Vocalize Your Empowerment
By Jamie Hooker
Imagine you’re at a happy hour with your friends. You’re all talking about your lives, your jobs, what you had for lunch earlier, that big win you had a work this week, etc. Starting those conversations, sharing even the smallest successes and congratulating others for theirs are the easiest ways to vocalize empowerment. Showing support for your friends and the women around you can go a long way!
It seems that now, more than ever, it’s important to talk about empowerment with your friends. Have conversations about how to help others, speak up if you notice someone you know needing a pep talk, and share that great blog post about #GirlPower you read the other day. Keeping empowerment top of mind is key to growth.
How many times have you heard someone say, “It’s all about who you know?” Probably a lot. Networking and meeting other smart, powerful women can be helpful to you and them. There are tons of meet-ups and organizations that host networking happy hours and events, a popular one in Austin, Texas being BossBabes ATX (check ‘em out!). So, you end up meeting a bunch of awesome women, now what? Suggest organizations for them to join or volunteer with. Keep each other posted on career changes and job opportunities. Provide tips on interviews and resume building. The possibilities are endless!
We touched on this a bit in our Empower By Investing post, but being an advocate for small businesses is another way to vocalize your empowerment. Tell people about the cute little restaurant you tried for dinner last weekend, or give the small “Mom and Pop” shop a good review on Yelp. You can also be an advocate for women, which is easy! Speak up for women’s rights or write a letter of recommendation for the young woman intern at the office.
Vocalizing your empowerment may be the easiest way to support women around you. You should do it every single day if you can. There’s always advice to give and take, and there’s always someone to help. We also just gave you a ton of ideas so go forth and use them!