19-year-old Simone Biles has taken the Olympics by storm. Not only has the first-time Olympian secured a whopping five medals in Rio this month, but FOUR of them are gold. And have you been on the Internet (silly question. Hi!)? Fans have been squealing over not just her athletic performance, but everything from her eye makeup to her emojis to her potential guest role on Pretty Little Liars. We. Can’t. Get. Enough.
1. Simone was adopted and raised by her grandparents. Simone’s biological mother’s drug and alcohol addictions left her unable to properly care for her children. After a stint in foster care, Simone’s maternal grandparents Ron and Nellie officially adopted Simone and another of her siblings. Simone even calls her grandmother mom.
2. She taught herself to do backflips off her family’s mailbox. This was before she was ever enrolled in gymnastics. It was clearly in the stars for this one.
3. A turn of weather introduced her to gymnastics. When Simone was six, her daycare had to change their plans for a field trip last minute, and instead they went to a local gym. She was a natural alongside the other gymnasts, and an instructor sent a note home encouraging her to enroll in lessons.
size difference in olympians doesn't matter, depending on what sport you do 😉 6'8" & 4'8" pic.twitter.com/xiU9zIBXJH
— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) August 2, 2016
4. She’s so teeny. Like, 4’8″ teeny. But you know what they say: Height doesn’t measure heart.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Simone Biles (@simonebiles) on
5. She was homeschooled. Simone was so dedicated to her training that she decided to do homeschooling for high school to allow more hours in the gym a week, from the usual 20 up to 32 hours a week.
6. She’ll be heading to UCLA. She deferred her original acceptance to instead go officially pro, signing with the same agency that represents Michael Phelps last year. She has said she plans on attending after the Rio Games.
7. G-Eazy is her favorite artist. A few weeks ago Simone shared a photo of her and friends before going to a G-Eazy show, and has told ABC news he’s her favorite.
8. Pizza is her favorite food. “After every meet I have pizza. Pepperoni pizza,” she told ABC News. What did we tell you? HERO.
9. She “doesn’t do bugs.” At the World Gymnastics Championships in 2014, a bee flew near Simone on the medal podium and she famously threw her bouquet at it. Can’t say we blame her. (Photo via Lintao Zhang/Getty)
10. She’s an all-around sports fan. Her favorite basketball player is Steph Curry, she announced the Houston Texans’ pick at the NFL draft and that? That is a picture of her throwing out the first pitch at a Houston Astros game. YEAH.
11. Simone. Is. A. Hero. Yeah, we know you already know that one. But we can never say it enough. (Photo via Alex Livesey/Getty)
What’s your favorite Simone moment from the 2016 Olympics? Let us know over @BritandCo!
(Featured photo via Alex Livesey/Getty)
It can be intimidating to step out on your own and build a business from the ground up. As part of our collaboration with Office Depot, we're talking with Selfmade alum and solopreneur Colette Lawrence, the faith-based motivator and relationship builder behind The M.E.E. Movement, about ways in which women in business can find success.
B + C: How did you know M.E.E. Movement was your business to start?
The M.E.E Movement represents motivation, empowerment, and encouragement for women. It is what represents me. I did not know at first that it was my business to start, but then the thought of monetizing what I loved came to me. It scared me, however. I registered the business in July 2020 and have been slowly building my wings since.
B + C: What's one strategy that's helped you start your business?
Thinking through and researching what the requirements are to start my business, and then asking questions of people who are in the business. Not all advice worked; however, it helped me to figure out what I needed to do and not to do.
B + C: Did you always know life coaching would be your entrepreneurial path?
(Smiles) No, I did not. I 'stumbled" on it. I knew that people were always coming to me for advice and I found that I loved having conversations with them, especially with women, young and old.
B + C: What was your most valuable takeaway from Selfmade?
My most valuable takeaway was the first day of training: Get out of your own way. There were a lot of great moments and important takeaways from every presenter. However, getting out of my own way, pushing past doubts, was for me my most valuable takeaway. Doing something that I had never done before took courage. If I do not focus on what is happening with me mentally then I cannot deliver to my clients successfully.
B + C: What's one piece of advice you would give to female entrepreneurs on the brink of starting?
Get out of your head. You have something to offer. You have what you need to succeed so go ahead and do it.
B + C: How do you stay motivated?
I stay motivated by listening to music and listening to motivational speakers, and sometimes someone will just reach out and talk about the impact that I made in their life. That adds the extra juice or sauce I need to pummel through the day.
B + C: What's your best organizational tip?
Keep a diary and journal. It's the best way for me to keep organized and it also provides a source motivation as I record not only my "losses" but my wins as well.
B + C: Who inspires you in the entrepreneurial space?
Shirley Toliver – She motivates and empowers and makes me always want to show up.
B + C: What has receiving the Office Depot scholarship to Selfmade done to help you start or grow your business?
The scholarship was a blessing in that all the areas that were covered offered valuable information that I needed, from social media to HR. As a new business owner, I needed to know this to increase my own personal awareness in what it takes to run a successful business. The candidness of the presenters made it easy to see myself in their shoes and helped me to realize that I can also get there.
Thanks Colette! You can follow The M.E.E. Movement on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
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Head to Office Depot's Selfmade page to check out even more amazing business resources (and discounts!) to help you accomplish more on your entrepreneurial journey. These offers are available for a limited time only, so be sure to take advantage of all this goodness while supplies last. Want to join the next Selfmade cohort this summer? Check out all of the scholarship details right here.