International Women's Day 2024

For the last few months I've been taking some time away from a computer and reveling in my latest promotion to Mom. What a beautiful, complex, amazing, all-consuming journey it has been so far. My number one, my daughter Esme, has become my whole world. I marvel at the strength of all mothers. Motherhood deserves a whole other post in itself and will come later.

On this International Women’s Day, I have been reflecting on the power women yield and how that bubbled up and boiled over in 2023. In the music industry, we saw how female music artists like Taylor Swift and Beyonce dominated the industry - breaking records, creating metaphorical and literal earthquakes, carrying AMC Theatres revenue projections and boosting economies. Though I’m not a Swiftie (don’t come after me in the comments folks! I admire the music - just not a super fan), the woman is a force. Due to her attendance at NFL games viewership increased on average about 12% and had net-new brands, that had not previously advertised during football games, clamoring for advertising slots.?

In pop culture, Barbie, a movie written, directed and produced by women, shattered box office records driving folks around the world back to the theater in droves - an industry that had previously been hobbling along. A movie about a doll made for little girls, made about $1.5 billion and increased Mattel, Inc. Barbie sales. It was the most successful global release in Warner Bros. Entertainment history.

In the consumer market, makeup products were again one of the top selling categories in the world. The ever-popular Stanley 1913 ruled the scene with women revitalizing and tapping into the boundless potential of stainless steel drinkware. Women also threw their dollars behind the previously male oriented heavy-duty work wear brand, Carhartt , expanding their sales and customer base.?

In sports, a record-breaking crowd of 92,000 spectators gathered at the University of Nebraska's football stadium to witness a women's college volleyball match, establishing a new worldwide record for the highest attendance at a women's sports event.?The Women's International Cricket Council's T20 World Cup held in South Africa set a new record as the most-viewed women's cricket event, attracting 192 million hours of viewership. The stage for 2024 is already set with basketball star Caitlin Clark shattering numerous records, culminating on March 3 when she emerged as the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division 1 for both men's and women's college basketball. It is projected that women’s sports will bring in $1 billion in revenue this year, a 300% increase from 2021.?

If there is any question that the need to continue to invest in women - women’s stories, female entrepreneurs, and acutely listen to the female perspective is not only valuable but profitable, than you are not paying attention. The power that women hold can’t be disputed. On this #IWD the old saying reverberates with a loud and striking chord, “Here’s To Strong Women: May We Know Them, May We Be Them, (and I write this as a new momma with tears in my eyes) May We Raise Them”.?