Pink ribbons draped along the walls, brunch food steaming on the counter, sticky notes spreading words of positivity on every mirror, and of course, the iconic gold DTC balloons creating the perfect backdrop for a photoshoot. Like so many other women, I FINALLY got to see these balloons in person at DTC’s Overcomers Tour! I have been working as an intern with DTC for over a year now, but I had never attended an in-person event or met Rachel (crazy, right?)
If you’ve never had the pleasure of attending one of these events, well GIRL – I’ve got the skinny for you…
The room quickly filled with women all mingling together, snacking and sipping June Shine. You could tell everyone was excited to be there. We gathered in a circle to begin DTC’s signature activity, Trash It! First, Rachel shared a bit of her story and what lies she is trashing, and then she opened the floor for others to share. Something about being in that space, surrounded by a supportive community of badass women, made it so easy to be vulnerable. Woman after woman stepped forward to share the lies they are trashing, and with every person that spoke, we all became a little more connected and empowered.
Next, we all did another empowering activity called Post It — writing down things we LOVE about ourselves on a sticky note and placing them on the mirror. My favorite part was wandering around the room and reading all the amazing things people appreciate about themselves. I saw notes about loving your curves and confidence, your quick wit and brutal honesty. GIRL, just thinking about it gives me chills.
The most inspiring part came next — hearing from the panelists about how they have overcome.
In NYC (for our first EVER in-person event!) we heard from the following amazing women:
Harryana Walker-Gould, producer on The Drew Barrymore Show
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Samanta Moise, owner of La Parea Wellness
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Kelly Wang, owner of Rue Saint Paul
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Our second event in Pennsylvania had another GROUNDBREAKING group of women:
Tami Pedigree, creator of Drum-Latè Fitness
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Amie Bantz, artist and educator
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Heather Mayo, advocate for eating disorder recovery
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These panelists were not afraid to be honest and vulnerable, giving us a peek into their struggles and successes. Tears were shed, in both the audience and the panelists, but that is how you know it was POWERFUL stuff.
Here at DTC, we are all about celebrating your wins, so here are our wins for the Overcomers Tour:
- Selling out BOTH events!!!
- Partnering with Adore Me
- Hosting two panels of empowering women to share their stories!!!
We LOVE connecting with you online, but something about getting together in person hits different. We hope the Overcomers Tour inspired you in some way and provided you resources to live the life you dream. I know it inspired me, and I hope EVERYONE will get the opportunity to attend one of these events in the future.
If I’ve learned anything from the Overcomers Tour, it’s not to be afraid of vulnerability.
Special thanks to our sponsors Adore Me, Avon, La Parea Wellness, June Shine, Pilar Cuban Bakery, Legion Hair Studio, Julie Mollo, Effie’s Paper, Style N Motion, Naked Slate, Rue Saint Paul and so many more who made our tour accessible to all!
who is the author, April?
April Hooper is a public relations student at Messiah University, minoring in marketing and gender studies. She always has a coffee in hand and is rocking a thrifted outfit with handmade accessories. When she graduates, she dreams of living abroad, owning as many cats as possible, and writing for a living.
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