A female stepping out into the land of entrepreneurship automatically has to have a game face. We have a goal in mind and know how to get there. We’re not up for playing games and doing a lot of talking. Yet, with our strong attitude we are portrayed as bossy or bitchy. When our male counterparts sit in the #bosschair they are commended and given more money for being uptight asses. Our tactics may be different, but our goals are the same. Women just do it wearing stilettos and fun nail polish. Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, and Mariah, to name a few, are successful women who are doing big things, making a lot of noise and making big bucks. Of course they are portrayed as stuck-up, high-maintenance divas with an attitude.
I know I can have my bitchy days where I’m just not in the mood. However, when it comes to business, 95% of the time I keep my emotions out of it. That other 5% goes out the window when my pet peeves kick in, like unanswered e-mails or people saying they will do something and don’t. But I’ll save that for another post. The point is, just because we’re assertive and verbal about what we want and how we want it, doesn’t make us emotional and bossy. It makes us the boss! As women we have to be confident and take no shit to get ahead in this thing we call life. Being born with these body parts puts us in the position to only be taken seriously for domestic roles, administrative ones, or owning and running a day care. Who says we can’t be beautiful and have the brains and a stern attitude to go along with it without being called childish, insulting high school names?
What makes us appear bossy?
We work harder than the next person . . . We wear our emotions on our sleeve . . . We go after what the next person is afraid to . . . We are able to multitask . . . We can be a jack of all trades and have a voice that we aren’t afraid to use.
I was trying out a potential partnership the other day with this gentleman that went horribly wrong. He took three to four days to respond to e-mails, he couldn’t take feedback, he took twice as long to complete a task than I would and he accused me of being bossy, controlling, impatient, and only wanting things my way. Not to mention he said I spoke to him in a manner that he was not accustomed to from a female. I can take constructive criticism, but you are not going to criticize me for wanting to get something done correctly and on time. Some men are scared to approach successful, strong, independent women, yet they are praised by being called breadwinners and providers instead of called out on their insecurities in sharing the same lane on the racetrack of work/career with a woman or being scared that a woman will outshine them and reach the finish line first.
Another example is my mom: She’s a suburban housewife who has worked extremely hard these past few years and has become a #girlboss in her own right. She looks about thirty-five and has Madonna’s fashion sense mixed with that of the classy Elizabeth Taylor. She is serialpreneur and owns an event space in New Rochelle that she decided needed a makeover. So, she hired a male contractor. Naturally, the contractor looked at my mom and saw an attractive female. Aside from trying to get her digits, he tried to overcharge her by thousands, thinking she didn’t know any better. Once he got over being thrown by her knowledge of construction and renovation, he agreed to do the job for a reasonable price. After several weeks into the job my mom started noticing he would come in when he wanted, take long breaks, disappear, the work looked amateur, and his professionalism disappeared. He felt because she was a woman he could walk over here and do what he wanted. She nicely kicked him to the curb.
The new-age female is creating lanes of her own. She is opening doors that have never been opened to her, paving the way for the younger generation. We, women work hard. And entrepreneurship is hard work. We don’t take no for answer, we don’t give up easily, we are prepared for any challenge, and we always find a way. I freelance during the day, take care of the kids, go grocery shopping, and run other store errands. I take care of two kittens, a fish, a lizard, pick out clothes every night for my children and myself, wash dishes, check homework, do bedtime routines, pay the bills, and only then do I begin working on Virgo Girl Media work. I love what I do and what I’m becoming. People say you can’t mix passion and business because you won’t make money. I disagree. You can mix the two and end up happy, doing what you love and still make a profit. Women work with passion, drive, and personality. I would bet on a woman or myself any day of the week. And to those who say we are bossy just say: We aren’t bossy, we’re the BOSS!
About the Author: Missy B. Salick is a 9 to 5’er turned creative entrepreneur, and founder of Virgo Girl Media. After self-publishing her first novel Claiming Jeremiah based on her experiences, Missy knew she had found her life calling. She uses her personal life lessons to share and inspire others to pursue their dreams. Missy believes in paying it forward and sharing the mistakes made, along with tough choices to push people further ahead. Connect with her on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn!