International Women’s Month marks the celebration and recognition of all women’s achievements, inspiration, and impact across the globe. This week, we asked Lo Bosworth, CEO + Founder of Love Wellness [@lovewellness], a company on a mission to create wellness solutions for women, to share what International Women’s Month means to her as a woman in leadership. Read on to get the full story:

Firstly, please introduce yourself:

“I’m Lauren “Lo” Bosworth, the CEO and Founder of total body wellness brand, Love Wellness! If you’re a millennial, you might also know me from MTV’s The Hills and Laguna Beach. I’m currently focused on sharing the mission of Love Wellness, and helping educate people on women’s bodies and how they work. I think it’s a really important part of growing up that my generation, and generations before missed because the information wasn’t readily available, but now that it’s more accessible, my goal is to reach as many people as possible.”

What does International Women’s Month mean to you?

“For me, International Women’s Month is a time to celebrate women and the positive impact we have on society as individuals, friends, mothers, business owners, athletes – you name it! The impact of women is powerful and undeniable, especially when we support each other. Uplifting and giving women of all ages and demographics a voice to talk about their health is one of the big ways we support and something I’m extremely proud of. It’s also a time to continue educating about the inequities that still exist for women in modern society, the progress that still needs to be made, and discuss our role as women in advocating for change.”

How do you combat gender bias in a leadership position such as yours?

“When it comes to gender bias, education = empowerment. Gender bias can be obvious, like being interrupted in a work meeting, but it can also be subtle, persistent and difficult to identify. Here’s an example – up until the early 1990’s, most women were systematically and purposefully excluded from most medical research and clinical trials, which led to medical solutions and treatments being approved that are not as effective for women and cause negative side effects in women. Some of these are still on the market today. If you don’t know bias like this exists, it’s hard to change it or begin a dialogue. I started Love Wellness on a journey to make myself well after my concerns and symptoms were being ignored and dismissed, so this is really a personal mission for me as much as it is a business.”

Best advice you’ve received?

“If you have encountered a problem and crafted your own solution, then you probably have a great business idea on your hands. Chances are, there’s not only one but a whole mass of people struggling with the same problems who are looking for solutions and someone to relate to – that could be you!”

Words of wisdom to impart?

“If you want to change your life and own your narrative, you have to stick with it. I’ve been doing this for six years, day in and day out, and a lot of people did not buy into this at first. The reason we’re successful today is because I never deviated from the path. If you really believe in it, it will happen.”

FOLLOW @lovewellness VISIT https://lovewellness.com/