What: Fundraiser for the Girls Fight Back Foundation
Host: Kate Lotz & Erin Weed
Start Time: Saturday, March 20 at 8:00pm
End Time: Saturday, March 20 at midnight
Where: Slugger’s (across from Wrigley Field)
3540 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60657
Cost: $30 which includes all well drinks, domestic beer, wine and soda

If you’re unable to attend, donations can be made to “Girls Fight Back Foundation” and mailed to:
Girls Fight Back!
4800 Baseline Rd.
Suite E104 #286
Boulder, CO 80303

We are seeking volunteers to help plan, promote & fundraise! Please email info@girlsfightback.com for details.

Today I’m excited to announce a new partnership with Denver’s coolest yoga hot spot, Spiral Yoga & Wellness.  Starting November 21st, I will be teaching a 2-hour women’s self-defense workshop at Spiral once a month. (Normally the workshops will take place on the 2nd Saturday of each month – except for the first one in November, which is the 3rd Saturday.)  Then in January 2010 I’ll start teaching an ongoing self-defense class every Wednesday night from 7 – 8:30 pm. (Whoop-Ass Wednesdays)  These weekly classes are structured like yoga.  Pay as you go, $15 per class, come every week or just once a month…no contracts, so you decide! (Note: You must attend one of our 2-hour workshops as a pre-requisite before starting weekly classes with me in January.  This way, all students will begin the classes with an understanding of verbal self-defense, prevention strategies and other basic fundamentals. If you can’t make the Nov. 21 workshop, be sure to attend the one on December 12.)

Teaching again is very exciting for me.  For the past few years I’ve been mostly speaking, writing and traveling.  My average crowd size tends to be in the hundreds, sometimes even more than a thousand.  But getting back to the basics, teaching a small group of spirited women and girls…well, I find this invigorating.  I hope you’ll join me…please spread the word.  Space is limited!  Here are details for the first workshop:

Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009
2:00 – 4:00 pm
@ Spiral Yoga & Wellness
4106 Tejon Street
Denver, CO 80211
$20 per person (women/girls ages 12 and up)
Click here for details and registration

For me, the fire was lit under my ass to begin this expansion after finding out I was pregnant.  Not only did I want to expand our company, but at that point I absolutely had to!  Full knowing I’d be out of commission while on maternity leave, the plans began for finding some incredible young women to carry the torch.  That was November 2008, and by January 2009 we had speaker applications circulating on the web.  They were due in April 2009, and then we had a whirlwind of interviews, video submissions, in-person meetings and finally the GFB Academy in June.  That was probably the most inspiring week of my life, because with my own eyes I started to see what was possible.

And here we are today, just 3 months later.  Fight Back Productions (the parent company of Girls Fight Back, since we now give seminars for other demographics besides young women) is rockin’ and the speakers are making me proud.  Last year at this time, I was jet-setting around the nation, on stage in front of hundreds of people every night and blogging about my wild adventures.  What a difference a year makes – Today I was excited to get out of the house and go to Walgreens by myself and get a flu shot.  Ah, the joys of new motherhood…but I wouldn’t have it any other way.  My life, our company, this mission…we’re all damn blessed.

Check out the Fight Back Blog to read about the events tonight…and maybe some pictures too!

Message from the August e-Newsletter…

The other night my husband and I went out for Thai food, and had a lovely dinner on the outdoor deck.  The sun was setting on a very productive day, and I had gotten many things crossed off my to-do list.  At the completion of the meal, our server brought us fortune cookies.  And let me tell you – I love fortune cookies.  Yes, they taste good, but I’m also a big believer in fate and subtle (or not so subtle) messages that are dropped in our laps.  (Or in this case, show up in our food.)  I always take my fortune cookie messages very seriously.

This night was no exception. Perhaps with everything going on right now, I built it up more than usual. With the busiest Fall Tour we’ve ever planned starting in September, and our first baby due next week, I am open to all the wisdom I can get.  As I cracked the cookie in half with nervous trepidation, I hoped it would rock my world.  And it said…

“About time I got out of that cookie.”

Really? A fortune cookie with a sense of humor? How fitting. And that’s when I knew this is the message I needed most. To relax, to live, to laugh…and to trust in the simple idea that everything is alright in good time.

Because things over here are better than alright…let me bring you up to speed on a few things.  First off, in June I trained a team of incredible speakers who will be carrying out all presentations this Fall while I’m on maternity leave.  You can meet them all by watching this brand new video on YouTube.

Second, you probably noticed we changed our official name to Fight Back Productions.  This came about as customers began asking for educational programs for female employees (Women Fight Back) and for mixed gender audiences at colleges (Students Fight Back).  It was time to develop a larger umbrella organization beyond Girls Fight Back that would be the home for all our educational programs.  And so it was…

Third, we are currently planning our biggest and busiest Fall Tour to date.  Please see the tour stops at right to see if we’re coming to a city near you.  If your school, college or business would like to book a stop on the tour, we offer discounts if you book when our speakers are in your area.  And if you work for a business that might be interested in becoming a tour sponsor, please contact us for an info packet.

So that’s the scoop! Until next time…I’m sending you simple joys and lots of  good fortune.

Strong. Resilient. Spirited. Unified.

Their main role is to organize and promote Girls Fight Back Second Saturday events. Second Saturdays are free, open to the public, women safety & self-defense seminars held in cities across the nation on every Second Saturday of each month starting in August 2009.  Interns will directly assist our professional Speakers who conduct these seminars with a wide variety of tasks, and will also work closely with staff at our headquarters in Colorado.

The ideal Events Intern is mature, responsible, works independently, enjoys networking and has a go-getter mentality.  He/She is willing to assist our Speakers in any way requested of them that pertain to all events. He/She believes in our mission, that all women have the right to defend themselves from violence in all forms…and that this education should be available to women regardless of age, race, religion or economic status.

Interns should be pursuing a college degree in the subject areas of: women’s studies, advocacy, business, non-profits, journalism, marketing, publicity, communications, advertising, fundraising, graphic design, web design or education.  Other majors may also apply.  Interns must receive college credit, and are not paid.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
•    Determining a suitable Sponsor (non profit organization) for each monthly event
•    Secure a venue for Second Saturdays – gyms, auditoriums, libraries
•    Web publicity via Facebook, MySpace, the GFB website, etc.
•    Promote the event in the community via posters, flyers and networking events
•    Serve as Assistant to Speaker before, during and after the event
•    Assist in videotaping all events
•    Facilitate donations, raffle, distributing literature and merchandise sales
•    Be a friendly and welcoming face to all who attend the events

To apply, please e-mail your resume and a cover letter explaining your interest and qualifications to jobs@fightbackproductions.com.  We are looking to fill these positions immediately.  No phone calls please.

What is your favorite book cover design out of the 3 pictured above? (Click on the images to enlarge.)

Cast your vote by typing #1, #2 or #3 in the comments area.

Click here to download an event flyer. Please post and spread the word!  Here are the details…

FREE 90-minute GFB seminar!
Sat. June 6, 2009
11:00 am – 12:30 pm
@ the outdoor Performance Park Stage
417 W. Elkhorn Ave
Estes Park, CO 80517
Open to all ages!
FREE Admission!
FREE parking on-site!
FREE giveaways, live music and more!

This event is being sponsored by the Estes Valley Victim Advocates, and we encourage attendees to donate to this wonderful organization. *In the event of bad weather, the event will be moved to Estes Park High School. Please check out our Twitter page for any weather-related announcements the day of the event.

One last thing – EVVA is also looking for sponsors for this event.  Is your business or family interested in backing this great day with a sponsorship of $25, $50 or $100?  If so, please contact Annette at 970.577.9781.

Hope to see you there!

Today I’m on the verge of a passing a mighty torch.  At 7 months pregnant, my husband Peter and I are looking forward to meeting our little guy in August.  That’s right – it’s a boy!  I suppose God thought we already had too much girl power in this house. (And Peter probably agrees…)

This spring we hired 6 speakers to give the GFB seminar, and have booked 14 Fall events and 9 conferences. This is a new record!  These new speakers will be attending the GFB Academy the first week of June.  For almost a full week they will be studying the two things that scare most people into paralysis: Self-defense and public speaking. Brave souls!

Many people have asked me if I’m feeling sad in passing this torch, and the answer is a resounding “no.”  Having six more speakers means we will reach six times as many people. Besides, for almost 8 years I have traveled the U.S. and spoke to over a half million women about how to become their own best protectors. No regrets! I published a book, produced a DVD, was named 2009 Best Female Performer by Campus Activites Magazine and have an incredible network on the web via our website, Facebook, Twitter and MySpace.  Good work has been done, and I’m ready to lead the Mother Ship to her next big destination.  I’d like to conclude with a story to summarize this point…

My final speaking engagement of the Spring ’09 Tour was an event sponsored by the Eastern Illinois University Alumni Association in Schaumburg.  This was my farewell event until after the baby is born, and I was feeling a little uneasy at the thought of moving on.  I wondered if this final seminar would bring some closure as I moved into a new role at Girls Fight Back…but I doubted it.  Then someone’s face appeared in the audience, who was more special than words can say.  It was Bobby McNamara.

For all these years since Bobby’s sister Shannon was murdered, he has not attended a Girls Fight Back seminar.  It must have been too hard and too painful.  He graduated high school the week before her murder, and endured so much loss at such a young age. His only sibling was taken too early, and Girls Fight Back must be a bittersweet reminder of that.

But there was Bobby, in the front row. I immediately knew this was a gift from Shannon.  With the perfect timing only angels are capable of, she was telling me it was okay to move on, okay to train other people, that I had done my job and now it was time for a break and start a family of my own. In all my pregnant, hormonal glory, I fought back tears at the sight of him.

The seminar was great and the crowd was lovely.  Afterwards Bobby approached me, and I was nervous. What if he didn’t like it, or was offended by something I said? But in an instant he put an end to all doubt.  With tears in his eyes he simply said, “Thank you.” And then he hugged me.  And it was done.  Somehow, during the span of that sincere hug, I moved on to the next phase of my life.  As Pete Seeger of The Byrds recorded in 1962:

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time for every purpose, under heaven

A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep.

So I will go forward, now with a team of people behind me, believing the final lyric of that song to be true…that there is a time for peace – I swear its not too late.

Strong. Resilient. Spirited. Unified.

To book a Girls Fight Back seminar, call 1-866-432-2423.

**Offering discounted prices for seminars booked in Washington state, Oregon, California, Colorado, Illinois, Tennessee and North Carolina. Contact us for more information.**

We’re looking for venues and audiences to allow these speakers to strut their stuff.  Know of any groups who would like this sort of thing?  Any age females will work, as long as they are above 12 years old.  Ideal groups may include: fitness groups, religious organizations, recent high school grads, girl scout troops, mom clubs, non-profits of any other group that can rally a bunch of women on a Saturday to open a can-o-whoop-ass.

Please call 1-866-432-2423 or e-mail us through this form if you have any leads.  Thank you very much!

STA Travel, the world’s largest student and youth travel agency, prides itself on getting student travelers the best prices. They are constantly working with partners around the globe to get students, teachers, & anyone under 26 the cheapest, most flexible flights and top rated accommodations.  STA gave a $100 coupon off a summer vacation to anyone who attended a GFB seminar during this tour – how cool is that?  An extra special thanks to Carly Mills, Patrick Evans and Olivia Wong who helped make this tour a huge success.

Alpha Phi International Fraternity is a membership organization dedicated to promoting sisterhood, cultivating leadership, encouraging intellectual curiosity and advocating service. Alpha Phi develops character for a lifetime. OK, that’s their mission statement from their website, but I can say from personal experience that it’s actually true.  I first met Shannon McNamara in the chapter room of Alpha Phi at Eastern Illinois University, and both our fates were sealed as sisters more than friends. In the aftermath of her murder, Alpha Phi quickly supported my efforts to start Girls Fight Back and they haven’t stopped since.  A special thanks to Arden Schuman & Denise Reens for keeping the belief that we’re all worth fighting for.

The Century Council was founded 1991 and funded by distillers.  They are a national, independent, not-for-profit organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia and are on a crusade to fight drunk driving and stop underage drinking.  They were especially supportive of the Stayin’ Alive on Spring Break programs I gave this tour, since these are the weeks that binge drinking and accidents soar.  An extra big thank you to Leah Patten for her belief that we can educate young people to make smart decisions about alcohol and safety.