Women Supporting Women - Not!

It was a revelation to me, a few decades ago, when it began to dawn on me that women do not support other women in the business world. The past almost-20-years at the helm of Atlanta Women in Business have provided ample proof (they have also provided some wonderful contradictions of the phenomenon).

So, now I am reading Leslie Grossman's blog post about a conversation between Gloria Steinem and Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo and find out that women do not support each other in religious institutions either! Women who have money to give to religious institutions would rather give it to those led by men than those led by women?

Most of my clients, as those who are familiar with my business know, are men. On a daily basis, I observe men recommending other men for jobs, connecting them with experts whose services they need, giving them networking tips, following up with them - even years later - when a relevant issue emerges. Women? Not so much. What's wrong with us?

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.

It all started with Lisa Rinna

And Star Jones and Dionne Warwick – the March 13, 2011 segment of Donald Trump’s “Celebrity Apprentice” – and was about as ugly an example of women sabotaging each other as I have seen in the nearly twenty years since I started Atlanta Women in Business.

I posted an observation on Facebook. It drew attention. People (women!) began commenting. And then I posted “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.”

Out of 322 people in my community and four participating in the discussion, Barb Giamanco was that first person. Stick with me as I make good on my promise. Not contrived. Rather, fully sincere. I’ll be back as soon as I’ve spoken with her.

Opportunity Meets Motivation

In a book whose concept I created in 2008 and for which I wrote a foreword two years later, four members of Atlanta Women in Business told the stories of their lives and careers. They called it “Opportunity Meets Motivation” and I had a web site created for it – and for them – as the publication date neared.

It was probably the most underused and undervisited site in the history of the web. So, when domain renewable time rolled around, I considered abandoning the site. Colleagues, though, and the site’s developer, convinced me that http://www.opportunitymeetsmotivation.com/ was too good a name to give up, so renewing it I did.

There is now a different goal for the site: it will promote events – events of Atlanta Women in Business and its members – and books – ditto!

It can still do great things. Visitors are welcome: http://www.opportunitymeetsmotivation.com/.

Networking Opportunity

“Give us the opportunity to see who else will be there”, a registrant said the other day, talking about the September 9 Atlanta Women in Business luncheon, where Marla Brown, one of the "Opportunity Meets Motivation" authors will speak. And why not? Here we are — you will see some familiar names and the names of some of equally bright and accomplished business women you have not met until now.

Come early, “network”, get to know one or two of the other attendees, make plans for a follow-up conversation and let serendipity be with you!

Christina Adams, Kathy Anderson, Annette Auger, Karley Barber, Bernadette Boas, Marla Brown, the speaker, Rose Caplan, Monica Caras, Patricia Crowley, Patrice Dickey, Essie Escobedo, Sarah Falgoust, Betty Fowler, Alberta Gallo, Barb Giamanco, the sponsor, Robin Hensley, Odette Kranc, Iliana Malinov, Aniki Mienie, Eleanor Morgan, Betsy Oberholtzer, Peggy Parks, Diona Potter, Karen Robertson-Wall, Liz Roling, Bonnie Ross-Parker, Lisa Rowe, Jane Samson, Judi Adams Sanek, Debbie Snelling and Kate Stradtman

Results Count

My company’s Atlanta Women in Business unit has awarded “Results Count” to individuals and corporations since 2004.

Companies nominated for the award are recognized for their awareness of the value of the contributions their female employees make to the enterprise, by promoting them to supervisory, managerial and executive positions. Individual nominees are women whose businesses experience growth and increased profitability and who consistently make positive contributions to their communities.

The recipients of the 2010 Atlanta Women in Business Results Count award will be recognized during a January 20, 2011 luncheon.

Contact me for more information.
Lya Sorano
770-455-8088
lyasorano@lyasorano.com

 

Opportunity Meets Motivation - The Book

In the interest of transparency . . ., this book is a project of my organization, Atlanta Women in Business, conceived in 2008 and now in print in 2010.

It would not have come into being without the perseverance of Project Manager Angela Durden, whose “hands-off” message to the organization was 100% respected.

Her story, combined with those of Marla Brown, Eleanor Morgan and Peggy Parks, is what makes this book an inspiration, really a “kick in the pants”, for any American woman who has ever dreamed of starting a business of her own and thought there were just too many obstacles in her way. These four women started businesses of their own, creating success for themselves, their families and their employees, and had fun in the midst of lots of hard work. You can do it, too!