For Women Who Are Unapologetically Ambitious and Fiercely Informed

Where my girl mom's at? The struggle is real trying to be parent & be role model in an age of social media and tech that didn't exist for us. Not so fun fact - Did you know a girl’s confidence can drop by 20% between the ages of 13 and 18? That’s not just a stat, it’s the foundation of why women hesitate to ask for more later in life. Because when girls learn early to stay quiet, be perfect, and not take up space, they carry that conditioning straight into the workplace and it shows up in every raise they don’t ask for, every dollar they leave on the table and every seat they don’t claim.

On the latest episode of Takin’ Care of Lady Business, I sat down with Illana Raia, founder of Être, and what she’s doing is nothing short of revolutionary. She’s not waiting for confidence workshops or leaning-in platitudes, she’s putting girls in the actual boardroom while they’re still in high school and letting them ask the bold questions: How much do you make? Who has the power here? How do I get there?

And here’s what really hit: girls who are mentored by women see a 150% bigger boost in confidence than those paired with men. Of course they do. You can’t be what you can’t see and Illana is making sure they see it early and often.

If we want to close the confidence and compensation gaps later, we have to stop showing and telling girls to wait their turn. We need to show and tell them that the room is already theirs. Raising bold girls is how we build fearless women. And fearless women run the fucking show.

With Love & Lady Business,
JJ

In today’s edition:
— How You Can Raise A Confident Daughter with Illana Raia, Founder & CEO of Être
— 3 Negotiation Tips Every Woman Should Know  
— Watch Amy Poehler Make a Case to be Mediocre

“Être means 'to be' in French... I loved the idea of asking girls who they wanted to be. Not necessarily what they wanted to be yet, 'cause that comes later, but who they wanted to be.”

Key Takeaways:
 — Confidence starts in middle school, not the workplace
— It's never too early to start being who you want to be
— Seeing a woman lead makes leadership feel possible
— The confidence gap becomes the compensation gap if we ignore it
— Girls ask better questions when we let them in the room

Three Negotiation Tips Every Woman Should Know

1. Don’t negotiate against yourself.
Don’t offer a range. Don’t cave before they counter. And definitely don’t say “I’m flexible.” Know your number, then add 20 percent. That’s likely closer to what you’re actually worth.

2. Know your number and say it with no apology.
No soft language. No disclaimers. Say it clearly, directly, and let it land. Confidence isn’t about volume—it’s about clarity.

3. Use silence to your advantage.
Once you’ve made the ask, stop talking. Let the silence sit. The first person to speak usually gives up ground. Don’t let it be you.

Watch Amy Poehler Make a Case to be Mediocre

I once said it will be an amazing day when mediocre women are at the top - running companies - and the confusion I caused. 😂😂 But here's Amy Poehler, who launched her podcast, Good Hang, proving me right!  She interviews one of my favs, Rashida Jones and says one of the reasons she wanted to launch the podcast because "As I've watched so many men do the bare minimum...I'm truly giving 25%".  She says its a response to the pervasive trend of men being rewarded for doing the bare minimum. In her own words, she expressed frustration with "watching men fail up" and emphasized the need to challenge this norm.  Love it all.  Here's to the future of giving our bare minimum.  

Other Lady Biz We Love:

Listen - my favorite sisters Haim - Relationships
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOI_QTmK8Ks

Watch - Jackson Katz on Feminist Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DCeZ248x-mW/

Applaud - Canva Is Now The World’s First Female-Led Startup
https://www.instagram.com/p/DIeiMQkJhQs/

Read - Sophia Amoruso tell a room full of men that raising a bunch of money isn't impressive
https://sophiaamoruso.substack.com/p/raising-money-isnt-success

Hi, I’m JJ.

Since starting the Justice Dept, I have increased women's wealth by over $100MM in just over 5 years. Want to know what inspires me to do this work? My clients' surprised reaction when I manage to get them much better terms for themselves and their companies, whether 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

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