Girl Bosses

By chance, my family and I created a Girl Boss group! It was totally unplanned and spur of the moment. During the holidays, we were out to dinner as a group before my nieces went back to school. We’ve spent time together for many years, but this was the first time we went out as just us girls. This elite group consisted of my mother, my sister-in-law, my two daughters, my two nieces, and myself. As we were having dinner, we began discussing our careers, goals, aspirations, and shared love of female leadership. Then, we realized we were ALL girl bosses (or were on our way). We finished dinner by toasting to ourselves, cheering to the Girl Boss group.
Let me introduce you to these Girl Bosses (GBs):

• My mom - GB #1 - She likes to call herself “Chairman of the Board.” She broke the glass ceiling in a male-dominated profession when she was a mortgage lender from the late 80’s to the early 90’s.
• Myself - GB #2 - I’m a principal, author, doctorate degree, and business owner.
• My sister-in-law - GB #3 - She is a CPA and leader in a financial institution.
• My eldest daughter - GB #4 - She excels in the sales industry, a very male-dominated profession. She is also working on her Master’s in Enterprise Risk Management.
• My youngest daughter - GB #5 - She is an Assistant Branch Manager at a bank. She is pursuing a degree in Business Leadership.
•  My niece - GB #6 - She is in college getting a physics degree. She works in a lab and plans to continue schooling to get her PhD.
• My niece - GB #7 - She is in college getting a degree in either psychology or neuroscience. She has already created and produced her first podcast series.

We are all in different fields at different ages having different experiences. We all truly enjoy learning from one another. At our first GB group meeting, my niece taught us the activity “Rose, Bud, Thorn.” In essence, everyone shares one thing they are proud of (your “rose”), one thing they are looking forward to (your “bud”), and one thing they have been struggling with (your “thorn”). We each got a chance to share our roses, buds, and thorns, which allowed us to connect, be heard, and develop a deeper understanding of each other’s lives. Since then, I have used this activity with my CLI team, and they thoroughly enjoyed it. 

The Girl Boss group reminds me that everyone brings a different perspective to the table, which allows for the development of true respect and appreciation for one another. We take time to check in with each other and share our past and present experiences. We share new ideas and encourage each other to take risks. We support one another, inspire confidence, and nurture the desire to strive for more. We’ve even created a Girl Boss text group complete with the Strong Arm Flex icon. 
We are strong women who are connected to one another. It’s important that we love and support one another. Being part of this lineage of female leaders is inspiring and motivating.
I encourage you to gather your own group of Girl Bosses. And if you’re on a solo journey, I’ve got your back with my newest edition to the CLI self-care lineup: Corporate Wellness: Self-Care for Professionals. 
What I have learned: Girl Bosses have to support each other. Lend a hand, share a kind word, and nurture these relationships.
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