In November 2022, dreams were being pursued. Growth was constant. Adventures were being created. I, Shelby Clason, was five months into my new jewelry business,  Clason Creations, while also teaching elementary art full time and being mother to a very active two year old. And I, Brittney Bell Locken, was in my last year of earning a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction, while also being a full-time elementary teacher. But with a desire for more, we hopped in the car on a journey to Oula’s Empowerment Weekend, knowing full-heartedly our growth was not over… it was somehow just beginning. 

And this experience was just the beginning of feeling like imposters, with extreme self-doubt and insecurities creeping in. But with the support of the Oula community, we learned such a powerful phrase:  I am enough. WE are enough. 

We took this momentary feeling with us back to Gillette, Wyoming and immediately began teaching Oula. As we jumped in, that self-doubt crept back in sooner than expected…how do you be a boss babe and balance life? 

As we danced, we fell in love. We loved what Oula did for our bodies, the community we were developing, and the emotions it was evoking. But on the other end, we ran into the struggles of also wanting to prioritize our families and careers. Now I, Brittney, am transitioning into the CEO of Boys and Girls Club of Campbell County while I, Shelby, am soaking up the rays with my sweet girl while maintaining my summer jewelry business. And the imposter syndrome seems to be growing deeper in our hearts. 

Oula has been an escape for us, a place for us to process and let out our emotions. But what happens when you feel too busy and overwhelmed to provide yourself the opportunity to be in that space? 

This balance and doubt has caused us to struggle, and we have had to learn how to balance everything our hearts need: family, growth, AND Oula. Unfortunately, in these upcoming summer months, this attempt in balance has resulted in a loss of momentum. We found out that we live in a community that’s not familiar with Oula. We have not only had to market  ourselves as new instructors but we also are marketing  Oula and all that it has to offer. This can be very exhausting. But, helping each other force that self-doubt and insecurity out of our way has slowly brought back that momentum. We aren’t willing to give up this fulfilling journey. 

So where are we now? As we sit here and reflect, we remember what got us here:  each other. Have we become experts in this field of balance and Oula? Not at all. But with grit and each other's determination, we have learned balance does exist. 

Oula has truly been a team effort for us here in Gillette. We have taken this entire Oula life together since day one. It was literally just like the lyrics of  Trustfall. We started Oula as a team together, and now we are being reminded that this friendship is what will allow Oula to continue in Gillette, and it’s what our friendship needs. We are enough… together. ❤️

So when life as a boss babe gets hard and you feel that self-doubt kick in, just remember  bad bitches comin’ in twos.