I am woman, hear me roar
Spotify Unwrapped: a wonderful reminder of our music preferences and repeatedly one of the best marketing campaigns there is. IMO.
Unsurprisingly Taylor Swift was my winner of my top artist, for the 7th year running, I am a loudly and proudly in my ‘Swiftie’ era.
Last year my top listened to song was Shakira’s belting ‘Try Everything’ from the Zootopia soundtrack (don’t knock it until you’ve tried it) and up there this year alongside Taylor, obvs, is Helen Reddy’s 1971 empowerment anthem, ‘I Am Woman’, an absolute banger. There is a strong correlation between my top songs being my go-to songs whenever I am in need, whether that be a tough day at work, a quick dose of confidence before presenting to the CEO, or even attempting a run. My partner, Juul, put Helen Reddy on full blast in the car on the way home having been discharged from hospital after 3 weeks and had to leave my newborn son there for another week. Tough. But Helen Reddy and Juul got me through it. In the words of the wise Glennon Doyle “we can do the hard things” and I am a firm believer in music as an instant picker upper in those moments, both making you feel good as well as believing in yourself.
If those songs aren’t cheesy enough for you, let it be known my guilty pleasure is Disney soundtracks, it was a well known fact at the last agency I worked at that Disney was my tunes of choice when prepping for weekly finance meetings. Turn up ‘I Am Moana’ or ‘Let it Go’ and let those numbers flow baby!
Seriously though, listen closely to the lyrics of these songs and many others like them, they are filled with empowering battle cries, equally jam-packed with confidence boosters. You cannot escape the 3.44 minute dopamine hit ‘Girl on Fire’ by Alicia Keys provides, or Beyoncé’s ‘Run the World (Girls)’ - two more classics to ignite the fire in your belly. I used to listen to ‘Girl on Fire’ on repeat on my walk into work after a pretty brutal breakup, giving me the belief in myself to get through each day when all I wanted to do was curl up on the sofa, eating tub after tub of Ben & Jerry’s.
Why do I have a ‘Girl Power’ playlist? (yes, HUGE Spice Girls fan) I’ll get to the point, and it’s simple, I am in regular need of a top up of female energy - a lift in personal morale and a reminder to be brave. (Another goody: Sara Bareilles ‘Brave’.) Why do I need such a reminder? Because at work, there at times I feel less than adequate, times where I doubt myself and my abilities. Let’s face it, imposter syndrome is very real whether we like to believe it or not; a recent KPMG study found 75% of female executives across industries have experienced imposter syndrome in their careers. That’s a lot of women, and men can also suffer from it. Imposter syndrome can be driven by many things, the Forbes article linked previously sums up the contributors quite neatly; for me language plays a big part in feeling, at times riddled with self-doubt, but more often than not, pissed off. Comments made to me by others such as being “too emotional” (gosh, how original) being told to “calm down and play nice” when a male colleague certainly wasn’t doing so, being asked if I am taking notes in a meeting with all men despite being the most senior in the room, but alas a woman (most irksome as I am an avid note-taker but on principle, don’t take them when asked in a certain way) - the list goes on. You’ll have all sadly experienced similar no doubt.
To combat this, there are helpful suggestions doing the rounds on social media. Multiple posts on LinkedIn and Instagram educating us on say this, not that, do this, not that, in a bid to exert our authority. But OMG it’s tiring! Do you find yourself screen-shotting said phrases to use instead of others (see below example)? Me too. All the time. Do I rewrite emails in fear of using the wrong wording? Regularly. Do we think men do this? Of course not. (Guys, if reading this and think otherwise, shout!) Imagine having the pure freedom of firing off emails willy-nilly, never having to second guess anything for fear of coming across as ‘too aggressive’ etc … what joy! Don’t forget additional effort and time this requires, oof. Again, exhausting.
What’s clear thought is how important language is, not only what we say but how we say it, to others and also ourselves. Music is just one way to do this, a way to give yourself a pep talk, remind you that you can totally do whatever it is you are aiming to. It’s one way I totally recommend, albeit light touch perhaps. I am absolutely not saying that a Girl Power playlist will rid the workplace of systemic bias and exclusion, nor will one song miraculously cure you of feelings of self-doubt, hell no, but it’s an easy, always-on starting point. You can reap so many benefits of even a temporary mood changer.
PSA: ‘Hold On’ by Wilson Phillips is the perfect song after a tough week of any kind. In fact, I’m listening to it now - it’s been a week and it’s Wednesday. It was also a regular at another of my previous agency. I guess the moral of the story here is don’t underestimate the power of a good ballad to get you going again, when that going has been tough.
Finally, repeat after me: I am strong. I am invincible. I am woman.
Mirror moments
Authenticity is paramount - be yourself, always. An obvious one but you can’t beat it as advice.
Be more Dutch. Meaning be assertive, don’t let a shitty remark go, however small. Call it out, kindly. It will help in the long term, if only for your mental health.
Create yourself a Girl Power playlist. Share with all your friends, family, colleagues and celebrate women.
Random, but because it’s excellent post break-up therapy, convince a friend to sing Celine Dion ‘All Coming Back to Me’ on a table top at Archer Street in London. You won’t regret it.
When in doubt, turn up Taylor or whack on some Katy Perry - ‘Roar’ is an excellent choice, you are a champion and they are going to hear you roar!
And because we all need a reminder at times and because Charlie Mackesy is just perfect, always:
These are my thoughts, but what do you think? Do you have a go-to playlist / song / genre? What has been your experience in the workplace? Is imposter syndrome something you struggle with? How do you combat it?
Please do share in the comments or drop me a DM, I would LOVE to hear from you, including any advice of your own for those reading She is Creative.
Thank you for reading She is Creative with Emma Baines. This post is public so feel free to share it.
ncG1vNJzZmirmJq2tK%2FRnpitoaaae7TBwayrmpubY7CwuY6pZqJlkaJ6uLvMmqVmoJWWv265xGapqJmi