Scarlett V Clark - The Smart Girls Handbook

First published in Great Britain 2021 by Trigger

Trigger is a trading style of Shaw Callaghan Ltd & Shaw Callaghan 23 USA, INC.

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Text Copyright Scarlett V Clark

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from the publisher

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available upon request

from the British Library

eBook ISBN: 9781789562323

Scarlett V Clark has asserted her right under the Copyright,

Design and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work

Cover design by Emily Courdelle

Typeset and converted to eBook by Lapiz Digital Services

You are enough,
You are beautiful,
You are unique,
You are worthy.

Scarlett V Clark is a speaker and the award-winning founder and CEO of Smart Girl Tribe, the UKs number one female empowerment community. Scarlett uses her magnetic energy to empower women to design a life they love as their most authentic selves through her top-rated podcast, wildly successful event series, blossoming YouTube channel and activism. Scarlett regularly speaks at Harvard University as a female empowerment expert and works with UN Women, Women for Women International and HeforShe advocating for women everywhere.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

Comparisons, self-doubt, expectations and pressure. Im calling it.

Who prepares you? Who is there to support and guide you on your journey to becoming a woman? It would be so much easier if there was a number we could call for the answers, someone we could talk to who is in charge. Just to make the simple request: that it not be so hard.

I could easily lay out all of the issues and problems we naturally have to face growing up as a woman, and there are thousands of books out there that do. However, I want to discuss how to prevent and overcome these challenges: how to deal with panic attacks and mental health issues, what to do if you fail an exam, and the mental strength it takes to see all those perfect models on social media. These are all tragedies (for lack of a better word) that I grew up with and know you may be experiencing too.

When I started Smart Girl Tribe, #MeToo and Times Up didnt exist. There was a need for a network that was having these important conversations, when How To Lose 7 Pounds in 7 Days or How to Make Him Want You were the headlines splashed across the magazines we were surrounded by in shops and online. The platform that was needed didnt exist. There was no outlet telling us to stop listening to the negativity around us and letting other peoples opinions or our dress size define our worth. Women needed a hub that would question society and the standards we set ourselves every single day . Everywhere, though, I was told that: this is just the way it is. Apparently, generations before me had faced similar pressures and the generation after me was going to as well. Someone had to change the system. Someone had to write a new narrative. Someone had to redefine womanhood. Then I realized, I am someone.

Cue Smart Girl Tribe.

I am not a guidance counsellor, mentor, guru, philosopher, mother divine or a genius.

I AM JUST A GIRL WHO DECIDED TO GO FOR IT.

I began Smart Girl Tribe in my first year of university to reflect the conversations that my friends and I were hearing and having. Fundamentally believing women deserved more from the media, this is how it all began, first as a digital magazine and a community of perfectly imperfect girls learning to love themselves; by setting out to be the girl I needed growing up, the woman you need growing up.

At 19 years old I started my passion project, and now it is the UKs number one female empowerment organization.

I have travelled the world, written for major publications, created a top-rated podcast and a wildly successful event series, launched a membership platform, been invited to speak at Harvard University as a female empowerment expert, and visited schools and universities inspiring hundreds of thousands of young women. I have worked with UN Women, the British Council, HeforShe and been an ambassador for the NSPCC. Smart Girl Tribe has evolved into a transformative media empire which offers women an autonomous way of living, full of freedom and bursting with love.

It was during my first UK tour as a female empowerment speaker that I realized the extent of what wasnt being shared and talked about. After my speeches, women from all walks of life would queue up, waiting to talk to me. Yet, meeting young women desperate to speak with me, just for one question, made me realize how much still wasnt being done. I didnt want to just answer that one question and then leave you. To give you something tangible to pick up every day, I wrote this book.

We are made to thrive, not just survive, and The Smart Girls Handbook is full of the most vital lessons I have learned on my journey. It is divided into eight promises promises that over the years I have made to myself, promises the Smart Girl Tribe team has made, and promises that you will be making after this book. In each chapter you will find a personal story of mine, an account of how I made my dreams come true and everything that went wrong in between, not forgetting my biggest and boldest mistakes. I also share the tangible actions that have helped me change my life, and exercises to support you to step forward.

This is for you the messy, complicated, kind-hearted, multi-faceted, broken and adventurous you whether youre at university, building your first business or have recently taken on a new job; if youre changing careers or are a stay-at-home mum; if youre single or in a relationship. Whether youre reading this for yourself or for your daughter, write notes in the margins, scribble in the back or, even better, pass this on to a fellow smart girl once you have finished with it.

Women are our worlds untapped resource and secret weapon. I am writing for the women who send me messages and ask questions at the Smart Girl Tribe Summits, and for all of you who have never even heard of me until now. Disclaimer: listen to me for too long and youll actually start believing you can achieve anything you set your mind to.

No matter where you live in the world or what you are going through, I understand the impact that mean girls can have, how loud our inner critic is, and how tough it can be to figure out what we really want from our lives. Some days you want the world to swallow you up and other days you want to take it over. Just like you, I have worried about not being funny, smart or pretty enough, and we all feel like that sometimes.

The smart girl, the one who seems to have her life together, she is already in you.

I also know what it feels like to go after your dream and not have any support, how hard it can be to change your life, and the effort of living with anxiety. How many years will have to go by until we see change? Real change. Thats a conversation we are going to start having right now.