HI Reader,

For a lot of us, there are only two settings we know: keep the peace… or burn the whole thing down.

You know that feeling when you want to speak up—but you freeze, deflect, apologize, or just let it slide?

You ghost instead of saying no.
You say “it’s fine” when it’s not.
You twist yourself into knots trying to find the right way to say a thing without ever, ever upsetting anyone.

That’s collapsing. And a lot of us learned it early—because being “good” was safer than being honest.

But here’s the thing: collapsing isn’t the only alternative to becoming someone who takes up all the oxygen in the room.

There’s a third way. A quieter kind of power.

I call it poise.

Poise is grounded, steady, and honest. It lets you speak clearly without performing or apologizing. It lets you ask for what you want without demanding it—or pretending you don’t care.

And importantly, poise is not the same thing as putting on armor.

❌ It’s not turning sharp or cold or steamrolling people with your truth.
❌ It’s not clapping back with a perfectly worded boundary dripping in disdain.
❌ It’s not saying “I don’t need anyone” when you clearly do.

That’s posturing—another way we protect ourselves from feeling vulnerable.

Poise is something else entirely.

Poise is grounded, steady, honest.

It lets you speak clearly without performing or apologizing.
It lets you ask for what you want without demanding it—or pretending you don’t care.
It lets you take up the space you actually need. No more, no less.

In poise:

✅ Your shoulders drop, your jaw unclenches, and you feel your feet on the ground. You're present. Not bracing yourself.

✅ You’re not scanning for approval or permission. You’re aware of both yourself and other people, anchored and awake.

✅ You can be kind and direct at the same time.

✅ You ask for what you want without a five-minute apology preamble.

✅ You say “no” and feel the ground solid underneath you. No guilt, no shrinking. Just clarity, and maybe even... ease.

This is the work we do inside the Good Girl Recovery Program.

We unravel the habits of both posturing and collapsing, and practice the radical art of being honest, boundaried, and deeply ourselves—without the spike or the shrink.

If you’ve ever worried that being honest will make you mean…
If you’ve ever felt like you only have two settings: silent or scorched earth…
If you’re craving the kind of confidence that comes from being rooted, not reactive…

Come join us.

We start June 23rd.​
Let’s rewrite what power can feel like—together.

With love (and no more shrinking),
xxMarcia

P.S. - Here’s what JR says about her experience in the GGRP:
​“I’ve certainly become more outspoken, give my opinions more even when they are at odds with the opinions of others. My self confidence and self love have skyrocketed. I don’t beat myself up about things as much anymore. I don’t have to try to prove that I’m worthy of anything and that is liberating.

Also, finding out that other women had similar stories was such a relief! I am not the only one who struggles with these issues! Marcia, I can’t thank you enough for developing this program!!!”