Meet Jordan
My name is Jordan Gabaldon (Pires). I just recently got married to my husband Joe. I have lived locally since I was 3 (originally from a small town in Washington). I lived in Riverbank growing up, then spent some time in Los Angeles and Monterey pursuing fashion and photography, as well as a psychology degree, before moving back to Modesto at 25. I met my husband while living in downtown Modesto, near my favorite restaurant Camp 4, where we actually had our first date. It was love on the first date and I knew we had the potential to grow into something even more. My husband is from Ripon, so as we got closer to discussing kids and marriage, we knew Ripon was where we wanted to land. So, we live I the country over here on the cusp of Ripon and Manteca. I have been battling Stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma from the early age of 15 and off and on ever since. I was in remission from ages 16-21, but then once I relapsed that time around, I have been on treatments non-stop ever since. One of the reasons I moved to LA was actually to do a new antibody drug study. I was one of the first Hodgkin’s patients to try the drug Nivolumab. I really wanted to get my bachelor’s in psychology before having kids, so I finished school at San Francisco state, and while on another study drug combo in LA I was able to plan to get pregnant between treatment cycles and have a healthy pregnancy. We got pregnant first try after doing a ton of holistic practices for the past 4 months and got blessed with our daughter Lisben, who is now turning 2!
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My business actually started out as just research into having a healthy pregnancy. I was told at the age of 15 that there was a huge risk into having to do radiation over my body near my ovaries. I was told this would most likely ruin the possibility of me ever having children. Then at the time we were told that there was a surgery that they could perform to pin my ovaries to the side, but my mom was worried about the risk of putting me under anesthesia. So, we opted out of the surgery at the time kids were nowhere on my radar and it wasn't until I was in my late 20s that I really knew that I wanted to be a mom. Unfortunately, at that point I had been on cancer treatments for almost a decade consistently and I knew that with the radiation to my ovaries along with the numerous chemotherapies that had been in my body, the likelihood that I would have a viable pregnancy was really low. At age 26, I started to research holistic practices and supplements that helped with fertility and egg quality, and this is really where the story really began. Then when my husband and I were talking more about conceiving I started to really practice everything I had learned, as well as continuing to research new topics. Once we were pregnant, I wanted to ensure to the best of my ability that I would continue to have a viable pregnancy, as well as trying to help my daughter have all the vitamins and nutrients she needed to have a healthy immune system, central nervous system, as well as nutrients that help with cognitive function. Since I was actively on chemo treatments at the time of conceiving, I wanted to minimize any kind of side effects that could possibly affect her.
At the time she was born, I had pages and pages of research, as well as journals where I documented things during pregnancy. About 6 months into post-partum, I knew I had to use this information to help other women who were having trouble getting pregnant or having viable pregnancies. I also wanted to shed some light and hope for women who have had their own battles with cancer and were worried about their own infertility from chemotherapy or radiation. That’s when I put pen to paper (well, fingers to my laptops keyboard lol). One thing led to another and after 8 months of writing, I was looking at a book. Now I get to sell a book that helps other women and I get the opportunity to meet and talk with other women and mothers. It is a very special experience.
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My days can look very different depending on the week. Every 3 weeks, I go to UCSF for chemotherapy infusions and I typically feel very under the weather for about 5 days. Those are my days of recovering and taking care of my daughter. I am a stay-at-home mama, so the days when I am feeling better are a blend of taking care of her, sending work emails, making social media content, setting up events, and working on my second book (based on cancer and getting through the hurdlers of illness in a positive way). I do try to dedicate a lot of the day to motherhood though and try to only work for a few hours a day, so my daughter knows she is my main focus above anything else.
The most rewarding part of running my business is being able to connect with other women and mothers. I love being able to provide hope and support to other women. I think we all need a little support from other women and not everyone always has that kind of support. I feel like God had me go through this journey so I can utilize what I have learned to really help and inspire others that they can get through hard things.
I think the biggest challenge with balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship is that I have very high standards for being a mama. I always want my daughter to know she is my priority, so sometimes working can come second place, especially in the midst of toddler emotions and meltdowns. I always want my daughter to know I am her safe place and if she needs me that I am right here with unconditional love and attention. As much as I want to be successful in my career, motherhood will always be my #1 job (: I just try to give myself grace when I feel like I can't play every role and remind myself that God called me to play these roles, so me doing my best is what he called for me.
I think every mama should start her own business. One thing I noticed about motherhood was a HUGE shift in myself. I have never felt more confident and determined. I have also noticed so much support from other mamas. I think this is the best time to reach for your dreams and build something beautiful. One day our babies won't be babies anymore, so if you can build something now while they are growing, you will have something to focus on when they leave the nest. (Ugh just typing that made me tear up lol)
Our family absolutely loves adventure and travel! When we are not working and we have a good amount of time off, we go to other cities and states. This year we are going back to Europe to visit Barcelona and the south of France for our honeymoon. We took Lisben to Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina on a fall trip last year after our wedding. We love flying and road trips. We love showing our daughter the world and making beautiful memories.
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Business Name: JG Prints & More
Author of:“Nourishing Your Baby from Within: A Mindful & Holistic Guide to Having a Healthy Baby & Pregnancy from a 17-Year Cancer Survivor.”
Website:linktr.ee/author_jordangabaldon
Social Media:@author_jordangabaldon | @mindful.holistic.mama
Contact: DM on social media (online appointment scheduling coming soon)
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