Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Montague.
Kimberly, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
MY story? How long do we have? There are two things that most people know about me. One – I love people.
I love personal stories, culture, growth, development. I want to help people. It’s why I majored in psychology. And two – I am crazy about NOT spending money. This girl loves me some clearance racks and am all about that DIY life. Hey oh!
Months after we had our first child, I discovered two things. One… I could not serve my family fully while my attention was divided between work and home. (Power to all the mamas who do this faithfully and diligently. One day I want to be just like you.) And two… my body and mind were not whole. At 8 months post partum, I left a completely fulfilling job to focus on my family and my health. About 6 months into my stay and home mom season, I felt a piece of me was missing. The dreamer, servant, people lover was locked up inside, and I desperately needed an outlet. Because I knew my current season was to be a stay at home mom, I started doing small things I loved to do at home. I began with writing. I started sharing my musings with a small audience of close friends, and it was through that audience of friends that I was encouraged to go public. In January of 2017, I launched “The Broke and the Beautiful,” a personal blog centered on encouraging women to find the beauty in their brokenness and living a rich life even if “broke.”
I want women to feel beautiful, empowered, capable, encouraged. I talk a lot about my personal mental health and fitness journey through my blog. Along with my mental health and fitness journey, I really enjoy sharing outfit posts or sales. I love that I get to use my pageant background. I want women to know they can look fabulous at any price point. I want fashion to feel relevant for the budget friendly fashionista.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The most beautiful things in life typically come after a breaking point. When I first started blogging, I was just looking for an outlet to think creatively and use talents that I couldn’t as a stay at home mom. I quickly found that my audience was most interested in mental health and fitness. These happen to be the areas in my life where I feel the most inadequate.
One of the struggles I experienced for the first time in my life was with my weight. Everyone thought I bounced back, but I hated my body, After having my first child, my metabolism crashed. I believed the myth that breastfeeding would make me lose the baby weight and the opposite ended up happening. I gained 15 pounds while nursing (on top of the baby weight I had yet to lose). I was pretty devastated. And to top it off, it looked like everyone around me could eat whatever they wanted and still lose weight while nursing. This wasn’t the case for me, and I knew I had to do something about it. I researched and studied every day. I tried multiple programs. Eventually, I found my groove and have altered my lifestyle completely without having to diet at all. I exercise regularly and eat balanced meals. I was the girl who ate Hot Cheetos and bean dip with a large Coke from Mickey D’s and now lives a completely attainable healthy life.
My most recent battle has been with depression. I live with a cloud looming over my head trying to rain on every moment of my day. I am coping and share this journey openly for accountability, which is so powerful for the healing process.
My advice for an individual struggling with weight loss or body image is this:
1. Change your mindset from “I want to LOOK better” to “I want to FEEL better.” You will feel a difference in your body before you see any actual physical changes. With that mentality, the likelihood of sticking to a healthier lifestyle multiplies exponentially.
2. Find accountability. I opened private Facebook groups and shared every meal I ate with them and my weekly goals so that they could hold me accountable.
3. Drink enough water. (Not much more to be said about that).
As far as depression goes…
1. Coping skills are key. Music, friends, exercise, etc. Know what works for you and commit to using it.
2. Be open with someone. Depression wins when we are silent. Talk about your feelings. Write them out. Get out of the house and visit regularly with a trusted friend. We have to take care of ourselves to take care of our families. Don’t ignore or suppress the heavy, dark emotions. You aren’t crazy and you are NOT alone.
3. Drink enough water. (Yes, this applies here too!)
We’d love to hear more about The Broke and the Beautiful.
Currently, I get to stay at home and love on my family. I am so blessed to do this and do not take it for granted in the least. I do have a Bachelor of Science in Human Services with a specialization in Psychology and would love to eventually teach. My dream job would be to conduct behavioral research studies. I love understanding why we do what we do!
Besides my blog, I am a photographer. I do it all but enjoy family portrait sessions most. If I’m known for anything it would probably be for my fall mini sessions. They are set in the Woodlands beneath the pines and I have so much fun capturing families loving each other under the most beautiful sunsets.
Other than work, I am probably known as the kind, positive, creative (and crazy) girl that use to do pageants. Can you say HAS BEEN?! I am a Latina so I love to incorporate my culture in what I share (Lots of healthy Mexican food recipes on my instablog). I was never much of a cook, so it’s always a surprise to me when my most popular posts are recipes. I really do think I’ve figured out a disciplined, balanced life. I am quite proud of that. We don’t starve and never deprive ourselves, BUT, here I am, still reaching goals every day. There’s something to be said about that!
I am real. Honest. Transparent. I share when I struggle. I share the jiggly belly. You aren’t going to find an edited highlight reel on my page. I know that sets me apart.
Finding a mentor and building a network are often cited in studies as a major factor impacting one’s success. Do you have any advice or lessons to share regarding finding a mentor or networking in general?
Our friends should make us better. If they looked just like me, I would never grow.
My mentors have all been more mature (my nice way of saying older) and have all been rooted in the church.
Contact Info:
- Email: kimamontague@gmail.com
- Instagram: The Broke and the Beautiful
- Facebook: Kimberly Mont Photography
Image Credit:
Kimberly Mont Photography
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
