HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY!
To all of the women in our Inspire community, we celebrate you today + every day. This year's theme #accelerateaction — emphasising the importance of taking swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality. It calls for increased momentum and urgency in addressing the systemic barriers and biases that women face, both in personal and professional spheres.
We've asked our team about the inspiring women in their lives and what piece of advice they would give to their younger selves?
1/ Who's a woman that inspires you most? My Mum & Sisters. They’re the strongest, smartest and best women I’ve ever known. And I wouldn’t be the person I am today without their guidance and support throughout my life.
2/ What's one piece of advice you would give your younger self?
It’s not as serious as you think it is. Everything will seem huge and overwhelming but in hindsight - you are so capable and it’s going to work out exactly how it’s meant to.
1/ My Mum hands down. Becoming a Mum has opened up my eyes to so much more than I’d ever realised. The sleepless nights, the sacrifices that my Mum made for us growing up and the resilience and strength she showed to us has really made me admire her so much more and aspire to mirror those traits as a Mum now myself.
2/ Change isn’t as scary as you think it is. The best parts of your life have come from stepping outside your comfort zone and doing the things you think you can’t so start doing them earlier, trust me it only gets better 🤭
1/ Picking a single women that inspires me most is too difficult a question, I would have to say that my beautiful circle of friends inspire me endlessly and all in completely different and unique ways. I have never before these girls been a part of a group of supportive and kind women that make me want to be the best version of myself, encourage me through all my challenges and support me through my triumphs. It is truly a gift to have the love we do for each other. So to my girls: Alyssa, Cara, Charlotte, Camila, Emily, Holly, Isabella, Isabelle and Natasha you are the brightest lights that I have ever seen. I wouldn’t be able to replace any of you.
2/ Now a piece of advice that I would give my younger self, this is much easier a question. I would say to her that you are allowed to march to your own beat of your drum because someday there will be people ready and waiting for you with open arms and an open heart. You are not too much for anyone and what makes you, YOU is the life you bring.
1/ The woman who inspires me most is my beautiful mum, Angela. When people ask me to describe her, the first words that come to mind are “our pillar of strength”. Mum is forever putting herself behind others, sacrificing her own needs and wants to ensure her family and friends are looked after. We’ve had a really difficult two years as a family due to illnesses, surgeries and passings, and time and time again my Mum has taken on our grief and heaviness, and lifted us through it. On the worst of days, she pulls it together to support and comfort us, encouraging us to take each day at a time and find light in the dark moments. No matter how tough things get, I think of my mum, keep my head up and soldier on. She inspires me to persevere even when I think I can’t.
2/ The advice I would give to my younger self is to put less pressure on myself and take better care of myself. I have always set such high standards for myself. I pour 110% into everything I do and am incredibly self-critical if I give anything less. As a result, I always run myself into the ground and end up being an empty shell. When I was at university, I worked myself so hard I ended up in hospital with glandular fever and tonsillitis. I had to take 3-4 months off work to recover. 10 years later and I still haven’t learned. Last year, I took on a challenging course at work and the stress of it (in conjunction with other stressors) caused me to become sick from June until late September… it delayed my start date as an instructor at Inspire! My younger self needs to hear that not everything has to achieve an A+ or high distinction. It’s okay to be less than perfect, because if we were all perfect, there would be nothing to work towards and life would be boring. Sacrificing my health for the best outcome or highest achievement simply isn’t worth it, and it definitely has an expiration date. If I had the chance to tell myself this when I was younger, maybe I wouldn’t still be working on it now.
1/ I'm so lucky to have the most amazing women in all aspects of my life.
They are all so passionate, powerful, independent and so so much fun! Life is hard enough, you need to surround yourself with people that bring out the best in you and make you feel light.
2/ One piece of advice I would give myself is just do it! No one cares about you as much as you do, so do the things that you keeping thinking you should do. Book that trip, go to that concert solo, eat that delish treat… it’s been one of my intentions for the New Year and it’s going well so far (if my bank account allows me to do it hehe). And also... be kind! Kindness goes along way — people will always remember the way you made them feel.
1/ Can I say me 😉 ... no women, as a group, inspire me every single day with their strength, creativity, and determination. From the quiet power of everyday women to the trailblazers who are changing the game, they constantly remind me of what's possible. Whether it's facing challenges head-on, lifting each other up, or leading with kindness, women push me to be better and do better. On this International Women's Day, I'm reminded of the incredible impact women have in every part of life, and I’m so thankful for the inspiration they bring.
2/ Be 100% authentically you! Even when it's feels scary, even when it feels hard, even when you feel like you should be anyone but you, be YOU! I think the greatest gift you can give the world is your authenticity. At the end of the day everyone else is already taken!
1/ 3 of my best friends: Ellen, Anna and Molly. All three of these women are vastly VASTLY different people, (and two of them live on the other side of the world😭), but they have shown me love like never before. All three of these women exude humility, kindness, gentleness, strength, patience, integrity and fierce loyalty. They have carried me through heartbreak and disappointment, encouraging me time and time again. They’ve also championed me through the highs, and have just been there through all life has thrown and continues to do. They’ve taught me what love should look like. These are the women that have taught me just how valuable, worthy and loved I am. They have been family for me, and I am immensely grateful for that. They are the kind of woman I WANT to be, and I cannot begin to explain how each of these women have completely changed my life🥹 not to mention they are absolute BOSSES in their respective fields!!! Between the three of them they are an elite gymnast, a broadway performer, professional dancers/choreographers/actors/producers, a psychology student, a teacher, a wife, a fiancé and a dog and plant mum🤯
2/ Humility will get you so much further than pride. And trying to please everyone and gain approval from the world is never ever going to satisfy your heart. No one deserves to rob you of your joy or make you feel less than you are (and you are so valuable, so beautiful, and so worthy). You are more than enough and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Oh, and comparison will get you no where, it just makes you sad and bitter. Surround yourself with people who love you for exactly who you are and designed to be ❤️
1/ On this International Women's Day, when asked about the women who inspire me most, my answer comes easily: my two daughters, now in their mid-twenties. They embody strength, determination, and compassion in ways that continually amaze me.
2/ As for advice I'd give my younger self? Simply this: don't stress over the small things or what others think of you. Have confidence in your journey.
1/ My Mumma is my biggest inspiration. She’s the one I go to for anything and everything. NOTHING is off the table. People often laugh at how similar we are, because we are. And it’s probably because I am so inspired by who she is and how she shares her light to the world that I hope to embody those qualities too. She feels like a best friend, a sister, and a mother all in one. I can only hope that I can be as incredible of a mum to my girls as she is to me.
2/ Everything in balance. SLOW DOWN. Love yourself first. Don’t be afraid to take up space. ❤️
1/ All of my girlfriends inspire me - I genuinely don’t think I would be the person I am today without them! Not only are they the most hardworking, strongest, gracious women that I know, but also the most empowering. Nothing else can lift me up except for my beautiful friends - they know exactly what to do and say, and that’s something worth treasuring!
2/ The advice I would give to my younger self is you are so worthy - no one is able to dictate how you feel or who you should be. Just being you is enough and the people worthy of seeing that are the ones you should hold close!
Women make the world go round and we're so thankful to have some of the best of the best inspiring us in the studio each day!
HAPPY IWD! ✨🤍
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