Today we’d like to introduce you to Sian Bitner-Kearney
Hi Sian, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Rock Your Beauty started as an idea I pitched to the Kroger Wellness associate resource group in the fall of 2021. The concept was to celebrate International Women’s Day by hosting a fashion show featuring women of all ages, sizes, races, and backgrounds.
For our first show in 2022, we sold out the Woodward Theater with 150 guests, featured 22 diverse models, and showcased six women-owned businesses. We also donated a portion of the proceeds to the local nonprofit Women Helping Women. The event grew significantly from there.
In 2023, we sold out Memorial Hall with 534 guests, had 42 models, and 10 women-centric businesses as vendors. By March of this year, we hosted over 500 guests, featured 27 models, and had 12 women-centric businesses as vendors. In addition to that, between 2022 and 2024, the show raised nearly $60,000 for Women Helping Women.
After parting ways with Kroger, the future of Rock Your Beauty was uncertain. However, the overwhelming response at each show inspired me to do something more with it. Without fail, after every show, women would share heartfelt stories of how the event impacted their lives. From mothers of daughters with eating disorders to breast cancer survivors and survivors of abusive relationships, there was something about the show that resonated deeply with the girls and women who attended. These stories motivated me to expand Rock Your Beauty and its impact.
In May of this year, I decided to turn Rock Your Beauty into an official 501C(3) organization. While the fashion show remains our anchor event, we are now extending our reach into the community. On our website we offer entertaining but informative blogs on a variety of topics. We also have a podcast called RYB Unfiltered that’s dedicated to covering topics that uplift and empower women. We are hosting micro-events like our June Bellinis & Belly Dancing class and our upcoming Best WERKout Ever with Rock Your Beauty. These events serve as fundraisers and provide fun ways for women to connect and build self-confidence.
We’re also building community partners with other nonprofits and finding ways to collaborate to best help women and girls in Cincinnati. Additionally, we’re planning workshops and panel discussions for late 2024/2025, which will be interactive and enriching experiences aligned with our values. We’re still in the beginning stages of really building out the core of what Rock Your Beauty will become, but it’s been an incredible journey so far!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The journey hasn’t been smooth, but it’s been paved with the support of many who helped keep things on track. The idea of the fashion show was something I carried with me for years before it finally came to fruition. I even pitched it at another company and was shot down. When I left Kroger in October 2023, we were in the planning stages for the 2024 fashion show, and no one, including me, knew what would happen. Thankfully, a few of the Kroger associate resource groups stepped in and helped fund the show.
When I decided to develop the nonprofit, I had no clue what I was doing and virtually no budget to hire help. I was fortunate to find a nonprofit attorney who gave me loads of free advice and filed all the paperwork for me. There was also a huge learning curve on the business side of things. I had to put a board in place, draft bylaws, build a website, create a logo, generate content for the website, and establish social media accounts with regular posts.
I’ve had to reach out to companies for sponsorships, attend countless dinners, lunches, and happy hours to make connections and build relationships. There’s also all the tracking and ensuring the legal documents are ready and filed. Some days my head still spins, hoping I’m doing everything correctly, and Rock Your Beauty isn’t even my full-time job. It can be exhausting and sometimes overwhelming; however, every late night, early morning, and stressful moment has been absolutely worth it!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Rock Your Beauty is a nonprofit organization dedicated to uplifting and uniting women and girls in the Cincinnati area. Our mission is to be a catalyst for change, inspiring women to embrace their unique beauty and empowering them to realize their full potential. Through educational workshops and events like our iconic Rock Your Beauty Fashion Show, we ignite a passion in women and girls, encouraging them to boldly embrace their authentic selves.
What sets us apart is our unwavering focus on empowerment. Our work impacts not only the women of today but also their daughters, granddaughters, and future generations. Rock Your Beauty is a true community bound by a shared journey from self-doubt to a present refusal to live in any space that doesn’t serve us well. We are a movement that honors diversity and inspires women and girls to unapologetically embrace who they are and what they want in their lives.
I am most proud of the diversity we showcase at all our events. I always say that beauty wears every face, and at our events, there are so many beautiful, diverse faces to see!
Rock Your Beauty is a community you’ll want to be a part of. Whether you visit our website and read the blogs, listen to the podcast, attend an event or workshop, volunteer, or participate in an event, we are here to support the girls and women of Cincinnati.
Our events and the individuals involved in bringing them to life help girls and women abandon the battles they fight against themselves every day and defy the social norms that undermine their confidence and self-worth. Everything we do is aimed at ensuring these girls and women know that they are enough and that they are worthy of everything they dream of.
What matters most to you?
What matters most to me is expanding our reach and amplifying our impact. I understand the struggle of self-doubt, looking in the mirror and feeling dissatisfied, and questioning whether you have what it takes to achieve your dreams. I also know the liberating feeling of rejecting societal pressures, embracing my true self—flaws and all—and finding a path to fulfillment.
Rock Your Beauty’s mission is to reach out to young girls, teenagers, and women, lift them from the shadows, and provide them with the power, support, and resources to realize their full potential. My guiding principle is simple: if it’s not impactful, it’s not worth it. Challenging ourselves and the status quo isn’t optional; it’s essential for creating real change, and the need for change has never been more urgent.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rockyourbeauty.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rockyourbeauty_cincinnati/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Rock-Your-Beauty/61559182740239/
