Know Your Worth, Own Your Value
“Know your worth, hold your own power, be you.”
– Morgan Harper Nichols
Five years ago, I started Inclusion Nation. I would never have imagined all the places we would go in those five years and all the people we would meet - including many of you. It started with a June 2018 op-ed in the Chicago Tribune about being called a nanny to my kids. That op-ed led to TED talk. Both of those led to a book deal. And November 1, 2018, Inclusion Nation was born.
But it also started with something else I talk about quite a bit – knowing what you are worth, especially as a woman or member of a marginalized community at work – and owning that value in everything you do. How do you do that? Here are three questions for you to answer:
Question 1. Who are you?
In my authenticity and belonging workshops, I ask people to answer this: when you think of the times that you have been the happiest, or the proudest, or the most satisfied at work, what three values come to mind? Because those are your non-negotiables, the values you want to bring into every space you are in.
Question 2. Who is already where you want to be?
I think telling someone to find their passion is hard and non-specific. Here’s what I did instead. I looked at people I admired who did work that I loved. I watched their TED talks. I read their books. I emailed them. I met them for coffee. I learned what it was that they did and what I could do the same and differently. What expertise did I have to offer and what expertise did I need to develop? Many of those people have remained mentors to me and I have served as a mentor to them and people in their community.
Question 3. What do you need to do to get there?
There’s an alternative timeline somewhere where you worked hard, sacrificed little, but achieved everything. Our timeline doesn’t work like that. To own your entire value, you will have to make some hard choices. Maybe it’s a job that doesn’t serve you, but opens a door that you need. Maybe it’s travel when your kids are little so you can take more time off when they’re older. Maybe it’s a salary cut, a move, a sabbatical, living with your parents again. Maybe the decision is voluntary. Maybe it’s not. I don’t think every setback is a way forward. I do think every setback is a lesson learned to help you overcome the next one. If you know who you are, if you know who your people are, then you have that inner and outer strength to bounce back and take on each day as it comes. That’s how we win.
Thank you for being part of my community this year. I can’t wait to see where 2024 takes us all. See you in the new year!
Do the work
This week, I commit to be kind to myself, avoid comparing myself to others, engage in work that works for the values I have, and recognize the difference I make and the role I play in others' lives.
Spread the word
If you want to keep going
Together We Rise: How to Own
Your Value and Thrive at Work
The evidence is clear. If we want to succeed, we need to own our value and thrive in a community together. In this session, I will teach you how to design your own pathway to success right here. With my trademark top ten rules, we will address battling impostor syndrome, finding champions to succeed with you, ensuring your well-being, among many other topics of belonging and inclusion. The goal is to ensure all of us have the right tools to know this truth: you belong here, in a place where you can do more than succeed; a place where you can thrive.
