our roots

Hello! I’m Lauren. The founder of One Tough Chick.

At age 30, I was diagnosed with cervical cancer. It came out of nowhere and hit me, and my family and friends, for six. What we thought would be a straight forward experience turned into multiple surgeries, chemotherapy and treatment that is ongoing to this day.

Throughout the whole debacle, I got told by those around me how strong I was. How brave. How tough. But I certainly didn’t feel that way on the inside. What they didn’t know was that I was sobbing uncontrollably in the shower, shovelling junk food into my mouth and watching reality TV for eight hours a day.

Slowly though, I began to realise that ‘tough’ didn’t mean being positive all the time. It wasn’t about holding it together, holding back the tears or holding onto the past. Being tough meant admitting that what I was going through was shitty, that I was struggling, but not letting it consume my identity.

Every single one of us goes through difficult times. Whether it’s cancer, mental illness, parenting battles, difficult relationships or just ‘one of those days’. What lightened my load was sharing what I was going through so I’m hoping to create a space to allow other women to do the same.

I want to create a community where women can openly share their experiences. Where we can support each other on the days we want to cry under a duvet, and celebrate each other on the days we get out of bed and make breakfast that isn’t a bar of chocolate. Well, maybe we can celebrate chocolate for breakfast on occasion too.

One Tough Chick products are designed to remind you that you’re braver, stronger and more resilient than you ever imagined.

For a more detailed account of my cervical cancer experience, visit my personal blog: Kate Escapes.