In the spirit of International Women’s Day today, we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to show some much-deserved appreciation to (read: fangirl over) the women who inspire us day in and day out. If not for the existence of these fearless females and their platforms, we never would have had the courage to start our own platform. Whether it be their transparent personality, motivating words, delicious recipes, booming business, or their sense of humor, these women encourage us to keep on keepin’ on each and every day. We hope you’ll go check these women out and enjoy their work as much as we do! Women supporting women, AMIRITE LADIES??

Gina Homolka – Skinnytaste

We had to list Gina first because, well, we love her recipes so much that we often joke about being on a first-name basis with her. We owe a lot of credit to Gina’s Skinnytaste recipes for being the catalyst that started our health + wellness journeys and helped us discover our passion for cooking. There was a time, not too long ago, when 100% of the meals you’d find in our meal plans were all Skinnytaste. We’ve branched out a little, but we always come back to our tried-and-true Skinnytaste favorites. Between the two of us, we own all of her cookbooks (holding out for her next cookbook—all air fryer recipes!) and her meal planning journal. Basically, we’re obsessed. Thanks for inspiring us to create our own lightened-up recipes, Gina!

Alex Snodgrass – The Defined Dish

Plain and simple—we love this woman (and her adorable daughters)! I initially discovered Alex and her blog, The Defined Dish, while doing Whole30. If you follow @whole30recipes on IG, they have weekly takeovers from different Whole30 bloggers, and Alex, as a mostly Whole30 blogger, falls into that rotation. If you go to her site, you’ll see that she also has plenty of “undefined” dishes—aka, not Whole30. Whole30 or not, Alex’s recipes are seriously BOMB… really cannot stress that enough. While Gina’s recipes taught us how to make simple swaps to lighten up recipes, Alex’s recipes taught us how to make simple swaps to lighten up recipes and stick to whole-food ingredients. Not only are her recipes amazing, but Alex’s personality—as seen through her Instagram posts and stories—is refreshing and lighthearted. Thanks for your sheer recipe genius, Alex!

Lee Hersh (soon-to-be Funke!) – Fit Foodie Finds

If you want to laugh your ass off while also drooling over healthy recipes, go follow @fitfoodiefinds right now. Lee and her team (two of her besties… #GOALS) are some of the funniest, most transparent gals out there. We have so much respect for Lee for keeping it real with her audience. Yes, she shares healthy recipes, workouts, etc. But she also drink beer (*gasp*), goes without makeup or the “pretty filter” on IG, and talks about poop. So many people in the health and wellness space talk about balance, but Lee truly shows her audience what that means to her. She’s also incredibly transparent about her business operations/finances—super helpful for those of us just getting started in the blogging world. Thanks for always reminding us to not always take things so seriously, Lee!

Rachael DeVaux – Rachael’s Good Eats

Not sure what more there is to say here besides… girl crush. Rachael is a registered dietician, certified personal trainer, and health + wellness influencer, who also happens to have co-founded a trendy, healthy toast shop in Las Vegas with her sister. Oh, and she’s only 26. Rachael gives us serious “fitspo”, as she’s constantly posting new workouts, all while looking strong and confident AF in the gym (like all girls should!). She even recently created her own 10-week workout program (“Rachael’s Good Sweat”), where you can purchase 4 workouts per week on a week-to-week basis for only $7/week. We tried a few of them, and they’re pretty killer. Bonus: A lot of the workouts can be done from the comfort of your home, which is super appreciated during this cold, dark winter. Also, her Cashew Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet should not be overlooked. Thanks for encouraging us to be confident on the weight-room floor, Rach! (Can we call you Rach…?)

Monique Volz – Ambitious Kitchen

Last but certainly not least, Monique from Ambitious Kitchen needs a shoutout! This gorgeous girl runs her own healthy food blog AND runs a vintage rug shop with her hubby. Her recipes are some of our favorites—especially when it comes to desserts! And her food styling is top notch. But even beyond her delicious recipes, Monique is worth following simply for her body-positivity message. She, like many health + wellness bloggers, has a history of disordered eating, but she turns that experience into something positive, to build on her uplifting + supportive platform and to help other women struggling in this area. We’ve been following Monique for years now, and it’s been an absolute pleasure to watch her grow into the badass blogger (and fashionista) she is today. Thanks for all the body love, Monique!