Join us as we welcome Bronte, a dedicated 'professional mom', to share her inspiring journey through the joys and challenges of motherhood. Bronte opens up about her early start in parenting, her transition from a hairstylist to a full-time stay-at-home mom, and the leap of faith that transformed her life and led her to start a farm.
Motherhood can be a profound calling, shaping one's identity and life path in unexpected ways. Whether you're a mom finding your entire purpose within the walls of your home or you're balancing motherhood with other passions, this episode celebrates the intentional living and unique purpose that every mother can embrace.
What you'll learn in this episode:
Featured on the Show:
Click HERE to watch this video to learn The 3 Things to Avoid When Reading Self-Help Books
How to Connect with Lara:
Web: www.larajohnsoncoaching.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/j.lara.johnson/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/larajohnsoncoaching
Work with Lara: www.larajohnsoncoaching.com/work-with-me/
Join us as we welcome Bronte, a dedicated 'professional mom', to share her inspiring journey through the joys and challenges of motherhood. Bronte opens up about her early start in parenting, her transition from a hairstylist to a full-time stay-at-home mom, and the leap of faith that transformed her life and led her to start a farm.
Motherhood can be a profound calling, shaping one's identity and life path in unexpected ways. Whether you're a mom finding your entire purpose within the walls of your home or you're balancing motherhood with other passions, this episode celebrates the intentional living and unique purpose that every mother can embrace.
What you'll learn in this episode:
Featured on the Show:
Click HERE to watch this video to learn The 3 Things to Avoid When Reading Self-Help Books
How to Connect with Lara:
Web: www.larajohnsoncoaching.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/j.lara.johnson/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/larajohnsoncoaching
Work with Lara: www.larajohnsoncoaching.com/work-with-me/
Welcome to the Mom On Purpose podcast. I'm Lara Johnson, and I'm here to teach you how to get out of your funk, be in a better mood, play more with your kids, manage your home better, get your to do list done and live your life on purpose. With my proven method, this is possible for you, and I'll show you how.
You're not alone anymore. We're in this together.
Hello and welcome to the Mom On Purpose podcast, this is going to be a really fun one and I'm really excited for you. I know lots of times we are talking about fulfilling your calling and finding what that purpose is outside of motherhood, because there might be something you feel outside of motherhood.
And I know we talk a lot about how motherhood can be a piece of that purpose. But maybe it's not all of it, but what if it is all of it? And I do think that there are many among us that feel like motherhood being the primary caregiver of their home. That is your purpose. And I want to make sure that you know that there's a space for you here.
So, I have brought Bronte on.
Bronte: I'm so excited to be here. Thank you.
Lara: Yeah. So, Bronte and I met over Instagram, which is super fun, but she is a professional mom. And as soon as I saw that, I was like, that's who I want to talk to. That is such a wonderful title for it. I always struggled with like stay-at-home mom.
I felt like it didn't totally encompass everything I was doing. And so, I really, really appreciate that title that you have. So, why don't you tell us a little bit about you, where you come from, kind of who you are and your story.
Bronte: Okay. Well, so, the title professional mom is, is definitely meant to be lighthearted.
And because gosh, like what you've, like you were saying, what is a stay at home? Like we're all moms, whether we're working or staying at home or whatever. So, I have been a mom for pretty much my entire adult life. I had my first daughter. She's 11 now. I had her when I was 20 years old. Obviously, I wasn't married.
So, that was a surprise and it's been an amazing blessing. And I couldn't, I literally don't know. It's a very unique situation that I know a lot of people can relate to because I don't know what it's like to be an adult and not be a mom. I've always, I've always loved being a mom.
I was, even though I was so young, I was never scared of it. Actually, on the contrary, when you're so young and young and dumb, not really, but ignorance is bliss, you know? And I was just so like, everything's going to be fine. And it was actually easier to parent, I feel like at that young age, then, you know, with the knowledge that I have now, you worry more, the more, you know.
So yeah, we, I, I have her and then two other children I remarried when I was, oh, I got married for the first time when I was 24 and we had two other children. They are four and two boys and a girl. And I. I worked actually until three years ago. So, I've been a working mom for longer than I have been a stay-at-home mom.
I've been a stay-at-home mom for the last three years, and it was something that was not my idea. I never wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. I enjoyed working, but it was actually something that I felt God calling me to
And it, it was a very scary thing to jump into. So that's a little bit.
Lara: I love how you mentioned that you didn't ever want to be, and for me it was such the opposite, which is why I think it's so beautiful that like when you were being called to something, it's, it's private, it's personal, it's something that like is between you and God and you're co creating your future.
For something, you know, greater than yourself, I always assumed I would be a stay-at-home mom. And then when I was a stay-at-home mom, I felt called to do something more outside of being a stay-at-home mom. And even though I still consider myself a stay-at-home mom, I work from home. I work part time. I'm here, you know, with my kids, but I still like, it just doesn't encompass everything.
So, it's so funny how, you know, all of us find that calling and you can feel it like inside of you. So, I'm kind of curious, like, what did that calling feel like, like inside your body? How did you actually know God was calling you to it?
Bronte: Well, normally God calls me to things that I don't really want to do. That’s the first. It's always about getting uncomfortable and growing. So, but it was actually it to start, I feel like it was more about my marriage. Coming into being a single mom for so long, I was independent, and I had my own, I was a hairstylist. I had my own hair business and it really was, I felt like God was asking me to trust him.
Because work was my security blanket that was, you know, just from life experiences. Like I said, having to do things on my own at one point, I knew I always had that to fall back on. So, like if something didn't work out, if my marriage didn't work out, I was going to be fine. And I, I felt like God was calling me deeper into trusting in him through my marriage.
That was a big one. And then my husband, he wanted to start a farm. So, we were living in Dallas. And he was doing mortgages. I was doing hair, and we were busy, busy, busy going, going, going, going, and he wanted to sell everything and lose our minds and go buy land and live in the middle of nowhere and raise animals and like be completely different people.
And so, that happened right after I had already felt that stirring of just being in prayer, being in different conversations and it just not leaving, you know, just wouldn't like, leave me alone. I just felt like I needed to stay home. I need to stay home. And then this opportunity presented itself and it was like, okay.
Perfect timing because you're not going to really be doing hair in the middle of nowhere anyways. So that's how that came about.
Lara: It's really, really cool and really beautiful and I'm slightly jealous because that is my dream to like, sell everything and live on the farm, but I've yet to do it as a husband.
Bronte: I think everyone should do it at least once, be a farmer. You don't have to stay a farmer forever. You learn so much. It's wild.
Lara: That is so, so fun. The thing that I wanted to point out as you were saying was like the stirring. And we talk a lot about that on the podcast, how there's like, like a siren inside of you, like a ringing for me, it was like, it was like the phone was ringing, but I couldn't answer it and it wouldn't go away.
And it was almost becoming painful. And I didn't really know. And I couldn't like put my finger on what it was until I watched Moana, and you know, everybody listening to this knows that Moana is my all-time favorite show. Oh, I love Moana too. That's when I realized, like, she always had this, like, call to be out on the ocean, and she didn't understand why.
And I felt like that same stirring. So, I, just the fact that you said, like, you felt that, and it wasn't leaving is really cool. Yeah. A lot of women experience that. Yeah, totally. Okay. So, I'm, I'm kind of curious now that you are a stay-at-home mom, professional mom, look like on a day to day, like, is it all bliss?
Is it perfect?
Bronte: No, gosh, it's, it's been the most challenging thing. And like I mentioned before, I feel like God's goal is always to grow us and to challenge us and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I don't think at this point right now, especially while my kids are still, they're, you know, about to start into the preschool age, my two youngest, I wouldn't trade this time, like this time that we've had as a family and that I've had with them.
I, you know, it's funny too, because I said that I, before I didn't want to ever be a stay at home mom, you know, we grew, I grew up with a working mom and as like a society, we're so conditioned to like nine to five, you know, we, most of the time, everyone, the family. You know, seize each other for a minute in the morning and then around five, six, seven o'clock at night before bed and then two days a week.
And that's just normal. And that was just normal to me. Now that we've had all of this time, especially living on the farm for two years, what a blessing. I, I couldn't, I don't think I could go back unless I had to. Just because I've experienced, it's really, there's nothing like time, you know, like you just can't get that back with your children.
So, I would never trade it, but it is, it has been the most challenging thing ever. It's because you do feel like, is this all I am supposed to be doing? You know, like, is, should I be doing more? You look around and you see so many women like, you know, working and it, you do. And we do have that inside of us.
I think all of us, you know, God created us to create and to work and to do things. But sometimes this doesn't feel like work. It just feels like this monotonous, never ending, like, why am I here? And it never truly ends. And you never have like, Like the satisfaction of like, okay, now this is done because with kids, you know, it's just all these half little things.
Yeah, you don't feel like you've completed anything. So, you have to wait until I guess you're like, I don't know 75 years old, and you can look and say, oh I did raise that person, you know, like I did keep them alive. 75-year marathon. It's a long game being a mom, a mom in general, not even just stay at home, just a mom, you know?
Lara: Yeah. And what I think is so interesting that you said is that it's the most challenging thing that you've ever done. And I think sometimes, at least for me, I felt the same way when, when I solely stayed home, it was, it was very hard. It was hard feeling some of the isolation that came. It was, it was very hard.
Like. But what really stood out to me as you're talking about, like, you had to trust God, you had to trust him in your marriage. You had to trust him. And I think anytime we get to that spot where we're figuring out what our purpose is, and we're feeling called something, you are literally walking into the dark into some of that.
Hardest challenges. And I think naively, I thought, you know, a long time ago, like, as soon as you become a mom, it's easy. As soon as you do this, it's easy. As soon as I figured out what my purpose was, it was easy. Yeah, and I think that's like the most challenging thing is that it's, it's. Trips you out, like you're living your purpose.
But it's still hard and, and I just always felt like as soon as you find that fire, it would be easy. And that's just not the case. And so, I appreciate that you brought that up even in motherhood is that living your purpose doesn't mean it's rainbows and daisies. It's actually hard. Yeah. Like God working to grow you in a very deep way.
Bronte: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And kids are your own. It's something that you, you know, your job, like, yes, we can be passionate about our careers and care about our careers, but there's nothing like, you know, being home with kids that, you know, they're your heart and soul and you, there's nothing that can compare to the level of love and like, yeah.
You know, the connection that you have to them. And when you have that type of relationship with someone, they, they ha it has the ability to also drive you absolutely crazy. You know what I mean? Like at work, if something goes wrong or if someone like, whatever, you're going to go home, like it's not, you know, but like when your kids are acting, you know, like when things aren't right in your home or, you know, if things are stressful in your home, it's just, it, it affects you differently.
Lara: And I've always told my kids that on, you know, oh, that, you know, they're bugging me and they're looking at, they took this or whatever. And, and, you know, I always come back and say, well, in our home, you were learning life skills. You were learning. Communicate with each other, so they can find that elsewhere.
And I do think the home is like that beautiful foundation for them to learn those skills, you know, and sometimes I was raised and. I'll be honest, I do it sometimes with my kids too, where you're like, just stop fighting. Oh yeah. Love the devil. like, yeah, yeah, yeah. But then like I have to kind of step back and be like, okay, what are the life skills I want them?
The home is such a beautiful place to teach that, you know? And do feel like that's such a deep, deep purpose for us as women. Mm-Hmm. as moms. Yeah. Yeah. So, what would you tell another mom out there that feels like her purpose is to be at home with her children?
Bronte: Well, I, I would say go back to buckle up because it's really hard and especially our generation.
It kind of goes against a lot of what we know, at least me, I, at least in my life experience, I grew up, all my friends, mom's worked. My mom worked. There was. Stay a stay at home. Mom was kind of rare in my circle. So, and I was taught to, you know, by my father to work and make your own way. So, you don't have to, you know, ever worry about not being okay.
So mentally you're, you know, if you're anything like me, that was something I struggled a lot mentally when I first became a stay-at-home mom of. Is this the right thing? Am I doing the right thing? And also, like, why is this so hard? Is this so hard for everybody else? Why is my house a disaster and I'm home all day cleaning all day?
You know, like You put these expectations on yours, or at least I did in the beginning, I had all these expectations on myself that like, okay, if I'm a stay-at-home mom now, now, like we're going to have like these amazing meals every day. And I'm my house is going to be so clean. And I'm going to get on top of all these things that I couldn't do before, but really like.
You're, we're still human, like we're still, it's, so that, that's a big one. Like be so gentle with yourself as a stay-at-home mom, like you're, you're not every day is going to be this beautiful day where you're like having picnics in the yard with your kids and baking cookies and, you know, organizing your closet.
Like it's, it just, that, that would be my biggest one. And be gentle with yourself and take time out for you because sometimes we can get in the mind space of like, I'm so privileged to be able to stay at home that I, you know, I don't need anything else. I shouldn't need to like, go do this and go do that because I got to stay at home all day.
Like, remember that like, What you're doing is a big deal and like just because you're not leaving the home to make money you are still contributing majorly to the family and you need time to, you know, you need that time to disconnect and be have a moment to yourself like you are worthy of that you don't have to like stomach everything and just because you're so lucky to stay at home because of that.
That's kind of like a. I don't know what the word is, but I just, that's kind of at least how I felt in the beginning. Like I've got to do all this stuff and just show I'm grateful at all. I'm grateful.
Lara: Yes. And I'm having a hard day that I'm not being grateful for.
Bronte: Yes, exactly. So yeah, that's what I would say.
But you give yourself so much grace and then like find some other stay at home moms, find some friends. You need people. You have to have people that can relate.
Lara: Yeah. I love that so much. When I think about everybody, when they're finding their purpose, professional mom or otherwise, I think about how similar that is, like all of that advice and the challenges that you felt that is like identical for whatever purpose that is, which is, yeah.
You know, going back to like, am I doing the right thing? Everybody experiences that on such a deep level and then having like all these high expectations for yourself and then realizing you're not going to meet. Yeah, so I want to just, you know, everybody that's listening, I want to reiterate like first, you know, Bronte was telling us be very gentle with yourself.
Give yourself a lot of grace, whether you're moving towards being a stay-at-home mom, and that's your purpose or something else. Be very gentle with yourself. The second is to take time out for you because you're worthy of it. And I think for me, that was really challenging for a long time, because I thought it was almost like I, my brain had a hidden agenda.
Like, I'll take time out for myself. So, I can show up better for my kids, a beautiful, wonderful thing, but it was always for someone else. It was. I was worthy of it. And so, I love that you brought that up and that you mentioned, like, because you're worthy of it, you are valuable. You have to take care of you.
The third one is to find your people, like find your, like create that community. My community kept me grounded for so many years, like even like people. So, here's a question for you because. You know, I, I think sometimes we all feel like this purpose, but it's almost like there's something we want to do, but we can't do, what would you say to someone?
And we can just kind of talk about it where if you want to be a stay-at-home mom, but for whatever reason you can't, and you feel like that's your purpose and you want to spend that time with your kids, but you can't, you can't make it there. Like, I think that's, and I would love your thoughts on that.
You know, we just left some time for that discussion because that was my mom, you know, and, and there was always some work that she was needing to do to help provide for our family. And that was, that was really hard for her. So, I'd love, I'd love your thoughts on that too. Like what would you say to someone?
Bronte: I love this question. Actually, I would say that, first of all, our purpose, our highest calling and our purpose biblically is to love others like Jesus would. So that, that is our purpose and our calling through whatever, you know, wherever we're at in life, we're to love others as Jesus would and be the hands and feet of him.
So if you feel like you're, you know, you want to stay home, but you can't like, there should be no guilt or shame in that because another thing that is. truly beautiful is that in all of our weaknesses, that's where God can be strong. And not, not all of us can stay at, there was, there has been times in my life where I would not have been able to stay at home with my, I mean, when I was a single mom, I couldn't stay home.
There was no other parent, but gosh, the way that God showed up in my life in that season to make sure that my daughter was still taken care of. I have countless stories of like, of him showing up to make sure that, you know, he, he filled in all of the gaps. And. While I was working, I had the honor and the privilege and the opportunity to, to love on my clients and like, I feel like, you know, there were so many and then to they poured into me as well during that season.
So, like, I wouldn't say that you're not in your purpose. If you're not, if you're not somewhere where you think you want to be, you know, I think that that's just putting yourself, you know, in a. unattainable box, like a box that God is so much bigger than like where we think we should be. And, and then I also want to tie, I thought about this too.
I thought about the proper Proverbs 31 woman, a friend and I were having this conversation the other day about how she's like the epitome of like, you know, and she was. in the market trading. She was sewing. She was doing all kinds of stuff. She wasn't just staying at home, you know, and that I'm not saying that that's, but like, I see this on, I see it online sometimes where it's like, you know, they’re pushing, there's a group of people pushing, like, women should stay at home.
They should be with their children. That is your, that is your ministry. That is your calling. There's a big, like, you know, overarching theme, kind of, and That's not, that's not always the case. I feel like we all have differences. I mean, that's just not even that you can't even, we're all placed in such different situations, you know, but we can be used.
Wherever we are and our children, you know, can be taken like, we don't need to worry about them. We don't need to stress that. Like, I just, so that would be my answer.
Lara: No, I love that. And I'm such a firm believer that God will, God makes up the difference. And I love that you said, those in those gaps, wherever they are.
And I think for me also on, like, when I think about my purpose, there's like the two pieces that kind of, you know, come together. It's like what I want and what God has presented and, you know, given my circumstances, you know, and whatever my circumstances allow. And I think that's such a beautiful, a beautiful, like trust exercise, even though it's really hard, is that.
Wherever you go, God is going to use you. And if your purpose you thought was this particular thing, it may end up being something different and deeper and richer than you ever could have imagined. I remember coaching a client through that and she always thought that she wanted to be a stay-at-home mom.
And, you know, after about a year, I remember having a conversation with her and she's like. I actually feel really strongly. I should stay working really where I want to be. And that's where I feel like God is using me for the highest, for my highest purpose. So integral to her journey and that doesn't have to be someone else's journey.
And I love that you brought that up when. I know you're looking online. Everybody has an opinion. Everyone is so beautiful. But I think for me, that's always the most important thing is that. When I think of, when I think of, you know, strong women, God fearing women, it's women that are in alignment and co creating their future and their purpose with God.
And that's going to be something so different. And that's what's so beautiful about each of us as we are all different and all have different journeys. I really appreciate you being able to come and share about your journey. Becoming a professional mom, is there anything else, any other advice that you would give to people listening on being able to answer your purpose when being able to answer your purpose?
Bronte: Oh gosh, that's a tough one. Being able to answer your purpose. I would just, I would just reiterate that like giving yourself grace and like you said, really like when you're, when you're aligning yourself. With the Lord, you really cannot go wrong with that when you're being intentional about that, like in giving everything to him, there's really no, there's really no way you can go wrong.
And even when you do miss step, because we all do, and we all do make mistakes. He like, there's so much mercy and grace for that. And. He will use everything for your good and for the good of your children, as long as you're giving that all to him. So, you know, that, that would be the number one thing to me.
And then just remembering that you can be used. Wherever, like you said, wherever you are, that would probably be the number one thing. And then just also, it's hard no matter what, there's no easy purpose for you know, get through life unscathed.
Lara: So true. We are all going to be crossing through the pearly gates with some bruised knees.
Seriously. Seriously. So I really appreciate that you said that and, you know, really being able to remember that hard doesn't mean it's wrong, hard just means that you're living a human experience and you're growing and you're getting uncomfortable, like you said, and God is shaping you so that he can use you in some capacity once I'm woken up.
So, thank you.
Bronte: And I thought about this while you were not comparing your journey, where you're at to others around you, that is probably actually one of the biggest things because that will steal all of, you know, anything that God is working or that, you know, any life and good that is happening and maybe a season that you're not like.
You didn't pick out necessarily comparing yourself to what other moms are doing to what other women are doing is the last thing that you need to be doing because everybody, like we said, everybody is going through their own stuff and things look really pretty from the outside in, but we're all wondering what, if what we're doing is right, we're all wondering if we're screwing our kids up or not, we're all wondering like, If you know, we're all fighting for our marriages, we're all.
We're all living life the same for the most part, there is a time and season for everybody's hard.
Lara: And yeah, and so I love that you brought that up because it really is. There's that, that quote, you know, comparison is the thief of joy in my home because when I was a stay-at-home mom, I would see all the other moms and they all seem to have cleaner houses than me.
And they all seem to be in better shape than me and they all seem to be. You know, running marathons or, you know, their kids were stressed, and it wasn't who I was. And, and what I finally stepped back and realized was that every time I was comparing. I was discrediting my own God given gifts and talents.
And the more that I found those and the more joy I felt like living in that, the less I compare. And, and I was thinking about that the other day, so I'm glad you brought that up on like, I really don't compare like I used to. And I really feel like that, that comes from, you know, being able to protect, you know, my talents and being able to use them.
Bronte: Yes, yeah, and going after like what you want to is a big thing like I think a lot of times when people are get in those ruts of Comparing and wishing that their life looks like someone it's because they there's something that they want to be doing You know that they have not said yes to they have not stepped out into yet.
And so, it's tough to watch other people who seem like they're going after what they, you know.
Lara: I love that. That is such a good point that it's really just a symptom that you're being called something more. Yeah. Yes. Like tune into that if it's going up, there's something there. Yes. So true. I love that.
Well, where can people find you online?
Bronte: I'm on Instagram at Bronte Victoria Capowski.
Lara: It's really long. I'll link it in the show notes.
Bronte: Okay. Good luck. I'm working on getting the Capowski off because my, my best friend who's, who happens to be a marketing genius, she's like, you need to get rid of that Capowski thing too long.
It's a mouthful. Like, okay, I'll work on it.
Lara: You're probably too young. I, I, but immediately when I saw your name, I was like, ah, Kelly Capowski from Saint Michael. I'm sure you get it all the time.
Bronte: I do know that I, but you know that my mother-in-law, her name is Kelly Capowski. So, God only knows what she went through.
Lara: Oh, alright. Well, I'll make sure I link to that. So, if anybody else, you know, Bronte can be that person online for you to build your community, you know, to see another mom going through it with us, I think that's, that's always a beautiful thing. So, yeah. Thank you for coming today.
Bronte: Thank you. It was so much fun.
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