Know Means No was originally founded in 2015 by Michelle Byrd-Johnson who not only is an advocate for sexual survivors, but who herself is a survivor. As a survivor she spent the 12 subsequent years following her own assault in a state of perpetual torment that was riddled with shame, guilt and blame, along with self- destructing and self-harming behaviors.  In her own journey towards healing, she found that much of her healing was in writing and meditation. She discovered a way to vocalize her pain and suffering through poetry and found a sense of calm and oneness in meditation. She also began serving those who were also impacted by sexual assault through outreach and volunteer work. She developed an attitude that it was her duty to ensure she could do her part to help someone else from having to suffer as much and as long as she did. Using her own healing journey, she understood that trauma leaves a permanent footprint on the body and mind and in order to heal both must be tended to. She also believed that there is no one size fits all healing process, and each survivor should be in the driver’s seat in choosing what works best for their individual journey towards restoration.