I Choose To Win

October 3, 2017 – Melonie Butler, Founder of I Choose to Win, served as a volunteer chaperone for a group of young women part of Upper Dublin School District’s Connections program to hear from Former First Lady Michelle Obama at the 2017 PA Conference for Women.

September 17, 2017 – In part of I Choose To Win’s program entitled EXPLORE U!, a small group of women who chose to explore photography ventured to Philadelphia, PA’s Fishtown section to capture Graffiti Pier. In doing so, the women, some of whom were strangers, connected, partnered and enjoyed getting to know their cameras and one another during this fun and interesting photo walk. It is through activity and taking actions that we begin to learn a little more about who we are and what our gifts, talents and preferences are. Join us one day. We hope you choose to EXPLORE U! Learn more about the Explore U! program by visiting exploreUphilly.com. Check out some photos here.

Be sure to stay tuned for programming in 2018 for this younger generation of winners! We want them to be in tune with themselves younger. We want them to know and understand their value, significance and contributions matter much earlier. We want them to be the leaders of tomorrow. Check out the video.

Launched August 13, 2017! Check out #allin4humanity, a social campaign created by I Choose To Win to restore love, peace, compassion, humanity and solidarity. It’s launch timing was a direct response to the white supremacist rally at Charlottesville, VA this August. We must do something, no matter how little we believe our actions are. It starts with me. It starts with you. Together, we WIN. All(IN)4Humanity is the social campaign that was birthed out of the 2016 I Choose To Win retreat entitled, “All Hands On Deck” where we invited diverse women to join in an overnight retreat to address what everyday people can do to combat racism and restore love. Background: Like many Americans, we wanted to do something about the racially charged climate in the U.S. and concerns about social injustice facing our nation. But, we didn’t know where to begin or what we could do to truly make an impact. So, a group of diverse individuals in the Philadelphia, PA area retreated from the noise and came together to brainstorm. Out of it came this campaign, #ALL(IN)4Humanity, which acknowledged our need to deal internally (it starts with me) to impact change externally (be the change we hope to see). We are #ALL(IN)4HUMANITY, an online campaign for individuals who are ALL IN for restoring love, peace, compassion, humanity and solidarity in our nation. We are responding with the fierce urgency of now, because Dr. King taught us the right time to do the right thing is always now. We are a diverse group, representing many races, cultures and ethnicities with an agenda, a mission, a charge: because people matter to God, they matter to us. We are everyday people, like you, who have decided to take action – with the resources we already have and within the circles we already run. And, we started this campaign to invite others, like you, to do the same. JOIN US! Decide on at least ONE meaningful action-step (of your choosing) toward mending human relations by either supporting or advocating on behalf of a group who’s been marginalized, increasing understanding around the injustices, acknowledging your own bigotry and biases, and/or standing in solidarity to fight for reform because an injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.  In part of the campaign design, you MUST do it within 10 days and tag others by asking if they’re “ALL IN.” Then, let us know how it goes using hashtag #allin4humanity. Are you willing to DO SOMETHING? If so, tell us you’re in,  share your action-step on social media using the hashtag #allin4humanity when doing your part. Let’s spread viral images and messages of kindness, compassion, diverse group discussions, enlightenment, songs, poems, civil police encounters, positive activism, etc… It starts with me. It starts with you. It’s up to us. Together, we WIN. Next Steps: We are looking for a few corporate sponsors to support community-wide initiatives in part of this campaign. We are looking for brand ambassadors and volunteers to help promote the campaign via social media. Looking for financial support to build a marketing budget for extensive reach and support. Stay tuned. Let us know – Are you All (IN)?              

July 2017 — Given a special invitation and request to conduct an I Choose To Win session for the children of Camp Oxford in Philadelphia, PA, we chose to share the power of each individual through connection. The session highlighted how our individuality and uniqueness add value to every room because we bring something that would otherwise not exist, such as perspectives, experiences, skills, characteristics, and qualities, which when brought together bring wholeness. When one person would remove the puzzle piece reflective of their contributions, it was a visual reminder that something that was once there was now missing. If you will glance at the puzzle image again, you will notice words like love, kindness, funny, encourager, and flexible as their self-recognized attributes. And, when pieces were removed, we saw a room without love, flexibility or kindness. Then, in our journey to encourage, through this session, for the children to be “Unapologetically Me,” we explored times where they recognized themselves try to alter who they were to be liked by others. In their own words, these children chose to share how and when environments have caused them to shrink and not share their authentic selves. This conversation turned into a self-love moment and a commitment to deliver their best selves – and a willingness to always be true to who they are by God’s design, so everyone connected to them can benefit from the fullness of who they are. We would like to thank the staff at Camp Oxford for this wonderful opportunity to connect with its young winners!  

June 2017 – Introducing EXPLORE U, a membership program that offers adult women an opportunity to intentionally explore who they are by God’s design. The EXLORE U curriculum seeks to awaken women to a love of self, a renewed sense of purpose (fulfillment in living), and an ignited fire-in-the-belly spirit in an attempt to cause these women to re-engage life with vigor, enthusiasm and a made up mind toward winning, as we’ve defined, boldly, bravely, and brilliantly unleashing their God-given gifts to positively impact the world. EXPLORE U offers a safe space for women to use their imagination, brainstorm ideas and share unproven thoughts, try something again, be a novice and explore freely. Its no judgment zone encourages women to just “be” and in it, honesty, transparency and vulnerabilities flow freely, fostering a safe space and sense of community. This program will cost participants approximately $150 for a year-long set of small group workshops facilitated by I Choose To Win before embarking upon mini adventures to learn the areas that awaken us to our voice, passion and purpose. With a committed small group of like-minded women on similar journeys, each member will choose which opportunities to engage and embark upon based on their areas of interest, including but not limited to the following: (Each of these activities will be offered at a rate agreed upon by the service provider and I Choose To Win, based on interest and volume.) Acting Pottery Poetry/Open Mic Songwriting/Voice Coaching/Recording Studio Time Dance Instruction/Dance Studio Time Speaking Coach Instruction Fitness Bootcamp Photography/Modeling Fashion Design Writing/Author’s Workshop Program Development Quiet Retreat It’s like a camp for grown women who want to sample this, or try at that without committing to any of it for any length of time. The EXPLORE U curriculum is designed to first build the women up to go at it with their whole heart through its workshops, followed by the lineup of activities for women to try for either the first time – or first time in years. More information will be available in July 2017. CLICK HERE TO PRE-REGISTER.  

In this issue, we are introducing our EXPLORE U program for adult women and Empowered Uth program for young women who seek to become leaders in their area of passion. To Check it out, click this link: http://createsend.com/t/t-7B0AF49681DF4A6C

June 2017 – As part of our fundraising strategy, you can support our mission by purchasing merchandise you’d love and messaging we want to share with the world. Include our Teddy Bear Encourager to travel with your college graduate to remind her she is Bold, Brave and Brilliant.     Check out our online store at https://www.customizedgirl.com/s/ichoosetowin. A small percentage of all sales are returned to our organization. Thank you in advance for sporting our gear – and supporting our mission! Get yours today.