VBB 360 Year Of The B.I.T.C.H. 2026

Heather [00:00:01]:

Virgin Beauty Podcast, inspiring women to overcome social stereotypes and share unique life experiences without fear of being defiantly different. Your hosts, Christopher and Heather. Let's talk, shall we?

Christopher [00:00:20]:

What's your resolution for 2026? Is it the year of rebuilding, a year of recovery, or a year of surviving again? How about a year of something interesting, something curious, something radically life-changing? How about something more like a revolution? Are you ready? Are you ready? Are you ready for the year of the B.I.T.C.H.?

Heather [00:00:54]:

Well, you know, some years you storm into, some years you tiptoe into. But when I hear year of the B I T C H, I'm like, oh, that girl knows how to pack a punch. Because we know that she has got it going on. So to step into this year with you, Christopher, and think about where we've been and what's ahead with this community, I feel like this is the year of being clearer and a clarity that has a way of changing everything. So if something in you as our listener already feels a little steadier this year, less interested in approval and more interested in alignment, you're in the right place. Because this year is a year for us and for you, where women really know themselves and women who don't need permission. So, for those who may be just joining us, people ask us all the time about our podcast name.

Heather [00:01:53]:

The Virgin, the Beauty, and the Bitch. Christopher and I were both fascinated by the feminine archetype. So when we were first discussing what it would mean to do a podcast like this, these three words really hit home of different elements of womanhood or the feminine that have shaped how womanhood is, is rewarded, constrained, and even punished. So these three words kept on circling back for us. They felt ancient, but also loaded and certainly impossible to ignore. But it wasn't until we started asking women about their lived experiences with these words that we realized that we had touched on something special and much deeper. We had landed on some deep wounds, wounds that prevent women from fully expressing themselves or reaching their full potential. So we had thought we had named a show, but what we actually did was put three universal words back on the table and asked, what have these words done to you?

Christopher [00:03:04]:

Yeah, you've got to be honest. I ask this honestly to every woman listening to this. How do these three words hit you? Like, for our mothers and our grandmothers, Virgin was a moral judgment. It was of her chastity and her spiritual conviction. Beauty, that’s another judgment on a woman's physical appearance that gave her higher odds in many different avenues of life, including winning a husband. Right. But Bitch has been and remains a punishment of a woman's social and private insubordinations.

Heather [00:03:46]:

And we talk about all of these words on this show. But not every woman experiences the virgin, the beauty, or the as degrading or misogynistic. This show, over the years, has brought forward a deeper, more elevated understanding of each one of these words. And sometimes the transformation is simply that they no longer control a. A woman in the ways they once did. But for others, because of upbringing, belief systems, culture, and deeply internalized gender roles, there's still a belief in a natural order for some, where men lead, and women are the supporters, and women who don't fall into those lines deserve consequences. You know, as I say it, Christopher, it just is hard to say because it's so vehemently something that I. I don't believe.

Heather [00:04:37]:

But this is why that belief explains women policing other women. It explains why shame continues to work and why the word bitch still lands as a threat.

Christopher [00:04:51]:

It's interesting because that word, its origin, it's as a. It's a curse, right? That's the origin of bitch. It's a word that was adapted and used on women who, in the eyes of men, were behaving like female dogs in heat. Like that, history goes back to the 1400s. That's 600 years ago. That's how long women have endured, as they say it, quote, unquote, a curse.

Heather [00:05:21]:

Yes, I'm imagining a ravenous dog in heat, not taking any names, not giving two craps about what she's gonna do next. But. But, you know, in today's context, we can see how powerful this word continues to be. Some women won't even say it. Others mute or sterilize their behavior to avoid the reputation that it brings. You know, we see women soften their tone, smile even when they're furious, explain boundaries, stay quiet in meetings, or let people interrupt them. They add disclaimers like, I'm sorry. I don't mean to be difficult.

Heather [00:06:01]:

And over time, I'm sure one of those things has resonated with you, who's tuning in. So let's pause for a moment and think about where in your life you are managing your tone so that you don't get labeled.

Christopher [00:06:16]:

We have a belief, and I think it's a pretty profound belief, and it is that the dehumanizing of half the human race with a word that keeps women fearful is the most insidious of all acts of humanity and of humankind. I'll use a metaphor that ties back to the original definition of the word. So bitch, it's like a muzzle and a leash prepared for every human being born female. Think about that for a sec. And after a while, women don't even feel the restraints. But because of them, they are unable to truly be themselves, be yourself, or explore your potential without reservation and shame. The billion-dollar question then becomes, what can you do about it?

Heather [00:07:11]:

And you know, drum roll please. That is why Virgin Beauty Year of the Bitch was created for 2026 to challenge what we think we know about what behaviors get punished with that label, what benefits when women stay agreeable, and what parts of yourself have you exiled because you avoid being called it. So as we enter into the Year of the we're stripping back the easy familial stereotype of the idea of a woman who is a because she's mean-spirited, cruel, or difficult without reason. I think we can all. I'll name somebody that we feel that about. But instead, we're stepping into a more profound understanding. This is someone who's unshakable, she's clear-minded, she's self-trusting, and she knows how to act because she knows herself. No one word can take her down.

Christopher [00:08:17]:

Yeah. So this year, with your participation, VBB will be going into deeper conversations as we dismantle the bitch. And we're going to do it letter by letter, and we're going to reassemble it as an acronym. That's why you hear me previously say B. I. T. C. H. That's what it's referring to. So starting next week, we'll unveil the full bitch principle and preview each letter and what it means as far as being a conduit to a woman, realizing their strength, your strength. And if you join us, you can get your hands on a five-page PDF that we are putting together. And we want to reveal that the very same word used to dehumanize and disgrace women for centuries is miraculously the key to your personal deliverance.

Christopher [00:09:14]:

Now, as a man, unless I end up in a male prison, God forbid, somewhat immune, immune from that word bitch. But as a black man, I understand the unsettling and degrading how one word, right, can feel, how hurtful that word can be. But Heather, as a woman, what has been your experience with the word bitch?

Heather [00:09:39]:

You know, when you and I first started this podcast, Christopher, and for anybody who's been with us since the beginning, you know, the word bitch has had a very strong impact on me and on my life. And when we first started this show, I was completely repulsed by the word, not because I was afraid of it, but because of what it represents. The idea that a woman, through one word or one act, can be deemed as lesser than subordinate, a prop, a supporter in someone else's story. And for so much of history, a woman's value was measured by what she did for others. Our reason to live was relational, supportive, secondary. And even now, even in a landscape of opportunity, opportunity radically different from my mom or from my grandmother, our agency, our goals, our right to self-actualization are still haunted by this past. It shows up in expectations, in guilt for wanting more, in how ambition, clarity, and boundaries in women are still quietly punished. And the word bitch felt like a distillation of all of that.

Heather [00:10:55]:

It was a reminder of how quickly a woman can be reduced and how easily disciplined we are for stepping out of line. Not that it's held me back, but something changed over the years of this podcast and through all of the fantastic, life changing conversations that we've had with guests on this show, and through listening to women and people of all genders about the truth of their lives, and through my own lived experience, the word started to lose its grip on me. It no longer had power over me because I no longer accepted the premise behind it. I don't believe that my worth is tied to how palatable I am, or how agreeable or how useful I am to others. I don't believe a woman is dangerous when she becomes clear and adamant on that clarity, or too much when she's taking up the space in any room. I don't believe self-possession is something that needs to be corrected. So what I see now, or more importantly, what I know now, is that women who were labeled first were often simply ahead of their time, that they trusted themselves before it was acceptable, and they refused to disappear. So when we talk about the Year of the Bitch, it isn't about reclaiming an insult of a word.

Heather [00:12:22]:

To me, it's rejecting a lie. A lie that women are meant to be smaller than their potential. A lie that power is conditional and a lie that agency is something that we borrow rather than something that we own. So this year, in this moment, for women who are no longer interested in defending their existence, this is the path that we're going down for. Virgin Beauty in the Year of the Bitch. Say it with me. Women who move with intention, women who know their own minds, and women who are done negotiating their worth. And if something in you feels steady as you hear this, you may already know the question that we'll be asking throughout the year.

Heather [00:13:11]:

Are you? That and it's a journey I'm looking forward to taking on myself. I've evolved over the years of this show, and there's something really powerful in what each one of these letters means as we dissect them and go through them together. And I know that on the other side of this year, there's profound learning for me as well. So I'm looking forward to going through that with our listeners and our community.

Christopher [00:13:44]:

You know, last time I checked, I'm not a woman. However, I do know what it means to feel something inside yourself that you're not able to live outside yourself. And I know how scary it is to consider moving out of your comfort zone. I know how frightening it is to want something but not believe that you are, have what it takes to get that something. We can't come into your life and push you in that direction. However, what Heather and I want to do this year is we want to offer support. Over the year, we're going to be talking to a lot of women about this particular topic, about how they have challenged themselves to overcome this century-old curse on something that has held them in check in place. We want to have those conversations so you can hear those conversations and know that you are capable of doing exactly the same thing.

Christopher [00:15:05]:

That's what this is all about. We hope that what we've shared here today resonates on some level, that when you look into your future, that you see yourself becoming something more than you have been capable of at this point, for whatever reason that might be. That's why we're doing this. We're excited to do this. We've been so excited for, for like eight years, with these words. They have grown so much in their importance. We had no idea when we began the gravity of these words. Every year, we learn more and more and more in the conversations that we have with women.

Christopher [00:15:56]:

And we see a way above, beyond what these words have meant, what they're supposed to mean for women. They are incredible words that have been used to bludgeon women for centuries. But they can be that bridge to something amazing. And that's the bridge we want to cross this year. So we hope you'll join us. Okay. On this journey.

Heather [00:16:27]:

Yeah. And you know, just to speak to our listeners on this as well. I'm sure that every single one of you have had your own personal breakthroughs when you stop letting a word or a past or a pattern define you any further. And so that knowledge is, is what we're garnering together in this year and with the community that we're building. So, you know, the guests that we've had on our show when we've dived into these words in the past, the. The wisdom that came out of those conversations has transformed my life fully. And so to have a space where we can take from each other's learnings and grow in a completely different understanding of the bitch is something I am so excited about. And, Christopher, can you share with our guests that there was a manifesto that you.

Heather [00:17:26]:

That you tapped into, I think, is just such a springboard for what we’re working on.

Christopher [00:17:31]:

Yeah. So there's a couple of things that have, over the course of this podcast that have really sunk themselves deep. The messages that have sunk deep in and would not let go until I planted them as a seed, and something beautiful came out of them. One of them was a guest we had way, way, way back in the start of our show, and she shared with us how she also, obviously, like most women, feared this word bitch, but she realized that whenever she was in desperate, the most desperate stages of life, that the person she became, the person that came out of her, was her. And that is what transformed her life. That, like, blew me away hearing that.

Christopher [00:18:26]:

And that was very early. Then we had another woman in, like, episode 221 or something like that, who talked about how women need to learn to be better Bitches. It's like, whhhhhhhat?

Heather [00:18:42]:

When do you ever hear that? Right? 

Christopher [00:18:46]:

But I have care for it slap in the face of, yes, you're right. You're so right. Let's make T-shirts.

Heather [00:18:56]:

Get the T-shirt. Join the community.

Christopher [00:18:58]:

But underlining all of that was a paper written in 1968, and it's called the Manifesto. And it is gold to me. It is gold to me. Because at the end of it, she talks about the flaming bitch. She doesn't mince words about what a bitch is and how women need to go into that mode of who they are. But at the end of it, she talked about a community of bitches could never exist because these women are always marginalized in society, and they don't necessarily want to expose themselves because of that. So I thought, why not build a community of bitches, women who support each other in this growth? So that's. That's.

Christopher [00:19:54]:

Those are some of the pieces that came together in Heather and me putting together B.I.T.C.H. And we'll reveal exactly what, exactly what each of those letters means. And they're all very, very, very important. And they are an arc of beginning to end of how Women can transform this, you know, word, this horrible word, into something that is of value and is supportive and a foundation to grow from. So that's, that's how this all sort of pieced itself together.

Heather [00:20:28]:

And I want to speak towards, you know, some of the pop culture elements was just one caveat of, you know, for me, a reclamation of this word. You know, we've seen a lot, especially in the last decade in pop culture, talk about, you know, a bad bitch or owning yourself, owning your feminine, owning your womanhood. And you know, sometimes I think that that can feel surface level, but for a lot of people to be able to start to own the word through that rhetoric is very powerful. So we'll definitely be tapping into, and I'm excited for that part of the conversation.

Christopher [00:21:10]:

Yeah. One other piece, I wrote a book, Virgin Beauty. Basically, it was piecing together the history of these words and, of course, Bitch. I had to go and research exactly how this word came into being, and what it means, and how imposing it has been over so many centuries. So it's not to sell, but Bitch. Right. The Origin of the Man-Made Woman. So that was my indoctrination into the history of the word and learning why it has been so powerful, a deterrent for so long for so many women, and psychologically, if you're born into this world being.

You know, a leash and a muzzle, you're born into it. It's given to you when you're born female. There you go, here's your leash, here's your muzzle. Off with you now.

Heather [00:22:07]:

And we're going to use this word whenever we see fit to put you in your place, then make you know that. Yeah, I mean, really, to free yourself of those two things, even metaphorically, is a huge, huge piece of what we're working on with this year.

Christopher [00:22:22]:

Exactly, exactly. And please join us. And here's the thing, we really, really, really would love your feedback. And to set that off before, before we go here today, I want to share some questions, and we'd love your feedback. You can go to virginbeautybetchsurveys.com and answer these questions. See these questions and answer them. Here's what I have for you.

Christopher [00:22:50]:

How did you learn about the reputation of the word bitch and identify it as shameful or dangerous? Who, in your opinion, deserves to be called a bitch and why? What parts of yourself have you toned down to avoid being or having the reputation as a bitch? And who benefits and who loses when you are always being the nice girl? Check those out. We would love your feedback.

Heather [00:23:21]:

Got tingles? All right.

Christopher [00:23:23]:

Right. I mean, that's. We really, really are going to dismantle this word and reassemble it. And if we can have participation as we go and suggestions and feedback, it makes it all the more juicier.

Heather [00:23:40]:

Every time that I have a conversation with a listener, or we hear from you on our website, it's so enriching. So please don't be shy because we, we really enjoy getting to know you better.

Christopher [00:23:52]:

So this is the beginning, and this is a start for a new year. The year of the B I T C H. And you have been listening.

Heather [00:24:01]:

To Virgin the Beauty the Bitch B I T C H in 2026.

Christopher [00:24:08]:

Find us. Like us. Share us. Come on back.

Christopher [00:24:10]:

To become a partner in the VBB community. We invite you to find us at virginbeautybitch.com. Like us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, and share us with people who are defiantly different like you. Until next time, thanks for listening.