Gutsy
Gals
Inspire
Me™ advisory
board
members
(from left to right): Patty DeDominic, Helen
Arnold, Phyllis de Picciotto, Deborah Hutchison
with dog GG (short for Gutsy Gal), and Marla
McNally Phillips
What
does
it
mean
to
grow
up
female?
Even
our
secluded
Central
Coast
community
cannot
escape
the
relentless
persistence
of
a
pop-culture
that
reinforces
devastating
and
demeaning
messages:
dress
provocatively,
be
sexual
(or
at
least
be
perceived
as
sexual),
lose
weight,
change
your
hair
color,
primp, primp,
primp!
What
kind
of
impact
are
these
images
having
on
our
children?
Whatever
happened
to
the
Harriet
Tubmans?
The
Gloria
Steinems?
The
Susan
B.
Anthonys?
Where
are
the
leaders?
The
revolutionaries?
Where
do
we
see
stories
of
influential
women outside of
the
history
books?
In
2007,
these
were
the
questions
weighing
on
Santa
Barbara
resident
Deborah
Hutchison.
“I remember
reading articles
in the newspaper
about the 'Titans'
of the world—and
they were always
written about
men,” Hutchison
recalls. “I
realized there
was a lack
of information
on things women
were doing."
Hutchison
is the founder
of Gutsy Gals
Inspire Me™—a
new inspirational
media company
that honors
women of the
past and showcases
women of the
present in
order to provide
positive female
role models
to children
and adults.
The project
manifests in
the form of
monthly email
newsletters
profiling courageous
women (both
locally and
globally, young
and mature),
Gutsy Gals
merchandise,
children's
books, and
short animated
films.
“I felt the
need to provide
positive role
models whose
celebrity isn't
based on beauty,” Hutchison
says. “And
that's what
Gutsy Gals
Inspire Me™ does—we
showcase important
women in history
that have done
extraordinary
things."
A huge driving
force behind
the concept
for Gutsy Gals
Inspire Me™ is
the story of
Berta Benz—the
first person
to take a long
distance road
trip in a gasoline
powered car.
Her heroic
expedition
proved to speculators
that motor
transportation
had practical
value and effectively
launched the
automobile
industry. The
compelling
tale came to
Hutchison by
way of Mindy
Bingham—a personal
friend and
local author
of children's
books. Bingham
offered Hutchison
a copy of her
book Berta
Benz and the
Motorwagen with
the idea of
creating an
animated film
based on Berta's
epic adventure.
Hutchison,
who has a background
in the casting
business and
owns the independent
film company
Panther Productions,
resonated deeply
with Berta's
journey and
agreed to tackle
the project.
“I looked
at Berta Benz
and I saw a
problem solver,” Hutchison
recalls. “There
were no gas
stations, no
mechanics … the
car didn't
have enough
power to get
up the hill!
But every time
something happened,
she solved
the problem.”
Tapping into
her well of
close contacts,
Hutchison rounded
up an impressive
team of local
talent to bring
Berta's story
to life. Among
some of the
big names are
advisor Phyllis
de Picciotto
(founder of
the Santa Barbara
International
Film Festival),
animator Keith English,
professional
voiceover artist
Perry Norton,
television
series writer
Prudence Sternin,
Santa Barbara
actress Kelly
LeBrock, and
award-winning
composer Mark
Henderson.
Together, the
group produced
a three minute
animated trailer
based on Bingham's
book.
“This was
our test piece
to see if we
could do nonfiction,
and it all
came together
perfectly,” Hutchison
says. “So,
we'll be looking
for educational
and family
production
companies to
partner with
so that we
can start making
these movies.”
Still in its
early stages,
the Gutsy Gals
Inspire Me™ newsletter
currently serves
as the primary
means by which
the company
showcases positive
female role
models. Each
monthly issue
highlights
a woman of
courageous
spirit and
tells her story—conveying
messages of
hope, inspiration,
and responsible
risk taking
that encourage
readers to
follow their
passion and
go with their
gut. The individuals
profiled are
discovered
through nominations
submitted to
the Gutsy Gals
Inspire Me™ website,
or are people
whom Hutchison
has encountered
in her travels.
“There are
so many powerful
stories of
women who have
done amazing
things on all
different levels,” Hutchison
says. “And
Gutsy Gals
features those
individuals
who have done
something as
big as change
the world,
or as simple
as say they're
sorry.”
Though the
Gutsy Gal email
just began
circulation
this year,
the short blasts
have already
garnered subscribers
throughout
the United
States, Ireland,
Switzerland,
France, and
England. In
fact, Hutchison
was invited
to Ireland
this past March
to speak at
the International
Women's Day
conference
about what
it means to
be a Gutsy
Gal. She also
attended the
Santa Barbara
Women's Festivals
this year alongside
a panelist
of supporters
that included
festival director
Patty DeDominic,
Jennifer Jaqua
(CEO of Jaqua
Beauty), television
host Judge
Lynn Toler,
and Dr. Letitia
S. Wright of
the Wright
Place™ TV
Show.
The women shared
personal success
stories of
encouragement
and empowerment,
offering bits
of wisdom and
experience
to an enthusiastic
audience.
“We want to
do this on
an international
level,” Hutchison
says. “We have
large plans.
We see Gutsy
Gals as being
an inspirational
company that
honors women
all over the
world.”
Through these
personal accounts
of triumph
and failure,
of perseverance
in the face
of setbacks,
Gutsy Gals
Inspire Me™ encourages
young women
to strive for
more than flawless
skin, shiny
hair, or the
perfect body.
In contrast
to the unrealistic
ideals offered
by images of
airbrushed
perfection,
these tales
of pioneering
women remind
us of our humanity—our
imperfection—and
teach us that
flaws are not
faults, that
handicaps are
not limitations.
It is a revolutionary
concept grounded
in a perhaps
less glamorous
reality, but
it possesses
powerful implications:
An inspirational
media company?
Now that takes
guts.
