Women Grow Business

You know that pay gap that our Feminist friends have been battling for decades now? It’s still there.

I’m not especially shocked by this revelation.

However, what I am a bit shocked about is that contention that the foundation of gender pay disparities rests on a woman’s ability to negotiate salary increases,

so much so, that they require a “toolkit” to work their way around this issue.

Reporter Tara Siegel Bernard, who writes about negotiating strategies in this New York Times piece, explains that “part of the pay gap” can be easily explained by women’s departure from the workplace to raise a family (leaving them with less experience than their male peers) or that men “tend to work in higher-paying occupations.”

Yet, she still quotes a source that claims that about about 40% of the wage gap is unexplained, which is accounted for, at least in part, by women’s negotiating skills (or lack thereof).

Her advice? Be proactive and prepared (great advice) but more importantly, “tailor” your negotiation.

This means that women not only need to explain why their request is appropriate but also be sure not to harm their work relationships. Hence, a woman should frame her request based on the company’s needs rather than her own.

Additionally, a woman should reexamine how her raise (and theoretically greater responsibility) might affect their home lives.

Say what?!

What year are we living in? And why should women be expected to negotiate merit-based salary increases in a way that is soothing to their bosses?

Isn’t this a strategy that ultimately perpetuates the gap and glass ceiling and gender inequities?

When I worked in the corporate world, I was averaging 2o% salary increases on a yearly basis. Those increases were based on merit, performance and the amount of business I was running on the company’s behalf.

I did not mince words, massage my requests or consider if rewards for my hard work would negatively affect other commitments in my life.

Granted, the days of large salary increases are long gone. But so should the days of granting rewards based on gender be gone.

Bernard also writes that women who leave the formal workplace ultimately end up with less experience than their male counterparts.

In a day and age where women (and men) are increasingly entering the world as work-at-home consultants or telecommuters, the experience argument goes right out the window.

In fact, I recently read that more and more people prefer to consult on a shorter-term basis, moving from job to job or field to field with ever greater ease.

Finally, while many women choose lower paying career paths, many do not. In fact, according to a recent global survey (which I wrote about late last year) women own 40% of all US businesses and about 51% work in high-paying management, professional and related fields. (U.S. Department of Labor, 2008).

The imperative

I believe that it’s imperative to provide women with proper guidance and education that empowers them and helps them lower that glass ceiling and narrow disparities in the workplace.

Let’s start by fighting the stereotypes and treating them as equal players on the field.

What do you think?

More from:

• Liz on ageism in your career
• A conversation with the “rock star” boss, Lynn Tilton
• “Why hasn’t the glass ceiling been broken”? from Psychology Today

This post was cross-posted with permission from Flashfree. Image: LudoBC‘s Flickrstream, Creative Commons

Regular contributor Liz Scherer is a digital writer and consultant specializing in health/medicine/wellness. She produces Flashfree which brings her closer to her goal to engage, entertain and provide women in midlife with the tools to make informed decisions about their health. In addition to her blog, you can find Liz on Twitter or LinkedIn.

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Earlier this week, we published a post by Liz Scherer on what she called “the incredible disappearing woman,” and lessons from the famed chef, Mollie Katzen, on dealing with ageism in your career.

Liz followed up this remarkable post with another on her blog, that continues the conversation with Mollie and truly celebrates women. It seemed fitting, with International Women’s Day just a few days behind us, to publish an excerpt here (with Liz’ permission):

The Woman Grow Business post primarily focuses on how ageism affects our careers and the steps we can take to overcome inherent societal challenges. My friend, chef/author Mollie Katzen, played an important role in shaping that post.  In fact, it evolved out of an initial conversation that we had when we were discussing women, food and aging.

… Like Mollie, I know a number of middle-aged women who feel the need to adjust their physical appearance in order to compete. The gambit runs from hair color and botox to face lifts and labiaplasty.

The question is, are these things taking time and focus away from our work (or who we are)?

… Mollie says that throughout her life, she’s been greatly helped by Gloria Steinem’s famous quote when told she didn’t look 40: “this is what 40 looks like,” said Steinem. “That phrase has been my mantra,” explains Mollie; “this is what I look like.”

… Emphasizing that she dislikes and tries to avoid platitudes at all costs, Mollie agreed to share a few strategies that she and her friends have created. “They seem like small things,” says Mollie, “but they make a huge difference in how you come across.”

Please visit Liz’ blog to read some of these strategies which are indeed simple but highly effective (you’ll remember why your mother always told you to stand straight, for example). It’s truly a delightful read and celebrates women for all we are, have been, and continue to be.

Thank you, Liz and Mollie.

More:

• An interesting piece on ageism in the workplace on CareerBuilder.com
• The background on Jenny Joseph’s poem “Warning,” which led to the genesis of the Red Hat Society
• Numbers geek? Dive into any amount of data on women in the workplace from the U.S. Department of Labor

Image: petar_c‘s Flickrstream, Creative Commons

Regular contributor Liz Scherer is a digital writer and consultant specializing in health/medicine/wellness. She produces Flashfree which brings her closer to her goal to engage, entertain and provide women in midlife with the tools to make informed decisions about their health. In addition to her blog, you can find Liz on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Shonali Burke is editor of Women Grow Business and one of the country’s leading business communicators, who was named to PRWeek’s inaugural top “40 Under 40″ list of US-based PR professionals. She specializes in creating and implementing integrated (online and off), results-based, measurable communication programs for clients both large and small at Shonali Burke Consulting. An accredited business communicator, she is also Adjunct Faculty at Johns Hopkins University’s M.A. in Communications program and active in the local communications community as President of IABC/DC Metro. Talk to her via her blog, Waxing UnLyrical or Twitter.

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Are you of “a certain age” yet?

Have you heard that Sixty is the new Forty? And Seventy the new Fifty? Sounds appealing until you fully realize the implications.

Although women are more engaged and successful than ever (remember today’s International Women’s Day), the woman in the mirror might not have much to say about the fact that her image is likely to disappear right before her eyes – just as she’s reaching the pinnacle of her career.

In a “visual culture” like ours, where youth and beauty are often valued more than experience and “foundation,” many women find that they eventually cease to exist.

A notable observation by Australian researcher and psychologist Dr. Lauren Rosewarne refers to the fact that society renders women of “a certain age” invisible and unattractive, i.e. synonymous with a failure to contribute meaningfully to society.

Short of throwing in the towel just after you celebrate your 40th or 50th birthday, what steps can you take to stay relevant, visible and empowered in your career and in your business?

Chef/author Mollie Katzen has managed to buck the trend, primarily because she is in a field where, she says, “women are not only allowed to age but where age is seen as an enhancement to credibility.” Think Julia Child, Alice Waters, Marcella Hazen, etc.

This on Mollie from her website:

Mollie Katzen, with over 6 million books in print, is listed by the New York Times as one of the best-selling cookbook authors of all time. A 2007 inductee into the prestigious James Beard Cookbook Hall of Fame, and largely credited with moving healthful vegetarian food from the “fringe” to the center of the American dinner plate, Ms. Katzen has been named by Health Magazine as one of “The Five Women Who Changed the Way We Eat.” An award-winning illustrator and designer as well as best-selling cookbook author and popular public speaker, Mollie Katzen is best known as the creator of the groundbreaking classics Moosewood Cookbook, and The Enchanted Broccoli Forest.

However, it’s not just a matter of the field you choose; it’s also important to devise a strategy that ensures that you continue to matter.

Stay centered in your “standard.”

Mollie attributes her longevity to a commitment to “serving others,” i.e. anticipating what people need and then providing that.

“I see myself as reaching out and picturing my audience in their own kitchens, on their own budgets trying to balance work, family and home. I think and wonder a lot about my readers  [think: customer]; it’s not about me, I just want to help.”

Don’t drink the Kool-Aid.

Buck societal aversion to age by avoiding dogma and overcoming prejudice. Continue to evolve your business in new ways that positions you for longevity.

For Mollie, what’s worked is embracing objectivity and tools that have allowed her to create recipes [think: services] that she believes benefit others.

In other words, cater to, anticipate and be inclusive of your customers’ tastes regularly.

Leverage your power to empower.

“Women age better in the food field than in other fields,” says Mollie.

Are you in a field where age is not as important? The more that women are able to embrace their age, play up their strengths and share their wisdom, the likelier it is that the universe of older women will be empowered and enabled.

Look in the mirror…often.

What do you see? “I was greatly helped by Gloria Steinem’s famous quote when told she didn’t look 40,” Mollie explains.

The quote: This is what 40 looks like. This, Steinem repeats every decade.

Dramatic social change takes time. To truly overcome ageism in the workplace, women need to overcome their own insecurities about age, support older, age-peer role models in authority roles and challenge dogma.

More from:

• The Economist on women in the workforce and “female power” and the Guardian on when women are too old to appear on TV
• A look at “the invisible older woman” in the media over at the British Psychological Society
• Regular contributor Patricia Frame’s recent post on personal capacity building
• A history of International Women’s Day

Graphic, Taiga, used within Dreamstime distribution rights purchased by Liz Scherer

Regular contributor Liz Scherer is a digital writer and consultant specializing in health/medicine/wellness. She produces Flashfree which brings her closer to her goal to engage, entertain and provide women in midlife with the tools to make informed decisions about their health. In addition to her blog, you can find Liz on Twitter or LinkedIn.

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This year has brought great impact and change to many of the blogger community here (and it’s the launch year of Women Grow Business to boot!). Many bloggers have shared recently what they’re most grateful for in their businesses in 2009.

The first few:

Liz Scherer, producer of Flashfree:

I’m thankful for a wonderful team of consultants who challenge, stimulate and create; an amazing local community that has allowed me to develop and grow; an evolving interest in women’s health that frequently provides fodder for my blogging efforts.

Thursday Bram, founder of Hyper Modern Consulting:

I’ve realized I can create successful projects beyond working for freelancing clients. And this year, my success in my business has allowed my husband and I to purchase a home. Also this year I was able to hire an assistant who’s happy to take on tasks that have gotten in the way of my writing, letting me get back to the work I love.

Shana Glickfield, producer of DC Concierge:

It’s been an incredible year meeting an amazing community of women entrepreneurs. I’ve started working with clients who understand the benefits (and pitfalls) of social media. I’m really grateful for the social technology that enables so much of these connections and my work.

Jen Nedeau, media consultant/director of digital strategy for AirAmerica Media:

This year I was thrilled to see AirAmerica received the most web traffic in its existence during the month of November 2009. A great organization I volunteer for, the New Leaders Council, doubled in size going from five to 11 chapters across the country. And this will end up training more than 200 young progressives this year on how to be better, more successful leaders. I’ve been editor at WomensRights.Change.Org which turns one year old this year and continues to drive discussion about the feminist movement.

What about your business? What benchmarks and successes are you grateful for?

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Make it human, be sure it’s authentic.
When Jill asked me to write a post about building quality partnerships, one essential ‘quality’ came to mind – being human – and more importantly, being an ‘authentic’ human.

Partnerships are no different than the more intimate relationships in our lives; in fact, we often spend more hours and days and weeks with our business partners than we do our personal ones.

So, why do many of us differentiate the two when we approach a potential business partner or project partner?

Moreover, what are the most basic human questions that we should be asking ourselves when we start to consider whether or not a specific person will add value to our work?

Would I marry X?
Whoa! Wait a minute! We’re talking business here, not marriage! I’m not planning on living with X, sleeping with X, attending social gatherings with X, sharing finances with X…Oh really? Actually, you will be living/breathing/thinking/feeling X probably for a good portion of the time that you are working with them, whether that working relationship is face-to-face, on the phone or completely virtual.

Are our values the same when it comes to our work habits?
Let’s face it: no single person’s values are exactly the same as anothers’. But you should ask yourselves if your differences are apt to place a wedge in shared goals for the business or project (or on the other hand, further and expand those goals)?

What assets does X have that I am missing?
How do these assets complement and detract from each other? Some of the best collaborations come from our individuality. For example, X’s strength may lie in the ability to see the bigger picture while my strength lies in the details.

What is X’s degree of experience?
Does it match mine (and visa versa)? No partner wants to feel as though they are doing the bulk of the work or spending most of their time mentoring rather than doing (unless that is the arrangement). Like values, it’s important that experiences compliment and not mimic.
Is X “authentic?”

Authenticity is a term that is kicked around a lot, especially in social media circles. For me, “authenticity” is both about remaining true to one’s character while at the same time and more critically (as Seth Godin suggests) “doing what you promise.”

Cut away the surface noise and what you’re left with is an individual who is truly willing to take action AND responsibility.

Just as customers are increasingly seeking meaning and trust in products or brands, so should we seek the same in people with whom we choose to engage. This concept takes ‘Show and Tell’ to a new level.

Finally, make it legitimate.
A foundation is critical before you can build a partnership. But the walls that go around that partnership are equally essential. In this regard, it’s truly important that partners understand the rules of engagement, the nature of their agreement and the terms for extending or extricating oneself from the project or business.

Thinking of forming a partnership?

The following resources will provide further food for thought:

• LegalZoom.com provides access to affordable partnership agreements and information;
• Inc.com rounds out the story with some basics you need to know before moving new partnerships forward;
• More from my Women Grow Business posts on the relational aspects of building your business.

Guest post by Liz Scherer, digital writer and consultant specializing in health/medicine/wellness. She produces Flashfree which brings her closer to her goal to engage, entertain and provide women in midlife with the tools to make informed decisions about their health. In addition to her blog, you can find Liz on Twitter (http://twitter.com/LizScherer) or LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/in/lizscherercopy).

(Image Hand Shake, iStock, image licensed to author, Liz Scherer. )

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The more the merrier, right?
This rule applies in many aspects of life…except for when it comes to growing your blog and your business. Sometimes you can do both of you a favor by simply saying there’s no more room at the table.

As Flashfree has started attract more readers, I’ve begun to receive at least one unsolicited guest post request a month. Although the offer is attractive on the surface, especially if it’s been a particularly busy week or if I’m coming up short on content, I’m usually hesitant to welcome an uninvited guest to my blogosphere.

The reason? There’s often a lot more at stake than just one post; the wrong fit may reflect poorly on my mission, ultimate goals and possibly, my reputation.

Before you welcome the guest to the table, consider the following:

Are you familiar with the blogger’s work?
As a business owner, you wouldn’t hire an unknown entity, right? So why would you publish someone’s work without thoroughly vetting them? Visit their links to see if their writing style jives with yours’, and what they tend to write about. Pay attention to verbiage, long- or short-windedness, and how well they’ve researched the topic. If you are trying to market yourself as a women’s health advocate and they regularly write about gardening, it might not be a good fit.

Do you know the blogger personally?
Better the devil you know. I tend to gravitate towards bloggers who I regularly read and with whom I’ve interacted in real life or via social networks. Offering a guest spot allows me to deepen the relationship, extend support to their business or personal goals while at the same time, simultaneously furthering both our missions.

Have they asked you to assign a topic to them or are they pitching a topic?
I tend to avoid any guest posters who are looking for an assignment. I’m not an editor by trade nor do I have the extra time to go looking for a fit. I like it when someone approaches me with an idea; not only does it show that they’re familiar with the site, but it also demonstrates that they are genuinely interested in it.

What’s does their blog traffic look like?
This last point may be a contentious one. We all started somewhere and new bloggers deserve as much attention as more established bloggers do. But poor traffic or a lack of indication of growth can help you make a decision as to whether or not to take a chance on new talent. Alexa.com has a search feature that allows you to see traffic rank and users. Again, it’s not about being in the top 100,000 but rather, a litmus test for commitment or influence.

Finally, follow your inner voice. When an unsolicited email finds its way into your inbox, it’s essential to listen closely to what your heart and gut are saying.

Bon appétit!

[Image credit: Stephanie Connell, all rights purchased by Liz Scherer]

More from:
Liz Scherer on women leveraging community at Women Grow Business.

Guest post by Liz Scherer, digital writer and consultant specializing in health/medicine/wellness. She produces Flashfree which brings her closer to her goal to engage, entertain and provide women in midlife with the tools to make informed decisions about their health. In addition to her blog, you can find Liz on Twitter (http://twitter.com/LizScherer) or LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/in/lizscherercopy).

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Guest post by Liz Scherer, digital writer and consultant specializing in health/medicine/wellness. She produces Flashfree which brings her closer to her goal to engage, entertain and provide women in midlife with the tools to make informed decisions about their health. In addition to her blog, you can find Liz on Twitter (http://twitter.com/LizScherer) or LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/in/lizscherercopy).

“Everything old is new again.”
Remember that song? To me it seems the ideal metaphor for social media these days. Aggregators like Twitter or Facebook or FriendFeed or LinkedIn provide like-minded souls, neighbors, friends and colleagues with a centralized location where they can drop in and out at their leisure, exchange ideas, do business, and learn.

Is this a new concept? Not really.
As women, we have been leveraging community since Eve was banished to the outer reaches of Eden. We have been engaging in dialogue, sharing hopes, dreams, loves, trials and tribulations our entire lives.

Adding value and gaining value in our communities is an inherent aspect of being a woman.

So, why can’t we take this approach we’ve always applied in our daily lives of community and use them in ways that allow us to realize our business dreams?

More importantly, where and how do we start?

• Observe, seek, & listen.
  As a writer, I observe the world around me constantly. I seek out individuals who may have something interesting to say, something relevant to what I am trying to learn, and I listen…not only to their words, but to the meanings underlying those thought processes and to their actions.
• Do your research. And then do it again.
  Interested in starting a business geared towards “X?” The old paradigm: find out what people are saying and doing, and learn what other similar businesses are doing and not doing and then do it. The new paradigm: swim in the fishbowl for a bit.



• Identify but also engage your target audience.
  Find out what resonates in their core and what doesn’t.
• Learn what members of your community at-large have done in their professional and personal lives.
  Consider how that might be leveraged or applied to growing your business.
• Immerse yourself in the ‘game.’
  Attend conferences, meet ups, cocktail hours, social events, anything to put you face-to- face with your community and other like-minded souls.

That old adage “it’s who you know” applies well in this arena.

• Don’t just start the conversation, continue it.[image, The Conversation, by Closely Observed per Creative Commons]

  Your community values what you have to say so long as you keep the conversation going. Few people love the individual who sucks all the air out the room. Establish a presence for yourself, let people get to know the woman behind the curtain, become a willing participant and then offer to continue that conversation offline, on the phone, in person, in real life.

• Then, be an equal opportunity provider.
  Got a blog? Seek out guest posters. Are you a freelance writer with overflow? Farm out some work or recommend a colleague to a client. Is Mrs. X your competition? Throw her a lead or two. What goes around comes around isn’t just karmic; it actually works.
• Finally, draw your roadmap in pencil.
  You may have the door slammed in your face a few times but eventually, you’ll find the crack in the armor. The reality is that in these challenging economic times, flexibility rules and you may need to redraw your plan a few times. If something doesn’t work, looks like a dead end, or has “been done,” go back to your community and find out what you might have missed there on the first go. You’re not afraid to ask your community of friends for help. So don’t be afraid to ask your community of online networks; you may be surprised at the line of people just waiting to lend a hand.

More from:

• Lipsticking and when the going gets tough, the tough get social;
• Talking differently (or not) to women communities at Learned on Women;
• Liz Strauss asks a compelling questions: have you ever seen a real-life social ecosystem?

Liz Scherer has been drawing and redrawing her roadmap since leaving corporate life in 1992. Her blog Flashfree is ranked in the top 100 blogs for women’s health.

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