Episode 115: Sara Olsher | Writer, Illustrator, Speaker, Founder of Mighty + Bright

“Focusing on the children is what CO-PARENTING is all about.” - Sara Olsher

Sara Olsher is a mom to a little girl with a big personality, wearer of cowboy boots, and drinker of exceptionally strong coffee. In 2012, she packed up her 18-month-old and left her marriage. What followed was about four years of intense personal growth and the birth of Mighty + Bright.

Then in 2017, Sara was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer at the age of 34. Rather than choosing to keep her daughter in the dark, Sara explained the diagnosis and treatment process to her six-year-old, included her throughout the year of healing, and documented her journey through cancer on her blog.

She started Mighty + Bright for the same reason many parents start companies: because she wanted to help her own daughter and invented a product to do it. But since then, it's become so much more. Sara has seen firsthand that the universe can deal with some pretty harsh blows. As parents, we want nothing more than to see our children thrive - and nothing is more painful than knowing that we can't fix everything when things go wrong.

Cancer taught Sara that what's important in life is our relationships. From the onset, her friends and family rallied around her, lifted her up, and showed her that much of what we spend our lives worrying about is unimportant. What is important is making sure that we stand by what matters to us, we focus on what is real, and we spend our time caring for ourselves and others.

Mighty + Bright is about helping families handle the really hard things in life. We can't control the cards we're dealt, but we can control how we respond to them, and the message we send to our kids. For Sara, the message is this: Live your truth. Don't hide from the hard stuff, because it'll come whether you try to avoid it or not.

Sara wholeheartedly believes that our darkest times are full of silver linings. It’s a chance to get to know yourself (like, your real self, not the one who cares about what everyone else wants), a chance to learn how to graciously accept help when you need it, and a chance to show your kids how to handle the hard stuff head-on, with grace.

Sara’s background is in psychology and illustration, and after her divorce, she used both of these skills to create tools to help her young daughter understand and cope with the major changes in her life. Her first product was the shared custody calendar, which combines research-backed methods of teaching children with bright, happy illustrations. 

You can find Sara on SaraOlsher.com. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Check out Mighty + Bright on Facebook and Instagram.

Today’s episode is sponsored by Aura Merchandising, a proud women-owned full-service brand marketing, and global sourcing agency. Visit them at AuraLimited.com

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Go to Episode 116: Julia Dewolfe | Life Coach 

Go back to Episode 114: Michele Traina | Comedian, Performer, & Educator