This International Women’s Day #choosetochallenge is the call to arms to raise awareness against gender bias, stereotypes, assumptions, and to forge women’s empowerment, visibility and inclusivity. So what do you choose to challenge?
Minority female-owned businesses are growing faster than any other demographic in the United States right now, partly due to increased resources and awareness and partly due to necessity as our economy shifts and fragments and the long tail becomes more available with the advent of digital and globalization. Are you a woman who wants to own her own business but doesn’t know where or how to start?
Start now. Start with an idea and try it small scale, and if it fails, shift and learn and start something new. Resources are out there: grants, scholarships, support networks, mentorships. Grab them, dig in hard, and go for it.
Your career is not a conference call.
As former Los Angeles news anchor-turned-entrepreneur Michelle Ruiz once said, “If people doubt how far you can go, go so far that you can’t hear them anymore.” That is not to say that entrepreneurship is easy. It’s hard work. It’s falling down and getting up. It’s learning how to be efficient with your time and smart with your money.
Today we challenge each other to create a more equitable world, but ultimately, the most important person you can challenge is yourself.
Happy International Women’s Day. Rise up.
