Today we’d like to introduce you to Symonia Montgomery.
Symonia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have always loved encouraging people, but honestly never thought about making it into an organization. Then life happened. I was just trying to help someone else and felt as if I was hit by a bus in the process. Yet it was all for purpose because that experience paved the way for Girl Me Too which is a non-profit organization that was established to promote the healing, empowerment and education of women and young ladies while encouraging healthy relationships amongst all women. GIRL, ME TOO!™ was developed during the personal struggle of two women looking at life through each other’s eyes. This experience sparked a multifaceted movement that seeks to change the way we as a female gender respond to certain situations as well as how we interact with one another. We are dedicated to helping our sisters heal from the pain of the past while providing the tools needed to empower the future. Yet, we don’t stop at our trials, we celebrate our triumphs. No longer seeing each other as competition. Instead of seeing each other’s win as motivation to go after our own goals. Poetry has been a very powerful vessel in our growth. Allowing women from all walks of life to come together in the arts, mentoring, public speaking and education to give a voice to our situations. This movement has been memorialized with the honor of having April 7th named National Girl Me Too Day. Each time you hear Girl, Me Too, you know that you are not alone. Remember “Divided we stand strong because we have no choice, but standing together we have the power to change the world.” We kicked it off in 2016 with an anthology highlighting women poets who use their pen to tell the story of others in their own poetic way. You may ask how is that helping or relating to my sister. These women come together in the midst of their busy lives to say “Girl, me too” for every woman that has a story but no way to tell it. They are choosing to be stronger together in an attempt to be the change in the way we relate to our sisters. We are now incorporated in Texas, Michigan, and Florida and continuing to grow.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have been a few challenges along the way. To be completely open, I would have to say the Me Too Movement going viral hit me the hardest. Girl Me Too was started and trademarked before the Me Too Movement started. There were some things stated by the founder of Me Too, that I found no proof to be the truth. Learning that it was, in fact, trademark infringement, but there was nothing I could do about it made me feel like something was stolen from me. I literally cried for three days lol. BUT GOD. I had to realize and accept all things in God’s timing. He would not allow me to give up on the vision He had placed inside me. So, I kept pushing in spite of it all. I have had to release some people on this journey, including the person who I started this journey with. I’ve had two ex close friends try to duplicate it under another name. The list goes on and on, but with each battle, I grow stronger. I’ve learned that my struggles are also the stories of other women in the process of building. Each one taught me something I needed to embrace along the way. The biggest lesson was everyone can’t go with you no matter how much you want them to. These became some of my girl me too moments.
Please tell us about Girl Me Too – what should we know?
The mission of GIRL, ME TOO! ™ is to achieve relationship stability amongst all women, by offering a gateway to heal from past pains, hurts and fears. Our healing will help provide the tools needed to view life through the other person’s eyes, which can bring forth understanding instead of judgment. This awareness will birth to empowerment and unity across a nation. GIRL, ME TOO! ™ is dedicated to being the change we want to see through education, philanthropy, volunteerism and sustainability. We host retreats, workshops, back to school drives, volunteer for varies types of community service, have programs like Mother of Pearl, conduct a prayer line at 7 am M-F, sell t-shirts to promote self-empowerment and the list goes on. I believe there are many things to be proud of surrounding Girl Me Too but if I have to pick one I will say the Rosie Williams Scholarship because it gives us the opportunity to be a small part of someone’s future success. I also love our unique awards The Diamond Flower, The Love Mirror and The Godsend awards. To be set apart in the world of empowering women is hard because there are so many organizations that are doing a great job. I think having a National Day on the calendar sets us apart because we are forever a part of history. Also, Girl Me Too does not embrace just the negative or just the positive but the whole woman. It is our victories and our failures that make us who we are.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I believe being consistent and relatable are the most important characteristics of our success. Walking in our purpose no matter what challenges come our way along with the support of people like you helps us to continue spreading the light. As you highlight us, we highlight others allowing us all to be the change we want to see.
Pricing:
- National Girl Me Too Day $25 on eventbrite.com/girlmetoo
- Tshirts $20 on girlmetoo.com/womensapperal
- Books $15 on girlmetoo.com/books
Contact Info:
- Website: girlmetoo.com
- Phone: 5634475632
- Email: yesgirlmetoo@aol.com
- Instagram: girl_metoo
- Facebook: Girl Me Too
- Other: girlmetoo.com
Image Credit:
Stephanie Swan
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