Women Supporting Women, but do they?
March is International Women’s Month, which doesn’t change the fact that I am always looking for ways I can support women in business. It got me thinking about the importance of supporting one another, but in reality, this doesn’t always happen. It’s unfortunate because when one of us wins, we all win. Truly!
Do we like the term “Lady Boss?” I’m not sure…
Either way, let’s think of ways we can lift each other up and show support. Read on for my thoughts on the topic.
Last year, I made it my personal mission to support organically grown businesses with a focus on women-owned. And by support, I mean put my money where my mouth is and look for opportunities to shop small first. This has made a huge difference in the quality of items I have added to my closet. I no longer shop “dupes” on Amazon and avoid fast fashion. Instead, I look for opportunities to support the original artists making a difference in their own communities. I have had the pleasure of working with many women in business over the years and am honored to have these ladies in my network as friends and colleagues. I love continuing to cheer them on from the sidelines.
What I have come to notice is that this is not always the case for all women. A very simple example can be seen on social media. While I don’t rely on social media to drive my business and do not have a need for a high level of engagement, I definitely take notice of who shows support versus skipping on by to the next. While I realize my lack of content could be the reason things are missed (thank you, algorithm), I find it very interesting when women I know ask how my business is going but are not showing up in my likes and comments. I want to be clear that I am not complaining or taking this personally. I will also admit, my perspective greatly shifted when I started my own business. My hope with this post is to share this perspective in an effort to challenge us all to think a little differently about how we can show up for each other. My followers are mostly women, and having worked with many women in business, I do feel like I have data to back this up.
We all come across posts regularly about how to support small businesses for free, and this is a huge way you can help a small business owner show up in other people’s feeds. I will also own that I used to be one to just scroll and not like, but now I try to make an effort to support other business owners in this way. From content creators that I do not know personally to women I have worked with or know outside of the business world, I do my best to hit like or comment on a post. It really does make a difference and costs me nothing to show this type of support.
What would it be like if we all showed up for one another in support?
Back to my usual soapbox, business owners are truly the ones having the biggest impact on their communities. Some are also mothers trying to bring in income on the side while raising their families. Others are entrepreneurs supporting both their families and communities through sponsorships and helping local non-profits.
There is a tendency to feel competitive with one another, but the reality is that we can all have a greater impact by showing support to one another. This pertains to women in business as well as supporting local. I challenge everyone to consider how you can show up for the women in your lives in this way. Think about where you spend your time, click like or drop a quick comment of encouragement, or shop their business if they have something you need. Take the challenge this month and beyond and stay tuned for more businesses I personally support when given the opportunity.
If I can be of support for your business in any way, please reach out: jlwatrob@north8designs.com.
