#linyageladyboss | Kate Eskuri
You know those people that have an unflinching approach to life’s curveballs, but in the same vein are able to be refreshingly vulnerable and raw? right, they are few and far between and that is one of the very reasons we adore kate eskuri; there is nothing tenuous about her soul and quite frankly, it’s magnetic. from her self-deprecating humor that reminds us to give ourselves grace, to her ability to circumvent standard health information that we’ve been taught to believe in favor of what our bodies actually need to thrive, there’s shortcomings in the way in which she ignites a fire in whomever she’s speaking to.
kate first came on our radar two years ago as a #linyagelady herself. she found our pieces at The white room and her wedding photos are ones many brides thereafter have sent us as inspiration for their own dresses.
If you missed it, take a peek at the full post here!
this soul-full spirit recently launched the foundation blog, which has only garnered even more of a devoted following to the solid tribe she had already amassed. you will find yourself nibbling every last morsel of knowledge on all things wellness, for which she is an ever-growing pro on. It’s a refreshing, approachable take on grabbing hold of your own wellness without squashing your wallet or your willpower. (hey, if anyone can find bring levity to the concept of detoxing your armpits, it’s kate eskuri, and we are here for everything she has to say.)
grab your beverage of choice, get comfy, and help us dive in deep to this insightful q+a, underscored with wisdom. (note to brides to be: she’s got some wonderful two-cents you will want to take in.) surely this girl is soaring places, leaving an indelible impression on the world, only to leave it better than she found it.
1.) First things first: Tell us who you are as an artist/creative/ladyboss, in 5 words or less.
A woman on a mission :)
2.) As someone that clearly cherishes family at the forefront, tell us about perhaps any person or facet of your lineage that resonates with you most when reflecting upon it.
My mom has this one of a kind warmth that is so hard to describe. She was the type of mom that allowed me the freedom to learn, stumble, and fully be myself-- yet offered her hand to hold whenever I needed support. As I’ve gotten older, I realize how rare it is to have a parent is 100% “there for you”, but also steps back and let you grow. She--on her own as a woman-- is independent yet soft, brilliant yet approachable, responsible yet vibrantly alive. I have truly never met someone as open to life as her and it’s inspired me and shaped me since the day I was born.
I also have always felt such a strong connection to my great-grandma Sophie-- whom i’ve actually never met. She passed before I was born, but even since childhood i could feel her boldness and strength just from seeing a simple photo. She was a spitfire immigrant from Finland who lived off the land while raising a beautiful, talented family. her journey to America was WILD and one-hundred percent deserves to be made into a movie. I would listen to stories about Grandma Sophie's tenacity like they were bedtime stories growing up. And I always smiled when my mom would compare me to her: her fire, her jokes, her spirit… but recently, I had a super surreal cross-generational experience while I was taking an acupressure course.
I was in the course and instantly flashed back all of these long-forgotten stories of my Grandma Sophie giving my mom reflexology and acupressure treatments after school while they watched the The Lawrence Welk show (how amazing is that?!) . I didn’t necessarily know it, but those stories has ingrained in me over time-- and here I was, decades later, learning that exact same skill as my great grandmother. In that moment, I felt the slow (but powerful) cumulation of family stories and experiences that have shape us into who we are today.
3.) You recently launched (the incredibly valuable) site + resource, The Foundations Blog. While working on two masters (I’m actually going for 2 doctorates!) in Women's Health + Integrative Medicine, it's clear you have an unwavering passion and knowledge for getting to the root of wellness, as well as giving permission for self care; a sometimes elusive concept. Along with you, we are both all for shifting the dialogue around health and how we take care of ourselves. What would you tell a bride-to-be who is stressed and energetically spread thin, about maintaining harmony in herself leading up to the big day?
I would first of all, tell that bride that’s reading this (yes, YOU…), to pause for a moment.
Give yourself the gift of the next 30 seconds and do this:
1) Place your hands over your heart and close your eyes
2) Take 10 beautiful, long breaths, inhale deeply and exhale slowwwwly. Feel your heart beat. Be still. Take this moment to yourself.
3) Picture yourself breathing in the energy of getting MARRIED: think of your love, the adventures in front of you, how you’ll feel when you finally get to see your partner on your wedding day… think of how you want to feel on your wedding day: joyful, effortless, relaxed...
4) Now, while you are inhaling all the good things and visualizing the radiance of your wedding day, EXHALE all the things that are stressful right now: finding a caterer, picking a date, accommodating your in-laws, deciding on a florist… exhale ALLLL of that. It will get done. It will be beautiful. Release it.
“Take comfort in this, sweet bride: in 5 years no one but you will remember if your flowers were eucalyptus or white roses. No one will remember if there were candles on the your centerpiece. No one will remember if you served steak or chicken. And that’s not upsetting— that’s freeing. Do things your way, plan a wedding day authentic to you. If there’s one thing I’ve witnessed is that the energy that you put out— you will receive. Approach your wedding day with joy, presence, and gratitude— and that’s exactly how the day will plan out.. .”
4.) Duluth, MN is a beautiful character in your story and the backdrop to your daily musings––a Midwestern girl after our own hearts. Tell us why and how your geographical location influences your business and/or creative process.
Ohhhh my, oh my. This answer could quickly become 3 pages but I’ll keep it brief. Simply put: I love Duluth. There is a unique energy to this city: laid-back, approachable, intelligent, innovative, natural. This town is everything and more: jagged cliffs, miles & miles of natural trails, brilliant, creative small businesses, delicious restaurants, a historic downtown… and that lake. Lake Superior truly grounds me like nowhere else on earth. I feel that she genuinely has a personality of her own: powerful, calming... and a force to be reckoned with.
There is an ease to this city that I have never found elsewhere: life moves more slowly here-- people tangibly seem unhurried to do the “next thing” and more rooted in the present. In Duluth, it is more important to be kind and authentic than it is to be successful. No matter how “busy” you are, there is always time for a walk on the lake, or a picnic by the shore. It sounds so silly, but as a city-- i feel like Duluth has it’s priorities straight: live to work- not work to live.
5.) tell us more about the foundation blog? Why did you start it? Where would you LOVE to see it lead?
As I pursued my path of becoming a holistic + integrative women’s health nurse practitioner, I felt such a void in helping women care for their bodies through lifestyle changes, nutrition, natural interventions, and alternative medicine— instead of “there’s a pill for that”. I just felt this stirring to create something to help the modern woman slow down and live intentionally. Enter: thefoundationblog.comIn claiming my own little corner of the internet, I've built a one-stop shop for all things slow living, integrative health, and holistic self-care. This is for the modern woman who is ready to feel more grounded in her life. It’s been launched less than one month and already we have hit 70,000 views… the response has been so encouraging! This blog was created as a space where the modern woman has a place to press pause, invest in herself, and just be…
To have received such a positive response with its launch just reaffirmed that that modern-woman needs a resource to help her disconnect from her to-do list and reconnect to her life. This blog is quickly becoming my passion project of helping my fellow woman live their most vibrant, healthy, balanced life—and in the most simple, natural way possible. Yeesh, I am getting fired up just typing this!!
6.) New or old, where or whom do you draw your inspiration?
Always, always, always mumma earth. I love the rust tones of soil. The deep forest green in my backyard. The versatility and ever-changing nature of clouds. The way the waters of Lake Superior can be angry and deep one day and perfectly calm and bright the next
I am insanely inspired by living in the midwest and getting to fully experience all four seasons. Each season serves me differently and challenges me in its own unique way. Every winter, I feel more OK to allow myself time to rest and to live slowly. I feel the unique and vital spirit of spring and the hunger for brighter days ahead. I feel vibrantly alive in the summer and eager to explore this beautiful little world. Fall roots me down and reminds me of where I’ve been-- and where I’m yet to go.
So much of my mission for The Foundation Blog and my practice in integrative health is to get back to these roots of nature. To slow our pace of lives, honor our bodies “seasons”, nourishing our body with natural, nourishing food. And I get it-- this may sound hippie dippy to you-- I am a woman of science and nature. I do not believe they have to be mutually exclusive. The more and more I learn about the earth, integrative medicine, physiology, and modern medicine-- the more I have been amazed at the research and data backing the field of natural medicine. I have truly watched my life transform by getting back to “the basics”-- ensuring that my food, breath, home, and self-care all feel traditional, easy, and rooted in natural gifts from the earth.
7.) Favorite time of day to create?
I am so happy to type this answer because I am SO weirdly proud to say that I, Kate Eskuri, have officially turned into a morning person! After twenty plus years of snoozing my alarm and waking up groggy every. day. I have officially transformed myself into a morning person and there is no looking back! I used to be the girl that would have to FORCE herself awake any time before10 AM, but by challenging myself, creating a rock solid morning routine, and giving myself daily little AM rituals that I looked forward to, I have come to crave the beauty and peace of early rising.
Ironically, as I type this, it is 6:13 AM-- I have already drybrushed, done by 4-minute holistic skincare routine, journaled, and am now sipping my delicious maca-cinnamon coffee as we speak. I have found such a peace in these simple + quiet mornings. Productivity feels natural. The world feels quiet-- and I have a few hours simply to just be.
8.) Best nugget of advice you've been given that stands true for you today.
I have a milllllion favorite quotes and poems, but the most frequently repeated little little mantra in my life is "whistle while you hustle".
always work hard. always strive to reach your potential. But don’t get lost in the pursuit of success-- smile, joke around, rest when you need to, invest in self-care. whistle while you hustle. It’s possible to enjoy the process of hard work. Success does not have to mean stoic faces in powersuits-- to me, success is following my intuition, being kind, generous, and investing in vibrant experiences. I want a life where my soul can look around and say “ahhhh. this. This, right here, is exactly where i’m supposed to be.”