In honor of International Women’s Day, I’d like to raise a glass (and my pen as my sword) to all the badass women I know – and also to those I don’t – who are slaying dragons, shattering glass ceilings and taking names. You are making a difference, facilitating change and modeling queendom to the next generation. YOU are worthy just as you are.
Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase, “a rising tide lifts all boats.” I believe that when we support one another, we can do great things. There is power in numbers. Progress has certainly been made in 2021. We have a Black-Indian female VP in the White House, more women and more women of color in Congress. Yet, for every $1 that a man keeps in wealth accumulation, women only keep .32 cents on average, furthermore, it’s down to a single penny for Black and Brown women. This is not ok.
Earning .82 cents on the dollar compared to men, it takes 15 months for a woman to earn what a man earns in 12 months. (There are a plethora of statistics that would make your head spin, but I want to get to my point, so, if you want more details, here’s a link to an oft-updated Gender Pay Gap Report at Pay Scale.) I don’t know about you, but this dysfunctional dynamic is unacceptable to me. It’s one of the biggest factors motivating my focus and diligence towards helping women build their brands and, simultaneously, their bank accounts.
“If you educate a man you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman you educate a nation.” – African Proverb
The first step is education. Women need to know that they’re being duped. Until we have wide-spread knowledge of this, we won’t get to have our Norma Rae moment. You know the scene, where she stands up with the UNION sign in protest, and it takes a minute, but then, one by one, the other women (and subsequently a few men) in the mill turn their machines off in protest, too, inspired by her bravery. Strength. In. Numbers. Ladies. We got this, but we really got this if we take action together.
When a woman sets the foundation of claiming her place (and space) in the business world, she sets the table for other women, too. Women’s abundance expands exponentially, instantly. This is because women immediately care for those around them. A woman extends herself to her family, her children, her work-family and her community at-large. That expansion is evermore unassailable when a woman has her own money. This outward ripple effect is profoundly healing, and ultimately why the patriarchy is scared sh*tless of women becoming empowered, financially independent, and wealthy AF, with or without a partner.
“Women with money and women in power are two uncomfortable ideas in our society.” – Candace Bushnell
Money is power. So, if you don’t have money, it’s challenging, at best, to be a feminist who gets sh*t done. In theory, you can believe and support feminist principles, but you can’t truly uphold them if you’re broke. Money enables you to leave the job you hate, start your own business, support other women and the causes you care about and ultimately build real wealth.
Money affords us choice. Money affords us independence and ability to align with and participate in politics by donating to policy makers who support our on-going progress. Yes, voting is important, of course, but there are other effective ways to take unified action.
Money is energy. It’s paper bills, now digitized and crypto-fied, that we invented to trade for milk and eggs back in the day when the barter system became too complex because of population growth. Money is necessary. Here’s what I want you to hear most: You deserve the money that you work hard to earn. You deserve equal pay. You deserve to feel valued and seen. I see you. I value you. I will do my part to lift us up together.
March 31st is National Equal Pay Day. What actions will you take to further your dreams, your sisters’ dreams, your daughters’ dreams? We need to close the pay gap, yes. We also need to close the wealth gap, the racial inequity gap, and we need to lift each other up like the tide lifts the boats. Because when women create abundance for themselves and their loved ones, we all rise.
