Babes On Bay Street

QWhat obstacles did you face?

Well appearance was one obstacle. I had long blonde hair which I refused to cut, even though I was advised that “my career would advance more quickly if I did!” It was very clear that grey haired men, or men generally, had instant credibility whereas I was typically starting from a lesser first impression. I suppose I could have taken the advice, but my hair was a part of the “authentic” me that I felt I needed to retain.

There were also many systemic obstacles, that today in hindsight seem ridiculous…..ie the company paying for memberships at clubs where women were not allowed, senior jobs being filled by colleagues of other senior men because there was no real fair and transparent method for recruiting and promotion etc. All of this took some time to change.

Finally, there was just the fact of being the only woman in the room on many occasions, business and social. It was often very uncomfortable to be in these situations.

But in some perverse way, perhaps these obstacles and finding ways to deal with them, helped me build the self confidence I needed to achieve success. I hope this answers your question!