For Women Who Are Unapologetically Ambitious and Fiercely Informed

Shelley Zalis on How to Break the Rules to Drive Change

Author

Jennifer Justice
March 06, 2026

Hello to all of my ambitious women. Miss me? And 2026 so far? Same, girl, same. We took a little break because we had some work to do. Exhibit A - new podcast episode, new look. We fancy now. Check it all out below with guest #141 (although she's always #1 with a bullet for us), the indomitable Shelley Zalis, founder of Female Quotient. While shouting out the ladies, special thanks to Rebecca Minkoff and her amazing recommendation for our new Podcast producers, Share Your Genius. Let us know what you think! We know you are gonna love it!

With Love & Lady Business,
JJ

In today’s edition:
 — Stop Talking About the Gap. Start Fixing It.
— PSA on what to do if stranded in the Middle East or abroad
— The Conversation We Have To Have

Stop Talking About the Gap. Start Fixing It.

We don’t have a data problem in the workplace. We have an action problem. On Taking Care of Lady Business, Shelley Zalis and I talked about how pay gaps and leadership gaps don’t appear out of nowhere; they start at the first promotion, widen during parental leave, and compound when care becomes a career penalty.

Here’s the truth: if you’re in a position of power, you can fix it. 
1. Set clear compensation bands. 
2. Remove negotiation as the gatekeeper to fairness. 
3. Ensure promotions and raises continue during leave. 
4. Don’t wait for policy to force your hand, decide that equity matters.

And while we’re at it, let’s stop calling empathy a “soft skill.” The return on empathy, conscious leadership, and belonging is real. If we want better results, better culture, and better innovation, we have to lead like humans, not just operators.

Final thoughts
Nothing changed in the workplace for decades until COVID forced it to. Overnight, companies redesigned how we work. That proves something important: Change isn’t impossible. It’s a choice. If you’re a leader, the question isn’t whether you can create change.

It’s whether you will.
Prove me wrong.

As you all know, Medjet is one of my Takin’ Care of Lady Business sponsors. I’m personally a member, and recent events around the world have reminded me why I joined — and how important it is to have experts you can call in an emergency.

Between the security alerts in Puerto Vallarta and the escalating tensions across the Middle East affecting travel routes and safety advisories, it’s a good reminder that things can change quickly when you’re away from home.

I have Medjet’s MedjetHorizon Membership, which includes security and crisis response benefits. Had I been in Puerto Vallarta during the shelter-in-place order, I would have had immediate access to expert guidance and real-time security advice, and if the situation had escalated, they could have coordinated an extraction.

For me, it’s peace of mind when traveling — whether it’s a medical emergency and you want to be transported to a hospital at home, or a security situation where you need experienced professionals helping you navigate what to do next.

If you travel at all — for work, family, or adventure — I truly cannot recommend this membership enough.

The Conversation We Have to Have

Trigger Warning: Sexual violence

I want to flag something difficult but important. The New York Times recently released a podcast interview with Gisèle Pelicot. If you have not followed the case, the facts are staggering. For years, her husband drugged her and invited other men to assault her while she was unconscious. Fifty-one men were charged. They ranged in age from their early twenties to around seventy.

What I cannot stop thinking about is this. Many of the men denied rape. Some admitted to the acts but argued they believed it was consensual because her husband invited them. Think about that for a moment. How did dozens of adult men convince themselves that violating an unconscious woman was acceptable. Not just legally acceptable. Morally acceptable. This is the part of the story we have to confront.

We often talk about systems and laws. Those matter. But culture is built much earlier than a courtroom. It is built in homes. Around dinner tables. In the conversations we have with our kids. So I did something that might sound unusual. I listened to the podcast with my twelve-year-old son. Not because it was comfortable. It was not. But if we want a different outcome for the next generation, we cannot assume they will just know. Respect, consent, empathy, and moral courage are things we have to talk about openly and often.

If dozens of adult men can convince themselves that this behavior was acceptable, then silence is not an option. Change starts at home. And as we know, it starts with us. 

Lady Bits:

👀: Alyssa Liu on what she would say to her younger self is the fucking vibe
👏: Congrats to our TJD clients and friends at the Female Founder Collective for a successful Female Founders Day and appearance on the Today Show
😳: Kristy Noem on every single thing she said in the congressional hearings. $143M to a company open for 8 days. Taxes anyone? 
💰: Roth IRA v. 401K - Learn the difference now before it's too late - Grow that money B
🎧: Long Long Time by Linda Ronstadt. Have you heard this? If you watch The Last of Us, you did. Listen on repeat.
🤖: Writing a deck and don't have the funds? Check out Gamma. You will thank me. 

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