Hello Reader!

Where ARE your pants? We are mere days away from September when pants are required for much of the adulting, including speaking up, that happens post Labor Day.

Go look now. I'll wait.

As I write this, I'm on my third night watching the Democratic National Convention. I didn't plan to watch any but I tuned in the first night when Michelle Obama spoke, and the goosebumps haven't stopped since.

The timing is impeccable. While the coaching work I do is ostensibly to help professional women over 40 (and some men too) decide to stay or leave distressing work, what is actually the pain, under the "covers" is building the courage to speak up and then listen to THEMSELVES.

This is Self-Authority.

To speak up and state clearly how they - and you (and all of us) truly want to live our lives and do our work.

This is Self-Authority.

Once you can trust that what you do, say, think and how you act is fine - WITH YOU - this gives you the the freedom and security to speak up - and have the career and life YOU want.

This is Self-Authority.

To be fearless in advocating for yourself.

This is Self-Authority.

I spoke about this to Tufts Alumni a few weeks ago - all but two in the audience were women. (My college boyfriend showed up!)

The conversation we had together was both inspiring and dispiriting. Comments (paraphrased) in the chat included things like:

"When I try to speak up, I'm told I'm too direct."
"I hear 'don't worry about it' when I raise an issue."
"I am constantly interrupted when I try to add to the conversation."
"I've been asked 'who do you think you are?' when I dared push back."

While women have historically (and still do) experience specific back lash (and often violence) when they speak up, we all need to learn how to trust ourselves - and tell the truth when we do.

I can help. And have been helping.

As Kamala declared tonight:

"Never let anyone tell you who you are.

You show them who you are."

And as one of my clients testified: