International Women’s Day is, as we know, every day. However, it is nice to have a day where world-wide we take a moment to really acknowledge and celebrate the consummate power of badass women we know and love.
Because I’m an entrepreneur and CEO, I am called a successful woman. But a successful woman is any woman who is surviving, who is trying, who is waking up every day pursuing her life with integrity. On my Mind Your Business Podcast, I’ve been so fortunate to speak to women from all walks of life – mothers, CEO’s, doctors and straight-up brave souls. What these women have in common is that despite all the odds, all the standards against them, they forged their own path in life and on their terms. Some of these women have overcome what seemed to be an insurmountable loss, some of these women put bullies in their place, some of these women made empires starting with nothing.
Success isn’t just one thing. Success doesn’t mean being rich. It doesn’t mean blowing other people out of the water to be at the top. Success is being true to yourself, being kind to others and shining as the bright authentic star you are by birthright. Success is ignoring those who tell us to be small, to be quiet, to look a certain way, to not want too much.
Every woman has a story worth telling. Every day I feel so impressed and proud of the women I know. The name of my first company is Femme Fatale. A Femme Fatale is a strong, capable woman who owns herself completely, and is unashamed of who she is. Women were and are called “the weaker sex” which is so blatantly untrue it would be laughable if it wasn’t used as a tool to oppress us. The strength and resilience I see in women never cease to inspire me.
Today let’s celebrate our mothers, our grandmothers and our great grandmothers who paved the way for us to dream up any life we damn well choose and live it. Let’s celebrate women who are succeeding in what were traditionally male-dominated industries – politics, sports, comedy, business, medicine, academia. Let’s celebrate women who are ruling it as mothers, and celebrate women who are daring to survive another day when life seems to be against them. Let’s celebrate the women who risk their careers and reputations to stand up to sexual harassment.
Sexism still runs rampant in the world, but the tides are also changing. The world is in desperate need of women leaders bringing justice, compassion and care into the lives of everyone. I fully believe that women make the world more humane, hospitable and fair. Happy International Women’s Day!
