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Even though we work on hundreds of different issues across a similarly diverse group of settings, I think the argument could be made that the work of the social sector is ultimately focused on creating a world where all humans have equal opportunity to flourish. This is at the base of what we’re doing with programing that seeks to improve financial systems, agricultural practices, environmental protections, health systems and education. And, one of the things we know, unequivocally, is that women have received the short end of the stick, almost no matter how you measure it. Here’s the thing: marginalization of women doesn’t just happen in traditional development settings. It’s alive and well in the US, Europe… and, well, every other leading economy on the planet. This is why I’m especially pleased to have Claire Wasserman as my guest for the 178th Terms of Reference Podcast. Claire is the founder of Ladies Get Paid – an organization focused, currently, on empowering women in the workplace. As you’ll hear in the show, I found Claire when seeking to learn more about Red Bull Amaphiko, where she is the Deputy US Editor. Red Bull Amaphiko is a collaborative platform for social entrepreneurs that is sponsored by the energy drink company of the same name. But our conversation quickly turns to how Ladies Get Paid was founded and has quickly expanded into a phenomenon of 10,000 women… and growing. You’re going to love this show where we talk about women rising up to get what they deserve, and how one woman has made the leap to be a leader in that movement. You can connect with Claire here: http://clairelovesyou.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairewasserman Tweets by clairewasserman
IN TOR 178 YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT
- What Red Bull is doing in the Humanitarian, Aid & Development space
- The Red Bull Amaphiko (wings) magazine, its digital community and workshop lines of action
- The many non-monetary benefits Red Bull provides Amaphiko members
- Ladies Get Paid, Claire’s own bootstrapped network of women informing and helping one another
- The international realities of women in wages, salary negotiations, competing for leadership positions, sexism
- The quick growth Ladies Get Paid town halls and regional chapters, as spaces for women to publicly discuss the issues that affect them, and the many values of exchanging personal stories, even professionally
OUR CONVERSATION FEATURES THE FOLLOWING
Names:
- Red Bull
- Red Bull Amaphiko
- Ladies Get Paid
- Get Money Get Paid Conference
- Working Not Working
- Regina McGuire
- Slack
- DoSomething.org
- Blair Imani, Equality for HER
Topics:
- Women’s Rights, Issues
- Digital Media, Publishing, Creativity industries
- Networking, Conversations, Online communities, Resource sharing
- Empowerment Education
- Sexism, Microsexism, Microaggressions, Objectification
- Stories, Empathy, Support, Voices
- Social Entrepreneurship Bootstrapping
- Money, Value, Self worth, Salary negotiation,
- Personal Finance, Financial Independence, Stability
- Wage gap, Economic Inequality
- Human Resources
- Impostor Syndrome
- Vulnerability, Anxiety
Places:
- New York
- Romania
- Oklahoma
- South Africa
- Brazil
- Bangkok, Thailand
EPISODE CRIB NOTES
Download an automated transcript. New York, Winter 2017 03:13 RBA + LGP = Claire Wasserman What is Red Bull doing in the development sphere? Claire asked as much “Giving wings” “We do it in sports, why not to social entrepreneurs” Some time spent to figure out what they are doing in the space A magazine Covering people in the impact space all over the world It does not donate, it gives back Claire covers US activity Red Bull Amaphiko starts in South Africa, then moved to Brazil before US et al Later it launched Amaphiko Academy, a 10-day program They look for diversity Admitted candidates join a bootcamp with several networking opportunities People in Middle America don’t have a lot of opportunities like this “It has been amazing” First run of Amaphiko US just ended 06:43 Amaphiko = Zulu for Wing “We’re really hammering that” Bangkok (Stephen’s base) is Red Bull home No financial exchange Support extends for 18 months after the 10-day bootcamp No equity or investment, but Red Bull is open to offer resources, sponsorship “Red Bull keeps them on speed dial” Amaphiko is a magazine as much as a community. Participants can take part on ongoing activities 09:18 And now, something not really that different, after all Ladies Get Paid Claire had helped a friend, the friend found out about the Red Bull Amaphiko opening They were looking for a writer and editor for the US She meets the team She’s wanted because she is a social entrepreneur It would make her empathetic with their reality Money must be made But this is not what drives them Lots of sacrifices RBA also wants her to write about herself Support her LGP initiative benefits RBA “Welcome to the Red Bull family” She don’t even to bifurcate her jobs 10:48 LGP: So women can rise up at work We provide tools Rise up: Get into leadership positions, closing the wage gap Education, workshops But above all, a worldwide online community Real value begins after the workshops, women sharing resources Discussion across challenges or “Anxieties” Wage negotiations, legal issues 10,000 women Romania, Oklahoma You are not the only one experimenting this “I don’t identify as a feminist” “I have a misunderstanding about what that word means” Working on advertising, at an awards ceremony in France Conference, Festival Lots of older white men One approaches her: “Whose wife are you?” Stunned “I’m now grateful that happened” It reveal the several small episodes Claire goes back home, to write Series of conversation ensues Not so much about “what happened,” instead “how I processed it” “Have I helped in the objectification of me?” “Too short dresses, excessive friendliness?” Then, all the time and effort navigating this environment, instead of using them for something more useful “I didn’t have the guts to speak publicly, under my own name” Stephen: A Regina McGuire moment “I was worried what I would be known for if you googled me” Ironically, that’s what she’s known for now, proudly “I realize the fear I felt publishing my words was one of the reasons why I should do it” Women experience similar things all the time, everywhere Claire begins with friends, it spirals into virality Hundreds of personal stories Then, strategic conversations Claire spends a year reading “without really doing anything” Researches wage gap, “getting increasingly angry at statistics” “Startled and ashamed I didn’t know that” “I consider myself an educated person and I didn’t know that” Do other people know? She feels responsible Against a systemic problem, what can an individual do? She holds a town hall First subject: Money “It represents so much” It links to other meaningful issues: value, self-worth “And of course the wage gap” Financial independence That first town hall’s room energy was like anything before As if women haven’t had the chance to talk about this before, much less publicly A Slack group is born 17:22 I swear, this is not a paid advertisement Slack is meant an internal communication tool “It made more sense for staying in touch than a Facebook group” The town halls showed several themes Each one became a Slack channel Easier to quickly navigate People joined, asked whether they could add friends “I started adding people manually. 10,000 people later…” “I am hacking Slack” I mean, “I am doing business development for them” Free but with limited capability. Paid features include message archiving “But as I’m not charged, I don’t have to charge” “Really recommended for building a community” 18:45 Who can make it to the town hall? Can Claire? She was working for Working Not Working “We just tell you what we do in our title” A super-curated professional network in creativity (tech, ad, media) “Are you working? Not working?” “Very efficient” WNW helps with the first town hall “I week later I knew I had to quit my job to do this full-time” Previous, not entirely successful entrepreneurial experiences Tough. “I loved what I was doing” “But I knew that I had to do it” Tickets for the LGP town halls were free 100 people was the capacity. “They showed up” Free and paid initiatives You took the leap, so what? 23:34 “Each time someone writes me, I cry” People have made massive and small changes Setting up diversity programs Women going to HR A woman comes across her dream job, and she was perfect for, but feels unqualified Men feel confident to apply when fulfilling 60% of the requirements, for women it’s above 80% She didn’t apply On a “Ladies Get Coffee” or “Ladies Get Drinks” she meets another woman who sees she’s perfect for a job she has “You should definitely apply” Turns out it was the job she didn’t feel ready for. (Spoiler: she more than was) The power of passing somebody forward (or just recommending them) Then there’s Impostor Syndrome The need to over-perform “I think she was cured from then on” “Life is not a pass/fail test” We all learn “Have the confidence of a mediocre white man” What would a mww do? Gender reversal Jokes aside, “would a man feel like this?” “Let someone else reject you before you reject yourself”- Vulnerability
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