Operation Halo is something that I believe in deeply because it is my poetic justice. I grew up with a father who was a police officer, and who taught me to stand up for myself at a young age. My time was split between multiple different sports and activities growing up, one of which was always boxing. I knew I was strong, smart, opinionated, and capable of anything I put my mind to. But as I grew older, I realized the world was not kind to young women, and even my own upbringing could not protect me from experiencing some of this unkindness. As a platform built specifically for young women like me, Operation Halo is a living, breathing version of all I have experienced, all I have learned, and all that I will learn.
I was recently in a lecture for emerging entrepreneurs and was asked the question “What does success look like for you and your company?” I paused for a moment. In my mind, I saw Operation Halo as a popular platform for young girls nationwide. I hoped it would become financially sustainable and function as a life-long, passionate career for myself to express my protective and creative nature. I wondered what number of instagram followers, partnerships, viewers, or personal business accolades would make me feel like I had accomplished that. After continuing to reflect on this question for a couple of minutes, it finally dawned on me that these were not the right measures whatsoever. Yes, these things may indicate success in an entrepreneurial sense, but Operation Halo is so much more than that. As a woman, success would be one day hearing that my platform helped a young girl leave a toxic relationship before it turns abusive. Success would be another girl utilizing Operation Halo to process sexual abuse from a previous intimate partner, and finally take the steps to become a survivor, rather than a victim. Success would be yet another girl using our situational awareness techniques to avoid harassment, or something worse that she may never even know she successfully avoided. Success would be a young businesswoman successfully petitioning for a raise using our recommendations, or a female collegiate athlete taking some time away to prioritize her mental health after learning about power dynamics and emotional abuse in one of our classes. Success would be a sorority girl finally realizing that the quality of her friendships will always be more important than the quantity, and that “friends” who do not look out for her are likely more prone to victimization themselves. Success would be an everyday girl picking up martial arts or lifting and discovering the innate strength she has deep down, allowing her to tap into a confidence she’s never known before. If Operation Halo could help just one girl take her life into her own hands and make it a little safer or healthier, then I will consider it a massive success. I believe Operation Halo can do this.
I am twenty-three years old at the time of writing this. I often sit and reflect on my upbringing. I wish I could teleport back in time and warn my sixteen-year-old self about the things she is about to face. We never imagine terrible things will happen to us until they actually do. Unfortunately, it’s not possible for me to do this for myself. However, I believe I was meant to experience or witness things like sexual assault, stalking, domestic violence, and so much more for the exact purpose of warning the next generation of young women about the violence and danger they may face in their lifetime. A halo is defined as a disk or circle of light above one’s head. Whatever evil or darkness different women face, I want to equip them with a halo of knowledge and confidence through Operation Halo. It takes bad to recognize the good, it takes dark to recognize the light. It takes centuries of violence against women and suppressed societal misogyny for us to recognize a platform like Operation Halo is needed. And it is here.