Elle experienced the stress that so many women face in order to be successful. She created MotherBar to help empower all women to redefine their relationship with stress - to make it optional.
Hi, my name is Elle. And I’m a recovering rusher.
Rushing the kids to school.
Rushing to work.
Rushing to meetings.
Rushing to get home at night.
Like many working moms, rushing was the only speed that made me feel like I could “do it all.” Sometimes the rush was even thrilling. I felt important and productive. I could simultaneously read my kids a bedtime story while checking emails and coordinating schedules with my husband for the next day.
Rushing was a big part of my identity.
Except, deep down I knew something was wrong. Because I also felt overwhelmed, anxious, resentful, and stressed. Many sleepless nights I wondered if there was a better way.
When my mom died in 2010, I believed she would visit me as a hummingbird.
With a blur of wings and a flash of color, my mom would remind me that all would be OK. And often through teary eyes, I’d dig deep and push on. Like a hummingbird, I’d just move on to the next thing.
Until one day, I noticed that hummingbirds actually rest.
They rest at the tops of trees.
They rest on wires.
They rest.
I had recently been diagnosed with hypothyroidism and premature ventricular contractions of my heart. Years of rushing and chronic stress were finally showing up in my body.
Something had to change.
I had to change.
So I took a cue from the hummingbirds. At first, I wasn’t sure how to slow down. I felt guilty and selfish. I worried that things wouldn’t get done without me. So I started small by eating better, getting a bit more exercise, even meditating.
Every step was a small step in the right direction. When I couldn't make time for anything else, CBD become my go-to. It naturally slowed down my nervous system which had become so addicted to rushing. It gave me a moment to pause. To take a conscious breath. To remember that when I'm faced with stress, I actually have a choice.
So I chose to mother myself.
I chose to listen to my body.
I chose to feel my emotions.
I chose to be present.
I chose to stop worrying about other’s opinions.
But most importantly, I chose to love myself.
I created MotherBar for those of us trying to do it all. To remind you, that you aren’t alone. That there is a better way and that it’s OK to rest.
Because when when you mother yourself, you create the space to show up as a better you and then everyone wins.
Even our beautiful Mother Earth, because when we are present, we can reconnect to what's most important. We can awaken our senses, love with our wholeness, and be a part of something greater than ourselves. And we can slowly start to heal from the ground up.
Even if it's just one moment at a time.
Elle Gail has spent the last 20+ years leading marketing teams at some of the world's top brands like adidas, NBC, and Nike. She has her B.S from Duke University, her MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management, and a certificate from the Institute of Transformational Nutrition. But, first and foremost, she's a mother of two. Elle lives in Portland, OR along with her husband, Pete and she loves nothing more than getting lost in nature with her dog, Hank.
