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Explore Personal Growth and Inspirational Jewelry for Women
Hello, My name is Helen Marie Brogan and I am a People Pleaser in Recovery!
As a woman in a male-dominated, manosphere-directed workplace, you are encouraged to internalize any criticism or instruction as judgment against your person. It’s a control technique from those with big egos and no accountability. Toss in a splash of domestic violence that went straight under the rug, discrimination, and classic bullying, and you have the recipe for complex PTSD. Some who acquire this disorder fall into some kind of addiction to complement other learned self
helenmariebrogan
May 198 min read
Living by Design, Not on Demand: The Boundary Shift I Didn't See Coming!
I Stopped Being Available to Chaos There was a time when turning my phone off felt irresponsible. It felt rude, selfish, avoidant, and somehow wrong. Now I understand it was one of the healthiest things I could have done. This was step two to cleaning out the excess noise that was polluting my ability to integrate into civilian life. I once feared losing people, believing that I would never refresh a group and find a couple of people that I could call genuine friends. I rea
helenmariebrogan
May 46 min read
Woman in the Mirror: A Journey From Fearful Shoulder Checks to a Life in Forward Motion
Not too long ago, I stood at a concert with tens of thousands at Rogers Arena, music filling the air, yet I couldn’t even sway in my seat. I was hyper-vigilant, isolated, afraid to be seen. At that time, I was broken, surrounded by people who only valued what I gave, leaving me with nothing. Even that concert, something I did for me, felt like something I had to hide. This was a time when I did something for myself, I was met with resentment and disdain that I chose a piece o
helenmariebrogan
Apr 203 min read
When I Was Ready, the Right People Appeared
When I Was Ready, the Right People Appeared Thank you Toastmasters! I used to believe that opportunity came first. That the right people, the right rooms, and the right chances would appear. All I had to do was rise to meet them. I had it backwards. Nothing truly changed in my life until I was ready. After leaving policing, I wasn’t just stepping away from a career, I was trying to rebuild a life. I had accomplished a great deal, but I was also carrying damage I didn’t yet
helenmariebrogan
Apr 84 min read
The Loneliness of Being the One Who Always Shows Up
I read an article recently that hit me in the face like a baseball bat. It was written by a man in his 60s who realized something devastating: he had spent decades being the person who remembered birthdays, called when people were sick, showed up when life fell apart — and almost no one had ever done the same for him. And the worst part? I realized I had been living the exact same life. The Life I Built Around the Wrong People For the first 44 years of my life, I surrounded m
helenmariebrogan
Mar 298 min read
Let Them Shine: When Not Engaging is Leadership
A blog post about dealing with narcissistic/ problem makers in your life I have lived this. I have learned how to work around narcissistic people who use abhorrent and disruptive behaviour and act with malicious intent. People like this exist, and they are often not seen coming from a mile away. You know the saying, never meet your heroes ? It’s usually because what you see on TV creates a one-dimensional impression of all their good parts. It’s difficult to wrap your head ar
helenmariebrogan
Mar 294 min read
HELEN MARIE BROGAN
I am bench jeweler, precious metal former, blogger and, public speaker, navigating the intersection of raw materiality and personal transformation through artisan metalwork, wax sculpting and honest storytelling.
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