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2/26/2016

 
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Hello, my dazzling, wondrous, and talented girls! We are so excited to announce that we have officially welcomed Anna Alex, co-founder of Outfittery, on board as a #GGU2016 power mentor. Outfittery is a menswear brand that has stylists who put together custom outfits that get delivered straight to customers’ doorsteps. It has grown from a small start-up to a company that spans across eight European countries and has 300 employees. We visited Anna at Outfittery’s home base and sat down with her for an interview. Here’s what she had to say.
​Power Tips From Anna Alex: 
Power Tip 1- Getting Started…. Just do it!
After working for two different tech start-ups, she really wanted to prove to herself that she could do it on her own. “It’s not a rocket science,” she replied after I asked about her initial motivation to get the ball rolling on Outfittery. “While it’s important to have experience,” she explained, “there’s so many aspects about business that you figure out and learn about as you go. A lot of it is about having the energy and courage to just start.”

Power Tip 2- Focus on Your Next Step
When Outfittery was in it’s beginning stages and she and her co-founder were working out of their living rooms, she told me how at first, it was about focusing on their first customer and asking, “How do we make them happy?’ As time went on and each new challenge presented itself, it was about finding solutions and solely focusing on where to go next.
Power Tip 3- Embrace a Culture that is Open to Failure
Growing from a start up to a company that consists of 300 employees required learning from every mistake and also embracing them. She shared how, “it’s important not to push mistakes aside,” and how as time progressed and the company grew, they learned how to deal with setbacks on a small scale to managing them on a much larger one.
Power Mentor Questions:
1.) What were you like at fifteen?
“I was interested in horses, and at some point it changed to boys. I was very into horseback riding though, did it for years, and I really loved the complete power that came from it. I was always someone to be really into what I was doing, fully invested. That has continued throughout my life.”
2.) What advice would you give a teenage girl today?
“Learn how to code! In an industry dominated by men, it’s such an important skill to have as a woman."
3.)  What do you love most about what you do? What are you most proud of?
“The freedom that comes with running my own company is that you can really choose to surround yourself with a great team, and when we have happy customers it’s such a great feeling. Being passionate and having the ability to be creative in my work every day makes me proud of what I do.”

​On my way out, I asked her what her vision is for the company, in terms of where she sees it going, and she simply replied, “We want to be the number one men’s outfitter in the world.” A huge thanks to Anna Alex for taking the time to sit down and talk, and a selfie to try and convey just how excited we are!

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This #powermentor interview is brought to you by our awesome intern Cailey, who adds so much energy and innovation to the #GGU2016 team. Learn more about Cailey here. 

Register for #GGU2016 today to meet our inspirational power mentors, get equipped with important 21st century skills, and make lasting friendships with change making teen girls from all around the globe. 

Five Reasons and Tips for TurningThoughts Into Action #GrowConfidence

2/18/2016

 
Our mid-week inspiration is brought to you by our dynamic intern Cailey. Learn more about her here! 
1. IT'LL LEAVE YOU FEELING MORE MOTIVATED AND WILLING TO TRY NEW THINGS 
Reasoning: Have you been dying to try something new? Have you been itching to pick up the violin, kick around a soccer ball, or join the debate team? If you push yourself to try one of these new things, you'll have good reason to be proud. Make a note of your courage in your success journal or success jar (learn more about these here!) so you can look back in a few days or weeks and be impressed all over again. These are the kind of steps that really do help you to #GrowConfidence

Try this!: Growth mindset. If you go in knowing that there’s plenty of room to improve, it’ll be easier to remind yourself that at first, you may not be the best musician, athlete, or competitor. You’re already on your way to success as long as you just believe in yourself and are willing to try!
2. IT'LL FREE YOU AND POTENTIALLY LEAD TO DISCOVERING NEW PASSIONS OR TALENTS! 
Reasoning: Trying new things will not only boost your confidence, but it may even free you from other pressures you may be feeling and push you to try things that you were scared to try before.

Try this!: Power poses, thoughts that make you feel empowered and ready to take on anything. These are “quick fixes” and in those moments of doubt, try one of these out and see where it takes you. You never know, in that split second decision where you have that boost of confidence and decide to take on a new challenge, you could discover something you’re especially gifted and passionate about (check out this interesting TED talk here and feel more powerful by the end of the day)!
3. UNCOVER ENDLESS OPPORTUNITIES
Reasoning: Actions are everything. Confidence is when you turn thoughts into action, and by cultivating your own confidence, you take the first step towards uncovering endless opportunities for yourself! Soon you’ll realize there isn’t much you can’t do (with the right amount of effort!), and we bet you’ll be dreaming bigger than ever in no time!

Try this!: Act courageously. If you are equipped with the tools you need, just be mindful of your strengths, aware of your weaknesses, and use that knowledge to push you to act. Also remember that growth mindset! If there are tools you don't have yet, or skills you need to work on, don't be afraid to ask for help or put in that effort. Learning something new or improving  a skill will also give you a boost of confidence!
4. YOU'LL BE BETTER EQUIPPED TO FACE CHALLENGES AND SETBACKS  
Reasoning: When you take action, you are giving yourself the chance to see challenges, setbacks, and ultimately failure, as an opportunity to grow and learn.
In her book, “What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20”, Tina Seelig writes: “Essentially, most individual's paths are riddled with small and enormous failures. The key is being able to recover from them. For most successful people, the bottom is lined with rubber as opposed to concrete. When they hit bottom, they sink in for a bit and then bounce back, tapping into the energy of the impact to propel them into another opportunity.”

Try this!: If you “practice failure regularly,” as seen in this video, you are more likely to respond to it in a constructive way, and keep on trying. Continue to try different strategies, ask others for advice, and persevere.
5. YOUR CONFIDENT ATTITUDE WILL INSPIRE OPTIMISM, AMBITION, AND READINESS WITHIN YOURSELF, AND OTHERS 
Reasoning: Believing that you have the strength and capabilities to take on (just about) anything is an admirable quality. You will become someone people look at as a positive role model who goes after their goals and ambitions. Not to mention, you may even act before you “think” you’re ready!

Try this!: Just start. You don’t need to have a plan mapped out from A-Z, just take a leap of faith and be a leader! Also, ladies, your fearlessness will make people say, “Wow! Look at what she’s doing!” (and may inspire them to do great things themselves!)
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How's the confidence building going for you?
Keep us posted! 
​info@girlsgearingup.org
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Thanks to Cailey for this post! We are so thankful to have her on board and are so excited she'll be with us at camp this summer!
She's a brave, super energetic, diligent #girlgearingup and we love how she truly lives by the #GGU2016 values and is taking big steps to help other girls.

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Turn 2016 into the year you DREAMED and then DID: Step 3

2/5/2016

 
This is the third installment of our three easy and powerful steps for turning your hopes and dreams for 2016 into reality. After suggesting strategies for harnessing your positive energy to keep you moving forward, we wrote about how setting goals will keep you on your path to success. And now for step three: 
3. RECRUIT YOUR OWN CHEER LEADING & SUPPORT TEAM
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together” - African Proverb

Finally, surround yourself with people who are cheering you on and lending you support when you need it. The journey will be easier, faster, and more fun if you do.
So how do you get this team of supporters together? Easy!
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​Let others know what you’re doing!  
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This can be as simple as telling your good friend or family member what your goals are and asking them to check in on you every once in awhile. Even better: ask a few friends or classmates to join your dreaming and goal-setting club! This way, you’ll have a support system for when things don’t go exactly the way you planned, and a group of cheerleaders to celebrate your successes when they do!

Consider reaching out to a “power mentor” or “positive role model”! Think about who you really admire and build up the courage to reach out. This makes all the difference. If you decided you wanted to be a pioneer in your school, think about who has taken similar steps in your school or in another community. Who can you learn from? No one has all the answers but many people have a great deal of wisdom and insights than can help you on your journey and avoid making mistakes they made.

If you have someone in mind, make a list of questions for that person. Try to be specific about what it is you’d like to learn or need to know. You’ll also want to prepare a brief introduction of yourself and your goal, and explain why you’re looking for guidance.

Finally, put your game face on and reach out to your potential mentor(s). This is a brave step to take but well worth it. We think you’ll be surprised how often people are really happy to share their experiences and knowledge - how excited they are to pass on what they know.
TIP: Having trouble finding a mentor? Send us an email or tag us using #GGU2016 - maybe we can help!
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Alright, so now you have
  1. A vision of what a great year would look like and concrete GOALS to make that happen
  2. A network to support you on your journey
  3. The positive energy you need to keep you going
So come on, let’s do this! Let’s make 2016 the year we DREAMED and then we DID!
Keep us posted on your progress!
info@girlsgearingup.og
facebook: /girlsgearingup

twitter: @girls_gearing_up

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