6 Bad Ass Women to Follow on Instagram Right Now. iPhone smartphone with Instagram logo displayed against white background

Sunday was International Women’s Day – why we only celebrate such beautiful-inside-and-out creatures for one day is a mystery to us. So, to keep the celebration going, here are some seriously bad ass women you need to follow on Instagram right now.

Jennifer Nini @ecowarriorprincess

Instagram profile logo for the Eco Warrior Princess - a sustainable living blog created by Jennifer Nini, a bad ass woman to follow on Instagram.

If the Eco Warrior Princess blog doesn’t inspire you to strive for more ethical everyday living, maybe nothing will. Jennifer Nini, one of the bad ass women leading the charge in sustainability, started the blog before going green was cool. Referring to herself as a “lone ranter,” she tackled topics like seeking out truly environmentally friendly beauty products, sustainable fashion and reducing waste at home. She also founded The Social Copywriter, a copywriting agency for socially responsible businesses. She’s become a fashion-household name in the realm of ethical fashion. And, she’s a leading voice for women in social enterprise.

Photo of Jennifer Nini, a bad ass woman on Instagram and the creator of the Eco Warrior Princess - a sustainable living blog.

Today, nearly 10 years later, Eco Warrior Princess has grown into a mammoth resource for living sustainably every day. The tips are practical and educational. Best of all, they’re delivered in a relatable, friendly way – not like a lecture.

Jessica Yellin @jessicayellin

Instagram profile photo of Jessica Yellin, a bad ass woman on Instagram who is changing the way news gets delivered, especially for women.

Let’s face it – the news has gotten noisy. This is especially true in the politics arena. With upwards of 10 breaking news stories nearly every day and dueling political slants it can be difficult to wade through the bullshit and decipher actual information from punditry. Add to that a delivery model that has been created by men, for men. This is where Jessica Yellin comes in. One of the bad ass women in news – she’s a former CNN White House Correspondent and the author of Savage News. She breaks down top news stories into small, chewable, easy-to-digest posts. And they get down to the information you actually need to know – what is happening and why does it matter, factually and historically, without a political bent.

A #newsnotnoise tile from the Instagram account @jessicayellin, a bad ass woman to follow now.

More importantly, she’s delivering the news in a way that acknowledges women and their experiences. For example, during a day of devastating victim’s testimony at the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearings for the US Supreme Court, which shook many women to their very core, Yellin reached out directly to women. She posted to Instagram “I know this is upsetting coverage for people if you’ve been a survivor of sexual assault” and then she shared the contact information for RAINN and urged her followers to call them, because “it doesn’t matter how long ago it happened – they’re there to talk to you.”

Martha @luv_martha

Instagram profile photo of Luv Martha, a bad ass woman on Instagram who makes custom, handmade swim suits that are gender and body inclusive.

We can’t figure out who’s more beautiful – Martha (the bad ass woman living her best #vanlife), her custom handmade swimsuits or her women-empowering message. Shop her IG page for gorgeous custom-made swimsuits that are always gender and body inclusive.

One of the fabulous body-inclusive bikinis handmade to order by  @luv_martha, a bad ass woman to follow now.

She says “Our bodies are not defined by a number and are not meant to be confined by a one-sized-fits-all. Our bodies are equally beautiful and important.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves, Martha! Uh, BRB – we have some serious swimsuit shopping to do.

Tonya Rapley @myfabfinance

Instagram profile photo of My Fab Finance, featuring founder Tonya Rapley, a bad ass woman to follow.

Want to get better at money? Yeah, us too. And Tonya Rapley, the bad ass powerhouse behind the My Fab Finance blog who bills herself a “millennial money expert,” makes us feel like we can.

One of the Fab Finance Tip tiles on Instagram at @myfabfiance, a money blog and feed created by Tonya Rapley, bad ass woman to follow now.

On IG she posts Fab Finance Tips, like “If you are good at something, don’t do it for free.” And, productive Affirmations like “ I choose to spend my money on things that support my goals.” Plus, she’s got Fab QOTDs like “When is the last time you asked a service provided if a more cost-effective option was available?” And, she posts a myriad of other reminders, messages, quizzes and more. The posts are direct and to the point. They’re designed to present the information in incredibly practical terms that inspire a genuine look inward and drive a conversation. Financial independence, here we come!

Kierra Asnauskas @missunconventional_

Instagram profile photo of Miss Unconventional, a bad ass woman on Instagram who teaches ambitious women how to design their best lives.

What are your goals? Do you know? Cue Kit De Luca (Laura San Giacomo) at the end of Pretty Woman – “Do you have a goal? Because you really need a goal…”

Seriously, though. Establishing goals and a vision for our lives is essential for bad ass women to become even more, well, bad ass! It’s a process that gives us focus. It gives us long-term vision and short-term motivation. But it’s also a process itself that can be daunting.

Enter Kierra, a bad ass phenom that radiates light and positive energy that wraps itself around you and lifts you up. She’s so honest and genuine, and so ready to share herself with everyone. And we would know – we traveled with her twice last year and each time she won us over even more. She is 100% authentic and sincere, and we feel lucky to call her our friend.

One of the Miss Unconventional tiles on Instagram at @missunconventional_, a self-help blog and feed created by Kierra Asnauskas, bad ass woman to follow now.

Her mission is to “teach ambitious women how to design their best lives” with her blog and her luxury vision board workshops. On IG, she passes along self-help and growth tips and strategies. And, she shares her own experiences, wins and losses as she herself grows. Every post feels like an incredibly refreshing honest, down-to-earth conversation.

Gloria Atanmo @glographics

Of course, our list wouldn’t be complete without Glo! When we met in 2017 at a retreat in Bali she was a bad ass woman with a travel blog. It was already apparent to us then she wasn’t like other travel “influencers.” She wasn’t just posting look-at-me photos with starry-eyed slogans or #blessed captions. Instead, she wrote thoughtfully and shared intimate details about her experiences in the places she visited.

Cut to 2020 and Glo has evolved to something much more. She’s still honest about her experiences, from travel fails to health scares (the events of last year shook us) to facing racial bias and stereotypes literally all around the world. And now, she’s also a successful entrepreneur and a business coach. She says, “I help women make a bigger impact and income” and she means it. Instead of keeping her path to success a secret, she shares every nugget she’s learned along the way willingly. She invites women to share from her own cup.

Her Instagram account features dreamy photos from far off lands. Her captions are a feast for your inner avid reader. In her #publicjournaling series on IG TV, where she speaks openly about her struggles and what she’s learned from them (and maybe more importantly, what you can learn from them). They’re honest and relatable. Plus, you usually get hilarious glimpses of the bloopers in her IG stories for an added dose of her uber-relatable human side. And that gives us all the feels.


Rise & Rove is a modern group travel company with curated, led trips across the globe for like-minded, rad women. Small group size, unique activities, boutique accommodations, experiences with locals. Come solo, leave with new friends!

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