Not an Executive Woman, and Damn Proud of It

You ever see an ad or an invite with some form of these words and think, “Wow, who the hell are they talking to?” That happened to me recently. It was actually one of those “exclusive” retreats, oozing with promises of “empowering executive women to step into their next big thing.” And I had to laugh. Because if I was still that woman—if I was still wearing those 1980s power suits and killing my feet in heels I didn’t even like—I wouldn’t be considering a retreat like that. I’d be too busy scheduling my next damn meeting, or rethinking a strategy plan that everyone ignored last quarter.

No, that label—Executive Woman—was never really me. It was a role I wore, like shoulder pads and Aquanet, to fit into a world that expected me to look a certain way and play by a set of rules that had nothing to do with who I actually was. And sure, I rocked it. I nailed the game. I climbed the ladder and held my own in rooms full of people who underestimated me. But that was then.

Who I Was Isn’t Who I Am

I was that scrappy kid who grew up in the 80s, where $5 had to last a whole damn week, and dinner was whatever was left in the freezer or the back of the fridge. I wasn’t swiping DoorDash on my phone. And in college? Ha! Frozen pizza from the dorm store was gourmet, and making $20 stretch was a life skill.

So, when I see those ads asking me to “rediscover my executive power,” I can’t help but think, Nah, I’m good. I don’t need to rediscover something I was never really attached to in the first place. I’m not here for the label—I never was.

I Want to Be Known for My Impact, Not My Title

You know what I want? I want to be known for the shit I actually did. The teams I built. The people I mentored. The ideas I fought for, even when the room was full of skeptics. I want to be remembered for the change I created and the joy I felt while doing it—not for a title someone slapped under my name on a business card.

And let’s be honest, half the time those titles don’t mean what people think they do. “Executive Woman” sounds impressive, sure, but does it capture the late nights spent figuring out how to keep a team motivated after an insane work-week or round of layoffs? Or the courage it takes to walk away from something that looks successful on the outside but is quietly draining the life out of you?

Today, I Choose Impact Over a Label

Now? I’m not interested in climbing a ladder I built for someone else. I’m not chasing titles or padding a resume. I’m chasing impact. I’m chasing that feeling where I know—really know—that what I’m doing matters. That I’m making waves, not just ripples.

And guess what? I’m having a hell of a lot more fun doing it. I’ve swapped boardrooms for brainstorming sessions that fire me up. I’m mentoring badass women who are rewriting their own narratives. I’m showing up in spaces where I can be fully me—no suit required.

If You’re Feeling This, You’re Not Alone

If any of this is resonating—if you’re reading this and thinking, “Damn, she’s in my head right now,”—then welcome. You’re not alone. You don’t have to be that woman anymore either. You don’t have to chase titles or stay in spaces that don’t see you for the badass changemaker you are.

We’re the women who made it work when we had $5 to stretch. We’re the ones who turned frozen pizza into a feast and figured out how to survive and thrive with nothing but grit and a little bit of caffeine. We don’t need a title to validate who we are or what we’ve done. We’ve been doing the work.

So let’s stop trying to fit into spaces that weren’t built for us. Let’s build our own damn table. And if you’re ready to lean into that next chapter—where smiling more, creating impact more often, and helping ensure authenticity matters more than titles—I’m right there with you.

Because we’re not executive women. We’re something better.