Want to be inspired?

Eight amazing women of power took to their keyboards, marshaling their women-supporting-women spirit and insights.

To share. To educate. To lift up. To inspire. To challenge thinking. 

To begin the ripple.

If you missed their thoughts the first time around, grab a cup of coffee and enjoy reading the wisdom they imparted.

Be inspired by 8 women of power

If equity is a mere matter of view by Ellen Weber | @ellenfweber

Until I changed filters and saw through the lived experience of a close friend, I had allowed dust and debris to cloud my vision. Have you done the same, and thereby missed amazing opportunities for expansion where you work?

Still today, whenever I look at unfair workplace practices, I recognize a need to change filters and glance through others’ eyes. A true picture only comes to mind, if I remember my good friend and I out for dinner and another friendship celebration that worked wonders.

A Woman’s View of the Future by Dana Theus | @danatheus

This work-life perspective leads to beautifully integrated future visions where business success, personal success, family success and community success are all interwoven and mutually reinforcing.

Workplace Equity:  Create positive ripples, not threatening glare by Jennifer V. Miller | @jennifervmiller

Will you join me in shining a spotlight on the inequities that still exist by taking whatever steps you can to help those in the prevailing culture understand that all is not equal, even if it seems so from their vantage point?

My girls need to know independence by Stephanie Alexander | @crackedslipper

Help your girls formulate a life view that will give them the best chance at independence. Show them that while you may struggle, you will reap the benefits of knowing your security isn’t in someone else’s hands. 

If we are to truly reach a point where women as doctors and lawyers and scientists are the norm, and there’s no need to clarify a mistake when someone automatically uses the pronoun “him” after hearing that someone is the room is a surgeon or a physicist, or a partner in a huge law firm, girls must formulate independence early. Independence can be scary sometimes.

What makes you unique by Jo Anne Simson | @javsimson

How can we best honor one another without having to resort to labels or brands? Can we honor uniqueness? Is uniqueness something that would sell?

The better I know a person, the less likely I am to define her by traits she shares with others. The more often I interact with someone, the more likely I am to see what makes him unique and (usually) likeable. With familiarity, labels fall away and are replaced with feelings about someone—admiration for her curiosity and intellect, gratitude for his generosity, amazement at her unflagging willingness to care for others, amusement at his quirkiness.

Why our world needs FIRSTS by Chery Gegelman | @gianaconsulting

I deeply believe that the reason history has been doomed to repeat horrific lessons from the past is that as humans we too easily forget the pain, the vision, and the sacrifice of those that have been firsts. 

Get your brave on by Mary Schaefer | @maryschaefer

The privileges those of a certain race or gender carry will be our ultimate downfall if every person doesn’t begin to muster courage – the courage to do what it takes to help our society intentionally see and embrace the gifts everyone has to offer and make it so commonplace we no longer have to call out the race or gender distinctions.

Change starts with me by Angie Mizzell | @angiemizzel

If I hadn’t noticed, I might have missed an opportunity. I might have sent my daughter the wrong messages. Messages that disempower: be nice. be good. be seen, not heard. I might have perpetuated a pattern I’ve worked so hard to break.

Big smiles and bigger thanks to Ellen, Dana, Jennifer, Stephanie, Jo Anne, Chery, Mary, and Angie for participating in this LeadBIG “women supporting women” series!