The Infertility Doula: Two friends, One Connection, and Awareness.

“Knowledge is power and so is a great support system.”

The Infertility Doula

Some people dream of having a child, but are unable to conceive when the time arrives. The struggle isn’t uncommon for men and women. This hits too close to home to Tia Chapinski and Daniella Virijevic, two friends who decided to turn their infertility stories into purpose with the book, The Infertility Doula. 

One in 8 people face infertility challenges and are in need of support in the form of resources, support groups, or books to help guide them through trying times. In some cases, such experiences help people to find their own voices. 

“You have to be an advocate for yourself. In the beginning you may not know a lot but gather as much information as you can,” said co-author, Virijevic who has been on the fertility journey for 17 years with her husband.

Together, the ladies have learned so much about infertility that they wanted to share with others. Chapinski who dreamed of having a child with her husband until an infertility diagnosis led to an early hysterectomy, is empowered to encourage couples learning to live without biological children. 

“Knowledge is power and so is a great support system,” Chapinski said. 

In the book, Chapinski and Virijevic help people navigate through the things that are not easy, especially societal pressures to get pregnant, unsolicited advice, living childfree and adoption. Although no infertility journey is the same, the first step is the recognition that support is needed for people to find a successful resolution to infertility.

“I think the more you learn and research will give you comfort. You can figure out your options and learn that you are not alone. You can help raise awareness,” Chapinski said. 

“If we break that stigma and talk about it, there’s just so much power in all of our stories,” expressed Virijevic.

For those seeking community and meaning, the Infertility Doula certainly offers more insight into the process of family building. Some key aspects include everything from fertility treatments, and medications to pregnancy. 

“This isn’t the club that anyone wants to be in. I would rather be in any other club but at the same time, I feel like we are strong women who are empowering other women to get through this,” Chapinski expressed. 

Chiquita Lockley: Producer, Fertility Advocate & Filmmaker

“I believe you water the garden that you’re in.”

Chiquita Lockley

Chiquita Lockley is committed to empowering women. She’s the face and creator behind the documentary, “Eggs Over Easy: Black Women & Fertility.”

It all started with a trip to the gynecologist in 2016 and when the doctor simply said “Oh you have a birthday coming up. Your eggs are turning 41. Do you know what you want to do with them?”

That question left Lockley speechless. “I knew where my next vacation would be, where I was going for brunch that Sunday, I knew how my life was planned out for the next several months but eggs were not on that list,” said Lockley who never thought about her ovarian reserve, the eggs in her ovaries.

But it wasn’t until Lockley's favorite aunt questioned her about kids that really sparked her interest and research into fertility health.

As Lockley investigated, she discovered that there was just so much fertility information that she and the friends in her circle were either unaware of or just did not discuss publicly. That silence is nothing new in the Black community.

“We don’t talk about it and that goes back to slavery,” expressed Lockley. “In my research for the film, slave masters could make more money for an enslaved fertile woman of childbearing years. So there was more value placed on the woman who could bear children and so many would keep quiet.”

According to Lockley, four hundred years of that is what caused the silence around fertility and infertility.

To combat the stigma around fertility health and challenges, Lockley created the documentary, “Eggs Over Easy” with the hope that more women would talk about their fertility health with doctors and normalize those conversations with friends. 

“I believe you water the garden that you’re in. The conversation starts with us, and wherever you are, water your garden, meaning talk to the people in your circle. If we don’t talk about it, then we can’t be there to support one another.” 

In the film, women share their personal fertility stories as well as reproductive health options. By Fall 2021, Eggs Over Easy will be featured on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).  

Listen to what Lockley has to say to ambitious women who may want the career and baby.

Alicia Fajardo: Beauty, Brains and Boss

“You ever get to that place in life where you ask yourself, what’s next?”

Alicia Fajardo

Beauty Nomad owner, Alicia Fajardo is no stranger to the beauty industry. She’s been in the hair and beauty world for 20 years and it all started thanks to a cosmetology program she enrolled in during her teenage years. However, prior to her embracing her true love, Alicia pursued college, graduated and eventually moved on to corporate work that didn’t seem to satisfy her soul or match her personality. Inside her was a burning desire to allow her entrepreneurial spirit to take flight. But first, Fajardo tried the entertainment industry including acting and modeling in Los Angeles.

“Hair just kept chasing me down, even while in L.A. I always ended up booking hair gigs,” said Fajardo who realized hair was much more than a job but something she truly loved. It was those opportunities that ultimately led Fajardo back to the hair and beauty industry. According to her it came at the right time in her life. 

“You ever get to that place in life where you ask yourself, what’s next? I had a lot to think about at one point and decided to start over and clear my table,” added Fajardo who often jokes around and says God gifted her with too many talents to choose from. 

Fajardo’s vision for life became fully clear when she decided to step back and focus on hair. She became a celebrity stylist, eventually making her way back to the salon where she gave birth to a great idea. That idea involved beauty supplies and an innovative way to help women maintain their beauty without hassle through a mobile hair service. 

“For women who don’t always have time for themselves, I thought it would be great if I became the person who could take something off their plates and that’s when the Beauty Nomad grew into a business,” said Fajardo who’s committed to making beauty easy and accessible to women. 

Fajardo stepped into another market when she realized that there was high demand for some of her favorite beauty supplies online. In fact, the pandemic expedited her plans. 

“At one point I was anti-online because it was not a part of my idea. But that goes to show when you have something in mind and try to plan, God will wake you up and show you a better way. I fought to have things my way for a year, but just a few weeks shy of the pandemic shutdown, I launched my online business and it took off.” 

In a blink of an eye, Beauty Nomad went from mobile to virtual and it  proved to be the right decision because the pandemic shut down beauty supply stores, freaking out women who worried about getting their hair done and supplies for the most simplest styles. 

Today, Beauty Nomad is more like a virtual boutique shop for various types of ethnic hair. What started as an idea led Fajardo to her purpose and now she is one of a few black owned beauty supply businesses making her mark in a male-dominated industry.

Fajardo’s hope is that her story will lead other women to their dreams and help them find their voice as well. 

Drew Sidora: Actress, Singer, and Dream Maker

“We all serve a purpose. I am very spiritual and I believe God gave me these gifts not just for myself but to share.”

Drew Sidora

Photo Credit: Bravo

Drew Sidora is currently on one of Bravo’s most popular reality t.v. franchises-The Real Housewives of Atlanta. But long before she graced us with her presence on reality television, Sidora has always been a star and inspiration to others. As early as three years old she began playing the piano, and by 1995 she landed her first acting role. Since then, she’s appeared in That’s So Raven, Step Up, The Game, Crazy, Sexy, Cool:The TLC Story and the list continues. However, behind the camera her inner light shines through her desire and drive to help others in disenfranchised communities. Sidora, a wife and mother, still finds time to pay it forward through her charity organization DREAMAKERS. To her, it’s not about having the time, but having the heart to mold the next generation of leaders, entertainers and trailblazers. 

“We all serve a purpose. I am very spiritual and I believe God gave me these gifts not just for myself but to share. I love to entertain, and I love to inspire,” expressed Sidora, adding that she wanted to first mentor young people in Chicago, giving them a sense of hope as they deal with gun violence. 

Sidora even worked with Illinois Congresswoman Robin Kelly, an advocate for community wellness, public safety and initiatives to end gun violence. It was that connection that motivated Sidora to launch DREAMAKERS in 2013. She also partnered with Epic Arts and Entertainment, a premier dance and acting studio in Chicago.  

“When you think about the Harlem Renaissance and the Civil Rights Movement, that was the beginning of us learning the power of our voices, the power of our creativity and being able to move our culture forward by using spoken word, music and more,” said Drew who quickly discovered she could combine her philanthropy work with the arts, addressing community needs. 

So she created DREAMAKERS to encourage girls to express themselves creatively. She started in Roseland, a community hit hard with gun violence. The program included workshops such as acting, dancing, healthy eating, hygiene, and on-site counseling. It became a family affair with people close to Drew getting involved, including her mother.

Although Sidora is in Atlanta now- her community outreach will continue. The pandemic has posed some challenges, but the goal is to at least work on hosting something virtually. 

“I am building a solid foundation of people who are going to help me push it forward and make sure we meet the needs of the people in Atlanta,” Sidora said. “I am definitely going back home when it is safe to continue the work in Chicago, because I have a great team there, already.” 

In the meantime, while Sidora works on expanding DREAMAKERS, she has been committed to her children, making dreams come true from inside of the home. 

“During the pandemic when my children weren’t in school, I was able to teach them life skills they wouldn’t get in a traditional school setting. So my kids have learned how to cook, clean, do laundry, and put things together. My husband and I are also teaching them how to go after their dreams,” said Drew, who added that her five year old is writing a book and her 9 year old, a big fan of Roblox, is researching how to create a game.

In the video below, Sidora delivers sound advice for young people who are looking to turn their dreams into a reality. Hear what she has to say and find out what you can do to help and support DREAMAKERS.

Leslie Rangel: The News Yogi

“Think of three things you are grateful for and never minimize what you go through.”

The News Yogi

Journalism and Yoga. Morning news anchor, Leslie Rangel considers it the perfect combination for journalists looking to achieve mental wellness. In fact, she calls herself the “News Yogi” who finds joy in helping journalists navigate life after a covering deadline driven stories. Some of those work assignments include violence, stress-filled and traumatic events. 

“Yoga for journalists started off as just yoga for me, as a journalist. Slowly, I started to recognize that it was helping me deal with stress and anxiety and depression too. I started to use it as means for myself and through that, I’ve gone on a journey of finding myself especially in this career. This career can be really tough,” Rangel said.

Rangel, a certified yoga instructor believes the art has helped with her confidence, setting boundaries, as well as finding her voice. 

“People think yoga is a crazy hands-stand thing. Yoga can be as simple as just pausing, breathing and checking back into yourself; being mindful of what’s happening around you. A lot of times, especially as women, we can get caught up in living life on someone else’s expectations. It’s so important to get rid of those feelings through yoga.”

The award-winning journalist discovered her love for yoga about a decade ago which was right around the time she began her broadcasting career. However, it wasn’t until the Covid-19 pandemic, that Rangel realized that journalists could really use an extra boost of encouragement to manage daily stress from their jobs.  

“If you would’ve told me in March that I would be teaching journalists yoga and launching a virtual studio, I don’t think I would have believed it,” Rangel exclaimed. 

Now that’s she on a mission to share yoga techniques with journalists, Rangel focuses on movements aimed at helping a person slow down or eliminate chaos.

“Right now, I teach two types of yoga primarily. One is restorative, so that’s where you sit and pose. The other kind of yoga that I teach is more of a flow base. I also teach a lot of mediation without any movement and that is just breath-work,” said Rangel who’s also studying Yoga Psychology. 

As for what’s next for Rangel, and the virtual yoga studio she leads with on-demand classes, only time will tell if she’ll expand and reach out to other professionals in stressful careers. 

“For now, it’s just for journalists. I want to set my boundaries and not spread myself too thin. I am still a working journalist but I never close the door on any possibilities because you never know where it will lead you.” 

Sharon Beason: Empowering Women Entrepreneurs

“Can’t stop, won’t stop.”

Sharon Beason

In 2015, Womeneur was born and Sharon Beason of Brooklyn, New York is the creative mind behind it. By trade, she’s a corporate woman with a background in accounting. However, she always had a desire to start her own business. Her dream became a reality through Womeneur, a brand she runs to help women start, grow and sustain profitable businesses.

“Not only is womeneur a brand, it’s a lifestyle, and movement. My goal and purpose is to help women launch brands. I let women know that they can confidently do that Just by showing up as their authentic selves,” said Beason who guides women through start-up memberships, consultations, and marketing best practices. 

Beason, author of “The Entrepreneur’s Startup Gameplan” often gives keynote speeches to encourage women during conferences. Yes, her words, presence and knowledge are all very powerful but her style is another big attraction. Beason, shows up unapologetically as herself whenever she steps on scene. That means you may run into her with mismatched earrings and an eye catching statement piece. 

In her own opinion, success happens the moment you become comfortable in your own skin. In fact, in a world, where women are still forced to fight for equal pay and more, there’s one word you should never accept. 

“In my dictionary the word “No” did not exist and my mantra is can’t stop, won’t stop,” said Beason who even had those words shaved on the side of her head as a reminder.

Beason advises women to never internalize phrases like “you’re not invited” or “you can’t sit at this table.” She recommends decreasing and minimizing things that you consume from unhealthy conversations, people, influences, pop culture and anything else that’s a distraction. 

“I had to had to adapt to a growth mindset and get away from the negative Nancies,” Beason said. When you accept everything is not for you, just like everyone isn’t for you, that’s when life gets better.”

Listen to what Beason has to say to women struggling to find their voice:

Kellee Stewart: Actress, Producer, Writer & Purpose-Driven

“I know that I’m built for this job.”

Kellee Stewart

Living and working with a purpose. That’s certainly Kellee Stewart. She’s a passionate actress who has been in the entertainment industry for 20 years. Stewart was only eight years old when she fell in love with acting. It all began during a mother-daughter trip in New York as she sat in the audience mesmerized during “Cats,” the Broadway musical. 

“That’s when I knew that there was some magic on the stage and I wanted to be a part of that magic,” said the Philly born actress. 

Stewart’s hard work and determination led her to a number of television and movie roles. Her credits include All American, Cherish the Day, Love by the 10th Date, The Soul Man which starred Cedric the Entertainer and Niecy Nash as well as Guess Who  that featured Bernie Mac. 

However, her purpose reaches far beyond the screen. In fact, her growing fan base is heavily populated with women in the fertility community. Over the past few years, Stewart has been on a mission to educate and encourage women to be proactive about their reproductive system. 

“I think we often wait until the 11th hour to do something about our fertility health,” said Stewart who calls herself an egg advocate. Stewart became drawn to her fertility well-being and egg reserve after a long term relationship ended with a past love-interest.

“After seven years, I realized I gave him the best baby-making years of my life,” Stewart exclaimed. I’m a woman of belief and I heard God tell me to go freeze my eggs and I called a doctor and went to a fertility specialist and I froze them.” 

At the time, she was 37 years old, an age when doctors say a women’s reproductive health enters a challenging phase. Fortunately, Stewart was blessed with 32 eggs in one cycle and as a result 29 of the embryos were successfully frozen. Her hope is that women don’t wait until there’s a problem or later reproductive years to see a specialist. She encourages women to get fertility diagnostic testing done by a gynecologist, in order to get an understanding of their egg reserve. 

“We are born with as many eggs as we are ever going to have and our eggs are actually four months older than we are,” Stewart said. “When a female is in the womb at four months, that’s when the eggs are formed. So when we are born our eggs are actually four months older. We know being in the fertility community the age of the eggs are important so getting ahead of this thing is paramount for so many women.” 

To date, Stewart’s embryos are still frozen. Although she doesn’t have plans to unfreeze her eggs any time soon, she decided to document her fertility experience. Stewart is currently working on, “Twenty-nine Eggs,” a made-for-tv movie that’s in development with a major network. She considers her journey a blessing filled with many lessons. 

“I’m purpose driven and with any painful situation, I think the direct path to healing is to find purpose in it,” Stewart expressed. “If I had found a man, and if I had gotten married, then I wouldn’t have this story to tell.” 

In essence, Stewart isn’t giving up on her dream of motherhood.

“I always wanted to be a mother and I often ask myself why,”the actress shared. “It really is because of the bond I have with my mother. It’s the most trusted love that never betrayed me, never left me and pushed me forward in my life and I feel like I want to replicate that for myself.”

Below, Kellee shares more encouragement for women. Take a listen:

Jeannette Ceja: Traveling Across the Globe to Promote Diversity & Inclusion.

“I really like to unite humanity through traveling.”

Jeannette Ceja

Travel Journalist Jeannette Ceja was destined to see the world. At six months old, she had her very own passport thanks to her parents who are from Mexico. They always enjoyed taking her on family trips and vacation, which was just the beginning of Jeannette’s journey.

“I’ve known since a young girl that my purpose was to unite the world through travel,” Jeannette said.

On social media she encourages people to “Jet Set with Jeannette,” as she travels from place to place, educating people about different cultures and promoting unity. As a child, she was always fascinated with international news. Jeannette eventually found herself tuned into the Travel and Discovery channels as well. By the time she was in middle school, she fell in love with the idea of exploring the world.

“I started my first travel journal when I was 12 years old and I just never stopped.”

Jeannette, a graduate of UCLA College eventually combined her love for traveling with her journalism skills. To jump start her career, she found herself at every travel conference to learn about the industry to help her grow as a journalist. That’s when she noticed that there weren't many people who looked like her in the travel industry. In her own opinion, there wasn't enough “diversity or inclusion,” so she decided to focus on that, highlighting unique stories around the world.  

“Traveling is a great way to learn about different cultures and share your own experiences,” said Jeannette who also finds time to work with the non-profit, Travel Unity. “The organization aligns with my purpose and career as a travel journalist.”

To date, Jeannette has traveled to 60 countries. Some of her favorite destinations include Egypt, Cuba, and India. 

Unfortunately, the pandemic slowed her down a bit but it hasn’t stopped her. 

“In March, when I got back from Egypt, I self quarantined and things just started to close down in California,” Jeannette said.

That’s when she decided to get more creative to encourage people to explore. The Orange County native, now looks forward to writing a book, producing and hosting a traveling show, as well as a podcast in the near future. Of course the plan is to also see more of the world and travel to places such as Tel Aviv, Kenya, Jamaica, Ireland and Ethiopia post the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I'm just excited to be a voice for women, and people of color within the travel industry and even outside the industry. I really like to unite humanity.”

On a personal level, Jeannette set a goal to travel as much as she can before marriage and children. “When that season comes, I can enjoy that part of my life and transition into doing more things behind the scenes,” said Jeannette who helps women find their voice whenever she’s booked for a speaking engagement. 

To help women find their voice, she often suggests penning a few questions. “When you wake up, what is something that makes you excited? What is something you would do even if no one paid you to do,” Jeannette shared. “Follow that and keep following it.”  

Below is a snippet from Ceja’s interview:

Shervonne Coney: Founder of Black Women and Infertility

“I never knew how strong I was until I had to be strong.”

Shervonne Coney

Shervonne Coney is just like any other woman. She loves to laugh, have fun and be around loved ones. She’s a wife of 18 years, minister, sister, friend and student in school for mental health counseling. “Like every other woman, I wear many hats but it just so happens, I don’t wear the hat of mother,” said Coney who’s transparent about her journey to motherhood. 

Infertility became a stumbling block for her. It’s a disease with a set of different causes such as endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome. Coney’s diagnosis is “unexplained infertility” which can affect both men and women of every ethnic group and race around the world. This health issue often leads to distress and depression, as well as discrimination in some cultures. Studies show that black women are disproportionately affected by infertility in terms of access to care, treatment and support. In fact, black women are also less likely to talk about the fertility challenges they face, even though they are twice as likely to suffer from infertility than white women. To help women who suffer in silence, Coney decided to create her own group after running into a dead end to find support that represented her, where she lives in Massachusetts.  

“Essentially I never knew how strong I was until I had to be strong,” said Coney who founded the social media platform Black Women and Infertility. “I found myself struggling with infertility and I really just wanted an outlet to voice my pain.” The group started on Facebook as a private space for women in March 2015. “Initially, I had one member. Now, there are almost one thousand national and international members in my group,” Coney exclaimed. 

Her vision is to eventually become a powerful and impactful non-profit organization for women dealing with infertility, child loss and miscarriage. “I have to tell you that I always had this idea to create retreats for women. Basically an excuse for women to get away to focus on themselves and self healing,” Coney shared. Coney’s personal definition of motherhood has evolved since her struggle with infertility. “I think you are a mother when you give birth to a child of course, but also an idea or vision. A mother is someone who nurtures, supports and protects something she has birthed.” 

Although doctors may say Coney’s chances of becoming a mother are very slim, she relies heavily on her faith when it seems like the deck of cards is stacked against her. Coney looks to God and often reflects on His word and what He is doing in her life. With that strength, she encourages all women to find support where they can and to most importantly never decline help.

“A lot of time we want to process things on our own, but please seek help. There are so many people like myself, who would like to encourage you through this journey. There's validity in that.”

Dr. Karin Anderson Abrell: Inspiring Host, Author & Psychologist.

Dr. Karin Anderson Abrell

Helping people take charge of their thoughts and life!

Meet Dr. Karin Anderson Abrell. Author, psychologist and host of Love & Life podcast. She’s a woman on the move to empower others in a number of ways. How many of us will admit to living a life that wasn’t a part of our vision? Let’s face it, that happens and it takes strength to stand in your truth as well as finding your own voice.  Abrell, certainly found her voice and enjoys motivating her listeners by sharing personal experiences and more.

“As a former professor, there would be so many times, I would be giving a lecture to my students. I was teaching grad students, people who wanted to become counselors, and I was like this is such great information but everyone should know about this,” expressed Abrell who said the podcast became a platform for her to take some of the information she used to teach and share it with everybody.

The theme of the podcast is taking charge of your thoughts and life which is all grounded in cognitive therapy. “We all know it’s not what happens to us externally, it’s how we process it, how we respond internally. That’s where our power is! We can't control what's going on outside but we can control what’s going on inside and in our minds,” said Abrell.

She also focuses on relationships, love, dating, marriage, parenting, psychology and therapy. In fact, she spends a lot of time on relationships and weaves in lessons from her personal life. “We see the younger generation coming up and we just want to grab those younger women and say don’t make the same mistakes I did. The things you experience, the things you’re feeling, we are all experiencing,” said Abrell, author of Single is the New Black: Don't Wear White ‘Til It’s Right.

Abrell who’s now happily married is currently working on a new book to share with her audience. In the meantime, she opens up about when she found HerVoice and how others can do the same. 

Dr. Jerisa Berry: Wife, Mother & Innovator.

“I learned a long time ago that I had a voice that should be heard.”

Dr. Jerisa Berry, founder of SecureYourFertility.com, helps women take charge of their fertility health.

Dr. Jerisa Berry discovered her purpose, voice and power after facing fertility challenges.

Sometimes it takes trials and tribulations in life to bring people around to their purpose. When people dream of success, their visions are usually without the hurdles they will encounter in order to reach their desired goal.

This certainly holds true for Emergency Room physician, Dr. Berry who struggled with fibroids and endured several failed fertility treatments including intra-uterine insemination and in-vitro fertilization (IVF). However, even in her pain, the South Florida doctor along with her husband, Dr. Adam K. Berry decided to turn their personal fertility journey into a purpose-driven cause. “The abundance of women we met going through the process was immense and so many of them also lacked (fertility) knowledge and were clueless until there was a problem,” Dr. Berry expressed. In early 2016, she felt awareness was still lacking. So the couple decided to use their professional platform as the owners of Vital Care Medical Center to increase awareness about reproductive health in order to make sure women don’t miss opportunities to build families due to lack of fertility knowledge. “So many joke about putting off fertility and motherhood, but there are steps that can be taken to preserve it while many women build their careers or are single,” said Dr. Berry, who founded SecureYourFertility.com as well as an app for women in the race against their biological clocks to have children.

According to Dr. Berry, women who are prolonging motherhood should seek options to preserve their fertility even in their 20s. In fact, she says any woman who is under 35, should only try for 1 year to maintain pregnancy and if older than 35, give it 6 months. “Don't keep trying year after year not seeking official answers to the problem. The problem may be the male. You never know until you seek to know,” she exclaimed. The first in her family to become a doctor, she’s very familiar with how society often defines a woman’s success by her offspring, strength, leadership. “What I realized myself too is you can get everything you want, including being a mom, or a successful person and lose it all. I know so many mothers who have lost a child,” said Dr. Berry, who has been working tirelessly dealing with the current threat of the coronavirus. “There is a pandemic going on now in the world and people are losing a lot. It is very hurtful to place so much weight in anything. We have to be mindful of what we place so much emphasis on as nothing belongs to us... no thing, no house, no person and no child. Our purpose is not uniquely tied to any one person. So you can have a purposeful life without being a mom, without things, or popularity.”

A firm believer in God, and Jesus Christ as her savior, she’s committed to erasing the stigma of infertility and misconceptions associated with it as well. “I sometimes meet women who feel uncomfortable pursuing fertility treatments. I believe that God has allowed the advances in research and medicine, and encourage women to see it as another avenue to motherhood,” Dr. Berry explained. She said it’s important to release innate beliefs and control, and work on being open to fertility treatments. “Different physicians practice medicine differently. Because of this I'm an avid believer in getting a second and third opinion with displeasing news, diagnoses, and prognosis.” 

To date, Dr. Berry has made great strides in educating women about their bodies. She has written several books and continues to uplift and empower ladies nationally. You can learn more about Dr. Berry or follow her work at drjerisaberry.com