I’m feeling a bit nostalgic, realizing that it’s been two years since I launched Owning Pink. It’s like looking at your baby and realizing she’s not a baby anymore, and even though she’s become this incredible person, you have these tender feelings for her early years.

When I first started Owning Pink on April 27, 2009, I held to this Field of Dreams belief that, “If you build it, they will come” -- but part of me was terrified. What if I built it -- and then nobody showed up? It would be like throwing yourself a birthday party, only to wind up alone, stuffing yourself full of birthday cake to try to sedate that desire within you that just wants to be loved.

But I took out a loan and leapt into my big dreams by hiring Joy Mazzola, Owning Pink’s first employee, and together, we set our intentions for Owning Pink by writing in magic marker on the wall of my home office, “We want Owning Pink to invite people to go to that place of pain, knowing they will be loved, safe, and nurtured.” In other words, we wanted to help people heal, only we didn’t quite realize that’s what we were doing back then.

We Built It, And You Came

Six days until the release of What's Up Down There? Questions You'd Only Ask Your Gynecologist If She Was Your Best Friend! Our big launch party will take place in Chicago at Sheila Kelley's S Factor on Sept 28, and we couldn't be more thrilled (and hope to see some of you there!). But Lissa's connection with S Factor has inspired an interesting dialogue -- check out this fabulous blog post on pole dancing, owning your sexuality, and the NEW feminism. 

This year, I have become friends with the mind-blowingly wonderful Sheila Kelley, founder of S Factor, the empowering women’s exercise class based on pole dancing. To support my book launch of What’s Up Down There?, Sheila has invited me to participate in a whole host of activities with the S Factor community. My book launch party will be at S Factor’s Chicago studio, I’m speaking at the S Factor retreat in San Diego, and we’re trying to put together events for the LA, San Francisco, and New York S Factor studios while I’m on tour. I’m so in awe of Sheila and her work that I’m truly honored to be doing this. Which is why I was so surprised to receive this letter from one of my friends.

First action, then inspiration ~ those are the words that drive me whenever I am looking for that elusive muse called inspiration. I’ve learned that if I show up first, whether it’s at my computer, a meeting, or a workout, she will most likely show up too. After all, one of my favorite quotes is this one, attributed to German writer Goethe:“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”