Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Merrick Gallegos . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Merrick , thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

My name is Merrick, but my family and friends call me Merricka, Merr Bear, and Merr. I am a momma of 3, and a former teacher. A few years back I quit my job so I could stay at home with my babies.

Two years ago, I announced my plans to begin Overwhelming Joy, an idea I sketched out in my prayer journal during the early morning quiet hours I spent with my newborn baby.

I have done a lot of reflecting & praying as to what I want my social platform and blog to represent. It was hard to nail down my objectives after such an abstract idea of the blog came to mind. But one idea keeps coming to mind through my reflections. I want this blog to represent everything my grandma Rita passed onto me.

I was very close to my grandmother and she was a true role model to me. She raised 11 children on a farm in North Dakota. From there, my grandparent’s family continued to expand to over 40 grandchildren and 82 great grand children! Somehow, she managed to make all of her grandchildren feel unconditional love, even though there were so many of us!

She passed on many traditions and skills to her children, which in turn were passed onto her grandchildren. She was an incredible homemaker, famous for her rye bread and caramel rolls. She passed on the power of modeling a strong faith to her family which in turn created an unbreakable family unit.

My mom was with me on the day we got the call my grandmother was taking her last breaths. My mom left my house immediately so she could pack her bags and say goodbye. As she left, I had the urge to open my prayer book. The first page I opened up to was Proverbs 31, “an excellent wife and mother who worked diligently, provide food for her family, rose early, was an entrepreneur, dressed immaculately, helped the poor and needy, and was wise, kind, strong, and dignified”. After I read this, I thought to myself, that scripture truly describes my grandmother. A few days later, at her funeral, unbeknownst to me, the same scripture was read. My eyes filled up with tears as I knew this was no coincidence.

My hope and mission is that Overwhelming Joy represents this type of woman, one that I continually strive to be as a wife & mother. My goal is to pass on family traditions, yummy recipes, hacks for mommas, fun projects for children, some humor, and most of all, prayer and faith encouragement.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

June 2020 was both a wonderful and worrisome time in my life. I had just given birth to our third child, our baby girl Piper, but we were also in the very first throws of COVID. There I was with this incredible gift in my hands and this unprecedented weight on my shoulders of fear and anxiety that I felt our entire world dealing with together.

In the following months, I would find myself up every day in the early morning with Piper. You could set your watch to her being awake right at 5 o’clock every morning. During these special quiet hours, I began praying. I began embracing the silence surrounding me. I began finding so much peace and joy during these quiet hours even though I was beyond exhausted and the world around me was scary and unknown.

But the world couldn’t hurt me there, not in the peace of that chair. I would sit, sometimes for hours, and embrace the solitude those early morning hours provided me. Even though I was up early with a newborn, those times always left me feeling invigorated and energized to take on my day. My world for just a few hours could slow down before the busyness of the day began.

I had kept a prayer journal since I was little, but adjusting to life since becoming a mother I realized that I had let this special part of me fall to the excuse of being “too busy”. During these still early morning hours, I started to pick up journaling again. I was able to carve out special time for myself, perhaps during the busiest time of my life. I had always had a belief I was put on this earth to help others.

While I was writing one morning, I had an overwhelming feeling that a blog could allow me to connect to other moms during their own busy season of life, but also during such a unique time of uncertainty, fear, and trepidation that had so many off-center. My pen couldn’t stop writing as the idea of Overwhelming Joy came to mind. My idea of Overwhelming Joy was to focus on the gifts of the present moment that are so abundantly clear, even in the face of a historically challenging time.

I wanted to encourage others to embrace the quiet when they could so that they too could experience the peace and joy that I had experienced through prayer, meditation, quiet, and journaling. I truly feel that our society longs for some quiet perspective in their lives, amidst the constant technological concert of distraction we’re facing every waking hour. My pen and prayer led me to one of my life’s greatest accomplishments, I launched Overwhelming Joy in the Fall of 2020.

By far what makes me the proudest is when I receive messages from some of my followers that share how much a particular message helped them, that they made one of my recipes for their family, or gave one of my DIY projects a try. This kind of personal connection truly touches me and keeps me going. Knowing that there are people out there incorporating pieces of my life into their lives is just….. humbling.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

To be honest, I feel like my biggest hurdle has been my own feelings and insecurities. Let’s start with the fact that I’m allowing strangers to read my innermost thoughts, fears, and prayers but then couple that with the realization that I’m also sharing these vulnerabilities with those closest to me. I’ve had all the thoughts, that in retrospect I should have expected.

Those of feeling unworthy to carry this kind of message, or asking myself who am I to think that others will want to read what I have to say? About a month into this thing, I was struggling and questioning whether or not I was on the right path. I remember sitting in the kitchen telling my husband, Ray, that I didn’t know if all my strife and work was worth it, I mean, was anyone even reading this? A few minutes later, I got an email from my website.

A woman started reading my blog and told me my writings encouraged her to live healthier. She thanked me for starting my blog and she looked forward to new beginnings because of my writing. I knew right then and there it was a sign to keep going and even though this was uncomfortable for me, I was on the right track.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One crucial lesson I’ve had to unlearn is the idea of blindly following the advice of others when it comes to shaping my life’s path. I used to receive a lot of input from people close to me who couldn’t quite grasp the vision behind my business or understand why I was pursuing it. Their lack of understanding led to confusion and doubt.

However, I’ve come to realize that when you are passionate about starting a business, the most vital thing to do is to trust your intuition. Only you can truly know what your life’s purpose is, and seeking validation solely from others may lead you astray. External opinions can sometimes act as hurdles, hindering your progress.

That’s why I’ve learned to listen to that inner voice, guiding me in the right direction. Embracing my own instincts and beliefs has proven to be the most rewarding approach in pursuing my business endeavors. Following my intuition has brought clarity and fulfillment, empowering me to stay true to my vision even when others may not fully comprehend it.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.overwhelmingjoy.com
• Instagram: overwhelming_joy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/overwhelmingjoys/