GRL Pep Talks: Real Conversations for Real Growth
Your go-to space for leadership, confidence, identity, team culture, and the everyday challenges young women and student-athletes navigate.
GRL Pep Talks is where honest conversations meet practical support. Whether you’re a student-athlete, a young woman finding your voice, or someone building confidence and belonging, these Pep Talks are designed to help you grow in ways that actually fit your life.
You’ll find stories, worksheets, research-backed tools, and quiet reminders that you’re not alone in what you’re navigating. This is your space for clarity, connection, and the kind of leadership that starts from within — on and off the field.
Belonging Starts With You
We spend our lives chasing belonging — to a partner, a team, a purpose — only to realize we can be surrounded by people and still feel alone. This post explores the truth that belonging begins within. When we reconnect to ourselves, we stop performing for acceptance and start creating connection that feels real and lasting.
The Science of Connection
After realizing connection was the missing ingredient in my life, I went searching for answers. The research is clear — belonging and connection are not nice-to-haves; they’re biological necessities. From Harvard’s 80-year happiness study to the U.S. Surgeon General’s warning about loneliness, science proves that real connection keeps us healthier, happier, and more alive.
The Burnout Watch List
Burnout rarely shows up all at once—it leaks in slowly. In this practical GRL Initiative guide, Dr. Lauren Young shares her personal Burnout Watch List: the emotional, physical, and mental warning signs that tell you you’re running on empty. Learn how to recognize the drift, reset your energy, and protect yourself before you crash. This isn’t about weakness—it’s about awareness.
Designing your Healing Day(s)
Rest doesn’t just happen—it’s designed. In this GRL Initiative deep dive, Dr. Lauren Young shares how to build a healing day that actually restores your energy instead of adding more decisions to your to-do list. Learn how to communicate your needs clearly, set boundaries that stick, and create your own “dopamine menu” so you always know what brings you peace and joy. This is your guide to resting on purpose—without guilt.
The Cadence of Work: Why Leaders Need “Healing Days”
Leadership isn’t just about how hard you can go—it’s about how well you can recover. In this essay, Dr. Lauren Young reflects on the quiet crash that follows high-cadence seasons, when your brain is still buzzing with logistics and your body is begging for rest. Backed by research on burnout and recovery, she explores why “healing days” aren’t a luxury but a necessity. This post reminds ambitious women that rest is not something to earn after you’ve finished leading—it’s what makes powerful, sustainable leadership possible.
Gen Z with a Cold: Why Rest Is a Leadership Skill
Feeling guilty for resting? Here’s how pausing, delegating, and resetting actually makes you a stronger leader.
Ask GRL: How Do You Deal with Drama on Your Team?
Team drama is like a small fire everyone's trying to ignore. Here's how to protect your team's energy without picking sides
The 15-Year Reality Check: Why Your Teen Is Actually Doing Amazing
The walk to daycare hit me with unexpected clarity. Fifteen years ago, I was in LA, working as an assistant principal, living what felt like a completely different life. And yet—fifteen years doesn't feel that long ago. It feels recent enough that I can still taste the coffee from my favorite café, still remember the weight of my keys in my hand, still feel like that person and this person are connected by something more than just time.
But here's what stopped me in my tracks: if fifteen years back doesn't feel like ancient history to me, then fifteen years forward from birth isn't that far either. That high schooler I worked with today? They're not that far from being brand new.
The Irreplaceable Gift: Why Teachers Matter More Than Ever
In a world where AI can solve equations and write essays, what makes teachers irreplaceable? Your students won't remember your binder system or the quadratic formula, but they'll never forget how you made them feel. While artificial intelligence can deliver content, it cannot look a struggling student in the eye and say "I believe in you." It cannot sense when a quiet kid needs someone to notice them. It cannot do what teachers do best: make young people believe they can achieve the impossible. The Wright brothers might never have invented flight without teachers who instilled confidence in them first. As another school year begins, here's a reminder of your true superpower—and why the human heart of education will never go out of style.
My Summer Reading Stack: Books That Hit Different
This summer's reading wasn't just about entertainment—it was research. From Florence Knapp's "The Names" to Nate Bargatze's unexpected wisdom in "Big Dumb Eye," each book taught me something about authenticity, resilience, and what it means to show up fully. The best stories aren't about people who have it all figured out; they're about those brave enough to keep showing up when the path isn't clear. As leaders and women living full-size lives, we need stories that reflect our complexity—characters who struggle with staying true to themselves in systems not designed for them. Reading reminds me that the most powerful leaders are often still learning, growing, and brave enough to admit they don't have all the answers.
Navigating Harassment and Abuse in Sports: Protecting Female Athletes
Sports should be a space where female athletes thrive, compete, and grow—but for too many, harassment and discrimination create barriers to success. From inappropriate comments to online abuse and unsafe coaching environments, female athletes face challenges that shouldn’t be ignored.
In this blog, we break down the stats behind harassment in sports, how it impacts female athletes, and what we can do to create safer environments. Plus, we share actionable steps to help athletes set boundaries, report misconduct, and support one another.
Read more and be part of the change. 💜💪 #TheGRLInitiative #SafeSportsForAll #WomenInSports #ProtectFemaleAthletes
Leading, when it hurts
Leadership isn’t just about making the easy choices—it’s about standing firm in your values, even when the path ahead is painful. Recently, I faced a moment where I was called to act in a way that went against everything I believe in. Walking away felt like the only way to protect my integrity, but I realized that if I stayed, I could shape the conversation with compassion and ensure that dignity and empathy weren’t lost.
This journey is not easy, but I will lead the only way I know how—with love, with courage, and with the unwavering belief that no one is less than. Because true leadership is about extending the table, not shrinking it.
The Quiet Strength of Authenticity: Why It’s Okay to Change Your Mind
Leadership is a journey like many other things in life. This journey has it’s highs and it’s lows, and you learn a lot, especially about yourself. There will be times when you are called to action and you have to align it with your values. Being Authentic day in and day out is the only way to ensure you are leading within your values.
Calling truth to the lies.
Looking back, I don’t remember running around the softball field feeling proud of my athleticism or celebrating what my body could do. Instead, I remember feeling hyper-aware of what my body looked like. I carried that burden—the weight of lies other people placed on me—when I should’ve focused on the game. Read more to unlock the ability to call truth to the lies
Being Smart Isn’t Always Loud: Redefining Intelligence and Leadership
Being smart isn’t about being the loudest voice in the room—it’s about knowing when to speak, when to listen, and how to create space for others. In this post, we explore why true intelligence lies in curiosity, empathy, and leadership that values understanding over domination. GRLs, don’t let anyone mistake your quiet strength for weakness. Ask questions, stay curious, and use your voice to move everyone forward. 💡✨