Feeling a bit isolated in motherhood, Breanna Aranda created a community of her own. In this episode, I had the pleasure of discussing with Breanna, the young mom who initiated the heartening Fremont Mom Walks. Listen as she shares her journey from feeling isolated to forming a vibrant mom community that flourishes with companionship and mutual understanding.
We started off by exploring the inception and the growth story of Fremont Mom Walks that has touched many lives. Brianna shares her thoughts on the significance of community and the power of shared experiences among moms. She highlights the normal challenges of parenting and the beauty of creating a 'village' of like-minded individuals.
Towards the end, our conversation shifted towards the importance of nurturing a safe space for moms to feel seen and heard. After all, motherhood is a journey better walked with companionship than alone. Fremont Mom Walks is growing into more than just physical activity- it's about celebrating motherhood and community in all its beautiful forms. Curious to know more? Breanna extends an invitation to follow Fremont Mom Walks on Instagram and Facebook. Don't miss out on this enlightening conversation!
Fremont Bank has been serving our community for over 60 year. Find out more about them in Episode 104 or on their website here.
Get 20% off on your first order at Minuteman Press in Fremont. Let them know you heard about them on the podcast.
Don't miss the Ohlone College Flea Market each month on the 2nd Saturday.
If you are interested in supporting the podcast, please reach out to us at thefremontpodcast@gmail.com, or you can contact us here.
The Ohlone College Flea Market takes place this month on April 13th. Don't miss it.
Fremont Bank is our newest sponsor. They have been partnering with and supporting people and small businesses for over six decades.
Also, Petrocelli Homes has been a key sponsor for the Fremont Podcast almost from the beginning. If you are looking for help or advice about buying or selling a home, or if you are looking for a realtor, get in touch with Petrocelli Homes on Niles Blvd in Niles.
Additionally, Banter Bookshop is the best little bookshop in Fremont. They are a sponsor of that podcast. And we are excited to have them as a partner.
If you are in need of services for design or printing, check out Minutemen Press in Irvington. They have been serving the community for over 20 years, and they stand strong by their work and service.
Intro and Outro voiceovers made by Gary Williams. Check out garywilliams.org.
This episode was edited by Andrew C.
Scheduling and background was done by Sara S.
This is a Muggins Media Podcast.
...Feeling a bit isolated in motherhood, Breanna Aranda created a community of her own. In this episode, I had the pleasure of discussing with Breanna, the young mom who initiated the heartening Fremont Mom Walks. Listen as she shares her journey from feeling isolated to forming a vibrant mom community that flourishes with companionship and mutual understanding.
We started off by exploring the inception and the growth story of Fremont Mom Walks that has touched many lives. Brianna shares her thoughts on the significance of community and the power of shared experiences among moms. She highlights the normal challenges of parenting and the beauty of creating a 'village' of like-minded individuals.
Towards the end, our conversation shifted towards the importance of nurturing a safe space for moms to feel seen and heard. After all, motherhood is a journey better walked with companionship than alone. Fremont Mom Walks is growing into more than just physical activity- it's about celebrating motherhood and community in all its beautiful forms. Curious to know more? Breanna extends an invitation to follow Fremont Mom Walks on Instagram and Facebook. Don't miss out on this enlightening conversation!
Fremont Bank has been serving our community for over 60 year. Find out more about them in Episode 104 or on their website here.
Get 20% off on your first order at Minuteman Press in Fremont. Let them know you heard about them on the podcast.
Don't miss the Ohlone College Flea Market each month on the 2nd Saturday.
If you are interested in supporting the podcast, please reach out to us at thefremontpodcast@gmail.com, or you can contact us here.
The Ohlone College Flea Market takes place this month on April 13th. Don't miss it.
Fremont Bank is our newest sponsor. They have been partnering with and supporting people and small businesses for over six decades.
Also, Petrocelli Homes has been a key sponsor for the Fremont Podcast almost from the beginning. If you are looking for help or advice about buying or selling a home, or if you are looking for a realtor, get in touch with Petrocelli Homes on Niles Blvd in Niles.
Additionally, Banter Bookshop is the best little bookshop in Fremont. They are a sponsor of that podcast. And we are excited to have them as a partner.
If you are in need of services for design or printing, check out Minutemen Press in Irvington. They have been serving the community for over 20 years, and they stand strong by their work and service.
Intro and Outro voiceovers made by Gary Williams. Check out garywilliams.org.
This episode was edited by Andrew C.
Scheduling and background was done by Sara S.
This is a Muggins Media Podcast.
...I'm Gary Williams. Your reviews help other people find this podcast. If you would please leave a review on iTunes.
Speaker 2:So it's nice to finally feel myself again, instead of just being Gamila's mom. I'm Brianna again, so that honestly this Fremont Mom Walks has helped me so much as a person in general.
Speaker 1:Coming to you straight from Fremont, California, this is the Fremont Podcast, dedicated to telling the stories of the past and present of the people and places of the city of Fremont, one conversation at a time.
Speaker 4:Ricky wanted me to stand under this Bart Bridge at the Fremont Station and when the train passed to let you know. This is episode 97 of the Fremont Podcast.
Speaker 1:Now here's your host, Ricky B.
Speaker 5:Very good. So I'm with Brianna Aranda today. She is the founder of Fremont Mom Walks, is that right?
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 5:Okay, very good, and I'm assuming that Fremont Mom Walks kind of represents exactly what it sounds like what it's supposed to be right, yeah, correct. Okay, very good. So what is Fremont Mom Walks and how did it get started?
Speaker 2:So Fremont Mom Walks is a community of moms who come together to go on walks. It's more than just the physical activity, because this is honestly a mental break for us. So we go out roughly around two hours, maybe three times a month, and it's our time to just socialize with other moms and talk, vent, share experiences, share anything that we can share some information. That's great, just because we need it.
Speaker 5:Yeah, as a first-time mom, you're the founder, right, yeah, okay, so when did this start, and what was it that inspired you to start it?
Speaker 2:So it started in August of this year. Okay, after I gave birth, I realized that I didn't have any friends that were in the same mindset as I was. I am a young mom, so most of my friends are either still finishing college or just on their own thing, and yeah, I just noticed that none of them had kids. So I'm like I need people that know me, that understand me.
Speaker 5:Yeah, you know it's interesting Some of the discussions that we've had with people that live in the Fremont community. There's kind of like this void or this no man land in between growing up here, being a teenager here, even college age, but then kind of like that late millennial generation or whatever they're considered these days. But it's a great place. Fremont seems to be a great place for families, so that includes younger kids and teenagers and then parents of kids. But there's kind of like somebody in your age going from kind of like college age, just out of college and not yet stepping into a family role. There's kind of like a lost space in there for people around your age. But I can see how this can be a challenge for you, going from you know that age to all of a sudden becoming a mom.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I'll still kind of follow my friends and they're still partying at clubs and I'm like, all right, let me just finish feeding my kid real quick, you know right, but I don't regret it at all. I love being a mom. I love that transition, the transition.
Speaker 5:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I've always wanted to be a mom.
Speaker 5:Okay, so are you? Do you have brothers and sisters? Do you have a family with a bunch of kids?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I am the middle child of three. I have an older sister and a younger brother.
Speaker 5:Okay, Okay, yeah, I like the idea of a large family as well. I, the oldest of six kids. We were not able to have more than we have two right now, but we've not been able to have more than that. But I can, I've always sense, you know, the feeling of wanting to have a larger family, yeah, and so I can understand how you would have a desire to be a mom you know for a long time, and now you're in that place.
Speaker 2:My family is huge. My dad grew up with 11 brothers and brothers and sisters, and I don't I wouldn't say I desire that many, but but you know, family is just like really important to me and my family, so I just wanted to build a community around that too.
Speaker 5:Yeah, that's great, that's great. So so you were kind of in a place where you were wishing to have people to talk to, friends, people who could understand where you were in that stage of life. And then so how did this come about? Like, why did you go from just Just trying to find a friend to walk with to actually starting something with a name and like an actual, an actual entity?
Speaker 2:Well, it all started because no one was walking with me.
Speaker 5:Yeah, it's almost like an official invitation to say I have a business now.
Speaker 2:So I thought it would be a total twist if I did have a name to it. Yeah, I did put it out there in a Fremont mom Facebook group.
Speaker 5:Okay.
Speaker 2:I had already built the Instagram account. I was like it was more of a like what if? Like, what's the? Worst that can happen, right so I put it out there and In the first 20 minutes I kid you not I had 60 followers already.
Speaker 5:Wow, wow, were some of those initial followers like? I know there's bots out there and stuff, but we're any of the initial followers, people that actually joined in with you and and do these mom walks?
Speaker 2:Yeah, we have day-wanners originals that. Consistently come to like every walk.
Speaker 5:That's awesome, so so in some sense your your desire to connect with people in this stage of life. Really, it kind of took off because it had a kind of like an official presence to it, right? You know? It's interesting is I had a similar experience with the Fremont podcast.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 5:I didn't know what it would look like and I didn't know how it would end up. I didn't know that it would be what it is today. Like your invitation or your desires Sometimes bring you to a point where you're like, in order to make this happen, I've got to create something that represents the desire you know yeah, that's what you did.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's really cool. Yeah, I mean, it had everything that I love love being a mom. I love talking. I love exercise. Yeah and spending time with my kid and.
Speaker 5:I got to do all that. So you said you meet about three times a month. And what are these? What day of the week is it normally take place on?
Speaker 2:So it's not really set. A lot of the moms did say that Tuesdays and Thursdays work most, but we do have a lot of stay-at-home moms and we do have working moms. Okay so I do try and mix it around a lot. There are weekend dates, but this month I have a walk on November 11th, november 17th and November 20th, I believe okay, and I also do some collaborations and sponsors.
Speaker 6:Wow yeah this is kind of cool.
Speaker 2:Yeah, honestly, it's I opening too, because even though I'm in Fremont I've lived in Fremont my whole life there's so many things that I didn't even know existed. So businesses, local businesses, small businesses that are running by moms I Want to get their word out, so I asked them to like sponsor a walk. They'll bring in samples or Like for example, we had a photographer come and she took pictures.
Speaker 2:That's right yeah we had an esthetician Graceful beauty, I believe. She came in, gave us a discount. We have an independent consultant from rodent and fields who gave us some samples and and yeah, it's just like getting the word out supporting moms.
Speaker 5:That's great. Yeah, wow, that's really cool. Yeah, so it's kind of turning. More than in morning is turning more into you. It's not as much just a time to get together and walk, but it's actually that and a bunch of other things. And that bunch of other things, that kind of treating moms in the place and life that they are.
Speaker 5:That's really cool. So yeah, so the focus is on walks. You said it's about two or three hours. Do you guys have normal routes that you do, or a meeting place that normally is pretty common, or what does that look like?
Speaker 2:So no, I try to do a different park each walk that way. Like I said, there's so much in Fremont and it's not just Fremont at Union City, newark and Fremont.
Speaker 3:I just took over the whole Tri-City area. Yeah, that's great.
Speaker 2:But yeah, there's just so much that I haven't seen, and I'm sure that some moms are on the same boat, so yeah, I pick a different park each walk.
Speaker 5:OK, and what do the walks look like? You guys show up, you kind of all meet in the same place and then you're just like this is where we're going and this is what we're doing, or what does it look like?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So we'll all come together. Whether we have a sponsor, we'll let them introduce their business, We'll introduce ourselves, because that's part of it right Making friendships not only for yourself, but for your kids in the long run. And then I'll be like OK, this is the path we're going to take. We'll meet up, hit the playground after and that's awesome.
Speaker 5:That's very cool. I love it. When you started this back in August, is this kind of what you imagined or did you know? I think you kind of already said you didn't know what it was going to be. You just wanted to have somebody to walk with. Yeah, I mean.
Speaker 2:I always wanted that group of moms, because I'm more of a person that likes to support other people, treat other people and I knew that with this mom walk, if it did become big, that we can literally create a village of moms.
Speaker 5:That's cool. Yeah, how many people come out usually? How many moms do you have walking on a given walk?
Speaker 2:We have an average of, I want to say, eight moms. Ok yeah, very cool yeah.
Speaker 5:And have some of these moms become friends of yours, the people that you didn't know originally no.
Speaker 2:I'll text some of the moms. I'll ask them if they want to go on for play dates. That's cool.
Speaker 5:That's very cool. So what are some of the things that maybe you have learned through this process? Maybe about what it means to be a mom in our community, or something you learned about our community that through this process Like I think, growing up here, like you said, a lot of times you have a preconceived idea as to what Fremont is or what it's always been to you, but then you're here and you start seeing things through a different lens, through the lens of a mom. What are some of the things that you've learned about our community through this experience that have been helpful for you, and what are some of the things that you've learned maybe that you didn't about Fremont, that you didn't really pay attention to before?
Speaker 2:So I actually had partially this discussion with another mom.
Speaker 1:OK.
Speaker 2:And we have noticed that when we're at another playground just us by ourselves we'll notice that we'll just make eye contact with another mom, but we won't say anything to them.
Speaker 2:And with this mom walk it is a way of realizing like that's how we are. But once we're here in this mom walk, it's like we've known each other our whole lives and these moms have taught me a lot, not only from each other, like the experiences that they've had with our kids, but kind of with myself that I am doing a great job as a mom.
Speaker 2:And just hearing that from other moms and saying what's going on with my kid is normal, because that's kind of the one thing in our head too is why is he up three hours a night?
Speaker 3:Or why isn't he sleeping?
Speaker 2:And then hearing the same thing with another kid, it's like, OK, it is a regression.
Speaker 5:What did your doctor say?
Speaker 2:So just sharing those experiences means so much.
Speaker 5:Yeah, I can totally see that We'll be right back. You can hear the rest of this conversation in just a moment.
Speaker 4:The Eloni College flea market is happening every second Saturday of the month from 9 am to 3 pm on Eloni's Fremont campus. We release these podcast episodes on Fridays, and that means the next Eloni flea market is tomorrow. Can I ask you, what are you hoping to find today?
Speaker 6:Oh, we're just here for a fight?
Speaker 5:Yeah, because our kids are actually playing right here, so we're just going to go check it out, so we're just going to the side and we're like, oh, let's go check out the flea market.
Speaker 1:Yeah, awesome.
Speaker 4:Just whatever. What are you looking for today?
Speaker 5:Anything that I can't just go to Target and find. Have you seen anything? Things pop out, but you got to walk the whole flea market before you pull the trigger on anything.
Speaker 4:I hear that Thanks so much for your time. What are you guys hoping to find?
Speaker 6:Anything and nothing at all. It's just interesting to see what's out there and you never know what you'll find. Treasures, I mean, stuff you'd not normally find at Target or Walmart or anywhere. And plus we're out here in this beautiful weather, so it's all good, it's win-win.
Speaker 4:Literally the second person in the road who said something you can't find at Target.
Speaker 6:There you go Nice. Have a good one. I love you, I love you, I love you.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So a lot of people have been asking when Olive Way is going to open. So, logistically, we are ready to open up Olive Way for vendors and we also have plans to build an arch there to have a welcome sign that's facing Mission. So we're really, really, really excited about it. So we are looking for vendors that wants to vent underneath our beautiful and historical olive trees. So for the Olive Way spaces, it's approximately 15 by 15. So it's a little bit bigger than our regular spaces and the exciting part is they're only $20 per space. And look at that. People are already walking over Olive Way right now. So that's what's really exciting, because as you walk through there, that is literally the gateway to our flea market.
Speaker 5:If you have enjoyed this podcast, consider supporting it with a small gift at BuyMeacoffeecom. Slash the Fremont podcast. Thank you for your support and thanks for listening. Howler's Pharmacy is here to help. They have been in our community for decades, so whether it's a seasonal issue or whether it's something that you have to take care of regularly, howler's Pharmacy is here to help you find exactly what you need. Check them out.
Speaker 5:On the corner of Fremont and Peralta in downtown Centerville, gembielectric exists to empower your production. If you're a business owner, you know there's nothing that you want more than to focus on what you do best so that you can grow your business. Don't let electrical problems or projects stop you from your greatest production. Call GemBiElectric and let them help you empower your production today. Billy Roy's Burgers in Centerville is a great place to enjoy family food and great service. You can find them off the corner of Thornton Avenue and Fremont Boulevard in Centerville.
Speaker 5:Milk and Honey Cafe is a family-owned restaurant located at 342-65 Fremont Boulevard. Right now they are offering a Mid-Autumn Festival Family Meal Special for dining or to go. You gotta check it out. Just drop in or give them a call and ask them more about it To find out more about the best family-friendly Taiwanese restaurant in Fremont. Go to milkandhoneycafecom or check them out on their Facebook page and Instagram. If you are looking to buy or sell your home, look no further than Petracelli Homes. You can find out more about them at PetracelliHomescom or pay Jennifer a visit in Downtown Niles. And now back to our conversation. And I have a. He's actually 16 months old today, oh good boy.
Speaker 5:So, yeah, so I have a 16 month at home, and even though we also have an 11 year old, and so, even though we have already gone through one stage or one pass at you know, having a child growing up, there's still things that our 16 month old will do, that we are like what's happening?
Speaker 5:Why is this? Why is he not doing this? Or why is you know why is he responding this way? And I do think that a lot of times, especially with social media and other things out there, you kind of think my child's the only one that is just screwing up.
Speaker 5:And like you, know, like you see, all these other moms and the kids are all dressed up and and they're like perfect and you're like my kid's, not that Like you know, and so you kind of have doubts as to whether or not you're a good mom, or your doubts whether or not your child was normal or whatever. You know, whatever normal is. But I think that I think that having that close relationship with other people who are going through things at the same time as you kind of helps you to realize okay, life's not as bad as I might be thinking that it might be.
Speaker 2:So yeah, and it's nice that we have kids that are the same age and kids that are older. That way, moms can share their experiences Like, oh yeah, when he was 13 months old, this happened exactly.
Speaker 5:So it's a relief honestly. You know, Fremont has a lot of people from various backgrounds, different countries and so on. Have you found things to be helpful because of the various backgrounds?
Speaker 2:Actually no.
Speaker 5:Okay.
Speaker 2:That's really interesting, but no, I haven't. Yeah, okay.
Speaker 5:Well, I'd be interested to know, because I know that for us there's been things that have been interesting about getting to know the way that certain, maybe children are raised or the way that you know, even with sicknesses, certain things that are remedies for certain sicknesses that have been really helpful. Yeah, that'd be something interesting to find out more. So, as you look forward you know you're looking forward to Fremont Mom walks. You didn't expect it to be what it is now. What are you excited about? What are some things that you're envisioning moving forward with this?
Speaker 2:I clearly want to grow.
Speaker 5:Okay.
Speaker 2:So I do want more moms to obviously participate, just to kind of get totally diverse here, but eventually I like the idea of doing family gatherings with them. I tended to do the Ardenwood Pumpkin Patch family. Not a lot of them showed up, but some did and it was nice to be like. Can we all take a picture? That's cool, you know so definitely more family gatherings, maybe a mom night out there you go.
Speaker 5:That's what we need. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:But just to create a village.
Speaker 5:That's what I want yeah.
Speaker 5:Well, I think it's interesting. You know one of the things that I've been impressed with I've had young people on the podcast. I'm not going to guess how old you are, but what I've found is I've actually had some teenagers that have been on the podcast talking about things that they do, whether it's racing, starting a nonprofit to help build community around art, or there's been different ones that I've had on the podcast and I think that what's inspiring to me about the youth that I'm seeing in the Fremont community is that they are really ambitious to see things done and they really go after it and they're not afraid to take the big risk. And I think I see that with you. I see that you wanted something. You needed something for yourself and you were able to just say I'm going to go all in and see what I can make of it, but then you also get to share those benefits with other moms that have come alongside you.
Speaker 5:How do you feel about that?
Speaker 2:Honestly, I feel really proud of myself. I know after COVID hit, I was becoming an introvert. I was a super extrovert, so it's nice to finally feel myself again, instead of just being Gamila's mom.
Speaker 3:I'm Brianna again.
Speaker 2:So honestly, this Fremont Mom Walks has helped me so much as a person in general, that's great, very good.
Speaker 5:So people wanted to find out about Fremont Mom Walks, like what's the best place for them to do that?
Speaker 2:Instagram or Facebook.
Speaker 5:And they just search Fremont Mom Walks. I guess, and then, how often are you posting stuff? Can they find out most of what they need to from your posts on there, or is there another place that they could go?
Speaker 2:I post pretty much daily on Instagram, whether it's a regular post or a story. Facebook is more of. Here's what's happening. This is when the next walk is, as well as Instagram, but I'm more active on Instagram.
Speaker 5:OK, very cool. So, as we wrap it up, let me ask you what are some of the things that you've enjoyed over the years growing up in Fremont.
Speaker 2:Just the stories. Like I said before the Niles Community Park my grandpa used to take me there every day. After kindergarten I'd pick up an IC from Mikey's over here, and we just head over there.
Speaker 5:That's awesome.
Speaker 2:So just building memories. My parents have lived here for pretty much my whole life, so the fact that I can take their granddaughter into their backyard and she can make her own memories, I think is just so much to me.
Speaker 5:Where'd you go to school?
Speaker 2:Washington High School.
Speaker 5:How was that?
Speaker 2:Honestly, I enjoyed my high school years. No regrets.
Speaker 5:I think most of the people that I've had on here that I went to Washington are pretty proud of it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's pretty awesome Joining soccer. I was one of the student athletes there, well, yeah.
Speaker 5:Very good.
Speaker 2:Lots of friends.
Speaker 5:Brianna sounds like you're doing amazing things and I want to encourage you to keep doing what you're doing. Thank you, and I hope that you can help make a difference in the community through your efforts. And I think one of the great things about doing the kind of thing that you're doing, and one of the things that I've learned from doing the podcast, is that as our children watch us do what we do and they realize that what we're doing is really important, they learn a sense of value from us. They learn that being with other people is important, helping other people make a difference is important, and I think all of those things are things that the next generation will learn from us, and if we don't teach them, they're going to learn what's important from somebody else and it may not be the best thing. So I love what you're doing. I love how you're helping give opportunities for other people, but also set an example for your child. That's really cool.
Speaker 2:Thank you. Thanks for being on the podcast, Thank you for having me. Yeah absolutely.
Speaker 1:This episode was hosted and produced by Ricky B scheduling and pre-interviews by Sarah S. Rachel Prey is the print editor in charge of our newsletter. I'm Gary Williams. Andrew Kovett is the editor. Music provided by soundstripecom Be sure to subscribe wherever it is that you listen so you don't miss an episode. You can find everything we make the podcast, our newsletter and all of our social media links at thefremontpodcastcom. Join us next week on the Fremont Podcast.
Speaker 5:I used to tell people I was shooting for like 25-minute conversations a long enough conversation for somebody to leave the middle of Fremont drive across Dunbarton Bridge and go to Palo Alto. I feel like a one-way commute was long enough. But we've had interviews over an hour long and then we've had some that are 20 minutes long. Just depends. We don't have to try to draw it out longer than it needs to be, but if I don't want to miss out on anything either, that sounds good.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 6:All right.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 5:Very good, all right, we're already courting now, but I'll go ahead and jump into it. Actually, let me pull up one thing real quick before we get started here.
Speaker 2:Mind if I take a picture.
Speaker 5:Please.
Speaker 2:It's a proud moment for me. I'm not going to lie this is a Muggins Media podcast.