Audacious Is My Word of the Year for 2024

This past January, I was sitting in a circle of women friends, each of us reflecting on the year ahead. As we went around, stating our personal “word of the year” reflecting our?intentions and aspirations for 2024, I couldn't help but notice the common-theme of the words being shared– gratitude, joy, compassion... These are all wonderful and honorable inspirational mantras. These words are fully acceptable (and safe) for us to claim as women.

Then, it was my turn. As all eyes turned to me, I took a deep breath and proclaimed my word for the year ahead: "Audacious." Heads titled in silence while eyebrows lifted in curious interest. I could tell I had surprised them. This isn’t a goal we typically hear, and maybe even feel a bit uncomfortable hearing from other women, let alone expressing ourselves.

Audacious, I told them, means being bold in the face of uncertainty. I explained, I no longer want to hide my aspirations. I have something important and exceptional to offer. I want to do big things in this world! I know the time and the place is right for me. I have decades of valuable professional and personal lived experience, and I want to claim it. Being audacious means daring to dream big, challenge the status quo, and push the boundaries of what's possible. It's about embracing the unknown with?confidence and determination and refusing to be limited by fear or doubt.

So why did I choose "audacious" as my word of the year for 2024? Let me share with you the reasons:

1. Embracing Bold Innovation: In the world of tech, innovation is the lifeblood that fuels progress and drives change. And to truly innovate, one must be audacious – willing to take risks, experiment with new ideas, and disrupt the norm. As the leader of Blyngz, I know I very much do not fit the typical image of a tech innovator. The “imposter syndrome” part of me says, ‘Who do you think you are anyway? You’re a middle-aged empty nester mom. You’re not even an engineer and you don’t have an MBA. You’re entering a space dominated by the biggest companies on the planet: Apple, Bose, Sony… A woman has never invented something like this before nor led an audio tech company to household brand name recognition. You’ll never be taken seriously.’?

But then I remember… I bring some crucial qualities that makes this possible in a way that the big players can’t. Authenticity and experience. I have already done this. My life has been a series of challenging the status quo from being the first girl to pick trombone as my band instrument (‘but that’s a boy’s instrument!’, ‘your arms won’t be long enough’) to pestering the boys to let me play football with them in elementary school (‘girls can’t play football, that’s a boys’ sport!’) to being named the top science student by my male 5th grade teachers (much to the chagrin of the smart boys in the class…’but she’s a girl! That’s not fair!”). In my professional life, I have a couple of decades worth of experience of successful new product launches and first-in-market innovations and startups that I’ve bootstrapped to a successful exit. Probably the most important reason I’m suited for this is that I am the customer. I was once a trying-to-be-hip twenty year old, a new Mom, a professional woman balancing life, work and family, an empty nester woman trying to rediscover myself, and I’m seeing my friends and elders navigating and redefining aging all around me. I understand our customers’ needs and desires intimately.?

Although I’m not an engineer (did you know Steve Jobs was a poetry major before he dropped out of college?), I do have a strong technical aptitude and have experience launching other tech and A/V products. Like Jobs, we too can hire the best engineers. The best leaders need to have the vision along with exceptional empathy and an intuitive ability to translate our customers’ desires into product design. My training in sociology, demographic trend spotting, and human subject research prepares me in a way those extra math classes wouldn’t have. My skill at launching a new brand, running an efficient and profitable business, and driving it to scalability is proven. Think about this for yourself too. What do you bring to the table that makes you uniquely qualified to do this big, bold thing? Claim it and own it!

2. Reject Perfectionism: It is the enemy of innovation. Too many women suffer from the trap of perfectionism. We self-limit because we believe we have to be perfect and, let’s be honest, we are held to higher standards in general. But this is not how innovation happens. Innovation happens when you are willing to dream big, trust in your vision, and find the courage to take calculated risks to turn those dreams into reality. You cannot let the “Best” be the enemy of the “Good”. This leads to paralysis. Fail fast, fix it or find a better solution, and keep going. Find supportive friends, mentors, and use positive affirmations and self talk if you can’t find support outside of yourself. You’ll need this when things get tough (and they will). Learn to use your underdog status and being underestimated to put some extra grit in your giddy-up-and-go.?

3. Empowering Women in Tech: As a passionate advocate for women in tech and in leadership, I believe that audacity plays a crucial role in empowering women to succeed in male-dominated arenas. One of my goals with Blyngz is to inspire other women to embrace bold goals and aspirations, defy stereotypes, break through barriers, and carve out their own paths to success. Audacity is the fuel that propels us forward, driving us to achieve our fullest potential and make a meaningful impact in the world. Yes, we will face unfair biases and discrimination. That’s a given. For example, I’ve already been told by a VC that our product, which targets women with pierced ears and who enjoy wearing earrings frequently (that’s 90% of the global female population by the way) is “too niche”. Remembering my mantra of “Be audacious!” helps keep me undeterred and recognize nonsense when I hear it. So what if he doesn’t get it? Every woman I tell about this does get it. We don’t need him and we can smile as we zoom right on by!?

4. Seizing Opportunities: In today's rapidly changing tech landscape, opportunities abound for those who are bold enough to seize them. This is especially true in areas focused on women’s needs and desires which have been overlooked and are therefore ripe for opportunity. By rejecting thinking that is limiting and embracing what you see as possible, even if the world can’t quite see it yet, we open ourselves up to new possibilities, allowing us to seize opportunities that others might overlook or dismiss. Their loss can be our gain. Audacity is about having the courage to take that leap of faith, trusting in our abilities to navigate the unknown and emerge stronger on the other side.

5. Driving Positive Change: At its core, audacity is about daring to imagine a better world, take that first step boldly, and figure things out as we go. Whether it's tackling global challenges like climate change, women’s health, and inequality or driving innovation in the tech industry, audacious individuals have the power to effect real and lasting change to the betterment of society.?

In choosing "audacious" as my word of the year, I am unapologetically embracing the spirit of boldness, courage, and ambition to lead the launch of Blyngz, the world’s first patented audio tech-enabled earring, founded and led by women. I invite you to join me and Blyngz.com on this audacious journey as we dare to dream big, challenge the status quo, inspire other girls and women with big dreams and bold plans, and make our mark on the world.