meet theresa marie
the origin story
I grew up on the south side of Chicago, back when Bronzeville was just “The Low End”. I attended public schools, graduated from THE distinguished University of Illinois @ Urbana-Champaign, have worked in Executive Leadership, and have been in faith based spaces most of my life. While my settings have changed, my gender has not. Everywhere I’ve gone in life, I’ve taken THAT with me. Through major surgery, marriage, widowhood, poor credit, weight gain, menopause and the pandemic, I’ve never not been a girl. When I remarry, as my skin wrinkles, as I travel the world executing a wildly successful public speaking career, and am an Oscar AND Emmy winner…I’ll still be a girl. A real woman…No complaints though. No worries either.
i know who i am
Thing is, I love being a girl—even though being a girl is the hardest person to be. Doesn’t make me any less powerful; brilliant; tenacious; vibrant; sexy; unstoppable…it’s just hard. Knowing who I am is more important that knowing what I can do or what I look like, so I build on that. My career. My esteem. My faith. My love life. My sacrifices. My achievements. My passions. My purpose. My relationships. Not one of those things are defined or enhanced or destroyed by who thinks I’m cute. Not one. They are, instead, built on my acknowledging of my intrinsic power, and how well I package that to present myself to all of you.
the real me keeps it real
I love God, and His church. I love my family, and will physically harm someone over them. I cook restaurant-quality meals because I feel like it. I am deeply moved by the human condition, with all its highs and lows. I hate carrots and bigotry. You’ll prolly never see my real hair because who has time? My breast are not perky without assistance. I’ve had braces 3 times. I hate makeup but sometimes, duty calls. My forehead is huge and my edges are just now growing back. I’ve had back fat since I started growing a chest. I think that frequent, amazing sex between a man and his wife is one of the greatest forces on earth, and I’m looking forward to being that wife, again. I speak English and jive, and use my bilingual ability to make hard things easy…taking things from high shelves, and putting them on the low ones.
why i'm alive today
I have found my intrinsic beauty, extracted it’s power, and used it to package myself for presentation to the world. Most days, I’m pretty. Some days, I’m pooped. Every day, I’m far more than that. I’m FINE. Beautifine™. Bottom line, I am a force. I didn’t always know it, but know I do. Let me help you.
beau ti fine
adjective
the internal power of a confident soul, that is experienced anytime a woman is heard, seen, or felt—even when she’s not in the room
noun
the very deliberate murder of the subjective label “PRETTY”
mission
Death to Pretty is a curated environment for women who know there’s more. Whether you are beginning your journey, pivoting in your journey, or beginning again without starting over, DTP will be the mirror that reflects deeper than the skin to reveal the intrinsic power of true identity.
vision
To help women discover who they really are (their identity), so they can be who they were born to be — which is way more than “pretty”.
