The Woman Who Taught Us to Take Up Space

When Gigi and I met Teresa, we didn’t know what to make of her.

She was bold. Loud. Radiant. An actress in Austin who had clearly mastered the art of self-promotion — not just in strategy, but in spirit. Everything she did was larger than life. Her Instagram stories. Her voice. Her outfits. Her presence. Her being.

She talked openly about her career wins, her luxurious lifestyle, her relentless work ethic, and her spiritual practice — all without blinking. It was disorienting at first. Not because she was doing anything wrong, but because we had never given ourselves permission to be that proud of ourselves.

Teresa wasn’t just speaking her truth — she was amplifying it. And it worked. Everywhere she went, powerful people took notice. The big shots in every room would beeline toward her orbit. The haters? They’d cluster in the corners, quietly judging what they secretly longed to embody.

She was polarizing. Magnetic. Unapologetically powerful.

And it hit us one day: Teresa had mastered a sacred tool — self-validation.

By fully owning her light, she created space for others to shine. And once you’ve seen that kind of energy in action, you can’t unsee it. Teresa’s unapologetic self-worth gave us something we never realized we were missing: permission.

Permission to be loud. Permission to be seen. Permission to be proud.

Why Trauma Survivors Stay Small

Most people don’t realize how hardwired we are to stay invisible.

Especially if you’re a trauma survivor — someone who’s navigated Childhood Emotional Neglect (CEN), narcissistic abuse, or any long-term invalidation — your nervous system has been trained to shrink. To hide. To avoid the center of the room at all costs.

You look for the edges. You instinctively scan for the safest, least visible place. It’s not conscious — it’s survival. But this pattern sends a message, loud and clear, to everyone in the room:

“I don’t belong here.”

“I’m not worthy of being seen.”

We know, because we lived it. We’d float toward the corners and attract others who did the same. Those corners were filled with people who didn’t like ‘braggers,’ not because bragging is inherently wrong — but because we never believed we had the right to brag ourselves.

That’s trauma talking.

But here’s the truth: It’s just a pattern. And if you can name it, you can change it.

How to Take Up Space (Even When It Feels Wrong)

The next time you enter a room, we dare you to walk straight to the center.

Not metaphorically. Literally walk to the most visible spot in the room and just stand there.

Feel the awkwardness. Let it burn. Let it fizz in your chest like a soda can you shook too hard. You’ll want to run. Implode. Apologize. We did too.

But then? Something shifts.

You realize it doesn’t kill you. In fact, something in you wakes up.

The act of physically taking up space becomes a statement:

“I belong here.”

And when you speak about yourself with pride — when you share your wins, your effort, your joy — you invite others to do the same. You become a mirror for everyone’s unlived potential. A permission slip in human form.

You make room for their dreams simply by honoring your own.

The Teresa Effect

These days, Gigi and I walk boldly into every room. We take up space. We own it.

Because Teresa showed us what happens when you stop waiting for someone else to validate you.

She didn’t just model confidence — she created a gravitational field around her truth.

And in doing so, she gave us the courage to do the same.