Ventura County “Mom to Know” – Meet Annette

Welcome to our Ventura County “Mom to Know” series!

We are featuring moms right here in our local community to highlight the wonderful things they are doing as mothers, business owners, community members, and friends. Each featured mom will be entered to win a single session with Pocket Chefs ($179 value).  We are honored to feature our 5th “Mom to Know” in Ventura County!

Meet Annette

1. Tell us a little about yourself and your family.

My name is Annette Pearson. I was born and raised in the Valley and moved to Naperville IL before landing in Raleigh/Durham North Carolina where Tom and I met, married and settled down to grow our family. In 2014 my employer relocated our family to Southern Carolina and Ventura County felt like home. We now live in Simi Valley. I love the small town/community feel of Simi Valley. Tom and I have been married for 14 years. I have two bonus children, Jonathan (27) and Bailey (20), together we have a 10 year old daughter, Faith, all three of our children amaze and inspires us every day.

When not working, writing books, working on my blog or coaching strength, I can be found taking care of my family, supporting Faith in her activities or playing with one or more of our dogs – we have three dogs Toby Jr., Billy Jo No No and Crazy Daisy Mae

2. What do you do for a living?

By day I work as a Project Director for a large Insurance Organization with locations in Ventura County. My passion is in being a strength coach, a writer, and the founder of the Strength Squad. I am growing my business called, I Got Faith Baby.

3. What do you love about living in Ventura County?

I love that in less than an hour I can be at the Ocean. I love that even though Ventura County is moderately sized, everything feels like home, we experience culture, community and we are supportive of one another.

4. What are your favorite local things to do/places to go?

I love to ride my bike along the shore in Ventura and then stop at Coastal Cone on the way home.

Spending sunny days at Seaward Avenue Beach

You will find us watching the sunset or enjoying a sunny day together, from Point Mugu.

5. Is there a hidden gem in Ventura County you love?

Rodela Produce and Flowers – we enjoy Sunday drives out to Rodela for our weekly supply of fresh produce

Ventua Ranch KOA in Santa Paula – if you are looking for a local camping experience with peacocks then this is the location for you

6. What do you do to reset and recharge?

Sun! My husband says I have solar cells. Ten minutes outside probably does the same for me as four cups of coffee does for others

7. Tell us about your book and why you decided to write it.

My husband and I lost our baby girl, MaryGrace Hope, tragically in the second trimester in January 2020. My daughter Faith was conceived by IVF in 2009. After she was born we knew we wanted a large family and we continued on our IVF journey. In my life I have lost six babies to miscarriage. Two before Tom and I were together and four during our marriage. When I lost MaryGrace I needed to have a lifesaving hysterectomy, followed by six months of procedures. I woke up from surgery without a baby and without hope. As I was going further into a dark place the world was hit with COVID. Through my writing I felt like I was missing something that I just didn’t feel my words and in a moment of reflection realized that maybe the purpose of all that has happened in my life (surviving abuse, eating disorders, living in my car, grief/loss, trauma) was to give my life new purpose. This moment of clarify filled my soul with passion; strength is inside of us, joy is a choice, belief is an action, I found my strength in the dark. Writing became my saving grace. I attended a seminar the afternoon of my last surgery and the next day signed an agreement with my publisher. I wrote and published my first book, ‘Finding Strength In the Dark’ in January 2021. We have one remaining embryo and a whole lot of hope. We are actively trying to find a surrogate.

8. How do you see yourself impacting our community?

1 in 4 women have had a miscarriage and grieve their babies in silence. 1 in 8 women experience infertility and grieve their hope in silence. From feeling alone, to feeling ashamed or guilty, these are things we just do not talk about. Fear of a miscarriage is why women wait until the second trimester to share their news, because if something happens then we need to talk about. When we do talk about our grief we may hear things like, “things happen for a reason”, “there are other ways to have a baby”, “at least…”, “how can you be sad when you didn’t even know the baby”, “oh so bizarre that you can’t get pregnant”, “did you just try…”. Whether its miscarriage or infertility or both, the only way to stop hearing these things is to start talking it. As a survivor of infertility and six miscarriages, I am talking about it.

As a survivor of physical and sexual abuse. I am talking about it

As a survivor of loss. I am talking about it

As a survivor of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia. I am talking about it

As a survivor of trauma. I am talking about it

We are all survivors in our journeys.

Let’s start talking about it and change the conversation!

9. Brag on yourself! What are you proud of yourself about?

I am very proud of my company, my writing and my book, which has become an Amazon best seller. I am changing my story and going after the life of my dreams.

10. What piece of advice would you give women right now?

Are you aware of your strengths and weaknesses? We are strong, we are so much stronger than we give ourselves credit for; we are warriors. We deserve to have good things in our lives. We got this!