Daily Inspiration: Meet Monica Murray

Today we’d like to introduce you to Monica Murray.

Hi Monica, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
When I tell people that I am a wife and a mother of 4, they tend to think that that’s the main idea of my story. When I go on to say that we have 3 girls and our oldest is a boy, who is my bonus baby, that’s when people start to assume that my story is a little more interesting. At roughly 30 years old, I have been married for nine years, I celebrated my 21st birthday in a tent in the middle of Oklahoma at Fort Sill with my unit in the US Army, and my husband and I operate a, what some would call a somewhat blended family. I got married young and built a family young, so my experiences at the ripe age of, ahem, “25ish” are not limited to say the least.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Somehow, these experiences can get buried in the things that you just learned about. It is rare that people automatically realize that before I became Monica, the wife, and Monica, the mother, I simply lived as Monica. As a survivor of childhood sexual trauma, military sexual trauma, and an adult who discovered that one of my parents wasn’t a biological parent, I have combatted and still continue to fight through identity and self-esteem issues. As a wife and a parent, I began to disassociate myself and submit to wife and mother. I realized that there were so many other components of me that I had forgotten because I had become locked into what I become. I realized that what I became did not have to be WHO I became, and my journey transformed into a personal one. In order for it to be personal to me, I knew that there were some things, people, and mindsets, that needed to be released. Some of which involved an increase in outside criticism, but I learned that sometimes being selfish with my decisions placed in the best position to benefit others. I had to learn to give myself the best parts of me no matter what.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Woman Released, LLC is a lifestyle brand that focuses on the well-being of women in all aspects. Our goal is to remind women that, even though we carry many titles and play a lot of roles, it’s essential to always prioritize self-care in all aspects. It is important remember who we are as women, what we’re worth, and tap back into what we want our journey to be. I’m proud of this because for so long I identified with all of the expectations that others had placed on me or that were automatically a part of the roles that I played in life, but I learned to release and began my the process of self-discovery all over again. Many women leaned on me as a confidant and as a resource well before Woman Released, I was able to bring that to life on a grander scale. With The Woman Release I simply found a way to do what I do for myself and what I love to do for others, then I combined that with resources and opportunities for women. What I’m doing will create space for more woman to live a free life and to be confident on their journey.

What sets The Woman Release Conference and Experience apart from other women empowerment events is the structure and the goals. We are aiding women by providing the resources and support to achieve elevated self-care in all aspects of life in addition to providing women with an annual weekend to dedicate to themselves. Sometimes we can live life on autopilot where the world evolves and we only exist while simultaneously being the epicenter of everything and for everyone. This is the one time that women can look forward to dedicating the weekend to their wellness, mental health, femininity, sensuality, and career and financial elevation. Did I mention we add exclusive opportunities to have fun and kick off your shoes and relax your feet, in the words of the phenomenal women of Xscape, and we are doing it all #TheWomanRelease way.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
There are some many individuals that can be credited for aiding in my success and while I would love to shout everyone out individually, I will send a shoutout to them all. They all know who they are and I promise you all are genuinely appreciated and I hold each of you so near and dear to my heart.

However, I would be remised if I did not show love to the women who not only supported me and this new idea but they helped me to create a virtual experience in January of 2023 that preceded the upcoming in-person conference in July: Our amazing host Shawn Stewart-Camps brought amazing energy and our speakers brought the down. Our speakers were Kia J Brooks, owner of TFNA Sports and Entertainment and manager of Flau’jae, Serenity “Real MaKid”, former head of Billion Dollar Baby Ent., JaQuetta Zeigler, Forbes 30 Under 30 Lister and owner of Above New Medians, and Kierra Sellers, Luxe Beauty Authority. We have added Tiffany Hawes, everyone’s favorite closing attorney and cast member of Love and Listings Atlanta and to host Shuntel Renay, virally known as, The Lady in the Yellow Dress. Lastly, I would have to think Attorney Lalisa Sweat, founder of Bosses Sip Tea Society, for being supporting presence to me on my journey to creating something that I felt was necessary for women in today’s society.

Pricing:

• Tickets are currently on sale starting at $97. Each ticket includes a bring a friend pass, so you can get 2 tickets for the price of one.
• Each ticket includes a bring a friend pass, so you can get 2 tickets for the price of one.
• Vendor and Sponsorship spots are still available on the site or via email.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.WomanReleased.com/gettickets
• Instagram: @Monica_TheMaven
• Facebook: @The Woman Release
• Other: www.SOLDbyMonicaTheMaven.com

Image Credits
Shaunii Rawls, Confidence Captured