Inside The Support Your Girlfriends Retreat Where Tamika Mallory, Yandy Smith & Black Women Come To Heal, Dream & Build [Exclusive]

A group of women in bright pink swimsuits posing on a tropical beach with palm trees and clear blue water in the background. — Source: Courtesy of Support Your Girlfriends

The definition of a girl’s trip has taken on a whole new meaning thanks to Support Your Girlfriends.

Created by Dr. Nikkia McClain in 2017, Support Your Girlfriends initially started as a way for McClain to empower, connect, and celebrate the people in her circle. Today it brings that same community to others.

When McClain’s close friends, Tamika D. Mallory and Lucinda Cross, were in need of the perfect escape from reality, she turned it into a trip for 10 women for a getaway to Jamaica. Now, a decade later, the initiative has morphed into a full movement and 501(c)(3) organization that offers free programming, access, resources, and tools to a community of more than 300 members, and the group recently celebrated another trip to Barbados in partnership with the island’s tourism board.

“I was super excited about this year because, in addition to the annual initiative we do when we hit Barbados with the young girls, we normally work with I Am A Girl. This time, we were able to work with some of the young girls from the churches around the area, which was so good, and one thing I love about these Bajan girls is that they come in with their heads up, like they are very clear on who they are at such a young age,” McClain told Madamenoire.

This year, Support Your Girlfriends also gave self-care a whole new meaning thanks to workshops led by Yandy Smith, Tamika Mallory’s move to mobilize the members, and Lucinda Cross doubling down on the importance of keeping your faith intact.

“We don’t have sponsors during the trip. We don’t have videographers outside of what we capture for the dinners, so it allows everyone to come and be their authentic selves, and it allows, I think, them to show up, but to also receive,” McClain continued. “You’re actually being able to sit and be still and receive what these young ladies are offering, and they change each year. It’s not the same workshop. It’s always something different every year.”

A Place To Mobilize

A group of women wearing pink dresses and hats posing together on a golf course. — Source: Courtesy of Support Your Girlfriends

This year, Mallory took charge to utilize the space as an opportunity to organize women politically, helping them to understand why now, more than ever, it is important for them to protect their vote.

“I think the evolution of what was just the Glossy Posse has now turned into Support Your Girlfriends, which is a real network – it’s really amazIng, and I think that the evolution speaks to Nikkia and all of us as members of the network, having our fingers on the pulse of what’s happening in society, right? Because we could just do a vacation, which would be a self-care thing, and that would also be great,” said Mallory. “But when you are living consciously, especially being Black and conscious, you know that you have to be able to adjust to the times and to share the offerings that have been bestowed upon you out with the world. I think the thing that makes it pretty easy to do this work through Support Your Girlfriends is that most of the women are also already doing some type of service work in their own capacity, so it’s not like you’re dragging them to be active. They’re already engaged.”

Mallory’s charge in her workshop was to encourage those in attendance to pinpoint an issue they care deeply about and to make the simple connection from the things they do every day to the current political climate and how much those things are threatened.

A Soft Space To Land

A crocheted sun hat with the word "Sunshine" embroidered on it, a Coppertone Glow hydragel sunscreen bottle, and a pair of rhinestone-encrusted sunglasses on a beach towel. — Source: Courtesy of Support Your Girlfriends

Television personality, entrepreneur, and philanthropist are just a few names that can be used to describe Yandy Smith.

During this year’s trip, Smith redefined self-care through a workshop focused on the items that fall within her Yelle beauty brand.

Initially, she planned a presentation for women whom she says are at the top of their game as top executives and boss women members of the Support Your Girlfriends tribe. It wasn’t until Smith discovered that 15 young women from the island of Barbados would be attending the workshop that she had to return to the drawing board.

“Literally, overnight, I thought about like, ‘What can I say that’s going to be impactful and understood for these young women, and they were high school students, as well as impactful for the adults,” Smith explained. “I knew that I wanted to incorporate my brand, Yelle Skincare, in anything that I spoke about because I wanted to make sure that I was also putting this business out there of self-care because the business of self-care is important and it’s income-generating because you have to sleep well. You have to eat right. You have to do all the things so that you can ultimately have the mind to create and get out there and generate income.”

She added, “I also wanted to make sure that I talked about the cleansing and renewal of the spirit. So I went through each product in my line. I have this kit that’s our trial kit, and within our trial kit, first, we did a play on the word trial. A lot of people said you think innocent or guilty. You think there’s going to be a transition in your life. Something’s going to change when you come out of that trial – whether it’s going to be really good or really bad. There will be a change. Then, I went into each aspect of the skincare line, which is a cleanser, a toner, a serum, and there are different types of serum depending on your skin type: oily, dry, or combination, an eye cream, and a moisturizer. For each individual product, I went through how you use it on your face, and what it means for your soul.”

The Power of Faith

A group of women wearing pink swimsuits standing in a turquoise ocean under a cloudy sky. — Source: Courtesy of Support Your Girlfriends

Lucinda Cross led a workshop on faith, encouraging the women and young ladies to focus on how every move they make is way bigger than just them.

“When you look at faith, it is not counting yourself out, understanding that we each play a powerful part in this world that we live in, and even with the small amount that we can put forth, we can make some change,” said Cross. “But it starts with you feeling as if you matter, your voice matters, not your mistakes, not what you’ve done, not who’s supporting you, not how much money you make or don’t make, how many followers you have or don’t have. It’s really just: Are you willing to step out and do something different for yourself, just as much as you do for everyone else?”

What Does It Mean To Truly Support Your Girlfriends?

Four women in green dresses posing together and smiling. — Source: Courtesy of Support Your Girlfriends

“Support,” McClain explained. “Whenever someone asks me that question, it’s always support. I would not be where I am without these women. I am able to be an honest self. They’ve known what I’ve gone through when it comes to my children. My husband. I think we lead with honesty, and in return, it allows us to support the way we need to support.”

“For me, it’s love and accountability,” said Smith. “We’ve been through so much individually, and even as a collective. But one thing I do love about the girlfriends that I have is that we hold each other accountable in love through support.”

“People think it’s a clique, but going back on what Yandy said, it’s a collective,” Cross concluded. “It is a sacred space to just be you.”