Debbie Sterling of Goldie Blox, Alice Brooks and Bettina Chen of Roominate, Christy Kaskey of Kaskey Kids, and I have created products with the same goal in mind…to create social change, provide solutions, and empower women and girls to appreciate their own uniqueness and not model themselves after the unachievable. As female entrepreneurs creating true alternatives for girls, our goal is to address why there is a need for positive images and products. On Monday, February 11th I will be discussing this and showcasing our girl empowerment toys on Fox and Friends at the 7am hour.

Debbie, a Stanford educated engineer, has created an unique toy, Goldie Blox, to teach basic engineering principles and encourage scientific thinking for girls. Alice and Bettina, MIT, Caltech, and Stanford educated engineers, created Roominate, the DIY wired dollhouse building kit. Their mission is to inspire and build confidence in young girls through hands-on creative play. Christy is the creator of the award-winning line of sports action figures, including Soccer Girls, designed to inspire imaginary and creative play. As many of you know, I am the creator of the award-winning Go! Go! Sports Girls, a line of positive-image, age-appropriate dolls that encourage healthy life-skills for girls.

Our toys empower girls, but as women entrepreneurs/founders we are role models too and we believe our stories will also empower girls as well as women. Toy Fair begins on Sunday and the five of us are ready! Move over Barbie and princesses, it is time for a change and we are ready to make it happen!

Dream Big,
Jodi

Since I created the Go! Go! Sports Girl dolls almost six years ago, after being inspired by the “sexy” dolls marketed to girls, I have met many people creating and forcing a positive change with new ideas, articles, blogs, books, documentaries, online stores, and more…and it seems to be growing at a rapid pace.

Yesterday, Nancy Gruver with New Moon Girls created a petition asking Target to stop segregating their toy aisles. The signature goal was reached within hours. Debbie Sterling recently created Goldie Blox, engineering toys for girls. Ines Almida created Toward the Stars, and Carolyn Danchaert created A Mighty Girl, online stores offering empowering gifts for smart, confident, and courageous girls. With these amazing ideas, the release of the powerful documentary, Half the Sky, and the strong voices of Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Peggy Orenstein, Amy Jussel, Melissa Wardy, and Dr. Robyn Silverman and others, a change will be made. Go! Go! making a difference girls!

Consumers, parents, women, girls, etc., are saying enough is enough. It is time for a change and that time is now! There’s a storm blowing up – a whopper, and I plan on standing in the middle and enjoying every moment. Together we can and will make a difference.

As always, Dream Big and Go For It!

Jodi

In February, the Go! Go! Sports Girls will be 4 years old. When I started designing the dolls six years ago, I never imagined where this business/idea would take me or the unbelievable support and kindness I would receive. I experienced this kindness and support in the beginning of this summer when I was approached by a young woman and recent Belmont University graduate, Meghan Saletta. Meghan is a talented songwriter and performer and she asked if she could write a few songs for the Go! Go! Sports Girl dolls. She told me she felt the Go! Go! Sports Girls were all about promoting positive self image and a can-do attitude and she wanted to bring these same messages to life through fun, inspirational songs that girls could relate to…and most importantly sing along to. What could I say but YES!

Today, I am thrilled and proud to launch the two new amazing Go! Go! Sports Girl songs – “Dream Big” and “True To You”. Both songs are available on iTunes, and the Go! Go! Sports Girl website. Please share with your daughter, niece, granddaughter, etc. Meghan and I would love to hear from you!

As always, Dream Big and Go For It!

Jodi

The Novi Star dolls, well let’s just say I have a few choice words going through my head that I do not want to put in writing! Their tag line reads, “What on earth is going on?!” I sure agree with that! On the website they give a little bio about each doll and I can’t believe some of this stuff. This is the exact opposite of what my husband and I are teaching our daughter. When I showed the website to my now 15 year old daughter she said, “Oh my gosh! I can’t even look at this. It’s disgusting!” Let me give you a few examples – Alie wants to learn “How not to blush around cute Earth boys!!”, Ari’s mission is to “Kiss an Earth boy” and her fave activity is “Curling her hair with her magic wand (aka curling iron)!”, Mae’s mission is to “Become the BIGGEST pop-star!”, and Yna doesn’t get “Flats and tennis shoes.” In the words of Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers “Really!?!”

The third launch is “Team Barbie”, www.icanbe.barbie.com/en_us/dolls/team_barbie.html. I am positive I have NEVER seen a woman look like this before, during or after a workout! Really, it is just regular ol’ Barbie in a swimsuit or tennis outfit. I do think it is funny how gymnastics doll is wearing heels. I didn’t see any of the gymnasts at the US Olympic Trials in heels! However, on a positive note, I think it is great that the largest toy company in the world, Mattel, sees a need for a sports doll. I don’t agree that it should be a scantily dressed Barbie, but it certainly gives me greater validation about the Go! Go! Sports Girls.

I have always felt strongly that we should teach girls to be true to themselves and encourage them to be physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy. We are all consumers and we all have voices. Show your power and make your voice strong! Please share with me your comments and thoughts. I would love to hear them and thanks for reading!

Jodi

I have been asking myself, what is mainstream? The Merriam-Webster definition of mainstream is: A prevailing current or direction of activity or influence. The buyers are right. The Go! Go! Sports Girls do not fit into the current mainstream world of dolls, like Barbie, Bratz, Monster High and Disney Princess dolls. I am okay with this! The Go! Go! Sports Girls are not dressed in short skirts, high heels, and makeup. They resemble little girls and are age appropriate. This current mainstream of dolls needs to change and change is never made by mainstream ideas.

Cross your fingers and wish me luck. The “non-mainstream” Go! Go! Sports Girls are here to challenge all the “mainstream” dolls at Toy Fair 2012. Our girls deserve it!

After thinking about the two statements, I realized that sometimes it is easy to point out the negatives.  The negatives are usually LOUD and stir emotions.  While I feel it is important to point out, become aware, and make others aware of the negatives, it is also important to point out the positives, the possible solutions to the negatives.  If we constantly talk about the negatives and not the positives, we give the negatives more and more attention.  Similar to a child only receiving attention for bad behavior.  The bad behavior continues.

In the spirit of being positive, I have listed some of my favorite positive, solution offering websites.  Please share with me some of your favorite, positive websites.  Together we can all make a difference!

www.pigtailpals.com

http://www.girlsinc.org/index.html

http://www.girlsontherun.org/

http://playonwords.com/blog/

http://mamasweat.blogspot.com/

http://www.girl360.net/

http://mrunslikeagirl.blogspot.com/

http://www.discoverygirls.com/

http://www.girlscouts.org/forgirls/

http://blog.superhealthykids.com/

http://loridayconsulting.com/wordpress/

Today I read two interesting articles on Title IX.  The first by Cynthia Kounaris in the Huffington Post  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cynthia-kounaris/womens-world-cup-title-ix_b_901073.html.  She writes, “Today, girls can play sports and it is normal! It is accepted by other girls, by boys, by parents, by men. And what a wonderful way for girls to connect with their dads. It is no longer “odd” or “tomboy” behavior. It is just ordinary. And that is huge.”  The second article is by Tara Parker -Pope in the NY Times http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/15/as-girls-become-women-sports-pay-dividends/.  She looks at separate studies from two economists, providing the strongest evidence yet that team sports can result in lifelong improvements to educational, work and health prospects.  Both article are worth reading!

With the 40th anniversary of Title IX approaching, I am sure we will be seeing a lot more studies, articles, and documentaries on this federal education law that opened the door for girls to participate in high school and college athletics.  Go! Go! Sports Girls!

The Go! Go! Sports Girls have been mentioned in two recent “Barbie” articles – “Barbie Be-Gone” by Mina Samuels http://mrunslikeagirl.blogspot.com/2010/12/barbie-be-gone.html and in Monday’s NY Times by Lisa Belkin, “Banning Barbie” http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/25/banning-barbie/.  Both articles speak of the ill-proportions of Barbie and the possible effects on young girls.  While I believe Barbie is just one influence among many, a young college student at Hamilton College sums it all up.  Galia Slayen built a life-size Barbie  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/galia-slayen/the-scary-reality-of-a-re_b_845239.html. If Barbie were “real” she would stand 6 feet in height, with a 39″ bust, 18″ waist and 33″ hips.  Galia’s point….”(this) is not healthy and is not normal.”  Smart girl!

That being said, when designing the Go! Go! Sports Girls, I made sure the proportions of the dolls were correct to those of a young girl.  I did this by measuring my then 10 year old daughter and all her friends.  There wasn’t a girl under the age of 11 who entered my house who could escape my measuring tape!  Interestingly, I have received a few comments that the legs of the dolls seem a little short compared to other dolls on the market.  My answer: Because they are correctly proportioned!

I love that the Go! Go! Sports Girls have been named as a healthy alternative doll to Barbie.  While she is one tough chick, and she has been around for a long time, I think she will be seeing more of the Go! Go! Sports Girls!

For four years I coached “Girls on the Run” www.girlsontherun.org, in which my daughter participated.  It is an amazing program which teaches girls confidence through running.  I saw the program change the lives of not only the young girls participating, but mine too.  The girls learned how to work as a team, encourage one another, and do their best.  At the end of each 12 week program, all the girls and coaches run a 5K.  I have amazing memories from all 4 races – meeting “Girls on the Run” founder, Molly Barker, and seeing her overcome with joy and tears at the number of girls she had touched in just the Chicago area, crossing the finish line while holding hands with my daughter, running with a determined little girl who told me I could not stop for a bathroom break (Ha!), and another little girl who had struggled with running, crossed the finish line, smiled and turned to me and said “Now I know I can do anything”. I still get the chills when thinking about these powerful moments.

My second experience wasn’t as uplifting.  When my daughter was 9 years old, she and I were shopping for a doll for her.  She was so excited, but I stood in the doll isle looking at all the dolls in disbelief.  Many of the dolls I saw sent an inappropriate message: grow up fast, wear short skirts, and put on makeup.  I picked up one doll that had eye makeup, a cropped top and jacket, short skirt, high heels, a belly button ring and I read her name.  It was “Lovely Lola”.  No joke!  My daughter asked me if this was a doll for girls her age.  Hmmm, good question!  I actually bought the doll, explaining to the check out person that the doll was not for my daughter and it was the worst doll I had ever seen, but I had show my husband.  I was so frustrated and angry, that with the support of my husband and kids, I decided to do something about it by creating my own doll which would send a positive and healthy message while encouraging girls to embrace and enjoy their true age.

The dolls have now been on the market for two years.  It has been an amazing and interesting journey.  I realize I have taken on a big battle, but I am willing to fight hard.  Every child should have the opportunity to “Dream Big and Go For It!