When I first launched Pretty Tough years ago, my two daughters were young girls and I wanted to encourage them to embrace both their fierceness and femininity. In an effort to develop role models for them, I created a series of young adult novels featuring female athletes and produced a popular film and TV series based on the Pretty Tough books. Girls and their families viscerally connected with our name and mission and tens of thousands of books later (along with Pretty Tough tees, caps, cards, sweatshirts, and bags) we started a movement. Since then a myriad of other companies and organizations have stepped in and taken up the baton but we were ahead of the curve and I’m proud of the work we did.
My girls have grown into amazing young women who inspire me each and every day. My mother, who I sadly lost several years ago, was also an incredibly strong woman and my personal role model. Sidelined by a devastating disease in her early 20’s, she managed to transfer her fierce passion into politics and broke numerous glass ceilings during an amazing career. I’ve struggled enormously since her death, which was compounded by the loss of my father days earlier and the unexpected death of my brother four months later. Since then, I’ve desperately looked for meaning and purpose in life while seriously grappling with a host of existential issues.
Pretty Tough has been dormant for a while – as my spirit and attention have been elsewhere – but I think it’s time to resurrect it with a slightly different focus. Pretty Tough has, and always will be, focused on encouraging girls and women to embrace their power. But it’s about way more than female athletes. It’s about women who kick butt in whatever they do. It’s about women pushing limits and breaking boundaries. In this iteration, I’d like to honor both my mother, whose social activism was an inspiration to all who knew her and my daughters, whose futures depend on the strength of women across the world. Let’s harness the power of Pretty Tough to change history.
Jane
P.S. If you’re interested in getting involved (artists, writers, filmmakers, influencers, marketers, etc.) PM me with thoughts and ideas. I look forward to hearing from you.