My Story

I shared this personal story in front of 20 women this week and it was so cathartic! In case you ever wondered how I came to write a book, here it is… (a very condensed version)

In 7th grade, I realized that I wanted to be a writer. I won an expository writing contest and for the first time, I was recognized among this echelon of students who excelled at every subject. So I started to think that maybe I was really good at writing if I was being grouped with all the smart kids. And my little type-A personality loved the creative pursuit of neatly putting words and ideas together into coherent prose.

 I really got into journaling and realized I that I loved expressing myself with the written word. It was easy for me to process my emotions and feelings along with my nonstop ruminations.

Fast forward to college. I chose the University of Iowa because of their world-renowned Writers’ Workshop. I soon realized that fiction wasn’t my thing, so I chose the journalism/PR route, and after one really unfulfilling PR internship at a big firm in Chicago, I fell into nonprofit work that satisfied my love of connecting and serving others. 

But, I still loved writing and thought I might be able to make a career of it – or at least make some money from it. So I started freelancing for some local publications which reignited my love of learning about new things, interviewing people who are making a difference in my community, and always being in the know about what was happening in the city.

 My 20s feel like a blur now, but they were filled with discovery ⁠— dating, writing, working, and living on the East Side. In 2012, I was selected as the Pfister Narrator, a wonderful opportunity to get paid to sit in the gorgeous Pfister lobby, talk to guests and write for the hotel’s blog. Through this experience, I gained confidence interviewing, pitching, and of course, credibility when reaching out to new places for writing gigs.

Then…I fell in love, got married, and had a baby in 2016. This whirlwind of events led to a brief identity crisis. I loved my baby, but I didn’t exactly feel like a mother because I was thrust right back into work. My writing career was humming and so was my nonprofit career. But I felt wholly unprepared for motherhood, and quite frankly, not exactly a natural. I harbored this nagging guilt for wanting my old life back which allowed more time to dedicate to my writing.

So, in an effort to process what was happening, I wrote about it – and Milwaukee Magazine was kind enough to publish it. Turns out, lots of other working mothers shared these same feelings and experiences. 

Last year, without a ton of planning, I had another baby, knowing two kids was our long-term goal. But this was the same year that the stars aligned for my husband – he bought a warehouse and rehabbed it to create an event venue – and I got an offer to write a Milwaukee bucket list style book. Coincidentally, writing a book was on MY bucket list. 

“I can do this!” I thought. But I had already committed to returning to work six weeks post partum to run a million-dollar charity gala. What the HELL was I thinking?

 The important thing ⁠is…and it’s a lesson that has served me well my whole life — that you should never turn down a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that is graciously dropped  in your lap. 

So on top of having a toddler, a newborn, and a very demanding job, I was managing chronic migraines that left me feeling like total garbage nearly half the days of the month. But, I had committed to writing the book. Writing made me feel like my “true” self again, so I made it work and hit my deadline.

Back to the chronic pain…The migraines had gotten worse after I had my second child, and I felt like I had previously exhausted so many different treatment options, the emotional effects were starting to weigh heavily on me, as I was never fully able to let go of the anxiety of wondering when the next bad headache would hit. I had to get creative, tenacious, and really advocate for myself to find a treatment plan that was feasible and somewhat sustainable. And that required me letting me go of hang-ups and beliefs about drugs and alternative therapies.

Still, every month is different. I have a few tricks that work, but no one knows why millions of women still get these crippling migraines. All I can hope for is that they won't last forever.

 So what have I learned? Keep pushing through; keep hustling ⁠—through pain, doubt, and guilt. Just try your best and put self-care first. Even if it means a hot shower or a few breathing exercises. You cannot take care of others if you do not take care of yourself first.

Event organizer and Self-Love Summit host Meg Daly.