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.
Not sure where to start? Here's how it works.
GRL Pep Talks are honest, research-backed pieces written by Dr. Lauren Young — educator, athletic leader, and founder of The GRL Initiative. Each one is designed to meet you where you are, whether that's figuring out who you are, leading under pressure, parenting a kid who's hard to figure out, or just trying to stop shrinking in rooms that weren't built for you.
Inside each Pep Talk you'll find personal essays, journal prompts and worksheets, deep dives into equity and belonging, and quizzes to help you reflect on who you're becoming.
Find your entry point: Browse the four collections below and pick the one that matches your season. Or scroll the full feed and let a title stop you — they're written to be honest about what's inside. Once you're in a post, click any category tag to find more pieces on that topic.
Choose Your Pep Talk Collection:
Find the words you need for the season you’re in.
Identity & Belonging
For the moments you’re figuring out who you are, where you fit, and how to grow into yourself — without shrinking to belong.
Mental Health & Burnout
For when life feels heavy, loud, overwhelming, or exhausting — and you need permission to be human, not perfect.
Girls in Sports & Equity
For athletes, advocates, and leaders working to build better systems, stronger pathways, and real access for girls.
Motherhood & Real-Life Leadership
For the women leading teams, families, careers, and chaos — learning that leadership is lived, not just performed.
Why we love sports movies: Belonging Before the Win- Why Sports Movies Still Move Us
Watching Little Giants with my son reminded me of something sports movies have always gotten right: belonging comes before success. From The Sandlot to Remember the Titans, these stories resonate because most of us have felt like outsiders at some point — and finding a place where we belong changes everything.
Two Years on a GLP-1: What Changed, What Didn’t, and Why I’m Still Here
After two years on a GLP-1 medication, I’m sharing what actually changed — and what didn’t. Despite eating vegan, working out 4–5 days a week, and living an active lifestyle, turning 40 brought unexpected weight gain, inflammation, and relentless food noise. This is a personal reflection on hormones, self-blame, judgment, and how GLP-1 support helped me reclaim strength, mental clarity, and peace in my body — not as an easy way out, but as a tool alongside years of hard work.
What to Do When You’re Struggling With Perimenopause, Parenting, and Burnout
When you’re struggling, it’s rarely just one thing. Hormone shifts from perimenopause, parenting a teenager, and a world that feels heavy can collide all at once—leaving even the most capable people depleted. This honest, grounded post explores what to do when you’re doing “all the right things” and still feel overwhelmed, offering practical ways to regulate your nervous system, lower the pressure, and remember you’re not broken—you’re human.
New Sweatshirts Available to Support Access and Opportunity in Athletics and Activities in Vermont
Periods are not a personal problem—they’re a systems issue. For too many young athletes in Vermont, menstruation, undiagnosed menstrual challenges, lack of access to products, and uniform design quietly create barriers to participation. This post explores how we can remove those barriers—together—and why showing up for girls in sports starts earlier than we think.
Periods, Young Athletes, and Removing Barriers: Why Menstrual Equity Matters in Girls’ Sports
Periods are not a personal problem—they’re a systems issue. For many young athletes, menstruation, undiagnosed menstrual disorders, and lack of access to products quietly push them out of sports. It doesn’t have to be this way. This is a call to remove barriers, rethink design, and build equity into girls’ sports from the very beginning.
When the World Hurts and You Still Have to Pack Lunches: How to handle a national tragedy as a parent.
When the news is overwhelming, parenting can feel especially complicated. This post explores what it looks like to care for children while processing difficult events, offering practical strategies for staying grounded, talking to kids in age-appropriate ways, and managing emotional overload. A realistic guide for parents navigating hard days without pretending everything is fine.
One Year of the GRL Initiative: Turning Frustration Into Forward Motion
One year ago, the GRL Initiative began with frustration and a decision to act. This reflective anniversary post explores lessons learned about leadership, allyship, burnout, and building something meaningful—one imperfect step at a time.
Why Two Opposite Feelings Can Be True at the Same Time (Especially During the Holidays)
Recently, I was on vacation with my parents and my family of four—full of gratitude, present in the magic, and completely exhausted from doing the planning, driving, and mental juggling. Both things were true at the same time. This GRL pep talk is a reminder that joy and exhaustion don’t cancel each other out—they coexist, and that’s human.
Supporting a Kid (or adult!) With ADHD During the Holidays (Without Accidentally Making It Harder)
The holidays can be magical—and totally overstimulating for kids with ADHD. This parent-friendly guide breaks down common traps (like Advent calendars and constant transitions), plus practical strategies for parties, travel, and downtime. Bonus: an ADHD-friendly gift guide that supports regulation, movement, and real-life executive functioning—without turning your living room into chaos.
When Girls Hockey Numbers Are Low, It’s Not a “Commitment Problem” It’s an Access Problem
Girls hockey participation numbers are declining, but the issue isn’t motivation — it’s economics and access. From equipment costs to travel demands, many girls are priced out before they ever step on the ice. This post explores what the data is really telling us — and what needs to change.
Is the Pink Tax Real? What Girls Learn About Worth Before They’re 18
The pink tax is real — and it teaches girls early lessons about worth, fairness, and belonging. Here’s how it shows up in sports, school, and leadership.
What Athletic Administrators at the National Athletic Directors Conference Said About Belonging
What happens when athletic administrators are asked about belonging, burnout, and safety instead of strategy? Insights from the National Athletic Directors Conference reveal what leaders are really carrying.
Two Pairs of Underwear and Other Things Moms Pretend Aren’t Happening
Every mom has a kid wearing something wild under the perfect outfit. Mine? Two pairs of underwear. This is the messy, funny, unseen side of motherhood we need to talk about more — from hidden struggles to the pressure to look like we have it together.
HOW TO KEEP YOUR SH*T TOGETHER AS A WORKING MOM DURING THE HOLIDAYS
December isn’t a break for working moms—it’s a logistical marathon built on emotional labor, travel schedules, school events, and making holiday magic. Here’s your permission to slow down, recalibrate, and keep your sh*t together in the most honest way possible.
The Most Wonderful… Overwhelming… Magical… Exhausting Time of Year
When College Athletics Ends: The Quiet Identity Shift No One Really Prepares You For
When college athletics ends, the loss isn’t just the game — it’s the structure, identity, and belonging that once held everything together. This reflection explores what really happens after sport, why the transition feels so destabilizing, and how former athletes can begin rebuilding connection and meaning in their next chapter.
Sports Suggestions & Recommendations for Girls (By Age & Personality)
A practical, confidence-centered guide to sports suggestions and recommendations for girls—based on personality, age, and belonging, not pressure.
When Rest Looks Nothing Like Rest: A Working Mom’s Reflection on Overwhelm, Purpose, and the Truth About “Doing It All”
How Couples Actually Build Connection
Five years after living through the pandemic together, many couples are realizing that connection hasn’t gotten easier—life has only gotten louder. In this reflective, honest look at partnership, I explore what it actually takes to stay connected when you’re tired, stretched thin, and operating at different speeds. From tiny daily rituals to shared moments, nervous-system-friendly activities, and naming what we miss, this is the real roadmap to choosing each other—long after survival mode ends.
The Ultimate Eco-Conscious & Outdoorsy Gift Guide (From Someone Who Just Cleaned Out Her Closet)
Cleaning out my closet reminded me how much we’re surrounded by excess—and how many gifts end up forgotten instead of loved. As someone who prefers adventure over clutter, I created this intentional gift guide for outdoorsy and eco-conscious people. From experience-based ideas to local gems, campfire kits, pet-friendly gear, and “pay it forward” giving, here’s how to choose gifts that truly see the person you love.