ABOUT 

We RISE is a movement that aims to show women the power they have over their own mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional healing.

We believe that we are not spectators of our own lives, but that experiences, whether joyful or painful, occur to teach us more about who we are, the strength we have, and the endless possibility in front of us. Joyful experiences give us the opportunity to be grateful for the life in front of us. Painful experiences give us the opportunity to heal, to become whole, and to become more ourselves.

We believe that a variety of active and passive techniques (such as journaling, ritual, meditation, and others) should be used to work through and heal from painful experiences. These active techniques help to springboard us from unwilling spectator to active participant in our lives and in our healing process. This helps us to reclaim our own personal power and guide us toward renewal of the spirit and the self.

We rejoice—sometimes very reluctantly—through painful situations for it is in these situations that we can learn more about ourselves, we can rise above the experience, and we can realize our own ability to heal In doing this, we begin to see the process as an empowering way to go through life.

Michele Barard

Co-Founder

New Orleans native Michele Barard brings a multi-cultural perspective to her articles, essays, and literary writings. A graduate of Agnes Scott College with a BA in International Relations, Ms. Barard applied her studies while living abroad in Mexico and Central America where she pursued additional cultural study of African Traditional Religions. She has experience as a software trainer, graphic designer, editor, and writer. In 2012, she founded Urban Book Editor LLC to serve urban authors. Ms. Barard travels between Georgia and California to write and provide coaching to her clients.

Julia Black

Co-Founder

Julia Black is a writer, editor, energy healer and empathic life coach who has spent decades using writing, symbolism, and ritual to work though the bullying and emotional abuse, depression and anxiety, and infertility issues that occurred in her life to gain her own sense of emotional, spiritual, physical, and mental growth. She now uses these same practices in combination with energy healing to help women work through similar issues and gain a sense of power and control over the future. Through We RISE, Julia guides women through activities to help them discover or rediscover their own voice, learn to listen to their intuition, and reclaim a sense of power over their destiny.

"Live life at it's fullest!"