An international Women’s Day edit
In Her Element
We’re spotlighting four women from our community who inspire us—in the way they create, lead, nurture, and move through the world. Each one, fully in her element.
Meet Sisley Killam, Registered Holistic Nutritionist and founder of @theacnenutritionist. Sisley helps women achieve clear skin through a functional, root-cause approach. Over the past decade, she has supported thousands of women in restoring balance, confidence, and a deeper understanding of their skin.
Photos by @daniellenieuwendyk
Saltyface: How has your pregnancy empowered you or shifted your perspective on women’s bodies — especially through your lens as a nutritionist specializing in women’s health?
Sisley: In my clinical practice, I’ve helped many women get pregnant and support their bodies & skin during pregnancy, but going through pregnancy myself has been the most eye opening experience. It has shown me the true importance of taking care of myself on a whole other level. All the work I’ve done for my health up until pregnancy allowed me to move through this time with a calm mind, no matter how challenging it got at times. And for that, I am grateful.
Saltyface: What inspired you to build a career centered around helping women feel confident and empowered in their bodies?
Sisley: My own struggles with acne led to me to want to help other women going through the same thing. I spent many nights crying on my bedroom floor googling “how to clear my acne” — I felt hopeless and didn’t know where to turn after being dismissed so many times by the conventional system. I do what I do now for my younger self, and all the women going through it.
Saltyface: What does International Women’s Day mean to you, and what message would you share with women who are on their own healing journey?
Sisley: I believe experiencing acne is truly a blessing in disguise. Acne is really just a signal from the body telling us that something is out of balance. When we lean into that and address skin imbalances from a root-cause approach, we learn so much about our bodies and how to support our overall health and confidence long term. It’s not just about glowing skin — it’s about feeling calm and connected to your body for life.
Based in Squamish, British Columbia, Celeste Pomerantz is a professional athlete whose life is shaped by the mountains. After growing up on Vancouver’s North Shore and spending a decade ski racing, she shifted her focus to backcountry and big mountain skiing—continuing to follow the terrain, freedom, and adventure that inspire her most.
Saltyface: As a professional skier and mountain biker, what’s something you wish more women understood about their strength—physically or mentally?
Celeste: I wish more women understood that our strength is inherent. In our lives, we navigate so much discomfort, pain, and fear. It is woven into our worlds amongst all the good, and beautiful. We have the innate ability to show up for ourselves and we're capable of so much more than what is generally assumed of us.
Saltyface: What lessons about resilience and confidence have you gained as a woman working in traditionally male-dominated sports?
Celeste: Something I have come to realize recently is staying anchored in myself. Regardless of the comparison that I have working in a male-dominated sport, I have learnt to recognize my differences and lean into them to my advantage. It sets me backwards to minimize myself or take less space. Carve out your own space and be firm in it. That is how my confidence has grown over the years in this industry.
Saltyface: What does International Women’s Day mean to you, and what message would you share with women who are building something of their own?
Celeste: International Women’s day to me is all about recognition. Recognizing how far we have come but also recognizing how much work there is to be done. Seeing more and more women dominating in the sports world over the years has been extremely apparent and we’re gaining momentum. It’s about inclusivity, creating space for more women to thrive rather than approaching from a “there’s only space for one” mentality. My advice would be to carve your own path, accept help from other women, and make space for future women in your field or industry. The more the better!
Meet Sophie Axelson, founder of Homebody Studios, a Pilates studio with locations in Southern California and Texas. She shares a behind-the-scenes look at building a timeless Pilates brand and creating intentional spaces for movement and connection.
Saltyface: As a Pilates instructor and studio founder, what’s something you’ve learned about women’s strength—physically or emotionally—that continues to inspire you?
Sophie: What continues to inspire me is how layered women’s strength really is. It’s not just physical endurance (though I see plenty of that in the studio), it’s emotional resilience. I’ve watched women walk through some of the hardest seasons of their lives and still carve out 50 minutes to move their bodies. That decision alone, to show up for themselves, is powerful.
And on a lighter note, I do love watching the men quake and shake in class while women hold steady. There’s something incredibly validating about witnessing just how strong women truly are.
Saltyface: What motivated you to create a space like Homebody, and how do you hope women feel when they walk through your doors?
Sophie: I created Homebody because I wanted more than a workout space. I wanted a place where people felt welcomed, cherished, and genuinely cared for. Movement is powerful, but community is transformative. I wanted a studio where women show up early, linger after class, make new friends, and feel known by name. A place that feels like a second home: not intimidating, not transactional, but warm and grounding.
When a woman walks through our doors, I hope she feels like she belongs. Like she doesn’t have to perform or prove anything. Just arrive as she is, and leave feeling stronger than when she walked in.
Saltyface: What does International Women’s Day mean to you, and what message would you share with women who are building something of their own?
Sophie: International Women’s Day is a reminder of how expansive womanhood is: mothers, founders, creatives, students, women in transition, women rebuilding, women just beginning. All of it counts!! It’s not always easy to be a woman. There are expectations, pressures, invisible loads we carry. But there is also an undeniable strength: empathy, intuition, resilience, the ability to hold many things at once and still move forward.
To the women building something of their own: I am so proud of you. It won’t always feel easy, and it won’t always feel linear. But your vision exists for a reason. Lead with your integrity. Set your standards high. Rest when you need to. And don’t give up on something that feels aligned just because it feels hard.
You are more capable than you think!!
Aleksandra Zee is a California-based artist and woodworker whose work explores light, texture, and natural form. Through sculptural wood installations and minimalist design, she creates pieces that reflect a deep connection to nature and place.
Saltyface: As an artist whose work often explores emotion and connection, what’s something you wish more women understood about their creativity and self-expression?
Aleksandra: I wish more women understood that creativity isn’t something reserved for artists, it’s a way of moving through the world. It shows up in how we shape our homes, how we care for the people around us, how we solve problems, how we tell our stories. For a long time, many of us were taught to quiet that instinct or treat it as something secondary. But creativity is one of our most natural forms of expression. It’s where intuition lives.
The more we trust that instinct, without worrying about whether it’s perfect, profitable, or even understood, the more powerful it becomes.
Saltyface: What has your journey as a female artist taught you about confidence, vulnerability, and owning your voice?
Aleksandra: My journey has taught me that confidence isn’t something you start with, it’s something you build through showing up again and again. When I started, sharing my work felt incredibly vulnerable. You’re putting a piece of yourself out into the world and hoping it resonates. But over time I realized that vulnerability is actually the thing that connects us. The more honest the work is, the more people feel it.
Owning your voice is less about being loud and more about being clear. It’s about trusting your perspective and allowing it to take up space.
Saltyface: What does International Women’s Day mean to you, and what message would you share with women who are building something of their own?
Aleksandra: International Women’s Day feels like a moment to pause and recognize how much women create, not just in business or art, but in community, and in culture. To women building something of their own, I would say: move at your own pace and build it in a way that feels true to you. There’s a lot of noise about how success should look, but the most meaningful work comes from alignment.
When something is built with intention, patience, and care, it is profound.
