Hi friend,

 

Today's letter is the third in a four-part series (here are parts one and two).

 

 

When our bodies are our business cards, the more those bodies are outside our cultural aspirations, the fewer people will want to buy.

 

(And of course no business is going to appeal to everyone; how on earth would we handle the sales volume if it did?)

 

But running a business is about more than just putting out a product or service and seeing who shows up, and so much of the bias and discrimination that affect our success (or lack thereof) is behind the scenes.

 

Every business has to function on multiple levels, or layers, to be able to operate, to be stable and to be financially viable. These layers include:

The more marginalized you are, the more sustaining any given layer will be a challenge. Take away too many layers, or make them too challenging for the owner, and the business will fail -- either because its owner will burn out, or run out of resources.

 

Business failure can also happen because one layer becomes too difficult, or too damaged, to function. And every single layer depends on layer 5, because without an owner, a small business vanishes.
 

There's another wrinkle here, too:

 

 

» Call for Papers: Mental Health Impact of Weight Stigma (see)

 

» Upcoming: Intersectional Perspectives on Fatness (online)

 

» Upcoming: Beyond Shrinking and Drinking (online)

 

» Upcoming: Supporting Health Professionals in Creating a Weight-Inclusive Practice (online)

 

» Upcoming: Body Love Creative Writing Workshop (see)

 

» Upcoming: Exploring Your Body Story Workshop (see)

 

» Allyship opportunity: Help Fat Torah grow (see)

 

» How to Handle Stressful News Cycles (listen)

 

» Rest in peace and power, Lynn McAfee (read)

 

» Here’s a song that’s breaking my heart today, thinking of Lynn McAfee… (read)

 

» Do We Need Another Thin Person's Ozempic Take? (read)

 

» More People Are Overdosing on Ozempic Alternatives (read)

 

» Fat Girls Belong in All Tropes (read)

 

» Risky Business: How Novo Nordisk’s Marketing Machine Turned Their Weight Loss Drugs Into Cardiovascular Life Savers (read)

 

» Who Exactly is Part of the Weight Loss Industry? (read)

 

🦄 Unicorn chaser: Army of Crabs Protect Spy Robot From Stingray (watch)

 

Looking successful is as much a marketing strategy as any other. Ever wonder why every realtor seems to drive a really nice car? They may or may not be financially successful, but it's part of the perception of success.

 

Most people want to work with a professional who's good at what they do, and money is one way to measure that, so driving a nice car increases the perceived value of the service that realtor offers. 

 

So does having a nice website, or slick marketing materials, or professional-level editing on social media videos.

 

So when you see a fat business owner who looks successful, chances are, they're struggling. Acting or looking prosperous isn't about being shallow. It's a survival strategy.

 

It also plays into our cultural narratives around overcoming adversity. No one wants to hear about a sad fatty from whom no one will buy a product or service; everyone wants to hear the inspirational success story of the good fatty who overcame prejudice (preferably in a way that made her not fat any more).

 

Unapologetically fat,