Meet Brittany Gowler

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Brittany Gowler. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Brittany below.

Brittany, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

For a long time, I thought my purpose was something I would magically discover. I believed there would be a single moment like a lightning bolt or a clear calling that would suddenly make everything make sense. What I have learned instead is that purpose is something you build, quietly and steadily, through the seasons that shape you.
My story starts with loss. I lost my mother when I was six years old. At that age, I didn’t have the words to describe what was missing, but I felt it everywhere. I learned early what it meant to grow up fast, to read the room, and to sense what people needed before they said it out loud. I also learned what it felt like to not always feel seen, heard, or fully valued. Even as an adult I have allowed myself to be in those rooms even now. I didn’t realize it then, but those experiences were shaping the very skills I would rely on later, empathy, awareness, resilience, and a deep desire to make sure others never felt invisible.
As I grew older, I found myself drawn to roles where I could care for others, especially children. Teaching, coaching, and working with children and families weren’t strategic career moves, it was instinct. I felt most grounded when I was helping create spaces where people felt safe, supported, and truly seen. I understood what it meant to need stability, encouragement, and someone who believed in you, because I had needed those things myself.
Owning my first business, Apple Tree Child Care Center LLC, did come from a desire to be an entrepreneur but it also came from a gap I couldn’t ignore. I saw families juggling impossible schedules, staff giving everything they had, and systems that were not built with real life in mind. I knew I could create something better, not perfect, but more human. I built a place rooted in trust, consistency, and care. A place where families didn’t feel like numbers and staff didn’t feel disposable, but like part of a family because that’s exactly what they are to me.
The second business, The After Party Mt. Vernon, came a short while later. And not because we were chasing growth, but because another need surfaced. Families needed safe, reliable before- and after-school care. Children needed belonging. Communities needed someone willing to say, “We can do this differently.” By then, I had learned that discomfort often meant I was being invited to stretch, and that growth usually lives on the other side of uncertainty.
I didn’t overcome challenges by being fearless. I overcame them by being persistent. I learned to ask questions, seek help, listen deeply, and reflect honestly. I value transparency, and I use it to build habits of showing up even when things feel heavy. Along the way, I have learned that leadership isn’t about having all the answers, it’s about creating space for others to step into theirs.
Somewhere along the way, my purpose stopped feeling abstract. I realized it lived in the patterns of my life:
• Listening before acting
• Seeing strengths before problems
• Turning lived experience into meaningful change
• Creating systems that support people, as humans, not exhaust them
At the heart of it all is this belief: we are all in this together. When families, staff, and communities feel seen, heard, and valued, real change becomes possible. That’s when trust grows, collaboration happens, and communities become better places for the people who live and work in them.
I also often reflect on the fact that, when I was younger, I used to pray for the things I am able to have today, stability, purpose, the ability to give back, and the opportunity to build something meaningful. I don’t take that lightly. I find joy in it every single day.
My purpose isn’t tied to a title or a business name. It’s tied to impact. It’s about building environments whether for children, families, employees, or my community, where people feel empowered instead of overlooked.
By honoring the painful parts of my story instead of hiding them, and by choosing, again and again, to build something that matters, not just to me, but to the people I serve that is how I came to own two businesses. And more importantly, that’s how I learned that purpose isn’t found, it’s lived.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

What I do professionally is deeply personal to me. I own and operate two family-centered businesses in Southern Illinois, Apple Tree Child Care Center and The After Party Mt. Vernon, both created out of real needs I saw in our community. At the heart of everything I do is a simple goal: to create spaces where children, families, and staff feel seen, supported, and valued.

Apple Tree Child Care Center serves young children and their families during some of the most important years of development. What makes it special isn’t just the care we provide, but the way we approach it. We focus on relationships, consistency, and building trust with families. We work hard to make sure parents don’t feel like they’re navigating early childhood alone, and that our staff feel respected and appreciated as professionals who play a critical role in children’s lives.

The After Party Mt. Vernon was born from a different, but equally important, need. Families needed safe, reliable before- and after-school care, and children needed a place where they felt like they belonged. The After Party is about connection, fun, and community, it’s a space where kids can unwind, build friendships, and feel supported outside of the school day. It’s also a reflection of my belief that when communities come together to support families, everyone benefits.

Beyond business ownership, I’m also deeply involved in family and community advocacy work. I am a Family and Community Engagement Specialist for Birth to Five Illinois. I focus on elevating family experiences, supporting parent leadership, and helping ensure that the stories of families, especially in rural communities, are part of the conversations that shape services and systems. So often, the challenges and successes families experience in Southern Illinois go unnoticed. I’m passionate about changing that by creating opportunities for families to share their stories and help guide meaningful change.

What excites me most right now is continuing to strengthen these connections between families, providers, and communities. Whether it’s expanding programming, supporting staff growth, or creating new ways for families to engage and lead, I’m always looking for ways to build something more human, more responsive, and more rooted in real life.

At the end of the day, my “brand” isn’t about a logo or a tagline. It’s about impact. It’s about showing up for families, building systems that support people rather than exhaust them, and proving that when we approach our work with empathy, collaboration, and a shared sense of we’re in this together, we can make our communities stronger places for the families who live and work here.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back, there are three qualities that have had the biggest impact on my journey: empathy, persistence, and the ability to build relationships grounded in trust.

Empathy has shaped everything I do. Not feeling consistently seen, heard, or valued early in life taught me how powerful it is to create spaces where people truly feel that way. Empathy helps me listen before acting, understand the realities families and employees are facing, and lead with humanity. For those early in their journey, my advice is to practice listening without rushing to fix. Ask questions, stay curious, and let people’s experiences inform your decisions.

Persistence is what carried me through challenges. I didn’t get where I am by being fearless, I got here by showing up, even when things felt uncomfortable or uncertain. Building businesses and advocating for families comes with setbacks, but persistence turns obstacles into learning opportunities. For those starting out, don’t let fear or self-doubt stop you from taking the next step. Progress comes from consistency, not perfection.

The third is relationship-building and trust. Nothing meaningful happens without strong relationships. Trust with families, staff, partners, and the community is the foundation for growth and impact. That trust is built through transparency, follow-through, and honesty. My advice is simple: do what you say you’re going to do, be open about what you’re learning, and remember that credibility is built over time.

For anyone early in their journey, I’d also add this: give yourself permission to grow. You don’t have to have it all figured out. Stay rooted in your values, surround yourself with people who challenge and support you, and keep showing up with intention. Purpose and success aren’t found in a single moment, they’re built, one decision at a time.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

The biggest challenge I’m facing right now is time, specifically, balancing the growing need for services with the reality that there are only so many hours in a day. Our two businesses, Apple Tree Child Care Center and The After Party, are strong. We have an incredible team, a supportive community, and a clear demand for more before- and after-school programs and potentially another child care center. The need is absolutely there.

What makes this challenge complex is that we’re deeply committed to doing this work well. Between our amazing staff, my husband and I, we truly have the right people to meet our goals but we’re also real humans with families, responsibilities, and lives outside of work. I have five children at home, all with busy schedules of their own, and protecting family time is just as important to me as growing our services.

To overcome this challenge, we’re being very intentional about how we grow. That means strengthening systems, building leadership within our team, and prioritizing sustainable expansion over fast expansion. We’re focusing on delegation, trusting the people we’ve hired, and putting structures in place that allow the work to continue without everything resting on one or two people.

We’re also taking time to assess where expansion will have the greatest impact and where it makes sense for our families, staff, and community. Growth is exciting but sustainability is essential. By honoring both the demand for services and the people doing the work, we’re building toward expansion that supports families without burning out the very people who make it possible.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=apple%20tree%20child%20care%20center%20llc
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578099315604

Image Credits

La Di Da Photography LLC