The Power of Values + Voice

This post was originally published on July 2, 2020, on Instagram as part of Her Growth Collective.

---

Working for myself means I finally feel free to use my voice.⁠⠀

In corporate America, far too often our opinions as women can be respected, but our voice is not.⁠⠀

When I finally felt free to use my voice, I found that I had suppressed it for so long that I barely recognized it. Like Ariel, I had sacrificed my voice for a dream.⁠⠀

⁠And the frustration was building within me. It took almost a year to find my voice again. ⁠⠀

In my case, that journey involved a 6 month hiatus from male opinions - almost universally. I had spent so much time surrounded by men in a corporate setting that their voices were still ringing in my ears and drowning out my own thoughts. ⁠⠀

Stay with me on this... it isn't actually about male bashing. Several of those men I looked up to and respected. A few of them I still consider to be close friends. ⁠⠀

I had just been in a space where the only respected voices of authority were men for so long, that I needed room in my life to hear other voices for a while. ⁠⠀

I started consuming business and mindset podcasts hosted by women ravenously. I couldn't get enough! Where had all of these amazing women been all my life? ⁠⠀

I mean, I knew a lot of amazing and smart women... but people don't usually hand them a microphone. ⁠⠀

Turned out there were plenty of women in the world who were not afraid to give voice to their values... I just needed to go out there and find them instead of relying on the voices that came to me through more popular channels.⁠⠀

As I discovered other women using their voice, I wanted to use my voice too. I found that the road back was rooted in reconnecting with my values. ⁠⠀

⁠I've always valued diversity of people and perspectives. As I became more intentional about leaning into that value and making room in my life for more perspectives, I began to journal more to mentally and emotionally process what I was hearing. The act of putting pen to paper for no special reason uncovered pieces of my voice that had long been buried.⁠⠀

I've always valued women and our collective contribution to the world. I've been advocating for women in one way or another since I was a teenager. I never completely stopped advocating for women at work, but there was a period where my voice became so quiet and soft-spoken that it barely registered. As I leaned into that value, the Ambition Out Loud podcast was born.

I've also always valued collaboration over competition. As I leaned into that value, I was invited to share my voice through #hergrowthcollective.

Now when the way ahead seems unclear, when I'm not sure if or how I should use my voice, I spend time getting clear on my values.

Only when my values are clear can I bring my voice into alignment and move forward authentically.

...

This post is written in partnership with #HerGrowthCollective, encouraging women to walk the path of self-development together.