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When women leave the workplace

Written by: Keith Ferrazzi

Article Overview: Many women who leave the workplace to raise children become isolated and depressed. As you might have read in my article in Reader's Digest, my friend Jennifer is different. She realized that having a community, preserving her relationships, and making new friends was going to be as important to her happiness at home as it was to her success at work. And she is rocking!

When women leave the workplace

Many women who leave the workplace to raise children become isolated and depressed. As you might have read in my article in Reader's Digest, my friend Jennifer is different. She realized that having a community, preserving her relationships, and making new friends was going to be as important to her happiness at home as it was to her success at work. And she is rocking!

Check out her site SuburbanCEO.com, which attracts so many other mothers dealing with the same issues of leaving the workplace or perhaps having never been in the workplace and trying to fit in with friends who have more "professional" careers (as if being a mom isn't difficult enough).

I love the name SuburbanCEO, and I love the tagline: Because you don't need a career to have it all!

Also, if you got a chuckle out of the story in Never Eat Alone about why I don't send Christmas cards anymore (the jist: a friend from college got three cards one year with different signatures!), you have to read this entry from the SuburbanCEO blog.

Link: SuburbanCEO blog - "My missing two cents"

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Article Tags: christmas, christmas cards, friend jennifer, happiness, mom, new friends, professional careers, reader s digest, relationships, signatures, tagline, two cents



Related Forum Posts
Yes, You're Right - In the main I agree with this. Some women overcome it although I have often seen them full of guilt at their (self) perceived selfishness. I think women have a tough call to make which is pretty unfair for them and may leave years of hand-wringing over whether they did the right thing. Men are positioned differently and don't usually feel this. Great point and for my part I'm sad that it isn't more balanced as women have such a lot to offer.
Re: Do Women Play the Stock Market? - Hi Aneshia, What you say about the women you deal with more or less confirms my expectations, especially where you mention investing for retirement and to leave their family something when they pass on. Do you talk to women about other areas of investment as well, outside of the stock market? I live in Japan and the yen is very high against the dollar so I wonder if any Japanese women (and men too) are moving their yen from their savings accounts (which yield less than 1% p/a in many cases) into the US stock market or other investments. Many would hesitate because they are severely "risk averse", but I'm sure there are many opportunities open to those who do the research.
Re: Why aren't there more women entrepreneurs? - My opinion on this (being a women, and being disabled), is; Women in general like security. Women are the caretakers, in general. In the work environment we are the one to have children. We are the ones who leave work to do this. We deal with a stigma that we are bad mothers if we work, but we are a bad mother if we do not work. I feel there is no way a man could ever understand this. Sure they can try, and some do a good job of it, however they truly do not understand. How could they?? Being a entrepreneur is throwing cation to the wind. It takes believing in yourself. It takes a women who can have someone say no, put us down or just plan old negativity and for us to turn it around. Women who can do this are called names, while men in the business world are just expected to have a thick skin. Studies show in the work environment that women are more apt to be bullies. Women are more apt to turn on each other. We expect more out of each other. Many women also use the work environment to socialize and to find a mate. Men and women are not created equal. Once we understand this and take what we are and "run" with it; the better all of us will be. Women business owners, women entrepreneurs are still considered a minority. Since there are more women then men in this world, some day this will turn around. This too is why men need to protect themselves and keep us under some kind of control. What bothers me to no end is when women give in to the mans world using sex as a selling tool. We need strong women leaders, not those who use their bodies as a step up. This is just my opinion on this subject.
Re: For all Women Entrepreneurs - I do and always will admire all business entrepreneurs, sometimes I think that women still have it harder than men in life, due to always having to think about when to start a family and not wanting to leave it to late.
Re: Differences between men and women entrepreneurs - Hi Jude, I looked at your website. It looks great and I agree with what you say! I think you have a great concept that will really get women's attention. I hope it helps a lot of women. I wanted to read your article, but I couldn't find a way to read it without signing up for your services. I did like what you wrote about women on your home page though! I too, have noticed women tend to be the hardest on themselves. I think most of us have heard that women usually dress for women, not men. I remember hearing about a study that said women usually scan their competition in the form of other women when they enter a room. They said most women want to know that they are the best woman in the room. That study was on a social scale, but it's still interesting to consider how it might translate to business. Hmmm... just who are women trying to impress anyway? We don't need to compete! If we just learned to accept our own unique talents and chose to see them as great assets, there's no need to impress anyone! When I finally learned this truth and took it to heart, I was freed up to really grow forward! Wishing you all the best! Tami


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