In our journey to create a better world, one of the crucial things we need to do is support powerful women speaking powerfully.

ALL of us.

We have what I call a “cultural voice story” – that women’s voices are less important than men’s. There’s another one I’ve just realized we have – that women have to compete (and compete hard) with each other for the attention of men.

Men can be very dismissive of women’s voices. Another story – we don’t need to pay attention to what women say. I worked with a woman pilot, whose male co-pilots didn’t pay any attention to her voice over their headphones unless she dropped her pitch to sound more like a guy. In her normal speaking voice, they completely tuned her out. It was as if she hadn’t even spoken. When she sounded more like a guy, their brains paid attention.

Voice stories can be insidious, because they are largely UNCONSCIOUS. You don’t even know you have them.

So men, please be aware of these cultural voice stories, and stop buying into them. Notice if you’re tuning women out, and make a choice to tune them back in.

And women, we can be even more critical of other women than the guys are. Men may tune us out, but we often actively tear each other down.

I may have been lucky with women – I’ve been knocked down more often by men than by other women. But I have female friends who have been really savaged by other women.

You know the stereotype – “catty bitches” who trash talk other women’s hair, clothes, bodies, abilities, brains, etc. They are all over the media – “reality” shows, TV shows, movies.

What does that actually achieve? A few moments of feeling superior, then a return to the desperate search for outside approval.

Women are now more empowered in the developed world to become thought leaders, create businesses, run for office, rise in business.

But to be truly successful, we need to support each other. As my colleague, Sage Lavine says, “We must heal our broken sisterhood and make supporting other women an important practice in our lives.”

One of the things the catty ones go after most is a woman speaking out strongly and powerfully. But even if you’re NOT a catty one, you may still be unconsciously judging other women who speak powerfully because you have the voice story that “it’s not feminine,” or “it’s not nice,” “it’s pushy, bitchy, too aggressive.” Then you make a negative judgment about them.

You know the drill.

What I would love you to do is make the decision to support women speaking powerfully. If you find yourself reacting with the “bitch” label, ask yourself if you’d react the same way to a man speaking that way. If you wouldn’t, then support the woman.

We have 2 women in the presidential race here in the U.S. Whether you agree with them or not, you can support their right to speak with power and confidence without being torn apart for that alone.

Will you all make a commitment to let go of the cultural voice stories, and support powerful women speaking powerfully?

Let me know.

Blessings,
Ariana

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A client rave: “Now I can choose how to speak. I have options! You dispelled my idea that there was A REGISTER, and RANGE I needed to be in my voice. I learned that all of it is mine. All of those nuances are part of me – my variety, my spice, my uniqueness. I can bring all of it. I have access to all of my voice. You brought a lot of stuff out of me that I normally wouldn’t talk about, and I saw how those old stories were holding me back. The more real I am, the more love I get. My power is diluted when using my learned, ‘corporate and controlled voice.’ “ – Stone Love

I’d love to support YOU in getting all the juicy benefits of speaking in your authentic voice. Let’s talk!

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Client Rave:  “Ariana, thank you for being my guiding light, my beam of hope for speaking with power, authority and confidence, and for helping me unblock my greatness. You are SO multi-talented, and I’d recommend you to everyone!” – Josephine Hanan

If you ‘d like to talk with me about the possibilities of working together, book a Voice Your Value Breakthrough Session! My treat. We’ll explore how to empower your authentic voice, reclaim parts of yourself that have been shushed and silenced, craft your compelling story, and brainstorm opportunities for business and personal growth, so you can step into YOUR greatness.