Podcast appearances and mentions of Julie May

We can hardly believe that we have recorded 300 episodes! Meagan brings Julie on the podcast today to take a look back at how The VBAC Link Podcast started, the growth they have both experienced along the way and where they are now. Since 2018, we have shared laughter, tears, heartache, and joy through your stories. Thank you to all of our listeners and guests for your support. Together, we are changing the birth world for the better through all of our ripple effects!Meagan promises to continue the journey and bring you more powerful stories. It's been quite the ride and we don't plan on stopping anytime soon!Needed WebsiteHow to VBAC: The Ultimate Prep Course for ParentsFull Transcript under Episode Details 01:11 Review of the Week04:05 How the podcast started12:09 How the podcast has grown 16:40 Changes in birth22:11 Celebrating differences within the birth community28:45 Challenges bring growth35:35 Julie's photographyMeagan: Hello, you guys. Today is a very, very exciting– for me at least and I'm sure for Julie– episode because it's the 300th episode. 300 and Julie is here with me because I couldn't share this exciting episode without her. Julie: I cannot believe it. I seriously cannot believe it. So wild. Meagan: It's so crazy. 300 episodes and we've had so many other crazy things like special episodes so it might even be more than 300, but it is the 300th on my form and I'm really, really excited. We want to share more about where we are today but also recap a little bit about where The VBAC Link started. I know we have a lot of listeners who have joined us in more recent years. We started in 2018. 2018, is that right? Julie: Yeah. Meagan: So we have a lot of new listeners who maybe don't know our full story and know what we are and what we're doing and all of the things. 01:11 Review of the WeekMeagan: So we are going to be talking about that, but we do have a Review of the Week. I'm going to share that. It is from Michelle. She listed this on Google and it says, “Thank you so much for inspiring and informing me through the journeys of VBAC mamas. As I prepare for my VBAC in October after a recent traumatic Cesarean, I feel empowered, motivated, and healed knowing that there are so many women who are out there preparing in the same way that I am. I recommend this podcast to all mamas.” Now, this was about a year ago so I'm assuming Michelle has had her baby. So Michelle, if you are still with us, let us know how it went and as always, if you wouldn't mind leaving us a review, it helps all of these other Women of Strength find these amazing stories and information as well as our blog and all of the wonderful things I believe that we provide. You can do that on Google. You can do it on Apple Podcasts. You can even send us a message or on Spotify. I mean, really wherever you are listening should have a ranking– Google, Apple, or wherever you are, we would love your review. 04:05 How the podcast startedMeagan: Okay, Julie. 300. Julie: 300. I can't believe it. Do you know what is wild? It's so funny because I left. I'm using air quotes right now. I know people can't see it. I “left”. It's been 2 years. 3 years, oh my gosh. 3. I left in 2021. Meagan: It has. 2021. You did. Julie: My gosh. Isn't that wild? When is this episode airing? Meagan: May. Julie: May, so it will almost be 3 years. It's really funny because life is definitely much easier now and more manageable, but there are parts of me that still feel very strongly connected to The VBAC Link. I appreciate you for including me and having me back on the podcast and things like that but it's also sometimes so weird when I'm scrolling through Facebook and I see The VBAC Link recommended, sometimes people talk about Meagan and Julie still which is so cool, but also it's sometimes like Meagan Heaton has The VBAC Link and it's really amazing and she does a great job. I'm like, “Aww,” but also, it's weird. It's this weird little thing because I still believe that I made the right decision. My life has a much better balance and everything I needed it to be by letting go of The VBAC Link. It's right there where it needs to be, but there's also part of me that is just kind of like, “Man, that was a big part of my life for so long,” and it still feels weird not being in it. Meagan: I'm sure, absolutely. I miss you. I love you. Julie: I miss you too. Meagan: I'm so glad that you come on and join me here and there or take random phone calls when I call you to vent or something. Yeah, you guys. It's kind of crazy to think that it's 2024. It's even more crazy to me to think that I've been solo for that long. Yeah. Just thinking back in 2018, I still will never forget the moment that I saw Julie Francom pop up on my phone out of nowhere, out of absolutely nowhere. We knew each other. We knew we were VBAC passionate. We were doulas. I would say we were kind of really kicking off into the prime doula stages of our careers and it was just so crazy. My personality is sometimes where if someone is calling that I don't really know this person super, super well, I'll let it go to voicemail and see what they say. Julie: You're like, “Why is this weirdo calling me?” Meagan: You're not a weirdo, but we weren't the absolute tightest doula friends in the community. We just really knew each other and respected each other through going to ICAN meetings and things like that. I so easily could have not answered. I always wonder if I didn't answer what would have happened. Would you have texted me and said, “Hey, call me?” Julie: Probably. Meagan: Would you have called me right back? Would you have just said, “She didn't answer.” I don't know. Julie: No, it had to be you, my friend. It had to be you. Meagan: I'm so grateful that it happened. You and I personally have grown so much over the years. We also have grown a lot as a partnership. We decided to start this company and it was exciting and if I'm going to be honest, I'm going to say that Julie had more positivity or ambition behind her. I was feeling it. I could feel it inside of me. I was like, “Yes. This is amazing and I want to do this. I really want to be part of this,” but I was reluctant a little bit more. She was like, “Let's do this. Let's do this. Let's do this.” I was like, “Oh, my gosh.” Do you remember the day when you called me? You were like, “So, we're going to start a podcast and it's going to be super easy and I'm going to edit it.” Do you remember that day?Julie: Yes. I remember. I was in Target. I was walking around in Target. Meagan: I remember where I was. I was in my laundry room. Julie: I was like, “Oh my gosh. We should start a podcast.” I was super confident. In my past life, I worked a lot in the tech field. I had edited a lot of videos and audio and things like that before when I was in the military so I knew the technical side of it would be simple. I thought it would be easy. It's very simple for me. I knew that we had a lot to say. We've never not had a lot to say. I knew that the– I don't know what the right word is– whole sphere of audio was growing rapidly, like the digestible content of podcasts was a fast-growing entity or whatever. It just seemed like the right thing to do. It just seemed like the right thing to do. I remember I was like, “Oh my gosh. How am I going to convince Meagan to do this?” We were already so busy writing our course and our manual with our doula contents. I think you had 12 births coming up in October that year because you were putting your husband through law school. I was just like, “I don't know how I'm going to talk Meagan into this.” I feel like you were reluctant but you for some reason just had this hint of, “Okay, let's just see. Let's let Julie do this. I'll get on the phone and talk about it.” Then I was like, “Okay. We'll do this.” I signed up for a free Podbean account and we did a free conference call on our phones and recorded our phone calls. It didn't cost anything at first and things are very different now, but it didn't cost anything at first. I was like, “See?”Meagan: “This is great.” I remember some of the days, I was like, “Okay, sure. I'll jump on and do a podcast, but I'm driving to a prenatal right now. I literally have 35 minutes because my client is 38 minutes away.” We were recording and I remember back in the day when I was in my husband's car and his trunk sensor was bad and it was dinging, so oh my gosh. If you guys have listened back to those episodes, wow. Thank you for sticking with us. Julie: At the very beginning. Well, we used to take turns hosting like we would just do one at a time. I remember the first OB that we had on our episode. It was in the teens. I was out in my car in my garage in the middle of summer because my kids were inside. It was the middle of the day and it was the only time they could do it. I remember hiding in my closet so that the clothes would absorb the sound of the audio echoing around so it was better acoustics on our free conference call. Meagan: Oh my gosh, yeah. I remember sometimes when I was in the closet literally under the clothes and Jess, she was one of our clients from Russia and I was in the closet for that one. In the husbands' episode, I was in the closet on that one. It's just so crazy. We've come so far. Yeah. We had a whole bunch of people who were like, “I want to share my story. I want to share my story.” 12:09 How the podcast has grown Meagan: We were realizing that this is a serious need. Julie: We had to hunt people down at first. Meagan: Yeah, we did. Julie: We would message people at first. Kelsey, what's her name? Is it Likowski? Kelsey, super cute. She was Episode 8 or something. We were like, “Oh my gosh. She has 10,000 Instagram followers and she's so cute and she wants to talk to us.” Meagan: I know. That was so weird to us. We went to this little marketing conference thing and we were watching our Instagram account grow and we were watching our podcast grow. We started getting people like, “Hey, I heard,” and we were like, “Whoa, this is insane.” It was so exciting and so motivating and we really, truly realized that this was such a need. Let me tell you, our heart was there. Our hearts were there so we were so excited to dive in. So we did. We started sharing stories. We tried to get different content-type stories and different types of births. We tried to get OBs. I remember I reached out to this OB and they randomly responded. I was like, “Oh my gosh, this is insane.” We really tried to get the most we could while still doing birth and writing manuals for our VBAC course and– Julie: And wives. And being moms and wives. Meagan: And being moms and wives and friends and humans who were ourselves. Julie: Too much. Meagan: It's so crazy to look back and think about that time and where we were and all that's happened. It's kind of crazy to also think about birth and how we have seen it change and how personally, I think I've even seen it change in some good ways and in some bad ways. We talked about this a little bit before we started recording, but COVID. COVID was a really, really difficult time as moms giving birth, as doulas supporting birth, even as podcasters weirdly enough. We had this entire– we went from this really junky set up all over to having an editor and having a podcast studio and in this really amazing space which– shoutout to our favorite editor. I just have to say that he is amazing for all that he has done for us over the years. But we had all these things that were really helping us and really changed our lives for the better as far as podcasters goes and VBAC Link facilitators or whatever. It all changed. It all changed so fast. Julie: Yep. We had to go back to recording at home. We had to– oh my gosh, getting into hospitals was just nuts and wild. Meagan: A nightmare. Julie: There were so many clients of ours having to switch plans and a lot of people shifted to out-of-hospital birth because the hospital policies were so flip-floppy and so strict. They were limiting who could be in your birth space. I actually think that's a really positive shift. That's just me. Meagan: Yeah, no. I actually agree. Julie: Out-of-hospital birth is still growing. I think it's super cool. At least in Utah, it is. I'm not sure of the numbers in any other state, but I know in Utah, it used to be that 1-2% of births were out-of-hospital, but now as of 2024, so far, just under 5% of births in Utah are happening out-of-hospital which is super cool. But not enough. Meagan: It is super cool. Yeah, I would agree that through COVID, that was one of the positive shifts of helping people see the different options. Julie: Forcing people to really, seriously look hard at them. Meagan: Yes, and then also seeing that those options actually are pretty dang safe. But yeah, so COVID. We've had even so many people on the podcast sharing their stories through COVID. Man, it was rough. We were seeing induction taking off because they could control who had COVID and who didn't. 16:40 Changes in birthMeagan: Then we also went through the ARRIVE trial just before that. Julie: Oh jeez, yeah. Meagan: So there was all of that we saw making changes. You know, birth is constantly changing and evolving and growing. It's pretty cool, I feel like, to say. I've been in the birth world for 10 years now as a doula. It's pretty cool to say that I've been there. I'm here. I don't know how to say that. I just feel like it's really cool to be a part of this community and to see these changes. I've talked to some people who did birth back in the 80's and the 90s and it's kind of crazy to think about how it's changed. I want to go back and listen to some of those earlier podcasts and see, has birth changed? Are we changing and what can we do to make birth change in a positive way? I think this podcast honestly is one of those ways to help people change their birth experience in a positive way by going in and listening to what is happening. What is happening? What to expect? How to avoid those things? Right? Don't you think, Julie, that this is a really great place for all moms and all people preparing for birth to come?Julie: Well, and here's the thing. We all have a threshold for what is and is not acceptable to us. Going back to talking about COVID a little bit. COVID and the things that were happening due to COVID didn't sit right with some people and caused them to question and explore other options. Hearing The VBAC Link Podcast creates realizations for people that could cause them to question the things that they are presented within their own personal life as far as giving birth goes and what their provider is saying and the policies of their hospitals and things like that. I think that is the way that ultimately birth in the United States will change and all over the world really is when people are faced with the things that cause them to feel uncomfortable about their current situation and explore other options and seek out those other things that will resolve whatever their intuition is telling them needs to change and shift. Here's the thing. We don't know what things will make us uncomfortable until we have all of the information available to us. You don't even have to have all of the information, but any information available. That's been the goal here. It's been really cool to see things shift and I mean, there's obviously not a study or research or anything on how much The VBAC Link Podcast is causing a shift or whatever, but I do know that we do hear these stories from people and I do know that it is creating a shift and a change in our birthing culture however small that might be.I just think it's really cool to hear people say that it was this thing that gave them the confidence to stand up to their provider or talk to their husband or their partner or look into other options. Meagan: Mhmm, it really is. It's just– I don't even know. I'm almost speechless to get those reviews or to get people saying those things when we are recording a story and they're like, “It's just so crazy to me that this is coming to full circle that I'm now sharing my story when all of these other Women of Strength's stories is literally what changed my life or my path or whatever.” I think I've said this before, here we are. We started this podcast randomly as you come up with this idea in Target and you're like, “I've got to convince this girl that we've got to do this,” and here we are when really in so many ways, it's you, Women of Strength, who are changing. Julie: Yeah. Meagan: You. So it's like, okay. Yes, it's us at The VBAC Link but then also where is the stat for all of them? All of the listeners and supporters? You guys, it's been a long time and to say thank you isn't enough. I don't know what to say. I feel emotional, but I don't know how to say thank you enough. Julie is laughing at me because I'm always the crier. Julie: I'm not laughing, well I am laughing. Meagan: I don't know how to say thank you enough to this community because it's been absolutely the craziest, sometimes most stressful but most amazing journey and I'm so excited that we can still be on it with you. Like I said, I know these listeners are the people. They are the people. They are the reason. So thank you for making this happen. 22:11 Celebrating differences within the birth communityMeagan: In the midst of meeting all of these incredible people who are sharing their stories, we have also met incredible people throughout our own community who are trying to do the same thing we are trying to do– educate, support, motivate, empower. I mean, all of these words. We have made some amazing connections with people within their own community and I'm just so grateful for that as well. Julie: I agree. I am really proud of all of the people who have chosen to start their own podcasts and their own VBAC education platforms too. There is a home birth after Cesarean podcast. I actually haven't been as good at keeping up with other VBAC podcasts or whatever, but there are people– and I don't know whether it's influenced by us or not but definitely coming after us, there have been other things popping up here and there. I love that and I'm so proud of those people for choosing to pursue their passions as well for VBAC in spaces like this. I think it takes a village. It takes a whole– I don't know, what's the saying? A rising tide lifts all boats. I don't know. It's something like that where the more people talk about VBAC, the more people are talking about VBAC, so yes. Let's bring more people into this space. There is room for everybody. There is room for all of us here to grow and educate and inspire and uplift. We might not always see things the same way and that's okay, right? It's okay if we don't see things the same way as everybody else as long as we are all trying our best to create a positive influence in the birth space. We are not the same as anybody else and nobody else is the same as us and that's cool. That's okay because if you don't resonate with us, there are other people who you can resonate with and vice versa. I think it's really important to say that we welcome everybody here and we want you. We don't have to be the only thing that you follow. Go follow all of the things. Meagan: Well, I love that you talked about that because back when we were going for our VBAC, for me, it was back in 2015/2016 when I had my son and the resources were more slim. Now we have all of these incredible resources and it makes me so dang happy because that is what this VBAC community needs– more info, more support, more people backing them up, more places or people to go and like you said, I mean, we would love to always be in your circle. We love this community so stinking much, but we also know that not everything we say or not everything we do resonates. I mean, it comes down to this podcast where we share CBAC stories and uterine rupture stories. We share stories that are out of the hospital and we've even had free birth stories on this podcast. Not everyone may agree with those types of birth or people advocating for that, right? It's not even that we are gung-ho about anything specific or not gung-ho about anything specific. It's that everyone has a space in this community because if we were to completely eliminate a uterine rupture story, no. I'm sorry, that's just a no for me. Julie: Yeah. Meagan: We want to share those stories and CBAC. The CBAC community is so precious to me and near and dear to my heart. Sometimes, that can be a really hard community to be in. I say that personally. I have been in that CBAC after my two C-sections. I wanted a vaginal birth. I had a Cesarean birth after a Cesarean. It wasn't what I wanted. I had healing to do. I had a lot to overcome, but I'm so glad that people come on this podcast and are willing to share those stories because our CBAC community deserves that. Like we were saying earlier, not every desired vaginal birth ends in a vaginal birth, so we have to learn through these stories. Like Julie said, everybody has a place here at The VBAC Link and yeah. We support everybody else as well. We love this community so much. Julie: Do you know what? Maybe I'm out of line to say this. Please, you can tell Brian to edit this out if you want, but I just think it's no surprise to anybody that our world can be pretty hateful right now. Even people doing the most good things can face criticism or cancel culture or the mob or the mafia– not the mafia, the wokeness, or whatever, all of the things. There are so many things coming at you no matter how pure your intentions are or whatever. I just remember one time a few years back, somebody was talking crap. This was my gosh, 4 years ago and they called us “wholesome-looking podcasters from Utah”. Do you remember that?Meagan: I don't remember that. Julie: I will never forget that phrase. Sorry, I'm laughing now. I'm crying. They said something like, “It's easy to want to trust wholesome-looking podcasters from Utah,” or something like that because it's fine. There's going to be people who don't love us and that's totally fine. But gosh, when you were saying that, I was like, “Are we wholesome-looking?” Meagan: Are we wholesome-looking? I don't know. Julie: I don't know. Meagan: I don't remember that. Julie: It's so funny. I'm sure there's a screenshot of it somewhere, Meagan. My gosh, I can't even. 28:45 Challenges bring growthJulie: I want to circle back to you talking before about the struggle. There has been so much struggle. There have been a lot of challenges. Challenges due to our own creation, challenges due to technical difficulties– do you remember the time I changed the URL of the podcast and the whole thing went down? It was the day that the podcast was supposed to go live and we were meeting with Lynn, our first business coach. Oh my gosh, there have been so many things. Meagan: She broke the podcast, you guys. Julie: I broke the podcast. Things where we have definitely butted heads before and had to do a lot of growth in our relationship. Meagan: Yep. I was going to say you and I. Julie: There have been other VBAC groups out there who railroad us completely. There have been other birth people in our local communities and otherwise who are not big fans of The VBAC Link and I think that– I don't want to get pulling a little bit into saying, sorry. I don't know what I'm trying to say here. No, I do know what I'm trying here. I'm trying to figure out how to say it the right way. There is opposition in all things, right? I feel like, oh my gosh. I'm going off on six different tangents right now. My therapist told me one time– it always comes back to my therapy. Meagan: I love it. Julie: When you want to strengthen a muscle, if you want stronger arms, you can't just sit there and be like, “Hey arms, get strong.” You have to put it under tension and stress. It's lifting the weights. It's under the tension and strain where that muscle grows. Such is life. Such are relationships. Such it is in business. It is everywhere. Things don't grow and become stronger in comfortable times. It's the strain and the tension and the struggle that ultimately causes that strength and that growth. I feel like there have been moments of really beautiful and incredible and empowering moments along this journey for The VBAC Link over the last 7 years now, but there have also been incredible moments of tension and struggle and strain. Meagan: Hardships. Julie: Yeah. Those moments really have the most growth. They are the most identity forming and I don't know. They are the things where it really solidified what we are doing. Sometimes, in the face of people who should be doing the same things as us and sometimes, it's from people who just for whatever reason, don't want to see other people succeed. It's come from a lot of other different places, but also going back to what you said before, I'm so grateful for the people who are still here, the people who support us, the people who love us, the people who are still here and challenge and question the things that might not be 100% true. Yeah. I don't know. I love all of that and I don't know. There is this quote I heard forever ago, probably decades ago because I am old now that said, “Don't compare your backstage footage to someone else's highlight reel.” I feel like sometimes it's really easy to see all of the beautiful things that The VBAC Link puts out and all of these other birth organizations and see the highlight reel and think that everything is sunshine and butterflies, but I know that for us and for everybody else too, everybody else that has any kind of online presence anywhere, there is so much struggle that can go on behind the scenes. Yeah, I just wanted to talk about that. Meagan: It's intimidating sometimes. It's intimidating. But this community, I feel like, offers something special and it truly is the most motivating thing for me where I do wake up and I'm like, “I can't wait to record more podcasts” or “I can't wait to go and see what people are asking in our Q&A's” or whatever. I love that you talked about a little bit how sometimes you are going to make decisions or you're going to do things and some people might not agree with you. I think that applies so much int his community because let me tell you what, when I decided to VBAC after two Cesareans out of the hospital, I had some haters. I had some haters. Julie: Yep. Meagan: Those haters and doubters, some of those were even in my own family. Julie: Sometimes it's the people who are supposed to love you the most, right? Meagan: And support you the most. Sometimes, they were people in my own circle, so it can be really hard when you're getting pressure from people who you love and respect or people who you idolize or whatever, right? But it's up to us to conquer, to have faith, to move forward, to grow, to adapt, and all of those things. I think that as we grow, more people in this community get to experience it. I mean, truly, the community grows through hardships and strengths and podcast-breaking and all of the things.Julie: And wholesome-looking.Meagan: In a wholesome-looking way apparently. Julie: I don't know if that's a compliment or not. Am I wholesome-looking? I guess that's good. We look wholesome. Meagan: We look whole. Julie: I want to look up the definition of that really fast. What is wholesome? What does it actually mean? Meagan: What does wholesome mean? Yeah, and is that supposed to be not a compliment?Julie: I think the intention was that they look good. They look legitimate, but–Meagan: They might not be because they represent some birth stories that we don't support or whatever. Julie: Whatever. “Conducive or suggestive of good health and physical well-being. Conducive to or promoting moral well-being.” Wholesome-looking. Meagan: Interesting. Julie: Hmm, I don't know. I could not not say that. Oh my gosh, I'm sorry. You can have Brian edit it out if you want. Meagan: No, no. You are good. Julie: You're the boss. Meagan: No, I love that. Now I'm going to think about myself being wholesome-looking. 35:35 Julie's photographyMeagan: Okay, we talked a little bit about where we've gone, where we've started, what we've gone through, and all of the things. Now, where are we at today? I just have to gloat a little bit about Julie. She is phenomenal, you guys. If you have not been in our email or if you haven't been on our social media, I definitely suggest you check it out and go follow her because she has taken a step back from The VBAC Link. We are so grateful that you come on here and there. You have taken a step back from doula work, but you are killing it in the photography world. Julie: Aw, it's the best. I love it so much. Meagan: You're doing so good. I'm so impressed. I just love seeing her photos on her Instagram and I love being able to chat with her and even connect more to the story. Sometimes, she will tell me the story that goes with the picture. I'm like, “Oh my gosh.” It's so amazing. I'm so happy for you. Do you want to talk a little bit about what you are doing now that you are not doing The VBAC Link?Julie: Oh my gosh, I have to tell you. I sent you these pictures. I think I texted you. There was this girl. She reached out to me 2 years ago and she was like, “My C-section baby just turned 1. I'm thinking about getting pregnant again.” She wanted to connect with me for doula work. At the time, I was doing doula-tog so I was doing both doula and birth photography. So we talked and we connected. Then I sent her a couple of different local resources to connect to, then a few months later, she reached out and she was pregnant. She was going to hire me for doula-tog then she had a miscarriage, then it was a little while that passed again. She reached out to me again later and she was pregnant again, but by this time, I had phased doula work out completely, so I had referred her to a local doula here that I absolutely love working with. Anyway, super long story short, she ended up hiring this other doula and me as a birth photographer and she switched from hospital birth to a home birth and I just attended this beautiful VBAC birth at home last week. It was so neat to have somebody come full circle and follow their whole journey. She called me and we talked on the phone forever 2 years ago when she was starting on her VBAC journey because she had found The VBAC Link.It was just really neat. I know more about her journey. It's hard sometimes as a birth photographer because I don't have an initial connection with people as much as I did when I was a doula. Sometimes, the first time I see people is when I walk into their birth space with my camera which is okay. I like it when it is a little more than that beforehand, but it was really neat. Her name was Emmy and I'm sure that one day she will share her story on the podcast because I want her to. It was just a beautiful birth. I got called at midnight. The baby was born at 3:45 in the morning and it was just a really beautiful story with really powerful, empowering photos for this girl. She got to 10 centimeters with her first baby and she pushed for 6 hours. She got the epidural when she was 4 centimeters. She got to pushing. She was flat on her back the whole time, a classic story. She didn't know. Anyway, it was a really beautiful and very empowering story. I got to document it and I just think that some of the imagery, I cannot wait for her to tell me that I can share these. She wants to see. I respect everybody's wishes. Some people want me to share everything. Some people don't me to share anything and I respect all of that. Anyway, it's just really cool and really neat. I love being able to document that. I tell people, “My gosh, just hire the birth photographer. These moments are fleeting. They change so fast. One of the biggest days of your life, you're not going to remember what your baby looked like, what their cry sounded like, and the joy on your face as you met them. Just invest. Do whatever you can to be able to invest if that's what you desired. Don't let finances get in the way.” I personally now offer several financing options I can implement and things like that because I know it's not super cheap, but I love being able to capture and preserve people's stories. I also do videos. Videos are my favorite. I love being able to see the motion and hear the sounds of those babies' first little noises. Oh my gosh, there was this cute little baby making fish faces an hour after it was born the other day. I could not believe it. It was amazing. These people wouldn't have that. Sure, there are cell phones and things like that you can take pictures on. There are some cell phone cameras that are really good quality now, but you're going to miss out on so many things because who is going to be taking the picture on your cell phone? Your partner? Your doula? You're not going to be able to see how your doula supported you. You're not going to be able to see the beautiful moments your partner and you had because they are the ones holding the camera. You're not going to be able to see the look on your partner's face because it's all going to be baby or you. Plus, most partners are not really that great at taking pictures, let's be honest. It's okay. It is okay but it's such a fulfilling thing. I love being able to go and witness the power that women have in all of the stories. There is so much power in scheduled C-sections, in unplanned Cesareans, in vaginal births, in medicated births, unmedicated births, hospital, out-of-hospital, all of it. All of it takes so much power and strength, all of it. I get to witness that but not only do I get to witness that but I get to document it. I get to come home and I get to witness it again as I'm editing photos and video. I just think it's a really, really, really cool and really inspiring thing. I love it. I love it. Meagan: I agree. It's actually one of my biggest regrets not having that. We had some candid– not even candid, some photos that were snapped really quickly, but not being able to see, I really wish it was recorded. So dang it. Julie: Yeah, I feel like that's the biggest regret I hear from first-time moms too. They will be like, “I didn't have a birth photographer for my C-section. I wish I would have though. I wish I would have. I wish I would have been like, ‘Well, I'm having an induction now. I was thinking about it, but I really wish I would have had one,'” because there is just so much. Cell phone pictures just don't do it justice. Meagan: I agree. Well, I love what you are doing. I'm so grateful that you are in that space and I'm so grateful for you letting us use your images that of course are approved. I definitely highly suggest going over to Julie Francom Birth Services, right? That's your page, right? Julie: Birth Stories. Julie Francom Birth Stories. Well, it's just Julie Francom Birth on Instagram and on YouTube and on Facebook. Meagan: Go find her, you guys, so you can still follow her journey. Thank you, Julie, for joining me on the 300th episode. I really am so grateful for all that we have done, all that you have done, all the growth that we have seen, and I'm excited to keep going. Julie: Thank you so much. ClosingWould you like to be a guest on the podcast? Tell us about your experience at thevbaclink.com/share. For more information on all things VBAC including online and in-person VBAC classes, The VBAC Link blog, and Meagan's bio, head over to thevbaclink.com. Congratulations on starting your journey of learning and discovery with The VBAC Link.Our Sponsors:* Check out Dr. Mom Butt Balm: drmombuttbalm.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-vbac-link/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Atlantic Group Tuesday Night Speaker Meeting May 23, 2023 1st 10-Minute Speaker: Sandra 2nd 10-Minute Speaker: Tyler Main Speaker: Julie

Eine Trennung kann für den Moment echt ein mieses Gefühl sein, von Alleinsein über Ängste bis zum Sicherheitsverlust. Doch was steckt hinter Trennungen, und was möchte mir das Leben mit diesem Prozess mitgeben. Gemeinsam mit BE A FEMALE COACH Teilnehmerin Julie-May spreche ich über das Thema Trennungen und wir betrachten das Thema aus ganz vielen verschiedenen Perspektiven: Was hat es mit mir als Kind gemacht, als sich meine Eltern getrennt haben? Was macht es mit mir innerhalb einer Beziehung, wenn ich verlassen wurde oder mich für eine Trennung entscheide, und und und - freut euch auf eine tolle Folge. Viel Spaß. __________________________ Du willst mehr von meiner Arbeit erfahren, dann schau auch hier vorbei: Webseite: www.sinaoberle.de Ausbildung: BE A FEMALE COACH: https://sinaoberle.de/female-coaching/ Wunderweg Online Kurs - vom Kinderwunsch zum Babyglück: https://sinaoberle.de/kurse/wunderweg/ GROW Workshop - DURCH VERTRAUEN UND WEIBLICHE ENERGIE IN DIE VERÄNDERUNG: https://sinaoberle.de/grow/ Bücher: Hautklar - Das Buch zur reinen Haut nach dem Absetzen der Pille & Zykluscode bei Stimmungsschwankungen vor der Periode, Mädchensache eBooks: Zyklusliebe, Zyklusfood und ätherische Öle für die Frau: https://sinaoberle.de/buecher/ PAOPAO essentials: https://paopao-essentials.de/collections/alle-produkte Instagram: @sina.oberle Youtube: Sina Oberle

Julie May has been a child life specialist for almost 20 years. She is here today to talk with us about how to talk to and support kids who have an adult in their lives who has an illness.  Julie talks about what Wonders and Worries does, and what is accessible for families today. You can get support anywhere in the United States completely for free! You won't want to miss this episode, because Julie also shares how to read cues based on a child's development, how to know if you have taken the conversation too far, if it's time to play, or if they need any other intervention.   Julie is a wealth of knowledge, and I am so glad we get to learn from her.   In this episode, we talk about… [2:02] Julie May's personal and professional background [4:52] Wonders and Worries: a pioneer program in the child life field [8:42] Advice for parents who want to protect their child from their illness [18:39] Developmental stages and what information children can handle [25:17] Showing emotions in front of children [28:29] Why Julie thinks it is so important to talk to kids about illness [34:51] Getting involved with Wonders and Worries   Connect with Julie: Instagram Wonders and Worries Website   Have you heard?  The Child Life On Call mobile app for parents, kids and their care team will be available in 2022.  Sign up to stay informed here. Child Life On Call is a community of parents and professionals that share ideas, stories and resources to help YOU navigate your child's unique experiences. We give you strategies to support yourself and your family through life's challenges. We are so glad you are here. Website: childlifepodcast.com Merch: bonfire.com/store/childlifeoncall Instagram: instagram.com/childlifeoncall Facebook: facebook.com/childlifeoncall Twitter: twitter.com/childlifeoncall YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnh95T1MOYtbpBxJaZqg7rg

EP #S2E2 -This week on the podcast, I'm joined by Julie May, a business Intuitive, Master Speaking Coach, and Innovator as we discuss When is Pay-to-Play Speaking a Good Idea. For A-List event producer and founder of Speaking Seriously, Julie May, speaking has always been about Impact, Income, and Inspiration. This inside out approach has set her apart from other coaches in the industry, and helps her clients to transform their speaking careers in record time.  Her background in stage acting, and her experience as an A-List event producer, she created Speaking Seriously to teach speakers how to turn their Impact and Inspiration into Income. Follow Julie May on Social media on Instagram, and Facebook. ---------------------------------------------   Whether you are new to the “Speaking of Getting Booked” podcast or a recurring fan, please help out by subscribing to the show on Apple, Spotify, or Google, and by please leave us that 5-Star love and a quick review over at Apple Podcasts! Your support and your reviews mean a lot to me, and really help the show to reach more people. Plus, it provides me with valuable feedback, so that I can continue to bring value to you each and every week.   I love hearing from fans and listeners. Please share your feedback, guest suggestions, or ideas for show topics with me on social media. Connect with Matt Brauning On Social Media:  Follow Matt Brauning on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube   Check out more on this podcast, PLUS subscribe to my other podcast “The Driven Entrepreneur” This one's all about interviewing great innovators, trailblazers, and entrepreneurs. You'll hear their origin story, plus plenty of life and business lessons along the way! Check it out at: mattbrauningpodcast.com   Get a signed copy of my #1 Best-selling book, "The Firebox Principle" PLUS take the Firebox quiz FREE at: fireboxbook.com   Want to sponsor the show? Email inquiries to: mattbrauningpodcast@gmail.com

Are You Ready For YOUR FIRST $100K YEAR? In this episode of The Mountain Top Motivation Podcast I share my interview with Julie May about her first $100k year as an entrepreneur!  This interview is a part of a larger interview series where I interviewed over 20 successful entrepreneurs about their first $100k year in business!  ​ I am excited to share these interviews here with you on the podcast and I am also compiling them into a book where you can learn the insights of successful entrepreneurs along with the ups and downs of their journey! The "First $100k" book will be coming soon! In this interview we talk with Julie about:  How she reached her first $100k year What she learned from it What she could have done differently Her advice to up and coming entrepreneurs Losing her house and going bankrupt How she gets hundreds of people to show up to events in small towns Her business Speaking Seriously  Much more The purpose of these interviews is to help you learn from those who are ahead of you in the journey. You will see that there are many ups and downs on their journeys and that they are just people. As we share these interviews I hope that you as the listener are able to believe it is possible and use what you learn from them. I am excited to share all of these interviews right here on the podcast!  Thanks for listening to this episode of The Mountain Top Motivation Podcast!  If you enjoyed this interview head over to 100kchecklist.com to get the "First 100K Checklist" Free! This is a checklist and training I put together from the patterns I learned from all of these entrepreneurs combined!  Jake Ballentine  Mountain Top Motivation See you at the top!  

Redneck Necky, The Redneck Comedian sings and plays guitar and Obama argues with Michelle. Guest Starring Dana’s former assistant, Julie May, and Comedian Larry Bubbles Brown with the Joke of the Week.

The Business College of Speaking & Mentorship, Julie May & Robyn Scott Julie May- Master Speaker Trainer and A-List event producer. Julie May has been inspiring youth and adults as a teacher and mentor for over 10 years. She is a keynote speaker, author, mentor, coach, and A-list event producer. She is the Founder and President of Speaking Seriously which inspires speakers, authors, and coaches to lead more people. Julie coaches business leaders in breaking through glass ceilings, 10Xing their enrollment from the stage, and creating events and workshops that rock. She serves on the board of directors for the Keynote Speakers Coalition and is a judge for the Speak Off which is one of the biggest speaking competitions in the world. Follow Julie on Instagram and Facebook @speakingseriously for tips on how to 10X your speaking career Robyn Scott is a bestselling published author of, Bringing People Together. She's a talented coach and speaker. She's the co-founder of Speaking Seriously. She's one of my dear friends. Follow Roby on Instagram and Facebook @speaking.seriously and Robyn Scott. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesVisit: https://www.CollegeOfSpeaking.com to learn more and apply for classes today. Free Resource: 10 Steps to 10 Stages pdf, https://speakingseriously2.clickfunnels.com/10steps Music Credit: Scouting, by Eveningland For more information about the Circle of Knowledge Podcast, join our podcast group community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2328758190687628 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/circle-of-knowledge/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/circle-of-knowledge/support

In their discussion of The One Where Ross Finds Out, Lex is wondering whether or not Ross broke up with Julie yet.Contact Us:FriendsWithBenefitsPod@gmail.comFriends With Benefits on Social Media:https://twitter.com/friendswithpodhttps://www.facebook.com/Friends-with-Benefits-Podcast-2090189357737615/https://www.instagram.com/friendswithbenefitspod/Find Mary Ann on Social Media:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkZPM-kedLUiSkdry583bCQhttp://facebook.com/MaryAnnRaemisch/Find Lex on Social Media:https://twitter.com/thelexmichaelMissing Out Podcast http://Missingout.podbean.com/https://twitter.com/MissingOutCast Capital One 360https://capital.one/2NLexQgThe One with All the Recipes:https://www.amazon.com/One-All-Recipes-Unofficial-Cookbook/dp/1612438644/ref=sr_1_1?gclid=CjwKCAjwxt_tBRAXEiwAENY8hWXF315kq4FURKO4JoukfCf_XE10n5TWjuXxHzbZGR_cNo3SpML6BhoCAY4QAvD_BwE&hvadid=318429900624&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9031204&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=4591571056471563252&hvtargid=aud-646675773986%3Akwd-597184349265&hydadcr=16188_10353924&keywords=the+one+with+all+the+recipes&qid=1572384477&sr=8-1 

Feeling stuck in your business? Do you have an idea or innovation on your heart but just arent sure how to get yourself to take that leap of faith? Thats where Julie May, founder of Speaking Seriously, and I come in. On this show you will learn just the right questions to ask and tools to not just leap blindly into the unknown, but take an educated leap of faith to grow your business like never before!

Feeling stuck in your business? Do you have an idea or innovation on your heart but just arent sure how to get yourself to take that leap of faith? Thats where Julie May, founder of Speaking Seriously, and I come in. On this show you will learn just the right questions to ask and tools to not just leap blindly into the unknown, but take an educated leap of faith to grow your business like never before!

“Speaking of Leadership - Why Great Leaders must become Great Speakers” with Julie May of Speaking Seriously

The Circle of Knowledge podcast is produced by Amplified Minds. Amplified Minds helps professionals scale their businesses and achieve their goals by providing 1-on-1 Accountability Partners and positioning invaluable resources through private masterminds and professional networking events. This episode features a mastermind interview by Jon Kovach Jr. with Julie May and Robyn Scott with Speaking Seriously. Julie May is the founder and president of Speaking Seriously. Speaking Seriously is one of the fastest-growing personal development companies in Utah and produces conferences where speakers like Kirk Cameron, Elizabeth Smart, and Frank Shankwitz (Founder of Make A Wish) have entertained thousands. Julie has trained with the best speaking coaches in the world including Les Brown, Dave Van Hoose, Dan Clark and has developed a unique system for getting on stages and finding YOUR true voice. She has also been a key judge at one of the biggest speaking competitions in the world for the last 2 years. “Knowledge” or “golden nuggets of wisdom”: Master storytelling. It will help you pull your audience in and remember your message. Enter promo code: 25forme and reserve your spot for only $25 Event Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/speaking-seriously-boot-camp-and-speaking-championship-tickets-63709426610?mc_eid=97b9dea4c6&mc_cid=d158489ed1 For more information about Speaking Seriously: https://www.facebook.com/SpeakingSeriously/ For more information about Amplified Minds visit https://www.amplifiedminds.com/ Join the Circle of Knowledge Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2328758190687628/ music: scouting, by Eveningland --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/circle-of-knowledge/support

Julie May- Master Speaker Trainer and A-List event producer Julie May has been inspiring youth and adults as a teacher and mentor for over 10 years. She is a keynote speaker, author, mentor, coach, and A-list event producer. She is the Founder and President of Speaking Seriously which produces the Joyful Living Women's Conference where thousands of women come to be inspired by some of the top speakers, authors, and coaches in the nation.   Julie coaches business leaders in breaking through glass ceilings, 10Xing their enrollment from stage, and creating events and workshops that rock.  She serves on the board of directors for the Keynote Speakers Coalition and is a judge for the Speak Off which is one of the biggest speaking competitions in the world.  Follow Julie on Instagram and Facebook @speakingseriously for tips on how to 10X your speaking career Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Opening Monologues. Mueller's Disgrace. High Stakes on SpyGate. Deep State sitting on powder keg of malfeasance. Worse than we thought. Democrats seek 'Red Line' on Declassification. Matt Dunn of Backbone Radio guest-hosting the Chuck & Julie Show.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The American Civil War. Already happening? Democrats toy with Impeachment. Their next boomerang. John Cleese stands up for Old England. Matt Dunn of Backbone Radio guest-hosting the Chuck & Julie program.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The AG Barr Interview. The right man in the right place at the right time. Trump announces Tariffs on Mexico. Baby Shark. Matt Dunn guest-hosting the Chuck & Julie program.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Dangerous Hour for America. The Deep State is cornered by Declassification. How will they react? How will they retaliate? Six Ways From Sunday. The rats are jumping off the sinking SpyGate ship. President Trump Talks Treason. And for good reason. Additional notes on Treason from Liz Cheney and Dan Bongino. America's Best President Since Abraham Lincoln. Backbone Radio's Matt Dunn guest-hosting for Chuck & Julie on Memorial Day.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What Holds A Nation Together. How to sustain our noble republic. Callers weigh in on Memorial Day. Opening salvos on the concept of Treason. Matt Dunn of Backbone Radio guest-hosting the Chuck & Julie Show.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Opening Monologues. Towards a philosophy of war, from Ancient Greece and Rome to the present day. The Human Condition. Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum. Honoring Our Fallen Soldiers. Matt Dunn of Backbone Radio fills in for Chuck & Julie on this Memorial Day Edition.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Dunn of Backbone Radio enters "The Conservative Underworld" of Chuck & Julie on Memorial Day. Opening Monologues on American Sovereignty. Good news abounds in the Trump Era. Defending and supporting the American Middle and Working Classes -- the necessary antidote to globalist predation. Anticipating Red Wave Election in 2018, reviewing Democratic leadership vacuum. What does the Left stand for today? NFL bans kneeling, but still fumbles the broader issue. Plus, lighthearted hilarity regarding "The World's Tallest Waffle Stack" erected this weekend by Spencer McCullough in a Denver backyard. Judgment pending from Guinness World Records. With Listener Calls & Ukelele Waffle Music via Parry Gripp. Bumper Music from the Zac Brown Band and Clare Dunn. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tour De Force Monologues on SpyGate. Matt Dunn of Backbone Radio fills in for Chuck & Julie on Decoration Day. Dissecting the Criminal Deep State, with particular attention to the odious James Clapper and the historically "close bond" between CIA John Brennan & Barack Obama. We marvel at MSNBC Joy Reid's bitter clinging to the collapsed Russian Collusion Narrative. We reconsider Judge Napolitano's Paul Revere Moment -- The British Are Spying on Trump. The London Angle, and also Rome. Plus, a review of Norwegian patriot Jan Baalsrud's epic WWII survival story as depicted in the new film The 12th Man. With Listener Calls & Music via The Partridge Family, SZA, Calvin Harris, Amici Forever and Ralph Stanley. Walking Up This Hill On Decoration Day.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Dunn of Backbone Radio guest hosts for Chuck & Julie on Memorial Day. Conversations on Border Security and the Second Amendment. Jon Favreau, speechwriter for Obama, makes very embarrassing Twitter error on Trump immigration policy. Favreau quickly deletes -- but does not apologize. Meanwhile, Harvard poll data suggests a majority of Americans think it's fair to refer to MS-13 gang members as "animals." Also, vignettes on skiing with small children this weekend at Arapahoe Basin, as the "Chicken Dance Polka" happens once again. Plus, we observe the Presidential Proclamation for Memorial Day and honor the National Moment of Remembrance. With Listener Calls & Music via Dwight Yoakam, De Electronica, the Yardbirds and the U.S. Army Ceremonial Band.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Backbone Radio's Matt Dunn again joins Chuck & Julie -- aka The Conservative Underworld -- to cover latest Deep State unravelings. After a long year of denial, Clapper now flips to say "it's a good thing" the FBI spied on Trump. They got caught, so now their lame attempt to justify. MSM circles the wagons to conceal name of FBI informant. Why protect the Spy? Rosetta Stone? Sessions' man Huber prepares for criminal prosecution. Joe diGenova advises CIA John Brennan to find a good lawyer, and fast. Meanwhile, President Trump calls the whole spy operation against him the "all time biggest political scandal." And he would be right. Plus, our preview of Sunday's Backbone Radio program. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Backbone Radio's Matt Dunn joins Chuck & Julie to review latest Deep State developments. Codename: Crossfire Hurricane. FBI spying operation into Trump Campaign, now fully admitted in today's New York Times. Attempted sanitization. Comey, Clapper, Brennan running scared. Grassley on the move. Details emerge about Mueller's own Russian Oligarch. IG Report looming. Deep State Coup Unraveling. Gonna Be Hell To Pay.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Backbone Radio's Matt Dunn stops by Chuck & Julie to discuss latest Deep State revelations. FBI informant placed on Trump Campaign? We throw sunlight into the dark corners of this enormous, egregious political scandal. We cover Names, Dates & Places and distinguish Black Hats from White Hats. On the list: STEFAN HALPER, George Papadopoulos, Carter Page, Joseph "Maltese Falcon" Mifsud, Alexander Downer, Robert Mueller, Rod Rosenstein, John Brennan, James Comey, James Clapper, Susan Rice and Samantha Power. Five Eyes in Trouble? US-UK Special Relationship Blown? Seeking Rough Justice for the Six Ways from Sunday Crowd. It's time. But what happens next? [Dunn joins conversation at minute 12:00 in podcast.] See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today Lydia,and her guest Julie May, talk about how to communicate with a spouse who doesn't want to talk.

Today Lydia,and her guest Julie May, talk about how to communicate with a spouse who doesn't want to talk.

Julie May....one of my favorite people. She was another one of the authors in the book "Success through Failing", and has had a true blue rags to riches, riches to rags and back again story that we all love and admire. The one thing that I truly appreciate about her story is how she learned how to find joy in her darkest moments and that pivotal point led her to do the work she does at this point in her life.  If you are feeling down and out in your life (even if it is at times)- you will NOT want to miss this episode on learning to have joy amidst chaos. Self-Help, Success, Self-Improvement, Depression, Motherhood, Business.  

This week on Mom Talk Radio, Sue Reninger of Family Finest Communications shares tips on inspiring the family dinner. Spotlight on Moms features Marge Gerwels of tinybitsofmagic.blogspot.com. Julie May, prototypical modern mom and entrepreneur, shares how she finds time to balance it all. Emily Flake, author of Mama Tried: Dispatches from the Seamy Underbelly of Modern Parenting, shares some unflinching honest and humorous moments in modern parenting. Halie Fulton, President and Founder of MAF Industries and creator of Dream Frenz, shares tips for moms looking to start a business.

I use to constantly compare myself to others, until I realized that I was the only one who gets to be ME!  Are you COMPARING yourself to others?  In this Episode, You will hear Julie May, best selling Author of  “MENU MUSINGS” share her secrets to Success and How she decided to stop Comparing herself to others and start believing in herself.  Julie, clearly, believes that everyone should follow their passion.  Following her own passion, she started a food blog just for her friends and family so she can “share” her own unique recipes.  Her blog quickly grew from a few followers to almost 13 million.  Julie is fun, creative and believes that even the smallest fingers can help in the kitchen.  And that’s why we love Julie May; she is living her passion of Life In Purple.  What you say is what you become.

This episode contains a collection of brief interviews with archivists discussing their trade, recorded at the 2013 Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York Award Ceremony and the 2013 Association of Moving Image Archivists Conference. Featuring: Ryan Anthony Donaldson, Ben Fino-Radin, Alex Duryee, Julie May, Susan Woodland, Bonnie Marie Sauer, Pamela Cruz, the Husband of Robin Katz, Brian Graney, Hannah Palin, Ann Wilkens, Chantal Muller, Howard Besser, Walter Forsberg, Neal Stokes, Hannah Frost, Siobhan Hagan, Seth Anderson, not Jefferson Bailey. This podcast was funded in part by the New York State Archives Documentary Heritage Program and produced by METRO (www.metro.org) and AVPreserve (www.avpreserve.com). Audio Engineer: Rebecca Chandler