BABES FOR BABES!
So I just came from a networking event called Women, Wine and Wisdom put on by the Ottawa Board of Trade and I am feeling so inspired and especially grateful for all the amazing women in my life!! My friends, sister, co-workers, neighbor’s & mom. I immediately had to message my group of friends, from high school & college to let them know just how thankful I am. I find through certain things in my life I am becoming more and more of a feminist of sorts. I love events like this because I find them so empowering and give me the kind of attitude I need as an aspiring woman entrepreneur. Four amazing, powerful women were key note speakers, all having gone through tremendous difficulties, only to work through it and come out on top. The event covered how to become resilient and the importance of kindness.
It is so important, as a woman especially, to become resilient because there are often times people who will try to put you down or be-little you, whether it be another female or a male. There are two degrading comments that have always stuck with me. The first; I was disagreeing with a male over something, probably silly, I don’t even remember now, but he interrupted when I was making my point saying “Excuse me what are you studying in school again?” with which I replied “Interior Decorating?” and he says, “Exactly”. As so much to invalidate all my opinions because I chose… CHOSE to study a field with which I have immense passion. No it may not be as intelligent as studying medicine but it definitely is not something I had to take because I had no other options due to my lack of intelligence? I let this comment bother me for so long but I had to be resilient to it! Did I believe this comment? No. I kept working hard in my studies and now have a good job that I love doing every day and that’s all that matters.
The second comment came from another male who was a server at a restaurant that I was assistant manager of. A position that I absolutely killed might I add. I loved and respected my team, and they to me. But this one comment, when I prompted a server to do something, his response was “It’s hilarious that you’re my boss.” I was speechless. This was someone I also saw as my friend. Why in any way could that be hilarious? I was very good at my job, I cared about the staff, I was fast, I was helpful, respectful, treated everyone as equals and I got shit done. The only reason I could come up with that this may be hilarious to him, is that I was a woman. This is something I had to be resilient to. I had to get over this and not believe his comment was true. I did this with the help of the empowerment I got from my female co-workers & supervisor but also many male coworkers and my male supervisor who never let me forget how awesome I was, for whom I am all very thankful! So it is definitely not all men! But after these two very impactful comments and certain things that happened to me in my personal life, I started to realize more and more how important it is as women to empower each other and stand by each other.
I am so lucky that I have kind, genuine, strong female friends. Most of which have been in my life for the majority of it. I know whatever I do in life or whatever I may go through I have a tribe of women behind me and that feels so amazing! As well in my new work pace, it is full of women who are positive and kind. I hope everyone can feel like this & that we can all band together. Babes for babes!!!!
