The women behind the
No Taboo Mom Project
"But behind all your stories is always your mother's story, because hers is where yours begins."
Ewa Gillen
Born 1985 | Mother of Milou | Polish Berliner
I was born in Poland and shaped by the world. Over the past two decades, I’ve lived, studied, and worked across Germany, Canada, Australia, and Spain, building a life around creativity, strategy, and storytelling. In 2014, I founded my own creative studio, helping organizations communicate ideas, build brands, and connect with people through meaningful stories.
For a long time, I thought I understood transformation. Then I became a mother.
Motherhood introduced me to a side of womanhood I had never fully seen before. Not only the joy and love we hear so much about, but also the physical, emotional, and identity shifts that often remain hidden behind silence, expectations, or half-truths. Like many women, I found myself navigating challenges I hadn’t been prepared for and asking questions I didn’t know I would ever need to ask.
The more I learned, the more I realized how many women were having similar experiences, often feeling isolated, unheard, or simply uninformed. No Taboo Mom was born from that realization.
Together with my friend and co-founder Julia, I wanted to create the kind of space I wish had existed when I began my own journey. A place where women can find honest stories, trusted information, diverse perspectives, and conversations that don’t shy away from difficult topics.
Because No Taboo Mom isn’t only about motherhood. It’s about womanhood in all its complexity. Fertility, birth, identity, relationships, recovery, menopause, health, ambition, and everything in between.
Today, I continue to work as a creative strategist and founder, but I am also a listener, researcher, advocate, and storyteller. Through No Taboo Mom, I hope to help create a world where women are better informed, better supported, and never made to feel alone in their experiences.
Real stories inspire real change.
Julia Kolbe
Born 1986 | Mother of Ida & Elsie | German
I used to be always on the move—restless, curious, dancing between cities and continents. Life was a patchwork of adventures, friendships, and late-night stories. I trained and worked as a psychiatric nurse, witnessing life from its rawest edges. But when I met my husband and later became a mother, something shifted. Not just in circumstance—but in rhythm. For the first time, I found stillness.
Motherhood arrived in two distinct chapters: one in the clinical setting of a hospital, the other in the quiet strength of my own home. These births showed me both the limits and the beauty of our medical systems—and how deeply women’s needs are often overlooked or silenced. As a healthcare professional, I had seen the cracks. As a mother, I felt them.
This dual experience pushed me to learn more. I recently earned a Master’s degree in Health, Nursing, and Medical Education with a focus on Nursing Pedagogy. My mission is to bridge knowledge and empathy—to teach with both facts and feelings, and to give future professionals the tools to care for women more holistically.
No Taboo Mom was born from shared frustration and shared fire. When Ewa and I met, we quickly realized how many untold stories lived in the spaces between our experiences. We created this platform to bring those stories to light—to speak freely, to connect deeply, to remind each other we’re not alone.
Through No Taboo Mom, I want to keep learning, keep growing, and keep showing up—for my daughters, for myself, and for the women who don’t yet have the words.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who contributed to this meaningful project. Special thanks to our husbands, Benjamin and Robert, for their unwavering support, and to Shannon, Constance, Ashley, and Golnaz for their invaluable assistance with this initiative.
