Cleaning up messes, Sexy Dragons & A Pep Talk
Claudia Sheinbaum winning the election to become Mexico’s first female president has us in our feels. On the one hand, it’s another crack in the global glass ceiling. 🎉 On the other, yet another country has done what the U.S. refuses to: elect a woman to the most prominent seat of power in the country. 😞
With the election behind her, there are only tougher problems ahead for Sheinbaum. She’ll assume Mexico’s presidency and inherit growing issues with the cartels, the largest budget deficit since the 1980’s, and massive security concerns since more than 30 candidates were assassinated this election cycle. It’s a tale as old as time:
We hire women to clean up messes. 🧹
This is a phenomenon known as the “glass cliff” - selecting a woman (and/or BIPOC person) to lead only once the company or country is in crisis. And Sheinbaum has quite a lot of company on that cliffside. Theresa May was tasked with leading Britain following Brexit. Mary Barra led GM’s turnaround post-bankruptcy. Linda Yaccarino became CEO of Twitter/X last year after Elon had flushed half the company’s value and a whole lot of its workforce right down the toilet.
As business owners, we’re our companies’ leaders for better or worse, in financial sickness and health, so you might think the glass cliff has nothing to do with you.
But we think, actually, it can inspire you. Here are 4 ways to look at it:
You can handle that hard, scary thing. Yes, you. 🫵 You’re exactly who a large company would push to the front in a time like this, whatever this time may be like.
Tell your imposter syndrome to take a seat. The guy over there creating messes and burning things to the ground, 🌪️ he’s never for a second wondered if he’s good enough.
If you provide business services, presenting femme is an advantage. Go ahead and position yourself as Olivia Pope: you are the best person to help your clients through that crisis. 💅
If a client does hire you to go over a glass cliff for them, make sure you know what you’re getting into, and that you get paid that glass cliff money! Much like guac, crisis costs extra. 💰
So harness this energy as you head into the day! But first, scroll down to grab tickets for our July dinner, see our summer style picks, and chuckle at our random internet finds from the week.
🪢 Laura + Lauren
Interesting Insights
Why You Want a Woman Leading In a Crisis
This article is a few years old, but still 100% relevant. It discusses how (and why) female leaders are predisposed to lead intuitively and use more communication during fraught periods.
Things We Loved This Week
Laura’s Things
👠 These Mary Janes, which I'm waiting to get restocked in my size (Update: I realized they had been restocked as I was writing this and dropped everything to order them.)
🍋 These swoony-worthy Italy travel guides.
🌅 This book, that I recommend to anyone looking to create a more regenerative business structure based on the principles of Nature.
🛋️ Choosing your partner based on interior design compatibility.
🐉 These books that I describe as “sexy dragon stories.” (Yes, I know I’m behind on this trend.)
Lauren’s Things
👗 This dress that far exceeded my quality expectations (can't remember the last time) and definitely turns heads.
☕️ I assumed we'd already shouted out the song of the summer, but I checked the transcripts and nope, so ladies and gentletheys, without further ado, Sabrina Carpenter's Espresso.
🌴 Sticking with that aesthetic and the theme of things I meant to love on earlier, every single scene that 91 year-old Carol Burnett steals in Palm Royale and whatever vaseline that show has on the lens because 🥵.
🌈 Catch me in Pride wear all month long starting with my favorite shirt. This is the mantra I'll be repeating until so many people don't need so badly to hear it.
📺 This very silly subreddit I recently discovered of people with very strong opinions about the height at which a TV should be hung. Why, you ask? Why not.
To Tie Things Up…
“Any society that fails to harness the energy and creativity of its women is at a huge disadvantage in the modern world.”
- Acclaimed journalist Tian Wei
