platform that's helped women all over the world discover that 20 minutes at home can change your body, your mindset, and your life. We talk about coming home to yourself, silencing the saboteur, how values become your North Star for every decision, and why being wildly ambitious and deeply well are not at odds, they require each other. Tune in! Key insights: * From law school to Pilates pioneer to seven-figure sale and what the through line was * Why burnout happens to driven women and the values work that changes everything * Getting clear on your highest self and making decisions from that place instead of fear * The saboteur voice - how to name it, thank it, and stop letting it run the show * How to scale a business that works for your life, not the other way around * Elaine's morning ritual: 5:15am, red light mask, gratitude journal, and Wellcraft * The Wellcraft Method: mindful mat Pilates, 20-30 minutes, four to five times a week * Mat vs. reformer Pilates and why the mat might actually be the harder, better choice * How Elaine is in the best shape of her life at 40, after three babies, with no gym * First month of Wellcraft free with code WESHINE Ways to be Supported: * Follow @elainerhayes [https://www.instagram.com/elainerhayes/] + @bewellcraft [https://www.instagram.com/bewellcraft/] on Instagram * Try Wellcraft free for one month at bewellcraft.com [http://bewellcraft.com] — use code WESHINE Ways to Support the Show: * Join our We Shine Well Substack [https://substack.com/@weshinewell] for prompts + community * Connect at @weshinewell [https://www.instagram.com/weshinewell/] * Follow, rate + review, and share with a woman ready to come home to herself You are loved, supported, and exactly where you're meant to be. Thanks to our sponsor, NOW Foods. Use code WESHINE for 20% off at nowfoods.com [http://nowfoods.com]. *These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.