First Class: Tune Out The Noise

By Anita Bates

​The Late James Brown stated, “This is a man’s world, but it wouldn’t be nothing without a woman or a girl”. Although we are living in the twenty-first century, it is still considered a male-dominated business world. However, there are so many powerful women that are striving daily to have a voice, to have a place, and to make their own footprints and mark in this world.

We are no longer living in a time where a woman is only capable of performing so-called “female” roles such as nurses, teachers, cooks and seamstresses. We are now living in a world where the Vice President of the United States is a woman. Everyday, women are filling the roles of doctors, lawyers, accountants and c-suites, just to name a few.

​This didn’t just happen overnight, but it happened because in order to be a successful woman and move forward in the business world, you must know your worth.

One of the struggles some women have is that we feel obligated to prove ourselves. We have been taught over the years that the criteria for success is to outwork and outshine.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but that is still very true! Although this is a new day and it’s not 1980, you still have to work hard to prove your worth.

It’s one thing to know your worth; it’s another thing to exude the confidence that goes along with the knowledge and
experience you have. Being a woman comes with having an emotional and sensitive side, but actually, it is important
to keep that separate from your work life. Unfortunately, it can be viewed as a sign of weakness.

I have learned to tune out the noise; the negative thoughts, the naysayers, and the what if’s. Regardless of what I have happening in my world, I don’t take it with me into that room. I walk into the room fully dressed for success; standing tall, walking with confidence and making sure my conversations are purposeful and will leave a lasting impression. The goal is to look it, walk it, and definitely to talk it.

One take away I would like for you to have is to believe in yourself, know your own worth, and demand that others
acknowledge it as well. Never, ever let anyone place their estimated value on you. You are first class and never coach!