Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
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NORTHSHOREMAG.COM 78 SEPTEMBER 2020 I N - D E P T H A flight of beer at Granite Coast. Strength and resilience are valuable personal traits, but Vick Breedy knows that women's constant emphasis on strength and putting others' needs before their own— and maybe even ignoring their own—can come at a cost. "A lot of Black women are closed to really making themselves vulnerable," says the Lynn-based author, entrepreneur, and self-care advocate. That's why Breedy has made it her mission to help women understand that caring for others and caring for themselves aren't mutually exclusive. In fact, one cannot exist without the other. "I can recognize my strengths, but I know I need to take care of myself," she says. "Without that balance it all falls apart." Like many women, Breedy (which is a pen name; her real name is Shontae Howe) is intimately familiar with the caregiver role. She's a mom, a former social worker, a case manager for people with rare diseases, and a volunteer. But a series of events, starting with the end of her marriage, prompted her to reprioritize her own needs, allowing her to cultivate beauty and strength from adversity. "It's almost like pain was the catalyst," she says. "I took a divorce and remixed it and created a new person. I was no longer a wife, I was no longer married, and I recreated a piece of myself…Vick Breedy is all about inspiriting people to take care of themselves and do more." Her wide-ranging work—which includes writing books, producing an apparel line called "Genetically Resilient," and spearheading a self-care movement and community called "Selfish Women's Group"—transforms ideas that are often loaded with negative Vick Breedy dedicates her time to inspire, encourage, and support people to practice self-care and overcome adversity. BY ALEX ANDRA PECCI SELFLESS WOMAN Vick Breedy is a Lynn-based author, entrepreneur, and self- care advocate. Artwork by John McClain. PHOTOGRAPHS BY JARED CHARNEY