Women & Business

Among professional women, it’s a dirty little secret that in the business world (and probably elsewhere as well), women do not support each other.

It seems there is a sense of scarcity among us – “if she gets promoted, it’s a missed opportunity for me”, or “if I recommend her to my client XYZ, her communications and her work reflect on me, and if it’s poor, I may lose my client”. Heard something like that before? Maybe thought it yourself?

Well, I’ve decided to do something about it!

When Star Jones and Dionne Warwick, on the March 13 episode of Celebrity Apprentice threw Project Manager Lisa Rinna under the bus, I posted about this on Facebook the next day. Comments started coming in, including this one: “So sad to see women sabotaging other women. Whatever happened to women supporting other women?” To which I responded: “That's exactly what I have been asking since at least 1992 (the year I started Atlanta Women in Business). Not only must we support one another - we must also do whatever we can to promote one another. Here's an offer: free 'promo' to my mailing list for the first person (make that "woman") to respond to this.”

And who was that first woman? Barbara Giamanco!

Funny, in a sense, since Barb is already very well known nationally, with her first book published last year, and owns a burgeoning consulting, coaching and speaking business. So, does she need a free promo? Probably not, but Barb’s success in the business world has not come from being last in line, or even being second. She keeps up with her community, interacts constantly with friends and associates, and when she spotted my offer, she jumped for it. Smart, very smart!

Expect to hear more about Barb from me in the coming weeks. For now, check out her “Get LinkedIn, not Locked Out” April 14 workshop.