Two northern Wisconsin teens are on a mission to empower others to love themselves.
Isabella Baker of Eagle River and Elizabeth Fitch of Minocqua recently launched Authentically You with the goal of “inspiring people to be fearlessly authentic.”
The mission is personal to both Bella and Lizzie. Each has struggled with body image issues and self-acceptance stemming from mean comments as well as societal pressures and expectations. But once the girls began questioning the messaging they were receiving, and turning inward rather than outward for validation, things began to change.
“Personally, what gave me courage was what everyone told me,” Lizzie says, explaining that in third grade, she was called fat and ugly.
“I was in a toxic cycle until at least eighth grade, figuring out myself and my worth,” she says. “I didn’t want anyone else to experience that. I want them to love themselves for who they are and know their worth.”
Key to Lizzie flipping the script was seeing a social media post stating how nothing changes until you change. She began shutting out the negative perspectives and listening to herself. Bella, too, found power in unpacking the messaging she had simply accepted as true.
“I’m a very logical person,” she says. “Once I started recognizing how stupid these thoughts were, that I had to be this way, I started asking why and kept breaking it down. I realized I’d been lying to myself this whole time.”
Once the friends realized their so-called “flaws” were anything but, it paved the way for self-love and freedom.
“You see the world in a whole new light,” Lizzie says.
“I did not realize how awful I felt before,” Bella says. “Everything is so much clearer and easier now.”
As the two shared their journeys with each other — as deep, real and vulnerable conversations are a foundation of their friendship — they realized they wanted to help others out of the trap and into the freedom they found. So they decided to start a business.
Authentically You sells products and helps raise awareness and money for charities close to Bella and Lizzie’s hearts — specifically around eating disorders and melanoma. Currently, their website carries a sky blue tank top featuring the words “Beautiful is not a size” and a deep blue quarter-zip shirt with a powerful quote that starts with the phrase “My body is not yours to critique.”
Five sets of earrings and a butterfly necklace available in six colors are also offered, each with a card describing the meaning behind the piece. “It’s what we want you to think about as you put your earrings on in the morning,” Lizzie says.
The girls also share positive messages on their Instagram, and dig further into issues in their new podcast, Fearlessly Authentic, available on Spotify.
Their ideal listener, follower and customer is “anyone who does not know what we are talking about,” and success to Bella and Lizzie is others embarking on their own paths to self-acceptance.
“We want them to start their journey,” Bella says. “Go through those stages with us, get to where we are.”
Because where they’ve gotten to, the girls say, is pretty great — imperfect, unique and truly authentic.
– Katie Vaughn
Katie Vaughn is the editor and co-founder of Northerly. She is a University of Wisconsin-Madison and Stanford University-trained journalist with experience as a writer, reporter, editor, blogger and author. She lives in Madison with her husband, daughter and son, and is always up for an adventure.