Who's That Gal: Kristie Dean, Founder of The Soul Project

Name: Kristie Dean
Age: 32
Occupation: Professional Photographer/Founder of The Soul Project
Currently living in: West Bridgewater, MA (40 min south of Boston)
Hometown: Stoughton, MA
Currently reading: Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds by David Goggins
Favorite workout: My favorite workout is a HIIT workout. Without much extra time these days I need my workouts to be efficient. I love weight training. I love to do things that make me feel agile and strong.
I never leave home without: lipstick (I’m just like my mother oyy)

Tell us a little bit about The Soul Project. What is it?

The Soul project is an ongoing documentary and community propelling women into their power. It is a place where women from all walks of life come to be seen, heard, and celebrated, not for accolades, promotions or for losing weight but for being their imperfect, powerful selves. The project’s core mission is to create more compassion, self-love and meaningful connection. Each week a woman steps up to share her vulnerable story on our platform in order to give others permission to do the same.

At The Soul Project women are finding power in their voices, realizing they are not alone in their struggles, releasing long held shame and making genuine connections. The Soul Project is more than just an online community. We are a movement and a support system. We hold live events, meetups, and workshops with the goal of providing a safe space for women to share, look inward and connect with others on a deeper level.

What motivated you to start this as a passion project?

About two years ago I had 2 babies at home. I was feeling lost and desperate to step into my purpose. I was lacking self esteem, self awareness and deep connections with other women. What is my purpose, I thought? Well, I now know purpose lies in pairing passions and gifts with a cause greater than yourself. So, I paired my passions for imagery, storytelling and human motivation with giving women a place to be seen, heard and celebrated. The Soul Project was born and I never turned back.

Bearing your faults and imperfections publicly can be quite daunting. How do you seek out women who are willing to share their stories?

At first I was doubtful women would be willing to share their imperfections, insecurities and struggles with me. After all our society has trained women to show up only with their “pulled together, I got it all figured out” face on. But, this is exactly what makes this project so refreshing. Women are craving more authenticity; they are desperate to have a safe space to take off their masks and see other women do the same.

Once you read a Soul Story you understand the power of stepping into your full truth. At The Soul Project we believe vulnerability is courage in its truest form. Each week our soul story ambassador shows her courage by sharing things that society has trained her to keep secret for fear of being seen as broken or weak. Women are sharing the things they thought they needed to hide in order to be liked and loved and are finding that by being vulnerable they are more liked and loved than ever. They are respected not for wearing a mask of perfection but for taking it off. Women everywhere are craving this and that’s why they want to be a part of this community.

What are the key things you’ve learned since starting the project?

I’ve learned we all have more in common than we think. We may all manifest our pain and trauma in different ways, but it’s really all the same. We just want to be seen, heard, loved and acknowledged.

How do you balance your work on The Soul Project with your full-time job as a professional photographer and family?

The Soul Project started as a small creative passion project, however led me down the path to realizing what I believe is my purpose on this earth. When I’m doing this work my heart feels so full. I feel so capable and confident. I know that this work is me using all my gifts to make the world a little bit better for others. Though it is time consuming and emotionally taxing, I love it. And because I love it I sneak it into the pockets of time I have, which are few and far between with 3 daughters under 5. Early mornings and late nights, it’s not easy and I’ve had moments when I wanted to throw in the towel but I fit it in because I love it and I know its impact.

What advice would you give to someone considering launching a passion project like this?

Do it. Fit it in, make the time, figure it out - just start it. As women, especially mothers, we spend so much time doing for others we often forget about ourselves, we let ourselves stop growing personally and emotionally. Starting my passion project gave me myself back, it gave me purpose and clarity and a platform to connect with and learn from others. We all need passion in our lives but it doesn't just show up on our doorsteps it takes intention and work. If passion and purpose are missing in your life it is your responsibility to create it.

What’s next for The Soul Project? What’s next for you personally?

I have so many ideas in my mind for The Soul Project that keep me up at night. I want to keep providing a safe space for women to share, heal and connect. I want to start creating more in person opportunities to do the same work (when all this Covid-19 craziness ends). I want to keep learning about myself. I want to continue my education so I can better support my community in their emotional wellness. I want every woman to know she is enough and she is the author of her own story.

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Cameron Bruns Ewing is the managing editor of Just Us Gals. She works in Sales at HubSpot while also pursuing a degree in environmental sustainability from University College Dublin.