Who the heck are we, anyway?

Well, my name is Melody Ross, my sister Kathy Wilkins and I founded Brave Girls Club in 2009 because it was what we wanted to do more than anything else in the world, and because even though it seemed like impossible timing, we knew we could do it if we just buckled down and did it……so we did.

In a separate post…I will tell you exactly why we did it, and why we keep putting our heart and soul into it every single day….but for now…I want to tell you just exactly who we are. If you are wondering what Brave Girls Club IS….it’s a community for women everywhere who want to do big things with their lives, who want to overcome difficult things, and who believe in doing all of this with love and kindness and as joyfully as possible. We have a worldwide tribe through the internet, and any woman anywhere is welcome and invited…and we also have fabulous retreats in the Idaho mountains, called BRAVE GIRL CAMP….and any woman anywhere is welcome and invited to join us there, too.

This is me….melody ross….I am 39 this year. I am a few days away from blissfully celebrating my 20th wedding anniversary with the love of my life, my met-in-high-school sweetheart….we are parents to 5 phenomenally funky and creative kids….I am a full-time artist and a writer and a forever seeker of all things beautiful and true. I am a horrible housekeeper although an unkempt house makes me crazy, and I have a weakness for creme brulee. I think SPANX are the most incredible invention, ever. I love artsy cowboy boots when I am not in my bare feet and I know for sure that I belong in the mountains, it is my element……I am a 4th generation Idahoan.

Ok….I really like that picture I put up there…but I am not really that serious and contemplative……..and since I am writing this blog post, and I can…I am going to tell you that  I am really more like this…………..

Now….on to the good stuff…..

This is my sister Kathy, my partner in Brave Girls Club and a woman who I can only dream of growing up to emulate….I would go on and on about her, but she would probably come on here and delete it…….so, I will just tell you that if you get the opportunity to ever meet her, talk to her, or spend any time with her…it will be an experience that you will never forget and you will be better for it. She will be sharing her talents on this blog….so you are all in for a treat.

Kathy turns 50 this year….and no, this photo is not photo-shopped, she really is this beautiful. This year, Kathy celebrates her amazing 28th wedding anniversary.  Kathy is a mother of 8, a phenomenal musician, and has a brilliant analytical mind. Her artfully crafted food will blow your mind and her skill of unconditional love and acceptance is a gift to the world. I feel so fortunate to have her in my life, let-alone having her as my big sister….she has been a critical part of my world since the day I was born.

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Now, here’s a cool fact……when we started…we thought it was just going to be us…and to tell the truth, we are a pretty dynamic duo….but our goal was to do our best to change the world in little ways with kindness and good news and ideas and life-changing fun. Soon…our family members and friends joined-in, wanting to be a part of what we are doing….and now, there are many many of us involved in the behind-the-scenes adventures of Brave Girls Club. We want to tell you about a few of them…..and you’ll be hearing from and about more and more of them as our community grows….

Before I go on…I just have to say….YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR…you really are…and that is the truth.

Ok….moving on, more about us and the people behind the scenes….

Soooo….Kathy has two older daughters, and two younger daughters……and Kallie and Chelsea are the older daughters. I have been very very close to them since they were very young. It’s kind of a crazy cool life because they are 10-ish years younger than I am and I am 10-ish years younger than my sister……AND…my 2 daughters are 10-sh years younger than Kallie and Chelsea….so it’s been this cool cycle where Kathy and Lynda (my other big sister who I am also very close to) were a huge part of my life and helped raise me……and then I helped raise Kallie and Chelsea and then they have helped raise my kids…….and now my daughters are babysitting their kids……….and, if the cycle continues…someday Kallie and Chelsea’s kids will babysit my grandkids………..it’s been a HUGE circle of love and support and friendship and fun……and so, it’s natural that Kallie and Chelsea and our other nieces….and sisters and sister-in-laws are involved in big and small ways in Brave Girls Club….

for now…

Kallie and Chelsea actually are a part of Brave Girls Club as a company.

This is Kallie:

Kallie is 29. The real 29….not the fake 29 that I sometimes tell people that I am. She has already led a big and amazing life and traveled many parts of the world, spent a few years doing humanitarian service and missionary work in South America….and is now married to the fabulous Jeff Maughan, who we all love and adore. She is mother to Jackson…the most adorable 1 year old boy you have ever seen, and she and Jeff are expecting another baby in October. Kallie is a true blue Brave Girl and recently embarked on a brave adventure with her little family, to meet their financial goals, they decided to sell everything and move into an rv for a while…….you can read about her fascinating, entertaining journey here weliveinanrv.com

Kallie does all sorts of things for Brave Girls Club that you will surely see as you return to our blog.

This is Chelsea:

Chelsea is almost 28 and super funny and super fun and an absolutely gifted organizer and event planner. You can always count on her to throw the best parties and make the most delicious desserts. Chelsea has martha-esque skills and keeps the most immaculate home that I’ve ever seen a young mother keep……she is extraordinary. She’s madly in love with her husband Luke….and they are parents to Hudson and Bentlee….the boy and girl who everyone loves and adores. Chelsea is expecting another baby right after Kallie, this Fall. Chelsea has her own photography business, CM Photography, which comes highly recommended and can be found on Facebook HERE

Chelsea does so much stuff for Brave Girls Club behind the scenes, and is also our kitchen manager for Brave Girls Club…..you’ll be hearing from her and about her a lot here on the blog.

I can’t go without introducing you to our mom, Myrna Jean Johnson

Our mom is part of Brave Girls Club because she made us who we are………but, she also comes to EVERY SINGLE one of our retreats and works in the kitchen…helps us set up and tear down our signature BGC DECOR and makes deeply meaningful lasting bonds with all of the attendees there. She will never know how many marriages she has helped save, how many hearts she has helped heal, how much wise advice she has given that was whole-heartedly accepted, and many women from all over the world who have adopted her as “Grandma” as she is affectionately known at Brave Girl Camp. You will be hearing a lot more from and about her on this blog, too.

These are the people who are actually an every day part of Brave Girls Club, but there are SO MANY OTHERS who volunteer their time, who spread the word, who help in more ways than can be counted……

this is our sister, Lynda, and our niece, Stephanie…who traveled all the way up the mountain with their full-size harp and guitars to give our retreat attendees a world-class live music concert (did I tell you that most of my siblings are professional musicians…and that has been passed down to their children and even mine…and our parents are musicians too….but we can talk more about that later)

and this is our little sister, Jen….who helps whenever and however she can, as she juggles her life with her 3 little brave girls…..we love having her!

We have friends who diligently show up for each and every retreat and the meetings beforehand to sew special gifts for the attendees, to handcraft nametags and to cook soulfood………they are truly angels to the Brave Girls Club Revolution…..an army of do-gooders and funky artsy ladies who want to connect with others of the same mindset…..

We could never do what we do without all of the help that we have….without all of the hundreds of women all over the world who have already joined us in this Revolution of Goodness……good life, good times, good memories, good news, good food, good friends, good fun…the Brave Girls Club family is a phenomenal tribe of phenomenal women….of sorts of ages, all sorts of backgrounds, all sorts of dreams and hopes and struggles and experiences.

Soooo…that’s who we are….

we hope you will join us!!!! How do you join us? Just keep coming back and be a part of what we are doing, all together, all over the world.

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