This is something that's been on my mind and as the new year begins, I'd like to address some topics and get it off my chest. I'm also speaking on behalf of my girls, Annette and Keerati, because we talk everyday, share the same sentiments, and help each other get through adversities. First I'd like to discuss why we even started the Redline Ravens. Second, I'll share some of the things we actually accomplished during our first year of business. Finally, I'd like to address the inevitable- the haters and what we've learned from them.
REDLINE RAVENS ROOTS
When I initially started riding 6 years ago, that's when I first experienced some of the struggles that women face in the motorcycle industry. People often assume when I'm holding a helmet, that I rode on the back of some other man's bike. When people find out that I ride my own, I always hear things like "What?! You ride yourself??? That's crazy!" One time, I put my helmet aside and took off my gear so I can back my bike up while parking it on the side of the street. Some guy driving by stopped his car to scold me and tell me that it isn't cool to mess with people's bikes and that if I was trying to get back at one of my ex's or something, it isn't cool... I stared at him blankly and simply said, "yeah he was a piece of shit," and continued moving my bike.
Striving to be taken seriously as a female in general has been a trend for ages, especially in male-dominant industries like the motorcycle world. While taking this sad and unfortunate reality into consideration, we need to think of innovative ways to reach out to people and effectively get through to them. Something needs to change if we want to see change, which is why the Redline Ravens were created. No one has done what Annette, Kee, and I are attempting to do in the motorcycle industry. We see an opportunity and are being proactive about it. Anything is worth a try, because life is about having fun, taking risks, failing, learning, growing, and succeeding.
This past year, the ladies and I have worked incredibly hard to get to where we are. We do our best to meet up once a week, despite our busy schedules and full-time jobs to come up with ideas, create content, edit photos and videos ourselves, which is super time-consuming by the way...we write and film reviews, work on our website, and post content on a daily basis. We do these things with a positive intent to inform or entertain people- to share the love we have for the sport and to inspire as many people as we possibly can. Some people don't understand, because promoting the sport the way we do it isn't their line of work. Similar to how I wouldn't fully understand everything relating to other people's line of work. We are so quick to judge and forget to realize that everyone has different backgrounds, upbringings, and experiences that mold their current belief systems, so unless you understand the full scope of a situation, then it isn't right to pass judgement.
That being said, we as the Redline Ravens believe that women can be strong, badass, and sexy women who are allowed to embrace their femininity. Yes, we take sexy photos... Honestly and simply put from a universal marketing standpoint, "Sex Sells." As much as some people don't want to accept that, it's been true for a very long time. We've been doing tons of trial and error research to see what works and what doesn't. We've posted photos of us wearing our riding gear and they don't get as many likes as ones we post with a little more sexiness. Despite that, we still post both photos with gear and sexy photos to keep our pages interesting, with variety. Some might wonder, "How can they be taken seriously wearing crop tops and posing next to bikes?" What? We're not allowed to dress how we want or feel good about ourselves next to or on a bike? Everyone has preferences and are entitled to their opinions. We playfully claim the hashtag #teamcroptop, because we love to wear them so much! Don't get us wrong- We never do anything we don't want to do. We'll never degrade ourselves to get more likes, but we ARE allowed to express our femininity and confidence since we make a strong effort to keep our bodies fit and healthy. There's nothing wrong with posting photos that show off our hard work. Only people who are unhappy with certain aspects of their lives will hate on something like that.
Since our profession is marketing ourselves and different brands, "likes" are important for us, because they eventually translate into dollars or potential business. Like everyone else, we're hustling to create opportunities and make money. This is an effective way to get to people, especially in male-dominant industries like motorcycles and fitness- two industries that we're involved with.
Selling a sexy image posing next to bikes isn't our only goal. That's one tactic we use to reach out to certain parts of the market. We capitalize on this tactic, because it's one that makes most sense to prioritize from a business perspective. It's true that some of our sexier photos have been used by businesses to mainly reach out to the male audience. This is why we also take tasteful photos with gear to cater to the other audiences as well. There are so many different people to cater to and realistically, we can't please them all.
What we offer as Redline Ravens is much more than just taking photos next to bikes. We make an effort to be well-rounded and educated riders, so that we can be in a better position to inspire others. We basically ride every day, train with professionals, attend track days, ride canyons, lead motorcycle touring adventures, and all the while promote going to the track. Additionally, modeling isn't easy by any means, let alone motorcycle modeling. Having to stay fit and up to par with model expectations after riding a motorcycle and sweating our asses and makeup off is a struggle in itself. Hair and eyebrows are never on point after taking off our helmets.
REFLECTING ON 2016
Now that you have a little more understanding on who we are and how we came to be, I'd like to reflect on some of the things we've actually accomplished and will continue to accomplish towards inspiring women and others:
1. We've written and filmed honest reviews about gear, because looking for practical but stylish gear is incredibly difficult and is a common dilema that women face. It also helps to promote gear companies. When we pose and model next to our bikes wearing that gear, women and men who like what they see will buy it for themselves or as a gift for someone.
2. We openly invite women and men to contact us in any way if they have questions and take time to answer as many of them as we possibly can with thoughtful responses. Since the three of us each have been riding for over 6 years, we have insightful personal experience as we've all made mistakes, crashed, etc. We also have broad riding experiences through various extreme weather and long-distance rides.
3. We've trained with professionals, ridden on several tracks, and have taken riding classes with Keith Code's California Superbike School, Jason Pridmore's Star Motorcycle School and Socal Supermoto. We've created content and edited photos and videos, which not only helps promote the track and organization, but also encourages our viewers to become better riders overall. We're by no means the best riders out there nor are we trying to be. However, we are and always will be improving our skills. It isn't about being the best riders in the world, unless I was racing in MotoGP. We just want to have fun doing what we love and as competitive as we can be sometimes, there's a time and place for everything.
4. We've participated in many Charity events and rides, contributing in any way we can by helping to prep, working for free, donating, etc.
5. We've taken time to come up with silly skits and real life situations that motorcycle riders face. We provide this entertainment to reach out to both those who ride and don't ride. Who doesn't like a good laugh? That also psychologically puts a happy and positive idea of the bike life to those who don't ride, since there's a stigma attached to motorcycle riders.
6. We've promoted fitness and a healthy, active lifestyle. It ties in with motorcycle riding, because ideally you need endurance and good health to race and ride.
7. We've helped others throughout the process of taking the MSF course, purchasing motorcycles, looking for the perfect gear, and provide recommendations.
8. We've taken time to learn about motorcycles ourselves and do custom work and maintenance on them.
All of the aforementioned items above takes up a whole lot of our time, money, and brain energy, but we do it because it genuinely makes us happy to help while having fun in the process.
QUIT SIPPIN' THAT HATERADE
In spite of our good intentions to help people, the ladies and I have inevitably come across haters. Throughout our entire lives, we witness all types of negativity- jealousy, envy, greed, hatred, selfishness, to name a few. I've personally witnessed them even more so after starting Redline Ravens. It's sad to see that the moment you reach for the stars and seek success, people including those you believed were friends try to bring you down. One would think that friends should be happy for each other, but reality is that if you're not in a good place in your own life, it's tough to be genuinely happy for others, unless you've trained yourself to be mentally strong.
These ill feelings are ones we can all familiarize with, but don't want to face, because it's hard to admit. We've all had our inner battles of deciphering what's right and what's wrong. Since people naturally tend to lean towards the negative bias, it's easier to feel negative and we actually have to train ourselves to be positive. It blows my mind how many people are out there living with that kind of mindset and are too stubborn or lazy to improve their lives. These are the shit-talkers, internet-bashers, backstabbers, two-faced people, etc. Having experienced these people first-hand, the ladies and I have heard every insult in the book and have been bashed on the internet plenty of times. We've been called sluts, whores, bitches, tank skanks, you name it... we've been called it.
Additionally, we have to deal with haters who want to assume that just because we have a certain look, we are self-centered or conceited posers who just want to look cool with a motorcycle. People have mocked our hashtags and even created new hashtags for us. We've heard things like we as "Ravens" do absolutely nothing to support, encourage, or inspire women in motorcycling and make public posts that are directed towards us, which potentially affects the very image we work so hard to portray. All for what? What does that gain? A small moment in time of feeling better about themselves? That instant gratification will eventually cease to exist and they'll just find another way to be negative again. Not to mention, they're showcasing their own insecurities to the world. I can't help but feel sorry for them. Since most of our haters don't even follow us or bother taking the time to learn about what we actually do, they speak blindly and ignorantly about us. All we can do is let our numbers and results speak for themselves.
Ironically enough, even though we're representing for the females, we get a fair share of female haters who claim the importance of promoting women in motorcycling, but think we're doing nothing for the female riding community. Wouldn't you agree that women putting other women down might come across as hypocritical towards any belief in encouraging and respecting fellow female riders? That makes them no better than the sexist men who alienate women into not being taken seriously in any industry. For some reason, they fail to realize that we are also women who endure similar barriers and daily struggles of being taken seriously as riders as well, focusing only on the part where we take sexy photos.
There are two types of people- those who see a particular photo and are inspired to achieve their physical/personal goals and those who look at the same photo and find reasons to hate. These are typically the ones who are currently in an insecure state-of-mind. We've all been there, but at the end of the day, it comes down to your attitude and how you choose to react to things. You can take it or leave it, but I've also had my struggles so I'm not speaking blindly. I've accepted long ago that there will always be someone more talented, better-looking, smarter, more successful, etc. than me. All I can do is focus on improving myself and being happy for others. It's way more liberating. At the end of the day, we're the ones who have to live with ourselves and our mindsets... why make it miserable? Someone once told me something that will resonate with me forever- "your beliefs are your reality." If you think negatively, your whole world will be negative and you will also exude negativity to the world.
Nevertheless, we've been told to ignore the haters. We typically do, but there are exceptions. Annette, Kee, and I are real people with feelings, and some things do get to us. We've stood up for ourselves and for each other when we felt it was necessary. Otherwise, people will think they can walk all over us. It's always so much harder to take the high road than it is to stoop down to a hater's level, but we are growing stronger each day that goes by and with each hater that crosses our path.
I admit the girls and I don't always say or do the right thing, but once we see a different perspective or are called out, we sure as hell take accountability and grow from it. There's just too much ego, jealousy, envy, and hatred going around. Why feed into that when life is too short and fragile to be spreading negativity, especially when engaging in a risky hobby of riding motorcycles? I understand that people go through tough times, which can easily throw them into a world of negativity. But we all have personal battles to fight and that can never be an excuse to put others down.
There's always a more tactful solution to problems and everyone would be so much happier if we worked together instead of against one another. Plus we as human beings want to be heard, feel accomplished, and respected. We all seek attention in some way, shape, or form. The majority of us don't want to be lonely in this world and so we seek attention by building little connections here and there. We often look for other's approvals for our achievements and need reassurance that we're doing things right. It's human nature. Even the internet bashers are seeking attention. Looking in at a deeper level, that's what internet bashing is really about. Someone is upset about something, so they feel the need to broadcast it to the world by posting on a public platform in hopes to gain acceptance from others who may feel the same way. But guess what? That only attracts other like-minded, negative individuals.
Then there are passive-aggressive people who are indirectly hostile, manifesting negative behavior. It's a defense mechanism that spreads negative energy and is easy to notice when it's happening to us, but difficult to see when we're guilty of it ourselves. This is because passive aggression is a type of subconscious manipulation where one's true motives remain hidden. For example, a person might appear polite and in agreement with something, when they're actually angry or resentful underneath. It happens when people are in denial and aren't comfortable being openly aggressive or honest about their true feelings, because they subconsciously feel jealous or lack another person's discipline or willpower. It's a destructive pattern of behavior that postpones personal growth and even career advancements.
So basically, posting or saying passive-aggressive things will never get anyone far. It's another one of those instant gratifications that's emotionally abusive towards anyone involved, including loved ones. I'm also guilty of being passive-aggressive, but when I realize what I'm doing and get a grasp of why I'm doing it, I'll proactively change my behavior and redirect that negative energy into something positive.
"Passive-aggressive behavior has 100 percent deniability and zero percent accountability"
-Psychotherapist and Author, Tina Gilbertson
Being passive-aggressive doesn't necessarily mean that you're a bad person, but do yourself and others a favor by practicing positivity and being accountable for your actions. So to all the haters: it's a shame that we can't be friends... Especially to those who share the same love and passion we have for riding and adventure. Maybe in another life.
Those who know me know how free-spirited and happy I am. With that in mind, I still have to remind myself to be positive all the time. Instead of focusing energy on negativity, I encourage you all to really make a constructive effort to start changing your realities into positive ones. Let's take all that negative energy and mentally train ourselves by switching it over to positive energy. So if you catch yourself feeling some type of way, try something for yourself and flip that switch. Spend your time and energy wisely by focusing on happy thoughts and being grateful for the things that already have and will continue to bless your life. Think positively, radiate positivity. Believe me, it's one step closer to the glorious pursuit of happiness! All good people deserve happiness and respect.
So far, Redline Ravens has been an insightful journey of ups and downs. We're learning more about ourselves, who our real friends are, and figuring out who is mentally weak and strong. This world currently has over 7.5 billion people and we can't please them all, but we'll still continue to inspire in a way we feel works. We don't expect everyone to agree with our approach, but we can only hope that people can see past their negative biases towards what we stand for and gain a little more understanding with why we do things the way we do.
Overall, we are proud and fortunate to be able to work with big, reputable companies. We are grateful for our sponsors and to those who support and believe in us. We will not let you down. We're not perfect by any means and are new to this particular game, but we're learning and improving ourselves every day. We're all human and make mistakes... and even repeat mistakes, but just know that we have good intentions at the end of the day. We've grown more than we had ever imagined and will continue to climb up this mountain of enlightenment while sharing our successes, big or small, with those around us. People from all around the world who've personally reached out to us and share stories on how we inspire them are constant reminders for us to keep going. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all the positive feedback! We also want to thank the haters. One day, I hope they realize that there's enough spotlight to go around for all the hard-working people that earn it, but thanks for all the awesome insight and lessons that provide fuel to the fire of our ambition. We're ready to hit the ground running in 2017 and beyond. Finally, I'm thankful and lucky to have found and partnered up with two like-minded individuals that complete our little, but strong trio we call the Redline Ravens. Be kind, live humbly, and laugh openly. Thank you for taking the time to read, everyone!
Love More, Ride More.