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I believe that the road to professional success for women is extraordinarily emotional. Perhaps itzjustme (pun intended), but I don't think that attitudes and views about professional women have changed much over the years. In fact, I don't think they have changed much in decades! Some may argue that we now sit at the table of discussion. But I believe most women would agree that we are not welcome. We are overwhelmingly excluded from the narrative. We feel the insults aimed at us and experience the discrimination. We feel dismissed, trivialized, marginalized and supremely lonely.
In corporate, the offenders are usually men with higher positions and bigger offices who feel emboldened and validated, in comparison to women who consistently prove their worth but are made to feel insecure and devalued.
It’s no different for women entrepreneurs. Attitudes of competitiveness, aggression and ruthlessness are prevalent in this male-dominated entrepreneurial society and overshadow women who choose to manage and lead with a vision of connectivity and support, assertion and compassion. It makes us feel invisible. The feeling is more pronounced when we attend networking functions and discover that the ratio of men to women present is staggering - 100 men and a total of 5 women...maybe. And let's not even consider the issues of funding, credibility and balancing work/home life that we must deal with! And still...the list goes on and on.
But ladies and leaders remain determined despite all of the obstacles! Last week I shared that I had released the guilt of failing or succeeding a long time ago. But I still haven’t escaped the noose of self-doubt. I think it’s wonderful, however, that no matter how many times I doubt myself, when I look at women entrepreneurs as a collective group, we still emerge with an equivalent amount of confidence to keep going, trying and ultimately succeeding. The stats speak loudly!
There are approximately 13.94 million businesses owned by women in 2023, according to data gathered from National Women’s Business Council, Incfile, The Motley Fool , Fundera , and the Census Bureau. Minority women-owned businesses have also been growing rapidly. According to Fundera, 64% of the businesses started last year by women were started by women of color. Minority-owned companies account for 50% of all women-owned businesses and generate 23% of all women-owned business revenue.
The evidence is clear! No matter how many times we hear no, we coach ourselves until we hear YES! That’s because embedded in the word DOUBT is the truthfulness of our innateness… to create, to deliver, to DO OUR THING! We’ve got this!!
