She Built That: How Abbie Jane's Using Rainbow Shoelaces To Build A Brighter World

Welcome to She Built That, the podcast series where we discover incredible women and girls who didn't just dream big...they BUILT their futures! 

In this episode, you'll hear from Abbie Jane, an inspiring teen using rainbow beads to make every kid feel safe being themselves. Bead by bead, Abbie Jane has built the Rainbow Shoelace Project which has gone from being a local hit in her hometown of Broken Hill to a full-blown social movement spreading kindness around the world. Tune in to find out how she took her dream and BUILT it into something real. 

This is a co-listening podcast for parents and kids to enjoy together.

She Built That was made in partnership with LEGO Girls.

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CREDITS:

Host: Annaliese Todd
Audio Producer and Writer: Thom Lion
Producer: Tina Matalov
Executive Producer: Courtney Ammenhauser

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:05):
You're listening to a mother mea podcast.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Hello, old friend, I'm Annalie Todd, host of Mumma MIA's
new podcast, She Built That, and I'm dropping into you.
That's incredible feed because I think you're going to love
this just like That's Incredible. It's a co listening podcast
for you to enjoy with your kids. She Built That
is all about courageous women who've turned their dreams into reality.
These women didn't just dream big, they built their futures.

(00:32):
Each episode, I sit down with inspiring female entrepreneurs, athletes,
and game changers who've created something extraordinary from the ground up.
We take you on a journey through storytelling with beautiful soundscapes,
diving deep into their winds, the hard times, and the
moments that sparked everything for them. So gather up the kids,
stick around, and if you love what you hear, make

(00:53):
sure you subscribe to She Built That wherever you get
your podcasts for more incredible episodes. Enjoy. Hello Future Bill,
and welcome to She Built That, the podcast where we
discover incredible women who didn't just dream big, they built
their futures. Each episode, we celebrate extraordinary girls who turn

(01:18):
their big ideas.

Speaker 3 (01:19):
Into real change, one step at a time.

Speaker 2 (01:22):
I'm your host, Annalise Todd, Mumma Mere's lifestyle writer and
for today you're cheerleader with the really bright shoelacers. But
before we lace up for today's inspiring story, can you
guess which brilliant builder we're focusing on?

Speaker 3 (01:37):
Mom and Dad?

Speaker 2 (01:38):
Switch on now you don't want to get shown up
here Clue number one. This young advocate started a project
with nothing but rainbow beads, a big heart, and a
simple idea to make every kid feel safe being themselves.

Speaker 3 (01:55):
Clue number two.

Speaker 2 (01:57):
She launched her movement from her kitchen table, and now
her message of pride and inclusion has reached schools across
Australia and beyond. Clue number three. She believes that kindness
doesn't always have to shout. Sometimes it's quietly tied on
in the morning before school.

Speaker 3 (02:17):
Got a guess.

Speaker 2 (02:23):
If you said Abby Jane, then your pride flag is
waving high. Today we're talking about teen advocate and founder
of the Rainbow Shoelace Project Abby Jane, who's helping thousands
of kids walk proudly in their own shoes.

Speaker 3 (02:38):
So pull on your brightest laces.

Speaker 2 (02:40):
And after the break will step into Abby's world of kindness, courage,
and color. The hallways buzzed with morning chatter, shoes squeaking
on thenleum floors, But Abby Jane heart knocking like a

(03:02):
tap shoe checked her shoes one more time, rainbow laces
shining bright. It took courage to show up like this,
particularly in a country town like Broken Hill. Would her
friends notice, would teachers understand? Would anyone care that the
colorful beads threaded onto her shoelaces meant the world to

(03:23):
one girl and secretly to so many others, And in
classic schoolyard style, would someone try to swap her veggiemight
sandwich for it at lunch? Pictured this a creative kid
in Australia, loving stories, games and color, never quite seeing

(03:44):
families or friendships like.

Speaker 3 (03:45):
Hers in posters or on TV.

Speaker 2 (03:48):
Abbey noticed early on that not every classroom or soccer
field welcomed kids equally, So she asked, what if there
was a simple way to show someone that they belonged,
no matter.

Speaker 3 (03:59):
What socks or secrets? They showed up with the rainbow flag.

Speaker 1 (04:03):
I mean, it's mainly known as the Pride flag because
it is the LGBTQI plus flag. But in my opinion,
I think my rainbow beads were a symbol to anyone
who had ever felt different that they could be safe
and they could be who they are with me. I
had originally had rainbow colored beads on my shoelaces because

(04:24):
it was just a small way to show who I
was to the world, and others could identify seeing those
rainbows on my shoes and know that they were supported
by me, And my hope was that I would make
people feel less alone.

Speaker 2 (04:40):
From the get go, Abby was a builder of bridges.
While some were building lego castles. Well, Abby was doing
that as well, but also building connections, sometimes with literal
knots and bows, asking questions grown ups still haven't figured out,
like if my laces a rainbow, will people know I
like rainbows or just think I'm really into unicorns? Why

(05:03):
isn't there a club for kids who make friends sharing
this stationary at lunch?

Speaker 3 (05:07):
Or can kindness go.

Speaker 2 (05:09):
Viral if you leave cookie crumbs on the Instagram photo.

Speaker 1 (05:13):
When I first started the Rainbow Shoelace project, I was
really lost as to how I would spread my message
because I was so far away from the rest of
the world. In such a tiny town, I felt really
isolated and I had such huge ideas but didn't know
how to make them a reality.

Speaker 2 (05:33):
At first, rainbow lacers seemed like a tiny thing, a
quiet way to show support for LGBTQIA plus classmates or
kids who felt different. But soon friends were swapping out
their regular lasers too. Teachers ask questions, parents noticed to
that parent at the schoolgate, thinking I just bought new
shoes yesterday.

Speaker 3 (05:56):
Before long, the Rainbow.

Speaker 2 (05:58):
Shoelace Project was more than a local crace, it was
a movement. Abby Hand wrote notes, packaged b shared stories,
she posted on socials, and the colors spread.

Speaker 1 (06:10):
And big help was social media. Starting a social media page,
spreading not only the Rainbow Shoelace project but my own
personal story really connected with people, and also reaching out
to celebrities and influencers who had a high following so
they could promote my project so then more people could

(06:31):
know about it. That in itself is enough to help
people see that no matter who you are, how old
you are, where you're from, you can make such a
huge difference. But I think my biggest help throughout all
of that was my mum, She listened to my crazy
ideas and made it happen, and she believed in me,

(06:52):
and that is all I could ever ask for.

Speaker 2 (06:55):
Soon her idea reached new towns, new schools, and even
the media. Abby joins me today she is the founder
of the Rainbow Shoelace Project.

Speaker 3 (07:03):
Abby's rainbow shoe laces are now worn in almost every country.
From broken Hill, she has electrified the world.

Speaker 2 (07:13):
Turns out, there's nothing more contagious than kindness with.

Speaker 3 (07:16):
A poff of color.

Speaker 2 (07:17):
But building isn't always easy. Some days it felt like
nobody noticed, or worse, there were whispers in the hallway.

Speaker 1 (07:28):
There are been a lot of times in the Rainbow
Shielaise Project where the road has been a bit bumpy.
I think the most important to remember when making a
change is that it's not always going to be sunshine
and rainbows. There are going to be difficult parts of
changing the world, and for me, I think my biggest
challenges have been getting negative feedback from people from my school,

(07:51):
and quite badly, that was really difficult. Trying to maintain
your confidence and your passion to keep making a change
while people are trying to tear you down is really difficult.
But I think, as much as it might be scary,
the best thing you can do to help yourself feel
better in those situations is to never stop being who

(08:12):
you are.

Speaker 2 (08:13):
But Abby kept going, hanging signs, sending out packs, talking
to principles for the grown ups. Imagine trying to explain
the postage bill for five hundred rainbow lacers to the
family accountant. Still, at every turn she found new allies,
friends who wanted to stand tall, parents who cheered her on,

(08:34):
even teachers trying to remember how knots work. Step by step,
lace by lace.

Speaker 3 (08:40):
Her project grew.

Speaker 2 (08:43):
School assemblies dedicated to kindness, sports teams swapping in rainbow
laces for pride rounds, a classroom full of feet proudly
mismatched but united in color.

Speaker 1 (08:57):
Seeing people in the wild, as we call it wearing
rainbow beads is one of my favorite parts of having
the Rainbow she life project. That is the biggest indication
to me that my hard work has actually worked. Seeing
people who I don't know just casually wearing rainbow beads.

(09:20):
I think about how far my message is spread, from
the tiny town of Broken Hill to the rest of
the world. And even though I'm the founder of the
Rainbow Shoe Lace Project. It still makes me feel so
safe and seen and reminds me to look up when
I see other people wearing rainbow beads.

Speaker 2 (09:40):
Today, Abby Jane is still a high school student, but
also a founder, mentor, and inspiration.

Speaker 3 (09:48):
She didn't wait to be a grown up to build
something bold.

Speaker 2 (09:51):
She was just twelve when she created her own rainbow walkway,
one person, one story, one pair of laces at a time.

Speaker 3 (10:02):
So what would Abby say.

Speaker 2 (10:03):
To anyone who feels invisible who small to make a difference.

Speaker 1 (10:07):
My advice for anyone who has an idea that they
are passionate about that they want to pursue is to
never dull down your personality. People who are going to
support you find so much joy in seeing people be themselves.
Being able to give something for people to relate to

(10:28):
is super beautiful and accepting that things won't always go
your way. But as long as you continue to keep
your passion and your love for what you believe in,
that's when it all will become true. Anyone who is
feeling different or left out, except that your difference is

(10:49):
your superpower. Your difference is what makes you so beautiful.
When a person shows who they are to the world.
The world becomes a better place because being different isn't
something that you should be ashamed of. It's something that
you should embrace and is something that is going to

(11:10):
help change the world.

Speaker 2 (11:15):
So remember, the world doesn't change because one person runs
the fastest.

Speaker 3 (11:20):
It changes because ordinary.

Speaker 2 (11:22):
People put their best foot forward, literally and figuratively. So
next time you tie your shoes or see a rainbow
in an unexpected place, think of Abby Jane, the girl
who built a brighter world one not at a time.
Building kindness is something anyone can do and you don't

(11:43):
even need matching socks. And as parents out there know,
mismatched socks are a sign of genius, not laundry failure.
Just trust us, don't ask questions. Your challenge this week
find one small thing you can do to make someone
else feel noticed, supported.

Speaker 3 (12:02):
Or celebrated.

Speaker 2 (12:04):
Tie a note to a friend's bad share a favorite song,
or just offer a smile to someone.

Speaker 3 (12:09):
Having a rough day.

Speaker 2 (12:10):
The biggest ways of change start with one small, intentional ripple.
Thanks for listening to she built that. And remember, incredible
girls don't just dream big, they build their futures. Today's
episode was written by Tom Lyon, who also did our
sound design. Our executive producer is Courtney Ammenhauser. The producer

(12:33):
is Tina Mattilov, and I'm your host, Annalie Todd. See
you next time when we meet a woman whose path
quite literally launched her into the stratosphere.

Speaker 3 (12:43):
Bye.

Speaker 1 (12:44):
But as long as you keep being who you are,
you will be unstoppable and you will be able to
change the world.

Speaker 3 (12:51):
Okay, well you just made me cry so wow, thank you.
I actually can't even see right now.

Speaker 2 (13:00):
Okay, Mania acknowledges the traditional owners of the land. We
have recorded this podcast on the Gadigul people of the
Eor Nation. We pay our respects to their elders past
and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and
torrest Rate islander cultures.