I am not expert here but let me tell you why I feel that I am expert level in this area..... I was a fat kid my whole life and growing up being told " my face so was pretty if only I would lose some weight ". The world always gives us an " if only ". If Only you were older, younger, thinner, you name it. The If Only gave me this inner voice to tell me I was good enough" if only " . If my early 20's I got skinny. That is when I realized that much like Dorothy and her Ruby Slippers, I had the power all along. I realized that I had always been enough, got really pissed I ever listened to anyone who told me I was a " but only " and have been unstoppable ever since. Some of that wisdom has come with age some of it has come because I realized that no one really knows what they are talking about and by giving someone a " but only " made them feel better about themselves.

The second reason I can talk in this space is a I have two girls who are now 12 and 13... I see it every day, society tells girls they are now women, they have access to all kinds of crazy messaging on the internet and the only way anyone is talking about them is how awful they are, always on their phones, not contributing.... it's easy to criticize but who is standing up for them ?

Who is telling them that they are amazing, butt kicking , humans with unbound potential ? I am and together with my basketball partner and Co Founder of the Girls FLBA Aaron who grew up with 5 Sisters we teach them to believe in themselves.

I truly believe every single human I meet can be anything they want. There are no rules, the rules we put on ourselves are someone else's. We started our FLBA Girls Basketball Program in June 2018 with 11 girls and we now have over 300. Our program is free, we do not ask for donations but if parents like our program they can make one and we just get girls strong. It's 49 % basketball and 51 % YOU CAN DO ANYTHING

Having my own business allows me to put my time into the program and fund different pieces of the program where I can.

Full Confession - I have never played a day of basketball in my whole life. The success of the program validates the fact that I am telling you I am crazy stupid and if I want to do something I do. I figure it out and make it the best it can be. I actually teach basketball at a beginner level AND I think the kids actually love it.

I get plenty of people who dislike me. I am too much for them. I don't worry about how things may make people feel. I would not put myself out there if I did not believe that I can change things and do you know what people hate the most ? Change !

If someone dislikes me or is upset with me because I don't fit their rules, that is ok with me and I want girls to know that it is ok for them too.

As long as they are being safe, being good, kind humans, are contributing to this world in a positive way than they should absolutely be out there living their true lives. No need to make themselves fit to make someone else comfortable.... someone doesn't like you, that's ok, there are a bazillion people in the this world, move on. I believe it is so important for young girls to know, it's temporary and never ever let someone else make them feel bad about themselves.