I've been featured in Trailblazher!
This winter I had the absolute honour of being interviewed for a feature article in Trailblazher Magazine. This beautiful international magazine features resilient, gutsy rural women. It is a showcase of the lifestyles, stories and wisdom of enterprising, rural women pioneering a path to their dreams. I’ve subscribed to this beautiful publication right from the start and loved reading it each season. I’ve been so inspired by the incredible stories and beautiful photos. I never dreamed that I would be featured in the magazine and it has been a truly humbling experience to see my story in print!
How did it all start?
In the spring of 2022, I received an Instagram voice message from Jan and Erin Johnson, the founders and creative directors of Trailblazher Co. You can’t imagine my shock and surprise when I listened to the message and it was asking if I’d like to share my story. So many feelings flooded over me. It took me a few minutes to gather myself before I could send back a Yes!
There was a lengthy written portion detailing my background and my path from childhood to my handmade business. As I wrote, I noticed a reoccurring theme across our life on the farm and my new business, Wheat & Wildflower Handmade – the search for improved sustainability.
In October, I had a zoom call interview with Jan, where we chatted so comfortably about my life as a rural business owner and the balancing act that is involved for me as a farm mom and owner. And then that was it! It was time to get photos ready and submitted. And behind the scenes, I knew Jan would put her beautiful skills to work, describing my path from a career in agriculture to the owner of a rural handmade business.
An afternoon in time
The Trailblazher Magazine has a beautiful editorial style created by hours and hours of work by Erin. I knew that the photos to accompany my article needed to be very special. I had the pleasure of working with Sara Uruski Photography to capture my story in a series of beautiful photos. Sara has such a creative eye when it comes to the details and depth! And her familiarity with living rurally and comfort with animals and kids made our time together fly by! When I suggested that we load up an old treadle machine for photos in the field, she recruited my husband Scott to help with loading it and to entertain her little guy while she and I traipsed through the long grass for some absolutely stunning photos. At the end of the session, the school bus dropped my kids off after school and Sara somehow managed to gain the cooperation for some really sweet (and frameable!) photos of my family, including one of our dogs, Storm. Storm had spent the fall obsessing over the tillage turnips grown in our regenerative fields and if you look closely, you will see the chewed up radish made it into the photo as Storm waited patiently for someone to play fetch with her and her turnip. When I received my gallery from Sara, I squealed at the combination of textures, colours and light. I knew the photos were a perfect fit for the Trailblazher aesthetic! And I can’t wait to print a few for a gallery wall in my new sewing studio, as well!
The wait
By the end of October, my photos were submitted and all that was left was to wait! Pulling together a beautiful publication takes hours and hours of time from the Trailblazher ladies.
I couldn’t wait to see the results. My first sneak of my feature was in their reveal reel on Instagram! I watched the reel dozens of times, attempting to grab screen shots to see which photos had been included.
And in a second reel about my feature article I could even read snipets of Jan’s beautiful writing.
Seeing it in print
When my magazine arrived in the mail in Mid-January, it was quite a surreal experience to see my name, story and photos in a beautiful, international publication. I am so grateful for the experience to share my story. And I hope it inspires other women to be creative and chase their dreams!
“No matter how busy life is, find a creative outlet! Even if its just an hour once a month. Our hearts and minds need an outlet for creativity and passion. It feels so good to say “I made this.” There is such a sense of accomplishment in creating something you can use and enjoy.”
My story
Read the entire feature article from Trailblazher here.
Sew Sustainable
Written by Jan Johnson
The story of how one woman took her fifteen year of corporate experience and pivoted to start-up a kid’s clothing business after she was laid off.
Photography by
Sara Uruski Photography
About Trailblazher
Trailblazher Magazine showcases the lifestyles, stories and modern business wisdom of enterprising, rural women in North America. A gorgeous coffee table publication, Trailblazher is here to inform, connect and inspire all who read it. From the diverse landscapes of North America – dive into the ‘back stories’ of these resilient, gutsy women everywhere. We are bringing a wholesome approach to a rural lifestyle with seasonal recipes, sustainability from the land, holistic wellbeing and so much more! Whether you live in a city, a small town or in the countryside, you will be inspired by this vibrant rural movement.
Trailblazher Magazine can be purchased as a single issue, 1, 2 or 3-year subscription. Subscribe here www.trailblazherco.com.
