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Director's Message: What advice would you give your younger self?

March 10, 2015
What’s happening is a massive global shift in the role women are having in business and specifically in creating income.

I spent Sunday, March 8 — which was International Women’s Day — with four very strong young women, my daughter Catherine and soon-to-be stepdaughters Jacqueline, Megan, and Lauren. International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the economic, political, and social achievements of women past, present, and future. So, as I looked at these emerging women, the truth I noticed were the possibilities for even more empowered futures for them than I had, because of the decisions many women are making today.

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The willingness of women to stand in their own power and fight for other women not yet able to stand for themselves is an incredible shift we are now experiencing. For example, the change of mindset from feminine competition and the proverbial stab-in-the-back in order to get “ahead” has switched to empowering collaborations and more feminine leadership principles.

What’s happening is a massive global shift in the role women are having in business and specifically in creating income. For example, CNBC recently reported a study showing women are now either leading or they are the only breadwinner in 40% of American households. They also said women earn more than men in almost 25% of U.S. households.

Forbes reports, “Entrepreneurship is the new women’s movement,” and I completely agree. In the same article, Forbes offered a reason for this: Women are saying “no thank you” to spending years climbing and clawing their way up the corporate ladder, dealing with corporate politics, working long days without ever feeling that overall fulfillment that they crave.

But here’s the problem. While women-owned businesses and advances up the corporate ladder are happening and becoming more common, women are struggling. They’re struggling with the one single key ingredient it takes to be successful in business and in our careers. And that one essential ingredient is money.

The average woman is going into business, or beginning her career, without the tools that she needs to make clear, insightful financial decisions. She’s going into her professional domain feeling uncertain, unconfident, or even insecure about how to earn, own, and make decisions about her financial future.

As these four young women in my family begin to step out onto the stage of their lives where their financial decisions will support or anchor them along their chosen paths — and in honor of International Woman’s Day — I ask, “What advice would you give your younger self?”

Please post your responses under the thread, What advice would you give your younger self?” on the RDH eVillage Facebook page. I just posted what advice I would give myself. Looking forward to learning and reading your comments!

Let’s do this together!

Kristine A. Hodsdon RDH, MSEC
Director, RDH eVillage

Kristine A. Hodsdon RDH, MSEC, founder of Dental Influencers, LLC, is an executive coach, writer, and award-winning speaker. Her website is www.kristineahodsdon.com. Email is [email protected]. For free expert interviews, click here to register: http://kristineahodsdon.com/telesummit2015