MEet Jacquie Smith

We recently connected with Jacquie Smith and have shared our conversation below.

Jacquie, 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.
My purpose came initially from my own health journey and wanting to heal myself from the inside out through nutrition, movement and mental wellness. I never thought in a million years that this would evolve to focus solely on helping other mamas on their own motherhood journeys, including pregnancy and postpartum. Like most mamas after birth, my body had gone through an immense amount of trauma — my abs were separated, I felt heaviness in my lower abdomen and honestly I felt lost navigating this new phase of motherhood and embracing the new woman I had become. What I discovered is that what I and most moms needed did not exist – a program that not only included movement, but mindfulness techniques like breath work, affirmations and restorative exercises tailored to the new mom and her new life. Movement for Mamas was born on the Little Adapts By Jax App to help myself and other mamas feel whole again. And the best part is that the videos are all recorded while I was going through this journey myself and workouts that include your baby when you have absolutely no time for yourself.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My story is that I’d been preparing to become a mom long before I became one. Every time I stepped on my mat, I was creating a space and carving out time to show up for myself. My daily movement became a sacred ritual that allowed me to honor my authentic self and break free of societal pressures of how you should be working out. It was no longer something I had to do; it was something I get to do. My daily movement based on the workouts from my Little Adapts By Jax app are a non-negotiable that reinvigorates my mind, body + soul daily. And 8 years later, it still is – even after having 2 babies.

I’ve learned that your time as a mother is precious and the more babies you have, the less of it you have for yourself. It becomes harder and harder to find those moments that build you up and make you feel really good. Becoming a mama is beautiful, but it can also be challenging as you navigate this new phase of life and learn to embrace the new woman you’ve become. It can often feel lonely and you might even feel lost – I know I did.

That is why I built the Little Adapts By Jax App and more specifically my prenatal (Movement for Mamas-to-be) + postnatal (Movement for Mamas) program. This app and these programs are about creating community and empowering amazing women + mamas to use their cherished time to fill their cups back up and support their well-being. All you have to do is show up on your mat because the movement, mindfulness, and nutrition is all tailored to you and your new life (of very limited time!)

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1. Surround yourself with people who love + support you 2. Never give up
3. Listen to your intuition + gut

My advice would be to stay true to who you are so you can show you true authentic self. Focus on the things that light you up rather than doing things you think you “should” do or what others expect from you. You will be happier and more successful if you do what’s best for you.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I’m looking to connect with other mamas and wellness brands in Nashville to create local, community events for the Nashville Mama Club to bring the mothers of the city together. We serve as a resource for all things related to your motherhood journey (fitness, nutrition, fashion, subject matter experts) to support and empower you through every stage. Our goal is to bring the Nashville mama community together to information share both virtually and in-person as we recognize how isolating this special, but challenging season can be. It was started by myself and Tiffany Bard, fellow mama of 2 and owner of Bump City, Nashville’s only in-person maternity boutique.Please email me at [email protected] as we’d love to hear from you!

Contact Info:

Image Credits
MacKenzie LaRoe

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