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This weekend was the wedding of my husband’s brother, Mark Lacis.  He married a lovely gal named Chris Giameo in the most picturesque wedding ceremony you’ve ever seen.  We had a pretty intense family and friend invasion from all over the United States…Illinois, New Jersey, Washington DC, Florida and California just to name a few.  Perched on a mountain top in Lyons, Colorado they took their vows…and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.  I am especially grateful for these two wonderful people, as they have been incredible supporters of Girls Fight Back.  Since day one, Mark has been our attorney and sometimes even stepped in during GFB classes as SBG. (scary bad guy)  Chris has always been quick to volunteer and support me in whatever my latest and greatest crazy idea is…I am grateful for them both.  Many, many congratulations!

In January 2009, my little brother Andrew Weed departed to Iraq as a Marine Corps sniper.  I have to say, it was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to do, was give him that final hug goodbye.  I remember it clearly; we were downtown Chicago a few days after Christmas.  Our family went to Marshal Field’s (now Macy’s) downtown in order to carry out a family tradition of eating under the big tree in the Walnut Room.  After dinner, it was time for Pete and I to catch a flight back to Denver.  I thought I was going to be fine.  I believed he would come home safe and sound.  I knew this in my head, since he is such a strong, smart and loyal warrior…and a lucky dude with 9 lives to boot.  But my heart didn’t get the memo and I broke down and cried like a baby…and I’m not a very good crier.  I’m more of a sobber, with an expected aftermath of a puffy face, snotty nose and intense headache.  I remember the entire car ride to Midway airport, the lengthy security line, the airport bar and even onto the airplane….I was a wreck.  My heart was utterly broken at the thought of losing my baby brother.

But over the 8 months Andrew served our country, he did it with class and pride.  He kept his awesome sense of humor.  He tried to call and email when time and technology permitted. We sent him care packages with apple sauce, beef jerky, candy and more beef-a-roni than you can shake a stick at.  On his birthday, we sent out an email to Andrew’s friends and family explaining how to send packages, and he ended up receiving almost 30 birthday boxes from the States.  He gave most of them to soldiers that never received boxes from anyone.  That’s just how he rolls.

Needless to say, when I received the news that Andrew had returned home I was elated.  But yesterday, when I actually got to see him, I was overjoyed.  In the moment I was finally able to hug my little brother again, I finally started to really breathe again.  I realized I had been walking around quite on-edge since he had left, but hadn’t really noticed since I was so determined to only have positive thoughts.  So in that moment, when I finally gave him a big hug, I knew it was okay again.  And soon thereafter he tossed me up on his back for the picture above.  And it was good again, as if no time had passed.

I just want to publicly say THANK YOU to Andrew, and all the other men and women who are serving in our country’s military.  Regardless of your feelings on the war itself, these people have put on hold some big life plans.  Getting an education, jobs, weddings, the birth of their babies, Christmas…the list goes on, and we have so much to thank them for.  To those still fighting this war, God speed.  And to Andrew…you may be my little brother, but you are still my biggest hero.

This morning I made the flight to my homeland, lovely Chicago Illinois.  Tonight I had the pleasure to give the How to Be a Bad Victim program to about 50 amazing college women, most of whom were in the thick of sorority recruitment.  I really can’t think of a better way to kick off the school year than to give serious attention to issues like personal safety and self-defense.  And on campuses like UIC in the middle of a transforming urban area, it’s especially important to be proactive about these issues.  We had a great time, and I want to send out a huge thank you to Veronica Rodriguez for pulling together an excellent event, even in the madness of back to school!

After many, many months of planning the Fall 2008 Tour officially kicked off today!  I flew to Dallas this morning, and met up with one of my best friends from college, Janel Bommaiah (aka, J-Dogg).  We met through Alpha Phi (one of our Fall Tour sponsors), the same sorority which introduced me to Shannon McNamara.  Janel now lives in the Dallas area with her husband Vinny, who recently opened a branch of State Farm Insurance there.  Anywho, J-dogg and I road-tripped over to Commerce, TX where i kicked off the fall tour with the Girls Fight Back program.  It was a full-throttle, no holds barred yee-haw good time.  A huge thanks to event organizers, Amber VanLue and Connie Mears, for arranging an awesome launch to our 20-city fall tour.

Today I officially began the Girls Fight Back Fall Tour in Texas, a fitting way to celebrate this very important milestone in women’s history.  In 1848, a group of determined women decided it was time to demand suffrage.  They came together in Seneca Falls, New York to proclaim that “all men and women are created equal.” On August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution guaranteed women the right to vote.  Eighty-eight years later, I give thanks to the incredible women who have come before me.  I remember the dedication, obstacles, pain, sacrifices and struggles to win the rights women have today.  As I head to the voting booth this year, I will remember each of them.  Elizabeth Cady Stanton.  Lucretia Mott.  Susan B. Anthony, and many others.  These women fought back…and they were victorious.

It’s a dream come true to say this…but we have finally nailed down a date for the 1st Annual Girls Fight Back Conference!  It will take place June 12-14, 2009 in Virginia.  The conference will take place at the home of Blauer Tactical Systems in Virginia Beach, and will feature some of the coolest self-defense training available.  It will be open to beginners and experienced women alike, so come as you are.  More details to come in the next few weeks, but just wanted to put the date out there.  A huge thank you to worldwide self-defense guru, Tony Blauer, for inviting us to his brand new, state of the art, training facility!

This has been a very long time coming…and today I am happy to announce the official release of our first DVD.  It’s called Girls Fight Back: Live from Denver! If you haven’t had the opportunity to see the seminar live or just want a refresher, it’s the same program I give to 100 schools, colleges and corporations every year.  We shot it with a live studio audience at Comcast Studios in Denver this summer, and it was such a fun experience.  There are two versions of this DVD.  First, you can buy the consumer version for home use.  Or if you would like to show the DVD to an audience or classroom, you can purchase the Public Performance Kit.  In addition to the DVD, the kit includes a CD-ROM with worksheets, discussion questions, instructor guide, posters, handouts and a public performance license.  You can show the DVD as many times as you’d like.  The launching of the DVD is a major milestone in steps towards the mission of Girls Fight Back: To educate women across the globe about personal safety & self-defense.

FREE SHIPPING on all DVD purchases until this Friday, Aug. 22nd!  Click here to buy it.

So why the DVD?  With rising travel costs, my schedule becoming busier than ever and the demand for programs constantly on the rise..it was long overdue. Furthermore, this past year my husband and I made the decision to start a family, which isn’t easy given my current lifestyle.  The good news is we found out I was pregnant in July, and we were given a due date of March 2009.  Nervous and excited, my staff and I got to work trying to figure out what the Spring ‘09 tour could look like (big prego girl teaching self-defense?) and all the other plans that might need re-adjusting.  It was a blissful few weeks, and for the first time in a long while, I started seeing myself in another light besides a speaker, author and fighter.

But here’s the not-so-good news: Two weeks ago, we had a miscarriage.  This is the first time I am openly discussing it. As these past two weeks have unfolded, some people looked upon me with pity, sadness or avoided eye contact altogether.  There have been awkward moments and I have felt myself going to great lengths to make sure people didn’t feel uncomfortable.  Some individuals simply didn’t know what to say, so they said nothing at all.  Or on the flip side, some assured me to “keep my chin up” or that “I’d get over it someday.”

I started wishing this experience would just go away, disappear and I’d never talk about it again.  I could throw myself into work or travel or writing another book just to stay distracted. And in that moment of wanting to shrink into the darkness, lock this experience in a small box of sadness and hide it in the attic of my heart…that’s when I realized this situation had similarities to what society tells victims of violence to do with their pain.  Don’t make others uncomfortable. Don’t talk about it. Keep it a secret. Get on with your life.  And we wonder why rape victims often don’t report assaults!  And why survivors of childhood sex abuse don’t speak about it until their 40th birthday!  Or why our society is a massive cluster of people who are hurting, which wreaks havoc on our ability to succeed, to love and to break the cycle!

The first step to finding peace is sharing the stories that bond together in our human experience.  We have to start tearing down our brick walls.  We need to begin opening up, even when it’s hard or there is a lurking fear of judgment.  When we feel the need to turn our back on the truth, instead we need to grab a flashlight and investigate deep within. Above all, we need to support each other.  We need to be there to catch our loved ones with a giant net as we leap out the 10th story window of our respective comfort zones.  If you are someone who has been carrying a heavy burden, I can assure you that for every insensitive comment you will hear, there will be one thousand more hugs, words of support, good vibes and friends you didn’t even know you had.

Next week I begin my Fall speaking tour in Texas.  I have taken the time to write, think, cry, talk, process and heal.  I can honestly say that I’m back to my old self and at peace with what has happened…perhaps even a bit wiser than before.  All the great things at GFB headquarters are moving ahead with gusto.  I am excited that when I can’t be somewhere to give the GFB seminar, the DVD can be shown in my place.  I am encouraged by the fact that over 30 high schools and universities have contacted us about starting a Girls Fight Back Club on their campus this fall.  I am elated that we have been presented with opportunities to take the GFB mission to an international level.  Blessings are everywhere, but we must choose to see them for what they are.

I went to a yoga retreat this past weekend to get some zen before diving into the Fall Tour, and I camped the first night.  I endured a howling, scary thunder and lightning storm alone in my little tent.  While getting pelted by hail I thought to myself, “I really don’t need this right now.” But how symbolic of my past two weeks!  I consciously decided, after fleeing to my SUV for cover, that my challenges were finished for now and it’s time to start over.  The next morning, in anticipation of more bad weather, I upgraded from my tent to a cabin.  Ironically, I was placed in a cabin named Ganesh, who is the Hindu God of Removing Obstacles and New Beginnings.

And so it is.

Ever have the feeling like you just want to get away?  Yeah, me too.  So many wonderful things are happening right now, but even so, things can get overwhelming.  Normally I’m the type of person who runs myself into the ground, totally crashes and burns, then spends a few weeks putting the pieces back together.  But in my old age, I’m starting to take better care of myself and recognize the warning signs of an impending meltdown.  Living in Colorado is pretty awesome for getting away, breathing the fresh air and YOGA!  Yoga and meditation are two of my favorite things, and I find it so incredible how as Americans we are having to learn how to breathe and stop and relax.  I found myself needing a reminder in all of those things, so enter Shoshoni.  This is a yoga ashram in Rollinsville, Colorado and it’s run by yogis living there.  I had a blissful weekend of thinking, meditating, stretching, relaxing, praying, eating vegetarian, writing and meeting wonderful new people.  The first night I also spent some time cursing, as I was the only fool in a tent during the craziest thunderstorm you’ve ever seen. (thus, I fled to my car for cover)  Check out photos of my zen weekend by clicking here.

When I meet fellow social entrepreneurs, they often ask me how they can turn their passion into a business or organization.  And my response:  If what you do, or what you know, can change this world…then you owe it to all of us to figure it out!  A great example of doing this successfully is my friend, Michele Merhib.  This woman took relaxation and pain managment and turned it into an international franchise!  Michele is the founder of Elements Therapeutic Massage, was featured yesterday on FoxBusiness.com. (Click here to read the article.) Michele started Elements after leaving the bank industry, going through a divorce, raising two little kids on her own and knowing she needed to try something new.  What she learned in massage school overflowed into her life overall with a certain calm and confidence. Michele is a great example for female entrepreneurs everywhere, especially those interested in healing and making the world a better place for others.  Kudos to Nancy Colasurdo, on yet another awesome and inspiring story of women in business.

I’d like to introduce you all to my new friend and soul sister, Lee Sinclair.  Lee started Africa’s first women’s self-defense program in the slums of Kenya back in 2001.  Lee is a writer and activist living in San Francisco, and was first brought to Kenya while coordinating a child care and sponsorship program for AIDS orphans. It was her experiences with these vulnerable children and their stories of rape, incest and sexual abuse that led Lee to realize that her own Self-Defense training could be lifesaving when applied to children living in the area.  Lee began teaching SD to small groups of local children but it quickly became clear that the problem deserved a larger effort. In February 2007, with the help of two US based Self Defense Instructors, Susannah MacKaye and Wendi Deetz, the first I’m Worth Defending team was formed in Korogocho slum Kenya. On February 26th 2007, after a month of specialized training, classes began. Since then, thousands of women and children have learned self-defense…and self-worth in the process.  Lee and I are planning some exciting international projects, so stay tuned.

Watch video about I’m Worth Defending.

A few weeks ago I flew to New York to speak at the annual National Women’s Martial Arts Federation conference.  As always, it was incredible to meet so many of the pioneers and new faces alike in the movement to end violence against women.  For the second year in a row, I was asked to present to fellow instructors on how to reach more women with safety and self-defense while runing a successful business or organization. While many of these women have great intentions, sometimes the business know-how doesn’t match up…and thus, the mission never gets accomplished.  Three hours flew by while talking about marketing, social networking, search engine optimization, PR, event planning, goal setting and all the other creative ways you can catapult a positive message to the masses.  See me speaking to these amazing instructors above left.

You may have noticed a new category I recently added to my blog called Social Entrepreneurship, which is exactly what most of these WSD instructors are.  According to Wikipedia, here is the definition:  Social entrepreneurship is the work of a social entrepreneur. A social entrepreneur is someone who recognizes a social problem and uses entrepreneurial principles to organize, create, and manage a venture to make social change. Whereas a business entrepreneur typically measures performance in profit and return, a social entrepreneur assesses success in terms of the impact she has on society.  I’m planning to do a lot more writing and research on this topic, since there is so much good to be done in this world…

For anyone who knows me (or has been to my office), you also know I’m obsessed with Wonder Woman.  What a great heroine, with a slammin’ outfit to boot.  It’s vintage girl power, and I love it.  So much so, that I’ve been on the prowl for a WW lunch box.  Wonder Woman is 60 years old this year, and there’s been some gossip about a movie.  Umm, that would rock!  Click here to read about all the movie buzz.  I’ll tell you this: if the movie comes out, I will go to the premiere dressed as WW.  Now that would be an interesting blog photo…have a great weekend.