Hi,

This Tears For Fears feat. Oleta Adams song just kept popping into my head over the last few days. The lyrics just really grabbed me because they help me focus on my goal, which is: Getting more women in Leadership positions by teaching them how to advance their careers with personal branding.

Bear with me today ’cause I decided to first give you the lyrics to the song and then give you an explanation.

“You better love loving and you better behave
You better love loving and you better behave
Woman in Chains
Woman in Chains” 

This part annoys the crap out of me. We need more women to be themselves instead of holding in their breath and not telling the world their truth. If more women speak up, the world will be a different place.

I was so happy to hear California will require publicly listed companies to have at least one woman on their boards of directors by the end of 2019. Silicon Valley tech-companies are facing the challenge of transforming cultures that are too homogenous, white and male dominated.

“Calls her man the Great White Hope
Says she’s fine, she’ll always cope
Woman in Chains
Woman in Chains” 

Yep, instead of asking for help we just say: we’re fine. But we are not fine dammit, not until all women in the world are fine. Because we are all connected. I get super sad when I hear of how women are still mistreated on a daily basis everywhere in the world (like those 4 role models and influencers killed in Iraq over the last month). Progress is slow, but still we need to move forward. Did you hear who won the Nobel prize this year: Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad? 2 leaders of the struggle against sexual violence in war.

“Well I feel lying and waiting is a poor man’s deal
And I feel hopelessly weighed down by your eyes of steel
It’s a world gone crazy
Keeps Woman in Chains” 

Yes, the world is in disbalance until women are treated like equals everywhere. Even in The Netherlands we are not deciding our own future. Policies and businesses are still decided and run mostly by men in 2018. Just last week FD newspaper revealed that investment funds for start-up companies have a strong tendency to invest in start-ups run by men, rather than women. This article was from date found by M&O researcher Eva de Mol and investor Janneke Niessen.

“Trades her soul as skin and bones
Sells the only thing she owns
Woman in Chains
Woman in Chains
Men of Stone
Men of Stone
Well I feel deep in your heart there are wounds Time can’t heal
And I feel somebody somewhere is trying to breathe
Well you know what I mean
It’s a world gone crazy
Keeps Woman in Chains”

To those women looking out for other women, I salute you. Just the other day I had a client whose husband kept asking her why she was on my course. He was not happy about it. Now his fears are real because like Maya Angelou once said: “When you know better you do better.” She will awaken and one day he will be gone. We need people supporting our dreams not trashing them.

It’s under my skin but out of my hands
I’ll tear it apart but I won’t understand
I will not accept the Greatness of Man
It’s a world gone crazy
Keeps Woman in Chains
So Free Her
So Free Her 

We are not fine dammit, not until all women in the world are fine.

That is why i am so happy to help the council of Amsterdam with this new initiative: Support Her (please see attachment on more info how you can help). Support her is all about supporting female-lead non-profit organizations in Amsterdam. These women are doing great stuff from teaching women dutch to help getting them back on the job market.

We need more women supporting women: there is an underrepresentation of women in leadership positions in all sectors all over the world. And that is a problem. We need more female leaders.

​​​​​​​So to all my sisters out there: support and encourage one another.

XOXO,

Nancy