What 8 Years of Nourish Has Really Looked Like
Note from Jamie
I like to share things that light me up, fill me with joy, and make my life easier. Nothing is sponsored. These are just things that are helping me along my journey.
What 8 Years of Nourish Has Really Looked Like
Eight years ago, I started Nourish with a very simple hope:
That maybe I could create products that helped women be a little kinder to themselves.
What I didn’t know then was how much this journey would ask of me.
And how much it would heal in me, too.
Over the years, there have been beautiful moments people have seen from the outside.
Being a mogul on Project Pitch It.
Being named one of 30 People Shaping the Future of Milwaukee.
Being recognized as a Top Woman in Wellness and a Top Woman in Manufacturing.
Seeing my face on a billboard and thinking, “How in the world did this happen?”
But there’s also been another side to these 8 years.
The side people don’t always see.
The opportunities I wasn’t chosen for.
The launches that didn’t perform the way I had hoped.
The ads we spent money on that didn't produce a return.
The moments of wondering if people would still buy our products if we raised prices…
and wondering how we could survive if we didn’t.
There was a season when I truly didn’t know if I could keep going.
I remember walking around our neighborhood, terrified because there wasn’t enough money in the bank to cover an upcoming payroll. I was panicked. I called a friend while I walked, and she gently encouraged me to apply for a line of credit.
That conversation changed everything.
Not because it magically solved all the challenges, but because it gave me enough breathing room to keep going.
And sometimes that’s all we need.
A little breathing room.
A little support.
One person reminding us we don’t have to carry everything alone.
There have been moments that felt almost comical in hindsight.
Like the time an unexpected downpour flooded my booth and left me standing in six inches of water trying to figure out how to salvage products and display pieces.
Or the event where my tent blew away in the wind while manure being sprayed at a nearby farm floated over and covered my products. True story.
There were stretches of working 52 days straight without a single day off.
Long event weekends where every part of my body hurt.
Putting electrolytes in my water so I wouldn’t faint in the summer heat.
There were weekends away at events while my husband became a “single dad” at home.
Volleyball games and tournaments I couldn’t make for my daughter because I was setting up another booth somewhere.
And there were moments much heavier than business stress.
Moments of trying not to cry while setting up at an event.
Moments of wanting to scream,
“No, I’m not okay. My sister is dying.”
Life doesn’t stop just because you own a business.
Heartbreak still arrives.
Grief still arrives.
Exhaustion still arrives.
And yet…
So does kindness.
A stranger once saw my signage blow away during an event and went home and printed new signs for me to use the next day.
Friends stop by my booth and watch things so I can run to the bathroom.
My Mom and Dad still come visit me at farmers markets, hand me money for lunch, and hang out with me at my booth.
My husband reminds me often,
“Nourish is the best thing we do.”
And over the years, customers have shared stories with me that I will carry forever.
Women telling me this newsletter helped them through a hard season.
Someone sharing that something I said became a turning point for good in their life.
Customers crying while telling me how much they needed encouragement, softness, or hope.
That’s when I realized Nourish had become more than products.
It had become community.
Connection.
Permission.
A reminder that women matter, too.
And somewhere in the middle of all of this, something unexpected happened:
Nourish started healing me.
For so much of my life, I thought I needed to hide my softness in order to be respected.
I thought I needed to prove myself constantly.
Push harder.
Do more.
Be more.
But this business — and this community — taught me something different.
That my softness is not weakness.
That vulnerability creates connection.
That honesty creates trust.
That heart-centered leadership actually does have a place in this world.
I’ve learned how to ask for help.
How to receive support.
How to trust my intuition.
How to slow down.
How to take exceptionally good care of myself.
How to recognize when I can push…
and when I need rest and recovery.
I’ve learned that I don’t need to do it all.
I’ve learned that success doesn’t automatically erase uncertainty.
That achievement and insecurity can coexist.
That growth often brings more responsibility, not less.
And maybe most importantly…
I’ve learned to trust myself.
To trust that somehow, things always work out.
And even when they don’t work out the way I hoped, I trust it’s not the end of the story.
I keep going.
Not because I have everything figured out.
But because I’ve seen what can happen when people come together with kindness, heart, encouragement, and compassion.
Eight years ago, I hoped I could build a heart-centered business.
Now I know you can build something meaningful without abandoning yourself in the process.
And I’m still learning.
I’m still learning how to fully charge my worth.
Still learning how to receive.
Still learning that the next version of Nourish may look different than the last.
Still learning how to honor what matters most.
But after 8 years, here’s what I know for sure:
No matter how different our lives may appear on the outside, so many of us are quietly carrying similar things.
We’re trying our best.
Questioning ourselves.
Holding a lot.
Loving deeply.
Trying to take care of everyone around us.
And maybe what we all need most is the reminder that we are allowed to matter, too.
Thank you for being part of these last 8 years.
Thank you for supporting this dream.
Thank you for encouraging me.
Thank you for allowing me to show up fully as myself.
It has been one of the greatest honors of my life.
And I have a feeling the story is still unfolding.
xoxo,
Jamie
Inspiration
Recipe of the Week
This week’s recipe is the Blackberry Mint Sparkler — the refreshing mocktail we served at last week’s Nourish Together: Girls Night In event that everyone loved!
Light, bubbly, fresh, and perfect for summer gatherings.
Add a splash of white rum if you’d like to turn it into a cocktail!
Live well.Be kind.
Jamie
