Young man turns his pain into books and a successful clothing line to empower other women
Kimberly Guerra makes his way on a busy Silverlake street in Los Angeles, in the distance you can see his smile, which illuminates the rush hour of the cars that travel through the area. From a distance you can feel its good vibes, its energy, a happiness that infects those who are on the road.
And then he confirms that, like the name of her brand, she is Brown Badass Bonita.
For more than four years, this woman's life changed and because of fate of destiny she became a successful businesswoman and writer who has managed to turn adversities into opportunities.
“I always say that Brown Badass Bonita started in a tub in Seattle,” says the 27-year-old on her shirt line with inspiring messages for women and that they are already a trend in social networks.
“I was in a moment of great anxiety. I couldn't relax, so I felt like I was disappearing and in that tub I thought: Cómo How can I fight for myself, empower myself again, celebrate what I am and fill myself with energy? ’,” Kim recalls.
"Then the words Brown Badass Bonita came to my mind and at that moment I left to grab my phone, I started to play with the designs and said:‘ It would look pretty in a shirt, "he says.
“I looked for how to make shirts, I made only one for myself and I put it on Instagram and many women, even in India, began to say:‘ I am also Brown Badass Bonita and I want that shirt. ’ Then I said, "Well, if people want this shirt, we'll give them to them."
This is the story of the beginning of a business that changed her destiny and turned her into the inspiration of many women around the world, since behind her positive messages and her colorful designs, there is a story of overcoming in which she has left behind abuses and ties of the past to turn them into experiences of growth.
“I learned from childhood that we need self-love to survive. I have survived very strong things and I know that self-love, the love of community and spirituality, that is the foundation of everything; love has power and begins with us and if we do not love ourselves we cannot love others as it should, ”says the native of the San Fernando Valley, but of Mexican origin by her mother and Salvadoran on the side his father's.
Without tags
Kim, who studied human development in psychology, has more than 90,000 followers on her Instagram account, a platform where she shares her work as a designer and writer, but above all in which she motivates women to free themselves, to close cycles and Learn to love themselves.
“Most of my designs are things that I want to hear or want to see, I always say that it is vaporub for the heart, there are poems that I write because I need them and there are designs that I do because I see that the community needs to raise awareness [about our reality] ”, explains the young woman who is currently studying to obtain her master's degree in family therapy.
The businesswoman asks to break with the labels that society wants to continue putting on women and invites women to support each other.
“What bothers me the most is that we are very critical of each other. I grew up listening to women talking badly about each other … From little girls we see that and we think it is normal to treat a woman like this and treat us like that, ”he explains.
"That is a lie that you keep quiet is a lie, no longer say it, let's learn to see women as the queens we are because if you see a woman and treat her like a queen that will help us all."
The writer opened her heart to share how complicated her divorce process was and how society reacted negatively to it, however, it was through that process that she just cultivated her love and respect for herself.
Guerra remembers how on one occasion, conversing with a very close person about his sentimental situation he had to defend his decision and demonstrate why it is so important to have self-esteem.
“I told that person:‘ I am so proud of me. I have realized that my value is not for who I am, if I am married, single, divorced, that does not give me value. My value and my success comes because I left a relationship that was damaging me, I learned to live alone, I have a business, I write books, I am getting my master's degree, I am traveling, I am happy, I am healing, that is what gives me value and I feel successful because of that, ”he says, full of light.
Heal through the letters
He says that he has found a healing therapy through writing that can also help and inspire his community.
“I wrote what I needed to hear, I wrote what I needed to move on, what I needed because my heart was hurting, because I needed to laugh, love myself a little more,” he explains.
This is how his first book, "Mariposa" was born, a compilation of poems that relate various stages of his life and with which many women have identified.
Guerra acknowledges that the abuses she suffered in the past marked her life, but thanks to that she was able to capture all her inspiration in her second book, “Mija”, which is born from a letter she wrote herself, a letter she would have wanted to receive when I was a kid.
“Writing is what has healed me the most and it is a message for me to know that my message is important.
It has cost me to heal those messages that have been passed from generation to generation, from woman to woman who have been very strong, I have learned to say this I do not want to load, I do not believe in this message because it hurts me. ”
Currently, Guerra is working on his third book, "Guerrera", which tells the story of three generations of women and could be considered an autobiography.
“It has been very difficult to write this book, but it is something I want to do,” he confesses.
Within the framework of International Women's Day, the writer acknowledges that she admires women who have broken the rules for improvement and among them includes her grandmother, her mother, artist Frida Kahlo and activist Dolores Huerta.
She also takes the opportunity to send a message to all women who, like her, deserve the best.
“We need to learn to treat ourselves like queens, put the crown on the woman next to you and see how it blooms and celebrate that instead of trying to take it off. I want women to see themselves with self-love and not be afraid to fly, not to be afraid of loving and believing in themselves, because I think that is what is going to change the world. Women are the most revolutionary, ”he concludes with a broad smile.
