Surrounding Yourself With Powerful Women

It can’t be dismissed — the feeling of empowerment when you meet another like-minded woman.

My entire life — i’ve seeked and been seeked for and by powerful women. My life would not be the same without these individuals:

• My 2nd grade teacher that whipped my ass in shape when I was acting out. (OK not physically but I needed to be set straight constantly). She was small but truly mighty.
• My counselor at the YMCA “Neeko” for showing me what it means to be comfortable in my own skin. She was someone that taught me that playing with the boys is OK and they should respect me too.
• All the baseball mom’s that cheered and constantly fought for me to be in the newsletter for the our wooden bat league. I was one of 2 or 3 girls in the league. To see myself be seen as a “leader” at a young age and told I am badass was something i’ve never experienced before.
• One of my best friends at the time (which was actually my first crush) was someone I truly admired. She was uber popular and made me break out of my shell when I was timid.
• My assistant principal from high school (whom found me in 7th grade) was one of my biggest role models. She was one of the very first women of color in leadership that i’ve ever seen/interacted with/respected. She graduated from Duke and was one of the most outspoken leaders in my life to this date. She opened so many doors that have created the success I have today. When I needed something, she always had a gameplan. She was another mother to me.
• My avid teacher in 8th grade. I met her in 7th grade — she instilled some of the angsty/can do/take no shit attitude I have today. When I was lazy or started to give in, she was always there to rekindle the fire within me. She was my confidant and supporter when at times I had no one. She believed in me every single day no matter how silly/annoying/ridiculous I was. She didn’t listen to my excuses and instilled strong moral integrity and manners in my lifestyle. She called me out on my shit and when I needed some extra time for something or things were getting tough — she was always there to pick me back up.
• My avid teacher in 9th grade. This is another mama. She is a fiesty Italian woman that will push you harder than you’ve ever thought you can go. She was the “cool” teacher — taught me that passion and commitment to your passions in life is much sweeter than monetary greed. The passion she would exude for her classes and kids were contagious. She just has a way of making you laugh and learn while being pissed off because she’s making you go outside your comfort zone.
• My biology teacher that constantly gave me D’s until I finally passed the class with a C. She taught me that no matter how buddy buddy you can be with someone — when it comes to business — it’s business, sorry.
• My mother for her unwillingness to give up in any circumstance. She could feed a home of 3 for 7 days with $20 shopping at Ralph’s. She can push her way through customer service to get your credit back and then some. She can negotiate contracts so you get unlisted “deals”. She would also give her last dollar if it meant helping another person.
• My mentor — met her via a Google Hangout Show. She was outspoken, cussed a bit, and knew exactly what she was all about. I was intrigued. I opened up to her about my passions, goals, and the startup I never tell anyone about. She’s taught me to trust my intuition more and to be more ballsy. Seeing a voice as powerful as hers gives me the strength to strive to reach her level of initiative.
• One of my work friends — she’s a little biologist turned into sales guru. Blessed to have met her when I did, my experience wouldn’t have been the same without her compassion and understanding. Sales and marketing can turn your soul to black at times so it’s always nice to have someone to go through the dark times with — she was one of my favorites. Can’t tell you how empowering it feels to see others go through the same experience yet have an unwavering positivity about it. Even if that is you — there will be times when it won’t be you and you’ll benefit from others like you.

It’s nice to reflect on the people that have helped pave my path. I encourage you to reflect on the powerful women in your life. Where are they? How did you meet? Why was there a connection established? What do they get from you? What do you get from them?

In a society like ours, women are other women’s enemy. While this might not be true every time, it’s certainly a truer statement than we would like to admit ourselves.

What are you going to do to empower the women around you?