Wife, Mom, Entrepreneur, And All Around Encourager
Today we’re excited to feature Morgan Williams, a mama we’ve followed along with for a few years and who continues to inspire us daily. When people speak of the good side of social media, the good parts that leave people feeling empowered, hopeful, and encouraged, we are certain they’re talking about Morgan.
She’s a woman who wears many hats: she’s a health and fitness advocate, entrepreneur, owns two businesses, and she’s a badass basketball wife, holding it down while her hubby has been playing professional ball for 14 years in over 7 countries.
But above all this, she’s a woman who speaks truth and wisdom into the world and wants you to leave her platform feeling better than when you came. Morgan is always authentic and real and not afraid to speak on the hard topics. She’s a mental health advocate and with the heaviness we’ve all experienced over the last year, we need more women stepping forward to speak directly to us on those really hard days. We need women to say, hey mama…I got you and see you, and here’s some things that get me through.
Morgan has done that for us and is one of the many that made us believe internet friendships are REAL. We’re thrilled to give Morgan the spotlight today so you all can learn a bit more about her and follow along in her journey.
Where are you from originally and how long have you lived in Katy?
I am originally from Houston Texas. Born and raised with no plans of ever leaving. I grew up in the spring branch/memorial area and we moved to Katy about 5 years ago and love it!
You’re a mama do the cutest little boy! What’s his name and how old is he?
His name is Logan. Fun fact, we combined our names—LOrenzo and morGAN to make Logan. He is 6 years old and is in Kindergarten this year and loving it.
What’s your favorite thing about raising a family in the Katy area?
We absolutely love Katy for all it offers but since we are a sports family we enjoy the amount of parks and outdoor activities we can do as a family. There are so many trails, outdoor running areas, playground and park areas, and even hills and fields for sports practice. Now that my son is in organized sports we enjoy the different leagues that Katy has to offer in all sports, currently my son is playing basketball and football.
Greatest gift about about being a mom?
Oh gosh, what a question. I think it’s the unconditional love. Our kids have this crazy but beautiful way of reminding us that even in the trenches we are the absolute best thing for our kiddos and that they will always see us as their mama, irreplaceable and perfect. Looking at my son everyday I am forever thankful God chose me to raise him and to love him. I couldn’t even remember how life was before Logan.
Least favorite mom job? (i.e. packing lunches, dishes, bath time, etc.)
Cleaning! It used to be bath time but now he’s old enough to do that on his own. I’ve found cleaning to be my least favorite as it seems to never end.
One thing people would be surprised to know about you…
I’m an extroverted—introvert! Most people meet me and my personality is extremely outgoing, I love meeting new people, and we love hosting parties and friends in our home. But, a perfect day for me is being alone reading, watching a movie, running outdoors, and a hot bath with wine! I love people but I love being alone a lot too.
Favorite local things to do in Katy/Richmond/Fulshear? (With kiddos or just for mom!)
Our favorite thing to do as a family is visit an outdoor park or playground. My husband and I love going to Different restaurants in the area and having date nights. Just for mom? My girlfriends and I love having happy hour and shopping at La Centerra.
Your husband plays professional basketball overseas – where does he play and how long has he been pro?
My husband originally went to Rice University in Houston and after graduation spent a little time playing in California and then began his career overseas, he’s now been playing professionally for 14 years! We have lived in 7 countries during that time. We were married in Paris, my son was born in Germany, and my husband currently is playing Russia.
Biggest challenge of being a basketball wife?
I think it’s the schedule and the unknown. We have spent years traveling back and forth every couple of months to spend time with my husband and with the recent pandemic travel has been insane! He usually is 7-10 hours of a time difference and having time to talk, FaceTime, etc. can be really tricky. My husband changes teams usually every year, sometimes countries as well so the unknown from year to year has been challenging over time. Will we be in Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany or Italy? Who knows!
What inspired you to share your journey online and when did you start your platform?
I started journaling online about 10 years ago when Facebook was just kind of becoming popular, I had a little blog that documented our travels. So many people asked about the lifestyle and were interested how our days went. This was a great way for me to cultivate my love for writing and photography and also share memories and moments through words.
You’re a business owner! Tell us about MW Elite Training.
M W Elite Training was created in 2012 and over the past 5 years has been majority online! This is my full service wellness company. I offer services in personal training, virtual training, nutrition coaching, fitness nutrition, and detox/juice cleanses.
Health, fitness, and wellness play a big part on your platform – how did your journey in wellness start?
My love for health and fitness has always been strong, I was an athlete growing up and then I married one! Living a healthy lifestyle is important for me but also necessary for my husband and his career. After becoming certified in 2012 I knew I wanted to spend time helping others live an overall healthy lifestyle that incorporated their physical health but also their mental well-being and spirits.
Aside from wellness, what else are you passionate about sharing?
I am a huge mental health and personal growth advocate. I think as moms we can often lose sight of ourselves while we are taking care of everyone else. I feel a strong pull and actually lead a few groups of women on taking care of themselves, affirming their feelings and their passions/goals, and taking care of their mental health. I also am a huge supporter of therapy!
The social climate this past year has been heavy. It was really important for me in 2020 to be a voice on social media and advocate for the African American community and the moms of black children. Raising a black son in a majority white community has been something I’ve wrestled with and have had to have many tough conversations about this past year. Talking with neighbors and community members about my black husband running in the neighborhood and feeling safe was another tough conversation I had this past year.
Advocating for unity, equality, mental health, and support will always be something I’ll be passionate about. I’m thankful for our community and their receptiveness and I’m thankful for the opportunity to bring things to light and I hope to continue doing so in the future.
Can you talk a bit about A Beautiful Nest? When did you start this and why?
My second company is A Beautiful Nest which is a custom gift basket and gift box company. This started because of our crazy lifestyle! We missed so many birthdays, graduations, weddings, baby showers, and sadly funerals. I wanted to be able to make people smile and let them know they were loved and thought about during these events even though I couldn’t be there in person. We now offer baskets/boxes for all occasions and we ship nationwide. This brings me more joy than you can imagine and I’ve shed tears reading recipients responses!
How important is community and honesty in motherhood for you?
I had mentioned before how important a receptive community is and I feel like if we can’t be real with each other as moms, who else can we be real with? We are all going through so many similar things and we should cultivate that as a community and be real with the other moms we know and support each other on all fronts. This past year has truly shown me that we are all struggling in some way, shape, or form. Even if I haven’t been able to hug my friends—-the online friends I’ve gained and the support of my mama tribe online has been critical in the crazy that was 2020!
Best advice for moms who stay at home, but want to get back out there so to speak and have something for themselves?
Just do it! I know that’s easier said than done but truly write it down, journal with your thoughts, execute a plan to get it going. I think all of us can think of something we loved or did before we were married or mamas that we don’t do anymore. In the age of technology and small business, you can 100% turn your passion into an exciting new hobby or business. For those that love to DIY—document a small project in your home and share on social media. Love photos—grab your phone or camera and head to the park or trail and shoot some action shots and sell your prints. Love fitness—begin your certification courses and teach classes or training. I feel like now is a wonderful time to zone in on what you love and even if its not for profit, designate a time each week to do that for yourself, you deserve it.
How important is it for you to have a passion outside of being a mother?
This is something I teach and advocate for. Although I absolutely adore my son, he does not come first ((gasp)). Time with my husband takes priority, time with myself takes priority. We all know the saying “you cannot pour from an empty cup”, I am not a good mom if im overwhelmed, stressed, and exhausted. Taking time to do what I love, to run my businesses, and to spend time with my husband helps to make me a better mom and give my son the best of me.
Best advice for mom guilt?
I think this is a society issue. I am not sure at what point the world decided if we weren’t attached to the hip with our kiddos we were “bad moms.” But look here mama, guilt is in your head. Are your children healthy? Fed? Well rested? Learning? Growing? If you answered yes to those, answer this. Will your children still be that way if you go to the gym for 2 hours? Go get a Starbucks and a stroll through Target? Will they still be those things if you go on a date or go get your nails done? YES!! Of course they will mama. Take the time, don’t feel guilty, your kiddos will still be all those amazing things when you walk back through your doors at home with a smile on your face!
Who has most influenced you to be the mom you are today?
Ive had a wonderful matriarch influence. Both my grandmother—who passed away in May and my mom who lives close by. They both have taught me about sacrifice. As a mama now I can look back and see how much they truly sacrificed for me to have what I did growing up. My mom was a single mom for many of my early years and we spent a lot of time with my grandmother as she helped out a lot with me when my mom was working. I will forever cherish the time I had with my grandmother and all she taught me and I continue to be amazed at how much my mom gives and gives everyday to her family and to others. They absolutely have taught me what a gift it is to love and sacrifice for your family.
Name one thing you hope your kids look back and remember about their childhood and you as their mama?
PRESENT. I hope that Logan always looks back and knows that I was present. That I took time to listen to him, to learn from him, to let him cry and tell me things, to let me fix his “boo-boos” and give him big hugs. Each day we do a peak and a valley. Each day I ask him what was the worst thing that happened and the best thing that happened, I hope this continues and that I can continue to be present for each of his daily peaks and valleys.
For more on this amazing mama, here are all the places you can learn more and follow along!
https://www.facebook.com/lifeofabballwife
https://www.instagram.com/a.beautiful.nest/
https://www.instagram.com/mwelitetraining/
https://www.instagram.com/lifeofabballwife/