Daily Inspiration: Meet Cathy Holman

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Cathy Holman.

Hi Cathy, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I am a city girl from Milwaukee who went country, all for the love of a cowboy. I moved to Wyoming to attend the University of Wyoming in Laramie. While working to get my education degree, I met the man who is now my husband. We now live in the “middle of nowhere Wyoming” with our five children, two dogs, four horses, a mini mule, a couple of steers and pigs, and a constantly changing number of chickens and cats.

I first began PrairieWifeInHeels.com in 2013 as a “mommy blog” to support other women, wives, and mothers. Ten years later, my message of living a life of grit and grace is for ANYONE. I share stories of my “joyfully chaotic” life on the Wyoming prairie on my website and across my social media platforms. On my site, you can find honest (with a bit of humor) posts about creating a life you love, parenting, life in Wyoming, and behind-the-scenes looks at brand development.

Eventually, all this writing led to speaking engagements, regular TV appearances on K2’s Good Morning Wyoming, and a weekly radio segment on K2 AM1030 in 2018. From 2018 to 2022, you could find Prairie Wife every weekday from 6 – 10 am on My Country 95.5 KWYY on the My Country Morning Show. I have received multiple awards from the Wyoming Association of Broadcasters for my on-air work.

In the fall of 2022, I left the radio to focus more on my family and put more time and energy into building the Prairie Wife brand. As a media personality, I continue to spread her message of grit and grace through my website, social media content, speaking engagements, and leadership workshops across Wyoming. I am also a popular radio, TV, and Podcast guest, and I have emceed and auctioneered at over one hundred events.

I recently saw a need for social media and business/brand consulting as I began to form partnerships with local businesses, and I enjoy this new opportunity to give other business owners and creators the tools they need to take their passions to the next level through one-on-one consulting appointments.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think in the last decade of creating and growing the Prairie Wife Brand, the two biggest obstacles have been my own feelings of inadequacy, aka imposter syndrome, and having enough time to do “all the things.” My degree is in education. I was a first-grade teacher for five years, and it was during my eleven years as a stay-at-home mom that I began PrairieWifeInHeels.com. It started as a hobby, a way to connect with other women from our somewhat secluded Wyoming home… and then it grew.

Suddenly, I had numerous unique opportunities coming my way… TV appearances, a radio show, and emceeing charity events… and I had no idea how to do any of those things! I was terrified and uncomfortable, and I couldn’t help but feel that everyone who thought I COULD do all of these things had misplaced their confidence. But I decided I’d rather try and fail than not try at all.

In the end, even though I started out knowing nothing, I learned how to do it all with time, effort, patience, and a willingness to laugh at my mistakes. Looking back, I’m so thankful I was willing to make mistakes, try new things, and ignore the voice in my head that said I didn’t belong. I think it’s clear now, as my business continues to grow, that I DO belong. I know that I’ll continue to push outside of my comfort zone and that more mistakes/failures are in my future, but I also have the knowledge that on the other side of that is more opportunity and success!

As a mom of five children who is trying to not only run a business but GROW, I find that there are never enough hours in the day! I’ve learned over the years that you can have it all, but you can’t have it all at the same time. There were times when I got caught up in the day-to-day grind, in trying to do everything perfectly… and it was impossible. Over the years, I’ve learned to step back and look at the big picture of what I’m accomplishing rather than a daily to-do list.

While I loved my time working at the radio station, and I’ll be forever grateful for all I learned during those five years… in the end, it was taking too much time away from my family. Making the decision to leave was hard, but I knew I needed to redefine what success meant to me. My new definition of success is putting my energy into growing MY business. This allows me the flexibility to put my family first while still offering many opportunities to spread my message of grit and grace, connect with others, and make money to help support my family.

From the beginning, I have used my platform to publicly work through and share the challenges of being a woman, wife, and mother. I know that my honesty about the ups and downs and my tips and tricks for how I manage things have helped others to feel more comfortable making their own definition of success, and that’s incredibly important to me!

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As a media personality, I ensure everything I do ties back to my mission to encourage others to lead a life of grit and grace. On my website, I offer support through humorous, honest, and heartfelt blog posts about my life. I use social media and speaking events to connect authentically to the people around me, and I hope that by seeing me share the ups and downs of my life, they find the strength and knowledge they need to create a life they love.

Emceeing and auctioneering at charity events is another unique way I use my talents to help our community. In the end, I want people who come in contact with me, whether online or in the real world, to leave my presence feeling better about themselves.

More information: Contact me or learn more via PrairieWifeInHeels.com

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you, and can you share any important lessons or epiphanies with us?
During the pandemic, I learned how vital it is to remain connected to each other. It forced me to find new ways to communicate with my readers and followers while in-person events were shut down, and I think that has helped me as my brand has continued to grow.

The pandemic also gave my family and me a better understanding of our actual needs vs. wants, and it offered me many opportunities to have compassion for others in my community and the world at large. I was incredibly thankful to be living and raising my children in Wyoming during that time because we had so many outdoor areas to explore.

Pricing:

• Emcee: $1,250
• Auctioneering: $500
• Day Long Custom Workshop: $3,000
• Keynote: $500

Contact Info:

• Website: https://prairiewifeinheels.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prairieheels/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PrairieWife
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/prairieheels
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@prairiewife

Image Credits
Amanda Jo Photography, Amy Elizabeth Photography, Alicia Crispell Photography, and Willie Petersen Photography