A Force To Be Reckoned With
A Force To Be Reckoned With
222. Healing Through Adversity: The Story Behind The Bohemian Mama
Have you ever thought about how the hardest moments in life can become the foundation for something beautiful?
In this episode, we chat with Vivian Brinkman, the force behind The Bohemian Mama, a natural skincare brand with a heart for community and authenticity. Vivian shares how growing up in a traditional Greek immigrant family shaped her values, how she and her husband turned challenges into creativity, and how parenting—especially raising a son with learning differences—taught her resilience, faith, and the true meaning of patience.
We’ll uncover the beauty of finding purpose in the mess, navigating life’s curveballs, and embracing healing in unexpected places. Plus, you’ll hear how Vivian’s mission goes beyond business, from wellness retreats to teaching kids the importance of conscious living.
Be sure to follow Bethany and The Bohemian Mama on Instagram to stay in the loop for all the details on an upcoming giveaway—you won’t want to miss it!
Get ready for an inspiring conversation that will leave you encouraged, motivated, and ready to face your own challenges head-on.
Episode Highlights:
- Meet Vivian.
- Vivian’s call to entrepreneurship.
- The value in investing in your family.
- We’re meant to be in community.
- Where do we even begin?
Find More on Vivian & The Bohemian Mama:
Links Mentioned in Episode/Find More on A Force to Be Reckoned With:
- Jointheforce.us
- Follow us on Instagram @bethanyadkins
- Find us on Youtube!
This show has been produced by Adkins Media Co.
We are at war and it's not against our neighbors, spouses, children, politicians or whatever else we feel like we're battling against.
Speaker 3:So the questions are who's the fight against, and are we winning or losing? We're the Adkins, and we are a force to be reckoned with.
Speaker 3:Are you ready to join the force. All right, welcome back everyone to another week of a force to be reckoned with, really excited. Today we have our first guest of the year of 2025, vivian Brinkman and I. This interview has been a long time coming, with crazy schedules and just holidays and a lot of rescheduling. We were finally able to connect today and I just want to say welcome, vivian, thank you.
Speaker 1:Bethany, I'm so excited to be here and I'm so excited that you know what we're going to talk about is, like one of my favorite topics Not me, but just sharing lives and sharing the Lord.
Speaker 3:Yes, absolutely so. You may or may not be familiar with the name, vivian Brinkman, but you probably especially if you're local would be more familiar with the name, the Bohemian Mama, which is a brand and products that I have come to love over the last I would even say six months. It hasn't even been super long, but Vivian is the founder and owner right Of Bohemian Mama, and she does natural skincare and a ton of other different things. Like I said, they're products that I found in town and have fallen in love with, have felt comfortable enough because of the ingredients in them to share with my daughter, and so we're going to be talking about that today. But more than that, we're going to be talking about Vivian's story, which I'm really excited to hear myself, and I know you guys are going to love it as well. So let's just dive right in.
Speaker 3:This is why my entire podcast started. I'm nosy. I get inspired. I love a good memoir. I just love to see people who are inspiring and remind myself like that isn't where they've always been and there's a story behind that. I saw your product and I thought there's definitely a story behind why these products exist. So just go ahead and start wherever you feel led, telling us about your story. Was this a dream of yours, or what led to this?
Speaker 1:Wouldn't have dreamt this in a million years. First of all, I'm right there with you. I always joke that, especially people that know me as Bohemian Mama, and they're like oh, did you know that you're a local celebrity? And I'm like hilarious because you're coming into chapter 50. I'm going to be 50 next week is my 50th birthday, and if you would have known all the things that had happened prior to that, you would realize there's nothing spectacular about me at all. And that's the thing I think that makes me so excited to share my story and hopefully it be an encouragement and an inspiration and empowering to other people, because you know you might look and see like, oh well, she's got it all together. I didn't, I wasn't always this and I still don't have it together, right, right. So I always struggle when I need to where the beginning is, because you know the is, the beginning is is. I always go all the way back to.
Speaker 1:I come from an immigrant family, so both of my parents are from Greece and they came here as an arranged marriage for a better life, and so growing up, my childhood was very different and I always want to share that because I didn't feel like I was equipped equipped, given the you know what I needed to prepare me for living in America and raising a child and being married. And because I was such a different culture I was raised basically, you know, my one job was to get married and have kids, and I was the only girl of. You know, there was three of us, I had two brothers, and I just knew that there was something inside of me that I was like that's not all. That's not all the Lord has called me to. There's like so much more, but I don't know what that is. And fast forward. I did meet my husband at 22. We got married at 23. And that was what we wanted to do was for me to stay home and raise my kid and raise our kids, and so we were a single family and come for 17 years.
Speaker 1:My husband's a very talented graphic designer, which is why Bohemian Mama is so beautiful. My cards, my website, which is why Bohemian Mama is so beautiful. My cards, my website, my logo. I always joke. If I would have started this business on my own, it would be with craft paper in my territory and no one would be able to read it. It'd be great products on the inside but not great marketing on the outside. So again, fast forward.
Speaker 1:I have two boys and our second son was diagnosed with learning and behavioral issues at eight years old. And this wrecked me, because you know you expect when you're going to have your kids. You see all their fingers and toes and everything and they're perfect and they're beautiful and they're a promise, you know, for new beginnings. And you know, and when my husband and I got together because we both kind of came from hot messes, we did make a promise that our lives were going to be a new beginning, that we were going to go forward and not carry any of the generational curses that you know could be passed on to the future, and that we were going to the buck, was going to stop here and there was healing and healing was going to go forward.
Speaker 1:And then we have our son, who has all of these challenges. And I was not to belittle or even be hard on my parents, because they did the best that they could, but just always told that I wasn't smart enough and I wasn't, you know enough. So I'm like Lord, how am I supposed to help this person in life to be successful and independent and all of these things, life to be successful and independent and all of these things. Meanwhile, my husband's emotions childhood meet him in. How do I want to say how do you want to say that?
Speaker 3:But like his past met him right into his present, and he was wrecked, and so now I'm like, okay, where do we go from here?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm not the girl, I'm not the girl for this job. Like wrong assignment, like wrong you know the wrong place. That's kind of when Bohemia Mama started, but I didn't know it until what, 10 years later, I started taking a, really, because there's no one that is going to be a better investigator, researcher, hard worker than a mom trying to help their family. And so I started researching, you know, places to help support my family mentally, physically, emotionally. We got into therapy. Everything that I was reading, I was learning, you know, about gut health and the gut brain connection and so what goes in our body, and I was always a little bit of a.
Speaker 1:I became a pescatarian when I was 18. So in 1993, I changed my eating habits and noticed how that changed me mentally and physically. So, and Brandon and Brian started having, you know, mental challenges. I'm like the first thing we're going to do is look at their food. Yeah, we're going to change their diet. We are going whole food, we're going local, grass fed, you know we're. We're changing our diet because there's no way you can have mental health, good mental health without good Right.
Speaker 3:When you did that, did you notice a difference?
Speaker 1:oh, yes, yeah, huge, huge in both of them. Um. But then this is when the world of um, what we were putting on our skin, I realized, goes into your bloodstream and can wreak havoc on your hormones and your mental and physical health just as much. And I was like, if I am investigating this much what's going in their body, why am I not? And even as far as like air fresheners because I was the queen of Glade plugins, I know, yes, I can relate Apple cinnamons like all the time. Or baked cookies or you know whatever it is. And and the first time I realized, you know it was brought to my attention I didn't even realize how easily they could be affected.
Speaker 1:My mother in law got because the boys moved. We had a century home and we moved them up in the attic and it's not a little bit like an attic, even though it was finished and so my mother-in-law got him this little Glade thing to put next to his bed. He woke up the next day in a full body rash, oh my gosh. And so two days later he still had it. The third day I took him to the pediatrician and the pediatrician was like has he eaten anything weird? Has he put anything weird on his body. Is there any perfumes or plugins or anything that are different in his room? And I was like, well, yeah, actually there is, and they're like that's what it is, because it goes in through your nose and goes into your body. And I'm like, oh my gosh, so there are toxins everywhere.
Speaker 1:I need to revamp my whole life, and so I started making my own products for my family, and it started with cleaning. It started with air fresheners I was getting diffusers. Cleaning. It started with air fresheners I was getting diffusers, and you know. And then fast forward into 2014. So this was probably around 2008. So fast forward into 2014,. I went to my first herbal remedy class and Bethany, I like sat there and cried. It was like God had been preparing me my whole life for this moment.
Speaker 3:And how old were you at this time and how old were your kids? I?
Speaker 1:so let's see, this is 2014. So I would have had a 14 and a 13 year old, and that would have put me how old were you?
Speaker 3:I mean, you don't have to share your age I don't remember. You had older kids.
Speaker 1:I started my business at 40.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So that's amazing.
Speaker 3:That's kind of fun, because it's fun and it's encouraging. Sorry, I don't mean to interrupt you, but I love that as a mom with young little ones. I'm 33 and in the thick of raising a family, and I was just having this conversation with a friend last night about how much we have on our plates and that sometimes God, like you said, even when you were young, you had desire for more, and God puts those desires in us and sometimes we're just asked to hold on to those desires until a later season. So just because you have the desire now, it doesn't always mean it's going to happen right now, and not even to be discouraged in that, but to ask God what he's teaching you along the way. And it's like that's so much of your story.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I love that. You couldn't have said it any better, I think that's when I realized that he was calling me to entrepreneurship, I was just like, oh my gosh. I'm like this is so cool that you know we can reinvent ourselves at any stage. I'm like here I am at 40. What will I be doing at 50? And then I had a friend of mine who bought a food truck at 60. I was like that's so encouraging, I'm ready to pivot any time you tell me pivot, because your promise and your direction is so much better than what I could have ever come up with.
Speaker 1:Because I kept myself small for such a long time. I was like I can't do that, I can't do that. No, I couldn't, not without him, not his, you know guidance and direction and wisdom and just always leaning into okay, what next? How do I solve this problem? How do I? You know, because so many times I just felt like I don't have the education. I never went to college and I don't have the education to do like big things. We'll just put it that way, because I always say you know, that's what I always, because I'm always compared myself to doing small things, which now, when I look back and I see, like what it means to infest in your family. Oh my gosh, there's that generation. There's no bigger job.
Speaker 3:There's a quote CS Lewis talks about. I don't know the actual quote, I don't have it memorized, but he talks about how being the homemaker is the ultimate career and every career, every other career in the world is built to support the ultimate career. Because think about it like food is made to for families, all of these products, like if you work at a store, those are made to for the family. So the ultimate career is the homemaker. And yeah, there's just. There's so much value in that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm so and so much healing Cause and I I say this all the time because it was like I thought what do I have to offer these kids? You know that's inside of me, that I have to pour into them, and I felt like my kids taught me so much and they took me through the healing journey and gave me the childhood that I never had and helped me learn the father's love. Because I'm like, if you, if I as a human being, love my kids this much and God says that you can't even compare to your love for your children, doesn't even compare for how much I love you.
Speaker 1:I can't even wrap my head around it. And two, that trust, like my kids have to trust me that I know best. You know why they shouldn't eat candy before bed or why, whatever that, why they shouldn't run out into the middle of the road without looking both ways. For us to have that same trust with God, because he sees from the beginning of the net, Like he knows. So it may not be what we chose or what we think or what we want at this moment, but when we are obedient and then we walk in that steps later we go oh, now I see why here's a perfect, I'm pivoting, but I'll come back, I promise, and I promise I won't keep you on here for three hours. So many stories, so like. He's been revealed himself to me and to my family so many times. But my son, who's 24 and lives in California right now I'm tapped into a spirit man like no one I've ever met, the biggest lesson teacher for me in my life, but he.
Speaker 1:In 2019, he graduated from high school and wanted to go to college for music. He's been a musician since he was eight years old and he got accepted into Berklee College of Music but also applied to like three other places, and one of them was Capitol in Columbus, and one day he was just praying and he was like you know, Lord, whatever you desire for my life, I'm gonna, that's what I'm gonna do. You're well? And he just heard capital. And he was like so, Father God, I just want to follow in your will and I just want to hear you clearly and whatever your will is, that's what we're going to do. And he's just like capital and he's like Lord, I'm just making.
Speaker 1:It's me again, I'm just making sure, and so he was like I don't want to go to Capitol, but I have to be obedient. And so he's 18. And he was like I'm going to Capitol begrudgingly right now because I, I want to be it, I want to be a small fish in a big pond. But he was obedient and he went to Capitol and that March, the world shut down and so I had to drive to Columbus and bring him home that day and he did online schooling. He's like if I would have went to Berkeley and he ended up going to Berkeley the following year or the 2022, when everything opened up.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but he's like, if I wouldn't have been obedient and I would have went to Berkeley, they didn't have an online program that supported you know, in school, yeah, you have to be there. You would have had to drop out, because I would have dropped out and I don't know where I'd be right now. So there's so many stories like that that each one of us could tell you that. You know, it's hard to be obedient at times, because sometimes it's not what you want, but through that, obedience is God's goodness.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and often that obedience requires so much patience too, the seasons where we're obedient, it's often like these seasons of transition or unanswered prayers, and you're just like. You're like, all right, I'm being obedient, lord, but like we want to know, wow, now, like why do you have me in the season? What is it that you have for me? And I even think back to you with your son and all of the, the health issues and his, the learning issues. And in that season, I'm sure it's like it doesn't feel like God is using, that. It feels like why has this happened? Right, but in those seasons are when, really when we're learning the most and we don't even realize it.
Speaker 1:Totally, and there was so much about me Like I always did everything really fast and I had to slow myself down because this wasn't going to be a quick fix. This was going to be a slow, drawn out, intentional bread follow the breadcrumbs situation and, um, him and I both had to learn that together, me and my younger son and um, I will tell you, by seventh grade, we were calling every, you know, we were calling these challenges his superpower. Superpower because he had learned to, he learned how to manage his behavior, he learned how he learns and learned how to advocate for himself. And he, you know, wasn't on an IEP up until he got into ninth grade and then, after that, he's like I want off of my IEP and he made it through high school I can't tell you how proud I am of him and then went on to go to college at Akron and graduate with a physical science degree and is starting grad school this fall to be a physical therapist and is amazing august, so so do you go ahead?
Speaker 3:sorry, no, go, go ahead. I'm just wondering your story. It just provides so much hope and I mean we need like 10 episodes here because there's so much. But just I mean I was gonna ask and there's more I want to say to this but do you think that he would be where he was had you not made the health conscious changes that you took the initiative to make in your home?
Speaker 1:Absolutely not, absolutely not. And he and it was hard because you know we're talking about an eight-year-old who wants red dye and he wants to know why he can't have the gummies that everybody else is having and the Oreos, you know, all the sugary treats and all that kind of stuff. And now he's going into health because he knows what a difference it makes. He is a huge, like he. He could be a speaker to telling his testimony on how, how I mean because this is the life he lives now is exercise, diet, mental health. These are the foundations he's like you can't do life without these foundations and, of course, your spirit, man.
Speaker 1:But that's kind of our motto. We're like you have to support yourself mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. That is your responsibility every single day to support, find ways to support and feed, just like we feed our body, those who kind of feed our spiritually and emotionally every single day so that we can, like you said, spiritual warfare is real, hard times are real, like this world that we live in. It's not, we're going to find, we're going to have joyful moments, but life is hard, it is but life is hard.
Speaker 1:I make my story sound so sing-songy and happy and it is just because of God's goodness through it. But, trust me, there are a lot of sleepless nights of me just crying and being like why me, why my son? How are we going to do this? You know, just advocating at school for him, advocating with other parents, family, judging how you're raising your kids and how you're living differently in your home and not feeling supported in any direction and anywhere in your life. And it was. It was really hard.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, I yeah, I yeah. I mean there's just so much there. I want to ask more about the health stuff, because it's something also in our family that we're super passionate about. I want to share about my daughter and and all of that, but I feel like right now is a good time to ask.
Speaker 3:I had mentioned before we hit record that we're doing like a verse of the month, and our verse this month is Proverbs 3, 5, and 6, which I won't say I could. I've said it so many times on the previous episodes this month, but about trusting in the Lord with all your heart, I actually am going to say it because it goes into the question. So it's trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding and all of your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path. And I just feel like there's so much in your story of the obedience part is that verse, and so I'm wondering if you can speak to people who might be in that season of questioning, of making a decision, but and knowing that that is exactly where God has them, but being misunderstood by their loved ones, of just feeling unknown, but needing that encouragement to trust in the Lord and trust that if we surrender to Him, that he's going to direct their path.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, it's his promise. Right, his word is his promise. And somebody asked me once how can you trust so much in something that you can't see? When you know things that you can see, you have a hard time trusting. And I'm like, really in life, those were the only. That relationship has been the only consistent, trusting thing in my life, the only thing that hasn't let me down Because people are going to let you down, we're going to let ourselves down. You know, and I don't even know how to answer that. You know how to speak on that other than just to say I know it's not easy. You know how to speak on that other than just to say I know it's not easy. I know, and it's okay to feel lost and scared and question and angry and all of the motions, because that's real and um, and you can even yell at God because he can handle that, as long as you're talking to him and as soon as you quiet yourself down for a minute and after you're done having your temper tantrum which we do and I do and he will lovingly come right beside you and let you know you're not alone. Yeah, that kind of goes into like actually how I started Bohemian Mama, if I can kind of yeah, absolutely, to like actually how I started Bohemian Mama. If I can kind of yeah, absolutely, Because my kids, when I actually started my business, like LLC day, my oldest was 17.
Speaker 1:So I had a 16 and a 17 year old and or maybe it was before that. Now I always say that but I feel like that's wrong, because my husband had come to me and he was like you know, being a single family income or single income family has taken a toll and the kids are going to start driving and need cars and insurance and gas and college. And he's like you're going to, you know, I'm going to need your help. And I was like gonna, you know, I'm gonna need your help. And I was like I see that your lips are moving, but I don't understand the words that are coming out of your mouth because you know, I'm in therapy four times a week with Brandon. I'm running them back and forth to their activities, I'm doing homework, I'm, you know, running a house. I'm like, I'm like I'm like and I'm going to make money and what doing what? Like I only have one good skill and that is momming. Like that is all I'm going to do is take people and, um, you know, I've been a caretaker my whole life.
Speaker 1:I've been taking care of my mom has cognitive challenges and so, from eight years old, I can remember being asked to stay home from school to take care of my mom, and I was the neighborhood babysitter. My mother-in-law lived with us for nine years. I'm like, what am I going to do? Like, where am I going to go work to make money? And that's. I didn't sound like that when I was crying, screaming and crying. I'm giving you the pretty version. And as soon as I got quiet, mom, I felt the Lord say in my spirit I'm not asking you to do anything outside of what you're qualified for. I'm asking you to mom, a hurting and dying community around you, to asking you to take your skills and take it outside the home. And I'm like, oh, I could, I can do that. And so that's where Bohemian Mama came from.
Speaker 1:Bohemian Mama was my Instagram username. That, because I use Bohemian Mama, because they're creatives, out of the box wander, you know, like I didn't feel like I fit in any box. Yeah, I was like, definitely felt like I felt that resonated with me, and so my husband being a graphic design, or, yeah, being a graphic designer, when I was making these personal care products for our family, would slap labels on them in our house and they would say Bohemian Mama. And I'm like that's funny, that's not even a thing. So then when friends would come over and they're like, well, what is this, you know? And I'm like it's a deodorant that I made that our family is using, because let me tell you what kind of gunk goes into your lymphatic system. You don't even want to.
Speaker 1:And so they were like, well, do you not care about my lymphatic system? Like I would like a natural deodorant. And so that's kind of how I started sharing it. I did go and take some essential oil certifications and I did go take some herbal remedy like boot camps where you learn how to make tinctures and salves and all that kind of stuff but it really just came from and that just kind of gave me the power and the confidence to just explode from there, because now I'm just like, oh, I can infuse oils now and take these herbs and put them in here and they're going to help your inflammation in your muscles, or they're going to do this or they're going to do that. And next thing, you know one of my, are you familiar with Marshall's Antique Warehouse? No, okay, so I always give her the credit for giving me the confidence.
Speaker 1:So Debbie Marshall is a good friend of mine and she owns Marshall's Antique Warehouse in downtown Canton Marshall's Antique Warehouse in downtown Canton. And she was kind of on this journey and the beginning on this ride with me when I was first learning about essential oils and herbal remedies and made my first product, and she invited me to do a meet the maker at her store and I was like meet what maker? I go there's a mom playing with simple ingredients, like there's no maker, and she's just like just come in, just come in Saturday, set up your two products that you have and then, as people come in, you know, just share with them. I was blown away. I was blown away with you know, first of all, how comfortable I was just approach strangers, tell them what I was doing and why I was doing it, and if they and I wasn't pushing it again, like I was just sharing and um.
Speaker 1:And then, like before, when we were talking, before your recording, I realized that what I loved more most about these markets now that I do all the time was not just the opportunity to share what I do with the world, but to share stories with people in our community. And people would come up and they'd start telling you about their dry skin and then they would tell you about well, maybe because they had radiation and they had cancer, and so journey through that and what it was like. And next thing, you know you're crying with this perfect strength and your lives are connected and it was, you know, like, and then they would take it home with them and I would get personal texts from them and they were like, oh my gosh, I shared this with my doctor because I they gave me this medical cream to put on that did nothing, and every time I use this it would clear up the burn. And I'm like, are you kidding? Like all the research, that it would do these things, but I was still shocked that it was actually working.
Speaker 1:Right, yeah, I just started creating more products. They were mainly products that our family needed and then we would share them with other people and then they would continue to come back and tell us what an impact it was making in their lives. And I'm just like they're just being nice, like that's not real. There's no way. There's no way. And now fast forward. Last Saturday, the 11th, was our ninth year in business. Wow, we LLC'd our, you know, bohemia.
Speaker 3:Mama and your products fly off the shelves.
Speaker 1:I'm in 20 plus different stores carrier products locally and we have a wonderful online presence where people you know buy from purchase from the website, so I was going to ask that it can ship.
Speaker 1:Yes, absolutely, we do have a website. It's yes, absolutely, we do have a website. It's bomaguru, b-o-m-aguru or thebohemianmamaguru, but nobody knows how to spell Bohemian. We host our own events in our because we've moved in the last four years and we have an 1800 square foot barn on our property that we host our own events and people can come out and hear out here and shop. Those events are on our website. Also, I also host wellness workshops and retreats. That's amazing, because it's really important that we get together. I feel I love online. I don't know where my business would be if it wasn't for social media and be able to do these things online. But we were really meant to be in community. Absolutely, we were really meant to. Just, there's something magical that happens, which I'm so thankful for Zoom even.
Speaker 3:Absolutely yeah.
Speaker 1:People look into your eyes and you know, gauge your facial expressions from what I'm saying. If I should stop because I'm going far too deep, or keep going, but there's just there's.
Speaker 1:We're meant to do life together and um, that's just, that's really. That's always been really important to me, like as a stay-at-home mom, I had a very beautiful community that, even though when I was going through the Brandon stuff they didn't quite understand the Brandon stuff, but I still had people that loved me, you know, I still felt loved and part of a community. They just were like I don't know what you're doing over there, you should just beat him and you know cause. They were just like. You know he's an ADHD or with dyslexia, so they're just like he's just bad. I'm like he's not bad. He goes to school and everything he can't understand, comprehend and he can't, you know, like he doesn't learn like your child learns, right, yeah, and that is something that really hits home for me.
Speaker 3:So I mean, my husband and I are foster parents and so we're in the world of foster care and a lot of times there are kids with you know labels and there are kids with behavioral issues and just the odds are against them because of the trauma or the drug exposure. And I'm really thankful the community that we're in are very natural minded and there absolutely is a space for Western medicine, but there's so much that we can do before it gets to that point and even beyond. And these types of things are what set ourselves up for success, the what we put in our skin, what we're putting in our bodies, and I truly like I love hearing your son's story is such an encouragement and I'm sure you've heard stories across the board because but it's such an encouragement because so often these are lifelong sentencings for these kids and while it might be something that they have to navigate for their entire lives, it is so like so much of them are things that can be improved with lifestyle, and it's not. It's just becoming like more common People are just really waking up to this, and so it's really cool to see parents waking up to it but more brands like this becoming available, and so, with that, my daughter, who's nine years old, my husband and I have been on this health journey for years.
Speaker 3:I actually used to be a nurse, loved my job but wanted to be home with the kids and have always been into health.
Speaker 3:But as I was kind of transitioning out to nurse, out of nursing, I got more in tune with just like the natural world, and so it's something it's. It's a journey. It's like can be very overwhelming and we're really just just like you said it started with like what are we putting in our bodies? How are we eating whole foods? All of that kind of stuff. And then really one of the last things which I don't think it should be this way is like the skin and the beauty products, because it can be a lot at once. But now that I have a nine-year-old girl who's getting into all of these health and beauty things, and especially with just friends and social media, I feel like it's happening younger. And Sephora is really big. This year her entire Christmas list was beauty products and I was like we cannot go down this path of all of these toxic chemicals and yeah, I don't want to sound like an extremist, but it's. It's that important, it makes that big of a difference.
Speaker 1:It really does in teaching them because they don't know. So, you know, it's one of those things like, um, they only know because they're exposed to that. You know all the other kids are doing it, and so for us to just teach them like, yeah, you can, you know you, you can have all these things that you want the lotions and these things. You know you can have all these things that you want the lotions and these things. But we have to read what's on it Because unfortunately, did you know, there's 14,000 chemicals that are banned in other countries, that are allowed in our it's absolutely insane.
Speaker 1:I know. And so how they get away with it is they're like well, it's just a little bit in this one and a little bit in this one and a little. So this little bit in this one can't really hurt you. But then when we're, you know, we're doing the mascara and the eyeshadow and the hair dye and which, by the way, I have all of these things happening with not like moderation.
Speaker 3:Yeah, in moderation.
Speaker 1:But, um, when you're putting all of that on your body for all of those years, then you're not being able to set yourself up for success. So they're hungry for knowledge and learning and so she's at a great stage. She's excited to be a young lady and what that looks like and where that's going to take her, and that's exciting. But now it comes with the whole like okay. So I know this is where everyone else is going to Sephora to buy all of their great stuff.
Speaker 1:And there's a lot of greenwashing that you might find at Sephora because they put natural on some of their things and there might be like one little natural thing in there. So you know, people will be like, well, this is a great product If they would have just left it with what they started with. Yeah, so it's just re. You know, teaching them and there were so many battles with my kids of just teaching them and them not believing me because, especially once they get into that teenage, once they hit like 13 or 14. Yes, not the smartest person in the room, oh, yeah, no, and but you know, also, I, I am, I'm the type of parent, that you know that book that's popular right now with Mel.
Speaker 1:Robbins, the, let them. Yeah, I haven to raise men that can make decisions on their own and learn from their own mistakes and their own challenges and grow from that and not. And so there's a balance, right.
Speaker 1:And to find, figure out how to do that, and so there was a. You know there was a lot of like this is what is available at our house, and this is all because I care about your nutrition, but you'll find out. Yeah, have energy drinks and stay up all night and eat and you wake up in the morning and there's no skin left on your tongue Right. That literally happened to one of my kids because he did one. Challenges were really popular, like on the I don't know what you called them.
Speaker 3:I don't know. Yeah, like the TikTok challenges yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he ate so many Sour Patch Kids that it ate away all the skin on the inside of his mouth. That's crazy. Like well, OK, you'll never do. So many Sour Patch Kids that it ate away all the skin on the inside of his mouth? That's crazy. Like well, okay, You'll never do it again.
Speaker 3:Okay, I have two more questions, so this one is kind of loaded and I know this is like maybe we'll have to have you back. This is like a whole conversation but for somebody who's listening and they are like yeah, I get this, I'm on board, like I want to take these steps, but it is so overwhelming and just let's just talk about skincare for the sake of Bohemian Mama, and like products that we put in our bodies. And we talked about reading labels. Where do they even begin? Like, is there a list online? Is there a list that you have for somebody to get started of? You know? Where would you even tell them to start?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I always tell people to start with their deodorants honestly and I know that's the hardest thing to start with, because nobody wants to smell but we have so many lymph nodes underneath our armpits, that into our breast, and you know we're we're especially as women. We're taught so you know, to breast health and check our breast and all that kind of stuff. But we're not sold to start with. What we're putting on our armpits that is drained right into our lymphatic system, into our breasts. They're nothing but lymph nodes. So I would say that would be my number one thing if you're afraid to start there, start with hand soap. You know body wash, you know that kind of stuff. There's some beautiful makers out there that make bard soap. Do I have a list? My, oh, there's okay, my brain is going. I know it's so much.
Speaker 1:No, I'm just trying to decide how to answer this with not too many words. I always say simple ingredients. So like, when you look at your ingredients, do you know what? Do you understand what they are or do you have to look them up and see what they are? Yeah, you, then I always get a little bit nervous. Second thing is there are apps out there that like the Yucca or the EWG, the environmental wellness something. I forget what the G stands for. There are apps on your phone that you can scan things, database, so they can let you know with foods, cosmetics, household cleaners, anything like that whether you know where they fall in the zone of, like, what's healthy and what's not. But you know, our skin is the largest organ of our body, so, like, what you're putting on your skin, I would, you know, really just be conscious of, like, staying away from fragrances. Most fragrances are going to be hormone disruptors. Fragrances are going to be hormone disruptors. Gosh, there's just so many. I know you need to teach a class. I think about this a lot.
Speaker 3:You know what? I'm just adding one more thing I know.
Speaker 1:No, I love it. I think about doing these things. Having intimate conversations like this is my jam Get in front of a group of people and I've done it, and God is calling me. I mean, I've spoken at a lot of retreats in the last couple of years and each time I feel like I'm going to die.
Speaker 3:I'm just like oh, I'm the same way, I'm the exact same way. I have major stage fright like major and I can talk all day on a podcast. Yeah, like major and I can talk all day on a podcast. Yeah, but God also is using, like, giving me opportunities and refining me, and he's saying you got to get over it, girlfriend. I know, I know, okay, so that was super helpful. One more thing I have a special guest here, my daughter Liberty. He's here. So, like I said, we stocked her up on Bohemian Mama goodies. You want to come over here and say hi. So this is your, probably one of your number one, probably your number one fan. I would say, yeah, it's to meet you. So this is the Bohemian Mama. She makes all of your products. There's a chance that you made one of these right?
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, oh yeah, 100%. Is that the poker you have right there in your hands? Yep, Do you use that Liberty? You do. Where do you put it? Do you know where to put it?
Speaker 2:You've been doing it right? Yeah, I forgot. I haven't used it for like a few days.
Speaker 1:Remember where I told you to put it. I'm not going to put you on the spot.
Speaker 3:Remember I told you to put it on your neck. Yeah, is that right?
Speaker 1:Yes, okay, yes, that is. Do you know why I'm asking? I'm totally putting this poor girl on the spot. Do you know why?
Speaker 2:Remember we talked about this. What's that word? Your lymph, yeah, lymph nodes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, look at that she could teach a class, see you guys could just do it together.
Speaker 3:So I was going to have Liberty show. It looks like she brought her, is it three, three? I told her to bring in her three favorite products, so she's bringing them in.
Speaker 2:I have one favorite I like all the ones, all clown stuff. So, oh, she has four. Okay, no, like I brought in all of them, but I dropped like oh okay, you dropped one. So, yeah, I have this one Poke root Love that, and I have the body balm. I have the tiny one, that's the one that I like kind of dropped, you dropped it.
Speaker 3:I can't remember what that was. It was like this size.
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 3:But it was white.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay, I can't even remember.
Speaker 2:And then I have the lemongrass deodorant, very nice it smells so good. And the face wash is my favorite. I like the smell of it. The face wash is my favorite.
Speaker 3:I like the smell of it, so do they all smell good, what's?
Speaker 2:your review which one's your favorite smelling one. I don't know, I kind of like the smell of this. It just smells so good.
Speaker 1:The face wash.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's awesome.
Speaker 1:That makes my heart so happy. Thank you, it was so nice to meet you and I'm so excited that you're using all natural products on your beautiful skin. You have amazing skin. You're absolutely gorgeous. Thank you, you should be a poster child for Bohemian Mama. That would definitely drum up more business.
Speaker 3:Well, thank you for making a difference in our home. It's just so cool and it's so nice to have more accessible healthy products. Can you say thank you?
Speaker 2:Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 1:You made my day. It was great talking to your mom, but this is the highlight of our time.
Speaker 3:She's cute, okay. So with that, yes, we have just absolutely loved your products and are becoming more and more fans of you and your products, and so just thank you for the work that you do and your obedience. But we wanted to do just a fun giveaway with the podcast, so we have decided that we're going to do a hundred dollar gift card to a winner and we are going to post the details on social media the day that this releases. So go ahead, head over to social media. Mine is actually. Both of ours will be linked in the show notes and you can find the details there. Yay, I'm so excited. Yes, thank you so much for joining us today. If you can just share I know you shared your website already We'll be sure to link everything below, but you don't have to say to link everything below, but you don't have to say the handles or anything, but just where you are. So Instagram website where people can connect with you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm on what. I have a website, I have Instagram, I have Facebook. I am not on TikTok because I can't work it. So those are my places. You can find me. I can't work it, so those are my places you can find me.
Speaker 3:Amazing. Well, thank you so much again. It was so good connecting with you and I'm sure we're going to be having you back to just dive deeper into this. So thanks for all you do. Thank you, I appreciate it. Bye.