My name is Jennifer Smith. I’m the founder and creator of WOW—a movement focused on building a supportive community of women who are taking ownership of their own wellness, one healthy choice at a time.
I live in a small town in Iowa, where I can be spotted trucking our three active boys around town in my Jeep, working out at our gym while blaring 80’s tunes or nestled on our back porch within the woods sipping coffee. I am a self-proclaimed habitual dreamer, and my mind never stops scheming on possibilities; whether that be business-related or planning how I can stay connected with nature in the mountains, by the sea, or walking in our freshly mowed pasture. I’m a little bit tom-boy, a little bit girly girl, but one thing is for sure, I’m passionate about living my best life.
I believe wellness starts from within, and I am on a mission to forever create wellness in my own life. My desire with WOW is to connect women of all backgrounds, and empower them to feel they can shape, influence and own their wellness every single day. I am a Wow Woman.
The Back Story
After graduating with a degree in Community Health Education, I had a rewarding career in counseling and human resources. Helping people has always been my soul’s calling; although being a stay at home mom for seven years was satisfying, I yearned to make an impact in other people’s lives (outside of the home). I took a leap of faith, and with my husband’s blessing, I opened a gym in 2013. In retrospect, being in the business of people is all I have ever known and wellness has been intertwined in every aspect of my life from a very young age.
Building relationships, connecting, networking, engaging and hoping to positively influence others in a way that makes their lives fulfilling drives me. In fact, I simply know no other way of making my heart feel satisfied.
WOW came to fruition when I felt I should (and could) be proactive in cultivating relationships with other women with a centralized focus on empowering them to take ownership of their wellness. As a known risk-taker and one who isn’t afraid to fail, I knew it was time for me to act upon what really felt like my livelihood. I set out to begin building a movement and creating a community of women who were truly interested in taking ownership of their wellness AND who were also willing to support other women who had those same pursuits.
I believe wellness is one of the most personal values we each hold. I simply want to encourage and support women to believe it is possible to create wellness in our lives by our own design. Wellness looks different on everyone and it should.
What is WOW’s mission and purpose?
To create a movement and supportive network of women who are taking ownership of their own wellness, one healthy choice at a time. This ownership of our bodies and our well-being is the first and vital step to living a life well-lived; personal accountability is at the core of a WOW lifestyle. WOW encompasses proper nutrition, leading an active lifestyle and cultivates and supports the feeling and sense of self that any woman can own, influence, and shape her wellness journey.
What does a WOW Woman look like?
WOW women come in all shapes and sizes and come from different backgrounds and demographics; there is no perfect picture of overall wellness, and in fact, we embrace our differences! However, the commonality among us, despite our differences is the belief that we have the power and choice to take our wellness to the desired level that we determine. At any given moment, experience, or opportunity, we can create wellness within ourselves.
Why should I consider being a WOW Woman?
WOW is as simple or as complex as you envision it to be. If you believe in personal improvement from a wellness standpoint, you're already a WOW woman. The premise of WOW is to highlight, empower, connect, communicate, support, and help women achieve the desired level of wellness they want to pursue for themselves. WOW acts as a platform to share, inform, educate, highlight, provide resources, support and encourage women to be well, live well, and love their lives! With that in mind, WOW fosters that choice, growth, change, and the pursuit of our wellness goals, ultimately is rooted in YOU. You OWNING your life.
Wellness By Design
If I want to create wellness within, I have to design a life that makes me feel well. That is the goal. I get to be the artist and hold the paintbrush by applying the brushstrokes in a manner that helps me achieve a wellness masterpiece; which in fact, may only be pleasing to me.
As WOW Women, we are committed to this goal and are accountable for our choices which directly impact our individual and unique wellness journey. I challenge you to TRY everyday to achieve health and overall wellness for yourself; beyond that, I also encourage you to ask yourself if you are doing the necessary things that align with achieving what a healthy life looks like for you. Create wellness for yourself, and remember you are only responsible for YOU. Cast away what other people view as wellness and create what you know feels like a life well-lived; YOUR life well-lived, not someone else’s.
Are you ready to join me and the supportive WOW community and commit to owning your wellness? Are you ready to design a life of health and wellness that fits YOU? If so, you are a WOW Woman indeed.
Join the community of #wowomen by following us on Instagram @wow_women_wellness!
Last, but certainly not least
Know you will make mistakes, and then regroup. I’m right there with you. Our imperfections give us opportunity to grow, overcome, build character and truly deepen our appreciation for where we are headed. Keep moving forward. I will be here to support you along the way. Continue working on finding that soul-grounding feeling that you really are in love with your life. If you aren’t there yet, find some freedom in the power of your choices and start making some small changes.