Fishermen’s Wives: Coping with an Extraordinary Occupation

Advice
woman in white cotton dress walking along the shore of the ocean on a cloudy day

I’m intentionally posting this for our first blog post in February because our theme this month is “Feminine Advocacy” and the importance of bringing our feminine ways of thought, processes, minds, and hearts into fishing. You’ll see this theme played out each Wednesday when a new podcast episode drops, too!

The excerpt from “Fishermen’s Wives: Coping with an Extraordinary Occupation” is a beautiful reminder of how far we’ve come as women and POCFs and the wisdom we’ve gained from those before us, giving us strength and courage to take on what lies ahead.

Thank YOU for being a part of this community. Your presence is felt and valued by me and so many others in our community that you haven’t met in person. Yet your energy is felt and ripples out to each of us as we walk arm and arm through this incredible experience of being a Partner of Commercial Fisherman, feeling uplifted with the knowledge that we are not alone.

This episode is dedicated to you. It’s one of my favorites because it is so DAMN EMPOWERING.

In this episode, I read from a study done in 1978 on New England POCFs called “Fishermen’s Wives: Coping with an Extraordinary Occupation.” I wanted to share this with you because it COMPLETELY VALIDATES our existence and the service of partners of commercial fishermen worldwide!

Click here to listen on Apple.

Click here to listen on Spotify.

KEY POINTS OF EPISODE: 
  • How forced independence of our lifestyle benefits us in the long run.
  • The key to a fisherman’s success in the industry.
  • The specific reason why POCFs are so important to the industry.

Check out the email I received from a POCF and Scientist after this episode aired: 

Hi, Megan. I hope this message finds you well! I am an avid listener of your POCF podcast and really enjoyed your episode this week. The book you mentioned this week, ‘Fishermen’s Wives: Coping with an Extraordinary Occupation,’ is from almost 50 years ago, but so much of it remains true!
I both enjoyed and appreciated the positive framing of this book and your subsequent episode. It delights me to see a seasoned POCF, such as yourself,  taking so much pride in your work in this industry. All too often, ‘women’s work’ is undervalued in our society; this goes for the commercial fishing industry, too.

(more…)

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How Depression, Addiction, + Pregnancy Loss Turned into Motherhood & a Family Seafood Business with Adra Kusnirova

OOOH, GIRL, do we talk about *overcoming* some real-life challenges?

Our theme for January is wellness because starting the year off and making sure that WE, as POCFs, feel supported is how we will best serve our relationships, families, fishing communities, and the world.

It was such a joy to chat with Adra Kusnirova, a former partner of a commercial fishing processor and part owner of a direct marketing family seafood business called Alaska Fresh Salmon.

In this episode, we go deeper than just talking about business. We discuss:

Long-distance dating
The challenges of living in remote Alaska with her partner
The isolation and depression she experienced during the rainy summers and how she used alcohol to cope with depression and pregnancy loss.
Adra also shares how she prioritized her mental health to help get her out of the downward spiral.

Of course, this story ends on a positive note!

We talk about their family business, Alaska Fresh Salmon, how the Kushnirs learned the ropes by trial and error and a lot of grit, and their mission to support and promote commercial fishermen. Adra also discusses the joys of being a mom. This episode is packed with real talk and relatable stories that show courage and resilience that we can all relate to, and I hope you get some great takeaways as I did.

Let’s dive in!

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Managing Anxiety & Overwhelm wtih Mental Health Specialist Kate Kripke

I asked our private community what they would like to ask a mental health specialist.

People spoke of relationship connection (always a big topic in our community), managing kids solo, and one of the concerns that came up was with a POCF who feared giving birth alone.

This hit straight to my heart, and I knew the perfect person who could guide this special Partner into a place of feeling more calm and prepared surrounding her pregnancy. In this case…

We hit the MOTHERLOAD!

(Get it?)

I’m so happy to introduce to you Maternal Wellness Specialist Kate Kripke, who shares:

– Incredible advice for new mothers fearing pregnancy, birth, and/or raising kids alone

– Steps to transform overwhelming anxiety into peace of mind

– How to realistically reconnect w our fishermen when it feels awkward AF + so much goodness in between.

Let’s Dive In!

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