Dear Dumplin,
The below is an excerpt to a contribution I made for MogulMommies.com. I’m particularly proud of it because I know I have an unusual stance about money. I also think it relates well to my theme for the month of July:
“Independence and Freedom”
Most people say they would love to be rich or win the lottery but when you dig deeper, no not really. They just want to be “comfortable” or they just want to have a little bit more. Listen, I make no qualms about the fact that I want more money. You know why? Because it’s a resource that can be used to help people way beyond just me. More resources mean independence and freedom. More resources give everyone the ability to make their own decisions about how they spend their time. An overflow of money means more opportunities to make real change and contribute to worthwhile causes. It also means being able to give you a head start. Why should each generation have to start from scratch? If I can do something to prevent that, I will.
I must also add that you should never search for money just for money’s sake. There should be purpose in everything you do. You should want to serve. Always ask yourself, who am I helping? Take this blog for example, my direct goal is for you to have an idea of who I am as a person and to help our relationship as you get older. A broader goal is to start a conversation amongst women who may be facing similar challenges or have similar objectives for themselves and their daughters. There must be a real purpose in everything you do. If not, why do it?
So without further ramblings, here are my thoughts on why I believe a woman should never ever feel guilty about wanting more money:
“Money is a vehicle to drive change.”
Claudia Chan Wagner, founder of Shecky’s and creator of the S.H.E. Summit, said this during her 2013 Ted Talk. It’s a saying that has stayed with me since I first listened to her speech. I find that a woman’s ambition isn’t always celebrated and it’s unfortunate. There is nothing wrong with wanting more out of life. Not a greedy kind of more, just more freedom, travel, family time, happiness, and a career that makes your heart sing. Juggling it all as a Mogul Mommie when people don’t really understand why you juggle or why you hustle can be a challenge.
Also during that speech, Claudia Chan Wagner gave some startling statistics:
- Women own only 1% of the world’s property.
- Women perform 66% of the world’s work but earn only 10% of the world’s income.
- In the U.S., women are only 4.2% of Fortune 500 company CEO’s.
I’m sure these numbers have changed since Claudia reported them in 2013 but it encourages me to advocate for ambitious women, goal oriented women, and the overall financial growth of women. If someone is suggesting you slow down your hustle, limit your Mommie Moguldum, or stop juggling, I’m here to say we need you! Those goals are in your head for a reason. Now when I hear someone discourage a women from being financially ambitious, I interject. Money isn’t the root of all evil. It’s a tool. Here are five reasons you should never feel guilty about wanting more money.
Click here to read the rest of this article.
Love,
Mama
This post was originally created for MogulMommies.com.