ARTS + CULTURE
LOCAL AUTHOR
STEPHANIE LAND
FOOD + BEVERAGE
PASTRY CHEF MISSI NORDBERG
WILD WEST CHOCOLATE'S BJ HOWARD
HEALTH + WELLNESS
DR. MARISSA CAVALIER
Meet These Missoula Women
Not Just a Side— Our Salads Are the Main Event!
Mesquite Grilled Chicken Salad
To be a mother.
This time last year I was very pregnant. I was painfully past my due date and it snowed in late May, nearly sending my mother-in-law back to Florida. We did our waiting with electric blankets and the wood stove cranked up. Spring in Montana is unpredictable.
And so is the journey of motherhood. My sweet second son came into this world a little banged up through a rough birth—something that would take me nearly nine months to recover from, emotionally and physically. Early on, I not only carried the burden of unbridled worry for my son but also the isolation of unmet expectation. Most fawn over a healthy, "uncomplicated" baby but some pull away and cast their fears into the already heavy net of the mother. These are the peaks and valleys of life, and I'm a better mother for the highs and lows—even when they exist at the same time.
I'm now unapologetic in my boundary setting and holding. I'm lucky to have learned this skill early in life and I aim to give my sons the confidence to do the same as they figure out their place in this world. I think the best mothers are the ones who inspire with their leadership—in the work they do, both inside and outside the home, and in the way they love. There is sacred beauty in meeting the hardest of times with small hands and feet in the sandbox out back. Give it to God. I know the days of laying beneath the blossoming apple trees in my yard are before us, and like those blossoms, they'll grow into something so sweet and beautiful. Babies follow suit, too. They say the days are long and the years are short, and with the month being May, I know this to be true.
We are celebrating our "cutie pie" with some cherry pie and big smiles for the big one-year-old this month. When I look at him, small like he was in this picture, in my arms, I see my own resilience and strength. I see how it only takes the loving embrace of a good mother to make the world go quiet, shushing those worries away. To all the mothers out there who have stood solidly at the hips of their children, I hope this Mother's Day presents the opportunity to celebrate yourself in the company of your little (or grown) kiddos.
CHELSEA LYN AGRO, EDITOR @MVLMAGAZINE
May 2025
PUBLISHER
Mike Tucker | MTucker@CityLifestyle.com
PUBLISHER ASSISTANT
Amanda Tucker | Amanda.Tucker@CityLifestyle.com
EDITOR
Chelsea Lyn Agro | Chelsea.Agro@CityLifestyle.com
SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR
Marla Huggins | Marla.Huggins@CityLifestyle.com
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Rick Szczechowski | RSzczechowski@Gmail.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Marko Capoferri, Emma Trotter, Susie Wall
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Renske Photo
Corporate Team
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CRO Jamie Pentz
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VP OF OPERATIONS Janeane Thompson
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QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Marina Campbell
inside the issue
Stephanie
Local
M A DE B Y "MAI D "
You may recall a certain Netflix mini series called “Maid,” which aired in 2021 and quickly became wildly successful. The series follows a young mother who fled a bad relationship and finds a job cleaning houses to provide for her daughter. Her dream, though, is Missoula—pursuing an education here and building a better future. While the series strays from the accuracy of real life events, the story itself is based off of Stephanie Land’s memoir, “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and Mother’s Will to Survive.” Her subsequent memoir is titled, “Class: A Memoir of Motherhood, Hunger, and Higher Education.”
Stephanie, her husband, and two daughters—Story and Cora—continue to live in Missoula, sharing an active household with a small menagerie of pets. She is currently working on her third book, “The Privilege to Feel: A Memoir in Essays,” and writing a newsletter of the same name for Substack. Stephanie talks about her books, her current projects, and balancing life as a mother, bestselling author, and prolific public speaker while continuing to be an advocate for women and mothers struggling through poverty.
STEPHANIE LAND SHARES A SNIPPET OF HER WORLD WITH MVL
ARTICLE BY SUSIE WALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICK SZCZECHOWSKI
The Netflix series “Maid” was a such a wonderful show. Watching it after I had read the book, I noticed some similarities but also many differences. How did the series come about and what was your involvement?
I have a dramatic rights agent through Creative Arts Agency and the series was offered as part of signing on with the agent. I didn’t have much involvement in the series itself. The agent did all the work pitching it to several studios. I’m an executive producer, but that was just part of the deal. I did give them a lot pictures, answered a lot of questions, and met briefly with the writers. I didn’t even know the storyline or what they were fictionalizing before I watched the screening. The series is Alex’s (the main character’s) story. I knew they were going to fictionalize it and use different names, and I really appreciated that because it gave me and my daughter some distance since it’s a retelling of a pretty dramatic time in my life. I thought they did a great job, and I enjoyed watching it.
I assume it’s safe to say your life is pretty different now compared to the times you wrote about in your books in terms of financial status and recognition. Are there other more subtle changes, especially in relation to being a mom, and are there parts of your pre-book life that you miss?
Yeah, a lot of parents are nostalgic for the times before screens. I miss that simplicity and not having an expectation to have their minds and eyes busy 24 hours a day. I also miss going to the park or to the river being enough. I was at the grocery store a couple weeks ago with Story and remembered we used to go to that same grocery store for a lunch date. I would buy the food that we could purchase with food stamps and we would sit in the deli area and that was like going out to eat for us. The way we spend our time together is different, but as far as who I am as a mother and how I mother is the same.
Based on your books, you seem like an animal person. Tell me about your family pets.
( Laughs) I’m actually cleaning up after my very large dog right now. We have two dogs. One is a St. Bernard mix and the other is husky. We recently got a cat. Cora has a bearded dragon. Story has a couple of rats. We have fish, and a horse, who does not live with us, but I do pay his rent. It’s a lot of mental energy, but worth it.
“Maid” stemmed from your essay, “Confessions of the Housekeeper.” Can you talk about how that essay became a book?
I always wanted to write a memoir. I’ve been a daily journal writer since I was 10 years old, so it’s been the only format of writing that I really enjoy and felt like I was good at. I had no idea how people actually wrote a book. Debra Magpie Earling and I met at the Break (Espresso) and she told me “This is going to be book! This is going to be a movie!” and I was like what ? I had no idea how to get a book deal or agent, so after I graduated college I started freelance writing and trying to figure out how to make a living. I submitted my
essay to Vox Media and they emailed back wanting to publish it. It went viral, and from that I got an agent. The book that I proposed focused more on surviving domestic violence and graduating from college, and the agent said, “I think you’re going to need to write a book about cleaning houses.” So that’s what I did. It was never a decision on my part, it was more people telling me what I was going to write about.
People mainly know you for your books. What other projects keep you busy?
My main job is as a public speaker. That pays the bills. I make appearances and give key note addresses for organizations having fundraising events or I’ll speak at a college.
Is public speaking something that comes easy to you or is that something you’ve had to get used to?
I’m a very shy, introverted person in real life so no, I really struggled with it for a time. Once “Maid” was on the bestseller list, people started asking me about public speaking. I’ve been doing it as my primary job since then. It took a long time getting used to being away from my children and traveling. It felt like I had multiple identities and the series kind of exasperated that because everyone took me to be the character in the Netflix series. It’s taken a long time and a lot of deep thinking and therapy to have those two different sides of me coincide and feel like the same person. I still really struggle with being out in public. Missoula folks seem to feel like it’s okay to approach me when I’m out with my family. There’s times when I feel like I can’t just be out without someone touching me or talking to me, so that’s been hard.
It’s obvious that you have a strong passion for advocating for women, housekeepers, and other workers in the home care and childcare industries, including acting as an Arts & Entertainment Ambassador for National Domestic Workers Alliance. What does that position involve and what are some other ways in which you work to be an advocate for these essential workers?
Ideally, I would be more involved, but for the most part I share information on my social media about that organization and make appearances with them. I’ve been involved with them for several years and I love what they do. Other things I do are very natural. I’m very active in talking about the issues people in poverty face, especially now with what’s going on in the capital with programs being threatened. I do consider myself an advocate, but I think everyone can consider themselves an advocate for something. Anybody can bring attention to an issue if they feel strongly about it. You have a lot of power to decide what you talk about on social media. You don’t have to be recognized as an ambassador for something to be an advocate for an issue. It can be a small effort, and you have to be prepared to defend yourself and other people, and be prepared to talk if someone brings up a point of view you feel is wrong.
To follow Stephanie Land on Substack visit Stephanieland.Substack.com.
THE BOUNTY OF BAKING WITH MOM
ARTICLE BY CHELSEA LYN AGRO | PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICK SZCZECHOWSKI AND MELISSA NORDBERG
LOCAL PASTRY CHEF SHARES THE MEMORY OF HER MOTHER AND HOW IT INSPIRED HER CAREER IN BAKING
“Getting together at my dad’s house—the backyard, on the patio—just getting the family together and all the grandkids running around, screaming and having fun.” Melissa Nordberg, who goes by Missi, describes what the one-year anniversary of her mother’s death might look like this month. She’s been a pastry chef for a dozen or so years but she’s been her mother’s daughter all her life. In the recipe of life, Missi’s mother—Diane Sheridan—was a key ingredient.
If you dined out at 1889 within the last five years, chances are you’ve had one of Missi’s desserts. Her plates are like works of art, carefully and thoughtfully curated through an open-door policy on creativity. Missi always appreciated working at her friend’s restaurant, having gone to high school with Reed Mooney— owner with his wife Melissa of 1889 and The Keep. Missi spent three years at 1889 as the head pastry chef before winding up as a pastry instructor at Big Sky Culinary Institute at Missoula College with the head chef and sous chef that she worked with at 1889. A serendipitous reunion of friends.
Missi describes teaching from a place of pride. She enjoys the baking, yes, but also seeing returning students and watching them succeed in the real world. “I’ve seen some of them get jobs here at local restaurants—that’s our goal. We’re helping to train chefs and pastry chefs to potentially work at restaurants and bakeries because I know there’s a huge need for help in the local restaurants here,” says Missi. “I have a lot of friends that own restaurants, so I feel like we’re helping them.”
Restaurants, after all, feel like a second home to Missi. She and her big family frequent many of the Missoula staples, and it was she and her mom who planned lots of dinners together. Her love for cooking and baking and all things food reaches back through her family roots, having great grandmothers who made pasties for the miners in Butte. Her grandfather was a miner. As a fifth generation Montanan, Missi takes the extra step in bringing something special to the table just like her mother did all through her life.
“When I was little, she always baked all these fancy birthday cakes for me, like layer cakes and the cake with the Barbie doll in the middle, you know, and the cake is the dress,” says Missi. “I look back at all of these pictures, these cakes that she made me, and I’m like, ‘Oh wow, she was good.’”
While her mother’s talent certainly inspired Missi, it’s the love she feels so deeply in her most inner of workings that keeps Missi in the kitchen. “I used to talk to her every day…I’m pretty depressed at times because I miss her and, you know, it’s my therapy. It makes me feel better, especially when I’m in her kitchen, cooking dinner for my family. I feel like she’s there and it totally comforts me and soothes me. I just feel like she’s there, so yeah, my therapy is definitely baking.”
Missi talks about the family vacations—trips to Hawaii, golfing with everyone—and living with family all around her. Reminiscing is like savoring a decadent flavor. She has three brothers, and those brothers had boys and so did she. The matriarchal torch had been passed down to Missi, though begrudgingly. “She did not want to go,” says Missi, who tended to her alongside her father in those final days. She had interstitial lung disease—a rare side effect from a medication that she took—and caring for the family was a tall order that her mother did not want to let go of. “She was the matriarch of our family and worried about everybody all the time. She was in control of everything and so worried about how I was going to be, how my dad was going to be—who’s going to take care of so-and-so? I promised her I would take care of Dad. I’m going to make sure my brothers are ok—it’s all on my shoulders now. It’s a lot of pressure but yet I love it.”
Missi remembers the red velvet cake she made for her mother’s 80th birthday the autumn before she passed. Being with the family and celebrating through food was— and will always be—the way in which love is passed down in Missi’s world. She rattles off intricate names—croquembouche, Pâte à Choux, entrement—like it’s a second language.A language of love. “We were just unusually super close…she was just proud of everything I did.”
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NAVIGATING MENOPAUSE WITH CONFIDENCE AT ARALIA HEALTH
Dr. Marissa Cavalier’s holistic approach to restoring vitality and empowering women
For many women, the journey through perimenopause and menopause can feel like navigating uncharted waters—unpredictable, turbulent, and, at times, isolating. Conflicting information regarding the safety and efficacy of hormone replacement therapy, short visit times with doctors, and a limited understanding of the full impact this transition can have on women has led to confusion and uncertainty for both patients and healthcare providers alike. But Dr. Marissa Cavalier views this phase of life as an opportunity for empowerment, restoring vitality, and creating a blueprint for healthy aging, so we can not only add years to our lives, but also bring more life to those years. She understands the importance of a personalized, holistic approach to healing and offers women a sophisticated, evidence-based strategy to reclaim their health and well-being.
Dr. Cavalier understands that hormonal fluctuations cause more than just physical discomfort—they can affect mood, cognition, energy, metabolism and can lead to chronic disease and frailty if not addressed. She believes that no two women experience this transition the same way, which is why each patient is approached as an individual, receiving a comprehensive, tailor-made plan designed to address their unique needs. Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all solution, she blends advanced diagnostics with
natural medicine, diet, and lifestyle refinement and bioidentical hormone therapy to achieve profound results and lasting wellness.
One of her patients, a 46-year-old woman, came to her after months of struggling with sleep issues, increased irritability, migraines, digestive upset, heavier and more unpredictable periods, weight gain, brain fog, and overwhelming fatigue. She was struggling to keep up with the demands of her job and family, and simply didn’t feel like herself. Dr. Cavalier listened carefully to her symptoms and ran a comprehensive lab panel to assess her thyroid and metabolic function, nutritional status, and hormone levels. Her treatment plan included dietary and lifestyle interventions to improve her metabolism and insulin sensitivity, targeted micronutrients to provide the building blocks needed to heal and repair, and a bioidentical hormone regime tailored to this patient’s unique needs. Within weeks, the patient reported better sleep, improved energy, and clearer thinking, feeling more capable of handling life’s stresses and regaining her joy.
Dr. Cavalier's practice is rooted in the belief that every woman deserves to feel strong, balanced, and vibrant at every stage of life. By offering individualized, science-backed solutions, she empowers her patients to embrace this stage of their lives with confidence, vitality, and renewed well-being.
THE WOMAN BEHIND Wild West Chocolate
A chocolate bar that feels like home, pure and simple
ARTICLE BY MARKO CAPOFERRI | PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICK SZCZECHOWSKI
Sometimes a chocolate bar is more than just a chocolate bar. For instance, a chocolate bar can mean coming home.
Around the time BJ Howard was developing the idea and formula that would bloom into Wild West Chocolate, she was, she says, “going through a personal journey of coming back home” to her native Western Montana, “reconnecting with my roots, which is really cowboy culture, with Montana, and getting back to nature, back to how I grew up.”
“For me, it was about getting back to basics,” BJ says, “which made me think about westward movement, ‘out into the wild,’ going back to simpler times.”
In addition to returning home, a chocolate bar can also mean simplicity.
For Wild West Chocolate, this “getting back to basics” means eschewing the additives and processes that have come to define modern food production in place of the deliberation and slowness characteristic of food from a simpler time, often at the expense of the quality of what we eat.
“There was a major void, for people who wanted to have a guilt-free indulgence,” BJ says, “but weren’t willing to sacrifice on the health aspect of the item, or the taste.”
“I really feel like we’re revolutionizing this category,” she continues, “because until we came along, the only options out there were the full-fledged indulgence, the Hershey’s bars, the Snickers, all that stuff. But even when you’re looking at a premium chocolate bar, the ingredients may be good, but it’s got refined sugar; it tastes great but there’s nothing better for you about it.”
Pick up any of Wild West’s products and you will be greeted with a veritable kitchen sink of certifications: organic, plant-based, gluten free, fair trade, non-GMO. All of this is in addition to what is probably their most impressive (and delicious) feat: Wild West’s chocolate is produced with no added sugars but with a one-of-a-kind mixture of pure cacao along with Wild West’s unique blend of four fruits (mango, mulberry, date, and peach). And the amazing thing is their bars actually taste like you expect chocolate to taste; the fruit does not overpower the exquisite flavor.
“It’s fun to challenge people to pick up our packaging and look at the ingredient panel,” BJ says, “because we really have nothing to hide. It’s totally transparent: simple, pronounceable, easy, real ingredients, and it still tastes like this indulgent, creamy, delicious chocolate bar. It’s ‘having your chocolate and eating it, too.’”
Even with all the effort and time that went into cultivating Wild West’s signature chocolate formula, they’ve placed as much energy into their branding. This is yet another area where Wild West Chocolate stands apart from the ever-expanding field of premium organic snacks: their aesthetic commitment to embracing and celebrating the American West. This shows up in Wild West’s distinctive packaging and flavors, all of which are “based on people, animals, and places you would find in the pre-industrial past,” BJ says.
“We wanted to make sure the flavors we were launching were not only appealing to what consumers were looking for but were also different and unique enough to fit with the whole Wild West spirit and ethos,” she continues. “Developing a Peruvian ground cherry chocolate bar doesn’t really fit with ‘Wild West’, you know? But a huckleberry makes sense. And then we asked, ‘how can we make it fun and tie the flavors to the packaging to the names?’ So, it’s not just ‘Wild West almonds and sea salt,’ but we called the almonds and sea salt flavor ‘Most Wanted’ and had the fun ‘Most Wanted’ poster, and we did that because that’s the ‘most wanted’ flavor. And ‘Cowboy Coffee’ is the one with espresso beans, so that’s very ‘Wild West’.”
“The soul of Missoula, I think, is very much on point with what I consider the soul of Wild West to be. I’m very proud of the fact that Wild West bears the Montana stamp. I had us add to our packaging and all of our materials ‘established in Missoula, Montana, 2024’, because I think we should be proud and sing our heritage loudly.”
“For me, it was about getting back to basics, which made me think about westward movement, ‘out into the wild,’ going back to simpler times.”
Sometimes, a chocolate bar means a clear-flowing river.
“You can’t have good ingredients without clean water,” BJ says. “I’ve grown up on rivers, super lucky to be able to have so many awesome river adventures. Growing up fishing with my dad, floating with my grandpa. My husband and I raft a lot, and we live on Grant Creek. I’m very much into preserving rivers.”
This passion for river preservation has led BJ and Wild West
Chocolate to a partnership with the nonprofit River Management Society, a nationwide organization whose mission is to support land managers, scientists, outfitters, and river stewards via workshops and education, in the service of expanding conservation literacy surrounding America’s waterways.
Sometimes, a chocolate bar means pride in your place, and Wild West Chocolate’s place is firmly in Missoula.
“The soul of Missoula, I think, is very much on point with what I consider the soul of Wild West to be,” BJ says. “I’m very proud of the fact that Wild West bears the Montana stamp. I had us add to our packaging and all of our materials ‘established in Missoula, Montana, 2024’, because I think we should be proud and sing our heritage loudly.”
“I’ve been all over the world,” she says. “There’s no place I’ve ever been, no matter how amazing it is, that I would love more than here.”
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THE MOTHER of All Maps
XPLORER MAPS PUTS OUT A NEW MISSOULA MAP FEATURING FOUR NOTABLE ANCHORS IN OUR COMMUNITY
ARTICLE BY EMMA TROTTER PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICK SZCZECHOWSKI
Read this article, and start seeing them everywhere: Xplorer Maps. The hand-drawn story maps feature epic locations around Montana, the United States, and the world. From prints and home or office decor to clothes, games and more, Xplorer Maps products are hiding in plain sight around Missoula, once you know where to look.
“We actually have an endcap dedicated to them solely,” said Kristen Keith, assistant manager at Montana Ace at Tremper’s. “As of right now we just have Flathead, Glacier, Montana, and Yellowstone, so kind of our surrounding Montana areas and highly visited sites.”
Shopping at Ace, you might happen upon the display, or might come in with a specific goal.
“I recently helped a gal who was buying for her lake house, an Airbnb situation. She wanted to feature something from Montana,” Kristen said, noting that Ace carries Xplorer Maps’ mugs, coasters, playing cards, blankets, puzzles, and dish towels, among other products.
You might also see Xplorer Maps products at local businesses—or even at fundraising events for local nonprofits. That’s how it was for Amy Frandsen, practice manager at Missoula Family Medicine.
“Featuring local products or showcasing Montana in general is important to us and something I think about with decor,” she said. “All of the rooms actually have artwork I have picked up at silent auctions.”
It’s fitting that Xplorer Maps’ products are so popular in Missoula, since founder Greg Robitaille recently fulfilled a longstanding goal of producing a Missoula map, in collaboration with Destination Missoula. Ten percent of proceeds benefit Destination Missoula, and sales of limited edition prints go to the River Ambassador Program, designed to guide river users toward sustainable practices.
“I feel it’s the most important resource we have,” Greg said of Missoula’s rivers, where he likes to unwind each day after work. “It’s great conversation, great people watching.”
The list of locations to feature on the Missoula map started in the seventies and had to be whittled down to roughly half that, with four larger illustrations anchoring the map.
“We didn’t want it to be just downtown, yet so much of who we are is downtown, from the river to the festivals to the arts,” Greg said. A committee of nine eventually arrived at the four anchors: Mount Jumbo, smokejumpers, the carousel, and the Clark Fork.
Greg’s brother Chris Robitaille, who lives in Kenya, hand draws each map. While working on a map, the brothers Zoom a couple times a week and email lists of places, references for artwork, and draft illustrations back and forth. With so much detailed, original art, the process takes significant time. “If we’re working with a partner, I’m working now on maps that are coming out in 2026 and 2027,” Greg said. “Our lead time is 18 to 24 months.”
True to that standard, the conversation with Destination Missoula started in the fall of 2023, and the final products featuring the Missoula map will become available this month at the Xplorer Maps store on South Third Street. The store functions like a showroom, displaying only a fraction of available inventory. Customers can look through a book with prints of all 60 available maps, and then store manager Annie Herald can check in the large warehouse spaces behind the storefront for additional products.
“What I love about working there is the stories,” Annie said. “People are excited to tell you where they’ve been.” Her favorite product is the puzzles. “Kids put the phone down and everyone’s together,” she said. Some of the
products, like the Posh Chocolat bars featuring the Missoula map, are collaborations with other local businesses, and Annie said Xplorer Maps also makes an effort to work with Missoula vendors where possible.
The store also hosts the event series Cartography Comes Alive, which can draw 70 to 80 people, many of whom have never visited the store before. At March’s event, Luke Lamar from Swan Valley Connections discussed monitoring wolverine and lynx populations. “That makes me feel super proud, that I am contributing to the community in a tiny way,” Greg said.
Greg’s interest in maps began as a childhood obsession with his dad’s collection of National Geographic magazines. Years later, while living in Kenya, Chris started producing handdrawn, illustrated maps of African countries for sale at resort gift shops for tourists on safari.
“I saw these African maps, and I just thought they were the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen,” Greg said. “National Geographic on steroids. It wasn’t just information, it was art.”
Fourteen years after founding Xplorer Maps together, being in business with family is its own reward. “There’s all sorts of challenges but I love what I do and I love that it’s with my brother,” Greg said. He added that their wives are a wonderful support. “The two of them are so similar in their consistent dependability and reliability. They allowed Chris and I to dream.”
Sustainability in Action
