The Women Who Shaped Me

Real Talk Vol. 30

March is Women’s History Month.

But for me, it’s also a reminder.

Of the women who shaped how I see myself.

How I move.

How I show up.

Not just in history books.

But on screens, stages, and in everyday moments.

Women who made something click.

Rihanna taught me that beauty doesn’t come in one shade.

She made inclusivity the standard, not the exception.

And she showed me what unapologetic femininity looks like.

Carrie Heffernan showed me that you don’t have to be the “perfect wife” to be loved.

You can be outspoken.

Flawed.

Assertive.

And still stand in your truth.

Beyoncé and Solange reminded me that being different isn’t something to fix.

It’s something to embrace.

They made space for women to be layered, expressive, and fully themselves.

Hilary Banks was one of the first examples I saw of a woman who was both glamorous and ambitious.

She made it clear that you don’t have to choose between being stylish and being driven.

Janet Jackson showed me what it looks like for a woman to have control.

Over her image.

Her voice.

Her sexuality.

Her career.

Tracee Ellis Ross taught me that self-worth isn’t tied to traditional timelines.

That success can be defined on your own terms.

Marilyn Monroe showed vulnerability in a way that was powerful, not weak.

She challenged how softness is perceived.

Serena Williams showed me that strength and femininity can exist in the same body.

That power doesn’t take away from softness.

It enhances it.

Madonna pushed boundaries.

She owned her image, her voice, and her choices.

She reminded women that we are allowed to take up space without permission.

And somewhere along the way,

I realized something.

Womanhood isn’t one thing.

It’s layered.

It’s evolving.

It’s personal.

You can be soft and strong.

Ambitious and peaceful.

Feminine and powerful.

Messy and still worthy.

There’s no single way to be a woman.

And that’s the beauty of it.

So this month isn’t just about celebrating women.

It’s about recognizing the pieces of them

that live in you.

And choosing to own them.

Fully.

–C