Hear Me Roar!

I was recently honored to be recognized by The Westchester and Fairfield County Business Journal as one of Connecticut’s most powerful women!

I believe in putting love into my business relationships. There’s nothing wrong with showing a softer side and being vulnerable in business. I think people are concerned that they will be considered weak if they allow their vulnerability to show — but in my mind it’s like saying “Here I am, and I’m not playing games. You can count on me for the truth.”

I’ve written before about how men and women do business differently, and this is the area where it is most apparent. Sometimes when I sit down with a male counterpart for lunch, I can’t help but notice how it is a completely different experience, a different conversation from lunching with women. I want to get to know the person across the table from me, not jump straight into business. Otherwise, I could never feel comfortable referring someone. I need to see that person has some weaknesses, that they’re not all CEO, all the time.

So I’ve become a little softer in the way I run my business and the way that I relate to my team. My masculine energy has led for a long time and I’m trying to bring my femininity to the forefront now. One of the first things I did was to change the closing salutation of my newsletter to “Love, Judy.” I also began to write softer emails and change my personal vocabulary.

In the past I thought it didn’t work for me to always act like a woman. Now I’m discovering that bringing feminine energy to the table is an act of disruption — but the nature of feminine energy means that disruption will be constructive.

Of course I love doing business with men for other reasons — they have their own strengths, too. If I’ve offended any of my male colleagues, I would love nothing more than to be proven wrong! Let’s make a date for breakfast or lunch.