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.

Monica Sweeney Leads a Team of Women Through Every Season

Fall tends to bring a wave of new health and wellness commitments. It's more tolerable outdoors. The kids are returning to a routine, making it easier to find time to get back "on track."A burst of renewed energy shows up right alongside back-to-school schedules.

For Monica Sweeney, Managing Director and part owner of VitaLife Weight Loss, that means leading both a team and a client base through one of the most personal journeys a person can take, all year long.

Sweeney's path to wellness leadership started on the family's avocado ranch in Southern California.

"Everything was organic and intentional," Sweeney said. "At the time, it felt normal, but as I got older, I realized how rare that way of living had become."

The Kiwi Moment

A turning point came when Sweeney's oldest daughter came home from kindergarten confused that some of her classmates didn't know what a kiwi was.

"That moment stopped me," Sweeney said. "It made me realize how disconnected we had become from real food and from understanding how to nourish our bodies."

That realization led her into a leadership role with her daughter's Girl Scout troop, focused on gardening and a holistic approach to food.

"That passion naturally evolved into what I do today, helping people reconnect with their bodies, their health, and their potential," she said.

Leading a Team, Celebrating Transformation

At VitaLife, Sweeney leads a team of women and oversees the client experience, and she says no two days are ever the same.

"Every day, we're celebrating progress, breakthroughs, and transformation, whether big or small," Sweeney said. "That's what makes this work so meaningful."

Witnessing real transformation, physical, emotional, and mental, is what she loves most.

"Watching someone regain confidence, energy, and belief in themselves is incredibly powerful," she said.

Pushing Back Against Quick Fixes

Sweeney's industry has leaned harder into shortcuts in recent years. Shots, pills, instant results. She sees a different kind of demand emerging.

"While some of these tools have their place, I've seen a growing need for education, sustainability, and personalization," Sweeney said. "People are starting to realize that true health isn't a shortcut, it's a lifestyle.

"That's where we stand firm at VitaLife: creating long-term, sustainable results rooted in understanding the body, not bypassing it."

Helping clients slow down and trust the process can be one of the harder parts of the job, she admits. But it's also where the real change happens.

What She's Most Proud Of

Sweeney takes pride in both the transformations her team creates and the community they've built.

"At the heart of everything I do is a deep belief that people are capable of more than they think," she said. "When given the right tools, support, and environment, transformation becomes not only possible, but sustainable.

"That's the work I'm committed to every day. Surround yourself with brilliant and compassionate people. Decide what ripple you create and give to the world."

As late-summer resets give way to fall wellness goals, Sweeney and her team will be right where they always are — helping people trade quick fixes for something that actually lasts. That kind of leadership doesn't need a spotlight. It just needs to show up, consistently, for the people counting on it.

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