Seventy-eight percent of women are labeled “emotional” in performance reviews compared to just 11 percent of men. That statistic alone reveals an uncomfortable truth about workplace inequality. Women are penalized for the qualities that fuel leadership, collaboration, and resilience. The message is clear: be quieter, be smaller, and above all, don’t be “too much.”
Julie May, a former teacher turned international speaker and best-selling author, is challenging that narrative by launching the Ridiculously You Podcast and the Ridiculous Women Society, two platforms designed to spark what she calls an “anti-shrinking movement.”
Her philosophy is timely: what society calls “too much” is often the exact thing that makes women powerful.
“Too much is not a weakness. Too much is the reason we break barriers and change the world,” May said.
From Burnout to Breakthrough
May’s rebellion was not born out of theory but out of personal crisis. Several years ago, she faced what she describes as her “really bad year.” Her daughter’s health crisis collided with bankruptcy and the foreclosure of her family home.
In that moment, she realized the weight women carry ripples outward into every part of a family and a community.
“When the mom goes down, everyone goes down,” she said.
The pressure to hold everything together nearly broke her. Like so many women, she had been shrinking to fit expectations, suppressing emotions to appear strong, and quietly carrying burdens that left her invisible. What pulled her out was the decision to stop disappearing and start living as her full, unapologetic self.
That decision became her new philosophy: “Ridiculously You.” It is believed that authenticity, even when it appears “too much” to others, is the foundation of self-respect and empowerment.
From Story to Movement
May’s message began to gain attention through her best-selling books and her work as a speaker. She shared her story of losing more than 100 pounds through radical self-love, which earned media features on CBS, ABC, and KSL 5. Along the way, she discovered she was not alone. Women across industries told her they were exhausted from shrinking themselves to fit other people’s expectations.
Now, with the October 6 launch of the Ridiculously You Podcast and the Ridiculous Women Society, May is giving that message a new home. The podcast will feature unfiltered conversations with leaders who have defied expectations. At the same time, the Society will offer women a private community, more than 60 trainings, monthly challenges, and even custom GPT tools to help women live “ridiculously out loud.”
“The podcast is about dropping the filters. It is about hearing real leaders speak as they are, not as they are supposed to be,” May said.
The Statistics Behind the Anti-Shrinking Rebellion
76 percent of high-performing women receive negative feedback on personality traits compared to only 2 percent of men. Success often comes with a penalty rather than a reward.
70 percent of workers admit to hiding their true selves at work. The pressure to conform robs companies of creativity and individuals of well-being.
90 percent of ambitious women globally report being penalized for their achievements. The higher they climb, the greater the resistance they encounter.
42 percent of women report burnout compared to 35 percent of men. The crisis of overwork and invisibility is disproportionately affecting women.
“This is not just about individual confidence. We’re bucking a system that is designed to keep women smaller than they are,” May explained.
The Ridiculous Women Society: Where “Too Much” Is Never Enough
On October 6, the Ridiculous Women Society officially opened its doors. This membership community is designed to provide women with more than just inspiration. It is designed to deliver tools, connections, and a safe space to practice authenticity.
The Society includes a private community where members can share openly and receive support from peers and from May herself. It offers access to a library of more than 60 training sessions, monthly challenges, printable workbooks, motivational pep talks, and even custom GPT tools designed to help women apply lessons in their daily lives.
Most importantly, it operates under a zero-shame policy. Members are encouraged to show up as they are, without fear of being “too much.”
“When women come together without filters, they discover the freedom to live fully as themselves,” May said.
Membership begins with a complimentary seven-day trial and continues at $30 per month, making it accessible while still supporting new content and providing ongoing assistance to members.
The Ridiculously You Podcast: Unfiltered Conversations
Running alongside the Society is the Ridiculously You Podcast, which also launched on October 6. The podcast brings the anti-shrinking philosophy to life through interviews with leaders who have taken unconventional paths. Guests share stories of overcoming obstacles, setting boundaries, and creating lives that reflect their authentic selves.
The show is not about perfection. It is about resilience, creativity, and vulnerability.
“The podcast is about the conversations mainstream media will not have. It is about blending vulnerability with real solutions,” May said.
Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and Amazon Music, the show is positioned to reach its audience wherever they already listen.
A Cultural Rebellion Against Shrinking
May describes Ridiculously You as more than a podcast or membership. She calls it a rebellion. At its core is the rejection of perfectionism, silence, and invisibility.
This rebellion is inclusive by design. Neurodivergent women, who are often excluded from empowerment conversations, are specifically welcomed and celebrated within the movement. May frequently refers to them as “neuro species,” a playful reframing that honors difference as strength rather than limitation.
The cultural shift is already visible. Women are starting to embrace their “too much” qualities as the very traits that make them leaders, innovators, and creators. The Ridiculous Women Society offers them a community that validates those choices.
“The world does not need smaller women. It needs women who are willing to take up space,” May said.
Why Now Matters
The timing of the launch is intentional. The statistics confirm that women are facing a crisis of authenticity, confidence, and burnout. Corporate cultures remain slow to change, leaving women to shoulder the weight alone.
By creating both a podcast and a membership community, May is offering women two ways to engage with each other. The podcast provides inspiration and visibility. The Society offers connection and application. Together, they create a framework for women to stop shrinking and reclaim their power.
“This is not about teaching women to survive inside broken systems. It is about helping them create new ways of living and leading so they can work together to rebuild it,” May said.
The Anti-Shrinking Movement Begins
October 6 marked the beginning of what May hopes will become a global movement. Ridiculously You is positioned not just as a brand but as a cultural rebellion. It blends data, storytelling, and community to address one of the most pressing issues women face today: the pressure to be less than they are.
Women interested in joining can start by listening to the podcast at www.ridiculouslyyou.com/podcast or by exploring membership in the Society at www.ridiculouslyyou.com/women.
The invitation is simple: stop shrinking and live ridiculously out loud.
Educator. Writer. Editor. Proofreader. Lauren Carpenter's vast career and academic experiences have strengthened her conviction in the power of words. She has developed content for a globally recognized real estate corporation, as well as respected magazines like Virginia Living Magazine and Southern Review of Books.
