Hi! My name is Martha Jean, but you can also call me MJ. This is my blog.
I write about and share nifty things about nifty topics like business, technology, art, science, music, literature, the meaning of life, and of course, silly nonsense.
Wanna talk to me? Go for it! I look forward to hearing from you.
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
Are female employees valued less than female entrepreneurs?
A question just generated in my mind, sprung from years of absorption, comparison, and consideration of thoughts surrounding working women:
Am I less valuable to the professional community, especially to professional women, if I never become the textbook definition of entrepreneur and only work in the employment of others?
I ask this because so many of the the women whose professional lives I admire are entrepreneurs. And so many of those lists of powerful, valuable working women compiled by all the Forbes and Fast Company’s of the world focus on female entrepreneurs. And think of all the grants, professional development events, and programs designed to encourage and assist female entrepreneurs.
Will I never achieve true success as a working woman if I never start my own business? If I only want to work for others?
The short answer is no: I’m just having a moment of insecurity in which I question my current career decisions because I’m worrying way too much about what other people think of me. The short answer says that human worth and value, even in professional circles, is in the eye of the beholder, and I should just go about my business and stop obsessing over minor details related to status, respect, career opportunities, and pay grades for women.
But considering the possibilities of a longer answer leads me to another question: is there a gap in focusing on leadership and career development for all women workers, not just female entrepreneurs? Is this why I am sensitive to the issue? Do I have a genuine case for feeling like a neglected segment of the female workforce?
Or am I just not paying enough attention to the right things and paying too much attention to all the wrong things?
What do you think of all this?
P.S. - I wrote this very quickly, just to get the idea out there while it was still at the top of my mind. Poke as many holes in it as you like.
