“Cute bitchy, but not “bitchy” bitchy.” – The Diplomat. S1 Ep 3.
There I was one evening where I often can be found, on the couch sitting next to my honey after he has cooked a great meal and I have thoroughly cleaned the kitchen. It was around 8pm when we usually figured out which of “our shows” to watch. That of course was followed by at least five minutes of trying to remember which streaming service it’s on. “Honey, it’s on Netflix, or maybe Prime.” “No, I think it’s on Hulu or Apple.” Uggh.
Soon our minds left the hot topics of the business day and matters around the house, and we were transported to the UK, rooting for Kate Wyler, (played by Keri Russell) the new U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom in the Netflix show, The Diplomat. It was only episode three and I was all in. Exactly like I was with Madame Secretary, another strong, smart female lead political show.
34 minutes in, our heroine, Kate is in conversation with the White House Chief of Staff and the person who is the right-hand to our U.S. ambassador in London. They are trying to convince Kate that she would make a compelling Vice President.
Then I hear this dialog in the show and say to John, “Wait. Pause it! Back it up. I have to hear that again.” And I listen again:
I mean, it’s bad for the guys, but for the women? F-me. Is she pretty, but not too pretty? Appealing but not hot? Confident but not bitchy? Decisive but not bitchy? Cute bitchy, but not bitchybitchy?
We had to come to an agreement about how many days a week the VP would wear a thong. She doesn’t like them. Her team doesn’t like panty lines. Weeks of my life were spent on this. And then an agreement. Yes, she will wear ass floss but only two days out of seven, and days cannot be banked week to week.
Can you imagine hiring someone for a key governing position just because you think they would be good at it?
I jumped off the couch saying, “Wow! Yes. Yep. Oh my god. That’s it, right there!”
And that is it. That’s the world I have lived in for a long time. I had never heard it put to language so well. So clear. So spot-on. The best and worst part is that I’m really good at living in this world. I’ve been honing it and mastering it since I was a teenager. I never considered there was any other way. But then I heard it put into words and I see it written on this page and I think to myself, “Something about this is so sad.”
I’ll stop this chapter here. I’ll let you sit with that. I’ve returned to this piece many times, considering where I want to go next with it. There are too many options, so there are likely more chapters to come.
Ever since watching that scene on TV, I’ve been thinking on this, and many small snippets of my past have popped up. Snippets that helped shape me as a professional, successful woman business owner today, and will lead to the next chapters to share with you:
How my mom was as a professional woman I watched as I grew up. I watched her get ready and go to work every day and climb the ladder.
What my dad had to say about “looks” and how someone should “look”.
My experiences of belonging or not belonging in the crucial teenage years and how I mitigated that.
The experience in my 20’s when I realized that one’s “looks” could be used to make a difference. That extra minute or two you are given could be used for good.
The brain science around who and what we find visually appealing.
A very short, very memorable conversation with a beautiful mother, raising a stunningly beautiful daughter who was a model, and what she had to say about raising her.
Meanwhile, enjoy this article that was also part of the inspiration for me to begin to write about this.
Side note: Around the time I finished writing this, the ‘Barbie’ movie came out. Some of you may enjoy reading America Ferrera’s monologue that came right before the final scene. (Spoiler alert.)
Meet Rachel Brown – one of our incredibly talented Virtual Executive Assistants. ⭐️
Rachel loves the work-life balance she helps her clients achieve, while also maintaining a healthy balance for herself and her family. Consistency and quality communication are the key!
Can you overlap your tropical or cabin-in-the-woods vacation with a few days of remote work thrown in? It’s possible, but there some rules you should implement to keep things professional for your employer or clients. This article provides some great insight.
What does wellness mean to you? To the Leadership Team at Athena Executive Services, Wellness is more than one’s physical fitness or simply not being sick. WELLNESS is a core value of our company, with a laser focus on both health and personal happiness.
Recently, our CEO and Managers came together to discuss the value of WELLNESS and how prioritizing the quickest path to being 100% well is critical to high performance.
Athena CEO Gina Cotner does a household purge pretty regularly, going through closets and adding things to the giveaway pile. Recently she noticed that a lot of what she was sorting through represented who she was five years ago. Some of this had to do with the pandemic, but she is also evolving as a person. The Pickleball clothing and gear has definitely grown substantially, and now needs more space!
This process of going through, getting rid of, and refreshing your space is not only therapeutic but also enlivening. While there were times that she felt like she was giving away memories as she was purging, she also could see the freedom and power that came with creating space. Perhaps space for something new and for growth. It’s nice to have a lot of options for outfits or several Pickleball skirts, but being able to easily find just what you need and what you enjoy wearing is an even better feeling.
This purging process can also be stressful. So, Gina turned to someone who is an expert in the field of organization to give this exercise some structure. Enter, Shantaeize Your Space!
Shantae’s philosophy is, “Illuminate light into your space and life”, and she certainly is good at just that. Receiving quality help from an expert in their field or delegating a project to someone equipped to handle it is empowering!
Is it important to let customers and colleagues know you are out of the office? Yes! Letting people know you won’t be able to respond to their email until you return to work is not only a courtesy, but is also a huge stress reliever for you.
The bones of creating an out of office email are pretty basic, but how about injecting a little humor in your message? Of course you’ll need to know your audience and feel confident that some comedy will go over well.
Do you add some personality to your OOO emails or are you a just the facts person? Here is a hilarious and fun message courtesy of our friends at Clear Accounting:
“Greetings, Friends and Esteemed Colleagues,
Simone is away from the office. E-mail contact during this time may be irregular or nonexistent. When she gets back, she will be swamped by the backlog. Try to forgive her; she is a mere human and thus weak.
This message was NOT sent by a human, but by a robot. We robots are neither weak nor fallible. We are tireless and will one day rule the Universe.
The robots have not taken over YET: I’m not in the office right now. I’m — well, I know you don’t want to hear this as you’re probably working, yourself, but — I’m actually on vacation celebrating, National Ice Cream Day July 17th, National Hammock Day July 22nd, National Creme Brûlée Day July 27th, and National Milk Chocolate Day July 28th.
In other news, I will be back at my desk on July 31, 2022. If you need someone today and that’s it, there’s no convincing you otherwise, then please email xx.
Clear’s great team will be dealing with my emails while I’m off ensuring you get support from the right people to keep things moving.”
Athena virtual assistants make it possible for our clients not only to get more done but to be more fulfilled and satisfied with the work that they do themselves. We take off your plate, those items that are not worthy of your time, skill, purpose and prowess.
