We recently connected with Breanna Panter Halverson and have shared our conversation below.
Breanna, 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.
From a very young age, I’ve possessed an innate desire to look after the well-being of my loved ones. My mother often observed my natural inclination towards caring for my younger sisters and cousins. As I grew older, this inherent interest in attending to others’ needs propelled me to become a certified nursing assistant while still a junior in high school. This role equipped me with the necessary skills to assist others in performing their daily functions and maintaining their health.
Driven by a desire to assist others in their holistic health journey, and inspired by my mother and maternal grandmother, I set my sights on becoming a third-generation registered nurse. The confidence, competence, and caring attitude displayed by these matriarchs in their nursing roles have always been a source of admiration for me.
Upon graduating from high school, I earned college credits toward a nursing degree and began working as a nurse’s aide in geriatric care. During my tenure as a nursing assistant, I had the privilege of caring for numerous patients, an experience that deepened my love for promoting patient health. The opportunities to serve and contribute to their well-being further nurtured my passion for this profession.
A year after graduating from high school, having completed the necessary classes and prerequisites, I embarked on my nursing school journey. The curriculum provided a wealth of knowledge on disease prevention and health promotion, which I eagerly absorbed. Nevertheless, the long hours, rigorous studies, and challenging exams took a toll on my well-being. The sacrifice of my social and personal life, coupled with the odd working hours required for employment and clinical rotations, led to health issues triggered by the stress of juggling school, work, and personal life.
These challenges instilled in me valuable stress management skills, enabling me to balance work, family, and education. I experienced first-hand how poor nutrition, lack of sleep, and stress could detrimentally impact health. This understanding led me to prioritize stress reduction, adequate sleep, and proper nutrition, and foster habits that safeguard my emotional and physical well-being.
Upon completing nursing school, I successfully passed the nursing boards. Subsequently, within the nationally recognized hospital where I was employed, I transitioned from a licensed practical nurse working as a patient care assistant to a registered nurse in the medical/oncology department. While serving as an RN, I felt compelled to further my education and skills, leading me to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing. This expanded knowledge and leadership training equipped me for roles such as clinical preceptor for capstone students and nursing school students, clinical coach for the hospital’s nurse residents, and an Infection Control Committee member.
Six months into my pregnancy with my first child, I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing. After welcoming my baby girl into the world, it became apparent that my current work situation would not accommodate my family’s needs and align with our childcare necessities. I yearned to be there for my newborn daughter – to nurture, teach, and learn alongside her. Continuing my role as a medical/oncology nurse at the regional hospital would have kept me away from home more than I desired.
Consequently, I transitioned from my full-time role to an on-call home health and hospice nurse. This new nursing position allowed me to work when my husband was home, ensuring that one of us was always there for our daughter. However, even this arrangement became challenging over time, especially when I found out I was expecting my second child.
A few months before the arrival of my second baby, I launched BRE HEALTHY. The BRE HEALTHY brand was born out of the desire to promote health and wellness for the entire family within the community. My purpose through BRE HEALTHY is dedicated to mentoring women, sharing beneficial information for families, and publishing content focused on wholesome recipes and recreational activities.
As a nurse, I recognized the importance of promoting health and wellness within the community. I believe that we must begin in our own homes to effect change in the community. As a mother deeply concerned about my family’s well-being, I sought resources and information to cultivate healthy lifestyle habits that enhance our overall health and wanted to share that with my community. It’s crucial to nourish family members in all aspects of wellness, including emotional, physical, occupational, social, spiritual, intellectual, environmental, and financial.
Following the birth of my second child, a baby boy, I had the opportunity to serve as a clinical instructor for high school students training to become certified nursing assistants (CNAs). This role brought me immense satisfaction, as it allowed me to mentor and impart my knowledge to the upcoming generation of caregivers. I was able to give back to the CNA class that initially launched my career in the healthcare profession.
Over the years, in my roles as a nursing assistant, baccalaureate registered nurse, and clinical instructor, I was able to provide education, resources, and support for patients seeking to improve their health. I am grateful for the opportunities I had to mentor nursing students as a clinical preceptor, coach, and instructor. I maintain my nursing license through online continuing education and am thankful to continue contributing to the healthcare industry through BRE HEALTHY.
With the birth of my third child, another son, I transitioned to becoming a full-time stay-at-home mom and have continued to expand the BRE HEALTHY wellness brand, working towards improving community health while staying at home with my children. This endeavor combines my passion for public health and wellness with my love for mentoring, educating, and building a community.
As a mother, I understand firsthand the challenges of prioritizing both your health and that of your family. I am passionate about providing resources to assist families in contributing to the holistic health of their ménage. As a nurse, I have witnessed the profound impact of healthy habits on people’s overall well-being. I’ve seen how true wellness is not achieved through temporary solutions or quick fixes, but rather through sustainable lifestyle habits. These include nutrition, fitness, recreation, positive relationships, and sustainable living. It is my desire for parents and children alike to lead active, playful, and healthy lives.
Cultivating a supportive community where we can share experiences, learn from each other, and grow together has been a rewarding journey. My goal is to form deep connections with others. I am dedicated to sharing wholesome family meals that not only improve the health of the family but also bring them closer together. Additionally, I share recreational activities that enhance the physical and emotional health of family members. I am grateful for the opportunity to mentor women in taking charge of their family’s well-being.
I am grateful that the holistic lifestyle I’m promoting aligns harmoniously with the farm life we live. Our family raises horses, chickens, and cattle, and cultivates a garden filled with fruits and vegetables. We derive immense pleasure from tending to our livestock. Learning to cook from scratch using produce from my garden has been both fulfilling and grounding. I firmly believe in the benefits of families having access to economical and nutritious food. I advocate for the familial and physical advantages of home cooking and eating together as a family. The health benefits of family recreational activities are immense. I have personally experienced the joy of introducing my children to outdoor activities like hiking, biking, and horseback riding. These experiences bring us closer together and provide countless health benefits as well.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
My brand, BRE HEALTHY, nurtures families and communities holistically. The wellness pillars are food, family, farm, and fitness, highlighting nutrition, social relationships, sustainable living, and physical and emotional strength. On the platform, I share family-friendly wholesome recipes, engaging recreational activities, insights into self-sufficiency, and emotional and physical fitness tips to nourish the body, mind, and soul. BRE HEALTHY promotes a reconnection with nature through a from-scratch lifestyle and provides family-friendly ideas that encourage active and healthy living.
I recently had an amazing opportunity to mentor and lead a group of women in a camp setting. With the focus being youth-led and mentor-supported, I assisted the young girls in planning and executing the camp. At camp, I was able to teach cooking and meal-prepping skills. Together with the young women, we developed and cooked balanced meals for the camp’s weekly menu. We planned and led a group hike, as well as arranged a lake day where we kayaked and swam. I was grateful for the opportunity to facilitate experiences that allowed the young women’s physical fitness and abilities to develop. Nourishing foods and outdoor activities proved good for our bodily health.
We also instructed and participated in DIY projects and enriching crafts, which allowed the girls to develop hands-on skills. Such activities provide a cognitive boost that improves self-expression, creativity, and socialization. We arranged an adventure course, archery activity, and hawk axe throwing, which helped improve the girls’ physical fitness, interpersonal communication, problem-solving skills, and ability to take risks.
We facilitated mindfulness and spiritual enrichment activities, providing a great opportunity to ground, center, and unplug. Within our group of women adult and youth leaders, we nurtured friendships and gained self-sufficiency skills, leading to greater confidence in ourselves and our abilities. This experience allowed us to reconnect with nature, others, and ourselves.
Such an experience reinforced the importance of a balanced lifestyle, one that includes physical activity as well as nutritional, emotional, and spiritual enrichment. I’m excited to continue sharing stories and resources about reconnecting with nature, fostering wellness in families, improving mental health, and promoting sustainable living for families. My dream is that by using these concepts within our own lives we can spread holistic wellness throughout our communities.
A recent main focus of BRE HEALTHY is monthly roundups on the blog, which feature grocery hauls, tried and true recipes, and recreational activities. These posts embody my belief in the importance of making the kitchen a positive hub in your home, guiding you on what to stock in your pantry and food storage. On the round-ups, we are continuously sharing ideas for family activities that enrich social relationships and promote bonding.
I’m excited about my expanding BRE HEALTHY YouTube channel where I share recipes and recreational videos. I’m equally thrilled about my growing Pinterest account where I pin my favorite recipes and the things that inspire me in all areas of life. You’ll find me sharing day-to-day life on Facebook and Instagram, providing an authentic and intimate view of my world. I am profoundly grateful for all these platforms, as they allow me to create a community and connect with such wonderful individuals.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Self-Efficacy – Self-efficacy is one of the most important qualities to cultivate if you want to achieve self-fulfillment. It’s about believing in yourself and having confidence in your ability to achieve anything that you set out to do. My advice is to focus on building up their self-confidence by focusing on small successes and constantly reinforcing those positive experiences with affirmations and positive self-talk.
Over the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to mentor and instruct a young woman in horseback riding and horsemanship. The mother of the young woman, who is also my friend, reached out to me asking if I could give her daughter horse riding lessons. Although I had been riding our own horses for more than a dozen years and had been instructing my family throughout those years, I needed to believe in myself that I had the skills and knowledge to expand my instruction.
Alongside my student, we have both strengthened our confidence, communication skills, and riding abilities through horsemanship. I will continue to use this as a mentoring tool that I can pass on to others, and I’m very proud of what my student has achieved. That sense of self-efficacy has extended into my BRE HEALTHY brand and my growing role as a brand ambassador.
Resiliency – Another quality that I think is essential is resiliency, the unwavering determination to persistently tackle difficult tasks head-on. Life can be difficult and it’s important to be able to bounce back from setbacks and failures with resilience. Being persistent and refusing to give up when the going gets tough is essential.
My advice for anyone who would like to improve their resilience would be to practice mindfulness and focus on staying present in the moment. Practicing gratitude, pushing through difficulties, and self-care can also help build up your inner strength and give you the tools to tackle life’s challenges and be successful in your endeavors on your journey. This resilience and persistence, which I honed during my time as a nursing student and registered nurse, was integral in pushing through the challenges of building BRE HEALTHY.
Organizational Skills – Having strong organizational skills helps you stay on top of your workload and allows you to manage your time efficiently. My advice is to create systems and processes that will help keep them organized. Being detail-oriented and breaking down larger tasks into smaller, more manageable ones is a great way to stay on top of your work. Additionally, establishing deadlines and setting reminders can help ensure that you are staying organized and completing projects in a timely manner.
Organizational skills have been essential for me throughout my journey with BRE HEALTHY as I’ve had to juggle multiple tasks including recipe development, facilitating recreational activities, writing posts and creating videos, and managing all my social media accounts. Being able to prioritize tasks and stay on top of deadlines has been a great asset in successfully running BRE HEALTHY.
Overall, I believe that self-efficacy, resiliency, and organizational skills are three key qualities to cultivate if you want to be fulfilled in life and business. Building these qualities helps to create a strong foundation that will help you stay focused and motivated on your journey!
Embrace the imperfections of a rough first draft. After all, every journey must begin somewhere. As you continue on your journey, take time to reflect and celebrate the small successes. Even if it’s just a few lines of text or a simple task, recognize that every accomplishment is an important step towards achieving your goals. Celebrating these achievements can help fuel motivation and provide encouragement to persistently keep going forward!
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
Over the past year, one of my most significant areas of growth has been building a community and forging connections with others. I’ve had the chance to interact face-to-face, participate in online groups, and network with individuals who share similar interests. These experiences have broadened and amplified the reach of BRE HEALTHY’s message. Both in-person and online dialogues have fostered relationships that have proven invaluable for my brand’s growth.
An extended reach has also paved the way for collaborations with other brands and platforms, further enhancing opportunities for growth. I find contentment in the community that has blossomed around BRE HEALTHY and eagerly anticipate connecting with more people in the coming years.
I’ve found great joy in connecting with others and guiding them towards their goals. Providing mentorship, support, and guidance over the past year has been an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s an aspect of my journey that I’m excited to continue in the future.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.brehealthy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brehealthyblog/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brehealthy
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/breanna-panter-halverson/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/brehealthyblog
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@brehealthy
- Yelp: https://www.pinterest.com/brehealthy/
- SoundCloud: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bre-healthy-hive
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@brehealthy
Image Credits
Images: 20DEB7F0-CB95-42CA-ABD9-3C6D3CFA1797 J24A3721.jpg and J24A4891.jpg are captured by Selena Sorensen of Sorensen Studios
