I’ve recently been asked to speak at the Damsels in Success Annual Conference Ignite! And it’s a women’s gig. And every time I mention something about “women’s events” I always get a comment or message on Facebook…
“What’s the big deal with all this women’s only stuff? Are you trying to put the gender equality fight back 50 years?”
The simple answer is no… but here’s the longer answer…
Every time we run a One Woman Conference someone will hunt me down to tell me how they were so skeptical of attending “one of those women only things”. They go on to tell me various reasons why:
- They’re too fluffy and full of paltry advice like “a good manicure will help you pay the bills”
- They’re anti-men
- There’s no men – “and I prefer men’s company to women” they tell me…”I’ve always been one of the boys”
- There’s too much drama when you get a bunch of women together.
All of which I can totally identify with, because I have been quoted as saying ALL those things myself in the past.
And then I experienced my first women’s only event.
Something magical happens when you take masculine energy out of the room. I can’t explain it scientifically, but I know anecdotally from years of experience now… it’s different. And better in a lot of ways- but not all!
Why is it different?
Perhaps its that we feel safer to ask the stupid questions because there’s no blokes to have to look good in front of.
Perhaps it’s that the little part of our primal cave-woman brain that’s dedicated to finding a man and that he loves us enough to protect us from the cave lion when it comes marching into the cave, gets to rest!
Perhaps its because we are in a group who understand our emotional highs and lows because most of them feel them too.
Perhaps its just a break from the kids for a weekend!
I don’t know why… but I know they are different.
Interesting fact #1: When the government launched women only versions of their Flying Start programs they got an 800% increase in female enrollments!
Interesting fact #2: A number of scholarly articles show that girls do better academically in single-sex environments.
Interesting fact #3: In the indigenous community in Australia there is very clearly “secret women’s business” and “secret men’s business”: a very obvious acknowledgement that magic happens when the sexes spend time apart.
Which is perhaps why all of those skeptical women hunt me down. Because like me they have amazing breakthroughs. Something as simple as giving yourself the gift of some women only time can work wonders for the soul and business.
So if you’ve never done it, or even if you have- I do recommend coming and joining me at Damsels in Success.
(Follow this link to register and you get a handsome discount as a speaker’s special)
The one downside (if you could call it that)- yes I have seen a little more “drama” at women’s only events. But frankly- life is pretty plain vanilla in general, so a few more tears is OK with me.
Here’s to the drama!
The main problem is- the lack of sexy men to buy you a drink at the bar! 😉
Hope to see you in Birmingham.
- How to find the hidden magic of the holiday season - December 16, 2024
- How journalling can help you survive the holidays - December 12, 2024
- How coaching is different from mentoring - December 2, 2024
