“A special place in hell for women who don’t help other women”

This week, I had the wonderful privilege to attend National Women’s Enterprise Day in Portlaoise, Ireland where hundreds of women entrepreneurs and business owners gathered together to network, share experiences and connect! We had some amazing guest speakers, not least Dr Maureen Gaffney, an eminent psychologist and author of a wonderful book called “Flourishing” as well as Mary McKenna, MD of TourAmerica.

What I loved about this event was not only was there some wonderful content shared by the guest speakers and the panellists but because there was genuine warmth and collaboration in the room. Women wanted to help each other and during her talk, Mary shared a quote from Madeline Albright which I love; “There is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women”.

I have been to networking events and when I say what I do, i.e. “I specialise in executive and leadership coaching for women entrepreneurs and business owners”, there have been times when the woman I was meeting becomes a little chilly with me….why?

Could it be that she doesn’t like that we might be in the same business?? Probably!

Might she feel threatened and believe I’m her competition? Definitely

(Why do I know this? Because I was that soldier!)

Until I changed my thinking…
There is enough for everybody. Nobody does what you do like you do just like nobody does what I do like I do. My belief that there is enough for everyone in the world and when you buy into a scarcity mentality, this is the reality you create and perpetuate.

I choose to believe in abundance and so when I meet women who are in a similar business, I want to know where there might be potential synergies rather than focus on the possibility that we are competing. I promise I’m no saint and I will still have those “competing” thoughts but it’s knowing that I’m doing that and changing my perspective which is so powerful!

The truth is, there is enough for everybody. It’s time we named and claimed this truth. I don’t need the whole world to work with me for me to have a successful business just like you don’t either so why act as if we all want the same piece of the pie?

I want to finish today’s blog with 3 (out of the 10 strategies) for ‘building the positive’ from Dr Maureen Gaffney:

1. Happiness is important; happy people are more likely to be successful…so focus on being happy!

2. How to achieve what you set out to do – don’t underestimate the power of positive purpose

3. Control your attention as it controls your life