This picture has started some great conversation. Everyone seems to love it. We've even had people talk about what it made them feel or what they thought about when they saw it. We LOVE that. We want to hear your feedback. We want to know what that picture means to YOU. Mary McManus shared her insight on her blog, Journey Well. 

Please share with us below what you think of this image, what it makes you feel, what it represents to YOU!

Here's what it means to us and the she. campaign. 

It’s not about the hydrant, but what the hydrant represents. It’s rough around the edges, it has blemishes, it has obviously been through a lot. It's not your typical red hydrant. It's UNIQUE. It’s like US and YOU. We have lived through struggles. We have imperfections and scars. We aren’t perfect. But, we stand tall next to those struggles, imperfections and scars showing those things didn’t knock us down. Instead, they made us more determined to throw those red heels on and rule the world!

xo
Nicole & Kiera

First off, we are so unbelievably thankful for all of the support and love we are getting through this amazing campaign! We just wrapped up the second of our initial round of full day photo shoots. We’ve had many laughs and have made wonderful connections with every single person who has come through. Kiera's cheeks are still sore from smiling so much! We are so humbled by each and every one of the beautiful females we have met who have bravely shared their stories with us and have had their portraits taken. 

We can't wait to share the images and stories we have captured. They are so inspiring. We feel blessed that people want to share their deeply personal stories with all of us. Here are some subjects people are writing about.

1.     Bullying

2.     Women who have started groups or businesses to help others

3.     Cancer

4.     Rape

5.     Teen pregnancy

6.     Business success stories

7.     Body Image, both from feeling overweight to underweight and everything in between

8.     Women who have always felt great about themselves

9.     Health issues

10.  Anxiety

It has been interesting to hold these shoots. We’ve had very confident people who actually feel pretty comfortable in front of the camera. We’ve also had people tell us they feel awkward. We assure them that we, too, feel awkward in front of the camera. We’re used to being behind it but lately, we are always in front, doing test shots of each other or playing around in the studio. However, we still find it hard. Once people hear that, it helps a bit. We then make sure we find ways to connect with each person. We ask questions, get to know them and do our best to make them feel comfortable. The feedback has been great! These women who start out feeling awkward, end up laughing and enjoying themselves and that is beautiful to us.

Another interesting challenge is asking people to come up with three positive things about themselves. We had one women look at our word bank and actually say, "these are too positive, they aren’t the words I thought of before". Wow. We want girls and women to look at a list of positive words and have trouble narrowing down which ones to use, instead of having trouble picking any out. There’s something powerful about getting them to dig deep and think about themselves in a new way. The words they’re coming up with are awesome and we hope by giving them their images with the words, that they really identify with each one. 

We are touched every time our participants express how excited and inspired they are by what we are doing. We are also getting the opportunity to capture groups of friends and groups of family together. We encourage you to get your friends and family involved. You end up having fun with those you love while also getting some beautiful images of you together that you can treasure forever. And what's more powerful than individual females showing who they are? Females standing together, empowering each other. 

Last week also ended on an incredibly high note. Someone who believes in our potential gave us our first $5,000 towards  getting she. off the ground.  Words can't describe how unbelievably thankful we are. We can't wait to change the world. Stay tuned in the next few weeks when we  release round 2 of our she. T fundraiser and launch our  crowd funding campaign! Help us by sharing and spreading the word! We really appreciate it! 

We still have many of you to photograph and many more stories to share. This is only the beginning and we look forward to many more photo shoots and making a difference. Thank you all for continuing to support she. and everything it stands for. 

xo
Nicole & Kiera


Enjoy some of our behind the scenes shots from our she. photo shoots.

It’s Women's History Month and we’re saluting some of the many incredible women who have helped pave the way for equal treatment of women and have made this world a better place. Susan B. Anthony is our first empowered woman.

Susan B. Anthony was born February 15, 1820 in Adams, Massachusetts. She was brought up in a Quaker family with long activist traditions. Early in her life she developed a sense of justice and moral zeal. After teaching for fifteen years, she became active in temperance. Because she was a woman, she was not allowed to speak at temperance rallies. This experience, and her acquaintance with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, led her to join the women's rights movement in 1852. Soon after, she dedicated her life to woman suffrage.

Ignoring opposition and abuse, Anthony traveled, lectured, and canvassed across the nation for the vote. She also campaigned for the abolition of slavery, the right for women to own their own property and retain their earnings, and she advocated for women's labor organizations. In 1900, Anthony persuaded the University of Rochester to admit women. Anthony, who never married, was aggressive and compassionate by nature. She had a keen mind and a great ability to inspire. She remained active until her death on March 13, 1906


Here are our 8 favorite Susan B. Anthony quotes.

1. "Woman must not depend upon the protection of man, but must be taught to protect herself. "

2. "Organize, agitage, educate, must be our war cry."

3. "Failure is impossible."

4. "No self respecting woman should wish or work for the success of a party that ignores her."

5. " No man is good enough to govern any woman without her consent."

6. "There never will be complete equality until women themselves help to make laws and elect lawmakers."

7. "We ask justice, we ask equality, we ask that all the civil and political rights that belong to citizens of the United States, be guaranteed to us and our daughters forever."

8. "The day will come when men will recognize woman as his peer, not only at the fireside, but in councils of the nation. Then, and not until then, will there be the perfect comradeship, the ideal union between the sexes that shall results in the highest development of the race."