Skip to main content

Are You A Victim Of Domestic Violence?

This week's blog post is a little different than past ones. The common theme is celebrating and empowering other moms who are going outside of the box to live the lives they want so they can make money and also be with their children. It's not always easy, but the rewards are so worth it. This week's spotlight, Maralee McLean, is not necessarily an entrepreneur in the traditional sense of the word, but her story needs to be shared because someone reading this needs to hear what she has to say, needs to know she is not alone, needs to know that there is help and support.

Maralee's story begins where many times we think it would end. She was in a domestic violent marriage. All of the red flags had been there throughout their relationship, but they were not spoken of at that time. So she was unprepared but ultimately left, taking her young daughter with her.

That is when her living nightmare began. Her ex was allowed weekend visits, and when her daughter returned from those visits with her father, Maralee saw signs that she was being sexually abused. Many of us naively would believe that there are systems in place to protect our children, but apparently that is not the case. Not only was her daughter allowed to continuously be with her father, Maralee ended up losing her daughter to foster care.

Maralee fought tirelessly for her daughter, and this incredibly brave and fearless woman has spent the past 25 years fighting for other women so they have help and support. The struggles are real and support is lacking, but Maralee is working to change that by tirelessly speaking at events around the world and in front of congress. She volunteers her time at Mom's Fight Back and has also published Prosecuted But Not Silenced to help women who are going through similar issues.

So what can you do if you or someone you love is dealing with something similar? Get Maralee's book, go to the Mom's Fight Back website and check out all of the amazing resources, watch the full video interview, and get in touch with Maralee via email. Ultimately it is important to know that you are not alone in your fight. This is happening, to good, loving moms trying to protect their children from abuse in our family courts, and over 58,000 children a year are court ordered to live with or spend time with absuers. Other women have gone through it, are going through it and will be there to fight with you.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hey, Mom! Has Anyone Told You You're Doing A Great Job?

I was recently traveling alone with my three kids, and since they're tween/teens, this does not seem like such a Herculean effort as it did a few years ago. As we were exiting the shuttle from the rental car place to the airport, a guy looked at me and said "Hey, Mom! Has anyone told you lately you're doing a great job?" My face lit up, I felt a huge glow inside and thanked him profusely. He may as well have told me I had won the lottery.😁 This got me to thinking, why was this such a big deal? Probably for the one truth that most moms I know live. We think we suck at this parenting thing every single day. We beat ourselves up for every little thing. We read social media and play the compare game. We are not enough insert whatever crapola thing comes to our mind or is hot in the media at any given moment. And here's what the truth looks like. Most of us are doing a pretty amazing job. Our kids are loved, fed, clothed and housed. They feel secure enough to ha...
Post a Comment
Read more

Creative And Stuck Behind A Desk? Time To Break Free!

Are you a creative type looking for more than the corporate grind? You know you have the ideas, but do you have what it takes to break free? Lisa Gutierrez Martinez often asked herself those questions, and she even asked her friends, some of whom basically told her that her business idea was crazy. Luckily for her and many people who have benefitted from her culturally impactful, creative and stylish dinner parties, she didn't listen. Lisa has worked successfully in various corporate positions, liking some, not loving some, and throughout them all envisioning other ways she could be professionally challenged and fulfilled as an entrepreneur. Having her own business was even more of a calling for her when her son was born. Until he was around one, she stayed with her job and had limited flexibility, but she still had to be away from him for 8 to 9 hours a day and knew it was time for a change so started her "side hustle." Like many entrepreneurial-minded people, Lis...
Post a Comment
Read more

Do You Think All Bricks And Mortar Businesses Are Dead? Think Again!

We hear it over and over again - bricks and mortar stores are dying. Don't start a retail store because everyone is shopping on line. Recently I met a mompreneur who would beg to differ. Megan Giltner, a self-proclaimed professional bra fitter and accidental entrepreneur, became the owner of a lingerie boutique a few years ago and says the business is thriving. Like many of us moms who pursue entrepreneurship, Megan always knew that being a mom was something important to her, and at the same time she needed to feel professionally productive and engaged. She had been working in lingerie for several years, initially as a part-time way to earn some extra spending money. When Megan was four months pregnant, the owner offered her the opportunity to purchase the business where she was working, and although timing may not have seemed ideal, she jumped in with both feet and has not regretted her decision. What Megan loves most about entrepreneurship is the ability to do something sh...
Post a Comment
Read more