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I AM SPOTLIGHT: Brittney Griner
I AM NOT YOUR TRADITIONAL WOMAN
Brittney is a professional basketball player in the WNBA, currently playing for the Phoenix Mercury. She uses her talent and admirable passion for basketball to inspire young black girls and represent them in the media.As a black lesbian woman, Brittney continues breaking down barriers and showing the world what she’s capable of.
How do you inspire and empower people?
I inspire people by being true to myself! I live my life the way I want in the ways that I act, how I dress, and who I date (and eventually married) my beautiful wife, Cherelle.
We all have our shortcomings. What are yours and what do you do about them?
At times, I still battle with wanting to fit in. Though not very often, I still sometimes wonder what people will think or say in certain situations. I end up doing whatever it is that I want to do, but it’s a situation I want to dismiss from my life. I act on it by talking with my wife and friends and they help me realize what I already know: ultimately, whatever someone will think or say about me doesn’t define me.
Brittney wears Woxer in Rose
What empowers you?
Being a black lesbian woman empowers me! As a woman, we are told that we can’t or shouldn’t be certain roles—that we don’t deserve equal pay or a man can do it better! Ha, yeah right. Seeing fellow women accomplish tasks that men can do and break down the barriers, it empowers me to the fullest.
What inspires you to accomplish things that you want to achieve through your platform?
This is easy! I do what I do for the youth! When I was young, I had no one that looked and sounded like I did. I felt so alone. I’m doing this to give those little girls someone they can look up to, and see me and believe in themselves!
Brittney with wife, Cherelle. Credit: Brittney's Instagram
What is your favorite Woxer?
Commando are my favorite. They’re longer, feel so damn soft and good on my skin!
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I AM SPOTLIGHT: Sienna Smith
I AM STRONGER
Sienna is a strong woman. Despite the chronic health issues she continues to struggle with in her life, she never stops turning her goals into reality. Today, Sienna is taking her double bachelor degrees and will pursue her dream to receive a Doctorate in Psychology. She is also planning to open up a child psychology practice that works on a sliding scale to make therapy as accessible as possible.
As someone who’s faced with chronic health issues, in what ways do you inspire people?
I inspire people by working hard towards my goals. Even though I deal with a lot of chronic health issues that put me out of commission for at least a few days out of the month, I work hard to keep myself moving and making progress. I want to prove that even though there are obstacles in my life, they can be overcome and a greater future can come from them. Along with working full time, I'm also working towards double bachelors degrees. My ultimate goal, after years of education, is to receive my doctorate in psychology and open up a child psychology practice that works on a sliding scale to make therapy as accessible as possible. I'd like to be the person that I and so many people I know needed in our lives as children. This is and will continue to be a difficult road to travel, but I am so excited to have the chance to do so.
We all have our shortcomings. What's yours and what do you like to do about it?
I want to improve my ability to stay organized and stay even-keeled in the face of stress. I do tend to have issues with anxiety and I have been seeing a therapist to work on strategies to help me remain in control of my emotions as well as steering my life in a direction where I'm able to eliminate excess stress and create a situation that helps me stay in a a calm and organized headspace.
Sienna wears Woxer Holiday Red in Baller
What empowers you?
I find it empowering to get work done and check things off my to-do list. Having a productive day makes me feel like I can handle anything. Also, I play Dungeons and Dragons and there is no better feeling than figuring out a difficult puzzle!
What inspires you to accomplish things that you want to achieve?
I do what I do because I know that ultimately it will help. Going to school will eventually get me to a place where I can help children. Working (in real estate title insurance) allows me to help people get the coverage that they need during closing. Working to figure out a diagnosis will help me, but it will also help my doctors recognize the symptoms I'm dealing with if they encounter them again.
What was an empowering yet difficult experience in your life that shaped who you are?
2019 was one of the most difficult times of my life. In January I lost my job in title insurance. I was laid off during a slow season and I struggled for a while to find something else in the field. In May of 2018 I had received my associates degree in Early Childhood Education, so after a while I chose to seek out employment in the child care field. I started work in April and fell head over heels in love with what I was doing. It was hard work, for sure. It's the hardest work I've ever done and as my health got worse, it got even harder.
Ultimately I lost that job as well because of poor attendence (due to my failing health) as well as other circumstances beyond my control. I then landed in the hospital for the first time. I had lost two jobs, I was failing my semester because of the stress I was under, and suddenly I was bed-bound in an unfamiliar place. Over the next few months, my world completed it's cycle of crashing down around me. I made choices I regret and became someone I didn't recognize. If that wasn't my rock bottom it was the closest I've been.
In August I left the environment I was in and moved back in with my mother. This was the beginning of my ascent out of the pit I'd been in. Thanks to a professional friend of mine, I found a job back in title insurance. It's a better position for me than I've ever held before. Even though I'm unable to work with children right now, I'm back on track working towards a place where I can again. I've gotten back to a place where I am getting the tests I need to progress towards diagnosis. I'm back in a place where I'm happy and working on myself. I've learned that no matter where you're at, you can turn it around.
Lastly, what is your favorite Woxer?
My favorite Woxers are the Ballers. They're so comfortable and when you're sitting in a hospital gown, it feels like a little more covered than if you're just sitting in traditional women's underwear.
SHOP SIENNA'S FAVORITE
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I AM SPOTLIGHT: Erin Phillips
I AM INSPIRATION TO THE LGBT COMMUNITY
Today, Erin continues to empower the LGBT community by creating positive, fun, and creative content through different social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.
As a student and social media influencer, in what ways do you inspire people?
I inspire people by listening to their problems—I'm the kind of person that gives advice and helps people out with difficult situations.
We all have our shortcomings. What's yours and what do you like to do about it?
Something I struggle with a lot is patience, a quality I've never been good at. I definitely want to try and work on this quality as it's very important in my line of work.
Erin wears Woxer Holiday Green
What empowers you?
My mother empowers me. She has had a heart condition since she was born. She has a pacemaker and wasn't supposed to give birth to a child. She's a strong and powerful woman who has won many advertisement/marketing awards. My mom shows me that I can be just like her.
What 'I AM' short story can you share as an inspiration to others?
There's a couple little stories that all go into the same category. Almost every day I go to school, a student would ask me if I'm a boy or girl. There was one encounter, I was heading into the girls' bathroom and overheard a couple boys saying "That's a guy? Why is he going in the girls' bathroom?" I don't stand down, I defend myself. So, I said "Yes, I'm a girl, thank you." Basically, I'm not hurt if people assume my gender. I usually ignore it because I know who I AM, and I AM ERIN.
Lastly, what is your favorite Woxer?
I actually like the new "I AM" line. I love beige and that slate grey blue. I am a huge fan of the Baller style because I like to wear my Woxers without pants on around the house, and they look like long shorts to me. It's literally the comfiest boxers I've ever worn.
SHOP ERIN'S FAVORITE
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Different Standards Mean Women Need Less Talk about Change, and More Action
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
The wage gap. Representation in media. Consent. These are issues that have plagued women for centuries, but now, with the #metoo movement and other important conversations taking place, we are finally going to see some changes… right?
Talking is all well and good, but you know what’s even better? Action.
Empowering Comfort: Kaycee Clark, Tayler Jimenez, Jess Guilbeaux, Emma Larson
The Disconnect
It’s no small secret that clothing and beauty are massive markets, and the only way these markets are able to be so successful is by convincing women that their own natural beauty simply isn’t enough. That is why clothing is designed to show off our shape – and that is after we are shamed into dieting our shape into unhealthy levels of “perfection.”
When the rally cry goes up that every body is beautiful, that’s a good thing. When curvy women grace the covers of magazines, that is progress. But we are not out of the woods yet.
Inclusivity and Body Positivity is What Woxer Stands For
Try this little experiment. Go to Google. Type in “puts on leggy display.” What happens? Images and videos of celebrity women in shorts and skirts. Not images of men. Images of women.
Now type in “showing off smarts.” You can guess what happens. A smattering of scholarly discussions about being and acting smart, but not one glossy tabloid photo of a female celebrity having a deep discussion about anything STEM related.
This, once again, reinforces the need to keep pushing for more action, not just talk, in showing women as more than legs, shapes, and something pretty to photograph.
The Sad Truth
If you want to see how truly ridiculous it is, go to Bored Panda’s recent parody article where male celebrities were given the same objectifying headlines as women. It’s absolutely hilarious to laugh at “Arnold sizzles as he goes braless in polo shirt for Paris visit,” and “Chris Pratt exudes body confidence in barely there shorts,” but when we switch those male names out for female ones like this actual headline: “Kylie Jenner Goes Shirtless While Tugging Down Her Sweats & Flashing Her Rock-Hard Abs,” suddenly it’s not funny anymore. It’s downright creepy.
Be Part of the Change
We need to celebrate that important conversations regarding the objectification and degradation of women are finally taking place. But we also need to ensure that we keep that momentum going. For example, be careful of what you share on social media. Instead of hitting the share button on yet another celeb going naked (and airbrushed) on a magazine cover and hashtagging it #goals, share women like Greta Thunberg who are willing to call out an entire nation’s apathy. Instead of dreaming about looking like Kim Kardashian (easy to do if you have a spare $17,200 lying around), grab a copy of Tough Mothers and read about ordinary women whose bravery and courage changed history.
We don’t have the luxury of waiting around for the beauty industry to recognize us as more than a pretty face. We can be the strongest agents of change when we stop looking for outside validation and start believing in the beauty and strength that lies within.
Woxer supports the strong, natural, confident woman and knows that, when you are comfortable in your own skin, you can change the world.
Empower Yourself Through Comfort
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5 Reasons Woxer is the Perfect Gift
It’s the gift that you won't stop hearing about all year round.
1. Unmatched Comfort
You won't go back to other underwear.
Baller Holiday Red
2. Sustainably Made
It’s a gift you can feel good about giving. Fabric is harvested sustainably and ethically.
Stud Holiday 3-Pack
3. Empowering
Unleash your power in a product made by women, for women.
Baller Holiday Green
4. Superior Quality
Thoughtfully designed, seamless, and soft.
All Styles Surprise 6-Pack
5. Stylish
Colors that never go out of style.
Baller All Black 3-Pack
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5 Reasons Why LGBTQ Entrepreneurs Are Joining Forces
Entrepreneurship and risk are a package deal, and launching a company as an LGBTQ person places yet another set of challenges on an already uncertain endeavor. A question such as, “Is my product-market fit secure enough to raise venture capital?” gives way to something more haunting: “Could my sexual orientation or gender identity limit how much funding I get from investors?” As a result, a young LGBTQ person might forego their innovative startup idea for a more secure job at a company that accepts, or even celebrates, their identity.
To help reduce career barriers for LGBTQ entrepreneurs and promote innovation around issues affecting the LGBTQ community, Venture for America and Out in Tech have joined forces. Together, they are committed to building networks of LGBTQ entrepreneurs, promoting diversity in startup communities, and enabling more LGBTQ people to see entrepreneurship and tech as viable career paths.
Here’s why:
1. The data show real inequality gaps for LGBTQ people in entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneurship, especially in tech, has a well-documented problemwith racial and gender diversity. Research on LGBTQ diversity is more limited – an issue in and of itself – but evidence suggests LGBTQ founders also face difficulties.
A 2016 study by StartOut reported that 37% of LGBT startup founders in the United States did not come out to their investors, and LGBT-founded companies raised 11% less capital than a sample of their non-LGBT peers.
Companies in states and cities with anti-LGBT policies, as well as those founded by LBT women, were at an even greater disadvantage. Among study participants, LGBT founders were more than twice as likely as their non-LGBT counterparts to move their companies to more accepting locales like California, New York, and Massachusetts. Seventy percent of LBT women raised less than $750,000 of outside capital, while 47% of GBT men raised at least $2 million.
2. Strong networks provide better access to resources and investors.
Startup life can be lonely, and that isolation can be costly for new ventures. Research from Babson College on common practices of entrepreneurs highlights the need for “membership in physical communities where ideas can be shared and shaped.” Startup communities tend to offer good opportunities for productive collaboration like co-working spaces and meet-ups around shared interests. Even with the best intentions of inclusivity and acceptance, however, straight white men tend to dominate these circles and diversity remains elusive.
As a result, and due to the smaller proportion of LGBTQ people in the general population, the density of LGBTQ people in startup networks is low. This makes it tough to find a strong network of advisors, confidantes, and advocates. Building communities of LGBTQ entrepreneurs can help. Together, we can connect with each other and generate the social capital necessary to build customer bases, recruit top talent, and attract investors.
3. LGBTQ-supportive companies see positive outcomes for employees.
In many cases, corporate employees benefit from policies and employee resource groups that protect LGBTQ individuals from workplace discrimination and provide a sense of formal inclusion. A 2013 study from the Williams Institute finds that LGBTQ employees at supportive companies experience less discrimination, better health, and higher job satisfaction and commitment.
Startups, however, often lack the scale at which intra-company LGBTQ groups can be formed. Early-stage companies may only have a handful of employees, of which one or two might identify as LGBTQ. LGBTQ entrepreneurs can build formal networks to mimic the sense of community gained from such groups in corporate spaces and benefit from a heightened sense of well-being at work and in the broader startup community.
4. LGBTQ innovation helps companies solve problems and tap into new markets.
In 2015, LGBTQ Americans had $917 billion in collective buying power, on par with that of other minority groups. Of course, LGBTQ entrepreneurs themselves are uniquely equipped to develop new products and services tailored to LGBTQ consumers.
LGBTQ employees at Facebook listened to fellow LGBTQ users and advocated for custom gender identities on profiles. Her, a lesbian dating app, was developed out of the founder’s own frustration with using versions of other apps geared toward heterosexuals and gay men. The Out in Tech Digital Corps helps provide web services for LGBTQ activists and organizations around the world. A quick search for “best LGBTQ products,” however, reveals few results and lots of room for growth. Together, we can identify and tap into opportunities in our own market more effectively.
Diversity in company leadership also drives innovation. Research published in the Harvard Business Review found that firms with a diverse set of leaders are 45% more likely to report market share growth and 70% more likely to have secured a new market altogether. However, 78% of firms lack a diverse set of leaders, and LGBT employees at these companies are 21% less likely to win endorsement for their ideas.
5. Future generations of LGBTQ people should see entrepreneurship as a viable path to success.
Adversity is only one side of the story. In contrast to some LGBTQ people with careers in traditional organizations – financial institutions, school districts, corporate law firms, retail companies, etc. – LGBTQ entrepreneurs may have an easier time carving out paths for themselves without daily dealings with prejudiced bosses or coworkers. LGBTQ people should embrace entrepreneurship as a way to escape the old boys clubs and create their own inclusive work environments.
That being said, challenges persist. Venture for America and Out in Tech believe that the best way to resolve these issues is to encourage more entrepreneurship in the LGBTQ community. After all, embarking on an entrepreneurial endeavor and coming out as LGBTQ are easier with role models to admire. A similar sense of familiarity with LGBTQ people is also important for our straight and cis-gendered colleagues. Together, we can inspire future generations to prioritize gender identity and sexual orientation as assets and never as liabilities.
Via: Forbes
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