The Rise of the Wayward Woman

Wayward. Determined. Stubborn. Bold. Bossy.

All things young girls are told not to be.

Even today. In 2023.

Because wayward - getting dirty and climbing trees and bringing home toads, is not what girls do.

Because determined and stubborn just mean you're not listening. Girls who listen do as their told.

Because bold and bossy is what girls who stick up for themselves are called, and it's always better to get someone else to fight your battles. Being you're a girl, and all.

But today's girls refuse to listen to those who say "stay in your lane."

Because the lane they want to be in might be across the street, or in another town, or something they create out of their own two hands. It might be a dirt road they want to pave. Or a broken sidewalk they want to fix. It might even be crowded with a lot of other people, but today's girl doesn't care. They're people she wants to meet.

These are the girls who will become the women of tomorrow. Are they being taught by smart, talented, determined women of today? Yes! They are.

The women of today are out there creating businesses out of old boxes and string they found in the attic.

They came out of the corner society tried to put them in, long ago.

In a blog post on my Lipsticking blog, I talk about this wayward woman, and where she came from. And a little bit about where she's going.

In a keynote given at the Women in the Pet Industry Network, back in 2015, I focused on the power of women today to rise up; to take charge; to shed the?Goody Two Shoes?cloak they had wrapped themselves in, so many years ago. It's a heavy burden and all of us need to throw it off with vigor! We need to trample that cloak of 'be a good girl' - trample it into the ground until those dark clinging fibers that have held us back all these years are nothing but dust.

As a little reminder, Goody Two Shoes is a fictional character. (from Wikipedia - the italics are my words)

The fable tells of?Goody?Two-Shoes, the nickname of a poor orphan girl named Margery Meanwell, who goes through life with only one shoe. When a rich gentleman gives her a complete pair, she is so happy that she tells everyone that she has "two shoes". Later, Margery becomes a teacher and marries a rich?widower. This serves as proof that her virtue has been rewarded and her wealth earned,?<because she was knocked down and kicked and had to be rescued by someone else>?a popular theme in children's literature of the era.[2]

I want these women to write books.

Of course, I do. I want them to tell their stories - the good, the bad, and the ugly. I want them to hit us hard with their intelligence and determination.

I want them to bring it all - to a society and world that is teetering on the brink of recognition. Recognition of the diverse talents women bring to the workforce and the greater world. But we're still only teetering on the recognition because too many women are holding back.

We have our strong voices. Women who are attending our rallies and marching to DC or our local town hall. But we need more.

We need voices in print. Yes, somehow, when you put it in print, it becomes more authoritative. There is suddenly a belief that Wow, you're smart! I should listen to you.

A book makes it all more real and powerful. More wayward and bold. More intentional. Think about it.

DM me here on LinkedIn and start the conversation.

Here's the post: A short five-minute read, I expect.

Especially for JaneA ???????????? Kelley Lianne Picot Annette Simmons Kathy Klotz-Guest MA, MBA