Ready for a true story….?
It was 2002. I was at the law firm in DC practicing. One day I didn’t get assigned work that I thought I should have gotten. Instead it went to one of male counterparts. I found myself in my office crying out of frustration and anger…..I was so embarrassed and confused.
I thought, who cries in their office? ME!
When I was a practicing securities lawyer, I often thought about the imbalance between me and my male counterparts. I found myself thinking about this discrepancy TOO MUCH. Was it me, or them, I used to muse?
Looking back, now that I know one of my core brand values is fairness, my fascination (obsession?) makes perfect sense.
August 26, 2021 is Women’s Equality Day in the United States to commemorate the 19th Amendment allowing women the right to vote. Although not just a national event in the U.S., the first Women’s Equality Day was in 1972 as a result of Nixon signing the congressional proclamation so stating.
As such, I want to share tips for women professionals to really be able to capitalize on being equal and having a brand that shows up as equal and then some. The goal is to allow you, as a professional woman, to get better clients and jobs, reclaim your personal time by working less on the nights and weekends and have more time to enjoy the financial freedoms you’ve worked so hard to earn.
If you don’t identify as female and you’re reading this, then this is a great opportunity for you to read, learn, gain a new perspective…and use what you learn in support of the women in your life. Your life will be better as a result. I promise!
The first challenge with owning our value and feeling equal is being willing to accept the changes that come with being valuable and equal.
I remember all my years as a lawyer in corporate America. Every organization I worked for, including the federal government, was a fan of growth and wanted it. Not many wanted to deal with any change that leads to this growth. It was too much and too hard. We are creatures of comfort and habit. It helps to keep our anxiety in check and our fears at bay.
You may laugh at me, but this is a topic I think about for myself regularly. Some weird thoughts enter my mind: “If I really own my value and see myself as equal to the superstars in my field, then I could be so much more in the public eye. Then what would happen to my daily life?!”
Stupid? Perhaps. A thought of mine that limits me finding and owning my value and thus, equality? Absolutely.
SO, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU? STOP AND CONSIDER:
- What are your random thoughts about your value?
- Do you show up daily with a brand that tells the world that you are equal and just as valuable as your colleagues, competitors, etc? If not, why?
While these two questions may be painful and make you squirm, they will get you results in the long run. I know because I’ve seen the positive results of asking myself these very two questions daily.
Want more easy tips? Download my free Top 5 Tips Women Lawyers can use to seize your equality and support other women to do the same: https://purisconsulting.com/women-equality-tips/