Today is International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate women and their achievements internationally. It’s nice we get a day, isn’t it? The 2021 theme is “Choose to challenge.”
In the spirit of challenging, I’d like to stop thanking men or rewarding them for being “allies.” Why the hell do we spend a day or hell our lives acknowledging men who uncharacteristically didn’t treat us like shit? I, for one, refuse to give men credit or thank them for where the hell I am in my career. Apparently, the rationale is we can’t ascend the corporate ladder or to the c-suite unless men take us along with them or support us in our pursuit of leadership positions.
No.
I started 8THIRTYFOUR because it was clear the traditional path to leadership was closed to me. Here is what I want you to take from this blog, we as women must be brash, bold and absolutely unapologetic. This doesn’t mean you bulldoze through people, it means you push, pull, and barrel through barriers to get what you want.
Women who make history are not polite or reserved. Take Eleanor Roosevelt, for example, she was a feminist and civil rights leader before we even knew what to call them. People either loved her or hated her, but regardless she persisted in her journey to ensure the unrepresented were represented.
If you aspire to be liked by everyone, you will never achieve your dreams. This is a hard pill for women to swallow, our empathetic nature drives us to be well-liked. In fact, it will always be something you struggle with. I am not liked by all, I’ve been told I am an “acquired taste,” not exactly a ringing endorsement but I’m actually pretty damn proud of it. I am loyal and fiercely protect those I love, but I also call out injustice when I see it. Does it bother me when I hear about negative things said about me or gossip between other women who dislike me for the personality I was born with? Yes, it does. Acknowledge it, see what you can learn from it, and then move the hell on.
At the end of the day, a man is not going to get you where you want to be professionally nor is anyone else. I am not saying relationships are not important, they absolutely are, however, you have to believe in yourself and your capabilities first.
Be brash, bold, and unapologetic. Let’s make some history.
