The internet, more specifically apps like Instagram and Twitter, have opened us up to discovering amazing people around the world. However, there really is nothing quite like finding an awesome spirit sister right in your backyard or - for us - right in our very own Metroplex. Raquel “Raqi” Flores is a student and co-owner of ‘Slayin With Self-Worth’ and Young Educated Queens. She is also a young woman who brings the good vibes in spades. The self-described “body activist and freedom writer” brings both a love a fitness and some serious mind flex as she promotes positivity and lots of self love.

So, why exactly is Raqi our July Boss Chick? We’ve got three reasons why she inspires us in the BOSSiest way possible. Let’s get to it.

She’s using her voice.

You’ve got to respect someone who stands up for what is right. You’ve really got to respect someone who goes out and does something to affect change. Whether standing on the side of a busy street holding signs promoting peace and equality or penning thoughts on Deepak Chopra, Raqi isn’t afraid to breathe life into her words by taking action.

Fitness is her lifestyle, not an obsession.

Raqi is fit. You can tell she works hard to stay in shape, but one glance at the words she uses when posting images of her workouts and you’ll also realize that she isn’t obsessing over her outward appearance. She isn’t trying to be something she’s not or succumb to some over-airbrushed idea of perfection. She’s simply a woman who is trying, just like many of us, to be the healthiest version of herself.

We can relate to her transparency.

Have you ever just felt super ‘blah’? We all have! One thing we love about Raqi, though, is that she’s not afraid to be honest about those vulnerable moments:

“Have you ever stared at your selfie so long that you started to hate it?
Have you ever took over 400 pictures and you were only able to pick 1 or 2 at most?
Have you ever picked every little flaw on your face until your face looked distorted?
I have. I used to think that way.
But as soon as I started to adjust my lens, my whole world changed. I changed the way I thought and how I looked at myself. And I look at the same picture I used to hate, and my entire face had changed. There was never anything wrong with the picture, it was the way I looked at myself. Some of the women you would least expect, suffer the most. Insecurity does not discriminate. I’ve met so many beautiful women who fail to see their own beauty and strength. So next time you look at yourself in a picture choose to highlight all the qualities you love about yourself rather than belittle yourself. How are you suppose to recognize qualities in others if you cannot recognize these qualities in yourself?”

— Raqi Flores

How can you not feel super connected to someone who understands how hard it is just to be a woman? We salute Raqi for refusing to mask the little things.

Be sure you keep up with Raqi and her adventures by checking out the links below.

Website: Young Educated Queens

Instagram: Raqi_G