“What would you do if you were just 1% more courageous?”
That is the challenge that Judith Martinez, founder of In Her Shoes, issues to females of all ages and backgrounds that she interacts with on a daily basis. Founded in 2014, In Her Shoes’ mission – in the words of Martinez – is to “catalyze courage for young girls and women everywhere to live and create their lives with courage.”
The organization’s motto, “Catalyze Courage,” is a rallying cry of sorts that encourages women to take a stand for their own freedom of expression, assertion of passion, and pursuit of possibility in every aspect of their lives.
For Amber Sotomayor, a Summit Committee Chairwoman at In Her Shoes, her involvement with the organization goes beyond empowering a mother to have the courage to talk to her daughter about what she experienced as a teenager, or encouraging a young female professional in a predominantly male work environment to ask for a raise at work. For her, she has experienced firsthand the difference the organization can make in the lives of women.
“I have become more confident as a result of my work here with In Her Shoes, and that for me has been such a challenge in my life because I am the least confident person I’ve ever known,” says Sotomayor. “Some people have asked, ‘Why have you decided to change so much in your life?’ And it’s because battling these fears is helping me develop a sense of courage that I wish to take with me in a future child that I may have, or a future interaction with someone who really needs it.”
In many respects, the mission of In Her Shoes aligns closely with values we hold near and dear at Carvana, particularly as it relates to our EmpowHER membership group, which advocates for an inclusive community at Carvana centered on empowerment, personal and professional development, as well as relationship-building to elevate awareness, create connections and strengthen opportunities for women in the workplace.
“Being a female is not always easy,” says Carol Gould, an EmpowHER member and photo booth manager at Carvana. “Women when they stand alone can do many things, but when they stand together, they are such a powerful force and they can do so much better and they can go so much further, and they can reach more people. EmpowHER and In Her Shoes are teaching girls how to do that. They’re teaching them to lean on each other, they’re teaching them to be stronger, they’re teaching them to have a voice and not be afraid to speak out.
“When I heard Carvana was going to give away a vehicle to an organization that helps women, I thought, ‘Let’s make this really matter. Let’s see how many people we can touch with this one donation.'”
That donation proudly came in the form of a 2015 Toyota RAV4, a “CourageMobile” – as Martinez referred to it – that In Her Shoes will utilize to conduct work in their local area, as well as for long distance trips to more effectively visit their other chapters in other states.
“We’re excited to be more efficient with what we’re doing,” Sotomayor said of the donation.
“There is no worse thing to have than to have someone say, ‘I wanted to go to that job interview, but I couldn’t get there.’ If you need a ride to get to college, we will get you there. That’s what we’re about. There’s no reason to do anything alone.”
