Statements of Values & Privilege
Statement of Privilege:
If you’re worried I won’t understand what you’re experiencing because I live in a different body than you, I hear you. I have thin and white privilege (among others), so there are some experiences I don’t personally have because of these privileges.
AS A CERTIFIED HEALTH COACH, CERTIFIED INTUITIVE EATING COUNSELOR, AUTHOR, DOULA-IN-TRAINING, AND BARRE INSTRUCTOR, I WORK WITH PEOPLE IN ALL DIFFERENT BODIES—INCLUDING ONES THAT LOOK DIFFERENT THAN MINE.
I’m both passionate about and committed to creating spaces off and online that are actively focused on and continually working to be inclusive.
I’m committed to diversity, equity, and working toward the end of all forms of oppression. This includes, but is not limited to, being actively body-inclusive and anti-racist.
From the very beginning of my business, I’ve always said, ‘I want to help people take care of and respect their bodies—not to try and have mine.’
I FULLY BELIEVE THAT MY WORK IS TO HELP YOU CONNECT WITH YOU.
I believe in respect for ALL bodies and that is a foundational value of all the work that I do.
I also believe in listening to people’s lived experiences, validating their feelings, and providing compassionate care to help them navigate their lives with decisions that honor their values and uniqueness.
I’M NOT HERE TO FIX YOU – I DON’T THINK YOU NEED TO BE FIXED.
However, I’m very passionate about working to change the narratives (internal and external) about our bodies and our worth. I also strive to help us all navigate this world with more self-trust, compassion, and care.
It's so important for you to feel fully empowered to work with someone who you feel comfortable with. If that’s me, I’d love to support you! If it’s not, I truly believe you know what’s best for you and I would never try to tell you otherwise.
YOU ARE THE EXPERT ON YOU.
Keep reading for a statement of business values + ethics that you can expect and hold me accountable to in this space:
Statement of Business Values + Ethics
I offer a number of free and lower-priced options to make my support financially accessible. These include my free weekly email newsletter, 7 Day Movement Mindset Series, Notebook, Instagram content, and podcast interview conversations, as well as my lower-cost book Letting Go of Leo: How I Broke Up With Perfection, UNMEASURED virtual barre classes, and HELD.
More than 50% of my working hours are spent creating free and / or financially accessible content.
I’VE RECEIVED EXTENSIVE FEEDBACK THAT MY FREE CONTENT HAS HELPED WOMEN IN THIS COMMUNITY IMMENSELY, WHICH IS WHY I CONTINUE TO INVEST MUCH OF MY TIME, ENERGY, AND RESOURCES TO CREATE IN THIS WAY.
I also offer scholarship spaces to each of my offerings and have prioritized marginalized groups and people experiencing financial hardship when selecting the scholarship recipients.
I have offered both partial and full scholarships in every group program I’ve ever run as well as in my private coaching.
I offer payment plans as a way to make my work more financially accessible in any group programs I have led and for private clients.
The revenue I make from the course sales, group programs, coaching services, speaking, and other products / services I sell allows me to compensate all independent contractors I work with.
While much of what I make goes back into the business, I pay myself a living wage so that I can continue doing this work full-time.
As a solopreneur, I currently do not have a team. However, if I hire someone for work related to my business, business development, or to be a guest lecturer or expert for a paid offering I create, I pay them at an agreed-upon rate.
I periodically host events or hold promotions where I donate a percentage of revenue or all the proceeds to organizations that benefit marginalized identities, work to end oppression, and / or support people experiencing financial hardship.
I'M ACTIVELY LEARNING AND WHEN ENGAGING IN ANTI-RACISM TRAINING(S), I SEEK OUT AND PAY FOR THE SERVICES OF BLACK EDUCATORS.
As a business, I am committed to and spend a portion (currently around 25%) of my monthly revenue within the BBIPOC community. My family is also committed to and spends a portion of our monthly personal budget within the BBIPOC community, the LGBTQ+ community, and reinvesting in our community at large.
As a business, I am committed to ensuring that the voices, content, and resources created by others that I share are diverse. This diversity includes body and size diversity, racial and ethnic diversity, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THE CONVERSATIONS AROUND HEALING OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH FOOD AND OUR BODIES, BREAKING FREE FROM PERFECTIONISM, AND MORE ARE ENHANCED AND ENRICHED WHEN ALL VOICES ARE PART OF THE CONVERSATION.
I respect the intellectual property of others and practice citing all sources and ask that others cite me when they share my original content. Please see: Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
I have never been paid for a media appearance.
I don’t speak at conferences or on panels unless they are also including and prioritizing diversity in their speaker line-up. If I’m invited to speak on a panel or at an event, I am committed to speaking up if the line-up is not inclusive.
I will not work with brands who do not fully align with my values. While I rarely have sponsored content or advertising connected to my work, any sponsored content or advertising is clearly labeled on my blog, social media, and / or other published content as required by law.
As an extension of this, I do not sell weight loss products or diets. I am incredibly intentional about what may be triggering to those in my community who have or are struggling with eating disorders or disordered eating.
As it relates to the work we do here in this space specifically around intuitive eating, body image, and practicing more self trust and compassion, I want you to know that fatphobia and diet culture are DEEPLY ROOTED in racism (please read Fearing The Black Body by Sabrina Strings for more).
Conversation about anti-racism and other forms of oppression are not separate from what we talk about here! They are central.
MUCH OF WHAT IS CENTRAL TO THIS WORK WAS CREATED BY BLACK WOMEN (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE BODY POSITIVE MOVEMENT AND THE TERM / CONCEPT OF 'SELF-CARE').
I believe it’s our responsibility as human beings to show up and take care of others and our communities and break down / break free from these systems of oppression together.
BY BEING HERE AND DOING THIS WORK IN YOURSELF, YOU ARE ALSO BEGINNING TO DISMANTLE PART OF AN OPPRESSIVE SYSTEM THAT HURTS US ALL.
At the core of the mission of my work and the conversations we have here are these embedded truths:
- Each person deserves to feel enough.
- Each of you is worthy.
- Each human is meant to feel safe and at home in their body.
- Each body deserves to be treated with respect.
THIS SPACE HAS BEEN AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE ABOUT COMPASSION, LOVE, HONORING, AND CELEBRATION OF THE INHERENT WORTH IN EACH OF US.
I’m grateful you’re here and honored to get to meet you with compassion and celebrate you along your journey!