Sometimes, what you want to say is better said by others.
And sometimes articles write themselves as a result. That’s the case with my “Sum of the Week” blogpost today. My heart is so full of joy and appreciation for the powerful film “Lilly,” about the long fight for equal pay, written and directed by Rachel Feldman and produced by many investors, including Jyoti Sarda, who graced the panel with her experience bringing forth the independent film.
Read MoreThis is real life.
So there is no cause to get panicked that because of recent economic shakeups, tariffs, threats of a recession, and wild market fluctuations, you will end up in financial ruin.
Your life will not mimic that of the fictional Victory Ratliff (so perfectly played by Parker Posey) in the recent finale episode of “The White Lotus,” when her husband, Timothy, says their lives are about to change because they have lost all semblance of wealth and prosperity.
“Nooooo.”
Read MoreTrue confession. Like many women, early in my career, I felt so lucky to get work that was meaningful to me that I typically said, “Thank you,” got right to work, and never even thought about negotiating based on what the marketplace would bear.
The first time I remember being conscious that the pay level could actually be a factor impacting my future—as well as my present ability to pay the bills—I knew the position I had interviewed for paid 20% more than the teaching job I had intended to seek.
So I thought I was being pretty smart to take it. Didn’t do my research. Never even considered negotiating. Gave no thought to how all my future pay levels would build off of that one.
Read MoreRoxane Gay is not a bad feminist. And is there really such a thing?
The acclaimed author, editor, columnist, and editor of the new anthology The Portable Feminist Reader says good or bad, there is no one kind of feminism throughout history, including today.
What is true about feminism today is that those pushing the current political agenda “know what feminism is because they are trying to undo its power. Feminism is everything they do not represent.” She added, “That is why they want to erase words like feminism.”
Read MoreThis is not an April Fool’s joke: Women are more stressed than men at work now. Maybe that is not even a surprise.
Yes, the stress you feel is real and most everybody in America right now is feeling it at work and home—it is just apparently affecting women more. Denying the stress is counterproductive; how you handle it is key to reducing its impact on you and the entire workplace culture.
Read MoreAnxiety is in the air. You can feel it everywhere — layoffs, political uncertainty, the gnawing fear that the earth is shifting beneath our feet.
In times like these, leadership can feel impossible. How can you lead when you don’t even know what the next week will bring?
The truth is courage to lead isn’t knowing all the answers. It’s stepping forward even when you don’t.
Read MoreWhat an amazing International Women’s Day 2025 I was privileged to experience! It was equal measure inspiring celebrations of women’s progress and passionate calls to action to change the state of the world for women, where rights won are being lost and many protections of equal treatment are being erased a warp speed.
The two events I attended both received well deserved standing ovations.
That’s because of the way each exemplified progress is possible through struggle and movement building. And each illustrated a poignant reminder that no step forward is forever unless there is constant activism.
Read MoreOn the third day of #womenshistorymonth, I’m reflecting on promises fulfilled and unfulfilled of the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women. I attended it in Beijing in 1995.
I was in the room where it happened 30 years ago. Two rooms where it happened, actually.
The experience was life changing. World changing. But that was then.
Read MoreAt the close of Black History Month, which began in 1915 in this country, and was made into law in 1986, Take The Lead salutes 10 Black women leaders across industries and influence. Diving into their contributions and keen advice for leaders today, there is so much wisdom to glean that moves far past one month of the year. And into forever.
In spite of Google eliminating its visual salute to the month and the Department of Defense declaring it erased—as well as Women’s History Month and National Disability Employment Month—Take The Lead acknowledges the depth and breadth of Black women in business, entrepreneurship, education, media and all of American culture far past the calendar mont of the year.
Read MoreMadeleine moved to a new state with her husband who got a great job there, but she felt the loss of grounding without family and friends and the stimulation of a large city. She approached me to volunteer for Take The Lead and we began to work on a plan.
“I’m feeling alive again,” she said.
In our fast-paced, often overwhelming world, anxiety, fear, and depression can creep in like shadows at dusk — persistent, heavy, and seemingly insurmountable. Yet, hidden in the very act of taking a step forward is a powerful remedy. Action, even in its smallest form, can serve as the antidote to these pervasive feelings.
Read MoreTake The Lead is 11 years old this week on February 19. Eleven years ago, Gloria Feldt and Amy Litzenberger co-founded the organization with the bold mission of society reaching leadership gender parity across all sectors by 2025—this year.
For the past 11 years, Take The Lead has been working towards achieving gender and race equity in leadership across all sectors and industries. In that time, Take The Lead has been making enormous impact affecting hundreds of thousands of women in their careers and lives.
Read MoreAs the dust settles after the November 5th election, many of you are deflated, while others are elated.
No matter where you stand, one thing is clear: Take The Lead’s mission for gender parity in leadership across all sectors has never been more essential. Our work transcends party lines and industries, grounded in the belief that advancing women’s economic power, parity, and reproductive freedom benefits us all.
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