Oh Friday, we are happy to see you. Has anyone else felt an incredible sense of dread and sadness and overwhelming anxiety this week? Feeling very “Thoughts of death Barbie” right now. Could it be that it’s an election year and women’s rights are on the line and there is war everywhere and and and…

Gratitude helps. List five things we are grateful for.

1. Coffee

2. Running hot water

3. The weekend and sleeping in

4. Dogs

5. So many amazing women in the world

Okay, breathe in gratitude… Breathe out fear…

Let’s get into it.

What’s in the newsletter today?

We chat with Nicole Snell CEO of Girls Fight Back

When we started Pchy we believed that other women in the world were like us. They prioritized safety but still wanted to go on adventures.

Yes, it can be scary to hike alone in the woods, but the solitude is so worth it and so is the strength and courage you gain from going anyway. Going alone. Going afraid.

When we came across Nicole Snell and her company, Girls Fight Back, it was like finding our people. As avid adventure seekers, there are still so many questions we have about how to stay safe when alone in the woods. What to do if you are attacked by a person? Should you carry weapons and what self-defense tools to use? How do you fight back?

We got to chat one-on-one with Nicole! CEO of Girls Fight Back and can we just say, POWERHOUSE. Talk about a powerful woman. Here are our key takeaways.

1. In 2014 Nicole was teaching sexual assault prevention and response for the United States Navy after a big career change. She then became a certified IMPACT trainer and was introduced to a company called Girls Fight Back. Nicole has worked with the Air Force, the Army, and the Coast Guard doing boundary-setting training.

2. Nicole bet on herself and her mission by purchasing Girls Fight Back in 2019 when the then-owner was ready to sell. The company once focused on only training women in self-defense and has since expanded to training all people and genders. They have also expanded into working with corporations.

3. When Covid hit and it forced everyone to social distance and start going places alone, Nicole saw interest in her work increase and especially for her Outdoor Defense series and “Yes, I’m hiking solo” program.

4. Nicole teaches “Empowerment-based self-defense” and there is over forty years of research that shows that this type of education can reduce the chance of experiencing violence by 50%! So why isn’t it being taught everywhere? Nicole says it’s because there is so much misinformation about what self-defense is.

We were really curious about self-defense weapons and what to carry. We carry bear spray, a taser, a pocket knife, a loud whistle, and a window breaker thing so we asked Nicole, what do you carry? And guess what the answer is?

NOTHING.

Nicole teaches that her body is her best self-defense weapon. 😲

Take a look at her blog regarding self-defense weapons because honestly, Nicole describes this best. 💪

What we learned that hit home for us the most was that “whatever you do to survive is the right thing to do.” And that these trainings are for everyone. Not just for women who like to adventure and hike alone.

“Everyone can find elements of this training for their everyday life even if that’s just learning to trust your intuition.”

This training is SO SO important. OMG. We are planning to hire Nicole for training soon and will keep you posted on when and where. In the meantime dive into the resources on Nicole’s website and make sure to subscribe to her newsletter.

Alex goes camping alone for the first time

We adore Alex Rosa! We connected with Alex or @Alexgoesoutside_ via Instagram and have found so many amazing connections through social media.

Alex recently went camping alone and gave us the gift of following her experience on her YouTube. She breaks down what she packed, what she paid for gear, where she slept, and how she overcame her fear.

We love your safety tips, Alex, and we are so freaking proud and stoked for you.

A marathon designed for women

Okay, who wants to do this with Pchy this November!?!?

Did you know that we live in a world that wasn’t really designed with women in mind? Like, for example, typically office temps are normally at least five degrees too low for women. When offices were designed they were done so with men and men’s body types in mind. Not women.

It’s the same for marathons.

But not Every Woman’s Marathon. The first marathon designed with women in mind.

What does that mean? Well, it means snacks and bathrooms that come stocked with tampons and female products, and hair ties. It means accessible lanes that accommodate wheelchairs, and new or slow runners.

It means inclusion. For all women. For all types of runners.

The race is on November 16th, 2024 in Savannah Georgia. Who wants to go? At the very least this could help with our apocalypse training.

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