People often ask me about my Girls Can’t WHAT? business and if it is successful. The answer to that has never been very clear to me until recently.
Success is often measured by sales, profit margins and income. Depending on who you ask, I’m either making a lot of money or I’m barely getting by. I do track my finances and of course my goal is to increase revenues to make more money. But what most people don’t see is where those profits go and why I want to make more money. I don’t pocket all of that cash.
I don’t want to.
Margaret Mead once said “I personally measure success in terms of the contributions an individual makes to her or his fellow human beings.”
If I were to use my talents to amass a fortune in money and material goods, what do I really gain? Nothing useful. My goal is to keep just enough earnings to live comfortably and give the rest away to help other people in need. By “need” I mean other people who are willing to help themselves but just need a little extra boost to get there.
I have a real hangup about giving handouts. The people who will most appreciate your investment are the ones who take what you give them and turn it into something more. This is why I like KIVA. The women there have real needs and strive to better themselves by working hard and using their talents to get there. It’s not a handout. It’s an investment. And it’s one that can be reinvested over and over to help even more people.
So when people ask me about my business, I have two answers.
When they ask what I do for a living, I tell them about my super power: “I challenge women to break through gender stereotypes and achieve their dreams.”
When they ask if it is successful, I can confidently reply by telling them about the women’s lives we have invested in and how those women are now helping others in their community to prosper as well. Those are the real success stories and I am thankful that Girls Can’t WHAT? can be a part of that every day.
Thank you to everyone who supports this site and knows what it really means to say “Girls Can’t WHAT?”!
4 comments
Roughneck Diva
Keep up the good work!! I am breaking into the construction trades, and totally relate to your challenge.
gretchen
Thanks. Your words are very encouraging. :)
Barkha Dhar
Hi
Its amazing and interesting to gauze your thoughts and emotions through this post. A girl’s power and ability is sometimes so underestimated. It may even go unacknowledged which is heartening. Your blog however is a face off with such social perception and bias.
Thanks
http://dharbarkha.blogspot.com/
cassandrac2002
This is great site for girls, and as a girl, I too had been discriminated because of my gender. I thought that was ok, because I’m a girl and I admit that I cannot do everything.
But as you grow old, you would realize how unfair it is to not to do what you want to do because you’re a girl? So I find this site very helpful for us girls. The career advice and tips you’re giving gives us more confidence that we really can.
Keep it up Girl! :)