Kamala Harris is the Vice-President of the United States. Oprah Winfrey and Martha Stewart are wildly successful moguls. Women run Fortune 500 companies. Women have been in outer space. And women are at the helm of major colleges and universities. Many glass ceilings have been shattered, yet there is still this idea that women don’t belong at the top of various businesses. Thus thinking is wrong. And author and consultant Andi Simon wants people to reevaluate this mindset in her Book Rethink: Smashing the Myths of Women in Business.
In Rethink, Simon tells the stories of several women who have achieved greatness in their respective fields. These fields include entrepreneurship, business, law, education, science, and technology. Some of these women come from modest backgrounds, others more privileged. Yet, the recall obstacles they faced and naysayers who said they’d never make it.
All these women excelled not only due to talent and skill, but also because they believed in themselves and had tenacity and strong work ethic.
The women profiled include knitwear designer Babette Ballinger, college president Dr. Maria Gallo, business leader Delora Tyler, and IT expert Samantha Radocchia.
Though these women come from different backgrounds, races, and age groups, there are similarities among them. Many of them came from supportive families who encouraged their ambitions. These women had various jobs and career paths. Some of them never expected they’d be in their current positions. They dealt with a lot of sexist behavior and sometimes, self-doubt. They’ve written books and given TED talks.
For the most part, I appreciated this book. I found the women’s stories interesting. In fact, I wish for more stories of successful women in show business, media, politics, sports, and philanthropy.
Still, I found Rethink to be a timely book in an era where women have come so far, yet have ways to go.
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