Woman Crush Wednesday - Kathleen B.

I often think of Kathleen as a Proverbs 31 woman. She’s a wife, mother, graduate student, gardener, and jewelry maker.

Kat was in high school when I moved to Fresno. I started helping with youth group and she wasn’t having it. She wasn’t about to submit to the authority of someone she barely knew. A strong-willed Armenian woman - I could relate.

Over the years I’ve watched her mature into an incredible woman. She still has that rebellious nature but now it’s in the form of questioning the norm, questioning social ills, questioning why we do things as a society that harm each other and harm our community.

Please meet my friend, Kathleen.

1) Please tell me a little about YOU.

I’m a mom. I’m a graduate student at Fresno Pacific University. I’m a gardener.

2) Please tell me about your work/ministry.

It started with finding a bucket of rocks in [my husband] Jake’s grandmother’s backyard. They were these natural mineral stones and I thought these can’t go to waste, so I started wrapping them in wire and friends and family wanted them, so I started selling them. It took off from there. I started creating different designs, started electro-plating (putting metal onto rocks). And then I got connected with different local businesses.

Azadouhi Jewelry pays tribute to my culture and coming into who I am. It means “Free Woman.”

3) Why are you passionate about what you do?

It’s more of an act of self-care for me – taking time away from my school identity, my mom identity. And while I’m working it’s the time when I think and reflect and I work organically and I flow. It’s also a way to connect to people in Fresno and people in general. It’s a way of connecting with myself and with others.

4) Why is it important to help others?

It’s why we’re put on earth, to care for others.

5) How can readers contribute/participate/come alongside you?

They can go to local businesses downtown like Misc. Trading Co. and Peeve’s Public House and be part of the gentrification of downtown Fresno, which has been abandoned for so long. By helping support smaller businesses they’re supporting our economy and our community at large.

My jewelry can be found on etsy and on Instagram.

6) What makes a woman truly beautiful?

Every night before I go to bed I ask [my daughter] Violet, age 4, “What’s the most beautiful thing about Violet?” At first she would say “My hair! My eyes!” And then I would say, “The most beautiful thing about Violet is her insides.” I say this to her every night even though she gets annoyed with me. The most beautiful thing about a woman is her character.

7) What do you like to do in your free time?

Make jewelry. I like gardening. I like being with the community. I’m really big into communal living – taking care of each other, cooking with each other. Pulling people in, which affects them as a whole. Cooking, jewelry, yoga, photography. Most of my time goes to school.

8) Since you’re getting on my shoebox, what’s your favorite kind of shoe?

The ones that are not comfortable but look good! Also on sale!

This is me modeling the first pair of Azadouhi Jewelry earrings I bought - my favorite!

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OK, I’m getting off my shoebox now.