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Have a question? I’d love to hear from you!

Please contact me at meganwaldrep@icloud.com or the form below.

Thank you!

For over forty years, Admiral Vince Leggett toed the line of waterman, career educator, and founder of the Blacks of the Chesapeake, a foundation to preserve African American and Black culture on a stretch of the Mid-Atlantic shores. What’s fascinating is how Leggett formulated solutions and connections to uplift all parties while staying true to the mission at hand.

This @nationalfisherman interview is a raw conversation with a true Marylander about becoming a legacy leader in the fishing industry, the inner challenges that arise when a passion project transforms into a pillar of history, and a journey to preserve a past while building a future.

🎵Cue Jason Isbell’s White Man’s World🎶

I’m a white man living in a white man’s world
Under our roof is a baby girl
I thought this world could be hers one day
But her mama knew better
I’m a white man living in a white man’s town
Want to take a shot of cocaine and burn it down
Mama wants to change that Nashville sound
But they’re never gonna let her
There’s no such thing as someone else’s war
Your creature comforts aren’t the only things worth fighting for
Still breathing, it’s not too late
We’re all carrying one big burden, sharing one fate
I’m a white man living on a white man’s street
I’ve got the bones of the red man under my feet
The highway runs through their burial grounds
Past the oceans of cotton
I’m a white man looking in a black man’s eyes
Wishing I’d never been one of the guys
Who pretended not to hear another white man’s joke
Oh, the times ain’t forgotten
There’s no such thing as someone else’s war
Your creature comforts aren’t the only things worth fighting for
You’re still breathing, it’s not too late
We’re all carrying one big burden, sharing one fate
I’m a white man living in a white man’s nation
I think the man upstairs must’a took a vacation
I still have faith, but I don’t know why
Maybe it’s the fire in my little girl’s eyes
Maybe it’s the fire in my little girl’s eyes

Songwriter: Michael Jason Isbell
#blacksofthechesapeake #blackhistory #africanamerican #africanamericanhistory #fishinghistory #commercialfishing #partnersofcommercialfishermen #pocfpride

Fish but make it fashion - Carrie knows what’s up. 😎 🐟💄

Although Chris has fished almost 15 consecutive years in Bristol Bay (🤯), he spent one spring on boat in Cordova, near the mouth of the Copper River. King, sockeye, pink, and coho salmon are found there, and they are all prime choices for (in my humble biased opinion) the dankest fish on the market.

I love picturing one of our fishermen providing the catch…bc, most likely, they did! Fishermen Feed America & the world. Thankful that celebrities like this bring awareness to a top tier protein that our loved ones work so hard to catch.

What’s your favorite way to eat salmon? I’m inspired by @bristolbaysockeyesalmon latest reel posted in stories, so we’ll have a big A serving of that.🤤

#copperriversalmon #fish #sockeyesalmon #fishbutmakeitfashion #alaskaseafood #alaskasalmon #wildcaughtsalmon #partnersofcommercialfishermen #pocfpride

Imagine that the camaraderie heard here (🥲🫶) is the same vibe women had for each other hundreds of years ago while gutting fish, selling seafood and rearing children while their husbands were at sea. Women supporting women, how it always should be! Thanks to our girl @trishtalksfish, we get to live inside the untold stories of fishwives from the Viking era and more!

Thank you, Trish, for the kindest of worlds and to Julie @seafood_and_gender_equality for building a platform that is about building each other up! I’ve never had this kind of female energy before in a chosen career, and damn it feels so f’ing good to have women in my field cheering each other on without jealousy or competition. It’s a truly a representation of how much we want to help our communities progress to new levels w love!
Here’s to learning from the past to create the future of our dreams - and knowing we have friends by our side to see us through. 💓⚓️💙

⚡️IG LIVE: The Untold History of POCFS - Fish Guts, Feels, & Fortitude.
Sunday, 1/29/23, 1:11pm PT / 4:11pm ET.
Would love for you to join us! 👯‍♀️👯‍♀️

#trishtalksfish #seafoodgenderequality #partnersofcommercialfishermen #pocfpride #fishinghistory #fishwife #fisherman #commercialfishing #oceanlife

This IG Live is for the books!! We’re digging into the emotional history of fisheries and fish wives - the unrecorded, untold experiences that aren’t taught in history books.

Blue Foods Educator & Independent Fisheries Historian Trish Whetstone shares how POCFs would have felt at their particular time in history, and what expectations were laid upon them by society, communities, and their fishermen.

Part storytelling, fact, myth (sea shanties, anyone?!), we’re discovering that connection between POCFs then and now, how we’ve evolved, and what lessons we can take from the past to build our future.

Sunday, 1/29/23, 1:11pm on IG Live. Would love for you to join us!

#fishinghistory #trishtalksfish #partnersofcommercialfishermen #fishwives #fishermen #POCFpride

This piece was inspired by a group DM started by fellow POCF @shlbstahl checking in during the storm. Honestly, I didn’t really understand the severity until I read the messages from Shelby and Lindsey @mothersunandthecaptain. (And we live just 14 miles away!)

From blocked harbor entrances where fishing boats can’t leave or return, to buyers getting stuck on the 101 overnight, to thousands of dollars of gear smashed onto the shore.

Note to self: When your partner works in Mother Nature, the nuances of a fishing business also gets “worked.”

Big shout out & thank you to Shelby, Lindsey, and Denise @critterslobster for sharing their stories. And to @nationalfishermen for caring enough about the community to give me the green light to write. I don’t take that role lightly, and am very thankful and honored share your voices! 🫶⚓️ Here’s to a safe and successful recovery from the storm! (Full story on nationalfishermen.com)

How many fishing families have dealt w natural disasters? How did you pick up and move on?

#californiastorm #californiaweather #californiafishing #californiarain #nationalfishermen #fishingfamilies #commercialfishermen #partnersofcommercialfishermen #pocfpride

Y’all! It’s happening! Below is a sneak peek at a few Q’s we’re getting into w @katekripke on Friday, 1/20, & we’re not holding back:

Partners of Commercial Fishermen have a unique lifestyle, comparable to military wives – our partners are in one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, with little to no contact at a time. For example, women don’t regularly worry about their partners dying each time they go to work. With that comes anxiety, overwhelm, and sometimes, depression. What do you recommend is a good “safety plan” when POCFs begin to spiral with fear and anxiety?

One POCF mentioned that her therapist worked through her partner's death to overcome her fear of him dying. Although this technique may sound extreme for many, would this be a helpful process for POCFs in general? In other words, how do we learn to trust and let go if it does not come easy? Must we literally face our fears?

Let’s talk about co-dependency. I’ve learned it has many faces, and it surprised me to learn that a controlling personality (me) is considered codependent in its own way. Could you please explain what codependency looks like, how it helps or hinders, and how to overcome it?

More questions from the community:

How do I handle pregnancy and birth alone?

What advice do you have for working new mothers?”

I am so happy for POCFs to have this experience together, and can’t thank Kate enough for her time. Hope you’ll join me and Kate Kripke, tomorrow on IG LIVE @ 11am PST / 2pm EST.

Here’s to our health! ⚓️👯‍♀️💙🫶

#katekripke #maternalmentalhealth #partnersofcommercialfishermen #pocfpride #mentalhealthawareness #newmommylife #anxietyrelief #commercialfishing #fishinglife #fishingfamilies #mentalwellness

At that moment, I felt like every Fishermen Wives Memorial I’ve ever seen. Standing towards the ocean with the wind in my face with a heart in pain from thoughts that take my breath away.

That was the moment that anxiety broke me. The only thoughts I could process were the worst that could happen. So, to “fix things,” I instinctively made a Plan B: call the Coast Guard, or drive down the coast to meet Chris at another marina that is safer to enter. But me trying to control an uncontrollable situation told me that I was avoiding one thing I need the most - learning tools to anchor back myself when anxiety arises. I needed to try therapy.

I signed up for virtual therapy last night, a week since this video was shot, and I’ll share more about the moments leading up that pushed me to it - and y’all were a big part of that! Seeing a recent Story poll about how many in our community go to therapy and LOVE it is another example of how we help each other feel less alone! In our vulnerabilities, we relate. After I signed up, I felt f*cking fantastic about making a BIG personal move, so happy for taking the steps needed to gain my life back over anxiety.

As I travel my own journey, I am beyond *honored and thrilled* to have Maternal Mental Health Specialist @katekripke speak to our community!

Kate is the founder of the Postpartum Wellness Group in Boulder, Colorado, and will generously guide us through questions on Anxiety and Overwhelm in the Partners of Commercial Fisherman lifestyle. A special focus will be on POCF mamas, however her wisdom will benefit us all! I hope you can join us Friday, January 20th, at 11 am PST/2 pm EST on IG Live!
*Replays will be avaible meganwaldrep.com. 🫶

Q: If you’ve gone to therapy, what piece of advice has stuck with you? If you haven’t tried therapy yet, what piece is keeping you stuck from reaching out?

#mentalhealth #mentalwellness #katekripke #maternalmentalhealth #commercialfishing #commercialfisherman #anxietyrelief #unfiltered #partnersofcommercialfishermen #pocfpride

For over forty years, Admiral Vince Leggett toed the line of waterman, career educator, and founder of the Blacks of the Chesapeake, a foundation to preserve African American and Black culture on a stretch of the Mid-Atlantic shores. What’s fascinating is how Leggett formulated solutions and connections to uplift all parties while staying true to the mission at hand.

This @nationalfisherman interview is a raw conversation with a true Marylander about becoming a legacy leader in the fishing industry, the inner challenges that arise when a passion project transforms into a pillar of history, and a journey to preserve a past while building a future.

🎵Cue Jason Isbell’s White Man’s World🎶

I’m a white man living in a white man’s world
Under our roof is a baby girl
I thought this world could be hers one day
But her mama knew better
I’m a white man living in a white man’s town
Want to take a shot of cocaine and burn it down
Mama wants to change that Nashville sound
But they’re never gonna let her
There’s no such thing as someone else’s war
Your creature comforts aren’t the only things worth fighting for
Still breathing, it’s not too late
We’re all carrying one big burden, sharing one fate
I’m a white man living on a white man’s street
I’ve got the bones of the red man under my feet
The highway runs through their burial grounds
Past the oceans of cotton
I’m a white man looking in a black man’s eyes
Wishing I’d never been one of the guys
Who pretended not to hear another white man’s joke
Oh, the times ain’t forgotten
There’s no such thing as someone else’s war
Your creature comforts aren’t the only things worth fighting for
You’re still breathing, it’s not too late
We’re all carrying one big burden, sharing one fate
I’m a white man living in a white man’s nation
I think the man upstairs must’a took a vacation
I still have faith, but I don’t know why
Maybe it’s the fire in my little girl’s eyes
Maybe it’s the fire in my little girl’s eyes

Songwriter: Michael Jason Isbell
#blacksofthechesapeake #blackhistory #africanamerican #africanamericanhistory #fishinghistory #commercialfishing #partnersofcommercialfishermen #pocfpride

Fish but make it fashion - Carrie knows what’s up. 😎 🐟💄

Although Chris has fished almost 15 consecutive years in Bristol Bay (🤯), he spent one spring on boat in Cordova, near the mouth of the Copper River. King, sockeye, pink, and coho salmon are found there, and they are all prime choices for (in my humble biased opinion) the dankest fish on the market.

I love picturing one of our fishermen providing the catch…bc, most likely, they did! Fishermen Feed America & the world. Thankful that celebrities like this bring awareness to a top tier protein that our loved ones work so hard to catch.

What’s your favorite way to eat salmon? I’m inspired by @bristolbaysockeyesalmon latest reel posted in stories, so we’ll have a big A serving of that.🤤

#copperriversalmon #fish #sockeyesalmon #fishbutmakeitfashion #alaskaseafood #alaskasalmon #wildcaughtsalmon #partnersofcommercialfishermen #pocfpride

Imagine that the camaraderie heard here (🥲🫶) is the same vibe women had for each other hundreds of years ago while gutting fish, selling seafood and rearing children while their husbands were at sea. Women supporting women, how it always should be! Thanks to our girl @trishtalksfish, we get to live inside the untold stories of fishwives from the Viking era and more!

Thank you, Trish, for the kindest of worlds and to Julie @seafood_and_gender_equality for building a platform that is about building each other up! I’ve never had this kind of female energy before in a chosen career, and damn it feels so f’ing good to have women in my field cheering each other on without jealousy or competition. It’s a truly a representation of how much we want to help our communities progress to new levels w love!
Here’s to learning from the past to create the future of our dreams - and knowing we have friends by our side to see us through. 💓⚓️💙

⚡️IG LIVE: The Untold History of POCFS - Fish Guts, Feels, & Fortitude.
Sunday, 1/29/23, 1:11pm PT / 4:11pm ET.
Would love for you to join us! 👯‍♀️👯‍♀️

#trishtalksfish #seafoodgenderequality #partnersofcommercialfishermen #pocfpride #fishinghistory #fishwife #fisherman #commercialfishing #oceanlife

This IG Live is for the books!! We’re digging into the emotional history of fisheries and fish wives - the unrecorded, untold experiences that aren’t taught in history books.

Blue Foods Educator & Independent Fisheries Historian Trish Whetstone shares how POCFs would have felt at their particular time in history, and what expectations were laid upon them by society, communities, and their fishermen.

Part storytelling, fact, myth (sea shanties, anyone?!), we’re discovering that connection between POCFs then and now, how we’ve evolved, and what lessons we can take from the past to build our future.

Sunday, 1/29/23, 1:11pm on IG Live. Would love for you to join us!

#fishinghistory #trishtalksfish #partnersofcommercialfishermen #fishwives #fishermen #POCFpride

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