Today, May 5, 2020 marks the 5 year anniversary of The Villainettes sisterhood! In these last 5 years our sisterhood has grown and evolved so much. Whether you have been with us since the beginning, or are just finding us for the first time, we are so glad you are here!
The Villainettes: Where We Started
Rewind back to spring 2015... "Hello" by Adele was topping the Billboard Charts, "Avengers: Age of Ultron" had just hit theatres, and the world was not yet reeling from the heated "#blueandblack vs #goldandwhite dress debate."
In the heart of Texas, a woman named Sally found herself building connections with the wives and girlfriends within a group of bearded men. These men had created their own network of like-minded people with the goal of creating a bearded community of men from different walks of life, committed to the "no-shave lifestyle," and making the world a better place.
As she watched from the sidelines, she opened a dialogue with the women around her. Inspired by the community the Bearded Villains were building, Sally began dreaming big. With the help of the women around her, and a group of men who would become the first Villainette Wingmen, an idea began to take shape. What if this community could be bigger? What if we could include the "women behind the beard" and create a community of like-minded women? And thus, The Villainettes sisterhood was born!
In the beginning, there was only one women's group...
As we are sure you can imagine, building a community of strong women is not without its complications. The history of The Villainettes is no exception. When the group was founded in 2015, it was the only supporter group for the Bearded Villains. This group consisted entirely of wives and girlfriends of Bearded Villains members, prospects, and hopefuls. About a year after The Villainettes began, another BV women's support group emerged, the Bearded Villains Queens, and surprised the whole Villainette community. Even more so when some of the Villainettes decided to leave one sisterhood for the other.
The new group's intention was to be exclusively for wives and girlfriends of Bearded Villains, but there are single and non-BV affiliated women in both groups now. BVQ, created by Bella Mendez, the wife of BV Founder/president Von Knox, was designated the "official" Bearded Villains support group, and it is owned/trademarked by VK and Bella. This is also why BVQ merchandise can be purchased on the BV website, but not ours.
While some tensions may exist between Villainettes and Queens, at the end of the day, we are one community, and we share some identical values. Both of these groups passionately support the BV Community and their philanthropic efforts; both of these groups aim to empower women and build strong female connections in world that too often judges women with ferocity; both of these groups want to create a better world for future generations. And, let's be honest. There is plenty of room for us all...this planet needs all the help it can get!
What Happened Next...?
Our founder Sally (@mrs.bearded_and_fit), and the remaining Villainettes wanted to be more than just "supporters," and because The Villainettes is, and has always been, its own group, no other organization can dictate how we run our sisterhood. This created an amazing platform to do incredible things.
After the split, The Villainettes underwent their very first "re-branding," and has been in a living state of evolution ever since. The Villainettes has grown from simply an idea, to a community, a business, and a global brand in just 5 short years. We are about empowering women, building a community of women who support each other and each bring a uniqueness to the sisterhood. We are also about giving back. Our sisters are passionate about advocacy and raising awareness for underrepresented causes. We have sisters from nearly all walks of life. Our community represents diverse ethnic, cultural, economic, religious, professional and family backgrounds - and all are welcome here.
Being a Villainette gives them the freedom to raise funds and awareness for the causes and organizations near and dear to their hearts, while proudly promoting and representing The Villainettes at the same time.
Where are we heading?
At this point, the sky's the limit for The Villainettes! At only half a decade old, our growth game is strong - and we have no intentions of stopping. Change is something we embrace in this sisterhood. We are constantly getting feedback from our sisters and the community, and putting that feedback into action.
Some of our areas of focus this year:
Strengthening the CORE of our sisterhood - relationships!
Revitalizing our Scouting team to freshen the face of our sisterhood
Streamlining sisterhood training and push-out of information
Building our community relationships & partnerships outside of the sisterhood
Working with community and charitable partners to continue making a positive impact
Continue to build and empower our community
How can I get involved?
In so many ways!!
First, if you aren't doing so yet, follow us on social media!
Instagram: @thevillainettes (This is our primary platform!)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thevillainettes
Twitter: @thevillainettes
Second, if you are not already a part of our sisterhood, but are interested in joining, send a message to our Instagram account! We will then put you in touch with a scout to explain and walk you through the whole process.
If you are a Bearded Villain, or other male community member, looking to support us, comment on our social media posts! We are always looking for community members that show us their support...you could even be nominated as a Villainette Wingman!
Third, currently on your Villainette journey and looking to get more involved? You have a couple options available to you!
1) Reach out to your scout about areas you can assist with
2) Reach out to one of our Diamond Directors about serving on a team or volunteering for a job
3) Repost TV content on your IG page to spread the word about our amazing sisterhood
4) Spread positivity in chat - we can never have too much of that!
That's all folks...for now....
There is so much in store for this sisterhood, and we cannot wait for you to be a part of it. Thank you for your unending support. We could not do this without you.
Happy 5th Birthday to our entire Villainette Community!!
