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“Sara, the next time you decide to get married, and God burns down the church, promise me you’ll call it off. Will you?” Today on the blog we're featuring a captivating excerpt from @sara_braca_author’s new memoir "When the church burns down, cancel the wedding". When the church burned down a week before her wedding, Sara Braca somehow did not perceive this as an omen. Six years after marrying (in a different church) her marriage was over, as she found out her husband was having an affair in quite an usual way. ... “Hi, Sara,” She sounded quiet and nervous, neither of which are adjectives that have ever been used to describe my mother. Something was definitely wrong. “What’s wrong?” “Well, it’s just the church,” she said, stammering. My mother does not stammer. “What about the church?” My voice was hitting a higher pitch. “Well, there was a small fire. . .” “What?” My cube mates turned away from their screens and stared at me. Did I mention that my wedding was just over a week away? Six Years Later... I had been avoiding all of my friends, actually. I was so stunned by the turn of events my life had taken that I couldn’t talk about it. I didn’t want to say the words aloud. I was getting divorced. My husband had had an affair with someone over five years my junior and was leaving me to be with her. I found out when 1-800-Flowers called our house to ask about a flower delivery order. ... After this happened, Sara realized this was her opportunity to see the world. Solo travel became her first step to finding happiness, strength, and peace in her new life. Wanna read more and order Sara's book? Head to the link in our bio! ⛪️🔥 . . . #church #wedding #marriage #divorce #memoir #omen #affair #book #author #bookstagram #adventure #relationship #single #travel #story #instagood

America would not be the global and financial superpower it is today if it weren’t for immigrants. But it hasn’t come easy for many families, who experienced numerous barriers along the way. One woman who understands this on a personal level is Lori Shao, the CEO of @iamfinli, which stands for ‘financial lift,’ and is a simple, secure, and cost-effective digital platform that financially lifts service-based small businesses. Finli is inspired by Lori’s perspective as an immigrant and her desire to create a solution that allows all entrepreneurs to easily receive, manage, and grow their finances. Lori immigrated with her parents to the U.S. from China in 1991. She went on to work in Corporate America for seventeen years at prestigious financial institutions. She found herself constantly reflecting on her experience growing up with her parents, blue-collar entrepreneurs, and realized there was an existing need to help small businesses owners like her parents, ignored by larger corporations, who manage their own businesses. And thus, Finli was born. In 2021, the number of accounts on the platform grew by over 500%. In July 2022, Finli announced that it had raised $6M, but to achieve that she met with over seventy VCs. She spoke to us about the difficulties of being a female founder as well as a mom, and the impact she hopes Finli will make on the larger economy: "Throughout my childhood I experienced first hand how small businesses uphold entire communities. When the health of our economy is being examined, many look at the Fortune 500 and the stock market, but vulnerable immigrant small businesses are often a precursor of what’s to come, for as their spending power declines, the larger corporations are only a few months behind. When small business owners are given the tools to succeed they carry their communities. There is a direct correlation between the health of small businesses and the health of the American economy." Read more of Lori's story via the link in our bio! 💳🛍️🛒 . . . #Finli #immigrant #story #finance #smallbusiness #femalefounder #VC #money #family #economy #mom #corporate #community #instagood #aapi

As we gear up for the holiday season, today on the blog we're featuring a special guest post from author @hannahelisawren whose book '8 Nights Of Flirting' reminds us of the unexpected power of cosy holiday romances. She told us she wrote us because as much as she loves Christmas romances, she wanted one closer to her own experience. So she wrote her own holiday rom-com – this one set during Hanukkah. "I saw so much of myself reflected in many bookish heroines. But I never saw the Jewish part of my identity represented, except in Holocaust literature." Hannah recalls of her youth, devouring fiction, fantasy and romance novels. As she began her writing career, she realized how important representation was, and how valuable it would be for other young women, especially young Jewish women, to see themselves reflected in stories that empowered them. "Books impact young readers profoundly, often staying with them their entire lives, shaping who they are and how they think about the world. Books can shape how they think about themselves, too. I hadn’t thought my Jewish identity could be attached to happiness, because it never had been in fiction while I was growing up. It took me a long time to realize such a happy story might be important, because teachers and professors spent a long time telling me positive stories didn’t matter," she said "I wanted today’s young Jewish women to see themselves being happy and celebratory and existing as more than a morality lesson in a Holocaust tale." Read more about Hannah's Hannukah rom-com via the link in our bio, which would make the perfect Hannukah gift for a young woman this season! 💙🤍🕎 . . . #Hanukkah #romcom #fantasy #fiction #YAnovel #representation #author #bookstagram #identity #holiday #season #religion #culture #family #HannahReynolds #8nightsofflirting #empowerment #girls #instagood

Meet @telanderjohanna – composer extraordinaire and mom of 2, originally hailing from Finland now based in New York City. For Johanna, music has been a huge part of her life since she was very young, and her career has taken on a number of interesting twists and turns. In this male-dominated arena, she was signed to a label as a promising young pop star, but eventually decided to forge her own path when she realized that taking agency and ownership over her artistry was not something executives wanted her to do. Johanna’s lifelong career in music writing and performing eventually lead her to write and create her own musical concept album, drawing on ancient Finnish legends and lyrics. She is the creator of @kalevalamusical which has been considered for a Grammy nomination. ‘Kalevala The Musical’ is a story inspired by the national epic poem of Finland. Passed down from generation to generation, these tales were finally collected in a book of poems by Elias Lonnrot in 1835. Widely cherished across the world, Kalevala has been a source of inspiration for many fantasy authors, including J.R.R. Tolkien. We had the chance to speak with the composer to learn more about Kalevala, motherhood, the music industry, and why you should never let anyone else decide your dreams for you: "Be not afraid to fail. Be accepting of yourself and tune out the doubt. You don’t have to be brilliant on the first try, or the second or even the third. Be whimsical, explore your thoughts because that is where those best ideas like to live and be discovered. Never compromise on your vision, but be open to it changing along the way if the vision itself asks for it." Read more of Johanna's inspirational journey to creating Kalevala via the link in our bio! 💭🌳🦌 📸First image by Marqui Lavalas 📸Second image by Valev Laube . . . #women #music #album #grammys #finland #composer #writer #artist #musician #motherhood #journey #creative #kalevala #legend #career #friday #instagood #dreams

We’re all familiar with the portrayal of fictional Queens on screen, from ‘Game of Thrones’ to the fierce warriors in ‘Woman King’ and ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’. But real life history contains some badass stories of female fighters who led armies and entire countries into battle defying the notion that women are not equipped for war. And now a new podcast series called @warqueenspodcast is allowing us to learn more about these warrior women, from host @emily.jordan24, presented by ‘Game of Thrones’ actress @nathalieemmanuel. This podcast goes beyond fiction to tell the stories of the powerful women on the frontlines of real-life battles from countries and cultures around the world. Emily co-hosts “War Queens" with her father, Jon Jordan. The two also co-authored the book ‘War Queens: Extraordinary Women Who Ruled the Battlefield‘ which inspired the podcast. History’s killer queens come in all colors, ages, and leadership styles, and from countries and cultures around the world. Elizabeth Tudor and Golda Meir played the roles of high-stakes gamblers who studied maps with an unblinking, calculating eye. Angola’s Queen Njinga was willing to shed (and occasionally drink) blood to establish a stable kingdom in an Africa ravaged by the slave trade. Caterina Sforza defended her Italian holdings with cannon and scimitar, and Indira Gandhi launched a war to solve a refugee crisis. We spoke with Emily about the podcast, and what she hopes all listeners will think differently about when it comes to stories of women throughout history: "I think these are stories that anyone can enjoy. I hope they gain respect for women and solidify their commitment to inclusivity in all fields. I do not want any more news segments on “if women can lead.” Let’s make more stories of examples of great women who ARE leading! I am inspired by all of these queens and I think anyone could be inspired as well." 💯 Listen to some of the episodes of 'War Queens' via the link in our bio! ⚔️ . . . #warqueens #womeninhistory #herstory #EmilyAnneJordan #podcast #book #story #inspire #gameofthrones #nathalieemmanuel #blackpanther #wakandaforever #womanking #instagood

If there is anything we have learned about Gen Z, it is that they are the generation who are taking control of their own lives, self-determining their future, and giving voice to the issues they care about through a plethora of digital platforms. One young woman who is making it all happen for herself and those who come into her orbit is Gen Z Podcast Host, Chronic Illness Advocate, Digital Creator, and Current USC Masters Student @itsGigiRobinson. Gigi knows that life isn’t always easy and aims to help her audiences tap into the power they hold inside themselves. She is also the host of the podcast @itseverythingyouneediswithin, made for and by Gen Z, which places an emphasis on change-makers and creative innovators across social advocacy industries. When she was just 11 years old, Gigi was diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, a connective tissue disorder that leaves her very susceptible to injury. She has used her chronic illness as fuel for her passion for advocacy. Along with chronic illness advocacy, Gigi is also extremely passionate about mental health and body image. Having suffered from both in her teenage years, she strives to be a role model for the next generation, speaking directly to them via social media and her podcast. In a candid interview with us, this is the message she shared about her own chronic illness journey and what she wants others in the same position to know: "I think that other people living with chronic illness should know that however you’re feeling and wherever you are with your acceptance journey is valid. You can’t compare yourself to other people because everyone’s journey is so different. Just because your friend with the same condition is doing well, doesn’t mean that you have to be doing well too! Give yourself grace to not be okay and to take things slow. That’s something I’m working on getting better at." Read the full interview via the link in our bio! 💗💛💚 . . . #GigiRobinson #GenZ #podcast #chronicillness #vulnerability #mentalhealth #bodyimage #model #advocate #passion #digitalcreator #instagood #women #girls #inspire

When it comes to one of the biggest financial hurdles to getting ahead in life, student debt ranks at the top for many current and former college students, especially women. Millennials (the generation born between 1981 and 1996) in particular owe an average of $38,877 in student loan debt, according to an Experian study, which has been cited as the main reason preventing them from buying a house and experiencing financial freedom. And while we wait to see what happens with the fight over President Biden’s policy to cancel student debt, there are financial leaders who are using their expertise and experience to help debt holders find relief and live a better life. One of those leaders is @Tonya.Rapley, a financial expert and influencer helping millennials drowning in debt to forge a new path and become the CEOs of their own lives. As a millennial herself who had been stuck in her own financial battles, Tonya speaks from experience as viewers can see in the TV series ‘Going From Broke’, which just premiered its 3rd Season on @Crackle_tv. This show brings resources and strategies into the lounge rooms of the nation and shows debt holders a way forward. We spoke with Tonya about her own financial story, how realistic it is to ever get out of debt, and her thoughts on student debt: "One of the issues I have with student loan debt is at 18 years old, even though we're legally of age, we're not fully adults, and I don't think young adults are given enough time to understand what they want to do with their lives before they take out thousands of dollars that they'll have to repay in the future. I also think that there needs to be more flexibility as far as college affordability. We pay a lot of taxes, and education isn't prioritized in this country the way it could be. The system needs to change from the top." Read more about 'Going From Broke' and how Tonya is helping millennials get out of debt via the link in our bio! 📈🤑 . . . #goingfrombroke #Tonyarapley #Crackle #finance #studentdebt #studentloans #money @myfabfinance #millennials #guru #education #instagood #watch

When Roe v Wade was overturned, it awoke a sleeping giant - the 7 in 10 Americans who supported Roe - to a reality that having less rights over our bodies was not an option. As women rise to power in numerous industries, equity and health justice is not just in the hands of men anymore. Although male-lead companies still occupy the majority of investment funds and male-lead companies still receive the lion’s share of financing, there are female-founded companies creating some radical change that is going to impact the lives of everyday women and girls. One of these firms is RH Capital, founded by a diverse team of 4 women who just raised over $40M to tackle reproductive and maternal health equity. RH Capital invests in early-stage startups focusing on women’s health, with a specific focus on reproductive and maternal health equity. Their portfolio companies are across the healthcare spectrum, from biotech and medical devices to digital health and services, with a particular focus on underserved and marginalized populations (Medicaid, BIPOC, rural, etc.), to significantly reduce health disparities in those communities. We had the chance to speak with Stasia Obremskey, one of the Managing Directors of RH Capital, and here's what she told us: "The US has a history of controlling and denying bodily autonomy to women of color. This harmful history has resulted in distrust and suspicion by Black women with respect to the healthcare system. Systemic bias and harmful narratives of Black women contribute to significantly higher maternal mortality rates and higher unintended pregnancy rates. We are looking for solutions to meet the needs of all women realizing that certain groups of women have been neglected and/or abused by the system and deserve more attention." Wanna know more about the companies they are currently funding? Head to the link in our bio, and find out how YOUR startup can pitch them an idea! 💰📈🩺 . . . #reprorights #bodilyautonomy #reproductivehealthcare #maternahealth #healthcare #women #health #investment #finance #RoevWade #body #equity #femalefounded #WCW #womancrushwednesday #impact #instagood #funding @rhiaventures