Last night I threw down with the Indiana University Hoo-Hoo-Hoo Hoosiers! As seen above, Girls Fight Back welcomed several ladies and gents to master the Badass Ballet, as well as some improvised weapons and basic ground fighting. The energy was just awesome!

A special thanks to IU’s Union Board for hosting a stellar event and taking a stand to fight back against recent assaults on campus. Born and raised in Indiana, I was especially proud to see such leadership and empowered young blood in my home state. Way to hold your own Hoosiers!

Last weekend I moved into a new apartment. It was just my tiny mom and I carrying desks, tables and recliners up and down three flights of stairs, driving a U-haul truck, lugging around a queen mattress, ruining walls with my power drill and even laying carpet. Let’s be honest, I was feeling pretty badass.

But it was when I was unpacking things, making my ‘ya’ and ‘na’ piles of clothes and junk, that I truly felt strong. I smiled when I saw The Runt stun gun my aunt had bought me a couple years back as I moved to Nashville solo. I had forgotten about it, as I failed to keep it handy. Heck I didn’t even know if it really worked. So, with a sense of pride, I tossed my Runt, into the ‘na’ pile.

I had a similar “hell yeah” moment after completing my GFB training in Colorado. Prompted by the discovery that carrying mace on a plane is considered a felony (even though I made it through a couple airports concealed in my purse.. thank you, TSA) I tossed my mace into the trash.

You might be thinking “What an idiot. Who would throw out a perfectly good self-defense weapon? Especially since GFB teaches incorporating improvised weapons into your protection.” (Yes, I’m sure that was your quote-for-quote thought). Well, allow me to explain why tossing out my mace and stun gun was the best decision for me.

1.)    I am an idiot (don’t tell my future husband that) and would probably make the $5,000 mistake of carrying the mace on the plane again.

2.)    After my extensive GFB  training  with Bill Kipp and the FASTDefense team as well as IMPACT – Chicago, I knew I had the ability to lay a solid palm strike if

need be.

3.)    After struggling to work my fine motor skills in several of these adrenalized scenarios, I know the likelihood of removing mace from the bottom of my purse, turning off the safety, and effectively shooting a stream into an attacker’s eye carried the same success rate of the blind dates I have been on: not so hot.

4.)    Let’s say an attacker is hyped up on some kind of drug. Spraying mase in their eyes would be

like splashing some water at them… refreshing the attacker is not the goal.

5.)    What about those moments when I’m probably not going to have my weapon on me? Like on a plane or in the little girls room? It isn’t always going to be handy, thus unreliable.

Yet, above all, the main reason I chose to toss out my protection goods was because I know my mind and body are much stronger than some spray in a bottle. In the heat of the moment, I trust my own hands, my intuition, my power, my body, my mind, my core and my “mama bear” over a man-made product. I am my own best protector. Not the Runt or mace.

This is obviously a personal choice and not best for everyone. In fact, you might feel your inner ninja is most lethal once you get a bottle of pepper spray in your hand. If any self protection weapon that you have experience using gives you the confidence and security you need to fight back, then by God, carry that buddy everywhere you can.

But personally, I can only count on me when it comes to my safety. No one else.  No other thing. Which is pretty empowering and quite plainly, feels damn good. So sighanora Mr. Runt.. this minimalist is sticking to what I know and trust best: me and my guns (pun intended).

Gun Tattoo On Muscle from www.tattoostime.com

Sitting in my improv class at the Chicago iO Theater, one of my peers found himself in a scene about manicures. Seeing as how he honestly didn’t know what cuticles were, I figured this was going to get good. He made a comment about how fun it would be to get a facial shave from a barber shop, old-school style. “I figured real men shave with a straight razor.” I laughed.

First, I know no one who gets this kind of treatment; all of my man friends continue to cut themselves with a protected Bic razor, let alone an open blade. Second, because I love the term “real men.”

Typically, “real men” are imagined as dudes ripping meat off of a huge turkey leg with their teeth,  speaking in a deep, sultry voice, built like The Rock, break boards for fun, sport a chest full of hair (button it up, Chi-town),  chop wood daily and yes, shave with a pocket knife.

Thankfully, we outgrew the cavemen era and this is a bunch of crap. Although any intelligent human being knows this, it became crystal clear to me a couple weekends ago as I furthered my GFB training with self defense guru Bill Kipp and his FAST DEFENSE team, the leaders in adrenal stress scenario based training.

The roll-call included Veterans, Air Force, police force, SWAT team members, ninjas (literally), black belts of all kinds of martial arts, and arguably THE best in self-defense. Yet upon exiting the toughest training I’d ever been through, “The Gauntlet” (that’s a whole other blog), each time I was greeted by these friendly giants with a huge embrace, as was every other woman at the training. Not to mention, the men who were taking my knee to the face multiple times would approach me after with compliments and encouragement.

Not once but twice did a few of these men bring me to tears with in-depth conversations of personal stories, faith and family. I was in awe of these gentle giants. Almost all heroes of some kind of war or an expert in martial arts, yet the kindest of hearts you can imagine.

At the end of the weekend during our reflection time, one of the other women who volunteers for GFB and is an active feminist shared that these tough guys are the ones who define a “real man.” My eyes began to swell because her words rang so true. These men, along side brave women, are our country’s protectors whether through education, across seas or in our backyard. Even though they may be big, burly and carry a mean punch, this is not what makes them real men.

No, it is when the walls are down that we see the true hero.  All of these wonderful men, and the men and women who raised them, from self-defense educators, to veterans, to school teachers, to policemen, to dads,  brothers, grandpas, best friends, to mentors, to heroes, to the social workers, to the volunteers, and GFB supporters, this one’s for you:

 “The bravest are the most tender; the loving are the daring.” – Bayard Taylor, poet.

Thank you to all the real men for leading this country and supporting women not with your pocket-knife-shave or macho puffed out chest, but with your heart.

Recently a sexual assault on the campus of University of Montana has shined a light on the reality of rape on campus…that in many cases, the person committing the crime is someone you know. Someone popular. Someone who’s NOT wearing creepy aviator glasses and jumping out of the bushes…but instead, sitting next to you in Statistics class.

Here’s another college reality: If you are assaulted, there’s a good chance alcohol will play a role.

Now I know what you’re thinking. What are you saying Weed?!? “No boys? No booze? Whaaat?”

Don’t freak out…this is not to say you can’t trust guys. You can – just trust your intuition more. And please have a good time…it’s college, after all! Just know the facts and how to protect yourself.

Here at GFB, we’re all about getting real. Being real. Talking real. Not with fancy stats or scary lingo…but just telling it how it is. And teaching you how to handle it. No fuss, no drama.

So while the realities of violence in college often involve men we know (and sometimes love), and the frothy fun drink – it’s time to have a frank conversation. Enter, the name of our upcoming tour for school year 2012-13:

THE B.Y.O.B. TOUR
(be your own badass) 

The tour logo? A pink solo cup. Naturally. (Check out the superfly tour poster here.)

This Fall our GFB speaker team will be hitting the road speaking at cities across the United States. Wanna get on the tour? Then you need to know Caryn Begeschke, our Tour Director. She’ll hook you up. Tell her Weed sent you. Just call her at (303) 872-8030 ext. 103 or e-mail Caryn here.

As you may know, I won’t be doing much speaking/traveling because I’m basking in the glow of new motherhood. I welcomed my baby girl, Phoebe, to the world on June 21st. This “mom of 2 kids” thing has got me baffled, I gotta tell you. How do these women take showers? I swear, you should be glad you’re not seeing me much on this tour. I usually have dried baby vomit in my hair. (wish that was a joke – but it’s the TRUTH)

BUT…my GFB girls Bree, Heather and Megan might be coming to a city near you. And they all ROCK like Spock. So you’re covered.

OK, let’s do this. Raise your pink solo cup to GFB and say CHEERS to living the badass life we were all intended.

We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. What do you think of the BYOB theme? Is the frank conversation about boys, booze and violence long overdue?

TWEET THIS NEWS: http://clicktotweet.com/rIVpU

Last Fall I broke the news to the world that I was pregnant. I remember being overcome with emotion when I learned my due date was June 16th, because for the past 10 years June was a month of grieving.

The inspiration behind GFB, Shannon McNamara, was murdered on June 12, 2001. Her birthday was June 21st. So every June for a decade I muddled through it, waiting for July to arrive and for the sadness to dissipate. (watch this video for more on this…)

But four weeks ago today, our lil girl arrived. On Shannon’s birthday. June 21st.

Umm, WOW. Just wow.

I’m not speechless often, but I’ve barely been able to talk about it without crying bittersweet tears. (and I can’t blame hormones this time, either) I posted this on my Facebook later that day:

And so it was. I now have two angels…one in heaven, and one in my arms.

Here’s to breathing new life into all we do. And to remembering there is a reason for everything.

Bad-ass love,
Erin

Robert Martin is Vice President of Gavin de Becker & Associates, and is widely regarded as one of the Nation’s leading experts in assessing and managing violently inclined situations.

Happy Birthday Girls Fight Back.  I remember when you were a new-born, only ten years ago.  My, how you have grown – and grown – touching many lives along the way.

In December of 2001, I sent an email to a friend in New Jersey who was looking for top notch safety programs, and my comments included the following:

“…and there is a young woman in Hoboken who teaches what is shaping up to be a very successful women’s self-defense program.  Her name is Erin Weed and she founded a program called Girls Fight Back at www.GirlsFightBack.com.”

“Success” is not always an easy term to define, but presenting to over one million people in ten years has to be on the list somewhere.

A week later, in December of 2001, Erin’s response to a pending conference call spoke volumes about her, she said: “Since I’m relatively new to the game, I’ll probably need someone to take me up to speed…but as Bob can assure you, I’m FIRED up about combating crime, assault, etc….”

And I am FIRED up about watching where the next ten years takes you.

Note from Erin: How in the world did I get someone as amazing and experienced as Bob Martin to drink our GFB kool-aid? Seriously, read his bio and you’ll understand my amazement. Bob has been my friend, advisor, expert and coach, since day one…and somewhere along the line, he also became family. Thanks for being one of our and biggest fans for the longest time…

Today would have been Shannon Elizabeth McNamara’s birthday. The poem below was written by a dear friend of the McNamara family, Sharon Rickerson. Sharon also has written a unique poem the previous 9 years that Shannon has been gone. If you live in the Chicago area, check out the Daily Herald tomorrow, as this poem will be published there.

She lives

In Heaven

Not far but Away

Her spirit Near and dear

For Now we wait

FOrever will come

And there will be No more tears

‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”  Revelation 21:4

Encouraging to all who knew her

Lovely inside and out

Inspiring to young and old

Zealous, vibrant and joyful

Athletic, fair and gracious

Brave and strong

Engaging her world

True to her Maker, true to all

His child and our delight

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:13,14

Happy Birthday Shan; we miss you so much!

Note from Erin: June is a rough month for all who loved Shannon, with her death happening on June 12 and her birthday on June 21. I feel her birthday is so symbolic however, since today is the summer solstice. This is the first day of summer, and the day of the year with the longest period of daylight. Isn’t that symbolic of how much light Shannon has shed upon this world in her short life?

Jess Weiner is an author, self-esteem expert, consultant and media personality. She is founder of Talk to Jess, LLC and the Actionist Network.

We want to send a huge shout out to Erin Weed and the amazing team over at Girls Fight Back. This month marks the 10-year anniversary of this groundbreaking organization.

I met Erin years ago and her story and passion for helping women and girls find the power to protect themselves was born out of a real life changing experience. Now the GFB team carries the message of how we can be our own best protectors, how to trust our intuition, how to reduce the risk of violence in the first place, and how to physically fight back.

Erin is one of our original Actionists®. Not only is she a world changer and impressive business leader, she is a friend and her loyalty and commitment to empowerment is a recurring inspiration in my life.

Happy Anniversary Erin and Girls Fight Back! From darkness, you have brought awareness and action into the lives of so many women and girls.

Note from Erin: Jess and I have known each other for years, and always seem to show up in each other’s lives when we need a pick-me-up. Thank you Jess for all your advice and wisdom, not to mention empowering millions of girls around the world!

Megan Ellis is one of our amazing USA speakers, and for the past 2 years has spoken at schools and colleges across the country. She also works for one of the world’s leading security firms.

Note from Erin: Megan is a true expert in the field of violence prevention and making this a safer place for women. Her humor and approachable personality makes people feel at ease, even talking about this tough topic. Thanks for being you, Megan!

Greg Walker is a business coach and President of PCS Systems Inc. He has advised the national and global expansion of Girls Fight Back since 2007.

It was almost exactly four years ago to the day (May 31, 2007) on a beautiful late spring afternoon that I truly began to understand the power and breadth of the Girls Fight Back mission. After working with CEOs of various size companies throughout North America for nearly 30 years, I thought I had encountered just about every personality type and intellect there was to discover. I was wrong.

Erin Weed made a singular impression on me that day. It was an impression of energy, excellence and vision. We had met a couple of weeks earlier at a briefing for CEOs. At that time Erin had already touched literally hundreds of thousands, and by extension through word of mouth, millions of lives. We both were to find out later that we each made a private decision that day to somehow work together to make her continuing campaign for Girls Fight Back an even larger reality than it already was after 6 years.
We have been on that journey ever since.

One of the most interesting things that I have discovered repeatedly over these years is that Erin is a veritable fountain of ideas and humor. If you’re not comfortable in the fast lane with possible sudden sharp turns, you just can’t hang with Erin in a business sense. It is absolutely refreshing to find someone so young who is never satisfied with the status quo. She has over the years infused her enthusiastic spirit and uncompromising commitment to excellence in the staff, speakers, agents, friends, and partners of Girls Fight Back.

Girls fight back has over its 10 year history received nearly daily communication from women who have been impacted in a positive way by its message. Lives have been changed. Devastating outcomes have been avoided. Men have been educated and women have been empowered. Countless women have reported that the fear and vulnerability they had experienced so often in the past has been replaced with courage and the knowledge of not being helpless in the face of potential assault. This legacy will continue for generations, indeed it could not be stopped under any circumstances. It will be passed down like the oral histories of old… mother to daughter, sister to sister, friend to friend.

We all have had dreams at some point of having an impact on our world, of having something to show for having occupied this small planet for the length of our years. Few endeavors, especially born out of such tragic beginnings, are destined to have the global impact of Girls Fight Back.

So what of the next 10 years? Erin and the Girls Fight Back team are already hard at work in countless ways to expand this legacy to the corners of the world where it is needed most.

The true measure of success in life, indeed in any endeavor, is the rendering of service to others. On this one measure Girls Fight Back, from its humble beginnings 10 years ago, to its global reach now and in the future stands as an example to us all. So happy birthday GFB!! You are the most vibrant and relevant pre-teen I have ever known. I wish you every continued success in the future, and pray that I can continue to have some small part in assisting your success.

Note from Erin: When I first started thinking about training other speakers to give the GFB presentation, I was terrified of letting go, of some speaker tainting Shannon’s legacy somehow…not to mention leery it would even work. But Greg told me this: “If you do not believe this is possible, I do. Borrow my belief.” Since then, I have borrowed Greg’s belief in me, my team and this mission many, many times and have paid it forward by lending my own belief to other people when they needed it most. Greg, you are more than a consultant or a coach to me and my crew…you are family. Thank you for being able to see the vision of GFB’s purpose often clearer than I do…

Cheryl Goff is Program Director at Girls Fight Back. She is the ninja in the background, keeping all our operations running smoothly.

They say: Do what you love.  I didn’t start with that goal in mind when I set out to conquer the world, but the universe has given it to me as a gift and I will continue to do what I love as long as I am allowed.

My journey began the semester before college graduation.  I got a job working for small, family-owned business with an amazing entrepreneurial spirit.  I was given a very long leash to do what I wanted. Through the years, we grew the company into the #1 brand name in Halloween with an 80% market share.  The best part was that we helped families create a fun, lasting traditions for Halloween.  My work affected someone’s life.  I was hooked.  Two of the most valuable life lessons I learned were to jump, without fear into opportunities and never believe you can’t do it, because you will find a way.

As with many successful companies there were multiple sales/changes of ownership and each time the new buyers asked me to join their team to educate their employees and take over various aspects of the brand.  I traveled all over the United States and China.  Being on the road is tough, but I had the time of my life.

That journey eventually came to an end and I received a new opportunity working for a company that manufactured popcorn and food gift products.  Once again I was partnered with a company that made people happy.  Unfortunately, the company was sold just a year after I joined them.

For the first time in 16 years I was unemployed.  Not only that, but I was going to have to actually look for a job.  I knew this wouldn’t be easy and I knew I was going to be picky because I would demand a job that I love – or at least love the product I served.

When I first saw the posting for Girls Fight Back, the name leaped off the page at me.  I had to find out what it was all about.  I am so glad I did.

I’ve been with Girls Fight Back for 2 years now.  Through some miracle, I found an amazing organization and I feel blessed to be a part of the team.  I love the people I work with, the clients I get to know and become friends with, but most of all, I love knowing that the work I do will reach many people and hopefully make a difference in their lives, if not save their life one day.  The Girls Fight Back campaign gave back to me more than I ever expected from a job.  Every day I hear stories of how our campaign has touched the lives of others and helped give encouraging words to those who have or have known someone who has fallen victim to violence.

I look forward to seeing Girls Fight Back around for many more decades.  Happy 10 year anniversary to an amazing organization that continues to educate, inspire and empower people all over the world (including myself), and a special thank you for the gift of allowing me to be a part of the movement.

Note from Erin: Seriously, Cheryl, you are a God send to me…and one of the most loyal people I have ever worked with. Thanks for always having my back, and for bringing all your incredible experience to this mission.

Gavin de Becker is our Nation’s best-known expert on the prediction and management of violence. His work has earned him three Presidential appointments and a position on a congressional committee. He is the author of The Gift of Fear, Protecting the Gift and Fear Less. Visit his company website at http://gavindebecker.com

This anniversary reminds us all of how quickly ten years passes.  I reflect on all the things we have experienced in this decade that Shannon did not get to experience.  That part feels sad.  And I also reflect on all the things and all the contributions that were possible because of what happened, because of your love, Erin, and because many other people joined you in working to reduce victimization.

Your work reminds me of this important truth: Everyone might be a target at times, but not everyone must be a victim.

The important anniversary to me today is not one of loss – but rather the anniversary of the formation of Girls Fight Back.  I’m honored to be part of what you do.

gavin

Note from Erin: There are a lot of rock stars sending birthday wishes to GFB this month, but the fact one of the busiest men and thought leaders in violence prevention would take the time for this…well, I’m beyond humbled and grateful. Gavin’s book, The Gift of Fear, changed my life at a time I was riddled with emotional pain from losing Shannon, and has saved countless lives with its wisdom. It taught me about fear and anxiety, and how to know the difference. Gavin’s work not only inspired the intuition section of the GFB presentation, but also served as a guide on my journey to get my peace back. Watch him on Oprah talking about the ‘power of no’ and see why GFB loves Gavin and everyone at his company so much. Also check out the free assessment tool you can use, to see if you or someone you know may be in a violent relationship. Thank you Gavin, and also thanks to your incredible team at GdBA…it is an honor to be part of what you do as well.

Ten years ago, this month, I lost one of my dearest friends to homicide, but amidst the sadness, a light flickered in the distance. Gradually, yet deliberately, a silver lining began to sparkle around a very dark cloud, and from it emerged Girls Fight Back. The storm of June 12, 2001 was over, but not forgotten. The rainbow afterwards has been glorious–and thanks to the many people who have believed in our mission along the way, it has shone brightly for an entire decade.

How do we properly celebrate 10 years of changing lives…even saving lives? How do we begin to pay tribute to the gentle soul of Shannon McNamara, who inspired this entire campaign? Especially a movement that is global in scope, reaching women of all ages? Thanks to a little thing called the Internet, I think we can pull off this celebration quite swimmingly and include our friends across the world. How? We’re gonna throw an e-party!

What is an e-party, you ask? Well for us, it has four different dimensions…

1. BLOG: Throughout the month of June, we will be featuring our greatest influencers on the GFB blog. They will be sharing their thoughts, memories and insights from our adventures since 2001, as well as their ideas and hopes for the decade ahead. These people have deep insight into why this movement has worked and maybe even some embarrassing/fun/random tales for your enjoyment. (Note: all hilariously humiliating posts will likely feature me…) The folks blogging this month will be friends, fans, business comrades and super-fans. All of whom have contributed so much to GFB. Without their influence, GFB would not be what it is today. To all of them, I say THANK YOU.

2. TWITTER:  If you’re a tweetin’ kind, be sure to search and save the hashtag #GFB10. It you tweet a happy birthday message to GFB this month, be sure to use that hashtag so we can re-tweet you!

3. FACEBOOK: We’ll also be posting the blog posts on the GFB Facebook page, as well as having fun giveaways and contests throughout the month. If you’re not already a fan, please come hang with us at our digital domicile.

4. ONLINE STORE: We’re offering 10% off for all orders placed at the GFB online store during the month of June. I especially recommend the GFB book and/or DVD as a graduation present for young women. At checkout, use discount code: GFB10

Hope you join us for this world wide web fiesta, and big thanks for your continued support. Cheers to the next ten years…

Strong. Resilient. Spirited. Unified.
Erin Weed

The fierce ladies at LaSalle University!

Last week, I finished up my second East Coast Girls Fight Back! Extravaganza at LaSalle University and I learned a few things.  Here are my lessons from LaSalle:

1.  The ladies at LaSalle are fierce.  End of story.  However, should you need more evidence, check out the picture and you will have no argument left.

2.  Always bring two pairs of straight leg jeans to seminars. 

This might seem like a weird lesson to share but, here’s the deal.  We always wear straight leg jeans and pumas to seminars.  I brought my designated seminar jeans with me and all was fine until my clumsy streak reared its awkward head. As I was leaving the elevator to go to my hotel room, I fell and ate it so hard that both my jeans and knee were damaged, one of which (my jeans, thankfully) was damaged beyond repair.  I was left with only a pair of skinny jeans that look ridiculous with the pumas.  Lesson learned.

3.  Being my friend is dangerous.

Just ask my friend Tom, and he will confirm the above statement.  Tom lives on the East Coast and made the drive down to PA to say hi and see the GFB seminar.  As the only dude in attendance, Tom was roped into being our Scary Bad Guy and was a great sport about letting me throw down some serious fight moves on him in front of a crowd.  This, friends, is proof that being my friend can be dangerous.

I would like to give a big shout out to everyone who worked so hard to bring GFB to LaSalle.  I had a GREAT time!

GFB Jaime and Dena, the awesome lady who brought GFB to Huntingtown High School.

Last week while I was on the east coast, I got to bring Girls Fight Back to the fabulous young ladies of Huntingtown High School. I was so excited when I peeked out from backstage and saw about 700 high school ladies ready for GFB.  This event was jam-packed with excitement.  The ladies were pretty much a perfect crowd . . . super energetic with just the right hint of sass.  I also had a scary bad guy who doubles as a drama teacher in real life.  I would like to drop a big thanks on Mr. Andersen for being the most believable SBG yet and an even bigger THANKS on Dena for all of her hard work to bring GFB to the high school.  We all truly appreciate it.  Finally, Push Pause TV on Fios covered the seminar and is putting together a story on Girls Fight Back at Huntingtown High School. All around, it was awesome!

To all of you wonderful ladies at Huntingtown, I had an amazing time sharing GFB’s message with you and talking with you after the seminar.  Thanks, everybody and stay dangerous!

GFB Jaime rockin' the sweet shades from Salisbury University.

Hi all!  Last night was awesome for a couple of reasons.  First, I got to hang out with the lovely ladies of Salisbury University.  Second, they gave me the sweet shades you see in the picture at the top of this blog.  We had a great time talking about intuition, awareness, and kickin’ booty! I want to give a big thanks to the wonderful ladies who coordinated this event and brought me to campus.  I had a fabulous time at Salisbury . . . Stay dangerous, ladies!

Fighting back at Salisbury University.

Hi everyone.  I checked in to my hotel today and met the very nice man who manages the hotel.  He asked what I was doing in town and I told him about Girls Fight Back and what we do.  He looked at me like he was really surprised and asked, “You teach people self-defense?” I said yes and he replied, “You don’t look like it.”

Just to be clear, he definitely did not mean this as an insult; he just found it surprising.  I actually think it is kind of cool and goes to show that it doesn’t matter what gender you are or how big and muscley you are . . . and yes, I just made up the word “muscley.”  It just shows that anyone can learn to defend themselves and, once they reach a certain point in training, can teach other people how to defend themselves. 

The main message here is not to let your size or anything else about yourself make you thinking are not capable of being your own best protector, because it’s more about your fighting spirit and willingness to really go for it than size or some other variable.  Also, for all you ladies out there, remember that fighting like a girl is actually a good thing.

Stop number three on the Pennsylvania seminar trail was Elizabethtown College and it was GREAT!  The crowd was full of energy and a little rowdy with some shenanigans up their sleeves . . . Just the way I like them.  Heather Rhodes deserves a big thank you for bringing Girls Fight Back! to campus.  I’ve been the worst about getting a picture before the whole crowd leaves lately but I did manage to snag a photo with the lovely ladies you see above.  Thanks Elizabethtown! 

             Well, hello there everyone! I just wanted to take a quick second to thank all of GFB’s  supporters for what you enable us to do.  Something we hear a lot at GFB is “thank you.”  We hear it after seminars from our awesome clients and great audiences.  We see it when you post it to our facebook page and when you email us.  But the truth of the matter is you deserve the thank you because, without you, our mission would have never come this far. 

                I was thinking about this yesterday on my flight from Portland to Philadelphia.  Some people, when I tell them that for a certain part of the year I live in airports and hotel rooms, they ask me how I do that.  Well, the truth is that it doesn’t really give me any pause and on my flight yesterday I kept thinking how lucky I am.  Sure, I’ll be living in airports and Hampton Inns for a while but I meet the most amazing and inspiring people when I ‘m on the road and I get to talk with them about something so fundamental to all of our lives.  The truth is that, without all of the support you have given us over the years, we wouldn’t have been able to spread our nearly message as far or nearly as fast.  

                Thank you for making what we do possible and keep hoping with us that someday it will be a service that is no longer needed and working with us to make that day happen.

                Strong. Resilient. Spirited. Unified. 

Today I am very happy to announce the launch of our new Girls Fight Back website! Located at http://girlsfightback.com, the site strives to be easy to navigate, easy to learn about personal safety online and easy to bring the GFB program (keynotes or workshops) to your school, college or business.  We hope it simplifies the process of learning to defend yourself without stress or confusion. Since we just launched, we anticipate a few glitches here and there. If you find any errors on the site, let us know via the contact form and I’ll personally send you a free, autographed copy of my book! (Girls Fight Back! The College Girl’s Guide to Protecting Herself.)

Probably my favorite feature on the website is the entire Girls Fight Back presentation is viewable online.  And guess what? It’s FREE. You don’t even have to give us your e-mail address. (Pop some popcorn, then click here to enjoy.) Many of my professional speaker friends think I’m a nut for doing this. After all, the presentation IS our business, so why make it free? Well in addition to it being my business, it’s also my mission. And we get LOTS of e-mail from women living in fear or in crisis with no ability to access to a self-defense class. Sometimes these notes arrive from faraway places like Egypt and Bahrain! While I don’t claim the GFB program is a substitute for taking a live class, I do think it’s a good first step and I’m delighted to make it available to women who so desperately seek it.

I have to thank my friend David Meerman Scott (a rock star author and professional speaker – not to mention an amazing guy and father) who inspired me to make the presentation free and accessible to anyone. He actually blogged about our new website, so click here to read it. Someone once told me, “If you love something, set it free.” Besides all the amazing people in my life, I couldn’t love anything more than Girls Fight Back…so have a nice flight, little birdie! Mama loves you!

You’ll also notice on the home page and the partners page, we announce some exciting sponsors for the GFB Fall Tour – which is now underway. (Heather spoke at University of Memphis last night. Yee haw!) We’d like to give a big thank you to SELF magazine, FORSSE and CampusTshirt.com for backing our tour this season. Also mentioned on the partners page are two awesome speakers bureaus that book all our college programs, Bass Schuler Entertainment and CAMPUSPEAK. We’re really psyched to be working with both of them.

Another big feature on the new website is our two new speakers, who have made Girls Fight Back a GLOBAL movement of peace and girl power. I extend a very warm welcome to Khalida from Pakistan and Trina from India – both of whom I spent this past summer training in public speaking and self-defense. They are incredible warriors in their own battles, with Khalida working to end honor killing across Pakistan and Trina working to end sex trafficking in Mumbai. When I first met them, I was so excited by the idea of GFB going global…I had no idea that training them would also to give me 2 more sisters. (BTW: Trina & Khalida will be using all money earned from programs they give in their countries to create revenue for their non-profits. They keep 100% of what they earn. This is the first major initiative of the Girls Fight Back Foundation – training women from other countries to be speakers on the topic of peace and safety, and how to make money doing it. Then use that income to fund social change.)

If you enjoy the new website, please tell us by visiting our Facebook fan page and leave a comment. Even better, send the link to 3 of your friends. Or blog about it, tweet it or post a link on Facebook. Our mission is to make women’s safety education as widely available as possible, and we thank you in advance for helping us out. We can’t do it alone – making women see that WE can be our own best protectors takes an army of women and men who love women.

Before I scamper off, I’d like to thank the following people for making contributions to this new website: Photographer Sean Savitt, graphic designer Jenn Doe, web designer Peter Lacis, GFB Program Director Cheryl Goff, t-shirt guru Jim Levy, Morgan Jelling at SELF, Liz Meitus at FORSSE, all our past and future clients and my incredible GFB speakers.

People often tell me and my team that Shannon McNamara is very proud up in heaven. In the past, I’ve always said “I hope so.” But now that any woman, anywhere, can learn some basic skills that could save her life – “I know so.”