Meet The #Firestarters: The Survivor

Speak Your Truth, Free Your Mind

It’s here! My first book, “Find Your Fire: Stories and Strategies to Inspire the Changemaker Inside You,” is now available on Amazon. Inside this book, you’ll meet fearless #Firestarters who are building movements that matter. Today’s special preview of “Find Your Fire” features Karen Hansen, a #Firestarter who turned the pain she suffered into fuel for a movement.

Like a lot of you, I’ve found that my resilience has really been tested this year. As it has, I’ve thought back a lot on my conversation with Karen Hansen for my book “Find Your Fire.”

Karen is one seriously resilient #Firestarter. Growing up, she got the message she “would never amount to anything.” And she was a victim of childhood sexual assault.

As a student at Florida State University, Karen was the victim of date rape and became pregnant. Even as she became a young mother and carried a traumatic secret with her, Karen completed her education and launched her career.

After Karen met Laura Rachlin, they became friends and started their own interior design business. Karen found out that, like her, Laura had been date-raped at FSU. Both women also experienced domestic violence.

But they were determined that their past experiences would not dictate the rest of their lives. Karen and Laura resolved to rise above — for their kids, for their business and for themselves.

So they launched heir own handbag line, Wren & Roch, contributing a portion of all sales to organizations that help victims of sexual assault. The two have spread their message of abuse awareness and prevention from the White House to the U.N. and all kinds of events in between.

As Karen says in “Find Your Fire”:

I show them what a survivor can look like.

More With Karen

Resilience doesn’t mean pushing relentlessly through pain without any thought for yourself. It’s actually about taking self-care really seriously. Learn what that means for Karen by ordering a copy of “Find Your Fire.” While you’re at it, pick up an extra one for a woman whose voice the world needs to hear more of.

Listen

If someone close to you tells you that they have been sexually assaulted, listen supportively and non-judgmentally. For tips on what to say and what resources to suggest, visit the website of RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network).

Learn

Did you know that more than 21% of women and 2.5% have experienced rape or attempted rape? Learn more statistics about sexual violence at the website of the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.

Take Action

Have you ever had the feeling “What am I supposed to do with all of this?” (Whether “all of this” was something good, bad or a combination of the two.) I certainly have. And Karen and Laura have, too. Together, they decided to take both the bad things and the good things that had happened to them and turn into a movement about empowerment and being a survivor. It’s amazing what a conversation with a friend can do. Who is someone who could help you discover what your movement is meant to be?

To read Karen’s story, and the stories of other changemakers who are creating movements for social good, pick up a copy of “Find Your Fire,” at Amazon!