As the product of an all girls education, I believe in single sex learning but only for the empowerment piece. Otherwise, I am a “conscientious objector.” That’s because an all-girls environment doesn’t reflect reality: the world and the world of business specifically is co-ed.
In 2014, women continue to be faced with challenges. Men are too; but, their challenges are wholly different.
According to Lean In’s, Sheryl Sandberg, a tome that should be read by every incoming college freshman, boy and girl, the challenges that women face, while exponential in nature, finds its foundation in cultural perceptions. The top four perceptions are:
1) a woman’s perception of herself 2) a woman’s perception of other women 3) a man’s perception of women 4) a woman’s perception of menSandberg sums up the research: “…success and likeability are positively correlated for men and negatively correlated for women. When a man is successful, he is liked by both men and women. When a woman is successful, people of both genders like her less. This truth is both shocking and unsurprising: shocking because no one would ever admit to stereotyping on the basis of gender and unsurprising because clearly we do.” Sandberg takes this research and theorizes: “I believe that this bias is at the very core of why women are held back. It is also at the very core of why women hold themselves back. For men, professional success comes with positive reinforcement at every step of the way. For women, even when they’re recognized for their achievements, they’re often regarded unfavorably.” And further still, “Most of us are never told about this downside of achievement. Still we sense this punishment for success. We’re aware that when a woman acts forcefully or competitively, she’s deviating from the expected behavior. If a woman pushes to get the job done, if she’s highly competent, if she focuses on the results rather than on pleasing others, she’s acting like a man. And if she acts like a man, people dislike her.”
Interesting place for me to throw in a personal sidebar comment. When I have a job to do, I focus on getting it done and getting it done intelligently and immediately. I have, however, been called out by male clients on this matter-of-fact, “let’s move it along” trait. As Sandberg writes, it’s because — I suspect — I am focusing more on results than on pleasing another individual, even if that person is my client. By way of example,I was told in writing by a male client that, “I don’t like your tone,” after sending an email summing up what still needed to be done on his company’s end to move along a project I had been hired to implement. I have no other explanation for his response than to say he didn’t like hearing such comments from a woman. Do I know this as a fact. Of course not. However, I would wager a very large bet that a similar, matter-of-fact email written by a man and intended to move along a project would never have received the response, “I don’t like your tone.” Try picturing it; in your gut, you know it’s not even imaginable.
Perhaps you’re wondering if I’ve gotten over it? Well, first of all, there was nothing to get over because I thought it was absurd. But, I think about it often because I found it very valuable as a businesswoman. It’s a learning tool, if you will. And here’s why: According to Sandberg, the great influencer, Ariana Huffington, “believes that learning to withstand criticism is a necessity for women. Early in her career, Arianna realized that the cost of speaking her mind was that she would inevitably offend someone.” I’m right with you Arianna; I have offended and I suspect I will offend some more. My goal? Not to be called the b-word, but rather because I am in business to help by clients reach their goals.
Sandberg quotes Deborah Gruenfeld of Stamford University, professor of leadership and organizational behavior. “’Our entrenched cultural ideas associate men with leadership qualities and women with nurturing qualities and put women in a double bind. We believe not only that women are nurturing, but that they should be nurturing above all else. When a woman does anything that signals she might not be nice first and foremost, it creates a negative impression and makes us uncomfortable.’ Acting in stereotypically feminine ways makes it difficult to reach for the same opportunities as men, but defying expectations and reaching for those opportunities leads to being judged as undeserving and selfish.”
We have spent the month of October celebrating Women’s Small Business Month. As we wind down the celebration, I sat down and answered some of the questions I had posed to other women — presidents, founders and CEOs of women owned small businesses. Here are my answers:
1) Why did you decide to start/purchase your business?
After a career in radio and television (pre-kids), I was working for about 10 years as a freelance writer, writing for everyone from the Washington Post (newspaper and Sunday Magazine) to Budget Travel Magazine. My kids were getting older and I wanted to build something of my own while at the same time having the flexibility to still be home with my children when they needed me. Public Relations was a natural place for me because of my background in journalism and media (on camera/behind the mic). During my media career I had also worked for PR firms and had run my own media-tour company, focusing exclusively on that PR specialty.
Therefore, building a business with a platform for differentiation appealed to me. My partner, Julie Schumacher, and I built /’sas∙s’ē/ (an acronym for strategy, accountability, synergy, sustainability, e-commerce) to help small- and medium-sized businesses get what they deserve, the chance to “shout out” about themselves the way big businesses can. We give our clients the platform for growth and business success by taking traditional concepts from marketing and PR and creating a buzz using the power tools provided by social media. We call it “The Trifecta,” PR, marketing and social media working in tandem to help businesses create growth and sustainability. Many of our clients are a lot like us –businesses started and run by women. It’s incredible to be able to help boost the economy, in general, and grow our own business, specifically, while at the same time helping other businesswomen. That said, a lot of our clients are ALSO businesses run by men or both men and women.
Addition quick backgrounder: My career started in radio and TV as an anchor and reporter. But, during the span of my on-camera days, I did some work in PR. Having been raised by a PR executive mother, PR came naturally to me. When I was writing freelance, Julie pitched me a story, I wrote it and we immediately connected.
2) What does being an American Business Woman mean to you?
It means being part of a group that is exponentially growing daily. Is it growing because we can’t “make it” in Corporate America or because we want to be our own bosses — or both? I will explore that in my next blog.
In the meantime, here are some statistics pulled from the Center for Women’s Business Research:
There are 27-million small businesses in the United States. 28% of those businesses (7.7 million) are owned by women. In 2013 there are 20.1% more women owned businesses than there were in 2002. It’s projected that women owned businesses will account for one-third of all new jobs created in the year 2018.3) Do you believe that you are setting an example for your daughter/girls?
Absolutely and definitively. It’s not easy raising children while at the same time starting and growing a business. Women remain challenged; and, while the disadvantages make success more difficult, they also make success more exciting and the subsequent accomplishment sweeter. Specifically, disrespect for women in business remains a rampant problem. Our agency has been successful but business continues to be a fantastic challenge; we strive for the day when business is no more challenging for women than it is for men. Great business ethics and abilities are not gender based; yet, too many business people are unaware of this obvious fact.
I am proud to show my children, especially my college-aged daughters, that success is possible. I am proud to show my high school-aged son that success for women is possible.
4) Do you have any advice for other women on how to get started?
My business partner calls me kitschy creative Cari. I love to have fun with words. And so, I wrote a poem to help people get started in business. If you would like to read the long-form version, click here.
Name and domain Must be one and the same Make a logo (expression) An image for you that defines your profession Write a tagline, a phrase Use keywords that differentiate in many ways Your position? Well it is, of course, enhanced by your mission Messaging in a statement Keep it simple and blatant Keep creating be persistent So your brand is stronger and remains consistent Come up with a plan Make your marketing grand When designing your site keep in mind it’s a tool And use it to give you your marketing fuel Public Relations – it’s about getting attention Make sure your angle gets a media mention Social media — know that it’s here to stay It’s a platform-making buzz not child’s play Put this all together and start working smart Your business will grow with a kick ass start.
