There are a lot of discussions whirling around about girls these days.  A new publisher of the AJC.    A new CEO at GM.    A viral video about toys just for girls.   A new commercial for shampoo.   And don’t forget last year’s biz buzz brought to you from Dove.

Or perhaps they are always there but I’m just more attuned to it all since I’ve been spending time with my new grandgirl, Nellie and her big sister Harper.  I freakin’ love these two girls.

I had three brothers, my ex husband had three brothers, we had two boys.  I can handle boys, I know how to talk to them, I know how to talk about football with them, I know how to feed them.  But in the course of two years, one of those boys has given me these two amazing creatures that wear pink glitter Toms, have a selection of tutus in their closet and love to giggle with their Gigi!

I was raised by my parents to follow Beyonce’s mantra, “Girls Run the World”, they told me I could be/do whatever I wanted.  They didn’t treat me any different than my three older brothers.  They didn’t expect good grades, but they weren’t surprised when I brought them home.  They didn’t tell me I had to run for office but they weren’t surprised when I won the school election.  They didn’t tell me I had to try out for a solo in the musical, but they weren’t surprised when I nailed it.  They knew I could do it, whatever “it” was, and just sort of expected I’d rise to whatever occasion life put in front of me and I did.

But then came marriage and motherhood and I happily shoved leadership skills, career ladder climbing to the side as I sewed Halloween costumes and chauffeured to wrestling matches and lacrosse tournaments.  No apologies.   Would.  Not.  Trade.  Those.  Years.  For.  The.  World. 

But then comes this vodka, this brand, this women-centric company and our tags of “rule every room you enter”  “bold brilliant beautiful, vixens are all three”, “warriors in stilettos”, “loves to be held, just not all night”.   We’re flirty, we’re sexy, we’re sassy, we’re naughty, we’re confident, we’re self-assured, but most of all we’re fun.   In other words, we’re everywoman.

Vixen Vodka celebrates women.  People ask us what is your female demographic?  It is career women?  Is it stay at home moms?  Is it African American women?  Is it Lesbians?  The answer is always YES.  We celebrate every girl, every woman, every mother, every sister, every grandmother, every daughter, every niece, every girlfriend. We’re all about #leaningin, just doing it with a cocktail!

And what do we think about that new Pantene commercial and its attempt to put stereotypes in their place?  Well our tagline “doesn’t care about labels even though it has one” kinda goes hand in hand with theirs of “don’t let labels hold you back”.  And their tagline of #shinestrong sounds a lot like ours of #strongisthenewskinny.  And I’m all about supporting each other and not tearing each other down.  But bottom line?  My two cents?  The girl has great hair!

–LeeAnn, wife, mother, aunt, friend, Pantene user, grandmother, girl.