I’m excited to bring you a guest today - and the first episode ever recorded for the CalmUnity podcast. You’re going to hear from Anzana Woodward, she is a successful small business owner, a loving wife & mother, and a joy-filled, inspiring woman. She publicly & bravely shared her journey through stillborn loss a couple of years ago, as a way to help her cope with the immense shock and pain she felt - and since then she has provided space and strength for other women to see their own pain through her story.

// content warning: child loss + grief //

In this episode you’ll hear…

• Anzana talks about being raised in a household of women and how that has instilled a deep confidence in her 
• Anzana and Timber talk about having a “village” and community in motherhood, and how women & children suffer when community-care is lacking (which is almost always at this moment in time)
• Anzana dives in to sharing her experience with losing her angel son, Geo.
• Talking about using social media to share her deepest grief in the same way she shares her biggest joys with friends & family online, normalizing the whole range of the human experience, and breaking down shame & stigma around infant loss
• Talking about the work that Anzana has done to help her own healing, and to support other families in the child loss community
• How mothers and fathers grieve differently
• Talking about trauma induced anxiety, and being changed for good
• Making peace with the duality of life & motherhood, post-loss

You can find Anzana on Instagram, @anzanastreasures where she shares her beautiful handmade products as well as bits of her heart.

And because it’s that time of year, I want you to know that Anzana makes the most adorably simple baby bows, and now face masks which have been incredibly popular, probably due to the unique fabrics she curates to make our mandated mask-wearing more fun ;) I hope you’ll look her up if you are shopping small business this holiday season!