I know I can help women; I know my story is their story and when I share my journey and experiences, it typically resonates.
And, there is already a ton of support out there for women. We’ve got each other, chick flicks, Oprah, women’s networks, all kinds of magazines and self-help books (that we actually read) and an easy way of relating to each other.
When I discovered I have a lot of followers who are men, I was a bit caught off guard.
And I kept help wondering…was I unintentionally excluding men? Was I guilty of assuming only women experience the kinds of problems I can help solve?
How do men cope with and overcome challenges at work and in their personal lives? For a lot, they don’t. They silently suffer, stuff their feelings and avoid any trace of vulnerability.
And yet, over the course of fifteen plus years of facilitating leadership classes and one-on-one coaching, I have had hundreds of deep conversations with men about stuff they don’t feel they can talk about openly. It breaks my heart to hear them almost whisper that they worry they are not an effective leader, or that their spouse might leave them, or that their kids seem to be growing up without them, or that they don’t know how to compete with that person who seems to have the boss’ ear. They worry about losing their job or missing out on a promotion or how to handle the stress without appearing to be stressed. They’re anxious about aging, and their health, and whether their retirement savings are on track. In short, they have many of the same concerns we women have, with the added pressure that they are not supposed to talk about them. Yikes!
So to all you men out there, I am here for you as well. Feel free to reach out and tell me what ONE thing I can help you with? I’m offering you a safe place to talk about anything.