Once upon a time,
in a land we all know and love,
women FOUGHT for independence.
To think independently,
bank independently,
live independently,
earn independently,
love independently…
And it wasn’t an EASY fight.
There are times when I am guilty of too easily forgetting — even dismissing — how HARD this fight must have been.
I was listening to the former president of the National Organization of Women speak last night and read something from Dan Kennedy this morning that reminded me that there is an INSIDIOUS, PERVASIVE effort,
to INDOCTRINATE all of us
— men and women —
back to SAME SAME thinking.
We see it on Facebook.
“If you don’t think the way I think, unfriend me now.”
We see it in colleges,
colleges hiring people to “help young men resist urges and behaviors including being ‘fiercely independent’ and ‘success ambitious.'” (direct quote from May 2018 press release)
Quick notes to The University of Texas: fierce independence and success ambition runs DEEP in both males AND females. Your assertion is — frankly — sexist. And — ahem — it is THESE EXACT qualities that result in big endowment checks to YOUR university.
We see it in women’s groups that only allow in “certain women.” We see it in churches that only allow in “certain Christians.” We see it in the Democratic party… and we see it in the Republican party.
If you are open…
open enough to see contradictions
that perhaps are inconvenient to admit…
as ALL contradictions are,
it is overtly obvious.
But there is an increasing number of people UNWILLING to admit contradictions… in favor of UNIFORM thinking, even more unwilling to speak freely… favoring — instead — rehearsed (but approved) rhetoric.
NEWSFLASH: Uniformity is the always the ENEMY of independence.
And FIERCE independence was once upon a time,
our battle cry… our secular religion as Americans, and as women.
Today, there’s a LOT more TALK of independence than ACTUAL pursuit of independence.
I am proud to see Women Who WOW members all over the spectrum, all over the world who are truly independent. Some conservative. Some liberal. Some gay. Some straight. Some Jewish. Some Christian. Some Agnostic. Some northerners. Some southerners. Some Aussies. Some Canadians. Some married. Some single.
EACH OF US with our own independent views of the world…. speaking up, speaking out, standing tall. And being heard.
For the record, I do not EVER have to agree with you in order to APPLAUD you being you, being seen, and being heard. And I do not need anyone to agree with me. As I told my husband years ago,
“I do not take a public poll before I decide how I feel about something.”
I am proudly
FIERCELY independent.
in every way.
I am independent in my thinking, yes… of course.
I am independent in my VOICE.
I am independent financially.
I am independent emotionally.
There are many things in my life that i want… that I want DESPERATELY. My man, for example. But I have a precious FEW things that I NEED.
And I have built my business to be the same.
This is important. Because there are a lot of INDEPENDENT thinkers who are building business that are VERY dependent on many things, over which they do not have any control.
I am not dependent on one income source. I am not dependent on one source of traffic. (Btw, have you HEARD that after being exposed for DELIBERATELY hiding companies that competed with Google-owned companies from search results, Google is now eliminating Google adwords. Let’s just say it’s a bad day to be dependent on google. ) I am not dependent on any one media. I am not dependent on serving any one industry. I am no longer even dependent on any ONE country.
Any NUMBER of shifts can occur in the world of business… and it can certainly “shake” my business but it cannot TOPPLE it.
THIS is business independence.
Built — yes — on mindset.
Of course.
It takes GUTS to be independent.
It takes GRIT to build something from nothing and expose it to the elements.
It takes a ROCK SOLID sense of self to forego the applause or acceptance or affirmation of public opinion and say what needs to be said, ANYWAY.
But it also takes some marketing savvy. Iron clad marketing STRATEGY and HABITS create such independence.
Something is bubbling up…. it will be FREE for women who wow members… and it will be a MARKETING school of sorts. I’m going back to my roots… and re-teaching the STUFF of marketing…. the STUFF of smart copy… the STUFF of reaching new audiences.
After I get back from NYC, I’ll launch this… whatever it is… in the name of INDEPENDENCE for us all.
btw, if you are NOT in for Marketing, Media and Money… here are the people I’ve arranged for you to spend some up close and personal time with… discussing how to put YOUR business, YOUR book, YOUR brand, YOUR products on display:
ecision makers / top producers from:
Rachael Ray,
Entrepreneur Magazine,
Dr. Oz show,
Business insider,
The Doctors show on Sirius radio
CNN,
Fox News,
Fox Business,
and more.
Message me for details. I believe we have ONE spot left.
