That Time I Didn’t Negotiate My Pay — and What Happened Then

True 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.

Event, The SumGloria FeldtApril 14, 2025womens equality, gender parity, leadership, equal pay, lilly ledbetterComment

Lilly Ledbetter: Her Equal Pay Victory Resonates as Struggle Continues

Unequal pay for women is still a thing.

Even as a new film salutes the tireless advocacy of the late Lilly Ledbetter, the force behind the 2009 Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, women in this country are still behind men in earning the same money for the same work.

The national Equal Pay Day held recently in March marks the day that women earn as much in 15 months as men do in the 12-month calendar year that ends in December.

All in This Together: Feminists Need to Support, Speak Up and Act Now

Roxane 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.”

Event, Inspirational Role ModelsMichele WeldonApril 4, 2025feminism, roxane gay, leadership, gender parity, gender equalityComment

Not an April Fools’ Joke: 😇 Smell the Pivotal Blessing

The delicately sweet aroma of citrus blossoms brought back a powerful sensation as I stepped outside of my Arizona home this April Fools’ Day.

It was the scent I’d first experienced on this exact date: April 1, 1978.

I had taken a late evening flight from my Odessa, Texas home to Phoenix the night before, following a quick trip to a department store to buy a proper suit for an interview that had come a year sooner than my intentions.

On the morning of April 1, I stepped out into the bright Arizona sun.

The unfamiliar scent permeated the air. It wasn’t harsh or cloying, more like a softly perfumed pillow around me. I thought I had landed in some sort of paradise.

Little did I know my life would take a pivotal turn, which I have ever since associated with the aroma of citrus blossoms.

Super Stress in Chaos: How to Manage Your Team and Yourself With Care

This 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.

Courage to Lead: 3 Moves to Unlock Big Impact

Anxiety 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, Listen, Learn: 13 Great Books by Women Authors for Women’s History Month

With days to go on Women’s History Month, the theme, “Moving Forward Together,” celebrating "Women Educating and Inspiring Generations" fits perfectly with Take The Lead’s suggested list of books by women authors writing about history.

Even with the trend of banned books and the threat to reduce funding to public libraries, the habit of reading (and listening) to books is high in this country, with more women consuming books in all forms—ink on paper, ebooks and audiobooks—than men. There is also a trend of more women publishing books than men—a gender gap worth applauding.

MediaMichele WeldonMarch 21, 2025womens history month, reading, literature, leadership, gender gapComment

Move, Stay, or Pivot? Uncertain Times Make Career Choices Different For Many

Should you stay or should you pivot?

The current climate is complicating the career paths of millions due to the factors of unpredictable layoffs, economic uncertainty, hiring freezes, pay reductions, and a general fear of culture changes enforced by a DEI-resistant administration.

How that plays out for leaders, managers and colleagues on different career trajectories, industries and levels of progress on a management ladder varies widely. But it is remarkably different from the Great Resignation sparked by COVID-19, that also enveloped many with a sense of possibility for entrepreneurship rallies and pivots into daring careers.

Career choicesMichele WeldonMarch 14, 2025Career Path, Career Goals, Economy, Career Development, Gender ParityComment

Lilly and Judy ✴️ Historic Calls to Action

What 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.

Don’t Get Mad: Keys to Calm Negotiating With Tough Partners for Your Win

A newly pervasive culture of shouting matches at school board meetings, city council meetings, citizen meetings with elected officials, youth sports, union meetings, public protests, board meetings, diplomacy meetings and even televised negotiations from the Oval Office have all normalized yelling, name-calling and bullying.

But this behavior is neither normal nor productive. So how do you change the momentum of the moment when you are in a work environment and someone shouts, yells, screams or causes chaos to erupt?

Happy Women’s History Month?

On 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.

Gender Parity, The SumGloria FeldtMarch 3, 2025womens leadership, womens history month, gender parity, diversity, leadershipComment

Making History: 10 Black Women Leaders Inspire With Advice, Purpose, Action

At 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.

Parity, Leadership/Political a...Michele WeldonFebruary 28, 2025gender parity, racial equity, womens leadership, women, leadership adviceComment

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