Being a woman entrepreneur has its challenges. From proving yourself in business, to showing your value beyond a pretty face, we all face uncomfortable moments knowing our value.
They say that women empowerment and equality in business is something we need to fight for. Feminism is portrayed as a form of activism. But beyond demonstrations, street signs and vocal shoutouts for our rights - what we do, day to day, in business meetings, negotiations and dealings, is at the end of the day what's going to define our power.
Asking for money, negotiating, dealing with rejection, closing deals...is something that is often left for men to do. We as women need to balance being a lady and being a business executive. Well, I say that we need to challenge that. We need to know our value, negotiate and close deals with the same power, confidence and almost cockiness that men use.
Men are naturally trained to defend and protect themselves. They know how to confront a battle. How to stay strong when someone is trying to bend them. Women are naturally more understanding, flexible and nurturing. That often leaves us at the negotiation table compromising for a lower rate, lowering our value. That is in essence what at the end of the day making us a statistic on the national pay rate and value.
The ability to negotiate and close deals as they happen, on the spot, is what's going to change that statistics. Shift to equality. And it starts with every single one of us, asking for money.
We as women, need to be able to shout out loud "Show Me The Shekels" with every deal we make. Each and every one of us.
The only way to change our income rate and value, statistically, is to change the statistics. No street walk or demonstration will do that for us.
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