How a Cosmopolitan magazine article changed my life

In March of 2011, I responded to a media query I received via HARO – also known as Help A Reporter Out. I had been subscribed to HARO a few years and used it mostly for work. 

The query was from an editor who was seeking sources for an article for Cosmopolitan magazine. The publication sought young women who were bullied, growing up. The editor passed my information along to the reporter assigned to the story. 

After a few back and forth emails, the reporter asked if I was free for a phone interview in the next few days. After completing the phone interview and going through the fact-checking process, the article was published in May of 2011.

The article ran just under a year after I had launched Empowered Flower Girl. It helped us get our first 250 followers on Facebook and Twitter. It also helped us secure additional media coverage and boosted our credibility in the community as a new social enterprise. 

People were just getting to know us, so having a national publication like Cosmopolitan magazine feature you is definitely something that could help your reputation. 

It was a great experience for me starting out. As someone who works in communications and media relations, I know the value and importance of sharing your story, and the difference that it can make in the lives of others who read it. 

I encourage people, especially nonprofit founders, social entrepreneurs and others who are making or aspire to make a difference, to not be shy about sharing their experiences and expertise. 

I’ve helped numerous clients get the recognition they deserve, through publicity and awards, which also translates to funding and increased enrollment in your programs. So if you are looking for additional help in getting the word out about your organization or initiative, let’s talk.

Later this spring we will be launching our Unknown to Renowned workshop. If you’d like to get on the mailing list to receive additional information, sign up here and follow our social media accounts at @empoweredflowergirl.

She’s EmPOWERed: Washington girl on a mission to stop bullying

At 11 years old, Autumn Smith is resilient. Like Empowered Flower Girl’s Rasheda Kamaria Williams, she is a survivor of bullying, which she’s endured since kindergarten.

Despite being alienated and feeling lonely at times, deep down Autumn knew she wasn’t alone.

“I didn’t want people who were being bullied like me to feel alone. I wanted them to understand that if we stood together then maybe we could get others to listen and things change,” Autumn said.

And change things is what she did.

Autumn used her experience and creative abilities to develop a line of empowering t-shirts. With assistance from her mom, she designed the shirts which come in several colors with messages like “Bullying Stops Here” and “Kindness is My Rebellion.”

“When I (made my first shirt), it made me feel stronger. Like I was being heard for the first time in a long time,” she said. “I wanted to share that feeling with my friends. Then I wanted to share it with the whole school.”

Autumn spent the summer raising funds to pay for 600 shirts, which she sold and gifted to students and families in her community and beyond.

“She is a very determined kid and has had some amazing supporters along the way,” according to her mother Cynthia.

“She has done some pretty scary things for a kid her age but she fights through it because she wants to make the change. She feels that strongly about ending bullying.”

Learn more about Autumn and her Stopping Bullying One Shirt at a Time initiative on Facebook.

Know a girl or young woman 5-25 years old who deserves recognition? Email rkamaria@empoweredflowergirl.com. Parental consent required for anyone under 18 years of age.

Mentor Empowers Teens to Live Above Bullying, Drama and Societal Pressure with New Book

efg-angled-book-imageFrom cyberbullying to societal pressure, 21st century girls face challenges that generations before them may have never imagined. But they also have unlimited resources and opportunities to live powerfully.

Rasheda Kamaria Williams, an award-winning mentor and chief empowering officer for Empowered Flower Girl, explores how girls and young women can use their personal power to make a difference in her new book, “Be EmPOWERed: How to Live Above & Beyond Life’s Drama.”

Written for and inspired by girls, “Be EmPOWERed” is an interactive guidebook and journal packed with inspirational prose, thought-provoking questions and written activities.

Once teased and bullied by classmates for being weird and different, Rasheda found a way to embrace and ultimately celebrate her uniqueness.

The book reveals her journey from excluded to emPOWERed and how she got there with help from trusted adults, mentors, friends and ultimately herself.

“Life isn’t always easy or fair. But if you’re equipped with the right tools, it makes the process more meaningful,” Rasheda says.  “You can learn a lot – especially from yourself.”

“Be EmPOWERed: How to Live Above & Beyond Life’s Drama” is now available on Amazon.com.

A book release and 6-year anniversary celebration is scheduled from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19 at Good Cakes and Bakes in Detroit. Admission is $15 and includes a copy of the book, sweet treats, a special gift and raffle ticket for prizes. Tickets are available here.

Born and raised in Detroit, Rasheda Kamaria Williams is a communications professional and award-winning mentor on a mission to transform the way young people relate to one another. She is the founder and chief empowering officer for Empowered Flower Girl, a social enterprise that works with schools, communities and families seeking solutions to cyberbullying, drama, relational aggression and other social/communications challenges facing youth. A survivor of bullying, Rasheda was featured in Cosmopolitan magazine in the article “Being bullied changed my life.” 

Life After Bullying

Growing up, I was creative, social, mature and kind. Those were the adjectives I preferred to use to describe myself. But a group of kids in my class had a few other monikers in mind for me – weird, nerd, wannbe, Oreo and teacher’s pet.

I was teased, bullied and harassed almost daily from seventh to eighth grade.

In 2011 – five years ago this month – Cosmopolitan magazine published my story in the article “Being Bullied Changed My Life.” The article focused on women who were bullied as teens – before the digital age – and how the constant taunting impacted their lives both negatively and positively.

I shared my journey from excluded to empowered and the steps I took to overcome the drama.

After the story was published, I received emails and instant messages commending me for my courage. Empowered Flower Girl even gained 100+ Facebook fans/followers as a result.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to have shared my story publicly and encourage any who has overcome a challenge, obstacle or hardship to do the same. You never know whose life you might change or even save as a result.

PARENTING: Tips for stomping out bullying and digital harassment

We often receive emails, IMs and phone calls from parents and grandparents concerned about their child’s wellbeing in school. Often the child has reported being harassed or bullied. We commend parents for taking the first step toward a resolution.

There are numerous resources available to prevent and address conflict. One of my personal favorites is the Stomp Out Bullying organization.

Is your child being cyberbullied? Is she or he experiencing conflicts in school? Here’s how you can help.

Get more tips at StompOutBullying.org.

Be supportive of your child. Parents may be tempted to tell their kids to toughen up, that names never hurt anybody, yet – cyber attacks can harm a child easily and have a long lasting effect. Millions of cyber accomplices can help target or humiliate your child. That emotional pain is very serious and very real. Do not ignore it.

Alert the school and guidance counselor to watch out for in-school bullying and see how your child is handling things. It is important that you give your child love, support, nurturing and security. Children have committed suicide after having been cyberbullied. Take it seriously.

Did you know?
*Girls were about twice as likely as boys to be victims and perpetrators of cyberbullying.
*Of those students who had been cyberbullied relatively frequently (at least twice in the last couple of months):
*62% said that they had been cyberbullied by another student at school, and 46% had been cyberbullied by a friend.

Bullying Prevention, Relationship-Building Workshop Grants Available

In an effort to prevent bullying, cyberbullying, drama and relational aggression, Empowered Flower Girl is awarding a total of $500 in grants to organizations interested in hosting workshops. Schools, community/faith-based organization and other nonprofits based in Southeastern Michigan are eligible. 

Apply through Oct. 21 for a Fall 2015 grant.

From workshops combating teasing, cyberbullying and cliques, to programs encouraging goal-setting and self-esteem, Empowered Flower Girl helps schools and organizations address critical social issues.

For more information, visit www.empoweredflowergirl.com or email rkamaria@empoweredflowergirl.com.

Children At School“Ultimately, we believe that if students are equipped with the skills to peacefully and effectively problem solve as well as have the capacity for empathy, then they are less likely to be offenders of bullying, hazing or other disruptive behaviors.” – Rasheda Kamaria, Empowered Flower Girl Chief Empowering Officer

Empowered Flower Girl offers esteem, empathy building workshps for schools and communities

Girls fight

Are you an educator, parent or mentor who cares about the wellbeing and livelihood of young people in your community? Are you concerned that they may be missing out on an inspired life because of challenges at school, at home or among their peer groups?

Those questions arise for many adults who work with youth. That’s why in 2010, Empowered Flower Girl was launched.

I was a mentor and youth advocate who wanted to do something to make a difference for middle and high school students – who like me – were teased, bullied and ostracized by classmates and even relatives. But I knew that in order to help those students who were bullied and harassed, I had to find a way to also help those who were the aggressors or perpetrators.

The prevention and treatment of bullying in both perpetrators and victims is vitally important.

Cognitive-behavioral interventions have shown effectiveness across educational environments, disability types, ethnicity, and gender.

Empowered Flower Girl’s programs equip youth with problem-solving techniques and encourage transformation and acceptance.

Ultimately, we believe that if students are equipped with the skills to peacefully and effectively problem solve as well as have the capacity for empathy, then they are less likely to be offenders of bullying, hazing or other disruptive behaviors.

Empowered Flower Girl offers engaging and interactive workshops and programs that inspire and entertain youth, teachers, parents and the community.

From workshops combating teasing, cyberbullying and cliques, to programs encouraging goal-setting and self-esteem, Empowered Flower Girl helps schools and organizations address critical social issues.

Schedule your workshop today!

info@empoweredflowergirl.com

248-629-0EFG

A Year in Review: Empowered Flower Girl immersed in the community

For Empowered Flower Girl, 2013 has been an eventful and inspiring year. Over the past 11 months, EFG has had the honor of facilitating workshops and programs throughout southeastern Michigan and Lansing. Approximately 225 girls and women participated in our Chica Chat and Mentoring Girls & Inspiring Sisterhood workshops.

Thanks to Detroit SOUP, we were able to offer Chica Chats to a diverse group of girls and young women, including teenagers struggling with challenging behaviors and addictions. Over the summer, we partnered with Detroit Parent Network to host the first Community Chica Chat.

We also celebrated our three-year anniversary with friends, family and supporters, including Detroit City Council President Saunteel Jenkins.

I’d like to thank everyone who attended an event, recommended us to a friend, “liked” us on social media or sent positive energy. Your support helps us help girls and young women live POWERfully.

Empowered Flower Girl’s reach and impact in 2013:

Workshops

Hazel Park Middle School of Hazel Park, Mich.
Reach Academy of Roseville, Mich.
Serenity Program at Capstone Academy
Family Literacy Night, Detroit Parent Network
I Feel Good: Mind, Body & Soul Women’s Conference
I am Woman Expo
Parenting Awareness Michigan Conference
Women’s Weekend at Citadel of Praise

Media

Girl’s Life Magazine
Black America Web
Tenacity Radio
C and G News
ColorBlind Magazine
BLAC Magazine
Metro Parent Magazine
CBS Detroit

Cyberbullying prevention starts at home

Reported incidences cyberbullying are all too common in the Digital Age. Even kindergartners have access to a world of information in the palm of their hands thanks to smartphones and other mobile devices.

While schools and communities across the nation are implementing programs to curb in-school and online harassment, prevention ultimately starts at home.

With the increase in bullycides and bullying-related illnesses over the years, parents should be aware of and engaged in their children’s online activities.

Tweens and teens may consider it snooping, but Rasheda Kamaria, Empowered Flower Girl CEO, considers it conscious parenting.

“Informed parents are better able to help their children identify safe spaces online and avoid those that are potentially harmful,” she said.

Knowing which social networks and electronic communications tools are out there and which ones your children are actively engaging in is the first step. A study from Wayne State University’s College of Nursing, which surveyed nearly 400 metro Detroit youth ages 10 to 18, found that on average, youth spend two hours a day online and send 189 text messages. Additionally, some youth reported having up to 25 email accounts.

Jemica Carter, Ph.D., who co-authored the WSU study with associate professor Feleta Wilson, Ph.D., recommends parents get tech savvy.

“Some parents are unintentionally unaware of their children’s online patterns because they may not have access to the same technology or have challenges using it. Many community organizations and libraries offer free or low-cost computer and social media training for adults,” she said. “Education is the first line of prevention.”

The following are additional tips to help parents prevent and address cyberbullying:

Ask questions. Take an active role by inquiring about your child’s relationships with peers on and off line.  Most children won’t volunteer the information. Parents should ask specific, preferably open-ended questions to get their children to open up.

Host a tech-free family night. Ditch the cell phones, laptops and tablets for dinner and conversation. For some teens, talking face-to-face may seem old-fashioned but it’s a great way for families to connect. It also reduces the temptation to go online.

Be a role model. Parents are their children’s first teacher and play an important role in influencing appropriate online behavior. Parents should be conscious of what they’re posting on social networks and make an extra effort to use technology responsibly.

Overall, the entire community – parents, schools, community groups, faith-based organizations – play an important role in preventing and ending cyberbullying.

Girls learn art of self-expression during Community Chica Chat

When asked what’s the most important lesson learned during the Thursday, June 13th Community Chica Chat, one confident 13 year old said “don’t be afraid to express yourself.”

That was one of the goals of the two-hour workshop facilitated by Empowered Flower Girl CEO and Founder Rasheda Kamaria.

“Chica Chat is all about promoting sisterhood while empowering girls’ self expression, uniqueness and personal power,” said Kamaria, who founded the social enterprise in 2010. “The cyberbullying, drama and cliques are just the side effect of a bigger issue – the lack of communication skills and tools.”

Nearly 25 girls participated in the workshop held in partnership with Detroit Parent Network. Earlier this year, Kamaria received a $2,100 grant to support Empowered Flower Girl and its workshops/programs.

In addition to the Community Chica Chat, Empowered Flower Girl has hosted two workshops at Capstone Academy, a program for adjudicated adolescent girls ages 12-19.

On Aug. 17, Kamaria will facilitate a mini Chica Chat as part of the “I Feel Good: Mind, Body & Soul” women’s conference.

For more information about the event visit www.superwomanproductions.com.

Learn more about Empowered Flower Girl’s workshops and programs at www.empoweredflowergirl.com.

Images courtesy of Bontisha Rose Photography