An inspiring series celebrating locally nominated women from a diverse range of backgrounds during Focus Fox Valley with Hayley Tenpas! The selected “Women Who Wow Us” will be featured throughout the month of August as we lead into Women’s Equality Day on August 26th!
“The faith of opening a small business, is [that] only one person needs to say yes to you. I had one organization who said yes.” – Fanni Xie
We are proud to welcome Fanni Xie as a 2024 Women Who Wow Us recipient.
During our time together Fanni shared her experiences as a veteran, including her year in Afghanistan on the combat stress control team. We also learned about her time as a clinical social worker and how that work led to pursuing opportunities in diversity, inclusion and culture, and eventually nonprofit work with the Northeast Wisconsin Chinese Association.
Her professional career evolved even further as she explored entrepreneurship. Never one to give up, she opened Uni Uni Bubble Tea during the COVID-19 pandemic. When talking about securing funds for opening her own business, she shared, “In the end I was rejected by 10 different banks. The faith of opening a small business, is [that] only one person needs to say yes to you. I had one organization who said yes.”
We ended our time together hearing about what Fanni is proudest of, which she says is her current work in mentoring other minority business owners and being part of NEWCA and the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival [September 14th].
The person who nominated Fanni writes, “Fanni is an US Army veteran who has inspired many people in the community. Fanni has been working in the mental health field for over 10 years helping military services members, veterans, children and elderly. During COVID, she started her own small business: Uni Uni Bubble Tea, promoting culture and diversity through food, drinks and events. In 2021, she took the executive director position with the Northeast Wisconsin Chinese Association and made a huge effort to transform it into an organization that would empower Chinese/Asian Americans while bringing cultural education to the community. She is one of the founders of the Northeast Wisconsin Dragon Boat Festival that took place in Oshkosh last year with the goal Of creating a multicultural festival for all. At the same time, she shares her experience by mentoring other minority business owners, veteran business owners and women business owners to achieve their dreams.”
We thank Fanni for sharing her story and for all she does to contribute to our community!
“Take it one day at a time, one moment, one hour at a time. You can do it. You can get through it there’s people who support you. And think of all the positives.” – Stephanie Skrede
We are proud to welcome Stephanie Skrede as a 2024 Women Who Wow Us recipient.
The person who nominated Stephanie writes, “My wife has made her passion in life to advocate for our medical child. Our now almost 11-year-old daughter was born with a rare liver disease. After receiving a liver transplant my wife has made it her mission to bring awareness to Biliary Atresia. She is the board secretary for BARE, the first Biliary Atresia research and education foundation. This is her passion along with sharing our daughter’s amazing experience with Make A Wish Wisconsin. All of this came to a screeching halt when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in November. Even through a double mastectomy, chemo and immunotherapy my wife has kept life normal for our 4 children and remained consistent in her dedication to BARE and Make A Wish. She does work from her chemo chair and shares her story to help other women not feel so alone in the daunting journey.”
During our time together Stephanie shared her experiences as a parent — including being a parent of a child with a rare disease — and then sharing her own journey being diagnosed with breast cancer. One thing that stuck with me from our conversation is how she keeps a positive attitude, sharing “Attitude truly is half the battle.”
We asked Stephanie if she had any advice for when life gets overwhelming, “Take it one day at a time, one moment, one hour at a time. You can do it. You can get through it there’s people who support you. And think of all the positives.”
You can follow Stephanie’s journey as a biliary atresia mom on Instagram — @biliary_atresia_mama
“There’s not one way to do things. There’s not one way to react to things. You can’t tell what someone’s going through just by which emotion they’re outwardly showing. Whatever you’re thinking/feeling is valid and normal.” – Caitlin Henricksen
We are proud to welcome Caitlin Henriksen as a 2024 Women Who Wow Us recipient.
The person who nominated Caitlin writes, “Caitlin provides support for students who have been affected by sexual or dating violence to help them feel empowered and be successful at UW-Green Bay. She serves as a confidential or non-confidential resource to help students navigate difficult decisions and connect students to resources to help them find their version of success. She serves UW-Green Bay students at the Green Bay, Marinette, Manitowoc, and Sheboygan campuses. Along with the heaviness of her potential student interactions, she does this in a very caring and empathic manner. She is also part of the Healthy Choices Taskforce at UW-Green Bay, which provides programs and activities which help students make informed choices about their lifestyles and behaviors. She also is a key player in UW-Green Bay’s Take Back the Night, a national movement where the campus community gather to advocate for the end of sexual violence on college campuses. She also is a mother of 3 young children, which is a full-time job in itself.”
During our time together Caitlin shared about what inspired her to pursue this line of work and the various areas she worked in across the state. After pursuing her Master’s of Science degree in Criminal Justice from University of Cincinnati she returned to Wisconsin and took a job at UW-Green Bay. She is currently the Health Educator for Sexual Violence Prevention in the Counseling and Health Center and the Co-chair for the Healthy Choices Task Force at UW-Green Bay.
Caitlin spoke to how she works with students when they’re ready and comfortable to do so. She says the biggest part of her job is providing support, “A lot of times when we think of these things, we think about [how] a sexual assault is one event that happened and now it’s done. But that’s just not the reality for survivors. It’s impacting all of these different parts of their lives. It’s impacting academics, it’s impacting their sleep, their eating, their daily habits. So a huge part of my job is helping try to minimize that.”
Caitlin adds that support might mean finding flexibility in a student’s class schedule or helping them withdraw from classes. It could even mean helping them switch dorm rooms. Caitlin helps figure things out in a caring and compassionate way.
I loved this quote from Caitlin on her advice for those going through tough things, “Take it at whatever pace feels right to you. There’s not one way to do things. There’s not one way to react to things. You can’t tell what someone’s going through just by which emotion they’re outwardly showing. Whatever you’re thinking/feeling is valid and normal.”
“How do we make things accessible? How do we remove barriers?” – Alondra Sanchez
We are proud to welcome Alondra Sanchez as a 2024 Women Who Wow Us recipient.
Alondra is a Licensed Professional Counselor and therapist with Cultura Counseling.
The person who nominated Alondra writes, “Alondra and her sister stepped out on faith and opened their own practice here in the Fox Cities. She amazes me with how she continues to show up and advocate for her community. She is an amazing woman and I’m lucky to call her my friend!”
Alondra’s sister Salma happened to be in the studio with us today. Together, they opened Cultura Counseling in 2023. Their mission is to bring quality mental health services while prioritizing work-life balance for their clinicians.
They are laser focused on serving the BIPOC community and Spanish-speaking folks, ensuring culturally sensitive and inclusive care. Alondra also has a passion for perinatal mental health.
“So in those areas [mental health], I really just try to bring in the lens of like, what about our people of color?” shared Alondra. “What about our people that don’t speak this English language? How do we make things accessible? How do we remove barriers?”
I wanted to know how Alondra seeks balance in life too. She shared a really relatable story and emphasizes the importance of self-compassion and finding a balance, rather than an “all or nothing” approach.
“I’m big on self compassion. Have some self compassion for yourself. I was saying earlier, sometimes I get down on myself for the things that I’m not doing. Yesterday, I was kind of dreading picking up my daughter from daycare because I had a long day at work, and then I had to go home. My partner was working, and so I was kind of solo parenting for the rest of the night. And I was like, ‘Oh man, I’m tired.’ But then I really reframed that, and I was like, wait a minute, let me give myself some credit. I worked all day, and I’m gonna go home, hang out with my daughter, take her to the park, and do fun stuff. I deserve the credit, and I deserve to have some self compassion. It’s okay if I’m tired, it’s okay if I don’t want to do it, I’m still going to do it, and I love myself for being able to do it.”
Alondra Sanchez also discussed her advocacy efforts, including her role on a suicide prevention team and the professional counseling advisory board at UW Oshkosh, where she focuses on making mental health services more accessible to people of color and those who speak English as a second language.
And what is she proudest of? She shared she’s proud of her daughter and values her family’s strong emotional intelligence and support.
“It’s a joy watching people grow and blossom and feel good about themselves. Ultimately it’s about love and kindness; firstly with yourself.” – Elle Mae
We are proud to welcome Elle Mae as a 2024 Women Who Wow Us recipient.
Elle Mae is a burlesque dance director and instructor, advocate and resource in the Oshkosh community.
The person who nominated Elle Mae writes, “This woman has impacted so many individuals across all groups. She’s a strong advocate for LGBTQ+ individuals and communities. She teaches people dance (burlesque) in a way that helps people relearn how to love themselves. She celebrates everyone’s victories wholly (it definitely was jarring the first time I met her. I never thought someone could be genuinely as happy as her for my own success). For myself, she was the epitome of a friend and sister/mother as she helped me navigate an abusive relationship and allowed me to find a safe haven within the community she created. I’m not the only one with a similar story. I’ve never known her to turn away someone that needs help whether that means sharing a meal, offering a family, giving shelter, etc. This lady is such an unsung hero for Oshkosh and I owe my life and safety to her and everyone she introduced me to. Her larger than life spirit and enthusiasm wows me everyday and I strive to be like her in making my own community better.”
During our time together Elle Mae shared about how she helps people find their inner confidence through the Burlesque troupe that she runs, Certified Sexy Burlesque.
“You can do burlesque for yourself or an audience of one, or an audience of 100. That’s entirely up to you,” she shared. “But you deserve the right to feel good about yourself, to love yourself. To celebrate yourself. We have a lot of both men and women and nonbinary people who come into our classes on different levels who are looking to do more with themselves.”
Over the years Elle Mae has opened her heart and listened to people share their life stories and challenges.
“[I avoid] holding any preconceived notions or judgements on people. Creating a safe space where they can talk and open up,” she shared. “Over the years I’ve listened to thousands of stories, as far as talking about relationships, traumas, divorces, marriages. I get to see and bear witness to all these issues and tribulations that people go through in life. Because we’re all going through it. So going through it with someone else matters.”
When I asked Elle Mae what she’s proudest of she added a twist to my question and reframed it as what she’s most THANKFUL for. She shared she’s thankful for the community and people in her life who open up to her and share their stories.
“This [child care] crisis is everywhere, it almost became, ‘Well, who’s going to do something?’ And within about 4 days, “Oh, it’s us.” – Virginia and Tiffany
We are proud to welcome Virginia Maus and Tiffany Simon as 2024 Women Who Wow Us recipients.
Virginia and Tiffany are neighbors, friends, mothers, professionals and owners of a child care facility.
The people who nominated Tiffany and Virginia wrote, “Tiffany Simon and Virginia Maus are both mothers, working in their respective industries (Doctor of physical therapy, and lead data analysis). They saw a need in the community and stepped up to fill the gap and help 50+ families. In fall of 2022, they were both left without childcare. 68% of families in rural Wisconsin live in areas without enough child care. They purchased a building and opened a state licensed facility in January 2023.They are now co-owners of Joyful Beginnings Academy in Hortonville, WI. They have created a place they would trust with the most important people in our lives, our kids. It serves almost 100 children, over 50 families from 7 rural communities. This care allows families (especially women) to continue to work. They have grown this business the past year while continuing to grow their families and work their other jobs. They are amazing role models for all their daughters and women everywhere!”
During our time together we talked about the different challenges and triumphs that go into opening a child care facility. The duo shared that finding staff and teachers that they trust is their main goal but the center equally prioritizes creating a supportive culture for staff/teachers. Virginia says that culture trickles down to the kids at the center and she catches a lot of magical moments.
“I get to witness these moments every day, mealtime prayers, a dance party – I recently caught a teacher with a bubble machine in a classroom,” she shared. “I saw a teacher cuddling up a kid, getting the correct blankie in the correct spot.”
Owning a child care facility has also brought a level of advocacy to their lives. An ongoing child care crisis has encouraged Tiffany and Virginia to share their challenges and struggles with difference makers in the community.
“Whether you know it or not, you’re affected by the child care crisis,” Virginia shared, and went on to give a few examples. “Whether you had surgery and Tiffany your physical therapist can’t show up to help you recover from surgery, or someone from your office has to retire early to take care of their grandchildren because you can’t find care.”
They’ve also connected with local chambers of commerce, area businesses and have even invited local representatives to their center to see what is needed to provide quality child care to kids.
When it comes to giving advice to a younger version of themselves they offered this advice, “You can do hard things. The more you do hard things, the easier those hard things get. That’s what life is. Just continue to have the confidence in yourself to step up and take chances,” shared Tiffany.
Then Virginia piped in, “… and find a neighbor, a neighbor and a friend that’s willing to take risks with you and willing to take action, you can do incredible things!”
“Yeah, while you can do hard things it’s more fun to do it with other people,” Tiffany added.
