Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Bauer.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Oof, it’s hard to know where to start. Basically, everyone has a story from the last 3 years. It seems not one single person got out unscathed. The problem is, we were isolated for so long that we have forgotten how to connect. We look past people. We don’t look anyone in the eye. It’s my belief that this is why the world is falling apart. My goal is to change the dialogue by spreading the concept of “fostering connections and kindness to strangers” with the intention of people feeling seen and worthy of being seen.
So, about six months ago, I left my toxic job of 12 years and decided to chase my dreams. I now make authentic stone jewelry. We also provide “Connection Bracelets.” They have affirming messages on them like, You Are Enough, You Are Worthy, Keep Going, and You Are Powerful. This bracelet is for you to give to a stranger when you feel the time is right. When you have a tangible item to hand someone, it’s much easier to have a genuine connection. I believe a small ripple can turn into a huge wave and our testimonials are proving that. It’s changing lives and I’m so thankful that I get to have a small part in it.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Man, I wish people could see my face answering this question (laughing). You know, at 43 years of age I blew up my entire life, deciding on a whim to chase my dreams while raising two young children alongside my spouse who works full-time outside of the house. I’ve never taken a business class and I’ve surely never owned a business.
I very quickly realized that this was scary as shit. I didn’t even know where to start. I mean, how do I design a website? How do I get professional photos? How do I get a headshot? How do I get branding? What is branding? Do I even need this stuff? Am I legit without it? What do you mean I have to link my back office to my Stripe account? What forms do I have to fill out for the state? How much money is this gonna cost me? I have wasted a shit load of money. I have learned the hard way. I have held my face in my hands and let tears seep through my fingers. I have sworn at the top of my lungs when my husband made me a spreadsheet and we realized I was losing money for the first four months of my business.
With all of that being said, I realized that if it was this daunting for me, imagine how people of marginalized populations feel who don’t have access to half as many resources as I have. No wonder people don’t chase their dreams!
BUT..there’s always a flipside and something great came out of this. I decided I could speak up for these people! I can speak up for the single mom who paints in the corner of her bedroom at night after her children have gone to sleep. I can speak up for the 75-year-old man in northern Minnesota, who makes incredible wooden toys but doesn’t have access to or know how to use all of the social media platforms and doesn’t want to spend time going out to all the stores to see if they wanna carry his products. So, instead, there are bins and bins of beautiful one-of-a-kind art pieces and wonderful handcrafted wooden toys just sitting unused and unseen in someone’s garage.
If we can offer a space where people can get all of the tools and help needed for someone to chase their dreams, how many more people would do it? And I don’t know about you, but I sure as hell want to live in a world where people are chasing their dreams and I’m here to help make it happen.
When we work together, we can move mountains, and when we change the dialogue from competitor to community, we change the world.
Now, I have never felt more fulfilled in my life. I have so much freedom. I can travel and I can be with my kids. They never describe the rush you feel when someone purchases and genuinely loves something that you poured your heart and soul into or when someone chooses to trust you with THEIR business and THEIR goods.
What’s next?
All I want is to do as much as I can for others while I’m here. Eventually, I hope to navigate out of the day-to-day and speak to groups about unlearning, doing hard shit at any age, and reassuring people of their worth.
I am full of gratitude as I continue to watch what unfolds on this journey. It’s one of the most beautiful experiences of my life.
I would be honored if you would follow our Embrace Our Souls social media pages including our Embrace Our Souls MN Collective VIP group.
If you are an artisan from another area of the state, please email me. We are looking to add collectives all over.
Contact Info:
- Website: embraceoursouls.
commentsold.com - Instagram: @embraceoursouls
- Facebook: Embrace Our Souls | Minnesota Collective VIP
- TikTok: @embraceoursouls
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credits:
Jessica strobel photography
