2026 Women of Impact

"Impact is not always loud. Often, it is found in the quiet, consistent ways a life touches others."

That's how my friend and fellow portrait photographer Tassie Winters opens every conversation about why the Women of Impact portrait project exists.

In a world that measures worth in titles, follower counts, and accolades, Women of Impact was built on a different premise: that the most meaningful influence rarely announces itself. It's found in the women who show up faithfully, who lead with integrity, who shape their families and communities in ways that may never be fully seen, but are always deeply felt.

Winters is the founder and editor of the 2026 Women of Impact portrait project. Earlier this year, she invited me to a talented group of female photographers across the country who were photographing and writing about women in our own local communities who were making a big impact in small ways.

"Impact is defined not by position, but by presence," Winters said.

There may be no better time to sit with that idea than right now. Ask anyone who runs a business, a household, a nonprofit, or all three at once, and they'll tell you that August doesn't ease you into Fall. It surprises you. It shoves you. School supply lists appear overnight. Fall bookings stack up on summer's leftovers. Wedding season is still in full swing, harvest is bearing down, and everyone who put off "getting to it later" suddenly needs it now.

It's exactly the kind of season that separates presence from performance. The kind of busy where showing up quietly, day after day, matters more than actually being seen doing it.

This month, I am putting the spotlight on the Women of Impact honorees in our community. The ones who aren’t just surviving this special kind of busy. They are the ones running toward it. Because underneath all the chaos is purpose, and underneath the purpose are people who are counting on them.

Over the coming days, you'll meet:

A Village Trustee who believes local leadership starts with just showing up. (Published Aug. 1)
A regenerative farmer rebuilding the food system one family at a time.
A therapist and practice owner who leans on music and community to stay grounded.
A florist and garden center owner who has learned to stop calling it "balance."
A foundation founder who turned unimaginable loss into a living legacy.
A benefits analyst turned health coach turned stage manager juggling three callings at once.
An artist who traded approval for authenticity.
A hairstylist who found her softer definition of success after cancer.
A wellness executive raised on an avocado ranch, now helping people navigate a healthy lifestyle.
An acupuncturist healing from the root, not just managing symptoms.
A medium and intuitive healer who trusts what she feels before she understands it.

None of them set out to be "impactful." They just kept showing up in the quiet, consistent, often unglamorous ways that this project was created to honor.

As Winters puts it: "Impact is not reserved for a few; it is found in the lives of women all around us, often in ways that are quietly lived each day."

Grab your coffee (or your planner, or your third cup of coffee). Let's meet them.

Alex Masterson's Journey Lights the Way

Alex Masterson was inspired to start her candlemaking business while going through her infertility journey.

“My husband John and I were in search of places and experiences that brought joy,” Masterson said. “We stumbled upon candlemaking.

“It instantly sparked our interest as well as the start of our candle making competitions of who could make the superior candle.”

Masterson and her husband soon started pouring candles in their basement, which then evolved into “The Candle Vault,” their brick and mortar candle shop located in a former historic bank building in a quaint Southwest Suburb of Chicago, Frankfort, IL.

History in the (Candle) making

The store features the original vault, along with the original floor, ceiling, front window, front door, and woodwork. The walls of the shop are lined with candles of every kind of scent for purchase, or visitors make their own candles, individually or during a private party.

Masterson loves that a candle’s scent can be strongly connected to memory. “A single smell can instantly transport you back to a time, place or person, or a special memory,” she said.

Purpose and Meaning

Though created out of a painful and trying journey, Masterson said her story has a happy ending.

“We have our four-year-old daughter, who is our world, and a big part of our family business,” Masterson said.

In fact, their family was recently recognized for excellence as a family business by their local Chamber.

“We were absolutely honored to win the “family business” award at the Frankfort Chamber’s Women in Business Awards,” Masterson said. “Without my family, there simply is no Candle Vault.

“They have believed in me and supported me since Day One. From child care, mopping the floors before events, coffee runs, wax pick ups, decorating, creating event links at midnight, pizza deliveries and so much more.

“I am beyond grateful, blessed and thankful to call them mine.

“They quite literally mean absolutely everything to me.”

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