Vanessa Schenck wants to give tweens a language of empowerment

Did Vanessa convince you in her 60 seconds? Will she succeed in eliminating the “30 year power outage” – when young girls lose their sense of identity for decades – for our daughters? Read on to find out more.

Here are 10 Questions for Vanessa.

Check out TIA’s Kickstarter as well.

Where are you from? The beautiful Pacific Northwest. Seattle! Go Seahawks!

Why is your Pitch a game changer? The TIA Girl Club supports and encourages girls through positive words, mentors and a community of peers. This inclusive club uses a simple affirmative statement — “Today I Am” — to teach girls how to use words to strengthen their voices and value themselves. The “Today I Am” statement also helps girls combat “camouflaging,” a process of hiding their true selves in order to fit in.

Who is your biggest advocate? Well, that’s easy. My family! Just ask them! All kidding aside, my husband Will is my partner and my kids are my test subjects. We do it all together, and I draw enormous encouragement and strength from them. Will and I love working together, and we have very complementary skills. Also, my parents are both entrepreneurs at heart, and they have been really supportive. I’m half Italian, so it’s all about the famiglia/clan!

Light bulb moment? I have a deep spiritual practice, and I believe your thoughts and words create your reality. My light bulb moment happened when I was in meditation one morning. The idea of bringing an empowerment language to girls starting with the “Today I Am” statement and then calling it TIA Girl Club was literally downloaded into my brain. I walked away knowing I wanted to create a lifestyle brand for tween girls, teaching them an empowerment language and introducing them to positive female role models.

Who inspires you this week? Our TIA Girls. I have the privilege of being in community with over 5,000 amazing tween girls through our Instagram. They send us messages every day about how TIA Girl Club has positively changed their lives and helped empower them to stay true to their authentic selves. For me, there’s nothing more inspiring.

Where do you do your best work? In my home office. I am blessed to live on the water. I look out over Long Island Sound. Sometimes I get up, watch the sunrise, and that’s when I send out TIA’s inspirational post for the day to our TIA Girls.

Favorite female-led entrepreneurial venture outside your own? There are so many! It’s impossible to name just one. All of our TIA Trailblazers are running their own businesses, from Hilaree O’Neill to Amy Smilovic to Colette Davis to Amanda Hesser! I love Jennifer Siebel Newsom and Miss Representation. Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls is brilliant. I could go on and on.

In 10 years you will be… Sitting with Oprah planning a “Live Your Best Life” and “TIA Girl Club” event for tween girls and their moms! Did I just say that? Pretty sure I did. Goosebumps.

Guilty pleasure? Big Gay Ice Cream in the Village (NYC). The Unicorn painted on the wall when you walk in is reason enough to go. I’m obsessed.

Favorite book?Three Simple Steps by Trevor Blake. It’s a life-changer.

Socials:Instagram, Facebook, Twitter.