Milkweed & Monarchs

Welcome to Milkweed and Monarchs! I’m your host, Dawn Klem, and today, I want to share a story that reminds us of the incredible strength found in determination, resilience, and the pursuit of a better life. Have you ever met someone whose journey feels larger than life—someone who faced unimaginable obstacles but kept pushing forward, refusing to give in? That’s the story I’ll be sharing today. I...

Welcome to Milkweed and Monarchs! I’m your host, Dawn Klem, and today, I want to dive into the power of storytelling—the kind that connects us, inspires us, and reminds us of the resilience that lives within each of us. Life is full of moments—some planned, some unexpected—that shape who we become. Sometimes, it’s a conversation that lingers in our minds. Other times, it’s the quiet strength of a...

Welcome to Milkweed and Monarchs . I’m Dawn Klem, and today, I take you back to the very beginning—the moment I first encountered milkweed and unknowingly stepped into a lifelong fascination with its role in nature. Growing up, summers at my grandparents’ farm in northern Ohio were filled with adventure. My brother and I spent our days chasing kittens, gathering eggs, and riding tractors through t...

Welcome to Milkweed and Monarchs! I’m your host, Dawn Klem, and today, I want to talk about something simple yet profoundly powerful—kindness. Sometimes, life presents challenges that feel insurmountable. We stumble, we doubt, and we question whether we’re strong enough to keep going. But then, in those moments of struggle, kindness has the power to change everything. Whether it’s the patience of...

  Welcome to Milkweed and Monarchs! I’m your host, Dawn Klem, and today, we’re diving into something close to my heart—lessons learned through experience, through hardship, and through the people who shape our journeys. In a world that often moves too fast, we don’t always pause to recognize the moments that change us. Sometimes they happen in grand, sweeping gestures. Other times, they sneak up o...

Welcome to Milkweed and Monarchs! I’m your host, Dawn Klem, and this podcast is all about transformation—the kind that happens in quiet moments, in life-changing decisions, and in the extraordinary journeys of everyday people. I believe that in a world filled with noise and division, there’s something powerful about listening to stories that uplift, inspire, and remind us of the strength within ea...

Welcome to Milkweed and Monarchs! I am your host Dawn Klem, and today we are diving deep into the wellspring of inspiration.  As you know,inspiration can spring from countless sources: the beauty of nature, the wisdom of parents (even if it,s a tough lesson like my dad's "nobody helped me" philosophy from our first episode), the support of siblings and friends, the solace of a church, a captivatin...

    Welcome to Milkweed and Monarchs ! I'm Dawn Klem, and in this first episode, I want to take a moment to introduce myself, share what inspired me to start this podcast, and explain the meaning behind its name. I’m not a celebrity, an athlete, or a politician—just an everyday person with stories to tell. I grew up in southern Michigan, navigated life’s twists and turns, and eventually found my w...