Today we’d like to introduce you to Katelyn Gallun.
Hi Katelyn, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
The journey began with the idea to make clay earrings that allowed for my passion of creating to serve a dual purpose by using the proceeds from the earrings to cover psychotherapy costs for myself and others who have experienced abuse and wanted to begin their journey to heal. I knew what it was like to feel stuck in silence after trauma, and I didn’t want anyone else to face that alone. What started as sales through social media became a stronger passion for creating jewelry, mental health education, and advocacy for victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse. Over the past three years, I took the handmade jewelry to vendor markets and Etsy. The proceeds then began to cover supportive workshops at the women’s shelter where they would make charm bracelets that held meaning for each charm to represent hope, self-love, new beginnings, and healing. Other workshops include vision boards, art expression nights, and other activities that spark healing. Now as I pursue my masters in counseling, IamReadytoGrow.org is becoming the next step: a one-stop resource platform with direct links, hotlines, and tools for anyone facing abuse, sexual trauma, or other mental health struggles. The jewelry side is still alive, now under Katelyn Gallun Jewelry, that works with precious metals and stones where every sale donates back into the mission. The website, IamReadytoGrow is working to become a nonprofit organization to keep the impact growing, currently having a donation link through GoFundMe. The goal is to have a resource platform that allows for users to be directed to a wide range of private or government-funded resources for those who want to begin or continue their journey of healing and living their life to their fullest potential. Everyone deserves to heal and know that they are not alone.
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?
It has not been a smooth road, but I have stayed consistent and always kept the mission a priority even when I didn’t know where I was going or how I was going to get there. The biggest obstacle I have faced is trying to keep everything afloat financially- jewelry costs, my own therapy, and stretching to cover EMDR and psychotherapy costs for others. Proceeds from the earrings rarely caught up to the accumulating costs. Some months I would break even and still end up short, deciding who gets help first. The weight of this challenge felt heavy because I knew I couldn’t build IamReadytoGrow.org until I had worked on my own healing journey first. You can’t pour from an empty cup, right? So I knew I needed to balance my own therapy, the jewelry hustle, and building up a resource platform that people could access and use. Anytime I felt stuck, felt like the vision wasn’t clicking, or I wasn’t sure where to go next, I would hear or feel the impact of the mission. One woman came up to me, tears in her eyes and said this was the first time she had felt stillness sitting down to reflect on the healing exercises. she said to me, “This activity reminded me that I am not too broken to be healed.” These moments of watching the impact reminds me of why I started- If one person can start healing because I didn’t give up, then every obstacle and challenging day was worth it.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Right now, I am a pediatric nurse working with children with cognitive and psychical disabilities helping them navigate tough days with a lot of patience and care. I am also in school back for my masters in counseling working towards specializing in humanistic existential psychology focusing on trauma, sexual abuse recovery, and living a life of profound fulfillment and purpose. I am most proud of this mission because of my own story. I have been in therapy for ten years learning to heal and show up for myself and others while using my dual passion for medicine and creativity to bring my vision together.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Well, from my very first piece of jewelry, to the current pieces I make today, have always been handmade and crafted from the comfort of my home, in the car on a road trip, on an airplane, and even the African desert during downtime once military duties were completed for the day. I brought my supplies everywhere because I fell in love with creating beautifully unique pieces that I knew went towards a greater purpose. The tools I have now no longer fit in a portable bag, but I bring a journal and notebook for sketching my designs. I love to watch a design transform from a vision, to a sketch, to then a finished piece.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Iamreadytogrow.org
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katelyn-gallun-0a9511140
Image Credits
Katelyn Gallun and photographybyritalopez
