Rethinking Women’s Leadership: Reflections for Shifting Into A New Paradigm of We

Women’s leadership is on the cusp of a quantum leap.

Female leaders everywhere are inching toward the unknown, leaning into the new, announcing their readiness to the future that attracts them. Our passion, commitment, intention, and will may very well collapse the probability of equality and manifest it into a reality some day in the near future.

Denied access to the centers of power for so long in our history, we have become experts on the margins. We are masters at networking, advocating, circling, co-creating, transforming culture—working for the marginalized in every field imaginable. Women leaders are at the forefront of change from the grassroots to governmental levels.

Not About Me, It’s We

In the 1970’s, when the second wave of feminism washed over this land and changed everything in its wake, the phrase “the personal is political” became a slogan as we discovered together how the culture had shaped and silenced us. There was a sense of  “It’s not just ME, it’s all of us,” and that fueled our interest, our outrage, and finally our courage to stand up and speak our truths.

Now, two generations later, young women are assimilating into every institution—corporate, civil, religious, creative—and speaking their truth to power,from power, and about power.

As evolutionary women leaders we are abandoning old tactics and strategies; we are transcending patriarchal, hierarchical models of leadership and creating circular spaces for the surfacing and sharing of collective wisdom. We are creating new vocabularies, replacing words like compete, control, power, motivation with collaborate, co-create, process and transformation.

It takes women only moments to find our commonness, and generally, in every women’s circle, it is always agreed upon that what we are seeking is what is best for the whole. From business women to nuns to non-profit leaders, an awareness of our interdependency underlies every question and answer. And we often believe that if there is a striving to be had, it is to be the best for the world, not the best in the world.

The Value of Questions

Philosopher and scholar Jacob Needleman suggests that the real art form of today is “group pondering.” This resonates as an idea with me, although its execution calls for deep creativity. How does one facilitate “group pondering?” How does a leader mine the wisdom of the group? How do we evolve ourselves into more subtle sowers of collective insight?

The best leaders are the ones with the best questions. The ones who are humble enough to not be the center of attention, but to center the group’s attention. The ones who can laser focus the desire of the group, the intention and will of the group, in order to unleash the group’s ability to create a reality it agrees upon.

After a few decades of facilitating groups for higher levels of leadership and creativity, I’ve come up with some questions that aim at authentic and imaginative truth-telling. Answering these questions will give people an opportunity to find common ground with others, acknowledge what they are passionate about, decide what they are committed to, and proclaim their next steps in the matter.

People pay therapists thousands of dollars for this, but a good leader can bring about these clarifications in a short time by simply asking the right questions and engaging in this kind of group pondering. Here are a few ideas for starters:

  1. What is one thing you know for sure based on your lived experience?
  2. In what ways have you shared that knowing?
  3. In what ways have you advocated on another’s behalf?
  4. What success have you had in this area?
  5. Have you ever felt silenced as a woman? If so, how?
  6. Do you feel an affinity with any marginalized groups? If so, what is your response?
  7. Do you know the difference between your original thoughts and your inherited beliefs?
  8. What inherited beliefs have you disinherited? (about your body? your religion? your sex?)
  9. How have you been changed by another woman’s story or creation?
  10. If someone funded a documentary that you could produce, what subject matter would you choose?
  11. If you had a superpower, what would it be? What would you do as a result?
  12. Where does the imbalance of feminine vs. masculine show up most for you?
  13. What is the impact of that?
  14. In what ways are you bringing more balance to our society?

Tips for Facilitating

If there are many tables in the room, a dividing of the questions and sharing is an excellent way to foster more collective pondering. Introverts often need more time to think about their answers, so it might be wise to list these questions on paper and give people five to ten minutes to reflect and answer. The work of the leader is to create a safe space for sharing, to be self-disclosing and answer a few of the questions from her own perspective before having the group do the assignment.

I read once that the Old English term for leadership comes from the phrase to go first. The greatest leaders are the ones ready to go first, to risk being vulnerable. They speak from their lives. They learn how to master their ordeals, process their tragedies and transform them into stories that hold truths both personal and universal.

If She Can, I Can—The Power of Story

Everything we know happened to us in a story. All the wisdom in our cells came from our trials, our tears, our commitment to keep going in the face of every obstacle. Great leaders tell those stories. They don’t just share what they know. They share how they learned it. That’s what we all hunger for. Those tales of transformation. Those stories that remind us, “If she can, I can.”

You can stop reading leadership books anytime now. Just open up the book of your own life. See what you’ve been up against. See what kept you going. See what you’ve achieved and where you’re headed now. See how connected you are to all the others. And tell those stories. Tell them right from your heart. Don’t be afraid of your tears. This is heart work, after all.

Jan Phillips
Jan Phillips—Emerging Women

Jan Phillips, is the co-founder and executive director of the Living Kindness Foundation, a co-sponsor of Emerging Women, and an artist and author. She’s written  No Ordinary Time, Finding the On-Ramp to Your Spiritual Path, The Art of Original Thinking-The Making of a Thought Leader, Divining the Body, and more. To learn more about her work, you can visit her website.

Anybody out there working with fear? #EmergingNow

Dear Emerging Women,

Ever since I made the big leap into entrepreneurship, my resolve to lead with awareness and compassion has been tested daily. And while I am great at staying positive in the face of adversity (check), or building a culture of collective support and authenticity (check), I sure do swear a hell of a lot more than I used to (damn, check). And I can’t seem to totally shake some disturbing feelings – like fear. Fear of public speaking (right?), fear of details (anyone else?), fear of failure (check and double check). But instead of slamming the door in the face of fear, I have come to love the practice of welcoming this old friend into my home. After all, we have grown up together and we have each changed so much over the years.

This is why I love Susan Piver’s work. She says that instead of tightening up to squeeze the fear away from ourselves, we have the capacity to open further and create more space. This, she says, will allow the fear to assume its rightful shape as just one thing that is going on with you at any given moment. And wow: to see what all else is happening around the fear – it’s a party!

I have had a tendency to create a vortex around my fear, following its spiraling, tenacious grip on my psyche. But now I know better. I remember that leaning into something doesn’t mean impaling yourself on it, it means allowing it to be and seeing it for what it is. The space Susan’s practice creates allows room for the rest of our experience to come in, which makes a much bigger (and more manageable) view possible.

We can’t ignore it – the fear is going to be there because we are committed to doing big things: launching businesses, writing books, forging new careers and stepping into our roles as authentic leaders. But when I start to see my fear as a member of a collective of human experiences, I feel more compassion toward it, and toward myself. I hope that this podcast will help you to “embiggen” your perspective so you can see all the amazing things that you are doing, and know that fear is just one of the many internal states that help us along our journey.

Big love,

Chantal Pierrat

Founder, Emerging Women

 


Leaning Into Fear and Falling Into Beauty – Susan Piver

 Super Early Bird Tickets are On Sale for EW Live 2015 in San Francisco!

We’d love to hear how you’re working with fear. Drop us a line in the comments:

Are You Stuck in the Waiting Room? – #EmergingNow

Dear Friends,

We’ve all experienced loss, whether through trauma, adversarial conditions, or transformation in our lives. Often times we get so stunned by the transition that we become stuck in what today’s podcast guest Christina Rasmussen calls “The Waiting Room.” And while the Waiting Room is a wonderful place for processing, we don’t want to stay there too long.

It helps if we can remember that periods of challenge and loss are also periods of opportunity: to see the world in a way we’ve never seen it before, to re-create ourselves and our lives. That’s what Christina helps people remember through her work – that we can raise the bar of life after loss, not lower it.

I feel that women in general have been “stuck in the waiting room,” for a long time now, especially in the business world. And with events like Emerging Women Live, I want to help women take action, leave the waiting room behind, and start to re-envision the way we can live, work and thrive in this new era of feminine power. Are you on board? Continue reading “Are You Stuck in the Waiting Room? – #EmergingNow”

5 Reasons to Get Yourself to NYC for EWlive14 – #EmergingNow

Dear Friends,

With three weeks to go before Emerging Women Live 2014, we are crazy busy! But in the midst of the chaos of planning a huge event, we find ourselves drawing on the values we’ve learned from this amazing community. What would we do without it?!

When we are overwhelmed, we practice vulnerability and allow our team the opportunity to give us strength and courage. When we face challenges, we face them together, pooling our resources to come up with collaborative solutions that often turn out even better than the original plan. We share our successes and laugh/cry together over our stumblings. There is no way we could do any of this without the wisdom so many phenomenal women are bringing to this tribe. Continue reading “5 Reasons to Get Yourself to NYC for EWlive14 – #EmergingNow”

Wholehearted Visionaries – Emerging Now

Dear Emerging Women,

There is one question I have been asking myself over and over as we get closer to Emerging Women Live: What is my true desire for this event?

Sometimes chaos and changing circumstances can force me into the “doing” and the details at a time when I really need to be thinking about the meta principles of why I started Emerging Women in the first place: the desire to connect deeply with others, to share moments and milestones in relationship and alongside others who are also committed to living a full and meaningful life. YES.

But here’s the thing: we cannot truly connect with others if we are hiding parts of ourselves or we are making decisions in our lives that don’t align with our inner truths. Naming and committing to our inner truths takes immense courage – and I don’t believe it can be achieved alone. It requires risk, vulnerability, and the desire for alignment over fantasy, and we need the witnessing and reflection from others to fully step into this bravery.

I have fought against being vulnerable my whole life, and as a result my capacity for intimacy was stunted, hampering all of my relationships – business, personal and otherwise. When I practiced vulnerability – over and over again – I realized how defended I was, how much I was holding back, how much I was keeping from myself and the world. It was hard – it is still hard – and yet with people around me also committed to this path, I have found the courage to make this the only place from which I move forward into the world.

This is why I love Brené Brown and why I am beyond honored to have her as our opening keynote for Emerging Women Live 2014. Join me and find out first hand how the daring work of vulnerability and authenticity is creating a new breed of impactful and conscious leaders, and together we can blaze trails for future generations of wholehearted visionaries.

Big love,

Chantal Pierrat

Founder, Emerging Women

Brené Brown to Deliver Opening Keynote at EWlive14!

>>Like what you’re hearing? Join me at Emerging Women Live 2014 in NYC this October for a truly unforgettable weekend of dialogue and connection.

Brené Brown to Deliver Opening Keynote at EWlive14

We are thrilled to announce to you today that the one, the only, Brené Brown will be speaking at Emerging Women Live 2014 in New York City, Oct 9-12th.

Those of you who saw her at EWlive13 know what a tremendous blessing it is to have her back again this year. Brené’s has reshaped the way we think about our strengths with her groundbreaking research on shame, gratitude, authenticity and vulnerability. Her insight and compassion is evident in this conversation we had in 2013 for Origin Magazine. Soak up some classic Brené wisdom and humor, and then sign up to join us all in NYC to see what revelations she has for us this year!

Interview from Origin Magazine, photography from EWlive13 in Boulder, CO.

Chantal Pierrat: I want to start by saying thank you for being so real. Your work gives people permission to be themselves, and that’s probably the greatest gift that anybody could give.

Brene Brown: Thank you, that means a lot. We teach what we have to learn. It’s been an extraordinary journey that I couldn’t have done with not only the research participants but the community, the tribe that we’ve built of people who are also on this journey.

CP: Does community help with the work of vulnerability? Does it help us to become more vulnerable?

BB: I can’t even think of the right word, but it’s not “help.” It’s more like a prerequisite. I think connection is why we’re here, it’s what gives purpose and meaning to our lives, and belonging is in our DNA. And so “tribe” and “belonging” are irreducible needs, like love.

“I think connection is why we’re here, it’s what gives purpose and meaning to our lives, and belonging is in our DNA.”twitter

CP: You started as a researcher. At what point did the researcher become the guinea pig, and how did that change your work, if at all?

BB: I’m still a researcher. The best way to explain it is that I trusted myself deeply as a professional, but I did not have a lot of self-trust personally. When I started learning all of these things about the value and the importance of belonging, vulnerability, connection, self-kindness and self-compassion, I trusted what I was learning—again, I know I’m a good researcher. When those things and wholeheartedness started to emerge with all these different properties, I knew I had to listen. I’d heard these messages before personally but I didn’t trust myself there.

I wasn’t really testing it on myself as much as I was learning from other people about what it meant to live and love with your whole heart, and then thinking, oh my god, I’m not doing that. Everything that these folks are saying that they’re trying to move away from, like comparison, perfectionism, judgement, and exhaustion as a status symbol—that all describes my life. It was more like a medical researcher studying a disease and figuring out he or she has it.

CP: You’ve got the credibility of your research, yet there’s something in your delivery that’s really opening people up.

BB: I love how you frame that, because it’s helping me understand myself better. Someone asked me very recently why I have 8 million views on TED —”your work resonates, what are you doing?” What I think my contribution is, what I do well, is I name experiences that are very universal that no one really talks about. That’s the researcher in me; that’s really part of being a grounded theory researcher—putting names to concepts and experiences that people have. Then I tell my own story. The two things that people really need to transform is language to understand their experience and to know they’re not alone. It’s the combination of the researcher-storyteller part.

“The two things that people really need to transform is language to understand their experience and to know they’re not alone.”twitter-logo-ew

CP: For people that are new to the concept of authenticity and playing around with vulnerability and courage, actually being themselves—is it something that can be practiced?

BB: It has to be practiced. It’s a practice for me every day, sometimes every hour of every day. It is an absolute practice. When I went into the research, I really thought that there are authentic people and inauthentic people, period. What I found is, there people who practice authenticity and people who don’t. The people who practice authenticity work their ass off at it.

“…there people who practice authenticity and people who don’t. The people who practice authenticity work their ass off at it.”twitter

It was so scary to me. Oh my god, that’s going to be a lot of work. I thought, You either have the gene or you don’t. It was scary. But it was so liberating: I thought, This is not predetermined—I get to choose. There are some days where I have to choose five times in a day. I had to make a choice when you called and the phone rang, whether I’m going to show up and be me, or whether I’m going to say what I think I’m supposed to say and get off the phone.

I had to choose this morning, when I could tell my husband was in kind of a rotten mood, whether I was just going to ignore it because I’m tired and it’s Friday and I’m packing lunches and getting kids to school and doing all this, or if I’m going to put everything down, start breakfast, and look at him and say, “Hey, something is going on. I want to hear about it.” It’s a practice. It’s about showing up. And sometimes I don’t do it. I almost always regret it, but sometimes I don’t do it. Sometimes I walk into a situation where I’m intimidated and I want to be liked and I want to fit in, and I don’t choose authenticity. And it’s always pretty miserable.

brene brown speaking

CP: What about the idea that we need to protect ourselves or have boundaries?

BB: Huge. One of the most painfully inauthentic ways we show up in our lives sometimes is saying “yes” when we mean “no,” and saying “no” when we mean “hell yes.” I’m the oldest of four, a people-pleaser—that’s the good girl straitjacket that I wear sometimes. I spent a lot of my life saying yes all the time and then being pissed off and resentful.

One of the things I talk a lot about in my work that I try to practice—which is really hard–is in those moments where we’re being asked to do things or asked to take over or asked to take care of something, we have to have the courage to choose discomfort over resentment. And to me, a huge part of my authenticity practice has been choosing discomfort and saying no.

“…we have to have the courage to choose discomfort over resentment.”twitter

On the flip side, I’ve also had to struggle with saying “yes.” Before I did this research and before I had my own breakdown and spiritual awakening around this work, my motto was, “Don’t do anything that you’re already not great at doing.” Which I think is the way the majority of adults in our culture live. Authenticity is also about the courage and the vulnerability to say, “Yeah, I’ll try it. I feel pretty uncomfortable and I feel a little vulnerable, but I’ll try it!”

CP: You’re talking about risk.

BB: That’s the whole idea behind Daring Greatly. That whole phrase, “daring greatly,” is from the Theodore Roosevelt quote that goes back to your original question of, what about the critics? And when I read his quote it was life-changing. “It’s not the critic who counts; it’s not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done the better. The credit belongs to those of us who are actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood. We strive valiantly and sometimes there’s the triumph of achievement but at the worst, we fail, but at least we fail while daring greatly.” That has really changed my life. Profoundly changed my life.

“We strive valiantly and sometimes there’s the triumph of achievement but at the worst, we fail, but at least we fail while daring greatly.” ~Theodore Roosevelttwitter

CP: Now it’s changing the lives of others.

BB: I think a lot of us are looking for the same thing. I feel very lucky to have a definitive moment where I know everything shifted in me, and it was the moment I read that quote. Because I thought, A. That’s everything I know about vulnerability. It’s not winning, it’s not losing, it’s showing up and being seen. B. That’s who I want to be. Courage is a value. My faith is the organizing principle in my life and what underpins my faith is courage and love, and so I have to be in the arena if I’m going to live in alignment with my values.

And the last thing is, I can’t be paralyzed anymore by the critics. My new mantra is, if you’re not in the arena getting your ass kicked on occasion, then I’m not interested in your feedback. You don’t get to sit in the cheat seat and criticize my appearance or my work with mean-spiritedness if you’re also not in the arena. Now, if you’re also in the arena and you’re putting your ideas out and you’re owning them and you’re saying “I disagree with you about this and that, I think you’ve got this wrong”—then not only do I invite that, I freaking love that. I love that. I’m an academic. I’m hardwired for a good debate.

CP: How would the world be different if we all learned to really embrace vulnerability and authenticity?

BB: We would solve a lot of huge problems that are causing massive suffering. Poverty, violence, homophobia, heterosexism, racism, the environment—all these things that are crippling us. We need big, bold, dangerous, crazy ideas to solve these problems. When failure is not an option, innovation and creativity are not options. In a highly critical, scarcity-based world, everyone’s afraid to fail. As long as we’re afraid to fail, we’ll never come up with the big, bold ideas we need to solve these problems.

“Poverty, violence, homophobia, heterosexism, racism, the environment—all these things that are crippling us. We need big, bold, dangerous, crazy ideas to solve these problems.”[inline]twitter

We have become this very fear-based culture, especially post-9/11. Fear is the opposite of love, in my opinion. I think there would be more love in the world. I’m not talking about rainbows and unicorns and ‘70s Coca-Cola commercials. I’m talking about gritty, dangerous, wild-eyed love. Radical acceptance of people. Belonging. A good, goofy kind of love.

CP: You’re on fire!

BB: [laughing] I’m having a passionate Friday, can you tell?

CP: You’re really funny – you make people laugh. I’m curious: how do you think humor fits into your work?

BB: I’m a huge fan of the poet Billy Collins. I heard him say, “Humor is the door to the serious.” I think that shame is a universal, paralyzing, painful emotion. The only universal language I know of that wraps up joy and gratitude and love is laughter. And so I believe in the healing power of laughter. I believe laughter forces us to breathe. I think laughter between people is a holy form of connection, of communion. It’s the way you and I look at each other and without words, say, I get exactly what you’re saying. And so, it’s important to me.

“The only universal language I know of that wraps up joy and gratitude and love is laughter. And so I believe in the healing power of laughter.”twitter

CP: It’s also disarming.

BB: I agree. The laughter that happens when people are truth-telling and showing up and being real – I call that “knowing laughter.” That’s what happens between people when we recognize the absurdity of the belief that we’re alone in anything. If there’s a feeling you have, other people have it. If there’s something weird about your life, other people have lived it. If there’s something kooky about your body, other people have that, too. We’re not alone. There’s some kind of tremendous relief in that and I think it can only be expressed in belly laughter. This tremendous relief that happens the millisecond we realize, it’s not just me. That’s what good laughter is about. It’s about knowing that you’re not alone.

>> Ready to laugh, cry and get mad goosebumps and inspired ideas together? Join us at Emerging Women Live 2014 in New York City, October 9-12th. Register now for savings!

Juicy Bites: Wisdom from Presenters at Emerging Women Live 2013


 

This week we learn:

 

  • Embracing vulnerability with Dr. Brené Brown
  • Making stress your friend with Kelly McGonigal
  • Emerging into being with Tami Simon, founder and CEO of Sounds True
  • Writing a novel no one expects — a profile on formidable Elizabeth Gilbert
  • Identify your leap and learn to play big with Tara Sophia Mohr

At the end of this post, we encourage you to join us for a conversation. This week’s Juicy Bites question for you, dear emerging women, is:

Juicy Bites Great Books
 

1. Brené Brown – Embracing Vulnerability – a free video teaching via Sounds True

 
Check out this video featuring Dr. Brené Brown, a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. She has spent the past twelve years studying vulnerability, courage, worthiness, and shame. Her groundbreaking research has been featured on PBS, NPR, CNN, The Washington Post, and The New York Times. Dr. Brené Brown was also featured on Oprah’s Emmy award winning show — Super Soul Sunday. Brené is the author of the #1 New York Times Bestseller, Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead (Gotham, 2012). In Daring Greatly, Brené dispels the cultural myth that vulnerability is weakness and argues that it is, in truth, our most accurate measure of courage.

Brené Brown – Embracing Vulnerability from Sounds True on Vimeo.

Dr. Brené Brown will be a featured presenter at the 2013 Emerging Women Live Conference, October 10th-13th in Boulder, CO.
 

2. Kelly McGonigal: How to make stress your friend via Ted Talk

 
Kelly McGonigal, PhD, is a health psychologist and award-winning lecturer at Stanford University. A leading expert on the mind-body relationship, her work integrates the latest findings of psychology, neuroscience, and medicine with contemplative practices of mindfulness and compassion from the traditions of Buddhism and yoga. She is the author of The Willpower Instinct and Yoga for Pain Relief.

Kelly McGonigal will be a featured presenter at the 2013 Emerging Women Live Conference, October 10th-13th in Boulder, CO. She will share with us The Science of Change.
 

3. Tami Simon — Emerging into Being: Leading with Trust, Authenticity, and Presence via Grace & Fire Podcast

 

We are excited to share with you a new Grace & Fire podcast. This episode’s guest is the inspirational and accomplished: Tami Simon. Tami is the founder of Sounds True, a multimedia publishing company dedicated to disseminating spiritual wisdom.

In this episode, Tami Simon and the host, Chantal Pierrat spoke about:

  •  Handling the everyday fear
  •  “Everything depends on how much you trust”
  •   Authenticity and its acceptance in society
  •   Mentorship and the best way to mentor
  •   The energy of tenacity and will and when to let go

 

Listen Here…

Tami Simon will be a featured presenter at the 2013 Emerging Women Live Conference, October 10th-13th in Boulder, CO.
 

4. Eat, Pray, Love, Get Rich, Write a Novel No One Expects via New York Times Magazine

 

Jeremy Liebman for The New York Times
Jeremy Liebman for The New York Times

This is a great read! A fantastic profile on Elizabeth Gilbert. Next month, Viking will publish Gilbert’s sixth book, a novel titled “The Signature of All Things.” It’s like unlike anything she has ever written in her 13 years career as a writer.

“Gilbert had withstood the narcissistic onslaught of fame, found stability in her personal life and laid claim to the biggest prize of all: the feeling that she had nothing to lose with her next project.” – Steve Almond

Elizabeth Gilbert will be a featured presenter at the 2013 Emerging Women Live Conference, October 10th-13th in Boulder, CO. She will share with us the “Big Magic: Thoughts on Creative Living”.

5.  It’s Time to Leap by Tara Sophia Mohr

Tara Mohr is an expert on women’s leadership and well-being. Her work helps women play bigger in their work and in their lives. With an MBA from Stanford University and her undergraduate degree in English literature from Yale, Tara takes a unique approach that blends inner work with practical skills training, and weaves together both intellectual rigor and intuitive wisdom.
Take a moment to check out this fantastic video as Tara shares her wisdom and encourages women to play big.

Tara will be a featured presenter at the 2013 Emerging Women Live Conference, October 10th-13th in Boulder, CO. She will share with us “Playing Big: The Work of Our Time”.

 


We are excited to start a conversation and learn more from YOU, dear emerging women. Leave a comment below:

Juicy Bites Great Books


Emerging Women Live is for women entrepreneurs and creatives who share a vision to change the world by living the truth of who they are. These are women who are burning with desire to to fully express themselves through the work they do, while promoting a new paradigm of success that leverages the incredible power of the feminine: collaboration, community, intuition, receptivity, sensuality and heart. Join us!

Juicy Bites This Week: The Road to Accepting Your Feminine Power

This week we find out:

  • Tara Sophia Mohr’s interpretation of “purpose of life”
  • What are the 4 women’s issues that haven’t changed since 1911
  • How to unlearn in order to accept your feminine power
  • Why in order to succeed women need more ambition

At the end of this post, we encourage you to join us for a conversation. This week’s Juicy Bites question for you, dear emerging women, is:

1. Debunking the Whole “Life Purpose” Thing via Tara Sophia Mohr Wise Living

Tara Sophia Mohr believes that the traditional “life purpose” that each of us is searching for with angst, can actually be something that we don’t even acknowledge in our lives. In this blog post Tara also offers a short practice of how you can connect with your true purpose every morning.

“Here’s the truth: Your purpose is to bring more love to this earth. It is to heal where there is brokenness. It is to bring light where there is darkness. It is to restore sanity where insanity reigns, kindness where fear has taken over.”

Continue Reading…

2. Four Women’s Issues That Haven’t Changed Since 1911 via Huff Post Women

Over 100 years ago, radical writer and activist Emma Goldman penned the essay “The Tragedy of Woman’s Emancipation.” Goldman explored issues of equal pay, the tension between family life and home life, and the obstacles that inhibit true gender equality. Many of  the issues Goldman fought for feel nearly as relevant now as they must have then. Here are 4 of them:

1. Men dominate many of the most esteemed professional fields — and get paid more for their work.

2. Work stress disproportionately impacts women.

3. The “freedom” the workplace supposedly offers women sometimes doesn’t feel so free at all.

4. Women are doubling up on work at home and outside of the home.

Continue Reading…

3. Unlearning to find your way via Role Models Wanted

I had the great pleasure to be interviewed by Jenn Aubert, an entrepreneur, acupuncturist, business mindset coach, and writer. Her mission is to help women entrepreneurs get out of their own way so that they can live big. She helps female entrepreneurs bust through limiting beliefs, fears and self-doubts so that they can build and grow successful businesses.

In this interview we talk about the road to accepting your feminine power, and learning how to incorporate more feminine leadership qualities into your professional life; how to achieve true connection, collaboration and how to allow yourself to be vulnerable.

Continue Reading…

 4. Women Need More Than Confidence to Succeed, They Need Ambition via Huff Post Women

More than 70 percent of high school valedictorians in 2012  were women and it’s a well known fact that for decades, more female students than male students have graduated from college. Later on numbers drop dramatically for women: to 37 percent for mid-managers, and even lower, to 26 percent, for vice presidents and up. Women head slightly more than 4 percent of Fortune 500 companies. Continue Reading…

Dr. Peggy Drexler explains:

“Could bias, in fact, happen not only from the top down but also the inside out?It can. Persistent bias felt or perceived at any point in a woman’s career can erode her own ambition by causing her to feel less confident about her skills and abilities. She then strives for less. She doesn’t get the promotion or the raise not because it’s given to a man, or because she somehow doesn’t measure up, but because she’s voluntarily taken herself out of the running. It’s not confidence or ability that women are lacking, but ambition they’ve lost–or let go of–along the way.”

 

This week’s Juicy Bites question for you, dear emerging women is:

“How would describe, in one word, feminine power?”

Let’s start a conversation. We would love to hear from you! Leave a comment below.

10 Badass Quotes from 10 Badass Women

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What makes our Emerging Women Live speakers so unique?  Their authenticity, vulnerability, and courage. These are women who are not afraid to be themselves as they take creative risks or launch BIG ideas into the world. These are women who believe in the whole story, not just the pretty faces and the happy endings. These women represent an excellent blend of grace and grit – a formula that seems to be emerging in women leaders in all areas of our society. We hope you enjoy this list of Badass Quotes. Just click on a name to hear more from each woman – and join us for the live event to experience the full breadth of what these luminaries have to offer!

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