Jennasis Speaks: The Transformative Power of Women's Stories

From Secret to Superpower: The Unsealed with Lauren Brill

April 08, 2021 Jennifer Malcolm Season 2 Episode 14
Jennasis Speaks: The Transformative Power of Women's Stories
From Secret to Superpower: The Unsealed with Lauren Brill
Show Notes Transcript

Lauren Brill had it all. Talented, smart and beautiful, she carved a successful career as a television sportscaster, thriving in a male-dominated industry. 

She also had a secret only her family knew: As a teenager, two strangers drugged her and sexually assaulted her. For more than a decade, Lauren carried her secret. Then, motivated by a desire to help other women carrying similar secrets, she told her story in an open letter posted on the ABC website. Stunned by the response, Lauren launched an online platform where people post their own unsealed letters, share their own painful truths, and find community. 

Lauren joins Jennifer Malcolm for this week’s episode of Jennasis Speaks to talk about creating an online community where sharing open letters encourages strength and compassion.



Jennifer Malcolm:

Calling all women who are curious and called Transformative Power of Women's Stories where every woman has a Cleveland, Ohio, but it's not going to outshine Miami's

Lauren Brill:

Thank you for having me.

Jennifer Malcolm:

You're so welcome. And I'm going to read a

Lauren Brill:

All right, sounds great.

Jennifer Malcolm:

Lauren Brill is Chief Executive Officer at she wrote to comfort and encourage other sexual assault seven Emmy Awards, and winning Associated Press awards. So how

Lauren Brill:

So I was a really good athlete. As a child, I was a holiday. And it was tickets to go see the New York Rangers we had lots of tickets. So he would switch off taking my used to tell me stories about athletes to motivate me. So he me and inspire me through school and through my own athletics and and she said she had front row seats. And she had one extra, television and talk about sports. That's what I want to other passions and other interests. And I created this inequalities that we have in this world. And then also just

Jennifer Malcolm:

That's amazing. And as we were chatting resonating and that we get the most response to is around Williams. And in California, there's a lot of us that are

Lauren Brill:

Well, I think there's a lot of problems that like, what was that? Also, we don't have consistent verbiage because we don't know the right words to use to describe what this whole idea of women not being believed, or people saying causes a lot of harm for women, because nobody talks about and I think that's really important, because that's when women start want it, it doesn't mean you were okay with it. And I think reacting in a way that they could not control.

Jennifer Malcolm:

And I think that's beautiful. Because at extra layer of Alright, I'm going to keep silent because no embarrassing as it is, I have a 16 and 18 year old daughter's a actually protects them long term.

Lauren Brill:

It does protect you when you're able to have you know, Superwoman mom, like she's a great mom. And she also me that, it was normal, I had lost a lot of weight. For the control my body, you know, and I didn't realize how that was never heard anyone talk about it. Never. And I didn't, I had assaulted and your body doesn't react, that way, you'll get don't want to tell anyone because you're afraid like that they can say something and still be believed and still not hey, if someone touches you, they're telling me if someone another voice that says, If anyone does this, you can come

Jennifer Malcolm:

And I 100% agree with you because the to and gratitude showing her gratitude, thank you for helping don't tell anyone the same thing. Thank you for you know, help advocate for you,

Lauren Brill:

and that people will believe them and they're

Jennifer Malcolm:

Absolutely. That's huge. So let's go a

Lauren Brill:

I was 16, I went to a party with my two best stay over the person whose house I was at. And I only remember these drinks and I'm thinking what's the commotion? There, but put it together that they were about to drag us. But I remember basically, were I was completely sedated. And I was able to say bed. I fell off the bed, I hit the floor facedown. And I assaulted by New York definition today I was raped by federal penetration. So again, I don't have the exact words whether I laying there, I had thought at the time that they thought I there. And then I crawled out of the room looking for my friends. then the next morning I was safe. The kids who did it were happened to me and he was like, Oh my god, I'm so sorry. And the knew them. And so he thought he always assumed that they that I drinking teenagers drinking at the house, they didn't want him tarnished in any way. So they didn't talk about it. They never them. And they didn't know that they were insulting me,

Jennifer Malcolm:

And it's interesting, the different this community, of creating safe places for people to use our

Lauren Brill:

I mean, I never had the issue of people not know, your son or Johnny, you know, Sally's nephew. No, I unfortunately, my two other friends were drugged that night, where people aren't honest. And those cases are very, very store and he would investigate. And so that's where I think the a woman would make an accusation, and ns colleges balances. Because if somebody isn't honest, that hurts the

Jennifer Malcolm:

Do your due diligence. Yeah, when you were just kind of managing to start telling your story and why was

Lauren Brill:

So I couldn't process the assault right away. never gonna be the same. I knew something bad had happened. I I did pretty well my junior year, but I needed to do even life. And I went there and for the first I had a lot of issues to them, I don't really remember. But I don't think they was another year before it opened up to my family and think I can really articulate or explain like why on that date, I that's why I spoke up on that day, it was just my brain

Jennifer Malcolm:

And that's good because I have a very when I had a 1012 and 14 year old, I still had to get up the I didn't allow, you know, any my refrigerator broken. And I would time to share. But when I did the response of kindness,

Lauren Brill:

I think for me, too, as a 16 year old, I was piece of it. And then it was two boys, I didn't want to be in by the time I told people what happened, I wasn't worried about I never wanted to be perceived as a victim. And I don't know if strength, inspiration, and give my story of purpose that was had this guilt of I never found out who did this to me. And other victims out there. Because I didn't stop them. So I felt women. I needed to give back. So that was part of me wanting to I helping other people and feeling this unshakable urge to help

Jennifer Malcolm:

So let's talk about that letter. Because we're

Lauren Brill:

So initially, what happened was I kind of reached a friend with Sheryl Sandberg the I think she's the CEO of knew my story because he was a product of rape. And so we I to my story, and Cheryl asked me to do do something with her book if I'm going to tell my story for the first time, I want to my story, in my own words with my own writing, can I do it for on it, because it was really important to me, that I book of open letters. And it was dear Miss ambitious, dear Miss was really proud of. And when I press send to post it on empowering. It really lifted me up in so many ways. And then

Jennifer Malcolm:

So good, and I printed off your letter, and I Even more distressingly, I worried I torment my parents as that was so traumatizing, but also that for a moment in time, looks like, I am what another survivor sounds like, my attack impactful. And I'm reading this four years later. And the advocacy. So through this, then you you started your business.

Lauren Brill:

So I help I actually go straight most of young girls who have a stutter, or you know all go through. And they're all stories are emotional. All the I mean, I want you to That when I was assaulted, those boys world that there's humanity and everyone, whether it's somebody other a lot better. And, and will also treat ourselves a lot

Jennifer Malcolm:

Awesome. And I'm going to base on that I went learned that truth can have many different effects. And both the that you are going out wide in and that's the heartbeat of so that all these the spectrum of what we deal with, and that through expressing people's voices and their stories, and

Lauren Brill:

Yeah, exactly. And I mean, the responses I've this letter together to people who will meet her for the first months later and said, My daughter is more confident, she other people's negative negativity. And I think the way our story matters. And so I really try to help people tell hope is that my truth helps embolden you to share your own. to be very poetic and perfect, and truly, where my heart lied

Jennifer Malcolm:

So good. So if someone is listening to this, organization?

Lauren Brill:

For right now, I'm only taking stories from members possible. So you sign up become a member, you can submit your phone, we'll talk about what you want to write about. I'll say to the message they want to get across, make sure everything give us the green light. And sometimes we pairs letters with the letter. But we do that sometimes, too. So we've really cool, too. And that's something that I want to do more everyone would come on, ask their own questions, and we've part of the conversation. Everyone can ask questions. And great the situation, there's always hope. Like, I survived a

Jennifer Malcolm:

So good. It's so good. And how is the

Lauren Brill:

So I also speak at school. So my mom helps me with York Post San Francisco Chronicle, pretty much every that it has. But I mean, I'm pretty much doing it all. But I it most of the work. But I do have like a team of family and

Jennifer Malcolm:

That's awesome. And, and that piece of

Lauren Brill:

The support system is huge. I posted a story of everyone. And on it, he says, I have to tell you, Lauren, that I I started crying. And it's just when people believe in you, and you want to be a lawyer, there is a steep hill that you have to that you're tired and the moments that you're exhausted

Jennifer Malcolm:

Well it's it it's the wind in your sails that perspective or help out it does put perspective back into my because we're doing it as a team instead of an individual.

Lauren Brill:

I mean, I tell people, every time someone signs believe in me, they believe in what I'm doing. And my stories her doing that, and I'm laying on the couch, like hanging, It makes you just continuously push yourself, even in the

Jennifer Malcolm:

Aren't we all? Have you had any response or

Lauren Brill:

Well, no, you haven't had it. And I'll tell slander. So the people who so unless you have a conviction, through something similar. So I don't need to say, Well, I don't don't put like, hey, it was my It was my first cousin, you slander. So no, we've never had an issue.

Jennifer Malcolm:

I'm gonna end with some popcorn questions for

Lauren Brill:

Everyone inspires me every story? I do, I'll do I the idea of having faith in where you're going, even though

Jennifer Malcolm:

What do you do to refresh your soul or to put

Lauren Brill:

Rollerblading. Rollerblade. Throughout this but the rollerblading is really my space where I can just be running through my body and I've rollerbladed since I was three

Jennifer Malcolm:

Don't even hesitate on an answer. That was

Lauren Brill:

Yeah, that is my thing.

Jennifer Malcolm:

If you could do anything on a Friday night

Lauren Brill:

pandemic or no pandemic?

Jennifer Malcolm:

I guess so we'll do post pandemic.

Lauren Brill:

Good people quality of life is quality of

Jennifer Malcolm:

Well, I appreciate your time today and may have dealt with sexual assault In some way,

Lauren Brill:

Truth is power. Your truth is your greatest it's a superpower, not because of what I went through, but

Jennifer Malcolm:

So if you're listening to this story, and

Lauren Brill:

And also know that this isn't just a woman's their neighbor, their friend, it is a problem for men and women

Jennifer Malcolm:

And and your letter, you had an eight quoted using your truth, using your voice, finding a safe space to strength and became your superpower. And that's so that wall of fear, and then put aside his freedom. And it's not

Lauren Brill:

But here is there. What I tell young girls is to way to go through life knowing Hey, I went through something hard. So see it as that as now you get to go through the rest something now that is helping so many other women.

Jennifer Malcolm:

Absolutely.

Lauren Brill:

That's turning truth to power that's turning

Jennifer Malcolm:

I love that and we're gonna use that we're

Lauren Brill:

That's my tagline for my for my company.

Jennifer Malcolm:

Thank you so much for your time today. It has have tough conversations

Unknown:

And to think abou leaving your comfort zone. But de my comfort zone because t at's the only space I've ever k

Jennifer Malcolm:

That's so good. Well, I appreciate your in today. I hope that you were inspired by Lauren's story. We everyone. Bye. Thank you for listening to the Jennasis Speaks the power over your own narrative.