I’m loving the “Women Supporting Women” challenge that’s happening right now on Instagram! It’s such a beautiful thing to recognize and shine light on the fact that we women should be each other’s biggest fans. We don’t rise by pushing someone else down, but by grabbing each other by the hand and climbing together.

This is the crux of the “Women Supporting Women” movement, as well as the message that I hope to pass on to my own daughter: That she, and all women, are beautiful just as they are. That we are capable of wonderful things because we are strong. And that she should view the other girls in her life as teammates, not the competition! So to the person who started this challenge, thank you!

I was so touched by this challenge that it has prompted me to write a post about some of the female entrepreneurs in the Charleston area who I have an appreciation and respect for. Each of these ladies is pursuing something she loves and setting an example for younger girls to do the same. My hope is that by the time you’ve finished reading this post, their stories will have inspired you as much as they’ve inspired me.

Stacy Mikulik

Stacy is the owner of Grace + Hudson Jewelry in downtown Charleston. All of her pieces are hand-crafted and can be custom designed to fit each buyers’ needs. I love that her jewelry is simple, yet elegant. Delicate even. It’s jewelry that is wearable and that can transition easily between different looks – from officewear to an evening out. Stacy’s collection of bridal and bridal party jewelry is especially popular and make for the perfect gift on the big day! Her bridal party jewelry comes with a special “note from the bride” that adds the perfect detail. Check out some of her beautiful pieces below:

But for as much as I love her jewelry, I love Stacy’s story even more! Her journey from lawyer to private business owner is an inspiring story about following your gut and choosing joy over what the world deems to be a life of “success”. Following the death of her father just months after his retirement at 65, Stacy made the sudden and drastic decision to leave her job as an attorney and to start living the life she wanted. The result? A company that in only three years time has gone from a highly successful online platform, to a physical storefront in buzzing downtown Charleston.

The website for Grace + Hudson includes a Journal page on which Stacy writes a weekly inspirational entry about the path she’s carving out for herself. I highly recommend checking it out – especially for anyone thinking about striking out on your own path like Stacy did! The stories are a beautiful testament to how far you can go when you’re doing something you love. In one of her journal entries Stacy writes “It is so important to find work that is in alignment with who you are…work that makes use of your given talents and natural gifts. When you find work like that, things just flow.”

Carrie Morey

Carrie is the baking mastermind behind Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit and guys, this gal is on fire. Carrie started her business back in 2005 as a way to share her passion for food with others and to find a balance between her work life and her role as a mom. Since then Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit has expanded its reach to four locations: two in Charleston, one in Charlotte, NC, and another in Savannah, GA.

And Carrie? Carrie has been one busy lady! She’s debuted a food truck, appeared live on a number of tv shows like the NBC Today Show and Top Chef, filled her calendar with speaking engagements, and authored a cookbook called Callie’s Biscuits & Southern Traditions which contains her family’s heirloom recipes. You can order her cookbook here. Most inspiring is Carrie’s passion for helping others find success as well. She acts as a consultant for other food entrepreneurs, sharing her knowledge and experience to help others navigate the path that she’s already traveled. When I asked Carrie about how she uses her success to encourage other women and young girls she said, “I hope that just doing what I do and sharing my story encourages young women to consider an entrepreneurial path. I speak a lot to that on my social media or during speaking engagements, and I do everything that I can to try to help women who come to me to encourage them get over those barriers.” I love it! How refreshing to see a woman who is constantly moving forward, but simultaneously reaching a hand back to help the next girl along?!

Now let me take a moment to talk about these biscuits. If you ever find yourself in any one of the four locations I listed above, then do yourself a favor. Go straight to Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit and buy one…or ten. My husband and I like to stop by the downtown Market Street location and grab the mix and match trio to share as a snack (It’s only $6!!) And Oh. My. Goodness. Gravy. They are so good. Our favorite flavors? Country Ham, Blackberry, and Cinnamon. They also sell full-sized biscuit sandwiches or you can build your own with add-ins like pimento cheese, a fried egg, roasted tomatoes, and peach basil jam…just to name a few. Now I’m going to do something really unfair…I’m going to show you pictures of these little bites from heaven:

Not currently in a town with a Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit? I have good news for you, my friend! Callie’s ships to grocery stores across the country! You can use the store locator tool on the website to find your closest option. Or even better, you can have them shipped directly to your door. You can buy everything from their housemade jams, individual biscuit packs, or best of all their combo packs with a selection of everything at Callie’s Made By Hand Southern Staples. These also make for perfect gifts for anyone who craves true southern food!

Kate Martinez

Kate is a local artist whose work has been exhibited in a number of art festivals across North and South Carolina. Her most recent pieces are on display at the Stay Home Gallery in Paris, TN – a gallery which is currently highlighting art created by women across the U.S. during the global quarantine.

According to the About section on Kate’s website, HelloKate.Co, she “uses contrasting figurative drawings and abstract painting to explore the transcendent moment before stepping outside of oneself and embracing change.” Change. That’s certainly a concept that almost every single person across the planet has come face-to-face with during these last few months, making Kate’s pieces very relevant in addition to distinctive. I’ve included some examples of her work below:

Kate’s passion for her artwork and the stories she tells through that work is evident. As is her incredible talent! Kate is also the mother of three beautiful, young girls. She strives to teach her girls about the importance of nurturing a creative spirit – A perfect reminder that sometimes our greatest influence can be right inside the walls of our own home, and in the lives of the children who will follow in our footsteps. Give her website a visit to check out more of her work or to make an inquiry.

Katie Walters

Katie is the founder of Francis + Benedict, a nonprofit clothing organization that provides talented women in Togo, West Africa with sustainable employment. Katie’s vision has combined American style with vibrant, gorgeous African prints and the result is breathtaking! Just look at some of the pieces in the current collections:

In my opinion, the beauty of each and every skirt produced by Francis + Benedict is an outer reflection of the inner beauty and skill of the 8 seamstresses responsible for making them. The stories of each of these women are told in loving detail on the company’s website. How wonderful is it to be able to support a brand that can bring you so close to the hands responsible for each and every purchase made? One look at these gorgeous skirts is enough to understand how much these ladies deserve to have their talents realized.

Beyond the influence that this company has represented in the lives of these women and their families, is the influence it’s also making in their surrounding communities. A portion of the profits from each sale goes towards helping orphans, widows, and the impoverished in Togo.

What an amazing and transformative reality! We women may only have two hands, but our influence can extend far beyond our reach. So let’s keep pulling ladies! Keep lifting each other up! We can turn ripples into waves. We can change the tides forever.