From Girls’ Trips to a Global Movement: Nikkia McClain’s ‘Support Your Girlfriends’ is Sparking a New Wave of Women Empowerment.
“I became a mom at a young age, with two kids by the time I finished high school,” shared Nikkia McClain, founder of Support Your Girlfriends. “I survived a domestic violence relationship, and by all odds, I shouldn’t be here today. Yet, I take comfort in knowing that God has bigger plans for me.”
This founder isn’t just making promises; she’s leading by example, driving a movement to empower women who share her experiences through Support Your Girlfriends.
When Nikkia McClain launched Support Your Girlfriends six years ago, she was responding to the call from close friends Tamika D. Mallory and Lucinda Cross, who desperately needed a break from the stresses of their demanding work. After the first event with 10 women, the group quickly grew, doubling to 20 participants in the program’s second year.
As the unofficial pioneer of the popular “girls’ trips” many women take with their squads today, McClain nailed it from the first journey to Jamaica. Now, in the program’s sixth year, she’s thrilled to partner with the island of Barbados to unite another group of like-minded women for a chance to reset, refocus, and recharge.
“We aimed to create a meaningful community impact,” McCain claimed.
“We partnered with I Am A Girl, a Barbados-based NGO, to create a positive impact. In the first year, we organized a workshop with young girls, with all the programming led by us. One of our members, Nadine Ramos, who owns Lasio and Blessed Bananas, came up with the idea for the workshop. We worked with about 50 girls, and then held a support circle. We thought we were there to help them, but in reality, they gave us so much more. They truly energized us.”
She plans to continue this mission by donating $10,000 to the organization this year, ensuring the impact endures.
With the guiding principles of “Support Her,” “Celebrate Her,” and “Power Her,” Support Your Girlfriends is far more than just a picturesque gathering of beautiful Black women on an island. McClain emphasizes that the ultimate goal is not to center the event on themselves, but rather on the people they aim to uplift and the impact they aspire to create.
“‘Support Your Girlfriends’ begins with me,” she explained. “You know how they say if the head is rotten, the whole body suffers? Well, in this case, the head isn’t rotten. In my own business, I don’t tell my team, ‘I’m your boss,’ I’m a team leader. We’re in this together as a team. My goal is always to guide the people I hire and to help them become better than me.”
Beyond her professional life, McClain has always taken pride in supporting her girlfriends and inspiring others to do the same, emphasizing the healing power of sisterhood.
“For me, it’s about showing up for my sisters every day. They’ll tell you I’m probably the most supportive person, and everyone wonders, ‘How do you do it? How do you manage your business while still being there for your family, hopping on a plane when needed?’ It’s about prioritizing what matters most. People are dealing with so much mentally, physically, and emotionally; the last thing we need to do as women is to burden those we care about with our own issues.”
“I do my best to treat my sisters like true sisters—unconditionally. You get to be yourself, show up as you are, and I’m just focused on creating as much joy as I can for my people,” McClain shared.
Every year, there’s a standout moment that reassures McClain she’s on the right path with the movement she’s building alongside her sisters, Tamika D. Mallory and Lucinda Cross. She also pointed out that if one were to rely on statistics and the limitations often imposed by a person’s zip code, she wouldn’t be having this conversation or driving forward efforts to empower Black women from all walks of life.
“I became a mom at a young age, with two kids by the time I graduated high school,” she shared. “I survived a domestic violence relationship, and by all odds, I shouldn’t be here today, let alone having this conversation with you. But I find comfort in knowing that God has bigger plans for me.”
McClain envisions a future where Support Your Girlfriends stands alongside the AKAs, the Deltas, and other prominent Black organizations.
“I want us to be that organization still thriving 100 years from now,” she concluded. “I want my great-great-grandchildren to say, ‘My great-great-grandmother, Nikkia McClain, along with Tamika D. Mallory and Lucinda Cross, started this. It all began with a simple phone call where they said, ‘We need a break; we’re working too hard.’ And they transformed it into this incredible organization with over 100,000 members.”
With an annual membership fee of $97, “Support Your Girlfriends” has expanded to New York City, with an Atlanta chapter launching in October. The organization welcomes like-minded women who are eager to advance the conversation.
