Learn about YWI, the founder and creator and why you should stay connected and subscribe
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Meet the Founder and Creator of YWI
YWI is a lifestyle brand that focuses on personal development and exploration for women. But, how did we get here? How did this vision come about? Learn about YWI and its mission.
Storytime
In 2013, YWI began as a personal question for founder and creator, Lisa Toban, while planning her future and last year in her Master's program at Loyola University Chicago. It was in a study room that she asked herself, “What makes me happy?” Shockingly, she didn't have an answer, despite actively completing her degree. In that moment, she realized the depth of the question was beyond obtaining her credentials, securing reputable career opportunities, and changing her “statuses.” Instead, she acknowledged that beneath the surface, at the core, there was a yearning for two intangible elements of being - joy and true happiness. What she discovered, founded, and created the lifestyle brand, YWI.
Lisa began researching to understand the concept of happiness and later theorized that self-worth and true happiness are interconnected and interdependent. Accepting that her self-worth wasn’t solely attributed to accolades, degrees, statuses, networks or careers, Lisa began unpacking two words: “happiness” and “self-worth.”
She then created the acronym W.O.R.T.H, Worthy of Receiving True Happiness,” and then the slogan, “You’re WORTH It,” as a play on words. YWI for short. Lisa realized that the acronym and slogan is not just another concept, but an internal disposition and conviction one should choose to live by every day - a lifestyle.
Once again, this was an unintentional quest for Lisa to begin learning, unlearning, and relearning the true definition of self-worth and happiness. Throughout the next 12 years, she would revisit the question, “What makes you happy,” and allow personal development, exploration, and a healthy curiosity, guide her discovery to answer the question.
Meet the Founder and Creator of YWI
Hey, It’s Lisa Toban, the founder and creator of YWI, You’re WORTH It. Truthfully, I had a different plan for my life. Upon conferring my Master of Social Work Degree from Loyola University Chicago, I planned to find a job that honed in on my specialization of Leadership and Development in Social Services, or at least my graduate advanced certificate in Nonprofit Management and Philanthropy. A dream to become an executive in a corporation and be one of many to help change the status quo. And while that still remains true, the path of self-discovery was more prominent at that time, rather than focusing on an elite career position. I had to believe Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” So, here we are unpacking self-worth and true happiness. 
My findings are currently not for a research study conducted for a prestigious university or college. (Hopefully, one day it will be.) This is navigating and sharing life’s lessons to simply answer an honest question I asked myself in 2013 -"What makes me happy?”
The most concerning part of when I asked myself this question was while I was continuing my education at the Master’s level. Shouldn’t I have known what made me happy if I was pursuing higher learning? Can we talk about time and money?
Knowing that I was created with a gift to help people, I thought my career path would have a more conventional approach - becoming a psychologist or licensed clinical social worker. I was wrong.
Instead, I’m helping people, actually helping us be more wholistically free and authentic individuals, who know their worth and receive true happiness by accepting and appreciating true joy.
YWI
To know your worth and receive true happiness, I’ve learned that both are also linked to personal development and exploration. Therefore, that’s the focus at YWI - a lifestyle brand that supports women between the ages of 21-50 to embrace their journey of personal development and exploration.
Why is the age range significant? At 21 years old, that’s around the age that one is preparing to exit college, university, or a trade program, beginning to “figure out life” and enter the “real world.” At 50-plus, one is considered to have amassed a great amount of wisdom to begin sharing with others. Not only is it a cultural practice to pay homage to those in older generations, but I believe these are the people we need to invite more to different tables and conversations to share their insight and knowledge. They are distinguished. Therefore, we, as a people, need as much support as we can gather to navigate our years between 21-50, which is the focus demographic for YWI.
Many of us within the age range of 21-50 years old are trying to establish ourselves, whether that’s with our families, careers, and relationships. Some of us are in the “in-between,” striving towards destiny, hoping to leave a legacy for generations. Some of us haven’t “arrived,” still uncovering purpose, clarifying gifts, talents, and uniqueness.
YWI Pillars are personal development, community, exploration, social responsibility, and true happiness. We value hosting safe spaces for honest and transparent conversations, having an open mind to hear other perspectives, seeing life from different lenses, desiring to live authentically and free, committing to do good for good, and embodying being a positive change agent impacting our families, circles, networks, communities, and spaces of influence.
A CHALLENGE
My challenge to you is to use me as an example and be courageous to ask yourself the question, “What makes me happy?” There, you will begin your quest to uncover yourself outside of the titles and responsibilities. Maybe you might have to learn, unlearn, or relearn a few things about yourself to unpack your answer to the question. And that’s okay. YWI is here to help you along your journey because you’re not alone and you’re worthy of receiving true happiness.
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