We recently connected with JILL HATCHETT and have shared our conversation below.

JILL, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

It started with the need to heal my own brokeness. I wanted a community that could relate to me as a sexual assault survivor, a place where I could be transparent and unashamed. I started to write out what I would want for me. I envisioned a place where women would virtually heal through sharing stories, thoughts, and healing resources.
I was a volunteer for Crisis Services of North Alabama as a hotline operator. It hurt my heart that I could not follow up with those that reached out to us. We were trained to provide resources as the end goal but not to follow up with them.
I thought of the name FAST Girl Inc. FAST had a dual meaning. It was the name given to a young girl that was acting as what an adult deemed prevocative, it also stood for Faithfully Ascending Sexual Trauma. I did not know anything about web design, and limited knowledge of social media. I hired a consultant that set up the website and created the first edition of the logo. I used google to learn how to apply for nonprofit status. I formed a board of friends and colleagues who believed in my vision

After launching, the first support community consisted of myself and one other young lady. We met by Zoom for over a year. We laughed, we cried, and we would start to heal.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a registered nurse with over 28 years of practice. As a survivor of childhood sexual trauma, I know firsthand the lasting impact that deep sexual abuse can have on a woman’s life. I felt a divine calling to create a community where women can heal together.
Fast Girl Inc. started as a community meeting on Zoom, Monday evenings for an hour with two members. We have grown into a growing community of women who consistently meet on Sunday night. In addition to the Moving Beyond Desolation community in 2023, we hosted our first Fast Getaway, where the ladies came from Texas, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Maryland, for a fun-filled retreat in Gaitlinburg, Tennessee.
We also have a yearly conference, which we started in 2023, called “Moving Beyond Conference”. Our third annual conference will be in Maryland on May 17th, 2025 with the theme “We’re Better Together.” The theme is designed to remind women that the most effective healing takes place in community.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A lesson I had to unlearn is you can do it all. When I first started my organization I was self funded. I thought I would save money by creating my own logo and website with no knowledge of how to even start. For months I struggled to complete those tasks while wasting valuable time in getting the community started.

After those frustrating months I recieved the advice to work my strengths and hire my weaknesses. I was awful at the creative and some of the technology portions so I had to hire someone to take on that role. That allowed me to concentrate on building a curriculm, obtaining my tax exempt status, and leading the meetings.

Attempting to do it all may seem as though it is saving you money but it is usually at the expense of something more valuable which is time.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

My biggest pivot in life came when I got divorced after 26 years of marriage. I always had a passion for helping women, but my family was first. Once my children were adults, and I was no longer married, I was out of excuses, I started to focus on the important things to me. Nursing was the career that sustained me and my family. It was a passion of mine, but it wasn’t the only passion.
My second pivot came when I left the organization where I worked for 15 years and became a travel nurse. Traveling allowed me to increase my income, which in turn allowed me to concentrate on creating FAST Girl Inc. It was a big mind shift from staying at an organization out of loyalty. Traveling as a nurse was never in my plans. It wasn’t until I allowed myself to consider other avenues that I was able to pivot.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://fastgirlinc.com
• Instagram: @fastgirlinc