Guest contribution
A tribute to all the women in your life
Surprise your circle of influence with a gift for International Women’s Day.
Strong, confident and unstoppable together: At womenmatter/s, we celebrate women – every day!
You may know the saying: Alone we have power; together we have influence. Unfortunately, women have often been taught to compete against each other because of a shortage of jobs at the top. It is very clear that this strategy does not work. So, it’s time to leave the era of queen bees behind. Women have to support each other and also treat ourselves every so often.
Did you know that women who also build and maintain an inner circle of close female friends have a higher chance of landing a leadership position and gaining more authority later on in their careers – compared with women who do not build such a close female circle? Incidentally, no such gender link for career success was found for men and their networks.
So, surround yourself with people who fit your future, not your past. And surround yourself with strong, ambitious women you trust. This is how you create your individual circle of influence.
With that in mind, here’s a little task for you: Think about which women are part of your circle of influence. Which five women do you spend the most time with?
Have you put your list together? Perfect, because International Women’s Day on 8 March is a great occasion to recognise all the women in your circle of influence. That’s because celebrates the achievements of women around the world while drawing attention to the need for full gender equality. And what better way to relive the memories of your friendships than with snapshots of trips you’ve taken together, fun parties you’ve had, or important milestones you’ve shared? I thought so – so go for it!
Shhh: My thank you this year goes to my co-founder at womenmatter/s, Mary. We are not only connected by our profession, but also by a friendship that has lasted for years. Mary belongs to my closest circle of influence. We could not be more different: she prefers to be surrounded by people, I prefer to be at home on the sofa with a book; she bubbles with ideas, I put them on paper. And that is precisely why she is my inspiration.
I’ll show you what I’ve put together for her, maybe there’s something here for you, and/or the power women in your life.
Always on Display
Luckily, we live in a digital age and can send each other our best memories and funniest moments via email or share them on social media.
But photos with women who enrich your life should not only be on our computer and phone. They belong on the walls and on the shelves in our homes.
Incidentally, putting up photos is not only decorative, but also has psychological benefits. On days when things aren’t going so well, all it takes for me is one look at a photo of Mary and my mood is lifted. I always say to myself Mary’s favourite saying ‘no problems, only solutions’, take two or three deep breaths and try again. As we all know, a photo is worth more than 1,000 words and can give us the boost we need; a little pause, a moment of gratitude for the wonderful people in our lives.
That’s why I ordered this photo frame twice: one for Mary and one for me.
So if you are still looking for inspiration on how to present or give the snapshot to the power woman in your life, the photo display is just the right gift.
But first Coffee – Together
If Sara Blakely, the billionaire founder of Spanx, drinks her coffee from an inspirational mug every day, we must too! For some it is the nuances of taste, for others the simplicity of a good coffee in a cup that motivates. Each to their own! I think there’s nothing better than starting the day with your best friend – even if it’s ‘only’ via photo on the mug #mugshot.
Now I just hope Mary feels the same way because I had a mug printed for her with one of my favourite pictures of us.
Do you know a ‘Kaffi fan’? Brighten up the coffee breaks with the women in your life with a custom photo mug. Shhh: By the way, it’s also perfect for a mulled wine meeting in winter.
Words of Affirmation is my love language
Appreciation should not only be shown digitally!
The saying ‘talking is silver, silence is golden’ only applies to a limited extent when it comes to friendships. Of course, it’s nice to just sit on the sofa together and not have to say anything.
But feel free to invest in a few warm words from time to time to tell the women in your circle of influence how great and important they are to you. Their support and your great times together are reason enough to let them know more often how important they are to you and what you value in them. That feels good and connects.
A card with kind words shows that you see your friendship as something precious and by no means something to be taken for granted.
So, it doesn’t always have to be an Instagram post, but can also be a personal photo greeting card.
A common denominator
What do cell phones and friendships have in common? Both must be protected!
There’s nothing better than looking at your iPhone or Android phone to remind you of your best friend and create a little moment of happiness.
It’s best to order a double pack – one cover for you and one for your girlfriend. At least that’s how I did it.
I hope I was able to inspire you to find a gift or two for the power women in your life.
Happy International Women’s Day!
You rock!
xoxo
Stefanie
Stefanie is co-founder of the career development program womenmatter/s. Her co-founder Marilen Schwald and she were both economics students and have now been firmly invested in their careers for almost ten years – both in the banking industry. While the theory and also the practical examples prepared Stefanie and Marilen perfectly for professional life, something was missing in their studies: preparing for the challenges of being a woman in the workforce. With their company womenmatter/s they fill exactly this gap and provide ambitious women with various options.
