Become a featured Firestarter

I’ve been talking a lot about Firestarters — women who find their spark and use it to start fires in their own lives and the lives of others. These might be small fires that still make a lasting impact, like having a difficult conversation or asking for a promotion or volunteering for a cause they care about. Or they might be big fires that lead to a profound change, like starting a new business or running for office or leaving a relationship.

Now I want to feature YOUR story about firestarting. Fill out the form linked at the bottom of this post and submit your story. Let’s get started with our very first featured Firestarter:

SARAH HARTLEY

Sarah, age 40, Pennsylvania, USA
@sarahhartleyco on Instagram,

Human Feelings

on Substack

How did you find your spark?

When I was pregnant with my first son, I was absolutely miserable. But anytime I tried to talk about my experience, I just heard “well, at least you’re pregnant.” And while I was grateful to be pregnant, I also desperately needed someone to talk to about what I was going through. So, I started to write about it on my personal blog. I suddenly started to get emails and comments from people who read my story, thanking me for having the guts to say out loud what they had thought, too, but didn’t feel like they could say. So, I started to think about all of the other topics that women felt like they couldn’t talk about, and the idea for a magazine sharing these exact conversations was born.

What fires have you started in your life or in the lives of others?

After I started questioning this idea, I decided to start a magazine. I had never done this before, and though I was working full time and had a one year old child, I saw this as a true passion project. Something that could just give women a safe space to share their true experiences. So my magazine, then called Holl & Lane (and eventually The Kindred Voice) launched in June 2015. And for the next eight years, I spent my days telling the stories of women around the world - stories on miscarriage and infertility, mental health, body image, divorce, friendship, and so much more. We published over 20 issues, shipped the magazine to places as far away as Australia, and told over a thousand stories from women.

What obstacles have you had to overcome?

Small business is an obstacle I wasn’t quite prepared for. I had never run my own business and had no idea what to expect. Not to mention, it constantly felt like the odds were stacked against me. Most new businesses fail within the first one to five years, but I was determined to keep my head down and continue pushing. The financial aspect of running a print magazine was a constant uphill battle. The costs of printing and shipping a magazine were outrageous and eventually lead to me having to run a digital only magazine. 

Not to mention the emotional toll of hearing heavy stories day in and out and holding space for every single experience that came through our doors. I often felt like I was shouldering the grief right alongside these women which affected me mentally more than I even realized at the time.

What new fires are you starting?

This idea of my magazine has shifted and morphed in the last year - it became coaching and group programs dedicated to these topics and finding healing and community. And I’m now also focusing on sharing my own story in my newsletter

Human Feelings

, when I was behind the scenes for so many years. This was out of necessity and the incredible financial and personal cost that I was grappling with each day. And while I miss sharing women’s stories in magazine form every single day, I am so proud of what was created. It gave women who felt so alone, a place to see that they weren’t. I’ve received more than one message telling me that this community I built saved someone. And that legacy is something I’ll be proud of for the rest of my life.

And now I uplift women’s voices in new ways - I’m a podcast producer, graphic designer, and writer. I share my own stories, and find creative ways to share the stories of others. And the experiences, the friendships, and the stories I’ve been lucky enough to learn along the way, those will stick with me far into the future.

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READY TO SUBMIT YOUR STORY TO BE FEATURED?

Click here to fill out the form and share what makes you a Firestarter. While I won’t be able to respond to every submission, I’ll be in touch if you are selected to be featured in an upcoming post.🔥🔥🔥