This Conference Changed Everything for Me

Why I'm going back to Your Weight Matters - and why you should join me

Two years ago this week, I began reclaiming my health with the help of a GLP-1. When I first came online my mission was simple - to get healthy and find a community to support me.

Living in a larger body, I doubted my value. My body was the public display of my failure. I wasn’t worthy of my own success and the whole world could see it. And then I was prescribed Mounjaro.

And just like that the food noise shut off, the inflammation receded, and suddenly my body began to feel capable again.

That is when I heard “Obesity is a disease. It is not your fault.” for the very first time.

And the mission shifted.

I reached out to a mentor in this space, Michele Tedder, to think through how I could take what I’ve learned in life and combine it with my burgeoning GLP-1 social media presence. I had this growing TikTok following and a lifetime of policy work. How could those two things fit together? I had this growing TikTok following and a lifetime of policy work. How could those two things fit together?

I wanted to find a way to use it to help other people. To make a difference.

I’ve lived on the outskirts of law, policy, and politics all of my adult life. It’s something I deeply love and enjoy. But there was never cohesion in those worlds. I loved helping others achieve their goals but they were never my own. It’s been fun don’t get me wrong. At heart, I am a strategist. But no cause was ever authentically mine.

Then Michele told me about the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) and its Your Weight Matters Conference. She told me I would find my people there. She was right.

I can’t overstate how important my experience at Your Weight Matters has been to my advocacy. Dr. Robyn Pashby’s session on the weight we carry captivated the entire room. She unpacked a literal backpack to show all the things people in bigger bodies live with every day. More than anything, that conference helped me forgive myself. And it showed me how to take all those years of law and policy work and finally use them for something that mattered to me. They gave me a community fighting for affordable obesity care and GLP-1 access, and helped me see where I fit in that fight. And they have supported me every step of the way since.

I credit Michele’s OAC advice as the seed. From that single seed so many amazing opportunities have grown this year. Somehow my background merged with the thing I was most embarrassed by in life - my weight - and finally gave me my mission. For the first time in my life my skills and interests feel aligned. Everything makes sense.

The sky is the limit. And I am making a difference.

And you can too.

This week, the registration for the 2026 Your Weight Matters Conference opened. Right now, registration is still at the early bird price of $149 (the food alone is worth way more than that).

If you are following me here on Substack, it’s likely because you too want to find ways to advocate for obesity care and better access to treatments like GLP-1s. I promise you the Obesity Action Coalition is the force multiplier you need in your fight. Join the community. Come to Orlando. Have some fun - and get the tools you need to make some change.

I hope to see you there.