Month: October 2015

Change One Thing

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Each of us can probably rattle off a part of our appearance we wish was different. So it may not surprise us that the latest research from Dove reveals 9 out of 10 girls want to change at least one thing about the way they look. Where this becomes problematic is that we know 60% of girls will stop doing something they love based on how they feel about the way they look. We can change this by shifting the way we speak, think, and act around the concept of beauty.

 

This is the foundation behind Dove’s latest campaign #ChangeOneThing. We’ve been conducting self-esteem workshops and helping women and girls think more critically about beauty stereotypes. I’ve spent the last month kicking off workshops from Minnesota to NYC, Cincinnati to Arkansas.

 

Our main message: It’s not girls who have to change, but our culture!

 

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At our NYC launch event, I’m joined by Franchesca Ramsey (host of MTV’s Decoded), Sarah Hammer (Dove Brand Manager), and Dr. Jen Hartstein to help lead an inspiring workshop for girls and their mentors.

 


Before the event, I was interviewed about how we can change our culture by changing the way we post and share on social media.

 

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Here I am leading the workshop! We also announced Dove’s partnership w/ Pinterest to reveal 80 new self-esteem pins designed for Moms, Mentors and Educators. Dove has reached over 17 million girls with self-esteem programming with workshops just like this.

 

attends Dove Self-Esteem Project Hosts 'Pinspiring' Workshop for Girls To Launch New Pinterest Self-Esteem Page on September 29, 2015 in New York City.

 

We had the girls and mentors make real-life Pinterest boards to share their positive messages with the world.

 

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attends Dove Self-Esteem Project Hosts 'Pinspiring' Workshop for Girls To Launch New Pinterest Self-Esteem Page on September 29, 2015 in New York City.

 

This wonderful girl standing next to me is 10-year-old Olivia Allen. She is the founder of the “I Can Be” Girls Confidence Conference – an event for girls and their parents to develop higher self-esteem. Can you imagine creating a conference like this when you were 10?

 

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The next day, I flew out to Cincinnati to film a news segment with Good Morning Cincinnati !

 

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Then we hosted two back-to-back workshops with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Cincinnati.

 

Their wisdom and energy had me thinking about this:

 

We can help redefine what is beautiful by using our social media platforms to spread positivity and acceptance. Within our families, friends, classrooms, and communities, we’re constantly shaping the world by what we post online.

 

It could be one word or comment.
One image or video.

 

Being mindful about what we communicate is what creates opportunities to shift our culture in big and small ways.

 

We all have the power to #ChangeOneThing.

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The Anatomy of Change

Sometimes we grumble about the change we want to see in the world.

 

Better representation in media…fairer hiring wages…helping the environment…the list goes on!

 

Maybe we sign a petition… Or forward a meme. Or lash out online. But honestly –the change we seek has to come from engaging in an ecosystem of change. It takes the entire collective to shift. So yes, sign that petition. And yes, grumble and forward and be outraged. And then do something. Anything. Small if you can. Big if you are willing.

 

If you want to see change, you have to do something.

 

Here are 5 ways WE can all support change:

     

  • EDUCATE:
    • Get fully educated on the issue you are passionate about.
    • Understand why something is the way it is, how long it took to become this way, who is involved now, and what it would take systemically to change it. Understanding the “behind the scenes” is half the battle to understanding how to shift something for the better

     

  • SHARE:
    • Share someone’s passion project, Kickstarter campaign, or cause with friends and family via social media. Don’t underestimate the power of sharing information with others.

     

  • CONTRIBUTE:
    • Contribute your time, money or resources to the cause.
    • Don’t count your dollars and don’t judge if you don’t have any, volunteer, offer support, contribute your talents in whatever form you can.

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  • SHOW UP:
    • Attend an event. And then start a conversation with your friends, family, or community about it. Show up everywhere this issue is and get engaged.

     

  • BELIEVE:
    • Sounds silly but ultimately believing we can find a solution and impact change together is important. The change we seek to make especially in big institutions can take a while, so belief can balance patience and passion and remind you what you are fighting for.

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We want to know what change you seek to make. Tell us about it at jessweiner.com/get-connected or post on social media w/ hashtag #ItsAWeThing

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