Dream Crazier: Reflections on International Women’s Day 2019

“If we show emotion, we’re called dramatic. If we want to play against men, we’re nuts. And if we dream of equal opportunity? Delusional.”

Listening as those words escaped from Serena Williams’ mouth in the newest Nike ad campaign, Dream Crazier, I felt a surge of emotion—I felt seen.

There have been many points during my career where I’ve been called crazy. Crazy for dreaming too big, for relentlessly pushing to close the gender gap, for striking out on my own even though I had a steady job. Crazy for creating a remote workforce when it was considered taboo or too risky, for opening an MMA gym with my husband when I didn’t know the first thing about running a gym or a consumer-based business. I have navigated challenges as an employee and as the CEO of my own company. None of it has been easy, but it has been worth it.

Today is International Women’s Day and while this day stirs up powerful imagery of successes, failures and the future, for me, it’s also a time for reflection. A time to recognize how far we’ve come and to admit, there’s still a lot of work to be done.We’re still trying to achieve equal pay for equal work, implement fair parental leave requirements for both moms and dads, elevate women into positions of power and leadership, and so much more.

Did you know International Women’s Day actually started in 1911? I didn’t. But it makes sense as generations before us have been fighting for equality for eons. This year’s theme is: “Better the balance, better the world,” and it strikes a chord for me. I often talk about fighting for balance to ensure it gets easier for generations to come. What we need to remember is that balance isn’t a women’s issue. For the world’s economy and communities to thrive, it’s everyone’s issue.

So why do I fight for balance? Look at the picture associated with this post. It represents the people on our team who send me messages like: “I have you to thank for allowing me to be the one who puts my babies to sleep at night.”

Can you believe there are people on our team who prior to joining ClearEdge never attended a play, school field trip or anything that happened during the day for their kids because their job wasn’t flexible and it was frowned upon to take time off? People on our team who NEVER took vacation in fear they’d lose their job upon return or miss out on something important. I bet you can believe it because it’s more common than not. I’m fighting for change. I’m fighting for our industry. I’m fighting for my team. I’m fighting for their kids. For my son.

My path has been anything but traditional, but here are a few things I’ve learned along the way.

Use Your Voice

While I fought Imposter Syndrome and a lack of confidence early in my career as a CEO, today I realize that I have a voice and a strong network willing to listen. If I don’t use that platform for change, it would be a shame. Plus, I sit in an industry that struggles with diversity, so I see the challenges first-hand. From our executive women in recruitment podcast to a women in tech group I co-founded called ARA - which includes over 6,000 women AND men to involvement with industry associations, I’m on a mission for change. I encourage all of you to find and use your voices, as well. We’re in this together, men and women alike.

Motherhood and Career

Talk about crazy. If you’ve heard me speak about diversity before, you know that I had to hide my pregnancy during sales calls as prospects questioned if we’d be in business because I was having a baby. I mean, how could I possibly run a company AND have a family? I don’t know. My grandmother ran multiple clothing stores while raising three boys. If she did it, I knew I certainly could.

Anyone who knows me understands how much I treasure and value being a mother. For many years, I didn’t think my path would lead to motherhood, especially knowing how demanding my career had become and still is, but it did and I’m forever grateful.

Work-life balance is of course a struggle—no one can do it all alone. But I’m surrounded by a support system that allows me to strike that balance as much as possible. Allows me to stay healthy; both mentally and physically. When I decided to venture out on a retreat (you know, meditation, yoga, challenge courses and SLEEP!) just two weeks ago before I attended an industry conference and it meant being away from home for seven days—I got zero pushback. Instead I got: “You need to take care of yourself first and foremost.” When I set out to launch ClearEdge Marketing, I knew I wanted to create an environment that made it possible for women and men to succeed. By developing a flexible work model, I’ve been able to balance motherhood while also pushing forward in my career. In addition, I’ve been able to offer the same for my employees.

As a society, we have a long way to go to help working parents feel supported and to continue to advance in their careers. If I can provide a stepping stone along the way while also being able to be the mother I want to be for my son, maybe other organizations will feel inspired to do the same. Call me crazy, but I have watched generations pave the path for me—I don’t want to let their determination go to waste, to fail them—and I certainly don’t want to fail our future.

On this International Women’s Day, I encourage each of you to share your reflections and hopes for the future.