The 100 Years Club Installment #100: My Voice

Many women have been in a state of shock, depression, and perhaps anger over the past couple of weeks.

“We’re not going back!” was our mantra.

“I’m not going back!” is still my mantra.

This post, #100 in my 100 Years Club series, is really fitting.

I come from a long line of badass women — fearless, frank, and feisty.

Nana Molly (pictured below) was outspoken and used to shut down “Poppa Leo” (her third husband) when he ordered her around. She spoke of getting a motorcycle well into her 90s.

My mother, Cynthia, was a rulebreaker. She waited until she was in her late 20s to get married (ancient in that era), got her Master’s Degree (taking the subway solo into the city), and wore her hair in a long braid, even when the other mothers were sporting bouffant coifs. She and my father both taught me to be bold, speak my truth, and (most importantly) know my facts.

I am a visionary and unfiltered woman from New York City, approaching 70.

Ageism, geographic biases, anti-semitism, and sexism are all things I need to face. It never seems to end.

• I could fade away and/or fall into a deep funk.
• I could whine and complain endlessly — live and on social media.

But I’m choosing to speak up, honestly and boldly, for what I believe in.

The other day, at a conference I was leading, a middle-aged man assumed I was the “admin” and gave me a thumb drive with his slides when three able-bodied men stood beside me. (Should I be happy that he assumed I knew what a thumb drive is? That was not really a consolation.)

This is just one small example of micro-assumptions about women I’ve been facing my entire life and career. In my last corporate job, I not only wrote the company’s strategic plan but was also expected to produce the PowerPoint while the CFO and CEO dictated to me (because neither of them knew how to use the app because they both had dedicated secretaries).

On the positive side, being self-sufficient has helped me run my own business and continue to thrive in our tech-centric ecosystem.

Now more significant issues are now on the table related to women’s freedoms and the treatment of aging Americans.

Because I grew up in an era when I had to stand up for my rights and change the game (especially through decades in financial services and tech—male-dominated industries), I know the drill and feel I have nothing left to lose by speaking my truth.

My voice is now deeper and throatier (perhaps due to hormones), but it is still consistent, as loud as it needs to be, and always filled with respect.

I will use facts, my sense of humor, and my tenacity to speak my truth and inspire others to do the same.

I will teach my daughters, granddaughters, and women colleagues how to gather data and communicate well and fearlessly.  I will encourage my grandson to teach women (and all pwith respect.

So remember, women and men of all ages — as long as you can speak and write, you have a voice.

Use it!

More facts about the impact of speaking up:

	Social change movements that made a difference The 4B movement (not advocating; just reporting)
	A timeline of women’s rights Ms Magazine speaks out with the facts
	Dealing with ageism in the workplace (close to 80% of women have faced it)
	One of my recent podcasts dealt with “inclusion and belonging.” Check it out!