The Sum
How to Snowplow the Way to Equal Pay
Issue 90 — April 1, 2019 You know those “snowplow parents” — the ones who clear away impediments that might hamper their children’s success? They’re getting their comeuppance in the wake of the recently discovered college entrance cheating scheme that has snared celebrities like Felicity Hoffman and Lori Loughlin and revealed the corrupt ways parents of…
Read MoreHow Two Women at Lilly Turned “Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast” on Its Head and Broke…
Issue 89 — March 24, 2019 For centuries, the rite of passage for young Maasi men was to kill a lion. This deeply embedded cultural ritual demonstrated the adolescent male’s courage, agility, and readiness to be a warrior. It was a way to get a girlfriend too. But by 2008, the lion population had dwindled from 250,000 to…
Read More6 Lessons learned in 29 hours at SXSW for International Women’s Day
Issue 88 — March 11, 2019 Standing in the soft air of Austin, Texas, 90 miles from where it all began for me in the small town of Temple where I was born, I realize how far I have come. Bluebonnets were in bloom on the roadsides as I traveled from my hotel to the Innovation Mansion at SXSW…
Read MoreFor #WomensHistoryMonth and #InternationalWomensDay, How Michelle Obama Is Helping Women Take Our…
Issue 87 — March 2, 2019 I noticed an interesting change during Michele Obama’s ubiquitous book tour. It perfectly spans both Black History Month and Women’s History Month. During her time in the White House, it annoyed me no end to see her doing things I perceived as making herself smaller. Labeling herself the “mom in chief” though she…
Read MoreThe Pink Chair in the Grey Office — Why on Earth This Graphic?
The Pink Chair in the Grey Office — Why on Earth This Graphic? Issue 86 — February 25, 2019 Over 50 years ago, the late Congresswoman and presidential candidate Shirley Chisholm famously said, “If they won’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” This week, a hot pink chair with a pale pink pillow and for some…
Read MoreIf We Don’t Change the Narrative About Women and Leadership, We’re Doomed to Live in It Forever…
Issue 85 — February 18, 2019 Listen to me, Women: You’re not crazy. The narrative about us makes us feel crazy by incessantly focusing on our problems in a way that makes them sound insolvable. It’s a miracle if we don’t fall into despair or rage. No wonder we may feel immobilized by the messages telling us we’re…
Read MoreFebruary Might Be the Shortest Month but It’s a Super Important One
Issue 84 — February 11, 2019 Oh February. The stores are full of red Valentine hearts. We’re reminded that February is Heart Month. This year I missed the inspiring Go Red for Women events highlighting the importance of women taking care of their heart health. I usually attend these either as a speaker or financial supporter, and I have…
Read MoreI Wrote a Book for Women Called “No Excuses.” Now I Need to Write “No Excuses” for Men.
Issue 83 — February 5, 2019 Pity the poor men whose lives have been complicated by women seeking to work without being sexually harassed. If you’ve been in the world of women’s rights for more than a minute, you’ve known that for every step forward women make in the workplace or society, there will be an attempt to…
Read MoreHow to Be Gender Bilingual
Issue 82 — January 27, 2019 The man in airline club sat down across table from me and spread out his computer and various other electronics all across the width of the three chairs on that side of the table. I was working away on my computer using only the space intended by the chair where I was sitting.…
Read MoreIn This Together: The Power of a Movement
Issue 81 — January 21, 2019 “We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.” — Martin Luther King, Jr. The two movements that have shaped my life converged this long weekend. Today, January 21, is Martin Luther King Day. I braved the winter storm in New York to celebrate a day early yesterday at Harlem’s…
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