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Hey Ladies! (Gents?)

Today I want to introduce to you Lauren Grant, a 20-something professional woman from DC who works with this really cool organization, BossedUp.

BossedUp is a women's empowerment organization that produces regular "bootcamps" aimed at helping women craft healthy, happy, sustainable careers. Check out this video intro:

Lauren contacted me several months ago to introduce me to BossedUp as she saw several similarities between the way both Think & Grow Chick and BossedUp approach women's empowerment. When I checked out the website and saw everything they were doing, I was really impressed!

I LOVE any type of women's conference that not only inspires but actually walks women through the steps needed to improve various areas of their lives. BossedUp takes a holistic look at crafting a great career by addressing your health and relationships, too. What's not to love about that?

What was also cool is that Lauren is from Dallas, but recently moved to DC for her career, whereas I was in DC but recent moved to Dallas for my career! I even got to meet Lauren in-person a few months back when I went to DC on a work trip. She is super sweet and just as passionate about women's personal development in real life as she was over email.

In fact, she's so passionate that I asked her to share a bit of her story and experience with you all on my blog. Without further ado, Lauren, take it away!

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Where it all started

Almost two years ago I was living a comfortable but complacent life in Texas after my college graduation. Human instinct has always fascinated me, and my intuition revealed something in my life was amiss. So I packed up one blue suitcase, held on to my grandmother’s ever encouraging words, and divorced myself from comfort to embark on a journey that would change the course of my life forever.I relocated to a place that I always felt a deep connection for: Washington, D.C. I have extended family that so graciously opened their home, my sorority was established there, and I had recently secured a congressional internship on the Hill.Excited as I was, doing mindless unpaid intern "work" soon got me thinking about my next move. Fast-forward a month or two. I landed my first salary-paying job in the legal industry after ditching the Hill internship and got accepted into WeLead, a prestigious fellowship program designed to increase the number of women in politics and public service.

The Question

The program is great in that I get to work with amazing young women whose desire to serve challenged me to think about my past and work on my future. One moment exemplified this. I recall having dinner with a colleague from my program and afterwards I offered to drop her off at the nearest Metro station. We proceeded to chat for almost an hour and what started out as an innocent political discussion quickly shifted to a meaningful conversation about racial disparities in this country. Without warning, she hesitantly asked, “What is it like to be a black woman?”

What is it like to be a black woman?

I was floored. In that moment I was faced with a choice moment - do I answer in general terms that speak to most every black woman's truth, or do I encourage her to go out and build meaningful relationships to gain understanding?Rushed with emotion, and eager to weigh in, I toiled over the question but resisted the urge to offer a definitive answer. Instead, I began to paint a portrait of my life and what role being black shaped my experiences.At the root of her question, I believe she really wanted to know what is it like to live an abbreviated life? My proximity to poverty and power, violence and victory is what was I knew. My parents, like so many minorities do, did everything they could to shield us from what was considered inevitable for most people in our position. They understood the barriers in society and worked hard to dismantle them to achieve success.However, that is not true for everyone. The degrees of intersection were expansive and complex, as rapper Meek Mill so eloquently affirms, it’s "levels to this ----". Levels which I didn't contemplate until I was sitting in front of my colleague trying to condense 200 years of history in between sips. Yet with each rushed sentence I recognized my growth, and the new life I was crafting was confirmation of where I came from and motivation for where I was headed.

Finding My Answer

I gained additional clarity from another great experience. Some time before the discussion with my colleague I had the great privilege of participating in Bossed Up Bootcamp, a women’s empowerment training organization. In the throes of building my new life this city after my "divorce", I became pregnant with energy and hope knowing how much was overcome to get this point. After such a transformational experience at Bootcamp I began to see an increased level in my self worth and for the first time in life owned my voice. I gave birth to a new and more meaningful life.Bossed Up really bridged the gap for me. I was confused, albeit aimless in my professional (and personal) life, but the emphasis on holistic development was key. Understanding the interdependence of personal and professional life gave way to an “ah-hah” moment of sorts.For many years I lacked ownership over my own life, and often felt the need to conform to the expectations of society and others. I was comfortable with that because it got me so far, or so I thought. To go farther though, to truly make the most out of life, a drastic change was necessary in order to better myself. It was difficult to detach myself from the level of comfort to which I’d been accustomed. But I did it knowing that the outcome though uncertain would be worth it.

For many years I lacked ownership over my own life, and often felt the need to conform to the expectations of society and others.

It was once said “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any.” This could have easily been my story as a black woman to my colleague. But by divorcing myself from my previous life, pushing my boundaries, and bossing up; I discovered that the power to do something great is in YOU and me if you're willing to open your eyes and take a chance.-Lauren E. Grant a.k.a YBD

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DeSoto, TX native and University of Missouri alum, Lauren Grant works as a Litigation Paralegal in the DC Metro area. In addition to working full time in the legal industry she's passionate about social justice, community organizing, and the advancement of women and people of color.

@_LaurenGrant_To learn more about BossedUp, visit: BossedUp.org