What I Choose To Be Political In My Business

I understand if last week's events made you upset and anxious.

I spent Tuesday afternoon handing out literature at the polls and broke my rule of not watching the news on Tuesday night.

I woke up Wednesday morning and felt heavy. I spent most of the day in tears and missing my Dad and brother, who worked hard to ensure equality and equity for all.

The thing is, I am not as upset and sad for myself as I am for people in my life who are Black, Brown, LGBTQIA, Asian, and hold any other marginalized identity.

The horrific stories I had heard from some of these folks in my life of things said to them from 2016-2020 rose to the front of my mind.

Everyone deserves to feel safe, seen and heard. 

Many folks will not feel that; many never have outside their trusted circle.

I understand that deciding to be political in my business is a risk.

I would probably be making way more money if I was less vocal and promoted fat/weight loss in my marketing like my counterparts.

Here's why I don't:

From a psychological standpoint, the same fear-mongering and scare tactics we saw in the media over the past several months are effective because they target people's insecurities and vulnerabilities. Decisions are made from a place of fear and scarcity.

It's effective because it exposes people's shame and guilt, making them feel like they need to act or they will lose out on making things better for themselves.

However, if this challenges our core values, decisions made with that mindset typically don't feel aligned after a while because we aren't emotionally regulated. We were reactive and desperate.

This approach is capitalistic and deceiving, and I don't operate from here because it's gross and unethical to prey on people to make money or decisions.

Second, I don't sell weight and fat loss because it continues to perpetuate the narrative that thin (and usually white) is the only way to be accepted into society.

As I have said, we could all eat and move the same and still have different-sized bodies.

Thin does not automatically equal healthy.

Fat does not automatically equal unhealthy.

Health is political.

Bodies are political.

Centuries ago, full-figured European women were celebrated as a sign of wealth.

In summary, once white Western women culture saw that some of their Black enslaved counterparts had fuller-figured bodies, Caucasian folks began using diets in the 1700s that doctors and corporations marketed (Kellog was one in the U.S.) who had 0 nutrition education. We haven't looked back (Check out this story map of "Fearing the Black Body" by Sabrina Strings; I highly recommend this book).

Promoting an ideal body type of thinness is continuing to say that only certain bodies are worthy in society and others are not, which funnels up into upholding white supremacy and the systems that continue to harm those who are most oppressed and marginalized.

It's not pretty, but it's the truth. I was uncomfortable when I learned this, too.

I choose to operate from an intersectional lens as my clients will not hold the same identities as me. This was taught to me not only in my trauma-informed training but also in my Pre/Postnatal and Women's certification and in many books I have read about body liberation and anti-racism.

I am always excited when someone chooses to work with me.

I am incredibly honored when they don't look like me, have vastly different lifestyles, have a different sexuality from me, etc.

These folks are taking even more risks in building trust and connection; I don't take that lightly.

This is why Vitality clients must agree that Black, Brown, and LGBTQIA+ lives matter and that abortion is healthcare.

I can't go deep with someone if our values are not aligned. It makes me compartmentalize, and I didn't leave my corporate job seven and a half years ago to not show up in my truth and authenticity to coregulate with others.

I am grateful if you got this far and are still reading.

I would greatly appreciate it if you decided to stick around, but if not, that's okay, too. 

I am not aiming to be polarizing, and I am asking you to think about ways you may uphold some of these systems. I work on this daily as I show up with someone with immense privilege, being white, thin, cis-gender, heterosexual, and having my basic needs met.

Hope you have a good week and take care of yourself,

Laura

P.S. If you're feeling hopeless and maybe a little lost, watch my IG stories. I am lacing up my advocacy boots again and will share what I am doing to take action.