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Name: Lauren Berninger
Business: Finding the Fabulous Inc., a program to inspire young girls and help them find confidence.
Industry: Social Enterprise
Location: Lincoln Park, New Jersey, U.S.
Reason for starting: I started Finding the Fabulous because I wanted girls to understand the power of choice. Every day when they wake up, they must reject the statistics and choose to be fabulous in spite of their doubts and fears. Too many girls feel defined by what they lack, rather than who they are supposed to become. I created Finding the Fabulous to give girls the opportunity to stand up for what the world tells them is impossible. We are, however, more than words on a page; we’re a sisterhood.
Related: Read about another female entrepreneur creating a positive environment for women here.
How do you define success? We define success as the pursuit of our mission to prove that uniqueness should be inspiring, not inhibiting.
Biggest Success: Our biggest success is when our Fabulous girls become their own role models and achieve change. One of our campers wanted to start a Fabulous club, that everyone could join, after she saw another girl being bullied and excluded from a club at school.
Related: Read about another female entrepreneur here.
What is your top challenge and how have you addressed it? Our greatest challenge has been to extend our Finding the Fabulous sisterhood to girls everywhere. We’ve gotten so many requests from out-of-state moms and girls who want to get involved. To address the growing demand, we’re in the process of developing a curriculum and campaign program that will allow girls to be a part of our mission no matter where they are.
Who is your most important role model? I don’t believe in hinging so much on one person. Thanks to many incredible people in my life, many of whom have taught me invaluable lessons without knowing it, my role model philosophy is to construct a well-rounded support system who will highlight your strengths and strengthen your weaknesses, and to be a part of that support system for as many other people as you can.
[box_light]Website www.findingthefabulous.net
Twitter @theFabulousinme[/box_light]
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Edited by The Story Exchange