Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Sherer.
Megan, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Be More started as a passion project nearly two years ago, and has evolved into a non-profit striving to make an impact on the lives of kids all around the world. My background is in holistic nutrition and eating psychology, as well as yoga and acrobatics. Through my work with both women and young girls, I was noticing a pattern of poor body image and low self-worth that would translate into health issues later in life. Be More started as a campaign to improve the body image of young girls, but the more I immersed myself in conversations with girls and their parents, the more I realized that there was a much deeper layer to the problem. The advent of social media has given rise to higher levels of anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and youth suicide than ever before. I could see how we were giving this new generation an incredibly powerful tool in the form of technology and social media, but we weren’t also giving them the tools to self-regulate their use to prevent negative effects from cumulating. So, that’s what Be More strives to do. On the surface, we invite people to Be More than just what they look like and define their worth on things that matter so much more than their appearance (like being a kind and loving person). And on a deeper level, we use our programs to educate teens on the mental health impacts of social media and provide resources to keep them healthy and balanced.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has definitely not been a smooth road, but every “bump” along the way has made sense when I reflect back on them. I’d say the biggest struggle, in the beginning, was simply the evolution of the idea. I could sense that this was meant to be something of a significant impact, but I didn’t yet have the vision of what it should look like. Being patient while the vision unfolded was definitely a challenge for me because I wanted to get started on making a difference right away. Then, once the vision was clear and I was able to start taking massive action, I got to another sticking point when I realized we had some big initiatives and no funds yet to make them happen. So, large-scale fundraising (which we are still in the middle of) was the next bump in the road. But to be honest, these challenges don’t feel all that daunting because this is a mission I am deeply passionate about and connected to. I continue to remind myself to trust that it is all working out exactly how it’s meant to.
Please tell us about Be More.
Be More is still a very new organization in terms of what we are setting out to accomplish, so many of our major initiatives have not yet been introduced to the public. Right now, we specialize in childhood education on the topics of self-esteem, self-worth, and social media literacy. We are also working on changing the landscape of social media by introducing more positivity and actionable tools for wellbeing throughout the platforms. We are seeing some great strides being made out there, but unless something is done to address this new generation growing up on their phones, we will have a big problem on our hands. So, what sets us apart is our commitment to addressing these issues before they become too deeply seated.
Moving forward, we will also be rolling out a documentary series to highlight these issues, as well as a mental health resource for teens that we hope will provide a great answer to the problems they are facing. I am proud of our commitment to making a difference in an incredibly relevant area for so many people, and I am equally proud of every single person who has stepped forward to support our mission. It is so encouraging to me when people (of all ages and genders) choose authenticity, transparency, self-love, and kindness over all else.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing because every step of the journey has gotten me to exactly the right place, right on time. If I really had to start over, I may tell myself to eliminate self-doubt. To take action in those moments of uncertainty, rather than questioning myself and my abilities. I struggle with the issues Be More teaches about just as much as anyone else, so I need those reminders to stop comparing and stay in my own lane sometimes. It might’ve moved the mission along a little bit faster if I had practiced trusting and believing in myself more. But I also think I had to continue to learn those lessons along the way so that I could be a better teacher of them to others.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bemorecampaign.com
- Email: megan@bemorecampaign.com
- Instagram: @bemoremvmt
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bemorecampaign
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