March 2022 by Austin Woman Magazine

COME AND SEE HOW WE’RE DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY THE FIRST-EVER MAZDA CX-50 Arriving Spring 2022

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SATISFY YOUR EGO

Pure Italian luxury at Copenhagen. Come experience the very best Italy has to offer in our carefully curated collection of sofas, sectionals and chairs from Egoitaliano. Excellent design is enhanced by quality craftsmanship in every piece. Choose from our in-stock program or use your imagination to create the one-of-a-kind, custom piece you’ve always dreamt of. This is your chance to Satisfy your Ego. Sophia sofa in leather from $3370. Fabric starting at $3029. Chair in leather from $1458. Fabric starting at $1296. Throw pillows at additional cost. Stock covers may vary from images shown.

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AUSTIN SPRING ADVENTURE Locals and road-trippers alike can enjoy Austin’s beautiful springtime with the best available rate, complimentary self-parking and a $25 hotel credit per night.

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FEATURE

PERFECTLY IMPERFECT BY CY WHITE PHOTOS BY ANNIE RAY

FEATURE

ROYAL FAMILY BY BRIANNA CALERI

ATXWOMAN.COM | 5

CONTENTS | MARCH

FROM THE DESK OF Nora de Hoyos Comstock, Ph.D.

STAFF PICKS What’s something a woman you admire did to shake tables?

24 24

COUNT US IN Troublemakers by Trade

GIVE BACK Healing Foster Children Through Joy

ON THE MONEY NFTs: Revolutionary or Rubbish?

TRESS TO IMPRESS Doing God’s Work

SEE HER WORK Beauty Within the Brokenness

WAITING ROOM Dr. Kirsten Shepard

RECIPE REVEAL Sparking Bits of joy

I AM AUSTIN WOMAN Cool Little Me

ATX WOMEN TO WATCH 34

ELENI OTTALAGANA

MELODY GONZALEZ

JERI SUE PLAXCO, D.O.; ERIN WINSTON, M.D.; HARPREET TALWAR, M.D.

CATHY HAMILTON, JENNIFER WILLIAMS, PH.D., DEBBIE TATE, CFRE, CFRM

CORTNEY JONES, TANIA LESKOVAR-OWENS, AMY SWEET

MONICA VON WAADEN, KRISTEN HUGULEY, CAROLYN SCHWARZ

SERITA LACASSE, TRACY FRANK, BILLIE LOGIUDICE

JILL GONZALEZ

6 | AUSTIN WOMAN | MARCH 2022

AUSTIN FAMILIES! PLEASE JOIN US FOR…

A Day in the Art of Kindness A community celebration to support emotional health and wellness! April 1-2, 2022 Easy Tiger South Austin, Texas

A vibrant, family-friendly festival to celebrate kindness!

A community celebration to support emotional health and wellness!

Immersive experiences and live art: Enjoy acoustic music, visual art performances, on-site poetry, sports activations, face painting, and much more for the whole family

laoaooa

April 1-2, 2022 Easy Tiger South Austin, Texas

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Enoughie Buddy Meet & Greet! Exclusive meet & greet and photo opp with everyone’s favorite A community celebration to support friend & TKC’s very own mascot: Enoughie Buddy

emotional health and wellness!

Mindfulness stations: Enjoy on-site sound bath meditation, yoga, petting zoo, and other mindful April 1-2, 2022 moments Easy Tiger South Austin, Texas Kind Company Vendor Fair: Shop with purpose! Purchase gorgeous goods by local artisans, proceeds beneﬁting The Kindness Campaign TKC in Action: Meet the TKC Team and experience The Kindness Campaign’s programs: KindHouse™, KindMusic™, and KindGym™

April 2, 2022 | 11am - 3pm Easy Tiger East | 1501 E 7th Street Hosted by The Kindness Campaign

Purchase Tickets Here

The Kindness Campaign (TKC™) is an Austin-based nonprofit that creates positive, accessible tools to build emotional health at home and in the classroom. Since our founding in 2015, TKC has served over 187,000 children and adults with in-depth, hands-on curriculum and programming. Our practical tools and curriculum address an ongoing societal problem: suicide is currently the second leading cause of death for teenagers, which is why TKC takes a preventative and educational approach to saving lives, starting at age 3 and lasting into adulthood. All TKC curriculum and programming is based on a core message, I AM ENOUGH, and driven by four core pillars: self-image, emotional awareness, empathy, and community. Learn more at tkckindness.org.

Home Grown • Austin Strong

L- R Andrea Quaroni, DDS, MD, Fred Voorhees, DDS, MSD, James Fuselier, DDS, MD, Robert Hunsaker, DDS, MD, Russell Cunningham, DDS, MD, Michael Ding, DDS, MD, Travis Kern, DDS, MD, Craig Knell, DDS, MD, Daniel Szalay, DDS, David Szalay, DDS, MD, William Cain, DDS, MD, Jeremy Leland, DDS, MD, Tyler Wildey, DDS, MD, Thomas Weil, DDS, MD

For over 50 years, our surgeons and medical team have provided individualized oral health to the members of our community. Like all things Austin, we are diverse, fiercely loyal and committed individuals who choose to work together and be a part of this exceptional city.

8 | AUSTIN WOMAN | MARCH 2022

Dedicated to Excellence Our doctors share a path to board certification, which is a rigorous process of demonstrating requisite training, experience, and knowledge. We remain current through participation in on-going professional and technical medical education. In addition to our educational training, we continue to work closely together as colleagues to share our wisdom and to direct that knowledge to our patients.

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Join Us

We celebrate women who are challenging outdated structures, envisioning new models and laying the foundations for an inclusive, authentically expressed and innovative city. We are proud to present, for the seventh year in a row the Woman’s Way Business Awards. Categories spread across a wide variety of industries for women who are makers, shakers and disruptors.

TICKETS ON SALE

MARCH 28

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Thursday, May 12 5:30p.m. Austin Marriott Downtown

CONTRIBUTORS This month, we asked our contributors: Who’s a woman you consider a troublemaker?

A PUBLICATION OF AW MEDIA INC.

VOLUME 20, ISSUE 7

JEN RAMOS PERKINS

Business Operations Manager

KELSEY ROSLIN Writer, “Doing God’s Work,” Pg. 28

JAIME ALBERS

• She wrote a book about Austin.

Creative Director

• She’s a fire dancer. • She has an identical twin.

CY WHITE

“A woman that shakes things up is Kellie Brown.

Managing Editor

She’s a fashion icon and self-proclaimed fat

DARBY KENDALL

icon who is disrupting the fashion world.”

Copy Editor KRISNA MENIER

Director of Events and Branding Strategy ANNE COX

REAGAN CRABB

Production Manager

Writer, “Healing Foster Children Through Joy,” Pg. 24

DONNA MITCHELL

Sales Account Executive

• She rows competitively on Ladybird Lake. • She considers ice cream an essential food

CONTRIBUTORS

group.

Editorial: Jess Bugg, Brianna Caleri, Reagan Crabb, Glenna Devonport, McKenzie Henningsen, Jenny Hoff, Kelsey Roslin, Dr. Kirsten Shepard, Cy White Art: A Hotel Party, Marco Alexander, Olga Campos Benz, Matthew Brandford, Josefina Villacaña Casati, Richard Casteel, Anna Daugherty, Glenna Devonport, Sheri Hope, Kristy Peloquin, Michael J. Charles Photography, Annie Ray, Tylaria Thomas, Jessica Wetterer, Jay Ybarra

• She has a “pet” cow named Shawn. “My mom, Kimberly Crabb, always taught me to ‘ask forgiveness not permission.’ Her boldness and wit have made me the person I am today.”

CY WHITE Writer, “Perfectly Imperfect,” Pg. 38 • She knows every line to The Last Dragon.

INTERNS

Jess Bugg, McKenzie Henningsen, Emily Manning

• She can write Spanish in Hangul. • She believes Black and Brown womxn are the most gorgeous people on the planet. “A comedian I recently discovered: Chelsea

AW MEDIA INC. MELINDA GARVEY

KIP GARVEY

Co-founder/Co-owner

CEO/Co-owner

SAMANTHA STEVENS

Co-founder

ASHLEY GOOLSBY

CFO

Hart. Her vehement passion for dismantling white supremacy while also being an avid, active advocate for those who have been viciously silenced is remarkable, all this while being unbelievably hilarious (she is semi-fluent in Arabic, Hebrew, Turkish and sarcasm).”

Austin Woman is a free monthly publication of AW Media Inc. and is available at locations throughout Austin and in Lakeway, Cedar Park, Round Rock and Pflugerville. All rights reserved. To offer feedback, email feedback@awmediainc.com. For submission information, visit atxwoman.com/jobs. No part of the magazine may be reprinted or duplicated without permission. Visit us online at atxwoman.com. Email us at info@awmediainc.com. 512.328.2421 | 7401 West Slaughter Lane, Austin, TX 78739

ATXWOMAN.COM | 11

FROM THE EDITOR

Man, I feel like a woman today!

Editor’s Picks: Three Woman’s History Month. That sounds albums for Women’s like power, sexiness, intelligence, History Month wisdom. Despite what society will tell you, listen, woman, you are incredible! It’s a crying shame that so much of what we know in recent history is marred by such ugliness because there’s just so much beauty in being a woman. From the tops of our Generasian by Lim Kim heads to the soles of our feet, every bit of us demands respect. It’s fitting that March is Woman’s History Month. It’s the month on the calendar that represents Mars, the Roman god of war. This is also the reason this month’s theme is “Troublemakers.” I wanted a theme that represents the women Comfort Woman by who refuse to be told what to do. Who refuse, Meshell Ndegeocello loudly and proudly, to sit in a corner and let the world continue to dictate how we’re treated. Make no mistake, every woman is capable of incredible strength and defiance. The women in this issue, however, stand up for those who aren’t always able to. Shake tables and get stuff done, not for recognition or accolades. They do it for those who continue to be silenced, for communities, for schools, for their fellow woman who needs an advocate. Our cover woman, Dr. Stephanie Elizalde, Austin ISD’s superintendent, has the resolve of a hurricane. She’s a force of nature whose single focus is to represent, protect and educate every Needle Paw child under her care; she speaks with conviction and stands against powers that be when she has by Nai Palm to because of her calling to serve. Meanwhile, The Tiarras are a three-piece band of sisters who create music that defies societal expectations, music for the quiet girl who wants to riot. These young women defined themselves when the industry wanted to place them in a box. Every woman in these pages has a story of defying odds, expectations, trends in order to create a space for themselves, their peers, children and anyone who needs a voice that says, “You are important and loved, and I’m here to help you however I can.” Despite everything, or perhaps because of everything, women are resilient, audacious. We are incredibly human, vulnerable and deserving of love. And we are the queen lioness hunters of our prides. Woman. Hold your head up high this month (and every month). Because, listen, we are it! I don’t care where you are: H-E-B, your car, outside a coffee shop. I want you to proclaim it: Who run this world? Girls!

CY WHITE EDITOR

Publication of Austin Woman would not be possible without the support of our monthly advertisers and sponsors, who believe in the impact we are making in the Austin community. The following businesses have stepped up their support of our efforts beyond traditional advertising and we are proud to recognize them as our partners. The team at Austin Woman is grateful for these businesses that have shown their commitment to the advancement of women in Austin and hopes you, as readers, recognize their efforts and support these businesses and all our regular advertisers.

12 | AUSTIN WOMAN | MARCH 2022

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Innovating with Color – Design Tips on Accenting Any Home Environment by: Evan Ingold and Alyssa Mason

Innovative design comes in many forms and is present everywhere you look. From an architect envisioning a brand-new building to a furniture craftsman sculpting a sleek contemporary silhouette, innovation comes from an alluring idea, curiosity and the desire to bring to life something that’s uniquely yours. Not only is innovating productive and energizing, it’s also fun. Adding key statement pieces and bold accessories can infuse new life and energy into your surroundings. In home design, innovation can be as simple as bringing new colors and textures to your space, creating both visible and palpable change. Here are three ways to get started on innovating with color. 1. Take stock of your style. Whether your theme is warm woods and sophisticated neutrals or cool tones and concrete, start by finding a space that could use some color or contrast. If you were to choose a texture or color scheme you’d like to incorporate and stick to that palette, you’d be surprised at how well everything fits as you add new pieces. The most important thing is that your space works for you, so don’t be afraid to update or change direction as your needs and tastes change. Copenhagen offers special orders on a variety of brands and products so that you have the power to fully customize your furniture and color scheme. 2. Choose a statement piece. A good statement piece like a sofa, loveseat or sectional sets the tone for the rest of your living space; whether you choose to focus on color, shape or texture (or even all three), the main piece is where it all begins. For example, a modular seating arrangement like Egoitaliano’s Selfy allows you to fully customize the configuration and color to suit your space. You can order Selfy as an L-shaped sectional or as a power motion recliner, or choose to upholster it in leather, microfiber or fabric in a wide variety of colors and patterns. If change is challenging, you can look at it as a journey to adapt your space to your lifestyle needs. If you’re not quite ready to part with your neutral sofa, your statement piece can be a coffee table or side chair. For instance,

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the Atari XL coffee table by Cattelan Italia pairs a minimalist rectangular top with a bold star-shaped base in Canaletto walnut that draws the eye. Living room chairs, from retro silhouettes to contemporary designs, often come in a range of bright colors to complement your sofa or sectional. Choosing two statement pieces with matching colors or textures can also help create a cohesive design environment that you’ll look forward to coming home to. 3. Go bold with accessories. Accessories can make a big difference when used to offset a bold color choice or to accent a neutral palette. Make your living space feel like your own with sculptures, art and bowls (small or large) that you love. With personalities bigger than their size, Copenhagen’s Ambienti sculptures pay homage to the diverse forms of the female figure and add chic style and vibrant color. If your room already has bold, bright colors, then a subtle rug can help create balance without clashing. If your walls are looking a little bare, picking an art piece or mirror that incorporates the colors you’ve chosen can help tie the room together. When in doubt, a throw pillow or two can work wonders. Copenhagen’s art pillows depict the work of celebrated artists like Miró and Picasso, bringing bright hues and timeless art to your sofa. Collect your favorites so you can feel like you’re going to the art museum (without the crowds). Innovating with bold colors and intriguing shapes doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Whether you’re dipping your toe into design or ready to make a splash, our team at Copenhagen is here for you. Visit Copenhagen’s Austin showroom at 2236 W. Braker Lane to experience the comfort of great design.

Check us out online at copenhagenliving.com.

furniture & accessories for your modern lifestyle

ATXWOMAN.COM | 13

CONNECT WITH US

Can’t get enough of this issue? Check us out at atxwoman.com. Bad B*tch Brunch Reviews: Grizzelda’s With her Bad B*tch Brunch Reviews, Anne Cox explores the feminine urge to partake in sumptuous eats and mimosas. First up: Grizzelda’s.

Black History Is “American History” RichesArt Gallery hosts American History, an interactive exhibition featuring the works of 19 local Black artists including DeLoné Osby.

Heroines of Texas: Bessie Coleman

Don’t forget to visit and subscribe to the Austin Woman YouTube channel!

@austinwoman

LIKE US

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WIN THIS! SHE In SHE (Believed She Could So She Did), Deborah Cole introduces 35 women in five cities in Texas who have by design or by circumstance come to create and/or lead companies. These women, from diverse ethnic and educational backgrounds all started with a dream or an idea. With the innate talents and determination to succeed, they have grown businesses of all sizes. Their collective advice uncovered, “If I can do this, any woman can.” For this month’s Win This, the lucky winner will receive an autographed copy of Cole’s SHE! Enter to win by following us on Instagram @austinwoman and follow Deborah Cole @debbycole. We’ll announce the winner at the end of the month.

14 | AUSTIN WOMAN | MARCH 2022

@ austinwoman

Bad B*tch Brunch Reviews: Grizzelda’s photo by Anne Cox. Black History Is “American History” photo by Big Hat Media. Heroines of Texas: Bessie Coleman photo courtesy of National Women’s History Museum. Win This photo courtesy of Positively Powered Publications.

To commemorate Black History Month, Austin Woman celebrates iconic Black women in Texas. We give Bessie Coleman her flowers.

CONNECT WITH US

Be a Lady, They Said “We cannot change what we are not aware of, and once we are aware, we cannot help but change.” —Sheryl Sandberg “Be a lady.” This message was loud and clear from an early age. I cannot recall what any of the circumstances might have been, but if I heard this once, I heard it said a thousand times during my growing-up years. I had tucked it way back in the memory bank of annoying and/or nagging things that were said to me as a child. In fact, I hadn’t even thought of it peripherally until recent months when I read a blog post by Camille Rainville (aka Writings of a Furious Woman) with that title. Reading her words was like being hit with the proverbial ton of painful and emotional bricks. “Be a lady.” I had not heard that phrase for decades, but the reading of it sent me into a painful spiral of unworthiness. You know the one. Where your happy and confident self is suddenly sent into a dark place of remembering and believing you are not enough and will never be enough. Rainville’s somewhat lengthy blog post hit all of those buttons, long since forgotten yet still sensitive. As children, our ideas of who we are can be bolstered or demolished by those around us whose words have power. Parents, relatives, siblings, teachers and friends all help to either confirm or deny how we feel about ourselves. As little girls trying to sort out meaning from the mystery, self-worth can be sent soaring or dashed against the rocks. “Be a lady.” This phrase and, in fact, any statement like “Be x or y or z” implies that the listener is not x or y or z and that there are guidelines and rules to follow to become that. As children, all we have are the words and actions of those around us to reinforce our place in society and in the world. And we tend to believe those who have power over us. We think the “big” people have all the answers and know all the rules. And we listen. And listen. … Be a lady. Ladies act in certain ways. Ladies look a certain way. Ladies are never too showy, never too smart, never better than others. They are always polite, always put everyone else first and always good at only ladylike things. And if you don’t or can’t, if all else fails, hide it or reject it. What if these rules don’t fit (and I’m here to say they often do not)? What if what we are meant to do, be or say simply does not fall into the category of what the “be a lady” advocate intends? I do not fault myself for not having the chutzpah to stand up for myself. This was how I was raised from a young age. Be a lady. Act like a lady. Do the things that ladies do (and this list is narrow). The voice in my head hammered home what was expected. As a child, my power was in others’ hands and would stay there until, little by little, I began to redefine how living a purposeful and successful life might unfold. The unfolding did not come in one brilliant flash of light or major aha moment but rather in the acceptance of how things could be, how alternatives to being ladylike could also be satisfying while doing no harm to others. Everyone develops and uncovers purpose and fulfillment at their own pace. I believe that today’s young women can be all that they want to be, do all that they want to do and do so with the approval and acceptance of their families and support systems. Times have changed. Above all, “Be a lady” has morphed into “You can be whatever you want to be. And while you are accomplishing this, be kind and give it your all. We love you no matter what.” Words as well as actions support women in their growth and development. Outward appearances are no longer the gold standard for how to grow up and mature into a fully functioning, happy individual. Are we completely there yet? No. The world still portrays women as “acceptable” according to body image, grooming, and adherence to female norms. But we have come a long way, baby!

This is an excerpt from Deborah Cole’s SHE. Use the QR code to order the book, or go to https://www.deborahcoleconnections.com/book-collection/ she-believed-she-could-so-she-did.

ATXWOMAN.COM | 15

FROM THE DESK OF

INTENTIONAL INCLUSIVITY: A PERSONAL SCORECARD

Las Comadres Para Las Americas Founder Nora de Hoyos Comstock, Ph.D., has made intentional inclusivity part of her identity. BY MCKENZIE HENNINGSEN

Para Las Americas (ELLAS), knows her Latina heritage is integral to her identity. “I celebrate Austin as a developing multicultural, multilingual and generally diverse city with a growing presence of people from all over the world who live and work in our area and whose children go to our schools,” Comstock says. “But the challenges— racial, ethnical, cultural, ageism, colorism, disability, LBGTQIA+— to inclusion are very real and must be dealt with daily. To do this, we must all, especially leaders, commit to understanding the biases that we each show up with that prevent us from creating belonging for everyone in the room. “I have chosen to make inclusiveness the touchstone of my golden years,” she adds. She has five tips for how to be intentional about inclusivity. LIVE A PURPOSE-DRIVEN LIFE.

We must be cognizant of our hard-wired biases and then be willing to influence all parties who are stakeholders in policies, procedures, actions taken, decision-making y mas to be effectively inclusive. Your personal journey is yours and only you can make it what you want it to be to impact change. Decide today what you are called to do while you’re here on this planet. BE DIRECT AND UNAPOLOGETIC WITH EMPATHY.

Expressing your voice requires that you build your risktolerance muscle both in managing your fear and speaking your truth. This isn’t easy. Going against the grain, for most of us, will require continuous skill-building, but it gets easier as this muscle strengthens. Again, focus on building a strong network of supporters who encourage you and believe in your desire to change discriminatory practices and environments. BE AWARE OF THE “INVISIBILITY FACTOR” FOR SOME.

Look around the room next time you’re in a meeting, or look at the slate of candidates for a new position, or speakers at a conference or panel. Is there diverse representation? Change begins with awareness of this bias to include some people, but not others. Routinely doing this is imperative. When I ask conveners or hiring managers about representation, I am often told, “We invited X number from that group of people, but no one responded.” Sometimes there is representation because invitees felt empowered to show up, and sometimes there is no response, perhaps because they didn’t feel empowered to do so. Basically, there are two elements: the invitation and the response. One or both can be the challenge. You can support future efforts to be 16 | AUSTIN WOMAN | MARCH 2022

inclusive, not just for your group but for other stakeholders who are not represented, by making sure these elements are regularly accounted for. There are many of us, me included, who can instantly help connect you to qualified people from underrepresented groups. INCLUSIVENESS MEANS “ALL TOGETHER.”

As a Latina, I don’t just look out for Latinas. My intent is to ensure that all are represented. Research, observe and learn where diversity and equity are clearly lacking. Understand the specific challenges faced by industries, companies, organizations, communities, etc. and then look for sponsors or champions to help open doors for those clearly absent. Be the includer to build a welcoming environment for all individuals; model the behaviors that build unity and acceptance of differences, and don’t be discouraged if at first you don’t succeed. Spending your social capital means opening doors and opportunities for those who are absent or unfairly overlooked and leveraging this power currency to advocate for a more inclusive organization or society. If you’re in the position to hire people, ensure your candidate pools are diverse from the get-go. It’s hard to hire diverse people if they are not in the pipeline. YOU/US/THEM

The challenge of inclusiveness resides in all of us. You can’t do it alone, but you can continuously invite others who are not from the same racial, ethnic, religious or cultural background or community, to meet and get to know them. At every step of your journey in life, ask yourself, “Am I being part of the problem, or am I actively creating opportunities to be inclusive where it matters?” At home and at work, start and maintain relationships with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures and genuinely look for, cultivate and promote the talent, expertise and visibility of those individuals. It is no longer a question of whether diversity benefits organizations and our society. We all know that it does. The question is more how much organizations and society are failing because of a lack of equity and inclusiveness. The U.S. is only becoming more diverse, and the numbers of [diverse] leadership representation are at complete odds with the makeup of our larger society. We must all do our part; you must aspire in your own journey to ask the hard questions about inclusion when you don’t see it, and invite others to actively participate in moving the needle on true diversity, equity and inclusion.

Photo by Olga Campos Benz.

Dr. Nora de Hoyos Comstock, national founder of Las Comadres

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For 85 years, your neighborhood Twin Liquors has been giving excellent customer service and welcoming Texans like family!

1937

Twin Liquors — originally Jabour’s Package Store — opens on 6th Street in Downtown Austin, TX.

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Cool Little Ones are the coolest moisture wicking clothes for Little Ones. Cool Little Ones was started by a mom who saw how her kids were constantly sweating when playing outside so she started sewing them moisture wicking clothes. Cool Little Ones are the most versatile kids clothes and can go from pool, beach, lake, park, sports practices, to school to all day play without changing!

The Texas Wine industry starts to take shape.

1970s

1982

David and Margaret Jabour, 3rd Generation siblings, rebrand the business as Twin Liquors in honor of their father, Theodore Jabour, who was a twin.

1995

First distillery permit is issued to Tito’s Vodka.

Twin Liquors expands into San Antonio, San Marcos, and the Hill Country with 50+ stores.

2000s Twin Liquors expands into the Houston area, and into the Dallas area with the Sigel’s brand.

1983

Twin Liquors begins to supply wholesale spirits, beer, and wine to bars and restaurants in Downtown Austin.

1997

First case of Tito’s hits shelves in Austin, TX!

Texas distillery permits number in the HUNDREDS. The Texas Wine industry is thriving.

2010s

g h o u t Te

2010s

hout

2020

Twin Liquors celebrates opening their 100th location in Lubbock, TX.

2022

Twin Liquors celebrates their 85th Anniversary.

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STAFF PICKS

WHAT HAS A WOMAN YOU ADMIRED DONE TO SHAKE TABLES?

We all have women who've inspired us, and most likely they've ogtten in trouble for something. CY WHITE MANAGING EDITOR

18 | AUSTIN WOMAN | MARCH 2022

KRISNA MENIER DIRECTOR OF EVENTS AND BRANDING STRATEGY

Monogamous versus polyamorous. Fetishes. Why we cheat versus why we stay. All subjects that used to be so taboo that we were drowning in our own curiosity. Esther Perel has opened the doors to communicating, understanding, questioning and redefining modern-day relationships. Born and raised by Holocaust survivors in Belgium, Esther came to the States in graduate school to study the relationships of other immigrants. She asked questions no one dared to and wrote papers on subjects others only spoke about behind closed doors. Without hesitation Esther was on a mission to bring humankind to a better understanding of themselves, regardless of how many feathers it may rustle. “I wanted people to question themselves, to speak the unspoken and to be unafraid to challenge sexual and emotional correctness.” Many years later, Ester Perel has achieved her goal with multiple bestselling books, TED talks, podcasts and even a soldout game aimed at getting couples to tell each other their stories without fear of judgment. She has no plans for slowing down and continues her study on neuroscience, attachment theory, neuro-linguistic programming and psychodrama.

All photos courtesy of respective staff member.

One of my greatest inspirations is Queen Ancestor Eartha Kitt. Her entire life was lived in rebellion. The fact that she succeeded (in exceptional ways) is testament to her strength and unapologetic belief in herself. There are so many instances to draw from: her open expression of her sexuality, her fearless subversion of gender norms, the way she always spoke out against not just blatant racism but the microaggressions people tend to dismiss (a great quote from her: “When I walk into a church, I only see paintings of white angels. Why?”). But I’ll focus on her very vocal opposition to the Vietnam War. When she was invited to the White House by “Lady bird” Johnson (for her Women Doers Luncheon), she openly criticized the sitting President, Lyndon B. Johnson, for continuing a war that was then in its thirteenth year. As an advocate for the youth and having been very active in several youth groups, she understood the terrors of the war from the perspective of those who were being sent to Vietnam to essentially be unwilling casualties of war. “You send the best of this country off to be shot and maimed…They don’t want to go to school, ’cause they’re going to be snatched off from their mothers to be shot in Vietnam.” After this point, she was essentially blacklisted from Hollywood. But she never took it back and she never apologized. Just one of a million reasons why she’s one of my inspirations.

ANNE COX PRODUCTION MANAGER

Last year, the United Nations Climate Change Conference was held in Glasgow and was filled with young female climate activists. But there was one activist that stood out amongst everyone, even the famous world leaders: A 14-year-old girl from India named Vinisha Umashankar. She spoke about the younger generation and how they are angry and frustrated at empty promises around climate action. “I’m not just a girl from India; I'm a girl from Earth.” Climate change is one of the things that keeps me up at night. If there's going to be any progress made, it will come from the younger generation fighting for it, and Vinisha has already made great strides.

JEN RAMOS PERKINS BUSINESS OPERATIONS MANAGER

Josephine Baker has been one of my favorite rebels and greatest heroes since I began studying dance in elementary school. Born in St. Louis in 1906 to a washerwoman and a father who left them when she was 8, Josephine worked as a maid, a waitress, a comedic performer with entertainment troupes and studied chorus line routines while working as dresser. This eventually led to more prominent roles in the successful Broadway shows Shuffle Along and The Chocolate Dandies. Despite the success of the Broadway shows, America never fully respected and appreciated Josephine and she eventually went to Paris with La Revue Negre, where she was revered. She stayed in France, where she became a superstar, opened her own club and recorded music, eventually becoming the highest paid entertainer in Europe. She honorably served France as a Correspondent during WWII. She tried to return to the U.S. several times and never received the respect and recognition she deserved, often having to enter through venue backdoors and kitchens to get to the stage to perform. She learned and thrived in a racist country—and then created her own opportunities for success in a country that loved her without ever relying on a man for financial support. Talent, tenacity, daring, laughter, love, bravery and unrivaled beauty. I still dream of a world where a Rainbow Tribe is the norm.

ATXWOMAN.COM | 19

COUNT US IN

TROUBLEMAKERS BY TRADE

WOMEN OFTEN STRUGGLE TO GET RESPECT IN THEIR INDUSTRIES, BUT NOW WE’RE FIGHTING BACK. BY JESS BUGG ILLUSTRATIONS BY JESSICA WETTERER

7 According to The New York Times, in 2018 Google silently paid millions of dollars in exit packages to male executives accused of sexual misconduct. Seven female employees retaliated by organizing a walkout that turned into more than 20,000 people around the world. This led to immediate changes including the ability for employees to bring sexual misconduct claims to court.

28 All 28 members of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team sued the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) for gender discrimination, alleging unequal pay and working conditions. According to The New York Times, some women players make just 38% of what their male counterparts make despite consistently outperforming them as well as having higher viewership. After court documents revealed that the USSF argued biological differences justified the pay discrepancy between the men and the women, federation president Carlos Cordeiro resigned.

117th Congress After a record number of women ran for office in 2018, a record number of women won. While women make up 51% of the U.S. population, they make up just over a quarter of all members of the 117th Congress. However, this is by far the highest percentage in U.S. history and represents a 50% increase from only a decade ago.

29.5 million Women in the U.S. have earned more degrees than men for the last four decades. However, it wasn’t until 2019 that they surpassed collegeeducated men in the workforce. A Pew Research study found that as of 2019, 29.5 million women in the labor force had at least a bachelor’s degree. Women now make up 50.2% of the college-educated work force, which is up about 11% since 2000.

41 Lucille Ball was 41 when the first episode of I Love Lucy aired, turning her into one of the most iconic female comedians in history. To this day, her success is still extremely rare as most famous women in the entertainment industry reach stardom at a much younger age. Ball went on to break other norms during her career such as being the first openly pregnant woman on television. The characters Lucy and Ricky (played by her real-life husband, Desi Arnaz) were also the first interracial couple portrayed on television.

20 | AUSTIN WOMAN | MARCH 2022

ON THE MONEY

NFTS:

REVOLUTIONARY OR RUBBISH?

The lowdown on virtual assets as investments. BY JENNY HOFF

Just as you’re starting to get comfortable (or not) with cryptocurrencies, new “virtual assets” are entering the marketplace, giving you more opportunities to invest your cold hard cash into something less tangible. Whether you want to invest will depend on your own risk tolerance. NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, are different from bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in that each one is unique. Think of cryptocurrencies as dollar bills. They are all basically the same, and one dollar bill can be swapped for another, just as one bitcoin could be swapped for another. NFTs are more like certificates of authenticity. They are unique, like the title on your house or car, or a certificate for a painting you might have acquired. Except in this case, you don’t usually physically acquire anything; it’s a virtual possession. “It cuts out the middleman,” says NFT enthusiast and founder of OpenArt Studios, Apollo. “With NFTs, artists can sell their own artwork and immediately get their crypto sent to their online wallet.” Apollo, who works in tech but uses a pseudonym for his NFT work, is trying to bridge the physical and virtual world to make NFTs more accessible and understandable to a wider audience. “If you come to a gallery showing, for instance, and you decide to purchase an NFT for a piece of artwork, I would send you a unique code that allows you to look at the art using different filters and interactive tools,” he explains. “You would then also receive the physical piece of art or a print, but your interactive tools would be only accessible to you. Other people looking at the art wouldn’t have your unique interactive experience with it.” However, most NFTs never result in a physical possession. Like most of the

photos on your phone, they stay in the virtual space. People spend millions of dollars to “own” these virtual collector’s items. (Google “bored ape yacht club” if you want to see which NFTs are currently selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars.) Whether these seem like good investments is usually based on a person’s knowledge in the space. “You probably shouldn’t do it if you don’t want to take the time to educate yourself on it and authenticate that the provider you’re using is actually selling a unique NFT and not something else,” says Apollo. That’s good advice for any investment. You wouldn’t buy a piece of land in another country or city without making sure you did your due diligence. So, you shouldn’t buy a piece of virtual land (yes, that exists) in the form of an NFT on a forum that you don’t do research on first. As far as the risk? Think of it as buying property in a banana republic. It might work out, but it might also become worthless if there is no enforceable law backing up the rights of ownership. Most importantly, if you do decide to join the Wild West of NFT investing, make sure you only use money you can stand to lose.

ATXWOMAN.COM | 21

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Amy Sweet founder

Amy Sweet, proud recipient of the 2019 Austin CEO of the Year award at Austin Woman magazine’s Woman’s Way Business Awards, and 2021 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year National Finalist, is the founder of Halcyon Home. Halcyon Home is an Austin-based private-duty home health and hospice continuity-of-care company that allows seniors to age in the residential setting of their choice, with personalized in-home care directed toward their individual needs. Halcyon Home recently gained additional recognition with its care expansion both up and down the south I-35 corridor to Waco and San Marcos, Texas. Sweet earned her master’s degree in Health Science from the University of Pennsylvania, becoming a certified physician assistant. Her work history spreads across the fields of oncology, gastroenterology and geriatric health. Her dream of creating a company with a concierge level of care became an award-winning reality thanks to a handpicked team that shares her love of care. Halcyon Home provides private-duty (nonmedical), home health (medical), and hospice (medical) care.

“Hospice care is one of the most underutilized benefits in the U.S. Our clinicians, chaplains and volunteers are the key to an end of life journey full of love, remembrance and beauty.”

22 WOMAN | MARCH 2022 22 | AUSTIN SPECIAL PROMOTION | ATXWOMAN.COM

PLANNING FOR AT-HOME CARE What is the difference between home care, and home health and what makes both essential during the difficult times we are facing today? The term home care is often replaced with privateduty or personal assistance services. Home care is non-medical assistance involving a private contract with your loved one for individualized services to meet their needs. The contract provides one-on-one assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs). ADLs include eating, bathing, dressing, toileting, transfers and maintenance of bladder and bowel function. Caregivers working in home care assist with ADLs and can also provide aid with transportation, errand running, medication reminders and administration. These services are paid through personal savings or long-term care insurance. Home care can be short durations of time or as much as 24/7. During the recent COVID-19 pandemic, home care workers were defined as “essential workers.” This designation has given agencies like Halcyon Home the opportunity to provide care and companionship for seniors in communities, skilled nursing/memory care facilities, hospitals and rehabilitation facilities where family members are not allowed to visit freely. Hiring a private caregiver in these instances provides a layer of security and comfort, as well as offers you a window into the day of your loved one through the eyes of a home care essential worker that you or your family member would not have access to otherwise. Home Health differs from home care in that it provides skilled medical care for homebound patients in their place of residence. Home health requires a physician’s order and a face to face visit with your MD, PA or NP. During the COVID-19 pandemic, medical practitioner telehealth visits were also approved to meet the face to face requirement. Services are covered 100% with no copay under traditional Medicare. Medicare-covered services include skilled nursing, physical, occupational and speech therapy. Qualifying events to consider for home health are a recent change in diagnosis or medications, hospitalization, an in- or outpatient scheduled or unplanned surgical procedure, a fall, decline in ADLs, decline in independent mobility, unsteady gait/balance, wound care or any change in medical condition. Private duty home care and skilled home health can be provided simultaneously for your loved one to meet their complete needs.

What is the difference between palliative care and hospice? Palliative care improves bothersome symptoms and can take place at any time of the patient’s life and for any disease process. Palliative care’s focus is on pain management. It is a myth that patients cannot seek curative treatment while receiving palliative care. In fact, that is when you should consider palliative care for your loved one, when they are receiving curative treatment yet unable to manage the symptoms and/or pain resulting from their diagnosis. Medicare covers palliative care under the home health benefit and hospice care under the hospice benefit for end-oflife care. Medicare defines end-of-life as the expected last six months. Hospice services are provided wherever you or your loved one resides, at home, in an assisted living facility, nursing home or hospital. Hospice provides a holistic approach to end-of-life care through a 24/7 on call interdisciplinary team. This team involves registered nursing, a home health aide, social worker and a chaplain. The team provides clinical case management with physician oversight to assist with pain management and comfort through the dying process. The goals of hospice care include comfort, safety and cleanliness, as well as meeting the specific patient’s and family’s goals for end-of-life planning and bereavement. All medications related to the primary diagnosis are provided by and covered under the Medicare hospice benefit, including all durable medical equipment, i.e. hospital bed, oxygen, shower chair and incontinence supplies. How do I plan for Mom’s and Dad’s care? The most important factor in planning for the care of your loved one is to understand their specific goals and wishes. The right time to discuss these goals is before the onset of a debilitating illness. This conversation may be difficult, but it can also be rewarding and strengthen the parentchild bond. It can be an opportunity for life reflection and sharing. There are many resources available. Put “end-of-life decision-making” into your favorite search engine. Here are a few I like: vitaltalk.org, nia.nih.gov and deathwithdignity. org. In the absence of conversations, one has to rely on the caregiver’s (child, spouse, parent, medical power of attorney) best assessment of what the patient would want, evidenced by things the patient may have said or done previously. This is called “substituted judgement.” At Halcyon Home Home, our team of experts is available to assist with difficult conversations and can provide solution-focused in-home options following a free consultation 365 days a year.

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GIVE BACK

HEALING FOSTER CHILDREN THROUGH JOY

Laila Scott, founder of Pop-Up Birthday, gives children in foster care birthday celebrations to remember. BY REAGAN CRABB

What began as a few boxes in Laila Scott’s home has now grown into a thriving nonprofit that brings joy to children in foster care. Founded in 2014, Pop-Up Birthday celebrates the birthdays of Central Texas foster children, with over 5,000 birthday boxes delivered so far. Pop-Up Birthday ships out hundreds of birthday boxes to foster children in need every year. Each box includes three wish list gifts—fun, need, read—along with party supplies, themed decorations, cake mix, icing, candles, balloons, goody bags and a personalized card, all wrapped up in a personalized box.

AN IDEA FOR ME

“For my boys, I did every birthday based on whatever they were excited about at that moment in time,” Scott says. From going on fun-sized paleontology digs, to playing with mounds of dirt for a construction party, Scott always created something unique for her kids. After attending these birthday parties, friends often told her that she should be an event planner, but this didn’t sit right. She wanted to find a way to use her gifts to serve others in need. Driving one day it hit her: “I should do birthdays for foster kids.” Scott learned about foster care through her work as chair of the RGK Foundation Adjunct Board. “We funded several foster care organizations and attended panels to learn about the challenges facing the foster care system,” she says. “To no fault of their own, these children found themselves living with strangers, experiencing crisis and trauma. [I] envisioned kids being pulled away from their homes, scared, with strangers…knowing that they probably came from a history of not being celebrated. [I] couldn’t even fathom that.” This new knowledge inevitably led to her discovering just how much foster parents really need. “They’re wonderful people,” she says, “but they’re so overwhelmed with just getting that kid to safety and to therapy and to visitations. A lot of times they don’t have the extra funds.” Scott believed she could fill this need by celebrating foster children, just as she celebrated her own. “[I thought] that could be my service to these families and especially to these kids who’ve never been celebrated. It just made sense to me, and I couldn’t shake it.”

LAILA SCOTT

24 | AUSTIN WOMAN | MARCH 2022

After coming up with the idea, it took two years to get it off the ground. Scott spent thoughtful time mulling it over and coming up with more ideas, then created the name and logo. With the knowledge gained from her MBA from the University of Texas at Austin, Scott knew she needed a business plan. After researching, she came up with a prototype by taking leftover supplies from a previous party she had thrown. “It’s a lot of work getting something off the ground, especially with three little ones at home,” she says. Now that she had a solid business plan and protype, she presented her idea to Ted Oakley, the founder of Foster Angels, a charity that focuses on enhancing the lives of foster children. “He just got it,” she recalls, “and he funded the first ten boxes.”

Photo by Kristy Peloquin.

GETTING STARTED

“” If you have an idea and can’t shake it, don’t. Keep at it. If it’s there it’s because it needs to be brought to the world. Scott made her first real birthday box, a Frozen-themed party, in her craft room. “This little girl was so excited to have something all her own and to celebrate her special day,” recalls Child Protective Services Specialist Elizabeth Harris. Box by box, month by month, Pop-Up Birthday started to catch on and Scott received more funding.

Photos by Anna Daugherty, Texas Alcalde, and by Michael J. Charles Photography.

GROWTH AND MISSION

As Pop-Up Birthday grew, Scott made sure to hold on to her original values. “We never lost sight of what we wanted to do,” she says. “There were chances where people said, ‘Do you really need to have all these gifts in here? Do you really need to do all this? Maybe we should simplify and only offer five themes and just quick little boxes.’ But it just didn’t sit right.” The core of Pop-Up Birthday’s mission is the idea that something was made especially for each child who receives a box. “It’s about realizing that you were recognized, that you were seen, that someone took the time to celebrate you as a person,” she says. “You’re not just a number. You’re not just a child getting a trash bag of some donated stuff. This is truly for you.” Scott shares a final word of advice for those who want to follow a passion: “If you have an idea and can’t shake it, don’t. Keep at it. If it’s there it’s because it needs to be brought to the world. So just take one little step at a time and keep at it. Then you’ll inspire others to join you and help you. Before you know it, it’s its own little thing.”

Fundraising In order to keep their organization running, Pop-Up Birthday relies on the generosity of those who want to spread joy. “Not everyone is called or is able to foster a child,” Scott says. “This is a way that you can help. Someone can donate enough to buy a cake mix and icing, [or] someone might be able to do an entire birthday box.” Pop-Up Birthday also has an annual fundraising event. “Events are huge to help spread awareness and just spread our mission. We love to do kind of a nontraditional gala that really lets people party like a kid.” Their Birthday Ball will be held on Friday, April 1, at 7:30 p.m. You can find out ways to help, or get tickets to the gala, by going to their website

popupbirthday.org.

ATXWOMAN.COM | 25

TRESS TO IMPRESS

DOING GOD’S WORK

Hairstylist and wig maker Tylaria Thomas uses hair as the canvas for her avant-garde design style. BY KELSEY ROSLIN

client or shape a wig into an electrified lime green and purple mullet, hairstylist and wigmaker Tylaria Thomas says that’s when she feels like she is doing God’s work. “Maybe that’s dramatic to say,” says Thomas, “but over the years I understood how special hair really is.” She knows that the right hair can serve as the foundation for a person’s selfexpression. It can be the perfect element that ties an outfit together or the reason someone feels ready to take on the day, so she loves being able to fulfill whatever hair means to her clients. Black women have long known that hair is magic, power, art and a medium for personal expression. But in an industry that’s historically centered around European beauty standards, even the techniques to tell a story through this medium aren’t regularly created with ethnic hair in mind. “As a Black woman in the hair artist community, it has definitely been quite the ride,” she shares. “It has to be understood that hairstylists that cater to ethnic hair types are doing such an amazing thing. We research, we test products, we experiment with techniques because there were no textbooks in cosmetology school that instructed us on how to properly care for our hair. It’s an everyday challenge to expand knowledge on all hair types, but it’s definitely a fight I feel is worth advocating for.” Growing up, Thomas found inspiration everywhere. The avant-garde looks in films and fashion drew her eye, but so did her own family’s style. She would experiment with her natural hair, but she didn’t know how to create the exact looks she wanted. This led her to explore extensions and wigs as a means to create art. She began wig making and hairstyling early in her high school years, and she’s been doing it professionally since 2017. At 23, her career has already seen some incredible highs. In 2021 she landed her first feature in Vogue when she worked with model Nicole Trunfio, which led to Thomas doing Simone Biles’ hair for the cover of The Wall Street Journal. When rapper and self-proclaimed pop-punk princess Rico Nasty took the stage at the 2021 Rolling Loud festival in Miami sporting a flaming-red mini mullet—à la David Bowie—Thomas was behind the look. She toured with Rico Nasty and Playboi Carti for two and a half months, creating

26 | AUSTIN WOMAN | MARCH 2022

Top photo by Marco Alexander. Bottom photo courtesy of Tylaria Thomas.

When her hands paint the perfect natural highlight on a

“” show-stopping hair moments. Imagine long, crimped jewel-toned lilac waves, handmade stencils used to spray a pop of pink onto an icy wig and a “Dirrty”-era Christina Aguilera-inspired look. The experience is a high she rode until hitting her next milestone: opening her own salon in Downtown Austin. Opening on MLK Day, TressDeco is named for the beauty renaissance Thomas sees society currently undergoing, combined with the innovation of and experimentation with hair in the art deco period. She went into business with her partner, musician Kenny Casanova, to create a communal space. Half of the location is his recording space, Swaycon Studios. A visit to TressDeco is designed to be very personal. At booking, customers fill out a questionnaire about their preferences. Thomas’ goals are to give everyone a celebrity experience and to create a custom look that’s as unique as her clients. She offers a wide range of services, from extensions and wig making to hair coloring, and they’re all easily booked on her website.

Photo of Rico Nasty by Marco Alexander, wig photo courtesy of Tylaria Thomas.

It has to be understood that hairstylists that cater to ethnic hair types are doing such an amazing thing. We research, we test products, we experiment with techniques because there were no textbooks in cosmetology school that instructed us on how to properly care for our hair. It’s an everyday challenge to expand knowledge on all hair types, but it’s definitely a fight I feel is worth advocating for.

ATXWOMAN.COM | 27

“” It has to be understood that hairstylists that cater to ethnic hair types are doing such an amazing thing. It’s an everyday challenge to expand knowledge on all hair types, but it’s definitely a fight I feel is worth advocating for.

Photo by A Hotel Party.

“Both TressDeco Salon and Swaycon Studios were created to give people from all walks of life a safe space to express themselves,” Thomas says. “Hair and music are two mediums that we have seen people find their biggest release in.” They want LGBTQIA+ and POC communities to know that spaces exist where they can feel welcome and supported—no questions asked. As for Thomas’ style, it’s not one to be pinned down or labeled. In the last year she has been inspired by the punk and alternative scenes she loved growing up, as reflected in her shags and mullets. She sees herself as a chameleon and dedicates herself to making sure she doesn’t stay in a bubble. She’ll continue to draw inspiration from her main influences of music, art and fashion as she shows the world and the industry what she can do with hair as her canvas.

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SEE HER WORK

BEAUTY WITHIN THE BROKENNESS

Having survived life-altering circumstances, Sheri Hope found freedom in her art. BY MCKENZIE HENNINGSEN

“” It all started with a couple of screws and a glob of paint. After leaving a

Photos courtesy of Sheri Hope.

full-time office job working in graphic design, artist Sheri Hope taught herself to paint using unconventional materials. For Hope, the switch from digital artwork to a physical medium wasn’t an easy one. “All of a sudden, I had no control,” Hope says. “I didn’t know how to paint; I just liked it. I didn’t have the control that I had with graphic design, because when you’re on the computer, everything can be perfect.” Struggling with traditional paint brushes, Hope began using screws to apply paint.

I felt like [the brushes] expected perfection, and I didn’t know how to do that. So I went the extreme opposite of perfection. I went into chaos.

30 | AUSTIN WOMAN | MARCH 2022

Photos courtesy of Sheri Hope.

“I felt like [the brushes] expected perfection, and I didn’t know how to do that. So I went the extreme opposite of perfection. I went into chaos.” Since beginning sheriHOPEart over six years ago, Hope has developed other unique techniques, including painting on the back of canvases and incorporating unconventional materials in her work. “[Painting on the back] gives it depth, dimension and interest,” Hope says. “I like to do things differently in my art. I can’t follow the rules of traditional art. I say that I’m an engineer artist because I don’t like to do the same thing over and over. I used to get upset if I made a mistake, and then I realized that the mistakes are where we learn. Now the ‘oops’ are my favorite parts.” Following a divorce and her children moving away for college, Hope moved to Austin. Struggling to find housing and a community to lean on during the COVID-19 pandemic, she became homeless and had to sleep in her car. Her recent series, shatteredHOPE, reflects the emotions she felt during this period of time. To create the works, she smashes glass bottles and applies the pieces to her paintings. “When I hit [the glass] with the hammer, I’m empowered,” she says. “I say that there’s beauty within the brokenness, which is kind of like life. We’ve all been broken a few times. When you’re down there, just know that it’s not forever. You’ll come out of it. [The brokenness] is where the lessons are learned and the wisdom is gained.”

ATXWOMAN.COM | 31

Photos courtesy of Sheri Hope.

While she was homeless and new to Austin, Hope sold her artwork on South Congress out of her van, The sheriHOPE Mobile. Through the long process of selling her work on the side of the road, Hope learned to value her own struggle. “You just don’t ever give up,” she says. “I learned how to sell my art and I became successful. I’ve never worked that hard in my life. I’ve made a life through art, and people come up to me; we talk, we connect, we cry, we laugh. I knew no one, so the incredible kindness that I received from local Austinites, tourists and the homeless community was overwhelming and lifechanging. I’m not the same as I was before. Hope is real. “Viewing art, opening up your imagination, opens up space in your heart,” she continues. “It allows you to process emotion, which is what I’m doing when I’m creating art. It takes some time in my art to see the things that are there, because when I’m creating my art, I get lost in it. In order for you to fully appreciate it, you have to spend some time and take a second look.” Creating art is what empowers Hope to look toward the future, but her vulnerability is what keeps her audience coming back. “I think what makes [my art] unique is the abandon that I use. It’s chaos, like nature. I like to combine chaos and make it cohesive. I put my crazy out there for everyone to see, so it’s relatable. It puts things out there like emotion. That is relatable and those are things that we’re not supposed to talk about. But I talk about it, and I put it out there. It’s something people could imagine they could create.”

32 | AUSTIN WOMAN | MARCH 2022

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E L E N I O T TA L A G A N A

leni Ottalagana is a registered dietitian, neuro-linguistic programming practitioner and reiki master. In her private practice, Women’s Nutrition Clinic, she specializes in women’s health and polycystic ovarian syndrome. More specifically, she supports women to make nutrition and lifestyle changes using integrative health tools and functional nutrition approaches. Ottalagana is passionate about shifting health care for women and works to empower females when it comes to advocating for their health. Wellness isn’t just a job to her, but a way of life. She has traveled around the globe to study various diets, sustainability, plant medicine and to immerse herself in different food cultures. As an educator and professional in the wellness space, she commits to providing sound and impactful nutrition education. She continues to work toward marrying the principles of healthy living and eco-conscious living through client care, online platforms, speaking engagements and volunteer work. womensnutritionclinic.com

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MELODY GONZALEZ

BE AUT Y BY MELODY G | HAIRST YLIST

elody Gonzalez is a mother and Latina beauty influencer and hairstylist. She was born and raised in Austin and works for Beauty by Melody G at Lady & Saint, where she puts her passion for hairstyling into practice. As a hairstylist, she creates beauty through her creative artistic ability, fueled from her inspiration in painting. She loves the ability to make someone look in the mirror and see themselves as beautiful, confident, and for them to see what everyone else admires about them inside and out. Gonzalez loves this profession as it allows her to empower, inspire and build a lasting bond with her clientele. She loves the one-to-one direct contact relationship she experiences with her clients and that she can help them look and feel their best as their beauty influencer, changing the world one head at a time. instagram.com/beautybymelodyg

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March 2-3 Since 2013, Amplify Austin Day has raised $82 million for hundreds of local nonprofits. Organized by I Live Here I Give Here, this year’s giving event will support 700 nonprofits and 20 cause categories across seven counties. Among the list of participating nonprofits are dozens of organizations on a mission to help local women. To name just a few: Delivering Unto You provides high-quality, culturally appropriate support for childbirth education and care to families of color. They are also working to increase the number of Black birth workers in Austin and the surrounding areas. Magdalene House of Austin is a survivor-led community for adult women who have survived sex trafficking. They offer safe and supportive housing, access to health care services, counseling and vocational training for women in need. Women’s Storybook Project of Texas connects children with their incarcerated moms through the joy of literature. Participating prisons record moms reading stories for their children to help maintain and strengthen the bond between mother and child while they are apart. With so many amazing organizations to support, we know it’s not always easy to decide where to give. Luckily, amplifyatx.org makes finding organizations simple. Each nonprofit is organized by a “cause category.” You can search different causes from health care and wellness to LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC-led. Once you select the causes that mean most to you, you’ll be given a list of matching nonprofits to help. It’s no secret that Central Texas has experienced tremendous growth over the past decade. Thousands of people have come to call Austin and the surrounding communities home. This has created a greater need for resources and support for our local nonprofits. As Central Texas grows, so must giving.

Grow the Giving at amplifyatx.org ATXWOMAN.COM | 39

Cathy Hamilton | CEO and Founder Austin Threads (division of San Antonio Threads)

Cathy Hamilton’s experience as a court-appointed special advocate, where she witnessed the indignity of teen girls selecting used bleached underwear from a barrel, inspired her to work tirelessly to bring her concept San Antonio (and Austin) Threads to life. Her goal was to create a retail-like environment where our community’s often forgotten teens in foster care could shop for new clothes, shoes and personal items for free. Hamilton has kept her promise to herself to make a difference in the lives of those who have suffered at the hands of others.

austinthreads.org

Jennifer Williams, Ph.D. | Executive Director and Co-founder Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society Jennifer Williams, Ph.D., is a lifelong horsewoman, author and one of the co-founders of Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society. Through her work with Bluebonnet, she helps rescue, rehabilitate, retrain and rehome neglected, abused and abandoned horses throughout Texas.

bluebonnetequine.org

Debbie Tate, CFRE, CFRM | Chief Development Officer Center for Child Protection As chief development officer, Debbie Tate oversees fundraising for the Center for Child Protection. The Center is a child-friendly facility where children and their protective caregivers go for evidence gathering, forensic medical exams, counseling and intervention during the investigation and prosecution of their cases. In her 17 years at the Center, she has helped raise more than $30 million to support more than 20,000 child abuse victims.

centerforchildprotection.org

40 | MARCH 2022 40 || AUSTIN SPECIAL WOMAN PROMOTION | ATXWOMAN.COM

Cortney Jones | Executive Director Change 1 Mind Change 1 Life Cortney Jones elevates the voice of youth in foster care. She is a tireless advocate for change within the system and within the youth themselves. Jones has worked in policy development, advocacy, public education and individual case management for over 18 years. She serves as an appointed council member on the Family and Protective Services Council. She is the founder and executive director of Change 1, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of youth in foster care.

change1.org

Tania Leskovar-Owens | Executive Director Foster Angels of Central Texas Tania Leskovar-Owens is the executive director of Foster Angels of Central Texas, an organization that aids children in foster care and provides a sense of normalcy. Under Leskovar-Owens’ leadership, Foster Angels has implemented additional programming called “Guide to 41 | Thrive” S P E C I A Lthat

specifically serves the needs of youth aging out of care.

fosterangelsctx.org/tania

Amy Sweet | Executive Director and Founder Halcyon Foundation

Founder of Halcyon Home and Halcyon Foundation Amy Sweet is a physician assistant whose company has been providing exceptional care to thousands of Central Texas patients each year. Halcyon Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps underfunded hospice patients pay for services and additional needs not covered by the Medicare benefit. In addition to providing assistance to those who find themselves in need toward the end of their lives, Halcyon Foundation also supports hospice employees in their higher education pursuits. Those who have been touched by hospice know the importance of quality end-oflife care. It is Halcyon Foundation’s mission to ease the financial burden for patients, family members and care providers.

halcyonhome.com/halcyon-foundation ATXWOMAN.COM 41 ATXWOMAN.COM | SPECIAL PROMOTION | | 41

Monica von Waaden | Executive Director and Founder HopeAustin Monica von Waaden is the founder and executive director of HopeAustin, a local nonprofit endeavoring to “create opportunity through food security.” HopeAustin ensures food security, hope, dignity and respect to over 2,700 students in 84 schools across seven school districts. Prior to HopeAustin, von Waaden raised two sons with her husband Mark, was a domestic violence attorney and a special education teacher.

hope4austin.org

Kristen Huguley | Executive Director Leander Educational Excellence Foundation Kristen Huguley’s exective leadership and systems thinking ensure the Leander Educational Excellence Foundation is a critical support system for Leander ISD. The organization’s annual impact helps thousands of students and teachers create their own success. Huguley serves as the Leander Chamber of Service Board Chair and the Professional Women of Williamson County VP, scholarships.

leeftx.org

Carolyn Schwarz | CEO Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Texas Carolyn Schwarz has served as CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Texas since 2013 and is passionate about the organization’s mission to keep families with sick children together and near the care and resources they need. Her recognitions include Austinite of Year at the Austin Under 40 Awards, Austin Business Journal Profiles in Power Award and 2021 Best CEO Nomination from the Austin Business Journal.

rmhc-ctx.org

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Serita Lacasse | Executive Director Senior Access

Serita Lacasse is the executive director of Senior Access and has worked for the past 30 years with senior adults. She holds a Master of Social Work with a specialty in gerontology. Lacasse is passionate about the rights of older adults and advocates for services to allow them to age in place independently. She has developed meaningful relationships with the senior clients and loves them as family. Whenever it is necessary, Serita drives one of the senior access vans herself to take the clients to the grocery store. “Every time I do a ride for one of my clients, I feel better. My secret to staying happy and reducing stress is giving back to others through volunteering.”

senioraccesstx.org

Tracy Frank | Executive Director and Founder Society For Animal Rescue & Adoption Tracy Frank is the founder of Society For Animal Rescue & Adoption (SARA), one of the largest sanctuaries in the world. For over a quarter of a century, SARA has organically grown into what it is today, a safe haven for unwanted and forgotten animals of all kinds.

sarasanctuary.org

Billie Logiudice | Executive Director The Sandbox at Madeline’s Place The Sandbox Executive Director Billie Logiudice helped pioneer this nonprofit as a founding board member. As the organization’s first fulltime employee, her role allows her to make her passion and desire to reach young people and create safe places for them physically, mentally and emotionally as they navigate adolescence a reality.

thesandboxatmadelinesplace.org

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Jill Gonzalez | Executive Director Women’s Storybook Project of Texas A lifelong reader, Jill Gonzalez has served as executive director of Women’s Storybook Project of Texas (WSP) for three years. She deeply loves WSP’s mission of connecting children to their incarcerated mothers through the joy of literature. Building hope, connections and home libraries for this often-forgotten population is joyful!

storybookproject.org

Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society Rescue, Rehabilitate, Retrain, Rehome Formerly Abused, Neglected, & Abandoned Horses.

BluebonnetEquine.org | (888) 542 5163

The Philanthropy Day Awards Luncheon brings together community, corporations, foundations and organizations whose philanthropic footprint inspires change and empowers good for the Central Texas community.

Buy Your Tickets Now afpaustin.org/philanthropy-day Photo by Amor Photography

Scan The QR Code To Donate for AmplifyAustin www.AmplifyATX.org/organizations/ bluebonnet-equine-humane-society 44 | AUSTIN WOMAN | MARCH 2022

Meet the Honorees Scan the Code

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PERFECTLY Austin ISD Superintendent Dr. Stephanie Elizalde gives her all to serve her community and the children growing up in it. BY CY WHITE PHOTOS BY ANNIE RAY STYLING BY PARKE BALLANTINE WITH INSPIRATION FROM THE GARDEN ROOM BOUTIQUE AND NORDSTROM DOMAIN. MAKEUP BY JACKELINE LARA. HAIR BY GUADALUPE SANTAMARIA. SHOT ON LOCATION AT EASTSIDE EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL.

No one ever tells a hurricane to behave. When the powers that be tried to make her step in line, Dr. Stephanie Elizalde, Austin ISD’s superintendent, refused to sit quietly. With the audacity of a winter storm in Texas, she made her stance clear to Time magazine and the world on Aug. 15 of last year: “I cannot live with a tragedy occurring because I was afraid of the possible consequences…That is just not something I’m willing to take the chance on. I realize, of course, that…may mean that we will be fined for requiring masks. I’d rather pay money than risk a child’s life.” Many in her position would do all they can to stay under the radar. Do what they’re told in order to maintain the facade of “normality” for the status quo. But Elizalde is made of sterner stuff. A third-generation educator, she comes from a long line of people refusing to be put in boxes. She grew up understanding that she was meant for greatness in the face of even greater opposition, and with that greatness came a responsibility to invest in the community, to be a blessing to those for whom blessings are few and far between.

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“” My parents always instilled in us that education was the great equalizer.

“My dad absolutely admired John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr.,” she says. “And he loves music, so he would play records. He would have my sister and I sit and listen to the words because he communicated to us much of his desire for what he wanted us to be. And by that I mean it wasn’t like he wanted us to be this profession. It was what he wanted us to be as human beings. “There’s a song that goes, ‘Has anybody here seen my old friend John?’ [My father] would have us sit down, and we listened to it.” She pauses for a moment, the power of the memory causing her eyes to water a bit. “You know, even thinking about it, sometimes I may get a little teary eyed.” She composes herself, then, “My dad would say, ‘These men lived under a code: to those who much is given much is expected.’ Those words resonate with me. Like, if I don’t do something for others, personally and professionally, then I’m gonna feel like I let my parents down. “My purpose is in being a public servant and feeling that we grow teachers who serve students. There can be no better calling than creating the next generation of leaders.” Born and raised in Laredo, Texas, Elizalde recalls her childhood not necessarily being one of plenty, but certainly one where she never felt like she went without. “We grew up, I would say middle class, but I would definitely say lower-middle class,” she says. “Most of the kids that were in my schools seemed to have quite a bit more things than I did. Went on vacations and did things that I wasn’t familiar with. I did not know what snow skiing was. But I had friends who were like, ‘Oh, we’re going to Breckenridge.’ I’m like, ‘Where’s Breckenridge?’ “I can’t ever say that I didn’t have food on the table or anything like that,” she says “Those were not the concerns that I had. Yet I did feel for a long period of time that I was less than many of my peers. My mom sewed our clothes. They were really cute, but she sewed them. They weren’t the brands that my friends were wearing. So I had to learn how to get through that.” Education was always paramount in her household. The granddaughter of a teacher and the daughter of a principal, every moment was an opportunity to learn. “My parents always instilled in us that education was the great equalizer,” she says. “My dad, being a teacher, would really spend a lot of time actually teaching me things at home before they were going to be taught at school. Then my mother, while not having a college degree, is an avid reader.” It’s her mother, in fact, who made sure her children never felt left out, engendering a confidence to do whatever their hearts desired. “Interestingly, she would see what her bosses were doing with their children,” she reveals. “She saw them putting them in dance. So she’s like, ‘Well, then I guess my girls need to be in dance.’ She saw them taking equestrian lessons. So then she thought we needed to take equestrian lessons. She saw them studying piano. My mom worked a second job to pay for those things.”

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Her education was never strictly about books and homework. A multi-ethnic household meant everyday was a new adventure, a new lesson learned. In an interview with The Texas Tribune’s Evan Smith, she called herself the daughter of Lucy and Ricky Ricardo. It’s an apt description—with a spirited mother and opinionated father, there was only ever one outcome for their eldest child. “I got the best out of both of my parents,” she says. “I have a strong-willed mom and a very strong, very empathetic father. My mother didn’t not bring her German heritage with her,” she insists. “Nor did my father lose his Mexican ancestry or customs. As they raised my sister and I, we had both. So, you know, one day we’re eating menudo and tamales, and the next day, we’re having bratwurst and sauerkraut, or fried gizzards.” This upbringing instilled in Elizalde an ardent love of music and the arts. Along with her natural inclination toward adventure, this gave Elizalde all the motivation she needed to pursue her first love: dance. “I never wanted to be a teacher. I never wanted to be a teacher growing up, except I always played teacher,” she says, giggling at the memory of always bossing the neighborhood kids around, teaching them what she’d learned. But teaching was never a part of the plan for her. Her heart was in the pulse of a flamenco, the elegant lines and rigorous discipline of ballet. “My mom exposed us to taking classical ballet and Spanish flamenco since I was probably about 2 or 3 years old, until I left Laredo for college,” she remembers. “Those were some things that really became a part of who I am. Who knew that dance would be something that would help me in public speaking or that would help me remember that someone’s always watching, that you’re constantly on stage?” But, as most creatives can and do openly attest, passion doesn’t always equal a paycheck. She turned her sights on another, more practical love: science and math. “I took every math and every science course because I wanted to be a doctor. And so my bachelor’s degree is actually in biology, and I was pre-med ” It was while preparing for the MCAT that she made the decision to seek employment. After all, a medical degree is nice, but unless recruited right out of undergrad, jobs aren’t necessarily falling from trees. She needed a job, point blank. While living in San Antonio and perusing the classifieds in her local newspaper, she came across an opportunity that seemed too good to be true. “There was a dance teacher position at Southwest High School, right on the outskirts of San Antonio,” she remembers. “Not even thinking about what my degree was or what it aligned to, I called. I did a little research on the school. They were the Southwest High Dragons, and their colors were kelly green and black. Well, I only owned one suit; it was black. And I had a kelly green blouse. So I put on my kelly green blouse and went in the school colors. Of course, they looked at my resume and were like, ‘You don’t qualify to be the dance teacher.’ I’m like, ‘But I studied ballet.’ They’re like, ‘Yeah, I get that, but your degree is not in dance. But we are starting a new high school science teacher position that will teach anatomy and physiology. You are just the perfect candidate for that. Do you want to teach?’ I was like, ‘Sure, but I’m not certified as a teacher.’ They said, ‘Oh, don’t worry. We’re going to get you certified through this thing called the alternative certification program.’”

“” Those were some things that really became a part of who I am. Who knew that dance would be something that would help me in public speaking or that would help me remember that someone’s always watching, that you’re constantly on stage.

LOCATION: EASTSIDE EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL Eastside Early College High School offers students free college-level courses with the opportunity to graduate with both an Austin ISD diploma and an associate’s degree from Austin Community College. Co-located with Eastside, the International High School offers bilingual and multilingual programs to international students as they transition to public education in the United States. The modernized, state-of-the-art campus serving both schools is attached to history, being built on the grounds and in the likeness of the Original L.C. Anderson High School. The legacy of the Original L.C. Anderson building has literally been embedded into the building, providing the opportunity to honor the past while building its future. This type of bridge connects the community and makes the campus one of the most unique schools in the nation. 900 Thompson St., eastside.austinschools.org

48 | AUSTIN WOMAN | MARCH 2022

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The stars aligned, as they say, and Elizalde set off on a path she never expected. “That was August of 1987. And I stayed in that district for 16 years.” The revelation yanks a hearty laugh out of the reluctant lifelong teacher. “I rose through the ranks in a very traditional kind of manner. I was a teacher, I was an assistant principal, I was a principal, I was director and then ultimately got a job in the San Antonio Independent School District, a much larger district than the one I was [originally] in. During that time, I was the cheer sponsor. I was the student council sponsor. Anything they had that was going to involve extra hours with extra kids, I was on board. “I was gonna go teach for one year. One year. And I was horrible my first year.” Another round of warm laughter. “But once I got in that first year, I knew that truly all this time I had been fighting against what I really wanted to do. What the love for education was and how privileged I felt that I had gotten a great public school education. I was now in a school where I could see not everybody was getting the same quality public education that I had gotten. What could I do to make a difference? So here we are 35 years later.” Her smile is radiant and honest. Love, absolute and open, wraps every word she says in a bit of gossamer.

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A hurricane doesn’t care what you think about it. Whether at the ballet bar or standing at the whiteboard, Elizalde always believed she was called to serve. But her journey from "the daughter of Lucy and Ricky Ricardo” to Austin ISD’s superintendent was really a quest for one thing: identity. “Laredo is largely Latino,” she says. “There was an airbase at the time, so there were whites and African Americans, very few, but they were there. I ended up getting more of my mother’s coloring than I did my father’s,” she continues, “so just looking at me, many times people will not recognize that I’m Latina. I’m Mexican American, but truthfully, there were quite a few Hispanic kids who didn’t want to play with me because I looked too “white”. And there were some white kids who didn’t want to play with me because I was Latina. So it was a struggle in terms of trying to decide who I needed to be in order to assimilate within that group. School then became a really important part of my identity as I struggled with my ethnicity.” Even while wading through whispers and internet chatter about how she should present herself, Elizalde refused to let those who knew the least about her force her to assimilate to their notions of respectability. In her mind, there was never a question of choosing. “To be quite frank, it wasn’t until I came to Austin and was reading some social media, which I try to stay away from these days. Someone said, ‘I don’t know why she can’t just use her mom’s name. There’s no need for her to identify as a Latina. She’s just as much white as she is Latina. Why is the Latina the spotlight?’ I didn’t think I was really either/or. I thought it was both/and. So it just gave me that kind of reflection: We may all be wearing glasses, but we don’t see through the same lens. It was the very first time that it ever occurred to me, ‘Would things be different if I identified more with my mom’s side than I did my dad’s side?’ That never crossed my mind until I read that post.” A hurricane does not apologize. Stephanie Elizalde is outspoken, unapologetic, honest. Even when her honesty gets her into a certain amount of trouble, she is tactfully fearless. However, she can’t deny that there are times when her position as a woman (and a woman of color) has given her cause to shrink herself, or at least dim her shine a bit in order to feel less conspicuous. “I would not be truthful if I said that I haven’t had some of those internal conflicts,” she admits. “It would not be true, and it wouldn’t be in keeping with who I am. I always know [my identity] is a tough topic, and I’m going to handle it the way I handle everything else.” The same woman who stood toe-to-toe with the State about mask mandates in schools has also had to grapple with multitiered bouts of selfdoubt. Dr. Stephanie Elizalde, the woman who garnered national attention for standing in her truth and her unwavering dedication to the children in her care. The same Dr. Elizalde who penned a letter in Time magazine explaining her stance to the nation. But those moments of uncertainty never stopped her from living in her truth. Admittedly, she wouldn’t know how not to be herself. “I’m not smart enough to keep up pretenses,” she says, a hearty chuckle coloring the admission. “I can’t try to remember, ‘What did I say when I met with so and so?’ because you’re trying to mold yourself into something that you think someone is expecting. I do consider that a strength that I have. I think that came from the struggle of, ‘Am I Latina, or am I white?’ Who knew that that struggle would actually have some similarities to being a superintendent? “I have heard people say things like, ‘Well, it would be helpful if you would soften the way you speak a little bit. It would help if you weren’t so formal in the way in which you dress or the way in which you carry yourself. It would be helpful if you would be a little more emotional.’ The first thing that clicks in your head is, ‘Would those comments be made to a man?’ Right?” As a woman, the blessing and curse of existence is having to navigate a world that refuses to accept the complexity of womanhood. As a woman in leadership, one has to also be a master magician: be everything and nothing at all. “There’s two things you can do with that,” Elizalde

offers. “One, you can totally discount the feedback. Then there’s the other extreme where you start to lose your identity because now you try to become what a few folks have told you might be helpful. I think it’s important to do a little bit of both. I think I have to listen to the feedback, because I can’t say I’m an educator and then not try to learn. I think it’s equally important that I not get lost in trying to become someone I’m not. I do want to become the best version of me. But I’m gonna have to be me. “Mary Poppins says it best, ‘I’m perfectly imperfect.’” The iconic English nanny swooped in like a hurricane herself, teaching children how to better themselves in a world that either caters to them for what they have or lionizes them because of what they don’t. It’s apt that Mary Poppins is her favorite film. “I can do supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. I can even say it backwards, which is suoicodilaipxecitsiligarfilacrepus, but that’s going a bit too far, don’t you think?” She says this all with a smile that utterly gleams with childlike mirth. “I’ve watched Mary Poppins a few times.” However, the people in her life who’ve made a lasting impact were just as integral as Julie Andrews’ interpretation of the magical governess. “My parents, the teachers and principals who worked with me in Dallas ISD, it’s their success that got me noticed for this position. If they weren’t doing what they needed to do to accelerate student academic achievement in Dallas, I wouldn’t have even had an opportunity, I think, to even make the first cut, let alone anything else in Austin ISD.” Her circle of influence widens exponentially when accounting for her only son, William. The omnipresent question of identity confronted her with absolute gale-force power. It’s a subject all career-driven women are forced to address: motherhood. “Like every other parent, regardless of the position that we hold, everything we do we do for our children,” she says. “I did choose to have only one [child] because of my career.” Then the mood of the conversation takes a sudden shift. A memory, tough like gristle, sits heavily in her heart. She clears her throat a few times, shifts a bit in her seat. “When I had William, I was at Southwest ISD. It is an area where there’s a lot of high poverty. Some of my kiddos lived like what I’ll describe as

Because They Loved Me “There’s a song attached to a movie. Michelle Pfeiffer plays a reporter, and Robert Redford [is in it]. That theme song says things like, ‘You lifted me up when I couldn’t reach.’ That to me embodies what my parents did for me and my sister. No families are perfect. But they did the very best they could, and they always, always emphasized how important school was.”

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What are three songs you listen to when you need to get fired up? I have to do Michael Jackson, “Man in the Mirror.” I use that as a theme, I can’t even tell you how many times. I would go to a different school in a different school district and would say, “We need a theme! Let me think about it. ‘Man in the Mirror.’” It would automatically come. Of course, Anita Baker. I think “Angel.” And I'm going with Helen Reddy, "I Am Woman."

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tenant farmers. They worked land. Southwest is semi-rural, semi-urban, on the outskirts of San Antonio. There were landowners that had lots of vegetables and fruits and things that they sold, and most of those individuals sat on the school board. But the children that I served, many of their parents worked for those landowners, picking crops and so on. So it was really important that if there was some resource that I could get out to kids, that I did so. “But there was one of those moments where I had to recognize how much time this was taking away from my family, specifically my son. He was about 5 years old. It was a winter break, and we were taking gifts and food to kids who probably weren’t going to have anything for the Christmas break. I wanted him to see that everybody doesn’t live the same way. My sister even dressed up as Santa Claus and helped distribute the gifts. At the end, [William] pulled me aside and said, ‘Mom, what do I need to do to be one of your kids?’” Pause. Silence. Settle. Compose. “It was at that moment that I decided I needed to not invest in any more of my own biological children,” she says after the moment. “That I needed to balance a little bit what I was doing to ensure that my own child felt like he was mine. From that moment on, I carved enough time out to be at every one of his football games, every one of his baseball games. I went to every single parent teacher conference. We went to karate exhibitions. I know if we had had more children, there would have been no way to have continued on the career path that I was leaning toward. Not that at that moment I ever thought I would be the superintendent of any district, let alone the capital city of Austin ISD. But I did know that I wanted to ascend in the school business in an organization. So it was a moment of reflection, a moment of having to reprioritize. I’m simply blessed that it happened early on enough, that it wasn’t when William was 18 that this happened.”

“” I have to take responsibility for my part. That’s why I’m so dedicated that Austin ISD can be the beacon that demonstrates that we really can be a public school district, not a district of public schools. That [we] come together to support all of our students, regardless of what part of our community they live in.

In the eye of the storm. Things come full circle. As it was growing up, so it is now for a woman who’s made serving her community and its children her life. Dr. Stephanie Elizalde knows what must be done and she’s dedicated to making it happen. “Everybody isn’t getting the same quality public education in the state of Texas,” she says without batting an eyelash. “That’s a really hard thing for me to say, because I am a believer that if you are not part of the solution, then you’re part of the problem. I can’t say that and point fingers; I have to take responsibility for my part. That’s why I’m so dedicated that Austin ISD can be the beacon that demonstrates that we really can be a public school district, not a district of public schools. That [we] come together to support all of our students, regardless of what part of our community they live in. I got such a great education. So then there’s guilt: ‘How come we’re not doing that for every single kid?’ The solutions are not as simple as people may think they are. These are complex systems, and we can’t ignore the institutional racism that has affected the creation of our school districts. They were created to separate us, so we have to realign our philosophies. Acknowledge the past, but we also have to look to the future with brightness. We have to see the horizon. It doesn’t do any of us any good to be Debbie Downers. I never saw anyone who wanted to work for Eeyore. We have to deal with those feelings, and then we just have to move on.” Moving forward, Elizalde is ever hopeful. “What has been revealed to Austin ISD is the number of community members, teachers and principals who want to be the difference. Who want to make the difference and, as cheesy as it is, who want to live out the starfish story. Even if it’s one starfish at a time, one student at a time, one classroom at a time, one school at a time, we can make Austin ISD the public school district with high academic achievement for every one of our students.”

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ROYAL FAMILY

This band of sisters can change their name, but not their roots. BY BRIANNA CALERI

powerful. One band can float between genres, fusing cumbia, reggae, ska and more; perform at political rallies, demonstrations and celebrations; help register new voters; interview queer role models. The Tiarras, a band of sisters, do all this and more, winning three Austin Music Awards and being featured as an Artist of the Month by Austin360 along the way. Making trouble comes with the territory, but it’s not what it’s about. Despite feeling called to represent Latinas through confident rock shows and defiant music videos, the group’s priorities are chiefly to make people dance and connect with their culture. For The Tiarras, it stays in the family. Hector Baltierra was a DJ with a supportive wife, Debbie. She booked Hector’s gigs for him, and they went as a unit. The pair brought their three daughters—each born two years from the other—to weddings and dance parties, endless personal events where memories were made and celebrated to a soundtrack curated specifically for each one. Each of the sisters independently mention their dad without prompting; he is their origin story. They unfold, in loving detail, the way he molded the atmosphere through sound. “I vividly remember sitting next to the speakers and introducing my body and my mind to the other frequencies that could fill up the room…that my dad could control,” says Tiarras guitarist, vocalist and youngest sister Tori Baltierra. Sophia Baltierra, the middle sister and drummer of The Tiarras, references her dad’s cumbia beats (an Afro-Latino two-step), crediting them for instilling in her a sense of rhythm. Like Tori, Sophie talks about controlling a room, this time in interrogating The Tiarras’ sense of purpose as a band. “Why do we make these songs?” she asks. The answer: to get people dancing, to get them involved in their culture. Eldest sister and bassist Tiffany Baltierra changes the subject from her dad’s musical ability to his research chops; he found her the perfect starting gear and discovered paths for her to take with it. “He’s immersed himself in our world,” she says, perhaps without realizing the irony of closing that loop: bringing his kids into his world and readapting to fit their own niche within it. The Tiarras are standing on a precipice of identity as a band. Their name change reflects the reality that, believe it or not, family bands do have to grow up. The Tiarra Girls were as advertised for their first decade or so together. Now the audience sees three women step onstage.

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Aside from offering a more grown-up identity, the rebranding broadens the scope of who a Tiarra is, anyway. The band is no longer a generational fragment of a family; now it represents an entire lineage. It’s not the Tiarra Girls, the way you would say, “The Baltierra girls down the street really picked up their parents’ talent.” It’s The Tiarras, as in, “The Baltierras have been in the music business for generations. It’s in their blood.” TORI: THE IDEAS GIRL

Tori Baltierra grew up around music, like all the Tiarras, but it really hit her in school. (“She’ll probably bring up the Beatles song that she learned,” says Sophia, in one of several moments in which the separated Tiarras performed either the clairvoyant or intensively practiced feat of saying the exact same thing.) A teacher played the surprisingly deep cut “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da’’ on the guitar for his elementary school students, and Tori felt a shift in the room. “I was always very shy growing up,” Tori reveals. “I never wanted to talk. I wouldn’t sing, which is really funny [because] I’m a singer now. It made me not want to be shy anymore.” It is surprising to hear that Tori, the literal and figurative voice of The Tiarras, was ever shy. Now she speaks fluidly and poetically about being the old soul of the family, despite being the youngest sister. She is clearly the ideas person, concise in describing her artistry but seemingly never out of things to say. As the youngest often does, she tends to call the shots.

Photos by Jay Ybarra.

No matter how much or how little people expect from them, girl groups are

Photos by Jay Ybarra.

Tiffany, Tori and Sophia Baltierra

ATXWOMAN.COM | 55

“I’m glue in between the cracks of the band and the powerhouse” Tori says. “It’s really nice in that kind of setting; when we’re doing band stuff I’m kind of like the older sister, but then outside of it I’m the baby. It’s really fun to tap into both worlds.” She certainly is forceful, with a deep but nearly nasal singing voice much like Gwen Stefani’s (a comparison she hears often and happily accepts). Most Tiarras songs start with an idea from Tori, and she writes all the lyrics, anchoring the music to her personal experience in a much more tangible way than the instrumentalists are afforded. In her coming out song “Let Love Free,” the singer takes a central narrative role and renounces any intention of hiding her lesbian identity any longer. One scene in the music video includes a loving hug from her real-life father that sent other dads to her direct messages in appreciation. Some of them talked about the song with their own daughters who had just come out. “We portrayed a Mexican-American family that was open about talking about queer relationships and identity,” says Tori. “I think it just got a spark going in people’s minds and inspired them to take that next step.” SOPHIA: THE WEIGHTLIFTER

Sophia Baltierra speaks with a pleasant, nearly imperceptible impatience. Her voice carries a sense of drive befitting a drummer. Even more than the others, she talks about being attuned to her sisters and knows they’ve disagreed on some things, but struggles to come up with an example. While Tori comes to writing sessions with the base ideas, Sophia helps take the next step. “I usually start to feel something in my body,” says Sophia. “I start tapping on the table to show Tiffany and Tori what I’m already thinking right then and there, and if I see them groove with me I know that that’s the beat we’re probably going to start working off of.” She watches their faces and says the results aren’t particularly hard to see. Of course, they’re comfortable enough working together that they’re not holding any of their feelings back. They tend to agree musically—one of the perks of sharing formative moments in their childhood music tastes.

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Tori Baltierra

The Tiarras talk about culture as something sacred to preserve through their art. As a family band, they have something unique to immortalize. Even the most culturally mindful bands are typically piecing together common experiences across families, towns, countries or even diasporas. This one is mining its musical material from a single Mexican-American family’s values and memories. The Tiarras write into Austin Woman to describe the traditions that shaped them. Sophia Baltierra, drums: “Every gathering we have as a family always ends with multiple games of Lotería. This has been a tradition since we were young, and I hope to carry it through my family as well. As a Mexican-American family, there are times where we find ourselves stumbling on the pronunciation of the cards, but it’s always a good time and a learning experience.”

Tiffany Baltierra, bass: “On Saturday mornings, waking up to the smell of coffee, tacos and the sound of Cumbias always meant that it was going to be a day full of cleaning. When I was younger, this would make me want to pull the blanket over my head. Now as an adult, I find myself to be the one to hit play on that Cumbia playlist and start the coffee. This tradition will live on forever in my family!” Tori Baltierra, guitar and vocals: “Tamales remind me of the love and warmth my family gives me. Growing up, the special deliveries of fresh tamales from our grandpa felt like Santa had made a visit (it still does), and we never left the Christmas party without a few plates of them. I hope to keep the tradition of sharing tamales alive and to put a smile on more faces as our dinner table grows.”

ATXWOMAN.COM | 57

“” I usually start to feel something in my body. I start tapping on the table to show Tiffany and Tori what I’m already thinking right then and there, and if I see them groove with me I know that that’s the beat we’re probably going to start working off of. “Leave It to the People” contains Sophia’s favorite writing contributions, marking the moment their sound started to reflect who The Tiarras really are. Compared to the Tiarra Girls EP, which is a light and fluffy collection of beach rock and R&B, “Leave It to the People” is dark, moody and full-bodied. The verses in English detail cultural changes in motion, and the chorus in Spanish—“no lo apoyaremos”—is politically defiant, perhaps surprising to some listeners with preconceived ideas of what a family band of young women sing about. This effort was more about embracing cultural roots and included a shift to more cumbia-based rhythmic structures. Since The Tiarras made that shift in 2018, Sophia predicts the only thing that will change for now is their name. This drummer, a recreational weightlifter who the band sometimes cheers on via social media, is an almost-too-convenient symbol of power in women. Fittingly, she’s also the one who speaks the most ambitiously about the rebrand. “We’re grown women now,” she says. “I want to continue to make the music that we are [making]. I just want people to still continue to…feel something with our music. A lot of our audience is the same age as us, maybe older. So I still want them to be able to connect with us.” TIFFANY: THE EDITOR

It’s another sibling cliche: the eldest makes the sacrifices. In the early history of The Tiarras, Tori started playing the guitar, and Sophia picked up the drums. Tiffany was learning the piano, and the three would come together at home to practice. The problem was there wasn’t enough bass. Tiffany was already playing those parts with her left hand, so the 13-year-old did what many bassists do: abandoned her initial instrument for the good of the group. “I went to the bass for a little bit and got upset about how thick the strings were, so then I jumped back to the keyboard,” Tiffany recounts. But she missed the feeling of locking into the rhythm section. “I felt more

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Sophia Baltierra

power and a little bit more of the beat. So I was like, ‘I’m just going to keep practicing and get over this. [My fingers] are not gonna be the same size the rest of my life.’” It’s a similar journey to one of Austin’s most influential instrumentalists, bassist Kathy Valentine of the early-punk girl group The Go-Go’s (who The Tiarra’s have covered, with “Can’t Stop the World”). Tiffany reached out to Valentine one day, looking for advice after being told one too many times that the Tiarra Girls should smile more while onstage. The established rocker encouraged her to shake off those outside opinions, to embody what the music meant to her instead. In the music video for “Soy Chingona,” a rallying cry for combative women with good reason to be, The Tiarras play women with traditionally masculine jobs. Of course, Tori was a musician. Sophia, naturally, was an athlete (although boxing was new for the

weightlifter). Tiffany, a graduate nurse, played something completely out of her wheelhouse again: a mechanic working on classic cars in their uncle’s garage in Austin. The shapeshifting sister is ready to adapt thanks to a natural inclination toward structure, which often helps in songwriting when it’s time to edit songs down from long jams. She likes having the opportunity to “model” that structure to her siblings. But those days are almost over. “I still see Tori as 12 years old, even though she’s 21. I’ve had more conversations recently about feeling like I have to set the example, [but] we’re not teenagers anymore,” Tiffany says. “We can all set an example for each other, and it’s not just me.”

Tiffany Baltierra

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WAITING ROOM

5 REASONS TO ADD CBD TO YOUR WELLNESS ROUTINE TrueStopper Founder Dr. Kirsten Shepard provides information for those considering cannabinoids to moderate pain or provide stress relief.

I began testing CBD

products because of a deeply personal experience: my father, Luke Shepard’s, mesothelioma diagnosis. From nausea to pain, depression to appetite suppression, I witnessed firsthand the damaging effects of chemotherapy and radiation. My dad was prescribed opioids that made him sleep, “feel like a zombie” and unable to interact with us. I found many international research studies to support the effectiveness of CBD and quickly developed a regime of CBD tincture for my father. While there were clear improvements in his symptoms, he did not like the taste of the oils. So I began applying them topically and combined them with different bases to form TrueStopper’s current CBD line. If you’re like me and many other Americans, you’re frustrated with the current “sick care” system in the U.S., especially when looking at how our country treats general pain and chronic degenerative diseases like neck, back, joint and muscle pain. We are witnessing this system firsthand with the opioid epidemic, which killed over 100,000 people in 2021.(1) This epidemic is not dwindling. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the amount of victims killed by the opioid epidemic in 2021 increased over 28.5% compared to 2020. Quite evidently, many pharmaceuticals only mask dysfunctions in the body, rather than fixing them. Cannabinoids, the therapeutic compounds in cannabis, are completely safe natural medicines, effective for a wide variety of applications. Before 1937, cannabis was a main ingredient in over 50% of the medications in the U.S. Before cannabis was illegalized, pharmacists and the American Medical Association lobbied congress not to ban cannabis. Thankfully, a number of cannabis-derived hemp products are legal in all 50 states. CBD, CBG and CBN are the most well-known cannabinoids because they have many therapeutic properties and are nonpsychoactive (meaning they don’t cause a “high”). Of the three, CBD is the most commonly utilized. Here are a few simple reasons to incorporate it into your wellness routine.

RELIEVES PAIN

CBD’s pain-relieving properties have been shown to be beneficial for chronic conditions such as joint disease and arthritis. Using a topical such as a pain patch, roll-on or salve will allow for simple targeted application.(2, 3) DECREASES INFLAMMATION

Many conditions result in excessive inflammation, which can cause discomfort and joint pain. Research has shown that CBD has anti-inflammatory properties that may help provide comfort and relief from excessive inflammation. Ingestibles such as tinctures, gummies and tablets can provide systemic relief.(2, 4, 5) DECREASES NAUSEA

Nausea and appetite loss are frequently encountered in patients with kidney disease, cancer or chronic digestive conditions. CBD and CBG have been shown to decrease nausea, which can help restore appetite.(6, 7) Tinctures and edibles can help provide the balance you need. DECREASES ANXIETY

A number of conditions may cause anxiety or stress. Common causes include PTSD, separation anxiety, test anxiety or social anxiety. CBD research has shown it can provide calming effects in stressful situations.(8, 9) Calming CBD tablets may be combined with melatonin and chamomile. COMBATS SEIZURES AND PROVIDES NEUROLOGICAL BENEFITS

CBD and CBN have neuroprotective properties and are associated with improvement in many neurological disorders, such as seizures and spasms.(10, 11) The natural healing properties of CBD tinctures can naturally help your body repair and recuperate. If you have been hesitant to add CBD to your wellness routine due to fears of liver toxicity, a recent study showed there is no evidence to support that claim.(12) So now is the time to start incorporating natural options into your wellness routine. Just make sure you are using a reputable source since the FDA has yet to regulate CBD products and over 70% of the products are mislabeled.(13)

Sources: 1. kut.org/2021-11-17/drug-overdose-deaths-in-the-u-s-have-topped-100-000-f or-the-first-time?_amp=true 2. (PDF) Cannabidiol (CBD) and its analogs: A review of their effects on inflammation 3. Cannabis and Pain: A Clinical Review 4. Cannabidiol and palmitoylethanolamide are anti-inflammatory in the acutely inflamed human colon | Clinical Science | Portland Press 5. Cannabidiol attenuates alcohol-induced liver steatosis, metabolic dysregulation, inflammation and neutrophil-mediated injury 6. Cannabinoid Regulation of Acute and Anticipatory Nausea 7. Cannabinoids suppress acute and anticipatory nausea in preclinical rat models of conditioned gaping - PubMed (nih.gov) 8. Cannabidiol regulation of emotion and emotional memory processing: relevance for treating anxiety related and substance abuse disorders 9. Plastic and Neuroprotective Mechanisms Involved in the Therapeutic Effects of Cannabidiol in Psychiatric Disorders 10. Efficacy and safety of cannabis for treating children with refractory epilepsy 11. Cannabidiol attenuates seizures and social deficits in a mouse model of Dravet syndrome 12. Observed Impact of Long-term Consumption of Oral Cannabidiol on Liver Function in Healthy Adults 13. Penn Study Shows Nearly 70 Percent of Cannabidiol Extracts Sold Online Are Mislabeled - Penn Medicine

60 | AUSTIN WOMAN | MARCH 2022

Photo by Matthew Brandford.

BY DR. KIRSTEN K. SHEPARD, LMT, DC

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RECIPE REVEAL

SPARKING BITS OF JOY

Barley Swine’s Executive Pastry Chef Augusta Passow uses unique recipes to tell even more interesting stories.

Augusta Passow never imagined the kitchen was the place for her. “But if you asked

people around me they would say, ‘Yes! Absolutely!’” she says with a laugh. A Montana girl, she moved to Austin nine years ago, and for the past four years she’s taken up residency at Barley Swine as their executive pastry chef. “I’ve always worked in kitchens and was always cooking but kind of thought it was something I was doing as a hobby or working till I made my next move,” she admits. “Then in my early 20s I decided this is what I was going to make a career of. I moved to Austin to attend culinary school, specifically for patisserie and baking. From there I had a couple of really great career opportunities that eventually led me to Barley Swine. With my time here I’ve been able to grow into my personal style of creating dishes while also learning about Texas produce and our local farms, which has always been the standard for Bryce [Gilmore] and his restaurants.” Coming from a city that she concedes “didn’t really have a food scene,” Passow transformed her hobby into her own form of storytelling, getting inspiration from community cookbooks and the individual stories of those lucky enough to sample her unique interpretation of classic recipes. “I like looking at a recipe that calls itself a salad but is jello, whipped cream, fruit and cottage cheese,” she says. “Seeing how I can twist that using local ingredients into something that you wouldn’t see at your family potluck but brings back those memories and flavors. I love when people try my desserts and say it tastes like something so

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specific, even if it’s not the flavor profile I was going for. I like that it sparks this bit of joy for them.” Her time in the kitchen has generally been a pleasant one, a far cry from the horror stories of women working in restaurants in the past. “Working at a restaurant like Barley is really special because it carries that ethos of what Austin is,” she says. “We have this space where we’re able to push ourselves and our creativity because Bryce has made sure that his restaurants have that welcoming environment, not only for the guests but for his employees as well. It lets us all be the weirdos that we are and also come together as a team to have one main goal of creating a memorable experience for our guests.” For those interested in giving a professional kitchen a shot, her advice is both validating and incredibly optimistic. “Kitchen culture is definitely changing,” she insists. “It’s not as cutthroat as it once was. People are really pushing for more of a work-life balance. Maybe we all realized that we could have more beneficial careers if we actually took a moment to breathe once in a while. If someone was trying to make the change to a professional kitchen they should just go for it. I feel like most restaurants are openminded about being a space for teaching and growing into a career. “Also, be your own teacher, find out what kind of cuisine or style speaks to you, and learn all you can: reading, cooking at home, etc. Even if you’re not looking for a job, reach out to a restaurant and talk to them about coming in and seeing the kitchen or helping out for a day. You may be surprised with how open they can be.” Passow offers her interpretation of a basic frozen custard, thinking outside the box to bring unique flavor profiles to the forefront. “I chose to do a sunchoke frozen custard, with a pecan macaron, coffee cremeux and strawberries. I love this dish because it’s small but mighty as far as flavors go. I like to use sunchokes in custards because the richness from the eggs really goes great with the flavor of sunchoke and vanilla. I don’t always get to mix hearty vegetables with fruit because of the seasons, but we’ve lucked out the last couple years with these winter strawberries. This dish is great for winter. Which I think is what makes it special.”

Photos by Richard Casteel.

BY CY WHITE

PECAN MACARONS

STRAWBERRY GEL

75 grams pecans (or pecan flour) 50 grams powdered sugar 30 grams brown sugar 40 grams granulated sugar 55 grams egg whites Pinch of cream of tartar

150 grams strawberry puree 125 grams water 1 gram salt 100 grams sugar 4 grams agar 15 grams lemon juice

Pecan macaron instructions:

Strawberry Gel instructions:

Combine pecans, powdered sugar and brown sugar in a food processor and blend.

In a small pot on the stove, heat strawberry puree, water and salt.

Sift two times, then set aside.

Bring to a rolling boil for 2 minutes.

In a stand mixer, whip granulated sugar, cream of tartar and egg whites together on medium speed to stiff peaks.

Add lemon juice and chill until set.

Fold in pecan mixture in 3 parts. Continue folding the mixture until it is glossy and slightly runny. Pipe small rounds onto a silpat or parchment paper-lined tray. Let dry out up to 1 hour before baking. Bake at 300° for 12 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Keep in an airtight container until ready to use.

Combine sugar and agar and whisk into the hot strawberry mixture.

When fully set, break up and blend into gel.

SUNCHOKE FROZEN CUSTARD 65 grams sunchoke 450 grams milk 225 grams cream 150 grams sugar, separated 112 grams egg yolks 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

COFFEE CREMEUX

Sunchoke Frozen Custard instructions:

225 grams milk chocolate 65 grams espresso 2 gelatin sheets 130 grams milk 183 grams heavy cream 30 grams sugar 52 grams egg yolks

Toss sunchokes with cooking oil and salt of choice. Turn out onto baking tray, then bake At 375° for 20 minutes.

Coffee Cremeaux instructions: Melt chocolate over a double boiler. Set aside, keeping warm. Pull espresso shots. Bloom gelatin in cold water. In a small pot on the stove, bring milk, cream and sugar to simmer. Temper the hot milk mixture into egg yolks. Return to heat and gently cook until it begins to thicken. Mixture should reach 180°. Remove gelatin from the water and wring out any excess moisture, then add bloomed gelatin to the milk mixture. Strain the mixture over the melted chocolate. Completely re-melt chocolate mixture and chill until set (ideally overnight).

In a small pot on the stove, combine milk, cream, 100 grams of sugar and roasted sunchokes. Slightly mash sunchokes with a whisk or wooden spoon. Bring to a simmer, then take off the heat and let steep for 45 minutes. Strain sunchokes from milk mixture using a fine mesh strainer. Discard (or eat) sunchokes. Reheat milk mixture to a simmer. In a separate pot, combine egg yolks, vanilla and 50 grams of sugar. Mix until lightened in color. Temper the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture and return to heat. Gently stir with a wooden spoon to 175°, or until it coats the back of the spoon and you can run your finger through it. Strain and place over a bowl of ice to chill. Once chilled, churn in an ice cream maker, per its directions. Plating instructions: Pipe or spoon a small amount of coffee cremeux in the bottom of a small bowl. Top with a pecan macaron, flat-side up, slightly pushing into the cremeux so it doesn’t move. Transfer blended strawberry gel to a small squeeze bottle or piping bag. Pipe several small dots on the macaron. Lay a small scoop of ice cream in the center of the macaron. Garnish with fresh sliced strawberries.

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I AM AUSTIN WOMAN

COOL LITTLE ME

Cool Little Ones Founder and Austin Woman small business grant winner Glenna Devonport took a chance on herself and won.

I will never forget March 2020, the month the coronavirus changed the trajectory of my life. I was on the last week of my 12-week maternity leave when my boss gave me a call, saying something to the effect of, “Glenna, this coronavirus is really shaking things up. I am so sorry, we just can’t afford to have you come back to work. Clients are canceling projects. I hope you can come back one day, but right now, we are having to make a lot of tough decisions.” I hadn’t been unemployed since I was 14 years old, and take pride in my independence and strong work ethic. All of that came crashing down when I began the conversation with my internal committee: “Well if they really wanted me, they would have figured it out.” Talk about some soul searching. I remember thinking, “If this isn’t a sign to try and work for myself, I don’t know what is.” For the next few weeks, I scoured the job boards, networked and planned my next move. I had a newborn and 2-year-old at home with me full time, my first time experiencing the “stay-at-home mom” life. In a way, I naively envied stay-at-home moms and what I thought their lives were like. Getting up, working out, taking a shower, going to the park, going to lunch with your friends, coming home for naptime and watching bad TV. I quickly realized it was actually far from what I had envisioned. I struggled with selfishly yearning to take a business trip and continue my career while equally feeling appreciative of the unexpected time I was spending with my kids. I spent months outside with my guys at the Wildflower Center, walking the trail at Lady Bird Lake, hiking state parks and exploring all that Central Texas has to offer. During this time, I started noticing not only how sweaty my 2-year-old was when we were outside, but also how sweaty my baby was when he was in the stroller or car seat. I looked down at myself and thought, “If I am wearing these cute moisture-wicking clothes, why aren’t my kids?” Yes, some of the big brands had options, but I wanted something cute, fun prints without a brand name plastered on it. I borrowed an old Brother sewing machine from my stepmom, printed off a pattern and started sewing my kids moisture-wicking clothes out of my old ones. Sewing had never interested me, but for the first time, I felt like I was

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working again. I was experiencing creativity on my own time, originating something and then watching it actually work—how soul fulfilling that is. I had friends comment on the cute prints and how well the fabric worked on their kids. It was on one of our many walks around the neighborhood with our little guys in tow that I said to my husband, “I am going to lean into this hard and start a company.” Next thing I knew, I was on a trip to Los Angeles with my mom to source fabric and identify manufacturers. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into, but I was thrilled to follow through on my idea. We walked up and down every street in the design district looking at fabric and asking every store what manufacturers they recommended. We set up meetings with those manufacturers and asked all the questions we could think of. I still laugh when I think back, because it was so clear that I had zero experience in apparel manufacturing. I made an extremely small first purchase order and begged my top choice manufacturer to take me on as a client. When the clothes came in, they actually started selling, so I added dresses to the line. What I ultimately learned on this trip was if you take small steps forward every day, those small steps will lead to bigger steps and soon you will actually be doing whatever it was you thought you couldn’t do at the beginning. Now here we are a year later, and my first full line for Cool Little Ones is currently being manufactured and will be available early April 2022. Supply chain issues, materials and labor price increases have positively challenged me to become comfortable adjusting to an ever-changing business environment. Although my orders are still small, my goal is to maintain manufacturing in the United States and incorporate environmentally friendly fabrics. There is still so much for me to learn, but I am taking one day at a time. For most everyone in the world, no two years have been as hard as the past couple. We are all adapting to the unknown while trying not to surrender or stop creating. As women we are asked, “Can we do it all?” I answer with a resounding “Yes! However…” You don’t do everything well all at once. I’m fortunate to have my mom and her best friend as role models who have individually challenged male-dominated industries, societal status quos. Both built successful businesses headquartered in Austin. I’m confident I can have a meaningful career pursuing my dream of owning a thriving company, while simultaneously being a great mom and spouse. But what has been the toughest for me to reconcile, and why I answer the question with a qualifying “Yes! However,” is fully understanding that I may not excel at every one of life’s responsibilities concurrently. Instead, I let myself realistically flow gracefully with the daily balance. To me, that is the definition of success.

Photos courtesy of Glenna Devonport.

BY GLENNA DEVONPORT

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March 2022

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RECIPE REVEAL Sparking Bits of joy

WAITING ROOM Dr. Kirsten Shepard

SERITA LACASSE, TRACY FRANK, BILLIE LOGIUDICE

MONICA VON WAADEN, KRISTEN HUGULEY CAROLYN SCHWARZ

CORTNEY JONES, TANIA LESKOVAR-OWENS, AMY SWEET

TRESS TO IMPRESS Doing God’s Work

GIVE BACK Healing Foster Children Through Joy

ON THE MONEY NFTs: Revolutionary or Rubbish?

FROM THE DESK OF Nora de Hoyos Comstock, Ph.D

JERI SUE PLAXCO, D.O.; ERIN WINSTON, M.D HARPREET TALWAR, M.D.

CATHY HAMILTON, JENNIFER WILLIAMS, PH.D DEBBIE TATE, CFRE, CFRM

STAFF PICKS What’s something a woman you admire

SEE HER WORK Beauty Within the Brokenness