Hi, I’m Izzi and I am so grateful you’re here.

Just like each and every one of you, I have questioned my worth throughout my life. I questioned the value of who I was as a human based off of other people and their opinions.

Throughout middle school, high school, college, and even the work place I’ve been bullied and both emotionally and physically harassed, beat up, criticized, and picked to the bone by other women. I kept telling myself that it would get better as I aged. I was wrong. For the life of me I couldn’t understand what I was doing wrong and it sent me on a downward insecurity spiral.

Why do we do this to one another? Why do we hate when we could love? Why do we talk shit when we could compliment? Why do we judge when we could admire? Why do we snark instead of smiling? Why do we compete? Why do we compare? Why is our natural instinct to judge the other women in the room based on how they look and act? Why does that determine whether or not they are worthy enough to speak to us or whether or not we are worthy to speak to them?

I have the answer. In simple terms: society. We were raised on movies like Mean Girls where being untouchable, bitchy, disparaging, and ungrateful is glamorous and stepping on others to make yourself look better is the only way to do so. That is how others notice you, that’s how you gain ‘popularity,’ it’s how you matter. We were raised seeing one alpha female, competing for the top spot against the kind, nice, vulnerable girl time and time again. Whether it be for the fame, for the recognition, for the power or for the guy. We watch the gorgeous, well-dressed, usually wealthy and worldly woman, hold the throne and the influence over all else. As girls we see this and think that is our way to success. That is our value.

There is so much room for all of us to be the best versions of ourselves. In fact, when we share, collaborate, and support we get there faster than on our own.