She Killed the Wizard – Part 1, Practical Principles of Self-Worth

Pay no attention to the woman behind the curtain.

That was the only way she’d speak to a group of people: doing a “voice-over” from behind a screen so she wouldn’t be seen. A female Wizard of Oz, with one big difference. The Wizard of Oz was a fraud, desperately trying to keep up the illusion of being something he wasn’t. Laura wasn’t a fraud. She was scared. And hiding.

She constantly battled fear and insecurity. “I have very low self-esteem” was the story she told herself – and others – for the first 2 years I knew her.

Then everything changed. She found a company she loved, and she found a reason to be brave.

You’ve heard the phrase “Give a woman the right shoes, and she can conquer the world.” Well, Laura went one better, and found an entire clothing line. She discovered LuLaRoe, which she describes as “cute, comfortable clothes made for real women.”

Her inspiring story demonstrates several Practical Principles of Self-Worth.

I asked Laura why she’s so passionate about LuLaRoe. Here’s what she said:

“I always struggled finding clothes I feel comfortable in. So many clothes in stores today are made for a very specific body type that few women actually have. The first time I tried on a Nicole (one of our dresses, and my personal favorite piece) I felt beautiful. It flattered me in all of the right ways while hiding areas I’m self conscious about. And to make things even better, I was comfortable! So comfortable it didn’t feel like I should be able to leave the house in it. But I also looked cute and put together, so I could.”

Practical Principle of Self-Worth #1 – Recognize your beauty, inside and out.

True beauty isn’t the photoshopped fakery of fashion magazines. It’s real women in the real world with real bodies. It’s your heart and soul and spirit. Laura found a way to let her inner beauty shine on the outside. A way to honor her body and feel great in her own skin. She knows first-hand the impact clothing has on the way you feel about yourself.

But it’s a lesson she almost missed, because she almost talked herself out of it.

“I first heard about LuLaRoe at a very difficult time. I just passed the 5 year anniversary of my son being stillborn. To add to that, I was in the depths of dealing with infertility trying to have another child and my daughter had started preschool so I wasn’t being mom 24/7 anymore. I felt like a failure on so many levels and I really wanted to feel like I could do something right. My body wasn’t doing what it was supposed to. And thanks to my PCOS, my acne and weight were both out of control as well.

The idea of putting myself out there, imperfections and all, seemed horrifying. Besides, who was going to look to a fat girl for fashion advice? I had a lot of self-doubt and almost convinced myself to give up several times before I even started. I knew I loved the clothes and others would too, but I questioned my ability to be successful. It has been years since I worked a traditional job, and it’s hard to go from being mommy 24/7 to trying to do something for myself. I questioned myself a lot. What if I failed. Do I want to take on all of this debt? Will it be worth the time taken away from my family?”

Practical Principle of Self-Worth #2 – Do something for yourself.

Thankfully, Laura didn’t let the fears and doubts stopped her. She silenced her Inner Mean Girl and decided – in her own words – to do something for herself. She recognized that she’s just as important as everyone else in her family, and she deserves to do things that bring her fulfillment.  Saying “yes” to herself was a crucial step in improving her self-worth.

Practical Principle of Self-Worth #3 – Invest in yourself.

This is similar to #2, but it goes a step further and involves financial commitment. Skin in the game. It could be taking a class, learning a new skill, or hiring a coach. Laura put her money where her mouth is. When she found clothes she loved, she didn’t hesitate to buy them for herself. She admits, “I loved the clothes so much that I wanted more of them. I found myself in way too many Facebook groups, trying to get my ‘LuLa fix.’”

So she became a consultant. Her decision to join LuLaRoe over other direct sales companies demonstrates another secret of self-worth.

To read more Practical Principles of Self-Worth from Laura’s journey, read She Killed the Wizard – Part 2. Among other things, you’ll learn how she decided that being a female Wizard of Oz was not the best career choice, and how she got over her fears. The juiciest stuff is yet to come. 😉