For Women Who Are Unapologetically Ambitious and Fiercely Informed

I recently spoke at and attended a conference in DC called The Gathering hosted by Amy Nelson and sponsored by AARP. Filled with all female content creators and business women, I am still reeling with excitement at all we can do together. But it was one keynote by Haley Janicek from Kit with a very controversial message in the female space, and there's still ringing in my ears: Women don’t just need to collaborate - We need to compete. It was SO refreshing. Instead of making us feel bad for wanting more, embracing competition can give us the confidence to keep building and growing. And by competition, I don't mean the cut-throat, scarcity-driven mean girl version we’ve been conditioned to fear, but the kind that sharpens us, strengthens us, and moves industries forward. Because competition pushes us to raise our standards. It forces innovation instead of stagnation. It builds resilience instead of complacency. And let’s be real: men compete every day and call it “leadership.” When women do it, we don’t just rise individually, we expand the market, grow the pie, and model a form of power that’s unapologetic, strategic, and profitable. Collaboration is essential, but competition is how we claim our space.

With Love & Lady Business,
JJ

In today’s edition:
— Owning the Pivot with Andy McNicol
—Three Ways Women Can Compete Without Being a Mean Girl

“There is a way for you to start experimenting with the types of things you want to say that involves no one else. The idea that someone else is going to figure this out for you is, again, simply not true”

Thinking about writing a book? Scared of the competition? Your imposter syndrome rearing it's head? The answer - just start. On this recent episode of Takin’ Care of Lady Business®, I sit down with powershouse book agent Andy McNicol, who spent 22 years inside one of the most powerful talent agencies in the world before being laid off in the middle of a pandemic - right as she was about to become a single mom by choice. Instead of scrambling for another “safe” job, she built AMstudio, a book and creative advisory firm on her own terms, turned uncertainty into independence, and rebuilt her identity from the inside out. Andy’s story is a masterclass in owning the pivot: your job doesn’t define you, your voice does; there is no “right time” to start over; and sometimes the most radical thing you can do as a woman is bet on yourself like you’re the sure thing. (podcasters.spotify.com)

Key Takeaways:
 — The job doesn’t define you — your voice does.
— There’s no “right time” to start a new chapter.
— Following your passion isn’t reckless — it’s how you find your purpose.
— Community is your greatest asset in both business and motherhood.
— Authenticity beats “faking it” every time.

Three Ways Women Can Compete Without Being a Mean Girl

1. Compete on excellence, not ego.
You don’t need to out-shine another woman,  you need to out-shine the standard. Compete by delivering the sharpest ideas, the smartest deals, and the results no one else thought possible. And when another woman has a competing business, ask yourself if you should join forces - 1+1= infinite. 

2. Compete by taking up space, not tearing others down.
Women are taught to shrink, apologize, or wait their turn. Compete by doing the opposite: speak first, pitch bigger, ask for more, take credit publicly. Your ambition is not a weapon, it’s a signal that you deserve to be there too.  

3. Compete by building what doesn’t exist yet.
Instead of fighting for the one “seat at the table,” build your own fucking table. I can't hear another thing about how the patriarchy won't let us in - fuck them, we don't need them.  Innovation is the highest form of competition, and women are rewriting entire industries when we stop asking to be let in, we start creating alternatives that work for us.  

CTA: 
Competing isn’t about crushing each other, it’s about rising together by refusing to play small. So this week, pick one arena where you’ve been holding back. Pitch the idea. Apply for the role. Raise your prices. Ask for the equity. Take the meeting you think you’re “not ready” for.
Because when women compete with courage, not against each other, but for our own ambition, we change the entire landscape. Don’t wait for permission. Don’t wait for an invitation.

Lady Bits:

👀: Reshma Saujani at Aspen Ideas Festival: Why is the school day 8:30 to 3 and the work day 9 to 5?  

👏: We should be talking about how many men out of 3 will SA someone in their lifetime, instead of how many women out of 3 will be

😳: What happened when women pretended to be men on LinkedIn? Their engagement spiked.

💰:  These professions are no longer deemed worthy of a federal loan - guess what gender they mostly include? 

📖: The Second Fifty by Debra Whitman at AARP 

Hi, I’m JJ.

Since starting the Justice Dept, we have increased women's wealth by over $100MM in just over 5 years. Want to know what inspires me to do this work, other than making women money? My clients' surprised reaction when we manage to get them much better terms for themselves and their companies, whether via talent agreements, employment, severance, partnerships, asset sales or investments. They often admit that they never thought they could get that result. Not even hoped. This blows my mind. As we know at The Justice Dept. you are all worth everything you ask for and more. Reach out and we’ll show you how!
x TJD