I'm Julie--a solo mom of 8 wildly resilient kids, ice cream addict and 90's step aerobics junkie.  Since launching my youtube channel, "The Big Family Jewels" (embed that to the youtube page), I've had 100 million views, 214,000 subscribers, and somehow still manage to misplace my keys daily.

I'm an author, speaker, and op-ed writer.  I've been featured on  Dr. Oz, Loose Women, USA Today, The Daily Mail, and MSN.  I even produced my own song! I hold a BA in Psychology and Spanish from the University of Utah (cum laude), served an LDS mission to Paraguay, and currently write op-eds for The Deseret News. 

But the real story?

I was left. 

With eight kids.

No warning.

No help.

That kind of pain either buries you or builds you.  And that moment didn't destroy me, it defined me.

I learned what grit really is: digging yourself out of devastation with nothing but faith, fire and your bare hands.  I've walked through domestic violence, betrayal, legal battles, and loneliness that could swallow a soul whole.  But I kept rising. 

And now I help other women rise, too.

Most days I'm navigating solo motherhood, carpools, what to make for dinner and a healing heart--with a shovel in one hand, and hope in the other.

She founded GRITTY MAMAS as a place where women can rise together!