Raising a Powerful Girl

Knowing your authentic self is so important but with the layers and masks put on us by society and our own upbringing it can be hard to uncover who we really are at our core? So how do we raise girls to really know what hey are and not allow these layers and masks to be put on in the first place?Belkis Clarke-Mitcham is a motivational speaker and spiritual life coach who helps women over 25 who have lived through trauma to identify their prisons, break free, and unleash their unique light. A survivor of sexual abuse, Belkis has risen from a place of attempted suicide to success. In more than a decade she has helped many individuals. Belkis holds a bachelor's in English and a minor in Communication and an M. A. in Human Communication. Now she spends her time helping sexual abuse survivors move past the trauma to rediscover value and purpose. She also help many women who have experienced other trauma to break free of what imprisons them and live in their freedom boldly and apologetically.  When she is not helping women find their happiness and authenticity after trauma she is helping other women transform their lives by finding clarity, discovering purpose and learning to love and live who they truly are. AS a mother to a little girls herself Belkis is an expert on helping women to unmarks and unleash their true authentic selves and provides incredible insight on how she is raising her daughter freee of masks.  

The hunt for the perfect College or University can be a stressful one for parents and girls. Trying to navigate between big name schools or the lesser knowns, large universities or small, how do you find the perfect fit? 1 in 3 college students transfers at one point of their college career. Find out what your child should be looking for in a school and hear this one insiders tip on the one thing that can set your application apart from everyone else’s! Shannon Evans is not your run-of-the-mill educator. With more than 17 years as a teacher and coach under her belt, she’s worked as an academic and admissions counselor for multiple colleges including University of Maryland, University of Oklahoma, Mississippi State University, East Mississippi Community College, and Utica College. Shannon holds a Masters of Education in Measurements of Human Learning and Statistics. She conducts workshops for students and parents with her Decision Matrix™. Her passion is helping students develop communication, autonomy, and “adulting” skills that will serve them as they go off to college to explore the opportunities and experiences that await them.  In 2017 Shannon founded the Scholar Coach Academy to help families understand the college recruiting process for athletes and to teach them to leverage their athletic and academic skills so that they can get in the college that’s best for them with the best financial package possible. She focuses on helping families minimize the possibility of student debt for their child while helping kids pursue their passions. Shannon is a published author and has been featured in Seattle Women’s Magazine, Rotary International, The Huffington Post, and The Commercial Appeal.

It's far too easy as women (as mothers) to dismiss the power we have. It's easy to think that our daughters will do what we say and not pay attention to what we do or how we are in the world. When we realize how much they watch us, how much they want to emulate what we DO, it can unleash a desire to ACT in the world in ways we've been too timid to before.Nica Waters lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, with her husband and 2 teenagers. A lifelong teacher, she lives her life by the principle “Yes, you can!” and works to inspire others to believe the same. When not on the Chesapeake Bay on her family’s sailboat, she can be found guiding other women sailors on Facebook (Women Who Sail group), instructing other women sailors on the podcast (The Boat Galley Podcast), or generally encouraging people. She’s proudest of raising a daughter who sticks up for others and who uses her own voice for change and is an independent thinker and creator.

If you don't love yourself and live confidently into your thoughts and feelings you can not impact positive change in the world. A powerful girl is a girl who loves herself and lives confidently as herself. Even if she doesn't feel confident in everything she does she is confident in WHO she is! Lisa VanAhn is all about teaching girls self-protection and self-confidence. She works with younger girls (and their mothers) to teach the power of Think-Feel-Act and how to live into your purpose and knowing of who you are.

Allexia C. Breweris a raspberry filled in a box of glazed Krispy Kreme's. A rebel, provocateur, irritant (just a bit) and all around maverick.  Always paving new paths, crushing the norm and standing FIERCELY in her own authenticity. She is a masterful online entrepreneur specializing in how to build authentic relationships online and she brings her unique color and flavor to a world filled with gray and redundancy.   She is a career entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience in sales and marketing. She delights in modeling for others the back to basics approach of how to connect, collaborate and contribute online and offline. She will be releasing a children's book for young girls set in Greek Mythology. The message of leadership and authenticity will further her message and reach a global audience, along with the book FIERCE, which will be a guide for children of all ages to stepping into exactly who GOD designed you to be.  As a Mother to three girls she understands the challenge of raising spirited, passionate and empowered girls today and shares with us some insight on how to raise a budding leader in your home without losing your mind.  

Whether you are a single parent by choice, widowed, divorced, have a partner who travels or is emotionally unavailable finding community of parents going through similar situations is key to navigating the journey! Join us on this conversation as we chat with Tonia Adleta.Tonia is a serial entrepreneur, founder and host of The Single Parent Summit and Recovering Church Girls. As a single mom of two amazing teenagers, passing on her love of travel and adventure, her life is fueled by coffee and laughter, in her pursuit to make a difference. 

Clothing has a huge impact on girls, especially at an early age. Not only does clothing allow girls to have the ability to express themselves and their interests but it impact how they learn and play from being able to move, run, jump and tumble to collecting items on a nature walk and having pockets to store their little treasures. unfortunately most main stream clothing today has a very limited view on what “girl clothing” is and should look like. And with that Princes Awesome Girls fills that gap. Rebecca Melsky is the Co-Founder and CEO of Princess Awesome. She founded Princess Awesome with her good friend, Eva St. Clair, in 2013 after realizing that she couldn't find any dinosaurs, rocketships, or a host of other themes on the cute, twirly dresses that he daughter loved to wear. Rebecca has a Master's Degree in Education and taught for 10 years before leaving to work on Princess Awesome. She lives in Washington, DC, with her three kids ages 8, 5, and 9 months. 

Dr. Theresa Lyons Ph.D. is a staunch advocate sounding off about sleepless nights that exist for over 75 percent of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). She’s part Ivy League scientist, medical strategist, trailblazer, and “Mama Bear”. And her little cub is proof positive that Autism, even the most severe cases, can leap from a state of fragmentation to emphatic and empirical healing.With 18 years of concentrated study in chemistry, deep collaborations with pharma KOLs, and a 7-year track record as mother to a child of Autistic needs, she is rethinking the impossible. As a matter of fact, she is thinking 30 light years ahead of highly coveted research – making the future of developmental health the present.Dr. Theresa Lyons, “The Autism Healing Expert”, teaches parents how to forget about autism and do the fun things that they dreamed about doing with their child before the diagnosis.Recognized as an autism and nutrition expert by Huffington Post and Dr. Mark Hyman, Dr. Lyons is the premiere voice of scientific reason in the world of autism. Her mission is to correct the widespread misinformation on autism, nutrition and therapies and seriously impact the autism epidemic with her science-based approach to food and wellness.Dr. Lyons has her PhD in chemistry from Yale University and loves to translate cutting-edge research into actionable steps that parents can easily take to improve their child’s life.

Dr. Theresa Lyons Ph.D. is a staunch advocate sounding off about sleepless nights that exist for over 75 percent of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). She’s part Ivy League scientist, medical strategist, trailblazer, and “Mama Bear”. And her little cub is proof positive that Autism, even the most severe cases, can leap from a state of fragmentation to emphatic and empirical healing.With 18 years of concentrated study in chemistry, deep collaborations with pharma KOLs, and a 7-year track record as mother to a child of Autistic needs, she is rethinking the impossible. As a matter of fact, she is thinking 30 light years ahead of highly coveted research – making the future of developmental health the present.Dr. Theresa Lyons, “The Autism Healing Expert”, teaches parents how to forget about autism and do the fun things that they dreamed about doing with their child before the diagnosis.Recognized as an autism and nutrition expert by Huffington Post and Dr. Mark Hyman, Dr. Lyons is the premiere voice of scientific reason in the world of autism. Her mission is to correct the widespread misinformation on autism, nutrition and therapies and seriously impact the autism epidemic with her science-based approach to food and wellness. Dr. Lyons has her PhD in chemistry from Yale University and loves to translate cutting-edge research into actionable steps that parents can easily take to improve their child’s life.

Dr. Theresa Lyons Ph.D. is a staunch advocate sounding off about sleepless nights that exist for over 75 percent of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). She’s part Ivy League scientist, medical strategist, trailblazer, and “Mama Bear”. And her little cub is proof positive that Autism, even the most severe cases, can leap from a state of fragmentation to emphatic and empirical healing.With 18 years of concentrated study in chemistry, deep collaborations with pharma KOLs, and a 7-year track record as mother to a child of Autistic needs, she is rethinking the impossible. As a matter of fact, she is thinking 30 light years ahead of highly coveted research – making the future of developmental health the present.Dr. Theresa Lyons, “The Autism Healing Expert”, teaches parents how to forget about autism and do the fun things that they dreamed about doing with their child before the diagnosis.Recognized as an autism and nutrition expert by Huffington Post and Dr. Mark Hyman, Dr. Lyons is the premiere voice of scientific reason in the world of autism. Her mission is to correct the widespread misinformation on autism, nutrition and therapies and seriously impact the autism epidemic with her science-based approach to food and wellness. Dr. Lyons has her PhD in chemistry from Yale University and loves to translate cutting-edge research into actionable steps that parents can easily take to improve their child’s life.

A powerful girl is also a kind and compassionate girl. She is the one to stick up for a friend or sit with that person who is by themself at the lunch table. The powerful girl is the one who leads her class in helping others, not always vocally but also through her actions. It is more important than ever that we teach our girls the importance of kindness and through this we are raising powerful girls.Sitinee Sheffert is a social entrepreneur, blogger and speaker with a passion for empowering kids to make a difference. She is the founder of Giving Artfully, a platform to connect crafters with volunteer opportunities, and Giving Artfully Kids, a program that inspires kids to spread kindness through crafting-based service projects. More than 500 students have participated in her programs, donating over 3000 items to communities and charities worldwide. The mission at Giving Artfully Kids is to inspire/empower kids to spread kindness and give to others. Sitinee has been a featured TEDx speaker and has also spoken at several other conferences and parent education workshops. She has been a guest blogger for Scary Mommy and YFS Magazine.

Our girls are bombarded with messages every day there is only one way to be "female." Often these images and messages are over-sexualized and hyper-focused on appearance. When we host gender reveal parties that offer "Guns or Glitter," to the sexes, we rob children of the chance to be diverse, complicated humans; choosing instead how they will fulfill our gendered expectations. Think or Blue is a community of parents, teachers, grandparents and family members seeking a rainbow of options for children in a pink and blue world. Gender stereotypes start young, now in the womb, and impact the way we raise our children and the way children develop. The marketing of books, toys, and clothes has become increasingly gendered in the last couple of decades. Pink and blue are no longer colors; they have become personalities and lifestyles. If we stick to outdated stereotypes that girls are sweet, delicate and caring, while boys are active, adventurous leaders, we limit their potential as adults and as humans. Our Guest today is Catherine Bailey. Catherine is the founder of Think or Blue, a community of parents, teachers, and family who believe that children thrive best in a world free from gender stereotypes. Raised in the 1980's on Free to Be You and Me, Catherine has feminism running in her blood.  A former lawyer, she works at a nonprofit organization that empowers and advocates for women and girls through direct service and policy advocacy on topics such as pay equity, paid family and medical leave, and preventing violence and harassment.With her sister, Jackie, she co-authored the 5 Day Reboot to Raising Confident Girls to help parents boost girls' body image, foster authenticity and individuality, and teach their children the power of advocacy and collective action.

Who is the Sumatoo Girl?She is smart, she loves school, and loves to read. She is an athlete. She is an artist. She may be a girly girl but, she isn't afraid to get down and dirty. She can go from sweats and sneakers to a dress and shoes in a heartbeat. Her fashion sense is classy with an edge. She is a sweetheart with a little bit of sass! Sumatoo was founded in 2016 By Nicole Benjamin with the intention of encouraging young girls to love themselves, discover their potential, and realize that the sky is the limit. SUmatoo  wanst to give girls a fun and fashionable way to express themselves. Nicole  has a degree in Fashion Merchandising Management from the prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology(FIT) in New York City. She has over 15 years of experience in the fashion industry including, interning at Kenneth Cole, Product Development at Tommy Hilfiger, and Merchandising at the Asia Society Museum. She also  owned an online children's boutique, Tyler & Madison. Nicole's focus is making sure the best quality fabrics are sourced and that all styles are the most comfortable for our customers. She want all girls look and feel great while dressing age appropriate. Nicole wants the Sumatoo logo and brand to represent fun, trendy, and unique looks; amazing quality with great comfort; and most importantly, empowering and encouraging young girls to know their worth!

Who is the Sumatoo Girl?She is smart, she loves school, and loves to read. She is an athlete. She is an artist. She may be a girly girl but, she isn't afraid to get down and dirty. She can go from sweats and sneakers to a dress and shoes in a heartbeat. Her fashion sense is classy with an edge. She is a sweetheart with a little bit of sass! Sumatoo was founded in 2016 By Nicole Benjamin with the intention of encouraging young girls to love themselves, discover their potential, and realize that the sky is the limit. SUmatoo  wanst to give girls a fun and fashionable way to express themselves. Nicole  has a degree in Fashion Merchandising Management from the prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology(FIT) in New York City. She has over 15 years of experience in the fashion industry including, interning at Kenneth Cole, Product Development at Tommy Hilfiger, and Merchandising at the Asia Society Museum. She also  owned an online children's boutique, Tyler & Madison. Nicole's focus is making sure the best quality fabrics are sourced and that all styles are the most comfortable for our customers. She want all girls look and feel great while dressing age appropriate. Nicole wants the Sumatoo logo and brand to represent fun, trendy, and unique looks; amazing quality with great comfort; and most importantly, empowering and encouraging young girls to know their worth!

Our guest today is Melody Pourmoradi. Melody has been coaching women for over a decade on how to create a vision for their best life. She thrives on sharing her message of self-empowerment and a wellness-centered living through her writing. As the creator of the GiRLiFE Empowerment, she has created a digital course that teaches women how to create girls empowerment groups in their own communities. Her greatest goal is for every young girl and women to find her own voice and live a life that lights her up from the inside-out. She has just released her first book “xoxo, from a girl who gets it: life notes for the young girl within.” Melody is married to the love of her life and together they are the proud parents of twin girls.