Happy International Women’s Day!
I’m wearing red and I’m ruminating (but I’m not not striking, for many reasons).
I had an awesome breakfast with two women who have great stories about their business lives, mother and grandmotherhood, entrepreneurship, and more.
I’m going to an event tonight for business women in my new home city (Minneapolis).
But today isn’t about ME. It’s about US…and how we as women are going to work together to prosper — professionally, personally, and collectively.
So, what am I ruminating about? What am I resolving?
As the headline implies, we’ve come a long way. The “baby” part is an ironic wink to a Virginia Slims campaign of 1968, which encouraged women to smoke cigarettes so they could be more like men. Ick!
Although we have come a long way, we haven’t come far enough. What can we do about it? We can treat March 8th as if it’s January 1st and make our own resolutions…ways we can empower ourselves and inspire the women around us. Clearly, my publishing sheBOOM is part of that effort. Female founders have common challenges and reading other women’s real-life and raw stories can help them feel a little less alone.
In addition, I will:
- Mentor young women who are seeking help with career and life decisions; encourage them to get serious about STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math).
- Surface and fight to eliminate wage inequality. The pay gap is especially alarming as women age. That leads me to resolution #3.
- Support other women. I see way too much jealousy, back-stabbing, idea theft, and gossip out there.
- Serve as a role model for women 50+. We have lots of offer and will probably live another 50+ years, so we are a force to be dealt with. We need to work closely with other generations and respect and utilize each other’s talents.
- Remain positive and inspirational and never fall into the pit of self-pity, inertia, or bitterness.
- Keep speaking up. Whether I’m surfacing inequality or coming up with a creative new business idea, the only time I will truly shut up is when I’m dead. (And, if there is life after death, I’ll apply for a position as a consultant to whoever is in charge where I wind up — above the clouds or dancing with the devil.)
- Helping spread great words from other women’s groups (see below)
So, on March 8th and every day, keep on sheBOOMing ladies! Would love to hear YOUR resolutions today too!
xo
nancy
BONUS: Some of my fave March 8th posts. I’ll be adding to the list all day long!
