A Loud Woman
“Whose budget will be paying for this?” I asked, as I scribbled down the instructions from the vice president and directors sitting around the conference room table. We were meeting about a new patient safety initiative, and the management team had a laundry list of items they needed my marketing team to create.
“Don’t worry about that,” the vice president responded, irritation edging her voice.
I did have to worry about it though. As a marketing manager, knowing who was paying for a project was an important part of my job.
I eyed the vice president, willing her to answer me. She flipped the page over in her notebook and scratched down something on the page. I never did get an answer to my budget question.
The next day, my director pulled me into her office. She had just met with this same vice president, who told my director that I was “out of line” for asking the budget question and my tone was “disrespectful.” The vice president then told my director that I was not there to ask questions. I was there to gather information so I could “do my job.”
I almost laughed. I should have guessed that my question would not be appreciated; it was so typical of the political bullshit that permeated from my employer.
Despite my inclination to laugh, I also was bewildered: How am I supposed to do my job if I can’t ask questions?
Here’s the thing: I was getting counseled for asking a budget question; however, I knew it was much more than that.
What I was really being counseled on was my Loudness—how I spoke up, how I asked for what I wanted, how I had boundaries around my time, and how I did not tolerate being interrupted.
What I really was being asked to do was to take up less space, keep my mouth shut, and do my job in the quietest way possible.
My employer embodied a classic patriarchal structure. Most of our senior management team were older white guys. Our outdated dress code specified skirt lengths, panty hose requirements, and no open toe shoes (even during Florida summers).
On the surface, my employer looked like a great place for women to work, and it was, as long as women played by the rules, which included deferring to men in positions above us and not rocking the boat (or in my case, asking questions about the marketing budget).
In other words, we were expected to Quiet.
I bet you have been told, time and time again, to be Quiet too. Inside though, you are craving something different, better, more aligned to your soul. You do not want to be Quiet anymore. You want to be Loud—to say what’s on your mind without apology, to stop being afraid, and to live life on your terms.
You yearn to be a Loud Woman.
What is a Loud Woman? You may think it has to do with increased volume—and it could—but not always. Loudness is a state of mind. It’s when a woman breaks the shackles that have kept her Quiet.
How have we been kept Quiet? Well, there’s the literal translation of making less noise. In addition, societal conditioning has quieted us by teaching us to not trust ourselves, to always have good manners, and what behaviors we should tolerate from men.
“She’s as quiet as a mouse” is an expression we hear all the time. Quiet girls are good girls, right? Quiet girls do not bother anyone. They do not upset anyone. They do what’s expected of them without complain and with a smile.
Inside this quiet mouse of a girl, though, is a Loud Woman ready to break free.
Is this you? If so, you have come to the right place. I have taken what I have learned on my Loud Woman Journey and extracted lessons to help you on yours. You will break through your fear mindset and do things scared. You will learn to set up boundaries so people no longer take advantage of you. You will improve your self-worth so you can (finally) get the things you deserve. You will learn to trust yourself, because you are the expert at what’s best for you.
And I will illuminate this path so you can join other women who are on the same journey, and we can love and support each other as the Loud Women we are.
This journey will not be easy, but I am here with my torch to light the way. Together, we will traverse out of our Quiet Caves into a new world, where women are Louder, happier, and more fulfilled; where the ripple effect of Loud Women will bring balance to our world; and where things improve for all humans.
The guys have been running the world for a long time. In many ways, they have done an outstanding job. In other ways, not so much. War, greed, wealth inequality, environmental issues—these are all byproducts of masculine leadership. At the heart of it all is a scarcity mindset that tells us there is not enough for everyone.
We know it’s not true, though. God has given us plenty.
That’s why, right now, we need feminine leadership. To do that, we need every woman to become a Loud Woman.
Loud Woman does not mean Super Woman. We will not be perfect on this journey, and you may feel like quitting. Please don’t. We are here to change the world, and that means we must keep moving.
So, if you lose your footing, read this book. If you get skittish, read this book. If you become unsure, read this book. If you feel like there is no point, read this book.
Loud Woman, come with me. Our world is going to shit, and we can stop this tail spin if we rise up and get Louder.
It’s time to stop being a Quiet Mouse and transform into a Loud Woman.
Are you ready?
