Breaking Through The Glass Ceiling

This month is National Women in Business Month. Since this is something I hold near and dear to my heart as a female entrepreneur, I wanted to take a moment and address the proverbial glass ceiling known to exist to women who are trying to climb the corporate ladder. Living in a rural community where everyone struggles to get ahead, the encounters I have had with this have been limited to old fashioned thinking and the good ol' boys club. I have had in business situations a gentleman pass me by to shake the hand of a male boss. Didn't fly well with me. Then I realized how my actions could have changed that scenario. What if I would have gone out front, introduced myself and extended my hand before he had the opportunity to pass me by. Yes, it's tragic that men see men in the business world. And yes, we as women often have to assert ourselves in the role that we want more so than men. But in my experience, if we wait for men to come to us as leaders in the business world, it may be a slower journey. We as women need to assert ourselves in the work place. We need to be involved to the point that the decision makers that sit on the business panel include and equal number of women to men. Same with those we seek out to assist us in financing our businesses. Don't wait to have our hand shaken. Make sure we do the shaking. Treat others with respect and demand to be treated the same way in return.