HER EDGE

A SHIFT

My internal alarm clock has a new setting, 4:30 a.m. I wish I could sleep until 6. My dream state abruptly ends, and I see the clock. It is too early to start the day.

I pretend that I am going to get up and go to an exercise class before work. My thoughts quickly turn to the day ahead and I begin to stress; emails, money, getting dog food, what is for dinner, where will I be in ten years. You name it, my brain is covering it.

There is a shift happening.

It is not like the one we all just endured for the past two years. That was more like quick punch in the face that refused to heal.

This change is subtle, and it makes us feel uneasy, a little more each day.

I am not a financial expert, economist, and I cannot see the future. There is no crystal ball but what goes up usually comes down and business is no different. I lost my job a decade ago during a tough economic time. I held my breath for five years certain that experience and loyalty would get me through and provide job security.

It did not.

In retrospect, I understand now why a ‘keeping your head down’ mentality is not a strategy for success. Being valuable in business requires that you stand out from the crowd, you cannot just stand around.

BY ROBIN DEWIND

keep our salary safe? The simple answer is you cannot, there are no guarantees. It is the uncertainty that wakes us up each night.

With a 30-year career in my rear-view mirror and a small business in front of me, I now choose to see work as freedom. We all fear our financial survival. If you work for yourself, there are slow times when an unpaid invoice can leave you convinced your business is going to collapse like a house of cards.

Stagnation, inflation, recession, oh my. There is no doubt it can keeps us solopreneurs up in the middle of the night thinking about what business will look like going forward.

The difference this time around, the choice is mine. Working for yourself forces you to weather slow times and depend on your own hustle and ingenuity. Nothing feels worse than walking into an office where the latest memo from management discusses “consolidation,” “trimming,” or a “wage freeze.” Job insecurity drains all motivation and creativity from the task at hand and replaces it with anxiety and doubt.

Thinking about what the boss is going to do next is a productivity killer.

I lived it, held on tight, but was handed my severance package anyway. All the stress and worry paralyzed me from being open to change. I was unwilling to re-brand myself and slowly became comfortable. His decision did not define me, it motivated me.

I am seeing it happen all over again a decade later. Conversations with women in my age center on the same topic, survival.

There is something financially hanging over all our heads. A mortgage, college loans, or adult children living at home. Being a female professional in your forties and fifties is a tricky proposition these days.

How do you manage your restlessness with your responsibilities?

The pandemic had us all sitting at home in our make-shift offices reflecting on life. In our confinement, we got a taste of freedom.

We all need a paycheck, but are we chained to it?

We have paid our dues, climbed the ladder, and worked through multiple pregnancies for what, to always been tired and worried about what is next. So here is unsolicited advice from someone who was handed a pink-slip and is grateful for it.

Working for myself has taught me a few things that may help you navigate the uncertainty ahead.

Adapt

If you are a planner, director, communicator, or marketer, you must be willing to adapt to changing circumstances. Be irreplaceable. Get better at what you do. Uncertainty can

“How do you manage your restlessness with your responsibilities? ”

lead to opportunity for people willing to take advantage.

Stay Awake

Middle aged women are ignored and replaced even those with a title and advanced degrees. Face it, your career may not come back. So, stay awake and do not rest on your laurels. Start networking again, take a fresh professional photograph, leverage your contacts. Never stare into the headlights, you will be run over.

Expand

I am not sure why Baby Boomers, Millennials, and Gen Zs are at odds with each other in the workplace. Women should learn from each other, not compete. Keeping skills fresh and embracing innovative technologies is a bridge we all need to cross. Never be afraid to ask for help or offer it. Living in a professional silo will age you. Be vulnerable and valuable, not entitled, and limited.

Now is time to work on you.