September is National Campus Safety Awareness Month...
but many co-eds haven’t felt so secure lately.  The recent murder of 24-year-old pharmacology student, Annie Le, at Yale University has shocked the nation.  America had been watching for days as the search for Annie took place, which many hoped was due to ‘cold feet’ in anticipation of her upcoming nuptials.  But sadly, her body was discovered this past Sunday, which was supposed to be her wedding day. The layers of tragedy seem endless, and my heart goes out to Annie’s family.
 
When campus crimes like this make national news, I get a flood of emails from concerned parents of college students. The query is usually the same: “How can I keep my child safe while on campus?”  To answer this question, I pulled together my favorite campus safety tips and created a FREE campus safety fact sheet.  (Click here to download the PDF) In observance of National Campus Safety Awareness Month, will you please forward it to anyone attending college or who loves a college student?  Feel free to make copies and distribute widely!
 
My advice to parents and students alike is to start a conversation about campus safety.  As a guide, check out my book: Girls Fight Back! The College Girl’s Guide to Protecting Herself.  It’s the only book out there just for young women on campus, and I hope it helps female co-eds avoid bad situations…and fight back if necessary.  Get FREE SHIPPING ON BOOKS if you order by 5 pm EST tomorrow (Friday).  We can ship directly to your favorite college girl as a back-to-school gift, and all books will be autographed by me.  Enter the coupon code CAMPUS to redeem this special offer.  Click here to buy the book.

And in case you were wondering, I finally gave birth!  On August 18, 2009 we welcomed a baby boy named Miles Patrick into the world.  He was 8 lbs, 4 oz and 22 inches long.  I finally understand the amazing, protective, unconditional love that only parents can have for their kids…

Strong. Resilient. Spirited. Unified.


Erin Weed
Founder/CEO
Girls Fight Back & Fight Back Productions

P.S.- It’s not too late to book a seminar!  We still have some open days available, and one of our trained speakers would be happy to give a personal safety & self-defense presentation for your group. Discounts may be available if we are already in your geographic area – call 1.866.432.2423 for more details.

My Fortune Cookie...

The other night my husband and I went out for Thai food, and had a lovely dinner on the outdoor deck.  The sun was setting on a very productive day, and I had gotten many things crossed off my to-do list.  At the completion of the meal, our server brought us fortune cookies.  And let me tell you - I love fortune cookies.  Yes, they taste good, but I'm also a big believer in fate and subtle (or not so subtle) messages that are dropped in our laps.  (Or in this case, show up in our food.)  I always take my fortune cookie messages very seriously.

This night was no exception. Perhaps with everything going on right now, I built it up more than usual. With the busiest Fall Tour we’ve ever planned starting in September, and our first baby due next week, I am open to all the wisdom I can get. 

As I cracked the cookie in half with nervous trepidation, I hoped it would rock my world.  And it said…

“About time I got out of that cookie."

Really? A fortune cookie with a sense of humor? How fitting. And that’s when I knew this is the message I needed most. To relax, to live, to laugh…and to trust in the simple idea that everything is alright in good time.

Because things over here are better than alright...let me bring you up to speed on a few things.  First off, in June I trained a team of incredible speakers who will be carrying out all presentations this Fall while I’m on maternity leave.  You can meet them all by watching this brand new video on YouTube.

Second, you probably noticed we changed our official name to Fight Back Productions.  This came about as customers began asking for educational programs for female employees (Women Fight Back) and for mixed gender audiences at colleges (Students Fight Back).  It was time to develop a larger umbrella organization beyond Girls Fight Back that would be the home for all our educational programs.  And so it was…

Third, we are currently planning our biggest and busiest Fall Tour to date.  Please see the tour stops at right to see if we’re coming to a city near you.  If your school, college or business would like to book a stop on the tour, we offer discounts if you book when our speakers are in your area.  And if you work for a business that might be interested in becoming a tour sponsor, please contact us for an info packet.

So that’s the scoop! Until next time…I’m sending you simple joys and lots of  good fortune.

Strong. Resilient. Spirited. Unified.

EVENTS INTERN

Fight Back Productions is currently seeking Events Interns in the states of: California, Colorado, Illinois, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington state. 

Their main role is to organize and promote Girls Fight Back Second Saturday events. Second Saturdays are free, open to the public, women safety & self-defense seminars held in cities across the nation on every Second Saturday of each month starting in August 2009.  Interns will directly assist our professional Speakers who conduct these seminars with a wide variety of tasks, and will also work closely with staff at our headquarters in Colorado.

The ideal Events Intern is mature, responsible, works independently, enjoys networking and has a go-getter mentality.  He/She is willing to assist our Speakers in any way requested of them that pertain to all events. He/She believes in our mission, that all women have the right to defend themselves from violence in all forms. 

Interns should be pursuing a college degree in the subject areas of: women’s studies, advocacy, business, non-profits, journalism, marketing, publicity, communications, advertising, fundraising, graphic design, web design or education.  Other majors may also apply.  Interns must receive college credit, and are not paid. 

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
    •    Determining a suitable Sponsor for each monthly event
    •    Secure a venue for Second Saturdays – gyms, auditoriums, libraries
    •    Web publicity via Facebook, MySpace and the GFB website
    •    Promote the event in the community via posters, flyers and networking events
    •    Serve as Assistant to Speaker before, during and after the event
    •    Assist in videotaping all events
    •    Facilitate donations, raffle, distributing literature and merchandise sales
    •    Collect contact information from our audiences for future marketing purposes
    •    Be a friendly and welcoming face to all who attend the events
    •    Answer questions about the company and our educational products/seminars

To apply, please e-mail your resume and a cover letter explaining your interest and qualifications to jobs@fightbackproductions.com.  We are looking to fill these positions immediately.  No phone calls please.

We hear about situations all the time, where disturbed people get on to buses and passengers must decide what actions to take to remedy dangerous or uncomfortable situations. Yesterday was one such day.

After a long day of work, I got on my bus to head home. As I stepped off the first bus to transfer to another, a young man in his twenties followed close behind me, lighting a cigarette. As I waited for the light to change to green, I looked over to see him staring at me. He was taller than I, wearing a dress suit and black dress shoes. He held his black jacket in his left hand, loosely away from his body. His white with red pinstripe shirt, hanging out of his pants. He looked like a normal guy coming home from work.  However, there was something not quite right about him, though I couldn't say exactly what it was.

As we crossed the street he followed close beside me. As he continued to smoke his cigarette, he proceeded to pull a faceless balaclava over his neck as he sat next to me on the bus bench. It was then that I knew for certain that something was off. There were several other people at the bus stop and my false sense of security convinced me to stay seated beside him. I was tired and I resented having to move from the only available space at the stop, in an effort to avoid this guy.

A minute later, my bus pulled up and I got on. As usual, there was only a few seats available so I took the first available seat before others got on. As I sat down, creepy guy sat down beside me. I opened my book in an effort to avoid any communication from him. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed his hand fall to the side of the seat that was shared between us. He slowly inched his way towards my thigh. He then took his other hand and went to pull something our of his pocket. I swiftly moved my hand to a ready position in anticipation of having to fight. When nothing happened, I left doubt to convince me that "I" may just be exaggerating the situation, I walked to the front of the bus to ask the bus driver which direction this bus took. This being my bus, I knew the answer but wanted a polite excuse to leave my seat. As I walked back to another seat directly across from this man, I noticed his hand was not in his pocket as I had first thought. He not pulling out a weapon, but he did indeed pull out something, covering himself with his jacket. I couldn't believe what was happening on the bus, right in front of me, in front of everyone in broad daylight. I became enraged.

A man who was sitting beside this guy saw what was happening, became embarrassed and walked to the back of the bus. I looked over to a woman across from him and made eye contact with her. It was like I was looking for confirmation of what was happening. She looked back at me and we both knew what the other was thinking. Silence.

Something inside of me snapped and looked over at this man and said "Seriously! Are you fucking kidding me with this?" No response. No one else said a word. I realized in a moment, from the way that he looked at me that he was psychotic. His direct stare and smirk sent a chill up my spine. My instinct told me that no verbal boundary setting would make a difference and that it was best to avoid him completely. As we came to the next stop, a little girl got on the bus with her mother busily attending the another child. As the little girl went to sit beside him, I heard the words come out of my mouth "No!" her mother looking at me, I repeated , "No. Not this bus." Without question, she and her little girl got off. I walked to the front of the bus, told the bus driver what was happening and got off.

I pulled out my phone, dialed 911 and called the police. I gave them a complete description of this guy, including the bus number on the back of the bus. What happened next, I can't know for sure.

Some people may experience a situation like this and shake it off as a creepy one. I however, chose to look back at the events and see what I could have done differently, what I did and what I won't do again.

As people, as women, we tend to make excuses for our first reactions. We need to let our instincts guide us and not allow logic to blind us from potential danger. When I got off my first bus, I saw someone and instinctively knew something was wrong. I was uncomfortable that he sat beside me, but instead of moving I stayed seated. I allowed this man to sit beside me on the bus. I didn't want to create a scene. Instead of telling him to move his hand, letting him know that he was in my space, I ignored my discomfort and made excuses to move. I looked to others for acknowledgment of something I knew myself.

All of the training in the world is not useful unless it's practiced, acted upon in the real world. We have to be comfortable using our voices, trusting our instincts and putting them into action. One could argue that I made the right choices, as I really didn't know this man's full intent. He could have indeed become physically dangerous. Personally, as  a self-defense instructor, the physical defense aspect is less scary to me than the verbal boundary setting. I think that this is common to many women. It was a situation that was in many ways passive aggressive and a grey area of what should have been said or done. At the end of the day, despite questioning my actions, I made choices that kept me safe. I was able to stay calm and act in ways that didn't escalate the situation. This allowed me to deal with potential danger and notify those around me of a threat.  I got the woman and girl off the bus, I told the bus driver what was happening and I then got myself to safety and called the police. Perhaps, that's exactly what I was supposed to do; to be here to tell you about it.


Ophelia de Serres
Fight Back Productions
4800 Baseline Rd. | Suite E104 #286 | Boulder, CO 80303
Office: 1.866.432.2423 | Fax: 303.845.6847
Web: http://fightbackproductions.com

The Girls Fight Back DVD Available NOW!


Know a young woman that you want to help keep safe? Someone you know is about to head off to college and you want them to be prepared to protect themselves in any situation? Do you need a practical and empowering introduction to self-defense? The Girls Fight Back LIVE DVD is empowering, fun and full of great safety and self-defense information. In it, you will learn to live a safe, strong and empowered life with Girls Fight back founder and certified women's self-defense instructor, Erin Weed.
Using cutting edge safety strategies, straight talk and a healthy dose of humor, this live seminar will teach you the following safety & self defense techniques:

· The real facts about violence, predators and how to predict assaults

· That any woman, regardless of size, can truly be her own best protector

· How to recognize intuitive danger signals and act upon them

· Strategies for living like a hard target or a "Bad Victim"

· A practical 3-step self-defense series that every woman should know

· How to use improvised weapons, like car keys and high heels… and so much more!

Want to show the DVD to a classroom or audience? Then consider the Public Performance Kit, which includes the DVD plus a CD-ROM packed with worksheets, handouts, teacher guide, posters, the public performance license and more.

The DVD and Public Performance Kits are available at:

http://www.girlsfightback.org/shopGFB

TO view a 6 minute highlight reel go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6l3E6OB_2M&eurl=http://www.girlsfightback.org/Seminars/

What: Attend a free, live seminar of the Girls Fight Back program in Denver, Colorado. This 90-minute seminar will be taped at Comcast Studios, and we are looking for 100 women to be our live studio audience. Learn how to stay safe, trust your intuition, and of course… kick some booty! (Note: This is an introductory seminar, not a full-blown self-defense class. No need to wear any special clothing, as you will only be watching demos from your seat.)

Who: The Founder of GFB, Erin Weed, will be presenting. We're looking for 100 women and girls, over the age of 12, to be our lovely audience.

When: Tuesday June 17, 2008 from 4 - 6:30 pm. We are on a strict schedule for the shoot, so please arrive at 4pm sharp! All attendees will go through security and sign a waiver giving our cameras permission to catch you on film. There will be musical entertainment for your enjoyment before the seminar starts. Live shoot begins at 5 pm.

Where: Comcast Studios in Denver. The exact address is below. When you arrive, park in the lot and enter through the main entrance of the building. Look for the blue and green balloons!

Comcast Media Center
4100 E Dry Creek Road
Littleton, CO 80122
Map & Directions

Why: Be a part of the first-ever live Girls Fight Back shoot! Also learn how to fight back against violence, and get a free book and t-shirt as our way of saying thank you for attending.

RSVP: We need 100 women to come pack the Comcast studio full of energy, so invite your friends, family, co-workers and make it a girls night out! Please sign up as soon as possible, as we need to make sure all 100 chairs are filled. Once you RSVP, we are holding your seat and counting on your smiling face to be there. So please, no cancellations.

To RSVP, contact Ashley Bruce at 303-379-3037 or
via e-mail at abruce@girlsfightback.org.

If you haven't heard of Girls Fight Back…
GFB was born in 2001 in response to the murder of 21-year-old Shannon McNamara at Eastern Illinois University. Shannon's friend and Alpha Phi sorority sister, Erin Weed, started Girls Fight Back as a means to make empowering safety education accessible to women around the globe. Through live seminars at high schools, colleges and corporations we reach over 100,000 women per year with our message that fighting like a girl is actually a very good thing!

www.girlsfightback.org

WHAT: 7th Annual Girls Fight Back for ShanMac Fundraiser
WHEN: Friday, March 7th 2008 from 8 pm – 12 midnight
WHERE: Slugger's Bar - 3450 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60657
COST: $30 per person for open bar – no advance registration necessary

This annual event is held in memory of Shannon McNamara, who was a 21-year-old college student murdered at Eastern Illinois University in 2001. Shortly after this tragedy, Shannon's college friend (Erin Weed) formed an organization called Girls Fight Back. GFB educates young women about personal safety and self-defense through live seminars, books and the educational website www.girlsfightback.org. Every March since Shannon's murder, hundreds of people attend this fundraiser to raise money for violence prevention programs in Chicago's high schools in hopes of preventing more tragedies. This year the incredible band, The Charleston Sound Machine, will be performing all night. Check them out at: www.csmband.com. Hope to see you there!

After months of planning and preparation, today I am happy to announce the official Girls Fight Back Spring Tour '08! At left you will see the official logo of the Spring Tour. Little Gigi, our trademarked stick person, has sprouted butterfly wings! But really, what better way to symbolize spring than the fresh start of a butterfly. So get ready to flap your wings, because this tour is gonna be nuts. Already we have 20 cities (mostly colleges) confirmed, with calls and e-mails rolling in daily. So I got two words for ya…GAME ON.

spring_08_tour_shirt.jpgWe have some really fun perks for the Spring Tour, in case you're interested in hopping on that train. First off, anyone who books a GFB seminar on the tour by February 1st will receive a 10% discount off the speaking fee. And if you pick a date when I'm already in your geographic area, you'll receive another 10% discount on top of that. Everyone on the Spring Tour roster will receive free GFB books, free 11×17 posters to publicize your event, REALLY CUTE free t-shirts (girly T's…long & fitted…click to enlarge photo at left) and a step-by-step Event Planning Guide. Want more info about booking a presentation during the tour? Call our Events Coordinator, Michelle Parilla, at 1-866.432.2423.

And check this out…during the Spring Tour '08 I'll be shooting my first documentary called "Journey of a Girlfighter." It's going to be a film exploring violence against women in America, and what we can do about it. Scenes will include: Live GFB seminar footage, interviews with some incredible (and famous) people working for a peaceful society, and my own journey back to Charleston where my dear friend Shannon was murdered. It's going to be a deeper and darker version of anything you've seen from me before, but I hope it will be cathartic. Not only will it be an emotional and mental journey as I create this film, it will also be a physical one. Shannon and I were running partners in college, and she was always asking me to do a long distance race with her. My answer was always something to the effect of, "HELL NO." She was an award winning track athlete, while I'm a 11 minute miler. But to raise money for violence prevention education in America's schools, I will be running my first marathon. Yes, I said it. Holy crap. And now I'm terrified, because it means I actually have to do it. And you will be able to watch the entire thing unfold in the comfort of your living room…

Creating this film with the permission of Shannon's family is really a full-circle moment for me. Prior to Shannon being murdered, I was working as a documentary producer in New York City. After she died though, my entire focus became GFB. Now I'm coming back to my roots, and I can't wait to see what happens.

I'd like to give you a few ideas of things you shouldn't post on MySpace, Facebook, Friendster, etc.  While it's fun and cool to surf around on these sites, remember there are people online who don't have your best interests at heart.  For this reason, never post the following on your profile: phone numbers, class schedules, where you live, any personal info that can identify you in real life, or sexually explicit stuff (screen names, photos, etc.)

Have a blast here at MySpace, but avoid dishing out what we call T.M.I.  (Too much information)  Stay safe, have fun and be well...and never hesitate to report someone who gives you the creeps.  When you get a sec, check out the "safety tips" provided by MySpace at the bottom of this page.

Strong. Resilient. Spirited. Unified.
Erin Weed, founder of Girls Fight Back!