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ATXWOMAN.COM | 3

36 FEATURE

A PATH OF HEALING

BY CY WHITE PHOTOS BY ANNIE RAY

46 FEATURE

LOOKING FOR A SIGN

BY BRIANNA CALERI

ATXWOMAN.COM | 5

July CONTENTS 16

16

22

16

FROM THE DESK OF Mindy Henderson

18

STAFF PICKS For Uvalde

20

COUNT US IN Re-opening the World

22

28

GIVE BACK sharon maidenberg

24

ART BY DESIGN Guta Louro

28

SEE HER WORK Laura Lit

20 24 ATX

WOMAN to WATCH WATCH

57

ON THE MONEY Coping with Financial Anxiety

58

RECIPE REVEAL The Alchemy Green CBD Smoothie

32 BRANDY BROWN

60

33 NOELLE TRIFIRO

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34 JOI CONTI

Toxic Communication Habits

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Contributors A PUBLICATION OF AW MEDIA INC.

This month, we asked our contributors: Who’s someone you’d like to connect (or reconnect) with?

VOLUME 20, ISSUE 10

JEN RAMOS PERKINS

Director of Business Operations JAIME ALBERS

ANNIE RAY

Creative Director

Photographer, “A Path of Healing,” page 36 • Chuy’s is her happy place.

CY WHITE

• She begins decorating for the holidays on

Managing Editor

Sept. 30.

DARBY KENDALL

Copy Editor

• She’s obsessed with Nut Pods Creamers (so good).

“I would love to meet Oprah!”

KRISNA MENIER

Community and Events Manager ANNE COX

Production Manager

JESSICA WETTERER

DONNA MITCHELL

Illustrator, “Women In Numbers,” page 20

Sales Account Executive

• Other authors she’d recommend are Kurt

CONTRIBUTORS

• Her illustrations will be published this year

Vonnegut and Haruki Murakami. in a children’s book titled The Baby Trail.

Editorial:

Janaye Barabin, Brianna Caleri, Evelyn Deal, Jenny Hoff, Sonya Jensen, Allie Justis, Brianna Salinas, Cy White Art:

Carly Brown, Card My Yard, Evelyn Deal, Romulo Fialdini, Fran, Leonid Furmansky, Sonya Jensen, Denilson Machado, Ben Porter, Annie Ray, Jessica Wetterer

• Her work over the past year has been drawn during trips to Puerto Rico, Colombia and Mexico.

“I’d love to connect with one of my favorite authors, David Sedaris. He tells the perfect short stories in the most hilariously truthful ways. His books have made me cry from laughing on more than one occasion. Hearing

INTERNS

Janaye Barbin, Evelyn Deal, Libby Heafner, Claire Heleniak, Katherine Powell, Brianna Salinas, Devon Sayre

AW MEDIA INC. MELINDA GARVEY

KIP GARVEY

Co-founder/Co-owner

CEO/Co-owner

SAMANTHA STEVENS

Co-founder

his musings in an everyday conversation would be riveting.”

BRIANNA CALERI Writer, “Looking for a Sign,” page 46 • She interviews three-plus Austinites per week.

• She will visit the Swan Dive for any reason.

• She regularly uses coasters.

Austin Woman is a free monthly publication of AW Media Inc. and is available at locations throughout Austin and in Lakeway, Cedar Park, Round Rock and Pflugerville.

All rights reserved.

“I recently read the memoir I’m with the Band by Pamela Des Barres. I would love to meet the rock historian and ’60s and ’70s groupie.”

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ATXWOMAN.COM | 11

Editor’s LETTER

W

ell, here we are, dear readers. The seventh and, at this point, hottest month of the year. (I suddenly understand why Stevie Wonder named his album Hotter Than July.) You can’t see me, but just imagine someone taking a deep sigh. June was…tough. I don’t have to tell you why. You’re all smart and are as haunted as most of us are. Haunted, but perhaps no longer surprised, or just too tired from all of everything to react. But the fact that you’re reading this right now means you’re still here, and you still know there’s hope and beauty and strength in this world.

June was also Pride month, a time to celebrate the contributions, sacrifices and legacies of some of the most incredible women in history. The Black and Brown trans women who fought at Stonewall. The lesbians who stood powerfully behind and beside their GBTQ brothers and sisters.

In July, we not only continue to revere these women, but we honor them with our cover woman, Judge-elect of Travis County Denise Hernández. Since she was a child, she’s had to subvert the stereotypes placed on her based on her background, the color of her skin, her family. She stood up for her mother in court as a teenager, advocated for women escaping volatile home situations and did her part to tear down the chains of biases fueled by white supremacy in the judicial system. As advocates and entrepreneurs, she and her wife founded Chingona Fest to further help Black and Brown-led nonprofits who need funding. She’s a mentor, entrepreneur, advocate and now Travis County’s judge-elect, and she did it all without ever compromising who she is.

The women of Card My Yard, Amy Arnold and Jessica Stanley, created a business from the desire to put happiness in the world, to give encouragement to those who need it most for whatever reason. Theirs is a business built on family and love of community. From making signs with their families in their homes to franchising nationwide, Arnold and Stanley have built something with the singular goal of helping people uplift those they care about the most.

In this issue, we pay respect to the victims of the Uvalide and Buffalo shootings. These people deserve to be honored, remembered. We should never forget they were taken from this earth by the hands of selfish people with cold hearts and poison in their souls. But we have to also understand that we can make impactful and intentional change to ensure no one has to suffer this pain again. This issue is one about remembrance, celebration and honoring those who have used their talents and platforms to give something beautiful back to the world. If you get nothing else from this letter, I want you to know that you are important, and you have the power to create and give beauty and love. Love yourselves, and love one another.

CY WHITE EDITOR

Publication of Austin Woman would not be possible without the support of our monthly advertisers and sponsors, who believe in the impact we are making in the Austin community. The following businesses have stepped up their support of our efforts beyond traditional advertising and we are proud to recognize them as our partners. The team at Austin Woman is grateful for these businesses that have shown their commitment to the advancement of women in Austin and hopes you, as readers, recognize their efforts and support these businesses and all our regular advertisers.

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Computer Desks Computer desks are engineered with function in mind and are designed to be technology forward, often featuring integrated wire management channels and deeper desktops to accommodate multiple monitors or devices. For example, the Linea desk by BDi has built-in cable channels and a modesty panel to help you organize and conceal wires, while the subtle flip-down keyboard drawer is spacious enough to store devices for charging. When paired with a file pedestal or printer cabinet and ergonomic task chair, you’ll be ready for a seamless, productive workday.

L-Shaped Desks L-shaped desks are key for those wanting a flexible, expansive workspace, and are highly versatile in terms of configuration, especially when storage is built into a supporting credenza or file pedestal. An L-shaped desk can be placed in a corner, or a modesty panel can allow it to float in the center of the room for a stylish executive look. The Corridor L-desk has a roomy two-level desktop that allows you to work at any angle and maximizes space for a multi-monitor setup, all while leaving room for documents, books and more.

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Sit-Stand & Lift Desks To combat the health risks of sitting too long, many professionals choose adjustable height desks. It has been well reported that going from sitting to standing throughout the day has health benefits like improving mood and circulation and decreasing fatigue and tension, all of which are beneficial for focus and productivity. Most lift desks can save multiple height settings so that, at the press of a button, you can easily alternate positions. Copenhagen’s office collection includes lift desks with a variety of finishes ranging from the Sequel 20’s satinetched glass tabletop to the Ascent desk’s durable amber bamboo tabletop so that you can choose your favorite look.

Writing Desks Writing desks are space-efficient minimalist desks that are perfect for casual home office use. Typically rectangular in shape with one or two built-in drawers, writing desks offer ample workspace for a laptop or tablet, as well as storage space for office necessities. Make your living, bedroom or entryway space multifunctional by tucking a writing desk against the wall or into a corner. The Kenny desk by Skovby of Denmark, for example, has a compact 45-inch desktop and built-in USB and outlet plugs for convenience, while the Batik desk by Cattelan Italia can double as a vanity with its mirrored storage container.

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Executive Desks While many executive desks fit into the L-shaped category, there are some desks, like the Nasdaq Keramik by Cattelan Italia, that fit into a category of their own. Designed with impeccable lines and attention to detail, these executive desks have a “wow” factor and a large footprint, all while remaining highly functional with durable tabletops like ceramic marble and discrete storage. For the CEO or aspiring C-suite executive, this desk not only makes a bold statement, but also has ample room for conducting cross-desk meetings and storing monitors, documents and more.

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ATXWOMAN.COM | 13

Connect WITH US Can’t get enough of this issue?

Check us out at atxwoman.com.

In Memoriam: Julie Tereshchuk On June 16, we officially said goodbye to a very early and dear friend of Austin Woman magazine.

Our sister in love Julie Tereshchuk.

Philanthropists Karl and Nelda Buckman created an incredible resource for artists to fully commit to their passions.

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Black Art WKND Black Art WKND returned to kick off Juneteenth. This year, it was bigger, bolder and blacker than ever!

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WIN THIS! The Truth About Things That Suck autographed First Edition Mindy Henderson’s instant Amazon bestseller The Truth About Things That Suck (And How to Make Them Suck Less) is for anyone who wants to try harder, never give up and inspire others. Henderson’s memoir-in-essays covers love, life, jobs, loss, parenting, grief and more—teaching us all how to face challenges with a positive mindset. The Truth About Things That Suck is a book of hope and encouragement. This special autographed signed first edition of Mindy Henderson’s book is a guidebook about limitless possibility, even when things suck. Enter to win by following @austinwoman and Mindy Henderson at @mindyhendersonspeaks on Instagram. We will announce the winner at the end of the month.

14 | AUSTIN WOMAN | JULY 2022

In Memoriam: Julie Tereshchuk photo courtesy of the Tereshchuk family. Nelda Studios photo by Alan Lessig. Black Art WKND photo courtesy of Art Black WKND.

Nelda Studios

Connect WITH US

I was already a 13-yearold girl, dealing with the emotional baggage of being in a wheelchair—at the age when the worst thing that can happen to you is to be different than everyone else, I WAS different than everyone else.

And if that weren’t bad enough, I was being bullied and had been wholly rejected by my social group.

Obviously, this was before life had fully unfolded (shoot—at 47 it’s STILL unfolding. Can I get an “Amen?”) and all I had were limited experiences to compare to and reaction-based responses to other 13-year-old, immature indictments and rejections. My self-esteem tanked, and most of my moments were filled with negative thoughts that became my truth—the only things I {could} believe. So much so, I wanted to die when I was 13.

Thirteen. And I wanted to die. For a period, (unbeknownst to them) if my parents left the house, I was afraid of what I would do to myself. I went through a time period so traumatic where despite the supportive family I had that taught me I was worthy, and despite the opportunities I had to serve as the Texas AND Florida state poster child for the Muscular Dystrophy Association where I got to do cool things like be on TV and give speeches, I still had all of the insecurities and the self-hatred of my disability and of how different I was. I believed that I was unworthy of anyone’s time or friendship, AND during this time in my life, being rejected by my social circle and being bullied at school only further perpetuated my belief that there was nothing redeemable in me. I didn’t believe there was anything to look forward to. That is precisely where my loneliness led me on this leg of my journey.

Now, you know me, I’m all about finding purpose. Let’s talk about “why” for a second. Why on Earth would a 13-year-old girl have to go through bullying, a crippling disability, and self-esteem issues so bad that she is suicidal?

So that I could find out how brave, how strong, how beautiful, how smart, how resilient I was. That’s why. Do you know how I figured that out? One day my mom told me about affirmations and looking in the mirror and telling myself I was pretty. And (begrudgingly, at first) I did it. And over time, it worked.

When I was only 13, I came to see that our thoughts and what we tell ourselves very directly correspond to the way we feel about ourselves. I realized there was something more there than the desperation and the loneliness I was feeling, and I started to look for it. I worked HARD to find the answer. I also heard a statement one day that left a big impression on my 13-year-old mind—“suicide” is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.” Those words blew my barely teenaged mind.

I was 13 and never could have articulated this, but what I somehow knew was that I wanted there to be more to that suffering than JUST the suffering. I wanted there to be a reason and a purpose, so I opened my mind and my heart, and I set out to find one. Or two, or three. And not only did I find purpose behind it, but because I owned the mission to find the purpose, it was purpose that made me a better person. When I was 13. Even then, I was an emerging badass.

An excerpt from The Truth About Things That Suck by Mindy Henderson, for sale now. Scan the QR code or go to mindyhendersonco.com/pages/book to order the book for yourself today!

ATXWOMAN.COM | 15

From the DESK OF

A New Perspective

Author and Muscular Distrophy Association ambassador Mindy Henderson knows sometimes things suck, but it’s all about perspective.

BY EVELYN DEAL

W

heelchair-bound Mindy Henderson seeks the beauty in life and shares it with others. Her podcast The Truth About Things That Suck creates great enthusiasm and encouragement for those going through something. Supported by scientific research from psychologists, Henderson’s book of the same name explores what is achievable within our psyche, challenging and inspiring readers to break through their presumed limitations. She motivates readers that have faced difficulties in the past and prepares them to tackle hardships in the future. Pre-sales of the book have already produced great acclaim from a few New York Times bestselling authors.

Henderson extends her wisdom to us in person through motivational speeches. She has spoken at Austin Woman’s 19th anniversary event, the University of Texas business and medical schools and companies like Cardinal Health, Twitter, Dell and Texas Women’s Business, just to name a few. She also serves as the editorin-chief of the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s adaptive lifestyle magazine Quest. Her alluring use of realism and humor allows any listener to relate to her on any given level. She talks to you like she is your neighbor or friend, mixed with her perceptive intelligence and sound advice.

MINDSET IS HUGE.

DON’T LET DISCRIMINATION TEAR YOU DOWN.

I really want people to get a new perspective about the hard things in life. When times get tough, the emotional, knee-jerk reactions are so common, but there’s a different lens you can look through and a different way to approach your struggles that can bring about so much good. Mindset is huge, and I believe with all my heart that we can make difficult things so much harder or so much easier by how we look at challenges and how we approach them.

While I am not a victim, and I refuse to let others victimize me through something like discrimination, what I don’t believe in is combating hate or ignorance with more hate or ignorance. I take responsibility for myself and for how I am perceived in the world.

Sometimes you don’t get what you want, but often that leads to something else so wonderful it didn’t even occur to you to wish for it.

DISABILITY AND ILLNESS CAN LEAD TO COMPASSION.

If we never knew or saw a person with a disability or battling a serious illness, how could we feel compassion? My disability allows me to see the kindness and compassion in people every single day.

When you have such a visible example of adversity, I believe you often get to see the best in people because of how much they want to help.

16 | AUSTIN WOMAN | JULY 2022

I don’t think I have met a single woman ever who doesn’t struggle with body image. The images we see daily of perfection in the movies, on TV and in magazines create unattainable aspirations. But when you have a disability that affects your physical form, achieving that norm of perfection becomes much less realistic, and potentially, much more toxic. Because the community of individuals with disabilities remains one of the most underrepresented groups in media and fashion, there are very few examples in our daily line of sight of beauty that look like us. I hope change continues to grow because we all need to see people that look like us.

Photo by Vanessa Todd.

DISAPPOINTMENT IS AN OPPORTUNITY.

CREATE YOUR OWN BODY IMAGE.

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Staff

PICKS

For Uvalde Austin Woman to the people of Uvalde, Buffalo and beyond:

JEN RAMOS PERKINS

ANNE COX

DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Dear families of Uvalde, you have my thoughts and prayers. You also have my tears: I cry knowing you will never hold your precious babies, and mommas, again. You have my voice: I will speak out against the availability of the AR-15 rifle every chance I get. You have my vote: I will vote for candidates who support gun control. I stand with you, Uvalde, and I will do what is in my power to change policies that allow our innocent citizens to be taken from us too soon.

Heartbroken, angry and, to be honest, defeated. Those are all emotions that come to mind when I think about the recent tragedy in Uvalde. Whenever an incident like this happens, the first question that gets asked is, “How could we have prevented this?” And the answer continues to be right in front of us, as it has been for nearly a decade. My thoughts and well-wishes are with the victims’ families and with every child that has to walk back into school this fall.

18 | AUSTIN WOMAN | JULY 2022

Photo by stellalevi.

We see you, and we are here.

CY WHITE MANAGING EDITOR

I was 12 when Columbine happened. Though in a completely different state, school let out early because of the news.

Thirteen years later, I was working at my desk at an office when news broke of another shooting in a school, elementary this time. I had to walk out of the office. Another decade goes by, we’re here again, no fewer than three mass shootings in the span of a week, one at another elementary school. Every time it takes another piece of me. Every time giving another part of my soul to families torn apart by violence that was completely avoidable. Someone said it best when Sandy Hook happened: When the country decided it was okay with elementary-age kids being shot and killed at school, we were lost. I don’t want to believe that, but actions always speak louder than words. My heart breaks once again for families torn apart, and it’s starting to become harder to put the shattered fragments back together. I don’t have words that will be more meaningful than having their loved ones in their arms. I can only hope that with my small voice I can assure them that we stand behind them and will fight for them until those in charge of this country decide they value human life over…whatever it is they value enough to keep letting this happen. To the families in Uvalde, Buffalo, Miami, Sandy Hook, Columbine and countless others, we stand with you always and forever.

EVELYN DEAL

BRIANNA SALINAS

EDITORIAL INTERN

EDITORIAL INTERN

I remember exactly where I was when I heard the news about another school shooting, but this time at an elementary school. This was back in 2012. I remember exactly where I was, once again, when I heard about another elementary school shooting, this time in Uvalde.

My heart aches. I cannot possibly imagine what it is like for those undergoing this directly. I want to encourage everyone to take a second to remember the innocent young victims who had their entire lives in front of them.

We owe it to them to never forget and to fight for the change we’d like to see in this country.

Whether it’s a big city or a small town, this type of grief has become all too common. My deepest sympathies go out to the families and communities deeply affected by these senseless acts. I stand with you in your sorrow and anguish and continue to keep you close to my heart.

KATHERINE POWELL EDITORIAL INTERN

KRISNA MENIER COMMUNITY & EVENTS MANAGER

School is supposed to be a place where children go to learn, to explore, to make friends and memories to last a lifetime. A place where they can dream of their future.

My heart breaks for the children at Robb Elementary School whose futures were so abruptly taken from them.

Condolences will never be enough. It’s time to make a change. Make the change for these children, make a change for the children walking scared into class this fall, make a change for your child.

No words can describe the tragedies that took place in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, this year. Gun violence events like Buffalo and Uvalde require us to reevaluate the dire need for mental health resources and further education on gun control and safety. These tragedies were unfathomable and heartbreaking. As a society, we must never forget what occurred at these events so we may hold our lawmakers to higher standards regarding gun violence.

ATXWOMAN.COM | 19

Count US IN

Re-opening the World Despite a year of uncertainty, people let go of fear to reconnect with family, friends and loved ones.

BY CY WHITE ILLUSTRATIONS BY JESSICA WETTERER

$369 million

According to a report released by the organizers of the Austin City Limits music festival, the event had a $369 million impact on Austin’s economy.

This is a $78 million increase (or 27%) from the 2019 festival. This annual report is compiled by Angelou Economics and is the culmination of data provided

by C3 Presents and spending surveys completed by 7,000-plus festivalgoers.

$100 billion

According to the U.S. Travel Association Monthly Travel Data Report, travel spending hit $100 billion dollars in April 2022. This made revenue from travel 3% above levels in 2019.

20 | AUSTIN WOMAN | JULY 2022

55 100s

According to a Bloomberg report put together by Justin Ocean and Marina Stanley, 55 countries have no COVID-19 restrictions in place for international travelers. Though, according to online travel booking agency Kayak, there are 31 countries whose borders are still closed to tourism.

Hundreds gathered to celebrate 30 finalists and 12 winners at Austin Woman's seventh annual Woman's Way Business Awards. The event honored womenled businesses, presented its inaugural See It To Be It award to Card My Yard and featured May cover woman Vasavi Kumar as the keynote speaker.

44%

Live Nation, one of the world’s largest distributors of tickets for live events, reported that in their first quarter they saw a 44% increase in concert bookings. This number is in relation to 2019’s first quarter.

ATXWOMAN.COM | 21

Give BACK

The Contemporary Austin: Art for Everyone sharon maidenberg discusses her goals of keeping the

local community connected with the artistic world via The Contemporary Austin.

BY BRIANNA SALINAS

A

22 | AUSTIN WOMAN | JULY 2022

“

I look to art and artists to help me see the world differently, —sharon maidenberg Laguna Gloria and look at the sculptures. [Another] component is through our educational department, where we are working with the kids and families. We are doing a lot of work in the community around us to help people connect to the place, contemporary art and their own creativity. Those are some of the things that really help me stay connected and inspired, knowing that we are spreading the impact of the power of art.”

Looking forward to September 17, The Contemporary will open the exhibition titled In a Dream You Saw a Way to Survive and You Were Full of Joy. This new exhibit will feature eight artists from around the globe who use art to ponder how storytelling shapes our sense of self, community, history and national identity. “I look

Photo by Ben Porter.

rt museums are valuable cultural resources that offer themselves as vessels for transporting knowledge, inspiration and creativity.

This much is true for Austin’s own The Contemporary museum, which enriches visitors with modern works of art. The Contemporary Austin has two locations, downtown at the Jones Center and lakeside at Laguna Gloria.

As of September 2020, sharon maidenberg is the director of The Contemporary. New to the role and to Texas, maidenburg looked for “opportunities to learn and engage with what Austin hoped for in terms of its contemporary art institution.” While originally from the East Coast, and having recently resided in San Francisco, maidenberg describes her new stomping grounds as “a lovely place to land. Austin has a really special, unique DNA to it.”

About 20 years ago, maidenberg decided to “take the smaller path” by keeping her name lowercase for both aesthetic and conceptual purposes. maidenberg cited author and social activist bell hooks for the style choice. “[bell hooks] talked about it as trying to draw more attention to the individual and not the self-aggrandized version of ‘the capital,’ the big and flashy; it was more about democratizing.” She came across bell hooks while working on her undergraduate degree where she learned about how the arts coincide with political identities and activism. maidenberg has made it her mission to raise “awareness, energy and enthusiasm for the work that The Contemporary is doing.” She describes The Contemporary as having “tentacles,” listing their ways of engagement with the community as “putting on projects, exhibitions, events, programs, getting people out to the landscape and giving people a reason to spend time in nature [at Laguna Gloria], the educational programs and art school.

“Often museums are seen as a passive experience,” she says. “You come; you look at art; you think; you contemplate; you go home. In our case, what fills my bucket is that you can come and look, but you can also come and make. You can come and have a picnic outside on

Connection with the community is not only important to sharon maidenberg, but to The Contemporary Austin as a whole. With maidenberg’s leadership as director of the museum, The Contemporary is only going to become more involved with the community. “My goal is to amplify the things we do, because I think we’re a hidden gem that punches above its weight. If my goals are brought to life there will be a lot more awareness, energy and enthusiasm for the work at The Contemporary.”

Photos by Leonid Furmansky.

to art and artists to help me see the world differently,” says maidenberg.

“They are producing something that is thoughtful, provocative and generative. This show has a lot of resonance and a lot of joy in the work.”

The exhibit will consist of installation-based work, color, media and text. “The show is coming at a moment where The Contemporary is re-engaging with itself as a platform and a space for meaningful conversation,” she explains. “We don’t all have to agree about everything, but let’s create a space where we’re raising challenging issues and questions and responding to the times we live in and reflecting that back out to our visitors through the artists that they’re seeing. It’s a big, bold, exciting, ambitious exhibition.” maidenberg believes the people of Austin are “hungry for discussion and debate that art makes possible.” The Contemporary looks to continue bringing in new points of view from artists around the world, to make these discussions possible. “[The Contemporary] has a history of supporting a lot of different artists and bringing a lot of different work to Austin. Having artists in conversation with each other does highlight what is happening on a local and global level. Bringing some of that to Austin will match the level of thought and intellectual rigor that is here, to broaden more conversations.”

The exhibit will run through the middle of February 2023 but will be “punctuated with a series of programs and events” during its time held at The Contemporary. With an exhibit like this up and running, maidenberg’s priority is to “keep inviting people back and engage with the work, having the artists engage in conversation, giving people different opportunities to witness the work…[and] thinking of it as a holistic experience for the community over a longer period of time.”

ATXWOMAN.COM | 23

Art BY DESIGN

Building a Sense of Self Guta Louro explains the power of interior design.

BY JANAYE BARABIN

B

all aspects of the design process. “One thing that always caught my attention when designing buildings in school was that I felt I needed to understand the goals for the interior design, considering the furniture layout, the circulation and the usage of the space. Whenever I took the next step to include furniture in my designs, I ended up having to move a door, a window or an outlet,” she explains. “I realized I couldn’t bring the whole picture together if I didn’t understand how a client would use a space.”

When starting a new project, Louro believes it’s important to connect with her client, taking them through a more intimate interview process.

“It’s more of a conversation,” she says. “It goes beyond ‘What colors do you like?’ or ‘What style do you like?’ It’s more about ‘What do you do? Where did you grow up? What books do you like to read?’ With that, you can really get a grasp of what’s important so you can start understanding what they need or don’t need.

“When people ask what I do, yes it’s interior design, but I say it’s about helping you find yourself,” she says. “We want and deserve to feel represented in our space, to invite people into our homes and let our items tell the story of who we are. We should hold onto the objects that represent memories of fun travels and of loved ones. We should learn what colors make us feel good and add them to our lives. It is

Photo by Romulo Fialdini.

razilian architect and interior designer Guta Louro bases her work on the principle that interior design is not just ornamental, but essential to your sense of self. She aims to encourage her clients to learn and understand who they are, what they like and what is important to them.

But as a teenager in Brazil, Louro was following a completely different path. She was determined to become a fashion designer until one day her mother intervened. “[She] asked me why I had such a fixation with that career path and whether I would ever at least consider other options,” she says. “Stubborn 15-year-old-me was obviously dismissive (and probably offended) by her even suggesting that fashion was not my calling.”

After that conversation with her mother, Louro shifted plans and began to explore architecture in high school. “The reality is that being in and around beautiful places also made me feel happy,” she says.

“I’m incredibly grateful and fortunate that my mother pushed me to chase this career path, later offering to send me to spend a summer in France in an immersive architecture course.”

Originally, architecture was her sole interest; however, as she pursued her degree in Sao Paulo, Louro decided to get a certificate in interior design. She wanted to be able to take her clients through

24 | AUSTIN WOMAN | JULY 2022

“

The reality is that being in and around beautiful places also made me feel happy.

Photos by Denilson Machado.

—Guta Louro

ATXWOMAN.COM | 25

Top photo courtesy of Guta Louro. Bottom photo by Romulo Fialdini.

so important to feel represented, to love who we are, to tell the world and remind us of who we have become. Sometimes we want to do it without saying a single word.”

With this vision in mind, in 2014 she opened Guta Louro Designs in Brazil. She moved to New York in 2017, where she pursued her master’s in interior design. After graduating, she opened another studio in New York, where she partnered with Tonja Adair, principal at Splice Design. Their work involves creating holistic designs for their clients.

In 2021, Louro became Splice’s director of interior design and has since branched out to Sao Paulo, Atlanta, New York and now Austin.

“I wanted to give interior design more purpose,” Louro says. “A big part of that was working on myself, understanding what made me feel good and why this was important to me. I had to look internally to find what I had to work on so that I could then help other people.”

As she reflects on where she began, she remains grateful and optimistic about her journey.

“When I first started my company and studio, I was 24,” she says. “It’s not easy as a 24-year-old to go for the unsafe route and take a bet on this. I had people tell me I was too young, but I did it anyway. When things were going well, back home in Brazil, I decided to move to the United States all alone. After that I made my studio here; I joined forces with another studio, and then I applied for a visa. All of this is not easy.

There are so many times where you look at it like, ‘Why did I not just take the easy, more sensible route?’ But at the end of the day, it’s just more gratifying. When you get yourself out of that hole that you dig, you’re like, ‘Why am I thinking so negatively about this?’ As you [open] yourself up to the world, so many beautiful things start happening, and there’s this energy that starts flowing again.”

26 | AUSTIN WOMAN | JULY 2022

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See Her WORK

Austin…

Get Used to Lit! Multidisciplinary artist Laura Lit refuses to be defined by others’ expectations of success.

BY EVELYN DEAL

F

Photos courtesy of Evelyn Deal.

or many, it takes years to figure out their purpose in life.

What brings them joy, what makes them excited to wake up in the morning or what fuels their soul. Some, however, are luckier than others. Their instincts are strong, and their purpose in the world is clear as day. This is exactly the case for Austinbased artist Laura Lit. Led by powerful intuition and instinctual reason, Lit creates visually stunning, colorful, modern sculpture work that encapsulates the images she sees in her head. When asked about her origins of motivation, Lit describes it best: “That’s just who I am and what I do. [Art] is so essential to my nature.”

Born in Dallas, Texas, Lit recalls being drawn to art at a very young age. “I think I’ve been an artist since I was little. I think when you’re little and you dream about what you want to be, it is always an artist,” she explains. “I tried lots of jobs in between.

I did other things and then did a full circle and went back to art ’cause it’s really the only thing that’s fulfilled me.” Creation has been an integral part of Lit’s life. From taking painting lessons in the backyard of her school teacher’s house to pursuing a degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design, she often finds herself surrounded by what comes naturally. “For the most part, I’ve considered myself a figurative artist. I did a lot of figure drawing in high school and lots of life drawing, and I thought I

28 | AUSTIN WOMAN | JULY 2022

would do figurative art forever ’cause I loved it. I just kinda reached a point where I got really sick of it. All that changed when I made some artwork for Batch. My husband and I own Batch, so I decorate everything. I help design the buildings and the interiors.”

Batch Craft Beer and Kolaches, located off Manor Road, has given Lit the chance to showcase her new and current methods of creating art. Carefully curated sculptures made from wood hang on the walls inside the restaurant and have caught the eye of many. “Once those were up, Phillip Niemeyer from NorthernSouthern Gallery walked in and asked, ‘Whose work is that?’ They said, ‘That’s Laura Lit’; and he said, ‘No that’s not Laura Lit; she does figurative work.’ So they connected me with him, and he encouraged me to do more abstract art.”

Independence and artistic freedom are major factors contributing to Lit’s work.

Her most recent pieces consist of cohesive bright color palettes. Working with paper clay, foam and wood, she constructs her work by herself in her Austin studio.

“I can make everything by myself with no one else’s help. I like to be able to move my sculpture around myself, make the cuts I need myself and just figure out how to do it myself.”

Her drive and ambition go beyond herself. Her work is more than objects hanging on a wall. Art can mean many things. It can be political, controversial, depressing or uplifting. One thing is guaranteed: It will provoke a response or a feeling. Art gives the viewer a moment to extend outside of their current reality and into the art. “When you look at something that resonates with your consciousness or your subconsciousness, it makes you take a step back from your daily life of your normal anxieties, your normal human stuff,” Lit says. Today, there are so many

“

When you look at something that resonates with your consciousness or your subconsciousness, it makes you take a step back from your daily life of your normal anxieties, your normal human stuff.

—Laura Lit

ATXWOMAN.COM | 29

Photos courtesy of Evelyn Deal.

reasons why art is important to society on a personal and humanitarian level. Lit uses her talent and expertise to give back. At the time of this article’s publication, she will have donated two of her pieces to the Ukraine relief fundraiser organized by DORF. Through numerous exhibitions like the colored pencil creations of Fuzzy Forces and the oil paintings in Where You End and I Begin, Lit showcases her work in diverse mediums.

She has an upcoming exhibit at the Northern-Southern Art Gallery in the late fall of 2022 to display her most recent work.

Creating these pieces of art, whether sculptures, portraits or oil paintings, is a means of self-expression. To Lit, however, it is also a way of living. For her, being able to do what you love independently is a prominent means of success. “I don’t think [success] has anything to do with selling art or what the price tag is. Rather, it is just making what is in your heart and making work that is truthful to yourself.”

On the outside, she is undeniably successful. However, her definition of success is focused more on the creator themselves, rather than their art. “I think real success is having the time and space to make your work. A lot of artists don’t have studio materials, so I think if you have all the time you need and all your materials to make your work, then you’re successful.”

30 | AUSTIN WOMAN | JULY 2022

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A Path of Healing

Travis County Judge-elect Denise Hernández has defied expectations all her life.

BY CY WHITE PHOTOS BY ANNIE RAY STYLED BY PARKE BALLANTINE WITH INSPIRATION FROM REVIVAL VINTAGE, DIANA BOCH DESIGNS, PINK AND SILVER FASHION AND HEX PANTHER HAIR AND MAKEUP BY VALERIE LOPEZ SHOT ON LOCATION AT THE CATHEDRAL

A

n unassuming woman emerges from the sublevel of The Cathedral. The air is instantly sucked out of the room. She’s an absolute stunner: Oversized waist-high black zoot suit pants held up by suspenders, white tucked-in button-up, matching zoot suit jacket and a wide-brimmed black hat. She makes her way to one of the building’s signature arched floor-to-ceiling windows, perches atop a golden stool and waits, hand in pocket, sleeves rolled up, forearm tattoo on full display. She exudes authority, confidence.

A couple months ago, this same woman sat in the newly decorated home office her wife helped her put together, wearing an old T-shirt, no makeup, hair laying straight and flat at her shoulders, and spoke about how teachers pegged her as a “gangster” in elementary school.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Judge-elect of Travis County Denise Hernández.

SUBVERTING LABELS

Denise Hernández is used to people making assumptions about who she is based on labels society has assigned her: Low-income daughter of migrant farmers. Latina woman. Lesbian wife. It’s like a word-association game, and everyone reading has an image in their heads of what each of these words means.

Since elementary school, she’s had to fight against the cliches people attached to her. For Hernández, it was more than just a need to define herself; it was an act of survival to keep her from a fate many BIPOC children, unfortunately, aren’t able to avoid. The world has consistently tossed them into a bin to be neglected and later thrown away.

“I moved around a lot as a kid,” she begins. “My parents divorced at a very young age. My dad was around and was a supportive parent, as much as he could be, for everything he was experiencing at that time, [but] it was mainly just my mom raising us. It was difficult. She was working two or three jobs a majority of my childhood to provide for me and my little sister.”

A common thread among many low-income families is the need to move around from place to place, finding homes that fit within tight budgets. Often that leads to environments lacking in safety and opportunity. “Off the top of my head, I think I attended four or five different elementary schools,” she says. However, life changed in unexpected ways for Hernández when she entered fifth grade. Her family was able to attain assisted housing in a decent school district. With that came the alien feeling of being the only Brown face in a sea of white. “I was in a significantly different socio-economic class. The first time I realized that my teachers viewed me kind of 36 | AUSTIN WOMAN | JULY 2022

ATXWOMAN.COM | 37

as a bad student is when I started at this elementary school,” she says, the crease at her brow indicating the pain of that realization still stings. “There was a claim that I had brought a knife to school, which I hadn’t, but there were just all these images and thoughts about me as I attended this new school by the teachers, assumptions, biases about who I was. Those biases came through in how they treated me.”

She pauses, a small smirk crossing her face as her gaze wanders, the shadow of a hurtful memory clouding her eyes. “It’s crazy,” she says, the words coming on the back of a chuckle. “This memory feels like just yesterday. There was an issue at the time in elementary school where students were marking on walls in the bathroom. I had gone to the bathroom. [When] I came out, a teacher accused me of putting graffiti on the wall. This was the same teacher who was repetitively getting me in trouble. My mom held a parent-teacher conference with this teacher and confronted her on some of these things. The teacher repetitively said, ‘Your child is a little gangster and is a troublemaker,’ accusing me of all these things that I had not done. When you hear that so often, and when you’re new to a school, at such a young age, you really begin to believe, ‘Maybe I am just a bad student,’ right?”

This pattern of unfair judgment fed into middle school, where she continued to find herself a victim of her teachers’ ire. “With that, I felt like I was embodying what I thought people told me I was. I was hanging out with students who were doing drugs at a very young age.

Though I was too terrified of my mother to ever participate, I was still hanging out with a crowd that was experiencing, now that I reflect, a lot of trauma in their own lives, experiencing a lot of the same things I was experiencing.”

The story pours out of Hernández, as if she’s trying to purge the lingering pain of teachers seemingly set on making an example of her. It’s not an uncommon experience, especially for brown-skinned youth from low-income families, becoming the target of overworked and underpaid teachers who are ill-equipped (or unwilling) to really consider each student for who they are and what they’re going through.

“I was blessed enough that I never got involved with law enforcement,” she says, “but I was experiencing the school-to-prison pipeline…[at] like, 10, 11 [years old], began to get in-school suspension for small things like talking in class. Just navigating that was really—” she pauses. Adjusting her glasses, then after about two seconds, “It was a painful time for me, for sure. At the same time, carrying a lot of weight from your family. My dad’s an immigrant, and no one in my family had gone to college. So there’s a lot of pressure, even in the fifth grade, to do well in school. You have these conflicting notions of what you can and can’t do. Your parents say you can do this, but then you spend so much time with teachers, and they’re telling you that you’re a bad kid. It was…it was a hard time, but it was a time that I feel really shaped me.”

TWO CHOICES

Though her experience with authority wasn’t exactly positive in many cases, it was an older school administrator that hit Hernández 38 | AUSTIN WOMAN | JULY 2022

with the very real possibility that she could be another statistic in a system ready to chew her up and spit her out.

“I remember that I got in trouble at school, and the principal said, ‘You know, Denise, you’re heading down a really bad path, and people are paying attention to your actions. There’s two things you can do: You can continue on this path, or you can be a leader in a positive way and influence positive change.’ No one had ever talked to me in a way that said, ‘Hey, you could do something good,’ you know? If it wasn’t for that principal, making a decision not to send me to in-school suspension, but having a real conversation with me, I don’t know how my life would have ended.

“I was essentially serving as a second parent in my household, taking care of my little sister when my mom was working these two to three jobs, on top of understanding at a very early age what poverty is, then also just navigating the weird dynamic between my parents at that time. There was a lot of trauma,” she admits.

But that single moment of someone really seeing past the facade, tearing down the wall to get to the real Denise Hernández, shifted her understanding of who she was.

“The image in my head of myself, before that point, was very much the image of what that teacher was telling me,” she admits.

“After that [conversation], I really shifted my perspective. That’s when I got involved with the nonprofit that eventually changed my life, the National Hispanic Institute. I really just began to see myself differently.”

From there, Hernández understood that she was called to be that positive motivating force for children and teens, to show them they are more than what the world around them says they are.

“To me, that goes to a deeper issue of how so many Black and Brown students in school are getting in trouble for ‘behavioral issues,’ are being labeled as ‘bad students,’ and no one’s taking the time to really get to know what’s happening. I think that’s why I find mentorship so important. You’re really giving the individual time to share their story, but you’re also getting to learn your mentee and what they’re experiencing, sharing tools, processing conflict and processing their own trauma and just showing them a path that helped you along the way and hoping it provides them a similar path of healing.”

TAKING THE LAW INTO HER OWN HANDS

With as tumultuous a relationship with authority figures as Hernández had, one could be forgiven for disbelieving that she ultimately chose law as her career. Certainly, the relations between law enforcement and communities of color are strained at best.

Hernández has been open about her own family’s history with law enforcement and immigration authorities, namely that the majority of the men in her family have experienced incarceration in some way.

As the daughter of migrant farmworkers, Hernández is no stranger to the strain of attempting to survive while navigating structures meant to keep a migrant working class from crawling

Art by FEEBEE

What are some books or works that have inspired you? adrienne maree brown is definitely one of them.

Sonia Sotomayor, a book called My Beloved World. It was a very transformative book for me because it was the first time I saw myself in a Supreme Court justice’s story. Oh, her story is so beautiful, and her judicial philosophy is so aligned with mine. That book resonated with my soul.

The New Jim Crow [by Michelle Alexander]. It was… not an eye-opener, but just a re-commitment of [how] we’re still facing a lot of what was happening back then. It just looks different now; it’s transformed into something else, but those oppressive structures still exist.

Not a book, but a podcast. “Finding Our Way” by Prentis Hemphill has been really transformative for me because it’s constantly talking about embodying equity.

What does that mean? And how do you do that in a way that’s genuine and authentic?

I have to mention this book because it’s a book that I haven’t completely dove into, but it’s something my wife and I are talking about. (She’ll read a book and tell me about it, and then we’ll go back and forth.) I’m reading Metahuman by Deepak Chopra, which is very woo-woo.

Then the other one is The Untethered Soul. These are deeper books outside of systems that have a deeper understanding of [how] we’re all connected, even if we don’t realize that we all influence each other. With that I think comes a responsibility to love each other harder and really be supportive of the way forward.

ATXWOMAN.COM | 39

out of forced destitution. “I have a very distinct memory of my mom’s dad,” she says. “We went to go visit him while he was in prison, and I just remember feeling so much anger that he was there and that we were visiting him like that. Then I watched my dad navigate the criminal justice system. At a very young age, I knew about the law, and I saw how it impacted my family in a negative way.”

However, Hernández is solutions minded. Crying about the things she believes she can’t change is never an option. Her first real encounter with a courtroom, in fact, was fighting for her mother and their family to keep them from being evicted…at 15 years old.

“We were living in a home that didn’t have working plumbing,” she recalls. “I remember thinking, ‘This isn’t right that we’re living in this house that doesn’t have working toilets for over a month.’ At the same time, my mom’s paying to get that fixed and unable to make rent. My mom, though she is very outspoken in community settings, when it comes to legal settings or structures like that, she’s very timid. I think that has a lot to do with the power dynamics at play in a court system for a Brown woman.

“I took it upon myself to go research the property code. I…searched ‘broken toilets, evictions,’ which popped up a bunch of information on tenants rights and led me to the property code. I found a section that says your landlord has these obligations, including making sure they provide you with a clean unit that has working water. I remember telling my mom this and her being like, ‘Mija, no, we’re not going to bring this up,’ [even] though it was a valid point.” She becomes animated, transported back to that moment when she knew she could do something to defend the woman who’d raised her and her sister on love and sheer iron will. Hernández inherited that iron will. Combined with her thirst for justice, she fought on her mother’s behalf. “I told my mom, ‘I’m gonna go with you to this eviction proceeding.’ And I’m young; I’m like, 14, 15 years old,” she says with a laugh. Though not too keen on hearing the case from the mouth of a 15-year-old girl, the judge did grant Hernández’s mother an extension.

“It was a moment that I realized there is an issue in our justice system,” Hernández says.

“Overall, not just criminal, civil as well, where people who are low-income, who are Black and Brown are easily intimidated in these spaces. They don’t know their rights, and they sometimes don’t have advocates. I began to see it as something I could navigate to help people like my family. [It] was around the same time that I’m having that conversation with that principal. All these things are happening around a close timeframe, where I’m seeing the connection of good I can do by advocating for my mom in this legal space and seeing that I could do that as a lawyer for a lot of people.”

What began as the need to defend her mother became a lifelong obsession with justice.

While involved with the National Hispanic Institute, Hernández honed her public-speaking skills through the mock trial and speech and debate teams. “God bless my mom,” she says.

“One thing I can say about my mom: I would ask, and she wouldn’t say no.” Through careful planning, a strong community of mentors around her and her mother’s devotion to her child’s dreams, Hernández carried her enthusiasm into high school. “This is kind of where the shift happened,” she says. “I ran for student council; I was class president. It helped me see that community service, public service was a passion of mine. It was like 2004, 2005, the immigration reform walkouts were happening. A bunch of students had walked out of school, and I helped organize one of those protests. I also helped organize what to do after the protests. How do we engage with our public officials to advocate on our behalf?”

When she made her way to college, Hernández was fully committed to this life of service, mentorship and advocacy for those who were often forced but unable to advocate for themselves. She was accepted to the University of Incarnate Word in San Antonio on scholarship. There she continued debating and her involvement with student government. “[It’s] the [cycle] of giving back what’s given to you,” she says. “I was mentoring firstgeneration college students in college, and then in law school, I was mentoring high school students interested in entering the legal field, constantly finding ways for me to give back to my community wherever I lived.”

40 | AUSTIN WOMAN | JULY 2022

Art By Kristin Freeman

“

It was a moment that I realized there is an issue in our justice system. Overall, not just criminal, civil as well, where people who are low-income, who are Black and Brown are easily intimidated in these spaces.

They don’t know their rights, and they sometimes don’t have advocates. I began to see it as something I could navigate to help people like my family.

—Denise Hernández

EVERLASTING LOVE

Moving to Lubbock, Texas, to attend Texas Tech University of Law proved a bit of a “culture shock” for Hernández. Despite going to mostly predominantly white schools from middle school to college, Houston and San Antonio are by and large diverse communities. Lubbock, a little less so. It proved to be one of the more harrowing experiences for Hernández, confronting the most overt and aggressive racism she had in her life up to that point. “You feel it,” she says. “When I moved to Lubbock, my school was not diverse, my town was not diverse. It was really hard on my mentality. It was the first time I experienced direct racism. I was called a ‘beaner’ in Lubbock, told to go back to Mexico in Lubbock. But I met my wife in Lubbock. So, you know, that’s a positive.” No matter what stain Lubbock left on her mentally, the mention of her wife brings a wistful smile to her face, instantly clearing the murky thoughts of that experience from her countenance.

Denise’s wife, Krista Hernández, is omnipresent. At the photoshoot, she’s in every pose, “smize,” even in every exclamation at a piece of art on the walls. With every look Denise dons, one could witness her sending her wife selfies from multiple angles. Almost instantly, Krista would respond with a, “You look amazing,” or “How much does that one cost? Because you need to wear that again.” In fact, Denise proclaims during a shot in the stairwell, “[Krista]’s so hot, I’ve got to try to do my best.” Star-crossed lovers, as the phrase goes.

“I’m sure Denise has already charmed you with her joke about writing a country song about two lesbians finding love in Lubbock, Texas,” Krista says with a laugh. “We met while going to Texas Tech. We had a shared experience of stepping into Lubbock and feeling this overwhelming culture shock. The lack of diversity was jarring. It also smelled like cow manure, and we had to endure these intense sandstorms, which didn’t help the overall feeling of, ‘Wtf am I doing here?’”

Through the initial gut-punch of being in an oftentimes hostile environment, Krista found her tribe, and Denise found Krista. “We were at a party together, and I was talking about a breakup I went through with another woman,” Krista reveals.

“Denise realized I liked women and laser-focused on me. She wasn’t out just yet, and I’m not even sure if she had a full grasp on her sexuality. She just knew she was attracted to me, and she made the first move. She didn’t know what would happen, but she knew what she wanted to happen, so she jumped right in to make it happen.

“We connected immediately,” Krista continues. “She’s magnetic, and I was drawn to her. I’m an introvert and not nearly as good at people as Denise is. She actually taught me a lot about human connection and the importance of community. After that first night, we started texting and would literally stay up all night talking to each other. It was so easy. Looking back, it makes complete sense now because she’s my wife and my favorite person, and of course it was easy to talk to her from day one.”

ATXWOMAN.COM | 41

“

This is so much more than me running for office. It’s about creating change; it’s about representing community; it’s about really, truly making a difference. I think when you focus on a higher purpose, the small things don’t matter as much; the drama doesn’t matter as much.

—Denise Hernández

LOCATION: THE CATHEDRAL The Cathedral is a boutique art gallery, event venue and coworking space in a beautiful 1930s refurbished church in East Austin. Created by Mónica Ceniceros, the founder of atxGALS, a local-women artist collective whose mission is to create more exposure for women artists, The Cathedral produces unique art, music and cultural events year-round, showcasing a diverse collection of art by the top-rated collective.

2403 E. 16th St., thecathedralatx.com

42 | AUSTIN WOMAN | JULY 2022

Top left: Burn the Bridges by Marcella Colavecchio Bottom left: Let Yourself Go by Marcella Colavecchio Right: Caress by Laura Clay

JUSTICE IN THE SANGRE

This instant connection culminated in more than a powerful, lifelong romance. The couple has a passion for mentorship and advocacy, particularly for queer Black and Brown folx. It’s love, plain and simple. A desire to make sure those around them are cared for without question.

Denise’s advocacy work is well documented. Though her initial goal to practice nonprofit law fell to the wayside promptly after she started practicing regularly, the nonprofit spirit never left her.

“I spent most of college and my law school summers working at nonprofits,” she says. “I interned at the Chicago legal aid services, the Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, the Texas Civil Rights Project. Any nonprofit that I could work with that was doing civil rights work or criminal justice work, I was there.” After receiving an offer for a job at the Legal Aid Society of Lubbock, Denise strapped in for a journey she could’ve never imagined as a kid being singled out by a vindictive elementary school teacher.

“My position was part-time work with people who were experiencing eviction or divorce and so on. Then the other 50% of my work was going to the local women’s shelter to do protective orders. Through that work, I began to really realize my calling to enter into the justice system.” The parallels are striking.

From an outspoken, fearless teen standing up for her mother in justice of the peace court, acting as the voice for a woman too intimidated by a system she saw lock away the men in her life, to being an advocate for survivors of domestic violence, people who are also facing eviction because they don’t know the law, don’t know the language or both. Justice is in the sangre. It’s in every decision she makes, every organization she founds or takes part in.

“It was almost like a trauma trigger for me,” she says. “It reminded me so much of what my family was experiencing with the legal system, the criminal justice system. So much flooding of memories of me thinking if only the prosecutor understood what my family was going through, understood what my dad was experiencing or what my grandpa was experiencing, how different their lives could have been.”

After several roles for the Travis County attorney’s office, first in DWI court, then at the special victims unit, eventually Denise found herself in the good graces of Delia Garza, who brought Denise on as her deputy director of diversity, equity and inclusion. From that moment on, she made it her mission to dismantle dangerously antiquated systems and schools of thought. “It has been really interesting bringing all of my life experience into the work that I do now, training prosecutors to be equitable, to be trauma informed and to really change our justice system.”

“CONFLICT CAN BE GENERATIVE”

Denise is unafraid to ruffle feathers, as long as the job gets done and there’s honest, intentional evolution happening at a systemic level. Her work as the deputy director of DEI was about forcing conversations about subjects most people at the judicial level are afraid to even approach, having these conversations out in the open to, then, encourage healing and generative change.

“These conversations are triggering, not only for the people, but it’s triggering also for people who aren’t ready to have those conversations,” she says. “I do a lot of reading on how to stay grounded and how to navigate conflict. I’m a big fan of adrienne maree brown. She has a book called Emergent Strategy. Essentially she talks about how we should turn to nature’s systems as a way to kind of

guide us and how we live in space that is recognizing our wholeness. There’s a line that says, ‘Conflict can be generative.’ I feel like so much of what we’re taught is that conflict is bad and that conflict doesn’t provide a positive path. But I’ve learned that we should embrace conflict, because it’s a part of life, right? Conflict is a part of who we are, but if we change our perspective on conflict and view it as an opportunity to grow and to learn and to find solutions, then I think we really can begin to navigate space in a way that’s more equitable. We have a lot of conflict in our systems, and those are there because we have a real history of racism and oppression. Until we acknowledge that and see that the conflict has to happen, these hard conversations have to happen. I navigate with that statement, ‘conflict can be generative’; I use it in everyday practice because in these moments of training, I’m dealing with a lot of conflict, but I remind them that this is for you to understand and to see a different lived experience outside your own.”

Making her way on the campaign trail for judge of Travis County certainly tested her mettle, forcing her to commit with her whole chest and speak her truth.

Navigating that political space as a queer woman of color ain’t easy, especially for someone who refuses to hide who she is.

“I did freak out. I just freaked out around people who were safe,” she admits with a smile. “There’s still a lot of space that is not very inclusive for LGBTQ individuals, even though people claim to be. So that was a really, really scary moment, where I constantly had to say, ‘Am I about to say that I’m an openly gay woman?’ I said, ‘Hell yeah, I’m about to say that!’” she exclaims, following it with that hearty laugh of hers. “I’m not hiding any bit of myself in these spaces.”

The night of the election was a moment of great pride for both Denise and Krista. “When she said she was ready to run for the bench I stood beside her,” Krista says. When Denise finally found out she’d won, everything seemed to click into place. It was all worth it. “We hugged for 20 seconds just soaking in all the love, joy and cheers surrounding us as her friends and family celebrated,” she says. “I was so proud of her. Running for office is definitely one of the top three hardest things she has ever done and we have ever endured together as a couple. To see her get to the other side of it surrounded by so much love was a marvelous thing.”

“This is so much more than me running for office,” Denise says. “It’s about creating change; it’s about representing community; it’s about really, truly making a difference. I think when you focus on a higher purpose, the small things don’t matter as much; the drama doesn’t matter as much.

ATXWOMAN.COM | 43

“I think the biggest thing I shared on the campaign trail that I’ll continue to share is we need leaders who are reflective of lived experience, who are representative of the communities they serve, who get what it means to be marginalized by a system, to be able to address those issues. But most importantly, [we need] a leader who understands that they are just a representative of the community. One leader is not the solution for all of our social issues, but one leader can help gather and bring collective action and uplift a community to address social issues. The other thing [is] welcoming accountability to its core. Allow people to hold you accountable, put your feet to the fire. If you have people who are upset with you—this goes back to conflict as generative—allow yourself to be held accountable, because we have to focus on the changes that the community wants to see.”

HUSTLING FOR CHANGE

Denise and her wife have continued to show up with intention to everything they do together. From their organizations to their businesses, they pour so much of themselves into the community. Their creation of Hustle for the Cause was in direct response to former president Donald Trump’s election in 2016. Much of the language surrounding that presidency centered on xenophobia, separatism and creating chaos and fear among those who don’t fit a certain “great American” ideal.

“That was very concerning,” Denise says. “As an openly gay woman, as a daughter of an immigrant, a lot of things were said that made me feel very unsafe when he got elected. The same thing for my wife. My wife is a Black woman, an openly gay Black woman. There was just a lot of fear that we had in that moment. I cried, I was devastated,” she admits. “But the next morning, my wife and I started talking about safe spaces. What does that mean, and how do we create safe space in our community for people like us, for queer women of color? So we thought, ‘Okay, well, why don’t we support Black and Brown-led grassroots nonprofits that don’t typically get a lot of foundation funding? How do we do that in a fun way?’”

The couple began their community work as more of an event production company with Counter Balance ATX, a nonprofit geared toward connecting Black women to life-saving resources. Their first ’90s hiphop night at Antone’s was a way to highlight Black creatives and Black art. They followed this event with a collaboration with Good Fight Fitness on a domestic violence awareness event featuring Kalu James and The Electric Joint.

“It eventually led us to Chingona Fest in 2018,” she says with a deep smile. “I was having a conversation 44 | AUSTIN WOMAN | JULY 2022

with friends and with my wife around creating a space where in support of local Latinx entrepreneurs, you could purchase clothes, hats that were very specific to cultural identity, while also raising money for Latinx-led nonprofits.

We continue to do it every year. Now Chingona Fest is our main staple of Hustle for the Cause.”

Obviously the pandemic forced the couple to shift their focus. At the time Denise was doing work at the special victims unit, so Krista invested most of her time in building up their shared consulting business. “[Krista] was doing a lot of consulting with businesses to help them create social impact initiatives. This is where we begin helping people build partnerships with small businesses and small initiatives that could raise money and give grants outright.”

Denise’s time on the campaign trail forced her to take a step back from Hustle for the Cause, focusing solely on Chingona Fest as she campaigned. That didn’t stop her from supporting her wife in their latest venture, Wedding Party Love, a wedding planning business for queer couples they launched right before the pandemic hit. “How many queer women of color are out there planning weddings?”

Denise muses. “There aren’t a lot, especially in Austin.

When we were planning our wedding, we actually had a really hard time. We talked to some venues in Central Texas that essentially said they wouldn’t hold a gay wedding. That was when we were planning our wedding in 2018; that’s not that long ago, you know. We also had a lot of vendors who assumed that we were friends and not the couple about to get married. So my wife is like, ‘I’m gonna go and start this,’ and I was very supportive and helping with that. I’m a co-owner, but it really is my wife constantly trailblazing and me just being supportive, cheering her on.”

“Denise does a marvelous job of letting others shine,” Krista says. “When we work on projects together I know that she will let me shine in the areas I thrive in. I know her ego will never be at play when making business decisions, and I know that she’s constantly doing the work to be the best leader she can be. I’m proud of her every single day,” she continues. “She shows up in a way that pushes the people around her to be better. I’m a better person because of her. I look at her with this awe of like, ‘Wow, you’re truly such an amazing human.’”

Human. Denise Hernández is many things: daughter, sister, wife. Judge-elect, advocate, entrepreneur, mentor.

But at the end of her time on this earth, the only label that will really matter is human. This humanity is what draws people to her, makes people believe her when she speaks.

“One of Denise’s greatest fears is that she isn’t a good person, or at least not good enough,” Krista reveals. “I want her to know that she’s enough. Denise, you are a good person. You are the best person I know. Your existence has made life-changing impacts on many of the people around you. Keep using that force inside of you for good. I love you.”

ATXWOMAN.COM | 45

Looking for a Sign Two stay-at-home moms

redefined what having a work life outside the house entails.

BY BRIANNA CALERI PHOTOS COURTESY OF CARD MY YARD

46 | AUSTIN WOMAN | JULY 2022

T

he people who invented sliced bread (in 1928, apparently) probably weren’t hoping to set the bar for every innovation for the next century. It didn’t even need to happen. It just made life a little bit more wonderful. Then everyone started doing it.

Not to declare the best thing since sliced bread, but Austinites Amy Arnold and Jessica Stanley followed a similar trajectory as they turned a cheerful yard sign into their livelihood, and by 2022, into 500 franchise locations around the United States. The biggest effect hasn’t been changing the way Americans think about their yards, but changing the way stay-at-home parents and other hopeful people see their futures as entrepreneurs.

“People have seen our story and wanted that for themselves,” Arnold says. “They’ve said, ‘If they can do it, I can do it.’”

“

People have seen our story and wanted that for themselves. They’ve said, ‘If they can do it, I can do it.’

—Amy Arnold Arnold was expounding upon an obvious pattern among Card My Yard staff—now 16 in total and nearly 70% women.

That was just the type of team the business drew on its own.

She adds, as a footnote, that men own some of the franchises, too; although women seem to identify with the business, it’s not a niche interest.

Fans of the business have extended past consumers looking for festive home decoration. Card My Yard was ranked the number four top emerging franchise of 2022 by Entrepreneur, just above a nearly identical Texas business (with a racial slur in its name) and eight other franchises with at minimum six times the initial investment. Arnold and Stanley were selected as Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year finalists in Central Texas and won the inaugural “See It To Be It” award at Austin Woman’s Woman’s Way Business Awards this year.

The signs, in bright colors and bubble letters, increasingly buried as the company grows under extra motifs like stars, hearts and flowers, are lovely, but the story captivating franchise owners and critics alike is one of relatability.

When Arnold and Stanley met at their kids’ bible study,

they bonded over some pretty standard mom feelings, simply appreciating their parallel stages of life. But they both felt another pull: a desire to step out of their typical roles as stay-at-home moms. It really wasn’t meant to be groundbreaking, just something to get some creativity flowing and bring in a few dollars on the side.

“You get into this rhythm of serving your family every single day, and I think both of us bonded over the thought of doing something with our brains,” says Stanley.

It was October 2014 when the friends decided to dip their toes into a new project. They spent $1,000 in total. The reusable corrugated plastic yard sign said “BOO” in an orange, black and yellow chevron print. It didn’t look amateur—it just looked normal. That’s all the neighbors needed. The cute signs brought a little Halloween spirit to the front yard, were easy to install and store and perhaps reminded neighbors that they lived in a community, not just a series of separate houses.

This was in the Steiner Ranch neighborhood, and the pair kept it there until 2017, working from Arnold’s garage. They still work at home sometimes, calling in to chat with Austin Woman from the very same house. Camp was out that day, which meant kids at home and ATXWOMAN.COM | 47

things to juggle outside of work—the norm for many Card My Yard franchise owners. In fact, the franchisees get to experience much of the same initial experience, starting in the basement and working outward if they so choose.

“The beauty of Card My Yard is that you don’t have to have a storefront,” says Stanley. “So it’s very accessible for men and women to buy a franchise and be able to run it out of their home and out of their garage. Some of our Northeast locations keep all their inventory in basements.”

Even though this business is straightforward, with many variations on one product, it was hard to give up control in the beginning. Of course, the transition from total creative control to standardization is hard enough. Then letting others represent the company name, something that grew around friendship, supportive family and communities, is another battle.

“It’s hard to give up control, because you love your business so much; you’re unsure that somebody will love it as much as you do,” says Arnold. “But as we’ve taken each step, we’ve realized that other people are as invested as we are. They’re owners of their own business, and they do love it, and care for it, and want it to grow.”

It didn’t happen overnight. First the kids and husbands started helping, all splitting up to pack signs in different areas. Their husbands already lived in the business world. Josh Arnold had been working within a family business making watches, which was unexpectedly displaced by the ubiquity of the Apple Watch. In his first pivot, he moved to the oil and gas industry. James Stanley used his background in sales and business development to build Card My Yard’s ecommerce website, teaching himself to code in the process.

Eventually, the orders grew too many and the drives grew too far. The two families couldn’t be 10 places at once. Hiring helpers lightened the load, and making the shift to franchising meant the business could make its first real expansions out from its home base. This started a period of exponential growth, and during the pandemic, the franchise added 250 locations. Even non-logistical admin started hitting a wall, so in a paradoxically traditional and progressive pivot, the husbands joined the wives full time.

“

The beauty of Card My Yard is that you don’t have to have a storefront. So it’s very accessible for men and women to buy a franchise and be able to run it out of their home and out of their garage. Some of our Northeast locations keep all their inventory in basements.

—Jessica Stanley

CaRD my

48 | AUSTIN WOMAN | JULY 2022

Jessica Stanley and Amy Arnold

y YaRD

ATXWOMAN.COM | 49

“The key ingredient to a successful business is to have your family behind you, and they’ve always 100% supported and worked with us in this process. They just had other jobs, too,” says Arnold.

The co-founders take the role of family so seriously that when interviewing potential franchise owners, they make a point to cover family dynamics, encouraging interested buyers to consult with their families before committing.

Much business advice around hiring friends and family is ravenous for boundary setting, with owners understandably apprehensive about letting potential stressors seep from one setting into another. Because Card My Yard was a home, family business from the start, Arnold and Stanley stand firmly on the opposite side of that advice, not pessimistically but realistically noting the absence of clear boundaries, and leveraging that absence with compassion.

Especially between each other, this rejection of rigidity is compensated for in anticipating each other’s needs. By not taking specific roles, the two women are constantly glancing at each other’s plates, offering to share workloads or fix mistakes without judgment. Over time, as the co-owners became accustomed to loosening control with franchisees, they started noticing a similar creative exchange, even across the firmer lines of founder and franchise owner.

One owner from Houston—noticing how rough weather would skew signs, or celebrants would knock letters over while posing with them—suggested the sturdier overlapping letters that are now one of the main design elements in the company’s signage. A group of them from South Florida developed a system for taping the signs for longer use. The co-founders recognize that franchise 50 | AUSTIN WOMAN | JULY 2022

“

The key ingredient to a successful business is to have your family behind you, and they’ve always 100% supported and worked with us in this process. They just had other jobs, too.

—Amy Arnold

owners across the country are experts in their own regions’ needs, in ways the pair could never anticipate on their own. Thanks to those interviews and creative exchanges, they remember families’ stories One franchise owner who went to college in Austin, Angelica Carrete, knew she wanted to get involved in the franchise like her cousins in El Paso, to support her budding photography career.

Unfortunately, there were already enough locations in the area.

When she moved to Manor, she seized the opportunity to bring the franchise there, followed only a month later by another opportunity in Pflugerville. It would be easy to feel like the market was oversaturated after her experience in Austin, but celebrating customers’ personal achievements has been both rewarding and indicative of endless potential for creativity. “My franchise is unique because of the amazing community I’m surrounded by,” she writes.

As Carrete points out, this is a business about community, and there are as many possible forms it can take as community

members who might fill out the online form, and permutations therein. In its simplicity, it can address any situation, not just expressing joy, but sometimes solidarity. Card My Yard applauded a 13-year-old embarking on a grad school journey to a doctorate (pretty sure there’s no standardized celebration for that). During lockdowns, it anchored many drive-by birthday parties and thanked hospital workers with signs reading, “Heroes work here.”

It donated 100 signs to Uvalde, Texas, to show support and help fundraising after the Robb Elementary School shooting. Profits from every “Uvalde Strong” yard sign went to the school. It may seem odd to purchase a sign for the front yard, but there are few more straightforward ways to direct neighbors to a fundraiser.

This hasn’t been the only “strong” campaign run by Card My Yard, which has also supported Susan G. Komen, local and national ministries and other causes mostly focused on helping women and children. Some situations just don’t call for a sign, so the franchise sends monetary donations to church groups and nonprofits once a month. It’s not just the founders’ job to find beneficiaries.

“We are heavily invested in our community, and we train our franchise owners to invest in the communities where they live. We quickly realized we’re not going to be in tune to what’s happening in every community across the country,” says Stanley. “So that was really important for us, to have business owners that were plugged in and knew what was happening. [They] could offer free signs to various community events.”

A few kind words from someone who really knows you could be the most memorable part of an important day, proof that a loved one is paying attention or a centering reminder to keep going when things are tough. The signs are adorable, but the real superpower is knowing what to say.

Buried Treasure: Stories dug up from faraway yards Monique Burr, a former Austinite in the seasonally busy island of Martha’s Vineyard didn’t think franchising could be fulfilling for her. She wanted to use her own ideas, but she needed logistical support. “The reason I’ve had success was almost the reason I didn’t buy into a franchise,” she says. It only took a few weeks collaborating with customers as a Card My Yard owner to find her creative stride. “We were in the local ice cream store, and the table next to us whispered, ‘That’s the card lady.’”

Kathy Gonzalez in Bakersfield, CA, also had a quick start. Her son, Adrian, had already worked for the previous franchise owner, and the family duo are now co-owners, training their own two assistants. Instead of focusing on getting a brand-new and vulnerable business off the ground, Adrian and Kathy are focusing their efforts on growth and stretch goals. “Working with a company focused on spreading joy is something that will never get old,” Kathy writes.

ATXWOMAN.COM | 51

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WE ARE HIRING! INSIDE SALES REP - VIRTUAL • Do you love being in control of your own sales process?

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If the answers are yes, then our team will love you and so will our customers.

Be a part of our community and apply!

This is an opportunity to join a well-respected company in the fastest growing city in the country. Austin Woman is at a critical inflection point and is seeking a sales execu-tive who is self-driven, curious and collaborative in nature. Creativity, adaptability and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment are essential.

You will be focused on prospecting, qualifying, handling introductory calls and sched-uling and executing meetings. You must have great communication skills, both written and verbal. If you are driven to achieve a higher level of success, you will find challeng-es and real rewards with us with unlimited income potential. We have a solid flow of incoming leads, as well as existing accounts to augment your prospecting.

Pay is commission based with uncapped opportunity. Commissions are paid monthly on sales and renewals.

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Southern Oregon: Get Stuck Between a Rock and a Beautiful Place A breath of fresh air on the West Coast, southern Oregon is naturally created for outdoor living. Whether it’s fly-fishing, hiking, river rafting, mountain biking or simply strolling small towns on a brisk day and dining al fresco, southern Oregon is a Texan’s outside playground.

Getting There in the Air

Fly into the tiny airport of Medford and get a rental car because you will need it to get around. Head over to Common Block Brewing. Southern Oregon is full of craft breweries, and this one has great outdoor seating. Order some delicious fried cheese curds with a local pilsner. The Ranch Wrap rounds out this perfect afternoon.

Head to Ashland, an adorable walkable town a little less than a half hour away, known for its Shakespeare Festival. There are multiple professional theaters in town that run 11 different performances throughout the year, drawing crowds from all over the world. Monday is what they call “dark night of the theater,” where none of the performances are happening, so most of the restaurants are also closed.

By: Marika Flatt

Check in at the Peerless Hotel. Built in the early 1900s, with its brick facade, it looks like an old bank building. With only a few rooms, this inn is a lot like a B&B without the breakfast. (There’s a community parlor with nonalcoholic drinks throughout the day.) Suite 1 downstairs is spacious, with an exposed brick wall donning a beautiful fresco painting, a comfortable double bed and dimmed lighting. The bathroom has a big shower with strong hot water that hits the spot after a full day of outdoor living.

Head over to Case Coffee to grab a latte and an old-fashioned chocolatecovered donut (baked daily). Ashland’s streets are dotted with small independent shops, from bookstores to a yarn store, a brick-oven pizza parlor and an olive oil shop. Ashland Creek runs through town and has a beautiful path that ambles alongside it.

Lithia Park is a local treasure in the middle of town, where you’ll find miles of trails, a duck pond, Japanese garden, rose gardens and lots of green space, in addition to a playground.

Greenleaf for brunch is the move; ask to sit in the back, creekside, where you can listen to the bubbling stream. Order a hearty breakfast like a benedict, omelet or stuffed croissant with a hot cup of coffee. They are big fans of their grilled polenta that’s offered with several of their dishes.

Also along that same strip are a wine bar and Oberon’s Tavern that lead out to the trail along the creek.

A River Runs Through It

As an alternative to river rafting, enjoy a Rogue Jet Adventures boat tour.

This two-and-a-half-hour guided boat tour will take you up the Rogue River.

You can see some beautiful homes, including Jim Belushi’s, which sits right on the river. Do a few spins and accelerate down to Discovery Park, where you can grab a local craft beer and chill near the water.

Living Between the Vines

From Ashland, take a half-hour drive to Kriselle Cellars (close to Rogue Jet Adventures) and sit on the tasting room patio to enjoy a beautiful vista of their ranch while indulging in some of the tastiest wines Oregon has to offer.

Owners Scott, the winemaker, and Kriselle, the vineyard manager, can be seen working the estate to create these award-winning vintages.

Part of the Upper Rogue Wine Trail, here you can sip on wines “from Albarino to Zinfandel,” as they say. Enjoy an outstanding sauvignon blanc (a smooth blend from three different vineyards, aged partly in barrel and partly in tank, giving it a creamy finish), cabernet sauvignon ($39), malbec (wild berry, pepper spice, $32) or Tempranillo (“little early one”). Because you can only get these delectable wines at the winery or through their wine club, you will surely find yourself shipping home a case of your favorites.

Photo courtesy of Texas Lifestyle and Travel Magazine.

Between Rocks and a Beautiful Place

From Ashland, head north toward Crater Lake National Park, which is about a 90-minute drive. On the way, stop off in Shady Cove at The Fishin’ Hole fly shop, where you can get last-minute accessories like sunscreen, hats and some good knowledge. Next door is The Picnic Basket, where you can grab a picnic lunch to take with you and even a cooler with ice if needed. They have several types of hot or cold sandwiches, and you’ll definitely want to try the pickle pasta salad.

There’s much to learn before you go to Crater Lake National Park.

Because of the heavy snowfall, nearly 50 feet at the headquarters per year, you’ll need to figure out what is open when you plan to go. Even in early June, all of the hiking trails were under snow, so skis or snowshoes were a necessity. There’s a $30 entrance fee. Once paid, you can drive to the Rim Village, park and walk up to breathtaking views of the deep blue lake. It’s hard to predict the best time to visit; most of the park is open in July and August, but that’s also the busiest time, and by the end of the summer, visitors are dealing with smoke from forest fires. Check the website before you go.

• Some interesting Crater Lake National Park facts: • Over six miles across • Nearly 2,000 feet deep at its deepest point, making it the deepest lake in the U.S. • Holds nearly five trillion gallons of water • The lake was created as a result of an erupted volcano 7,700 years ago, creating the deep basin.

The Ultimate All-Encompassing Spot

We’ve saved the best for last. Steamboat Inn is the quintessential southern Oregon location to lodge, encompassing everything precious from the area: waterfalls, the robust North Umpqua River flowing just behind the historic property, beautiful landscaping and an A++ culinary program, not to mention, some of the nicest folks serving your meals. A bit off the grid, with no phones or TVs to distract (you can only get cell service at the lodge/restaurant), fishermen and others looking to soak up the southern Oregon atmosphere settle in to this magical retreat.

Established in 1957, the Steamboat Inn has a history of being situated in prime fishing territory. The current owners took over the property in 2017 and made impressive updates (such as the cozy library), just in time for the fires of 2020 (which, scarily, surrounded the inn) and COVID. Now the 18 units, which can sleep up to 58 guests, are packed to the {gills} in the summer months and {a great catch} other times of year.

The aesthetic of the inn is reflected in their saying, “Gather in the peace that is this place, for you may take it with you as you travel on.” The front porch of The Falls Cabin looks out over the rushing waterfalls of the river, a truly serene scene. The property pops with purple, pink and green, their beautiful landscape welcome eye candy.

Wine With Everything

It’s rare to find a restaurant at a quiet inn in the middle of nowhere that features such an outstanding culinary program. From a hearty breakfast of homemade biscuits and gravy to a light lunch of tasty hummus with naan and veggies, to a small but mighty dinner menu, the F&B offering is superb. Treat yourself to their housemade black truffle ravioli (the only dish that’s been featured on the menu for the past four years because guests complain when they’ve tried to remove it), paired with a Silvan Ridge cabernet sauvignon or a Rex Hill chardonnay.

If that’s not all magical enough, Steamboat Inn is located on what’s known as the famous “Highway of Waterfalls.” Just down the road, you can hike to some of the country’s most impressive falls, such as Toketee Falls, Watson Falls (the highest in southern Oregon, plunging 293 feet) and Susan Creek Falls.

Marika Flatt, named Outstanding Austin Communicator 2021, is the travel editor of Texas Lifestyle Magazine. She can be seen on TV shows across Texas offering travel tips, in addition to her long-running “Weekend Trip Tip” on NPR’s Texas Standard.

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On the MONEY

Coping with Financial Anxiety The best reaction is action.

BY JENNY HOFF

W

atching what you spend and being aware of what you buy are fantastic money management skills. But when that awareness turns into anxiety and every nonessential purchase creates guilt and stress, it’s time to take steps to curb the apprehension so you control your money, instead of the other way around.

Make a plan. The best thing you can do to relieve financial anxiety is to make a budget. A plan gives you freedom to make nonessential purchases, to know you are preparing for the future while also meeting today’s needs. If just the thought of creating a detailed budget makes you nervous, you’ll be relieved to know that a budget can be as simple as writing out three columns: How much you need for your fixed costs every month (rent, mortgage, car payments, insurance, school loans), how much you need for variable costs (groceries, gas, entertainment, clothes, coffee, etc.) and how much you need for a rainy day fund. Take one hour to write out how much you bring home a month post-taxes and calculate how much is realistically needed in each category. Hang that piece of paper on the wall and let your financial reality live in that plan instead of in your head 24/7.

Avoid catastrophic thinking. Think of all the times you assumed the worst and it didn’t come to pass. Depending on your financial situation, there may be bills you can’t currently pay, wants that you can’t fulfill or even an emergency depleting a hard-earned savings fund. But everything can be figured out. There are free services

for financial counseling, budget apps and abundant opportunities to make more money. When you find yourself spiraling toward catastrophic thinking, take one small action in the opposite direction. This could be as simple as googling a free financial counseling program or selling an unused item in your home. You want to remind your brain that the situation is not hopeless.

Get help. The best way to avoid the worst-case scenario is to seek help. Whether it’s from a licensed professional or even just getting advice from a friend, speaking out your fears and getting some solutions will help turn that mountain back into a molehill. While you want to avoid catastrophic thinking, you also don’t want to ignore the situation until it gets worse. There are nonprofit organizations that can help create a budget, repair bad credit and offer solutions to break bad financial habits.

Move your body. Exercise not only improves your physical health, but your mental health as well. Even just taking a walk will elevate your serotonin levels, which will improve your mood. You don’t need to hire a personal trainer or join an expensive gym to reduce your anxiety; just get your body moving, work up a bit of a sweat, and you’ll find yourself feeling much more capable and in control of your situation.

Financial anxiety is common, and if the thought of managing your money makes you feel out of control, know you are not alone. By taking small actions in the right direction, you will redirect your brain from a state of helplessness to one of empowerment.

ATXWOMAN.COM | 57

Recipe REVEAL

We Are a Wellness Company

THE ALCHEMY GREEN CBD SMOOTHIE:

For Alchemy Juice Founder and CEO Carly Brown, the company is about more than juice.

A smoothie that provides great nutrition to promote cellular health and vitality. It’s best when cold and can be made creamier if you include half an avocado in the mix.

BY ALLIE JUSTIS Smoothie Ingredients:

econnecting is often viewed through the lens of uniting with friends and family, but it can also be centered around rediscovering a connection with yourself.

Carly Brown, founder and CEO of Alchemy Juice, has been a proponent of this idea ever since she got started in holistic health nearly 10 years ago. She’s been a long-time yoga teacher and health coach with an interest in nutrition, but what got her into holistic health was actually her bout with thyroid cancer in November 2019.

“The recommendation from my doctor was immediate surgery, radiation, hormone replacement for the rest of my life, and it just felt like they didn’t give me any other option other than ushering me into surgery,” says Brown.

“I had known enough being a health coach to know that there were other ways to go about healing, so I really started to research holistic and integrative medicine or care for cancer, and really started coming upon juicing and detoxification. I started juicing and doing things like coffee enemas and infrared saunas, high-dose vitamin C, and my life started to change.”

Brown was enamored by how juicing made her health improve so drastically, but she found that outside of making her own juices, she felt that Austin didn’t have a place that provided raw, organic juices without high-pressure pasteurization or UV light therapies. So, with the help of her team, she started Alchemy Juice out of her home in Austin, and the response was overwhelming.

“The orders just started to roll in, and my mom, my husband and I would use our home kitchen. It was very raw.

Ours was based and fueled by passion and this desire to have an impact on other people’s health the way my health had been impacted,” says Brown. “I felt really grateful. The support we got kind of validated the fact that it had such a transformative impact on my health that other people wanted it.”

58 | AUSTIN WOMAN | JULY 2022

2 large handfuls spinach, raw 1/2 banana, frozen

Smoothie Directions: Add all ingredients into a large blender.

Blend together.

Enjoy!

3/4 cup mixed berries 1 dropper Earlybird CBD Tincture 1/2 avocado (optional)

An important aspect of Alchemy Juice that Brown took into account is that it is designed to also be a door-to-door delivery business. She insists that a huge part of people not being able to live a healthier lifestyle is time and convenience, so her team will juice and deliver any of the many products they offer at their store to make things as easy as possible for their customers. With their recent partnership with Earlybird CBD in Austin, their juices now offer the added benefits of optional CBD oil.

“We don’t think of ourselves as a juice company; we think of ourselves as a wellness company, and our mission is to increase the cellular vitality of the human body. I think that overall as a society, we are overwhelmed, strung out and stressed out,” says Brown. “I can’t fully support and nourish someone’s body if there’s rampant stress, so for me it feels like a win-win to combine CBD oil to support their nervous system with a juice that’s [also] going to support their cellular health and vitality. I used Earlybird products very early on from day one, and I know the founder and I trust them. I trust the product that they’re creating. I love that they’re local. So it was an easy decision for us when we had to think about who we wanted to partner with.”

Alchemy Juice has its cafe inside the Casa de Luz community. Brown’s personal favorite is the immune boost juice. The immune boost is filled with carrots, celery, beet, beet greens, ginger, garlic, turmeric and green apple. She knows that it’s pretty unique to put garlic into a juice, but it’s antibacterial, and she ensures that they make flavor a priority for their juices so that it can be healing and delicious at the same time.

“I honestly feel really proud. Every time I drink our pure green juice, for example, I’m like, ‘Damn, this tastes good,’” says Brown. “I’m a business owner, I’m a woman and I’m a mother. In starting this business I’ve learned that there’s no race to the finish line. I love what I’m doing, and I love how I’m helping others, so as long as I can do that, I couldn’t be happier.”

Photo courtesy of Carly Brown.

R

1 cup Alchemy Juice Sweet Greens or Pure Greens juice

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ATXWOMAN.COM | 59

Waiting ROOM

Licensed marriage and family therapist Sonya Jensen knows the true path to connection is healthy communication.

BY SONYA JENSEN

W

hat makes—or breaks—a relationship?

It’s often not differences in background, politics, parenting or even money habits that bust up a couple. What really makes or breaks a relationship is communication. What influences the health of your relationship most is avoiding the “Four Horsemen” of toxic communication dynamics: criticism, defensiveness, contempt and stonewalling.

Most couples live in endless loops of trying to get a point across. But how you say something matters way more than what you’re actually saying. Learning the antidotes for the horsemen and structuring your conversations in a healthy way lead to more conflict resolution. To help you on that path, let’s learn exactly what the Four Horsemen are—and their antidotes—so you and your partner can become better communicators.

Criticism

Starting with “You did this” or “You did that” opens up the rest of the conversation to the other horsemen. Starting with a “you” statement often makes a partner feel attacked and defensive. Instead, try a softened startup: I feel (choose an emotion) about (talk about what brought on that emotion). I need (share a positively stated need).

Here’s an example: “Steve, I feel lonely in our relationship. I feel we lack a sense of fun because of our stress levels and jobs. I need for us to sit down this weekend and put some date nights on our calendars.”

Defensiveness

Defensiveness is usually brought on by feeling attacked, misunderstood or mischaracterized by our partner. While an understandable reaction to criticism, it makes your partner feel invalidated and hopeless. This can lead to them shutting down or getting louder and more aggressive in order to be heard.

The antidote to defensiveness is accepting responsibility. You can do so both verbally and nonverbally when our partner is sharing their feelings and needs.

The important thing is to listen and acknowledge your partner’s feelings first, if they’re the one bringing up the issue, before bringing up your own.

Accepting responsibility looks like nodding your head, asking an open-ended question, saying “okay” and providing a summary to your partner based on what you’re hearing.

60 | AUSTIN WOMAN | JULY 2022

Contempt

Contempt—talking down to your partner or using namecalling—causes long-term damage to the person who hears it and the couple as a whole. Talking down to your partner may sound like, “I would never do this to you” or, “You can’t get anything right, can you?”

The antidote to contempt is talking only about yourself.

This means you do not talk to your partner about them and what they should or shouldn’t do. Instead, use the softened startup to tell your partner what you’re feeling and experiencing.

Stonewalling

Stonewalling happens because one partner goes cold and puts their walls up to protect themselves during conflict.

There’s usually one partner who needs to talk through conflict until a resolution has been reached and another who has to go away and think before coming to a resolution.

This leads the person pursuing the conflict to use contempt to get heard and the partner who needs space to withdraw and resort to stonewalling.

The antidote to stonewalling is practicing self-soothing and distracting. Just be sure to give your partner a time frame for coming back to have the much needed conversation.

You can use the softened startup here: “I feel really overwhelmed. I need to calm down by taking a walk. I’ll be back to talk with you in 30 minutes. If I need more time, I’ll let you know.”

What to do when the Four Horsemen show up in your relationship

Many, if not all, couples employ one or more of the Four Horsemen in their dialogue. Here’s what you can do to shift things to a healthier communication dynamic: • Try to talk through things before they build up.

• Start every challenging conversation with the softened startup.

• If your partner is bringing up issues with you, go into a place of active listening to understand, instead of just talking back. Afterward, you can summarize what you’ve heard them saying and feeling, then switch to your feelings and perception.

To be clear, conflict is healthy, arguing is not. Healthy conflict means starting every conversation understanding there can be two different sets of emotions and perceptions at play for the same event, and both are valid and worthy of being heard.

We often jump right to active problem-solving or begin with the idea that there’s only one way to look at this situation: mine. But intimacy and closeness develop organically over time, as we show our partner that it’s okay for them to be themselves around us without judgment.

Remember, it’s not what you say, but how you say it that matters.

Photo courtesy of Sonya Jensen.

How to Overcome Four Common Toxic Communication Habits

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