Boss Ladies | Bianca Juarez Olthoff

Photos C/O: Sidney Morgan, Kat Harris, Meshali Mitchell, Jasmine Star

Bianca Olthoff is a writer and teacher based in Southern California with her husband Matt. She also works for the human trafficking organization A21 Campaign, and is a culture creator at Propel Women.

Growing up I really wanted to be

A news anchor or pediatrician.

My favorite emoji is

The dancing lady in the red dress. Obvi.

One thing people don’t know about me is

When I was little I tried running away but chickened out and hid in the garage with a loaf of bread and my favorite book.

Coffee or Tea?

Tea. Green tea. Green tea unsweetened. Green tea unsweetened and iced. BOOM!

How I got started with my current career

I was a writer and communicators director and I had a wonderful opportunity to join a global anti-human trafficking organization as Chief Storyteller. I believe freedom is for all and those who have a voice must share on behalf of millions who are unheard.

My real life heroes are

Both of my grandmothers came to the United States with a dream to start a better life for their children. Without a map, a mentor, or a social media following, they pioneered in the land of the free and the home of the brave. Because of their sacrifice, I get to reap the harvest of their faithfulness.

The dumbest thing I did when starting out was

Failing to read the directions of assembling my swivel chair. It was a fancy ergonomically designed chair that I broke within the first week.

An example of when I had to push through my fear was when

I still wrestle with the feeling of being “enough,” so sometimes I have to talk myself straight. I speak out loud and remind myself that I am more than enough, God has created me with purpose, and I cannot, will not, and refuse to give up.

I try to maintain work/life balance by

Because I travel a lot for work, I fight for one day a week when I don’t have to wear makeup or put on heels. I need to creatively find spaces to restore vision and clarity, so in my daily schedule I always factor in a workout. It helps clear my head and give me energy to accomplish my tasks.

My current definition of success is

Closing my eyes at night knowing I poured all of me out into the people and tasks set before me.

The last time I created something I was proud of was

I recently published a book, Play With Fire, and the cost to me, personally, was intense. Early mornings, late nights, phone calls with my editor, and working on my lunch breaks to meet deadlines wasn’t the glamorous image of book writing I once had. Now that it’s done, it’s been so worth it!

The legacy I hope to leave is

Failure is not possible, if failure isn’t an option.

XO,

Bianca