Every day is a great day to champion women, but especially this day. As a woman working in tech, I have no shortage of inspiration on the subject. Thriver employs close to 200 people, including a staggering number of talented women who, unknowingly, blow my mind every day. Our Culture team recently filmed some of these women speaking about what makes them proud to be a woman, and I’m here to back them up with a few words of my own.
To the women who juggle.
I’m humbled by women who handle a lot. Like those total powerhouses who have a full-time career, do volunteer work on the side, and still have a vibrant social life. Or the woman who works a nine-hour day and then spends the rest of her waking hours raising small children. Or the woman who’s dealing with BIG life events that her coworkers don’t even know about, and still works harder than anyone else in her department.
?To the women who dream big.
As if working for a fast-moving, culture-shifting startup weren’t inspiring enough, some of the women I work with are leveraging their leftover energy to start their own venture, build their own brand, make their own mark in the world. Whether they’re an artist, activist or entrepreneur, some of the women I work with know exactly how much power they have, and they aren’t wasting any time harnessing it.
?To the women who aren’t in a rush.
There’s this tremendous pressure on women to be unstoppable multitaskers who get everything done without breaking a sweat. So I’m inspired when I get to know women who don’t succumb to that pressure; that perpetual urgency to check boxes. Hats off to the women who take time for themselves, to breathe and digest the world around them, and who are impervious to the stress du jour. These are the women teaching us what self-care is really all about.
To the women with empathy.
I work with a lot of women who often ask me how I’m doing and how I’m feeling and I’m pretty sure they really, genuinely mean it. They take the time to find out how I’m feeling, whether or not it’s good for business. And the thing is, it is good for business. Even though these little sidebar conversations we have about feelings aren’t directly impacting our goals for the quarter, they’re having a longer-term impact on what we can do for the company. They’re strengthening our bond and when it comes to the actual work, we’re even more capable together.
To the women with attitude.
I’ve always considered a woman with attitude to be a woman who isn’t afraid to express herself. Attitude can be expressed in so many ways – through clothes, tone of voice, even facial expressions. I’ve seen a woman completely change the energy of a room with a well-timed cock of her eyebrow. I think the almighty power of being a woman is so intense that no one can really comprehend it, but a woman with attitude gives us a glimpse into it. There’s a fearlessness to a woman with attitude. A rebelliousness. And while I champion a little bit of rebellion in everyone, I love seeing a woman embrace her rebellious side, because history.
To the women I work with.
I’m not used to working at a hyper-growing startup that’s bringing in new hires every week, and I’m not used to being surrounded by SO many strong, talented, brilliant women, from all over the world. Each one of these women is bringing her own distinct power that is helping propel this company forward, and when we bring our powers together… we’re downright dangerous. So here’s to you, gals! You’re all a bunch of warriors and you make me so excited for what’s next.