“Have you guys heard the cliché, ‘A rising tide lifts all boats?’,” Ladies Get Paid founder and Well+Good council member Claire Wasserman asks a room full of burgeoning entrepreneurs at a launch event for Nike La Cortez X Maria Sharapova. The statement may be trite, but according to Wasserman—whose company helps women across the globe take the reins of their career path—that doesn’t make it any less true.
Though the rising-tide sentiment is central to Wasserman’s mission to help women run the world—and make bank in the process—the origin story of Ladies Get paid actually rests in statistics:
Stat number one: “The majority of college graduates today are women—60 percent. But less than 22 percent are making it past middle management,” Wasserman says.
Stat number two: “The wage gap is not 78 cents to the dollar for everybody. Black women are making 63 to 68 cents on the dollar. Hispanic women are making 55 cents to the dollar,” she adds.
Stat number three: “9 percent [now 11 percent] of film directors are women. And the reason that that, to me, is disgusting and disturbing, is because when you grow up, the way you see yourself is largely from what you see in the media and what you watch,” she notes.
In a world where ambitious women everywhere must contend with patriarchal systems that work against them at every step of their careers, we all need somebody—or many somebodies—to remind us of our strengths. Below, find Wasserman’s tangible advice that you can use every. damn. day. to rise the tide higher for yourself and all women.
Here are 4 actionable tips women can use to help other women on a daily basis, according to Claire Wasserman.
1. Act on Aminatou Sow’s “Shine Theory” as often as you can
“This is a way you can really support other women,” she says about the theory that we should collaborate, not compete with one another. “In a meeting, cite another woman who has vocalized her idea. Say, ‘Hey [so-and-so], I totally agree with that.’ Using a woman’s name in a public setting is actually really powerful.”
2. Sponsor, don’t just mentor, other badass women
“If you are a man or woman in a position of power and influence, say, ‘Hey, I think [so-and-so] is doing really well at her job.’,” Wasserman advises. In other words, use your clout at work to ensure that other women will have clout in the future too.
Use your clout at work to ensure that other women will have clout in the future too.
3. Share your story
“Sharing your story and being vulnerable allows people to realize that they’re not alone,” Wasserman says. By doing this, you’ll walk away from more conversations with with a beautiful, lasting connection rather than just another business card.
4. Compliment the hell out of other women.
“I love when people run across the subway platform and they say, ‘I just want to tell you I love your dress!’,” Wasserman says. “I know it sounds shallow, but that really does go a long way.”
It makes sense. After all, who doesn’t love receiving compliments on chic new leggings?
Want to know if you’re ready to make your side hustle your full-time gig? Here’s how. Plus, here’s how seven top entrepreneurs launched their wellness biz.
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